O: Origami?

I can't really elaborate on this idea enough to make a respectable-sized post out of it (having not actually made use of said idea), but I want to make it anyway ;3

Aside from, well, actual miniatures, I've seen and/or heard of gamers using little pog-like tokens -- with or without pictures on -- paper or cardstock standups, poker chips, coins, aquarium stones, chess pieces, and once G. I. Joes for the purpose of representing characters and critters on a large-scale map.

Why not try using origami for the purpose? Sure, one would have to learn at least a few different shapes; but change up the colour of the paper and write on a label as needed (no different than unmarked poker chips, etc) and you're good to go.

(the shapes don't even have to match up perfectly. a paper crane could be a perfectly serviceable dragon!)

You can even scale the papery beasties appropriately ;3

A to Z April Challenge

(I know I've been MIA for a week or so; I got hit with the flu. Blegh.)

I've basically decided to pick up the A to Z April Blogging Challenge -- you know, the one letter a day, 26 days, Sundays are a break meme. To make it more of a challenge I also decided to do it cold, with no pre-prepped list of topics. I am a brave fool, why yes ;3

I make no guarantee said topics will have gameable material or even be game-related except in my own head. Fair warning ~ *grin*

Magistry

Usually found as small solid pellets of a translucent yellowish-brown or in a thin syrupy tincture stored in a jade -- always jade -- phial, magistry has a potent effect indeed: it may be used to restore spell levels expended during the casting of magic. Each dose (a single pellet or five drops) of this rarest of essence-of-amber will replenish a spell level for a magic-user, though depending on circumstances re-memorization of a suitable spell may be required.

There is a notable hazard to the use of magistry more often than once a day; for each successive dose there is a cumulative 10% chance of instead permanently burning out a spell level. Some insidious branches of the Western Empire force magistry on captive or criminal spellcasters, gradually destroying their capacity for magic.

Magistry is usually found in caches of 2-5 doses.

Scribblings from last night's workshift ...

Egypt Gazetteer

- (very!) brief overview

- class changes
-> alternate thief skills
-> redistribute spell lists
-> change/remove turning
-> "name levels"; patronage, titles

- currency and gear
-> weapons, armour
-> Egyptian versions of adventuring necessities
-> "basic kits"?

- spells
-> typical magic types
-> remove/alter most "blasters"
-> summonings, blessings, cursings

-> wax crocodile
-> parting water
-> teleport other

- critters
-> wolf of Upuaut
-> jackal of Anpu
-> divine ("golden") critters
-> akh
-> demon (generic)
-> demon, arrow of Sekhmet
-> sphinxes, Egyptian
-> constructs (ushabti, etc)
-> demon, tutelary (Aha/Bes)
-> Set-animal
-> "night serpent"
-> ba (dead human)
-> ba (manifestation of deity)
-> the Seven Hathors
-> solar cat
-> iaret

- changes to treasure
-> alter deben to "true" coinage?

- magic items
-> amuletic/glyphic magic

- deities

- cities
-> Khemenu (Hermopolis)
-> Waset (Thebes)
-> Mennefer (Memphis)
-> Iunu (Heliopolis)
-> Per-Bast (Bubastis)
-> Abdju (Abydos)

- ruins/necropoli
-> Great Place (King's Valley)
-> District of Eternity (Saqqara)
-> Nekhen
-> Abdju ...

- Kush and the Nubian kingdoms
-> Punt

- Libya and Syria-Palestine, Crete ...

- "the secrets of the deserts"
-> the West
-> predynastic sites
-> Eastern desert valleys
-> "demons and the dead"

- metaphysics & multiverse
-> sky
-> Duat (Field of Reeds)
-> darkened underworld
-> "God's Land"

A Dozen Dungeon Diversions

Sometimes, you just need a bit of "dungeon dressing" or an oddity to leave your players scratching their heads ...


- A stone statue of a goblin, paper-thin and hollow. If the statue is broken, goblin bones tumble out.

- Seven mushrooms growing from a rotted leather satchel, each one's cap being a different colour of the visible spectrum.

- An intricate set of gears and levers set into a hollowed-out panel in the ceiling or wall. The clockworks move continuously but have no obvious purpose.

- A small, white and friendly kitten with glowing eyes. The kitten will follow the party everywhere; if it is killed, the next night there are two kittens.

- Shattered and freshly bloody chains left in a haphazard pile in an otherwise empty room or corridor.

- A white marble doorframe replacing a normal dungeon door. A hour after the doorframe is passed through, the party's shadows turn white for a day.

- Leaning against a wall, a pyramid made from fourteen dead tarantulas.

- Fifteen knucklebones laid out in the shape of an arrow (perhaps pointing at a secret door, perhaps at nothing at all) on the floor.

- A pool of phosphorescent water seeping in through the dungeon walls. The water is safe to drink (tastes fruity!) and detects as magical, but has no special properties other than its glow.

- A sudden breeze carries the scent of marigolds, scorched metal and blood.

- At head-height, a rusty dagger is thrust into a wall; from the pommel-nut dangles a leather thong strung with teeth and walnut shells.

- Sprawled against a wall, an elven skeleton wearing the tattered remains of a kobold hide as a mantle. The fingerbones appear to have been sharpened.

Another Handful of NPCs

Name: Jenan
Class (or lack thereof): Normal Man (jack-of-all-trades)
Armour and Armour Class: none -- AC 9
Hit Points: 4
Weapon(s): dagger, staff
Belongings of Note: wrapped leather packet of honeycomb, dog and small cart
Alignment: Lawful
Notes: Cheerful, but prone to taking sides in an argument. Third-generation daughter of beekeepers, highly knowledgeable about unusual insects and insectoid creatures.


Name: Rilani
Class (or lack thereof): C1
Armour and Armour Class: chain mail -- AC 5
Hit Points: 5
Weapon(s): sling, mace
Belongings of Note: iron and silver holy symbol, linen formal vestments in grey and golden yellow, wolfsbane
Alignment: Neutral
Notes: Cleric of a martial deity and considers running from a battle dishonourable. Has lost a fellow cleric to lycanthropes while a novitiate and rages over the fact; she gains a +1 to hit against such creatures.


Name: Keskia
Class (or lack thereof): Normal Man (scribe and bookkeeper)
Armour and Armour Class: none -- AC 9
Hit Points: 3
Weapon(s): dagger
Belongings of Note: scribal kit, lacquered bronze seal, needle-daggers concealed in hairpins
Alignment: Lawful
Notes: A stickler for details and the letter of the law – but, if her trust is gained, will also happily point out any available loopholes in local laws that deal with taxes, fees and other such levies of cash. Collector of old manuscripts.


Name: Tajar
Class (or lack thereof): F1
Armour and Armour Class: leather armour -- AC 8
Hit Points: 7
Weapon(s): dagger, shortbow, spear
Belongings of Note: bundle of raw pelts, bone charms and carving tools, set of boar's tusks
Alignment: Chaotic
Notes: Flighty but not violent, save when startled or expecting the local law to come crashing down on poachers. Gets highly agitated when she is in an urban environment for longer than a night or two. Loves baby ducks.

Five Uncommon Metals

When spicing up a treasure hoard, sometimes minor -- if still unusual -- properties of an item's material can be every bit as interesting as a new enchantment, especially if the material is rare and/or valued in and of itself. (Mithral, anyone?)

With that in mind, a few unusual metals for weapons, armour, or odder widgets:

Ignis Cor: A dense, brilliantly cherry-red and slightly translucent metal that -- despite being of no unusual temperature itself -- registers as fire to anything which may react to fire. Useful as a weapon against creatures weak to flames, dangerous when stored with very flammable substances.

Pet'tjeri: Deep bluish black with ultramarine highlights, this metal is shot through with coiling filaments of silver. Often used in protective charms, when alloyed 1:1 with steel the resulting weapon may injure creatures vulnerable to silver or cold iron.

Noctis: A very fragile but beautiful metal found natively only in easily-shattered nodules, best used as wire niello or other forms of inlay or alloyed with gold or silver. Noctis, pure or alloyed, glows softly in a variety of colours, some hues -- such as purple -- being rarer and highly sought after.

Pashken: Dull, almost pewter grey in colour, this metal is strong enough to be made into weaponry but is not recommended for armour. It is riddled through with a strange absorbent quality to its substance; a pashken sword, for example, will absorb as much as a flask of any fluid applied to it. Impact will cause the fluid to be expelled.

Hekai: Very obviously an exotic metal, hekai is as transparent as glass and etched with frosted feathering. If touched to an enchanted object or a magical field or other effect, hekai or an object composed mainly of hekai will flicker with a brief shower of golden sparks on a one-in-six chance.

File Downloads --

It's taken me longer than it should have to get to these; I think this will be reliable, at least in the short term. In any case, here they are:

Final Fantasy Red Box Hack 1.0

Little Treasures

One-Page Dungeon: Chantry of the Earthflame


I know the download site isn't ideal; please bear with me ...

New Theme Week: Magitech

Starting on Saturday night, I do believe it's time for me to get down to work with another theme week!

This time around is magitech; enough clockworks, gears, magiscience and random things to attach to a PC's body to make a party happy -- or disturbed -- for at least a few adventures ;3 I'm aiming for both critters and items, but we'll see how that turns out ~

A Dozen Strange Little Critters

... and maybe a plant or fungus or two, also ;3

These little oddities are mainly for campaign flavour and/or humour. Find a colony in a dungeon, a few invade the party's camp at night, maybe the PCs are actually hired to go gather a certain number (in a suitably hazardous place, of course!) -- anything goes.


1. A mouse with fur of scorched black and bright scarlet. Attracted to sweet foods and alcohol -- and, if startled, bursts into flame.

2. Dense, semi-spherical fungi that bear an uncanny resemblance to tiny human skulls. Rumours whisper that an elixir to feign death can be made from them, but most people consider them cursed.

3. A breed of viper with completely transparent skin and muscle. Its internal organs are pearly and translucent, hard to see, but its skeleton is a dense cinnabar red.

4. Crawfish-like land crustaceans with pale, bluish-white shells and an icy disposition to match. they like to crawl into warm places, and they like to hang on with their pincer-sharp claws ...

5. An invasion of frogs. Chrome-skinned, black eyed, indestructible frogs. No matter what the party does to the little hoppers, they just don't die.

6. Delicate purplish-red violets that will softly press their flowers against skin and draw blood. No hit point damage and no pain, but a frightening bloody welt when the flower lifts away.

7. Opalescent, jelly-like slime mold. Spreads fast -- including over objects and sleeping adventurers -- and periodically sends up rafts of golden spore capsules. Contact numbs skin.

8. Sleek brown and white mottled rats with tool-using capability -- and a stench like troglodytes swimming in an open sewer. Occasionally, giant ones.

9. Teleporting, metal-chewing ferrets with fur of dark grey mixed with blue. The bane of dwarves everywhere, to say nothing of loot-hoarding adventurers.

10. Bright emerald green, two-foot-long earthworms that burrow through stone with the same ease as through earth. (Alternately, neon orange.)

11. Grey and black mussels that can leap from the water, open up and flutter away like small birds. The mussels will clamp onto any surface that impedes their flight.

12. Golden-coloured centipedes that periodically hibernate; curled up and legs tucked close, they look uncannily like sculpted gold finger-rings.

A Shout-Out and Heads-Up

Tis the halfway-point for submissions for the Halloween One-Shot Adventure Contest over on Tankards and Broadswords. Get those creative juices flowing, everyone!


And yes, Badelaire, ye may expect my own submission this evening or within decent hours of it, once I locate the bloody file so I can send it ;3

A Handful of NPCs

A few possible hirelings, retainers, or just odd folks for your low-level PC party to deal with -- and just the basics, so as to make tailoring the details all the simpler ...


Name: Bay
Class (or lack thereof): Normal Man (porter)
Armour and Armour Class: none -- AC 9
Hit Points: 4
Weapon(s): reinforced carry-pole (treat as staff)
Belongings of Note: lock of curly hair tied with red ribbon; pouch of various herbs
Alignment: Neutral
Notes: Methodical, diligent, and a little nosy. Will try to defend weakened PCs, especially if PC is young (lost a child in the recent past). Will work for half-pay if hired for an expedition against goblins. +1 to hit and damage rolls.


Name: Sevar
Class (or lack thereof): F1
Armour and Armour Class: chain mail -- AC 5
Hit Points: 7
Weapon(s): dagger, sword, shortbow
Belongings of Note: silver signet ring, horse
Alignment: Neutral
Notes: Aloof. Brittle-tempered, but quickly appreciates good leadership. Youngest son of a minor (and prolific) noble, expensive to hire but can make good commendations later.


Name: Myrnn
Class (or lack thereof): Normal Man (porter and mule tender)
Armour and Armour Class: none -- AC 9
Hit Points: 5
Weapon(s): dagger, handaxe
Belongings of Note: serpentine sacrificial knife (concealed)
Alignment: Chaotic
Notes: Quiet, deferential, and exceptionally attentive to the needs of his charges. Secretly a member of a chaotic nature-cult and will attack a sleeping (or otherwise vulnerable) PC if the opportunity presents itself.


Name: Rinan
Class (or lack thereof): MU1 (acting as lantern boy)
Armour and Armour Class: none -- AC 9
Hit Points: 3
Weapon(s): dagger
Belongings of Note: lantern staff, concealed leather packet with folded spellbook pages (read magic, magic missile)
Alignment: Lawful
Notes: Curious, chatty, but secretive. Nervous, having fled master, and trying to conceal magical ability -- but may reveal himself if party is in dire straits.

A Few Bits of Hedge Magic

Tinker's Cloth: Whether an unassuming leather wipe-cloth or a handkerchief of mottled colours, this small cloth, when wiped or rubbed vigorously on an object, will mend small imperfections and breaks, smooth out scuffs, and generally enact minor repairs. The number of times a tinker's cloth will work is variable.

Undead Ward: A mixture of salt and powered roses, usually kept in small stoneware jars or packets of waxed parchment. When strewn across a threshold, the mixture will force any undead creature attempting to cross said threshold to make a save vs. spell or be unable to do so. The ward, unless renewed, holds for one night.

Moon Charm: Also called -- predictably -- a werecharm, this small object is most commonly a small ornament of silver or silvered copper containing a few small bits of preserved aconite and wormwood. If one wearing a moon charm contracts lycanthropy, there is a 40% chance that the curse will not take. The charm then tarnishes, its enchantment spent.

Soupstone: Despite being an almost-alarming blue-green and shimmering like a peacock's plume, when submerged in heated water a soupstone will be consumed and transforms the water into enough broth to sustain four individuals for a meal. The larger the soupstone, the greater the number of people -- or the stone may be fished out to be used again.

Alicorn Balm: Sometimes a thin syrupy liquid to be drunk, but more commonly an ointment whose pearled ivory colour does indeed suggest that which graces a unicorn's brow, alicorn balm will heal a single hit point per injury per application. The balm is stored in small wooden boxes lined with wax.

Sundrop: Not true amber, despite its appearance, nor from the sun, a sundrop nonetheless shares the sun's warmth. Once rubbed vigorously this palm-sized mass of golden resin warms rapidly and -- wrapped in a cloth, most likely -- may be tucked within clothing or bedclothes to stave off the cold. A sundrop retains its warming properties for two to eight hours.

More Little Treasures

As soon as I think of a viable alternative to Orbitfiles, I shall expand this list and post another download link --


1. A heavy lacy ruff, woven of filaments from a phoenix's plumes

2. A puzzle-ring of gold and black iron composed of four intertwining serpents

3. A palm-sized ivory coffer, filled with undyed silk floss; at the centre of the floss is nestled a starpearl nearly an inch in diameter

4. Twenty blue squirrel pelts, trimmed with white velvet tassels and silver thread.

5. A pair of elbow-length gloves of cloth-of-gold, tapestry woven and embriodered in scarlet with a pattern of scales

6. An assassin's claw-ring in silver and frosted steel, the claw resembling an eagle's talon

7. A crudely made and sealed pottery amphora, 1 1/2' tall; it contains 13 finger-sized bars of silver, a handful of twisted coils of gold, and a tiny golden statuette of a vulture-headed human

8. A ceremonial shield, wooden and faced with white-and-black blotched oxhide; the edges of the shield are trimmed in gold and copper, and a central golden boss rests in a panel of green dragonhide

9. A pair of skewer-like hairpins of pearly steel tipped with seed-pearl tassels; sharpened, they may function as needle-sharp daggers

10. Three worn volumes of ancient Mafdet desert-cat poetry, bound in serpentskin with touches of gilding

11. A nose-ring of electrum, mounted with a central jewel of blue jade and granulated gold

12. A double-edged, finely balanced dagger of pale steel; the central rib of the blade is a thin glowing vein of cinnabar, and the grip of plaited silver wire

13. A thick-walled, heavy basin or crucible of obsidian, its walls carved with standing feathers in high relief; the interior holds a bloodstain, as if from three hearts

14. A snugly-fitting cap of tiny sapphire beads, with brow-band of silver

15. An ornate robe composed of countless brilliant butterfly wings

16. A necklace or girdle of six twisted ropes of pink seed pearls, the strands periodically broken by beads of gold and red coral shaped like fangs

17. A black iron ring, heavy and rounded of surface, and bearing a signet of entwined briars picked out in garnet and fine gold wire

18. A smooth teardrop-shaped pendant of white-flecked green jade; secretly a locket, if pressure is applied in the right places it reveals a hollow filled with ashes and tiny bone fragments

19. Four copper torcs with brightly enamelled bosses at their terminals, wrapped in a courier's packet of tough red leather

20. A statuette in fire agate and rough garnet depicting a red dragon diving through waves of flame

21. Six delicate golden vials chased with arabesques and capped with crystal, each containing an ounce of rare musk

22. A slim silver diadem, its brow-point ornamented with an aquamarine flanked by two black pearls

23. A cavalry sabre from the Glittering Sands; of watered steel and etched with stylized wind-scrolls, it is hilted in cloisonne-work of lapis and jade and sheathed in a bronzewood scabbard edged with lion-fur tassels

24. Five oval cabochons of rose quartz, tucked within a small pouch of thich brownish-black wool

25. A full set of acupuncturist's needles and blades in black iron mounted in rosewood, stored in a rosewood case inlaid with carefully-proportioned glass glyphs of red and gold

Five Precious Gems

Tjerrnet: An opaque-to-translucent stone resembling lapis lazuli at first blush, tjerrnet varies from a deep ultramarine to brilliant azure. Unlike lapis lazuli, however, tjerrnet glitters like the stars -- and when exposed to sunlight, flashes with silvery points of light.

Cuilka: Also known as executioner's jade, cuilka is a massive stone of a particularly piercing green shot through with lacy veins of scarlet. It is highly valued by magic-users, who make use of the droplets of "jade blood" it releases in mageries.

Seilan: The pearl of a rare freshwater mussel, the seilan is small, a perfect blue, and displays a phantom flame-like sheen in its nacre. It is perfectly smooth and appears to be always wet. Seilan are valued as pairs, if one can find matching pearls, though the Wandering Kingdoms consider seilan to be cursed.

Peacock Stone: Only found as layers in geodes of amethyst, peacock stones are "fibres" of shimmering golden-green or metallic blue that may be -- stone that they are -- braided or twisted into longer and heavier shapes and used in jeweled lace. The most talented of artisans are said to be capable of spinning peacock stone into actual cloth.

Desheri: Brilliant blood-red to ruby-black, smooth and translucent, desheri are naturally found in the shapes of teardrops or bestial claws, from the size of a pinhead to that of a man's thumb. Desheri are warm to the touch -- sometimes almost a burning heat -- and are considered precious talisman by the South. One of the most famous desheri is Kaira's Burning Claw.

Arcanist's Adamant

An odd species of crystal, seldom found in clusters of more than three -- and most frequently as single specimens -- arcanist's adamant is composed of two distinct parts.

The outer shell of a crystal of arcanist's adamant is composed of the glittering, microfaceted "diamond" that gives the stone its name. This shell is surprisingly variable, ranging in shape from a near-perfect sphere to an almost comma-like configuration, and varies in size from the thumb's last joint to the heft of a clementine or small tangerine. Unlike true diamond, arcanist's adamant may be broken open readily when stress is applied to the proper angles.

However, it is the interior of the crystal which is of interest to spell users of all kinds. The central core contains a strangely soft, malleable orange-gold crystalline substance -- like viscous amber -- and this amber jelly gathers magical power which may be tapped by a spellcaster.

An arcanist's adamant will offer a number of spell levels per week based on its size, with the smallest strong enough to power a single first level spell and the greatest surrendering as many as five or more spell levels. An adamant may be broken open to grant twice (or even more) as much energy, but doing so forever destroys the crystal (though its remains may be otherwise useful).


Rumours circulate of adamants whose cores contain a crystal jelly as deep red as cinnabar and heart's-blood. These crystals supposedly offer twice the available power and a -1 to the saving throws of the spell's victims,, but require the sacrifice of hit points equal to the power of the spell being cast.

On Drakes

From the field notes of Salan Kir'ith:

"Of interest to all those worthies who call themselves Naturalists are the Drakes, or Dragon-Serpents. These draconic beasts reveal themselves as akin to the Wyvern and Lindwurm in their natures, and yet a greater step again from the purity that is Dragon; of their own peculiarities there are many, and worthy of comment.

"In stance the Drake resembles the common Wyvern, being of two limbs and two wings. The gape is wide, and filled with a multitude of perilous fangs; and much as the Wyvern, the Drake is no match for the Dragon in intellect. But in the detail lies the great differences.

"For the Drake bears no venomous Barb in its long and coiling tail, though some of the kinds be venomous in nature. Its limbs resemble more the Pounces of a Falcon or Fish-Eagle, with great curving talons and a fringe of feathers; likewise the Wings are broad and feathered, as unlike to those of a Dragon as to those of a Dragon-fly, though the remainder of its form be cloaked in close-lying, patterned Scales. The colours of Drakes are varied, both by individual and by breed, from the white of Adamant to the near-black of storm clouds.

"In the head of the Drake are still other singularities. In conformation the skull of a Drake is much like a meeting of Dragon and Wolf; in a like manner the head bears two tufted and expressive Ears as those of a canine or Deer, where draconian horns would rightfully rest.

"In disposition do some breeds of Drake resemble the Canine tribe also, being amenable to breaking to the leash, at it were; it is perhaps a great fortune that the greatest of Drakes, the Wind-Drake or Gareth's Drake, possesses the greatest potential. Indeed, these Drakes of the Wind are tamed to bear a human rider in the rarified kingdoms of the North and so take the place of Horses.

Of the lesser Drakes, the Cerastes is known to be used as a guardian of noble fortunes, and the Least Drake a companion and hunting-kite for the Northman as the southerner may course Hawks."

Twenty Trivial Trinkets

Every once in a while, a goblin or orc or bandit carries some small object that's just a little, well, odd. Not always valuable (or understandable; just how did a goblin get some of these things anyway?), these little trinkets may provoke a moment's curiosity or add a bit of flavour to the tiniest of treasure hoards ...

01. An assortment of crushed and pungent herbs packed into a perforated tin sphere the size of a large walnut

02. Three dessicated honey-glazed frogs, one half-eaten

03. Four silver coins, pierced and strung on a rawhide cord alternated with five polished claws

04. A crumpled wad of leather on which is written a love letter to an orcish warlord in perfect courtly language

05. Three slender golden bangles, each hung with a single fingerbone

06. A small bottle of waxed wood (contains 1 - poison, 2 - elven spirits, 3 - blood, 4 - quicksilver)

07. A copper coin whose edge has been honed razor-sharp (watch your fingers, thieves!)

08. A lucky elf ear

09. 1-6 polished and red-etched knucklebones, used for gambling

10. A tiny ivory carving of a curled-up lizard; every time it is looked at, the posture seems to have changed slightly

11. Five obsidian arrowheads tied around their tangs with red rawhide

12. A bone comb etched with geometrical designs

13. Four large seeds kept in a twist of coarse wool coated in wax

14. A small glass flask containing a tiny (1 hp) jelly

15. Bark-paper broadsheet proclaiming a volunteer drive for the next hobgoblin horde

16. 1-6 pieces from an agate chess set

17. An assortment of small bone boxes containing cheek rouge, kohl, etc etc ...

18. A string of roughly shaped, small freshwater pearls

19. A silver holy symbol from a Lawful church, carefully wrapped up in leather

20. A curved horn knife, still stained with blood and bits of silvery feathers

On the Fire-Bird

From the field notes of Salan Kir'ith:

"Of the Fire-Bird, or Fire-Rukh, there are a great many things of which I may speak. The Plumage of the Bird is well-known to the meanest of naturalist and scholar, being of the ruby red of Flame and dagged like the fire's tongues; indeed, such plumes glow and warm with their own inner Fires. These ornaments are valued highly by those who may place such claim to them, being of a great size and beauty; there are those who would make Raiment of them, and others Armour, or a Magery of Fire.

"Such is the desire for beauty that there are those that would dare the Fire-Rukh's brazen Talons and burning Bill, sharp as swords. For the Bird is great in size as the Dragon is mighty, and may bear away the greatest of beasts in its claws; to char to ashes in the burning Fires of its body.

"There are those scholars which contend that the Fire-Bird is as the same as the Phoinix. It is my contention that such fools are ignorant; there is as nothing known of the Phoinix related to the Fire-Bird, save for the touch of fire. There is found nothing of the Phoinix's purples and gold in the raiment of the Fire-Rukh; nor does the Fire-Rukh craft its egg of myrrh and spice, intending an immolation. Indeed the egg of the Bird is of a singular sort, gleaming like an Ember, and scorches the stone of its cradle.

"That Egg, being singular in nature, bears a great Secret. If the egg of the Bird is spirited from the stone, or expressed before time from the body (a gambit favoured by a Fire-Rukh in travail, to use as a destruction of flame), and is thrust intact into a body of cool Waters, the shell crumbles to a powder of ashes. Within these ashes and the Body of the Egg, with fortune, lies a great pearly Jewel, as if of Moonstone, of the greatness of a grown man's head and washed about with ghostly Fire. Such Rukh-Seeds may be of the most powerful of Mageries."

A Score of Sundry Rings

[Tucked in a dim and lightless dungeon, a small casket of aloeswood is opened -- and handfuls of rings tumble free. Magical? Cursed? Or simply small objects of wonder ...?]


1. A broad ivory band etched with hundreds of tiny runes picked out in cinnabar

2. Two “ropes” of silver and gold wire, twisted together and tied into a square knot; the silver rope tipped in gold, the gold in silver

3. A heavy signet carved from a single piece of carnelian, its bezel etched with the device of a long-extinct noble line – a crane with a rose in its beak

4. A braided band of hair from a dragon's mane, bound with thin black iron rings

5. A plain gold band inlaid with twinned clusters of grapes, mosaic style, of amethyst and green tourmaline

6. A thin and flickering “band” of brilliant scarlet flame, magically bound together; pleasantly warm, it does not actually burn

7. Two conjoined rings of electrum, meant to be worn on adjacent fingers; atop the join is set a cluster of dog's-tooth pearls in the shape of a rosette

8. A smooth, weighty band of highly polished black iron; the inside surfaced is etched in silver with arcane runes that read “Yours Ever”

9. A smooth, iridescent naga's scale, shaped and bent into the form of a ring and trimmed with delicate gold wire

10. A band of tortoiseshell, inlaid in electrum with a repeating and esoteric symbol resembling a predator's fang

11. A ring of smooth-polished bloodwood, unadorned; a tiny hidden compartment contains three seeds

12. Three golden rings – one for each joint of the finger – linked by delicate golden chains; the least ring is mounted with a long, curved spur or claw of white coral that arcs over the fingertip

13. Endlessly-looping miniscule clockworks of brass and crystal, held in a frame of mirror-bright steel

14. Twenty round beads of emerald and sapphire, threaded on a heavy golden wire

15. Seven motes of brilliantly-coloured light orbiting in a tiny circle

16. A malachite serpent with tiny golden eyes, biting its own golden-plumed tail

17. A tiny, perfect, and ever-living rose vine, its blossoms deep velvety black

18. A pair of intertwined bands of greenstone, cradling a sphere of transparent golden amber

19. A circlet of fresh blood, held intact within a magical field

20. A plain silver band, cool to the touch and perpetually coated in frost