TEXT: In a time beyond imagination,
  In an age of fire and sword and claw,
  Of decadent nobility and raging barbarian hordes,
  The Empire of the White Lords teeters on the brink of utter collapse,
  Ready to be Redeemed or Destroyed by the Heroes of the Age... 
  And the entire country fits in a small field. 
   This is the age of the...
  Hyperborean Mice is Copyright 2008 Frank Sronce (fsronce@comcast.net), all rights reserved
  
  RULES OF PLAY
  RULES OF PLAY
  Hyperborean Mice  is a game of grim and gritty swords 
  and sorcery action... as performed by talking rodents. The 
  decaying  kingdoms  of the  tiny valley  of Hyperborea are 
  ruled  by  the  inbred  albino  Royal  Mice  whose  magical 
  powers  are  great...  but  her  many  kingdoms  have  been 
  decaying for generations and her rulers amuse themselves 
  with  decadent  revels  and  petty political  struggles  rather 
  than face the dangers that threaten their civilization.
  CHARACTER CREATION
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Stats: Split 7 points between the following stats. One stat 
  can be set as low as -1; the rest must fall between 0 and 
  +4. A rating of -1 is Terrible, while a rating of 0 is Typical 
  and a rating of +4 is Great (a creature without a particular 
  stat is usually assumed to be at -4). Your race may adjust 
  these and can push you above or below these limits.
  ●
  AGILITY: speed, balance and physical coordination
  ●
  BRAWN: size, muscle and physical toughness
  ●
  CLEVERNESS: knowledge, charm and quick wits
  ●
  PERCEPTION: aim, alertness and insight
  ●
  MAGIC:  your  ability  to  cast  spells,  resist  hostile 
  magic and sensitivity to mystic phenomena. With a 
  rating of 0, you cannot cast spells at all. Non-mages 
  should generally take a Magic of 0 or less. 
  Character Species/Race: There are a variety of different 
  kinds  of  talking  rodents  available  as  player  characters. 
  Each  fits  into  society  differently  and  changes  your 
  character's stats and/or other abilities appropriately.
  ●
  ROYAL MICE: the rarest of all. Magically-potent but 
  highly inbred albinos. All Royal Mice are considered 
  nobles by right of birth and are automatically in line 
  for the throne of their homeland (albeit distantly).
  ●
  WHITE MICE:  upper-class mice with  some Royal 
  Mouse  blood but  not enough to be  albinos. They 
  tend to be magically potent and make good mages.
  ●
  COMMON  MICE:  the  most  common  race.  The 
  ordinary brown or gray mice who make up the bulk 
  of the population in any kingdom. 
  ●
  JUMPING MICE:  an unrelated species notable for 
  their strong legs and the incredibly long jumps that 
  they are capable of.
  ●
  WHITE RATS: very rare. The ancestral servants of 
  the  Royal  Mice,  White  Rats  are  large  but  mild-
  mannered and are usually found in the service of a 
  particular family of Royals. 
  ●
  COMMON  RATS:  ordinary  brown  or  gray  rats. 
  Larger  and  stronger  than  mice,  Common  Rats 
  generally work in jobs that require a lot of unskilled 
  labor and heavy lifting. 
  ●
  WILD RATS:  the larger and fiercer offspring of a 
  Common Rat and one of the feral rats that live on 
  the outskirts of the valley of Hyperborea. Rare and 
  generally distrusted by the other races.
  Powers:  Spend 5 points to purchase Powers. For mages, 
  most of these will generally go towards purchasing Spells 
  and other Magical  Powers, whereas non-mages will  take 
  more mundane abilities.
  Balanced  Traits:  There  are  special,  “balanced”  traits 
  available, each of which provides certain advantages and 
  disadvantages that are assumed to roughly balance out, 
  such as membership in a particular priesthood. 
  Flaws:  These  are  “Powers”  with  a  negative  point  cost. 
  They represent some inherent weakness or flaw. You can 
  take at most 3 different Flaws.
  Skills:  Spend  14  points  on  your  starting  skills,  with  a 
  maximum rating of +3 on each (+6 is generally as far as 
  you can increase a skill). There are a variety of standard 
  skills available. Each one has a specific stat that it adds to 
  when you roll it. 
  Combat Ratings: All player characters are assumed to be 
  well-trained  for  combat  and  adventuring;  their  initial 
  combat  ratings  are  determined  by  their  stat  allocation. 
  These  are  treated  as  double-cost  skills  that  cannot  be 
  increased at character creation, but can be improved later.
  ●
  MELEE COMBAT: AGILITY + BRAWN
  ●
  THROWING: BRAWN + PERCEPTION
  ●
  RANGED COMBAT: AGILITY + PERCEPTION
  ●
  DODGE: AGILITY + CLEVERNESS
  ●
  COURAGE: BRAWN + CLEVERNESS
  ●
  LEADERSHIP: CLEVERNESS + PERCEPTION
  Melee Combat includes  bare-handed fighting  and  is  also 
  used when trying to parry melee attacks with a weapon or 
  block them with a shield. Ranged Combat refers to missile 
  weapons  such  as  bows  and  crossbows;  weapons  hurled 
  directly are covered under Throwing. Your Dodge rating is 
  used when you aren't fighting back but are just trying to 
  get the heck out of an attack's way; it's most important 
  when facing huge monsters whose attacks can't be parried. 
  Courage covers  willpower  and  resisting  fear.  Finally, 
  Leadership  is  used  to  take  charge  of  others  and  to 
  formulate effective combat strategies. 
  Hero Points: Every PC starts with 3 Hero Points and can 
  hold a maximum of 5. At the end of each session you'll 
  generally receive from 1-3 additional Hero Points, so if you 
  don't use them regularly, you'll soon hit your limit. Hero 
  Points can be spent to re-roll a skill test, invoke special 
  powers, trigger critical successes or prevent botches. You 
  can also spend them in the place of Fatigue on a 1-for-1 
  basis. 
  Hit Points: Your Hit Points represent how hard you are to 
  kill. Your basic Hit Points start at your Brawn+10. When 
  you  drop  below  1  Hit  Point,  you  may  fall  unconscious. 
  When you drop below -1, you may die. 
  Minor NPCs only receive Brawn+5 Hit Points and so may 
  well fall unconscious or start dying from any decent hit. 
  Fatigue: Each  character  has  5  Fatigue  Levels  that 
  represent especially heavy exertion. The more Fatigue that 
  you've lost, the slower you are to recover it. A character 
  who has run out of Fatigue is considered to be Exhausted 
  and is at -2 to all actions.
  
  BASIC RULES
  BASIC RULES
  Resolution  System:  The  standard  resolution  system  in 
  Hyperborean Mice is to roll 2d6 + modifiers and compare 
  the total to the target number. Exactly matching the target 
  number is a Tie, while beating it is a Success. Beating the 
  target number by 5 points or more is a Critical Success.
  Rolling  less  than  the  target  number  is  a  Failure,  while 
  failing by 5 points or more is a Critical Failure.  
  Target Numbers:  In an  Opposed Test  (also known as a 
  Resisted Test), your target number will be whatever your 
  opponent rolled. In an Unopposed Test, the target number 
  depends on how difficult the task in question is.
  ●
  EASY (8):  so  simple  that the typical  mouse  can 
  usually succeed without any special skill or talent.
  ●
  TYPICAL (11): the “average” difficulty of a typical 
  adventuring task.
  ●
  HARD (14): a starting PC can readily perform this if 
  it's in their specialty, otherwise it's quite difficult.
  ●
  VERY HARD (17):  it takes an experienced, well-
  prepared or lucky PC to succeed at this task.
  ●
  NIGH  IMPOSSIBLE  (20):  even  the  very  best 
  require a lucky roll to succeed.
  Natural Twelves (Potential Crits): When your 2d6 roll is 
  a 12, you can spend a Hero Point to turn it into a Critical 
  Success where you perform exceptionally well and receive 
  some sort of additional benefit. If it was already a Critical 
  Success (which isn't uncommon since 12 is such a high 
  roll), then spending a Hero Point turns it into a  Double 
  Critical (basically two Critical Successes in one). 
  Natural Twos (Potential Botches):  When your 2d6 roll 
  is a 2, you can spend a Hero Point to prevent the GM from 
  declaring it a  Botch.  Otherwise, the GM is free to inflict 
  some sort of additional penalty on your character above 
  and beyond merely rolling badly. 
  Skill Checks:  Each standard skill is based on a specific 
  stat.  When  you  roll  a  regular  skill  check,  you'll  roll 
  2d6+Stat+Skill  plus  any  additional  modifiers  such  as 
  special circumstances or Powers. 
  Focus:  A character who is calm and collected and has a 
  plan ready is considered to be  Focused. Acquiring Focus 
  requires you to spend at least one round thinking about the 
  current situation and what you intend to do about it; you 
  can defend yourself but not perform any other actions. 
  A character who has Focus may “spend” it to add +1 to one 
  of their rolls after the results have been determined. Thus, 
  focus can be used to turn a failure into a tie or a tie into a 
  success, in the right situation. Many powers also require 
  the character to spend Focus. Once it has been expended, 
  the  character  must  again  spend  a  full  combat  round 
  mentally composing themselves to acquire Focus again.
  In general, if combat breaks out, anyone who could clearly 
  see the combat coming can be assumed to have already 
  acquired Focus. Characters who were successfully surprised 
  or ambushed won't have it, but their ambushers will. 
  Outside of combat, the Focus rules are replaced with the 
  standard +2 bonus for taking lots of extra time to perform 
  a task. 
  Spending Fatigue:  You can spend 1 Fatigue to instantly 
  acquire Focus, if desired. Some special abilities always cost 
  Fatigue. 
  The more you spend, the longer it takes to recover it. If 
  you are only down 1 point of Fatigue, you can recover it in 
  just  15  minutes  of  rest.  This  is  referred  to  as  being 
  Winded. If you go beyond that point, however, it will take a 
  full hour of rest per point recovered. 
  If  you  take  a  full  5  points  of  Fatigue,  you  are  now 
  Exhausted until you recover at least one point. Exhausted 
  characters are at -2 to all actions and cannot spend Fatigue 
  without passing out. 
  Resisting  Magic:  Resisted  spells  are  treated  as  an 
  opposed roll as per normal, except that if the caster fails to 
  at least meet the required difficulty of the spell it simply 
  fails outright. Also, the resistance roll always includes the 
  target's Magic rating, as characters with a negative Magic 
  rating are actually more vulnerable to magic than normal. 
  Size:  Creatures that are larger or smaller than mice may 
  have a Size rating. This adjusts certain rolls and abilities, 
  particularly  in  combat.  It  also  applies  the  following 
  adjustments:
  Add your Size to the following:
  ●
  Your  innate  Armor  Rating  (which  can be  a 
  negative number for very tiny creatures)
  ●
  Any rolls to resist magic
  ●
  Your Brawn for the purposes of determining the 
  damage done when you strike a foe or want to 
  wield/reload a heavy weapon
  Add twice your Size to the following:
  ●
  Certain Brawn-based skills
  ●
  Your Hit Points
  Subtract twice your Size from the following:
  ●
  Certain Agility-based skills
  Your Size rating can also be added to any other tests where 
  your GM agrees that your sheer size and bulk could aid 
  you...  or  subtracted  from  ones  where  your  size  works 
  against you. 
  COMMON SIZE RATINGS:
  ●
  Size -4: Fleas
  ●
  Size -2: Crickets
  ●
  Size 0: Mice and White Rats
  ●
  Size 1: Common Rats
  ●
  Size 2: Wild Rats
  ●
  Size 4: Weasels
  ●
  Size 6: Cats
  ●
  Size 8: Dogs
  ●
  Size 10: Titans, large Dogs
  ●
  Size 12: Horses, Deer 
  
  SOCIAL STATUS
  SOCIAL STATUS
  The  Fallows  are,  unfortunately,  not  a  particularly 
  egalitarian place, with an ancestral ruling class and a great 
  deal of inter-species prejudice. A character's social status 
  can be applied as a bonus (or penalty) to skill checks in any 
  situation  in  which  one's  social  strata  is  extremely 
  important. It also determines what sort of equipment you 
  have readily available to you and what you can carry in 
  public without arousing suspicion. 
  ●
  The Emperor (+10): the ruler of the great Empire 
  of Muscala, he to whom even lesser kings must bow 
  (lest they feel the wrath of the Imperial Legions). 
  There is only a single Emperor and his death often 
  presages a period of civil war as the succession is 
  sorted out. 
  ●
  Minor Kings (+8):  the ruler of one of the minor 
  kingdoms of the Fallows. Their word is law in their 
  own land, but they must still be wary of offending 
  other  lords  or  the  Emperor,  lest  they  find  their 
  throne being usurped by a more popular relative. 
  They have their own palace and military retinue.
  ●
  Greater Nobility (+6):  the Lords of the Fallows, 
  these  noble-mice  hold  powerful  positions  and 
  generally rule individual towns or counties as their 
  personal fiefdoms. If the current ruler should die, 
  they are  on the short list  of possible  successors. 
  Most have at least a handful of bodyguards. 
  ●
  Lower Nobility (+4):  families of noble blood but 
  not  particularly  close  to  the  throne  of  their 
  homeland tend to occupy this niche. They often own 
  small family estates and have a number of servants 
  who live with them. A non-Royal Mouse can achieve 
  the equivalent  of this position only through great 
  wealth and can go no higher.
  ●
  Upper-class (+2): the rating of the wealthy upper 
  crust of Fallows society. Characters at this level tend 
  to own their own homes and may employ part-time 
  servants  to  tend  to  their  belongings.  They  can 
  readily acquire metal equipment and may loan it to 
  their servants. They may also have riding beetles. 
  ●
  Commoner (+0): the rating of the vast majority of 
  the  populace.  They  tend  not  to  own  their  own 
  homes  or  land  and  must  work  hard  just  to  stay 
  ahead  of  the  tax  collectors.  A  commoner  can 
  generally start with a single metal implement. 
  ●
  Impoverished (-2):  the very poor generally can't 
  even  rent  a  home  of  their  own  but  must  sleep 
  wherever they can get away with it. If a character at 
  this  level  is  caught  with  a  valuable  item,  most 
  people  will  assume  that  they  stole  it  and  punish 
  them accordingly.
  ●
  Slave/Outcast (-4): at this point, the character is 
  either  effectively  owned  by  someone  of  higher 
  status or they are on the run. Outcasts are generally 
  blamed whenever anything goes wrong in the area 
  and are often run out of town on the slightest of 
  pretexts. Harming them is often not a crime at all, 
  but  an  outcast  defending  themselves  against  a 
  higher  ranked  citizen  is.  They  tend  to  only  own 
  items that they can find or make themselves. 
  ITEM COSTS & QUALITIES
  ITEM COSTS & QUALITIES
  CRUDE:
   Crude  items  are 
  makeshift  items  that  even 
  slaves  and  outcasts  can 
  generally  put  together,  like 
  clubs  and  sharpened  rocks. 
  They  are  available  to  anyone, 
  pretty much for free. 
  COMMON:  Common items are 
  readily  available  even  to 
  commoners.  They  generally 
  require  a  bit  of  skill  to 
  construct, but are composed of 
  inexpensive  materials.  They 
  require  a  social  status  of  +0. 
  Only  the  simplest  of  metal 
  implements  (such  as  knives) 
  are  common  items;  most  are 
  expensive. 
  EXPENSIVE:  Expensive  items  are  relatively  rare.  They 
  often  require  both  skill  and  expensive  materials  to 
  construct. They require a social status of +2. Swords and 
  riding beetles are good examples of expensive items; quite 
  useful but hard to come by among the lower classes. 
  VERY EXPENSIVE: Very expensive items require a lot of 
  expertise to make and are often constructed of very pricey 
  materials. They may require special maintenance, such as 
  regular polishing/repair or animal handlers to keep them 
  healthy. They require a social status of +4. Heavy metal 
  armor  and  riding  pigeons  are  two  examples  of  very 
  expensive items. A lone mouse simply can't keep them in 
  usable shape; it takes a full-time staff of servants to do so. 
  STARTING EQUIPMENT
  STARTING EQUIPMENT
  Characters can have any reasonable number of items that 
  require their social status or less. They can afford one thing 
  that's above their status by one level (+2 social status), 
  but can't replace it if they lose it. Those using gear below 
  their status may effectively drop to that level; others are 
  liable to treat you like a commoner if you dress like one. 
  It's not uncommon for wealthier mice to provide additional 
  equipment for their subordinates or poorer kin, but this 
  generally carries with it the obligation to remember just 
  who is paying the bills. 
  
  THE RACES
  THE RACES
  There are 7 known races of talking rodents in Hyperborea. 
  They are listed below. Note that some are fairly rare.
  ROYAL MICE
  ROYAL MICE
  Most  royals  look like  normal  (if  often  undersized)  white 
  mice with pink eyes. These direct descendants of the First 
  Ones  have  maintained  their  royal  pedigree  of  albinism 
  through restrictive inbreeding. The rulers of the valley have 
  been albinos for so long that it has come to be known as 
  the Mark of Royalty. Royal mice are generally referred to as 
  Lords or Ladies by those of lesser status. 
  This careful oversight of the royal bloodlines has minimized 
  the dilution of their magical powers; while the powers of 
  the modern royals may pale compared to their ancestors, 
  they  are  still  quite  potent.  Most,  however,  never  truly 
  realize that potential, considering it beneath their station. 
  Each royal mouse technically  could  inherit the throne of 
  their homeland but there are often many others between 
  them and that goal. Likely heirs live restricted lives as their 
  sires groom them for power, but younger siblings often go 
  wandering (often with a small crowd of servants) seeking 
  stimulation. Others join a priesthood, removing themselves 
  from the line of succession without losing their high status.
  ADJUSTMENTS:  +2 to Magic, -2 to Brawn. Their social 
  status starts at Lower Nobility (+4). 
  Royal  mice  are  quite  sensitive  to  sunlight;  they  can  go 
  blind if their eyes are left exposed to direct sunlight for too 
  long. Most carry silken veils that they can wear if forced 
  into  the  uncomfortable  glare.  Due  to  their  poor  overall 
  health, royal mice only have 4 levels of Fatigue instead of 
  the usual 5... their “winded” category is always considered 
  to be expended and cannot be recovered. 
  WHITE MICE
  WHITE MICE
  Not all of the descendants of the First Ones were so careful 
  about  their  bloodlines.  Many  families  have  lost  their 
  albinism entirely, enjoying generally better health but no 
  longer being considered royalty. 
  White  mice  effectively  run  most  towns;  while  they  owe 
  their  allegiance  to  the  royals  of  their  homeland,  there 
  simply aren't enough royal mice to run everything. White 
  mice occupy the upper social strata of the Fallows.  
  The purer the sheen of their fur, the more esteemed their 
  bloodline. A mouse is generally considered white by most 
  people only so long as all of their fur is white. Those with 
  obviously visible patches of brown or gray are regarded as 
  common mice. It is not unknown for a “white” mouse to 
  conceal  a  shameful  patch  of  colored  fur  beneath  their 
  garments or to bleach small sections of their fur.
  ADJUSTMENTS:  +1 to Magic, -1 to Brawn. Their social 
  status starts at Upper-class (+2).
  COMMON MICE
  COMMON MICE
  The  bulk  of  the  population  of  Hyperborea  are  common 
  mice... while descended from the First Ones like the other 
  mice, their bloodline is poor and their magical powers are 
  comparatively weak. They make up well over half of the 
  population and can be found in practically every town. 
  Most common mice have light brown fur, although various 
  shades from golden blond to black exist. Some even have 
  multi-colored fur, with patches of this and that. Those with 
  patches of white can at least claim some descent from the 
  upper classes, but will never be able to join them. 
  ADJUSTMENTS:  None. Social status starts at Commoner 
  (+0). Due to their lack of special bonuses, common mouse 
  characters receive an extra point with which to buy Powers. 
  JUMPING MICE
  JUMPING MICE
  These gerbil-like mice have long, powerful lower legs that 
  they use to make prodigious jumps. They are a different 
  species  from  the  other  mice  and  their  magical  ability 
  suffers  because  of it.  It  is  said  that  they were  granted 
  sentience  by  the  First  Ones  in  return  for  their  service, 
  shortly after the First Ones settled in the Fallows.
  ADJUSTMENTS:  Superior  jumping  ability,  a  maximum 
  Magic rating of +2. Social status starts at Commoner (+0).
  Their jumping distance is normally measured in feet rather 
  than inches. If a jumping mouse needs to make a shorter 
  jump, they can claim a +5 bonus to the roll instead. 
  WHITE RATS
  WHITE RATS
  Like jumping mice, it's believed that the First Ones granted 
  intelligence  to  the  rats  so  that  they  could  better  serve 
  them. Since the royals found rats to be more trustworthy 
  servants than other mice, small families of white rats are 
  still found in the service of each royal house. 
  A preference for light-furred spouses has, over generations, 
  caused these royal servants to acquire white (or at least 
  very light brown) fur. Now white rats are considered the 
  most dutiful and desirable of servants by the upper classes. 
  They are much smaller than other rats, being barely twice 
  the weight of the typical mouse. 
  ADJUSTMENTS:  -1 Agility, +1 Brawn, a maximum Magic 
  rating of +3. Their social status starts at Upper-class (+2). 
  Most  white  rat  characters  have  a  Duty Flaw  towards  a 
  particular family that their own has served for generations. 
  COMMON RATS
  COMMON RATS
  Common rats are a good bit larger than mice but have very 
  mild  temperaments.  They  tend  to  be  strong,  effective 
  workers  and  are  most  often  found  performing  jobs  that 
  require greater strength than most mice possess. 
  ADJUSTMENTS:  Size  1  (see  the  Basic  Rules for  the 
  various effects this has). A maximum Magic rating of +2. 
  Their social status starts at Commoner (+0). 
  WILD RATS
  WILD RATS
  Outside of the Fallows live many huge, feral rats. Once in a 
  great while a rat is born who shows kinship to those sort, 
  being larger, stronger and much fiercer than other rats. As 
  such, they are barely tolerated and always distrusted by 
  the other races of the Fallows. 
  In the Wildlands, there are entire tribes of wild rats, but 
  they are much rarer in more civilized lands.
  ADJUSTMENTS:  Size  2,  -1  Magic.  A  maximum  Magic 
  rating of +1 and a maximum Cleverness of +2. Their social 
  status starts at Impoverished (-2). 
  
  POWERS
  POWERS
  Powers  are  special  abilities  that  alter  your  character's 
  capabilities  in  some  fashion.  Some  are  purely  passive, 
  while  others  only  work in  special  circumstances  or may 
  require you to expend Focus or Fatigue. Unless a Power 
  specifically states otherwise, you can only take it once.
  COMBAT POWERS
  COMBAT POWERS
  ASSASSIN (1 Point): You are trained to take advantage 
  of a target's vulnerability. If you attack an unsuspecting 
  foe, you can add a bonus 1d6 damage if you hit. 
  CAT-SLAYER  (1  Point,  requires  a  weapon  with  the 
  Impale Bonus): When you attack a creature with a Size of 
  2+, you can spend Focus to make a more lethal attack. If 
  you hit, you get an Impale Combat Bonus for free. 
  COMBAT MACHINE (1 Point):  Whenever a fight breaks 
  out, you automatically start with Focus even if surprised. 
  DEFENSIVE FIGHTING (1 Point): When you successfully 
  parry a melee attack, you can spend Focus to send the 
  attacker reeling and cost them their next action. This Power 
  is  very  popular  with  staff-wielders,  who  often  seize  the 
  opportunity to make a break for it.
  DUCK (1 Point): If you spend Focus to add to a Dodge 
  roll, it adds a +3 bonus instead of the usual +1. 
  EXTRA  HIT  POINTS  (1  Point):  You  have  3  extra  Hit 
  Points. This Power may be purchased up to 3 times. 
  GLORY-SEEKER  (1  Point):  When  surrounded  by  foes, 
  they receive no bonuses against you from their numbers.
  QUICKDRAW (1 Point): You can draw weapons as a free 
  action, as you need them. +2 to all initiative rolls.
  REFLEXIVE CATCH (1 Point):  If you have at least one 
  paw free to catch it, you can defend against reasonably-
  sized  thrown  weapons  with  your  own  Throwing  rating 
  (including a +2 bonus if you have the  Weapon Specialist 
  power for that weapon) instead of Dodging. If you succeed, 
  you snatch the weapon out of the air.
  RIPOSTE (1 Point):  Whenever you successfully parry a 
  melee attack, you can spend Focus to apply your roll as an 
  attack roll in return. The target defends normally.
  THUNDER-BLOW  (1  Point,  requires  a  two-handed 
  melee weapon of some sort): Before you roll an attack, 
  you can spend Focus to make this an especially powerful 
  blow. If you hit, your weapon inflicts an extra 1d6 damage.
  TWIN-BLADE  STRIKE  (1  Point,  requires  you  to  be 
  wielding  twin  weapons):  Before  attacking,  you  can 
  spend Focus to make two attacks this round instead of just 
  one. They may be applied to two foes or the same one.
  WEAPON SPECIALIST (1 Point): Pick a particular type of 
  weapon  (sword,  bow,  spear,  etc.)  when  you  take  this 
  power. When you attack with a weapon of that type, you 
  can claim  a Bonus for every 4 points  that you  win  by, 
  instead of 5. This Power can be purchased multiple times 
  but each time you have to choose a different weapon. 
  WHIRLWIND  STRIKE  (1  Point):  Before you  roll  an 
  attack, you can spend Focus to apply the results of your 
  roll against every foe within reach of your blades. Unlike a 
  regular melee attack, all Ties are treated as Failures.
  THIEVING POWERS
  THIEVING POWERS
  AGILE SCURRIER (1 Point):  You can drop to all fours 
  and  scurry  (moving  at  2x  the  normal  rate)  while  still 
  keeping items in your paws. You can also scurry in armor. 
  Normal mice must drop everything and cannot be armored. 
  APPRAISER (1 Point):  You have an eye for valuables. 
  You receive a +4 bonus to use Streetwise to estimate the 
  market value of an item and can do so with just a glance. 
  You also receive a +2 bonus to attempts to negotiate prices 
  for valuables and services. 
  BLENDING IN (1 Point): You have a knack for blending 
  in to your environment and can find the best possible way 
  to use whatever cover is present. You can roll Stealth to 
  hide even in an open area without good cover.
  BUSY  HANDS  (1  Point):  Your pick-pocketing  attempts 
  are not penalized by having an alert foe. You can even 
  attempt to pick-pocket a foe while grappling or in melee 
  combat.  If  you  spend  Focus,  you  can  make  a   pick-
  pocketing attempt as a free action. 
  DON'T MIND ME (1 Point): Whenever you roll Acting to 
  try  and  pretend  that  you're  authorized  to  be  doing 
  something that you really aren't, you receive a +4 bonus.
  ESCAPE ARTIST (1 Point): You are unusually flexible and 
  skilled at escaping from bonds. You receive a +2 bonus to 
  Contortionist checks to wriggle free from grappling holds, 
  ropes, chains or similar restraints. You can also spend 1 
  Fatigue to retry any Contortionist check. 
  FAST BUT SILENT (1 Point):  No matter how fast you 
  run, you never suffer penalties to your Stealth rolls.
  HOLDOUT  (1  Point):  You  can  conceal  small  items 
  extremely well. Whenever your belongings are searched, 
  you can roll Thievery with a +4 bonus; if that beats their 
  Alertness roll, they fail to whatever you were hiding. Large 
  or multiple items may penalize this roll.
  INNOCENT FACE (1 Point): Whenever you roll Acting to 
  deny  committing  some  crime  or  morally  questionable 
  activity that you actually did, you receive a +4 bonus. Note 
  that if you didn't do it, you receive no bonus. 
  MIMIC (1 Point):  You are unusually gifted at mimicry. 
  When  you  roll  Acting  to  imitate  a  voice  or a  particular 
  noise, you receive a +4 bonus. You can also add a +2 
  bonus to Perform rolls if you can incorporate funny noises 
  and other sound effects into your act.
  NATURAL LOCK-PICKER (1 Point): Lockpicking attempts 
  take just a single round and you can make two attempts 
  before you are forced to give up instead of just one. 
  ONE WITH THE NIGHT (1 Point): In unlit areas at night, 
  you are at +2 to Stealth and to alertness. 
  PERFECT BALANCE (1 Point):  Your climbing checks are 
  at +2 and you never suffer penalties to other rolls due to 
  your awkward position while climbing. You could aim a bow 
  while dangling by one foot and you'd still roll normally. 
  VANISHING  ACT  (1  Point):  If you  make  a successful 
  Dodge roll against an opponent, you can spend Focus to 
  immediately follow it up by leaping into a hiding spot. If 
  you beat the target's Alertness roll with your Stealth, you 
  will seem to have vanished into thin air. 
  
  SOCIAL POWERS
  SOCIAL POWERS
  ATTENTION-SEEKER (1 Point): Whenever you draw the 
  full attention of a large group for a social skill check, you 
  add a +2 bonus to your roll instead of taking a -2 penalty. 
  BORN LEADER (1 Point):  Whenever you are leading  by 
  example you receive a +4 bonus to inspire others to do the 
  same. But  your character  must  be  rushing  forward  and 
  doing exactly what you're trying to get the others to do in 
  order to receive this bonus. If you're holding back to see if 
  anyone else follows you first, you receive no benefit.
  BORN PERFORMER (1 Point):  Select a narrow specialty 
  in the Performance skill such as dancing or telling stories. 
  You receive a +4 bonus to those rolls. 
  CONTACTS (1 Point): You have a large network of allies, 
  business  associates  and  friends-of-a-friend.  Even  though 
  you  may  not  have  met  them  all  in  person,  you  know 
  enough to find them when you need them. You receive a 
  +4 bonus to any attempts to find ready allies in an area. 
  CROW FRIEND (1 Point): You are known and trusted by 
  the crows of the Fallows, who are much more inclined to 
  help you than they would others.  
  FAMILIAR TERRITORY (1 Point):  When you take this 
  Power,  pick  a specific  kingdom  or major city  (Haven  is 
  large enough to merit a separate purchase) that you are 
  especially  familiar  with.  You receive  a +2  bonus  to any 
  checks that could be aided by your intimate familiarity with 
  her  ways.  This  includes  knowledge  checks  for  local 
  customs,  charm  rolls  with  locals,  streetwise  and  even 
  stealth checks in that area.  This Power can be purchased 
  multiple times; pick a different territory each time.
  GOOD  REPUTATION:  You  have  already  established  a 
  name  for  yourself  due  to  some  previous  exploits.  You 
  should  define  what  exactly  what  your  reputation  is.  In 
  areas where someone might have heard of you, you can 
  add  a  +2  bonus  to  appropriate  social  skills.  If  your 
  reputation is particularly narrow or known only to a small 
  portion of the community, the bonus climbs to +4. 
  HIGH  SOCIAL  STANDING  (1  Point):  Your  character 
  comes from an unusually highly-placed family; you should 
  decide exactly how and why they achieved this position. 
  Your effective Social Status is one step higher (+2). 
  MUSICIAN (1 Point): You are a trained musician and well 
  versed in the popular songs of the Fallows. You receive a 
  +2  bonus  to Performance  checks  when  using  a musical 
  instrument  to  entertain  others,  but  can  also  apply  that 
  bonus to other social checks when playing music. Some 
  examples  are  Charm  (singing  an  ode  to  someone), 
  Carousing (entertaining a gathering) or even Intimidation 
  (singing a song that exaggerates your martial prowess). 
  SILVER TONGUED (1 Point): When you are trying to use 
  flattery to get what you want, you receive a +2 bonus to 
  your  Charm  rolls.  Furthermore,  personal  threats  inspire 
  great eloquence in you: if failing such a check will endanger 
  you, you can spend 1 Fatigue to re-roll.
  SNAPPY PATTER (1 Point): You can use social skills like 
  Charm and Acting in the middle of a fight at no penalty and 
  without sacrificing actions to do it.
  WELL-FAVORED  (1  Point):
   You  are  considered 
  particularly handsome or beautiful and receive a +2 bonus 
  to friendly social skill checks with those who might find you 
  attractive. Worshippers of Jandara will consider you to have 
  been blessed by their goddess. 
  OTHER MUNDANE POWERS
  OTHER MUNDANE POWERS
  ANIMAL FRIEND (1 Point):  You have a natural gift for 
  making friends with unintelligent animals. Herbivores will 
  be comfortable in your presence (+2 to Nature and Riding 
  rolls with them) and predators will always halt their  first 
  attack before you can be harmed (after that, their instincts 
  will  take  over  and  you'll  be  fair  game).  No  effect  on 
  intelligent animals or spirit-creatures. 
  CRAFTSMAN (1 Point):  You have been specially trained 
  in a narrow specialty of the Craft skill, such as weaving or 
  carpentry. You are able to use that skill on a professional 
  level  and  may  well  have  membership  in  some  guild  of 
  fellow craftsmen. You receive a +4 bonus to all attempts to 
  use Craft to manufacture or repair products within  your 
  specialty. This Power can be purchased multiple times but 
  each time you have to choose a different specialty.
  ENDLESS  ENDURANCE  (1  Point):  You  have  an  extra 
  “Winded” Fatigue level that can only be used for regular 
  physical exertion, not powering magic. 
  FAST HEALER (1 Point): You recover faster from injury. 
  Recover 2 extra points of damage from each night's rest 
  and 1 extra from any other sources of healing.
  FEARLESS (1 Points, requires Courage of 1+):  Your 
  Courage rating is  doubled  versus mundane fear (such as 
  facing  huge  foes)  but  not  magical  effects  or  anything 
  associated with your Flaws. Your fearless demeanor gives 
  you a +2 bonus when trying to inspire bravery in others. 
  INTUITION (1 Point): When faced with a choice, you can 
  ask  the  GM  which  option  you  feel  better  about.  They 
  secretly roll  1d6. On  a 4-6, they recommend  whichever 
  option they consider best. On a 2-3 (or if the option are all 
  roughly equal anyway) they say that you have no particular 
  feeling one way or the other. On a 1, they recommend a 
  bad option. You can only use this once per circumstance. 
  IRON  CONSTITUTION  (1  Point):  You  take  only  half 
  damage from poisons/venoms and receive a +4 bonus to 
  any attempts to resist their effects (and to resist alcohol). 
  KEEN NOSE (1 Point): You have such a strong sense of 
  smell that you can actually track things by scent over a 
  long distance. If the odor is significantly different from the 
  others in the area (such as the smell of blood or the scent 
  of the only rat in a town of mice), you can make a Tracking 
  check even on ground that normally wouldn't retain tracks. 
  NIGHT VISION (1 Point): You ignore the first 2 points of 
  penalties from poor lighting or even complete darkness.
  SCHOLARLY  EXPERTISE  (1  Point):  You  have  a  deep 
  understanding of a specific field of study chosen when you 
  take this Power. It gives you a +4 to any skill checks made 
  that could be aided by scholarly knowledge of that field. 
  You can also come up with the sort of details that would 
  normally only be available if you you were doing research 
  in a library. Can be purchased multiple times but each time 
  you must choose a different area of expertise. 
  SURVIVOR  (1  Point):  You  can  withstand  extremes  of 
  temperature that would kill others. You are at +4 to resist 
  environmental effects and take ½ damage from them.
  UNSTOPPABLE  (1  Point):  Whenever  you  roll  a  Death 
  test, roll twice and take the better result. You only pass out 
  after failing a Death test. 
  
  MAGIC POWERS
  MAGIC POWERS
  There  are  six  basic  magical  spells  available.  These  are 
  relatively simple enchantments that a talented mage can 
  perform  with  minimal  training.  Each  must  be  purchased 
  separately. Each basic spell has a matching skill with the 
  same name. You'll roll that skill when you cast it.
  All of the Basic Spells require that the character have 
  a minimum Magic rating of +1. With a Magic rating of 
  zero or less, you are simply incapable of tapping into 
  your  personal  magical  energies  and  cannot  cast 
  spells. See the Magical Mice section for more details.
  If  your  Magic  rating  were  ever  reduced  to  +0  or 
  below, you would retain the ability to cast spells that 
  you already knew, but could not learn new ones. 
  THE SIX BASIC SPELLS
  THE SIX BASIC SPELLS
  COMPEL (2 Points):  You can now cast the  Compel  spell 
  and can put skill points into that skill. Compel enables the 
  mage to mentally influence the behavior of other creatures.
  GUISE (2 Points):  You can now cast the Guise spell and 
  can put skill points into that skill.  Guise  enables you to 
  cloak an object or person's form in an illusionary disguise. 
  SHAPING (2 Points): You can now cast the Shaping spell 
  and can put skill points into that skill. Shaping enables the 
  mage to study and alter the interior structure of an object 
  by touching it. They can then repair it or sculpt it into a 
  new form with their mind. It can also be used to magically 
  heal others by closing their wounds.
  SPARK (2 Points): You can now cast the Spark spell and 
  can put skill points into that skill. Spark enables the mage 
  to conjure light or flame.
  TUG (2 Points): You can now cast the Tug spell and can 
  put skill  points into that skill.  Tug  enables the mage to 
  move nearby objects with the power of their mind.
  WHISPERS (2 Points):  You can now cast the  Whispers 
  spell and can put skill points into that skill. Whispers allows 
  the mage to listen to and interact with the spirit world, 
  enabling them to send mental messages to other people or 
  to probe the world around them with magical senses. 
  HIGH SORCERIES
  HIGH SORCERIES
  High Sorceries  are especially complex and powerful spells 
  that must be learned one at a time. Each Sorcery must be 
  purchased separately and represents an especially potent 
  or elaborate trick that can be performed using one of the 
  six  basic  spells.  You must already possess  the requisite 
  basic spell before you can take Sorceries that rely upon it.
  See each magical art section for a list of available  High 
  Sorceries that use that basic spell. Most High Sorceries cost 
  either 1 or 2 Points to learn and are HARD (14) to cast. 
  All of the High Sorceries require that the character 
  already possess the corresponding Basic Spell above. 
  Without  that  basic  knowledge,  these  advanced 
  techniques are impossible to learn or cast.
  Note  that  beginning  mages,  even  if  they  know  a  High 
  Sorcery, may require a number of attempts to succeed at 
  it, due to the high difficulties involved.
  OTHER MAGICAL POWERS
  OTHER MAGICAL POWERS
  These Powers do not require that the character have a high 
  Magic rating, but are considered more mystical in nature 
  than mundane Powers. 
  BLESSED  (1  Point):  For  some  reason,  you  are  more 
  resistant to the powers of spirits than normal mice. Spirit 
  foes and monsters such as Ghuls are at -2 to affect you 
  with any attacks or mystical effects. 
  CONCENTRATION (1 Point):  You no longer suffer a -2 
  penalty for being active and moving around while casting.
  COUNTER-SPELL (1 Point): Whenever you cast a spell to 
  try and block or undo someone else's spell, you receive a 
  +4 bonus to your roll.
  DEEP DREAMER (1  Point):  Whenever you sleep in  an 
  area where something significant has happened or is about 
  to happen, the GM can make a Sixth Sense roll for you. If 
  successful, you will dream about whatever it is that makes 
  the area unusual or important. If you are in danger, you 
  will probably wake up out of a nightmare that gives you at 
  least some idea of what form the danger takes.
  This power sometimes takes the form of a dead relative's 
  shade speaking to you from beyond and imparting  brief 
  messages and warnings before vanishing again.  
  GIFTED MAGE (1 Point): When you spend Focus to aid a 
  spell-casting roll, you receive a +2 bonus instead of +1.
  MAGICAL RESERVES (1  Point):  You possess  an extra 
  “Winded” Fatigue level which can only be spent on spells. 
  This Power can be taken up to 3 times.
  MAGIC RESISTANCE (1 Point):  Your magical energies 
  are bound up so tightly that it's very difficult for others to 
  affect them in any way. The difficulty of any attempt to 
  affect you with magic is increased by 4. Even if you are 
  trying not to resist, the caster still suffers a -2 penalty to 
  their roll. You can never learn to cast spells. 
  MAGICAL  TALENT  (1  Point):  Pick  one  of the  6  Basic 
  Spells when you take this power. When casting spells of 
  that type, you are considered to score a Critical Success for 
  every 4 points that you beat the target number by, rather 
  than 5. This Power can be taken once per Basic Spell. 
  MYSTIC CHANNEL (1 Point): You ignore the first 3 points 
  of penalties from maintaining other spells when you cast 
  new ones. 
  NATURAL  LINK  (1  Point):
   You  have  a  mystical 
  connection to another person (chosen at the time that you 
  take this Power) that makes you particularly sensitive to 
  them. You will instantly know when they are wounded or in 
  particular  emotional  distress  and  can  always  sense  the 
  direction in which they lie. If you use the Whispers art to 
  communicate with them, your spell-casting check is at +2. 
  They have to purchase this power for you as well, or else 
  the connection is just one-way. 
  RITUAL  MAGIC  (1  Point):  When  you  have  time  to 
  perform  a  full-fledged  ritual  with  chanting  and  mystic 
  diagrams, you receive a further +2 bonus to cast spells.
  UNLIMITED EFFORT (1 Point):  You can always  spend 
  Fatigue to boost a spell even if you have already succeeded 
  in casting it. Yes, this can enable you to turn a regular 
  success  into  a  critical  success  or  squeeze  past  a  foe's 
  resistance roll. 
  
  BALANCED
  BALANCED  
  TRAITS
  TRAITS
  Balanced  Traits are  ones  which  are  regarded  as  neither 
  Powers nor Flaws but a combination of both. Each Balanced 
  Trait  has  both  is  positive  and  negative  aspects,  which 
  hopefully cancel out. In general, a character should only 
  take a single Balanced Trait, but the GM can allow more if 
  they fit the character's concept well. 
  DOOMED
  DOOMED
  If  you  take  a  Doom,  then  someone  has  used  magic  to 
  reveal  the  way  you  are  fated  to  die.  This  is  invariably 
  violent  and  often  horrific...  if  you  received  a  pleasant 
  foretelling, it wouldn't be much of a doom, would it?
  However,  this  also  means  that  you  know  how  you  are 
  supposed to die. Whenever you fail a roll that results in 
  your character's death or likely death, you can re-roll it 
  once because you know that you are not fated to die this 
  way. Take the better of the two rolls as your result.
  Unfortunately, this knowledge has its price. If you are in a 
  situation where you know that your Doom could come true, 
  then you can only acquire Focus by spending Fatigue and 
  cannot spend Hero Points on your rolls. Furthermore, the 
  odds  of you encountering  the source  of your  Doom  are 
  increased by the fact that you are fated to do it. 
  Example: Valtrun  is  doomed to  be  devoured  by 
  shrews.  If he  were  to  fail  a roll  to escape  from  a 
  slavering  weasel, he could  request a re-roll on the 
  grounds that this violates his predicted destiny. On 
  the other hand, Valtrun will tend to encounter hostile 
  shrews a little more often than most characters and 
  will not be able to acquire Focus normally or spend 
  Hero Points against them. 
  If you  do  manage to perish in a different fashion, well... 
  congratulations! You managed to cheat fate. Sort of. 
  SEER
  SEER
  Your character is more in tune with the spirit world than 
  the typical mouse. For you, a critical success with the Sixth 
  Sense  skill  triggers  not  vague  sensations  of  danger  or 
  magical  phenomena,  but  full-fledged  visions  and 
  hallucinations.  This  gives  you  much  more  detailed 
  information  than normal, but also  leaves  you somewhat 
  impaired until the vision ends. You suffer a -1 penalty to 
  other actions for a mild vision such as seeing a ghost, -2 
  for a seriously distracting one like a wild battle around you 
  and  -4  for  nightmare  visions  of  death  and  horror. 
  Particularly  intense  visions  may  even  cause  convulsions 
  and inflict 1 wound as well. 
  If you  devote your full  concentration  to it  and  spend 1 
  Fatigue, you can also turn a regular success at a Sixth 
  Sense roll into a Critical Success, thus triggering a vision. 
  In  the  grips  of  such  a  vision,  the  seer  often  babbles 
  nonsense  or  falls  in  a  faint  and  is  unable  to  protect 
  themselves until after the vision ends.  
  Mice with this trait often take the  Deep Dreamer  Magical 
  Power as well, so that this mystical sensitivity extends even 
  to their dreams. 
  MEMBERSHIP
  MEMBERSHIP
  A  character  who  is  a  member  of  a special  organization 
  receives  both benefits  and hindrances from it. They are 
  expected to live up to both the code of behavior expected 
  by that group and to fulfill their responsibilities to it. They 
  can  call  upon  the group's  resources, but  they'll  also  be 
  asked to do (or  not  do) specific things, which can be a 
  major source of adventures or a big fat pain, depending on 
  how things go. 
  This  is  distinguished  from  the  Duty  flaw  in  that  the 
  membership carries with it advantages that make up for 
  the  responsibilities  involved.  The  most  common  one  is 
  support from fellow members. 
  In general, a PC can only have one membership at a time. 
  Almost all large, formal organizations are picky about their 
  members  and  want  to  ensure  that  you  don't  have  any 
  conflicting goals. Below are listed a selection of the most 
  common  organizations  that  PCs  might  choose  to  be 
  members  of.  The  most  common  ones  are  the  major 
  churches of the valley, but there are a few others, too. 
  CHURCHES OF THE FIRST ONES
  CHURCHES OF THE FIRST ONES
  Membership in a church means more than merely tithing 
  and attending worship; it means being an actual priest or 
  other agent of the church itself. Exactly what an agent of 
  the church might be expected to do varies according to the 
  church in question. 
  In addition to normal priests, each church offers a number 
  of  more  exotic  jobs.  Some  examples  are  given  below. 
  These kind of jobs are not always restricted to members of 
  the church; PCs could well be hired to undertake missions 
  of this sort as mercenaries. 
  CANDUSS  (goddess  of  finance):  Act  as  a courier  for 
  important documents or deliveries of funds. These runners 
  are often trusted with large amounts of money and so are a 
  regular target for the criminal element. 
  Another common function is that of dealing with those who 
  default  on  their loans  or hunting  down  those  who have 
  stolen from the church. The church of Canduss takes theft 
  very seriously.
  
  DUVAIN (god of strength):  Defend Duvain's Weal (and 
  particularly the temples of Duvain therein) from predators, 
  brigands, and other dangers. 
  The  church  of  Duvain  has  less  money  than  the  other 
  temples, but in Duvain's Weal they still  possess a large 
  amount of influence and many members. 
  JANDARA (goddess of beauty): Maidens of Summer are 
  often sent to act as political emissaries to important people 
  that the church wishes to influence. Others may be sent 
  along as their bodyguards.
  LUCIEL (ruler of the gods): Inquisitors check up on the 
  other temples to make sure that they are not agitating the 
  populace against the church of Luciel or the social order in 
  general. It is their duty to make sure that any religious 
  laws laid down by the High Priest of Luciel are followed by 
  the other temples. They also root out heretics and banned 
  cults, especially those that worship one of the dark gods.  
  LUMIERRE (queen of swords):  Defend followers of the 
  church in need and protect the empire from any threats, 
  internal or external.
  The  church  of Lumierre  employs  a  number  of volunteer 
  warriors  (often  female)  to  protect  its  members  and  its 
  temples.  Such  positions  are  taken  by  those  who  truly 
  believe in the cause, rather than those seeking money; the 
  pay is quite poor and barely covers expenses. 
  MAGELLIAN  (god  of  knowledge):  Those  priests  who 
  have  joined  the  order  of  Magellian's  Cloak  wander  the 
  Fallows seeking out new knowledge and return periodically 
  to record it in the temple archives. 
  Cloaks  can  be  assigned  bodyguards  or  assistants  if  the 
  church deems it necessary, but most hire their own rather 
  than depending upon the whims of church functionaries.
  ZAKARVUS (god of death):  Perform important funerals, 
  carry the remains of important personages who died away 
  from  home  back to  their  family  resting  place  or act  as 
  bodyguards to those who do.
  Characters may also find employment acting as assistants 
  to the priests, especially those who are truly blind. 
  QUICKPAW  (the  trickster):  The  closest  thing  that 
  Quickpaw  has  to  a  formal  church  is  the  criminal 
  organization known as the Gleaners.
  OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  THE GLEANERS: The Gleaners are the “Thieves' Guild” of 
  the city of Haven. Many thieves and burglars are members. 
  Membership is identified through special code phrases and 
  secret  signs. PCs  who  are  Gleaners  will  be  expected  to 
  harbor and protect any fellow criminals who need help and 
  to obey the commands of the bosses of the guild. Those 
  who become too disobedient may find themselves marked 
  for death by the dreaded Black Paw.
  While the Gleaners themselves are concentrated in Haven, 
  former  Gleaners  can  often  be  found  in  other  cities, 
  sometimes even running small organized crime syndicates 
  of their own. It is not possible to retire from the Gleaners... 
  once you become a member, they expect you to consider 
  yourself one for life. 
  Beyond that, however, there are few rules. So long as a 
  member  regularly  tithes  an  appropriate  portion  of  their 
  income  (legal  or  otherwise)  to  the  guild  bosses,  the 
  Gleaners don't really care what you do for a living. 
  THE  BLACK  PAW:  The  dreaded  Black  Paw are  the 
  “Assassins' Guild” of the city of Haven. A character who 
  chooses to be a member of this organization probably won't 
  know much more than the general public does. The Paw is 
  organized  into a series  of small  cells  that  know how to 
  contact their immediate supervisor, but not much more. A 
  number of carefully memorized symbols and phrases are 
  used to identify valid assignments. Assassins who display a 
  lack of discipline or who let slip the secrets of the guild 
  quickly become the next target for elimination. 
  Their duties largely consist of eliminating the enemies of 
  the Gleaners, which includes any Gleaners whose lips have 
  proved loose with the secrets of the guild. 
  IMPERIAL CAVALRY: This elite military organization is a 
  troop of pigeon riders who act as the empire of Muscala's 
  most  elite  fighting  force.  The  riders  are  themselves  all 
  white mice and the officers are all royals. Other races are 
  limited  to  merely  tending  the  animals  or  assisting  the 
  cavalrymen.  The  Imperial  Cavalry  are  famed  for  their 
  mystical and military might, but they are most commonly 
  used as scouts or messengers for the main army. 
  Their headquarters is the Aviary attached to the Imperial 
  Palace itself and their leaders answer only to the Emperor. 
  Unfortunately, because their activities are quite restricted, 
  Imperial  Cavalry  generally  aren't  suitable  as  player 
  characters unless all of the PCs are members.
  IMPERIAL MESSENGERS:  A much less elite group than 
  the Imperial Cavalry but probably more important overall, 
  the Imperial Messengers were originally created to deliver 
  messages throughout the empire. However, their current 
  leader,  Prince  Yulin,  has  turned  the  inner  core  of  the 
  messengers into a spy network that brings him news from 
  all over the Fallows. 
  By law,  the  lesser kingdoms  cannot  restrict  or interfere 
  with messengers on imperial business (at least not without 
  raising Muscala's ire), which makes them excellent spies. 
  Imperial Messengers carry sealed documents and special 
  papers that mark them as such. In the case where such 
  documents are being used by outsiders to pass themselves 
  off as Imperial Messengers, Prince Yulin will go to great 
  lengths  to  see  the  documents  returned  and  the 
  perpetrators slain. 
  
  FLAWS
  FLAWS
  Flaws  are  basically  Powers  with  a  negative  point  cost. 
  Taking  Flaws  allows  you  to afford more  Powers  but  will 
  weaken or restrict your character in some fashion. 
  Some Flaws are difficult to enforce with game rules and 
  instead require you to role-play them properly. If you don't 
  act our your Flaw appropriately, your GM may require you 
  to buy it off or spend a Hero Point to ignore it temporarily. 
  ADDICTED TO THELARINE (-1 Point, requires Social 
  Status  +2  or  better):  You  are  addicted  to  the  drug 
  Thelarine. You start each day with 1 point of Fatigue that 
  can only be recovered with a dose of Thelarine. See the 
  Esoteric Equipment section. If forced to go without, you are 
  also at -2 to all Brawn checks due to weakness and fatigue. 
  BAD  REPUTATION  (-1  Point):  You  have  managed  to 
  establish  a  widely  known  reputation  for  yourself  due  to 
  some  prior  exploit...  and  it's  not  a  flattering  one.  You 
  should define the exact nature of what you did and what 
  people have heard about you but it has to regularly cause 
  problems for you (like a -2 to certain social skill checks 
  with anyone who has heard of you) or it's not a true Flaw. 
  COWARD (-1 Point): You are quite reluctant to engage in 
  any  unnecessary  activity  which  would  put  your  life  in 
  danger. You'll flee from danger whenever reasonable. Your 
  Courage checks for resisting fear are all at -2. You cannot 
  spend Focus to aid attack rolls unless you are cornered.
  DARK SECRET (-1 Point): Your character has a difficult-
  to-conceal dark secret which will greatly impact their life if 
  it ever gets out. They may be wanted for a terrible crime 
  (and  may  or  may  not  have  committed  it),  have  stolen 
  something  valuable  or  otherwise  be  wanted  by  the 
  authorities. Among White Mice, a common Dark Secret  is 
  that their fur isn't entirely white but has patches of other 
  colors hidden beneath their clothes. If the secret comes 
  out, the character will generally acquire not only the  Low 
  Social Standing Flaw, but additional retribution from those 
  who feel shocked and betrayed at this revelation. 
  Note that if there isn't an easy way in which your Dark 
  Secret can be revealed then it doesn't qualify as a Flaw at 
  all, but is instead just a part of their character background. 
  Expect your GM to occasionally set up situation in which 
  you have to think fast to avoid your secret being exposed.
  DRUNKARD (-1 Point): You have a notable weakness for 
  wine, beer and revelry of all sorts. You may have to roll 
  Leadership to avoid indulging yourself.
  DUTY (-1 Point):  Your character has a sense of loyalty 
  and duty to a person or group who doesn't really give them 
  anything back in return (for a more equitable arrangement, 
  see the  Membership  Balanced Trait). This may entail you 
  having to risk your life to protect them or being sent to run 
  errands on their behalf. 
  FORSAKEN (-2 Points, requires stats no better than 
  Cleverness  0  and  Magic  -1):  Your  character's  innate 
  magic is so weak that they are already partially feral. They 
  tend to drop back to instinctive, animal-like behaviors when 
  stressed.  Any  children  that  they  have  may  well  be 
  completely  mindless.  Your  Cleverness,  Magic  and  Social 
  Status ratings are all reduced by another point.
  GREEDY (-1 Point):  You are notoriously avaricious and 
  hate to ever pass up an opportunity for personal gain. You 
  may be required to make a Courage check to pass up on 
  treasure, even if it may be cursed or trapped. 
  GRIM (-1 Point):  Your character rarely shows any cheer 
  or happiness and always seems to be in a dark, grim mood. 
  You are at -2 to most Carousing and Performance checks 
  and any other skill tests that involve being outgoing.
  HONORABLE (-1 Point):  Your character always tries to 
  keep their  word  and  will  not lie  except  in  the direst  of 
  circumstances (and only when other lives are at stake, not 
  your  own).  You  are  not  prohibited  from  engaging  in 
  questionable behavior like attacking from ambush, but you 
  can only use such dishonorable  tactics against foes that 
  you know would do the same thing to you if they could. 
  Take the Good Reputation Power if you want your character 
  to be well-known for their honorable behavior already. 
  ILLITERATE (-1 Point):  While  the  typical  inhabitant of 
  Hyperborea is functionally illiterate, the game assumes that 
  typical  PCs have  at  least  a minimal  ability  to  read  and 
  write. If you take this flaw, then you lack even that. 
  Illiterate is generally not appropriate for characters with a 
  social standing above Commoner but is very appropriate 
  for ones at that level or below. 
  LOW  SOCIAL  STANDING  (-1  Point):  Your  character's 
  social standing has been seriously damaged by some sort 
  of scandal, crime, unpaid debts or bad reputation which 
  you should explain in your character's background. Your 
  effective social status is always reduced by 2 points. 
  NON-COMBATANT (-1 Point): Unlike the typical PC, your 
  combat skills are not yet honed (and perhaps never will 
  be). Your Melee, Ranged and Thrown combat ratings are all 
  reduced by 1.
  PHOBIA (-1 Point): Your character has an unnatural fear 
  of  something  (generally  dating  back  to  a  traumatic 
  encounter in their past). You have to make Courage checks 
  to face it. If the source of your fear is frightening enough 
  that normal characters have to roll  Courage, then you'll 
  have to spend a Hero Point to not automatically fail. 
  SHELTERED  UPBRINGING  (-1  Point,  requires Social 
  Status of at least +2): Very common among royal mice, 
  your  upbringing  was  so  sheltered  that  you  have  never 
  really had to do things for yourself. You are at -4 when 
  performing any kind of menial labor or disgusting task.  
  SICKLY (-1 Point): You have one fewer Fatigue level than 
  normal. Your first level of Fatigue is always considered to 
  be expended and cannot be recovered by rest. 
  SOFT-HEARTED  (-1  Point):  Your  character  is  readily 
  moved  by  the  suffering  of  others.  For  you,  mercy  and 
  compassion is a compulsion rather than an option. If a foe 
  might reasonably be a good person, you feel the need to 
  give them the benefit of the doubt. 
  SUPERSTITIOUS (-1 Point): You have a natural dread of 
  spirits, places of death and ill-omens. You'll never strike a 
  priest  or  desecrate  a  sacred  place  and  will  feel  very 
  uncomfortable just entering ancient ruins. If forced to roll a 
  Courage check to deal with something frightening that also 
  triggers your Superstitious Flaw, you'll be at -2 to the roll. 
  ZEALOT  (-1  Point):  Your character is  obsessed  with  a 
  particular religion, nationality or other cause. They miss no 
  opportunity to promote that cause and may end up giving 
  it a bad name through their fanaticism. Pick your particular 
  obsession when you take this Flaw. 
  
  SKILLS
  SKILLS
  AGILITY SKILLS
  AGILITY SKILLS
  ACROBATICS*: Jumping, climbing and general balance. 
  CONTORTIONIST*:  Squeezing  through  small  openings, 
  escaping  bonds,  and  such.  Subtract your  Brawn+Size 
  from this skill; it's much easier for small characters.
  PERFORMANCE: Dancing, juggling and similar displays of 
  grace and poise designed to entertain onlookers.
  RIDING:  Controlling a mount and staying in place while 
  riding one. Not used very much by most mice, but essential 
  for anyone who ever wants to ride a bird. Useless for rats.
  SAILING: Skill at the various tasks involved in running a 
  ship, keeping your balance in the riggings, and such.
  SPEED:  Putting on short bursts of speed to outrace foes, 
  grab objects before someone else or seize the initiative.
  STEALTH*:  Moving quickly and quietly without attracting 
  unwanted attention as well as picking good hiding spots.
  THIEVERY:  Sleight of hand, lock-picking, pick-pocketing 
  and similar acts that require quick and dexterous fingers.
  *Subtract twice your Size rating from these skills.
  BRAWN SKILLS
  BRAWN SKILLS
  CAROUSING: Attending drunken revels and other festivals 
  without overdoing it. A good way to make new friends.
  DIGGING*: Rapidly digging out burrows with your claws. 
  Looked down upon as something only feral rodents do, but 
  a nice ability to have at times.
  ENDURANCE*: Used for long-distance travel, engaging in 
  exhausting labor or staying alert without sleep. 
  FEATS  OF  STRENGTH*:  Used  when  lifting  very  heavy 
  objects or trying to pin a foe with sheer muscle power.
  INTIMIDATION*: Threatening others and cowing foes.
  SWIMMING: Ability to swim and deal with rough water. 
  *Add twice your Size rating to these skills.
  CLEVERNESS SKILLS
  CLEVERNESS SKILLS
  ACTING:  Pretending  to  be  something  you're  not.  Often 
  opposed by Psychology. 
  CHARM: Making friends and influencing people.
  CRAFT: Sculpting, carpentry, weaving and other crafts. 
  ENGINEERING: General knowledge of mechanisms, locks, 
  traps, construction and architecture. 
  ESOTERIC LORE: Knowledge of alchemy, legends, history, 
  theology, magic and metaphysics. 
  NATURE:  Knowledge of animals  and plants, their habits 
  and where they are found. 
  STREETWISE:  Finding things in a city or town, including 
  illegal services. Also covers valuing and selling goods.
  WORLD LORE: Knowledge of modern kingdoms and their 
  laws, languages and customs. 
  PERCEPTION SKILLS
  PERCEPTION SKILLS
  ALERTNESS:  Noticing  things  going  on  around  you  or 
  spotting specific details. Also used to find your way around 
  in the dark. Often opposed by Stealth or Thievery.
  MEDICINE: Diagnosing and treating illnesses, poisons and 
  injuries. 
  PSYCHOLOGY:  Appraising someone's hidden emotions or 
  motivations. Often opposed by Acting.
  TRACKING:  Finding  and  following  tracks.  Opposed  by 
  Stealth over short distances or Wilderness over long ones. 
  WILDERNESS:  Moving  through  the  wilderness  quickly, 
  avoiding leaving tracks and finding food and shelter. 
  MAGIC SKILLS
  MAGIC SKILLS
  SIXTH SENSE: Your ability to sense impending danger or 
  weird magical effects in your vicinity. 
  COMPEL  SPELL*:  Magic  that  mentally  influences  the 
  behavior of others.
  GUISE SPELL*: Magic that conceals and disguises things.
  SHAPING  SPELL*:  Magic  that  can  reshape  or  repair 
  objects by touch. Often used to heal wounds.
  SPARK SPELL*: Magic that conjures fire or light.
  TUG SPELL*:  Magic  that moves objects around without 
  touching them.
  WHISPERS SPELL*:  Magic that works through the spirit 
  world. It can send mental messages, detect creatures in 
  your vicinity or even predict the future. 
  *Spells are special skills that require you to purchase 
  the matching Magical Power before taking them.
  COMBAT RATINGS
  COMBAT RATINGS
  These  special  skills  cannot  be  increased  at  character 
  creation, but can be raised later. Each one depends on two 
  separate stats instead of just one. 
  MELEE COMBAT (AGILITY+BRAWN): Skill at fighting at 
  close  range,  whether  armed  or  unarmed.  Covers  both 
  attacking and parrying, as well as blocking with a shield. 
  THROWING  (BRAWN+PERCEPTION):
   Your  skill  at 
  hitting the desired spot with a hurled item, whether trying 
  to strike someone with a thrown weapon or carefully toss 
  them something they need. You'll usually roll Speed when 
  you want to catch such an item.
  RANGED COMBAT (AGILITY+PERCEPTION):  Your skill 
  at using bows, crossbows or similar ranged weapons where 
  a missile is hurled at a foe indirectly rather than by hand. 
  DODGE (AGILITY+CLEVERNESS): Throwing yourself out 
  of the way of oncoming attacks, particularly ones that are 
  so powerful that they cannot be blocked or parried. 
  COURAGE (BRAWN+CLEVERNESS): Ability to resist fear 
  (especially magical fear), as well as general willpower.
  LEADERSHIP  (CLEVERNESS+PERCEPTION):  Skill  at 
  getting others to follow your lead and inspiring them to 
  action. Also used to formulate effective combat tactics.
  
  MILITANT MICE
  MILITANT MICE
  BASIC COMBAT PROCEDURE
  BASIC COMBAT PROCEDURE
  INITIATIVE
  INITIATIVE
  Everyone rolls their Speed skill and then acts in that order.
  If a group is surprised by another group, they generally 
  lose their first action automatically. 
  MELEE ATTACK ROLLS
  MELEE ATTACK ROLLS
  The  current  character  rolls  their  Melee  skill  while  their 
  chosen target rolls either Melee (to parry) or Dodge. 
  PARRY MODIFIERS:
  ●
  Trying to parry a large weapon without a weapon 
  or shield of your own: -4
  ●
  Trying  to  parry  a  small  weapon  (like  a  knife) 
  without a weapon or shield of your own: -2
  ●
  Trying  to  parry  a  large  weapon  with  a  ranged 
  weapon like a bow or crossbow: -2
  ●
  Trying to parry with one hand while attempting to 
  grab that foe with the other: -2
  ●
  The  difference  between  the  attacker's  Size  and 
  yours, if their Size is greater. Typically, this means 
  that trying to parry the attack of a huge monster 
  is quite difficult. 
  ●
  Devoting your full attention to defense: +1
  ●
  Using a shield instead of a weapon to defend: +1
  ●
  You are caught completely off guard: -4
  ●
  You are lying prone: -2
  ●
  You are stunned: -2
  ●
  Surrounded by multiple foes working together: -1 
  per foe after the first (max -4)
  DODGE MODIFIERS:
  ●
  Rough ground: -2
  ●
  No room to retreat: -2
  ●
  Trying  to  use  a  ranged  weapon  like  a  bow  or 
  crossbow and still dodging a melee attack: -2
  ●
  Trying to grab the same foe whose attacks you are 
  dodging: -2
  ●
  You are caught completely off guard: -4
  ●
  You are lying prone and are attacked in melee: -2
  ●
  You are stunned: -2
  ●
  Surrounded by multiple foes working together: -1 
  per foe after the first (max -4)
  SUCCESS: If the attacker rolls higher, the target is hit and 
  takes appropriate damage, minus their armor rating. 
  CRITICAL SUCCESS: For every 5 points that the attacker 
  wins  by, they get to claim  one  Combat  Bonus for their 
  blow. These additional benefits can inflict extra damage, 
  stun foes or otherwise aid the attacker. Which Bonuses you 
  can  claim  will  depend  on  what  sort  of weapon  you  are 
  wielding. See the Combat Bonuses section.
  TIE:  On a tie, the first attack misses, but the attacker is 
  allowed to make a second, follow-up attack immediately. 
  The  defender  must  use  a  different  defense  than  the 
  previous  one...  if  they  parried  the  original  attack,  they 
  must now dodge or vice versa. 
  FAILURE: The attack misses. There is no effect. 
  CRITICAL  FAILURE:  You  are  left  off-balance  and  lose 
  your next action. 
  THROWN WEAPON PROCEDURE
  THROWN WEAPON PROCEDURE
  A thrown weapon uses similar rules, but with the following 
  adjustments.  The  attacker  uses  their  Throwing  rating 
  instead of Melee. If the defender chooses to parry, they do 
  so at -4. On a Tie, the attacker hits for ½ normal damage 
  (round up) instead of making a follow-up attack. 
  RANGED WEAPON PROCEDURE
  RANGED WEAPON PROCEDURE
  The  current  character  rolls  their  Ranged  skill  while  the 
  target rolls Dodge. Ranged weapons cannot be parried at 
  all. On a Tie, the attacker hits for ½ normal damage (round 
  up) instead of making a follow-up attack. 
  RANGED ATTACK MODIFIERS:
  ●
  Target's Size: added to the attack roll
  ●
  Target is under cover: -2 to Impossible
  ●
  Target is at long range: -2
  ●
  Target is at extreme range: -4
  ●
  Target is moving very little and not using cover: +2
  ●
  Target is not moving at all and has no cover: +4
  ●
  You are moving around a lot (particularly if trying to 
  dodge or parry melee attacks while shooting): -2
  ●
  You are lying prone or braced in some fashion: +2, 
  but -2 to Dodge melee attacks
  ●
  You take a full round of sitting still and just aiming 
  before you attack: +1
  
  UNARMED COMBAT PROCEDURE
  UNARMED COMBAT PROCEDURE
  Mice  are  unsophisticated  wrestlers  and  brawlers,  but 
  there's always the option of simply seizing a nearby foe 
  and trying to overpower them. 
  ESTABLISHING A HOLD
  ESTABLISHING A HOLD
  First,  the  attacker must  make  a  Grab  attack.  This  is  a 
  standard melee attack using at least one empty paw to try 
  and seize hold of a foe's limbs, fur or other accessible area.
  Note that when first attempting to grab a foe, you are at -2 
  to defend against them. If you try to grab a foe who has 
  already attacked you this turn, you are at -2 to hit instead.
  If you succeed, you will have gotten a grip on the target 
  with at least one paw. On a Critical Success, you can grab 
  them in a location where they are at -2 to hit you (if you 
  were in front of them) or -4 (if you were behind them). 
  If you have grabbed someone and someone else attempts 
  to hit you, you have a choice between taking a -2 to your 
  defense rolls or releasing your hold. 
  GRAPPLING MANEUVERS
  GRAPPLING MANEUVERS
  To make a grappling attack on an already grabbed foe, the 
  attacker  spends  their  action  rolling  Feats  of  Strength 
  against the target's defense, which will either be their own 
  Feats  of  Strength  (to  resist  with  muscle  power)  or 
  Contortionist  (to  resist  by  trying  to  wriggle  free). On  a 
  successful  roll,  the  attacker  can  choose  a  standard 
  Grappling  Maneuver  to  apply  (crits  can  apply  Universal 
  Combat Bonuses). On a Tie you can retain your grip but 
  there  is  no  other  benefit.  On  a  Failure  or  worse,  the 
  attacker may be able to break free or reverse the hold, 
  depending on what sort of defense they chose to use.
  If you are only holding  on to the target with  one hand 
  (perhaps the  other is  still  holding  a weapon) then  your 
  Feats of Strength rolls are at -2.
  STANDARD GRAPPLING MANEUVERS
  ●
  Choke: the target takes 1d3 damage per round and 
  cannot speak. A garrote changes this to 1d4+1 lethal 
  damage instead. Does not work on foes whose Size is 
  more than one larger than your own. 
  ●
  Crush:  the  target  takes  1d3+Brawn  damage  per 
  round as you try to squeeze them to death. Does not 
  work on foes whose Size is greater than your own.
  ●
  Pin: you pin the target so that they are momentarily 
  helpless. You no longer need to roll, but can apply 
  your roll for this round over and over again until they 
  succeed in beating it or you choose to release them. 
  ●
  Throw: throw the target to the ground. If you slam 
  them down next to you, you can maintain your grip, 
  otherwise you must release it. Does not work on foes 
  whose Size is more than one greater than your own.
  DEFENSES
  ●
  Attempt to reverse the hold: this uses up your next 
  action as the two of you struggle for dominance. Roll 
  your own Feats of Strength against the attacker's roll. 
  If you win, you have now grabbed them as well. Treat 
  it as though you were the original attacker and apply 
  a Grappling Maneuver to them. 
  ●
  Attempt to break free: this uses up your next action 
  as  you  struggle  to  break  their  grip.  Roll  Feats  of 
  Strength  or  Contortionist.  If  you  succeed,  the 
  attacker's  grip  is  broken  and  you  are  free.  If  you 
  critically succeed on this roll, you may take a normal 
  action as well.
  ●
  Ignore them: if you have higher priorities than dealing 
  with the person who has grabbed you, you can just 
  ignore them. Roll  Feats of Strength to oppose their 
  roll; on a Critical Success you break free anyway.
  SPECIAL GRAPPLING ACTIONS
  ●
  Attack a grabbed foe with  a weapon in  your other 
  hand: make a regular melee attack at +2 to hit. If 
  you have successfully grabbed them from behind, this 
  bonus is +4 instead.
  ●
  Attempt to shake off attackers: usable as your action 
  when  one  or  more  people  have  grabbed  you.  Roll 
  Feats of Strength. This takes up your action, but the 
  roll is applied to all foes who have grabbed you. On a 
  success, their grip is broken. On a Critical Success, 
  they also fall down if they are your size or one level 
  larger. If they are smaller, they are hurled away too.
  ●
  Attempt  to  slam  a  grappler  into  a  wall  or  other 
  obstacle:  roll  Feats  of  Strength  vs  their  Feats  of 
  Strength  or Contortionist.  If you succeed, they take 
  1d3+Brawn damage (modified by the sort of surface 
  they were slammed into). On a critical failure, you'll 
  fall down. On a critical success, they lose their grip.
  GRAPPLING HUGE CREATURES
  GRAPPLING HUGE CREATURES
  If you have grabbed a creature that is at least 2 points 
  bigger than you, you're probably just barely hanging on 
  rather than really hindering them. Using a weapon in your 
  other hand is probably a better bet than trying any of the 
  standard grappling maneuvers. 
  It may also be impossible to grab such a creature in an 
  effective  location  unless you  are  jumping  on  them  from 
  above. Grabbing a huge creature around the ankles  will 
  give you a -4 to all Feats of Strength rolls... it will be quite 
  simple for them to shake you off. 
  JUMPING ONTO A HUGE CREATURE
  JUMPING ONTO A HUGE CREATURE
  Roll Acrobatics (as a Jumping check) instead of Melee and 
  add their Size to your chance to hit. They defend with their 
  Dodge. If you miss you will  fall  short  or go flying  past 
  them. If you succeed, you can grab them or make a single 
  melee attack at +2 damage if you hit. 
  If you choose to use a weapon, you will automatically fall 
  off afterwards unless you managed to score the  Impale 
  combat bonus (in which case you can remain hanging on to 
  the weapon if you desire).
  On  the  other hand,  if  you  manage  to  jump  on  a  huge 
  creature's  back  from  above, the  GM  may  rule  that  you 
  automatically get a superior position where they are at -4 
  to hit you... after all, it's hard to jump on a cat's back and 
  not end up in a spot where it's hard for the cat to get you.
  SCALING A HUGE FOE
  SCALING A HUGE FOE
  If you have grabbed a huge foe by the ankles, tail or a 
  similarly exposed spot, you still have another option. You 
  can roll  Acrobatics  vs their  Feats of Strength to try and 
  scale the rest of the way up while they try to shake you off.
  If you succeed, you can reach a spot where you are no 
  longer penalized. On a Critical Success, you are able to 
  reach their back (or another location of choice) and can 
  hold on there. 
  
  MILITANT MICE
  MILITANT MICE
  WEAPONS & ARMOR
  WEAPONS & ARMOR
  EXAMPLE MELEE WEAPONS
  EXAMPLE MELEE WEAPONS
  Each is listed with its cost category, standard damage, any 
  special  Bonuses  it  can  claim  and  any  additional  notes. 
  Melee damage usually includes the user's Brawn as well as 
  a die roll. If a weapon lists something as Stat/Stat, then 
  use the higher of the two stats when calculating damage. 
  Some weapons are available in multiple quality categories.
  ●
  Axe: Common, Brawn+1d6, can be thrown
  Extra Bonuses: Hack
  ●
  Battle Axe: Expensive, Brawn+1d6+1, two-handed
  Extra Bonuses: Hack
  ●
  Club: Crude, Brawn+1d4
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Club, Thorn: Crude, Brawn+1d3, made from thorny 
  bramble and a favorite of many barbarian clans
  Extra Bonuses: Hack, Smash
  ●
  Halberd: Expensive,  Brawn+1d6+2,  two-handed, 
  extra pace's reach
  Extra Bonuses: None
  ●
  Knife,  Metal: A  thin  sliver  of  metal  with  a  hilt. 
  Common, Agility/Brawn+1d4, +4 to conceal, can be 
  thrown. Sometimes called a dagger. 
  Extra Bonuses: Hack, Impale
  ●
  Knife, Thorn: A make-shift dagger made from a 
  sharpened plant thorn or similar implement. Crude, 
  Agility/Brawn+1d3, +4 to conceal
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Mace, Wooden: Common, Brawn+1d4+1
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Mace, Metal: Expensive, Brawn+1d4+2
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Punch or Kick: Brawn/2*+1d3 or Grab
  Extra Bonuses: Shove, Grapple
  ●
  Shield, Wooden: Common, +1 to parry. A shield 
  slam does Brawn+1d3
  Extra Bonuses: Shove
  ●
  Shield,  Metal: Expensive,  +1  to  parry,  +2  vs 
  wooden weapons or brawling attacks. A shield slam 
  does Brawn+1d4
  Extra Bonuses: Shove
  ●
  Spear: Common, Brawn+1d6, can be thrown, two-
  handed, extra pace's reach
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Staff: Common, Brawn+1d4, +1 to parry
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Sword: Expensive, Agility/Brawn+1d6+1
  Extra Bonuses: Hack, Impale
  *If the user's Brawn rating is negative, do not halve it.
  A  jumping  mouse's  kick  does  Brawn+1d3  and  has  the 
  special Combat Bonus of Superior Shove instead.
  EXAMPLE ARMOR
  EXAMPLE ARMOR
  Mice don't wear much armor and when they do it tends to 
  be more trouble than it's worth. Armor penalizes Dodge 
  and all regular Agility skills. You cannot scurry (move on all 
  fours at double speed) while wearing armor. 
  SHELL ARMOR: Makeshift armor made from lizard scales, 
  beetle shells, and the scutes from dead turtles. +1 Armor 
  Rating, -2 Armor Penalty, Crude. 
  LEATHER PLATES:  Reinforced leather plates strapped to 
  the body. +2 Armor Rating, -1 Armor Penalty, Common. 
  CHAINMAIL:  A chain  tunic  worn  over the  body. Armor 
  Rating +3, Armor Penalty -2, Expensive.
  PLATEMAIL:  Metal  plates  strapped  to  the  body.  Armor 
  Rating  +6,  Armor  Penalty  -4,  Very  Expensive.  Very 
  exhausting for mice to wear; at the end of every stressful 
  activity like fighting or running, the user loses 1 Fatigue. 
  EXAMPLE THROWN WEAPONS
  EXAMPLE THROWN WEAPONS
  Most thrown weapons are really melee weapons that are 
  hurled at an opportune moment, but there are a few that 
  are good for little else besides throwing. 
  ●
  Thrown Rock: Crude, Brawn/Perception+1d3
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Throwing  Spike:  Thorn  tips,  sharpened  stones  or 
  other small,  sharp items that can be hurled at a 
  foe's vitals. Crude,  Perception+1d3, +6 to conceal
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Throwing Blade: Sharpened metal disks, often  star-
  shaped. Common, Perception+1d4, +6 to conceal
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Throwing Wedge: A half or full wheel of thin metal 
  with sharpened edges. Similar to a throwing blade, 
  but too large to be readily concealed. Expensive, 
  Brawn/Perception+1d6+1
  Extra Bonuses: Hack
  EXAMPLE MISSILE WEAPONS
  EXAMPLE MISSILE WEAPONS
  These weapons fire small projectiles at great speed. The 
  user's aim and ability to perceive small vulnerable spots on 
  the target at range are more important than the force with 
  which the projectile is hurled. 
  ●
  Sling: Crude, Perception+1d4
  Extra Bonuses: Smash
  ●
  Light Bow: Common, Perception+1d6
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Heavy Bow: Expensive, Perception+1d6+2,
  Requires Brawn of +2 or better
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Crossbow: Expensive, Perception+1d6+1, +2 to hit 
  but only fires every other round, requires Brawn +0 
  or better to reload
  Extra Bonuses: Impale
  ●
  Heavy Crossbow: Expensive, Perception+1d6+1d4, 
  +2 to hit but only fires every third round, requires 
  Brawn +3 or better just to crank it back up
  Extra Bonuses: Impale 
  
  MILITANT MICE
  MILITANT MICE
  COMBAT BONUSES
  COMBAT BONUSES
  UNIVERSAL BONUSES
  UNIVERSAL BONUSES
  These Bonuses are available no matter what weapon you're 
  using. Weapon-specific ones are generally more powerful, 
  but you can always fall back on these. Note that you have 
  to decide which Bonus you want before rolling damage. 
  DISTRACTING BLOW: this hit is in an especially sensitive 
  spot and will attract the target's immediate attention even 
  if no actual damage gets through. Often useful to distract 
  huge creatures to keep them from devouring allies.
  HIT HARD: the target takes an extra +1d4 damage.
  STUN:  the target is at -2 to attack or defend until they 
  spend an action recovering from being stunned. Stunning 
  blows are not cumulative.
  SET-UP:  if you attack this same target again next turn, 
  your attack roll is at +4.
  WEAPON SPECIFIC BONUSES
  WEAPON SPECIFIC BONUSES
  These  Bonuses  are  only  available  for  certain  types  of 
  weapons. If your chosen weapon doesn't list one of these, 
  you can't claim it. 
  GRAPPLE: used when trying to grab a foe with a paw. You 
  can  immediately  attempt  a  Grappling  Maneuver  (see 
  Unarmed Combat Procedure) without using up your next 
  action.
  HACK:  for  edged  weapons  that  can  inflict  devastating 
  injuries. The target takes an extra +1d6 damage. 
  IMPALE: for piercing weapons that can stab right through 
  a foe. Any damage that gets through their armor rating is 
  doubled,  up to a maximum bonus of +8. If this causes 
  them  to die  or fall  unconscious  the  weapon  will  remain 
  stuck in their body, preventing the wielder from using it 
  again until after they spend an action pulling it free.  
  With particularly large creatures (Size 6+) the weapon will 
  remain stuck in them even if they don't die or pass out. 
  SHOVE:  for  brawling  attacks  and  some  other  blunt 
  weapons. If the target is your Size or smaller, they are 
  shoved 1 pace away and fall down. This Bonus cannot be 
  claimed against foes that are larger than you. 
  SHOVE (SUPERIOR): for jumping mice kicks and similar 
  blows. The target is shoved as many paces away as the 
  attacker's Brawn rating (minimum 1). If they are exactly 1 
  Size  larger  than  you,  treat  this  as  a  standard  Shove 
  instead. It cannot be claimed against foes larger than that.
  SMASH: for blunt weapons. The target takes +1d4 damage 
  and will be knocked down if they are your Size or smaller.
  MILITANT MICE
  MILITANT MICE
  DAMAGE & HEALING
  DAMAGE & HEALING
  DAMAGE
  DAMAGE
  Subtract the target's Armor Rating from the damage rolled. 
  Any remaining points become wounds and reduce their Hit 
  Points accordingly. When the target's Hit Points drop below 
  1, they must spend Focus or 1 Fatigue each round to avoid 
  passing out and cannot regain Focus. Minor NPCs will pass 
  out automatically.
  When  the  target's  Hit  Points  drop  below  -1,  they  must 
  make  a  Death  check.  Roll  1d6...  if  they  roll  below the 
  number of points that they have gone negative, they are 
  dying and will perish within a few minutes without medical 
  attention. If they roll 5 or more points below (indicating 
  that  they  are  at  least  at  -6  and  possibly  much  more 
  wounded than that), they are slain outright. 
  Note that creatures with a positive Size get to include that 
  with any actual armor worn. Creatures with a negative Size 
  actually  take  extra  damage  from  physical  attacks.  Tiny 
  creatures like  crickets and fleas  are often quite easy to 
  kill... if you can hit them. 
  HEALING
  HEALING
  Characters heal a base of 2 Hit Points per night's rest. 
  HEALING MODIFIERS: 
  ●
  Someone (including you, if you're conscious) makes 
  a successful Medicine check to tend your wounds: 
  +1  (+2  on  a  Critical  Success).  If  this  was  done 
  using the Tend Wounds spell, add another +1. 
  ●
  You are currently at negative Hit Points: -1
  ●
  You were dying or dead within the last day: -1
  ●
  You are sick or poisoned as well: -1 or worse
  ●
  Terrible conditions (dirty, filthy, little or no rest): -1 
  ●
  Good  conditions  (closely  tended  by  at  least  one 
  person, access to hot soup and clean bandages): +1
  ●
  Great conditions (tended by lots of dutiful servants 
  with  access  to  curatives,  perfumes,  fluffy  pillows 
  and other pleasant frills): +2
  ●
  You spend a Hero Point to aid your recovery: +1d6 
  If your total modifiers reduce your recovery rate to zero, 
  you don't heal until conditions improve. If they reduce it 
  below zero, you actually take damage as your wounds get 
  infected and steadily worsen.
  DISEASE AND ILLNESS
  DISEASE AND ILLNESS
  FLEAS: a mouse infested with parasites generally heals 1 
  or 2 points less per day, depending upon the extent of the 
  infestation. A thorough bath and grooming (to eliminate 
  any remaining flea eggs) can clear it right up, however. 
  BLOOD  FEVER:  this  unpleasant  and  potentially  lethal 
  illness causes the victim to feel as though their very blood 
  were on fire. They heal 4 fewer points per day and are at 
  -4 to all actions. 
  It is  produced by infected  wounds. Treating  blood fever 
  requires at least a day of herbal remedies and a HARD 
  Medicine roll to cure. It is not contagious. 
  
  ADDITIONAL
  ADDITIONAL  
  EQUIPMENT
  EQUIPMENT
  CLOTHING
  CLOTHING
  Mice and rats require little in the way of protective clothing 
  (save  in  the  middle  of  winter,  when  even  the  heaviest 
  clothing  will  not  save  a  mouse  from  freezing  to  death 
  outdoors),  but  popular  decorum  requires  that  everyone 
  wear at least one sort of garment or adornment. A “naked” 
  mouse  or rat  appears  to  be  nothing  more  than  a wild, 
  mindless rodent, a most shameful state indeed!
  Garments  are  available  in  every  price  range.  Even  an 
  Impoverished  character  can  generally  afford  a  scrap  of 
  soiled cloth with a hole for their head. The very wealthy 
  purchase fancy clothes or jewelry that are Expensive items, 
  but the mark of the truly rich are the enormously elaborate 
  Very Expensive outfits that are so frail that they require 
  constant  cleaning  and  repair  to  keep  them  from  falling 
  apart. Royal mice with such garb generally have servants 
  following them to ensure that their silken embroidery does 
  not  actually  touch  the  dirty  ground  and  to retrieve  any 
  gemstones that happen to work their way free. 
  RIDING BEETLES
  RIDING BEETLES
  Any of several breeds of strong and oversized beetles that 
  are bred as beasts of burden and mounts. They are raised 
  in  special  farms  from  egg  to  grub  to  adult  and  require 
  several years to reach adulthood. The males have large and 
  ornate  horns  and  are  favored  as  mounts  by  the  upper 
  classes, while the females are smaller, unornamented, and 
  generally used as beasts of burden. Riding beetles are quite 
  strong and almost tireless, but very stupid.
  Riding beetles are an Expensive item. They require some 
  training  to care  for and  must  be  fed  specially  prepared 
  mush  to  give  them  enough  fortitude  to  travel  long 
  distances. Without proper care, they accumulate parasites, 
  sicken and eventually die. 
  RIDING PIGEONS
  RIDING PIGEONS
  Of all of the birds of the Fallows, only pigeons have been 
  found  to  make  good  mounts.  Predators  are  simply  too 
  dangerous, crows too willful and smaller birds too weak. 
  But  a pigeon, properly  trained from  birth, can  bear the 
  weight  of  a  lightly  equipped  mouse  and  his  riding  gear 
  without too much trouble. 
  Only  Muscala  maintains  a  large  force  of  pigeon  riders, 
  quartered at the great Aerie near the Imperial Palace. In 
  other kingdoms, they are generally an toy of the very rich, 
  who maintain one or perhaps two as a demonstration of 
  their  wealth.  Even  then,  there  is  always  the  risk  of  a 
  passing hawk devouring both rider and mount.
  Riding  pigeons are a Very Expensive  item. They require 
  regular  training  aided  by  magic  to  prevent  them  from 
  reverting  to  wildness  and  their  lairs  require  constant 
  cleaning. Without such cleaning, wherever they are kept 
  will quickly become so foul and filthy as to be hazardous to 
  the health of anyone who enters. 
  ROPES
  ROPES
  Woven  from  plant  fibers,  long  ropes  strong  enough  to 
  support a rat's weight are not particularly difficult to come 
  by in the Fallows. They are a Common item. Silken cords 
  imported  from  Fashar  are  much  lighter  and  actually 
  stronger than regular rope, but are Expensive items.
  SLAVES
  SLAVES
  In most lands (with the notable exception of Duvain's Weal, 
  where  the  practice  is  banned),  it  is  quite  possible  to 
  purchase the lives of mice and rats. Once sold, a slave 
  becomes  their  master's  property  and  responsibility. 
  Anything that they come to possess is legally their master's 
  property. They can be freed by a magnanimous master, but 
  rarely are. 
  While on paper an escaped slave is a fugitive, in practice 
  there  is  no  formal  system  in  place  to  retrieve  escaped 
  slaves. Instead, brutal punishments are generally used on 
  would-be escapees to ensure that most feel safer staying in 
  slavery. Their treatment varies enormously, depending on 
  the  character  of  their  owner.  Some  are  basically  just 
  household servants. Others (particularly mine slaves) have 
  to be kept chained up to keep them from striving to escape 
  before they are worked to death. 
  Owning  a  single  slave  is  an  Expensive  item.  Owning  a 
  number of them is a Very Expensive item, as you will also 
  need overseers to keep them in line. A particularly skilled 
  or  exceptional  slave  may  command  a  higher  price  than 
  normal,  whereas  one  known  for  attempted  escapes  or 
  making trouble may actually fall to being a Common item.
  SPYGLASSES
  SPYGLASSES
  These crude telescopes are sometimes used by the captain 
  of a sailing vessel or by military scouts. They grant a +2 
  bonus to Alertness rolls when trying to identify things that 
  are a great distance away. 
  The original design was imported from Fashar. They are 
  typically about the size of a mouse's forearm and have a 
  single focusing lens made from glass held inside a fabric or 
  wooden  tube.  Since  the  lenses  can  normally  only  be 
  created  by  skilled  shaping  magic,  a  spyglass  is  an 
  Expensive item. 
  
  ESOTERIC
  ESOTERIC  
  EQUIPMENT
  EQUIPMENT
  ALCHEMICAL APPARATUS
  ALCHEMICAL APPARATUS
  A set of glass tubes, vats and jars that can be used to heat 
  chemicals to relatively precise temperatures. A full set of 
  alchemical apparatus filsl a small room and is not really 
  portable, but it adds a +4 bonus to any Esoteric Knowledge 
  rolls  involving  brewing  potions  or  refining  chemical 
  concoctions. Smaller,  more portable  sets only add a +2 
  bonus but still require a good bit of room to work.
  Both  varieties  are  Expensive  items  and  are  extremely 
  fragile.  Damaged  seals  or  cracked  glass  can  lead  to 
  disaster, particularly when working with acids or poisons.
  GULIK ROOT
  GULIK ROOT
  The  Gulik  flower  is  a  rare  plant,  generally  only  found 
  growing in the mosses at the base of dying trees or other 
  large plants. Eaten in its raw form, the root merely causes 
  strange fever dreams.
  Alchemical  preparations  (a  TYPICAL  Esoteric  Knowledge 
  check)  can  purify  and  strengthen  its  effects.  Powdered 
  Gulik  root  makes  the  user  more  sensitive  to  ethereal 
  influences  and  grants  a  +2  bonus  to  Sixth  Sense and 
  Whispers rolls, but a -2 penalty to just about anything else. 
  This semi-delirious state lasts for a few hours, depending 
  upon one's body weight and the dose.
  Massive doses double these modifiers, causing the user to 
  experience  an  endless  stream  of  waking  dreams  and 
  provoking visions of the future from the magically inclined. 
  Professional oracles often ingest large amounts of it. 
  It's not physically addictive, but the psychological effects 
  can  be.  Over  time,  it  tends  to  weaken  the  general 
  constitution and make it difficult for the user to distinguish 
  between dream and reality, but Gulik root addicts generally 
  prefer the world that way. Gulik root is a Common item.
  NIGHTSHADE POISON
  NIGHTSHADE POISON
  This  foul  toxin  is  extracted  from  a  particularly  deadly 
  variety of mushroom found only in  Rookswood. Properly 
  prepared (a HARD Esoteric Knowledge check), it results in 
  an almost odorless transparent gel that can be lethal if 
  ingested  or allowed  to enter the bloodstream. Assassins 
  sometimes apply it to arrows or slip it into someone's food 
  when they cannot finish off the target in person. 
  A character who receives a lethal dose of nightshade poison 
  must make a VERY HARD (17) Endurance+Size roll every 
  hour or suffer intense, debilitating pain and 1d4 points of 
  internal  damage.  Each  hour  that  they  survive  after  the 
  first, they receive a cumulative +1 bonus to the roll; when 
  they finally make a Critical Success, the poison's effects 
  have  ended.  Since  this  is  poison  damage  rather  than 
  normal wounds, the  Heal Wounds spell (see the  Shaping 
  section) cannot treat it. 
  Nightshade  poison  is  not  only  an  Expensive  item,  it  is 
  difficult to come by. Botches in preparing it often result in 
  the preparer being exposed to a potentially lethal dose. Its 
  use on mice or rats (but not predators) is a capital crime. 
  THELARINE
  THELARINE
  This  exotic drug is  very popular  amongst royal mice. It 
  takes the form of a small seed which has been soaked in 
  special chemicals and now has a rich, spicy scent and a 
  foul, bitter taste. The  plant  from which  it  is  made  only 
  grows in Fashar and the secrets of preparing it are not 
  known in the Fallows. Thus Thelarine seeds are regularly 
  imported from Fashar at great expense. 
  It is commonly ground up and served in tea, or snorted 
  through  the  nose  by  those  who  wish  a  more  heady 
  experience. For more practical mice, it can also be eaten 
  straight or ground up and mixed into a potion. Regardless, 
  it has a strong odor and a very recognizable taste.
  Thelarine is a potent amphetamine. The first dose taken 
  each day restores one point of Fatigue (immediately in the 
  case of the potion or powder, over the course of a few 
  minutes if ingested as tea). This can even restore a Fatigue 
  level lost due to the Sickly flaw, or the one that all royal 
  mice lose. However, there are limits to its use. 
  If a second dose is taken the same day, the GM should roll 
  1d6. On a result of 1-3, it functions normally, restoring a 
  point of Fatigue. On a 4-5, it simply makes the subject 
  more jittery and irritable. On a 6, they take another point 
  of Fatigue  and  1d4 points of damage. For each additional 
  dose taken, add another +1 to the die roll. 
  Characters who use Thelarine too regularly may become 
  addicted to it (see the flaw, Thelarine Addict). Luckily, since 
  the drug itself is so expensive, this vice is generally limited 
  to the upper classes. Thelarine is an Expensive item.
  WHISPERWOOD STAFF
  WHISPERWOOD STAFF
  These  hand-carved  wooden  staves  possess  the  curious 
  property of channeling magic. A mage who touches one is 
  similarly considered to be touching anything that the staff 
  touches.  This  extends  “within  arm's  reach”  to  mean 
  anything within striking distance of the staff. 
  Other  wooden  objects  can  be  made  of  whisperwood  if 
  desired,  but  the  traditional  mage's  staff  is  the  most 
  common design. The exact means by which this effect is 
  produced are known only to the shapers of Morant Abbey in 
  Jand,  who  guard  the  secret  jealously.  A  staff  made  of 
  whisperwood is an Expensive item. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  Every truly sentient creature possesses some amount 
  of innate magic, but in most this facility is vestigial 
  and useless. Only those directly descended from the 
  First Ones truly possess the magical prowess sufficient 
  to bend the world to their will.
  --- Father Durell, On the Nature of Magic
  MOUSY MAGIC
  MOUSY MAGIC
  Magic  in  Hyperborean  Mice  is  intended  to  convey  a 
  distinctive flavor. Mousy magic is  small.  Not for them are 
  spells that command the storm or turn creatures to stone. 
  Instead,  their  enchantments  tend  to  be  small,  practical 
  effects like starting a fire or concealing someone from a 
  predator. Even just holding a monster at bay is a difficult 
  feat; striking it dead is simply beyond their capabilities. 
  While  legends  claim  that the First  Ones  possessed such 
  godlike  powers, PCs are rather more limited. Mages are 
  often  better  at  aiding  and  supporting  their  fellow 
  adventurers rather than acting as magical artillery. In order 
  to emphasize this, the system has been designed so that 
  mages can cast minor spells as often as needed. Even the 
  more straining  spells  can be  cast  repeatedly  so long as 
  there is time to rest between each. 
  Spells are not cumulative; only apply the strongest when 
  you  have  overlapping  or  conflicting  effects.  Particularly 
  large creatures will also receive a bonus to resist based on 
  their sheer mass... even mind-affecting spells are difficult 
  to work on a brain that is larger than the mage themselves. 
  Resistance rolls against spells (of any type) always include 
  the target's Magic rating and Size (normally zero).
  TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  Each art has a few trivial spells that are in common use. 
  These are actions that require little exertion or skill and are 
  the first things taught to apprentice mages. 
  Trivial effects are quite limited in both range and power. 
  There are often regarded as mere tricks by actual mages. 
  In play, trivial effects can be cast without rolling. 
  SMALL MAGICKS
  SMALL MAGICKS
  The next step up are the Small Magicks. These are minor 
  magical feats that require some level of concentration and 
  effort, but are not particularly complicated or powerful. 
  Small Magicks are easy to cast and most last as long as 
  you  devote  some  attention  to  maintaining  them.  Each 
  Small  Magick  already  being  maintained  makes  casting 
  additional spells a little harder. 
  To cast a Small Magick, the mage must roll the correct skill 
  against  EASY difficulty (8). If the spell affects a person, 
  they may be allowed a resistance roll to notice.
  Small  Magicks  are  always defeated  by  direct  opposition 
  except against the weakest of foes, but subtle ones may 
  affect a target without being noticed. 
  LARGE MAGICKS
  LARGE MAGICKS
  When the need is dire, however, a mage can throw the full 
  force of their will into a Large Magick. These represent all-
  out efforts that sacrifice  all subtlety and fine control for 
  overt force. They can overcome active resistance and thus 
  can attack others directly, but they are also very draining. 
  Casting a Large Magick requires that the caster expend a 
  minimum of 1 Fatigue. They are very draining and cannot 
  be maintained unless their description states otherwise.
  The basic difficulty of a Large Magick is TYPICAL (11) and 
  the  amount  of  power  being  thrown  around  makes  fine 
  control very difficult (double penalties for fine control). 
  HIGH SORCERIES
  HIGH SORCERIES
  Beyond these lesser spells lie the High Sorceries. These are 
  secret arts which are only known by a select few. Each 
  Sorcery learned gives the character an additional  “trick” 
  that they can perform with that spell skill. Mages who have 
  not yet learned a particular Sorcery cannot even attempt it. 
  Whereas  the  basic  spells  can  theoretically  be  mastered 
  without  a tutor or text, High  Sorceries  are  vastly  more 
  complex.  Without  an  instructor  that  already  knows  the 
  procedure or a text that describes the rite in detail, they 
  are  nearly  impossible  to  learn.  Mages  guard  Sorceries 
  closely, sharing them with only a trusted few. They are so 
  complex, in fact, that if a mage were to forget part of the 
  rite,  they  might  find  themselves  unable  to  perform  it... 
  thus, canny mages write down the details just in case. 
  High Sorceries thus act as a kind of magical treasure; a 
  mage who finds a book that describes one can now spend 
  their experience points to learn it... or find another mage 
  and sell it to  them. This allows the GM to introduce new 
  spells into the setting without rewriting history.
  Some High Sorceries can be maintained like Small Magicks; 
  whereas  others  are  like  Large  Magicks  and  require  the 
  mage's  complete  concentration...  or  simply  can't  be 
  maintained at all. See each Sorcery's individual description.
  High Sorceries are  HARD tasks (difficulty 14) and always 
  cost at least 1 Fatigue. 
  Advantages are  special  High  Sorceries  that  alter  other 
  spells rather than being cast themselves. 
  Enchantments  are  spells  bound  into  physical  objects, 
  making  them  largely  independent  from the caster. They 
  don't require conscious effort to maintain (although having 
  multiple existing at once is still draining) and the energies 
  can be recalled at will at any range, ending the spell. If the 
  caster  dies,  any  Enchantments  created  with  a  Critical 
  Success will remain intact; the others all fade away. 
  COMMON SPELL-CASTING MODIFIERS
  ●
  Extra time and full concentration: +2
  ●
  Running, dodging or otherwise being very active: -2
  ●
  Affect a small group instead of a single target: -2
  ●
  Each Small Magick already being maintained: -1
  ●
  Each Large Magick or High  Sorcery already being 
  maintained: -2
  ●
  Each Enchantment maintained after the first: -1
  ●
  The caster wants finer control over the spell than 
  normal or wants to vary its effects in a small way: 
  -1 to -5 (beyond that, it's usually impossible)
  ●
  The  target  has  the  Magic  Resistance  Power:  -4  
  (-2 if they are deliberately trying not to resist)
  If the caster fails to reach the necessary total to cast a 
  spell, they may add a further +1 bonus for each additional 
  Fatigue they are willing to spend on the casting, but they 
  cannot increase it above tying the required difficulty. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  COMPEL
  COMPEL
  The art of magically influencing the emotions and actions 
  of others. These spells are all invisible to the naked eye, 
  although the caster must generally at least raise a paw in 
  the direction of the target or stare at them intently.
  Those who fall prey to a subtle effect won't even realize  
  that magic was used until it wears off... if they ever do.
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  SLEEP TIGHT:  You can calm and soothe someone else's 
  troubles, making it easier for them to calm down or fall 
  asleep. If rolls are involved, this grants a +2 bonus. 
  WAKE UP: You can help a target to snap awake completely 
  and feel refreshed. This can also remove penalties due to 
  dizziness or drunkenness temporarily.
  The target must be willing to cooperate with the caster in 
  order to receive any benefit from a trivial Compel effect. 
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  ALTER MOOD:  You shift an unsuspecting target's mental 
  state one step. This can do things like making an angry 
  person calm, an alert person drowsy or causing a drowsy 
  person to nod off. If you can maintain the spell for at least 
  a few  minutes  without  them  realizing  that  something  is 
  amiss, the mood change tends to become self-sustaining. 
  Resisted  with  Leadership.  Targets  who
   also 
  have 
  appropriate flaws are at -4 to resist. 
  This spell can't really force a target to do something that 
  they wouldn't normally do, but it can often guide another 
  character's  behavior  or grant  the  caster a +2  bonus  to 
  certain social checks.
  HESITATION:  You  cause  someone  to  feel  unusually 
  cautious  and adverse  to risk. This  is  principally  used to 
  forestall  a  fight  by  making  someone  who  has  not  yet 
  entered combat hesitate to do so. Resisted with Courage.
  A target who is expecting a mental attack can automatically 
  resist any Compel Small Magick. 
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  BACK OFF:  A strong, sudden urge to hold back or back 
  away is forced onto the target. On a success, they spend 
  their next combat action backing away (or running if their 
  morale was already low). Unlike the Hesitation spell, this 
  will work even on foes who are already in combat or are 
  prepared  for  it.  If  this  succeeds  in  stopping  the  fight 
  entirely  (i.e.-  now  that  they've  backed  off,  no  one  is 
  fighting nearby), you can now maintain it as though it were 
  the Hesitation Small Magick. Resisted with Courage.
  If the target is within arm's reach when you use this spell 
  on them, they are at -2 to resist.
  SUDDEN  RUSH  OF  EMOTION:  This  spell  attempts  to 
  stagger  a  foe  with  an  onrush  of  sudden  emotion  (your 
  choice as to which emotion you're trying to invoke). If you 
  succeed it generally at least costs them their next action; 
  on  a critical  success  (or a regular  success  if  they were 
  already inclined towards that particular emotion) they may 
  also  act  irrationally  for  at  least  a  round.  Resisted  with 
  Leadership.
  LURE  PREDATOR:  This  spell  attempts  to  convince  a 
  nearby predator that you are particularly small and tasty... 
  but also that they should wait to attack you until they are 
  absolutely confident that they'll succeed. It can be used to 
  lead a monster towards or away from a particular spot, but 
  it  does  leave  the  caster  at  risk.  It  can  be  maintained. 
  Resisted with Leadership.
  COMPEL HIGH SORCERIES
  COMPEL HIGH SORCERIES
  DIRECTED EMOTION (1 Point): An improved form of the 
  Alter Mood Small Magick that lets you focus the target's 
  emotions towards a particular target (such as feeling anger 
  or affection towards you instead of no one in particular). 
  This spell still just covers moods. You could make someone 
  feel  attracted  towards  you,  but  if  they  would  normally 
  spurn a person person that they found attractive for other 
  reasons, this spell will not change that. 
  MESMERIZE (2 Points): Use Alter Mood not just to make 
  an unsuspecting target drowsy, but to lull them in a light 
  hypnotic trance, making them pliable (+4 to appropriate 
  skill rolls) and vulnerable to post-hypnotic suggestions.  
  Naturally, this only works on unsuspecting foes who are 
  already calm and unconcerned. They will wake up shortly 
  after the spell ends, or as soon as someone disturbs them, 
  but won't remember what they heard or said during it.
  Mesmerism is not a mind-control spell. The target tends to 
  enter into a semi-aware state where events around them 
  simply don't seem important. This makes it relatively easy 
  to get them to talk about subjects that they would normally 
  avoid (+4 to any attempts to pump them for information) 
  but  won't  make  them  divulge  deeply  guarded  secrets. 
  Similarly, post hypnotic suggestions can give them strange 
  “whims” that they will tend to indulge unless they have a 
  strong reason not to, but it can't make them go against 
  their own nature. 
  PARALYZE (1 Point): This powerful effect lets the caster 
  attempt to magically restrain a single foe, who must be 
  within  arm's  reach.  It  basically  establishes  a  psychic 
  grappling hold on the target. If the spell “hits” then the 
  caster has effectively grabbed the target with their mind. 
  Resisted with Courage. 
  On an overwhelming success, the caster may also inflict 
  damage  upon  the  target  by  forcing  their  muscles  into 
  unnatural positions (treat this as though their spell-casting 
  roll  were a Wrestling  attack). Each  turn that  the caster 
  maintains the spell, the casting and resistance rolls should 
  be remade; on a failure, the target breaks free. 
  POTION OF ENCHANTMENT (Enchantment, 1 Point): 
  The caster has learned how to invest a specially prepared 
  potion or other comestible with a predefined  Alter Mood 
  spell. The potion is good for a single use and takes effect 
  upon whoever imbibes it, using the caster's original roll as 
  the difficulty of resisting it. The target may resist with Sixth 
  Sense vs the caster's roll to create the potion to realize 
  that there is something wrong with the food that they are 
  about to eat. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  GUISE
  GUISE
  The art of magically disguising an object's appearance with 
  a shroud of illusion. Illusions are phantasmal auras that 
  trick the mind of the viewer into interpreting whatever they 
  are cast upon as something else, but they have no physical 
  form of their own. If the disguised object changes form in a 
  major way (like a disguised vase shattering), the illusion 
  will be dispelled. 
  The -2 penalty for affecting a small group rather than a 
  single target applies to exactly how many things you are 
  disguising, not the number of people who witness them. If 
  you do disguise more than one thing (such as wrapping 
  yourself and two nearby friends in a Hide spell), the others 
  must  remain  within  range  or the  magical  guise  will  fall 
  away from them. 
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  PRESTIDIGITATION:  You can produce small,  obviously 
  fake illusions to entertain others. This often entails things 
  like plucking coins out of thin air, making pebbles look like 
  gemstones while you juggle them or making tiny figures 
  dance in the palm of your hand. 
  Such illusions can be very entertaining in the hands of a 
  mage  with  the  Performance  skill,  but  only  children  are 
  likely to not be able to tell that the images aren't real.
  DANCING LIGHTS: You conjure up some small sparkles of 
  illusion and send them wafting around the room as you 
  direct.  This  can  make  a  useful  distraction  or  attract 
  someone's  attention  silently,  but  like  all  trivial  Guise 
  effects, the sparkling lights are obviously not real. 
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  DISGUISE: You can disguise a single person or object as 
  something else of similar size and shape. It's much harder 
  if you want to look like a specific person (-4) or disguise 
  the target as something of very different size or shape (-1 
  or worse). This illusion can be seen through automatically 
  by  anyone  who  inspects  it  closely,  so  watch  out. 
  Technically resisted with Alertness, but it automatically fails 
  against anyone who pays it serious attention.
  HIDE: You can disguise yourself as part of the landscape. 
  So  long  as  you  remain  still  and  do  nothing  to  draw 
  anyone's attention, no one will notice you. If you do make 
  any readily  visible  movements, anyone  watching  will  be 
  able to perceive you from that point forward, but anyone 
  else will not... unless that person points you out to them! 
  Resisted with Alertness, but only if they are searching the 
  area. Anyone who knows where you are is immune.
  This spell  does  affect scent. They can track you to your 
  current location, but there the trail will seem to end so long 
  as you maintain this spell. 
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  ONRUSHING MONSTER: You conjure an illusionary image 
  of an onrushing giant predator and send it hurtling towards 
  your foes. It only lasts a few seconds, but the illusion is 
  very large and very fast and can be quite startling. If you 
  succeed, they'll treat it as real for at least one full round. 
  Resisted with Courage. On a critical failure (or if they were 
  already nervous), they may flee in terror. 
  VANISH: You to appear to vanish right before everyone's 
  eyes,  becoming  effectively  invisible  for  3  full  rounds. 
  Anyone  who  fails  to  resist  won't  be  able  to  detect  you 
  unless you do something to draw their attention (such as 
  attacking  them  or  knocking  something  over);  you're 
  advised to get out of everyone's line-of-sight before the 
  effect  ends.  Unlike  Hide,  this  can  affect  foes  that  are 
  looking directly at you already. Resisted with Alertness.
  GUISE HIGH SORCERIES
  GUISE HIGH SORCERIES
  ENDURING  DISGUISE  (1  Point):  This  spell  crafts  a 
  Disguise-like spell that  can  stand up to close inspection. 
  Anyone  examining  the  disguise  resists  with  Alertness. 
  Anyone not seriously examining the disguise merely sees 
  the image that you crafted. 
  IMAGINARY FAMILIAR (1 Point):  Enables you to craft 
  an  ongoing  hallucination  in  your own  head to keep you 
  company. This “familiar spirit” is invisible, intangible and 
  inaudible to anyone besides you. 
  Your imaginary companion is aware of its environment and 
  can offer you advice or warnings. It can stand guard while 
  you  are  asleep,  waking  you  up  with  a  shout  if  danger 
  approaches.  You  have  a  fair  bit  of  control  over  its 
  appearance and manner, but it is an independent creature 
  once created. You can only have one imaginary familiar at 
  a time, but once successfully cast it will remain at your side 
  until you choose to dispel it. Technically, you can make 
  your familiar appear to be as many creatures as you like, 
  but it doesn't affect its capabilities. 
  Mages who use this spell may benefit from a lot of early 
  warnings  and  rarely  get  lonely,  but  they also  acquire  a 
  reputation for talking to themselves.
  HALLUCINATION (1 Point):  You  have learned  how to 
  craft an ongoing hallucination inside someone else's mind. 
  Once created, the target's own subconscious fills  in  any 
  missing details in the illusion, allowing it to move and act in 
  a believable fashion... but it's still just inside their head.
  You get to decide what sort of hallucinatory creature they 
  see, but all of its behavior after that is governed by what 
  they expect it to do. Unlike most  Guise spells, this only 
  affects a single target and is invisible to anyone else.
  Furthermore, since  it's  in  their head, you  don't  have  to 
  maintain it... the illusion often stalks them until they next 
  sleep,  although  they  may  learn  to  ignore  it  once  they 
  realize that it's a hallucination. Resisted with Leadership.
  INVISIBILITY (2 Points):  This improved version of the 
  Hide  spell allows  you  to  move  without  breaking  the 
  enchantment.  As  before,  doing  something  to  attract 
  someone's attention will enable them to see through it.
  PERMANENT DISGUISE (Enchantment, 1 Point):  You 
  have learned how to lay a semi-permanent  Disguise spell 
  over an inanimate object. This is often used on things like 
  doorways to disguise them as blank rock. The caster can 
  see through it automatically, as can anyone else who has 
  been shown its true nature. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  SHAPING
  SHAPING
  The art of magically sculpting an object into a new form or 
  restoring damaged material to its original state. This is one 
  of the best arts for a mage who wants to make a living at 
  magic; it combines well with craft or medicine skills. 
  Shaping  spells  often  require  a  separate  skill  check  to 
  produce a useful effect. If you roll a Critical Success on 
  casting the spell, any secondary skill check is at +4. Unlike 
  most spells, Shaping effects only work on targets within 
  arm's reach and often have to be maintained for several 
  minutes to produce their full effect. On the other hand, 
  very few Shaping effects are actually resisted; most will 
  simply work if you manage to cast the spell. 
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  SOOTH PAIN: You can cause a small wound or sore spot 
  to stop hurting by touching it and concentrating. This is not 
  potent enough to heal even a single hit point, but is good 
  at getting small children to stop crying. 
  It's also  very popular with  people  who  have  hangovers. 
  Among many nobles, this is the only magical effect that 
  they'll deign to learn. 
  COSMETIC REPAIR: You can magically repair small dents 
  or  scratches  in  a  material,  or  magically  “glue”  a  small 
  broken object back together.
  This  cannot  repair  really  strong  or  badly  damaged 
  materials, but it could certainly repair a ceramic teacup or 
  something similar. 
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  TEND  WOUNDS: By spending  several  minutes  soothing 
  and  restoring  the  target's  wounds,  you  can  make  a 
  Medicine check to tend to their wounds  and  increase the 
  number of hit points that they will heal by +1. Don't forget 
  that on a critical success on casting the spell, you'll get a 
  further +4 to that Medicine roll. 
  SCULPT MATERIAL: By concentrating, you slowly sculpt a 
  target object as though it were clay. Hard materials like 
  rock add a -4 penalty and metal cannot be shaped. You can 
  make  any  alteration  that  you  could  perform  with  your 
  paws,  although  a  Craft  roll  may  be  necessary  to  make 
  anything pretty or useful. 
  In  Jand,  magically  sculpted  artwork  is  often  considered 
  superior to something made by more mundane means and 
  brings a higher price. Most of the decorations in any temple 
  of Jandara will have been crafted via this spell. 
  WATER-DANCING: By  gesturing  at  a  nearby  pool  of 
  liquid,  you  make  it  rise  up  and  dance  between  various 
  shapes  at  your  command.  This  is  often  used  with  the 
  Performance skill to entertain onlookers.
  As soon as you stop maintaining the spell, however, the 
  material reverts to its normal liquid state and loses any 
  shape that you imposed upon it.  
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  HEAL WOUNDS: This spell allows the caster to perform a 
  magical form of surgery upon a living subject. It generally 
  takes at least 5 minutes to perform and can take hours. 
  Basically, the caster is reaching inside the target's body 
  and restoring it to its proper form with their mind. 
  Make  a  Medicine  check;  a  regular  success  heals  1d6 
  wounds,  a  Critical  Success  2d6.  A  failure  only  heals  1 
  wound and a botch  inflicts  1. Dying characters add a -4 
  penalty to the Medicine check; dead characters cannot be 
  healed  at  all.  It  cannot  repair  damage  from  poison  or 
  illness. Maintaining it requires complete concentration. 
  SHATTER:  You attempt to tear a target apart from the 
  inside. This inflicts 1d6+Magic damage (2d6+Magic on a 
  Critical Success) on the target, which must be within arm's 
  reach. Living targets subtract their Brawn+Size from the 
  damage  done;  inanimate  objects  take  double  damage. 
  Living  targets  can  resist  with  Dodge  to  avoid  your 
  shattering touch.
  PROTECT  MATERIAL:  You  can  protect  an  object  from 
  damage by touching it and devoting your full concentration 
  to shielding it from harm. The object must be sitting still, 
  making  it  difficult  to  use  in  combat,  but  it's  good  for 
  stopping someone from bashing down your door! While you 
  maintain this spell, the target material receives your Magic 
  x 2 in armor (x3 on a Critical Success).
  SHAPING HIGH SORCERIES
  SHAPING HIGH SORCERIES
  CURE ILLNESS (1 Points): You have learned how to not 
  just heal visible wounds, but also the subtle damage done 
  by poison or disease. The exact effects vary according to 
  the time of illness that you're trying to treat... in general, if 
  it's the sort of thing that the subject could get better from 
  on their own, then you can cure it permanently. Otherwise 
  you generally only reduce the symptoms for a few hours.
  PROTECT  SELF  (1  Point):  By  devoting  your  full 
  concentration to it, you can now throw the equivalent of a 
  Protect Material spell on yourself. Since you can't perform 
  other  actions  while  maintaining  it,  the  spell  remains  of 
  somewhat  limited  use, but  can  often  save  you  from  an 
  injury that you can see coming but can't avoid. 
  REVIVE (Advantage, 1 Point): You no longer suffer a -4 
  penalty for trying to heal the dying. You can also attempt 
  to revive someone who has been “dead” for up to a minute. 
  The truly dead, however, are still beyond your power. 
  SHAPE METAL (2 Points): Sculpt metals, a feat normally 
  beyond a shaper's power. Such mages are always in high 
  demand for their ability to craft high quality metal weapons 
  and other implements.
  SHAPING GAZE (Advantage, 1 Point): You have learned 
  how to extend the effects of the Shaping spell and can now 
  perform Shaping spells at range.
  WATER BREATHING (1 Point): You have learned how to 
  reshape water such that breathable air bubbles out of it. 
  This can enable you to walk around underwater without 
  drowning, although the stream of bubbles is liable to give 
  away your position.  
  PHYSICIAN'S TOUCH (Advantage,  1 Point):  You can 
  study an object's internal structure when you use Shaping 
  on it. This can be combined with Medicine to diagnose a 
  problem (add +4 for a regular success, +6 for a Critical), 
  with Thievery for lock-picking attempts, et cetera. If you 
  cast normal healing spells, add +1 to the amount healed.
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  SPARK
  SPARK
  The art of magically conjuring light and fire. Such flames 
  always appear within arm's reach of the mage, but can be 
  made to shoot off in a particular direction afterwards. 
  Spells that produce pure light do not produce any heat, but 
  rather make a cold light like that of the Aurora Borealis. 
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  LIGHT  CANDLE:  With  a gesture, you  light  a candle  or 
  similarly easily lit object that is within arm's reach. This 
  may save several minutes of fiddling with flint and tinder, 
  but can't start a fire in anything other than ideal conditions. 
  CANDLE-LIGHT:  The mage cups a small spark of mage-
  light within their hands, about as bright as a single candle-
  flame. If the mage places the candle-light somewhere, it 
  will sit there until he reclaims it or something snuffs it out. 
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  IGNITE FLAME: Conjure a small ball of fire (about as large 
  as the flame of a small torch) that floats about at your 
  direction. This can provide some light but also igniting any 
  readily  flammable  materials.  Stubborn combustibles  (like 
  damp wood) may require that the spell be maintained for 
  several rounds before they catch fire. You can try to set a 
  foe's fur or garments alight but the effect is too slow and 
  weak to harm a moving or alert target. 
  MAGE-LIGHT:  Conjure  a  small,  floating  sphere  of  light 
  that glows brightly like a modern light-bulb. This can be 
  carried in a paw or directed to move around at a walking 
  pace. The sphere is normally white, but a specific color can 
  be specified at -2 to the roll. 
  GLOWING  AURA:  Shroud  a person  or object  in  mage-
  light.  This  can  make  them  easy  to  target  at  night  or 
  possibly more intimidating, but doesn't produce any more 
  illumination than a normal mage-light spell. 
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  BLINDING  FLARE: The  mage  conjures  a  concentrated 
  spark  of  mage-light  which  puts  all  of  its  energy  into  a 
  single burst of light brighter than the sun. Anyone who was 
  looking towards the flash may be blinded for the next 1d3 
  rounds (on a critical failure, 1d3+2 rounds). In areas of 
  darkness where people's eyes have already adjusted to the 
  lack of light the resistance check is at -2 (for dim lighting) 
  or -4 (for complete darkness). Resisted with Alertness.
  DAYLIGHT: The mage conjures a brilliant sphere of mage-
  light that can light up an area as brightly as the noonday 
  sun. This spell can be maintained.
  FIREBALL: The mage hurls a concentrated spark of fire 
  which burns brightly for a few moments and then explodes 
  in a burst of flame. Anyone within 2 paces of the target 
  point  may  be  burnt  by  the  searing  flame.  This  inflicts 
  1d6+Caster's Magic damage (if they critically fail, they take 
  2d6+Magic  instead).  On  a  success,  they  still  take  ½ 
  damage from the blast; only on a critical success do they 
  manage to duck the blast entirely. Resisted with Dodge.
  Anyone who takes at least 3 points of damage from this 
  attack  will  probably  have  their  fur  catch  fire  and  will 
  continue to take 1  point  of damage per turn until  they 
  spend an action batting it out. Mindless animals will tend to 
  be terrified by fire and will often flee even if unharmed. 
  Note that the caster is not in any way immune to their own 
  fireball! If this spell is used in close quarters, the mage 
  may  take  damage  as  well.  If  the  caster  wants  to  be 
  especially  careful  about  where  the  ball  explodes,  they 
  should also roll Ranged Attack to target the spell correctly. 
  WALL OF SPARKS: The mage raises a wall of mage-light 
  that rushes out from them or dances in the air according to 
  their wishes. These bright lights can be quite distracting 
  and make it very difficult to see what's happening on the 
  other side. This spell can be maintained. 
  SPARK HIGH SORCERIES
  SPARK HIGH SORCERIES
  ENCHANTED  WEAPON  (Enchantment,  1  Point):  You 
  can craft an enchantment into a weapon such that it is 
  constantly surrounded by an aura of flame  (or electrical 
  charges, if you know the  Lightning sorcery). This adds a 
  damage bonus equal to the caster's Magic trait. 
  EXTENDED SPARK (1 Point): Craft a maintainable Trivial 
  or Small Magick Spark effect that lasts for as many days as 
  your roll without being maintained.
  EXTINGUISH (Advantage, 2 Points):  You can reverse 
  the flow of energy and use Spark to snuff out fires, freeze 
  small amounts of water, chill the air or create shadows. 
  These  effects  are  basically  negative  versions  of  normal 
  Spark spells. 
  Creating shadows adds a +2 bonus to stealth attempts in 
  the effected area. Icy chills can freeze materials or inflict 
  damage equivalent to a fire-based attack.
  LIGHTNING (1 Point):  Conjure a powerful electrical arc 
  that can stun or kill a nearby foe. This inflicts 1d6+Magic 
  damage  (2d6+Magic  on  a  Critical  Success)  on  a  single 
  target.  If  they  take  any  damage  from  this  attack,  they 
  must also roll Endurance+Magic vs your roll or fall down 
  stunned for 1 round. Resisted with Dodge at -4. 
  If you take this Sorcery, you can also cast a new Small 
  Magick: Static Charge. This delivers a strong shock to a 
  target  within  arm's  reach.  It  can  kill  extremely  small 
  creatures  like  fleas,  but  against  another  mouse  it  just 
  startles them and makes their fur stand on end. Resisted 
  with Dodge if they try to avoid being touched.
  THUNDERSTORM'S  CURSE  (Enchantment,  2  Points, 
  Requires the  Lightning High Sorcery):  The mage has 
  learned how to lay a terrible curse upon an area. It takes 
  an hour of complete concentration and an elaborate ritual 
  to do so, but once it is complete the area will be charged 
  with an unusual amount of static electricity. 
  Once  it  is  in  place,  whenever  a  thunderstorm  passes 
  through the area there is at least a 50% chance of a bolt of 
  actual lightning being drawn down towards the location of 
  the curse. This bolt rarely strikes the exact location, but 
  even a near miss by a lightning bolt can shatter a city wall 
  or wipe out a village.
  Once a single bolt of lightning has been successfully called 
  to the area, the enchantment will be ended. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  TUG
  TUG
  The art of moving objects without touching them. Called by 
  some  “telekinesis”,  this  magic  lets  the  mage  extend 
  invisible  tendrils  of  energy  with  which  they  can  exert 
  physical force. 
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  FLOATING COIN:  The mage can take a coin or similarly 
  small object in their hand and let it go in mid-air. It will 
  float there until someone pulls on it or the mage ceases to 
  maintain this spell. 
  ANIMATE  DOLL:  The  mage  inserts  a telekinetic  tendril 
  into a small, flexible object like a doll and makes it move at 
  their command. The object must remain within arm's reach 
  of  the  caster  and  they  must  concentrate  to  move  it, 
  otherwise it falls limp again. It must also be quite small, no 
  larger than doll-sized.
  Some mages use this effect with the Performance skill to 
  put  on  magically-animated  puppet  shows  for  audiences, 
  especially amongst the upper classes.  
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  NUDGE: You subtly attract or distract someone's attention 
  by nudging  them  or tugging  on  their  garments  with  an 
  invisible  force.  The  direction  that  they  feel  the  nudge 
  coming from can be whatever the mage chooses, so this 
  spell makes an excellent distraction. Not resisted. 
  TELEKINESIS:  Extend  an  invisible  tendril  of  telekinetic 
  energy  which  can  lift  and  carry  small  objects  around 
  without touching them. The basic level of control is about 
  the same as if the object were tied to the end of a stick; 
  any control more precise than that will incur hefty penalties 
  to the roll. The object continues to float as long as the spell 
  is maintained, but it takes direct concentration to make it 
  move. The tendril has an effective Brawn rating equal to 
  the caster's Magic-5. Resisted with Feats of Strength if the 
  caster attempts to grapple someone with it.
  ANIMATE ROPE: This version of the Animate Doll effect is 
  simply larger and more effective. One common use is to 
  animate a coil of rope and send it slowly snaking up a tree 
  or wall and tie itself in a knot at a secure point. If any kind 
  of struggle occurs, the animated object has an effective 
  Brawn  rating  equal  to  the  caster's  Magic-5.  The  object 
  animated must still be small enough that the typical mouse 
  could lift it with one hand. 
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  HURL:  As part of casting  the spell, the caster hurls  an 
  object with their paw. If the spell succeeds, they can add 
  their Magic rating to their effective Brawn rating for their 
  to-hit and damage rolls (treat their base Brawn as being 
  zero if it was negative). The spell can also hurl a nearby 
  object without touching it, but in that case their effective 
  Brawn  rating  is  only  their  Magic  rating.  The  attack  is 
  otherwise resolved normally.
  SHOVE:  The caster attempts to shove a foe away from 
  them with a burst of telekinetic force. This shove has an 
  effective Brawn equal to the caster's Magic+5, so it is quite 
  powerful and can often hurl foes backwards. If the target is 
  running or otherwise in an unstable position, this spell can 
  also be aimed at their feet to trip them... the casting roll is 
  then at -2, but if it still succeeds the target resists at -4 to 
  avoid tripping. Resisted with the Feats of Strength skill.
  DEFLECT  MISSILE:  The  caster  prepares  a  telekinetic 
  tendril with which they can try to bat incoming projectiles 
  out of the air. So long as they maintain this spell, they can 
  roll Tug to try and deflect an incoming missile instead of 
  dodging or blocking it. This defense can be used against 
  multiple missiles in the same round, but each roll after the 
  first is at a cumulative -2 penalty. 
  This spell cannot stop truly large projectiles, such as those 
  from siege engines or falling boulders. 
  SOFT LANDING:  The mage throws all of their energies 
  into stopping their or someone else nearby's fall. Subtract 
  twice the caster's Magic rating from any falling damage. On 
  a Critical success, subtract three times their Magic rating. 
  TUG HIGH SORCERIES
  TUG HIGH SORCERIES
  ANIMATE OBJECT (Enchantment, 1 Point):  You have 
  learned how to animate an object (usually a large doll) by 
  binding a sort of “familiar spirit” to control it. This animated 
  object cannot be larger than mouse-sized. 
  While the spirit obeys the caster's commands, it also has 
  its  own  personality.  The  caster  decides  what  sort  of 
  personality when the spell is cast, but thereafter cannot 
  control what it does when it isn't acting under orders. 
  The animated object's Agility and Brawn added together 
  cannot  exceed  the  mage's  Magic  rating.  Similarly,  its 
  Cleverness and Perception ratings added together cannot 
  exceed the mage's Magic rating, either. 
  FINE  MANIPULATION  (1  Point):  Telekinetically  grasp 
  and move an object with great precision. This works much 
  like the Telekinesis Small Magick, but you can manipulate 
  the  object  as  though  you  were  holding  it  in  your paws 
  without penalties. You can theoretically choke or restrain 
  someone with this power, but your effective Brawn rating is 
  still only your Magic-5. 
  If used to help pick a lock or something similar, add a +4 
  bonus for a regular success and a +6 for a Critical Success.
  LETHAL  ARROW (Enchantment,  1  Point):  The  caster 
  binds an enchantment into an arrow, crossbow bolt, dart or 
  similar small projectile. When flung with great force, the 
  spell increases its velocity further. Add the caster's Magic 
  rating to any damage done. Once the item is used once, 
  the enchantment ends. This spell cannot be used on melee 
  weapons or larger projectiles.
  LEVITATION (1 Point): You have learned how to use Tug 
  to float slowly through the air at a walking pace. You must 
  remain  near  a  solid  surface  that  you  can  transfer  your 
  weight  to;  you  cannot  move  more  paces  away  from  a 
  sturdy surface than the number you rolled.  Subtract the 
  caster's own Brawn+Size from their casting roll.
  SHIELD (2 Points): This is a superior form of the Deflect 
  Missile  Large  Magick  which  erects an  invisible  bubble  of 
  magical  force  to  block  incoming  missiles.  There  is  no 
  cumulative  penalty  for  trying  to  deflect  more  than  one 
  projectile and any missile that  does make it through the 
  shield subtracts the caster's Magic rating from the damage 
  done.  It  still  can't  deflect  very  large  missiles  such  as 
  boulders,  but  the  target  does  still  get  to  subtract  the 
  caster's Magic rating from the damage done. 
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  WHISPERS
  WHISPERS
  The art of interacting with the whispers of magic that fill 
  the world around you. This is probably the broadest and 
  most poorly understood magical art. It deals with the spirit 
  world and the ways in which that world overlaps with the 
  mortal realm. It is always invisible to the naked eye. 
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  EXAMPLE TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  MYSTIC MESSAGE: Whisper a short message to someone 
  in line of sight or whose location is otherwise known. They 
  will hear you as a faint whisper in the air.
  SEE  SPIRITS:  Close  your  eyes  and  see  into  the  spirit 
  world instead of the mortal one. The spirit world in a given 
  area generally looks like a barren and colorless version of 
  the  real  world,  but  spirits  and  powerful  spells  (Large 
  Magicks and High Sorceries) will be visible as blurry glows. 
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE SMALL MAGICKS
  SCRY:  Search  your  surroundings  for  anything  alive  or 
  magical  that  matches  the  simple  criteria  you  set. 
  Examples: ongoing spells, a particular person you know, 
  members of a particular race, or anything alive. You can 
  sense  the  location  of anything  detected  so long  as  you 
  maintain the spell (even if it moves out of your normal 
  range). Sixth Sense can tell you if you are being Scried.
  EXAMINE  SPELL:  Analyze  an  ongoing  spell  or  magical 
  charm to determine its nature and effects. 
  SEE WITHOUT SIGHT: You close your eyes and gain the 
  ability to sense your surroundings as though you could see 
  them clearly for as many paces out as the number rolled. 
  This  can  readily  compensate  for  blindness  or  complete 
  darkness. The blind priests of Zakarvus sometimes use this 
  spell as a substitute for regular vision. 
  Invisible  spirits  and  powerful  spells  show  up  as  blurry, 
  glowing images. If you open your eyes, your normal vision 
  replaces this mystic vision until you close them again.
  MENTAL  CONVERSATION:  Send  psychic  messages  to 
  someone in your line of sight or whose location is otherwise 
  known to you. If you maintain it, they can “think back” if 
  they wish. An unwilling subject can end the spell at will. 
  SEE THROUGH: The mage touches an opaque object and 
  concentrates on this spell, causing it to become transparent 
  to the mage's eyes. This can even see through solid rock to 
  a distance equal to the mage's Magic rating in feet. 
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  EXAMPLE LARGE MAGICKS
  BROADCAST: Effectively you shout out a mental message 
  that is heard by everyone in the area (you can get pickier 
  and restrict it to certain types of people by taking a -2 
  penalty to your roll). Unfortunately, while you can maintain 
  this spell to continue speaking, no one can reply through it. 
  Maintaining it requires your full concentration. 
  PROPHECY: The mage enters a deep trance and attempts 
  to extract information from the spirit world, usually about 
  someone's future. Such information is rarely of immediate 
  use and is often disquieting (see the Doom Balanced Trait). 
  Often the full significance of a prophecy will only become 
  obvious later. The subject must be present for this to work.
  SEND DISTANT  MESSAGE:  This  works  like  the  Mental 
  Conversation Small Magick, but can contact anyone whom 
  you  are  familiar  with  regardless  of  the  distance. 
  Maintaining it requires your full concentration. 
  BANISH  SPIRIT:  This  mental  attack  attempts  to  drive 
  away a hostile spirit.  It is resisted with Leadership.  If it 
  succeeds, the spirit will be forced away from the mortal 
  plane for at least 24 hours. On a Critical Success, it may 
  not be able to return to that particular area again. 
  WHISPER HIGH SORCERIES
  WHISPER HIGH SORCERIES
  ASTRAL JOURNEY (2 Points):  The mage's spirit leaves 
  their body behind and observes the real world from the 
  spirit world as a ghost. They travel at a walking speed but 
  are  invisible  and  intangible  to  mortal  creatures.  Magical 
  creatures can harm the caster's mortal flesh as though it 
  were present. If they wish to engage a spirit in combat in 
  the spirit world, their effective Brawn is their Magic rating 
  and their effective Agility is their Cleverness. 
  If you are very familiar with a location or a person (e.g.- 
  your home  or a close  friend),  you  can  have  your spirit 
  appear in that area or that person's vicinity instead. Two 
  mages both on an Astral Journey may meet and converse 
  normally  and  can  even  harm  each  other.  Engaging  in 
  combat in the spirit world is quite dangerous, however, as 
  spilling blood there draws in predatory spirits. 
  DARK PRAYER (Free):  Bargain with the dark gods that 
  inhabit the murky depths of the spirit world. A successful 
  agreement can produce magical effects beyond the power 
  of modern magic, but always at a terrible cost. This kind of 
  Sorcery is banned everywhere, but there are always spirits 
  willing to whisper the secret of doing it to any mage willing 
  to listen. See the Forbidden Rites section. 
  It can also bargain with lesser spirits such as Frostmice or 
  Ghuls, which is still quite hazardous. As a general rule, a 
  successful  casting  will  connect  you  with  the  entity  in 
  question,  but  a  critical  success  gives  you  a  better 
  bargaining position. Botches result in terrible disasters.
  FAMILIAR SPIRIT (1 Point): Establish a permanent link 
  with  a  small,  unintelligent  animal  (small  by  mousy 
  standards, which generally  means  nothing larger than  a 
  dragonfly). It becomes your familiar  until  it dies  or you 
  choose to end the spell. If you have more than one, you 
  suffer a -1 to all spell-casting checks per additional spell.
  You have a permanent mental link with your familiar and 
  require  no special  effort  to borrow its senses or give  it 
  commands; it can also send very simple  messages (like 
  “Danger!”)  to  you  whenever  it  feels  a  need  to.  Its 
  Cleverness  and  Perception  ratings  added  together  must 
  equal your Magic rating. It still can't talk. 
  IMMORTAL BLADE (Enchantment, 1 Point): The caster 
  binds magic into a weapon such that it adds the caster's 
  Magic rating to any damage done against spirit creatures. 
  The enchantment has no additional effect on living foes or 
  inanimate  objects.  The  caster  can  sense  whenever  the 
  weapon has struck a spirit creature. 
  MIND-RIDING (1 Point): Create a link between you and 
  a living target so that you can see and hear using their 
  senses instead of your own, at will. This is easily broken by 
  an  uncooperative  foe,  but  it  is  subtle  and  may  not  be 
  noticed. Unwilling targets resist with Sixth Sense.  
  Maintaining this spell requires complete concentration and 
  blocks out all sights and sounds around your real body.
  
  MAGICAL MICE
  MAGICAL MICE
  NEW SPELL EFFECTS
  NEW SPELL EFFECTS
  Here are some general guidelines to follow when creating 
  or  allowing  players  to  create  any  new  effects  for  the 
  existing spells. 
  The new effect should meet these criteria:
  1.
  It fits in well with the spell's central theme.
  2.
  It doesn't infringe on a different spell. 
  3.
  It  isn't  too  useful.  Powers  like  mind-reading, 
  teleportation or accurate precognition are out of 
  the scope of mousy magic and should be reserved 
  for higher powered settings.
  NEW TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  NEW TRIVIAL EFFECTS
  As  a general  rule,  an  effect  is  trivial  if  it  doesn't  work 
  outside of arm's reach, can be broken by any real attempt 
  to do so, and  doesn't  have  a big  game  effect. Nothing 
  really  useful should be this easy; these effects should be 
  both trivial in power and utility. 
  When a trivial effect starts to become really useful in some 
  fashion, it becomes a Small Magick instead. 
  NEW SMALL MAGICKS
  NEW SMALL MAGICKS
  Small Magicks are often subtle and slow. They represent 
  minor spells that don't consume a lot of energy or have a 
  really strong effect. Just make sure that any new Small 
  Magicks fit these criteria:
  1.
  It seems like an action that a mousy mage would 
  not have to throw a lot of energy into. If a mage 
  cast it, you would imagine them doing so with an 
  airy wave of a hand. 
  2.
  It is readily defeated by any real opposition. 
  3.
  If the power is something that lots of mages would 
  have been using in the setting if they could, it 
  should probably be a High Sorcery instead. That 
  way, you don't have to explain why no one else 
  ever thought of it before. 
  NEW LARGE MAGICKS
  NEW LARGE MAGICKS
  Large  Magicks  are  exhausting  and  always  cost  Fatigue. 
  Most cannot be maintained and when they can, it's more 
  draining than maintaining a Small Magick. 
  They are never  complicated  spells. A Large Magick is the 
  equivalent of a sudden dash or a hay-maker... the mage is 
  throwing all of their energy into a strong but crude effect. 
  1.
  Unlike a Small Magick, these spells should require 
  a  serious  effort.  If  a  mage  cast  it,  you  would 
  image  them  gritting  their  teeth  and  obviously 
  throwing everything that they had into it. 
  2.
  It  isn't  complicated  or  subtle.  If  so,  it  should 
  probably be a High Sorcery instead. 
  NEW HIGH SORCERIES
  NEW HIGH SORCERIES
  High Sorceries are advanced techniques. They are difficult 
  to  perform,  require  secret  knowledge  and  always  cost 
  Fatigue. They aren't necessarily more powerful than Large 
  Magicks, they're just more complex. 
  ENCHANTMENTS:  Enchantments  are  a  special  kind  of 
  High Sorcery that last until the caster chooses to dispel 
  them, without needing to be maintained. They can also be 
  separated from the caster by any distance if need be. As a 
  general  rule,  the  first  casting  of  a  given  enchantment 
  incurs no penalty, but maintaining more than one of them 
  incurs a cumulative -1 penalty to all spell-casting rolls. 
  ADVANTAGES: These modify your existing spells in some 
  fashion, making them better but not more difficult. They 
  may also add new effects that the mage can perform.
  MAGIC VERSUS MAGIC
  MAGIC VERSUS MAGIC
  A mage can attempt to stop another mage's spell by using 
  the same skill to unravel their spell. This is handled as a 
  contest between the roll that created the original spell and 
  the mage who wishes to stop it. 
  This  special  anti-spell is known as a Counter-spell.  It is 
  always the same class as the spell being attacked. Thus, 
  countering  a Small Magick is  treated as a Small  Magick 
  and countering a Large Magick is a Large Magick.
  Countering a High Sorcery requires that the mage actually 
  possess  that  High  Sorcery  themselves!  If  you  can't 
  duplicate a spell, you can't counter it, either. 
  If your first attempt to undo an ongoing spell fails, any 
  further attempts will cost you an extra Fatigue. 
  MAGIC VERSUS OTHER THINGS
  MAGIC VERSUS OTHER THINGS
  As a general rule, attempts to counter a magical effect that 
  isn't a true spell should be handled as a contest between 
  the mage's spell-casting ability and the magical effect. 
  Whether a given  counter-effect is  a Trivial  Effect, Small 
  Magick,  Large Magick or High Sorcery is up to the GM. 
  Consider how much effort it cost the the creature to create 
  the effect and how powerful you want it to be considered.
  For example, creating enough heat to ward away the chill 
  of being  near a Frostmouse  would  probably  be  a Small 
  Magick.  It  merely  makes  the  mage  comfortable  in  the 
  spirit's  vicinity.  Creating  a  barrier  of  heat  that  the 
  Frostmouse  will  not  cross,  on  the  other  hand,  would 
  probably  be  a  Large  Magick  and  require  intense 
  concentration to maintain. Thawing out one of their frozen 
  victims safely might well be difficult enough to be treated 
  as a High Sorcery or simply impossible. 
  
  A Brief History of
  A Brief History of
  HYPERBOREA
  HYPERBOREA
  The Forgotten Age:
  The Forgotten Age:
  The entire valley of Hyperborea was settled and ruled by 
  the mysterious rodents now known as the Tzarchul. Great 
  stone  cities  were  raised  on  both  the  surface  and  below 
  ground and enormous trap-filled tombs were made to hold 
  the bones of their hallowed dead. Temples were raised to 
  dark gods and many sacrifices were made, all in vain.
  Judging by their carvings and the buildings that they made, 
  the Tzarchul were physically something like especially furry 
  rats  without  visible  tails.  But  they  became  extinct  long 
  before the start of recorded history. Now only the ruins of 
  their long-lost civilization remain. 
  The Arrival of the First Ones:
  The Arrival of the First Ones:
  Albino mice with incredible magical powers arrived in the 
  pleasant  and  fertile  region  of Hyperborea known  as  the 
  Fallows and established their first settlement... the simply 
  named village of Firstholme. 
  According to legends from that era, the First Ones were the 
  slaves  and  children  of  the  mysterious  giants  known  as 
  Titans. But they rose up against their masters and fled to 
  the Fallows, bearing with them the Titans' stolen treasure. 
  In the valley they found feral mice and other rodents, some 
  of whom they granted intelligence and took as concubines 
  and  slaves.  Firstholme  rapidly  grew  into  a  large  and 
  thriving community ruled by these White Lords.
  The War Against the Cats:
  The War Against the Cats:
  But many dangers abounded. Predators slew many of the 
  First  Ones, as they were woefully ignorant of the many 
  dangers of the wilderness. The most dreadful threat was a 
  colony of wild cats which soon manifested magical powers 
  and surprising intelligence themselves... which they turned 
  towards the goal of finding the best way to fill their bellies 
  with the flesh of mice and rats. 
  The first organized attack by the cats destroyed Firstholme 
  and resulted in the deaths of most of the First Ones and 
  their slaves. The few survivors fled and established a much 
  more hidden burrow where they could rest and rebuild their 
  strength. In time, this settlement became known as Haven. 
  The First Ones and their slaves forged weapons and trained 
  furiously while the ravenous cats searched the area for any 
  survivors. Finally, the First One named Luciel led the others 
  in a series of counter-attacks that eventually destroyed the 
  cats, sending almost all of them to the grave and restoring 
  the dominance of mice in the Fallows. 
  The Founding of the Great Kingdoms:
  The Founding of the Great Kingdoms:
  With the major threat eliminated, the First Ones found it 
  difficult to retain their unity and fell to squabbling amongst 
  themselves. Without written records, only tiny fragments of 
  knowledge from that period have been retained. 
  Sethias  was  slain  by his  fellows  for practicing  forbidden 
  rites. Jandara persuaded the others to grant freedom to the 
  rats and  jumping mice who had served them in the war, 
  but only at the cost of much resentment among her kinfolk.
  In the end, the handful of First Ones who had survived the 
  war decided to go their separate ways, each taking their 
  own  followers  with  them.  They  constructed  mighty 
  fortresses, hidden lairs or luxurious mansions as  befitted 
  their  personal  temperament...  and  as  the  original  First 
  Ones  eventually  passed  out  of  history,  their  estates 
  gradually  expanded  into  kingdoms  ruled  by  their 
  descendants. 
  Most of the modern nations of the Fallows were founded in 
  this period. Luciel and Lumierre wed and founded the land 
  of  Muscala.  As  the  only  two  First  Ones  to  marry,  their 
  offspring seemed to retain more of their magical powers 
  than those of her rivals, giving Muscala a powerful edge.
  Duvain's  sprawling  estate  eventually  became  the  rolling 
  hills of Duvain's Weal. Canduss founded the trading center 
  known  as  Dusar.  Jandara's  many  children  named  their 
  kingdom Jand in her honor. 
  There are some who believe that the reclusive Zakarvus 
  established  a  short-lived  kingdom  in  the  Wildlands... 
  certainly his name is still held in great reverence by the 
  barbaric tribes of the area. 
  The Rise of Muscala:
  The Rise of Muscala:
  The White Lords of the various lands did not get along well 
  and  many  wars  erupted  between  them.  Generations  of 
  open warfare ensued with only brief interludes of peace. 
  Muscala slowly grew into an empire, warring against and 
  eventually  subjugating  Duvain's  Weal  and  Dusar.  The 
  kingdoms of Lakeshore and Grennendell were established 
  by  Muscala  to  better control  troublesome  regions,  while 
  large portions of the Wildlands were finally brought under 
  Imperial control. Smaller, less militant kingdoms like Jand 
  soon found it preferable to join the Empire as valued allies 
  rather  than  conquered  slaves  and  Muscala  eventually 
  unified all of the Fallows under her control.
  A long period of peace followed, during which the White 
  Lords fell into complacency and the great Imperial Legions 
  grew undisciplined and lax in their training. 
  The Greatwater War:
  The Greatwater War:
  Sailors  from  the  Empire  who  crossed  the  treacherous 
  currents of Greatwater eventually made contact with the 
  distant  land  of  Fashar. Believed  by  some  to  have  been 
  founded by refugees from the fall of Firstholme, she had 
  been  out  of  contact  with  the  rest  of  the  valley  for 
  generations and had grown into a loose confederation of 
  sultanates ignorant of even the existence of the Fallows. 
  The  Emperor  of  Muscala  was  irked  by  the  stubborn 
  independence of the mice of Fashar. A war of conquest was 
  launched to bring this new land under Muscala's control. 
  But Muscala's  decaying  and overconfident military forces 
  were not up for the arduous campaign. Overextended and 
  faced  with  unrelenting  resistance  from  the  armies  of 
  Fashar, the Empire's power began to crumble. 
  Modern Times
  Modern Times
  In  the  end,  Muscala  sued  for  peace  and  withdrew  her 
  armies to better quiet her rebellious subject kingdoms, but 
  the  damage  had  been  done. The  Empire  has  entered  a 
  period of decline. They have lost all control of the Wildlands 
  and  even  Jand  has  been  demonstrating  increasing 
  independence.  Unless  something  halts  this  process,  the 
  fabled Empire of Muscala may soon collapse entirely.
  
  THE FALLOWS
  THE FALLOWS
  The valley of Hyperborea is dominated by a stream that 
  pours down from the surrounding hills and empties into a 
  lake overgrown with sunken trees and dotted with small 
  islands.  The  lake  largely  divides  the  valley  in  two,  with 
  lush,  fertile  fields  on  the  western  shore  and  rockier, 
  harsher soil on the east. Those lush fields of the West are 
  known as the Fallows and it is there that most adventures 
  in Hyperborean Mice are set.
  THE EMPIRE OF MUSCALA
  THE EMPIRE OF MUSCALA
  Founded by the First Ones Luciel and Lumierre, Muscala 
  incorporates  the  original  settlements  made  by  the  First 
  Ones and has grown into a great empire to which all other 
  kingdoms must bow. 
  Its uncontested ruler is Emperor Luciel XXIV, the twenty-
  fourth  emperor  to  take  the  name  of  Muscala's  original 
  founder.  He  often  spends  days  in  drug  addled 
  contemplation  of  his  realm,  delegating  every  important 
  decision  to  favored  courtiers.  His  queen,  the  beauteous 
  Messalina d'Jand, is a former Maiden of Summer and said 
  by many to be the true power behind the throne.
  THE IMPERIAL PALACE
  THE IMPERIAL PALACE
  This imposing structure rises nearly a dozen stories into the 
  sky  and  at  least  twice  that  into  the  earth  below. 
  Generations of mice and rats have labored to extend it, 
  with  each emperor invariably  adding some  new wing  to 
  leave a permanent mark upon their ancestral home. 
  Inside, the architecture varies from the sturdy and practical 
  stone walls of the early emperors to the huge and ornate 
  vaulted ceilings and opulent works of art favored by more 
  recent rulers. The largest part of the palace is inhabited by 
  its innumerable servants and slaves; only a small portion is 
  actually used by the royals.
  The imperial throne room is a huge and gaudy mess, with 
  every wall and alcove covered with expensive works of art 
  and  jewels  set  into  the  floor  tiles.  Great  decadent 
  gatherings are held here, where the royals and their guests 
  indulge themselves in an endless stream of exotic dishes 
  and live performances. Even more decadent gatherings are 
  rumored to occur in  a smaller and more restricted hall, 
  where stranger vices are indulged and the air is filled with 
  the fumes of exotic drugs imported from Fashar. 
  The original throne room is much smaller and dominated by 
  a grim throne carved from the skulls  of dead cats. The 
  current emperor, Luciel XXIV, considers it suitable only for 
  special occasions, such as the trials of traitors. 
  Notable People and Places in the Imperial Palace:
  ●
  Emperor Luciel XXIV: dissipated and decadent ruler 
  given to strange whims and exotic drugs
  ●
  Empress Messalina d'Jand: his beauteous consort; her 
  behavior is above reproach and anyone who spreads 
  rumors the contrary tends to vanish without warning.
  ●
  Prince  Yulin:  head  of the  Imperial  Messengers  and 
  responsible for changing them from a mere courier 
  service into imperial espionage agents. Rumored to 
  covet the imperial throne himself.
  ●
  Prince Lumien: the emperor's nephew and head of the 
  Imperial Cavalry. Lazy and indolent, but very prideful.
  THE AVIARY
  THE AVIARY
  Behind  the  spires  of  the  Imperial  Palace  lies  a  tall, 
  cylindrical structure of wooden struts and cloth windbreaks 
  in various states of repair. This is the palace aviary, home 
  to the famed Imperial Cavalry, Muscala's own air force. 
  Within  its  rather pungent  walls,  a swarm  of slaves  and 
  palace servants tend to a small flock of trained pigeons. 
  These are the mounts used by the Cavalry. Each has been 
  raised from a chick to tolerate the presence of mice and to 
  bear the weight of a saddle when necessary. 
  Each cavalry mouse must be either a white or royal mouse 
  and a trained mage (with emphasis upon the Compel and 
  Whispers arts to better command their mounts) as well as 
  a soldier. White mice make up the bulk of the force, with 
  the royals leading individual squadrons. 
  While widely feared by the other kingdoms, the true power 
  of Muscala's aerial cavalry does not lie in the arrows or 
  javelins that they drop on enemies below. Rather, it is their 
  sheer speed and mobility that makes them a force to be 
  feared  on  the  battlefield.  In  times  of  war,  the  cavalry 
  eliminates  any  airborne  enemy  forces  and  then  acts  as 
  overseers of the battle below, passing information to their 
  squires below by magical means. 
  However, with the dearth of major wars in recent history, 
  discipline has become rather lax. Many cavalrymen were 
  appointed to the force as rewards for political savvy and 
  favors done, rather than competence. But there is still a 
  core of true warriors amongst them, although they grow 
  fewer and fewer each year. 
  The Empress Messalina d'Jand, said to be the 
  most beautiful royal mouse of her generation.
  
  THE ALABASTER TEMPLES
  THE ALABASTER TEMPLES
  After the war against the cats was concluded, the surviving 
  First  Ones  established  a  shrine  commemorating  their 
  victory. Over the generations, this was steadily added on to 
  and  expanded  until  it  became  a  small  city  composed 
  entirely of shrines and temples. The alabaster walls of the 
  temples  dominate  the  area and  most  mice  refer  to  the 
  entire area collectively as the Alabaster Temples.
  This is the home of the church of Luciel, ruler of the gods 
  and  patron  deity  of  Muscala.  As  such,  it  is  a  point  of 
  imperial  pride  that  his  temples  be  larger  and  more 
  magnificent  than  any  other  in  the  land.  The  church 
  bureaucracy  is  based  here  as  well,  where  innumerable 
  scribes and accountants keep track of the temple accounts, 
  tithes and offerings, and all official records. 
  The “lesser” deities all have temples of their own here as 
  well, but none are allowed to approach the splendor of the 
  temple of Luciel. There are also many small shrines and 
  monuments, the meaning  of which  has  sometimes been 
  lost. The locals  are quick to invent colorful  tales  of the 
  various  anonymous  monuments  and  their  apocryphal 
  origins. 
  The Alabaster Temples also provide a neutral setting for 
  the formal education of the upper classes. Young mice of 
  good families are often sent here to study under the priests 
  and the temple libraries here are second only to the secret 
  archives of the temple of Magellian. 
  FIRSTHOLME
  FIRSTHOLME
  These ancient ruins are a holy site visited by many pilgrims 
  and a small community of common mice has sprung up 
  around  them,  selling  supplies,  religious  art  and  sacred 
  “relics”  from  the  ruins.  Of  Firstholme  herself,  very  little 
  remains. 
  Her walls  were mostly soft brick and were torn asunder 
  during the war. Only a few structures made of actual stone 
  are relatively intact. The most prized site is a great rock 
  wall where pilgrims can actually touch the gouges cut into 
  the soft stone by the claws of some ancient cat. 
  THE CATACOMBS
  THE CATACOMBS
  In a barren spot between Firstholme and Haven lies the 
  ancestral burial place of the lords of Muscala. Above ground 
  there is only a small, stone ruin, but beneath that marker 
  lies an extensive underground network of catacombs and 
  mortuaries. 
  Veiled priests prepare the bodies of royal mice for burial 
  and then carefully inhume them with a great amount of 
  ritual and ceremony. Grim, sonorous chants can be heard 
  from  the  acolytes  as  they  give  praise  to  Zakarvus  and 
  beseech him to guard their work from grave-robbers. 
  All of those who work in the catacombs are members of the 
  church of Zakarvus and they guard the tombs zealously. 
  Royals  often  insist  on  being  buried  with  their  greatest 
  treasures, and so the catacombs actually contain a great 
  amount  of  wealth.  To  minimize  the  chances  of  any 
  successful thefts, some corridors have lethal traps installed. 
  These can, of course, be disabled if one knows the location 
  of the hidden switch, but they are turned on each night 
  when the workers retire to bed. 
  THE CITY OF HAVEN
  THE CITY OF HAVEN
  The jewel of civilization, the first and greatest city of the 
  Fallows, the heart of Muscala, the dreamt of destination of 
  every  farm-mouse  and  would-be  hero...  Haven  has  as 
  many names as it has buildings and it is the largest city in 
  all of the Fallows. Technically the capital of Muscala, she 
  has become a central hub of trade for the entire valley. An 
  enormous amount of grain and other goods pour into the 
  city every day to keep her engines of commerce running. 
  To the locals, Haven is also known as a poisonous swamp, 
  a despoiler of maidens and a den of iniquity. The city runs 
  on graft and seems to feed on dreams and naivety, turning 
  innocent  mice  into  hardened  and  mercenary  criminals. 
  Criminal gangs run the streets at night, while law-abiding 
  mice stay locked up inside their homes. 
  Haven is built up into many levels, with the wealthier mice 
  dwelling in the upper ramparts and the impoverished eking 
  out a living in the reeking tunnels beneath her. The ground 
  level is dominated by innumerable shops and merchants. 
  Raw materials are carted to her from all over the Fallows, 
  processed into something more valuable and then shipped 
  out again. The chemicals used to treat and process these 
  goods are often allowed to be washed away into the ground 
  underneath the city, adding to the misery of the very poor.
  Crime  and  corruption  are  rampant.  While  the  lords  of 
  Haven  maintain  a  private  army  of  guardsmen,  they 
  primarily  exist  to  protect  the  nobles  from  rioting 
  commoners. The true power here lies with the Gleaners, an 
  extended criminal cartel that keeps theft and robbery down 
  to an acceptable level by running it themselves. Those who 
  offend  the  bosses  of  the  Gleaners  may  suffer  a  brutal 
  beating at the hands of enforcers or, worse, a quick and 
  terminal visit from a member of the Black Paw. 
  THE GLEANERS
  THE GLEANERS
  The Gleaners are the “Thieves' Guild” of the city of Haven. 
  They are a very loosely organized group, functioning more 
  as an underworld community than a military unit. Members 
  know all of the best places to hide out from the authorities, 
  sell off stolen goods or buy information. They are expected 
  to look out for each other and never betray other members 
  to the authorities. Above all else, they must never draw 
  attention to the guild itself, as it thrives on secrecy. 
  THE BLACK PAW
  THE BLACK PAW
  The dreaded  Black Paw are the “Assassins' Guild” of the 
  city of Haven. They maintain the grip of the Gleaners on 
  the city by eliminating officials who threaten it. They also 
  act as a control on the Gleaners themselves, silencing any 
  thieves who attract the wrong sort of attention. 
  The trademark of the Paw is a black paw-print on the body 
  of their victims, usually across the face. This makes it very 
  clear to the world that this unfortunate ran afoul of the 
  Paw, rather than some ordinary murderer. Fear of the Paw 
  keeps the common Gleaners in line. 
  They are a very secretive organization. They enforce the 
  dictates  of the  bosses  of the  Gleaners  but  also  operate 
  independently. When they must act openly, they travel in 
  small  groups, wearing  dark  cloaks  with  hoods  and  veils 
  drawn across their faces. If a target proves difficult to find, 
  the word goes out that they have been marked for death. 
  From that point forward, no Gleaner will give them aid or 
  shelter, lest they find themselves hunted as well. 
  
  Notable People and Places in Haven:
  ●
  Magistrate Took: Lord Took has the thankless task of 
  acting as the chief of law enforcement in Haven. This 
  white  mouse  has  about  two-dozen  deputies  who 
  patrol the city but mostly just respond to reports of 
  trouble and organize fire-fighting brigades if needed.
  His primary duty is to keep the city running the way 
  that  the  nobles  like  it.  Major  crimes  committed 
  against the upper classes may be investigated, but for 
  the  most  part  his  deputies  just  try  to keep  things 
  quiet. Troublemakers  (read:  Adventurers) are  often 
  put  to  a  day's  hard  labor  and  then  released. 
  Murderers get the headsman's axe. Riots and fires are 
  Took's  biggest  worries,  as  he  really  doesn't  have 
  enough people to deal with them alone. 
  ●
  Chancellor Nehmos: this white rat is the Emperor's 
  personal  representative  in  the  city,  and  all 
  communications from the noble classes to his Imperial 
  Majesty must pass through Nehmos's offices. As such, 
  he wields more power in Haven than most royal mice. 
  Of late, he has been engaging in some intrigue of his 
  own  amongst  the  various  families  of  white  rats, 
  striving  to  find  the  most  politically  advantageous 
  matches for his three unmarried children. His eldest 
  son  is  being  groomed  to  one  day  take  Nehmos's 
  place, but chafes at the duties involved.
  ●
  Boss Talon: a brutal and vicious Gleaner Boss with 
  pretensions  of  nobility  and  refinement;  one  of  the 
  richest  and  most  feared  common  mice  in  Haven. 
  Talon is a scarred and oversized common mouse who 
  has  grown  quite  overweight  but  woe  to  he  who 
  underestimates him. People who annoy Talon tend to 
  “disappear” quietly, leaving the locals uncertain as to 
  whether they died or wisely fled the city.
  ●
  Father Shallay: a particularly charismatic white mouse 
  priest of Luciel, Father Shallay has been assembling a 
  small  group  of devout  believers  who  make  regular 
  forays into the lower city to treat the ill. There are 
  rumors, however, that the group's inner circle holds 
  to heretical beliefs and that not all who go to them for 
  treatment are seen again. The church itself scoffs at 
  such rumors, but her leadership  does have qualms 
  about his increasingly large number of followers.
  ●
  There is a dark stone structure near the heart of the 
  city known as the Black Tomb. This small, grim edifice 
  has existed as long as Haven has and is tended to by 
  a small cult of white rats. The rats have an Imperial 
  Sanction  from  some  ancient  ruler  of  Muscala  that 
  allows them to bar anyone except for the royal family. 
  As  a  result,  there  is  rampant  speculation  about 
  exactly  what  is  hidden  in  the  tomb.  The  rats 
  themselves are quite silent on the matter, refusing to 
  even discuss it. Pilgrims may touch the outside of the 
  building, but are never allowed inside. 
  ●
  Mad  Muskel:  a  demented  common  mouse  mage 
  whose father is rumored to be one of the royal family, 
  or perhaps  a leader in  the  Black  Paw.  He  likes  to 
  preach strange and heretical beliefs and claims that 
  doom will soon overtake the city. His petty cruelties 
  and strange whims make him a pariah amongst the 
  locals,  but  those  who  act  against  him  often  die 
  mysteriously. The town guard wisely ignore him.
  ●
  Nipper: a burglar who has been on the run from the 
  Gleaners for years. Periodically he returns to stir up 
  trouble with some daring theft and then skip out of 
  town, leaving the Gleaner bosses to deal with it.  
  ●
  The Hole in the Wall: this tavern is one of the most 
  popular hangouts for thieves, brigands, Gleaners and 
  other  ne'er-do-wells.  “The  Hole”  as  it's  commonly 
  known is mostly underground, with little more than an 
  entryway  (the  aforementioned  “hole”)  and  some 
  downward stairs visible on the surface. 
  Below  ground,  there  are  crude  tables  and  small 
  booths  and  a wide  variety  of spirits  available.  The 
  lighting is mostly from small candles and the interior 
  is always smoky and dimly lit. Anyone who visits it 
  had best be ready to defend themselves if accosted; 
  the bar is too far below the surface for any screams to 
  be  heard  and  the  patrons  prefer  to  place  bets  on 
  fights rather than breaking them up.
  ●
  Nestoria Imports: this shady business is a front for 
  the  Gleaners  and  deals  mostly  in  stolen  goods. 
  Nestor, the common mouse proprietor, is an expert at 
  forgetting  faces  as  well  as  scratching  off  any 
  identifying  marks on his stock. Mice  seeking  exotic 
  drugs or forbidden books may find that Nestor can 
  arrange a meeting with a supplier even if he doesn't 
  have what they want in stock. 
  ●
  Lord Thullen's Gardens: Lord Thullen, a royal mouse 
  of  exquisite  taste,  maintains  an  extensive  garden 
  attached to his estate in Haven. He collects foreign 
  flowers  and  herbs,  particularly  those  with  odd 
  chemical effects or unpleasant thorns. Rumor has it 
  that some plants only grow when fed on the blood of 
  mice and rats, but it's probably just a rumor. 
  Thullen  regularly  hosts  extravagant  gatherings  of 
  royal  mice,  who  get  to  admire  the  beautiful 
  arrangements  of  his  flowers  and  partake  of  his 
  collection of wines and special herbs. These affairs are 
  also  popular  places  for royal  intrigue  as  the  upper 
  classes can mingle  in person without attracting too 
  much  attention  from  their  fellows.  Only  royal  mice 
  and  white  rats  are  normally  allowed  to  attend, 
  although  the  occasional  white  mouse  servant  is 
  tolerated;  the  presence  of  the  lower  races  would 
  detract too much from the occasion. 
  ●
  Lady Lamyra du Argus: said by some to be the richest 
  royal mouse in all of Haven, this lady's  sumptuous 
  annual gatherings draw the upper crust from all over 
  Muscala. Each is also an opportunity for the attendees 
  to show off their finest jewelry and silks, something 
  that  occasionally  draws  thieves.  The  Argus  family 
  regards  money  as  being  just  as  important  as 
  breeding,  so  white  mice  of  particular  means  are 
  welcome to attend. 
  ●
  The Marketplace: the marketplace square of Haven is 
  huge, being larger than many small towns all on its 
  own. There are an overwhelming number of booths 
  and shops and innumerable would-be entrepreneurs 
  hawking  their  wares  to  any  passersby.  Traveling 
  entertainers  set  up  little  stages  and  offer 
  performances  in  return  for  donations  of  coin  and 
  goods  from  all  over  Hyperborea  are  available  for 
  purchase. 
  It is also a favorite of thieves, cut-purses and con-
  artists of all stripes. The locals are familiar with all of 
  the common scams used to separate the naive from 
  their  goods,  but  innocent  newcomers  regularly  fall 
  victim to them. A wise mouse keeps his coin-purse 
  well concealed here, lest it go wandering. 
  
  THE KINGDOM OF DUVAIN'S WEAL
  THE KINGDOM OF DUVAIN'S WEAL
  Founded by Duvain, a First One warrior of great repute, the 
  sprawling plains of Duvain's Weal are the hub of agriculture 
  in the Fallows. Once fiercely independent, this kingdom was 
  eventually subjugated by Muscala after a long and bloody 
  war. Her wealthiest and most valuable territories (the cities 
  and villages lying on the shore of Greatwater Lake) were 
  stripped  away  and  given  to  a family  of  traitorous  royal 
  mice... a sore point with the ruling family of Duvain's Weal, 
  but not one that they feel able to contest. Ruinous levies of 
  grain  help  keep  Duvain's  Weal  largely  impoverished  but 
  keep the population of Muscala fat and happy. Slavery is 
  banned here, due to an ancient edict credited to Duvain.
  OAKENDALE (THE STUMP)
  OAKENDALE (THE STUMP)
  The largest city of Duvain's Weal, Oakendale's nickname 
  comes from the enormous tree stump inside of which it was 
  carved out. Legend has it that Duvain himself cut down the 
  impossibly huge tree as one of his many feats of strength, 
  but if he did, no one is sure what became of the rest of the 
  tree, which must have dwarfed even the enormous trees of 
  Rookswood.
  Farms and small villages surround the city. Almost all of 
  the non-productive plants have been cut down and the land 
  here is fairly bare other than the fields and berry plants. 
  Keeping   weeds  and  pests  out  is  a  constant  and 
  unrewarding task. 
  The locals tend to be hard-working but cheerful folk and 
  her  Summer  festivals  draw  attendees  from  all  over  the 
  Fallows. The fields surrounding the stump are mainly given 
  over to grape vines, whose fruit is harvested and distilled 
  into wine each year.
  Notable People and Places in Oakendale:
  ●
  The  Breweries:  Stump  is  famous  for its  breweries, 
  which ferment and distill the local berries into alcohol. 
  It's  most  commonly  bottled  in  heavy  ceramic  jugs 
  which bear an engraved picture of the city. The more 
  expensive wines have detailed and intricate pictures 
  that are minor works of art themselves, whereas the 
  cheaper drinks rarely have more than a square carved 
  on the side. 
  ●
  The  Wine  Race:  At  the  end  of  each  Summer, 
  Oakendale holds its great wine festival, the climax of 
  which is a race. Each contestant carries a cup in each 
  hand. The judges fill the cups with a deep, red wine of 
  a sort that the area is famous for (the cheap kind, of 
  course, since most of it gets wasted) then the runners 
  have  to  circle  the  city  twice.  When  a  contestant 
  makes it across the finish line, they have to pour both 
  of their cups into a single cup held by a judge and 
  overflow it... or they are disqualified.  The winner of 
  the race is considered the champion of the day and is 
  guest of honor at the night's drunken feast.
  PUMPKIN GROVE
  PUMPKIN GROVE
  Half a day's travel from Oakendale lies the Pumpkin Grove. 
  This landmark is really just a patch of ground where wild 
  pumpkins grow, producing huge yellow and orange gourds 
  that are sometimes harvested for food or dried out and 
  used as building material. Many people believe the area to 
  be haunted, and it is shunned by superstitious folk. Young 
  mice sometimes dare each other to spend the night there 
  under the full moon and more than one wanderer is said to 
  have vanished there during the night. 
  On each summer solstice, Oakendale sends an expedition 
  to harvest the largest of the gourds (a process that often 
  takes more than a day of hard work) and return with them 
  to their city for the annual harvest festival. There they are 
  hollowed out and decorated and prizes are awarded for the 
  most creative use of one of the gourds. 
  TITAN'S BRIDGE
  TITAN'S BRIDGE
  The  Titan's  Bridge  marks  the  southernmost  corner  of 
  Duvain's Weal; to the south lies the Forbidden Lands and to 
  the  east  lies  the  Greatwater  lake.  The  massive,  algae-
  encrusted wooded structure isn't really a bridge as such, 
  although the locals refer to it as such. Actually, it appears 
  to be a long abandoned wooden dock of titanic scale. 
  Many locals say that when the fog rises on Greatwater you 
  can reach the mystical city of the Titans by walking out to 
  the end of the dock, but this is probably just superstition. 
  VAINWALL
  VAINWALL
  Vainwall is the traditional royal seat, but the old keep is 
  slowly decaying for lack of money to make repairs. Already 
  one of the three towers has been closed completely for fear 
  that  it  might  collapse.  It's  believed  that  its  name  was 
  originally  Duvain's  Wall,  but  in  its  current  state  the 
  corrupted form seems a better fit for the fortress. 
  Notable People and Places in Vainwall:
  ●
  King Beaufort: The current ruler of Duvain's Weal and 
  veteran of several minor wars and uprisings. After the 
  last war against Muscala,  the previous king was slain 
  and Beaufort appointed to the position by Emperor 
  Luciel  XXII.  He  is  a  grim  and  humorless  mouse 
  weighed down by his responsibilities and his relative 
  powerlessness. Duvain's Weal is the poorest part of 
  the  Fallows  and  Beaufort  is  often  hard  pressed  to 
  collect  the taxes that  the Imperial  Court demands, 
  much less any additional funds to pay his men. 
  THE NETTLES
  THE NETTLES
  This region is heavily overgrown with stinging nettles and 
  thorny bramble, so much so that all attempts to clear it out 
  have failed. The area has long been a refuge for outlaws 
  and  other fugitives.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  escaped 
  slaves, bandits and violent forsaken. Extended families of 
  outlaws have lived and died in these unpleasant tangles of 
  vines for generations now.
  Outsiders  had  best  come  armed  and  ready  for  trouble. 
  Bandits will happily relieve them of all of their belongings 
  and  sometimes  their  lives,  if  they  don't  seem  able  to 
  defend themselves. 
  Notable People and Places in the Nettles:
  ●
  Bartow: this one-eyed jumping mouse fancies himself 
  the king of outlaws and has accumulated a number of 
  followers in the Nettles. 
  ●
  The Bramble Witch: this ancient common mouse is a 
  powerful  mage  and  diviner.  She  lives  in  a  little 
  fortified burrow in the Nettles and casts spells for the 
  inhabitants in return for food or pretty baubles. No 
  one knows exactly how old she is, but she has taken 
  on  a  number  of  apprentices  over  the  years  and 
  outlived  them  all.  She  is  particularly  skilled  at 
  communing  with  dark  spirits  and  more  than  one 
  mouse  who  offended  her  has  simply  disappeared 
  during the night. 
  
  THE KINGDOM OF GRENNENDELL
  THE KINGDOM OF GRENNENDELL
  Founded by an unknown First One (some cite Magellian as 
  the driving impetus behind its founding, but he seems to 
  have been content to allow others to do the actual ruling), 
  this  kingdom  runs  along  beneath  the  southern  edge  of 
  Rookswood and acts as a barrier against predators from 
  within the dark depths of the forest. 
  Towns and villages  here tend to be made of stone and 
  heavily fortified... particularly against attack from above. 
  Many possess a single sturdy ballista that they can direct 
  against any owls or other large predators that venture out 
  of the woods. This rarely results in more than spooking the 
  animal back into the trees, but it's a vital component in the 
  defense of the Fallows nevertheless.
  FORESTEDGE
  FORESTEDGE
  This grim fortress city is the largest of the border towns. It 
  was established near Rookswood to provide early warning 
  of monsters emerging from the forest. There hasn't been a 
  serious threat out of the woods for generations though, 
  except for the owls, who generally travel so high and so 
  silently that they slip past unnoticed anyway. So the city's 
  original  purpose  has  largely  been  forgotten  and  it  now 
  serves as the empire's primary source of lumber. 
  Physically, Forestedge is built in and around the trunk of an 
  ancient oak that lies near the edge of the woods. It's said 
  that the tree was alive when they started building  their 
  community  in  its  branches,  but  over  the  years  the 
  community  expanded  inwards,  carving  out  new  rooms 
  inside  the  oak's  core.  The  tree  has  been  dead  for 
  generations now. A few more foresighted folks worry about 
  the  rot  slowly  weakening  the  city's  core,  but  they're 
  regarded as fools by the locals. 
  The  local  industry  is  largely  based  on  gathering  and 
  processing fallen  branches  from  the  forest's  edge. Giant 
  "logs" are dragged back to the city to be stripped of bark 
  and cut into planks using enormous saws that require four 
  rats to use. Rats are very common in the city, numbering 
  nearly  as  many  as  the  mice  themselves.  Furthermore, 
  because the city's primary income depends so heavily on 
  their work, the rats here have acquired a level of respect 
  and acceptance that they rarely receive elsewhere.
  Notable People and Places in Forestedge:
  ●
  General  Whiteheart: the current  commander of the 
  city's defenses is a grim, muscular black wild rat with 
  a patch  of white  fur on  his  chest.  Whiteheart  was 
  placed in charge after he single-handedly stopped a 
  rat riot. He has become a figure of legend amongst 
  the rats here, with all sorts of wild stories being told 
  about his parentage and exploits. If the rumors can 
  be believed,  the over-sized metal  sword he carries 
  was liberated from an ancient Tzarchul ruin. 
  ●
  Morax: this  heavily scarred, one-eyed wild  rat is a 
  newcomer to Forestedge, but he has already started 
  to make trouble. He believes that the rats could run 
  the city perfectly well without any mice at all and has 
  tried several times to organize the rats into a militia. 
  The local rulers consider him a dangerous upstart, but 
  his  popularity among the rats makes arresting  him 
  dangerous.
  ●
  Nuff the Truffle-Master: this white mouse merchant 
  regularly leads expeditions into Rookswood to dig up 
  truffles. He always needs scouts and guards. 
  OWLSBANE (GREENDALE)
  OWLSBANE (GREENDALE)
  This  small,  fortified  township  was  originally  called 
  Greendale.  Several  years  ago,  one  of  Hoorooru's  most 
  ambitious and foolhardy children besieged this border town 
  at night, tearing down its walls  and devouring  the mice 
  within. To make an epic tale short, he caught a ballista bolt 
  in the wing for his troubles and fled. 
  When some crows came the next morning and reported 
  that  the  wounded  owl  could  no  longer  fly  and  was 
  attempting to hop and hobble his way back to Rookswood, 
  the locals assembled a great hunting party and went forth. 
  Burning  arrows  and  great  spears  savaged  the  huge 
  creature until it finally expired from loss of blood. Now its 
  skull is kept in the center of town as a mark of pride and 
  the locals have renamed the town Owlsbane. Its bones and 
  feathers  have  been  incorporated  into  the  town's 
  decorations and are tended to lovingly by the townsfolk.
  Some have said that the townsfolk are skirting danger; if 
  word were to reach Hoorooru that the skull of one of his 
  children was being used in such a manner, he might order 
  the owl-worshiping tribes of Rookswood to retrieve it and 
  burn the town to the ground in the bargain. So far, though, 
  there has been no sign that Hoorooru knows or cares.   
  THE GREAT LIBRARY OF MAGELLIAN
  THE GREAT LIBRARY OF MAGELLIAN
  The  church  of  Magellian  has  its  headquarters  near  the 
  southern border of Grennendell. Its temple is most notable 
  for the Great Library, which is reputed to have the largest 
  collection of knowledge in all of the Fallows. 
  Rumor  has  it  that  there  is  a  further,  hidden  archive 
  concealed beneath the temple grounds. Therein the church 
  keeps all of its magical lore, including many tomes which 
  have been judged dangerous and banned by the kingdom. 
  This  is  also  the  headquarters  of  Magellian's  Cloak,  an 
  organization of adventuring scholars. Members of the Cloak 
  travel throughout the land, recording their discoveries in 
  meticulous  detail.  Each  member at  large  is  expected  to 
  return to the temple at least once every year to add their 
  journals to the collective knowledge of the library. 
  THE SMOKING MOUND
  THE SMOKING MOUND
  This region in the western expanse of Grennendell is largely 
  uninhabited. Travelers  pass  through  quickly  if  they  can, 
  preferring  not to remain  there after dark. The region is 
  named for the mound itself, a particularly large ant hill that 
  occasionally emits wisps of smoke. 
  There are strange stories of unusually aggressive ants that 
  construct cunning pitfalls and other booby traps to capture 
  their prey. Wise travelers stick to the regular roads and 
  don't investigate oddities off of the trail. 
  The source of the smoke is a mystery. Aramias's  Ode to 
  the Queen offers one explanation, but most mice discount 
  his elaborate story of an intelligent queen ant capable of 
  speech and the underground furnaces that keep the mound 
  warm in winter. See the Dark Demons & Legendary Horrors 
  section for more detail.
  
  THE KINGDOM OF LAKESHORE
  THE KINGDOM OF LAKESHORE
  The kingdom of Lakeshore was once part of Duvain's Weal, 
  but was split away from them after Muscala subjugated the 
  Weal. A small house of royal mice that had collaborated 
  with Muscala during the war were granted their own realm, 
  consisting  of  the  most  valuable  real  estate  in  Duvain's 
  Weal... the territories along the border of Greatwater lake. 
  The current ruler of the Lakeshore territories is the elderly 
  and feeble King Leonas Watercrest, a mouse inordinately 
  fond  of  extraordinarily  expensive  drugs  imported  from 
  Fashar. Instead, most major policy decisions are made by 
  his favorite sycophant, the endlessly inventive sadist Duke 
  Ferrik. Even the upper classes are not entirely immune to 
  Ferrik's “amusements”, as he is not above producing false 
  evidence of treason when someone has offended him. 
  While  some  of the nobles of Muscala  do  regard Ferrik's 
  depredations as uncouth and unbecoming, he also keeps 
  the taxes and levies from Lakeshore flowing steadily to the 
  Imperial Palace and so his “hobbies” are largely ignored. 
  Amongst the folk of Lakeshore, only a fool does not fear 
  drawing the attention of the upper classes.
  MISTMOOR
  MISTMOOR
  The  capital  city  of  Lakeshore,  Mistmoor  is  a  large  port 
  community. Ships going to and from Fashar dock here to 
  load and unload their many cargoes. Almost all of the city's 
  income depends on this trade; when pirates manage to cut 
  off the flow of goods, Mistmoor is the first to suffer. 
  The city is built on a series of raised wooden platforms and 
  sprawls  out  into  the  lake  itself.  The  largest  and  most 
  prestigious houses are on top; whereas the poorest and 
  most destitute are often forced to live on the muddy slopes 
  beneath the lowest platform. Strong winds often cause the 
  water levels  to rise  alarmingly and homes on the lower 
  levels are regularly damaged or destroyed by floods. 
  Innumerable  small  vessels  are  moored  in  the  city's 
  sprawling  dockyards.  Almost  everyone  owns  at  least  a 
  small raft for fishing and much of their diet comes from 
  catching minnows and such in the shallow waters. 
  Notable People and Places in Mistmoor:
  ●
  Duke Ferrik: the widely feared overlord of Mistmoor, 
  he lives outside the city in a well-guarded estate. The 
  field in front of his home is known as Ferrik's Forest 
  because  the  many  impaled  corpses  there  are 
  numerous enough to seem like a forest grove.  
  ●
  Hellmaw: the waters near Mistmoor are the realm of a 
  particularly fearsome predator, the mysterious beast 
  known as Hellmaw. If a small boat vanishes without a 
  trace, it is often blamed on the depredations of this 
  dark creature. Hellmaw does not trouble larger ships, 
  but seems to devour a few fishermice each season. 
  ●
  Southridge: to the south of the city proper is a large 
  boulder that has  been  carefully  carved  and shaped 
  over the years to contain many small shelters. During 
  the rainy season, the poorer inhabitants of Mistmoor 
  often retreat there until the water level goes down 
  again.  Unfortunately,  since  hardly  anyone  uses 
  Southridge during the dry season, the caves are often 
  infested with spiders or even shrews or small snakes 
  by the time that they're needed again. 
  ●
  Lady  Castilla:  this  elderly  white  mouse  runs  the 
  dockyards  and  collects  the  various  mooring  fees. 
  Smugglers often slip her a bribe to avoid inspections.
  NEWCASTLE
  NEWCASTLE
  The royals of Lakeshore are the Watercrest family. After 
  they were placed in control of the kingdom by Muscala, 
  they built a stone fortress in which they could dwell safely. 
  The family is notably paranoid about assassins and peasant 
  uprisings.  They  often  fear  that  members  of  the  lower 
  classes may remember their betrayal of the old royal family 
  and bear them ill will.
  Notable People and Places in Newcastle:
  ●
  King Leonas Watercrest: highly inbred and unusually 
  depraved even for a royal mouse, King Leonas fears 
  his own people as much or more than the military 
  might  of  Muscala.  His  many  sycophants  play  upon 
  those fears as much as possible, which does little to 
  improve his attitude. 
  ●
  Princess Melina: the king's pride and joy, his elegant 
  and beautiful daughter has long been sought after as 
  a bride by the nobles of Lakeshore. However, the last 
  few serious suitors (ones who began negotiations for 
  her dowry) died mysteriously, one falling to his death 
  from the battlements and two others being poisoned 
  by persons unknown. 
  ●
  Chancellor  Jop:  this  aristocratic  white  rat  and  his 
  family are the ancestral servants of the Watercrest 
  line. Few people realize that the king actually insists 
  upon their receiving extensive combat training so that 
  they  can  act  as  bodyguards  as  well  as  servants. 
  Several have died in the line of duty as food-tasters; 
  not all of the king's enemies are imaginary.  
  ●
  Newcastle  Prison:  those  unfortunates  sentenced  to 
  Newcastle's dungeon are suspected of more extensive 
  crimes than those that they were convicted for. The 
  torturers  here  are  quite  skilled  at  extracting 
  confessions to fit whatever requirements their noble 
  patrons  request.  Those  who  are  deemed  useless, 
  however, may find themselves transferred to Ferrik's 
  tender mercies, a fate worse than death. 
  ●
  The Red Tower: one of the towers jutting off of the 
  castle  proper  was  made  from  reddish  stone  rather 
  than  the  dull  gray  that  the  rest  of  the  fortress  is 
  composed  of. It  is  heavily  guarded  and  apparently 
  holds  a  small  number  of  particularly  important 
  prisoners. Their identity is a closely guarded secret 
  and they are allowed no contact with outsiders. 
  MAIDEN'S ROCK
  MAIDEN'S ROCK
  This is the largest stone visible  from Mistmoor and is  a 
  major  navigation  landmark.  Its  surface  is  grimy  and 
  encrusted with  moss  and algae,  but it  can offer shelter 
  from  any  strong  winds.  There  are  even  some  vines 
  covering the southern side of the stone, which small ships 
  can anchor themselves to if the need arises. 
  Stories speak of pirate treasures concealed inside the stone 
  itself by ancient pirate mages and along the sheer northern 
  face there are strange runes carved into the rock whose 
  meaning has been forgotten. The most common tale about 
  Maiden's  Rock,  however,  concerns  its  namesake...  a 
  beauteous  white  mouse  who  was  stranded  there  by  a 
  jealous suitor and starved before she could be rescued. Her 
  ghost still haunts the stone and more than one explorer is 
  said to have followed her off the side of the stone and been 
  lost in the icy waters below. 
  
  THE KINGDOM OF JAND
  THE KINGDOM OF JAND
  Jand is a small kingdom that has lies nestled against the 
  southern border of Muscala and long ago decided that it 
  was better to act as a loyal subject of the Empire rather 
  than risking war against her vastly superior forces. 
  Founded by the beauteous First One, Jandara, this realm 
  prizes art, beauty and disarming wit. Her leaders are famed 
  for  preferring  flattery,  negotiation  and  diplomacy  to 
  outright  conflict.  Her  armies  are  minimal  and  poorly 
  trained, so her leaders tend to call upon Muscala for aid 
  whenever any real trouble strikes. 
  PULCHARA, THE CITY OF FLOWERS
  PULCHARA, THE CITY OF FLOWERS
  The capital city of Jand and the seat of her royal family (the 
  d'Jands), Pulchara is widely regarded as the most beautiful 
  city in the world. It is adorned with innumerable pieces of 
  statuary  and  practically  every  stone  surface  has  been 
  painted or  engraved with some sort of artwork.  There are 
  also many small fountains and gardens where flowers are 
  grown, tended to by acolytes of the church of Jandara.
  Even the poorest family maintains at least one flowering 
  plant near their home and local superstition holds that a 
  family's fortunes rise and decline with the health of those 
  flowers. The gardens of the upper classes are filled with 
  beautiful plants and many a mouse makes a living here as 
  a gardener or florist. 
  Vandalism is looked upon as a high crime here, and more 
  than  one  mouse  has  been  executed  for  defacing  some 
  piece of art or deliberately damaging some vibrant plant. 
  Amongst the locals, being seen poorly clad or unadorned is 
  thought shameful, so the city imports huge amounts of silk 
  and jewelry. Artisans in lesser cities dream of winning the 
  right to ply their trade in Pulchara. 
  Outsiders  generally  feel  quite  ugly  and  poorly  garbed 
  compared to the locals and are often treated with disdain. 
  Even poor mice here are generally willing  to skip a few 
  meals if it means wearing a tunic with some embroidery 
  instead of being plain. 
  Common and wild rats are practically banned from the city, 
  as is anyone with a visible deformity. They can live in the 
  farm  communities  around  Pulchara  that  supply  her with 
  food, but they will not be welcome in the city proper. 
  THE APIARY (HONEYDALE)
  THE APIARY (HONEYDALE)
  Near the western edge of Jand lies the oldest and largest 
  honeybee  colony  in  the  Fallows.  The  huge  hive  has 
  survived  dozens  of  winters  and  has  been  there  for 
  generations. Nearby, a small community of daring wax and 
  honey-harvesters has sprung up. They bottle and sell the 
  fruit of the bees' labors, although not without personal risk. 
  The harvesters have to sneak into the hive without alerting 
  the bees, which are not at all tame and will readily sting an 
  intruder to death. This often means working at night or 
  carrying heavy smoke-pots in and out of the hive. While 
  most raids go off without incident, when something does go 
  wrong it often kills most of the would-be honey thieves. 
  Safer  (if  less  lucrative)  employment  can  be  found  in 
  Honeydale itself, where the honey is often mixed in boiling 
  vats with various flavoring agents or fermented to make 
  alcohol. Even here there is the risk of fire or an overheated 
  vat  bursting, but at  least you never lack for something 
  sweet to put on your grain. 
  THE PERFUMERY (SKUNKVILLE)
  THE PERFUMERY (SKUNKVILLE)
  This small community is hard for travelers to miss, because 
  the nose picks it up long before you can see it. The upper 
  classes of Jand pay good money for fancy perfumes and 
  most of them are manufactured here, along with colorful 
  dyes for cloth and fur. Most of the inhabitants keep their 
  muzzles (and sometimes eyes) wrapped with thin cloth to 
  minimize the toxic effects of breathing the local air. 
  The alchemists who run this town pay high bounties for 
  certain herbs, fungi or animal parts that are useful in the 
  processes of producing these chemicals. The site has been 
  moved twice, both times further away from the capital after 
  a particularly windy day caused the town's odor to trouble 
  the nobles of Pulchara again. 
  “Skunkville”  is  notable  in  one  other  respect:  predator 
  attacks here are very rare. The foul odors seem to keep 
  them at bay. 
  MORANT ABBEY
  MORANT ABBEY
  This  small  abbey is  famous  for the magical  skills  of its 
  shapers. While  respectful of Jandara, the  abbey itself is 
  dedicated  to  the  entire  pantheon,  granting  them  some 
  measure  of independence from  the church proper. They 
  pay their way by selling the wares produced by their more 
  magically inclined members. 
  In addition to metal items and cunningly formed works of 
  art, the mages here have developed a secret technique for 
  altering  the  nature  of wooden  objects  so  that  they can 
  channel spells. Staves made of  whisperwood  are in high 
  demand amongst upper-class mages, who consider them 
  both a status symbol and a useful tool. 
  Mages who wish to study the art of Shaping sometimes pay 
  high  fees  to  join  Morant  Abbey as  a  student, but  their 
  secret  High  Sorceries  are  reserved  for  those  who  have 
  elected to remain there permanently and even then only 
  after years of loyal service. 
  
  THE KINGDOM OF DUSAR
  THE KINGDOM OF DUSAR
  Founded by the First One named Canduss, the kingdom of 
  Dusar has grown into a thriving trading hub dominated by 
  merchant  houses.  While  the  royal  house  of  Hederain 
  theoretically rules the nation, here money speaks louder 
  than  bloodlines  or titles  and  the  royals  of Hederain  are 
  impoverished. 
  The true rulers are the merchant houses, while above them 
  stands the current High Priest or Priestess of Canduss. By 
  law, only the church can lend money for interest in Dusar; 
  anyone else can be charged with the crime of usury and 
  may be put to death. This monopoly has turned the church 
  into Dusar's most prominent and powerful bank. 
  Dusar is a rocky area, with towns often pressed up against 
  the side of a boulder or built  on top of a relatively flat 
  stone. Most buildings are made from chiseled stone blocks 
  held in place by mortar. 
  DUSAR CITY
  DUSAR CITY
  The  capital  city  of  the  country  and  the  seat  of  her 
  government,  Dusar  is  a  crowded  and  somewhat  squalid 
  place.  Frills  and  decorations  are  looked  down  upon  as 
  wasteful here, so most buildings are plain and functional. 
  Notable People and Places in Dusar City:
  ●
  The Sons of Quickpaw: this notorious gang of thieves 
  has been a long-running thorn in the paw of Dusar's 
  government.  They  are  known  for  seeing  well-
  defended wealth as a challenge and have robbed a 
  number of heavily guarded estates and escaped scott-
  free.  Popular  stories  say  that  they  then  distribute 
  most of this money to the poor of Dusar, but it's hard 
  to find anyone who will actually admit to receiving any 
  of this largesse.
  ●
  The ruins of the Dusar Mint: most of the coinage in 
  the Fallows was originally minted here using elaborate 
  magical mechanisms constructed by Canduss herself 
  in the early days of the kingdom. However, Dusar's 
  dominance  of commerce  and  control  of the  money 
  supply came to worry the lords of Muscala and when 
  Dusar was subjugated the mint was destroyed utterly. 
  Little  remains  besides  a  few  ancient  walls  and 
  scattered metal gears. 
  ●
  The  Auction  House:  this  great  amphitheater  was 
  originally built as a place to put on plays and other 
  entertainments, but over the years has come to be 
  primarily dedicated to commerce. The auction house 
  of Dusar will auction off just about anything of great 
  value, including slaves brought in from other lands.
  ●
  The  Mercenary  Hall:  Dusar  prefers  to  employ 
  mercenaries rather than maintaining a standing army. 
  There are always warriors looking for work here, and 
  several mercenary bands stay at the hall when they 
  are between missions. This grim stone building has a 
  large  training  hall,  its  own  weapon-smiths,  and 
  occasionally hosts duels or public fights. 
  ●
  Dusar City Bank: the Church of Canduss maintains a 
  large building full of scribes and bankers here. This is 
  the place where most loans are negotiated in the city. 
  Upper class citizens receive better rates, but no one 
  gets money for free here. Since much of the church's 
  fortune is held in the vaults below, the bank is the 
  most heavily guarded building in the city. 
  THE HEDERAIN FAMILY ESTATE
  THE HEDERAIN FAMILY ESTATE
  This  mouldering  estate  has  fallen  on  hard  times.  The 
  Hederain royal family may technically rule Dusar, but they 
  are  heavily  in  debt  to the  Church  of Canduss and  their 
  ancestral  home  has  suffered  for  lack  of  proper 
  maintenance.  Still,  they  continue  to  host  annual  balls, 
  pageants  and  other  expensive  gatherings.  So  far  the 
  Church has preferred to issue them loans that will never be 
  repaid,  rather  than  throw  the  country  into  crisis  by 
  bankrupting its official rulers. 
  Notable People and Places in Dusar City:
  ●
  King Tursal Hederain: the figurehead ruler of Dusar, 
  he has slowly descended into madness over the years. 
  He sees the family estate as it was generations ago, 
  full of pomp and glory. He often holds inspections of 
  his non-existent military legions or issues orders for 
  extravagant public projects that are ignored. 
  ●
  Prince Maddol: Tursal's son and heir, Maddol chafes 
  as his family's decline. He is known to be seeking any 
  means by which the family fortune could be restored. 
  What few funds he manages to scrape up are often 
  lost to con artists.
  THE BLACK MINES
  THE BLACK MINES
  In  the  hills  of Dusar is  a region  where  many elaborate 
  mines  have  been established, exploited  and  then  closed 
  over the years. They dig up coal, plant tubers, stones for 
  building,  precious  gems  or  even  salt,  depending  on  the 
  location. 
  Conditions in active mines are quite terrible and most of 
  the work is done by slave labor. Crimes in Dusar are often 
  punished by being sentenced to the mines for a number of 
  years... and most miners do not live long enough to see 
  freedom again. Those seeking their own fortune sometimes 
  explore  the abandoned mines, hoping  to find  something 
  valuable,  but  generally  such  mines  were  stripped  of 
  everything  even  potentially  valuable  before  they  were 
  finally shut down completely. 
  Most  of  the  older  mines  were  abandoned  because  they 
  were  no  longer profitable,  but  the  ancient  gem-mine  of 
  Goldbreak was closed for darker reasons. When they dug 
  into a hidden underground chamber, the miners found that 
  it was full of ravenous Ghuls, who slaughtered them. It's 
  said that the miners themselves then rose from the grave 
  as undead monsters and the owners sealed the entire mine 
  to trap them all inside. 
  MARKER STONES
  MARKER STONES
  There  are  ancient  marker  stones  scattered  throughout 
  Dusar. These are huge rocks where at least a portion of 
  their surface has been carefully carved with strange runes 
  whose meaning has been forgotten. According to ancient 
  records, Canduss herself carved those engravings  in  the 
  early days of the kingdom, selecting some stones for her 
  work and ignoring others. The exact nature of her work 
  was apparently kept secret even from her own servants.
  Spell-casters who examine the marker stones say that a 
  subtle  enchantment still  pervades most of them, but its 
  purpose and nature are inscrutable to modern mages. Local 
  myths  about  the  stones  vary  wildly.  Some  communities 
  maintain  that  sleeping  near  the  closest  marker  stone 
  invites death and disaster, while other towns believe that it 
  brings good fortune. 
  
  OTHER LOCALES
  OTHER LOCALES
  GREATWATER LAKE
  GREATWATER LAKE
  This lake divides the valley of Hyperborea in half. To the 
  mice, it is a vast ocean stretching out beyond sight. Sailing 
  across it can take a day if the winds are perfect, or weeks if 
  they are not. 
  Its waters are filled with ancient, sunken trees and other 
  hazards. Floating  debris  poses  rather more  danger  to a 
  mouse-sized  vessel  than  it  would  to  a  human  one, 
  especially because its location changes with every storm. 
  Its murky waters hold danger even for swimmers, as some 
  of the fish that live  in the deeper parts of the lake are 
  capable of capsizing a vessel or swallowing a mouse whole. 
  FASHAR
  FASHAR
  Across Greatwater Lake lies the distant land of Fashar. The 
  ground there is harsh and rocky, with sandy soil. There is 
  little shade and less water. Rain must be collected when it 
  falls, for it all drains down into the lake quite rapidly. All of 
  the major cities lie on the water's edge, but innumerable 
  small clans have spread out throughout the wastes.
  Fasharian  cities  tend  to  have  a  somewhat  Arabian 
  appearance,  with  spires  and  minarets.  The  locals  wrap 
  themselves in loose veils and scarves to keep the ever-
  present  sand out of their fur. Most  of the  mice  have  a 
  sandy, light-brown color to their fur and jumping mice are 
  much more common than in the lands of the Fallows.
  Culturally, it is clear that the kingdoms and sultanates of 
  Fashar are kin to those of the Fallows. They speak a dialect 
  of the same language and their religious pantheon is very 
  similar, save that they credit the goddess Jandara as being 
  the ruler of the gods and describe all of the others as her 
  children. Historians of the Fallows presume that Fashar was 
  settled  by  refugees  fleeing  from  Firstholme  after  its 
  destruction, but no proof of this has ever been found. 
  The largest and grandest of her cities is Lumia, the city of 
  lights,  whose  streets  are  lit  at  night  by  thousands  of 
  cunningly  crafted  hanging  lights  filled  with  scented  oils. 
  Most buildings are constructed from small yellow bricks of 
  baked clay and silken veils are draped from every window. 
  Lumia's silk comes from a vast underground breeding area 
  for  silkworms;  the  techniques  for  raising  them  and 
  harvesting the silk are carefully guarded secrets here. The 
  colorfully dyed cloth is valued throughout the Fallows. 
  THE PIRATE ISLES
  THE PIRATE ISLES
  It is clear that Greatwater Lake was not always flooded. 
  Her waters are filled with sunken trees and small, rocky 
  islands  overgrown  with  weeds.  The  more  treacherous 
  waters are often referred to collectively as the Pirate Isles, 
  as many of them are inhabited by pirates (also known as 
  water-rovers), shrews or clans of cannibal mice. 
  Bad weather often forces ships to tie up to sunken trees in 
  this  area,  lest  they  be  swept  away,  but  it  is  a  risky 
  endeavor. Most of the pirates in this region prefer to attack 
  ships by rowing out in heavily occupied canoes or other 
  small  boats under cover of darkness. They pull up to a 
  larger  vessel  and  swarm  over  the  sides,  screaming  for 
  blood and plunder. 
  THE FORBIDDEN LANDS
  THE FORBIDDEN LANDS
  There is an area in the southern Fallows that is accursed 
  and avoided by all but the most foolish. Its borders are 
  marked with wooden posts carved with eerie runes and the 
  skulls of birds are often strapped to the top. Each post is a 
  warning carved by local mice and marks the first spot from 
  which  one  can  see  the  distant,  looming  outline  of  the 
  dreaded Citadel of the Titans. Entering the Forbidden Lands 
  is illegal and prohibited without the express permission of 
  the Emperor of Muscala, but the military never bothers to 
  enforce this restriction. There is no need. The Citadel of the 
  Titans guards its own secrets.
  THE CITADEL OF THE TITANS
  THE CITADEL OF THE TITANS
  Ancient traditions disagree over whether the Citadel is the 
  true home of the Titans or merely their closest outpost. It 
  is a huge building, gigantic behold all comprehension and 
  dwarfs the many trees that obscure it. Physically it appears 
  to be much like the wooden houses of Haven, but on a 
  vastly larger scale. 
  Pigeons are seen upon its roof on occasion, but crows avoid 
  it, fearing something they cannot put a name to. Strange 
  lights are sometimes seen in the vast windows and some 
  souls  claim  to  have  seen  vast, shadowy  figures  moving 
  around it on moonlit nights, but the truth of the matter is 
  unknown. None have approached it closely enough to see 
  for sure and returned to tell of it. 
  Scribes and historians argue over the specifics, but it is 
  clear that either the First Ones or the Titans themselves 
  erected  some  unspeakable  curse  over  the  region.  Most 
  expeditions into the area simply vanish without a trace. 
  Divinations reveal nothing and even the most potent spells 
  are said to dissolve like mist in the vicinity of the Citadel. 
  Even a troop of pigeon-riders once sent there by the late 
  Emperor Luciel  XXII was  simply  lost. A handful  of their 
  trained birds returned to the palace aviary, but not a single 
  one of those elite warrior-mages. 
  THE WELL OF LOST SOULS
  THE WELL OF LOST SOULS
  The  Well  of  Lost  Souls,  on  the  other  hand,  is  more 
  approachable. Though well behind the pillars that mark the 
  edges of the Forbidden Lands, it is far enough from the 
  Citadel  itself  that  of  the  many  groups  that  have 
  investigated it, some have returned to tell the tale. 
  The well is a vast pit lined with great red bricks larger than 
  a rat. It drops down into the depths of the earth farther 
  than the eye can see. A keen-eyed mouse with a spyglass 
  may be able to spot the distant glint of water in the depths 
  if  the  sun  is  overhead,  but  otherwise  the  well  appears 
  empty of anything save moss and weeds growing on the 
  sides. An ancient, rotting wooden arch rises over it which 
  may have once supported a rope and bucket or something 
  similar, but any such contrivances have long ago fallen into 
  the depths below. 
  A few souls claim to have climbed down into the depths, 
  reporting that the well opens up into a vast and partially 
  flooded  underground  cavern.  There  are  rumors  of  an 
  underground civilization living in those caves, but so far no 
  reliable  evidence has ever been brought up back to the 
  surface,  but  more  than  one  group  of  intrepid  explorers 
  have vanished without a trace in its eerie depths. 
  
  ROOKSWOOD
  ROOKSWOOD
  The northern expanse of the valley is dominated by the tall, 
  grim  trees  of  Rookswood.  This  region  is  haunted  by 
  predators and has never been successfully pacified, even 
  when the empire was at its strongest. On its eastern side 
  the trees extend out into the lake, creating the swamp-like 
  region known as Murkwater, while to the west the trees 
  slowly become smaller and sparser until it merges with the 
  Wildlands. No  one is  certain  exactly  how far the woods 
  extend to the north, but ancient maps claim that it runs all 
  the way into the mountains.  
  Today Rookswood is dominated by the dread great horned 
  owl, Hoorooru, and his many children. These owls are fully 
  intelligent and are often capable of both speech and magic. 
  A few foxes and weasels haunt the woods as well, but the 
  locals mostly fear the owls and the snakes which slither 
  through the underbrush. 
  There are small colonies of mice here, but they tend to be 
  carefully hidden underground or inside of dead trees. The 
  locals are extremely suspicious of outsiders, and with good 
  reason... the mice of the inner woods have turned to  the 
  worship of the owls and are always seeking sacrifices to 
  offer up to their winged gods. If a traveler should happen 
  to find a mousy edifice here that isn't carefully hidden from 
  view, they should beware. Only those under the protection 
  of the owls can build their homes so openly. 
  HEKATARE, THE CITY OF BONES
  HEKATARE, THE CITY OF BONES
  It is said that the owl-worshippers gather in a sprawling 
  city  of  their  own  which  lies  near  the  northern  edge  of 
  Rookswood. A great stone ziggurat has been built up by 
  years of endless labor, an enormous sacrificial altar at the 
  top where Hoorooru himself periodically alights to accept 
  the offerings of his worshippers. 
  Prisoners  seized  by  the  owl-worshippers  are  commonly 
  brought to Hekatare and imprisoned there until they are 
  needed. Their dark, sacrificial rites are held every full moon 
  and there is always a need for new victims; they know that 
  if the clan's hunters cannot provide enough captives to sate 
  Hoorooru's appetite, some of them will be taken as well. 
  Grotesque totems are used to mark the territories claimed 
  by Hekatare: owl-pellets filled with mouse bones are nailed 
  to the side of trees or displayed on top of wooden stakes. 
  They provide a grim warning of what becomes of intruders.
  MURKWATER
  MURKWATER
  On the eastern edge of Rookswood, the forest has been 
  partially flooded by the rising waters of Greatwater Lake. 
  Half-submerged  trees  and  innumerable  reeds  cover  the 
  area, making it into a sheltered but murky swamp. 
  Murkwater is home to a few outlaws and hermits but is 
  otherwise largely uninhabited. The folks here tend to be 
  very  taciturn  and  unfriendly  towards  strangers.  Perhaps 
  there is something amiss with the water here, as madness 
  is very common amongst the locals. “Mad as a Murkwater 
  rat” is a common expression in Grennendell. 
  Wise mice stay out of the water here. Not only is the algae-
  covered  murk  home  to  virulent  fevers,  there  are  many 
  serpents and other dangers. The leeches, in particular, are 
  sometimes unnaturally aggressive, swarming over unwary 
  swimmers like piranha. 
  THE WILDLANDS
  THE WILDLANDS
  The hills to the west of the Fallows lie beyond the effective 
  control  of  any  of  her  kingdoms,  although  many  nations 
  claim them. No serious attempts to enforce these claims 
  have  been  made  in  generations  and  the  area  is  now 
  regarded as a land of barbarians, shrews and monsters.
  THE BARBARIAN TRIBES
  THE BARBARIAN TRIBES
  The Wildlands are home to many small tribes of various 
  sorts. The most powerful are probably the wild rat clans, 
  whose strength and ferocity offers them some protection 
  from all but the largest of predators, but they tend to be 
  very superstitious and fearful of any sort of magic. 
  Nomadic mouse tribes are here as well, although they tend 
  to  stick  to  the  underbrush  and  avoid  contact  with 
  strangers.  The  most  widely  hated  clans  are  those  of 
  marauding  shrews,  whose  insatiable  hungers  sometimes 
  lead  them  to  launch  raids  across  the  borders  into  the 
  Fallows. These hills are commonly thought to be haunted, 
  and ravenous Ghuls roam them on moonless nights.
  The locals venerate Zakarvus as the god of war and death 
  and scorn the other gods as weak and feeble. This has led 
  some Fallows historians to speculate that Zakarvus once 
  established a kingdom of his own here back in the ancient 
  days, but all signs of it have been lost to the sands of time. 
  TZARCHUL RUINS
  TZARCHUL RUINS
  While the Tzarchul are themselves long extinct, some of 
  their  ruined  cities  and  temples  still  remain.  These  are 
  generally buried or completely overgrown with plants, but 
  may remain intact below ground. While present all over the 
  valley,  most  ruins  in  the  Fallows  have  been  thoroughly 
  explored and looted already... except for the ones here. 
  The barbarians  clans hold  them as sacred and say that 
  unspeakable  horrors  may  be  unleashed  if  they  are 
  disturbed.  Many  are  used  as  homes  by  snakes,  making 
  even the least superstitious  hesitate to enter them. But 
  since there are tales of explorers finding caches of huge 
  jewels or golden ornaments in these old ruins, adventurers 
  still come to the Wildlands seeking to disturb them. 
  THE UNDERWORLD
  THE UNDERWORLD
  While mice dig burrows, these rarely extend more than a 
  few  stories  into  the  earth.  There  are  larger  and  more 
  extensive natural caverns below that. Entrances to these 
  mysterious caves are occasionally exposed by heavy rains 
  or  excessively  deep  excavations.  The  caverns  continue 
  endlessly through the ground beneath the Fallows and are 
  very dangerous. Pockets of bad air, unstable ceilings  or 
  even simply getting lost can doom the unwary traveler. 
  THE LOST CLANS
  THE LOST CLANS
  Old fables claim that some of the First Ones fled from the 
  war against the cats and hid in the underworld rather than 
  remain on the surface. These cowardly mice grew twisted 
  and strange in the depths. Now blind and hairless, they 
  sometimes burrow up to the surface and kidnap little mice 
  and rats who disobey their parents. 
  The  more  elaborate  stories  speak  of  huge  underground 
  cities  lit  solely  by  magic,  caverns  filled  with  huge, 
  luminescent fungi and a dark bargain struck between the 
  these  degenerate  mice  and  the  unspeakable  creatures 
  known as the Worms of the Earth. 
  
  GODS AND MICE
  GODS AND MICE
  THE GODS IN THEORY
  THE GODS IN THEORY
  There  are  seven  major  deities  and  one  minor  one 
  commonly  worshipped  in  the  Fallows.  Ancient  custom 
  dictates  that  the  First  Ones,  rather  than  eventually 
  perishing of old age like mortal mice, instead ascended into 
  the Void as gods. There they used their incredible magical 
  powers to conquer the spirit world and remake it as they 
  saw fit. 
  Together  they  created  the  kingdom  of  Paradise,  where 
  good and dutiful mice could live forever without want or 
  hardship. When a mouse dies, their spirit is conveyed to 
  the  gates  of  Paradise.  There  they  are  judged.  If  found 
  worthy, one of the First Ones will call out their name and 
  invite them into their household. It is said that the truly 
  worthy will receive invitations from all of the gods and may 
  dwell where they choose. 
  But if they were wicked or slothful or impious, they will be 
  found unworthy and no one will call for them. Then their 
  soul will be given to Zakarvus to be cast into the Outer 
  Darkness, wherein dwell only demons, dark spirits and the 
  lost. That, at least according to the priests, is the fate of all 
  those who commit evil acts or blaspheme against the gods. 
  According to most theologians,  all of the First Ones who 
  survived the war against the Cats became gods, but they 
  are  ruled  over  by  the  mightiest  among  their  number... 
  which happen to include all of the ones who founded the 
  major surviving kingdoms of the Fallows. Many lesser gods 
  naturally exist, but only those named in the fragmentary 
  ancient texts which still exist are regarded as true deities. 
  Worship of any “uncredited” First One brings the danger 
  that they might actually be a demon masquerading as a 
  god... or at least that is how the major churches are liable 
  to  explain  why  worship  of  the  various  locally-honored 
  deities is banned. Woe betide the poor mouse who makes 
  sacrifices in the name of a demon, for they will surely be 
  cast out into the Outer Darkness to join it! 
  THE GODS IN PRACTICE
  THE GODS IN PRACTICE
  If the gods truly exist, then they spend most of their time 
  in Paradise and are loathe to intervene in the affairs of 
  mortal mice. They do not manifest themselves in ways that 
  are  open  and  undeniable...  rather  they  work  subtly,  or 
  occasionally  in  disguise, rewarding  the dutiful  with  good 
  fortune and occasionally sending ill times to remind their 
  followers of the importance of tithing to the church. 
  To the typical mouse, the proof of the gods lies in the great 
  temples  raised  to  them  and  the  services  of  their  many 
  priests.  The  fact  that  these  priests  generally  preach 
  subservience to the social order and the giving of generous 
  donations that they can accept in the name of those gods is 
  not  generally  questioned.  Atheism  is  certainly  present 
  among the inhabitants of the Fallows and there are few 
  mice who could be considered truly devout. Mostly simply 
  live  their  lives  from  day  to  day,  perhaps  making  the 
  occasional prayer or offering... just in case. 
  The political power of the church, on the other hand, is 
  quite  considerable.  Members  of  the  priesthood  are 
  considered to have removed themselves from their families 
  and thus can no longer inherit land or authority. This allows 
  families with “excess” heirs a way to prevent their children 
  from squabbling over their inheritances or spreading the 
  family fortune too thin. Children who are not expected to 
  inherit can be given over to one of the many temples that 
  dot the land  where they will  live  quite respectable  lives 
  outside of the political struggles of the upper classes.
  Thus, in theory, priests and priestesses are supposed to be 
  held apart, remaining above the various petty squabbles 
  between their families and concerning themselves with the 
  proper ways to honor the gods. In practice this means that 
  the upper ranks of the priesthoods are all dominated by 
  Royal Mice and sermons are not always as apolitical as one 
  might hope. It's quite common for a given pulpit to be used 
  as a forum to sway public opinion in favor of, or against, 
  some controversial public edict. 
  THE MANY TEMPLES
  THE MANY TEMPLES
  While technically all of the gods of the Fallows are regarded 
  as  a single  pantheon, in  most  regions  their  shrines  are 
  maintained by worshippers who have dedicated their lives 
  to serving and glorifying  that particular deity. With very 
  few exceptions, each temple is dedicated to a specific First 
  One rather than the pantheon as a whole. 
  Each god has his or her own priesthood, which competes 
  with the others for the attention of the populace. Exactly 
  what  role  the  temple  plays  in  local  affairs  varies  from 
  location to location. In some kingdoms they are practically 
  part of the government and regular attendance and tithing 
  may  well  be  required  by law...  while  in  others  a  given 
  priesthood  may  consists  of  only  a  small  shrine  and  a 
  handful of acolytes that maintain it. 
  In areas where a particular church is wealthy and powerful 
  one will invariably find enormous and beautiful temples and 
  works of art crafted to honor their patron deity. If more 
  than one church is prosperous, they may even compete for 
  producing the most aesthetically pleasing public works. 
  Of course, with so much power and money concentrated in 
  one spot, the upper hierarchies of each temple tend to be 
  rife with corruption. It's not uncommon for a high priest to 
  live a luxurious life in sumptuous quarters decorated with 
  gold and jewels... all for the honor of the god they serve. 
  One would not expect a deity's earthly representative to 
  live in squalor, would one? 
  So the corruption of the churches largely matches that of 
  the upper classes from which most of their membership is 
  drawn.  Like  the  royal  families  themselves,  the  major 
  churches are slowly decaying from within and innumerable 
  heresies and splinter sects result. As a consequence, all of 
  the major churches also employ their own soldiery just in 
  case support from the local government wanes or some 
  insufficiently  pious  White  Lord  decides  to  make  some 
  theological alterations by force. 
  RELIGIOUS PLAYER CHARACTERS
  RELIGIOUS PLAYER CHARACTERS
  It's not required for a given PC to have a single chosen 
  patron deity or even to declare whether or not they truly 
  believe in the First Ones. Indeed, most Swords & Sorcery 
  characters tend to be relatively impious and rarely tithe a 
  proper share of their riches or devote much thought to the 
  gods. It generally takes a very dangerous situation to even 
  elicit a quick prayer for good fortune from them. 
  Similarly, PCs who have chosen to be priests need not be 
  truly devout. While many priests are mages and many of 
  those claim otherwise, their magical powers do not depend 
  upon the favor of the gods. 
  
  LUCIEL
  LUCIEL
  THE FIRST EMPEROR
  THE FIRST EMPEROR
  Luciel is the First Emperor, the King of the Gods and the 
  ruler of the world. It is said that he led the other First Ones 
  in their rebellion against the Titans and brought them to 
  the Fallows where they could live freely. Some of the other 
  churches  dispute  his  importance,  but  his  preeminent 
  position  is  ensured  by  the  authority  of  the  Empire  of 
  Muscala,  which  he  founded.  Even  the  current  Emperor, 
  Luciel XXIV, takes his name from his illustrious ancestor.
  Luciel is believed to directly control the weather and the 
  seasons, laying  down the laws  which the very elements 
  must obey. According to church doctrine, the other gods 
  are also subordinate to his authority and thus the other 
  temples are expected to behave in a subordinate manner to 
  Luciel's church... at least according to the priests of Luciel. 
  Other temples often disagree but are careful not to arouse 
  the ire of the armies of Muscala.
  Luciel is the patron of the upper classes, the divine symbol 
  of the social order and their superiority over their social 
  inferiors.  As  such,  his  temples  tend  to  be  huge  and 
  grandiose with an enormous amount of ornamentation. It's 
  a point of pride for them to be no smaller than any other 
  temple in the same area, even in locales where another 
  deity is more revered.
  Temples of Luciel host large gatherings of the faithful but 
  generally have one hall for the upper classes and a larger 
  one for commoners... with services for each often held on 
  different days as well.
  The church holds the most temporal power of any of the 
  priesthoods in the Fallows, yet often only a weak hold on 
  the  faith  of  the  general  populace.  He  is  most  popular 
  amongst the upper classes and those who idolize them but 
  other deities are far more popular with the lower classes. 
  Because  the  church  encourages  obedience  to  one's 
  superiors, in many areas periodic attendance is mandatory 
  for commoners and de rigueur for the upper classes.
  Depictions of Luciel show a crowned royal mouse bearing 
  signs of rulership such as the rod and sphere. His head is 
  often further surrounded by a halo of light representing his 
  divine authority over the world. Rather than making him 
  unreasonably tall, most representations place him atop a 
  great  throne  that  raises  him  above  all  other  figures 
  present. Lesser deities are often shown as well, with only 
  his bride Lumierre being occasionally depicted as an equal. 
  The  church's  relationship  with  other  temples  is  often 
  strained because of the inherent inequality of it, but they 
  maintain  strong  and  friendly  ties  to  the  few  remaining 
  temples  of  Lumierre,  often  directing  their  political  and 
  military might on their behalf. Like followers of Lumierre, 
  devout believers in Luciel consider Quickpaw to be a purely 
  fictional deity and generally try to stamp out his worship. 
  LUCIEL'S DAY:  this  late winter holiday marks the first 
  day of the new year. Among the lower classes, it is most 
  commonly  celebrated  by  taking  the  day  off  of  work  to 
  attend huge public sermons given by Luciel's priests. The 
  upper classes mostly occupy themselves with elaborate and 
  often especially debauched social gatherings. The restricted 
  nature  of  winter  travel  lends  itself  to  these  mandatory 
  gatherings of worship. 
  LUMIERRE
  LUMIERRE
  QUEEN OF SWORDS
  QUEEN OF SWORDS
  Lumierre is the bride and personal champion of Luciel, the 
  king of the gods. She is normally represented as a royal 
  mouse  garbed  in  flowing  robes  and  holding  a  sword 
  (sometimes with a sword in each paw).
  Her bravery, skill and swordsmanship are legendary and 
  her followers tend to idolize those virtues. There are only a 
  few temples dedicated to Lumierre in the Fallows, but those 
  that exist are sturdy and well-protected. 
  Almost all acolytes are female and upper-class (white or 
  royal mice, with a handful of common mice). The church 
  trains  them  in  etiquette,  weaving,  dance,  archery  and 
  swordsmanship. While a given acolyte will often specialize 
  in one art or another, the best students master them all.
  Physically, the temples are arranged like nunneries... the 
  acolytes and priestesses live on the temple grounds away 
  from outsiders. Public worship ceremonies are only held on 
  special  occasions,  so  for  the  most  part  they  remain 
  undisturbed. In many ways, a temple of Lumierre is more 
  like a finishing school for young women with an unusually 
  strong emphasis on combat skills.
  Most  acolytes  leave  the  temple  after  their  studies  are 
  complete (a year of training at a minimum) but maintain 
  close  ties  with  the  church.  Members  are  expected  to 
  behave in a proper and upstanding manner and not bring 
  scorn  upon  their  order.  Romantic  entanglements  are 
  forbidden for current acolytes and many graduates remain 
  celibate for most of their lives, only marrying when they 
  have grown too old for martial pursuits.
  The priestesses try to stay out of political matters, and 
  even former members are expected to avoid direct conflicts 
  with other followers of Lumierre. Notably, the church does 
  not  accept  rats  and  jumping  mice  as  acolytes,  with 
  exceptions  being  made  only  in  isolated  and  far-flung 
  locations. Her followers tend to be staunch traditionalists, 
  and regard non-mice as second-class citizens. Swordsmaids 
  of Lumierre have a reputation for being highly skilled but 
  also haughty and intolerant.
  Many of her followers believe that Lumierre herself often 
  travels the land disguised as a mortal... righting wrongs, 
  protecting the innocent and defeating monsters. In these 
  stories, her divine nature never becomes apparent until she 
  draws her blade and dispatches her foes.
  Strong,  independent  females  idolize  Lumierre  the  most, 
  although  she  has  a respectable  following  amongst  male 
  warriors who prefer precision to raw power.
  LUMIERRE'S DAY: a fall holiday that is almost the reverse 
  of  Jandara's  Day.  Dances  are  held  and  females  are 
  expected  to  invite  a  male  partner.  For  younger  girls, 
  athletic competitions like races are held instead. Males are 
  not allowed to participate but may watch and cheer.
  QUICKPAW: Followers of the deity Quickpaw believe that 
  he is the son of Lumierre and an unknown common mouse; 
  not surprisingly, the followers of Lumierre discount these 
  stories,  believing  instead  that  Quickpaw  is  merely  a 
  fictional folk hero exalted by the ignorant and foolish. In 
  places  where  worship  of  Lumierre  is  strong,  worship  of 
  Quickpaw will be banned. 
  
  DUVAIN
  DUVAIN
  THE FEARLESS
  THE FEARLESS
  Duvain is the god of strength, courage, alcohol and the 
  harvest.  He  is  depicted  as  a  ruggedly  handsome  and 
  muscular royal mouse (usually about the size of a common 
  rat) who holds an improbably large hammer. Thunderclaps 
  are sometimes said to come from his hammer blows.
  He is regarded as the bravest of the gods by his followers 
  (and the most fool-hardy by the followers of Lumierre) and 
  his valor in battle is unquestioned. Many incredible feats of 
  strength are credited to him, including cutting down the 
  great  tree  whose  stump  would  later  house  the  city  of 
  Oakendale.  He  is  believed  to  have  invented  the  art  of 
  brewing alcohol as well. 
  He is also said to have taken dozens of wives and had 
  hundreds of children, more than any other First One. In the 
  kingdom of Duvain's Weal, practically every family claims 
  descent from him even amongst the lower classes. 
  Priests of Duvain are almost invariably male and display a 
  lot of contempt for the few females who join. They are 
  allowed to marry and partake of alcohol and are expected 
  to get their paws dirty helping out the community. Some 
  take their deity's legendary love of carousing a bit too far 
  and  drink  excessively.  Rituals  almost  invariably  involve 
  ceremonial wine. 
  Modern temples tend to be small and homey, not because 
  Duvain  is  said  to  hate  ornamentation,  but  because  his 
  church has fallen on lean times. Worship of Duvain is now 
  only really common among the lower classes; outside of 
  Duvain's Weal, most nobles regard him as a commoner's 
  deity.
  DUVAIN'S DAY: a workman's holiday in the summer. All 
  mice who don't have subordinates of their own are given 
  half a day or the entire day off, depending on the kindness 
  of their master and how readily they can be spared. Truly 
  miserly employers, of course, scorn this holiday and give 
  their workers no time off at all. 
  Festivals held on Duvain's Day generally involve a lot of 
  revelry  and  drunkenness  and  males  are  invited  to 
  participate in tests of strength. Rats are forced to celebrate 
  separately from the mice, largely because the typical rat is 
  considerably  stronger  than  the  average  mouse  and 
  Duvain's mousy followers don't like being outdone. 
  DUVAIN'S HAMMER: while this term most literally refers 
  to the great warhammer which Duvain is always depicted 
  wielding, the term can also refer to the church's champion. 
  In many towns, it also means a particularly strong kind of 
  drink made from fermented honey mixed with grain. 
  CANDUSS
  CANDUSS
  THE METHODICAL
  THE METHODICAL
  Canduss is the goddess of planning, finance and commerce. 
  She is depicted as a female royal mouse wearing demure 
  white robes of simple design, always looking forward. She 
  generally holds a quill pen in one hand and an abacus or 
  bag of coins in the other. Sometimes she is shown holding 
  a scale with coins on one side and wheat on the other. 
  Historically, she was credited with the invention of currency 
  and the founding of the kingdom of Dusar.
  Her  temples  aspire  to  be  beautifully  (and  expensively) 
  decorated without becoming gaudy. Naturally, what passes 
  for “gaudy” varies from area to area; the interior of the 
  temple  of Canduss in Haven is decorated with so many 
  gems and golden ornaments that it would hurt the eyes of 
  a worshipper from Dusar.
  The garments of her priests and priestesses vary similarly. 
  In richer areas, they are often inlaid with gold and silver 
  filigree... elsewhere, they will be plain and white.
  Regardless of the location, however, her temples invariably 
  have their fingers in local commerce. Her church remains 
  the richest, if not the most influential, and many bankers 
  and  merchants  credit  their  financial  success  to  their 
  generous donations to the church. They are also the most 
  organized  of the priesthoods, with  the  central church in 
  Dusar keeping careful books on the financial dealings of the 
  churches elsewhere. Priests whose temples lose money are 
  felt to have lost the blessing of the goddess.
  Her following is most powerful in Dusar. The High Priest or 
  Priestess (Canduss was never one to favor her own gender 
  over the other) is always a relative of the royal family and 
  by law,  only the church can loan  money for interest  in 
  Dusar. Anyone else giving a loan for interest is considered 
  to have committed usury and severely punished. All the 
  financial dealings of the country pass through the church 
  and its favor is essential to do business there.
  The selling of blessings and indulgences is a time-honored 
  tradition in her worship and those who regularly contribute 
  find that it is much easier to get loans or other aid from the 
  church. Regular worship is not considered as important as 
  tithing; the devout can pray to her perfectly well from a 
  shrine in their home and many temples simply don't have 
  room to hold a great number of worshippers at once. 
  CANDUSS'S DAY:  Not a true holiday, but rather a wry 
  jest.  “Canduss's  Day”  is  any  day  that  the  tax  collector 
  comes calling or a loan must be paid off. 
  
  MAGELLIAN
  MAGELLIAN
  THE FONT OF WISDOM
  THE FONT OF WISDOM
  Magellian is the god of wisdom, knowledge and magic. He 
  is  regarded  as  the  most  skilled  (although  not  the  most 
  powerful) worker of magic among the gods. He is credited 
  with granting intelligence to the Rats and Jumping Mice, 
  although  certain  older  records  instead  cite  a  less  well- 
  known First One named Sethias. 
  Magellian is generally depicted as a tall but cloaked and 
  cowled Royal Mouse. His temples are generally arranged as 
  abbeys with cloistered monks and nuns acting as scribes 
  and  libraries  for  the  temple's  accumulated  knowledge. 
  Texts  and  maps  are  often  meticulously  copied  by  the 
  scribes in return for a small donation to the church coffers. 
  To most of the inhabitants of the Fallows, that is all that 
  the  church  of  Magellian  is...  quiet,  studious  monks  and 
  nuns who are happier with an inkwell and a sheaf of papers 
  to be copied than they would be with a mug of beer. 
  THE MYSTERIES:  Internally, however, there are several 
  additional  layers  to  the  church's  structure.  Magellian's 
  church is a mystery cult; its inner workings are closed to 
  the public and never spoken of to outsiders. Rank within 
  the church is based on a series of initiations and secret 
  rituals. As an acolyte progresses, they are asked to pass 
  certain  tests;  those  who  succeed  are  informed  of  new 
  pieces of church lore and theology known as Mysteries. 
  The Mysteries act as both pass-codes and opportunities for 
  enlightenment.  Each  is  a  cryptic  fragment  of  lore  that 
  seems  rife  with  hidden  meaning.  Some  are  coded 
  discussions of historical events or even advanced feats of 
  magic, but it takes a great deal of insight and knowledge of 
  many Mysteries  to  put  that  information  together. Taken 
  individually, they appear to be meaningless. 
  The rites of initiation are themselves cloaked in mystery 
  and are often designed to be quite deceptive. For example, 
  an acolyte may be shown a deep pit, then taken away, 
  blindfolded and led back to the pit... into which they are 
  expected  to  step  blindly  and  trust  in  Magellian  to  save 
  them.  Of  course,  those  who  are  administering  the  test 
  know that the subject is actually standing before a small 
  depression  and  not  the  seemingly  bottomless  hole  that 
  they were taken to before. Only those willing to trust in the 
  church enough to take that seemingly suicidal blind step 
  are  advanced  to  the  next  rank.  The  others  are  not  yet 
  worthy but may try again in a year. 
  MAGELLIAN'S CLOAK:  In the old tales, Magellian wears 
  an enchanted cloak that can render him invisible. When he 
  needs information, moths pour out of its shadows and rush 
  off to corners of the earth... returning to whisper secrets 
  into his ears of the things that they have seen and heard. 
  In the church, Magellian's Cloak refers to those members of 
  the priesthood who travel the countryside and periodically 
  return to record their travels. They also inform the church 
  of any sudden political developments or new discoveries 
  that they come across, which helps this otherwise insular 
  organization keep its knowledge up to date.
  THE 12 HOLY DAYS: Magellian has no widely known holy 
  days; rather there are twelve secret dates on which private 
  ceremonies  are  held  to  celebrate  the  Mysteries  and 
  advance new initiates. 
  JANDARA
  JANDARA
  THE BEAUTIFUL
  THE BEAUTIFUL
  Jandara is the goddess of beauty, farming and the arts. 
  She  is  credited  with  inventing  agriculture and sculpture. 
  She is also the First One who persuaded the others set the 
  Rats and Jumping Mice free after the end of the great war 
  against  the  Cats  (they had  always  been  slaves  prior  to 
  that). Her depictions are always of an unusually tall and 
  beautiful Royal Mouse garbed in swirls of cloth.
  Males can enter the priesthood, but will only rarely reach 
  the upper ranks, which are almost entirely female. Physical 
  beauty is greatly prized by this church (such people are 
  commonly said to have been blessed by Jandara) so most 
  of the upper ranks are beautiful female mice.
  The temples often host great ceremonial dances and sell 
  flowers that are said to carry the blessing of the goddess. 
  Expectant parents often offer sacrifices (the temple takes 
  anything valuable as a contribution) in hopes of producing 
  better  children.  The  parents  of  a  deformed  child  are 
  assumed  to  have  offended  Jandara  in  some  fashion, 
  probably by not offering a large enough sacrifice. Artists 
  also  regard  Jandara  as  their  patron  and  often  gift  the 
  nearest  temple  with  a  piece  of  appropriate  artwork... 
  which,  of  course,  also  means  that  their  work  is  then 
  displayed before everyone who visits that temple.
  Shrines  dedicated  to Jandara  are  usually  surrounded  by 
  flowering  plants   carefully  tended  by  her  priesthood. 
  Beautiful  statues  and  other  works  of  art  are  also 
  commonplace.  Larger  temples  have  high  stone  walls 
  encircling sacred gardens where the most beautiful flowers 
  are carefully tended (since these are mice, some of the 
  larger plants actually tower over the temple and require a 
  good climber to tend them). The attendants are usually 
  Maidens of Summer, a prestigious position awarded only to 
  the most beautiful, demure and graceful of acolytes. In the 
  kingdom  of  Jand,  where  the  church  is  most  powerful, 
  merely touching a Maiden without her permission is illegal 
  and wounding one a capital crime.
  After a few years, each Maiden of Summer retires from her 
  position and either joins the regular priesthood or leaves 
  the  temple  to  seek  her  fortune.  They  are  considered 
  extremely prestigious wives and often marry quite well.
  The church officially tries to stay out of political struggles, 
  always  maintaining  an  appearance  of  benign  neutrality 
  even when they are secretly encouraging one side over the 
  other.  Their  behind-the-scenes  influence  is  very  strong, 
  however, as former Maidens  often become  the  wives  of 
  powerful figures or powerful figures in their own right. The 
  current  Empress,  the  beauteous  Messalina  deJand  is  a 
  former Maiden of Summer.
  JANDARA'S DAY: a romantic holiday in the spring season 
  somewhat similar to Saint Valentine's Day. Male mice are 
  expected to present their beloved with a flower blossom, 
  the larger the better. It's not uncommon to see youngsters 
  carrying blooms larger than they are, trying to impress the 
  she-mouse of their dreams. Well-off areas host dances or 
  feasts and many betrothals are announced on this date. 
  
  ZAKARVUS
  ZAKARVUS
  GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD
  GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD
  Grim Zakarvus is the blind ruler of the Outer Darkness. He 
  keeps the demons and dark spirits in check and watches 
  over the torments of those lost and unworthy souls who 
  end up in his realm. 
  He is the god of death, darkness and the spirit world. It is 
  said that he traded his eyes for insight into the nature of 
  the universe. When the First Ones ascended to godhood, 
  Zakarvus  was  given  domain  over  the  great  void,  the 
  shadowy realm where dwell demons and lost souls.
  His priests are said to be blind and wear heavy hoods that 
  cover all of their faces except for the tip of their muzzle 
  and their ears. Their hood and robe are invariably dark in 
  color.  The  blind  priests  are  usually  assisted  by  sighted 
  acolytes.
  Most of his priests take the title of Necrolate. Their duties 
  include  performing  funeral  rites,  and  embalming  and 
  burying  the  dead.  They  are  considered  to  be  the  only 
  priests who can perform a  proper funeral, although most 
  commoners  are  buried  without  sufficient  ceremony  to 
  require a priest of Zakarvus. Their ceremonies are somber 
  affairs  and  many  of  their  chants  involve  baritone 
  murmurings in a forgotten language.
  Temples  of Zakarvus  tend to be grim,  unadorned  stone 
  buildings, always dark in color. The inner sanctum is kept 
  in complete darkness at all times; bringing a source of light 
  therein is blasphemy. A common rumor has it that each 
  temple  stores  all  of  its  most  valuable  donations  on  the 
  walls of the inner sanctum, which has caused more than 
  one would-be thief to try and smuggle in a light source.  
  Extensive  catacombs  often  run  beneath  each  temple, 
  wherein nobles of high importance can have their remains 
  stored  and  safeguarded  in  family  tombs.  The  bones  of 
  those of lesser rank often fill small sepulchers cut into the 
  walls. Rumors tell of paranoid nobles who have also paid to 
  have lethal traps placed to guard their ancestral tombs. 
  While the common folk believe that all priests of Zakarvus 
  are physically blind, many of them are not but wear the 
  sight-obscuring cowls  as proof of their devotion to their 
  deity.  In  less  devout  areas,  sighted  priests  will  often 
  remove their hoods in private and only deny themselves 
  vision  during  public  rituals.  Those  priests  who  are  also 
  mages  often  use  magic  to  compensate  for their  lack  of 
  sight, which is not considered improper; Zakarvus himself 
  is said to see all around him despite his missing eyes. 
  ZAKARVUS'S NIGHT: Though little celebrated outside the 
  church, the night of the Winter Solstice (the longest night 
  of each year) is believed to be sacred to Zakarvus and his 
  priests often perform long rituals and strike bells that fill 
  the land with deep, stentorian tones from dusk to dawn.
  ZAKARVUS  IN  THE  WILDLANDS:  In  the  Wildlands, 
  Zakarvus is considered by most clans to be the supreme 
  ruler of the gods rather than Luciel. Among them, he is the 
  god  of  strength  and  courage  as  well  as  death  and  the 
  patron of metal-smiths as well. Some scholars believe that 
  Zakarvus founded a short-lived kingdom in the Wildlands 
  during  the  age  of the  First  Ones  and  that  this  modern 
  reverence dates back to that era. 
  QUICKPAW
  QUICKPAW
  THE TRICKSTER
  THE TRICKSTER
  Quickpaw is a “disputed” deity, with some areas regarding 
  him as a fictional folk hero and others as an actual divinity. 
  His followers believe that their mischievous patron finds the 
  doubters amusing rather than offensive.
  Quickpaw's  mother is  always  Lumierre. His father varies 
  from teller to teller (and is usually assumed to be have 
  been  a resident  of their  own  kingdom) but  is  always  a 
  common  mouse. Depictions  of Quickpaw  generally  show 
  him as a golden-furred common mouse with a mischievous 
  grin and a concealing cloak.
  He is the patron of thieves, con artists and everyone who 
  lives by their wits, charm or agility. He is also credited with 
  granting good fortune to people that he likes. 
  There are innumerable  tales  about his  exploits,  most of 
  which involve him making a mistake which endangers him, 
  the  other  gods  or  just  mortals,  but  which  he  cleverly 
  resolves with no real harm done but plenty of humiliation 
  handed out to the deserving. Quickpaw is a trickster deity, 
  and  as  such  is  respectful  of neither tradition  nor social 
  standing. Because of this, he is generally unpopular with 
  the upper classes and his worship is often banned outright 
  in areas where the church of Lumierre is powerful.
  No open temples to Quickpaw exist in the Fallows. Instead, 
  small,  hidden  shrines  are  secretly  maintained  by  the 
  devout. Knowledge of how to find them is passed by word 
  of  mouth.  Many  worshippers  maintain  their  own  small 
  shrines in their homes, often in a hidden area. It's common 
  for folks who believe that Quickpaw has smiled on them to 
  leave a coin or two in a shrine as his part of the "take". If 
  no shrine is available, it's acceptable to drop the coin down 
  a deep crevice, into a gap in a wall or anywhere else where 
  it's assumed that no one but Quickpaw will ever find it.
  His  abilities  vary  from  tale  to  tale,  but  he  is  always 
  stealthy,  agile  and  cunning.  Many  stories  involve  him 
  learning of a treasure so wondrously well-defended that it 
  lures him away from the land of the gods to seek it out. In 
  some, he rewards cunning-but-good-natured behavior by 
  giving the person one of his golden hairs. These are said to 
  become solid gold and bring good fortune to the bearer. 
  Tiny strands of gold are often worn by his followers for 
  good luck.
  It's worth noting that not just his true parentage but the 
  timing  of  it  varies  from  area  to  area  as  well.  In  most 
  versions, he was born before Lumierre married Luciel and 
  became queen of the gods, but common mice and rats who 
  dislike  the  upper  classes  sometimes  tell  tales  of  how 
  Quickpaw's  father  (generally  a  local  folk  hero  of  note) 
  cuckolded the First Emperor. 
  QUICKPAW'S  DAY:  Not  a  true  holiday  but  rather  an 
  expression; when a commoner has a day where everything 
  goes right, they often refer to it as Quickpaw's Day. 
  
  A WORLD
  A WORLD
  OF MICE
  OF MICE
  A MATTER OF SCALE
  A MATTER OF SCALE
  The characters in Hyperborean Mice are small. While they 
  may have big adventures, even the largest rat is dwarfed 
  by a major predator like a fox, much less a human being. 
  Trees are like enormous mountains, towering overhead and 
  dominating the skyline. Common predators like cats, owls 
  or foxes are fearsome monsters, the mousy equivalent of 
  giants or dragons. Even many flowers are large enough for 
  a party to rest comfortably beneath their shade. 
  FALLING DAMAGE
  FALLING DAMAGE
  One side effect of this scale is that falling simply isn't as 
  dangerous for a mouse as it is for a human. 
  A falling creature takes 1d3+Size damage and 1 Fatigue 
  per  10  feet  fallen,  to  a  maximum  of  5d3+Size*5  (an 
  average  of  10  points  and  5  Fatigue).  Note  that  rat 
  characters,  being  larger,  are  actually  in  a  little  more 
  danger, taking 1d3+1 damage per 10 feet instead of 1d3. 
  Armor does not apply against this damage; in fact, your 
  Armor Rating is added to it.
  Naturally, the damage done is modified by what you land 
  on. Soft ground and brush could halve or even quarter the 
  damage and the Fatigue taken. Hard surfaces such as rocks 
  add  +2  to  each  die.  Sharp  spikes  or  similarly  lethal 
  surfaces double the damage done. 
  It  should  also  be  noted  that  10  feet  is  a  vastly  larger 
  distance for a mouse than for a human. A mouse who falls 
  from the tallest tree in the forest may well limp home; a 
  human would probably die.  
  THE CHANGING SEASONS
  THE CHANGING SEASONS
  The  mice  in  the  Fallows  count  the  passage  of  time  in 
  seasons, rather than years. Each season is appropriate for 
  a  different  sort  of  adventure,  so  they  are  described 
  separately. 
  SPRING
  SPRING
  In the spring, the winter snows are receding and mice are 
  eager  to  explore  the  transformed  landscape.  Months  of 
  restricted  activity  during  winter  results  in  an  enormous 
  amount of travel among young mice during this season. 
  When a youngster leaves home to seek their fortune, it's 
  generally in the spring. 
  New political alliances and trade agreements are forged this 
  time of year as foresighted mice work to put the new year 
  into order. Wedding betrothals and other important plans 
  are announced now as well, so that there is plenty of time 
  for word to reach all of those who need to be informed. 
  Spring  adventures  generally  involve  a lot  of travel.  The 
  roads are crowded  and bandits, grown  lean  and hungry 
  over  the  winter  months,  are  becoming  active  again. 
  Traveling  nobles  often  hire  guides  or bodyguards. Often 
  adventurers will have sat for months in one town, devising 
  plans that they eagerly put into practice in the spring. 
  SUMMER
  SUMMER
  In  summer,  the  new  growth  is  in  full  swing  and  the 
  common-folk  are  mostly  busy  with  their  farms  and 
  gardens. Pests and predators are especially common this 
  time of year. The amount of travel for pleasure plunges, 
  while  the  amount  of  travel  by  traders  and  merchants 
  grows. 
  As each harvest is gathered, small festivals are often held 
  to  commemorate  them.  Most  marriages  are  performed 
  during this season as well.
  While the commoners are very busy with the year's crops, 
  adventuring  sorts tend to schedule their most ambitious 
  expeditions during this time of year. The roads are clear 
  and the snow has all melted away and ambitious mice have 
  a little while before the arduous task of preparing for winter 
  brings them home again. 
  FALL
  FALL
  Fall  is  the  harvest  season,  when  the  last  (and  usually 
  largest) harvests come in. This time of year the augurs 
  invariably  warn  of  a  harsh  winter  to  come  and  every 
  township tries desperately to gather enough food to last 
  the winter months. 
  The loss of a food-store during the fall can mean the end of 
  a township. Without sufficient time to replace that grain, 
  starvation  during  the  winter  months  becomes  quite 
  possible. 
  Fall adventures tend to involve locating and bringing back 
  some important resource before the first heavy snowfalls 
  cut off travel. A township which has realized that it is short 
  of  food  or  medicine  despite  the  harvests  may  dispatch 
  adventurous types to locate some additional sources. 
  The leaves change color and begin to fall, leaving the trees 
  bare but the roads cluttered. There is more of a sense of 
  purpose among the mice now, as every minute spent idle is 
  one less meal stored away against the winter months. 
  WINTER
  WINTER
  During  the  winter,  heavy  snows  blanket  the  Fallows, 
  making travel very dangerous. Mice can burrow under the 
  snow for short distances, but longer journeys are largely 
  impossible. 
  For this reason, each winter season tends to be set in a 
  single town: wherever the party happened to be when the 
  first serious snowfall hit. Towns which spent most of each 
  summer and fall accumulating stores of food to last out the 
  winter months now finally get to eat them.  
  Winter adventures tend to involve local intrigue. In tight 
  quarters, theft  and  murder  become  more  commonplace. 
  Any unresolved tensions between different groups tend to 
  flare up over the winter months. Since no one can leave 
  town safely, the rulers sometimes organize raids to try and 
  ferret  out  any  outlaws  hiding  within  the  city  proper. 
  Whoever controls the city's larder has enormous power, but 
  even the rumor of shortages or theft can cause riots. 
  Occasionally, starvation or disease may prompt a desperate 
  journey  out  into  the  frozen  landscape  to  seek  food  or 
  medicinal herbs. What would have been a leisurely journey 
  in  a  different  season  becomes  a  desperate  struggle  to 
  survive. When starvation has prompted such an expedition, 
  those mice who set out often take no food with them; they 
  will either succeed or perish in the snow. 
  
  A MUNDANE
  A MUNDANE  
  BESTIARY
  BESTIARY
  A selection of wild animals that PCs are likely to encounter. 
  It  should  be  noted  that  while  most  are  completely 
  unintelligent (being non-magical animals), predators that 
  devour enough talking mice sometimes acquire a level of 
  low cunning and crude speech. Such creatures are referred 
  to as “intelligent” versions of the regular creature, although 
  their  actual  level  of  intelligence  is  generally  quite  low 
  compared to the character races. 
  Players should not confuse intelligence for empathy; to a 
  predator,  talking  mice  and  rats  are  tasty  snacks,  not 
  potential friends! Any intelligence that they have acquired 
  will  generally  be  turned  towards  finding  better  ways  to 
  catch and devour the PCs.
  Predators which have devoured at least one of the ancient 
  First Ones sometimes acquired not only impressive levels of 
  intellect, but magical powers. Specific examples of these 
  creatures can be found in the chapter Dark Demons and 
  Legendary Horrors. 
  ANTS
  ANTS
  Most ants are harmless unless characters openly threaten 
  their mound. However, the ants of the Smoking Mound are 
  a notable exception. They are surprisingly aggressive and 
  tricky and have been known to construct cunning deadfalls 
  and other traps for intruders. 
  Wise travelers avoid ants when they can. Individually they 
  are generally small enough that even a mouse could crush 
  one or bite it in half, but an enraged swarm is a different 
  thing. 
  BEES
  BEES
  Bees  generally  ignore  mice  and  rats  and  are  normally 
  ignored by them. However, their honey is actually quite 
  valuable, so sometimes brave or foolish mice will concoct 
  schemes to liberate some of it from a hive. 
  Harvesting honey is a practice fraught with danger. While a 
  single bee sting is no real threat, intruders into a large hive 
  may be stung hundreds of times. Magic can generally keep 
  a small number of bees at bay, but affecting dozens or 
  even hundreds of them simultaneously is a feat worthy of 
  the First Ones! The most effective method found so far is 
  for a lone mage to enter the hive cloaked in a Guise spell, 
  but this also means that they will be far from any aid if 
  something goes wrong. 
  BEETLES, RIDING
  BEETLES, RIDING
  While ordinary beetles are occasionally killed for food or as 
  pests, the mice of the Fallows do raise a species of large 
  and powerful insects (physically very similar to rhinoceros 
  or Hercules beetles) that are used as mounts by the upper 
  classes  and  beasts  of  burden  by  commoners.  They  are 
  enormously strong for their size and, while slow, they can 
  carry a mouse-sized passenger for hours without tiring.
  Riding  beetles  must  be  acclimated  to  handling  by  mice 
  while they are still grubs in order to be tame as adults. 
  Beetle breeders often attempt to breed specific individuals 
  together in  order to produce desirable  traits. The males 
  tend to have large and ornate horns; the fancier the horn, 
  the more prestigious the animal's bloodline. Some of the 
  most inbred lines have truly impressive horns but must be 
  hand-fed as they have lost all ability to find their own food.
  CATS
  CATS
  In  ancient  times,  the  settlement  of  Firstholme  was 
  destroyed  by  a  pack  of  talking  cats  in  what  historians 
  consider the first actual war in the Fallows. Since then, 
  sightings of cats have largely been confined to the distant 
  outskirts  of  the  valley.  On  the  rare  occasion  that  one 
  should wander into the Fallows seeking prey, entire armies 
  are often arrayed to hunt them down. 
  No actually intelligent cats have been encountered (at least 
  not by credible witnessed) for at least a dozen generations. 
  Nevertheless, stories persist of a band of talking cats with 
  mystical powers that dwell up in the mountains around the 
  valley, survivors of their great war against the First Ones. 
  CENTIPEDES
  CENTIPEDES
  Ordinary centipedes are vicious and aggressive predators 
  with  a  pair  of  needle-like  claws  (right  behind  the  head 
  itself) that can deliver a potent toxin into their prey. The 
  larger  sort  can  readily  kill  mice  with  a  single  dose  of 
  venom,  although  they  would  hesitate  to  attack  prey  as 
  large as rats. 
  Intelligent  centipedes  are  considerably  rarer,  but  vastly 
  more  dangerous.  They  often  arrange  simple  ambushes 
  such as leaving a valuable item (generally taken from a 
  previous victim) out in the open and waiting for a foolish 
  mouse to stop and pick it up. They are cunning enough to 
  attack foes when they are most vulnerable and will even 
  kill rats if they catch them off guard. 
  The only fully intelligent, magic-using centipede ever found 
  is the monstrous horror known as the Mocker.
  CRICKETS
  CRICKETS
  Crickets are occasionally hunted for food, but are also kept 
  as pets. Males make decent guard animals, as they chirp 
  happily unless they sense an intruder. A mouse who is used 
  to the regular chirping of their pet may well awaken at the 
  sudden, unaccustomed silence. 
  Tame and trained crickets are a Common item. They tend 
  to bumble about underfoot and follow their master around 
  like a not-particularly-bright little dog. They are much more 
  intelligent  than  their  wild  counterparts,  at  a  cost  of 
  weakening their survival instincts.
  CROWS
  CROWS
  Crows  are  rat-sized  black  birds  that  are  surprisingly 
  intelligent.  They  can  speak  a  crude,  pidgin  form  of the 
  language of the Fallows, which they use when negotiating 
  for food or shiny objects with which to impress other crows.
  They  have  a  reputation  as  cowardly  thieves  and  most 
  towns won't tolerate them hanging around for very long. 
  Crows often take the blame when something goes missing 
  that was left out in the open. 
  They are large enough to carry a mouse through the air in 
  their claws and can occasionally be persuaded to do so in 
  return for some other favor. A mouse could theoretically 
  ride  a  crow's  back  like  they  do  pigeons,  but  this  is 
  
  considered  shameful  by  crows  and  it  would  only  be 
  permitted in special circumstances. Occasionally, though, a 
  mouse  manages  to  win  the  friendship  of  the  crow 
  community,  usually  by  providing  them  with  vital  but 
  unasked-for aid. See the Crow Friend advantage. 
  DRAGONFLIES
  DRAGONFLIES
  Harmless  to  mice,  these  beautiful  flying  insects  are 
  sometimes  hunted  to  make  jewelry  out of their colorful 
  body segments and beautiful wings. Unfortunately, because 
  of their fragile nature, this means that the dragonfly must 
  be brought down without really damaging it, a task that 
  generally requires magic as well as the good fortune to find 
  one near the ground. 
  FERAL RODENTS
  FERAL RODENTS
  Ordinary, non-magical mice and rats are often found on the 
  periphery  of  the  Fallows  and  are  heavily  concentrated 
  around the Forbidden Lands. These are generally harmless, 
  although hungry rats will occasionally attack lone mice. 
  Feral  rodents  invariably  find  the  bipedal,  talking  variety 
  extremely unnerving and will not willingly dwell in an area 
  that contains them. Thus they have slowly been pushed 
  further and further out of the Fallows and are now largely 
  unknown in civilized areas. 
  FOXES
  FOXES
  Especially dangerous in the winter, when they'll dig up mice 
  tunneling under the snow.
  GRASSHOPPERS
  GRASSHOPPERS
  Grasshoppers are generally hunted for sport. It can be a 
  challenging  target,  leaping  great  distances  whenever 
  frightened or attacked. It takes careful planning and sure 
  aim to bring one down before it can vanish into the sky, 
  landing who-knows-where. 
  HAWKS
  HAWKS
  OWLS
  OWLS
  The supposed lord of all owls is the great horned owl of 
  Rookswood, the dreaded Hoorooru.
  PIGEONS
  PIGEONS
  SCORPIONS
  SCORPIONS
  SHREWS
  SHREWS
  "At first, my captor was just as polite and civil as 
  anyone could wish... but after all, he had just 
  eaten a family of three."
  Aramias, Traveling Minstrel
  Shrews are a major danger of the valley, particularly in the 
  Wildlands. These small but voracious predators must eat a 
  good portion of their own body weight each day or starve. 
  Their metabolism is in eternal overdrive and many have a 
  potent paralytic venom in their saliva. Feral shrews are just 
  animals, and are usually easy to dissuade with a show of 
  force. They travel alone and are only a  danger to mice; 
  rats will be judged too large to attack. 
  Unfortunately,  many  shrews  in  the  valley  have  become 
  intelligent to one degree or another. They walk upright and 
  wield crude weapons. Most can even speak, albeit haltingly. 
  While  feral  shrews  don't  cooperate,  intelligent  ones  do. 
  They travel in packs or small tribes and work together to 
  bring down large prey. They prefer to nest in abandoned 
  buildings or old ruins and are not above moving in to the 
  home of a family that they have just devoured! 
  Little is known about their religion, save that they believe 
  that they can steal the strength of their enemies by ritually 
  devouring them. They worship  Daolotch and try to save 
  their  choicest  prey for feasts  conducted  during  the new 
  moon. But if hunger presses, they are quite willing to eat 
  sooner  rather  than  wait.  Their  eternal  hunger  is  the 
  strongest drive in their short lives.
  Shrews in  Hyperborean Mice act like orcs or goblins in 
  other  games:  a  remorseless  foe  that  travels  in  packs, 
  wields crude weapons, and wants to eat you. While you 
  may be able  to persuade one to a temporary truce, no 
  alliance with a shrew outlasts its supply of fresh meat. 
  Driven mad by hunger, a voracious shrew bursts 
  forth from the underbrush wielding a thorn club.
  Typical Shrew:
    Agi +3, Brawn +0, Clv -2, Per +2, Magic -2
    Hit Points: 10 (no armor)
    Melee: +4 (bite 1d3 or by weapon)
    Dodge: +3
  Special: Venomous Bite
  A shrew bite requires the target to make a TYPICAL 
  Endurance check or slowly  become  paralyzed  over 
  the next few minutes. This  paralysis  lasts  for one 
  hour per point the check was failed by.
  Typical Grasshopper:
    Agi +0, Brawn -4, Per +1 [No Clv or Magic] 
    Hit Points: 6 (no armor)
    Alertness +2, Speed +2
  Grasshoppers  have  no  effective  way  of  fighting 
  against mice, much less rats. Their only defense is to 
  leap  high  into  the  sky and  buzz away,  landing  in 
  some distant underbrush and leaving any attackers 
  far behind. They must be incapacitated before they 
  get even a single action or they will surely escape.
  
  SNAKES
  SNAKES
  Serpents are one of the great enemies of rats and mice. 
  These deadly predators hunt by scent and heat and can 
  quickly slay any rodent that crosses their path. Mice living 
  in an open burrow run the risk of having a huge serpent 
  slide silently in to devour them. However, a well-fortified 
  front door goes a long way to keeping them at bay.
  Snakes are not particularly smart predators, and the typical 
  wild snake is easily outsmarted by a cunning mouse. It's 
  the rare, more intelligent sort that are truly dangerous. Of 
  these, the most powerful is the legendary Ssaaa, but there 
  are lesser talking snakes out there in the wilderness. 
   
  SPIDERS
  SPIDERS
  Web-spinners (harmless) and Tarantulas (not always).
  SLUGS
  SLUGS
  Slugs are quite harmless to mice and rats, although they 
  do sometimes damage their crops. They are usually killed 
  as  pests  although  in  desperate  times  they  can  also  be 
  eaten. They have a truly noisome taste, however, so only a 
  starving rodent would normally eat one. The term “slug-
  eater” is an insult implying both poverty and poor taste. 
  WEASELS
  WEASELS
  
  DARK DEMONS
  DARK DEMONS
  AND LEGENDARY HORRORS
  AND LEGENDARY HORRORS
  There are other religions in Hyperborea, even in the heart 
  of the Fallows. There are cults that have been banned and 
  pursued  and  persecuted  without  mercy,  yet  which  still 
  survive. Their members gather in secret to continue the 
  dark rites which so offended the civilized world. 
  In some places, deadly predators have themselves become 
  worshiped as gods. Such creatures are commonly offered 
  propitiatory sacrifices that their wrath not be turned upon 
  the locals. Others remain legendary horrors worshiped by 
  none but feared by all. Such terrors are not meant to be 
  fought directly by player characters, but must generally be 
  avoided or escaped from... a direct confrontation without a 
  truly  cunning  plan  should  mean  certain  death!  A  dark 
  assortment of examples has been assembled below; those 
  without given stats are probably beyond any harm that PCs 
  can  inflict  and  should  be  thought  of  as  threats  to  be 
  avoided rather than foes to be slain.
  BLACK FLIES
  BLACK FLIES
  MAGICAL PREDATORS
  MAGICAL PREDATORS
  Physically,  these  foul  creatures  are  unusually  large  and 
  noisome horseflies that have been fatted on the flesh of 
  dead  mice  and  rats.  They  are  bred  by  the  followers  of 
  Skzentic and will often be found guarding his shrines or 
  obeying one of his priests. 
  Alone,  a  single  black  fly  is  no  real  danger  and  easily 
  dispatched by a trained warrior. In large groups, however 
  (and they are often encountered in swarms of a dozen or 
  more), they become much more dangerous. They emit a 
  strangely  disorienting  buzz  whose  effects  become  more 
  debilitating the more flies are present.  At close range, this 
  effect can leave their enemies helpless. It has  no effect 
  upon those that the flies do not regard as their enemies; 
  followers of Skzentic are said to find the noise comforting.
  In addition, anyone who is bitten by one of these noxious 
  vermin and does  not  get their  wounds treated within 24 
  hours will contract Blood Fever.
  THE CATS OF KA-YANN
  THE CATS OF KA-YANN
  MAGICAL PREDATORS
  MAGICAL PREDATORS
  The oldest of tales  speak of a clan  of intelligent, spell-
  casting cats who laid waste to Firstholme and nearly wiped 
  the White Lords from the face of the Fallows. Though the 
  history books claim that they were all slain in the war that 
  followed,  there  are  always  rumors  of  survivors  and  the 
  descendants of survivors who have nursed their wounds 
  and come back seeking vengeance. 
  If any of these legendary beasts still exist, they would be 
  treated as cats with high Cleverness and Magic ratings and 
  a variety of spells. 
  DAOLOTCH 
  DAOLOTCH 
  DARK GOD
  DARK GOD
  The Keeper of the Screaming Dead, the dark god of night, 
  shadow and death, his cult was banned in the early days of 
  the  Fallows.  Some  of  their  rites  and  rituals  were 
  incorporated into the worship of Zakarvus, but the more 
  repellent practices were banned outright. 
  Daolotch has power over darkness and the spirits of the 
  restless dead. He can command the Ghuls and place them 
  in a sorcerer's service, if desired. He knows the secret sins 
  of mortal mice, particularly the murders and betrayals. He 
  can  even  compel  the  spirit  of  a  dead  mouse  to  return 
  briefly to the mortal world; such a spirit will be screaming 
  in agony and dismay but will answer any questions posed 
  by the bargainer. The interrogation must be swift; it is said 
  that even Daolotch cannot compel the dead for more than 
  a hundred heartbeats, after which they return to the Outer 
  Darkness. 
  Typical Black Fly:
    Agi +4, Brawn -3, Clv -3, Per +2, Magic +0, Size -2
    Hit Points: 7 (-2 armor)
    Melee: +4 (bite, 1d3 damage)  
    Dodge: +4
  Special: Disorienting buzz (resisted with Leadership)
  Those who fail to resist are at a penalty to attack and 
  defend until they spend at least a minute away from 
  the noise. The difficulty to resist and effect varies 
  according to the number of flies present. 
  ●
  1-5: EASY, Penalty -1
  ●
  6-10: TYPICAL, Penalty -2
  ●
  11-15: HARD, Penalty -4
  ●
  16+: VERY HARD, Penalty -6
  
  FROSTMICE
  FROSTMICE
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  Known  as  Withertail's  Children  (see  the  entry  for 
  Hartaung), these icy spirits  are only encountered during 
  the  winter  or  in  the  days  immediately  preceding  or 
  following it. Physically, they appear to be animate clumps 
  of ice and snow that vaguely resemble a mouse standing 
  upright, perhaps garbed in a white robe or cloak. 
  Some stories claim that Frostmice are the children of the 
  dark god known as Withertail, whereas others believe them 
  to be the vengeful ghosts of mice who died of cold and 
  starvation during a particularly fierce winter. The truth of 
  the  matter  remains  unknown.  Mages  who  create  cold 
  magically  (using  the  High  Sorcery  of  Extinguish)  are 
  sometimes accused by the superstitious of being in league 
  with Frostmice or even of being a Frostmouse in disguise 
  themselves!
  Frostmice can travel through ice and snow as though it 
  were air. They bring with them an aura of cold that chills 
  the blood of every living creature in their vicinity and their 
  touch can freeze a mouse solid. At best they are indifferent 
  to the living, but more often they are outright hostile. They 
  dislike  warm  and  dry  areas,  however,  and  keep  their 
  distance from open flames. They kill like the winter kills... 
  slowly but surely, forcing their prey into a corner and then 
  waiting patiently while their icy aura causes the victim to 
  slowly freeze to death. 
  GHULS
  GHULS
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  A  regular  danger  of  accursed  regions  are  the  dreadful 
  Ghuls. These shrews died with such hunger in their hearts 
  that even death cannot bring an end to their appetite. 
  Physically, Ghuls are long-dead and partially rotted shrews. 
  Their claws and teeth have continued to grow despite their 
  obvious  decomposition  and  they  often  have  unnaturally 
  long  patches of tangled  fur scattered  across  their  body. 
  They switch between scampering on all fours or running 
  upright as needed and are even swifter than living shrews. 
  While  lacking  venomous  saliva,  these  undead  shrews 
  remain terrifying foes. Only the destruction of the skull can 
  actually slay one, as they no longer use any of their once-
  vital organs. Even the eyes are completely extraneous and 
  have often dissolved out of their eye sockets; they track 
  prey magically, using the Whispers art instinctively.
  Ghuls are normally only found at night, roaming the hills of 
  the Wildlands or other desolate areas, seeking prey. They 
  shun  daylight  and  retire  to  underground  caverns  and 
  ancient ruins while the sun is in the sky. They range widest 
  on moonless nights, but do seem to haunt specific areas. 
  There is little more terrifying than a pack of ravenous Ghuls 
  pursuing you on a moonless night. 
  Brave warriors have slain many Ghuls over the years, but 
  there  are  always  more  to  be  found.  Some  scholars 
  speculate that “slaying” a Ghul may only banish the spirit 
  back into the Outer Darkness for a time. 
  Typical Ghul:
    Agi +3, Brawn +3, Clv -2, Per +2, Magic 0
    Hit Points: 15 (no armor)
    Melee: +6 (bite 1d3+3)
  Acrobatics: +6
    Dodge: +3
  Speed: +6
  Special: Terrifying
  Just  facing  a  Ghul  instead  of  running  requires  a 
  Courage check against TYPICAL (11) difficulty. Facing 
  a swarm is difficulty HARD (14) instead. Those who 
  fail must withdraw and those who critically fail will 
  flee in a mindless panic. 
  
  HARTAUNG (WITHERTAIL) 
  HARTAUNG (WITHERTAIL) 
  DARK GOD
  DARK GOD
  This dark god is called the lord of winter. He is commonly 
  depicted as a huge skeletal mouse shrouded in fog and ice. 
  His worshippers generally offer him propitiatory sacrifices 
  lest he turn his icy wrath towards them. 
  Hartaung  has  power  over  cold  weather  and  can  be 
  bargained with to make the winter harsh or mild, or even 
  to bring it early! He knows of every creature that moves 
  through  the  snow,  but  is  otherwise  not  versed  in  the 
  comings and goings of mortal beings. He also commands 
  the Frostmice and can place a small number of them into a 
  petitioner's service if it suits him.
  The wise know him by the name Hartaung,  which means 
  Frostbringer. Most common folk refer to him as Withertail. 
  HELLMAW
  HELLMAW
  MAGICAL PREDATOR
  MAGICAL PREDATOR
  Beneath the murky surface of Greatwater lives a huge and 
  terrible predator... a beast capable of swallowing even rats 
  whole and which has pulled more than one vessel beneath 
  the waves never to be seen again. 
  Its exact nature is unknown. It may be a snapping turtle or 
  some  sort  of  great  catfish  or  even  something  stranger. 
  There  could  even  be  more  than  one.  Whatever  it  is,  it 
  prefers the murky  depths, generally  only coming  to the 
  surface  when  something  disrupts  the  water  enough  to 
  attract its attention. Survivors of an attack generally report 
  some sort of great maw that opens up beneath swimming 
  rats  or mice  and  instantly  snaps  them  up  with  a great 
  splash... and then is gone without a trace. 
  HOOROORU
  HOOROORU
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  The most terrifying predator in Rookswood, and arguably 
  its ruler, is the dreaded Hoorooru, the great horned owl. 
  Known as the Silent Death and the Enemy of the Gods, 
  Hoorooru is believed to have fought against the First Ones. 
  As  the  story  goes,  those  mighty  mice  were  not  strong 
  enough  to  slay  the  great  owl,  but  they could  bind  him 
  under an enchantment which forces him to remain within 
  the woods, out of sight of the Fallows. 
  Some  villages  in  Rookswood  have  taken  to  worshipping 
  Hoorooru, offering up live sacrifices in his honor. In return, 
  he protects them from predators and his children. All owls 
  are thought of as Hoorooru's children and in truth, he has 
  slain practically every other owl in the Fallows that is not 
  related to him. Even his own children are not safe from his 
  deadly wrath, if  he should  feel that they are  conspiring 
  against his rule. 
  His magical powers are extraordinary and rival those of the 
  First Ones. He prefers to manipulate the minds of his prey, 
  drawing  them  out  into  the  open  with  subtle  hints  and 
  misdirections, then snatching them away. Luckily, he does 
  seem to be banned from entering the Fallows proper and 
  takes most of his diet from the wild, feral mice to the north 
  of Rookswood. The ritual sacrifices that he expects from his 
  mousy followers are just that... rituals. He seems to glory 
  in the worship and adulation. 
  The Silent Death is a great and terrible lord to follow. He 
  demands regular sacrifices and public worship. There are 
  rites are held in his honor on brightly moonlit nights. When 
  Hoorooru  attends  in  person  to  accept  a  sacrifice,  every 
  mouse  or  rat  in  the  village  will  be  beating  drums  or 
  chanting his praises in wild abandon. They know that any 
  who  chant  with  insufficient  enthusiasm  are  liable  to  be 
  added to the offering. 
  THE MOCKER
  THE MOCKER
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  The dreaded Mocker is probably the most lethal predator 
  that  still  haunts  the  Fallows.  Many  attempts  have  been 
  made to find and slay the beast or at least drive it out of 
  civilized regions, but so far all have failed. 
  The mocker is a huge centipede, probably the largest ever 
  seen. But having long ago devoured one of the First Ones, 
  it  has  become  much,  much  more  since  then.  It  is 
  terrifyingly  intelligent  and  often  overtly  cruel.  Its  name 
  comes from its habit of mimicking the voices of its victims 
  and using their own words to lure their surviving kinfolk to 
  their deaths. If the Mocker possesses any ability to speak 
  in its own words, no one has ever lived to report it. The 
  only sounds that it makes are perfect imitations of voices 
  that it has overheard and it has a huge repertoire to call 
  upon. 
  Its bite is invariably lethal. Its ability to conceal itself from 
  magical  searches  unmatched. And  by  the  time  that  the 
  locals in an area realize exactly what sort of predator is 
  devouring travelers and put together an army to destroy 
  it...  the  Mocker  will  have  already  moved  on,  traveling 
  silently by night to a new territory. 
  QUEEN OF THE SMOKING MOUND
  QUEEN OF THE SMOKING MOUND
  MAGICAL PREDATOR
  MAGICAL PREDATOR
  The travelling minstrel Aramias has composed many songs 
  about his adventures, but perhaps the least believable is 
  his ode to the Queen of the Smoking Mound. 
  Aramias claims to have been captured by black ants while 
  traveling  through  the  region.  They  dragged  him  deep 
  underground.  Within  the  mound,  strange  mechanisms 
  raised  and  lowered  platforms  and  the  voiceless  ants 
  carefully maintained huge furnaces which were the source 
  of the smoke. 
  Aramias was held for days but was finally taken to the very 
  bottom of the subterranean fortress and presented to their 
  queen. This was a huge and bloated black ant who sat on a 
  throne of mouse and rat skulls, surrounded by a brood of 
  thousands of quivering grubs. Unlike the others, she could 
  actually  speak  and  seemed  to  be  as  intelligent  as  any 
  mouse. Things looked grim for Aramias, but it turned out 
  that  the  queen  had  ordered  his  capture  because  of the 
  
  strange sounds that she heard him make while practicing 
  with his lute. 
  The minstrel quickly composed a flattering ode to the great 
  queen's chitinous beauty and so impressed her that he was 
  given  back  his  gear  and  escorted  back  to  the  surface. 
  Aramias,  of  course,  is  a  notorious  liar,  so  most  people 
  discount his tale completely. 
  RUSALKA
  RUSALKA
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS
  These creatures appear to be the vengeful ghosts of mice 
  and rats that were drowned by their fellows. Their spirits 
  haunt the area where they perished and take their revenge 
  on any living mice or rats which come too close. Physically 
  they  are  water-logged  drowned  mice  or  rats,  obviously 
  partly  rotted  and  decayed  but  unnaturally  animated. 
  Drowned rats are more easily spotted due to their size, but 
  their  increased  strength  makes  them  that  much  more 
  dangerous. 
  Rusalka cannot travel far from where their mortal remains 
  lie, but they are naturally gifted at Guise magic. They use 
  illusions to lure victims to the water's edge or to appear to 
  onlookers as they did in life. Once a victim is within arm's 
  reach, the Rusalka drops its spells and attempts to seize 
  them in its black, clawed hands. If it successfully grabs a 
  target, it will next drop down into the water and pull them 
  under, attempting to drown them in its icy embrace. 
  Physical weapons can slay a Rusalka, but so long as its 
  bones remain in the area it will swiftly dissolve and reform. 
  Digging  up  those  bones  and  using  a  difficulty  HARD 
  Whispers spell to break the spirit's connection to them is 
  the only way to permanently be rid of one of these foul 
  creatures.
  SETHIAS THE BLACK
  SETHIAS THE BLACK
  UNIQUE DANGEROUS SPIRIT
  UNIQUE DANGEROUS SPIRIT
  The  First  One  named  Sethias  is  notable  to  scholars  for 
  being the mouse who proposed the laws banning the use of 
  magic to speak with the dark gods... and the first person to 
  be  executed  for
   breaking 
  those  laws.  Any  other 
  contributions he might have made were expunged from the 
  histories after his execution.
  There  his  story  ends,  at  least  in  most  volumes.  But  a 
  handful of ancient texts hint at a darker secret. Some claim 
  that what Sethias bargained for was immortality and he 
  received it. Though his brothers and sisters inflicted many 
  mortal wounds upon him, Sethias simply would not die. 
  In the end, the other White Lords  imprisoned him in a 
  magically sealed tomb from which he could not escape. His 
  followers  were  slain  and  his  name  expunged  from  the 
  histories. The location of his tomb has been kept secret to 
  this day. 
  Long dead, horribly wounded and yet still alive and quite, 
  quite  mad,  Sethias  waits  in  the  darkness  and  plots  his 
  revenge upon his long-dead betrayers. 
  SKZENTIC
  SKZENTIC
  DARK GOD
  DARK GOD
  Commonly depicted as a huge and bloated toad, this dark 
  god has power over all manner of parasites and tiny vermin 
  (including the Black Flies) and can cure and cause many 
  diseases. He has been known to blight crops, poison water 
  and generally spread illness and dismay. 
  His worshipers commonly invoke him in hopes that he will 
  smite their hated enemies, but this is inherently risky even 
  if they succeed. Skzentic's curses are rarely focused on a 
  single individual and are often quite contagious. 
  Worship of Skzentic is rare among the upper classes. His 
  cults  are  generally  composed  of  the  bitter  and  down-
  trodden, peasants  and  outcasts  so  full  of hate  for  their 
  fellows  that  they  would  wish  even  Skzentic's  attentions 
  upon them. 
  SSAAA
  SSAAA
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  UNIQUE MAGICAL PREDATOR
  Known as the Whisperer of Secrets, this huge serpent is 
  regarded as the great trickster and tempter. It is said that 
  he lurks near the edges of the Fallows, seeking prey, but 
  also seeking followers. Having devoured several of the First 
  Ones back in ancient times, Ssaaa now possesses great 
  intelligent and magical abilities well beyond those of most 
  modern mages. 
  He loves to speak to travelers from hiding, pretending to be 
  some shy and fearful mouse just a little too uncertain to 
  move into view. His ability to lift secrets from a mouse's 
  mind are unparalleled and those who agree to serve him 
  act  as  his  eyes  and  ears  inside  the  Fallows  proper.  He 
  controls a great secret cult of worshipers that he always 
  works to expand. 
  While a true Dark God might be able to wish something 
  into  being  in  response  to  a  request,  Ssaaa  uses  more 
  prosaic means. If a mouse were to bargain with him for 
  wealth, he might tell them to go to a particular spot at 
  midnight two days hence and seek his wealth there. This 
  gives Ssaaa plenty of time to use Whispers to contact one 
  of his wealthier followers and command  them  to leave a 
  bag of gold at that location before the new petitioner could 
  arrive there. 
  Ssaaa  still  eats  mice,  but  he  loves  verbal  duels  and 
  manipulation more than a meal. He is only likely to emerge 
  from the shadows and devour a mouse if he is certain that 
  they have already realized his true identity and are thus no 
  longer “fun”. 
  WILL O'WISPS
  WILL O'WISPS
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS(?)
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS(?)
  These  mysterious  lights  haunt  the  dimly  lit  interior  of 
  
  Murkwater. They can often be seen dancing in the air at a 
  great distance. Sometimes they seem like they are trying 
  to  attract  the  viewer's  attention  and  want  to  lead  him 
  somewhere, but stories claim that if you try to follow one 
  you will inevitably find yourself inescapably lost. 
  A few souls with more common sense than romance say 
  that these are simply an unusually large and bright species 
  of  firefly  and  are  harmless.  More  mystical  explanations 
  include restless ghosts and malign spirits. 
  THE WORMS OF THE EARTH
  THE WORMS OF THE EARTH
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS(?)
  DANGEROUS SPIRITS(?)
  Tales of the underworld always include a single, odd, facet 
  of unknown origin... the ancient mice who fled there could 
  only survive by striking a bargain with the Worms, dark 
  and mysterious creatures who are regarded by some as a 
  collective dark god in their own right. 
  Stories say that it is not safe to sleep on bare earth on 
  certain nights, for the Worms are active then. Their victims 
  simply  disappear  before  dawn,  leaving  only  a  patch  of 
  strangely disturbed earth where they had been sleeping.
  Some mages claim to hear their whispers on dark nights, 
  especially inside of caves or near great cracks and crevices. 
  The bargains that are struck invariably involve leaving mice 
  and  rats  tied  down  on  bare  soil  during  the  darkest  of 
  nights. Such sacrifices are always gone by morning, their 
  fate unknown. 
  The exact powers that the Worms possess seem to be very 
  limited, save in one area. They can destabilize the ground 
  under an area, causing sinkholes or small, earthquake-like 
  shifts in the soil. This is a slow process, often taking days, 
  but once the ground has been prepared the actual shift in 
  the  soil  can  occur  quite  rapidly,  destroying  houses  and 
  other structures as the earth moves beneath them. 
  
  FORBIDDEN RITES
  FORBIDDEN RITES
  There are depths to the Outer Darkness where swim things 
  darker and more dangerous than mere demons. It is said 
  that there are things there that can be bargained with... if 
  one can find the right words or rituals. 
  There are an almost unlimited number of magical effects 
  that  can  be  produced  by  finding  the  right  spirit  and 
  convincing  it  to  perform  them,  but  they  always  want 
  sacrifices in return. Blood is the true currency of the spirit 
  world and murder the best way to provide it.
  BARGAINING WITH DARK GODS
  BARGAINING WITH DARK GODS
  There  are  five  basic  levels  of  sacrifice.  Minor  requests 
  might be performed in return for a level one rite, but more 
  potent acts require increasingly unpleasant acts. Enacting a 
  bargain requires that the character perform a rite of the 
  appropriate or higher level and then cast the Dark Prayer 
  High Sorcery. If the spell succeeds, the desired dark lord 
  will hear their supplication and fulfill the bargain... in the 
  manner that they see fit. It is not unknown for those who 
  ask for too much to be cheated by the dark forces.
  If a character is uncertain what sort of sacrifice would be 
  sufficient, they can use the Dark Prayer to commune with 
  the spirit world. If cast successfully, they will see a vision 
  of themselves performing whatever sort of action the dark 
  god being petitioned might require. Different spirits have 
  different capabilities (see the Dark Gods listed in the Dark 
  Demons and Legendary Horrors section).
  LEVEL ONE: RITUAL SCARRING
  You scratch the holy runes of the dark god (generally nasty 
  looking crosses and curves) into your flesh. If the bargain 
  works, these will leave ugly, hairless scars permanently.
  These  runes  invariably  cover  a  decent  portion  of  the 
  mage's body, but can be confined to the torso if desired. 
  This makes them a little easier to conceal from others. 
  LEVEL TWO: RITUAL MUTILATION
  You sever one of your own major body parts, usually the 
  tail, although a paw or even both ears could work. It's very 
  hard to conceal this, although more mundane explanations 
  could be offered to turn away suspicions. 
  LEVEL THREE: RITUAL SACRIFICE
  You  ritually  murder  several  strangers  or  one  innocent 
  kinsman beneath a full moon or in some other propitious 
  manner. The rite itself is quite bloody and can take hours.
  LEVEL FOUR: GRAND RITUAL SACRIFICE
  You ritually murder people on a monthly basis for a full 
  year, without fail. Other, similarly impressive feats such as 
  creating  monsters  may  work  as  well,  depending  on  the 
  nature of the dark god being bargained with.
  LEVEL FIVE: VESSEL OF THE UNHOLY
  You sacrifice your own free will, letting your dark master 
  guide your every action. Generally a sorcerer only goes this 
  far when they've already been happily following their dark 
  lord's  commands   for  a long  while.  This  leads  them  to 
  mistakenly  believe  that  giving  themselves  over  to  the 
  powers of the Outer Dark completely couldn't be any worse 
  than what they've already endured.
  In game terms, someone who has become a Vessel of the 
  Unholy must spend Fatigue to  not  immediately obey their 
  lord's  commands  and  their  master  may  freely  paralyze 
  them at will if they try to disobey. 
  BOOSTING YOUR MAGICAL POWER
  BOOSTING YOUR MAGICAL POWER
  Any of the dark gods can be bargained with for magical 
  power. While the exact rituals involved vary, the process 
  always involves a series of increasingly dramatic sacrifices 
  in that god's name. Each one draws down ever more dark 
  and unpleasant energies into the mage's body. 
  Each level acquired grants the sorcerer a new benefit in the 
  form of increasing magical power, such as a +1 bonus to 
  their  Magic  rating, a +4  bonus  to a specific  spell,  or 2 
  points of Magical Powers of their choice. 
  The sacrifice performed must be of a higher level than the 
  total number of levels  of magical benefit that you have 
  already acquired or the effort is wasted. Thus, a sorcerer 
  who has already acquired  three levels  of magical power 
  (perhaps just a +3 to their Magic rating) will never receive 
  any further benefit from a ritual of level three or less. 
  Mages who acquire too many levels of magical energy take 
  on a dark aura which can be sensed by other mice. This 
  takes the form of a  Sixth Sense roll against a difficulty 
  determined by the amount of magical energy possessed.
  ●
  One level: impossible
  ●
  Two levels: VERY HARD (17)
  ●
  Three levels: HARD (14)
  ●
  Four levels: TYPICAL (11)
  ●
  Five levels: no roll required
  Characters who bear occult signs such as ritual scarring or 
  the dark aura had best avoid public  attention. Even the 
  most kind-hearted lord will feel justified in having such a 
  threat to their kingdom executed as soon as possible.
  
  OTHER 
  OTHER EXAMPLE BARGAINS
  EXAMPLE BARGAINS
  CALLING A WINTER STORM
  CALLING A WINTER STORM
  Hartaung  can  command the  weather, at  least as  far as 
  influencing winter is particularly mild or harsh. He vastly 
  prefers the latter, however, and it is much more difficult to 
  convince him to weaken a winter storm than to worsen it. 
  CREATING UNDEAD
  CREATING UNDEAD
  The spirit world is rife with dark entities that have never 
  drawn breath nor felt the warmth of the earth, but which 
  yearn to. To create undead servants, you must first locate 
  an area where the “Waiting Ones” are present in strength. 
  Then you must bring the corpse you desire reanimated to 
  that spot and prepare it for their entry using the Whispers 
  art. If you succeed, one  of the Waiting  Ones  will  crawl 
  inside the decaying remains and bring it to un-life. 
  These foul creatures are good at attacking and devouring 
  their master's enemies, but are slow and stupid at other 
  tasks. They make poor servants overall.
  DRAWING IN PREDATORS
  DRAWING IN PREDATORS
  Dark spirits can also lure a mundane predator such as an 
  unintelligent  snake  or  owl,  causing  it  to  return  to  a 
  particular area over and over again to hunt. This sort of 
  curse generally only ends when the monster is slain. 
  EARTHQUAKES
  EARTHQUAKES
  The Worms of the Earth can be bargained with to cause 
  landslides, sinkholes and similar disturbances in the soil. 
  There is generally a delay of up to a week between the 
  bargain  and  the  point  where  the  earth  below  becomes 
  weak enough to collapse. 
  PLAGUE
  PLAGUE
  Skzentic  is the dark god to bargain with if you wish  to 
  curse a town with plague or other illnesses. In return for 
  sacrifices  and  worship,  he  can  bring  forth  fevers  or 
  parasites that spread wildly over the cursed region. 
  This is, of course, a very dangerous bargain. While a wise 
  bargainer can ensure that they are immune to the curse, it 
  often ends up striking down people that the mage didn't 
  want hurt. Skzentic does not like to rein his children in.
  QUESTIONING THE DEAD
  QUESTIONING THE DEAD
  Daolotch can call back a specific  spirit  and compel it to 
  answer any questions that it could have answered in life, 
  but only for the span of a hundred heartbeats. This is a 
  grim  and  dire  event,  for  the  tormented  ghost  will  be 
  screaming in agony as they do so. 
  RAISING THE DEAD
  RAISING THE DEAD
  Many spirits  claim  to have the ability to revive a mage's 
  deceased  loved  ones  in  return  for  dreadful  sacrifices. 
  Daolotch in particular is known to torment petitioners with 
  visions of them being reunited with their late beloved. 
  To date, however, no such bargain is known to have been 
  successfully  completed,  although  a  number  of  horrible 
  ghosts or undead have been unleashed upon the world by 
  failed attempts. 
  DREAD WEAPONS
  DREAD WEAPONS
  More martial sorcerers sometimes bargain instead for one 
  of the Dread Weapons, mystical artifacts of great power. 
  These  rune-covered  blades  are  generally  forged  out  of 
  oddly colored metal and emanate a quite detectable aura of 
  foul, alien magic.
  A Sixth Sense check can reveal the presence of one of the 
  Dread Weapons, with the difficulty of the roll being based 
  on how well concealed it is. If one is being wielded openly 
  in battle, its eldritch nature is EASY (8) to sense, one held 
  openly but not in use is TYPICAL (11), one sheathed is 
  HARD (14) and one that has been deliberately hidden away 
  can still be sensed with a VERY HARD (17) Sixth Sense roll. 
  A Dread Weapon provides the following benefits:
  ●
  Inflicts  bonus damage equal  to the wielder's  Magic 
  rating whenever it strikes a foe. This bonus damage 
  can  harm  undead  and  other  spirits  with  physical 
  bodies, but cannot harm immaterial ones.
  ●
  Heals 1d4 wounds and restores 1 Fatigue to the user 
  whenever used to kill a living intelligent creature.
  ●
  Adds  the  user's  Magic  rating  to  any  attempt  to 
  Intimidate others with it, including spirits.
  ●
  Adds the user's Magic rating to one other normal skill 
  or ½ of their Magic rating (round down) to a Combat 
  Rating, or some similar  bonus. The type of benefit 
  depends upon the weapon's nature.
  However, a Dread Weapon, despite its power, is not really 
  a desirable thing. Each has its own malign personality that 
  can influence its owner and those around them. They are a 
  corruptive influence on the mortal world.
  ●
  On a botched attack or parry roll, the wielder may 
  (GM option) go into a berserk rage, no longer able to 
  distinguish friend from foe.
  ●
  All weak-willed, wrathful or greedy people nearby will 
  come to covet the weapon. 
  ●
  Foul spirits find it enormously easier to cross over into 
  the lands of the living in its vicinity. The whole area 
  within a day's travel of it will experience a surge of 
  Ghuls, Frostmice and similar creatures. 
  ●
  Nearby creatures tend to sicken and die over time 
  from its mere presence. Even its owner may suffer if 
  they do not kill with it at least once a month. 
  ●
  If  the  weapon  truly  desires  to  do  something,  the 
  wielder must spend 1 Fatigue in order to not follow its 
  suggestions. These weapons hunger for the souls of 
  the innocent, so anything that they suggest is going 
  to be unpleasant.
  ●
  The wielder suffers 1 point of Fatigue per battle in 
  which the weapon is actually drawn or wielded. This 
  occurs  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  so  killing 
  someone with it can remove this effect. 
  According to some legends, Luciel himself wielded a rune-
  covered metal blade cast in the shape of a cat's tooth. Its 
  touch cast lightning into the blood of his foes and many 
  cats were slain by its power. In most versions of the tale, 
  this strange blade was returned to the Outer Darkness once 
  the war was over. 
  A  few,  however,  claim  that  the  nameless  blade  lies 
  magically sealed in a great vault somewhere in Muscala, 
  hidden away against the possibility that it might be needed 
  again someday.
  
  AUSPICIOUS TIMES AND LOCALES
  AUSPICIOUS TIMES AND LOCALES
  Communicating  with  the  dark  gods  is  not  always  easy. 
  There  are  places  where  they  are  strong  and  the  walls 
  between the world and the Outer Darkness are thin indeed. 
  In such spots, forbidden magics may be dangerously easy.
  TZARCHUL TEMPLES
  TZARCHUL TEMPLES
  The Tzarchul worshiped and honored the gods of the Outer 
  Darkness and some of their temples still have pits filled 
  with  the  mouldering  bones  of  ancient  sacrifices.  These 
  places are often sacred to the dark gods and their powers 
  are strong there. 
  Use of dark magic  in  such places is  often much easier, 
  granting a +2 bonus to any spell-casting rolls made. If the 
  temple is dedicated to a particular dark god, attempts to 
  bargain with them there are at +4 instead, while spells to 
  commune with others are at -4. 
  DEAD TREES
  DEAD TREES
  When a temple is not available, a dead tree often works as 
  well. These huge corpses, gigantic on a mousy scale, grant 
  a +1 bonus to any dark magics worked there. 
  GRAVEYARDS AND TOMBS
  GRAVEYARDS AND TOMBS
  These places of death are particularly appropriate for spells 
  involving Daolotch or Ghuls, adding a +2 bonus to them.
  MOONLESS NIGHTS
  MOONLESS NIGHTS
  The darkest night of each month is similarly  significant, 
  granting a +1 bonus to all dark magics. 
  SUMMER AND WINTER SOLSTICE
  SUMMER AND WINTER SOLSTICE
  The spirit world is particularly close on the longest day and 
  longest night of each year. All Whispers spells are at +2 on 
  those dates. 
  OWL-WORSHIPER SHRINES
  OWL-WORSHIPER SHRINES
  These dark places erected in the honor of Hoorooru are 
  decorated with  dried owl pellets filled  with the bones of 
  mice and rats. Whisper magic can be used to communicate 
  with the owl from whose gullet the owl pellet came and the 
  sheer macabre nature of these shrines grants a +1 bonus 
  to contact dark spirits. 
  EXPERIENCE
  EXPERIENCE
  ADVANCEMENT AND HERO POINTS
  ADVANCEMENT AND HERO POINTS
  At the end of each session, characters receive 1 to 3 XP 
  which they can pool and spend when they wish. They'll also 
  receive some replacement Hero Points. 
  Basically put:
  ●
  Short session: 1 XP, 1 Hero Point
  ●
  Normal session: 2 XP, 2 Hero Points
  ●
  Marathon session or plot climax: 
  3 XP, Hero Points refilled to full
  STANDARD XP COSTS
  STANDARD XP COSTS
  ●
  Improving a Standard Skill by +1: 
  1 XP per level from +1 to +3
  2 XP per level from +4 to +6
  ●
  Improving a Combat Rating by +1: 
  2 XP per level from +1 to +3
  4 XP per level from +4 to +6
  ●
  Buying a new Power: 5 XP per Power Point
  ●
  Improving a Stat by +1: 10 XP (once per stat)
  Skills and Combat Ratings can be improved to a maximum 
  rating of +6. Going from +0 to +1 in a skill costs 1 XP, 
  from +1 to +2 costs another 1 XP, et cetera. Above +3, 
  the costs are doubled. Note that Combat ratings are twice 
  as expensive to improve as regular skills. 
  Powers such as High Sorceries may (GM option) require 
  you to find a source of knowledge in play before you can 
  purchase them. 
  Each  stat  can  only  be  increased  once  after  character 
  creation. 
  HERO POINTS
  HERO POINTS
  At  the  end  of  each  session,  characters  receive  some 
  replacement Hero Points. If this would take you above the 
  upper limit of 5 Hero Points, the extra points are lost (this 
  encourages folks to spend them a little more often). 
  The GM may also wish to award Hero Points for particularly 
  entertaining  actions, staying  in  character  under extreme 
  duress  or  especially  creative  contributions  to  the  game. 
  Just try to avoid favoritism. 
  
  ROKO, JUMPING MOUSE WARRIOR
  ROKO, JUMPING MOUSE WARRIOR
  AGILITY:
  +3
  SIZE: 0
  BRAWN:
  +3
  SOCIAL STATUS: Commoner 
  (+0)
  CLEVERNESS:
  +0
  PERCEPTION: +1
  HIT POINTS: 16
  MAGIC:
  +0
  COMBAT RATINGS
  MELEE:
  (base Agi+Brawn)
  +6
  DODGE:
  (base Agi+Clv)
  +3
  THROWN:
  (base Brawn+Per)
  +4
  COURAGE:
  (base Brawn+Clv)
  +3
  RANGED:
  (base Agi+Per)
  +4
  LEADERSHIP:
  (base Clv+Per)
  +1
  Powers & Balanced Traits: 
  ●
  Combat Machine (1)
  ●
  Extra Hit Points (1)
  ●
  Familiar Territory: Duvain's Weal (1) 
  ●
  Fearless (1)
  ●
  Keen Nose (1)
  ●
  One with the Night (1)
  ●
  Twin-Blade Strike (1)
  Flaws:
  ●
  Duty: Protect Cassandra (-1)
  ●
  Superstitious (-1)
  LADY CASSANDRA, WHITE MOUSE MAGE
  LADY CASSANDRA, WHITE MOUSE MAGE
  AGILITY:
  +1
  SIZE: 0
  BRAWN:
  -2
  SOCIAL STATUS: Upper 
  class (+2)
  CLEVERNESS:
  +3
  PERCEPTION: +1
  HIT POINTS: 11
  MAGIC:
  +4
  COMBAT RATINGS
  MELEE:
  (base Agi+Brawn)
  -1
  DODGE:
  (base Agi+Clv)
  +4
  THROWN:
  (base Brawn+Per)
  -1
  COURAGE:
  (base Brawn+Clv)
  +1
  RANGED:
  (base Agi+Per)
  +2
  LEADERSHIP:
  (base Clv+Per)
  +4
  Powers & Balanced Traits: 
  ●
  Extra Hit Points (1)
  ●
  Magic Spell: Tug (2)
  ●
  Tug High Sorcery: Levitation (1)
  ●
  Magic Spell: Shaping (2)
  ●
  Shaping High Sorcery: Physician's Touch (1)
  ●
  Membership: Magellian's Cloak (0)
  Flaws:
  ●
  Duty: Defend the Fallows (-1)
  ●
  Grim (-1)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hyperborean Mice/Hyperborean Mice Corebook.pdf