Rules

The background of the empire, and the distribution of races.

Use of wizard spells.

Calendar and week names.

Background

The area inhabited by the player characters is known as the Kolinn Mir or Seven Cities, it is also known as the Eastern Kingdoms. The area has been at peace for the last 38 years, when a band of giants and goblinoids attacked from the Tar’an Nor led by a faction of Iskelizon’s priests. The current emperor, Tai Mon Azon (often referred to as The Lion), led the imperial army then. He has been in power for the last 63 years, it is a inherited position but he does not possess an heir, it is currently believed the position will go to his nephew Brae Tai.

The Empire was formed 578 years ago by the original Tai Mon Azon by subjugating the Seven Cities. Part of it’s success has been due to it’s strict militia policy. All humans, dwarves and half-orcs are required by law to join at some time during their youth. Their exists a 20% chance that the PC has been a militia member at some. They have a 50-50 chance of having either gained a point of Con or Str (or 10%) during their time and they also receive the skill to use a pike. This is limited by racial maximums.

Because of the creation myth, lions are revered creatures and harming one is punishable by death. They are allowed to roam among the population if they wish and anyone killed by a lion is given a ceremonial burial, the lion is of course banished. Dragons are purely mythical creatures and no-one has claimed to have seen one in over 200 years.

Orcs are a common race in the empire due to them helping in it’s initial formation. Although citizens, most orcs work in the fields or as servants, only half-orcs are given any degree of respect. Elves are very rare, having travelled into the Western Kingdoms at the formation of the empire.

Magic

There are no wizards, bards and only speciality priests in this system, this was chosen to make enemy mages more special and to cut down on the overall level of magic. These are the only restrictions to classes and so all kits can be used (unless they bestow some innate magical ability, similarly some of the traits in Skills and Powers^tm are likewise restricted).

Experience must be developed as 2 columns, one for level advancement and one for buying magic-user spells. The cost for spells is as in table 1.1 below. The maximum number of spells per level and chance to learn are as stated under intelligence (as if the character were a wizard). If a roll to learn a spell is failed the experience points are lost and the character cannot attempt to learn that spell again until they have advanced a level. The number of castable spells is the same as for a wizard of the same level.

Character below 7th level must be taught their spells by a higher level caster, above that level they my teach themselves and perform research. It takes one day per spell level of study to learn a spell, twice that if the information is taken from a scroll or spellbook.

All casting times, verbal, somatic and material components are as specified in the spell description. Spells act as if cast by a wizard of the same level.

Time

The calendar of Kal Tarathorn is divided up into thirteen months, each one named after a known Avatar of the Gods. Each month lasts 28 days and is divided up into 4 Sevendays.

The years travel in thirteen cycles, Dragon, Newt, Leech, Gorgon, Cat, Manticore, Horse, Ogre, Troll, Rat, Minotaur, Crab, Lion. It is currently 1563, year of the Crab.

Endday lasts 26 hours, this is so that each God can be given 2 hours worship. To make up for this the Dawn of Renewal only lasts 22 hours. A normal day lasts 24 hours, and there are seven of these in each of the four weeks. Dependent on region, the days have different names.

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