TEXT: “This game references the Savage 
  Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. 
  Savage Worlds and all associated logos and 
  trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Enterta-
  inment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle 
  makes no representation or warranty as to the 
  quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of 
  this product.”
  Heroes of the 
  Dominions
  Heroes and their awesome stories for 
  Beasts & Barbarians Steel Edition
  By Umberto Pignatelli
  Editing: Andy Slack, 
  Art: Ania Jarmołowska, Magdalena 
  Minko, Radosław Jaszczuk. 
  What are the Dominions without a 
  band of heroes?
  In this booklet you’ll find ten 
  pre-generated characters for Beasts & 
  Barbarians Steel Edition, each of them 
  ready-to-play and lavishly illustrated.
  But, there’s more: each hero has a 
  Plot Hook and a special Reward, for 
  the Game Master’s eyes only, to create a 
  Character Tale and to help the group tell 
  a real hero-focused story!
  So what are you waiting for?
  Gird your sword and prepare to 
  crush the thrones of the Dominions under 
  your sandaled feet!
  So, grab your sword, and get ready 
  for adventure!
  
  Concept: Beggar Monk.
  Culture: Lhobanese.
  This character is Literate.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Enlightenment d8, Healing d6, Knowledge (Religion) d6, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d6, Survival d4.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Enlightenment), Martial Artist, Monk (Militant), 
  New Power.
  Hindrances: One Arm, Habit (Drinking – Minor), Lost the Way (Minor), Po-
  verty.
  Powers [15 PP]: Boost trait (memories of past lives), smite (ghostly arm appe-
  ars in place of the missing one)
  Gear: Metal prayer beads (count as Iron Fists, +1 Dmg unarmed) tattered 
  warrior-monk’s robes (+1), bottle of cheap wine, Lotus concoction of healing 
  (Azure Dust of Relief). 
  Background: One Arm had a name, a long time ago, but it isn’t important 
  anymore. He was one of the most promising students in a monastery in 
  eastern Lhoban. When the head of the monastery assigned him as Che-
  la to the famous Lo Sai, a feared demon huntress, One Arm’s heart 
  leapt. Finally, his skills would really be tested.
  What One Arm didn’t know, was that Lo Sai was on her way to 
  the dreaded city of Collana, in Ekul, where the monks keep at bay the 
  terrible entities unleashed by the Valk during the war.
  Lo Sai took up residence on a pillar just outside the city, and 
  kept staring toward the city, exerting the power of her spirit to keep 
  the demons locked inside. One Arm’s task was to provide for her 
  needs: finding water and food, and sleeping at the base of the pillar 
  during the terrible nights when the demons tried to break out of Colla-
  na, blocked only by the sheer will of the monks. But that was a very hard 
  task: one night, a scaly creature vomited from some hell managed to break 
  through the barrier and went to Lo Sai’s pillar, where she was lying uncon-
  scious from fatigue. 
  One Arm tried to defend his mistress, but the scaly demon ripped 
  his arm away and threw him aside, like a broken doll. Then darkness mer-
  cifully fell upon One Arm. When he woke up, in a misty dawn, his mi-
  stress’ body lay near him, destroyed and desecrated in every possible way. 
  That day something broke in the young Chela’s soul, an injury even worse 
  than his mutilation. Fear? Desperation? Or simply acceptance that mankind 
  can’t oppose the evil which comes from other worlds? One Arm left his bro-
  therhood and renounced his name, becoming nothing more than a wandering 
  beggar of the Dominions, his only consolation the bottle of spirits at his side.
  But there is an ancient saying in Lhoban: “A man is only lost until he finds 
  himself.”
  Only time will show if that is true.
  ONE ARM
  
  Concept: Former Corsair and Poet.
  Culture: Caldeian.
  This character is Literate.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Boating d6, Climbing d4, Fighting d10, Knowledge (Legends and Lore) 
  d8, Notice d6, Swimming d4, Taunt d6.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6(1)
  Edges: Corsair Fencer, Counterattack, Poet, Quick
  Hindrances: Carouser, Overconfident, Sharp-Tongued
  Gear: Iron long sword (Str+d8), bronze dagger (Str+d4, Range: 3/6/12), light 
  leather armor (+1), book of poetry, 200 Moons. 
  Background: Vandero is the minor son of an important Caldeian noble. A rec-
  kless soul and a lashing tongue since his youth, his father had him enlisted in 
  the Corsairs to instill some discipline in him, taking him away from his beloved 
  books of poetry and from the intrigues of the capital.
  Enlisted with him was his childhood friend Aros, his 
  constant companion in mischief.
  Unsurprisingly, Vandero didn’t cope well with 
  the discipline of the Corsairs, and only the importance 
  of his family and his skill with the blade allowed him to 
  keep a place in the crew of the Dusk Hammer.
  Vandero’s fellow Corsairs didn’t really understand the 
  tall fellow who loved to read books of poetry in his spare time and 
  had a tongue as sharp as his blade: he made a lot of enemies and no 
  friends. He survived his first months in the Corsairs only thanks to 
  Aros watching his back.
  The Dusk Hammer’s captain, Tovar Kask, didn’t like Vandero at 
  all, and put him in charge of the ship’s boarders, secretly hoping he would 
  be killed.
  But that didn’t happen and a silent, reciprocal hate grew between the two.
  It was with the boarding of the Kalatryia, a Faberterran ship, that things 
  changed forever: aboard, among rich silks and gold statues, Vandero found Va-
  leria, a princess destined for a foreign marriage.
  Vandero had known many women in his life, but when his eyes met Vale-
  ria’s, well… he was lost.
  But someone saw what passed in Vandero’s heart: Captain To-
  var. With a display of malignity, he took the girl as his share of 
  the loot, and nobody could contest it.
  Vandero’s heart crumpled, that night, hearing the girl 
  crying in Tovar’s cabin.
  The night after that the Dusk Hammer passed near Hillias’ 
  coast, and Vandero enacted a desperate plan: he sneaked into To-
  var’s cabin, freed Valeria and headed for the bridge, where Aros was 
  waiting for them with a boat.
  But Tovar Kask and the rest of the crew were waiting for them: 
  it was a trap.
  “Today, even your father’s name could not save you, traitor!” he swo-
  re, and unsheathed his iron.
  Blades flashed and blood was spilled before Vandero and Valeria managed 
  to reach the boat, but Aros took a sword in the heart meant for Vandero, and died 
  on the deck, while Tovar Kask laughed evilly.
  With a snake-like strike, Vandero slashed away his former captain’s eye 
  and prepared to kill him.
  Nobody knows how that duel would have ended, because at that mo-
  ment, the ropes holding the boat broke free and the vessel fell into the sea, 
  with Vandero and Valeria aboard.
  The current carried them away while on the deck of the Kalatryia Tovar 
  Kask shouted: “Vandero, hear my words! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, dog!”
  Vandero is alone now: Valeria died of a fever six months after he saved her, 
  and those days, although bittersweet because of the constant memory of Aros’s 
  demise, were the best ones of Vandero’s life.
  VANDERO
  
   CROW
  Concept: Vision-Seeking Barbarian.
  Culture: Cairnlander.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Riding d6, Ste-
  alth d6, Survival d4, Tracking d4.
  Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Edges: Brawny, Loincloth Hero, Mighty Roar.
  Hindrances: Clueless, Delusional (hears and sees the Black Auroch), Outsi-
  der.
  Gear: Bone great axe (Str+d10, 2 hands, -1 Parry, AP 1), loincloth, fur cloak, 
  Ancestor amulet (necklace of teeth). 
  Background: Crow is a mighty, close-mouthed barbarian of the Cairnlands. 
  Gray of skin and with long black hair (“like the wings of a crow”, hence his 
  name). Some months ago Crow was kicked in the head by a black auroch during 
  a hunt among old Cairns, and hovered on death’s door for several days. 
  When he woke up, he wasn’t the same man. He started hearing strange 
  voices, belonging to the Ancestors, which told him to leave his land, and travel 
  south looking for the Black Auroch, which will reveal his fate.
  Crow picked up his axe, kissed his wife and his two young children 
  and, painting his face with white chalk made from the bones of his fore-
  fathers, left his land, moving south.
  He has seen many strange things, some of them in the Domi-
  nions and others only in his mind.
  The Black Auroch haunts his dreams night after night, and 
  sometimes it even speaks to him.
  “I am here,” the mighty beast says.
  “Who are you?” Crow asks him, in his dreams.
  “I am your fate,” the animal answers.
  
   JITARA THE CAT 
  Concept: Acrobat Thief
  Culture: Jalizaran.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d6+2, Fighting d6, Lockpicking d6+2, Notice d6, Repair 
  d8+2, Stealth d8+2, Streetwise d4, Throwing d8.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Edges: Acrobat, Cloak Heroine, Still Got One, Thief.
  Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), Loyal, Overconfident.
  Gear: Jalizaran hooded cloak full of blades (+1 Parry, +2 Toughness vs Ranged 
  attacks, can do tricks in a Small Burst Template), custom made blades (Dama-
  ge: Str+d4+1, AP 1, Range: 5/10/20 – see Still Got One Edge), light leather 
  armor (+1), lockpicks, silk rope, tiger’s claws (+2 to climbing rolls).
  Background: Jitara is an orphan, born and raised in the back alleys of Jalizar. 
  It’s a tough life, one that only a street rat can survive. 
  Not for nothing was Jitara called „the cat”: a skilled, self-taught, acrobat, 
  Jitara quickly learned her way around the rooftops, where she could catch fat 
  pigeons, which she deftly killed and ate raw.
  Then, one night, the roof upon which Jitara was walking collapsed, and 
  the girl fell down into a dusty attic, full of ancient paraphernalia. She co-
  ughed, while the dust settled.
  „Who enters my house?” a voice asked.
  The person speaking was a man, very old, sitting on a chair.
  Jitara leapt up and tried to escape, but the man deftly tripped 
  her with the tip of his foot, without even standing. He grabbed Jita-
  ra with a fast and strong, but delicate, hand.
  „A little, scrawny cat, you are; but an agile one,” he said, 
  touching Jitara’s face with his fingers. The girl understood 
  the old man was blind. 
  This was how Jitara met Sweetfingers. The man, 
  once one of the best thieves of Jalizar, took her under 
  his protection, maybe to further some interest, maybe 
  just to soothe his solitude, and started teaching Jita-
  ra the ways of real thieves. Under his tutelage, the 
  girl became one of the best thieves of Jalizar, a 
  so-called Whitemouse - a burglar who is a mem-
  ber of no Guild. 
  Jitara sneaked into many rich houses, 
  plundering many strongboxes belonging to 
  rich merchants; she was the hands and eyes 
  of Sweetfingers’ shrewd mind.
  Then, one night, when returning to 
  her master’s hideout, he noticed he was sit-
  ting still on his chair. Too still. A thin stiletto 
  stuck from his chest. Probably the same blade 
  used to carve on his forehead a crude symbol in 
  Thieves’ Signs: Whitemouse.
  Jitara knew she had to escape, but she 
  remained there, still and weeping, for a 
  while.
  Then, with a swirl of her 
  cloak, she left.
  
   KALATOR KAAL 
  Concept: Mysterious Sorcerer.
  Culture: Tricarnian.
  This character is Literate.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Healing d8, Knowledge (Arcana) d8, Notice d6, Persu-
  asion d6, Riding d4, Stealth d4, Sorcery d10.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Alertness, Arcane Background (Sorcery), Power Points (x2), Relic.
  Hindrances: Cautious, Enemy (Major), Quirk (loves keeping mysteries – 
  Minor).
  Powers [20 PP]: Bolt (sparks of green light from the Eye), confusion 
  (dazzling light from the Eye), deflection (I am not here!)
  Gear: Sacrificial bronze dagger (Str+d4, AP 1, concealed in the vest 
  sleeve), gray hooded vest, Eye of Son Rah (relic), Lotus concoction of 
  slumber (Gray Lotus of Dreamless Sleep).
  Eye of Son Rah: A green gem, flickering of green light. It grants Kala-
  tor +1 to Sorcery, Knowledge Arcana and Spirit rolls. 
  Background:  Imagine serving a man, a powerful sorce-
  rer, Tuthra Vaan, faithfully, for dozens of years. Being 
  his servant, his most trusted disciple, but always and 
  indubitably his slave, always trying to get some 
  knowledge and some consideration from him, 
  and receiving only cruelty and pain, because 
  this is the way of Tricarnia.
  Then, a night, while your master 
  is sleeping the deep slumber caused 
  by the lotus, you notice he left his 
  iron box, where he keeps his most 
  precious treasures, open. And you 
  see, shimmering inside, the gem 
  called the Eye of Son Rah, a source 
  of mysterious power, staring at you.
  You hesitate, but only for a 
  heartbeat. The gem is yours now; you 
  feel its arcane, alien strength pulsa-
  ting in your hands like a second heart.
  Then, before leaving, you take 
  the dagger and raise it above your hel-
  pless master’s head. One blow. A single 
  blow will end your servitude forever, his 
  blood washing away years of humilia-
  tion. But for some reason, you lower the 
  blade, and slip away without striking.
  This is the story of Kalator Kaal, 
  and how, in one night, he took one good 
  and one bad decision. Which was which? 
  That is for you to decide.
  Today Kalator Kaal is a man on the 
  run, the agents of Tuthra Vaan never far 
  away: he often regrets not killing his master 
  when he had the chance, but there is no point 
  crying over split milk.
  
   MASTER ARABEO 
  Concept: Adventurous Sage and Treasure Hunter.
  Culture: Syranthian.
  This character is Literate.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Investigation d8, Knowledge (History) d8, Notice d6, Per-
  suasion d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Edges: Luck, Jack of All Trades, Quick, Scholar, Sage
  Hindrances: Big Mouth, Curious, Enemy (Rutharo)
  Gear: Bronze short sword (Str+d6), whip (Str+1, Reach 2, +1 Tricks), light 
  leather armor (+1), lockpicks, 100 Moons.
  Background: The sages of Syranthia are said to be mild, bookish types. Well, 
  Master Arabeo is of a different stock. An educated, athletic fellow, Arabeo is 
  devoted to the Great Library but he passes little time in it. He even renounced 
  the typical robes of his order for a more practical adventuring outfit. Arabeo lo-
  ves knowledge like all his peers, but more than books and tomes, his interest 
  lies in ancient treasures and relics of the past, which he incessantly hunts 
  across all the Dominions.
  Mind you, Arabeo isn’t guided by greed: in his opinion the right 
  place for these ancient things is in the Library, where they can be stu-
  died and conserved, so that their history isn’t lost.
  In his explorations of the Dominions Arabeo has made a num-
  ber of enemies: treasure hunters, thieves and the occasional evil 
  cult, from which the good master stole their sacred relics.
  Arabeo has a sworn enemy: Rutharo, a former Sage who 
  left the Library and now works for a powerful Priest Prince in 
  Syranthia, for whom he steals important Keronian treasures.
  Their paths have crossed twice already... and the third 
  time will probably be the last, at least for one of them…
  
  PRINCESS VENDRA 
  Concept: Damsel.
  Culture: Zandorian.
  This character is Literate.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Healing d4, Notice d8, Knowledge (Legends and Lore) 
  d4, Lockpicking d4, Persuasion d10, Riding d4, Swimming d4, Stealth d6.
  Charisma: +3; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Edges: Attractive, Greater Luck, Fallen Noble, Temptress.
  Hindrances: Damsel in Distress, Pacifism (Minor), Wanted.
  Gear: Bikini, cloak, hairpins (count as Lockpicks), Locket of Zand (minor re-
  lic). 
  Locket of Zand: This mysterious amulet grants Princess Vendra (and other 
  persons of the Vendra bloodline) Armor +1 of magical nature and the Dodge 
  Edge.
  Background: Vendra of Zandramor is the last heir of an important noble house 
  of Ekul. Her family’s bloodline is very old, and there are stories that, on her 
  mother’s side, it comes from the mythical city of Zand, in Zandor.
  Vendra grew up pampered and educated, the most precious jewel among 
  her father’s treasures, and never knew a day of hardship in all her life, even if she 
  missed her mother, dead many years ago. 
  Then, on the day of Vendra’s sixteenth birthday, a man came to the pala-
  ce. Romal Sha was his name, and he was a clan chief of the Ekulian Valk, a very 
  rich one. He offered Vendra’s father several herds for Vendra’s hand.
  Not a bad-looking man, and not an inappropriate offer, but something in 
  Romal’s burning eyes made Vendra shiver, and she felt the reptile-eyes of the 
  man on her breasts, where the locket of Zand, the preferred jewel of Vendra and 
  last heirloom of her mother, shimmered.
  So strongly opposed was Vendra to the marriage that her father refused it.
  “I’ll be back,” Romal Sha said, before leaving with his riders.
  Three days passed, then, at night, the palace of Zandramor was woken by 
  the screams of the wounded and the smell of fire.
  “Lord Zandramor!” Romal Sha shouted, breaking into the lord’s hall 
  “Give me your daughter and the jewel on her neck and I’ll let you live!”
  Vendra, terrified, hid behind her father, who stood in front of her, 
  sword unsheathed.
  “Never!” he answered.
  With a snarl, Romal Sha advanced, blade in hand, but nobody 
  knows how that duel would have ended. From behind a column, 
  an archer of Zandramor shot Romal, hitting him in the heart.
  “Fools!” whispered the Valk lord, dying.
  Then, a black shadow, with burning eyes of fire, crept 
  out of his dead body, and rose on high, like a poisonous 
  snake ready to strike.
  “Give me the girl and the jewel!” the demon his-
  sed again.
  Vendra’s father knew everything was lost. 
  “Run,” he whispered to his daughter. “Run, Ven-
  dra. The jewel is the key. Your mother…”
  Then he charged the creature of darkness, 
  his sword passing through it, without effect.
  With a laugh, the thing that was Romal 
  Sha snapped back, his dark claws tearing away 
  Lord Zandramor’s throat.
  “Run…” Vendra’s father whispered 
  again.
  And Vendra ran.
  
  ZHARIMA 
  Concept: Fallen Valkyria.
  Culture: Valk.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Healing d4, Intimidation d4, Knowledge (Religion) d6, 
  Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Tracking d4.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Bikini Heroine, Count the Deaths!, Elan, Frenzy
  Hindrances: Loyal, Stubborn, Vengeful (major)
  Gear: Bronze long sword (Str+d8), bronze dagger (Str+d4, Range: 
  3/6/12), gladiator’s armband (+1 Parry), bronze scale bikini. 
  Background: Zharima was a Valkyria, one of the terrible warrior-priestesses 
  of the Valk. Unlike many of her kind, who dye their hair blonde, Zharima 
  was golden-haired from the day she was born, and this is a powerful omen 
  among the Valk, for the person marked with that sign is a chosen one of 
  Sha-Mekri. But sometimes prophecies are wrong. 
  As the leader of her clan, the Jimaks, when she was asked to join the 
  horde of Deserjaas, Zharima preferred her people to stand alone, raising 
  more than an eyebrow from the Valk leader’s envoy, Mirkana of the Red 
  Witches, and making her own clan grumble. It was only a few days later, 
  during the holy festival of Kumra, when Zharima discovered what had 
  happened; as she did every summer, she sacrificed a mare and called for 
  Jimak, the demon-patron of the clan, but it never came.
  Zharima prayed, swore and cursed, but in the end it was clear 
  she had fallen into disgrace with the demons of Valkheim, and had 
  lost her power. Stripped of every possession and bound to a solita-
  ry tree to die on the plains of Zandor, Zharima saw her clan going 
  away, led by their new Valkyria, her own sister Vakhra.
  But Zharima didn’t die: she survived by biting off the 
  heads of the vultures which came to peck at her eyes and suc-
  king their blood.
  Three days later, the caravan of Jaago, a travelling mer-
  chant of Jalizar, found her, half dead and burning with rage.
  “If she can survive this, she would do well at Pella,” he said.
  Three days later, Jaago sold her to the pen master of the Are-
  na of Pella.
  But Zharima didn’t stay long in the arena, and, now outside, she tries 
  in every way to understand what happened to her and how to recover her po-
  wers and return to her former life.
  
  Bonus 
  characters
  
   SHANGOR 
  THE THUNDERFIST 
  Concept: Barbarian.
  Culture: Northlander.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Riding d6, Ste-
  alth d6, Survival d6, Throwing d6, Tracking d4.
  Charisma: –1; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Edges: Brawny, Brute, Loincloth Hero, Sweep.
  Hindrances: Big Mouth, Heroic, Loyal. 
  Gear:  Bronze battle axe (Str+d8), bronze dagger (Str+d4, Range: 3/6/12), 
  fur loincloth, 25 Moons. 
  Background: Shangor is a barbarian warrior born in the bitter mountains 
  of Northeim. Bold and brave, he left his cold home to seek fortune, fame and 
  beautiful girls in warmer lands. His first contact with civilization was rather 
  unfortunate. In the Borderlands, a devious Tricarnian merchant offered 
  him a cup of wine poisoned with the Lotus of Dreams, and 
  poor Shangor woke up as a slave oarsman on a Tricarnian 
  galley. In the end, he managed to escape, but since then 
  the blond barbarian has had a strong aversion to slavers 
  of all races and types. Shangor is strong, brave and with 
  a laugh like thunder, but when he wields his mighty 
  axe, you must beware, because he 
  fights with reckless abandon. 
  He isn’t very bright, and so-
  metimes his tongue runs fa-
  ster than his mind. But, ex-
  cept for these minor faults, 
  he is a great companion.
  
   ZANDORRA 
  THE BLOOD BRIDE
  Concept: Amazon.
  Culture: Ascaian.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vi-
  gor d6
  Skills: Boating d6, Climbing d4, Fighting d8, Healing d4, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d6, Riding d6, Stealth d4, Taunt d6.
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7 (1) (Amazon); Toughness: 5
  Edges: Amazon, Ambidexterity, Attractive, Bikini Heroine, Two-Fisted. 
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (Amazons’), Overconfident, Stubborn.
  Gear: Twin iron long swords (Str+d8), bronze dagger (Str+d4, Ran-
  ge: 3/6/12), leather bikini. 
  Background: Zandorra is the typical Amazon: proud, competent 
  and bold. She was born in Ascaia, the daughter of a warship captain, 
  and she knew nothing of how women live outside the Holy Island. 
  Zandorra loved both weapons and sails, so she joined the 
  crew of a hawk ship and started the life of a sailor. She travel-
  led to many lands and fought against barbarians and pirates, 
  always side by side with her trusted sisters. 
  One night, in the port of Faberterra, she met a hand-
  some black mariner from the remote south. Amazons 
  aren’t particularly shy, and Zandorra spent the night 
  with him. Nine months later, in the House of Labor in 
  Ascaia she gave birth to a baby boy. Following Ascaian 
  law, the boy was instantly taken away from his mother. 
  Zandorra wept that night, but only a little, then she tried 
  to forget the whole thing. 
  Four years later, Zandorra was back on her ship 
  with her sisters. One day, after conquering a slavers’ 
  galley, the Amazons discovered an unusual cargo below 
  deck: a group of half-starved slave boys and girls.
  The sight of these emaciated children touched 
  something deep in Zandorra’s soul: she yearned to 
  see her son again, to hold him in her arms.
  As soon as her ship returned to Ascaia, she 
  went to the House of Labor and asked the Midwife 
  Sister to tell her where her son was. The Midwife 
  refused and Zandorra threatened her. The situ-
  ation got out of control, Zandorra fought against 
  some city guards and was forced to leave Ascaia 
  as a fugitive. 
  She only knows that her son was given to 
  a merchant of the Independent Cities named 
  Kolash. It isn’t a great lead, but it’s all Zandorra 
  has. She has thrown away her life for her son, 
  and now she’ll find him.
  
  ONE ARM’S CHARACTER 
  TALE
  Plot Hook – The Scaly Lord. Recently, Valk raids in northern 
  Zandor have intensified again. The mounted raiders kill and pillage as 
  always, but this time, strangely, they aren’t led by Valkyria. Their leader 
  is a pale, scrawny man, dressed in a cloak made of human bones, who 
  calls himself Clacker. The bandits are hitting a series of small Lhobanese 
  communities on the Ekul border in particular, carrying off young girls 
  to be sacrificed to the Scaly Lord, their mysterious god. When the party 
  tracks them down (or if they are captured and herded along with the 
  other prisoners), they discover that the base of the raiders is a ruined city, 
  shrouded in a permanent sickly fog, and that the Scaly Lord is the demon 
  which killed One Arm’s master!
  Reward – Finding Faith Again. One Arm’s main quest is finding 
  himself again. This could happen in many ways: helping his friends, 
  defeating the Scaly Lord (see above), overcoming his dependence on the 
  bottle. When all of these have happened, One Arm has found his faith 
  again. In game terms, he loses his Lost the Way and Habit Hindrances, 
  he raises his Spirit by one die type and gains the Brave Edge, because 
  nothing can scare a man who has found his true self.
  VANDERO’S CHARACTER 
  TALE
  Plot Hook – The Island of Melancholy. Vandero is hired, for his 
  skills as a poet, to raise the spirits of a young girl, Yvannah, the daughter 
  of a Borderlands lord who recently lost her betrothed, Terian, killed 
  during a Caled ambush some weeks ago. Since that day she refuses to 
  eat, she only sleeps and always dreams of her lost love, lying chained on 
  some gloomy island. Vandero’s poetry cannot free Yvannah from her 
  nightmare, because it isn’t entirely a dream. Terian’s soul was captured 
  before he died by the Howler, a malicious spirit dwelling in the Dream 
  Kingdom, an alternate dimension whence dreams come, and who is 
  using it to lure Yvannah’s spirit inside. The only way to save Yvannah 
  is by concocting a potion which allows the heroes to follow her to the 
  dream island where Terian is held, and confront the Howler, which is 
  particularly vulnerable to the power of poetry and riddles...
  Reward – Vandero’s Ballad. The swordsman-poet has for many 
  years been composing a ballad, a special story about his life, including 
  the death of his friend Aros, his love for Valeria, and the many stories he 
  has heard in his life. When this is complete, it will be his masterpiece. 
  In game terms, at the end of each scenario, Vandero’s player can make 
  a Smarts (-4) roll, to simulate Vandero’s creative efforts. For each 
  success and raise, he gains two Ballad Tokens. When he achieves ten 
  Ballad Tokens, Vandero’s ballad is done, and he permanently gains +2 
  Charisma, the Luck Edge and a free die step in Persuasion (ignoring the 
  Rapier Wit Hindrance). To encourage role-play, if the player writes a 
  quatrain (a stanza of poetry) he gains from +0 to +4 to the roll.
  CROW’S CHARACTER 
  TALE
  Plot Hook – The Moon of the Black Bull. There is a tale, in the 
  current land, of a city called Ketu-Ra, where the worship of Ketu, the 
  Bull God of the far south, is practiced.
  Ketu-Ra is an island of fertility in a barren, desert land. Nothing 
  grows around the city, which dominates the region from a tall hill and 
  whose soldiers, bearing the symbol of the Bull, enslave the nearby 
  villages. In truth, there is a dark secret behind Ketu-Ra’s prosperity. It 
  is built on an ancient Cairn, and twenty years ago, Teron, eldest son of 
  the King, crept inside it and discovered a strange cup, made from the 
  skull of a wild bull auroch and filled with a red substance. Puzzled, the 
  boy drank the liquid, and his body suffered a horrible transformation, 
  becoming a creature half-man and half-bull, the very embodiment of 
  Ketu. In the same moment, another marvelous thing happened: the land 
  around Ketu-Ra, which had been barren for years, was blessed by rain, 
  and slowly began to be fertile again. 
  Teron’s father, Ethor, king of the city, bowed in front of the 
  creature that had been his son, and ordered that every year, in the 
  Moon of the Black Bull, a girl chosen at random must be sent into the 
  Cairn where the creature dwells, to satiate his lust and hunger, and so 
  maintain the pact by which the land around Ketu-Ra prospers. But there 
  is a prophecy that one day a man, a slayer, will come to end this reign 
  of terror.
  Reward – Getting Rid of the Black Auroch. The Black Auroch 
  is the embodiment of something, probably a prophecy of some sort. 
  Ideally, it represents his destiny as the slayer of Teron (see above), 
  but the GM may decide the task is far more complex, and the Black 
  Auroch must be metaphorically „killed” many times before Crow gets 
  rid of it. When that happens, Crows automatically loses his Delusional 
  Hindrance and raises his Spirit and Smarts by one die step each.
  JITARA’S CHARACTER 
  TALE
  Plot Hook – The Game of Irakor. Irakor and his sister Rakiria 
  are two very bored Tricarnian Priest Princes, respectively a sorcerer and 
  a Lotusmaster of some skill. They are rich, very rich, even if their family 
  mansion is falling apart; this doesn’t bother them. Their real passion is 
  gambling, and no bet is more entertaining for them than gambling with 
  human life.
  For this reason, under their palace they built a complex labyrinth, 
  full of traps and devious monsters. Usually, they throw two people in 
  different parts of the labyrinth, and drug one of them with the Lotus 
  of Madness, a powerful concoction which causes blind bloodlust in 
  the imbiber. This is the Hunter, usually armed with a sharp axe. Not 
  far from him is the other person, the Prey, who is unarmed but in full 
  possession of his wits. The two decadent nobles spy on what happens 
  in the labyrinth through a complex system of mirrors, and bet on who 
  will reach the exit of the Labyrinth alive, the Prey or the Hunter. Usually 
  the winner is the Hunter, a massive Nandal brute slave, but today the 
  scrawny girl they had kidnapped at the docks is Jitara, one of the best 
  thieves of Jalizar.
  Reward – Ranikos’ Bandages. Every thief in Jalizar knows the 
  legend of Ranikos Blindfolded, the scoundrel-god of treachery, famous 
  for being blind, but for seeing very well under his eye-bandages. In 
  truth, it seems that Ranikos’ Bandages are not just a story. They truly 
  exist, and are hidden somewhere, in the Sewers, in the old plaguehouse, 
  a place infested by the ghosts and maybe the offspring of the survivors 
  of the last outbreak of the Red Plague in the City of Thieves. These 
  Bandages allow the wearer to perfectly see in darkness, to use the detect 
  arcana Power (using Smarts as the arcane skill and 15 Power Points) 
  and, more importantly, to spot the invisible doors to the many Cages of 
  Tirain, a sort of demi-plane where the demon lord plays his games and 
  hides his treasures. Jitara can receive information about the Bandages 
  from a story she heard from her mentor, Sweetfingers, or in any other 
  way the GM sees fit (for example an old diary or the ravings of a lunatic).
  KALATOR KAAL’S 
  CHARACTER TALE
  Plot Hook – The Eyes of Son Rah. Always on the run from the 
  hirelings of Tuthra Vaan, the Tricarnian sorcerer has a single way to 
  
  escape. Stories say that the Eye of Son Rah was sold to Tuthra Vaan 
  years ago by a band of adventurers, who stole it from a temple on a 
  forgotten island. The Eye, however, has a twin. A person with both Eyes 
  could gain enormous powers in the temple of Son Rah, enough to tear 
  Tuthra Vaan in pieces.
  The problem is that nobody knows where the second Eye of Son 
  Rah is today: stories say it was sold to a shady Faberterran merchant, 
  who was robbed by a Syranthian Lotusmaster, who in turn was killed by 
  bandits in the Iron Mountains. But there are stories, now, of a savage 
  tribe of Nandals, roaming in a snow-covered vale somewhere in the 
  Mountains, who worship a fiery gem, which is engulfed in flames that 
  don’t burn...
  Reward – The Power of the Eyes. Once Kalator Kaal manages 
  to get the second Eye of Son Rah, he gains another +1 to Sorcery, 
  Knowledge (Arcana) and Spirit rolls. At this point, he needs to reach 
  the temple of Son Rah, which is on an island somewhere in the Dread 
  Sea. The Eyes of Son Rah were actually part of a Beasts & Barbarians 
  adventure – The Eyes of the Night in Beasts of the Dominions: GMs 
  can find a number of useful ideas in that tale (or they can simply devise 
  a new tale themselves). Once in the temple, on a night of the full moon, 
  Kalator Kaal must sacrifice a human life to Son Rah, and perform a 
  Dramatic Task based on Spirit (-2). In the case of success, the powers of 
  the gems are permanently imbued in his body, plus Kalator Kaal gains 
  any combination of two New Power and/or Power Points Edges.
  MASTER ARABEO’S 
  CHARACTER TALE
  Plot Hook – The Secret Floor. The Library of Syranthia is 
  old, very old, and probably dates back to the times of Keron, like the 
  Guardian of Askerios and few other similar monuments.
  The Library has a number of underground floors and many of 
  them are still unexplored, because nobody knows what can hide in the 
  darkness. One day Arabeo receives a mysterious letter with a sketch, 
  detailing the decoration of a particular column in one of the lower floors 
  of the Library. The column contains a secret mechanism, which reveals 
  a secret passage, leading deep into the Library’s belly. Exploring the 
  forbidden floor, he witnesses a strange ceremony, where a number of 
  hooded persons bow and kiss a black velvet book. At the end of the 
  ceremony, one of the persons distractedly lowers their hood and the 
  Sage recognizes him as Master Merchant Hyrtarios, one of the most 
  influent men in Syranthia! What are these people doing there? And 
  who left him the note?
  Reward – The Scrolls of Anderaios. Anderaios was one of the 
  first sages of the Library, probably the founder of the order. Stories say 
  he even knew the legendary Syros, first ruler of Syranthia. Anderaios 
  left a number of books in the Library, to testify to his experiences, 
  but the most important ones are the legendary Scrolls of Anderaios, a 
  set of three vellum scrolls, full of ancient knowledge. They were lost, 
  but Arabeo can track them down: one of them is hidden in a palace 
  somewhere in Syranthia, the second one lies in a tomb under the sands 
  of the Red Desert and the third one, well, that is left to the Game Master. 
  Finding the first scroll, and studying it raises Arabeo’s Knowledge 
  (Legends and Lore) by two die steps, the second one does the same for 
  Knowledge (History) and the third one works on Knowledge (Arcana). 
  In addition, possession of all three scrolls allows him to use the Sage 
  Edge twice per session.
  ZHARIMA’S CHARACTER 
  TALE
  Plot Hook – Plains of Fire. While Zharima is traveling in Zandor, 
  in summer, she smells smoke in the air, and suddenly, she sees flames 
  on the plain, where the tall, dry grass is blazing! The heroes must ride 
  as fast as they can to safety, crossing a river. On the other side, there is a 
  small town, Tazira, and all around it the ground is burned. Questioning 
  the local people, Zharima discovers frequent fires on the lands nearby 
  are caused by a demon, a horse whose mane is made of fire, with the sign 
  of a burned hand on its flank. It is a Jakatal, a Valk demonic steed, and 
  the burned hand identifies it as Jimak, Zharima’s clan demon when she 
  still had her powers! Why is Jimak free? Or is someone controlling it?
   Reward – Regaining her Valkyria Powers. Zharima lost her 
  powers due to a plot between her own sister, Vakhra, who always 
  wanted to take her place, and Mirkana of the Red Witches, the envoy of 
  Deserjaas, who wanted a more malleable chief at the head of the Jimak 
  clan. The night before leaving the tribe Mirkana gave Vakhra a seed of 
  the Tree of Death and told her to plant it, with a lock of Zharima’s hair, 
  in the Valley of Shadows, a place in another dimension which could only 
  be reached by passing through particular doors (it is a discarded Cage 
  of the demon lord Tirain).
  Vakhra did as suggested, cutting a lock of hair from her sleeping 
  sister and making the difficult journey.
  The seed blossomed in a flower, golden as Zharima’s hair because 
  it contains the Valkyria’s powers. The only way for Zharima to break the 
  curse is to find her way to the Valley of Shadows, defeat the powerful 
  Guardian Vakhra left, and collect the Flower.
  Zharima’s Rewards are split into several steps, which should 
  ideally be received in order.
  The first step is collecting the Flower in the Valley of Shadows: 
  when this happens she obtains the Arcane Background (Sorcery) Edge 
  for free, with Sorcery equal to the higher of her Smarts and Spirit dice.
  The second step is killing her sister Vakhra. If she sacrifices her 
  sister’s soul to Jimak, her demon-lord, her Sorcery Skill is raised by one 
  die step.
  The third step is regaining command of her clan, this happens if 
  she demonstrates to her clansmen that she has recovered her powers 
  and defeated Vakhra. In that case she gains the Noble Edge.
  In the session(s) when the various reward steps are unlocked, 
  Zharima receives no Experience Points.
  
  PLAYING SHANGOR AND ZANDORRA
  SHANGOR’S CHARACTER TALE
  Plot Hook – A Few Brave Men. The Stoneguard Fort is a small but strategic fortress on the mouth of the Anaconda River. Built many years ago by a 
  forgotten Iron Phalanx, it fell into many different hands, and is currently under Caldeia’s control. For this reason, it is important for the Independent City 
  of Teyerana, to conquer it, gaining an important base in the south and taking control of the gold cargos that come out of the Jungle. The dangerous task 
  of taking it fell to a band of mercenaries and pirates, the Free Company, of which Shangor is one of the lieutenants. The plan is easy: by night, the Free 
  Companions must climb up the sheer southern cliff, and take the Caldeian garrison by surprise. The plan works well; too well, because all the soldiers are 
  dead, their bodies bloated by the poisonous darts that killed them. Then, from the nearby jungle, pigmy war drums are heard and the Free Companion 
  commander is the first to fall. Teyerana’s ships will arrive tomorrow morning, with the high tide, but will the Free Companions hold out till then?  
  Reward - The Man in Charge. Shangor, at the beginning of his adventuring career, is just a reckless barbarian lad, only interested in wine, women and 
  squandering loot. In truth, Shangor is born to be a leader, and takes being in command very seriously once he gets the chance. The Northlander barbarian 
  should have a number of opportunities to lead men in battle, but when he finally gets his own mercenary company, bandit band or becomes the general 
  of an army, his natural leadership talent should emerge. He automatically gains the Command and Command Presence Edges, plus a free die step in 
  Knowledge (Battle).
  ZANDORRA’S CHARACTER TALE
  Plot Hook – The Manhood of Kossuth. Zandorra, during her travels, ends up in a remote village in Kyros plagued by famine. Boys and girls stare 
  at her with empty bellies. The reason for the famine is that a band of marauders stole the holy relic of the goddess, the manhood of the elephant-god 
  Kossuth, which secures fertility for the land (and the women) of the village. The villagers have no way to actually pay the Amazon, but, well, sometimes a 
  mission must be undertaken simply because it is the right thing to do. The raiders have their hideout in a ruin in the mountains, but they aren’t the real 
  threat of the scenario. The problem is that the manhood of Kossuth causes strange effects, especially if touched by a woman of fertile age…
   Reward – Zandorra’s Son. Zandorra’s life goal is finding her son. It is a quest that could take several years and can have different outcomes. If 
  Zandorra manages to find him, the rough spirit of the warrior-woman softens a bit: she raises her Spirit by one die step and gains the Elan Edge for free. 
  The problem now is deciding what to do with the boy. Is a life of adventure good for him? If not, Zandorra can leave him to a foster family, but is this 
  what she really wants?
  If things go badly, Zandorra’s son could die. In this case, Zandorra’s soul fills with rage, a burning hate for those responsible. The Amazon raises her 
  Fighting by one die step and gains the Frenzy Edge, but she must also replace one of her Hindrances with Bloodthirsty.
  Bonus 
  characters
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Beasts & Barbarians/Savage Worlds - Beasts & Barbarians - Steel Edition - Heroes of the Dominions.pdf