Nights of The Crusades

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)
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If Time aids thee to victory,
He wil l grant thy foe revenge.
As the days heat bears of f as spoil ,
The dew you took from its dawn gone b y.

Oh Falsehood, like a star al l naked, stands!
But Truth hides her face in hood and veil .
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Is there no ship my outstretched hands,
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And Fate cares not about peace or war:
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May grasp, to save me from this malicious sea?

The days arbitrary hands bestow,
Both b lessings and curses,
W hether you be a man of peace or warrior.

Al-Maarri
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Created, written and illustrated

by MJ Alishah.
Special thanks to the Accursed
Knowledge Gaming Society.
Your feedback is very important
for the game, so please feel free to
send it by email
nightsofthecrusades@gmail.com
and join us on Facebook,
Pinterest and
Twitter (@NightsCrusades).
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Version 1.5
theric Dreams 2014
Visit the Nights of the Crusades website for news and resources
Contents
Introduction
What & Why
Overview of chapters
The Mythos
Conjuring a Character
The Marketplace
Gameplay
Advancement
Weaving a Tale
Appendix One:
Sample Characters
Appendix Two:
Sample Chapter
Over Dark Seas
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Glossary
Map of the land
The Mythos
The Crusader
The Assassin
The Merchant
6
6
7
What were The Crusades?
Dawn of the Crusades

Dusk of the Crusades
Death of the Crusades
8
8
9
conjuring a
character
15
The Book of Names
16
English
French
German
Byzantine
Ancient European
Jewish
Arabic
Turkish
Persian
North African
Mesopotamian and
Ancient Egyptian
16
16
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
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17
30
30
34
Leading NPCs
35
Example character sheets 23
Books
36
Character sheet
Formulas
37
Intoxicants
38
Faction
Religion
Class
Organisation
Experienced characters
18
18
19
20
21
21
3: Expertise and Abilities 21
Bazaar Tales
6: Review
22
Internet links
Books
Atmosphere
29
Possessions
2: Allegiances
18
What were the 1001 Nights? 9
Further reading
High-Quality and
Magnificent weapons
Special rules
26
26
26
26
27
28
33
Questions to round out your

character
18
22
12
13
Weapons
26
Attire
1: Background
5: Storytelling
10
11
Item Rarity
Expertise bonuses
Quality
Selling
The plight of the poor
The profits of the prosperous
30
22
The Ghouls of Maarra

The Wavering Flame
The Cursed Knight
and the Sage
The Apostles of Sobek
Wealth and items
Armour
4: Dispositions
10
The
Marketplace 25
24
Body armour
Helmets
Blockers
High-Quality armour
Magnificent armour
Special rules
High-Quality attire
High-Quality possessions
Special rules
Servants
Slaves and tamed beasts
Followers
30
31
32
32
32
32
34
35
35
35
35
36
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Said the Ifrit, Ask of me only what mode of death thou wilt die, and b y what
manner of slaughter shal l I slay thee. Replied the f isherman, W hat is my crime, and
why such retribution? Q uoth the Ifrit, Hear my story, O Fisherman! And he
answered, Be brief mighty Ifrit, for my lifes breath quivers.
~ 1001 Nights, The Fisherman & the Djinni
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Gameplay
Example of play
Sneaking Challenge
Impression
Negotiation
Story
Back to the real world
Combat
Advancement 63
42
Overview of organisations 64
42
44
45
46
47
48
White Quills
Apostles of Sobek
Wavering Flame
The Abu Al-Myiit
Nizari
The 44
64
64
65
65
66
67
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Ability overview table
68
Dispositions
51
Gaining Expertise and

Abilities
71
Negotiation
51
Combat
52
Challenges
Common challenges
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41
Goals
Basic Negotiation actions
Haggling
Movement
Hostile Stance
Strikes
Hits, Impacts and Injuries
The Battlefield
Objects
Other dangers
Trauma
Stories
Pearls of Wisdom
50
51
52
52
71
71
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72
Symbols of Power
86
53
54
54
55
58
58
59
60
Fief
Entertainment Quarter
Forge
Fortifications
House of Worship
Library
Market Place
Ship
Tower
62
Gaining Storytelling levels 88
62
I did not believe that
thou wert a knight. I
replied, Lord Bohemund;
I am a knight according to
the customs of my people.
Training points
Expertise limit
Increasing expertise
Ability List
~ Usamah ibn Munqidh
86
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Changing Allegiances
88
Changing Dispositions
88
Weaving a
Tale
89
What a Tale- Weaver needs 90

Character motivations
The path to riches

The climb to power
The destruction of the enemy
The seeking of knowledge
The passage to righteousness
The road to paradise on earth
Running the game
90
90
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91
91
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Creating Challenges
91
A typical month
92
Strength, Sneaking or
Scholarship?
92
Alchemy, action,
dread and atrocity
93
Managing stories
93
Dispositions and likely actions 93
Area dispositions
94
Slavery in the world
94
A womans place
94
Appendix 1:
Sample
characters
95
Beasts
95
Djinn
97
In the city
98
Warriors
99
The wild
99
Bestial Ghoul
Rukh
Cavern Wyrm
Raging Ifrit
Whispering Qarin
Aristocrat
Beggar
Merchant
Physician
Priest
Fanatic
Guard or solider
Squire
Bandit
Trader
Vessel of Djinn
Queen Sesheshet
The Walker of Roads
Appendix 2:
Over
Dark Seas
95
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97
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98
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100
100
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101
NPCs
101
Scene 1
102
Scene 2
102
Scene 3
103
Scene 4
104
Scene 5
104
Scene 6
105
Conclusion
105
The Thirsting Deep

Dead Men Telling Tales
The Tale of the Prince
and the Ghoul Queen
The Hunger
Betrayal
Sanctuary
Version
updates
107
Introduction
As the wind and dust howled over the
barren ground, the traitors walked.
Their leader thought only of increasing the distance between him and the
ravaged hell of Antioch and forgetting the past. The rain that often
cloaked the city reached far into the
surrounding lands, and dark clouds
approached that threatened to obscure
the morning sun.
The walls were assaulted two days
ago, and that was when these shuffling exiles left their city to the men of
the western countries. Their thoughts
were as much a burden as their possessions. Their bones ached from the
hard ground where they slept last
night. They sweated, their clothes
sticking to their skin. They needed
shelter.
As they descended from a barren
mountain range, the stones of a
ruined wall came into view, looking
like the spine of a disfigured serpent.
As the refugees edged closer they saw
it coiled around the corpse of a small
city. Behind the wall were orchards
of skeletal fruit trees, and a great
slum of houses and stables. A spire
loomed over the city and a thin bridge
joined it to the wall of a palace that
perched upon a jutting section of the
mountain range. Their approach was
not greeted with the usual sounds of
a large town, it was empty of life. It
would, however, do for shelter until
they decided where to go.
The previous dwellers of the village

would have sought safety within Antiochs walls after hearing of the arrival of the vast army from the west.
The besiegers of Antioch, in their
hunt for food and plunder, would
have then laid waste to their town
and whatever else was left behind.
Antioch would have no protection for
them now. After the once-proud city
was stormed, its inhabitants would
have received only death or slavery.
They would now rightly condemn
Firuz, the leader of the traitors, for
what was left of their lives.
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What & Why
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Nights of the Crusades is a roleplaying game set

in a land and time that is familiar on the surface,
but within its cracks lie tales of alchemy, madness
and violence. It is a world that could have happened
and then been lost to barbarity and time. Players
take on characters that can explore its lands and
plunder them for wealth, glory or knowledge. The
Tale-Weaver is their guide, plunging them into the
horrors of war and fanaticism as they pursue their
goals. The world is rife with dark cults, creatures
that dwell in unseen places and bloodthirsty warriors. This is a time when anyones thoughts, from
king to slave, are enough to condemn them to death
and hell, and many are they that will line up to
cheer the execution.
And as the characters journey through the chapters
of their tale, they will become a part of the stories that
they hear. Sorcery, djinn and foul beasts lurk within
the minds of storytellers, yet many secrets and shards
of knowledge can be found within these tales.
The setting of Nights of the Crusades is a mixture of
the One Thousand and One Nights, the history surrounding the Crusades and both modern and ancient
tales of terror. The rules reflect mature and gritty
issues, including the psychological impacts of combat
and killing. The gameplay also allows for tension
in every form of conflict, whether verbal or physical, and wraps the rules of the Real World around
Story interludes. Artist, diplomat and physician
characters have as much of a role to play in Nights of
the Crusades as do warriors, archers and thieves.
At heart, Nights of the Crusades is a game and is
meant to be a fun way to spend some time with
friends. To play you will only need a group of at
least three one Tale-Weaver and two players. Other
necessities are the rules that follow, a pen/pencil and
paper and enough ten-sided dice (D10s) to go around.
Overview of
chapters
The Mythos
A description of the world that your characters will
enter. It gives a (very brief) overview of the Crusades and the 1001 Nights; along with some strange
and dark tales to introduce the setting.
Conjuring a Character
This describes the process of creating a character. It
is a simple process after inspiration strikes.
The Marketplace
Equipment, servants and weapons are described
here, along with the details of managing wealth.
Gameplay
Here you will find rules for challenges, negotiation
and combat.
Advancement
Characters will evolve throughout their time in Nights
of the Crusades. This section describes how they will
gain expertise and abilities as they progress.
Weaving a Tale
This is a guide for the Tale-Weaver. It delves into the
possible themes of a tale and the how to challenge
your players enhancing everyones experience.
Appendix One:
Sample Characters
Character details for beasts and adversaries that can
be used in a tale.
Appendix Two:
Sample Chapter
Over Dark Seas
An adventure that will launch you into the world of
Nights of the Crusades.
Glossary
Ability: By gaining abilities, characters advance in
expertise. An ability allows a character to gain an
edge in negotiations, combats and other challenges.
Apex: The target number in a V test.
Chapter: An adventure. A portion of a tale that
has a beginning, middle and end. It is broken into
smaller scenes.
Challenge: Any conflict that needs a resolution
through dice.
D5: Half of a D10 roll.

D10: A ten sided die.
D100: Rolling two D10s to get a result between 1
and a 100, defining one die as the 10s and the other
as the 1s. A result of an 8 and a 3 equals 83; a result
of 0 and a 4 equals 4; a result of 6 and 0 equals 60;
and a result of 0 and 0 equals 100.
Difficulty: To challenge a characters expertise in a
verses test, the Tale-Weaver may assign a difficulty
of Easy (2), Troublesome (5), Serious (8) or Dire (11)
Discontent: The amount of disfavour your subjects
hold towards you.
Disposition: The favour or hate one character holds
towards another.
Divine intervention: A roll of 10 on both dice used
to strike.
Expertise: How accomplished a character is in a
particular field.
Favour: A positive disposition from one character
to another.
Pearls of Wisdom (PoW): PoW are gained from stories and can be used to access powerful bonuses.
Player: You or the other people in the real world that
are playing characters in the Nights of the Crusades.
Player Character (PC): Any character that a Player
controls.
Focus: The expertise used for an ability.
Power: The strength behind an alchemical device,

based on the knowledge of the alchemist when the
device was created.
Hatred: A negative disposition from one character

to another.
Story: A fanciful tale told by a storyteller, who could

be a PC or NPC. Characters gain PoW from stories.
Insight: The benefits from a book.
Tale: The enveloping adventure that contains the

chapters and stories that all characters live in.
Impact: Successfully besting an opponent in combat, resulting in a loss for your foe to defend against
further attacks.
Injury level: The power of a strike.
Impact limit: Three levels, based on a characters
melee expertise and armour.
Modifier: When a roll becomes easier or harder
based on a particular circumstance. Usually effects a
characters expertise for a single roll.
Non Player Character (NPC): Any character that the
Tale-Weaver controls.
Tale-Weaver: The person that creates the tale and

acts as the guide and adjudicator for other players.
Fulfills the role of a game master.
Tax: The amount of wealth a character extracts from
subjects when that character becomes a ruler.
V test: A verses test. Designed to allow two evenly
matched characters a 50% chance of overcoming
the other. As differences between the characters are
more pronounced, so are their respective apexes.
Wisdom pool: The pool of potential PoW that have
been gained throughout a story.
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Map of the land
Black Sea
Constantinople
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Aegan Sea
10 days
Antioch
1 day
Aleppo
Maarra
Masyaf
Tripoli
Cyprus
Mediterranean Sea
Baalbek
Tyre
Acre
Alexandria
Damietta
2 days
Cairo
Red Sea
Damascus
3 days
Jerusalem
4 days
Distances are for walking on foot, halve if mounted.
3 days
The Mythos
The thud of hooves approached. The
bandits dismounted at the base of the
minaret. Gruff voices of men ascended to where the traitors lay in hiding.
Firuz imagined them passing through
the spires threshold. They were
confident, swaggering, obviously assuming the area was abandoned. He
took a careful look around the wall.
The bandits mouths gaped as they
approached the arch into the palace,
wondering at the treasures within.
The cry of child echoed through the
air behind him.
The bandits were startled, but quickly
regained their composure. They
readied their weapons. Firuz could
not risk being seen now. He put his
back to the wall, relying on his hearing. An arrow streaked through the
archway and tumbled into the dusty
ground. Another ricocheted off the
palaces marble wall. More children
began to cry. His stomach coiled like
an agitated snake.
The fighting would soon begin. The
whispered voice of a bandit was followed by anothers menacing laugh.
The stink of wine reached Firuzs
nostrils. The bandits were just on the
opposite side of the wall.
Peering out from behind a wide column, one of the women cried through
her veil, Please brothers, show
mercy to us.
Ha, God allowed mercy to flee

this land many days ago. Are there
only little boys to defend you? The
sound of a sword being sheathed rang
through the tense atmosphere. Put
away your bow, Omar. They will be
worth more without scratches.
A slurred voice said, Do not be shy,
my flowers, you may show your faces
to your new men. We have come to
cure your loneliness in these troubled
times. He finished with a chuckle.
Firuz felt his body burn hot. He nodded to the man across from him.
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The Crusader
God wills it! That is the cry that strengthens the
spirit. The fires of justice have swept aside any opposition to our righteous cause. We march onwards
to the Holy City.
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In all the battles I have fought, this will be the first

where I will arrive to the field without my stout
horse, Bellator. He was but bones wrapped in skin
when his time came. In hunger lies the devil; that
is a phrase where the truth resides. I had thought of
Bellator as a dear friend, yet my brothers could not
contain their yearning for meat. I was admonished
for the tear I shed by Father Johan, for had not Saint
Augustine declared that, refraining from the killing of animals is the height of superstition. I could
not argue against the word of God, so it was with
a trembling hand that I sacrificed my friend on the
altar of hunger.
And worse still, as our bodies were shriveled and
blasted by the harsh desert sands, a plague swept
through our ranks. Mounted scouts of accursed infidels would harry us, and any arrows that pierced
our armour caused a black infection. Boils and sores
began to burst from our skin. It was Gods punishment, cried the Father. As a penance, we sent the
woman who had served our needs into the desert,
and swore an oath of chastity until Jerusalem was
ours. By this time my eyes and mouth were a hive of
blisters. I could barely see. I had to use a rag to keep
the weeping fluids from obscuring my sight.
Then we happened upon a number of heathen villages. Gods fury was ignited in our souls, and we
set upon them like the prophets of old as we utterly
destroyed the men, and the women, and the little
ones, of every city, we left none to remain. Only the
cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the
spoil of the cities which we took.
I saw some of my brothers, so maddened from hunger, eating from the bodies of the slain.
And so now, at the walls of the holiest of cities
we march and sing and pray. The flagellants have
finished their wailing and we have retired to rest
under these foreign stars. When the sun rises, so too
will our banners over Jerusalem.
The Assassin
The smoke from those dark nights still burns in
my nostrils, and morning never came for me. I hide
now, in plain sight, counting the seconds before the
man before me is dead.
I have travelled far from Damascus, where I once
made my home, tracking one of the cruel leaders of the massacre that butchered more than five
thousand of my Ismaili brethren. This preacher,
who now stands not ten feet away, sows rumours
and diverts blame from his masters, enabling them
to perform their atrocities. It was him that led the
Sunni fanatics to our quarter. They had been fed lies
about how we were aiding the Franj to capture Damascus, and in return we Ismaili were to be granted
the port city of Tyre. I know not the basis of these
accusations but nor did I care as I held the corpses
of my family.
Those of us who could escape fled into the wilderness, but we were found. Not by those thirsting for
our blood but by a shadowy savior. He claimed he
was a Nizari, a follower of Sinan, The Old Man of
the Mountain. They were protectors of true Islam
and its adherents the Shias generally and the
Ismaiili specifically. We followed him to the cliffs.
For many months we trained our bodies and souls
to fight the apostates and unbelievers; those who
would seek to annihilate the only untainted followers of God.
I hunted my quarry across the plains and deserts
and now I wait, with my head shaved and only a
dagger beneath my ragged robe. My exterior is the
manner of the calm Sufi, but inside I am the fury
of hate. For days the preacher has passed with his
retinue, as I sat by the path in dust. His wariness is
down for I am a common site to them. The flash of
my dagger is not!
Blood spurts as the blade bites deep inside the throat
of the false preacher. Knowing that not even a djinni
from the flames of hell could survive such a blow,
I leap away, evading my blood-soaked pursuers.
Adrenaline floods my veins as I quicken my pace,
for the alarm has been raised. Heavy footsteps are
closing the distance.
Should I survive, that is all good and well, however I
do not care so much. My mission is complete, and an
eternity in paradise is assured.
The Merchant
A close friend of mine, Dionysius Theodoros, had
asked me to visit him in Acre so we could make
some business arrangements. He wanted me to meet
with one of the Franj who had become accustomed
to civilisation. I could not believe such a spectacle
existed, so I made plans immediately.
The short journey was made even shorter, as I fascinated my crew with the stories of the sea to ease
their toil. One of my favourites is that of a fellow
merchant who was trying to deliver much needed
supplies to a town besieged by the Franj. The enemy
ships circled the harbour like hungry sharks, waiting for a moments weakness to begin a frenzied
assault. Oh see how this merchant outsmarted them!
He shaved his beard and those of his crew and
dressed in the manner of the infidel. He even placed
unclean swine on the decks but God will wash
away the dirt on his hands, for this merchants cause
was just. The Franj, thinking he was one of them, let
him pass. The cheers of the besieged Muslims met
his crew as they were allowed into the city! But for
those who know the whole story, it was a sad tale
too. That city was Acre, lost to the Kings of France
and England long ago, and holds many tales of sorrow and atrocity.
We soon reached port. I allowed my men to visit
this wondrous city, as though the Franj controlled
it there were many sights to see. I told even the
Christians amongst my crew to be careful though. It
is well known that one of the largest slave markets
in the world is in Acre, and many are those slaves
that were free men a week before they appeared at
auction. I have heard that only a conversion to the
religion of the Franj will save you from the chains
of a slave-master. But I know that this law is broken
as many times as enforced, as it rests on any infidel
to determine the truth or falsehood of the pleas of
the shackled. Of course, I asked my crew to tell me
should they see any strong men that could ease their
workload on the journey home, for I am not immune
to the plight of a sailor.
So I found my friend, Dionysius, and he told me of
this Franj he bade me meet. Apparently there are
some Franj that are less prone to acts of barbarity than their newly arrived brothers, as they have
dwelt in the lands of the Muslims for many years.
For those who were poor there,
here God makes rich. Therefore why
should one who has found the East

so favorab le return to the West?
~ Fulcher of Chartres
We came to the estate of this old knight who, having been involved in the earlier wars against the
Muslims, was now living peaceably. I was surprised
that his slaves prepared a great banquet for us, with
clean food and local spices. As he saw my hesitation,
the knight bellowed, Eat friend, be merry in my
home! I have not eaten the food of my old countrymen for many years, and have an Egyptian cook
who ensures that the flesh of pigs does not enter
my home. I was pleased with what he said and
we left on good terms, him knowing a little Arabic
and Dionysius the Greek filling in the gaps of our
understanding.
After discussing business, I left to collect my men
and ensure they had acted with caution throughout
their day. As I walked through the market place,
a Frankish woman grabbed at me. I attempted to
brush her away, yet she clung tightly and began
screaming in the brash sounds of her language. A
great crowd of Franj began to surround me, and I
saw my doom in their eyes.
But then the old knight, seemingly come from the
aether, saw me and spoke harshly to the woman. He
said, Why do you impede this Muslims business?
She spoke back to him through tears, This is he
who slew my brother. He was killed at the walls of
Jerusalem!
The Christian knight dismissed her, saying, This
Muslim is a merchant who has never raised a sword
or fought for any army. He then ordered the crowd
to disband, which they did on account of his high
standing amongst them. Although I had often imagined my demise to be at the hands of one of these
bellicose giants, I had never thought that one would
come to my rescue.
We then said a heartfelt farewell and I headed home
without further incident. Truly this is a tale that the
wise among you will heed!
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What were The Crusades?

Nights of the Crusades combines the lands and
history of the Crusades during the Middle Ages
(roughly 1095 to 1295) with tales from the 1001 Arabian Nights, and darkens the mixture with themes
of insanity of horror.
The Crusades can be roughly divided into
three eras
Phillip Augustus - King of France - and Richard the

Lionheart clash against Salih Al-Din. The knightly
order of the Hospitallers grows from an armed escort
for Christian pilgrims to a battle-hardened force. The
Knights Templar construct fortifications along the
coast and stoke the fires of battle. The Nizari assassins plot between each, as they work towards their
master plan of a Shia dominated empire.
Salih Al-Dins desire to retake Jerusalem from the
Crusaders can only be accomplished by uniting all
the Muslim lands in its defence. The Shia monarchs
of Egypt had betrayed him. After storming the onceland of the pharaohs and becoming its Sultan, he
turns his thoughts to the Nizari, besieging their nine
fortresses. The assassins are now the last power base
of Shia in the lands of Syria. However, Salih Al-Din
withdraws, begetting whispers of what may have
caused the hurried retreat. Perhaps it was the knife
by his pillow said to have been laid by the Old Man
of the Mountain himself that changed his mind.
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Dusk of the Crusades
Dawn of the Crusades

Flames of war are burning the lands from west
to east. The Iberian battles against the Moors, the
Reconquista, are a forge for Christian clerics to construct their theories of a just and holy war; and their
faithful are marching. However, the Muslim princes
between the Crusaders and Jerusalem have their
hands devoted to schemes amongst themselves.
They do not realise the true threat of the Franj until
Jerusalem smoulders in ash, along with its Muslim,
Eastern Christian and Jewish citizens.
After the brutality of the First Crusade there is an
eerie period of quiet between the warring factions.
Merchants and the nobility from both sides rub
shoulders, as Christian pilgrims from the west arrive to see the birthplace of their faith.
This is only the eye of the whirlwind. The debauched
monarchs of the Muslim cities are losing their followers to more pious war leaders, as the faith of Islam is
used to unite the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean
under threat from the west. The first of the new Crusader states begin to fall back into the hands of the
Saracens. The battlelines are drawn between the soldiers of the Sunni Caliphate and the followers of the
Roman Pope Jihad versus Crusade. The Orthodox
Christians, Jews and Shia conspire between the two
warring factions, trying to keep their heads above the
rising sea of blood that quenches the scorched land.
After Salih Al-Din takes Jerusalem and destroys the

forces of the Knights Templar, Richard the Lionheart
joins the third crusade. Sick from scurvy, the Lionheart nevertheless joins in the assault on the walls
of Acre. As Salih Al-Dins forces arrive to besiege
the now besieged, negotiations begin between the
great Kings. They break down, and in the aftermath,
Richard orders the beheading of the almost three
thousand Muslim inhabitants of Acre within sight
of Salih Al-Dins camp. Salih Al-Dins heart is hardened. No Frankish soldier will leave his hands alive
from now on.
Schemes are brewing between the Kings. Conrad
of Montferrat, the ruler of the impregnable city of
Tyre, offers an alliance with Salih Al-Din against the
foreigners led by Richard. Richard suspects this,
and also revolts at the prospect of Conrad becoming
king of Jerusalem should the Christians be able to
conquer it once again. After Conrad visits a Turkish bath, a blade pierces his body and he falls to the
stones of his city. His murderers are caught. Under
torture, the torn bodies of the captured men reveal
that they are of the Nizari, and cry that it was Richard himself who employed them.
After some victories against Salih Al-Din, Richard
journeys back to France to defend his holdings
against Phillip Augustus who had left the Holy
Land earlier. Salih Al-Din dies in Damascus soon
afterwards, bequeathing his empire to civil war.
Death of the Crusades

Chaos and bloodshed reign. Hatred of the other
thrives. The Fourth Crusade results in the Sack of
Constantinople, crushing the stronghold of the Byzantines. Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes build
their strength in the north and east. The knightly
orders of the Templars and Hospitallers are at odds
in the domains they have carved out for themselves
in Outremar, and the Nizari step carefully in the
political dance between them.
Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis, ravages the
Nizari fortress of Alamut and sends his warriors
to Baghdad. The great libraries of these houses of
wisdom are lost to the flames, and so are the people
who defy Hulagu. The greatest knowledge of the
time becomes ash and is scattered to the winds.
With the Nizari surrendering to the Mongols, the
path is open for the horde to sweep into the holy
lands of the Abrahamic faiths.
Meanwhile, a strange slave-dynasty has risen in
Egypt. Mamluks, the soldier-slaves of the Muslim
armies, have assumed power and placed a woman,
Shajar al-Durr, on the throne as Sultana. Baibars,
the true leader of the Mamluks, reunites Egypt and
Syria into a powerful state. However, he is caught
between the fortresses of the remaining Crusaders
and the army of the Mongols. Baibars compromises
with neither. He has been hardened by the violence
surrounding him, and focuses it on his enemies.
The Battle of Ayn-Jalut is the first major defeat of the
Mongols, and it is at the hands of Baibars. His forces
decimate the invaders from the steppe with cannons
and his unflinching will. The tide of the Mongols
recedes, but remains a threatening force.
Alliances are made and broken between the Mongols and the last Crusaders; the Mongols themselves
are split between the religions of Christianity, Islam
and Shamanism. However, every campaign the Crusaders wage against Baibars is repelled. The Christians of Antioch are cut off from their Mongol allies,
and Baibars ruthlessly purges it. He mocks its ruler,
Bohemond IV excommunicated by the church for
his dealings with the Mongols as the last remaining Crusader strongholds are swept away by Baibars
and his successors. Every massacre is claimed to be
revenge for the events of a hundred years past.
Qalawan, once a slave bought for 1,000 dinars,
leads the warriors of Egypt for a time, destroying
the fortress of the Hospitallers. His son, Al-Ashraf
Khalil, is the leader of the Islamic forces when Acre
is finally retaken ending the last bastion of Frankish power in the east.
What were the

1001 Nights?
The One Thousand and One Nights are a collection
of stories from the lands between the Middle East
and China that have been told since before the Islamic Golden Age. There is no such thing as a definitive version of the 1001 Nights; each translation and
compilation offers a different lens into the fantastic
realms described.
He is
cal led the Old

Man of the
Sea; and those

who die under
him he eateth.
~ 1001 Nights,
Sinbad
The initial tale involves the king, Shahryar, who

seeks to punish all women for his adulterous former
wife. The King takes a new woman every night
and then slays her in the morning. His latest wife,
Scheherazade, marries him to save the women of her
city. Scheherazade begins telling him stories that
beget more stories, while always leaving a tale half
finished at sunrise. The king spares her life, but only
to hear how a story ends.
Some of her stories include:
The Tale of the Merchant and the Djinni: A merchant accidentally kills a powerful djinnis son on an
isolated road. Some helpful travellers hope to save
him from the djinnis vengeamce.
The Tale of the Enchanted King: A nobleman finds
a king in an abandoned palace. His queen has him
imprisoned, and she heaps tortures upon his body
and mind every day for what he did to her lover.
The Tale of the Hunchback: A hunchback is killed
and those accused of his death are brought before
the Caliph to answer for their crime. Each tells a tale
more fanciful than before.
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad: These are used as
inspiration for the Tower by the Sea supplement.
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Bazaar Tales
The Ghouls of Maarra
What? You mean this rusted blade? I did not think
that anyone would be interested in that. I will give it
to you, my friend, after I tell you how I came to have
it. I would be happy to be rid of it.
No, Im fine. It is just that some of this insufferable
dust has gotten into my eyes
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You may be surprised to know that there is an

interesting story behind this blade. Not too long
ago, a man stumbled into the bazaar, causing a great
commotion. He collapsed near my stall, just a bit
behind where you stand now. He was clothed in
tattered rags and dust and blood. When he fell he
had knocked the stump where his arm used to be
and blood began weeping into his bandages. That
knife you now hold, it was in his one hand before he
crumpled to the ground.
He was raving about a madness in the mountains, and
I pushed my way through the crowd to hear what he
was saying. It was a tale of horror and darkness.
Some mothers will tell their ill-disciplined children
a story about the ghouls of the desert to scare them
into behaving. I had never thought the tales were
true, but there was a time when there were men who
ate the flesh of men in the lands ravaged by war.
It was many years ago, when the crusaders were
marching towards Jerusalem and were not used
to the country they had come to occupy. Many fell
from disease and hunger and so were savage in their
dealings with those they conquered. During the
siege of Maarra, some were driven to eating those
they captured. When the army moved on, some
soldiers stayed behind. It is said that their minds
had fallen into a madness brought on by realising
that their sins would never be redeemed before God
the sole purpose for them to take up the cross and
join the crusade. As they continued to believe that
they were destined for Hell, they became more beast
than man. The desolate mountains were where they
lived, preying on travelers and reveling in the pain
and horror of their victims - for they had given their
souls to Satan and his djinn.
It is believed by me that these tales were more than

just scary stories to be told to the young the man
that stumbled into the market confirmed it!
Through his bloody beard he told of how his caravan
thought to travel through the mountains, rather than
take a longer path around them. Creatures that bore
the shape of men, but were faster than any human
he had ever encountered before, attacked them. They
had skin like leather and eyes of red and black, and
their teeth were all pointed. These savages could have
killed them all, but they wanted them alive.
The armless mans voice wavered into a shriek when
he began telling of how they were brought to a village in the mountains and kept underground in
rock-hewn dungeons. Some women were trapped in
gibbets, the metal bars not even allowing them room
to turn. They were to give birth to mewling infants
that were taken from them to be locked away, fattened, then eaten while their flesh was still tender.
Their captors viewed them with an uncaring eye, and
if a guard took out his frustrations upon them, they
were encouraged or ignored by their inbred brothers.
Tongues were cut if prisoners spoke, and fed back
to them, along with any bones and gristle from a
slaughter. When it came time for the killing to begin,
the captives were bound and hung upside down so
that their throats could be cut, yet many were still
alive when the dismemberment began.
Our climb through the mountains was
The man was shaking by this point of his tale, and

began thrashing upon the ground. He had suffered
many wounds and they were obviously infected. The
crowd did not hear of how he escaped before he died.
that lead to the plains below, and the tribes
The worst thing he said was that these ghouls not

only used his companions meat for themselves, but
that he saw them trade human flesh to merchants
bound for the cities of the East and West.
us they found isolated they put to death.
So keep that knife. Whenever I see it, I think of the

despair in that poor mans eyes. He had seen that Hell
is right here, existing beside us, and that there is no
need for devils while humans inhabit the lands.
hard because of the narrow, rough roads

who were like accursed devils. Any one of
The Wavering Flame

Has this book caught your eye? You bear the look of
a foreigner, so let me explain.
I found it in my travels through the deep desert and
have often thought of keeping it for myself, such is
its beauty. It is bound in a sort of hardened fabric,
not leather like the many others in my collection.
This inscription here, on the inside page, it says,
The chained mind knows not whether its body is
free or slave. A curious saying, yes? The chapters
cover a variety of subjects too: How the shadows
upon distant obelisks prove the spheracy of the
world, The grasshoppers tale and its implications
on the artificial nations of mankind and The hunt
for the creatures whose bones inhabit the deep
mines of Baalbek.
And see this? There are some portraits of the authors. Do you think this one really had two heads?
And this girl with the gills, Jullanar, could that be
possible?
I have asked many questions about this book. A
merchant from the order of the White Quills gave
me his opinion, so you should take it as truth.
He told me that before the soldiers of the west
first came to these lands, there was a great poet
Al Maarri. He was a terrible blasphemer, but he
managed to survive persecution because he was so
popular among the people. He cared for all beasts
and did not eat them or steal their produce. He was
also blind and spoke against bringing children into
such a world of horror. He claimed that all religions
were created by men and that they are only useful
to those seeking power over the masses. This White
Quill seemed to respect him and went on about
how Al-Maarris thoughts were not burdened by his
culture or times, and how powerful his poetry and
philosophy was.
So, he died a long time ago, but in between his
death and the fall of Maarra, there sprang a conclave of scholars, artisans and poets, who looked to
Al Maarri as inspiration. They tried to keep their
locations secret, but not their message that the inhabitants of this world cannot progress without the
freedom to imagine and the freedom to question.
They were rumoured to have many scribes who
were busy harvesting the knowledge of the globe
and placing it into books. They took in the rejected
and despised, and created a vast underground network. They called themselves the Wavering Flame.
When the Crusaders came to Maarra, they ravaged their base and their members were scattered
throughout the desert. They tried to cling to their
books, but over time, many were lost.
But not this one! For a very reasonable fee, it is yours
my friend.
Had we been left to reason, we
would not have accepted the lies; but whips

were raised to strike us.
Traditions were brought to us, and we
were ordered to say, We have been told

the truth ;
If we refused, the sword was
drenched with our b lood. We were terrif ied

by scab bards of calamities, and tempted
by great bowls of food, of fered with
condescending smiles.
~ Al Maarri
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The Cursed Knight and the Sage

You are right to be curious about this. It not just any
shard of metal on a necklace.
Now listen, this is the tale of the one who calls himself The Knight of Judgement.
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When the Crusaders took Jerusalem, the Jews took

refuge in their great synagogue. It was set to fire
and, as the poor souls inside began to burn and
choke, two men were seen to escape. One of these
men had a dark past, and the other was a man who
had planned to build a powerful golem to protect
the city. His hopes were lost to the flames.
One of the crusaders, he who had hurled the first
torch upon the synagogue, had met these men
before and gave chase with his retinue. The story of
this knight has passed into legend. It is said he was
cursed with leprosy and left the western countries
to seek favour with God and find a cure. When he
arrived in the holy lands he set about slaying all
who would not bow to his cross, hoping each infidel
sent to Hell would count toward the blessings he
would receive from Heaven.
The cursed knight had gathered a number of followers that flayed the skin from their own backs,
shrieking and crying to burn any infidel. One night,
his minions captured a man, the Sage of Durban.
The sage approached the knights throne of skulls,
through rows of his impaled victims and the curses
of his followers, and knelt before him. The sage was
a healer and a philosopher and managed to do what
no one had done before bargain with the cursed
knight for his life. He was given a number of days to
brew a cure for the leprosy.
When it was ready, the sage presented a cloth to
the knight, damp and reeking of herbs. The Sage of
Durban said that the knight was to wrap the cloth
around the handle of his executioners blade, and
when he was to sweat, the medicine would enter his
body and alleviate his curse.
The Knight of Judgement wore the cloth throughout his day of beheadings. The next morning he
was cured. The Sage of Durban, thinking he would
be freed, was brought to the knight. The knight
thanked God for rewarding his years of unflinching work with the sage. As he began to announce
the gifts he would bestow upon the sage, he was
taken aside by his adviser and comrade. This fellow
knights heart was hardened towards the Muslims.
The adviser, with the tongue of a serpent, convinced
the Knight of Judgement that if the sage was the
only one who could cure him, then he was also the
only one who could kill him and no man on the
battlefield had been able to do so. The cursed knight
drew his sword.
The Sage of Durban tried to reason with him, but

failed this time. Knowing that he was going to
be put to death the sage revealed a locket in the
shape of a book. He told the knight that if he was
beheaded, and his head placed on a silver tray, he
would translate some of the secret language that
the book was written in, and tell the knights future.
The knight immediately ordered a silver tray to be
bought to him.
The Sage of Durban prayed as the knight dipped
his blade into holy water. Before the blade fell, the
sage said that his head must face the knight on the
tray, and the tiny book placed before his eyes. This
he did. The Sage of Durbans head was placed on
the tray and the knight opened the locket. A shining
dust rose from it into the air. The Sage of Durbans
head smiled and the knight began to ask the sage a
question. Silence. Nothingness. The knight realised
that was the future the sage wished to tell. He was
furious, but was coughing from the dust.
The next day, his leprosy had returned.
And so, that was the knights past before he reached
Jerusalem and started to track the men who escaped
from the burning temple. His dark helmet and mail
covered his rotting flesh as his curse had almost
claimed him. He sought to slay as many non-believers as he could to increase his rewards before he met
his judgment. During the chase between the men,
the Jews guard drew his blade and their swords
clashed. Although the cursed knights broad blade
was made from heavy iron, the defender wielded a
sword made of Damascus steel. It bit into the cursed
knights weapon and shards of it scattered through
the dust and ash.
And one of those pieces is this one, hanging upon
this necklace. What happened to the men you ask?
Well, no one knows how the Jew and his guard
ended up, but the cursed knight is still seen, more
than one hundred years since that day. In the greatest battles, where soldiers wade through blood, he
has been sighted. It is said that he believes that for
those that he kills, the just will go to Heaven and
join the ranks of the armies of God, while those who
are evil will burn in Hell. He still wanders with his
shrieking flock and seeks only to slay for his Lord.
The Apostles of Sobek

You truly have a discerning eye. The bearers of a
torch such as this should not be spoken of, but you
have gained my trust. Only because you ask of it
will I tell you how I came across this; but! I implore
you to keep your knowledge away from the ears of
the pious for your own safety.
Many years ago, I was leading a caravan from
Damascus to Antioch. Not too far into our journey,
a great sandstorm led us astray. It was dark when
we came across some great and ancient ruins. A
scholar travelling with us noted that they could have
been built by the old Romans and we had probably
reached the outskirts of Baalbek. We set up camp
under the crumbling idols as the wind screeched
through the night.
It was hard to sleep, with the skittish animals
making noises and the dust managing to find its
way into my nostrils, but I soon drifted into a light
slumber. I awoke to find the very earth shaking!
Then I was falling. I landed heavily, followed by
sand that I had to dig myself out of in the moonless
dark. I could hear screams from my companions
and the sound of the frightened donkeys. I tried to
edge my way towards them, but became lost. I could
feel jagged rock beneath my hands and feet, and
decided I must be in some underground cavern or
tunnel. When the noise became more distant I began
to panic. I could not even see my hand in front of
my face and I felt I would be lost and left to starve in
the choking depths of the earth. I was overcome and
knelt to the ground, hoping I was going to wake up
from this horrible dream.
The sounds of my companions suddenly became
screams, and stopped with the abrupt clanging of
metal upon stone. I tried to remain still and shrink
into the darkness. Footsteps, crunching across the
cavern floor, were approaching. A flickering of light
appeared, distant, but approaching quickly.
I could now make out that I was in a boulder strewn

cavern, the walls reaching to a roof that disappeared
into the shadows. I shuffled and hid among these
boulders, hoping to conceal myself from whoever
or whatever was approaching.
Then I saw them! Slumped figures in the rags of pilgrims, led by a stout priest of a religion I have never
seen. As they passed I saw he carried a staff that
rattled with the bones and teeth of giant creatures.
In his other hand I saw a sack, overflowing with the
possessions of my friends may God punish him! I
could not see his face, though. His head was covered
in a pointed hood and a wrapping of rusted mail
lay under it. The followers carried stumps of hacked
flesh man and animal alike. My heart throbbed in
anger and sadness. I resolved to follow them, and
avenge my friends.
The tunnels twisted, but I managed to stay close because they held the only source of light. As the time
crawled on, I noticed the air becoming warm and
damp. A hewn archway opened into a hall blazing
with torches. I kept behind the arch, watching and
waiting for my moment to strike. There were many
worshippers in the cavern, and they parted like a
wave before their priest. He strode to an altar, a creation in the form of a nightmare. A great cauldron
bubbled at the top of a ziggurat, and this was where
he was headed. Rising over the cauldron, towering
over the ragged worshippers, were bones assembled
into the head of a monstrous crocodile. My eyes
were drawn to the cavern walls. As the light flickered across them, the shadows would be chased
away to reveal what could only be the skeletons
of terrible beasts. These creatures swam within
the rock, frozen in the states of their deaths. It was
wondrous, yet this vision shook my mind with its
terrible reality.
A low chanting bubbled from the worshippers, as
the flesh carried by the attackers of our caravan was
thrown into the cauldron. Vapours escaped, rising up
into the mouth and nostrils of their blasphemous idol.
I realised that I would not be able to avenge my
friends at that time. With one of their torches, I fled
through the tunnels, taking the route that seemed
to lead upwards. But I was followed. As I crested the
threshold to daylight I extinguished my torch in the
sand, then crouched above the entry to those dark
passages. A hooded figure emerged, but he could
not bring himself to stand in the sunlight.
After many more adventures, I found my way back
to the civilised places of the world. And this torch
is a reminder of the darkness that waits among the
savages and infidels far from here. I feel much better
with sharing my tale with you. I feel you are honest
and, for your patience, I will take one dinar off this
torch if you choose to buy it now.
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Further reading
Nights of the Crusades on Pinterest is full of boards
to provide atmosphere and ideas for your games.
Internet links
The Crusades: Just from reading this and clicking
on any links that seem interesting, you can gain an
excellent insight into the crusades, the empires and
peoples that were involved in them.
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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night:

This is an internet resource for Richard Burtons
translation.
The Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville: The fascinating chronicle of an actual knight during the 7th crusade. He relates the harshness of the conditions he
faces and has a surprisingly open-mind in regards
to good and bad of both crusaders and Saracens.
The Skeptics Annotated Bible: The Bible on the internet with a number of quick links to sections such
as violence, injustice, cruelty and intolerance. Should
a character decide to justify a good deed with scripture, theres a section for that too. Theres a version
for the Quran as well.
The Thousand and One Nights Vol 1 & 2 by

Husain Haddawy: One of the best translations of
the Arabian Nights around, by a fluent speaker of
English and Arabic. It is much easier for the modern
reader to digest than Richard Burtons tome.
Sharaz-De ~ Tales from the Arabian Nights by
Sergio Toppi: Beautiful in art and story, this graphic
novel is filled with tales of djinn and men, and the
search for justice.
The Book of Saladin by Tariq Ali: The second in a
series of novels set in the lands of the Muslims during the Middle Ages. It is fascinating in its depiction
of everyday life and the breaking of taboos. It covers a wide range of characters, from warlords and
slaves, to noble-women and scribes.
Jingo by Terry Pratchett: A focus on the Middle
East of Discworld where the clash of cultures gives
rise to crazy and humourous adventures.
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed:
Using the mythology of the 1001 Nights, Ahmed
creates a world of djinn, ghouls, heretics and pious warriors. This story focuses on Doctor Adoulla
Makhslood, the last real ghul hunter in the great
city of Dhamsawaat.
Books
By Sword & Fire by Sean McGlynn: This book
explains why the history of the Middle Ages is
drenched in blood and the wails of the condemned.
The author goes so far as to claim that the age of
chivalry is a myth and makes an excellent argument. The sections where the author reveals his
dark, dry humour is another reason why this book
is worth reading.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin
Maalouf: Follows the internal machinations and
history of the Islamic empires that fought against
the crusaders.
The Assassins by D.B. Bartlett: An in-depth look at
the Nizari sect, who, for such a small group, struck
a great fear into the hearts of Franj, Saracens and
Mongols alike.
An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the
Period of the Crusades by Ibn Munqidh: The life
of Usamah ibn-Munqidh epitomized the height of
Arab civilization as it flourished during the early
Crusading period. His memoirs provide a valuable
non-European insight between medieval West and
East; Christian and Muslim.
Atmosphere
Nights of the Crusades on Spotify is a playlist created for a dark tale of war and terror.
The following albums could also be a starting point
for your soundtrack, as they are infused with middle
eastern darkness and fantasy. However, as music is
generally a question of taste, it is entirely up to you as
to what creates the best ambience for your tales.
The Epigenesis: Melechesh
Kitab Al Awthan: Al-Namrood
Hilal: Arkan
Those Whom the Gods Detest: Nile
Mother Tree: Eulen
Saurian Exorcisms: Karl Sanders
Kingdom of Heaven: Soundtrack
Conan the Barbarian (1985 version): Soundtrack
conjuring a
character
Rolling laughter wafted over the walls
after the disastrous battle, followed
by the heads of Ridwans soldiers.
Firuz lent against his tower as silence
gripped the city. Like the sound of
dropped melons, the heads cracked
over the stone paths. Firuz saw
fear in the eyes peering from their
windows, as well as something else.
It was despair. Contrary to what they
had been led to believe, the Franj were
stronger than them.
Rain started to pour, and it continued
for many days.
The situation worsened. In the Tower
of the Two Sisters, Firuz received a
man covered in filth and gasping for
breath. Tears washed the grime from
his cheeks as he slumped against two
of Firuzs soldiers.
When the sagging figure saw Firuz
he blurted, They found one of us.
Yusuf was roasted right in front of
my eyes. I could not watch as they
laughed and threatened all of those
from our lands. Aziz told me later
that a starving fanatic ate him. I will
never return to that hell! The man
pointed a crooked finger towards
Firuz, For many months I have been
with them, trying to please the Emir
so I could return to my family. I am
returning to them now, Captain, I do
not care how I am punished.
Firuzs men looked to him for an order.

He felt for the Christian informer. In
peaceful times, only the zealots could
not get along. However, in times of
war, western Christians treated the
Arab and Turkish Christians with
wariness, as they believed their loyalty
would be to their countrymen.
And if Firuzs enemy were Christian,
then his neighbours who worshipped
Isa would be eyed with suspicion as
they were thought to harbour favour
for their co-religionists.
Firuz wondered how the Eastern
Christians could live like that; never
feeling that they belonged in the only
place they called home.
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The Book of Names

English
16
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Male
Female
John
Emma
William
Moude
Lambert
Rois
Ricard
Agneta
Henry
Isabele
Gilbert
Johanna
Rauf
Sabine
Edmund
Aweline
Matheu
Alice
Clement
Cecilia
French
Male
Female
Arnaud
Adeline
Eustache
Ava
Gaidon
Emersende
Dreu
Cherie
Gris
Gaude
Malgar
Jehanne
Guichard
Marie
Hughes
Loyse
Rabel
Martine
Bernier
Juliote
German
Jewish
Persian
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Heinric
Gertrude
Aaron
Esther
Ali
Mahisti
Wilhelm
Elisabeth
Shlomo
Saris
Abdullah
Mihri
Dideric
Methilda
Sulam
Chana
Nasir
Nihani
Rudeger
Hedewig
Baruch
Beila
Hassan
Bija
Gerhard
Heidi
Yaqub
Yeintil
Nizar
Jamali
Sifrid
Agnes
Ezekiel
Rashida
Ismail
Khadija
Theodore
Berta
Elijah
Sara
Jalal
Zaynab
Johann
Helga
Isaac
Layla
Imad
Bidili
Ludewig
Hildeburg
Sahl
Dhahab
Rostam
Khanzada
Albert
Judith
Yekuthiel
Faras
Shahrbaraz
Tajlu
Byzantine
Arabic
North African
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Leo
Augustina
Muhammad
Aisha
Hisham
Baraka
Dulcitius
Clementina
Ahmad
Jamila
Al-Qasim
Idlal
Martyrius
Leontia
Ibrahim
Hafsah
Hakim
Rashida
Maximinus
Patricia
Umar
Sajah
Bilal
Aziza
Regino
Vigilantia
Ishaq
Rahil
Rashid
Mahjuna
Viator
Sidonia
Isa
Zubaydah
Tariq
Mayya
Francio
Iustina
Jafar
Marajil
Wadih
Zahra
Innocentius
Helena
Yusuf
Qabul
Jalid
Gislan
Ignatius
Aetheria
Sulayman
Safwah
Siraj
Kanza
Cyril
Alexandria
Daud
Nuwwar
Zurar
Nuzha
Ancient European
Turkish
Mesopotamian and
Ancient Egyptian
Male
Female
Male
Female
Drustan
Latharna
Togrul
Chichek
Male
Female
Pudukhepa
Meadoc
Morag
Alp
Khatun
Arnuwandas
Oengus
Eamhhair
Malik
Serakh
Mutallu
Ahassunu
Cathal
Slainte
Kilij
Gulbahar
Sapalulme
Ishtar-rabi-at
Eogan
Kalliope
Kerbogha
Selime
Enlil-bani
Shiptu
Uallas
Xanthia
Duqaq
Zuhal
Nur-shamash
Mkhait
Odjit
Yorgos
Eydis
Yaghi
Yenge
Ur-gula
Auslag
Gudrun
Otemish
Zeliha
Ishtup-sin
Nanu
Sichar
Steina
Mawdud
Kutlu
Buhazum
Irisi
Valdis
Rakel
Zahir
Saljan
Akhom
Akana
Shushu
Sekhmet
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1: Background
2: Allegiances
Describe your recent life before your time in the

Tale. As a guideline, a new character is assumed to
be in their late teens or early twenties.
Each character begins with 1 Faction, 1 Religion, 1 or

2 Classes and 0 to 1 Organisations.
Questions to round out

your character
Why are you here? What drives you; knowledge,
virtue, righteousness, foes, wealth?
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How did you get here? Have you travelled far and
endured hardship?
Where were you raised and where do you call home
now? A childs early life affects them greatly, and
you are no different. What are some of your memories of growing up?
What do you want to accomplish? Answering this
question will give the Tale-Weaver a direction and
character arc for you.
Al begins his character. He wants to create a pilgrim-soldier, Aldric, that has travelled from England to the Holy
Land for fortune and to seek penance for a dark secret. He
was born to toil in the mud and recently his wife and child
have died during a difficult childbirth. He blames his lack
of piety for bringing Gods wrath to his loved ones. Aldric
has believed what he has heard from the pulpit that only
through joining the war against the infidels can he erase
his sins to gain peace for his soul.
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Faction
Your Faction is an indicator of which side you are on
in the war, as well as your general appearance, fluent languages and customs.
You start with 2 languages. You are fluent in your
first language, and speak with an accent for any
others. Your fluent language must be selected from
your Faction list. On your character sheet you can
note any accented languages by placing them within
brackets.
The Franj
Franj is the name given to the crusaders by the
peoples of the Middle East. France was the country
that sent the most warriors on the Crusades, which
is where the name comes from. In fact, some Islamic
scholars refer to Western Europe as Franjistan. The
term encompasses the cultures from the Kingdoms
of England, Germany and France, as well as the
Holy Roman Empire.
Languages: English, French, German, Latin.
Renowned figures: Richard the Lionheart,
Phillip Augustus, Conrad of Montferrat.
Major religion: Roman Catholic
The Byzantines
The Byzantine Empire lay as a barrier between the
two major forces of the Crusades. Although allied
with the Franj for the majority of the period, the
difference of religion between the Factions made it a
fickle one.
Starting languages: Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Syriac.
Renowned figures: Niketas Choniates, John II
Komnenos, Anna Komnene.
Major religion: Orthodox Christianity
The Saracens
A very piteous thing it was to see
such a quantity of dead bodies, and such an

outpouring of b lood, that is, if they had not
been enemies of the Christian faith.
~ Jean Pierre Sarrasin
Originally a term used by Western scholars to describe peoples living in the deserts near the Roman
province of Arabia, it soon encompassed all Arabs.
By the time of the Crusades Saracen meant Muslim in the majority of European chronicles.
Starting language: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Aramaic, Armenian, Hebrew, Kurdish.
Renowned figures: Saladin (Salih Al-Din),
Kilij Arslan I, Zengi, Baibars, Fakhr al-Mulk
Radwan.
Major religion: Sunni Islam
Religion
This is your life philosophy that will sometimes
transcend your place of birth, though it is more
often something you will be born into. The following are the major religions that dominated the area,
but there were many others during the time of the
Crusades. If you want to play a Cathar, Nestorian,
Copt, Sufi or any other minority religion that existed
at the time, choose the closest major Religion from
the list then apply the sect to your Organisation.
Roman Catholicism
The religion of the crusaders and most of Europe.
The Pope is its spiritual head and Priests are one
type of Roman Catholic cleric. Roman Catholics of
the time included Peter Bartholomew and Hugues
de Payens.
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Orthodox Christianity
The religion of the Byzantines and many Christians
of the East. There is a leader for each national line.
Priests are one type of Orthodox cleric. Orthodox
Christians of the time included John Camaterus
and Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger.
Sunni Islam
The main religion of the Islamic Empire in the Holy
Lands. Mullahs are a common type of Sunni cleric.
Sunni Muslims of the time included Ibn al-Nafis
and Usama ibn Munqidh.
Shia Islam
The numerous minority of the Islamic Empire,
based in Egypt until Salih Al-Din conquered it.
Imams are one type of Shia cleric. Shia Muslims of
the time included Hassan-i Sabbah and Nasir alDin al-Tusi.
Judaism
Jews were split among the lands of Europe, Byzantium and Islam. Like every other religion, there
were also internal schisms, most notably between
the Rabbinites and the Karaites. Rabbis are a common type of cleric in Judaism. Jews of the time
included Daud Abu al-Fadl and Maimonides. A
Jewish character has the option of selecting Hebrew
in addition to her starting languages.
Paganism
This is a blanket term that covers a wide variety of religions and belief systems, yet the majority of cultures
in the Holy Land will lump them together as Pagans
(or idolators, infidels or witches). If relations between
the three religions that all share a common prophet is
difficult at best, the chances of a Pagan being welcomed by them is next to nothing. Pagan numbers are
small in the Holy Land, but could include Slavs, some
Mongols, Zoroastrians, Hindus and Buddhists. They
may also include ancient Babylonian and Mesopotamian cults that worship old gods. Regardless, they
will need to hide their affiliations in the daylight,
as they will be deemed as immoral blasphemers by
most authorities. A Pagan has the option of selecting
an ancient language of the players choosing (such
as Gaelic, Sumerian or Akkadian) in addition to her
starting languages.
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Class
Within Nights of the Crusades, your class is viewed
in the political sense. It is the rank and peer-group
that you hold within your community as defined by
your social and economic status. Characters from the
same class will have, at times, camaraderie beyond
their cultures and religions.
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You can begin with up to 2 classes. For example, a

crusading squire could be a warrior/noble. You gain
3 pieces of equipment from the pool of items available
to you. You also add 2 abilities (see the advancement
chapter) from the expertise available to your class(es).
Artist
Expressing your thoughts through mediums such
as dance, poetry, calligraphy or illuminating manuscripts is your trade. You will likely stay in taverns
or a travellers den; whatever you can afford as you
experience the wonders of the world.
Starting equipment: Hood, veil, mask or scarf, musical instrument, 5 wealth, religious icon.
Expertise: Communication, vigour.
Cleric
You hold a rung on the ladder to authority within
your religion or sect. Considered by your flock to
have a great insight into the works of your god(s),
you are seen as a beacon of light in these dark times.
Your accommodation is generally attached to a
house of worship and is dependant on your rank.
Starting equipment: Staff (reach 3 improvised
weapon), candles, 10 wealth, religious icon.
Expertise: Communication.
Labourer
You craft the objects you sell, or toil away under the
gaze of your master. Blacksmiths, butchers, fletchers and carpenters are all types of Labourer. You are
likely an apprentice to a shop owner and have your
own quarters.
Starting equipment: Hammer (martial
weapon), leather apron, leather gloves, 5 wealth,
religious icon.
Expertise: Knowledge.
Merchant
You are the owner of a trading caravan, or a market
stall at the bazaar. Wealth drives you and, if you
can win the gambles along the way, you will walk
the path to power and influence. You likely stay at
decent inns as you ply your trade.
Starting equipment: Slave, donkey, 15 wealth, chest
and lock (2), religious icon.
Expertise: Communication, knowledge.
Noble
You were likely born into this class, and are on the
way from being a squire to leading warriors into battle
or taking part in the decision making of your realm.
However, the beauty of your life is easily upturned
by the deadly political games that must be played to
ensure your position of power. There is a good chance
you live on an estate owned by your family.
Starting equipment: Sword, slave, 20 wealth,
religious icon.
Expertise: Any two.
Outcast
If you dont quite fit into the accepted mould of society, you are an Outcast. Beggars, thieves and followers of un-orthodox religions are all in this brotherhood at the edge of civil life. A sewer, beneath a
bridge or a hammock in the wilderness is what you
call home.
Starting equipment: Hood or mask or scarf, hidden
pouches, dagger (discreet weapon), rope and hook,
torch, d5 portions of alcohol, religious icon.
Expertise: Communication, vigour.
Peasant
You are a caretaker of the countryside and the animals within it. Your simple lifestyle is threatened by
war and the moods of your rulers, as both have an
impact on the land you rely on to survive. You can
be found in a hovel, with the rest of your tired family, on the land that they owe to their lord.
Starting equipment: Farm tool (reach 2 or 3 improvised weapon), rope, torch, religious icon.
Expertise: Communication.
Scholar
You are a seeker of knowledge. Whether it is understanding the world and its cultures, the intricate
threads of life, or the very essence of creation, you
relish the journey of your never-ending quest. You
could be found at a monastery or some quarters attached a citys library.
Starting equipment: Candles, 5 wealth,
d5 healing herbs, religious icon.
Expertise: Communication, knowledge.
Warrior
You fight, and you are good at it, whether you consider yourself a defender of the weak or a bandit who
simply takes what you can through force of arms.
From hiring out your services you can afford to stay
in taverns in a decent part of the city.
Starting equipment: Discreet weapon, martial
weapon or pole-arm, bow, shield, religious icon.
Expertise: Melee, ranged.
Organisation
An organisation is a small, usually insular, group
that shares a goal and can include members of many
different cultures, religions and classes. It is not
compulsory for you to be a member of an organisation. Types of organisations are varied and include
the following types.
Guilds, gangs and orders: Most members share a
common class. Examples include the White Quills
(Merchant), the various Knightly Orders (Warrior/
Noble), the Peoples Front of Judea (Outcast) and the
Wavering Flame (Scholar).
Sects: All members share an unorthodox strain of a
common religion, and hold it very strongly. An example is the Nizari (or Assassins) sect of Shia Islam.
Clans and houses: All members come from the
same extended family and can trace their roots back
to common ancestors. Examples include the Banu
Iblis sept of ghouls.
Sub-cultures: Factions can be divided into the
smaller cultures within, such as the French and
English of the Franj. Sub-cultures are smaller groups
within nations; such as a Parisian or Londener.
PC companions: The members of an adventuring
party are also an organisation. This includes trusted
NPCs attached to them.
Aldric is from England originally, so Al selects Franj for
his Factional Allegiance. He also decides that Aldric should
be aligned to the Roman Catholic Religion and gives him
two classes: Warrior/Peasant. He looks at the class abilities
available and selects Sure Strike (Melee) and Charm (Communication). Aldric has no allegiances to any organisations.
Al decides that his languages will be English (French). He
will carry rosary beads as a religious icon and also takes a
sword and shield from his class equipment.
Experienced characters
At the Tale-Weavers discretion, you may conjure
a more advanced character. Simply add as many
Abilities as is deemed appropriate along with some
added Wealth.
3: Expertise and
Abilities
Grant yourself one Ability of your choice (see the
Advancement section for the list). Each of your Abilities strengthens the Expertise group that it belongs
to. The Expertises are explained below.
Communication Expertise: (Com) Empathy, influence and leadership. It involves knowledge of the
subtleties of body language, various tongues and
etiquette. You may also use it to command others.
You could use fear, love or respect to gain followers
and you will have the ability to understand how
groups think and how to use popular opinion to
increase your reputation.
Knowledge Expertise: (Know) Ability to learn
quickly, problem solving and studiousness. A
knowledgeable character may not gain much glory,
but your contributions will help friends and confound enemies. It is also an indicator as to how
easily you can gain and hold onto wealth. Having
the right contacts, knowing how different markets
and bazaars work, as well as cultural sensitivities to
various goods are all necessities of a good merchant.
Melee Expertise: (Mel) Attack and defence in close
combat and resistance to atrocity and pain. Controlling your emotions in fight or flight situations,
weapons training and coordination are other skills
of this discipline.
Ranged Expertise: (Rng) Attacking from a distance,
eyesight, detection and strategy. Understanding
trajectories and predicting a quarrys movement,
whether subconscious or not, count to how much of
an expert you can call yourself at the hunt.
Vigour Expertise: (Vig) Health, reflexes and
strength. You consider evasion a more noble art than
testing how sharp your enemies weapons are. You
also consider your body a temple and maintain a
high state of health.
Al wants Aldric to be a strong warrior, so he grants him
another melee ability Parry. So Aldric now has 1 communication ability and 2 melee abilities. His expertise in
communication is 1 and his melee is 2.
The sailers were men inured to labour
by the rigours of the north, and having three
qualities good in war; large limbs, invincib le

minds, and devout fervour for the faith.
~ Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi
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In al l directions the Batiniya
propagandist dispatched his missionaries,

who enticed a multitude from the ignorant
provinces and foolish peasantry, from the

vil lages and the rab b le, those without
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intel ligence to restrain them from mischief

or fear of God to prevent them from
wrong-doing.
Their evil power was thereby
increased and the true nature of their

false doctrine made manifest.
~ Ibn Al-Qalanisi
Soon enough, your path will cross with a Storyteller

and you will enter a realm of sorcery and myth to
loot the wisdom within the tales.
Storytelling is a communal affair, and the same
story is never told twice. Your own life experiences
will influence what you take away from a fantastic
tale and will strengthen the power of the heroes in
the story to overcome the challenges. If a story bears
no relevance to you, you will not understand what
is being imparted from the storyteller, and the tale
will flicker and fade from your memory.
Further details about entering a story can be found
in the Gameplay and Weaving a Tale chapters.
Your storytelling level is equal to the points split
between the genres below. You begin play with 3
points to spend (one for each of your abilities) in the
genres of your choice.
Adventure: Whenever you hear or tell a scene
involving a lot of action, your passion for Adventure
will determine how well the hero can overcome
physical obstacles. Physical obstacles can include
anything from escaping from the clutches of a Rukh
to avoiding the damage from the flaming breath of
a djinni.
Drama: Dramatic stories deal with the nature of human emotion and delving into what makes a person
laugh, cry, love or hate. Dramatic obstacles may be
convincing a jealous lover to halt his vengeance
until he hears the end of a fable told by the hero,
tricking a djinni to re-enter his prison or convincing
the heros father that he should be allowed to love
the fish-woman that holds his heart.
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5: Storytelling
4: Dispositions
Your favour or hatred towards various allegiances
will be modified as you encounter them in negotiations and combat. Favouring an allegiance will
allow you to help them, as you will empathise with
their values, yet it will be harder for you to enter a
state of mind to do them harm. Hatred towards an
allegiance will have the opposite effect.
You may apply favour or hatred to factions, religions, classes or organisations. The value of the
favour (positive value) or hate (negative value) is an
indicator of how much you seek to protect or harm
the group. You begin play with 3 points to assign to
your dispositions.
Al sets about defining Aldrics favour and hate. He assigns
1 favour to the peasant class and 2 hate to the noble class.
Mystery: Mental obstacles in a story could be trying

to work out how to fly a magic carpet, solving the
puzzle of a hunchback accused of murder or reading
the seal on an ancient clay pot.
Aldric adds 2 to his adventure level and 1 to his
mystery level.
6: Review
For the conjuring to be complete, ensure that the
details on paper match your background. Go back
through the steps until it does.
When your character settles on expertise and equipment, you can fill in the final areas of actions (vigour
considering any reductions for wearing armour
minimum of 1), defence (melee), dodge (vigour
+ blocker bonus) and impact limits (melee + total
armour defence x 1, 2 and 3).
Example character sheets

Nights of the Crusades: Character Sheet
That evening a ma jor battle
Aldric
English (French)
Allegiances: Franj, Catholic, Warrior, Peasant
Name:
Languages:
took place between the Franks
Dispositions
Allegiance
Favour (+) / Hate ()
and the people in the city, in which
+
x

xx
Peasant
Noble
a great number were kil led on both
Expertise and Abilities

Communication
1
2
Knowledge
Charm
Melee
Ranged
Sure Strike
Parry
sides. Similar conf licts went on
Vigour
for a long time and not a day past
without wounding, kil ling, capturing
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10
10
10
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11
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11
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and plundering.
Symbols of Power
Storytelling
Goods
Adventure
Weapons and other equipment
Actions:
Impact Limits:
Type
2/(2)
4/8/12
Injuries and Trauma
Drama
Armour (Locations)
Shield
Defence/Dodge:
x
x
Rosary Beads (rel icon),
Sword
Def
H 2
Total Storytelling Level:
Notes
Pearls of Wisdom:
Current Wealth:
4
2012 theric Dreams. Permission granted to copy for personal use only

Name:
Languages:
Dispositions
Allegiance

x

x
x
Knowledge
Melee
Phys: Boneset
Hawk
Ranged
Vigour
Aim
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
11
Symbols of Power
Storytelling
Goods
Adventure
Actions:
Impact Limits:
Armour (Locations)
Type
0/0
0/0/0
Injuries and Trauma
Drama

Defence/Dodge:
Bow, Dagger, Donkey

Def
Mystery
x
xx
Notes
Pearls of Wisdom:
Current Wealth:
2
2012 theric Dreams. Permission granted to copy for personal use only
dance together, so familiar had we

become, but then, after a while, we
~ Baha al-Din ibn Shaddad

Communication
converse and leave of f ighting. At
would return to the battle.
Massoud
Arabic (English)
Saracen, Sunni, Scholar, Merchant
Allegiances:
Outcast
Knights Templar
Noble
each other, in that both sides would
times soldiers would sing and others
Mystery
x
The time al lowed us to know
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Character sheet
Name:
Languages:
Allegiances:
Dispositions
Allegiance

Communication
Knowledge
Melee
Ranged
Vigour
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
11
Symbols of Power
Storytelling
Goods
Adventure

Actions:
Defence/Dodge:
Impact Limits:
Injuries and Trauma
Drama

Armour (Locations)
Type
Def
Mystery

Notes

Pearls of Wisdom:
Current Wealth:
2012
thericDreams.
Dreams. Permission granted to copy for personal use only
2013
theric
The
Marketplace
Firuz navigated the moonlit streets to
the small stable where he would meet
with Marid. His back ached from the
weight of the steel he carried, and
his slow progress only compounded
it. Men from the city patrols lay
slumped, snoring, by the fronts of
deserted market stalls, some reeking of
forbidden drinks. Firuz wondered at
their discipline when he saw one lying
in the middle of his path. He forgave
this soldier though, when he saw the
crushed skull and torn clothing. It was
a corpse catapulted from the Franjs
camp. He moved on, quickening his
pace, keeping to the shadows, and not
wanting his severed head to perch over
the battlements should he be caught
with the stolen weapons from the
Emirs armoury.
He edged his way into the stable, being careful not to disturb the horses.
It was the third stall along where
Marid waited. Moonlight carved deep
shadows along Marids scarred face,
but struggled to reach the two men
behind him. Firuz squinted to see, but
knew the deal would be conducted
in darkness. Marid would not risk
any curious guards seeing a flicker of
flame and deciding to investigate.
Is this all of it?
Firuz nodded. He kept hold of his
large sack however. Do you have
what I need?
Marid motioned with his gloved

hand. The two men scarves obscuring their faces slithered into the
light. Marid said, Let us relieve you
of your burden, Captain. My friends
here will ensure the deal concludes
honourably.
The situation was tense because of the
danger both parties had put themselves in. They had to go through
with it now though. Firuz would
never have power over these men
again. He carefully placed the sack
on the dirty floor, though clinking the
steel was unavoidable. Marid winced
as it pierced the silence.
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Wealth and items

At the beginning of every month, your wealth is
reset to 10 multiplied by your knowledge expertise. You will then gain an extra D5 to add to your
wealth, plus more if you have abilities that allow it.
Purchasing items, being robbed, bribing someone
and selling goods are just some ways in how wealth
may be modified throughout the month.
Item Rarity
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Merchants will have a number of common goods

available to sell and these are defined by the TaleWeaver. If you are looking for an uncommon item,
you will need to find it or wait for it to be delivered.
This involves passing a Know + Com v Rarity (of
the item) test. If the test is passed then a merchant
selling the item can be found. You can only search
once a day and it will take a few hours. The difficulty is variable depending on where you are looking.
The following table gives a general guideline for the
Tale-Weaver.
Location
Rarity
modifier
Selling
difficulty
Merchant
Wealth
Port city
-1
None (0)
200
Inland city
Easy (2)
100
Town
+5
Troublesome (5)
25
Village
+8
Serious (8)
10
Camp
+11
Dire (11)
After buying an item the cost (after any haggling) is

deducted from your wealth. Characters within the
group can combine wealth between themselves to
create a pool from which to purchase goods. They
will lose whatever they contribute to the purchased
item until the beginning of the next month, just as if
they had bought it themselves.
The king asked the pirate why he
dared to seize possession of the sea. He

answered with bold pride, W hat dost
thou meanest by seizing the whole earth ?
Because I do it with a petty ship, I am

cal led a pirate, whilst thou who dost it with
a great f leet art styled emperor.
~ Saint Augustine
Expertise bonuses
If you acquire more than one item that grants the
same expertise bonus, you do not add them together. Simply choose which bonus to apply.
Quality
Some items are defined as high-quality or magnificent. Generally, these types of equipment will be
harder to find and more expensive. You can find out
more information about them in their entries.
Selling
You need to find a buyer before you can sell an object.
It will be more difficult to sell common goods than
rarer items. Take a test of your Know or Com, with
a bonus to your expertise equal to the items rarity, v
the difficulty of the location you are selling in. The
test may only be taken once a day for an object. If it
is passed then you will find a buyer. You can sell the
item for a maximum of a D10 roll per full 10 in its cost
(so it is not worth selling anything under a cost of 10),
though once the merchants wealth is spent he will
not be able to buy anything else until the beginning
of the next month. The price the item is sold for is
then added to your wealth.
Example: Farukh is trying to sell a nasal helmet (cost 40,
rarity 7) in a village. With a Com of 2, he makes a test of
9 v 8 and succeeds. He can sell the item for a maximum of
4D10, and rolls a 23. However, the wealth limit of a village
merchant is 10. Farukh reluctantly agrees to the price and
hands over the helmet, adding 10 to his wealth.
The plight of the poor

The short life of the poor and destitute is one of
toil and starvation, and the descent into poverty is
harsh. If you ever greet the dawn with a wealth of
0, roll a D10 on the following table to determine the
misfortune that besets you. The misfortune will last
until your wealth rises above 1, unless the entry
specifies that it is permanent.
Another character can grant you charity to raise
your wealth. Each point of wealth bestowed upon
you will raise yours by one.
You do not need to roll on this table if you have already done so within the last 7 days or you rolled on
the Profits of the Prosperous table this month.
D10 Result
1
Bad food: You have been forced to scrounge

through garbage to find something to eat, and
the rotten food has made you sick. 1 to Vig.
Criminal: You have turned to thievery to

survive. Make a troublesome Rng test whenever you enter a crowded area of a town or
city. You will be seen by the authorities on
a failure, and will be set upon by the guard
that has been tracking you.
Bad Sleep: You have been forced to sleep in

street gutters or places where wild creatures
roam. The fear of being set upon in the dark
reduces your time to sleep and you suffer
from a lack of concentration, which effects
your ability to listen. Your genre values are
all reduced to 0.
The intentions of the various men
were dif ferent. Some, indeed, lusted
after novelties and went in order to learn
about new lands. Others were driven to
plunder, those who were in hard straits at
Depressed: Your plight begins to weigh

upon your shoulders. You constantly ask
yourself if you will ever have enough to survive, and lack the initiative to fight for nothing. Tests to take a hostile stance are at 1.
Blame: You are disgusted or envious of

the fanciful lives led by some. They would
only need to share some of their wealth to
alleviate the wretched lives of you and your
fellow gutter rats. Add D5 hate to merchants
or nobles (your choice) permanently.
Compassion: You have been exposed to the

poor and marginalised people of the area
you dwell in and they have welcomed you.
Add D5 favour to a minority allegiance in
the area permanently.
Sick: Your immune system has been run low

by a lack of good food and hygiene. Your
constant coughing and running nose has
deadened your senses. You gain a point of
fatigue. Also, your group mates must pass a
Know test or they will contract the same illness for one day longer than you have it.
Wrong Crowd: You have involved yourself

with a gang of criminals and take part in a
robbery. Take a troublesome Vig, Mel or Rng
test. On a success gain D5 wealth; on a fail
you will gain D5 fatigue due to the battering
you receive from getting caught. The fatigue
lasts for D5 days.
10
Addiction: To forget your sorrows you must

consume some alcohol or hashish once a
day. If you do not you will have to apply the
effects of Wrong Crowd instead.
home; these men went to f ight, not only
against the enemies of Christs cross, but

even against the friends of the Christian
name, wherever opportunity appeared, in
order to relieve their poverty.
~ Annales Herbipolenses
Stinky: Your lack of access to a bathhouse

has made your clothes stink and given your
skin a crust of dirt. Dispositions towards
you are reduced by 1 and you are seen as
belonging to the outcast class.
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The profits of the prosperous

At the beginning of every month, your wealth
is reset to ten times your knowledge value. This
will generally be a blessing however there may
be times when your wealth is above your Know
multiplied by 10, and your lack of commerce experience results in you losing some if it. If this happens
you can roll a D10 on the following table for each 10
wealth you lose. Re-roll any results that occur twice.
D10 Result
1
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Banquet: You throw a grand banquet and

invite everyone you know, increasing the
favour of those close to you. However, you
spend your remaining riches on the feast so
you cannot make any further rolls on the
table for this month. Choose a class or organisation; anyone from the area where the
banquet is held that holds the allegiance will
be at +2 disposition towards you for the rest
of the month. All characters in your party
permanently add 1 point of favour to each of
your allegiances for every 10 points spent on
the banquet.
Eg; Sahib (allegiances of Saracen, Sunni, Artist, Peasant) has 39 wealth at the end of the
month, yet his Know is only 1; therefore he loses
29 wealth. He rolls on the table and scores a 1
Banquet! He chooses the warrior class that will
favour him for the rest of the month. Also, the
other PCs in his party gain 2 points of favour
to each of Sahibs allegiances. Unfortunately, he
loses his next rolls on the table.
Robbed: Thieves have tried to take advantage of your new riches, but have been repelled. If you report the attack to the authorities, there will be a 50% chance that a guard
will come to your aid whenever you enter a
combat within the citys area this month.
Rubbing the Right Shoulders: You have
involved yourself with the elite of your
area and are invited to some of their events.
Make a troublesome Com test. It is +1 if you
share the same faction or religion as the
areas majority, or if you are of the noble
class. On a success you manage to fit in well,
and your status within the area is increased
for a while. Your Com is +1 within the area
for the next month.
Opulent Quarters: You have treated yourself to some of the best food and bedding
money can buy. You are very well rested.
Your Vig is +1 for the next month.
Money Begets Money: Your wealth has

enabled you to spend time furthering your
business endeavours. You will not have any
further rolls on the table. For each roll you
lose plus this one roll a D10 and add the
result to your wealth.
Access to Knowledge: Scholars have sought

your patronage and you have picked up
some useful information from them. Your
Know will be +1 this month.
Disdain: You begin to look down upon the

wretched lives of the beggars that infest the
streets. If only they did some honest work
and prayed harder like you! Permanently
add D5 hate to (your choice of) outcasts, artists or peasants.
Fine Friends: You have been exposed to the

rich and powerful, and they have welcomed
you. Add D5 favour to a majority allegiance
in the area. You will be considered part of
the noble class for the rest of the month.
Excellent Diet: Your immune system is at its

best from all of the good food and hygiene
youve been exposed to over the last month.
You may ignore the first D10 points of fatigue you receive this month.
10
Royal Physician: You have managed to find

yourself in the company of a royal physician, or someone who knows him. You are
granted a consultation and his advice allows
you to take steps to prevent hurting yourself.
Your defence is +1 for the next month.
The enemy
defeated my son
and fought their
way to my home.
They plundered my
weapons and furniture,
captured my loved ones and
put to f light my comrades. Thus the

calamity was great and terrib le.
Weapons
Unless you can rely on very sharp wits or a quick
tongue, you will need to arm yourself for the dangers that await.
Reach describes how close an enemy needs to be
in metres for you to melee strike them. A weapon
with reach 1 can only be wielded in one hand. If
the weapon is reach 2 you may choose to use one or
both hands when wielding it. A reach 3 or 4 weapon
can only be wielded in two hands.
Range describes the minimum and maximum metres
away an enemy needs to be for you to ranged strike
them. You do not need to keep track of ammunition
for weapons unless specifically noted. A thrown
weapon suffers a 1 modifier to ranged strikes.
Signifier describes what allegiances are associated
with the weapon.
Special Rules describe any extras applied while using
the weapon.
Bow
Includes longbows and composite bows made from
lengths of wood and able to fire arrows.
Rarity: 3
Cost: 8
Reach: 1
Range: 4-100
Signifier: Warrior, peasant or outcast
Special rules: Reload (1), Unwieldy, Training (Rng3)
Cross Bow
A powerful and expensive invention that is easy to
wield but requires time to reload its bolts.
Rarity: 6
Cost: 20
Reach: 1
Range: 4-100
Signifier: Warrior
Special rules: Reload (4), Unwieldy
Discreet weapon
Includes daggers, hatchets, spiked gauntlets and
other weapons 30cm long or under.
Rarity: 1
Cost: 2
Reach: 1
Range: 2-15 (thrown)
Signifier: Outcast
Special rules: Any tests made to conceal this
weapon from another character are +1
Great weapon
Includes executioners swords, great axes, giant
hammers and other metal weapons that can only
be wielded in two hands and are well over a metre
in length.
Rarity: 10
Cost: 10
Reach: 3
Range: 4-7 (thrown)
Signifier: Warrior
Special rules: Unwieldy, Heavy, Long
Improvised weapon
Includes clubs, staffs, farming tools and anything
else that could be made from wood and converted
into a weapon.
Rarity: Automatic in an area of wood or other refuse (ie; at the Tale-Weavers discretion).
Cost: 0
Reach: 1, 2 or 3. Decided when the weapon is found.
Range: 410 (thrown)
Signifier: Outcast, peasant
Special rules: Unwieldy
Martial weapon
Includes hammers, maces, morning stars, swords,
scimitars, axes and other weapons that are made of
metal and can used to either slash or bludgeon an
opponent. They can be wielded in one or two hands
and are around a metre in length.
Rarity: 2
Cost: 7
Reach: 2
Signifier: Warrior
Pole-arm
Includes spears, tridents, halberds and other thrusting weapons that can only be wielded in two hands
and are well over a metre in length.
Rarity: 2
Cost: 8
Reach: 4
Signifier: Warrior
Special rules: Long
Unarmed
If you end up without a weapon for some reason,
the following details apply to an unarmed strike.
Reach: 1
Range: 0
Special rules: Unwieldy.
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High-Quality and Magnificent

weapons
A High-Quality weapon increases your Mel or Rng
(whichever the weapon was designed for) by 1 and
adds 1 to the injury level of successful strikes, along
with the other special rules that apply to a normal
type of the weapon. It is rarity 15 and will have a cost
of 80. A ,magnificent version of a weapon increases
your Mel or Rng (whichever the weapon was designed for) by 2 and adds 2 to the injury level of successful Strikes. It is rarity 20 and cost 120.
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It should also be noted that there is no such thing as

a high-quality or magnificent weapon being sold
at the bazaar there will be only blades made of
the finest Damascus steel and The Death; a twopronged dagger of black metal, with eight rubies
set into its jade pommel like the eyes of a forgotten
Zanjele spider god.
Signifier: Noble, warrior or merchant.
Special rules
Unwieldy: All melee strikes are 1.
Heavy: Deals 2 impacts with each hit instead of 1.
Long: This weapon cannot be used on opponents
within a range of 1 metre.
Reload (X): After every ranged strike, an amount
of actions equal to the reload value must be spent
before the weapon is ready fire again.
Training (Expertise X): This weapon requires training before it can be used effectively. If you are below
the value of the expertise described in the brackets,
that particular expertise is halved when using it.
Armour
Armour can mean the difference between a blade
being outside your body, or inside. Characters that
arent quick enough to avoid blows would be best
advised to save their coin for some armour.
Defence describes how well you are protected from
blows. It is also the loss to your vigour and the bonus to your impact limit while wearing the armour.
Defence is cumulative. You may wear a maximum
of two pieces of body armour over any one location,
but one must be layerable and the only armours allowed over it are the ones specified in its entry.
Body armour
Brigandine
A brigandine is a cloth vest, generally canvas or
leather, lined with small oblong steel plates riveted
to the fabric. It could be decorated with heraldry and
patterns, or simply left plain.
Type: Light on chest and abdomen
Rarity: 7
Cost: 40
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior, outcast.
Special rules: Layerable (hauberk)
Gambeson
A gambeson or padded jack is a long quilted jacket.
Usually constructed of linen or wool, the stuffing
varies, and can even be scrap cloth or horsehair.
Type: Light on chest, abdomen, arms and legs
Rarity: 6
Cost: 15
Defence: 1
Signifier: Warrior
Special rules: Layerable (brigandine, scale or lamellar cuirass)
The Bedouins creed is this: That
no man can die, save on his appointed

day; and for this reason they wil l
not wear armour; and when they curse

their children they say: Mayst thou be
accurst, even as the Frank who arms

himself for fear of death!
~ Jean de Joinville
Hauberk
Scale or lamellar cuirass
This is a shirt and coif of mail armour. Construction

is time consuming and very expensive, so common
soldiers are rarely equipped with a hauberk.
Type: Heavy on head, chest, abdomen, arms
and hands
Rarity: 14
Cost: 80
Defence: 3
Signifier: Warrior, noble
Special rules: Layerable (brigandine, laminar bands)
Scale and lamellar armour consists of small metal

scales or plates (lames) that are laced together in
rows. Both were very common from Byzantium to
the Far East.
Type: Heavy on chest and abdomen
Rarity: 12
Cost: 60
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior
Laminar bands
A leather forearm guard, reinforced with lengths

of metal.
Type: Heavy on arms
Rarity: 6
Cost: 30
Defence: 1
Signifier: Warrior
These are strips of metal placed over the vulnerable

areas of the torso, often engraved with religious
verses in swirling calligraphy.
Type: Heavy on chest and abdomen
Rarity: 12
Cost: 50
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior
Leather coif
A coif is a cap that covers the entire head, but the
face. Leather coifs offer some protection against attacks to the skull.
Type: Light on head
Rarity: 2
Cost: 2
Defence: 0
Signifier: Outcast, peasant, labourer
Leather Gloves
Used to protect the wearers hands.
Type: Light on hands
Rarity: 3
Cost: 5
Defence: 0
Signifier: Outcast, labourer
Leather vambraces
Since the Roman Empire, forearm protection has
been used by warriors in the form of tubular coverings, from archers to foot soldiers.
Type: Light on arms
Rarity: 4
Cost: 10
Defence: 0
Signifier: Warrior
Mail chausses or skirt

Mail leg protection offers a flexible defence against
attackers, though the expense is too much for all but
the wealthiest of knights.
Type: Heavy on legs
Rarity: 10
Cost: 50
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior
Splinted vambraces
Helmets
Great helm
In its simplest form, a great helm is a flat-topped
cylinder of steel that completely covers the head
and has only very small openings for the eyes and
mouth. Well crafted versions have a more curved
design, particularly on the top, to deflect or lessen
the impact of blows.
Type: Heavy on head
Rarity: 12
Cost: 50
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior, knightly order, noble
Special rules: Cumbersome
Kettle hat
This is a type of helmet made of steel in the shape of
a wide-brimmed hat. There are many design variations, but the only common element is that the brim
can keep the sun out of the wearers eyes.
Type: Heavy on head
Rarity: 5
Cost: 25
Defence: 0
Signifier: Warrior
Nasal helmet
A nasal helmet has a domed or raised centre, usually formed around a basic skull-cap design, with a
single protruding strip that extends down over the
nose to provide additional facial protection.
Type: Heavy on head
Rarity: 7
Cost: 40
Defence: 1
Signifier: Warrior
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Blockers
High-Quality armour
Buckler
The buckler is a simple yet effective defence against
attack, often combined with a short sword, falchion,
or rapier.
Type: Heavy on hand that wields it
Rarity: 2
Cost: 10
Defence: 1
Signifier: Warrior
Special: Blocker
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Shield
A shield is meant to stop projectiles such as arrows
or redirect blows from a sword, mace or axe to the
side of the shield-bearer.
Type: Heavy on hand and arm that wields it, as well
as head, chest and abdomen
Rarity: 2
Cost: 12
Defence: 2
Signifier: Warrior
Special: Cumbersome, blocker
The sultan sent the skirmishers forward
and the arrows on both sides were like
rain. The enemy infantry was like a wal l ,
wearing solid iron corslets and wel l-made

chain mail so that the arrows fel l from them
with no ef fect.
Forged for the leading ranks of the nobility, highquality armour is designed to protect the richest
and most important members of a realm. It is also a
wonder to behold, being the work of many artisans
of the highest order.
And it should be noted that no knight says he is
wearing a high-quality helmet, he will say what
the mightily-plumed, shining beacon of steel is the
Helm of Saints.
Type: The armour will be either a helmet or breastplate. A helmet will be counted as heavy for the
head, a breast-plate will be heavy armour for the
chest and abdomen.
Rarity: 17
Cost: 100
Defence: 5
Signifier: Noble, warrior, merchant
Special rules: Your communication will be +1 while
it is worn. It is so well crafted that it only reduces
your vigour by 2, rather than 5.
Magnificent armour
An armour for kings, magnificent armour is commissioned for the rulers of empires and is the pinnacle of an embrace between high art and the most
devious metallurgy.
The Mighty Scales of Tiamut and the Halo of Gabriel are some examples of magnificent armour.
Type: The armour will be either a helmet or breastplate. A helmet will be counted as heavy for the
head, a breast-plate will be heavy armour for the
chest and abdomen.
Rarity: 20
Cost: 150
Defence: 7
Signifier: Noble, warrior, merchant
Special rules: Your communication will be +1 while
it is worn. It is so well crafted that it only reduces
your vigour by 3, rather than 7.
Special rules
Layerable (X): This armour can be combined with
the types detailed in the brackets. Characters can
only wear up to two layers of body armour.
Cumbersome: Movement rates in combat are
reduced by 1 metre, to a minimum of 1 metre, and
awareness tests are 1.
Blocker: Grants the wielder a dodge against the first
melee strike against any location apart from the legs.
Can be combined on top of other armours.
Attire
Attire may be worn under or over armour.
Clerical robes (choose religion)
A common sight amongst monasteries and mosques
and often made of simple fabrics. However, a highquality clerical robe doubles as fancy apparel.
Rarity: 12
Cost: 30
Special rules: Com +1 during negotiations with
characters who favour the religion
Signifier: Cleric, religion
Entertainers outfit
Whether a gaudy jester suit or a macabre carnival
costume, an entertainers outfit will make you stand
out from the crowd. A high-quality entertainers
outfit will allow you to gain an extra D5 wealth
whenever you succeed at acquiring money from a
performance.
Rarity: 18
Cost: 30
Special: Anytime you test to earn wealth or favour
from a performance, you may roll twice and choose
the better result
Signifier: Artist
Fancy apparel (choose faction)

This may include the heraldry and colours of a noble
family or merchant guild. Made from exotic fabrics
like silk and gilded in silver or gold, and including
extravagant jewellery and scents, fancy apparel will
make you stand above the brown, drab masses of
the lower classes. High-quality fancy apparel will
increase your Com by +1.
Rarity: 15
Cost: 45
Special rules: Com +1 during negotiations
with characters that favour merchants, nobles
and the faction
Signifier: Noble, merchant, faction
Field Garments
These are basic, drab, practical pieces of clothing that
will not get in the way of hard work. High-quality
field garments may include furs or patterned cloaks
and so will grant an additional Com +1 during negotiations with those who favour peasants and outcasts.
Rarity: 1
Cost: 2
Special rules: Com +1 during negotiations with
those who favour peasants and outcasts
Signifier: Peasant, outcast
Hidden pouches
Built into your clothing, a hidden pouch can produce an item at a moments notice. These may be
used to hide discreet weapons and smaller items.
Rarity: 8
Cost: 8
Special: +1 to tests made to hide something in a hidden pouch from another character
Signifier: Outcast
Hood, Veil, Mask or Scarf

When you need to conceal your identity, you need to
cover your face. A high-quality piece grants Com +1
during negotiations with those who favour outcasts
and artists.
Rarity: 0
Cost: 1
Special: Characters trying to discern your identity
will be at 1
Signifier: Outcast
Leather Apron
Generally used by smiths, this leather garment will
protect you from the harsh environment of your
trade. A high-quality leather apron counts as light
armour on your chest and abdomen.
Rarity: 2
Cost: 9
with labourers
Signifier: Labourer
Religious icon (choose Religion)

These may take the form of holy books, crosses,
rosary beads or a crescent moon and star stitched
onto your cloak. A high-quality religious icon adds
Com +1 during negotiations with those who favour
the religion.
Rarity: 1
Cost: 15
Special rules: +1 to any expertise throughout the day.
Must be decided upon before any rolls are made.
Signifier: Cleric, religion
Scholars garb
Often a robe of simple fabrics, scholars garb is comfortable to travel and study in. High-quality scholars garb takes fashion into consideration, so adds
Com +1 during negotiations with those who favour
nobles and merchants.
Rarity: 7
Cost: 9
with scholars
Signifier: Scholar
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Uniform (choose organisation)
Chest
Many orders, sects and guilds unite their members

through use of a uniform. This can take the form of
patches over clothing, such as the red cross over the
brigandines of the Knights Templar, or a simple item
worn proudly, like the white feather of the White
Quills.
Rarity: 15
Cost: 30
Special: Forbidden to non-members of the organisation. Com +1 during negotiations with organisation
members
Signifier: Organisation
A heavy wooden box with a hinged lid. Locks may

be attached to it.
Rarity: 6
Cost: 30
Special: A chest can hold an array of goods, including a change of clothes, a blanket and a set of armour
Signifier: Merchant
High-Quality attire
Only attire that has a high-quality alternative can be
purchased or found as high-quality. A high-quality
items rarity is 20 and its cost is doubled. The highquality bonus described in the entry is in addition to
any other features granted in the normal version.
Possessions
Alchemical tools
Forge (hiring for one day)

A forge can be found anywhere that has a permanent blacksmith, which are the majority of towns
and cities.
Rarity: 5
Cost: 1
Hook
Can be attached to a length of rope and is useful for
scaling walls.
Rarity: 1
Cost: 3
Special: Gives climbing a wall or other tall object a
+1 modifier
Signifier: Outcast
Labourers tools
These include a mortar, pestle and distiller and are a

great help in mixing substances.
Rarity: 12
Cost: 40
Special: Tests when using formulas, alchemy or
physician abilities are +1
Signifier: Scholar
These include instruments such as tongs, hammers

and an anvil.
Rarity: 5
Cost: 30
Special: Tests when using smith abilities are +1
Signifier: Labourer
Candle
A lock can make the difference between keeping your valuables and losing them. They vary in
strength depending on how much you want to pay
for one.
Rarity: 2
Cost: Up to 20
Special: Note how much is spent on the lock. Half of
the cost equals the locks strength. It should be noted
as Lock (X) where the X is the strength of the lock.
Signifier: Locks with a cost over 10 are signifiers for
merchants and nobles
These offer a small, but oft times necessary, amount

of light.
Rarity: 0
Cost: 1 (for an unlimited supply)
Special rules: Light (10)
Cart
A wooden carriage supported by two wheels, a cart
is used for transporting goods. However, you will
have to use a beast with the mount ability to pull it.
Rarity: 10
Cost: 50
Special: A cart can hold an array of goods, including up to 6 humans along with an average sized
chest for each. Unstable, Out-Of-Reach.
Signifier: Labourer, peasant, merchant
Lock
Measuring Tools
These include an abacus and scales, and make measuring weight and performing calculations easier.
Rarity: 5
Cost: 30
Special: Appeals when haggling are +1
Signifier: Merchant, scholar
Musical Instrument (voice also counts, the

cost is for the training involved)
This could be a harp, flute, tambourine, lute, oud
or a commanding voice. A high-quality musical
instrument grants +1 to your Com when used as
part of an ability.
Rarity: 5
Cost: 9
Signifier: Artist
Leading NPCs
You may find yourself in need of an ability or manpower, so will need the expertise of someone outside of your close comrades. NPCs a character can
lead could take the form of either servants, slaves or
followers The maximum amount a character can lead
at any one time, is equal to half the characters Com.
Rope
Servants
Has a length of 50 metres.

Rarity: 0
Cost: 1
To acquire a servant, simply conjure a new character

without equipment. The rank of the servant is equal
to the sum of all the servants expertise values. The
cost is for a day of the servants time. A servant will
leave when the money runs out. Should you want to
grant equipment to a servant, you will have to locate
and pay for it out of your own coin.
Rarity: Rank
Cost: Rank (for one day)
Massoud needs to translate a scroll of ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphics into Arabic. He decides to hire someone who
is literate in both Egyptian hieroglyphics and Arabic. The
literate ability is granted to a character who has expertise
2 in knowledge. So Massouds player conjures a new
character with 2 in knowledge; and therefore the rank for
the servant is 2. He is in Damascus, an inland city, so the
details to find the servant and hire him for a day are: Rarity: 2 / Cost: 2. Once the servant, Abd AlMisr, is located
in the great library, he informs Massoud that the translation task will take him around a week. Massoud scratches
his beard, wondering if it is worth losing 14 wealth over.
Torch
A wooden haft with fabric that is easily lit by fire, a
torch also doubles as a reach 2 improvised weapon.
Rarity: 0
Cost: 2
Special rules: Light (20)
Writing kit
This includes a wooden box that contains parchment, scroll cases, quills and ink. Keeping notes will
help in remembering recipes and discoveries. You
must be literate to use one.
Rarity: 10
Cost: 40
Special: +1 to knowledge.
Signifier: Scholar, merchant
High-Quality possessions
Only possessions that describe a high-quality alternative can be purchased or found as high-quality. A
high-quality items rarity and cost are doubled.
Special rules
Unstable: Striking from this is 1 and it counts as
unstable ground.
Out-Of-Reach: Weapons under reach 4 suffer a 2
modifier to melee strike against characters on, or in,
this item.
Light (X): This illuminates an area around it at a
radius of metres equal to its light value.
Now Shams al-Khalifa was more
desirous of trading than of f ighting. He
inclined towards peaceful relations and the

securing of safety to travel lers.
~ Ibn Qalanisi
Slaves and tamed beasts

Slaves are treated as servants in every way, except
they will have not have any expertise. Slaves do not
need a rarity and can only be bought in cities. Their
prices vary from month to month, so roll 2D10 to
determine their cost. The slave is yours once purchased without any further expense.
When a beast is owned, it is treated in the same
way as a slave, though the range of orders it can accomplish is much narrower than a servant who can
speak a language. Tamed beasts will also require an
upkeep cost, equal to half their beast rating, to be
paid at the beginning of every month; or you will
lose the animal through your negligence, whether it
is improper food or insufficient shelter. Like humans, no beast is an exact replica of another, so the
player or Tale-Weaver should take pains to personalise them.
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Example tamed beasts

AlRih; the Arabian Steed
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Books
A slender horse, bred for speed and endurance.

Rarity: 10
Cost: 80
Upkeep: 3
Beast Rating: 4
Expertise: Melee 1, Vigour 4
Abilities: Swift of Foot, Sixth Sense, Giant, Mount
Actions: 2
Defence/Dodge: 0/4
Impact Limits: 2/4/6
Books throughout the lands are all extremely rare.

A vast amount of hours are spent illuminating and
crafting each tome.
Makir; Rashid the Poets Donkey
Special: You must be literate to gain a books insight. It takes 7 days to read a book and only one
book may be read at a time. It is considered that you
will read the book between adventures, so you do
not need to allocate any time to reading. Insight is
gained on the 8th day after acquiring the book. You
can only have one insight at a time and you will
need to have the book within reach to gain it.
Rashids donkey has strong survival instincts, leading many to believe she is stubborn, angry and difficult to command.
Rarity: 5
Cost: 40
Upkeep: 2
Beast Rating: 3
Abilities: Blood Rush, Mount, Vicious
Actions: 2
Defence/Dodge: 0/3
Sheikh AlBadiya; the wise old Camel

This ship of the desert has been witness to many
adventures, as he can go where wheeled carts would
become stuck in sand.
Rarity: 15
Cost: 100
Upkeep: 3
Beast Rating: 5
Abilities: Swift of Foot, Resistant to Elements,
Giant, Mount, Juggernaught
Actions: 3
Defence/Dodge: 0/4
Followers
Some characters may end up with followers. Although their abilities may differ, they are considered
as voluntary slaves and there is little difference once
they begin their time in your service.
Books are only of use to a select few, and complete

rubbish to a vast majority, so they cannot be made
the object of sale. They must be searched for and an
adventure must be undertaken to acquire a book.
The following details apply across all books.
Signifier: Scholar
The Book of the Dead

Translated to Necromicon in Greek, this is a compilation of spells used by ancient Egyptian priests to
allow souls to pass into the afterlife.
Author: Various
Language: Ancient Egyptian
Date of creation: Various but ancient
Insight: During a story that involves creatures such
as spirits, mummies and other undead creatures, all
of your genre values are doubled. The Apostles of
Sobek and Pagans will hold you at disposition +2.
Mappae Clavicula
This is a compilation of recipes for a number of
different crafts including metalworking, dying
and painting.
Author: Various
Language: Latin
Date of creation: 7th Century
Insight: Labourers and artists will gain an extra
5D10 gold a month because of the benefits to their
crafts contained within this tome.
The Books of Al-Jahiz

This contains Al-Jahizs five most important works
including; Kitab al-Hwayn (the Book of Animals),
Kitab al-Bukhala (the Book of Misers) and Mufakharat
al-Sudan ala al-Bidan (Treatise on the Zanj). His writings contain strong themes of shunning the greedy
and acknowledging that the looks of peoples and
animals are because of their environments and not
the punishments of God.
Author: Al-Jahiz
Language: Arabic
Insight: You will always succeed at the fortify action.
The Canon of Medicine

This great feat of scholarship compiled most of
the medical knowledge of the times into a single
bound tome.
Author: Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Language: Arabic
Insight: Your Know is doubled whenever you use a
physician ability.
Kitab Al-Karaj
Translated as the Book of Finance, this is a treatise on
the various economic issues facing the empire of the
great Caliph, Harun al-Rashid.
Author: Abu Yusuf
Language: Arabic
Insight: Whenever you make any money (outside of
your monthly income), it will be doubled.
Kitab al-Ahjar
Meaning the Book of Stones, it is a text on alchemy
that will baffle all but the most pious.
Author: Jabir ibn-Hayyan (Geber)
Language: Arabic
Insight: If you have above disposition (+5) for a
Religion, your Know will be doubled when using an
alchemy ability.
Formulas
The technology of a future age is the sorcery of the
past. In the form of scrolls, sheets of parchment,
papyrus or paper, formulas are esoteric schematics
and rituals that allow a character to tap into little
understood powers.
Like books, formulas are of little use outside of highly specialised circles, so cannot be sold like other
items. They are signifiers for scholars.
To make use of a formula, you must be literate in the
language it has been written in, plus meet the prerequisites. They work like extended abilities (see the
Advancement section), unless mentioned otherwise,
with knowledge as the focus.
Arachnes Curse
You create blobs of sticky chemicals, helpful in a
retreat or capturing a quick foe.
Language: Greek
Type: Extended
Prerequisites: Physician: Herbology, healing herbs
Time: Month
Difficulty: 5
The power of this device equals your knowledge at
the time of creation. You create an amount of jars
filled with Arachness Curse equal to your power.
The jars are treated like an improvised weapon that
may only be thrown. No injuries will be taken by
your foe on a successful hit, but other effects may
take place. If the ranged strike hits your targets legs
he will be rooted to where he stands for a number of
actions equalling the throwers Rng. Arm and hand
hits will result in those locations being unusable for
a number of actions equalling the throwers Rng.
Head hits will result in the target becoming blinded.
Chest and abdomen hits will have no effect.
Djinni Bane
You create a translucent, gelatinous fluid inside clay
pots to protect you from flames.
Language: Persian
Type: Extended
Prerequisites: Alchemy: Combustibles, Physician:
Herbology, Healing Herbs
Time: Week
Difficulty: 5
A location smeared in Djinn Bane is immune to fire
based damage for an hour. A pot of Djinn Bane has
enough fluid to protect the entire body of a person.
The Tale-Weaver should take note that a character
smeared head-to-toe in Djinn Bane will look very
strange to onlookers.
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Roar of Gilgamesh
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This device creates a blast of air containing large

projectiles that will force back your foes.
Language: Arabic
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Alchemy: Contraptions, Alchemy:
Combustibles, Musical Instrument.
Time: Month
Difficulty: 8
The power of this device equals your knowledge at
the time of creation. It is a projectile weapon with
the following details:
Reach: 1
Range: Power + D5 (rolled each time it is fired)
Signifier: Scholar
Special rules: Reload (5), Unwieldy, Any characters in front of the firer and within range will be
knocked back an amount of metres equal to the
devices power.
Spark of Life
Your alchemical genius allows you to delve further
into the arts of lifes creation.
Language: Arabic
Type: Extended
Prerequisites: Alchemy: Aetheric Forces, Alchemy:
Contraptions, any physician ability, and various
components that equate to the cost and rarity of a
high-quality piece of armour
Time: D5 months
Difficulty: 11
You create an automaton in the form of a humanoid
construct that can be armed and armoured like a
human. You can grant the automation a number of
abilities from any expertise equal to its beast rating though it still cannot enter into a negotiation.
Wings of Icarus
You find a copy of the notes of the great Abbas Ibn
Firnas and see how he created his gliding device.
Language: Arabic or Latin
Type: Extended
Prerequisites: Alchemy: Contraptions, any ranged
ability and a piece of chest heavy armour.
Time: D5 months
Difficulty: 11
It takes 2 full combat rounds to fold or unfold the
wings. With the wings attached, you can glide for
an amount of metres equal to double the height of
whatever you have launched yourself from.
Intoxicants
Intoxicants effect your body; sometimes in a positive
way, sometimes negatively, occasionally both. They
need to enter your blood stream to take effect, and
this may be through consuming the potion, breathing it in, or having it make contact with the blood
from a wound.
The cost is for one portion of the intoxicant. To detect
the intoxicant in the air ,food or drink you will need
to succeed at a Know v Aroma test. After ingesting
the intoxicant you will suffer one of its effects.
You may take a portion more than once in an hour
to apply a range of its properties re-roll if you
already have the effect you land on. However, more
than 1 portion an hour may result in an overdose. To
resist an overdose you will need to pass a troublesome Vig or Know test. If you fail, apply the results
of the overdose.
Unless otherwise mentioned in the entry, effects and
overdoses last for 1 hour.
Alcohol
Wine, spirits and ales can be found in places occupied by the Franj, and they are only slightly more
difficult to find in areas controlled by Saracens.
A high-quality bottle of alcohol will put you in good
stead with nobles and merchants. It will grant +1 to
your Com during negotiations if you share it with
them. Its rarity is 2D10 its cost is 20 and it contains
2D5 portions of alcohol.
Rarity: 2
Cost: 1
Aroma: 1
Portion: Glass or mug
D10
Effect
1-3
-1 to Vig and Rng
4-7
+1 to highest Genre
8-10
+1 to Mel
Overdose: No abilities can be used until the next

day, but you may enter a hostile stance freely. If you
have consumes more portions than your vigour,
you will start vomiting, fall unconscious and make
a general fool of yourself but luckily you wont
remember much of it.
Signifier: Outcast
Malik said to him, Woe unto thee, abu-Musaykh ! Af ter thy being a muslim
thou hast gone b ack to unbelief! Abu-Musaykh replied, Away from me, Malik.
Muslims forbid the use of wine and I cannot do without it.
Angels Breath
This wholesome draught will open up your lungs
and give you a freshness of breath, though it can be
inconsistent in its effects.
Rarity: 4
Cost: 10
Aroma: 1
Portion: Small vial
D10
Effect
1-3
Nothing happens
4-8
+1 to Com
9-10
+1 to Vig
Unas is the bul l of heaven

W ho rages in his heart,
W ho lives on the being of every god,

W ho eats their entrails
W hen they come, their bodies ful l of magic

From the Isle of Flame.
~ Ancient Egyptian Funerary Spell
Overdose: Flatulence (all bonuses are negated).

Signifier: Noble
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Arsenic
A common poison used by the wealthy.
Rarity: 10
Cost: 20
Aroma: 8
Portion: Small vial
D10
Effect
1-3
D10 Fatigue
4-8
Vomiting and unconsciousness
9-10
As Overdose
Overdose: The victim will be bed-ridden for the

next D5 days. Three heals (see the Gameplay section) must be preformed on the character within this
time. If a heal is successful, the victim recovers after
24 hours. If the third heal fails then the poisoned
character will die.
Signifier: Outcast or Noble
Bears Nectar
This is basically a selection of dense, fatty foods
refined into a dense, fatty liquid for easy consumption. It dulls the senses and hardens the skin.
Rarity: 8
Cost: 15
Aroma: 0
Portion: Jug
D10
Effect
1-3
-1 to Vig and Rng
4-7
+1 to Mel
8-10
+2 to Defence
Overdose: Flatulence and diarrhoea (D5 Fatigue)

for D5 days.
Signifier: Warrior
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Berserkers Brew
This potion increases the imbibers muscles and
strength. Although drinking the brew is one way to
activate its effects, barbarians will often slice open
their flesh and pour the liquid straight into their
bloodstream as a show of courage.
Rarity: 8
Cost: 10
Aroma: 2
Portion: Small vial
D10
Effect
1-3
+1 to Vig for D5 rounds
4-7
+D5 to Mel for D5 rounds
7-10
+D10 to Mel for 1 round
Overdose: Paralysed for D5 rounds and D5 fatigue.

Males get a high-pitched voice and females begin to
grow facial hair.
Signifier: Warrior
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Djinns Purge
Kahvee
This is a dangerous concoction that will speed your

metabolism to an unsafe level, burning through any
infections attacking your body.
Rarity: 12
Cost: 20
Aroma: 3
Portion: Vial
Also called bunn in Africa or qahwa in Arabic

(short for qahhwat al-bun wine of the bean). This
draught will speed the drinkers reflexes and keep
them awake, but it may also make their speech and
actions jittery.
Rarity: 2
Cost: 3
Aroma: 1
Portion: Cup
D10
Effect
1-3
+1 to Vig, Infections are overcome.
4-7
+1 to Rng, Infections are overcome.
8-10
+5 to Vig for half a day, bed-ridden for the

next D5 days.
Overdose: The victim will be bed-ridden for the

next D10 days. Three heals must be preformed on
the character within this time. If a heal is successful,
the victim recovers after 24 hours and the healing
ceases. If the third heal test results in a 10, the poisoned character will die.
Signifier: Outcast or scholar
D10
Effect
1-3
-1 to Com
4-6
1 to Rng
7-8
+1 to Vig
9-10
+1 to Mel
Overdose: You will not sleep for another 12 hours.

You will gain D5 fatigue until you have a decent
nights sleep.
Signifier: None
Hashish
A herbal concoction used to relax the muscles and
the mind, though frowned upon by most authorities.
Rarity: 7
Cost: 3
Aroma: 1
Portion: Enough to fill the end of a pipe.
D10
Effect
1-4
-2 to Vig, Rng and Mel
5-8
+1 to Com
Disposition (+2) to every character
10
+1 to each genre
Overdose: No abilities may be used until the next day.

Signifier: Outcast or artist
Healing Herbs
A range of remedies exist that can staunch blood flow
and stop any festering when applied to wounds. A
portion describes a hand-full of gummy herbs.
Rarity: 3
Cost: 10 (for 2D5 portions)
Aroma: 0
Effects: Heal tests performed on a location with
herbs applied are at +2.
Overdose: -1 to Com because of the smelly concoction all over the injured character.
Signifier: Scholar
Some were seen snatching up bones that
had been gnawed by dogs, and sucking and

licking them when there was nothing on them
to be gnawed, not because they did them any

good, but because they gratif ied the imagination
with the remembrance of f lesh.
Gameplay
Firuz was awakened. The rasping of
the worms body always signaled its
movement. Firuz saw its long, fleshy
feelers search close by and fall on the
prisoner next to him. It was a very
light touch, but the captive in the
cocoon must have felt it. The prisoner
began a savage spasm, thrusting from
within the webbing. Firuz began to
see a glint of metal under the bonds.
The worm was slow, and by the
time it reached the prisoner a hand
holding a blade had freed itself. The
dagger began to gain momentum. It
twirled and slashed at the webs. Bits
of the translucent stuff flew from the
cocoon. A feverish rasping came from
the creatures direction. A vicious
growl replied to it, as the man ripped
apart his prison.
He panted, his pale eyes following the
creatures movement. Firuz gasped at
him for help. The wiry man ignored
him. A slurping noise preceded two
jets of slime that gushed from the
worms mouth. With nimbleness that
Firuz would have thought beyond human, the man managed to dodge each
one. During the twirling acrobatics,
his blade flashed at the creatures feelers, severing one. The worm recoiled
in a frenzied retreat. Firuz lost sight
of it, but could tell it was above him,
somewhere, as thick blood began to
drip upon him.
The free man hefted his blade, held his
long hair from his face, and assessed
his surroundings. Firuz tried to gain
his attention. Please, you must help
me. Groans from other prisoners
tried to speak too, but Firuzs voice
was stronger and more alive.
The man took his time in answering Firuz. They observed each other.
And why should I?
A sound of approaching footsteps
reached their ears.
Firuz thought it a valid question, but
would have to be quick to answer.
He would have to be careful too; he
wasnt sure if he could trust this
obvious killer.
You will need my help also. I am

Captain Firuz al-Zarad Ibn Sahib,
a warrior from Antioch, and I have
led men in many battles. A soldier
like myself could help you with the
coming guards. Free me, brother, and
I will defend you with my life.
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Example of play
Nadia, Al and Luke continue their Chapter.
Nadia is the Tale-Weaver, Al plays Aldric
and Lukes character is Massoud. And so the
game begins after the inevitable jokes and
conversation die down
Nadia: Alright, so last week youd both decided to
take the path to the Revenant of Unass tower and
are walking through the desolate land towards it.
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Al: Aldric strokes his chin and says, I think we

should travel to the valley and set camp. I imagine
storming the tower will be horrifying enough during the light of the day, let alone the dark.
Luke: [To Nadia] Is there anything in the valley, or is
it just completely flat and barren?
Nadia: The skeletal forms of trees break from the
earth in some places. You also notice a pile of wood
and fabric in the distance, which could be the remains of a tent or cart.
Luke: Massoud adjusts his scarf to keep out the dust
and says to Aldric, If we hurry we might be able
to make it to that abandoned tent, or at least find
a place to camp under one of those wasted trees.
Come now Lulu. And he starts to walk down to
valley leading his donkey behind him.
Al: Aldric follows, glancing behind him every so
often as he suspects they are being followed.
Nadia: You can make it to either the tent or a large tree
before sunset. Which one are you heading to?
Al: Aldric points towards what could be the remnants of a cart or tent and says to Massoud, I think
that pile of refuse might be worth investigating,
what say you friend?
Luke: Massoud nods his head in agreement and steers
the donkey towards the pile of wood and fabric.
Nadia: As the sun fades and you edge closer to the
pile, you see that it is a hastily constructed tent with
a very small cart attached. You are surprised to hear
the sounds of clanging and an angry mumbling.
Luke: Massoud stops in his tracks and looks for a rock
or small tree to tie Lulu to. He whispers to Aldric that
he thinks they should approach the tent carefully.
Sneaking Challenge
Nadia: You find a broken stump that wont offer much
resistance if Lulu wants to really try to break free.
Al: Yep.
Luke: Yeah. I was thinking Id do my character in
third person from now on because its easier for me
to describe what Massouds doing rather than
what Im doing.
Nadia: Thats fine, completely up to you.
Al: Im gonna do that too.
Nadia: All sorted. So lets begin. You crest a hill to
overlook the bleak valley that stretches to the horizon. There is a cold breeze blowing, and it brings a
stinging dust, along with a soft, unpleasant smell.
As the dust clears you can make out the Tower of
Unas, framed against the dusky sky. You wont make
it there until well after dark if you push on.
Luke: Massoud begins to tie Lulus lead around the

stump, hoping that nothing will frighten his rambunctious steed too much while hes away.
Al: Adric draws his sword slowly, leading with his
shield and tries not to make too much noise as he
heads towards the tent.
Luke: Massoud notches an arrow to his bow and
follows about five metres behind Aldric.
Nadia: [Makes a Vig v Vig test for the tents occupant to
hear Aldric. The tent occupant has a Vig of 0, and Aldric
has a Vig of 0; however Aldric also bears a shield with a
Defence of 2. This means his Vig is -2. On the other hand,
with all the noise inside the tent, the tent occupant will
have a 1 modifier. Therefore, the test is 1 v 2; an Apex
of 6. Nadia rolls a 7 and fails]. As you approach the
tent the mumbles become more discernible. The tent

occupant speaks in Arabic, so Aldric cannot understand it, but Massoud can. You both said last week
that youll translate for the other in the event one of
you doesnt know a language, so Ill assume Massoud is whispering what is being said to Aldric?
Luke: Yep. And Massoud gets close enough to Aldric so that he doesnt have to raise his voice.
Nadia: Amongst the clattering of pans, the mumbles
become clearer and are spoken with a surprisingly
upper class Arabic accent. You do realise this is
your fault, yes? I cannot believe I trusted you to
mind our wares I only needed a short break to relieve myself! I know you care little for where you do
it, but at least one of us has manners. And you repay
me by eating our last dates! I am serious when I say
that among all of this clutter I cannot find a single
piece of food and I am not going to beg at the doors
of that dark tower no matter how much you look at
me like that!
Al: After Massoud finishes his translation, Aldric
smirks and says, I dont think well have a problem
here, but you can never be too sure, and straightens
up, though doesnt sheath his blade.
Luke: Massoud agrees and relaxes the draw of his
bow as they move towards the entry.
Nadia: A lamp is lit from within the tent, casting
strange shadows on its walls. It looks like a large
figure is rifling through a cauldron, and is being
watched by a horned creature who is perched on a
throne behind him.
Al: Ahhh, I resume my state my readiness. [To Luke]
Good sir, did you want to back away a bit and get
this ruffians attention, and Ill wait outside the entry to surprise him if he attacks?
Luke: [Nods in agreement]. Massoud puts about ten
metres between himself and the entryway then
circles it until he can see inside.
Nadia: [Makes another Vig v Vig test against Aldric to see
if the tent occupant hears him. She rolls a 4 and succeeds]
Suddenly, the noise within the tent stops. Massoud,
you can just see into the tent, but cannot yet make out
the occupants. The polished Arabic voice calls out,
Salaam? Is there someone out there? You hear an
unsheathing of metal-on-metal.
Al: Aldric whispers to Massoud
Nadia: Hes too far away for you to whisper, theres
at least 8 metres between you both, so the tent occupant will hear you before Massoud does.
Al: Ahh, ok. Aldric nods to Massoud, indicating that
they should still go ahead with the plan.
Nadia: Hmmm
Luke: Massoud releases his arrow hand, to raise it in

a greeting, and steps into view of the tent entrance.
He calls out, Salaam friend. I am weary from a long
journey and thought you might be willing to trade?
Nadia: An overweight, dirty, robed figure bursts
into view, framed against the soft light of the lantern
within the tent. He looks apprehensively at your bow.
If you plan on robbing me, I cannot wish you much
luck. Others have come before you. I only have what
the reavers could not carry and am now also out of
food because of my he yells back into the tent,
SELFISH COMPANION!
Luke: Massoud says, We are not raiders, friend.
Simply travellers. We
Nadia: The peddler interrupts, We? He takes a
step back into his tent. I thought I heard someone
else here! Who is out there with you? I will warn
you now, I am not stupid to the ways of the road.
Al: [Shakes head]
Luke: Ah I only travel with my friend and my
donkey. We have food to trade too. Like you, sir, we
also take precautions when travelling.
Al: Aldric takes a round circuit to where
Massoud stands and lowers his arms. He raises
a hand in greeting.
Nadia: The peddler raises an eyebrow, Im sure
there is an interesting story behind you two. Go, get
your donkey. It will be safer here than wherever you
have hidden him.
Al: Aldric whispers to Massoud to ask if theres
anyone else in the tent.
Luke: Oh yeah. Massoud asks the peddler, If I may
ask one question, is there anyone, or any thing, else
with you in side your tent?
Nadia: The peddlers face grimaces, Yes, my idiotic
goat that ate my last reserves of food. He should be
careful, lest he end up on my plate himself. But he
has been a good friend and I will surely forgive him.
Tomorrow perhaps.
Luke: Alright. Well Massoud puts away his arms,
gets Lulu and goes into the tent.
Al: So does Aldric.
Out of it he drew a casket with seven
padlocks of steel , which he unlocked with seven
keys of steel. Out of it a young lady to come

was seen, of stature f ine and bright.
~ 1001 Nights
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Impression
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Nadia: The sole lamp washes the inside of the tent

in a warm glow. You see empty chests stacked on
each other and being used as a backrest for the
peddler as he sits on garish cushions that carpet the
floor. He ushers you in and you see, standing on top
of a pile of chests, a black spotted goat that observes
you with its yellow, slitted eyes. The peddler pulls
out a dusty rug and rolls it across the rocky ground.
Please, sit. You are welcome. I am sorry that I cannot provide any food for you, as I have none. But I
can entertain you with tales, be sure of that! The
goat closes its eyes and goes to sleep as the commotion dies down.
Each of you get Impressions of the peddler, who you
can tell is a Saracen, so make your Know tests.
Luke: Massouds a Saracen too with a Know of 1, so
for an Easy Know test of 1 v 2 he needs to roll 4 or
below on a D10. He rolls an 8, he doesnt work out
anything more than the peddler is a Saracen.
Al: Aldrics a Frank and his Know is 0, so thats a
Troublesome test. The only way to pass that difference is by rolling a 1 which he fails.
Nadia: The peddlers Know is 2, so he needs to roll 5
or under for Massoud and 2 or under for Aldric. His
result for Massoud is 5 and is 9 for Aldric, so all he
sees is that Aldric is Franj and Massoud is a Saracen.
Both of you only pick up, from his appearance and
speech, that he has a Saracen background.
Luke: While the peddler is occupied, Massoud motions to Aldric that they should offer some of their
rations for dinner.
Nadia: Thats fine.
Al: Aldric nods and agrees.
Luke: Massoud says, Excuse me, friend, but we
have some food with us, so perhaps we could break
some bread before we rest.
Nadia: The peddler looks shocked, though you can
tell it is mostly a (pretty good) act. Oh, I cannot
accept that! I am not very hungry, so pardon my
rudeness for not offering you food, for you are my
guests. There is surely something here to eat. Just
give me a moment He jumps up and begins
searching through his chests again.
Luke: Massoud sighs, Please, it is our pleasure. Is
not every man a traveller under the heavens? Here,
take this bread. Your goat looks hungry too.
Nadia: The peddler eyes your offering with

barely concealed lust, but he fights against it and
shakes his head. If I am to accept this, my honour
says I must repay you in some way. I am eternally
grateful, please take any one of my wares, both you
and your companion. A thousand apologies for my
rude hospitality.
Luke: Massoud says, I can see that your honour
will not allow you to entertain me if I said that we
cannot take that offer He winks at Aldric So
what do you have in your inventory?
Nadia: Let me show you He reaches into the folds
of his robes to produce a sack and a board of wood,
as if out of nowhere. With a click on some unseen
lever, the board folds out into the shape of a table.
With a flourish, the peddler throws a patterned
cloth over the table and upturns his sack onto it. After a clatter of steel on steel, a number of items come
tumbling out. Please, choose any two of these. I
managed to hide them away from those thieves.
This is a jar of Greek Fire; by flicking this lever the
candle will catch fire, then when broken on your
enemies it will explode and destroy them! And this
is something I found in an old tomb in Misr. It is a
translation of ancient Egyptian symbols into Arabic.
Although I imagine it to be worth a lot, I have not
found anyone yet who would treasure such a relic.
But you two seem to be of a more discerning taste
than my usual customer! I also have a short sword,
that axe, some of these leather vambraces, these
Healing Herbs, some fine quality Persian wine and
this golden scarab necklace that, on my appraisal,
would be worth a lot! You also notice that it appears he has lost weight in the process of laying out
his goods.
Al: Aldric says to Massoud, Do you think we can
trust him?
Nadia: Before Massoud can answer, the peddler
cries out in broken French, Yes mon-cherie! Very
trusting we am!
Al: Uh, so he
speaks French?
Nadia: Enough to
get by.
Luke: I might see if
I can detect if hes
telling the truth or
holding anything
back from us.
Al: Im going to try to charm him. Aldric says, Oh I

know I cannot see anything with my own eyes, but
that may be because you are so clever at secreting
things away My Com is 1 verse his disposition of
1, which just means 1 v 1 according to the Ability
details. Apex of 5. Result of 7. Damn!
Nadia: The peddler is going to make an Appeal
with his bolstered Communication. Ha ha, sadly
no. I have only these goods and would gladly allow
you take all my wares if only I didnt need them to
feed myself when I return to civilisation Its now 3
verses 1, so I need below 7 8. Thats a fail.
Al: Im going for an Appeal because I used up my
Charm. A clever man like you, surely you have kept
some secrets to yourself. 1 verses 3 means I have to
roll under 3. I get 9
Nadia: The negotiation rounds are over, so its time
for the Closing Arguments. The peddler says, So,
as you can see, I am simply a merchant without any
goods and what is that? It is like a knight without
armour. I add my Com of 3 to your Disposition of 0
to a D10 roll of 5. So thats 8.
Al: Aldrics Closing Argument is, Well, I think
youve fooled me. My Com of 1 to your Disposition
of 1 plus a D10 roll of 4. I get a 4.
Negotiation
Nadia: Ok. Well need to start a Negotiation. So the
goals would be: Tell truth of all available wares/
Stick to story?
Luke: Yeah. Surely hes not telling us everything.
Nadia: He could be, but anyway, lets begin. Massouds Com is 0 and the peddlers is 2.
Luke: Well, Aldric has a better Com score than me,
so if the peddler can speak French, Aldric should be
the negotiator.
Nadia: Thats fine, but Massoud cant Assist the
Aldric because he doesnt know French.
Luke: Ok.
Nadia: Aldrics neutral towards Saracens so your
Disposition starts at 0. The peddler, however, has 1
hate towards Franj, so he starts at 1.
Al: Damn!
Nadia: The Negotiation will last 2 Rounds. Round
1: The peddler goes first because he has a higher
Com. He takes a Fortify Action. He says, Please, my
friend, look around you, there is nothing you cannot
see. His Know is 3 verse your Knowledge of 0, so his
Apex is 8. He gets a [rolls die] 7! Success. Your turn.
Nadia: So, the result of all of that is that the peddler

isnt giving up any more goods.
Al: Well, I think as a fighting man, Aldric would be
eyeing off the Fire Bomb. Ill take that.
Luke: As a man of Knowledge, Massoud takes up
the translation parchment, marvelling at what he
holds in his hands.
Nadia: Very good. The peddler smiles and congratulates you on your choices. He then whisks up
his goods in the blink of an eye and they disappear
within the folds of his robe. It appears he is now
back to his old, round self. He fills three mugs with
pungent wine and hands them to you with some
generous chunks of your bread. Now, he says,
slurping his drink around a mouthful of food, time
for a tale! Did you want to start a Story or would
your characters prefer to rest?
Al: Story. And I slurp some wine too.
Nadia: Ok, make a roll on the Intoxicant chart
for alcohol.
Al: Got a 3
Nadia: Well Aldrics Rng and Vig is 1 for the
next hour.
Luke: By the way, Massoud is not drinking any
wine. But, lets do the story.
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Story
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Nadia: Ok. The peddler begins, I will tell you the

Tale of the Fisherman and the Djinni. It is a story of
how a fisherman tries to trick a vengeful djinni into
sparing his life. This is how it begins. There was
once a fisherman who was very poor. He would cast
his net three times a day and hope to God that he
would find something in there when he pulled it up,
or else his family would go hungry. One day, after
casting the net and not getting anything on his first
two tries, he finds an old stone bottle. It is sealed
with some engraved words that he cannot read, and
he pries the lid off with his teeth.
His head is rocked back and his two front teeth are
blown out, as a fierce smoke shoots from the bottle.
It condenses into the form of a great apparition that
fills the sky. A thunderous voice addresses the fisherman, You have one wish. To choose the manner
of your death so that I may deliver it to you.
The fisherman is shocked. He tries to come up with
a way of delaying the djinnis judgment. That is not
fair, says the fisherman.
This will be a test against the peddlers Genre points
in Drama (which he has 2 of). Ill try to add 1 to the
Wisdom Pool out of this, so Ill have to roll under an
Apex of 6. The D10 roll is 8. Sorry guys, its a fail.
Youre next Al. Because I got a 8, your scene will be
focused on Drama.
Al: Alright, the story continues: The djinni roars,
Fair?! and throws down a massive fist, bristling
with warts, upon the doomed fishermans boat. The
wood splinters and the fisherman is hurled into
the cold ocean. As he rises to the surface he tries to
think of another ruse to help save his life. Gasping
for air, he says to the djinni, oh great and powerful
daemon, surely my life is in your hands. When I was
below the sea I saw a great monster that grasped for
me. Please save me by putting me on dry land so
that I may make my wish.
Aldric has a Drama value of 0, so Ill risk it and go
for adding 2 to the Wisdom Pool, so Ill have to roll
under 3. My D10 result is 10. What!? Wheres my
luck today?
Nadia: I dont think youre properly warming your
dice. Luke, its your turn next. Because Al rolled a 10
you get to choose the Genre your scene will be in.
Luke: It just so happens that Massouds biggest score
is in Mystery, so thatll be the genre of my scene.
Here we go: The djinnis face darkened. You surely
take me for a fool. You should not be afraid of any
monsters below the waves just the one towering
above them. I, who was a slave to King Soloman
who bound me within that prison, will now choose
the manner of death for you. And you will hope
to be released to Hell afterwards. The fisherman
raised his hands and implored the djinni, I am truly sorry, it is just not an honourable thing to reward
a good deed with evil, as surely you are planning
for me. Please tell me your tale The djinni replied,
As I waited at the bottom of the ocean for the first
thousand years I swore to reward my saviour with
three wishes. When that passed I swore I would
reward him with one wish. After a thousand years
in dark madness, I swore I would only allow my
saviour the choice of his death, as one less human
would be one less creature working mischief across
the earth. As the djinni was distracted with the
story the fisherman is trying to swim to the caves to
hopefully escape from its clutches.
Massoud has a Mystery of 3, so Ill play it safe and
try to get 2 Pearls. Just have to roll under 6 5! Yes!
Nadia: Well done. Youve added 2 to the Wisdom
Pool. Now its time for the Climax, back to me. The
fisherman hauls himself out of the sea and stands
on the rocks that are being lashed with ocean spray.
He sees the djinnis bottle floating nearby and picks
it up. A thought enters his mind, just as the djinni
completes his tale. The fisherman calls out to the
djinni, Oh great and powerful daemon, you are
so large, yet you have said that you were trapped
in this bottle. Surely that cannot be true, which
leads me to question your tale. The djinnis form
enveloped the fisherman with darkness like a storm
cloud. You are certainly a fool. I will show you how
I was trapped, just so you may tell my master that I
do not lie when you meet him in the underworld.
With that, the djinni swirled into a vortex of smoking vapour and disappeared into the bottle. The
fisherman could barely believe his luck. A faint,
echoing voice rang out from inside the bottle, Your
faith has been tested mortal, and you have failed.
The fisherman drew the seal from the pouch he had
concealed it in and tried to stopper the bottle.
So, the peddlers Storyteller level is 5 and the Wisdom Pool is at 2. Hell have to roll under 8. Here we
go 8! Yay! The 2 Pearls are divided between you
both, so you get one each.
Al: Finally, some good luck.
Luke: Excellent.
Nadia: The peddler finishes off the story. With the
djinni trapped in the bottle, the fisherman almost
leaps in the air with happiness. He has saved his life
and now has a djinni at his command!
The peddler yawns after the tale and his head nods.
Soon he is snoring and he doesnt notice that what is
left of his mug of wine is soaking into his robe. As
the peddler sleeps, the goat wakes up and seems to
eye you both, chewing loudly as it reclines. What are
you doing?
Back to the real world

Al: Well, Aldric is a bit wary of that weird goat, so he
recommends to Massoud that they should set a watch.
Luke: Massoud agrees.
Al: Hmmm Its probably just a goat. And Aldric
doesnt want to be fatigued tomorrow. Well need
our wits about us if were going to the tower.
Luke: Youre probably right. But Massoud will sleep
with his dagger concealed but at hand. And next to
Lulu outside.
Al: Yeah, Aldric will sleep outside too.
Nadia: Alright. The night passes without incident
Al and Luke: oh well
Nadia: and the peddler calls out to you when he
awakes. He looks at you a bit strangely when he sees
your sleeping arrangements, but bids you farewell
and begins packing his cart. He says that he plans on
travelling to Damascus, so remember to call on Tariq
Al-MahFarouth, which is his name, if you ever make
it there.
Al: Well, Aldric waves goodbye and starts the

march towards the tower.
Luke: Yep, sounds good.
Nadia: Using the tower as your guide, you edge
closer to the black spire. The wind howls between
the cliffs that rise on either side of the valley, channelling the dust into your faces. Lulu constantly
sneezes, her eyes and nostrils irritated by the fine
particles racing through the air.
The static noise of the dust gives way to something
else, something eerily human, but not quite. Ahead
of you, when the dust clears, you see a twirling figure. It is directly in your path and approaching.
Al: Aldric readies his sword and shield to prepare
for whatever it is.
Luke: Massoud stands behind Aldric with an arrow
notched to his bow.
Nadia: The dancing figure becomes less of an apparition and more a lurching man. Naked but for an
extremely long white mane and beard, the travellers
movements are no longer concealed by the dust and
you see that he jerks spasmodically to some internal,
perhaps infernal, rhythm. Each of his fingers ends
in cracked, yellow nails and his glazed eyes seem to
look right through you as his awkward pirouettes
take him away and behind you.
Al: Aldric places himself between the madman
and Massoud, but recommends they just continue to
the tower.
Luke: Massoud keeps an eye on the surrounds in
front and to the sides as he guides Lulu forward.
Nadia: The lurching figure begins a crazy turn.
Maybe random actions guide his feet, but he shadows the path you take.
Al: So this guy just looks like an old man?
Nadia: Yes. His bones seem to poke through his skin
and he seems completely lost in his own mind. [Nadia secretly rolls a Troublesome Vig test for Aldric to see
if he notices anything more suspicious. His Vig is 0 and
she rolls a 7 a fail so Aldric doesnt see anything more
than she has described].
Al: Well. If thats that well continue on the road to

the tower Luke?
Luke: Just before he leaves, Massoud asks Tariq if he
knows what is further down the road and if he can
offer any advice.
Nadia: Tariq is busy with harnessing his goat to the
cart, but is happy to offer his help. Dont travel in the
dark. That is when the bandits ride. But maybe they
are gone from this valley. I passed a madman a little
while before I reached here too, so maybe you will
see him. Do not engage him in conversation he does
not speak. Anyway, farewell friends.
Al: Aldric brandishes his sword at the man, Be gone

from here old man, keep to your own business!
Luke: Wait! The peddler said we shouldnt talk
to him.
Al: Pffft, what could a weak old man do? Plus, if this
deviant is a danger to weary travellers, then Aldrics
honour would not allow him to simply pass by without routing this oaf!
Luke: Oh well.
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Combat
Nadia: Youre all Aware of each other, so roll to see
where you are in the round. [Nadia rolls for the Bestial
Ghoul and gets a total of 9 (D10 roll of 5; plus a Vig of 4),
Aldric ends up with a -1 (D10 roll of 1; plus a Vig of 2
because of his shield), and Massoud gets a 7 (D10 result of
7 plus a Vig of 0)]. The Ghoul passes its test to enter a
Hostile Stance and uses its first Action to Manoeuvre towards Aldric, then Lunges at him. Al, you can
Swipe at it because its claws are only Reach 1, while
your sword is Reach 2. But youll have to enter a
Hostile Stance before you can Melee Strike.
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Nadia: Alright, the ghoul manages to just slip under

your blade. It used up a Dodge. Now its Round 3.
The ghouls foul breath blasts at Aldric in its hunger. First Strike 3/4; that hits. Youve got no more
Dodges, but your Defence is 2 from your shield, so it
amounts to nothing. You gain 1 Impact though. Second Strike 1/10; that hits too. Now to resolve the
Strike. You have 1 Impact already, so thats an Injury
Level of 2. With your Defence of 2, though, it brings
it down to 0. Youre safe, but you gain an Impact.
Luke: Massoud thrusts with the dagger 3/7. Hit!
Al: Alright, Ill try to Swipe the beast. Whats its

Melee for my Hostile Stance roll?
Nadia: The ghoul uses up another Dodge to lurch

out of range of your dagger. So its your turn Al, but
youre reeling under the ghouls blows.
Nadia: 1. And yours is 2. 2 v 1 equals an Apex of 6.
Al: Aldric strikes out from behind his shield. 8/2.
Al: I get a 9. Inconceivable!
Nadia: Miss. Round 4. The ghoul swipes and screeches at Aldric 1/8; another hit. So combined with the
2 previous Impacts, thats a hit against your abdomen
at an Injury Level of 3, but with your Defence of 2 it
takes it down to 1. Thats just a Flimsy attack, but the
Impact still counts. The ghoul launches its second
Strike 7/3. Thats a miss. Massouds turn.
Nadia: The crazed ghoul unnerves you so much

that you cannot bring yourself to Strike. Its claws
rip at your neck and face. It combines the Lunge
with a Strike, so has a +1 to Melee for the attack. So
thats a 2 verse 2. It gets a 4 on the Injury Dice, 3
on the Location Dice. Success and a hit on the left
arm. However, youve got a shield, so you use your
Dodge. Aldric manages to turn aside the grasping
claws. Your turn, Luke.
Luke: I cant shoot the thing while its within Reach
of a friend, so Ill use my Action to put away my
bow, draw my dagger and combine that with a
Manoeuvre to get closer to it. Ill also try to enter a
Hostile Stance, whichll be 0 verse 1. I get a 3 so
I pass!
Nadia: Your turn Al.
Al: Aldric eyes the beast and summons his courage
Hostile Stance! Apex of 6, I roll a 7. Another fail.
Ill Guard for my turn then.
Nadia: So its Round 2; back to the ghoul. Its just going to make a Melee Strike for each of its 2 Actions.
The ghouls foul breath envelops you, Aldric, as it
scrabbles to get around your shield. Its Apex for Melee Strikes is 3 now, because of your Guard and it gets
a 9/9. The Injury die misses, so the Location die
is ignored. Then a 3/4; that would be a hit against
your arm, but you can Parry, so you deflect the blow.
Luke: Massoud Lunges and prepares to plunge his
dagger into the vile creature. His Melee is 0, and
its Melee is 1, so thats 4 or under. But the beast is
outnumbered, plus the bonus for the Lunge so that
gives me +2 for an Apex of 6. I get a 9/7. Oh well
Al: Thats too bad. Aldric summons his hatred
because not only has this beast attacked him, besmirching his honour, but Massoud is in a Hostile
Stance, so I get +2 to my roll. Its a 5. The Apex
was 8, so I passed! And now I will launch a Strike
against the rabid creature 5/9. Because its Outnumbered thats a hit against its chest!
Luke: Massoud sees the ghoul hitting against his

friend, and summons his strength for the attack. I
get a 1/5! Haha.
Nadia: The ghoul Dodges, but its slowing down.
Luke: I hope so
Nadia: Your turn Al.
Al: Aldric strikes out from behind his shield. 9/10?!
Nadia: You miss again. Round 5. The ghoul slavers
over the meal awaiting it. Strike one against Aldric 3/2. That would have been an Injury Level
of 6, but your shield takes it down to 4. A Deft blow
against your leg. Youve got no armour there, so
youre Knocked Back and Stunned next Action. That
was your 4th Impact so you wouldve been Shaken
because the attacks have reached your first Impact
Level (Melee of 2, Defence of 2 equals a first Impact
Level of 4). But Stunned overrides Shaken. Your battered body lurches backwards (1 metre), kicking up
dust. The ghoul turns to its other attacker and lashes
out with its claws. Against Massoud its 1 v 0, so an
Apex of 6. It gets a 9 and misses.
Luke: Do not fear Aldric! I will keep this devil
off you. Massoud Strikes with his dagger 2/6,
another hit!
Nadia: The ghouls last Dodge is used up. Its
Aldrics turn now, but hes Stunned and staggers
a metre to the side of the ghoul, unintentionally
circling it. Round 6: The smell of blood drives the
ghoul to attack, but you can tell it is weary. First
Strike against Massoud 9/2; thats a miss. Next
one 1/8. A Flimsy hit against Massouds chest.
Thats an Impact, and because Massoud has a Melee
of 0, its enough to send him Cowering.
Luke: Oh please have mercy! shrieks Massoud as

he falls to his knees. Ill try to pass a Troubling Melee test to recover in my turn, Ill need a 1 2. Nope.
Nadia: Thats a Flimsy attack that bruises the

ghouls right arm and adds an Impact. Its Mel is 1,
so it is Shaken for its next Action.
Nadia: What do you do Al. You get your turn, youre

not Stunned anymore, but your Hostile Stance has
been removed.
Al: Alright. Then Aldric slashes at the beast 5\10!

That means an Injury Level of 6 with the last Impact,
yes?
Al: Aldric plants his feet and steadies his blade.

With a burning hatred towards the ghoul he tries
to enter a Hostile Stance 2, thats a pass. Hes still
within 2 metres, within Reach for his sword, so hell
Strike at the fiend 10/10! Surely thats good!
Nadia: Yep. The ghoul howls as you open a gash in

its skull and it is knocked to the ground due to its
lack of armour. Its Impacts are now double its Melee, so it is Stunned for the next Round. The creature
is at your mercy and whimpers as it seeks to crawl
away from you. What are you going to do? Aldric
has one more Action.
Nadia: Thats Divine Intervention! You miss that

Strike, but your Impacts are halved and you will
immediately gain D5 Actions to use. For the duration of the Divine Intervention any negative modifiers are removed and all Strikes you make ignore
Dodges and Defence while you are under its Power.
It begins now.
Al: [Looks at Luke and scratches his head].

Luke: [Looks at Al and scratches his head].
Al: Sounds like all my bad luck is out of the way. Ill
roll the D5 for my Actions 3. Well, Aldric uses one
Action to Strike at the beast. I roll a 1/4.
As I brought the prisoners together I found
them cursed with a great af f liction, for their dry
skins seemed stuck to their bones. W hat are ye?

asked I.
We are the Banu Ub bayy, they replied.

W hat do you live on?
On carrion and decayed bones, they replied.
We crush and boil them in water and orach

leaves. And we subsist on that.
The Banu Ub bay claimed that they are the
best of al l Arabs, never suf fering from diseases
such as leprosy or b lindness. They did not enter
Damascus because they were afraid of the plague;

yet there could be no plague worse than which they
were already af f licted.
~ Ibn Munqidh
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Common challenges
Challenges
Resolving chance in Nights of the Crusades generally revolves around the rolling of a D10.
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All conflicts a character faces will be a contest against

a difficulty, and is termed a verses test. Between two
challengers of equal ability (a particular expertise
is often used as a comparison), there will be a 50%
chance of success, ie; a 5 or below on a D10. That 5 is
the apex for the challenge, and it may be modified by
bonuses or deductions. For each 1 in an expertise that
your opponent has over you, deduct 1 from the apex,
and for each 1 below, add 1. To succeed at a challenge
you will need to roll under the apex.
Sometimes a character may need to challenge the
environment, rather than a character with an opposing expertise. The difficulty will be set by the TaleWeaver and a rough guide is as follows:
Easy: 2
Troublesome: 5
Serious: 8
Dire: 11
Within reason, a 1 will always succeed whereas a
roll of 10 will always fail.
There will be occasions when a fraction of a number
is required. If a case arises that does not result in a
full number, round the value mathematically; eg, if
you need to halve 5, the result would be 3.
Sample Apexes
Expertise:
vs 0
vs 1
vs 2
Modifying Difficulty
All difficulty modifiers are applied to your expertise
in question. They are cumulative and may result in a
negative value. For example:
Your vigour is 3 and you want to jump a hole that the
Tale-Weaver has set as a troublesome challenge (ie; a difficulty of 5). Normally, the apex would be 3, however the
Tale-Weaver informs you that the manacles still around
your hands are making you a lot less dextrous than usual.
She modifies the difficulty decreasing your vigour by 1.
So your qpex for the challenge is now, unfortunately, 2.
You will need to roll a 1 or 2 on a D10 to overcome the
challenge and jump the hole.
Some challenges, like negotiations and combat, need

to be more formalised than others and are described
later in the rules. For all other challenges, the
Tale-Weaver needs to decide the best way to test a
characters chances of passing. Some common challenges are detailed below.
Recall: Due to the life experience of a character, she
may be able to solve or understand an issue that
obstructs her path better than those with a different
background. Important information will be granted
to her based on her allegiances or certain skills without needing a roll.
Impression: You scan another character to discern his allegiances. This can be done just before a
negotiation begins and is combined with your first
turn in combat both are free actions. Your understanding of various cultural symbols will determine
your ability to detect the backgrounds of those you
meet. You automatically detect the characters faction. Now make a Know test. It is easy if you share
the faction; troublesome if you dont. If you fail,
the character can now bluff you. If the Tale-Weaver
wishes, he can make you believe that the character holds an allegiance that he bears a signifier for.
However, if you succeed at getting the right impression of the character, you will detect all allegiances
that he bears signifiers for. You will not see hidden
allegiances (ie; allegiances that the character doesnt
have any obvious signifiers for) unless you scrutinise the character.
Scrutinise: You spend some time observing a character to see if they are hiding anything. This takes
one action in either the negotiation or combat you
are involved in. You will need to pass a Com v Com
test if in a negotiation or a Know v Com test if you
are in combat. A successful scrutiny reveals all allegiances and removes any bluffs that your opponent
has made.
Concealment: You try to hide something, whether
an object or your identity. The likelihood of this
must be sensibly taken into account, for example
you may hide yourself behind a large curtain, but
not behind a mug of ale. You use your Vig if you are
hiding your body or something on it; your Know if
you are hiding an object in the environment. The
opposing test is based on Rng if the searcher is only
using her eyes and ears; or Vig if she is using touch.
Chasing a character: Both characters take an
amount of Vig v Vig tests equal to the highest vigour
among the runners. The character that achieves the
most successes outruns the other.
Dispositions
To work out your disposition towards any individual, you will need to look at the characters allegiances that you are aware of. You can work them
out through an impression or scrutinise action. Your
disposition starts at 0. Favour towards the other
characters allegiances raises your disposition while
hating allegiances will lower it. The result, positive
or negative, is your total disposition towards the
character.
Aldrics has 1 favour to the peasant class and 2 hate to the
noble class. So if he comes across a Templar Knight (and
Aldric knows the knight has allegiances of Franj, Catholic,
warrior, noble, Knights Templar) Aldric will be at hatred 2
(or disposition 2) towards him.
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Negotiation
A Negotiation is entered into when characters
disagree on something, yet are prepared to change
their minds should they be swayed.
It is up to the Tale-Weaver to decide whether a negotiation is necessary, or to just role-play the scene.
There is no need to slow a game down by rolling
dice over such things like whether a scarfs colour
is lilac or mauve. Like Combat, Negotiations should
only be entered into if the range of consequences
will have a noticeable affect on the Tale.
Step 1: First impression

The characters get their first impressions of each
other through appearance, demeanour, small talk
and the nature of their greeting. The following steps
are involved:
a) If the characters havent already met then they
must get an impression of their opponent (see the
Common Challenges section).
b) The characters decide what language is to be used
for the negotiation. There are no drawbacks if all
characters can speak the language used. If you do
not speak the language then you will have to skip
Step 3 and only make closing arguments.
c) Discuss with the Tale-Weaver the goals that each
character hopes to achieve for the negotiation.
Step 2: Determine the apex

The apex starts at 5. For each point of communication you hold over your opponent, add 1, for each
point lower deduct 1.
Aldric has a Com of 3 and he is involved in a negotiation
with Massoud who has a Com of 4. Therefore; Aldrics
Apex is 4.
Step 3: Use negotiation actions

The character with the highest Com goes first,
randomise if they are equal. Once each character
has a turn a round is used. The aim is to raise your
opponents disposition towards you (ie; your case) so
that your closing argument will be more effective. A
negotiation will last for an amount of rounds equal
to the highest Com of the characters involved.
Step 4: Make closing arguments

Each character then makes their closing arguments.
Roll a D10, adding your communication and your
opponents disposition towards you. Whoever gets
the highest result wins the negotiation.
Step 5: Resolution
After the negotiation has been resolved the TaleWeaver describes how the winning characters goals
affects the tale. Modifications to character statistics
over the course of the negotiation (which could be
communication, disposition or knowledge) are only
temporary and return to normal after resolution.
Goals
Characters can enter negotiations for a number of reasons. Perhaps they have stumbled upon some thieves
in the middle of a robbery or are trying to convince
a friend that shes been eating too much garlic and
shouldnt think that a stomach is possessed without
further consultation. Regardless of the reasons, to
enter a negotiation there will need to be predefined
goals that both sides will follow regardless of the
outcome. A goal is what the successful character will
gain if she wins. Using the above examples, goals
could include combat/leaving in peace or consult a
trained physician/continue exorcism.
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Basic Negotiation actions

Each character involved in a negotiation can make
one of the following actions in their turns. You
should describe what youre saying before taking an
action. If you make the table nod in agreement or
laugh out loud with your brilliance, the Tale-Weaver
may grant you a bonus to your Com.
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Appeal: You attempt to increase your opponents

opinion of you, the better to prepare for your closing
argument. Make a Com v Com test, adding your
disposition towards your opponent to your Com.
If passed, increase your opponents disposition by
result of the die.
Critical argument: If you roll a 1 on an appeal
then you have achieved a critical argument. Apply
the results of the appeal, then immediately add
d10 to your opponents disposition.
Dismiss: The higher your knowledge, the surer
you are about the things you believe. You have 1
dismiss action for each point of knowledge that you
hold, and can use it after a successful appeal has
been made against you. Take a Know v Know test.
If it is passed and the die result beats the amount of
disposition you gained, then your opponents appeal
is counted as never happening.
Fortify: This is an attempt to bolster your upcoming
arguments using logic and reason. Make a Know v
Know test. If it is successful add 1 to your Com.
Perceived insult: You try to take offence at what
your opponent is saying, the better to ignore his
arguments. Make a Com v Disposition test against
your opponent, eg; a Com of 2 vs a disposition of
2 (or hatred 2) would have an apex of 9. If you are
successful you can reduce your disposition towards
your opponent by the result of the roll.
Assist: You may assist a friendly character if you are
present, but not taking part in a negotiation. Each
friendly character assisting will add 1 to a closing
argument with their encouragement and presence.
Haggling
It can be assumed that whenever you visit a merchant, there will be a little to-and-fro and the cost of
an object will be lowered slightly from its original
price. This is the cost displayed in the objects entry
in the Marketplace section. However, if you want the
price reduced further, a haggle ensues. A haggle is
between a buyer and a seller.
You may only assist a buyer if you are going to buy
one of the objects being haggled for too.
During resolution, if the sellers disposition has been
raised and youve also won the closing argument,
the cost of the object will be reduced by a percentage
equal to the sellers favour. Any other result and the
object can only be purchased for the original cost.
Combat
The ath lete never brings spirit to
b attle, he who has never practised it. It
is the man who has seen his own b lood,
whose teeth have rattled beneath amothers

f ist, and who as oft as he fel l has risen
more determined, more bold.
~ Roger de Hoveden
Glory, courage, honour, a test of skill and wits that

is the mythology of war. Scribes and clerics, never
witnessing or participating in battle, will describe
the slaughter with glee and revel in the blood of their
rulers enemies. However, when soldiers struggle in
the dirt blood drenching their armour, the screams
of friends and enemies ringing in their ears as they
try to stop their insides from spilling into the sand
thoughts of glory are far from their minds.
Warriors will fight for their own reasons; their
comrades safety, or against foes that they believe
will destroy them and their loved ones honour and
their rulers cause are afterthoughts. The psychological effects of combat vary depending on the
circumstances and the characters involved, but no
human with a normal range of emotions will leave
unscarred from taking anothers life.
Although not essential, a tactical map using miniatures or counters could be helpful in resolving
combat, with every metre equal to an inch.
It is up to the Tale-Weaver to decide whether a combat is needed, or just to role-play the situation. There
is no need to slow a game down by rolling dice
whenever characters are fighting something like
a rogue kitten in their bedding. Like negotiations,
combat should only be entered into if the range of
consequences will have an effect on the future.
Step 1: Awareness and impressions

A combat is entered just before the first violent act of
a character. This belligerent character and his side
can take actions until his opponents understand the
danger they are in. When that happens all characters will take an awareness test; roll a D10 and add
vigour. This will be their place in the round. Characters will get impressions (see the Challenges section)
of their adversaries as a free action at the start of
their turn.
Step 2: Combat actions

Characters have a number of actions equal to half
of their vigour (to a minimum of 1) that they may
take during their turn in a round. They may use
these to perform any moves that are allowed during
combat. The most common will be entering a hostile
stance, making strikes against their foes and moving around the battlefield. Strikes use two d10s to
determine results, the injury die for injury level
and the location die for the location hit.
Cherie is heavily armoured and has a vigour of -2, meaning she has only 1 action per round. Therefore, it will take
her two turns to complete an action that uses 2AP.
Some actions will be described as free. This means
that no actions are used while performing them and
they may be combined with others. Examples include entering a hostile stance, dropping a weapon
or shouting a word or three.
A round is over once every character has completed
their turn.
Step 3: Resolution
Basically, a combat is over when the tale-weaver says
it is. This is generally when one side faces no hostile
opponents because they have surrendered, fled or
are too injured or dead to be of danger and there is
no more need for rounds.
Divine intervention: Should you roll 10s on both
dice during a strike in combat, you will achieve
divine intervention. Your current impacts are
halved and you will immediately gain D5 actions
to use. For the duration of the divine intervention
any negative modifiers are removed and all strikes
you make ignore dodges and defence.
From that time, my priest was a
noted man, and the soldiers used to point
him out one to another, and say, there
goes my Lord of Joinvil les priest, who

routed eight Saracens.
~ Jean de Joinville
Movement
A necessity of battle is positioning yourself to make
your skills as useful as possible. However if you use
any move action apart from a guard you will
drop guard, becoming an easy target.
If a movement cannot be completed in one of your
turns due to you not having enough actions, you
will not be able to perform it.
Guard
You carefully tread up to 1 metre. You are on guard
and centre yourself. Unless your stance is interrupted (eg; an opponent knocks you to the ground)
all strikes against you suffer a 1 modifier until you
take a non-guard action.
Actions: 1
Lunge
You move an amount of metres equal to half your
vigour (minimum of 1 metre). You may combine this
with a melee strike for no extra action cost and a +1
modifier to the attack. If your target can swipe at
you (see the Strikes section) during the lunge, both
attacks are performed simultaneously.
Actions: Full turn
Manoeuvre
You move up to 2 metres. You can also use this
action to perform miscellaneous movements that
arent specified elsewhere, such as climbing a ladder,
pulling a lever or kicking over a barrel of oil. The
movement can also be combined with something
that doesnt involve your legs, such as swapping,
sheathing or drawing a weapon, or picking fruit.
Actions: 1
Evade
You move up to 3 metres. Unless your stance is
interrupted (eg; you get knocked down) your vigour
will be doubled when used to defend against ranged
strikes until your next action.
Actions: 2
Flee
You move 3 metres, directly away from your enemies for each remaining action of your turn. All
strikes against you are at +2 until you gain control
of yourself. Lose your hostile stance. In your next
turn you may try to refocus by entering a hostile
stance against the adversaries that caused you to
flee. Otherwise you will continue to flee for the rest
of your turn.
Actions: 1
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Hostile Stance
For a human with an average range of emotions,
there is something within that will balk at the reality of thrusting a blade into another person. The
story of war has many interludes of combatants
shooting above the heads of approaching foes, using
their weapons for defence rather than slaying in a
melee and of executioners diverting their arrows
from their blindfolded victims. For characters to
commit to cutting down their enemy, they must
enter a hostile stance. No character may use a melee
strike outside of being in a hostile stance.
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You may attempt to enter a hostile stance during

your turn. This is an entirely free action and you can
await the results before deciding on how you plan to
spend the rest of your turn.
To enter a hostile stance you must take a Mel v Mel
test against the opponent that threatens you the
most, but apply any following modifiers to your
melee before making the test.
Actions: Free
Condition
Melee modifier
Hatred of
enemy
Add hatred but deduct favour
Face
obscured
+1 for an enemy whose face you cant

see (eg; they wear a mask or hood)
Attacked
today
+1 if youve been the target of a

strike throughout the day
Strikes
To try to injure your enemies you will need to strike
at them. You will need two D10s, one will be your
injury die, the other will be your location die. Use
your injury die to take the melee or ranged test
against your foe, taking into account the targets
condition and applying the modifiers to the expertise
being used. Simultaneously roll your location die to
determine where you hit (see the next section). The
differences between melee and ranged strikes are
explained below.
Melee strike
Honour
+1 if your opponent has successfully
besmirched performed a strike against you
You attack a foe within your weapons reach. Use your

injury die to take a Mel v Mel test against your foe.
Belligerent
peers
+1 for each of your companions

within 5 metres that are in a hostile
stance
Actions: 1
Cowering
2 if your target is cowering
Condition Melee modifier

Outnumbered
+1 for each friendly character that has

your enemy within reach
Lower
ground
+1 if you are on a higher platform

than your foe
Guarding
1 if your opponent is guarding
Fleeing
+2 if you opponent is fleeing
One seized his hair and another struck at
Prone
+1 if your target is lying on the ground
Cowering
+10 if your opponent is cowering
had kil led a relative of his. The b low fel l
Dropped
guard
+1 if your targets last action resulted

in her dropping her guard
Hard cover 2 or 3 (see the Cover section)
A mamluk of the Sultans, Sarasunqur,
had done much destruction to the enemy and

was charged by the Franks on al l sides.
his neck with his sword, for Sarasunqur

on the hand of the man holding his hair
and cut it of f, thus releasing his hair. The

mamluk f led with al l speed back to his
comrades and returned safely.
Soft cover
1, 2 or 3 (see the Cover section)
Giant
+1 if your opponent is a giant
Swipe
You may attack a target outside of your turn who
has dropped guard and come within your weapons
reach. Melee strike at your target but halve your
melee due to the surprise. You may only swipe once
per round.
Actions: Free
Ranged strike
Hit locations
You attack a target within your weapons range. Use

your injury die to take a Rng v Vig test against your
foe. Targets of ranged attacks cannot use dodges.
After a successful strike, the location die determines

the body part hit.
You may not use a ranged strike against an opponent within 3 metres of a friendly character.
Actions: 1
Condition Ranged modifier
Result
Location
Left leg
Right leg
Left arm
Right arm
Left hand
Range
For each 10 feet between you and the

target deduct 1 from your Rng
Evading
If the targets last action was to evade,

the target Vig is doubled
Right hand
7-8
Abdomen
Fleeing
+2 if you opponent is fleeing
Chest
Prone
1 if your target is lying on the ground
10
Head
Cowering
2 if your opponent is cowering
Hard cover 2 or 3 (see the Cover section)

Soft cover
1, 2 or 3 (see the Cover section)
Giant
+1 if your opponent is a giant
Critical strikes: If you succeed at a strike and the

sum of the numbers on your injury and location
dice remains under your melee or ranged expertise
(whichever was used), you will have achieved a
critical strike. Add an amount of impacts to your
foe equal to the number on the injury die, and reduce his dodges by the amount on the location die.
This applies before the strike is resolved.
Hits, Impacts and Injuries

Keep your dice results at hand after a successful
strike. The injury die represents the starting injury
level of the strike and the location die represents the
body part the strike falls on. However, your targets
dodges, defence and previous impacts can modify
how a successful strike is treated.
Impacts: The most common way to impact your
target is to overcome any dodges and successfully
strike. Each impact sustained will add to the injury
level of future successful strikes. It is helpful to note
the impacts received by characters with counters or
dice for this purpose. Impacts are removed when a
combat is over.
Dodges: You begin combat with an amount of
dodges equal to your vigour. If you are the victim of
a successful melee strike then a dodge is used up to
avoid it. You cannot dodge a ranged strike. Dodges
are replenished once a combat is over.
Defence: The total defence of the armour you wear is
deducted from the injury level of a successful strike.
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Impact limit
After the results of any injuries have been determined, you will gain an impact from a successful
strike. The amount of impacts you receive, on top
of any injuries, will affect you in certain ways. Your
experience in melee plus your total armour defence
is your impact limit and determines how easily you
can shrug off your enemys blows and continue to
fight unheeded. Whenever your impacts reach the
following levels, apply the effect (see the Movement
and Dealing with injuries section for details):
Your impacts
Effect
Equal to impact limit
Shaken next action
2 x impact limit
Stunned next round
3 x impact limit
Flee starting next action
Above 3 x impact
limit
Cower until impacts drop

below 3 x impact limit
Yes! This does mean that if you are so delicate that

your melee is 0, you will be cowering after 1 hit. It is
helpful to designate the amount of impacts you have
endured with counters or whatever else will help
you keep track.
When a combat ends you will restore your dodges to
full and erase the impacts you received.
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Injury levels
After a successful strike, the result on the injury die
determines the injury level. It is decreased by the
targets defence and increased by the targets previous impacts.
0 or below Flimsy: The attack gives you a slight
bump that has the possibility of bruising. Wearing any armour on the location hit will prevent an
unsightly bruise.
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1 Incompetent: The inexperienced attack confuses

you, as only a novice could. Armour save (see the
Dealing with injuries section) or your movement is
halved for your next turn.
2 Clumsy: Your lucky foe surprises you but is it
just luck? Armour save or you are shaken for your
next action.
3 Graceless: A glancing hit threatens to knock you
off balance. Armour save or you are shaken for your
next Turn.
4 Deft: You are forced to move by your swift foe
and are knocked back. Armour save or you are
stunned for your next action.
5 Skilled: You fight against the pain that threatens to overcome you. You are shaken for your next
action. Pass an armour save or you are stunned for
your next turn.
6 Cunning: You are knocked breathless and fall to
ground, prone. Armour save or you are bleeding.
7 Merciless: The attack cuts deeply, you are now
bleeding. Take a heavy armour save or add a point
of fatigue and the location is broken. If you fail and
the location was your head then your helmet is
knocked off, but your skull bone is safe at least.
8 Brutal: Your limb is torn before the power of the

blow, which is now broken and bleeding. You need
to take a heavy armour save or suffer D5 fatigue. If
the save is failed and the location is your head then
your eye is pierced. Thick goo runs down your face.
You are stunned for D5 rounds. Your Mel and Rng
is lowered by 1 permanently, you lose an eye and
are disfigured. If this is the second time this has
happened, you are now blind. If the save is failed
for any other location you will be knocked back and
end up prone.
9 Deadly: You are crushed or pierced by your
foes savage attack, the limb is broken and bleeding and you gain D10 fatigue. You need to take a
heavy armour save or the mighty blows rips and
tears through flesh, leaving your limb lying in the
blood-soaked dust of battle. This will be lethal if
the location is the head, chest or abdomen. It takes
D10 rounds for you to die though, so try to come up
with something profound to say. If any other locations were hit, you can only cower or attempt to heal
yourself until you have staunched the blood-loss by
successfully tending the wound (requiring 2 heals).
You lose the limb and are disfigured.
The ground within 1 metre of you is now unstable
(1) (see The battlefield section). The character responsible for the attack must pass a Mel v (your)
Impacts test or spend her next action manoeuvring
away from the fountain of blood. Your allies within
hearing distance must take a Mel v (your) Impacts
test, and if they fail they will lose their hostile stance
as they are overcome by your death wails.
10 And above lethal: Your vision darkens to
crimson then black. The thundering pain is shortlived because, unfortunately, you are now dead. The
character responsible for the attack must pass a Mel
v (your total) Impacts test or spend her next action
manoeuvring away from the piercing stare of your
dead eyes.
In this street was my Lord Walter
of Chatil lon with his sword in his hand.
As often as he saw the Turks entering

this street, he charged upon them. W hilst the
Turks were f leeing before him, they would

cover him with arrows. W hen he had driven
them out of the vil lage, he would pick out the
arrows that were sticking al l over him.
~ Jean de Joinville
Dealing with injuries

Armour saves: Many injury levels will allow an
armour save to prevent the worst of effects. This is
a Defence (of the armour on the location hit) v half
Mel (of your attacker) test. For the worst of injuries,
only heavy armour allows an armour save. In the
case of layered armours on a location, simply choose
one for the save.
Bleeding: Until you receive a successful heal, you
will gain an impact at the beginning of each of your
turns. Any bleeding wound is at risk of infection.
After combat take a Vig v Injury level test (it will be
the highest injury level you sustained this combat).
If you pass, you beat off infection but if you fail then
the wound will fester. The infection will last for D5
days (beginning at the dawn of the next day). You
will suffer from D5 points of fatigue until the infection is over.
Broken: You cannot use your limb, drop anything
held in it (except a shield if it is your arm or hand)
and are at 1 to your Mel, Rng and Vig until it is
properly bone-set (see Physician abilities).
Cowering: You may choose to cower or may be
forced to. Helpless characters, like bound prisoners, also count as cowering. Cowering characters
will try to make themselves as small as possible as
the battle rages around them. When you begin to
cower you will lose your hostile stance, drop your
weapons and fall to the ground, prone, curled into a
ball or nursing your wounds. You may crawl 1 metre
during your turn. You will need to pass a troublesome melee test at the beginning of your turn before
recovering and taking any other action.
A (non-beast) character trying to melee strike you
must spend an action fighting against the natural
urge to spare someone so defenceless by passing a
Mel v Com test.
Disfigured: In these times of ignorance, where
appearance and misfortune are often thought of as
punishments of God, a disfigured character will be
looked upon with fear and revulsion (except at the
Tale-Weavers discretion, eg; the followers of The
Wavering Flame may welcome her). Dispositions
towards you will be 1. This is permanent.
Fatigue: When a character is fatigued, life in general
is harder than usual. Each point of fatigue you suffer will become a negative modifier to every test you
take (eg; a character trying to enter a hostile stance
with 2 fatigue points will suffer a 2 modifier to the
test). Unless otherwise indicated, fatigue is removed
after a good, safe, nights sleep. You will become
unconscious if you ever hold an amount of fatigue
equal to 10 + your unarmoured vigour.
Healing: You can attempt to heal if you are in

contact with an injured character, and neither of
you are within reach of an opponent. You can also
heal yourself. It requires concentrating on things
like limiting infection and staunching blood flow.
You must then pass a Know v Impacts test for it to
be successful. You remove an amount of impacts
equal to half your knowledge from your target. Your
knowledge will have a bonus of 1 if you favour your
patient. If performed during combat, a heal action
will take a full turn.
Knocked back: You stumble directly backwards D5
metres. If the amount is above your melee you will
fall prone at the end of your stumbling.
Persistent injuries: Persistent injuries are those that
occur over a number of actions, turns or rounds.
The effects overlap each other in the event that
more than one is currently occurring, such as being
shaken for your next action and stunned for your
next turn.
Shaken: You may not strike while shaken.
Stunned: You drop guard, your hostile stance is
removed and you stumble 1 metre in a random
direction while stunned. You may not strike, use
movement actions or abilities.
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The battlefield
Combat can be fought over plains churned to mud
or the shifting sands under the desert sun. In other
words; some are harder to fight over than others.
Crowds
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You are surrounded by masses of people and so

fighting is much harder in these conditions. Line of
sight is reduced to 2D10 metres between characters;
roll at the beginning of each characters turn. When
a combat begins, the crowd will try to escape from
the inevitable carnage. For D10 turns the crowd
stampedes through the streets. At the beginning of
each round during the stampede, the battlefield is
treated as unstable (D10). A failed test against the
unstable ground will result in a character being
carried with the crowd an amount of metres, equal
to the crowds unstable value in a random direction,
unless the character is knocked down. Characters
beginning their turn prone during a stampede will
suffer D5 impacts. Every character will suffer a D10
to strike at a target amongst the crowd; roll before
each strike. Melee strikes between character within
a stampede can only be made with weapons at or
below reach 2. After the stampede the crowd disperses and it has no further effect on the combat.
Unstable ground
Keeping your balance on shifting ground, such as
deep sand, rooftops or a moving cart can be difficult, all the more so during battle. If you are standing on unstable ground at the beginning of your
turn you will need to pass a Vig v the difficulty
described in the brackets of the unstable ground.
As a guide, sand could be unstable (2), ice might
be unstable (5) and being on an wet, steep church
roof will be unstable (9). If you succeed at the test
then you can take your turn as normal. If you fail
then you will be shaken for this action and spend
the next regaining your balance. You will also slip
and fall, prone, if the unstable ground difficulty is
higher than your vig. Unstable ground is ignored if
you are prone.
Cover
Cover makes you more difficult to hit, but is dependant on how obscured you are and how impenetrable
the cover is.
Hard cover: Decide how much of you is behind hard
cover (which includes castle walls, tree trunks and
barrels). If your torso or legs are behind hard cover,
any attacks against you are at 2. If your torso plus
at least two limbs are behind hard cover, any attacks
against you are 3. If you are entirely behind hard
cover from your attackers point of view, you will be
impossible to hit.
Soft cover: If you are behind soft cover (which includes anything a sword could penetrate; like thick
curtains or bushes) decide how much of your body
is obscured. If your torso or legs are behind soft
cover, any attacks against you are 1. If your torso
plus at least two limbs are behind soft cover, any
attacks against you are 2. If you are entirely behind
soft cover the attacker needs to pass a Rng or Vig v
Vig test (taking 1 action point) to detect you and attack, and any strikes made will be 3.
Low visibility
Fighting when your vision is obscured by events
such as dust storms or darkness will hamper your
ability to attack or defend yourself. At the beginning of a turn in a low visibility area you will need
to pass a Vig test v the low visibility difficulty. As a
guide, absolute blindness with your hearing muffled
(such as within a raging sandstorm) will be low
visibility (15), whilst combating the denizens of a
candle-lit cellar will be low visibility (3). If you succeed then you can take your turn as normal. If you
fail then you may only take a single manoeuvre, flee
or guard action in a random direction or cower.
Objects
Sometimes it may be necessary for you to smash
something. This works like combat, except objects
only have a defence value. They are automatically hit
by melee strikes and you inflict an additional amount
of impacts with each strike equal to your melee value.
Martial and great weapons add an extra D10 impacts
per turn when used to sunder an object. When the
amount of impacts are equal to the objects defence,
it will be damaged. When the impacts are double the
defence it will be destroyed.
Damaging an object means that bits of it will be
crumbling or falling away, but it will still take up
most of the space that it started in. Destroying an
object will annihilate it so that it poses no challenge
to anyone trying to move over it or get to the secrets
that it protects.
Most objects are immune to becoming destroyed
by discreet and piercing weapons such as daggers,
spears and bolts. The worst they do to an object is to
damage it.
Sample objects
Object
Defence
Wooden door
30
Chest
25
Stone wall
200
Barrel
20
Hovel wall
15
Curtain
Other dangers
Fire
If you catch on fire you can put it out by smothering
it with water or material, by rolling along the ground
or by removing the things that have caught fire from
your body. At the end of each of your turn, if you are
on fire, you will take impacts. The amount of impacts
depends on the type of fire that envelopes you:
Small fire (candle): 1
Medium fire (torch): 2
Large fire (Greek Fire): D5
To escape from fire you must succeed at a Vig test
v Impacts you have suffered. Any character that
survives more then 5 impacts from fire will end up
disfigured. You will pass out and die if you receive
an amount of fire impacts equal to 10 + your unarmoured vigour.
Drowning
Armour modifiers to your vigour are ignored for the
purposes of drowning. You can hold your breath for
an amount of minutes equal to half your Vig. Every
minute thereafter, you gain 1 point of fatigue and
must pass an easy Vig test. When you fail, your lungs
will begin to fill with the liquid you are immersed in
and you will be unconscious drowning. You have an
amount of rounds, equal to your Vig, for someone to
heal you within breathable conditions or you will die.
Falling to the ground

To calculate falling damage work out how high you
have fallen in metres. The ground will basically land
a successful strike upon you. The amount of metres
fallen will equal the injury level of the strike, and roll
a location die to determine what body part you land
on. Deduct your vigour from the injury level. Any fall
over 10 metres will also result in injuries that require
D10 days of bed rest. If the D10 is higher than your
unarmoured vigour, you will be killed by the fall.
Extreme conditions
Adventures may involve lands of searing heat, freezing cold, drought and starvation. These are extreme
conditions. Every morning in extreme conditions, you
must pass an unarmoured Vig v the Harshness of the
environment test, or suffer D5 fatigue. Fatigue from
extreme conditions will be removed when you can
leave the dangerous area and get a good nights sleep.
Survival knowledge and items such as rations, water,
shade or blankets will make the Vig test easier to pass.
A character who becomes unconscious due to fatigue will only survive for a further amount of days
equal to their unarmoured vigour.
In extreme heat (a common occurrence under the
desert sun) the Vig test will include any (non high
quality or magnificent) armour defence deductions
to a characters vigour
Disease
Disease is rife in these times of ignorance and
superstition. A plague can descend on a population
in a number of ways. The rotting heads of the slain
catapulted over a besieged citys walls is just one
way, rats and lack of hygiene is another.
Armour modifiers to your vigour are ignored for the
purposes of disease. Characters amongst disease will
need to pass a Vig v Disease Level test when they are
exposed. If they fail they will enter stage 1 of the disease, if they fail a second time they enter stage two,
and failing three times puts them into stage 3. The
disease level is reduced by whatever stage the victim
is in for the purposes of the test. Before the victim
takes the test to see whether he enters the next stage
of the disease, a heal test can be performed upon
him by any willing characters. The heal tests will be
against the disease level instead of impacts. Each successful heal increases the victims Vig by 1 for his test
to halt the stages of the disease.
Every disease is different, an example is below.
The Gluttons Curse

Exposure: Ingesting rotten meat that has not been
cooked properly, tainted bodily fluids that have
entered the bloodstream through wounds or close
contact.
Disease Level: 4
Stage 1: Uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea D5
hours after failing the Vig test. This lasts for D5 days.
Afflicted characters will fail at any activity more
strenuous than a slow walk and any attempts at one
will only cause a violent discharge of vomit and flatulence. After the D5 days are up, afflicted characters
must pass a Vig v 3 test or move into stage 2.
Stage 2: Diseased characters will still struggle to
keep any sustenance within them and suffer from
thirst and hunger. Their bodily expulsions become
red with the taint of blood. The greatest movement
they can achieve is a slow shuffle. They are now
suffering from extreme conditions at a harshness of
0. This stage lasts for D5 days. After the D5 days are
up, afflicted characters must pass a Vig v 2 test or
move into stage 3 of the disease.
Stage 3: The weakness of the diseased is apparent
in their dry, cracked lips and croaking voice. Blood
seeps from their orifices at all times and they are
completely bed-ridden. This stage lasts for D10 days
where they will suffer from extreme conditions at a
harshness of 0 until the days are up. Characters that
make it through the D10 days will go on to make
a full recovery in D5 days. During the D5 days of
recovery the character will only be able to manage a
slow shuffle and nothing more strenuous.
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Trauma
Trauma table
Fighting and killing not only affects your body, it

may also manipulate your psyche. The next time
you sleep after being involved in a combat involving
a brutal injury or above, take a Mel v (your) Impacts
test, applying the following modifiers.
Condition
Melee modifier
Calm
+2 if you didnt enter a hostile stance
Dead friend 2 for each companion that was slain
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Close call
1 if a companion was seriously

injured or NPC slain
Execution
2 if a cowering character was slain
Beasts
+1 if only beasts were involved
If the test is passed then you will be able to continue

on without any mental scars. If you fail then something in the fight has stirred your emotions. Perhaps you saw the tragic eyes of a dying enemy that
reminded you of your brother, or maybe you have
come to believe that none of your enemies deserve
mercy. Roll a D100 on the trauma table. A recent
combat is considered as one that occurred between
your last waking hours.
Results are permanent and cumulative. If you end
up with two traumas that clash (such as ghosts of
the dead and nihilist), the parts that clash are overridden by the latest trauma (using the example just
given; you still could not strike a cowering character, but you would not ever cower yourself).
Traumas are treated differently if the battle was
against only beasts, who do not have allegiances. If
you end up with a trauma that asks you to add or
deduct disposition, you must apply it to the type (ie;
species) of beast involved.
1-2
Projection of hate: Deduct D5 disposition

from an already hated allegiance.
3-4
Focused hate: Deduct D5 disposition from

an opponents organisation involved in one
of your recent combats. If there were no
organisations involved, treat this result as
projection of hate.
5-7
Class hatred: Deduct D5 disposition from

an opponents class involved in one of your
recent combats.
8-11 Generalised hate: Deduct D5 disposition

from an opponents faction involved in one
of your recent combats.
12-15 Slay the heretics: Deduct D5 disposition
from an opponents religion involved in one
of your recent combats.
16-17 Post-traumatic hesitation: Entering a hostile stance now takes 1 action.
18-19 Violent episodes: If you lose a negotiation
with an opponent that you hate, make a
Com v Your hate test. If you fail you will
immediately enter a hostile stance and attempt to punch them.
20-21 Morbid thoughts: You become uneasy at
the happiness of others cant they see the
horrors of life? During celebrations and
merry-making (such as fairs or festivals)
you are disposition 5 towards everyone.
22-23 Ghosts of the dead: You see a resemblance
to those you have seen killed in the eyes of
all your enemies. You cannot strike a cowering character, and if forced to, you will
cower instead.
24-26 Night terrors: You are plagued by bad
dreams and often wake screaming from
reliving your battles. Whenever you sleep
there is a 20% chance that you awake
muddle-headed. Your lack of sleep will give
you 1 fatigue point.
The fol lowers
of Ab bas slew
his innocent
27-29 Moody: You cannot see the point of living

as no one would miss you anyway. When
travelling more than an hour away from
your home your companions will gain 1
fatigue as they are drained from having to
convince you to accompany them.
brothers and cut

al- Amanah and
pul led out his intestines.
That day was one of the most
distressing in my life, on account of the

abhorrent injustice committed in it.
~ Ibn Munqidh
Roll Trauma
30-32 Addict: You need to escape reality. You

must spend D5 wealth a month on either
alcohol, hashish or brothels. You keep this
a secret most of the time, though your close
friends will notice you have a problem. If
you cannot spend the wealth then reduce
your wealth to 0 and roll twice on the plight
of the poor table.
33-35 Hellbound: You believe you are going to

hell for your crimes against morality and
try to be as pious as you can. You gain D5
favour towards your religion.
36-38 Sadist: You begin to enjoy seeing living beings suffer. You do not suffer a penalty for
striking at cowering characters.
39-41 Sadomasochist: You begin to inflict pain on
yourself. This could be to take your mind
off of the visions of death that plague you,
or to punish yourself for your part in the
horrors of war. You become disfigured.
42-45 Obsessive: You have found a secret ritual
that kept you alive after the last combat you
were in, whether its saying a small prayer
or tapping the pommel of your sword nine
times. This minor ritual uses up your first
action once you enter combat.
45-55 Troubled sleep: Your dreams ring with the
sound of steel on steel and the wails of the
dying. Your moaning and violent movements during sleep keep others near you
awake, plus you sometimes hurt yourself
by falling out of bed. Any character that
sleeps in the same room or vicinity of you
has a poor sleep and gains 1 fatigue for the
next day. There is also a 20% chance that
whenever you sleep you will gain a point
of fatigue for the rest of the day, because of
the injuries you have sustained from your
rough night.
56-58 Fear of combat: You have an aversion to
fighting, because you truly believe that the
next one may be your last. Entering a hostile stance is 1.
59-61 Hedonist: You seek to gain pleasure whenever possible to balance the pain you have
witnessed. You are often late and reek of
alcohol or hashish. Your communication is
reduced by 1.
62-64 Penitent: You give D5 points of wealth at
the beginning of every month to a charitable cause to atone for your sins. If you
cannot pay, roll twice on the plight of the
poor table.
65-67 Paranoid: You feel the stare of your enemies upon you at all times. Your awareness tests are +1, but your eyes often dart to
ensure no enemies approach you from your
blindside. Your Rng is reduced by 1.
68-69 Memory loss: You block out all of the pain
from your last battles. You cannot use your
most recently acquired ability for D5 weeks.
70-72 Voices: You are constantly hearing voices;

some are mere whispers, while others are
demonic. On nights of the tale-weavers
choosing you may be asked to take a
troublesome melee test. If you fail, then
the Tale-Weaver may create an interesting
situation for you to awake to; from finding yourself in the opposite sexs clothes
to waking in the desert with your hands
covered in dried blood.
73-75 Drunkard: You are violent, stink and are
often incomprehensible. You must spend
D10 wealth on alcohol every month. If you
cannot then your wealth is reduced to 0 and
your will have to roll twice on the plight of
the poor table. Your appeals are at 1.
76-77 Damaged: Future tests for combat trauma
are 1.
78-79 Nihilist: You believe in nothing. You never
cower and automatically pass any test that
makes you Cower, as death cannot be any
worse than your life is.
80-81 Power abuser: You are constantly upsetting
people by abusing your power. Any character that has a negative disposition towards
you has it doubled.
82-84 Blasphemer: You are known to be a rebel
of the mind, and strong believers will often
seek to do you harm. Once a week, if you
fail a troublesome awareness test, D5 fanatical beggars will attack you.
85-87 Religious sympathy: Add D5 disposition
towards an opponents religion involved in
one of your recent combats.
88-90 Generalised sympathy: Add D5 disposition
towards an opponents faction involved in
one of your recent combats.
91-93 Class favour: Add D5 disposition towards
an opponents class involved in one of your
recent combats.
94-96 Focused sympathy: Add D5 disposition towards an opponents organisation involved
in one of your recent combats. If there were
no organisations involved, treat this result
as reinforced sympathy.
97-100 Reinforced sympathy: Add D5 disposition
towards a present favoured allegiance.
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Stories
Stories are how characters gain Pearls of Wisdom
(PoW) throughout a tale. These are important because they can be used to protect characters, as well
as make their rolls more powerful amongst many
other things.
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Fantastic realms and sorcery from a lost age can be

part of the journey that characters make when they
enter a story the nature of the tale will rely completely on the characters (and the players) participating in it.
A story can be started by an NPC or PC. It is actually possible to run a story without the Tale-Weavers
involvement. During a story, each PC will contribute
in the form a scene. The Tale-Weaver could play the
part of an NPC travelling with the characters if the
storyteller is a PC, otherwise she will just have to
observe. The following steps describe the process of
running a story.
Step 1: Opening scene

The storyteller (the character telling the tale, whether PC or NPC) begins. She describes the title of the
tale, the hero and the trials that will be faced, without giving too much away.
Now the first scene begins. Only imagination limits
what is told, but at the end of the scene the storyteller must decide which of her genres will challenge
the hero; adventure, drama or mystery. She must
also decide how difficult this challenge is.
What is rolled in the Genre vs Difficulty test will
affect the direction for the next scene; consult the
following table:
D10 roll Next scenes direction
1, 4 or 7
Adventure
2, 5 or 8
Drama
3, 6 or 9
Mystery
10
Chosen by next scenes character
If successful in the challenge, add an amount of

points, equal to the difficulty of the challenge, to the
wisdom pool.
Step 2: Middle scenes

Now take turns among the remaining players (and
Tale-Weaver if applicable) to each tell a scene. Just
like in Step 1, the players use their characters as the
prism to relate their scene, however the genre will
be directed by the result of the previous scene. Also,
the hero and major villains should not be killed off.
Should the hero succeed at overcoming a scenes
challenge, add the difficulty of the challenge to the
wisdom pool.
Step 3: Climax
After everyone around the table has related their
scene it is time for the focus to be on the storyteller
once more. The final scene plays out like a middle
scene is most ways, but is a chance for the storyteller
to use her creativity to conclude the journey of the
hero. This will be done by taking a versus test using
the characters storytelling value against the current
wisdom pool.
If this final test is successful then the wisdom pool
will be converted into PoW and divided evenly
among the PCs involved in the story with the storyteller gaining any leftovers.
Pearls of Wisdom
PoW allow you to use the insight you have gained
from stories to help you face the horrors of the real
world or add to your own personal tale.
The maximum amount of PoW you can hold are
equal to your storytelling level. You can gain benefits from spending PoW throughout a tale. Spending them is a free action and the benefit occurs
immediately.
PoW
Benefit
Usage
Re-roll any result you are unhappy with
Daily
Enter a hostile stance
Daily
Halve injury level of strike

against you
Daily
Gain a family member
Yearly
Add a personal nemesis into

the tale
Yearly
Add an event to the tale
Yearly
10
Create an exploit that gains you Yearly

reputation amongst an organisation
10
Add D10 to your wealth
Weekly
10
Add a point of favour/hate
Weekly
20
Reduce items rarity by 5
Weekly
20
Remove an impact
Daily
20
Remove a point of fatigue
Daily
30
Gain a symbol of power
Monthly
40
Reduce items rarity by 10
Monthly
50
Gain an ability for an expertise

under 10
Monthly
The dead bodies exhaled a fulsome and
loathsome smel l , and the air was heavy with the

groans of the dying.
~ 1001 Nights, Sinbad
Advancement
And all of us die? Firuz growled
at the soldier who had succumbed to
battlelust.
Fall back to Antioch. He gave the
signal. The trumpet screamed the call
to retreat and it echoed over the blood
stained battleground.
As Firuz lead his men away from the
carnage, trampling the arrow-studded corpses of friends and enemies,
he spotted the Frankish knights. They
were disturbingly close. They roared
as they quickened their pace. Held
before them were the standards of
Ridwans army, and more horrifying
trophies of their victory.
The Sultan had been defeated. The
men of the west had now proved their
mastery in battle to every defender
of Antioch.
The knights mounts pounded their
heavy hooves across the plain. They
lowered their lances or raised their
swords. Ahead, Firuz saw the bridge to
Antiochs gate. It was crammed with
retreating soldiers struggling to enter.
Dark streaks zipped across their path.
The Christian archers were firing. A
cry came from Firuzs horse and he
bucked. Firuzs body left the saddle
and seemed suspended in the air for
far too long. He landed roughly on his
horse, a throbbing pain ascending from
his groin, as he scrambled to reach a
riding position. He saw the arrow in his
mounts thigh. He hoped it wouldnt
slow him down too much.
The knights were so close that Firuz
could hear their taunts and war-cries.
He was glad he couldnt understand
their language.
Firuz and his soldiers reached the

surging mass of men at the threshold
to the city. The Franj were now within
range of Antiochs archers on the wall
and they let their arrows fly. Joining the chaos, Firuzs horse pushed
through, clearing a path for his men.
Looking back from a safe position,
he saw the knights smash into the
retreating soldiers. The air became
polluted by death and the muffled
screams of the crushed and maimed.
The Christian footmen arrived to join
the slaughter. Spears held frantic men
under the bubbling river to drown.
What barbarians are these, Firuz
thought, as he saw their blood-washed
armour deflecting the arrows fired
from Antioch, still bellowing through
their helmets when they finally turned
away from the walls.
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Overview of
organisations
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White Quills
Apostles of Sobek
Other names: Silks, Coin Counters
Other names: Bone Worshippers, Dead Heads.
Goals: The protection of trade and merchants.
Goals: To bring about the resurrection of Sobek in

the form of a mighty reptile, and to rule the world as
his most favoured servants.
History: Seeking to traverse the Silk Road without

fear, a number of merchants from the lands that the
road runs through gathered and swore an oath to
keep the path safe for trading. These merchants grew
in power and became known as the White Quills.
The Council of the White Quills in the Holy Lands
was based in Damascus during the entirety of the
crusading eras. Syed Ali bin Muhammad was the
head of the Council during the Dawn era through to
the Dusk era but was assassinated at the old age of 83.
It was whispered that others in the guild disagreed
with his later decrees that brought a large amount
of foreign mercenaries into White Quill safe houses.
The remnants of the guild became fragmented as
the Mongols took over vast areas of the Silk Road
and their numbers began to dwindle, so they were a
power on the wane during the Death era.
Signifiers: Quill using the feather of a dove, white
silk scarf with subtle pattern, ring embossed with
the symbol of the White Quills.
Allegiances: Merchants, White Quills, Scholars.
Initiation: Taking responsibility for the protection
of a trade caravan on a dangerous journey.
History: The first prophet of the Apostles of Sobek

was Yacob Alhazra, or as he came to be known
Abu Tymzahr. The story says that he was a Shiite
preacher during the time of the Fatimid Dynasty in
Egypt. He was travelling along the Nile river when
his boat capsized and he was left with the rest of the
passengers in the crocodile infested waters. Onlookers screamed from the banks as the water turned
red with blood. But Alhazra emerged, the only person on the boat to ever reach land again. However,
he was a changed man. His friends started to worry
as he began to rave about the visions he received as
he struggled under the dark waters of the Nile with
the cold, reptilian beasts. He would take himself
to caves, far into the countryside to pray, he would
say. When he returned, his robes would be tattered
and his hands would be caked with dirt and dried
blood. Then one day, he just never returned to his
home, leaving his wife without a husband and his
six children without a father.
His wife and eldest son travelled to the caves that
Alhazra prayed at. As they wondered at the strange
sight that greeted them a low growl emanated from
the caves mouth, seeming to come from some gargantuan creature deep within the tunnels. They ran
back to their village to raise the alarm.
They told of a great shrine, made with the petrified
bones of creatures that they were sure never existed,
raised high into the sky. Atop it was a skull from
what could only be a dragon. The next day Alhazras
brother went back with his sister-in-law, and armed
himself and some of his friends. They could not find
the site. It was like it never existed.
Then rumours began to spread of wailing fanatics
festooned with the carcasses of reptiles and wielding great bone weapons a cult of Sobek spreading throughout the land.
Signifiers: Bone weapon, reptile accessory, scars.
Allegiances: Pagans, Outcasts, Apostles of Sobek.
Initiation: The initiate must make her way from one
end of a ceremonial aquaduct to the other. The water
is deep and silty, so the initiate will not be able to
touch or see the tiled floor plus crocodiles dwell
within it. If, by the blessing of Sobek, the initiate
survives to the end then she will be welcomed as a
new Apostle.
Wavering Flame
Other names: Candles, Children of Maarri
Goals: To never allow curiosity and criticism to die.
History: Al Maarri was a poet who died just a few
decades before the Franj arrived on the coasts of the
Holy Land. Blinded by small pox at a young age, Al
Maarri questioned the traditions and authorities that
ruled his lands. He became quite famous for someone so outspoken, even travelling to Bagdad, yet he
refused to make money from his work. He lived out
his final days in the town of Maarra, abstaining from
meat and other foods produced from animals, and
remaining strong in will until he passed.
As irritable as he was, Al Maarri had a small
number of followers who sought to hold on to his
message under an onslaught of irrationality and
ignorance. They called themselves the Wavering
Flame and took in a number of folk who did not fit
in well with the time that birthed them. Women,
the deformed and those whose studies led them to
contradict the prevailing views of their rulers all
sought the Flame to guard them from the darkness
that had swallowed the rest of the earth. Barukh,
the two-headed giant, was one such member, who
relished his life away from judgemental eyes where
he could study the strange bones from the caverns
he watched over.
During the first crusade, after Antioch was taken,
the Franj came to Maarra on route to Jerusalem. It
was besieged and the inhabitants were massacred.
Stories tell of the crusaders roasting prisoners, children and dogs on spits to quell the hunger in their
ravaged bodies and souls. A woman named Fatima
was regarded as the leader of the Wavering Flame at
that time, though she did not call herself the leader
of anyone. As the fires of zealots consumed her city
she asked her fellow Candles to flee and seek refuge
in safer cities so that the wisdom they had gained
would not die with them. What actually happened
is lost in myth.
During the reign of Salih Al-Din, tales tell of a
swimmer who carried messages from the besieged
city of Acre to the Sultan. It was said that he was
in love with a creature, nicknamed Jullanar of the
Sea from the tale from the Arabian Nights. She was
supposedly a beautiful woman, but she could only
survive under water because her body never gave
up the gills she was born with. Poets with a romantic bent claim she was the leader of the Wavering
Flame during that time, but her sightings faded into
nothing once Acre was taken by King Richard and
her love, the swimmer, was found washed up upon
the coast with an arrow in his back.
Signifiers: Inscribed candle, book, secret poem.
Allegiances: Scholars, Wavering Flame,
Outcasts, Artists
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The Prophets, who too, among

us came to teach; Are one with
those who from the pulpit preach;
They pray, and slay, and pass away,
and yet our il ls are as the peb b les
on a beach.
~ Al Maarri
The Abu Al-Myiit

Other names: Fathers of the Dead, The Lepers of the
Olive Grove
Goals: To continue to live as they always have.
History: The father of this ghoul-sept was Ishaq
Atesh, a fierce preacher who roamed the desert,
chastising everyone he passed as sinners who were
fit only for the flames of hell. Ishaq had been exiled
from Bagdad by the vizier at the time, as he had
destroyed a graveyard containing the headstones of
some of the nobility. Ishaq defended himself with
scripture, blasting his accusers with the claim that
all men are equal under God, even in death, and no
headstone should stand above anothers. The vizier
was worried should he gain a following, for he was
a powerful speaker, and had him dumped into the
middle of the desert one night.
Almost dead from exhaustion, Ishaq wandered into
the territory of the Bandit-King, Aslan the Mace,
and found himself surrounded by hardened thieves.
He did not show fear and continued his preaching,
placing the fear of God into Aslans followers. Aslan
was impressed, and made a deal with Ishaq. He
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would grant Ishaq the position of spiritual guide to

his gang, for Aslan was continuously irritated with
their lack of discipline. It seemed to work, as Aslan
carved a large territory for himself near the cavernous mountains of Antioch.
Nizari
Then the plague struck.
History: Nizar was a leader of a sect of Shiites and,

after his death, his followers became known as the
Nizaris. The term Assassin, from the Arabic Hashishin, was used as an insult by the Nizaris enemies
which were many.
It did not discriminate between strong or weak, man

or woman, and soon there was no one to raid, or to
till the fields. Hunger and desperation set in. Those
affected by the disease would have their skin peel
away until chunks of flesh were gouged from their
bodies. The sun would burn them, so they retreated
to the caves. Without being able to maintain their
crops the remnants of the Bandit-Kings thief-state
turned to hunting to survive. There were few animals, but many caravans passed near the mountains
as a short-cut to trade with the large city on the
coast. They began hunting humans.
Aslan was one of the first to die from the plague. He
became insane, as every movement he made seemed
to result in the dripping of another piece of flesh, until
his organs became exposed and infested with flies.
Ishaq was the obvious choice to take over. He had
been afflicted with the Curse, as he called it, but to a
much lesser extent and he did not succumb to it. He
felt little pain, and protected his skin with black, thick
cloth lest the sun burn it away. His followers regarded
him as a prophet, and Ishaq obliged them, asking only
that they submit their wills entirely to his rule. Then
would God allow the Curse to be lifted.
That was over a hundred years ago. Yet, it is whispered that Ishaq Atesh still lives, a walking corpse,
and his clan continues to hunt for the flesh of men
from the shadows of the mountains of Antioch.
Signifiers: Black cloak, amputated limbs, scars,
pale skin, trophies of human body parts, common
features (of Ishaq Atesh).
Allegiances: The Abu Al-Myiit
Initiation: Being born into the sept in the most likely
way to join. If they are low on females, a woman
could offer herself as a breeding mother, but that
would only be to escape the cooking pot as a breeding mothers life is not pleasant by the standards of
most societies.
Other names: Batini, Assassins, Fedayeen

Goals: To bring about the revival of a Shiite Caliphate, or at least offer protection to their followers.
Hassan-i-Sabbah initially ruled the Nizaris from Alamut in Persia as Grandmaster, and his representative in the Holy Lands was Sinan, known as the Old
Man of the Mountain. Although the Nizari killers
were from the lowest ranks in the order and used as
expendable pawns to do the Grandmasters bidding,
they underwent intensive training. The Assassins
were chosen because they were young in age, and
so had malleable minds and bodies. To get close to
their victims, the Assassins would have to be patient
and cunning. They were generally intelligent and
well read because they were required to possess
not only knowledge about their enemy, but his or
her culture and native language. They were trained
by their masters to disguise themselves, sneak in
to enemy territory and perform the assassinations
without mercy.
As tensions in the Middle East grew during the Crusades, the Nizari were also known for taking contracts from outside sources on either side of the war,
whether it was from the invading Crusaders or the
Saracen forces, so long as the assassination aligned
with the Grandmasters plans.
Signifiers: Dagger
Allegiances: Nizari, Shia
Initiation: Conversion to Shiite Islam and follower
of the Nizari sect. Ingratiating yourself with the
hierarchy of the Old Man of the Mountain and his
inner circle would be the only way to gain access to
his fortresses.
The sickness began to increase, and so much dead f lesh came upon the gums of
our people, that the barbers were ob liged to remove it, to enab le them to chew their
food and to swal low. A most piteous thing it was to hear the screams of the people
from whom they were cutting the dead f lesh, for they screamed just like women
labouring with child.
~ Jeanne de Joinville
background so arrived before him and butchered

his family for his unpaid crimes. He was captured
as he wept over the rotting remains of his loved
ones that were left for his arrival. When his heels
sizzled as he was lowered into a cauldron of boiling
oil, his cries implicated the names of 44s throughout
the Holy Land. Many of those named are now fearful for their families in Europe.
The 44
Other names: XLIV, The Hanged Men.
Goals: To free good men who have been condemned
to death.
History: Ralph Basset, an English royal justice, travelling through the country in 1124, demanded the
hanging of 44 thieves in the town of Leicestershire.
In retaliation, the sons of some of thieves became
outcasts and began a campaign of freeing other
doomed folk from the hangmans noose. They saw
nothing wrong with what their fathers did, for their
lands and crops were so harshly taxed that they had
to hide food from the Barons collectors. When the
secret stores were found, they were charged with
thieving from their lords by the harsh judge.
Signifiers: Noose or other item from the execution

that the member escaped from. A Saracen member
will often wear a necklace bearing an executioners
blade or engrave the scene of his imminent death into
a weapon or piece of armour. Bondsmen who decide
to stay on after their year of service often scar themselves with the XLIV in their chest or shoulder.
Allegiances: Outcasts, The 44, Peasants
Initiation: The 44 of the Holy Lands has formed a
number of peculiar practices. Once someone is saved
from the gallows (or whatever execution awaited
them) they will be bound to the order for one year.
During this year they will not be able to see their
homes or families (though many are far from home to
begin with) and will be forced to join the ranks of The
44 in other operations for the time of their service.
44s here are generally disillusioned with their war
leaders, as they were often the judges that consigned
them to death, so the order gives their bondsmen a
chance to be baptised into a worthy cause.
Initially, the gang had a loose set of objectives to

free only fourty-four of the condemned. However,
once they reached that point, they realised they had
become quite good at it (better than they were at
being peasants at any rate) and had gathered a lot of
well-wishers and notoriety. So they continued.
No one knew where they would strike, and many
men who thought they would receive the help of The
44 where left disappointed, and dead. The order has
not been centrally organised since Robert Fletcher,
the original leader, was captured, tortured and executed in the horrific manner reserved for traitors and
heretics. His cause has lived on, however, in a myriad
of gangs that have sprung up wherever the bards
tell his tale (in fact, the bards are often the founding
members of a new group of 44s in a village).
The gangs of The 44 that have sprung up in the East
were originally made up of Frankish members, but
their cause has spread to other cultures. This has
inevitably given rise to arguments within the initial
orders membership about whether they should risk
their lives for good men following different prophets.
Another problem that has arisen is with how they
should deal with bondsmen those who are bound
to the order for a year after their salvation that
have betrayed the order. A 44, La-Bouche Noire,
arrived in his village in France after his year with
the order. La-Bouches failed executioners knew his
Any man who

kil ls another shal l be bound to the
dead man and cast into the sea. If
it can be proved one man drew a
knife on another, his hand shal l be
cut of f. A thief shal l be shaved like a
champion, tarred and feathered, and put
ashore at the f irst opportunity.
~ Roger de Hoveden; King Richards naval regulations
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Ability overview table
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Ability
Type
Aim
Combat
Alchemy:
Aetheric Forces
Extended
Alchemy:
Contraptions
Extended
Alchemy:
Combustibles
Extended
Aquatic
Persistent
Armoured
Persistent
Assassinate
Negotiation
At One With Shadow
Combat
Backstab
Combat
Blather
Negotiation
Blind
Persistent
Blood Rush
Persistent
Beggar Prince
Persistent
Bleeder
Persistent
Blur
Combat
Body Temple
Persistent
Book Wyrm:
Book of Amusement
Extended
Book Wyrm:
Book of Learning
Extended
Book Wyrm:
Book of Skill
Extended
Book Wyrm:
Book of Strategy
Extended
Book Wyrm:
Book of Translation
Extended
Bribe
Negotiation
Calm
Combat
Camouflaged
Persistent
Charging Shot
Combat
Charm
Negotiation
City Wise
Persistent
Cliff Spider
Persistent
Cobras Bite
Combat
Cold Blooded
Persistent
Confusing Shout
Combat
Cosmopolitan
Persistent
Cowards Bane
Combat
Creeping
Persistent
Crowd Mastery
Persistent
Cutpurse
Extended
Dealer
Persistent
Death Stare
Combat
Deaths Eye
Persistent
Defensive Shot
Combat
Com Know
Mel
Rng
Vig
Beast
Ability
Type
Disarm
Persistent
Dual Strike
Combat
Entangling Missile
Combat
Entertain
Extended
Erratic Movements
Persistent
Falcons Speed
Combat
Feigned Retreat
Combat
Feint
Combat
Flurry
Combat
Flying
Persistent
Frenzy
Persistent
Genius
Persistent
Giant
Persistent
Golden Touch
Persistent
Grapple
Combat
Hawk
Extended
Henchman
Persistent
Holistic Awareness
Persistent
Horrific
Persistent
Human Abacus
Combat/Negotiation/Persistent
Hurl Opponent
Combat
Hydras Strike
Combat
Hyenas Heart
Persistent
Immortal Concentration
Persistent
Inner Circle
Persistent
Intimidate
Persistent
Joke
Persistent
Juggernaught
Combat
Lead Fist
Combat
Lead from the Front
Persistent
Lie
Persistent
Lockpick
Extended
Love of Money
Persistent
Marketeer
Persistent
Missionary
Extended
Mount
Persistent
Natural Projectile
Persistent
Nomad Secrets
Persistent
On Your Feet
Persistent
Oxs Strength
Persistent
Parry
Persistent
Patience
Negotiation
Peace-Maker
Combat
Physician: Boneset
Extended
Physician: Counsel
Extended
Physician: Herbology
Extended
Com Know
Mel
Rng
Vig
Beast
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Ability
Type
Com Know
Mel
Physician: Pressure Point
Combat/Extended
Physician:
Preventative Care
Persistent
Physician: Restore
Extended
Physician: Staunch
Persistent
Point Blank
Combat
Precise Attack
Combat
Protect
Combat
Quick Draw
Combat
Quip
Persistent
Rain of Death
Persistent
Rebuttal
Persistent
Regenerate
Persistent
Resistant to Elements
Persistent
Rousing Speech
Extended
Second Wind
Combat
Sixth Sense
Persistent
Skewer
Persistent
Slaver
Persistent
Smith: Armourer
Extended
Smith: Deaths Hand
Extended
Smith: Strength of Steel
Extended
Smith: Weapon Smith
Extended
Snare
Persistent
Snipe
Persistent
Somersault
Combat
Spy Master
Persistent
Strike from the Heart
Persistent
Sure Strike
Persistent
Swift of Foot
Persistent
Sycophant
Persistent
Target Weapon
Persistent
Taunt
Negotiation/Combat
Taunting Shot
Combat
Teach
Extended
Thick Skin
Persistent
Trade Contacts
Rng
Vig
Beast
Persistent
Treasurer
Persistent
Veiled Threat
Persistent
Venomous
Persistent
Vicious
Persistent
War Cry
Combat
Warning Shot
Combat
Weak Spot
Persistent
Zealous
Persistent
Gaining Expertise
and Abilities
Each ability you gain in an expertise increases
that expertise by 1. At the end of each game session (roughly 3-4 hours) each PC has the chance of
gaining another ability. A player may roll a D10 and
consult the value of the expertise she plans to add
an ability to. If the result is equal to or over her base
expertise she will achieve the new ability.
Training points
If a player fails the test described above, add a training point to the expertise. Training points can be
traded in to increase their assigned expertise at any
time, including when rolling to gain an ability for
that expertise.
Increasing expertise
Communication
Communication abilities will help whenever you
need to express an idea to another character. This
could be an instruction on how to bypass a trapped
door or convincing an opponent to allow you to surrender with your head intact.
Having an expertise of 6 in communication will
make you literate, allowing you to read anything
you speak. If you are already literate, you will gain
another language.
When you reach expertise 8 in communication you
will gain another language of your choice.
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You may also acquire abilities that attract followers

(see the Marketplace section). The maximum amount
of characters you can lead, whether servents, slaves,
followers etc, is equal to half your com.
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Expertise limit
Knowledge
The limit of a humans base value for an expertise is

10, so the rolls will cease when you reach this limit.
However, characters can have an absolute maximum
of 11 abilities applied at any one time. The 11th, temporary, ability may come from a number of sources,
such as equipment, and can be swapped for another
one at the dawn of a new day.
Knowledge helps you understand the ways of the

world and how to best navigate through it. You can
use it to conquer the bazaars of the land and become
rich or to unlock the mysteries of alchemy.
It is absurd to hold that a

man ought to be asha med of being
unab le to defend himsel f with his
limb s but
not of being
unab le to
defend
himsel f
with speech
and reason,
when the use of reason is more
distinctive of a human being than
the use of his limb s.
~ Aristotle
Having an expertise of 2 in knowledge will make

you literate, allowing you to read anything you
speak. If you are already literate, you will gain another language.
When you reach expertise 4 in knowledge you will
gain another language of your choice.
Melee
When you become immersed in force and violence,
melee abilities will allow you to wield a weapon
and deal with the pains of battle. Whether you are
a blood-thirsty ravager or a foppish duellist, your
enemies will soon fear to challenge you on the field
of combat.
Ranged
Expertise in ranged weaponry will allow you to
destroy your enemies while remaining beyond their
reach. You will also be able to lead from the rear.
Although you may be looked down upon by the upper classes and chivalrous knights, they will eventually look up to you as you retrieve your arrows from
their pierced bodies.
Vigour
Speed and strength will ripple through your muscles as you advance in vigour. You will gain the
ability to avoid attacks and maintain your health
through the pristine condition of your body.
Ability List
Many abilities offer options as to what expertise you
can assign them to. The expertise chosen is referred
to as the focus, as it is through this focus that you
view and perform the ability. This may effect how
the ability is works, so choose wisely. A focus of
beast refers to beast rating.
You may only choose an ability once, unless the entry
says otherwise. Ability types are described below:
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Extended: You must have the prerequisites and

spend the time described in the entry before taking
a test to complete the ability. It is assumed you do
this in your free time and do not need to dedicate
game-time to completing it (within reason; you
wont have much free time if you are imprisoned
for example). When that time is up, take a Focus v
Difficulty test. If successful the ability is resolved. If
failed you will have to repeat the time spent to test
again. You may simultaneously work on an amount
of projects equal to half your knowledge.
Combat: This ability can be used during combat as
an amount of actions described in brackets.
Negotiation: This ability can be used during negotiations as an action.
Persistent: This ability is constantly applied to you.
Aim
Your skill to account for wind and difficult trajectories greatly enhances your missile attacks.
Focus: Ranged
Type: Combat (1)
Select a target within range. Each consecutive aim
action will grant a +1 bonus to a ranged strike
against your foe assuming it is the next action you
take after aiming. The maximum bonus you will
receive will be an amount equal to your Rng. Any
effects that break your concentration, such as gaining an impact, will interrupt the aim and you will
lose the bonus.
Alchemy: Aetheric Forces

You have harnessed the unseen power that unites
all life with energy.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Various components that equate to
the cost and rarity of a bottle of high quality alcohol
plus a base of a weapon or piece of heavy armour
Time: Month
Difficulty: 8
If you use a weapon as the base, any critical strikes
will knock back your foe D10 metres. If you use a
piece of armour as a base, a hit on the protected
location will knock back your foe D10 metres.
Alchemy: Contraptions
You can create ingenious autonomous devices.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Various components that equate to the
cost and rarity of a hauberk
Time: Month
Difficulty: 8
You grant a multi-legged automaton with the semblance of life. Create a beast with a rating equal to
your knowledge at the time of creation (note: if it is
venomous, you will have to fill its injectors with an
intoxicant that you acquire outside of this ability).
Your automaton is just like a follower in respect to
obeying your orders, yet you must use your Know
in place of your Com when issuing them.
Alchemy: Combustibles
You are a master of explosives and flame.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Various ingredients that equate to the
cost and rarity of a bottle of high quality alcohol
plus the base weapon
Time: Month
Difficulty: 8
You wreath a metal object in flames or build an
amount of explosive bombs equal to your knowledge at the time of creation (the bombs are treated
as improvised weapons that may only be thrown).
By triggering the flame with a lever, you can engulf
your weapon in fire. Any successful strikes will
light your opponent with a medium fire (see Other
Dangers in the Gameplay section).
Aquatic
The creature is at home in water.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
The creature suffers no negative effects to its movement or breathing while in water.
Armoured
Protected by scales or carapace, an armoured beast
will not shrink from a blade.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
The beasts defence is raised by up to half its
beast rating.
Educate the children and it wont be

necessary to punish the men.
~ Pythagoras
Assassinate
Youve spotted the head of the snake and cutting it
off will lower the resolve of your enemies.
Focus: Communication, Melee, Ranged
Type: Combat (1)
Select a single opponent. All companions within
hearing distance will have a +1 bonus to melee strike
the target for a number of rounds equal to your focus.
This may only be used once per combat.
At One With Shadow

You can disappear from sight to strike your enemies
where they least expect it.
Focus: Melee, Ranged, Vigour, Beast
Type: Combat (1)
Take a Vig v combined Vig of all enemies that have
you within their reach. If you are successful you
will be, in effect, invisible until you affect another
character in any way, such as striking or using an
ability on them. At one with shadow will last for an
amount of rounds equal to your focus. If an opponent starts a turn with you within reach, she must
pass a Vig v Vig test to become aware of you.
Backstab
You are an expert at piercing a victims vitals.
Focus: Melee, Vigour, Beast
Type: Combat (full turn)
This may only be used with a piercing, discreet
weapon, such as a short sword or dagger though
a beast may use its natural attack. Your opponent
must be outnumbered or not aware of you. Make a
Focus v Vig test. If you are successful you may lunge
at your victim and your target may not strike at you
throughout this move. If it hits, resolve the strike
as normal, then add an amount of impacts equal to
your focus.
Blather
You gain yourself time by talking nonsense while
your opponent tries to fit in their arguments.
Focus: Communication
Type: Negotiation
If you pass a Com v Com test, then your opponent
will miss her turn. You may only attempt to blather
an amount of times during a negotiation equal to
your Com.
Blind
Haunters of the darkness, blind creatures hunt with
senses other than sight.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
A blind creature is not affected by low visibility.
Blood Rush
You are overcome by your lust for battle.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Persistent
When you enter a hostile stance, you will gain an
extra action that turn. This can only be used once
per combat.
Beggar Prince
You have gained a following of the down-trodden
and easily-led. To repay you for showing them the
light, they will gladly follow you to the gates of hell.
Type: Persistent
Every morning, as you enter a public place in a
town or city, you will gain D5 followers (all their
expertises will be 0) who will do your bidding.
Bleeder
You split your opponents skin, drenching the area
in blood.
Focus: Melee, Ranged, Beast
Type: Persistent
If your precise attack hits an un-armoured location
you will cause the target to bleed (see Dealing With
Injuries in the Gameplay section) on top of any other
damage, for an amount of rounds equal to your focus.
Blur
You are a constant whirl of action in combat.
Type: Combat (1)
You do not drop guard when evading.
Body Temple
Your body cannot be defeated by plague or poison.
Focus: Knowledge, Vigour, Beast
Type: Persistent
You gain a bonus equal to your focus to resist diseases, infection and intoxicants. Also, if you survive
an overdose, you will become immune to that particular intoxicant and only suffer its effects. When
undergoing a heal, you may choose to replace the
healers knowledge with your focus.
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Book Wyrm: Book of Amusement
Book Wyrm: Book of Strategy
You can create books of poetry, history or stories

that will be popular among the crowds.
Focus: Communication, Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: You must be literate and have a writing kit
Time: Month
Difficulty: 5
You create a book with the following insight: Receive D5 wealth whenever you spend a day reading
from it in a town or city. You can do this an amount
of times per month equal to the authors focus at the
time of the books creation.
You can create books describing tales of your encounters with dangerous foes or a type of creature.
Type: Extended
Time: Month
Difficulty: 8
You write about an organisation or species of beast
whose members you have witnessed being defeated
in combat. The book gains the following insight:
Double any impacts you inflict upon the beast or
organisation members described in the book. Your
closing arguments against a member of the books
organisation gains a +1 modifier.
Book Wyrm: Book of Learning

You can create scholarly books about an area of
study you are adept in.
Type: Extended
Time: Month
Difficulty: A maximum of the authors value in the
expertise being written about, and no more than
half the authors focus.
You imbue a book with an expertise you are adept
in. The book gains the following insight: You gain
a bonus to the expertise written about, equal to the
difficulty of creating the book.
Book Wyrm: Book of Translation

You can create books that will allow readers to grasp
another language.
Type: Extended
Time: Month
Difficulty: 2
You imbue a book with two languages you know.
The book gains the following insight: If you know
one of the languages described in this book, you
will understand the other.
Book Wyrm: Book of Skill
Bribe
You can create books that impart technical knowledge about achieving a feat mastered by you.
Type: Extended
Time: Month
Difficulty: 10
You imbue a book with one of your abilities. The
book gains the following insight: The ability the
author has written about is gained, assuming the
reader meets all requirements.
You know how to buy someones favour without

risking disdain.
Type: Negotiation
You may spend up to your Com in wealth to add to
your opponents disposition. This may only be used
once per negotiation.
Calm
You are a bastion of composure in the whirlwind
of battle.
You must not be in a hostile stance before you take
this action. Pass a Com v Mel test against an assailant within hearing distance that speaks one of your
languages. If you are successful the target will have
his hostile stance removed and may not attempt to
enter another for an amount of rounds equal to your
focus, or until she is attacked. This ability can be
attempted a number of times during a combat equal
to your focus. If you are cowering then add 1 to your
Com. Musical instruments can be used with this ability against beasts.
Camouflaged
Cobras Bite
Lurking in shadows or concealed amongst the rock

to ambush the unwary, a camouflaged beast will be
silent and swift in its assault.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
Awareness tests against this beast suffer a negative
modifier equal to its beast rating and so do any attempts to seek it out.
You dart through a battle to strike, before backing

away to safety.
Type: Persistent
The reach of any weapon you wield is raised by half
your Vig, to a maximum reach of 6.
Charging Shot
Your weapon has become such a part of your body
that movements do not affect your aim.
Focus: Ranged, Vigour, Beast
Type: Persistent
You may combine a lunge with a ranged strike.
Charm
You find it easy to make friends with those who are
fairly ambivalent towards you.
Type: Negotiation
Take a Com v Disposition (just the disposition value
regardless of whether it is negative or positive) test.
If you are successful then your opponent will feel that
you truly do have their best interests at heart. Their
disposition will be raised by half your Com. This can
only be attempted once per negotiation.
City Wise
You are at home in cities and have studied them
enough to know their dangers.
Type: Persistent
When travelling through a city, pass a Focus v D10
test. If successful you will know of any possible
dangers as well as likely locations for shelter and
shortcuts. You and your companions awareness tests
will be at +1 throughout the day and you will all gain
1 free action in the first round of any combat.
Cliff Spider
You can navigate uneven surfaces just as easily as
flat ground.
Focus: Vigour, Beast
Type: Persistent
Your vigour is doubled when calculating falling
damage. You may also manoeuvre vertically up any
surface for 1 metre without penalty.
Cold Blooded
You see your enemies as objects; they are simply
targets to you, nothing more.
Focus: Ranged
Type: Persistent
Tests to ignore trauma have a bonus equal to your
Rng if you didnt launch or become the target of
a melee strike. Also, if your aim is interrupted
you may ignore it and continue aiming by passing a
troublesome ranged test.
Confusing Shout
You call out a signal word so that your companions
disorient your enemies.
Type: Combat (1)
Your friends will each gain a free manoeuvre action
immediately. A number of your enemies equal to
your focus within the battle (starting from those
closest to you) will be disorientated and will not be
able to strike during the confusion. This may only
be used once per combat. Musical instruments can
be used with this.
Cosmopolitan
From your wide ranging travels you have come to
know a bit of every language.
Type: Persistent
A new character you meet may take a Know v Hatred test (both values will be her own). If successful,
you will be able to communicate with her as if she
understands your language.
Cowards Bane
You urge your companion to get back into the fight.
Type: Combat (1)
Take a Focus v Impacts (of a cowering friend) test.
If you are successful, your ally will cease cowering
and will get a free strike immediately with whatever
weapon is at hand. Musical instruments can be used
with this.
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Creeping
Deaths Eye
Multi-legged, serpent-like or slimy, this creature is

not hindered by walls.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
This Beast suffers no penalties when moving vertically or upside down over terrain.
A moving target will struggle to evade your strikes.

Focus: Ranged, Beast
Type: Persistent
If you aim more than once, and your ranged strike
roll is above your targets vigour, your target will
lose one action in their next turn.
Crowd Mastery
Defensive Shot
You blend in with the crowd and swim through it

like an eel through water.
Focus: Ranged, Vigour
Type: Persistent
Your cover within a crowd is increased by a modifier
equal to half your focus. A crowd or stampede of people never slows you down and you automatically pass
any unstable ground tests because of a stampede.
You pop out of cover to unleash your missiles before

ducking back.
Type: Combat (2)
You can manoeuvre, ranged strike, then manoeuvre
again when using this action.
Cutpurse
You can make money just by walking through a
crowded market place.
Focus: Vigour
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Discreet slashing weapon, like a dagger
Time: Day
Difficulty: 5
If successful you will gain wealth equaling the
result on your die. If you are unsuccessful you have
been caught. Pass a troublesome Mel test or you will
gain D5 fatigue from your injuries for the next D5
days. You may use this ability a number of times a
month equal to your Vig.
Dealer
You can analyse various concoctions and deduce
their potencies.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
You may choose the effect of any intoxicant you buy.
You also gain an amount of wealth each month, equal
to your knowledge, from your nefarious dealings.
Death Stare
You have a look of hate and madness about you
when you enter a fight.
Focus: Communication, Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (1)
This may be used against an opponent you have
made a successful melee strike against. Take a Focus
v Mel test, and if you are successful the opponent will
flee for their next action. This ability can only be used
against the same enemy once per combat.
Disarm
With a deft flick of your weapon, you send whatever
your opponent holds flying.
Type: Persistent
Whenever you successfully make a melee precise
attack against a foes hand, you may take a Focus v
Mel test. If that is successful you will fling your opponents weapon D5 metres in a random direction. If
your Mel is more than double your opponents then
you may take their weapon into a free hand.
Dual Strike
You attack with a weapon in each hand, or both
ends of your weapon.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (1)
You must have a weapon in each hand, or be using
a long weapon. You may melee strike twice for this
action, though your melee and reach will be reduced
by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
Entangling Missile
Your hail of missiles helps your comrades to overcome their distracted enemies.
Type: Combat (1)
If you are successful in a ranged strike against an
opponent, the target will count as being outnumbered until your next turn. This ability may be used
against an opponent within 3 metres of a friend
after aiming.
Entertain
You are known as an entertaining person to be
around, whether it is through your poetry skills,
storytelling ability or philosophies.
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: A crowd
Time: Day
Difficulty: 2
Gain D5 wealth. You may use this an amount of
times per month equal to your communication. Musical instruments can be used with this.
Erratic Movements
You can anticipate where a missile will land and
how to best avoid it.
Type: Persistent
Your opponents will have a 1 modifier when trying
to ranged strike you.
Falcons Speed
Your defensive reflexes are unmatched.
Type: Persistent
You may replace a location where you have been hit
with your arm or hand. This ability may be used in
a combat an amount of times equal to your vigour.
Feigned Retreat
You throw up a distraction and order a retreat that
gives your companions a good chance of escape.
However, the retreat could be a trap.
During their turn each of your companions can
take a Vig v Mel test against every opponent that
has them within reach. They may add your focus as
a bonus to their Vig. If successful they will flee for
their next turn and may not be the target of melee
strikes. They will recover automatically at the beginning of their next action. Musical instruments can be
used with this.
Feint
You trick your opponent into blocking an attack that
never comes, opening up your targets defences.
Type: Combat (1)
Make a Focus v Mel test against your opponent. If
successful, your foe will lose an amount of dodges
equal to half of your Mel.
Flurry
With a flurry of attacks you force your opponent to
give ground under your onslaught.
Type: Combat (2)
Make a Focus v Mel test against an opponent within
reach. If successful you may move your opponent
D5 metres directly away from you.
Flying
With light feathers or leathery wings, this creature
has gained the power of flight.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
This creature may move vertically as well as above
the ground, and it will pay no heed to any obstacles
it can fly over. Any stunned or shaken results that
the beast suffers will result in it plummeting to the
earth at D10 metres a round. Melee strikes with a
weapon under reach 4 will suffer a 2 modifier to hit
a flying beast.
Frenzy
You cannot control your emotions when something
dear to you is endangered, or an evil foe overcomes
your defences.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Persistent
Whenever a character that you favour has been forced
to flee or cower due to sustaining impacts; or an opponent you hate reduces you to flee or cower your
next action will be spent going into a frenzy. Beasts
may undergo this for a number of reasons, such as
their young being threatened. You drop guard, your
dodges are reduced to 0, fatigue is ignored, you enter
a hostile stance, double your actions and your melee
is raised by 1. Your strikes must be directed against
the opponent that struck against you or your ally. The
frenzy lasts for an amount of rounds equal to half of
your focus. When it is over you will be shaken for the
same amount of actions.
Genius
You learn new tasks with the greatest of ease.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
Rolls to gain an ability are easier by 1.
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Giant
Henchman
You are a titan amongst men.

Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Persistent
You now count as larger than man-sized. You double
your impact limits, long weapons may be wielded
in one hand and the reach of every weapon you use
is extended by one metre. Any armour you wear (ie;
not shields) must be modified for your girth so you
may only wear high-quality or magnificent armour
that is especially made for you. Strikes against you
are easier by 1 and human giants have their dodges
reduced by 1.
Your reputation for the pursuit of power has reached

many ears. A burly follower joins your company,
believing he can gain power and prestige by protecting you.
Type: Persistent
You gain a follower with a melee expertise equal to
your Com. If he is killed then he can be replaced the
next time you visit a city.
Your wits, connections and general good-fortune,

seem to bring you wealth with ease.
Type: Persistent
Add D10 to your knowledge when determining your
wealth for the month.
Your senses are so finely tuned that no condition is

too hard for you to navigate through, and your other
senses more than make up for the loss of one.
Type: Persistent
You may ignore low visibility for an amount of
rounds equal to your Vig from when it begins. Also,
your awareness tests are at +1 and the difficulty of
unstable ground is halved.
Grapple
Horrific
You incapacitate your opponent with a powerful hold.

Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (1)
Make a melee strike against an opponent your size
or smaller. Your melee will be reduced by 1 if your
hands are holding anything (such as a weapon) but
will be increased by 1 if you are larger than your
target. If it is successful, both you and your opponent will not be able to perform any actions (unless
an ability is indicated in the entry as being usable
in a grapple) until your opponent breaks free of the
hold by using an action to pass a Mel v Mel test; or
you choose to end the grapple.
The mere gaze of a horrific beast is enough to shatter a warriors confidence.

Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
At the end of each round all foes within reach of
the beast have their hostile stance removed. If a
character fails his hostile stance an amount of times
greater than his melee, he will flee at the beginning
of his next turn.
Golden Touch
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Holistic Awareness
Hawk
You set up in a bazaar selling odd bits-and-pieces
you have picked up from your travels.
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: You must be in a city or town. You also
need space to hawk goods, a cart adds +1 to your tests
made for this Ability.
Time: Day
Difficulty: Selling difficulty of the location
You will gain D10 wealth. You may also resell items
you own through the hawk. If this is done you can
re-roll an amount of dice equal to your focus when
working out the wealth you gain from buyers. This
ability may be used a number of times a month
equal to your focus.
Human Abacus
Your memory is infallible.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent, Negotiation, Combat (1 turn).
Once a day you may try to recall something that
relates to a particular problem you are encountering.
You can add 1 to any expertise for your next roll.
Hurl Opponent
You can fling your enemies into the air with your
monstrous strength.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (2)
If you are grappling an opponent, you may throw him
an amount of metres equal to your focus, after passing
a Mel v Mel test.
Hydras Strike
Joke
You transform into a whirlwind of steel.

You get one melee strike against a number of foes
within reach equal to half your Vig. Your melee is
halved for each strike.
Youve got an excellent sense of humour, which will

come in handy considering how laughter can be the
best medicine.
Type: Persistent
Each character within talking distance of you has
their fatigue reduced by half your Com. Musical
instruments can be used with this.
Hyenas Heart
You never tire.
Type: Persistent
If you take a guard action you may replenish one of
your dodges lost.
Immortal Concentration
You can snap your focus to a task at an amazing
speed and are not easily distracted.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
You will halve the time it takes for any abilities of
the extended type.
Inner Circle
You are beyond the initiate levels in a powerful organisation. You now have access to some of the most
skillful specialists in the known world.
Type: Persistent
Add the organisation to your allegiances. When hiring servants, their ranks will be doubled after you
have located and paid for them. The limit of their
higher expertise is double your focus.
You are huge and cannot be easily stopped when

moving.
Focus: Melee, Beast
You must be larger than man-sized and be in a
hostile stance to use this ability. In combat, nothing your size or smaller can stop you from moving (including a stampeding crowd), unless they
themselves are a juggernaught. You will move in a
straight line for an amount of metres equal to your
focus. Any enemies in your path need to pass a Vig
v Mel test. On a success, an enemy will be moved 1
metre in a direction of their choosing, if failed you
will trample them where they stand. The impacts
they receive will be half your focus.
Lead Fist
You throw your body weight behind your attacks.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (Free)
You drop guard and double the amount of impacts
your successful melee strikes do for your turn.
Lead from the Front
Intimidate
You know how to name-drop a dangerous ally or
powerful patron, or perhaps you just know how to
create a deadly and mysterious air about yourself.
Either way, others will hesitate to arouse your ire.
Focus: Communication, Melee
Type: Persistent
You may use your Com instead of Know when fortifying in a negotiation, but your opponents disposition towards you will be reduced by D10 after the
negotiation. In combat, hostile stances against you
have a negative modifier equal to half your melee.
Crocodile signif ies the Devil in

this life; bred in the water of the Nile,
it is a very vile beast.
~ The Bestiary of Philippe De Thaun
Juggernaught
You charge your enemies and inspire courage in

your friends.
Type: Persistent
Whenever you combine a lunge with a strike and
impact your enemy, all of your companions melee
strikes will have a +1 bonus until your next turn.
Lie
You are a practised and cool-headed con-artist.
Type: Persistent
Until an opponent scrutinises you, you can bluff them
and decide what allegiances (up to an amount equal
to half your communication) they think you hold.
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Lockpick
Mount
You know ways to get into places where others do

not want you to be.
Focus: Knowledge, Vigour
Type: Extended
Time: Lock strength minus your vigour in rounds
(minimum of 2 rounds)
Difficulty: Lock strength
You may attempt to loosen locks without needing
a key. If successful you open the lock. It is assumed
you carry items to break or pick the lock.
This creature can be used as a beast of burden.

Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
A creature must be a giant before it can be a mount.
It can be ridden by a maximum of two human-sized
characters. When on a mount, a character can perform movement actions using the mounts details,
simultaneously with actions that dont require use of
the characters legs. Melee strikes against characters
on a mount, with weapons under reach 4, suffer a 1
modifier. Strikes from a character on a mount count
as being made from unstable ground, with a modifier equal to the amount of metres being moved
throughout the action. Mounts can also carry pretty
much anything within reason.
Love of Money
You do not hate anyone who likes to trade, and you
project it onto others.
Type: Persistent
If you and/or a merchant have a negative disposition towards the other, it will be 0 instead.
Marketeer
You have studied the economies of many lands, the
better to ensure you can make money from them.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
Whenever you, or a follower or servant, use the
hawk ability you may gain an extra amount of D10s
of wealth equal to your Know. Locations also go up
one level (so a town is treated as an inland city). This
can be used an amount of times per month equal to
your Know.
Missionary
You do not hesitate to speak of good and evil, and
readily convince others to share your views.
Type: Extended
Time: Month
Difficulty: Disposition value of target towards allegience (ignoring whether it is positive or negative).
You target a character who has been in your company
often over the past month. If you are successful in the
test, you may modifiy the characters disposition towards an allegience they do not hold by D5. If you are
unsuccessful, you irritate your companion with your
opinionated views and they gain D5 hatred towards
one of your allegiences.
Arrows fel l like raindrops. I myself

was wounded on my nose. The metal tip
has remained there to this day.
~ De Expugatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum,
(The Capture of the Holy Land by Saladin)
Natural Projectile
A lashing tentacle or ejection of spines makes this
creature a dangerous foe.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
The maximum range of this beasts attack is double
its beast rating.
Nomad Secrets
You know the ancient paths of the bedouin tribes
and other folk who dwell in wild areas.
Type: Persistent
When travelling through wilderness areas, pass a
Focus v D10 test. If successful you will know of any
possible dangers as well as likely locations for shelter
and shortcuts. You and your companions awareness
tests will be at +1 throughout the day and you will all
gain 1 free action in the first round of any combats.
The harshness of extreme conditions are reduced by
your focus value.
On Your Feet
With a roar you snap your companions into upholding their part in your stratagem.
Type: Combat (1)
You may deduct an amount of Impacts from your
companions equal to half your Focus. This may only
be used once per day. Musical Instruments can be
used with this.
Oxs Strength
You can carry almost anything without slowing
down and are renowned for your great strength.
Type: Persistent
The vigour lost from one armour piece is ignored.
Parry
Physician: Herbology
No blades can pass through your defences.

Focus: Melee, Vigour
Type: Persistent
You gain an extra amount of dodges equal to half of
your melee in combat.
You can prepare potions that modify the bodily essence of the imbibers.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Recipe (see below).
Time: An amount of weeks to ferment, equal to the
intoxicants rarity.
Difficulty: Rarity of intoxicant
At the end of the fermenting time, if you pass the
test, you brew an amount of portions equal to D10 +
your Know. If you fail then you create D5 portions.
You may analyse an intoxicant to work out how it
was concocted and make your own recipe. To create
a recipe you need to be literate, spend an amount of
days equal to the intoxicants rarity studying it, then
pass a Know v Rarity test to successfully write it.
Patience
Your stoic demeanour rubs off on others.
Type: Negotiation
You try to convince your opponent that this conversation should not be rushed. The negotiation is extended by an amount of rounds equal to your focus.
This may only be used once per negotiation.
Peace-Maker
You try to stop the fighting raging around you and
begin shouting, threatening and pleading to the belligerents as to why it is in their best interests to stop
the bloodshed.
You may not be in a hostile stance before you take
this action. Its effects apply to all characters within
hearing distance. Belligerents must also understand
the language you are using, unless you are using
a musical instrument. Take a Com v the combined
Mel of all combatants in a hostile stance test. If it
succeeds then the aggressors will have their hostile stances removed and may not attempt to enter
another for an amount of rounds equal to half your
Com or until they are attacked. Musical instruments
can be used with this.
Physician: Pressure Point
Physician: Boneset
Physician: Preventative Care
You can loosen a friends muscles, using techniques

such as acupuncture and stretching. You also know
about the pressure points of the body.
Focus: Knowledge, Melee, Vigour
Type: Extended or Combat (2)
Time: An hour
Difficulty: Subjects fatigue
Using this outside of combat will result in a massage
for your subject. It removes an amount of fatigue
equal to your vigour temporarily, for an amount of
hours equal to your Know.
Also, you may attack a targets pressure points in
combat. If you succeed at an unarmed melee strike,
using this action, your opponent will be stunned for
an amount of their actions equal to your Know.
You can heal broken bones.

Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Healing herbs
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: The highest impact level the patient suffered during the encounter that broke the bone
The limb is no longer counted as broken, but takes a
further D5 days before it can be used.
Your knowledge of sanitation and of the workings of

the body are enough to benefit all around you.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
At the beginning of a month, take a troublesome
Know test. If successful you may add 1 to the vigour
of yourself, a servant or a companion which will last
for the remainder of the month. This may be used
on an amount of characters equal to your Know.
Physician: Counsel
Physician: Restore
You are adept at empathy and the inner workings

of the mind.
Type: Extended
Time: Week
Difficulty: Number of patients traumas.
You remove one trauma from your patient. Musical
You can safely bring a patient back to full health.

Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Healing herbs
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: The patients fatigue points
You remove an amount of fatigue points equal to
half your knowledge.
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Physician: Staunch
Quip
You are an expert at mending battlefield injuries.

Focus: Knowledge
Type: Persistent
Your Know is increased by 1 when healing. You can
also revitalise your patients. Whenever you successfully heal you will remove an amount of impacts
equal to your know (rather than half your Know).
You are an expert at condensing an expression into a

very short sentence.
Type: Persistent
Your dismiss actions are free. You can take one as
soon as your opponent completes their appeal and so
will receive your full turn afterwards.
Point Blank
Rain of Death
You fire into an enemy to drive a wedge between

you both.
Type: Combat (1)
Make a ranged strike against an enemy that has you
within reach, ignoring the minimum range of your
weapon. If successful, apply any impacts and move
your target directly away by an amount of metres
equal to your Rng.
You can fill the air with pain.

Focus: Ranged, Vigour
Type: Persistent
It takes you 1 less action to reload a weapon and this
may reduce a reload to 0.
Precise Attack
You aim a blow at a particular location on an enemy.
Type: Combat (1)
Your [Focus] Strike will have a 2 modifier, but if it is
successful, you will be able to add or deduct 1 from
your injury location die. For a beast, select whether
this applies to melee or ranged strikes. Characters
may choose this ability twice so that it can be applied to both melee and ranged strikes.
Protect
You conjure a whirling wall of steel between your
enemy and those you hold dear.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Combat (1)
Choose an ally within reach. Whenever your
defended ally is impacted it will be applied to you
instead, taking into account your defence. You cannot dodge hits made in this way. Your actions are reduced by 1 while defending your companion (which
could reduce your actions to 0).
Quick Draw
Your opponent may think you will be at a disadvantage wielding a bow, until a blade is an inch from
his face.
Focus: Melee, Vigour
Type: Combat (free)
You may swap whatever you hold in one hand with
a discreet or martial weapon as a free action. You
may also enter a hostile stance and gain a +1 bonus
when doing so.
Rebuttal
You are a master at turning dismissive or insulting
barbs around to your favour.
Type: Persistent
You can dismiss any dismiss or fortify actions. You
can also use your Com, instead of your Know, when
making a dismiss action.
Regenerate
Your supreme health overcomes even the strongest
of attacks.
Type: Combat (1)
When you use hyenas heart to replenish a dodge, you
may spend your next action trying to centre yourself
and shake off an impact. Make a Vig v your current
Impacts. If successful you may remove one.
Resistant to Elements
Whether it is the heat from the desert or the freeze
of snow, your holistic health keeps you from death.
Type: Persistent
You take half damage from sources of heat or cold,
such as fire and freezing conditions. Your vigour is
doubled when testing against extreme conditions.
You also become quite famous for feats of endurance and will gain D5 wealth if you choose to spend
a day performing to a crowd. This may be used an
amount of times equal to your Vig per month.
Rousing Speech
Slaver
You share your lust for glory with your companions,

telling a tale of propaganda about the courage of the
virtuous and the despicableness of your enemies.
Focus: Melee, Communication
Type: Extended
Time: Roughly 10 minutes
Difficulty: The amount of characters you are attempting to effect
Choose an allegiance. If you enter battle against
enemies bearing it within 24 hours of your speech,
you and your affected companions will automatically pass the first attempt to enter a hostile stance
and gain an extra action in their first turn. This ability may be used once a day and musical instruments
can be used with this.
You know how best to prepare slaves for harems or

labour, raising their skills while continuing to crush
their spirits.
Type: Persistent
You may grant an amount of abilities (and therefore
expertise) to your slaves and followers equal to half
your Com.
Second Wind
You exhort an ally to push hard before giving in to
exhaustion.
Type: Combat (1)
Select a companion within hearing distance. If you
pass a Mel v Vig test against your friend, she will
gain an extra action in her next turn. A character
can only be the target of one second wind at a time.
Sixth Sense
You have an uncanny ability to react to danger from
any direction.
Type: Persistent
At the start of a combat round, and before any other
characters act, you can take one of your actions. If
there is more than one character with sixth sense,
then the character with the highest Vig goes first.
Determine randomly if they are equal.
Skewer
Your strikes are so powerful that they will cleave
through one opponent and into another.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Persistent
Whenever you successfully impact an opponent, you
will hit another enemy within reach if the second
target fails a Vig v Mel test. Only one extra hit per
turn can be the result of a skewer. Abilities like
hydras strike accumulate after this, so if you were
to successfully use the hydras strike against two
enemies within reach you would hit your first target
once, then skewer the second enemy, then continue
the hydras strike against the second enemy.
Smith: Armourer
The armour you can forge is limited only by your
skill with the hammer and tongs.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Forge.
Time: An amount of days equal to double the
armours rarity.
Difficulty: Rarity of the armour
You create the armour as described in its entry.
Smith: Deaths Hand

Your arrowheads strike fear and steel into the hearts
of knights, your bludgeons shake the ground with
their force and the blades refined by you seem to cut
the very air.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Prerequisite: Forge
Time: Hour
Difficulty: Rarity of weapon
Strikes made with the weapon are +1. The benefit
of the deaths hand lasts for an amount of combats
equal to your knowledge at the time of refinement.
Smith: Strength of Steel

Your hammer is the bane of dents and your tongs
the mender of cracks!
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Time: Day
Difficulty: Rarity of the armour
The armour will have an added 1 to its defence. The
benefit of the strength of steel lasts for an amount
of combats equal to your knowledge at the time of
refinement.
One of the Kings ser jeants, cal led

the Glutton, laid hands on a knight
of my troop.
~ Jeanne de Joinville
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Smith: Weapon Smith

You are an accomplished metal-worker and can create weapons.
Focus: Knowledge
Type: Extended
Time: An amount of days equal to the weapons rarity.
Difficulty: Rarity of the weapon
You create the weapon as described in its entry.
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Strike from the Heart
You hamstring your targets legs.

Type: Persistent
If your precise attack hits an opponents leg you will
cause your target to hobble. The opponent is pinned
to that position for an amount of actions equal to
half your focus.
You cannot keep your emotions from the battlefield.

Type: Persistent
Melee strikes against foes have their injury levels reduced by the disposition you hold towards them. Eg,
if you are at favour (2) towards an opponent then the
injury levels you inflict upon him will be reduced by
2; however, if you are at hatred (2) towards an opponent, then all your hits will add +2 to injury levels.
Snipe
Sure Strike
Snare
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Spy master example: You are on your way to your manor,

and a Nizari assassin lies in wait. However, because one
of your spies has infiltrated the ranks of the Nizari, the
Tale-Weaver asks for a troublesome Com test on your part
(this represents how well the spy obeys your orders). You
succeed. The Tale-Weaver reveals the street the Nizari
is waiting in, if he has any accomplices and his possible
tactics. You can now choose to meet the assassin or not.
You have practiced well at hitting moving and difficult targets.

Type: Persistent
When firing at a target in cover or under the benefits
of an evade action, your ranged strikes will have a
+1 bonus.
Somersault
You can flip out of combat and into a safe place.
Type: Combat (1)
Take a Vig v Mel test against each opponent that has
you within their reach. If all are successful you can
leap an amount of metres equal to half your Vig,
vertically and horizobtally. Melee strikes (including swipes) cannot be made against you during this
move. Alternatively, if a ranged strike targets you,
you may use one of your available actions to try to
evade the attack. If the strike hits, you may force
your opponent to reroll.
Spy Master
You have a network of loyal spies.
Type: Persistent
At the beginning of a month you may send out a spy
to an amount of organisations equal to your com.
You may also blackmail an individual for D5 wealth
per month. Also, apart from any other information
the Tale-Weaver may decide to grant you, you will
never be surprised by the activities of an organisation you are spying on should you pass a troublesome Com test when the Tale-Weaver calls for one.
You observe your opponent and anticipate where to

make the most effective attack.
Focus: Melee, Beast
Type: Persistent
Select a target within range. Each consecutive guard
action will grant a +1 bonus to a melee strike against
your foe assuming it is the next action you take after
the guard. The maximum bonus you will receive
will be an amount equal to your Mel. Any effects
that break your concentration, such as receiving an
impact, will interrupt the sure strike and you will
lose the bonus.
Swift of Foot
Time seems slower to you than to other people.
Type: Persistent
You gain one free movement action every turn.
Sycophant
You have one follower who waits upon your every
word and this characters lack of intelligence is more
than made up for with devotion.
Type: Persistent
Create a new character. This character is a follower with an amount of expertise points (therefore
abilities) equal to half your Com. The sycophant is
entirely controlled by you without having to resort
to Com tests or the like. If your sycophant is killed
you must go 2D10 days without another as you need
time to groom a new character into the role.
Target Weapon
Thick Skin
You fire at your targets weapon, knocking it from

his hands.
Type: Persistent
If your ranged precise attack hits a hand of an
enemy, you may choose to knock the object out her
grip. If you pass a rng v mel test against your target,
whatever the opponent holds in that hand is sent D5
metres in a random direction. Objects and weapons
that are long or held in two hands, as well as blockers, cannot be lost in this way.
Youve received so many scars and can shrug off

pain as if your skin was armoured.
Type: Persistent
Your defence is raised by 1.
Taunt
You know how to make someone angry very angry.
Type: Negotiation or Combat (1)
During a negotiation you may take a Com v Com
test against an opponent with a negative disposition
towards you. If successful, then the negotiation will
turn into a combat, with both of you aware, and the
opponents first action will be a combination of entering a hostile stance, lunge and melee strike against
you with whatever weapon is close to hand.
If this is used in combat you may take a Com v Mel
test against an opponent. If successful, your targets
next action will be a combination of entering a hostile stance, lunge and melee strike against you.
Taunting Shot
Trade Contacts
You have a network of merchants that keep you
informed on the whereabouts of rare items.
Type: Persistent
Whenever you are searching for an item you may
deduct your focus from its rarity value. This ability
may be used once a month.
Treasurer
Leading your flock and workers would be time-consuming and expensive work without your treasurer
managing your finances.
Type: Persistent
You decide to raise funds from your followers.
At the beginning of each month you will gain an
amount of wealth equal to a D10 for each of your
slaves and followers. Your treasurer is an NPC
controlled by the Tale-Weaver and does not count
towards your party limit, as it is very unlikely for
the treasurer to accompany you on an adventure.
Your shot distracts your enemy, giving you time to

get to a better position.
Focus: Ranged
Type: Combat (2)
Make a Rng v Mel test against an opponent within
range. If it is successful you may manoeuvre, while
your targets next action will be a lunge and/or melee strike at his nearest enemy that isnt you.
Veiled Threat
Teach
Venomous
You grant your companions insight into the skills

you possess.
Type: Extended
Time: Day
Difficulty: 5
Choose a companion of yours that you have spent
the previous day instructing. If the test is successful, your pupil will comprehend your teachings and
gain one of your abilities while you are by her side
(within speaking distance). Abilities gained through
your equipment cannot be taught in this way.
Using a sophisticated balance of metaphors and

double-meanings, you can put a very harsh point
across and still maintain an air of respectability.
Type: Persistent
Your Com is added to your disposition whenever an
opponent attempts a perceived insult on you.
A creature with a sting or long fangs, ready to

plunge them beneath your skin to deliver a terrible
toxin, is the stuff of nightmares.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
Injury levels you sustain above 3 from a venomous
beast will force you to take a Vig v Beast rating test.
Failure will result in you being exposed to the venom, treated like an intoxicant. A creatures venom is
created separately for every beast (see Appendix 1).
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Vicious
Territorial and prepared to attack any foe, a vicious
beast is afraid of nothing.
Focus: Beast
Type: Persistent
The creature will enter a hostile stance at will and
characters attempting to enter a hostile stance
against it will suffer a negative modifier equal to
half its beast rating.
War Cry
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Your voice is like a trumpet, urging your comrades

to battle
Type: Combat (1)
This effects friendly characters (including yourself),
within hearing distance. If you succeed at a Focus
v Amount of friendly characters you hope to effect
test, then you will all instantly enter a hostile stance.
You may only use this once per combat. Musical
Warning Shot
Your shot darts past your opponents eyes, and the
target sees that it could have been between them.
Type: Persistent
If your precise attack hits your targets head you
may choose not to apply any damage but regard it as
a warning shot instead. Your foe will be stunned for
an amount of her actions equal to half your Rng or
until attacked.
Weak Spot
You target an opening in your foes armour.
Focus: Ranged
Type: Persistent
Call out a location on your enemy. If you aim more
than once, then hit with a precise strike on that location, it will not count as being armoured and you
can ignore your opponents defence.
Zealous
No matter what you think, you think very strongly
about it.
Type: Persistent
Your dispositions towards everyone are reinforced
by your focus. Eg; if you favour a character, add your
focus, or if you hate the character then deduct you
focus from your already negative disposition.
Symbols of Power
When you have made your mark and drawn the attention of influential patrons, you will start to reach
new levels of power.
You gain access to symbols of power when you
reach 10 in an expertise and pay the cost for it in
Pearls of Wisdom. Symbols of power are listed
below. Apart from a ship, you must have a fief before
you can add any other symbols of power to yourself.
Fief
You are granted, or grant yourself, a large patch of
land with a manor house that includes spare bedrooms, a hall, armoury and kitchen. You gain a steward (see the sycophant ability) who will mind your
grounds while you are away and will not leave the
premises except under extraordinary circumstances.
The area around you is worked over by your people
(peasants, bandits etc) who expect your protection
from the harsh world that threatens them. However,
to pay for this protection you must tax your subjects.
At the beginning of the month decide how many
D10s of wealth youd like to gain from them this is
their tax. Make a Com v Tax test. If successful you
gain the tax as extra D10s to add to your wealth. If
you fail, then your subjects will revolt. You will sustain one injury from the uprising before you quell
it (roll the injury and location dice, just as if you
had received a strike in combat; however your Com
counts as your defence). For each revolution against
your rule in the past, your subjects will gain a level
of discontent. During a revolt you must add 1 to the
injury level you receive for each point of discontent
amongst your subjects.
Should you wish to not tax your subjects, then
your land will be become unkempt and its buildings will fall into disrepair. All the wealth you gain
this month will be spent on upkeep for your estate
and people (ie; you cannot gain wealth under any
circumstances). However, you do not need to roll on
the plights of the poor table.
Your fiefs village (you should name it) and the majority of characters within it will be similar to you in
allegiances and dispositions.
A Tale-Weaver may roll on the following table at
the beginning of the month for ideas on events that
may affect you. Each event lasts for D5 months and
overlaps with others.
The coward f lees before saving his own mother from danger;
The brave one protects those whom it is not his duty to shelter.
~ Murshid ibn Munqidh
D10 Event
1
Plague: A hideous disease spreads amongst

your subjects, weakening their bodies and
your economy. Take a dire Know test to see
if you can find a cure. If you fail, the corpses
will pile up and so will the bodies of hated
minorities within the area who are being
blamed for the curse. You should also test to
see if you fall victim to the disease as well.
Raid: News has reached you too late, and the

reavers have come. They will be from an opposing faction or organisation. Your subjects
are at risk of being plundered and slain. You
will not be able to gain any wealth unless
you have fortifications to repel the assault.
Spy: A pigeon reaches you from a trusted

ally. A spy, either from an opposing faction or
organisation, has infiltrated your household.
You must be careful to conceal your whereabouts, especially if you journey away from
your fief, as your enemies may use the information to take advantage of your absence.
Marauders: The roads leading to and from
your land have become perilous for merchants and travellers. You may send members of your garrison to guard the roads, but
that will leave your stronghold unprotected.
However, if you do not then you will not
gain any benefits of a marketplace and your
people will feel the bite of hunger.
Friendly Army: Theres only one thing worse

than an enemys army, and that is an allys
army passing through your land you can
at least attempt to refuse access to an enemy.
Although you will gain favour with the commander, the day-to-day life of your people
will be severely disrupted, as the soldiers
expect handouts for defending your faith and
take advantage of your hospitality. On the
plus side, there will be no chance for a peasant revolt as the army sweeps through.
Mysterious Stranger: The astrologers predict

a coming storm, heralded by the rise of an
unknown traveller among your people. Is she
seeking your head for a forgotten deed on
your road to power or is she filling the minds
of your subjects with heretical thoughts?
Holiday Season: Though expensive in terms

of repairs to any entertainment quarter on
your land, festivities for the holiday will take
the peoples minds off of their daily troubles.
It will also draw travellers to your town and
result in a booming marketplace. decrease
your subjects discontent by 1.
10
Bountiful Harvest: Your people are blessed

with the results of a good crop. This ends
any famines that occur while the harvest is
under way. Also, your Com is doubled for the
purposes of taxing your subjects.
Famine: A bitter drought has descended,

or a pestilence has hacked its way through
your food crops. Your people grow restless
as you sit in your manor, far from the hungry
mouths below. It will cost you 100 wealth
per month to alleviate the suffering. Failing
that, you will suffer an internal riot and be
reduced to the level of your subjects roll on
the plight of poor table. The effect will stay
with you until the famine ends. Your subjects
will also gain a D5 levels of discontent for
each month they starve.
Entertainment Quarter
Evil at the Gates: Whispers are told of an

approaching evil, creeping towards your
land. Evidence of horrifying rituals are
found in the alleyways of peasant homes.
Everyone fears their neighbour and zealots
scream about the end-times. You can either
allay their terror quickly with the creation
of scapegoats or seek to find the root of the
rumours that, though a longer process, will
inoculate your people against further instances of mass hysteria.
At the beginning of a month roll 3 D10s and add the

result to your wealth. However, you must deduct the
sum of any doubles or triples from your wealth to
pay for damages by drunkards and crime.
You section a part of your fief to become its entertainment quarter, housing an arena for plays and
tournaments, taverns for travellers, and (if you are
not careful) brothels and gambling dens. Owning
an entertainment quarter is a gamble in itself, as it
is the first place where secrets will be told and illicit
items traded. It is also the first target of fiery preachers who condemn worldly pleasures during these
dark times and its existence can cause as many
problems as the coins it sends to your coffers.
Also, an entertainment quarter keeps your subjects

minds from wandering to their troubles too often,
resulting in a shortening of their memory spans. To
account for this, each month without a revolt reduces one level of discontent from them.
Forge
You build a forge, allowing smiths to ply their trade
on your land. You do not need to pay to hire a forge
from now on. Also, weapons and armour have their
rarity and costs reduced by D5 (to a minimum of 1) if
you buy them within your fief. Roll each month.
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Fortifications
Ship
You have constructed a large wall around your

town, with the only entry being through the heavy
portcullis manned by a couple of guards from your
garrison. Your stronghold is considered a target for
enemies and a sanctuary for your friends.
You buy a galley from the Byzantines, powered by

oars and sails and holding a crew of around 70 sailors. You may use the boat for your own adventures
or send it on a merchant voyage.
Your garrison consists of a building that houses an

amount of soldiers equal to your storytelling level.
You must arm and equip them yourself. They will
be loyal to you if your Com, Mel or Rng is 10 or over,
otherwise they will follow orders from one of your
patrons; ie, the noble who has granted you the fief
on his lands.
In the case of a revolt, the garrison will protect you
by adding 1 to your defence. Also, servants focused
entirely on melee and ranged expertise will be half
price for you to hire.
House of Worship
You have constructed an imposing mosque, church
or other house of worship on your land. Your subjects will attend services there on their holy days
and the clerics who maintain the grounds will have
you to thank for their employment. Because of this,
they will seek to translate your actions as justified
through scripture and so counsel the populace to
go along with your rule. A house of worship will
grant you a +1 bonus to defence against revolts, and
devotees of the faith (ie; servants with 3 or above in
communication) will be half price for you to hire.
Library
You have a large room within your manor dedicated
to storing books of all kinds. Any knowledge tests
taken within your fief will have a +1 bonus. Academics (ie; servants with 3 or above in knowledge)
will be half price for you to hire.
Market Place
You have a large courtyard where your people meet
with merchants to trade. However, the quality of
merchants coming from interesting places depends
on how worthwhile it is to trade on your lands. At
the beginning of a month, a marketplace will grant
you an extra D10 wealth for each symbol of power
you possess. It will also allow you to gain merchant
contacts from many far away places. When searching
for any item its rarity will be reduced by 1 for each
symbol of power you posses (to a minimum of 1).
For a merchant voyage, decide how long it will be.

At the beginning of the month that it returns, take a
Know v Voyage months test, to determine how well
you had planned. If successful, you gain an amount
of wealth equal to the amount of months on the voyage, times your knowledge. You do not need a fief to
acquire a ship.
Tower
You have a stone tower that looms over your land.
Beneath it lies a dungeon and your jailer (see the sycophant ability to create this character), who will be,
no doubt, a man to be feared and will not leave his
place except under extraordinary circumstances.
Because of the fear and horror that your tower
instills in your people, you may gain +1 to your Com
when taxing them, but you must add D5 to their
discontent when it is built.
Gaining
Storytelling levels
Whenever you gain an ability, you may add a point
to one of your genres. Your storytelling level is the
sum of your genre points.
Changing
Allegiances
If you have a favour of 5 or above for any allegiance,
plus a signifier for it, you can make it one of your
own. Organisations are the only exception, as you
must also pass an initiation rite to join their ranks.
You may be allied to as many organisations as the
tale-weaver thinks is sensible; too many and you
may start to be viewed as a double agent by your
fellow members.
You may remove one of your allegiances if you ever
end up with 5 or above hate for it.
Changing Dispositions
You have a maximum of 5 allegiances that you can
hold a disposition for. If previous favour or hate for
an allegiance becomes nuetral (ie; disposition 0),
then remove it.
Weaving a Tale
Firuz turned his head, his face wincing as the heat dried his eyes. A flickering brightness crept into his field
of vision. He saw only a hazy smoke.
The glow had vanished. Firuz shifted
his body to look beyond the wall at
his back. The silhouettes of the jagged
orchard and ruined houses were the
only things that he could make out.
A bead of sweat ran down from his
temple. This was foolish. He would
get up and find a safer place among
the ruins to sleep.
He brought his feet under him. An
explosion of light filled his eyes. The
stench of sulphur rose through his
nostrils. He covered his face and fell
back heavily against the clay wall
behind him.
A sound, like a gale of air rushing
to feed a monstrous fire, preceded a
high-pitched, crackling voice, You
may ask one wish of me.
Firuz was in danger of passing out.
The heat was intense. His mind
struggled. A wish did the thing say?
He allowed his hand to slip from his
face, but was horrified by what confronted him. Two bolts of flame lit the
creatures face as eyes. Its hair was
black and animated, as if a powerful
wind blew from below it. It had the
face and torso of a child, but below its
waist was nothing but a smoky trail
that faded into the night. Those traits
were strange enough, but rage began
to mingle with the fear inside Firuzs
mind his sons face stared out from
the djinnis eyes .
Its mouth gaped like a cave, Wish for
the manner of your death.
It took Firuz some moments to come
to terms with what he beheld. The
djinni hovered over him, arms folded,
waiting for his reply.
I... Firuz stammered, trying to be

careful of his words, I do not wish
to die.
The djnni huffed. Your fate was
sealed when you released me. If you
do not make your choice then it will
be mine to make a most painful and
horrifying outcome for you. The
djinni turned its head up to the moon.
It was on its descent. Quickly now,
we must move past this.
Firuz collected his thoughts. Please,

great djinni, why do you reward such
a good deed with evil. I saved you
from your prison. Surely your lord
and mine would be dishonoured by
your actions.
The djinnis eyes blazed, You would
know much of dishnonour, Firuz.
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What a TaleWeaver needs
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Put simply, a Tale-Weavers role is to create an enjoyable and challenging experience for the Players.
Some props might make this easier, and suggestions
are: a calendar or diary to note what is going on and
when, a tactical map and miniatures or counters for
accurate combat, a source for background music, a
bunch of D10s, pens/pencils and this rulebook (and
a computer can easily fulfil all of those needs).
Character
motivations
For Players that have a vague interest in the medieval middle-east and its ancient literature, it will be
easy to dive into the setting at full force. For Players
used to western fantasy and history, it may be best
to use the Crusading forces as an initial lense to
open up the vast world that awaits them.
It is worth talking to your Players to discover what
motivates their characters to ensure that your Tale
meets their needs. Here are some types of character
motivations so that the story-arcs of the PCs can
drive the central themes of the Tale.
The path to riches

Is there a problem? I dont see it. We just need a few
dinars to grease our path
Characters following the path to riches want wealth
so that they can eat the finest foods, have the best
equipment and live in luxury. Theirs could be a
rags-to-riches story, like Ali Al-Din after he came
across the djinni in the lamp, or perhaps they were
born into wealth and are beset by those who seek
their treasures. The motivating factor for these types
of characters is loot. They may not want to do it the
honourable way (by increasing their Knowledge Expertise), but they will want to be given the opportunity to gain wealth in other ways, such as banditry,
hiring themselves to powerful patrons or being able
to explore desolate regions where they may find
long lost artifacts. However, they may also want to
build a powerful mercantile empire, with caravans
and ships that travel to the most exotic places on
the planet, but, like Sinbad, their gambles may leave
them with many scars along the way.
The climb to power

If I was king, that type of behaviour would be forbidden
so I wouldnt have to put up with it.
Power-hungry characters want authority over others
for whatever reason whether for their own selfish
purposes or a more noble cause. They may believe
that life would be easier for them and those they
care about if only they had the manpower to get
things done. But, like King Shahryar, power often
brings its own problems, such as betrayal from those
thought most close and the possibility of rebellion
from once-loyal subjects. A Tale where characters
are motivated by power needs to include them gaining authority over others. Their underlings could be
anyone such as a ships crew, a small rural village,
or a cult of raving fanatics. It could also be an army
and the characters may seek glory on the field of
battle to further their ambition, as involvement with
war was probably the best way to achieve social mobility throughout the middle ages. Characters that
gain power will also gain influence and enemies
among their neighbours, and they will have to enter
the shadows of intrigue to maintain their position
against those that covet it.
The destruction of the enemy

I will not rest until they have been burned from the earth
so that our sheep can graze freely and our women may
once again nurse children in safety!
Often through a life-shattering experience, characters that follow this path think only of the eradication of their foes. They often hold a strange juxtaposition in their minds; on the one hand they believe
that their enemies are less than human inferior
creatures who deserve only death for their pollution
upon the world. However they also have a tremendous fear of their enemies, because in their minds
the foe is a danger to all that these characters hold
dear. Blood, vengeance and war are the staples of
a Tale demanded by these characters. Pitting their
combat skills against their enemies is their calling.
Negotiating with anything but steel means that
time is being wasted by not slaying their adversaries. These characters have a black and white view
of morality, yet this view will be challenged with
every step they take into the complicated tapestry
of cultures and personalities on their path. Moral
dilemmas are a part of any good Tale, and characters whose goals are only to eradicate their enemies
may look at themselves one day and realise that
they are worse than the monsters they have sought
to destroy.
The seeking of knowledge
The road to paradise on earth
Books are my blade, the abacus my armour
Since when was a kings law based on what is right and

good for us?
Knowledge seeking characters crave information

about the world they are in, as well as recognition
for their contributions. Characters that are deemed
as highly intelligent yet have no role to play during
exciting elements of a Tale, such as battle, may wonder why they bother. It is the Tale-Weavers duty to
ensure that a knowledgeable character can point out
that the leader of some marauding bandits bears the
sigil of House Bremen, so will not attack anyone carrying a purple silk cloth; or that the character knows
that a lunar eclipse is due in two nights, so that will
be the best time to fool the Apostles of Sobek into
believing that the companions are Heralds of Osiris.
Both of these examples would translate into real
benefits for the characters by making the inevitable
combat easier.
These characters also seek new places, peoples and
artifacts that they can discover and announce to
the world. Perhaps they will find a powerful patron
who also holds the quest for knowledge dear. There
is danger for too much free thought in these times
too. When the vast majority of the population are
ill-educated and there are vested interests in keeping them that way seekers of knowledge will gain
enemies by simply voicing their discoveries. Tales
focusing on the uncovering of truth will have antagonists violently opposed to their blasphemies so
this will never be a path to a peaceful life.
The passage to righteousness

And how many times has God granted victory to a few
over many? Charge, God wills it!
These characters will act as bastions of their faith.
Either clerics or intensely devout laypeople, characters on the passage to righteousness will take
vows and be on the straight path of their religion,
which will, they have no doubt, lead them to heaven.
Every event is seen as the invisible hand of God,
angels or saints; or the work of demons and djinns.
It goes without saying that Tales for these types of
characters are helped if all companions either follow the same religion or at least know each other
well enough to be lenient in their interpretations of
scripture in regards to their choice of friends. Otherwise, a fanatical zealot would have little reason to
be in a group with a drinking, swearing, womanising lute-player because the zealot may well have
slain others for lesser transgressions. Vast evil cults,
wicked/lenient clerics (both are as bad as each other
to a fanatic) and the touch of the devil should infuse
these types of Tales, so that the characters can truly
fight against what they want to.
This is a path not often tread in these dark times. The

type of characters that follow this road seek to make
the real world a better place to live in. Because those
in power have not benefitted their subjects, they
must be removed. Their heretical beliefs may include
such views as women not needing to be servants to
men; or that a ruler should be chosen for his merits
rather than for his bloodline. These characters main
antagonists will be the bastions of authority that hold
the world back from becoming (their version of) fair
to everyone. Battling corruption and manipulation of
the lower classes by the powerful will be the main focus of these characters. And this will make their lives
very difficult. There are many stories of individuals
seeking progress throughout the Middle Ages, but
to deny the authority of a King or Caliph is not only
against the law it is against God and the worst
tortures and deaths await those who blaspheme and
rebel against the rightful order.
Running the game

The rules for negotiations and combat aim to give
two evenly matched opponents a 50 percent chance
each of overcoming the other. A very easy fight
would have only one opponent whose Mel was
roughly the same as the lowest PCs. A challenging
combat would have either an opponent who was
outnumbered yet could easily defeat at least one
of the PCs single-handedly, or an even number of
opponents that only some PCs could defeat in a oneon-one combat.
Creating Challenges
When you need to test a characters Expertise
against something that hasnt been defined in the
rules, use the fields of focus below as a guideline for
what is most appropriate:
Com: Orders, persuading, empathy, charisma.
Know: Healing, trivia, rationality, commerce.
Mel: Courage, close tactics, belligerence, pain limit.
Rng: Scanning, battle strategy, trajectories, ricochets.
Vig: Fitness, immune system, speed, body control.
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A typical month
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People generally need a base to call home, even if

they are intrepid travellers. It will suit most characters to spend a lot of their time within a large
city, such as Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus or Cairo,
especially if some of them need access to a stable
workshop for some of their Abilities. It is also worth
bearing in mind that a characters Wealth resets at
the end of every month, so it will be a painful experience for some characters if they are far from civilisation at this time, though as the Tale-Weaver you
should feel free to bend the rules. A way to organise
a month is to plan it in weekly blocks, ensuring that
the characters will not be away from civilisation for
more than a week at a time. There should also be
at least one week of downtime for the characters to
purchase goods or use Abilities over an extended
period of days.
It is also worthwhile to prepare weather in advance.
With an internet connection, getting realistic weather
is not a problem, as the cities of the Nights of the Crusades are also in the real world. At the time of writing, typing damascus weather forecast into a search
engine results in a site that displays that Damascuss
weather is fairly stable for the coming week. It seems
to have clear skies and a temperature variance of 38
C/100 F in the middle of the days to 18 C/64 F during
the nights.
Strength, Sneaking or
Scholarship?
The best Tales will allow every character to shine.
You, the reader, may be able to list many Roleplaying games, whether they are on a board, using pen,
paper and dice or on a computer, that only offer a
single solution to a challenge and that solution is
often slaying those that stand in your way. The Crusades were a time of war and bloodshed, but that
does not mean that a Tale should be one constant
sword fight.
After a Tale-Weaver finishes preparing the Tale, it is
worth looking back on it and analysing the challenges that the characters will face. The goal of a
Tale-Weaver is to offer multiple ways of overcoming
these hurdles so that there will be a chance for any
group to succeed if theyre smart about it, no matter
if they are made up of scholastic monks or the remnants of a mercenary band. This basically translates
into offering a solution that may not involve Combat, or will make Combat much easier. The characters should be able to use force, finesse or wits to
overcome any challenge.
Example one
Three bandits hold up the characters progress through
a narrow mountain pass. The alternative is a dangerous
journey over the jagged, dust-blown cliffs. They must use
this pass to reach Acre before sunset because if they dont,
Hugh Vaughn will escape from justice once-again.
Strength: By killing the bandits, or making them
flee by a show of force, the characters will be able to
access the path.
Sneaking: Although the cliff face is difficult to
climb, dexterous characters could find a decent
ledge to use with an easy Rng test, then climb it
without drawing any attention with an easy Vig test.
They will be above the bandits so another Vig v Vig
test is needed to keep from being seen. Once that is
done the path will be clear.
Scholarship: With a successful negotiation a character can convince the bandits that a piece of junk is
worth the toll and pass by safely. Also, a successful
easy Know test sees that the rocks above could avalanche with only a tiny bit of encouragement from a
well placed bolt or arrow. Using this tactic, the knowledgeable character could either warn the bandits that
they will send the rocks onto their campsite so theyll
lose whatever ill-gotten gains theyve received, or just
run through as the dust settles and the moans of the
bandits are buried under the rubble.
Example two
The carriage of Yasmina, the Viziers daughter, is out of
control and is heading straight for the bazaar!
Strength: A well-placed spear would stop the horses
pulling the carriage within seconds, yet it is well
known how expensive and loved the horses of the
Viziers stables are. Alternatively, a large cart of hay
could be moved into the path of the carriage that
would slow the horses and perhaps save everyone in
the carriage injury if it is used as a barrier. However
there isnt much time and the cart is heavy. Three
troublesome Vig tests are needed to push the cart
with the amount of failures determining the impacts
caused to the horses and passengers. No successful
results means the carriage continues into the bazaar
on top of any other injuries.
Sneaking: An agile character could leap onto the carriage as it passes and hopefully direct the horses away
from the bazaar. The character must pass a troublesome Vig test to get onto the carriage to then steer it.
Scholarship: The most knowledgeable character
remembers that a Chinese merchant is selling
fireworks and also knows that the entrance to the
bazaar has a side gate that can be opened out to the
fields. While the crafty character runs to get the fireworks as the others in the group work to open the
gate. As the carriage bears down upon the character
with the explosives, there will only be a few rounds
to pass a troublesome Know test to start the fireworks and divert the horses outside the citys walls.
Example three
Rescuing a peasant farmers son, wrongfully accused of
treason, from the gallows.
Strength: Although it would be suicidal for the PCs
to storm the Barons dungeon, they could launch
their rescue when he is being transported to the town
square. However, the Barons guards are well armed
and fear the Baron enough to fight with their lives.
Sneaking: A character could don a disguise, perhaps that of a prison guard or cleric offering last
rites. Even if the ruse is successful, the keys to the
cell must be found or the lock must be picked. Then
how to escort the peasants son out? Maybe another
disguise would need to be brought for him. Alternatively, the sneaky characters could drop to the
carriages roof as it passes under the bridge of the
Blind Archers Gateway, and gain entry to the inside
of the carriage. The warden may put up a bit of a
fight but has become fat from the Barons purse and
loves life too much to face a dagger in the belly. He,
like the coach driver, will be easily thrown off and
the PCs, after setting some obstacles to slow down
the Barons guards, will be able to escape with the
peasants son.
Scholarship: The knowledgeable character knows
that even though the Barons guards fear him, they
also hate him with a passion. A bribe to the captain of
the guards escorting the prisoner should be enough
for them to turn the other way, but the warden will
be suspicious. Brewing a poisoned beverage, then
getting him to drink it should keep him in his bed on
the day of the execution. Another means of achieving the result could be to petition Lady Sidonia, the
Barons young wife, to pressure her husband for the
peasants sons release. She is quite powerful in his
court, as it is only through her that he maintains
good relations with the Byzantine merchants that
provide him with so much power. However, gaining
an audience with her may require some thought, as
she is often accompanied by the Barons eunuch when
she leaves the castle walls. A chance may arise if the
PCs can somehow slip her a note.
Alchemy, action, dread

and atrocity
Action heroes are borderline super-human; dodging arrows and slaying their foes as if every soldier
arrayed against them was a child. This is the fabric of fantastical stories. Warriors in Nights of the
Crusades know that numbers in combat often count
for more than skill with a blade, plague takes more
men to hell than war, and wounds will bleed and
fester when they are cut. Every combat is brutal and
the wails of the dying should ring in the characters
ears long after the dust had died down. This is the
ebb and flow of the chapters in your tale. Compare,
say, Batman with X-Men. Although there is very little

magic (eg; Mutant Powers etc) in Batman, the feeling of a warped reality is achieved through utterly
insane villains and advanced technology. The same
comparison could be made between Nights of the
Crusades and settings of high fantasy.
Horror and mystery must not be overlooked, no
matter what character paths your PCs are on. The
mythical figures of dark fantasy and terror have
always existed in our world; serial killers, death
cultists, insane and uncaring science. Build up
layers of dread in your Tale as the characters see
the remnants of some ritual. Lead them onwards
through rumours of the terror that waits then annihilate their sanity with the atrocities of men; for
the unwashed events of history are far darker than
the fanciful tales of a minstrel.
Managing stories
Some players may balk at too much freedom, yet
others will live for it. The only limits to stories are
the players imaginations, but it may be useful to set
down a few guidelines in regards to them. As a general rule, stories should only be entered into when
there is enough time for every character involved to
actually hear it (about an hour of free time) without
any major distractions. Examples for good times: On
a boat trip or around a campfire; whereas a bad time
would be when giant boulders are bombarding the
tower they are cowering in and are threatening to
destroy it at any moment.
Dispositions and likely actions

As a guideline for an NPCs reaction towards a character, use the following table:
Disposition Reaction
5 or lower
Would wish degrees of suffering

and death to you and your allies
Openly hostile
Is irritated by your presence
Has no qualms disrepecting you
Wary of your intentions
Treats you fairly within the

bounds of the law
Openly hospitable
Enjoys and seeks you company
Would perform a small favour like

divulging local gossip
Would perform a favour that could

result in danger or punishment
5 or higher
Degrees of protecting you from

harm up to gladly sacrificing
their life for yours
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Area dispositions
What follow are some sample Dispositions of important areas, which could be helpful when creating
NPCs from their majority and minority groups.
Damascus/Dimashque/Sham
Favour: Saracen, Sunni, Noble, Merchant

Hatred: Franj, Catholic, Knightly Orders
Jerusalem/Al Quds
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Frankish rule (1099 1187)

Favour: Franj, Catholic, Noble, Cleric, Knightly
Orders such as the Knights Templar and Knights
Hospitaller
Hatred: Saracen, Sunni, Shia, Judaism
Saracen rule (1187 onwards)
Favour: Saracen, Cleric
Hatred: Franj
Cairo/Misr
Fatamid rule (up to 1169)
Favour: Saracen, Shia
Hatred: Franj, Sunni
Ayyubid rule (after 1169)
Favour: Saracen, Sunni
Hatred: Franj, Shia
Slavery in the world

Slavery may be a difficult subject to roleplay for
some players. It is a complex topic, as a tale from
Usama Munqidh reveals: Usamahs father ordered
a trusted slave to fetch a horse, as he needed to
quickly join his men in battle. The slave was late and
his father was angry. Munqidhs father struck the
slave with his scabbarded sword. However, the scabbard broke and the blade cut through, severing the
slaves arm. Munqidhs father then felt great regret
and spared nothing to heal the slave and provide for
the slaves family from then onwards.
In the holy books of Jews, Christians and Muslims,
slavery is regarded as a fact of life kindness to
slaves is treated as a virtue in a master; obedience
is a virtue for a slave. All cultures were exposed to
slavery in the early middle-ages according to the
Domesday Book 10% of England were slaves.
From a roleplaying perspective, players from Western, first-world backgrounds without much experience in medieval-style slavery (apologies for the
stereotype), could use their current experience with
dogs as a guideline for how slaves were viewed a
thousand years ago. Nowadays, some owners treat
dogs as members of their family, some are used as
workers or kept in rough conditions and some are
treated horribly. It should also be noted that general
society considers it an extreme view to liberate dogs
from their masters. Regardless, their lives are in the
hands of their owners.
I waded into the carnage and strove to
count the daed, but there were too many. I

saw two dead women. A witness told me he had
seen four women taking part in the battle.
A womans place
From your own research, you may have gathered
that women in the Middle Ages, from West to East
where not involved in as much adventure as men
were at best. Women where able to be married
very young, as there was no concept of a teenage
period between childhood and adulthood. Marriage
was often used as the glue between the alliances of
families and empires. Noble women were educated,
not in sciences, but in etiquette and courtly duties
such as dancing and history. To be a better choice for
powerful men they could learn the potential language of a suitor and maybe become a lady-in-waiting, spending her life by the courts and at tournaments in the hope of attracting a husband. Peasant
women worked the fields but were constrained by
their sex to the role of mother, wife and worker.
Biblical and Quranic precedents of the sinful Eve
and the laws requiring women to obey men were
used to justify their place as inferior directly from
the pulpit. Rape was a crime that was often unreported and unpunishable, especially by all-male
courts with the backing of misogynistic clerics. As
penance for the warriors, women were also thrown
out of crusader camps when God would not grant
them victory during a difficult siege.
However some women did gain power, including
Melisende of Jerusalem and Shajar al-Durr, the
Sultana of Egypt after the Mamluks took power. Islamic chroniclers record their shock when they hear
of women amongst the fighting forces of the Franj.
Muhammads wives; Khadija the merchant and Aisha, who led her troops into battle on a white camel,
are also examples of intelligent, couragous women.
However it was generally seen (by men in power) as
a disruption to the natural order for a woman to be
equal, let alone have authority, over a man during
the middle ages; and so a female adventurer will
have to contend with those views.
Interestingly, the stories of the time have intelligent
and adventurous women in the lead roles. Shahrazad, the storyteller of the Arabian Nights, saves
an entire kingdom from the vengeance of a king
against any woman he lays his hands upon (however its hardly a feminist tale she does, after all,
marry him!).
Appendix 1:
Sample
characters
NPCs, as a guideline, will usually have dispositions similar to their area of origin, with 3 points of favour/hate
spread between allegiances. What follows are novice characters that a tale-weaver can use as a base for antagonists and allies throughout a tale.
Beasts
Any creature that is of a different species to humans
is a beast. Some are gentle, some will violently defend their territory and others will prey on humans
for food.
A beast can only raise Mel, Rng and Vig expertise.
Beasts have a beast rating, which is equal to the
highest level of expertise it holds, its minor two will
only ever reach a maximum of half its beast rating.
Although a beast will be able to communicate with
other members of its species, it will not be able to
enter a negotiation with humans and use abilities
based on speaking. The natural claws and teeth of a
beast give the equivalent of a weapon at reach 1 with
no further special rules. A beast can only be granted
beast abilities, and the amount of them will be equal
to its beast rating.
Bestial Ghoul
After forsaking civilisation for generations, some
human clans in the wilderness devolve from a souldestroying state of cannibalism into cunning monsters, ready to ambush and gorge their dark hungers
on the soft and foolish who stray near.
Beast Rating: 4
Abilities: Creeping, Grapple, Swift of Foot,
Somersault
Actions: 2
Defence/Dodge: 0/4
Lair items: Bones and a 50% chance of a damaged
piece of equipment that is salvageable.
Rukh
The Rukh is a legend amongst sailors, but tales from
those who have been shipwrecked on far-away
islands hold the stories of the Rukhs to be true. A
Rukh is a great eagle, able to carry off a man and
tear the flesh from his bones in the process. Some
say they dwell off the coast of Africa, others claim
they are further South at the edge of the world.
Beast Rating: 6
Abilities: Grapple, Hurl Opponent, Juggernaught,
Flying, Giant, Vicious
Actions: 3
Defence/Dodge: 0/5
Lair items: D5 great eggs of the Rukh on a windswept mountain. The eggs are worth their weight in
gold, but getting to them is made more treacherous
because of the Rukhs territorial neighbours.
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Cavern Wyrm
Beast venoms
Haunting humid mountain caves, that bubble with

strange gases from the depths of the earth, is the
Cavern Wyrm. From its soft body protrudes countless
clawed legs and two large antennae that seek its prey.
Should its delicate touch find a suitable victim, jets of
acidic slime are propelled from glands on either side
of its mandibles, covering its prey in a sticky web.
Beast Rating: 6
Expertise: Melee 2, Ranged 6, Vigour 2
Abilities: Blind, Creeping, Horrific, Natural Projectile, Precise Attack (Rng), Snare
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/2
Lair items: The corpses of the Cavern Wyrms victims, enmeshed in webbing, and an 80% chance of a
damaged piece of equipment that is salvageable.
Goliath Deathstalker poison
I was once passing by the coast
which belongs to the Franks, and one

the Franks said to me, Wilt though buy
from me an excel lent cheetah ? Yes,
I replied. The man brought me a leopard

which he had brought up until it became
the size of a dog. Said I, This does

not suit me. This is a leopard and not a
cheetah. Nevertheless, I was amazed at
its conduct with the Frank.
~ Ibn Munqidh
A creature that is often dismissed as myth, but if the

tales are true this yellow, almost translucent scorpion dwells in Tell es-Safi, the Philistines once-city of
Gath. It is said to be the size of boar and its sting could
pierce the breastplate of a roman legionnaire.
Aroma: 3
Portion: Poison gland
D10
Effect
1-3
Shaken for next action.
4-7
Limb numbed and cannot be used for

D5 actions. If location is the torso or
head, treat this as a result of 8-10.
8-10
Stunned for D5 actions.
Overdose: The victim will be bed-ridden and borderline paralyzed for the next 24 hours. Three heals
must be preformed on the character within this
time. If a heal is successful, the victim recovers after
24 hours and the healing ceases. If the third heal test
results in a 10, the poisoned character will die.
Gorgon Kin venom

Often featuring in the tales of Al-Hakim, the raving
beggar of the Tyrian Coast, it is said that Gorgon Kin
have a great queen serpent with 9 heads, lairing in a
galley sailed by a heretical Byzantine cult. The stories
say that as they pass close by coastal cities the holds
of the galley are opened for the Gorgon Kin the
black, multi-headed spawn of the queen to swim
out and infest the strongholds of their enemies.
Aroma: 0
Portion: Poison gland
D10
Effect
1-3
Must test for infection (see Bleeding in

the Gameplay section).
4-7
Area around the bite swells and, if on a

limb, it cannot be used for D5 hours.
8-10
Shaken for D5 actions.
Overdose: The victim will suffer from cold chills,

vomiting and diarrhea, effectively being able to do
nothing but a slight shuffle, for the next 24 hours.
Three heals must be preformed on the character
within this time. If a heal is successful, the victim
recovers after 24 hours and the healing ceases. If the
third heal test results in a 10, the poisoned character
will die.
Djinn
Djinn (singular: djinni) have existed in arabian
folklore since before the coming of Islam. They are
believed to be a type of spiritual being (alongside
angels and demons) that have free-will like humans,
and so can be good, evil or follow their own complex ethics.
In Nights of the Crusades the presence of a djinni
can effect a characters actions until it is dispelled.
Scholars seeking a natural argument for djinn have
composed many theories, suggesting that environmental or mental pressures can exert forces that
seem supernatural and terrifying.
Each type of djinni has the following attributes:
Gate: The environment or character action that gives
life to the djinni.
Powers: How the djinni affects a targeted character.
Banishment: How the djinni is sent back to wherever it came from. Once banished, the character that
the djinni had hold over will be visibly shaken for
D5 hours and will not be able to use any abilities
throughout that time.
Raging Ifrit
The Raging Ifrit accompanies those involved in
bloodshed. If its blessings are accepted, its host becomes a slayer of all, revelling in carnage.
Gate: If a character stands before a helpless enemy,
the Raging Ifreet may appear, urging the character
to kill. The character that the djinni is targeting
must have engaged in combat that day and have a
cowering enemy, held at a negative disposition, in
range. If a serious knowledge or melee test is failed,
the character will succumb to the djinnis power.
Powers: The targeted character will execute the
cowering victim. Until the djinni is banished, the
character will be in a constant hostile stance, attack
anyone else that is held at a negative disposition,
have +1 actions and cannot use dodges. Any friends
that attempt to physically stop the carnage will be
held at 5 disposition.
Banishment: The Raging Ifrit can be banished
through negotiation with the possessed character.
The goals of the negotiation will be banish djinni/
djinni maintaining power. A banishment attempt
can be only be made once per hour.
Now the
cemetery was haunted
day and night by D jinn,
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and presently came out a D jinniyah who,

seeing Hasan asleep, marveled at his
beauty and loveliness
~ 1001 Nights
Whispering Qarin
Qarins are said to accompany each soul. Some say
they are more then what their host is, so if a man
is wise or evil, his qarin will be wiser or more evil.
However, some disagree, arguing each qarin requires constant vigilance to keep it from possessing
and making their human a deviant. Sometimes the
desert winds carry a rasping whisper that cannot be
ignored. This is when the qarin tries to lure an ensorcelled character into a dangerous gamble; to take
what they desire or be consumed in darkness.
Gate: If a character hears of something they want
in a dangerous place, such as an ancient pharaohs
tomb in the deep desert or a Bandit-Prince who is
rumoured to have the characters fathers robe of
honour, but are too afraid to seek it, the Whispering
Qarin may visit them when the winds howl at night.
While the character sleeps, the djinni will begin to
whisper. If a troublesome knowledge test is failed,
the character will succumb to the djinnis power.
Powers: When given the chance (such as when the
possessed characters companions are sleeping), the
character will spend up to 30 mintues preparing for
a quest, trying not to alert anyone, then set-out to
complete the adventure single-handedly. The character will not be swayed from the path to their goal
until the Whispering Qarin is banished.
Banishment: The Whispering Qarin can be banished through negotiation with the possessed character. The goals of the negotiation will be banish
djinni/djinni maintaining power. A banishment
attempt can be only be made once per hour.
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In the city
The safety of cities is as unpredictable as the desert
winds in these times. But people of all types are
drawn to the opportunities and dangers beyond the
guarded walls.
Aristocrat
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Raised in the security that only wealth can provide,

an Aristocrat prefers the finer things in life because she knows nothing else.
Expertise: Communication 2, Knowledge 1,
Melee 1, Vigour 1
Abilities: Bribe (Com), Henchman (Com),
Book Wyrm: Book of Amusement (Knowledge), Sure
Strike (Mel), Blur (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/1
Equipment: Sword, Jewellery worth 2D10 Wealth
Merchant
Weapons, slaves, jewellery everything has a price
and merchants know it; as well as where to find it.
Expertise: Communication 3, Knowledge 2
Abilities: Hawk (Com), Patience (Com), Lie (Com),
Human Abacus (Know), Marketeer (Know)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/0
Equipment: Goods worth 3D10 Wealth
Physician
With dour eyes, at home with pain and gore, a physician investigates the sick to best alleviate their ills.
Abilities: Physician: Counsel (Com), Physician:
Boneset (Know), Physician: Preventative Care
(Know), Physician: Restore (Know), Physician:
Staunch (Know)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/0
Equipment: D5 Healing Herbs, Staff
Beggar
Forced from homes, refugees from famine and war, or
perhaps born in the gutter to die in the gutter beggars can be found in any large town or city, hoping for
charity so that they can survive another day.
Expertise: Communication 3, Knowledge 1, Vigour 1
Abilities: Charm (Com), Cosmopolitan (Com), Entertain (Com), City Wise (Know), Crowd Mastery (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/1
Equipment: Rags
Priest
Well-fed men, unlike travelling preachers, and
aware of the ways of the world, Priests advise the
nobility as well as acting as guides for their flock.
Abilities: Beggar Prince (Com), Blather (Com), Calm
(Com), Peace Maker (Com), Physician: Staunch (Know)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/0
Equipment: Coins worth D10 Wealth, Staff
Warriors
Brawlers, mercenaries, duellists. Whether forced to
battle or drawn to it, a warrior skills lay in surviving
combat and slaying foes.
Fanatic
A rage lies inside each Fanatic, whether it reveals
itself in a frothing outburst or a curse against unbelievers through clenched teeth. A Fanatic will live to
scorch this world because only immortality through
the next is worth a care.
Abilities: Frenzy (Mel), Strike from the Heart (Mel),
Hyenas Heart (Vig), Regenerate (Vig), Swift of Foot (Vig)
Actions: 2
Defence/Dodge: 0/3
Equipment: Flail or club
Guard or solider
Being a professional warrior, in the service to a lord
and captain, is one of the best ways to raise in status
and gain riches in these times. Because of this, war
is a common occupation and loot is its wages.
Abilities: Grapple (Mel), Parry (Mel), Protect (Mel),
Crowd Mastery (Vig), Hyenas Heart (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 2/0(2)
Equipment: Spear, Gambeson, Nasal Helmet
Squire
As a knights apprentice, a Squire has spent most of
his life in luxury. However, his path now lies across
blood and sand.
Expertise: Communication 1, Melee 4
Abilities: Taunt (Com), Feint (Mel), Parry (Mel),
Precise Attack (Mel), War Cry (Mel)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 6/0(3)
Equipment: Sword, Hauberk, Nasal Helmet, Shield
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The wild
Isolated roads are where the precarious veil of civilisation is thrown to the dust. Here no laws exist, save
for the volatile honour codes of men.
Bandit
When there are no wars, soldiers must find other
ways to make a living. Switching enemies from
foreigners to locals isnt too much of a burden on the
conscience of a Bandit.
Expertise: Melee 1, Ranged 3, Vigour 1
Abilities: Blood Rush (Mel), Aim (Rng), Bleeder (Rng),
Precise Attack (Rng), Somersault (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 2/0
Equipment: Short Sword, Bow, Brigandine
Trader
A traveller between areas of civilisation, the Trader
buys from one place to sell to a distant other.
Abilities: Hawk (Com), Patience (Com), Lie (Com),
Human Abacus (Know), Nomad Secrets (Know)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/0
Equipment: Goods worth 2D10 Wealth and a baggage animal.
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Vessel of Djinn
Vessels of Djinn were once human, but are now
something far more powerful. Their minds have
been blasted by bizarre situations and myths, so
they can perform feats unbound by the realities
most people can accept. They are also described as
the Possessed and the Demon-Driven.
A Vessel of Djinn can use Beast Abilities.
Queen Sesheshet
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Dark rumours have surfaced in Cairos bazaars.

They tell of a shadow-cloaked figure that haunts the
narrow streets during the crescent moon. She bears
the trappings of the ancient pharaohs, and feeds on
the blood of those who cannot escape her talons.
Languages: Ancient Egyptian (Arabic)
Allegiances: Pagan, Cleric, Noble
Dispositions: Favour: Pagans 2, Nobles 1.
Hatred: Outcasts 3, Peasants 2
Expertise: Communication 1, Knowledge 3, Melee 5,
Vigour 8, Beast 4
Abilities: At One With Shadow (Vig), Backstab
(Vig), Bleeder (Mel), Blind (Beast), Blur (Vig), City
Wise (Know), Cobras Bite (Vig), Dual Strike (Mel),
Erratic Movements (Vig), Feint (Vig), Grapple (Mel),
Horrific (Beast), Human Abacus (Know), Hydras
Strike (Mel), Nomad Secrets (Com), Patience (Know),
Precise Attack (Mel), Sixth Sense (Vig), Somersault
(Vig), Swift of Foot (Beast), Vicious (Beast).
Actions: 4
Defence/Dodge: 0/8
Equipment: Talons (discreet weapons for both
hands), jewellery equalling 5D10 wealth.
The Walker of Roads

A dishevelled merchant, mumbling of a giant executioner stumbled into an isolated caravanserai and
told his tale to the physician. The merchant claimed
that he was eating dates by the road, and throwing his seeds behind him, when he was accosted by
a great figure bearing a silver falchion. The giant
claimed that the merchant had struck his daughter,
a young djinnia, with his date seeds and killed her.
The Walker of Roads had allowed the merchant
one year to arrange his affairs, then requires him to
return to the same road to meet his doom.
This Vessel of Djinn travels the wild roads between
the cities, believing his children live to the side of
the paths. He accosts anyone who strays from the
road, slaying them should they not be able to tell a
tale more amazing than the last one he has heard.
Languages: Arabic (Persian)
Allegiances: Saracen, Pagan, Warrior
Dispositions: Favour: Warriors 1,
Hatred: Merchants 3
Expertise: Communication 1, Melee 6,
Vigour 4, Beast 3
Abilities: Blood Rush (Mel), Death Stare (Mel),
Cobras Bite (Vig), Flurry (Vig), Giant (Beast), Hurl
Opponent (Mel), Hydras Strike (Vig), Hyenas Heart
(Vig), Intimidate (Com), Juggernaught (Beast), Lead
Fist (Mel), Parry (Mel), Skewer (Mel), Vicious (Beast).
Actions: 2
Defence/Dodge: 0/4
Equipment: The Gods Blade, a large silver falchion
(high-quality great weapon).
Some of our men did not hesitate to
turn apostates, and to procure for themselves,

by wicked b lasphemies, eternal death, that
they might enjoy a little longer this mortal
life. O pernicious exchange! O crime for

which no punishment can suf f ice! O foolish
men like unto senseless beasts!
Appendix 2:
Over Dark Seas
What follows is a short chapter for your tale that will
introduce the characters to each other and launch
them into the dark times ahead. Before play starts,
each player should prepare a background story as to
why they where passengers on a Byzantine merchant
ship that was stopping at ports along the coast of the
Holy Land, and let you know. Just a note; its probably
best if characters dont die during this chapter unconsciousness should be the worst that can happen
but they shouldnt know that.
Send the following description of recent events to
your players before the game, so that they will have
answers to why they were on the ship, and can even
prepare acquaintances between themselves before
the Tale truly begins, on the second of the month.
Youve spent a long night hearing stories from your new
companions, now you finally lay your head to rest. You
wonder how many more days the merchant vessel, mainly
carrying Byzantines to ports along the areas controlled by
the Franj, will be at sea. The ocean seems violent outside,
and you pray that you can sleep through the groaning of the
ships old wood and the roar of the cold depths.
A great crashing shudders you from your light slumber.

You seem to be tilted at a crazy angle, then you are dropping to a floor or wall. You arent sure which. The ground
moves again and you feel objects flying past your head in
the darkness. You almost utter an uncontrollable scream.
You have lost all sense of where you are. Then it dawns.
You are at sea. And the demons of the ocean must have
unleashed their evil upon your ship. A chill seeps into
your feet. The ship is taking on water!
You hear distant screams of panic and moans of pain as
you ascend to the deck. Lightening lashes out, and from its
pale, blue light you can make out where other passengers
are running. You do not hesitate to follow, but there are
not many left on board. As you reach the open deck, past
the treasures that are on a journey to the bottom of the
sea, you hear the bellow of the Captain, calling you over.
It seems he has been in charge of sending off the other passengers onto smaller boats, and is now preparing the last
one. You head towards him, followed by the other members of your cabin, and try to avoid looking out across the
unwelcoming darkness of the churning water.
NPCs
Captain Georgios Polikseni
Shark
Languages: Greek (Latin, French, Arabic)

Allegiances & Dispositions: Byzantine, Orthodox,
Merchant; Favour: Byzantines 2, Merchants 3.
Expertise: Communication 1, Knowledge 1, Vigour 2
Abilities: Patience (Com), Cosmopolitan (Know),
Holistic Awareness (Vig), Resistant to Elements (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/0
Equipment: Short Sword
Storytelling: 4 (2 Adventure/1 Drama/1 Mystery)
The wolves of the sea, giving no mercy to the victims of their hunger.
Beast Rating: 4
Abilities: Aquatic, Grapple, Somersault, Vicious
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/1
Lair items: A sharks stomach will hold the rotting
carcasses of its victims, and has a 10% chance of
containing a piece of undigested jewellery worth
D10 Wealth.
Rolf the Bold

Languages: Norwegian (German)
Allegiances & Dispositions: Franj, Catholic, Warrior; Favour: Franj 2, Hate: Saracens 3.
Abilities: Blood Rush (Mel), Flurry (Mel), War Cry
(Mel), Hydras Strike (Vig), Hyenas Heart (Vig)
Actions: 1
Defence/Dodge: 0/2
Equipment: Axe
Orestes Taphos
The Captains nephew who has almost wasted away
and given himself to the cold embrace of the ocean.
His depression has caused him to effectively be at 0
for all of his statistics if they should be needed.
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Scene 1
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If Rolf ends up in the sea, read the following
The Thirsting Deep
With a yelp of surprise, the titan falls into the black water.
Lightning illuminates his stricken features as his fate dawns
upon him. Grey fins edge closer to the doomed man.
Scene: The sinking merchant vessel of Georgios

Polikseni. Lightning lashes the skies, rain drenches
you to the bones and the ocean bucks like an angered leviathan.
Please, your forgiveness His head disappears below

the water. I am your thrall should you save me!
With his eyes wide, like a man who has had his first taste of
fear, he grimaces as his head goes below the frothing sea.
Cast: Captain Georgios Polikseni, Orestes Taphos,

Rolf the Bold, Sharks and Player Characters.
The Captain wrestles with his soul and says, my honour

will not allow me to leave a drowning man at sea.
The PCs only have what they slept in; ie, no armour
or other equipment, apart from perhaps a discreet or
martial weapon they kept near them.
The PCs must decide whether to rescue him or not.

Should they do so, Rolf will be forever in their debt,
thanking them and only believing his debt to be
repaid once he saves the life of every man who
saved him.
Read the following:

Through the cracking thunder and stinging rain, you and
your new companions manage to free the small row-boat
from the ship,. The Captain looks at you through his dripping black hair, and asks you to help his nephew on board,
indicating at the shivering boy clinging to a mast as the
ship heaves. The Captain, feet as steady as if he were on
land, jumps into the boat and guides the boy in.
Now you all, theres enough room He says.
Hold! bellows a deep voice from behind you in accented
German (his actions also speak as strongly as his tongue
if none of the characters speak German). I will have my
place on that boat!
A blonde titan staggers from below deck and thunders
towards you. Clear my way. The boat is fit only for those
in it plus me.
As he shoves past you and prepares to enter the boat, you
manage to smell the scent of ale upon his breath through
the salty winds that buffet you with cold fists.
The PCs have a few options. You should reinforce
the constant sinking of the ship, as well the splashing of hungry sharks, throughout whatever their
course of action is. The most knowledgeable PC sees
that the Captains rations will be almost worthless
with Rolf on board. PCs may negotiate with Rolf,
however during the negotiation he will continue to
climb into the boat the goals will be to enter the
boat with Rolf/Rolf begins to kick against the ships
wall in an attempt to desert the PCs. Another option is to fight the giant. Rolf will surrender if badly
injured (ie; if he is stunned, or his blood drawn or
bone broken) and plead to enter the boat.
If Rolf starts to launch the boat into the ocean without the PCs, a Vig v Rolfs Vig will allow a character
to jump into the boat. The PC with the highest Rng
will see that a weight suspended from the ships rigging could be used as an improvised thrown ranged
weapon to swing and hit Rolf into the ocean, allowing the Captain to regain control of the boat.
Should Rolf best every attempt that the PCs make

to enter the boat, they will be able to cling to a piece
of wood and catch up eventually. Rolf will respect
their courage against the sharks and allow them in,
but a PC undertaking this action will gain a point of
fatigue (remember to remove it after they rest).
Once all characters are on the life boat they will
then have time to rest. Should Rolf have perished
violently, the PCs must check for trauma.
Scene 2
Dead Men Telling Tales
Scene: A rickety boat, almost submerged below the
ocean waves. Burning sun. No land in sight.
[possibly Rolf the Bold], Sharks and Player Characters.
Debris from the sunken ship floats around the PCs.
The sharks circle the boat. Any attempt to attack one
will cause a thrashing as the other sharks take advantage of its wounds, starting a dangerous rocking
of the boat. It is up to the Tale-Weaver to decide if
any characters need to test to prevent being thrown
overboard. Because of this it will be too dangerous
to slay and eat one.
Read out the following:

The blaze of the sun wakes you. Your uncovered skin
is roasting. You consider putting your hands below the
salty water, just to cool your face, but think better of it.
Your mind may be blurred from the constant glare of the
sun, but you are not yet foolish enough to reach into the
water. The slap of a sharks tail against the side of the boat
reminds you of what you are afraid of.
You look at the faces of your fellow passengers that are
also wary of the oceans mercy. Captain Georgis Polikseni,
the Byzantine who commanded your doomed vessel, sits
quietly with his eyes closed. His face is weathered, far
beyond what it should be for a man who has seen less than
thirty summers. Maybe thats why you are where you
are now, because of an inexperienced captain. Beside him
sits his young cousin, Orestes Taphos, whose eyes never
seem to leave the maelstrom of fins and teeth that circle
the small, barely floating, chunk of wood you are calling a
boat. His blank stare is distant and morbid. [If applicable:
Rolf lies snoring, his pale skin baking under the heat. You
wonder what he will be like sober]. And the others who
shared your cabin before the storm, though you really do
not know much about them at all.
No land breaks the endless waves. It is as much a desert as
any made of sand. Only chunks of debris from the cursed
ship offer a change in scenery.
All characters, but Rolf, are awake now. If none of
the PCs start up a conversation or one of them questions the Captain, he introduces himself and his
cousin. Orestes Taphos ignores anyone who speaks
to him.
Read out what the Captain has to say:
I know there isnt much to say, but all men, [if applicable:
and I suppose, women] are old friends at sea. You all
know my name, Im the one responsible for where you are.
Ive sailed through a storm every month since I became
captain of that ship more than five years ago, and theres
only one I didnt get through. He smiles at his joke. This
is my sisters boy, Orestes. Hes been at my side since
the start of the year and didnt really see himself here, Id
wager. But I suppose none of us did... He turns away and
looks into the distance, then turns back to the PC who is
most likely looking at him (the PC with the highest Vigour
or the one who is yet to speak). You there, whats your
story? Howd you come to be on my ship?
Once all the PCs have finished introducing themselves as much as they plan to, night begins to fall.
The character with the highest vigour sees that the
rations they just ate for dinner will be their last.
Scene 3
The Tale of the Prince and the
Ghoul Queen
The next day, leave the characters to decide what
they will do, but they wont be able to do much (because theyre on a boat in the middle of the ocean!).
When they run out of ideas (and before they start
telling a Story) read out the following:
A gleam enters the Captains eyes. Maybe a story will
keep our minds off of our empty stomachs? It might even
take your mind off of our other hungry friends below the
water. I heard it from an old Arab friend of mine. Its
called the Tale of the Prince and the Ghoul-Queen, and
this is how he told it...
Once, there was an old King who was nearing his journey
to heaven. His son was growing up fast and the King was
sure hed keep his people happy and make a fine ruler.
However, the Kings Vizier, didnt believe so. The Vizier
thought that managing the kingdoms treasury was hard
enough with the short-sighted King, but the Prince was
worse, caring only for the pleasures of the harem and the
glory of the hunt.
The Vizier told the boy of a great beast that laired at the
base of a far-away mountain range. And the Prince set
off to slay it. Across the open plains, under the shadow of
the tusks of the great mountains, the lone Prince raced.
His fine hunting cloak whipped in the wind, revealing the
blade of his ancestors, the Claw of Lions.
As the sun began to descend, he heard a soft weeping.
The barren rocks began to give way to what seemed like
ancient ruins, steeped in old sorcery and heathen rituals.
My lord, save me! came a womans voice, followed by a
hissing and a growl. A dark shape leapt passed the Prince,
striking as it passed.
Captain Polikseni is the storyteller for this and has
just finished the opening scene. He will try to roll
for the Prince to avoid the creature, using his points
in adventure.
It is up to the players to decide what happens next.
Rolf will sleep through it, so wont contribute assuming he is still on the boat. Either will Orestes.
When their turns are over, the storytellers challenge
for the climax is to guide the story back to the Prince
escaping from the Ghoul-Queens trap, or slaying
the Vizier who sent him on the mission.
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Scene 4
Scene 5
The Hunger
Betrayal

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The characters will now awake to experience

Extreme Conditions at a Harshness of 2. If Rolf is
with them then their test will be at 1 due to having
more bodies to share the rations around with.
The pangs in your stomach are enough to drive you to hallucinations. The sun takes on the visage of a leering skull,
and the slap of the sharks tails sound like they are clapping
and cheering at you, the jester, before a great banquet.
You spend another day, then another. You begin to lose
track of time. Your skin is peeling and flakes away, all
your senses are numb except the clawing rage of hunger
within you.
As the moon begins to rise one night, the Captains hoarse
voice whispers, We need to start thinking what were going to do here He trails off for a while. Then he pulls a
number of lengths of wood splinters from his pocket. Even
in the moonlight, you can see that one is shorter than the
rest. Well all die if someone doesnt make a sacrifice.
Old Poseidon has visited us with one of his most feared
curses. But, well be able to go for weeks on one of us. We
can draw splinters to see who makes the sacrifice. What do
you say, my friends?
The PCs will need to test for another 2 days of extreme conditions. Allow the players to talk amongst
themselves for a while. Orestes will agree almost
straight away with the Captain and so will Rolf if he
is still around. To any character that refuses, the Captain has this to say, Youre a selfish fool! Has your
mind gone the way of your stomach completely
empty? The PC will need to enter a negotiation with
the Captain, and will take part in the drawing of
splinters if he or she loses. If the Captain loses, then
before he begins to offer splinters to those participating, he will look right into the eyes of those sitting
out and say, Youve been warned, coward, youre no
friend of mine. The shortest splinter ends up being
chosen by Orestes. Read the following:
The Captain begins to weep as Orestes just stares overboard. After a while, the Captain says, You dont have to
do it, son. Ill defend you. Orestes replies without looking
away from the sharks, No, I like my lot as well as any
other. There is silence for what seems like hours. The
Captain finally replies, You should see the sun rise again
at least. We should sleep. Orestes just nods his head and
rests it on his hands, closing his eyes.
The characters will be so exhausted that at one point
or another during the night they will all fall asleep.
But what can be more dreadful
than a f ight at sea?

Some who fal l
overboard are
swal lowed in the waves;

others perish by the
enemys weapons.

Cast: Captain Georgios Polikseni, [possibly Rolf the
Bold], Sharks and Player Characters.
The first PC to awake (the one with the highest
Vigour, roll if tied with others) is greeted with the
sight of a frenzy of sharks surging around the boat.
It is rocking dangerously from side-to-side. Orestess
arm has fallen over the side of the boat in his sleep.
On closer inspection, the character sees that his
throat has been cut and blood drips overboard, infuriating the sharks.
The PC with the lowest vigour (if tied with another
than the lowest Melee between them is the decider,
roll if still even) is responsible for slaying Orestes
in a moment of madness, but only the Tale-Weaver
knows it at the moment. When the captain awakes
he finds his knife has been stolen.
Only a successful troublesome Vig test can prevent
a character from eating from the corpse. Characters
that dont eat from the corpse will suffer extreme
conditions at a harshness of 5 today and onwards.
Throughout this day another story may be told, but
characters suffering from harshness 5 extreme conditions will not be able to participate in it as they will
be almost mad from starvation.
As the characters begin to sleep, the PC who slew
Orestes finds a bloody knife in his or her pocket. All
characters need to test for trauma tonight, and the
murdering characters test is at 1. Any characters
that ate from the corpse are also at 1. Any trauma
results that rely on an enemy will instead be directed at the suspect that the traumatised character
believes slew Orestes.
Scene 6
Sanctuary
Scene: A beach, covered in wreckage and corpses
from the ill-fated Byzantine vessel.
Cast: Captain Georgios Polikseni, [possibly Rolf the
Bold], Old Woman and Player Characters.
Read out the following:
The shriek of a bird startles you. You rub your sun-burnt
eyes as they adjust to the brightness of the bloated sun.
Something claws at the back of your mind. Thats it! Birds
are only ever near land. You are close to shore! Your companions awake and realise the same thing. You all laugh
madly as you guide the boat towards the gulls, trying to
ignore the rotting stench and bones on the boats floor.
Soon the faint dark line on the horizon turns into a ragged
cliff-face. Upon reaching the beach you see the washed up
remains of your doomed vessel and the smoke from a small
village over the treacherous mountain range.
PCs need to start the day testing for extreme
conditions.
The PCs can rummage through the debris and find
their soaked equipment that they had taken on
their ill-fated journey. After a while, they see an old
woman hobbling towards them from the direction
of a jagged cliff-face. Read out the following:
From a space between the cliffs that you would not have
thought existed, hobbles a woman. Shes sprightly for
someone who looks like the oldest person you have ever
seen. Her bony limbs thrust her robe in awkward angles
and her skin looks like a weathered olive branch. She calls
out in a shrill, cracked voice [in Persian accented Arabic],
Welcome strangers, welcome. She bids you to follow
her. I am healer to a nearby village, I can help cure your
ills. She squints and peers over each of you. I see you
have come from a long way, but you may soon see your
homes again, never worry, never worry! She cackles, A
caravan is due in not too long a time. My merchant friend
will take you to back to the cities when he arrives.
If any of the PCs are obviously Franj, she will take
them aside and say, You are a guest, so you are
under my protection. But you should not wander
without me in these parts. Shhh, I can not say more.
Conclusion
This is where the adventure ends. Each player can
now roll to see if they gain an ability.
It is up to the Tale-Weaver to decide what horrors
the characters will undergo in the village by the sea,
and if they will ever see civilization again
Letters were written to inform
others of the sad event. Orators

delivered eulogies, but no poet declaimed.
People continued to come, morning

and evening, to say prayers for him.
Then these years and their
characters passed away,
As though they had al l been
merely dreams.
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Closing words
1001 thankyous for reading this page, for downloading this book, for playing Nights of the Crusades I
really could go on.
The support and feedback for Nights of the Crusades over the past two years has been tremendous.
In 2013, Nights of the Crusades was nominated for
both an ENnie and an Origins award. This page is a
response to all of you who have warmed the blackened cockles of my heart with support, kind words,
reviews and downloads.
What follows is the tale of how Nights of the Crusades began
Whenever faced with a setting to plunge my players
into, Ive always been drawn to those with great deserts, scimitars and djinn. However, source materials
about these lands were hard to come by (they mostly
focused on western woodlands and northern icewastes only hinting at the desert lands to the east)
so I began to research and write myself. As the years
went by, a mythos began to form in scrawled pen
over a number of workbooks along with a growing collection of references covering the Crusades,
medieval Europe and Arabia, religion, war and the
1001 Nights.
It was fascinating to read the words written down
a thousand years ago and to see how their authors
treated issues like conflict, enemies and their leaders and how little has changed in many respects.
That last statement is not an insult to our modern
times. It just seems that, then as well as now, the
human condition makes it difficult to rise above
what your culture expects of you. And war was
perhaps the best occupation to use to change your
status through glory or plunder which explains
its popularity.
Try to think of all the ideologies, religious sects and
sub-sects in our times. There were as many in medieval times, and individuals inhabited them all with
their own feelings and interpretations. This diversity was something I wanted to inject into my world
setting. In the current worlds already imagined, I
couldnt find many characters based on the complex,
multi-faceted, real people that the fiction was based

on. All I seemed to find in most fantasy fiction was
a big eastern desert over a sea; filled with princes in
luxurious harems, merchants and mute slaves.
In my own research I came across Jean de Joinville, a
staunchly faithful knight, happy to take Saracens as
friends and counsel the king against the war, even
though he would gladly fight if ordered to. I found
Al-Maari , who was deeply cynical of his species and
was as close as an atheist as probable before the 20th
century along with being a vegan for ethical, rather
than religious reasons. And Baibars, the slave that
slew his master, installed a female Sultana to rule
Egypt and inflicted the first defeat upon the Mongols.
I also stumbled across glimpses of fascinating minor
characters in the chronicles; like Firuz, the accursed
maker of armour that allowed Bohemunds knights to
sack Antioch; the tragic tale of the swimmer of Acre
who passed under the naval blockade of the Kings
of England and France; and an old wise man in the
chronicle of Ibn Munqidh who tried to hide a pigeon
from a hunting party because he felt so sorry for it.
And what of the brutality of war? The old writers offer snippets of soldiers in panicked fear who suffer
mental degradation after enduring the horrors of
combat not unlike modern books such as Jarhead
or One Soldiers War in Chechnya. I wanted the game
system I designed to address that integral part of
combat that was missing from so many others. I also
didnt want to disadvantage players from choosing
to roleplay a character that wasnt interested in combat but hoped to create parts for them to play during
the inevitable conflicts in a world torn apart by war.
I hope playing Nights of the Crusades is as much an
interesting and fun experience for you as its been
for us throughout its creation. The core rules will
forever remain free so that updates to the system are
as painless as possible.
Nights of the Crusades is dedicated to my parents;
who have shown me how great bonds can be forged
across different cultures.
M. J. Alishah
Version updates
Gameplay
Fixed an error in Example of play. The Apex for
the peddlers impression of Aldric has been corrected to be 2.
Fixed a typo in Negotiation where Step 4 was
repeated.
Weaving a Tale
Minor edits to Slavery in the world.
Minor edits to A womans place.
Appendix 1: Sample characters

Clarification on banishment of Djinn.
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Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

If Time aids thee to victory,

He wil l grant thy foe revenge.

As the days heat bears of f as spoil ,

The dew you took from its dawn gone b y.

But Truth hides her face in hood and veil .

Is there no ship my outstretched hands,

And Fate cares not about peace or war:

May grasp, to save me from this malicious sea?

W hether you be a man of peace or warrior.

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

Created, written and illustrated

What & Why

Map of the land

What were The Crusades?

Dawn of the Crusades

The Book of Names

Example character sheets 23

3: Expertise and Abilities 21

What were the 1001 Nights? 9

Questions to round out your

The Ghouls of Maarra

Wealth and items

~ 1001 Nights, The Fisherman & the Djinni

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

Ability overview table

Gaining Expertise and

Gaining Storytelling levels 88

I did not believe that

thou wert a knight. I

replied, Lord Bohemund;

~ Usamah ibn Munqidh

What a Tale- Weaver needs 90

The path to riches

Running the game

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

The Thirsting Deep

Paul Hitchens (order #10064513)

The previous dwellers of the village

What & Why