DMing Chemistry

Melinkars are small, six-legged carnivores, usually between 30 and 50 cm long. They have long, dog-like snouts and almost no ears. Their head is almost naked, as are their legs, but their bodies have long, shaggy fur. Their tails can either be naked, scaly or furry, depending on the exact subspecies. While mostly carrion eaters, they keep themselves very clean. A domesticated melinkar almost doesn’t smell at all. They are popular pets both amongst the nobility and the working class, as they can and will eat almost anything, nearly fully eliminating domestic food waste. They are also quite intelligent, and when motivated properly can be taught simple tricks, like standing on their hind legs, doing a jumping backflip, or fetching small objects. Melinkars also make good familiars to sorcerers and priests, as they can be used to discreetly spy on people. Most settlements have a rather large population of half-domesticated melinkars running around, eating trash, and generally being a nui

This helmet is remarkable not only because it’s magical, but because it is made entirely out of steel . It is made in the orcish style, but was actually forged by a human blacksmith named Eox. Its only decoration is an eagle sitting on top of the helmet. The Strategos Helmet allows its wearer to see anything up to the horizon as well as if they were standing but a few meters away. They may also enhance their shouting to be heard miles away, even over the sounds of battle. The Strategos Helm is currently in the possession of Kug-Muti of the Five Sorcerers of Satnak . He took it from a defeated general of a foreign army that has invaded the Ippur Empire some eighty years ago.

Peristeroi are spirits worshipped by the orcs that keep diseases and miscarriages away by scaring the demons and deities associated with them. They often have their statues or pictures displayed prominently on orcish homes, leading to the widespread myth that orcish deities are bloodthirsty monsters. They are usually depicted as having large fangs, a broad tongue, piercing eyes and other monstrous features such as horns, claws, snake for hair, etc. There are hundreds of Peristeroi, and when moving to a new house, orcs will not sleep for the first three nights there. According to them, on the third night at midnight the Peristeros assigned to the house shows itself to them. Then they can use its image to protect their new home. There are very few temples to the Peristeroi, but in areas long settled by orcs one may stumble upon the ruins of old houses with their statues or images intact. Once can contact them there, or they can take the statue or image back to their home so that the

Not much is known about Aga of the Five Sorcerers, not even their gender. They always wore heavy robes, hid their face behind a veil, and whoever spoke to them always heard them talking in their own voice. Despite the eerie atmosphere, however everyone who has ever interacted with Aga described them as a rather cheerful, carefree and humorous individual. They were always enthusiastic about listening to other people’s problems and helped where they could. Their life before coming to Satnak is a complete mystery. It’s as if they just appeared out of thin air one day. Some say they were a sibling of Nimir-Esh , others that he learned his blood-magic from them. But these are just rumors, and in the end no-one alive knows. Aga was very skilled in divination, quickly rising to be the Great Oracle of Satnak even before the Uprising. They could also control blood to move as they wished, or to form into sharp blades that could cut stone. Sometimes they would even control blood still inside

The Great Oracle is said to be blessed by Pafatra and Nir so that their sight covers both the present and the future (they cannot see the past). They sit in an underground chamber at the temple-complex dedicated to the three rivers , the Crafter and the Patron of Haulers. The chamber has a gigantic carved stone head, which depicts a giant bird. The Oracle drinks a special beverage made from dates and certain herbs that help them get into their trance. Afterwards the Oracle speaks in a long-forgotten tongue, that only the priests of the temple can decipher. The Oracle does not remember what they said while in the trance. While the Oracle is technically open to anyone, and renders their services for free, the priests usually expect a generous donation to the temple for their services as translators. Right now the seat of the Oracle is empty, for Aga , the previous Oracle has died less than a year ago. There is intense competition for the honor amongst the priests and sorcerers of the

As the name implies reptilians are large reptile-looking humanoids. They have small, fine scales that from a distance gives the illusion of leathery skin. They also possess integumentary filaments, especially on the head, that gives the impression of fur and hair. They have short faces and forward-looking eyes. Coloration varies a lot, but its mostly greens and browns, sometimes with stripes or other patterns. Reptilians mostly live to the South-west of the former Ippur Empire , concentrated along the banks of the river Hapy, whose regular floods provide a reliable basis for agriculture, but many live in diasporas elsewhere, even in the far north, as they are in fact warm-blooded. They are skilled architects, astronomers, and their mathematicians are without peer. They also have a flourishing shipping and shipbuilding industry which focuses on ferrying goods up and down the river. They are also the civilization least ravaged by the current crisis, even being able to stop a foreign in

Anyone can tell you that the heretics of the Crimson Mantle are mad. Everyone will tell you that they are deluded, and that the gods will smite them as surely as the sun rises each day. Yet when in the night a temple is set ablaze, and the cry of “No gods or masters!” echoes down the streets, more and more voices will answer “No gods or masters!” The Crimson Mantle is as much a political faction as it is a religious one. It was founded by people dissatisfied with the divine-blooded ruling class. Its goal is to elevate mortals by killing priests , deities, and their bastards, the sorcerers . They do this ostensibly without using magic, though some of the techniques they use do often seem like magic to outside observers. If you bring this up, they just shrug, and tell you that they have simply attained complete control over their body, and that these abilities are the result. They reject the rule of the powerful, and preach that one should first know themselves before trying to force t

This small ring is made out of wood and has thorns growing out of it (hence the name). It is said to have been made by the wood elves , but no wood elf who has been asked about it knew if it truly came from them. While wearing this ring, one is constantly getting pricked by the thorns. This is actually intentional, and the blood of the wearer is what powers the magical properties of the ring. This means that the ring gets more powerful the more wearer’s blood is. For most normal people the ring only allows them to make plants watered by their blood grow twice as fast. For the average sorcerer it allows them to make thorny vines erupt from the ground to bind their enemies. The most powerful Sorcerer-Kings can encase whole cities in a wall of thorns several meters thick. The ring is currently in the possession of Akat-Nim, a middling sorcerer who was once a lieutenant of Sasmir , but now works as a mercenary, only looking out for himself.

As a wise man once said: there are no unkillable beings in this world. This saying is held to be true by most of the world. It may be convoluted, it may not even be possible for mortals, but there is a way to kill anything, even the gods themselves. The orcs believe that to the distant west, there is an island where golden apples grow, that give the gods their unending lives and their immunity to weapons and magic. According to the bronze elves a small weed growing on the seafloor can grant eternal life to those who eat it. The wood elves hold that to not be touched by aging and illness is a sign of being in touch with the true nature of the world, while the reptilians of the south say that they are just part of the divine nature of a being. Humans are generally silent on the matter, except for saying “if it bleeds, we can kill it”. Legends tell of a few general ways to kill otherwise immortal beings. Ancient clay tablets mention that sky-gods can be killed when the motion of the

This palm-sized, round talisman is made from some kind of metal, though exactly what is difficult to tell, as it is constantly oozing blood, obscuring the metal. It has a small carving depicting a priest in a bird mask performing human (well some kind of humanoid) sacrifice on top of a ziggurat. The holder of this talisman is capable of transferring their currently bleeding wounds to another person they can see. This lasts as long as the target is seen by the holder, or until the target expires. The talisman can also be used to create a blood-slave, a blob of blood capable of locomotion and following simple commands by its creator, by submerging the talisman in a bucketful of fresh blood. The blood-slave lasts as long as the talisman is inside its body, or until it is destroyed. The Blood-soaked Talisman was the prized possession of Aga, Third of Five , the Blood Sorcerer, before his untimely demise. It has not been seen since then, and many believe it to have been stolen. This is s

Deep in the mountains near Satnak there is a small village, that few know of. The inhabitants are reluctant to let outsiders into their homes and they simply vanish into the mountains when taxmen or administrators come from the city. Sometimes a few of them turn up to trade either on the caravan routes or in the city, but these encounters are few and far between. They also worship a strange and mysterious god. Ak-Tar, as the god is knows, is a strange being. Unlike many other gods, Ak-Tar is a fully physical being. It is an intelligent, psychic slime, mold, or fungus (it has characteristics of all three) that grows in one of the many caves in the mountains. It claims to be as old as the universe, but in reality it was brought here by a spaceship of those who came before that lays undiscovered at the bottom of a chasm not far from the village. Ak-Tar’s ultimate goal is to return to its home planet, but it knows that it will take thousands of years for the technology of this planet

The Artenean Staff is a powerful magical artifact, most famously used by the late Nimir-Esh . It is made of two interlocking spirals, one made from bronze and the other made of copper. It is decorated with seven small copper plates inscribed with hymns to the primordial water goddess En. It was made by the orcish mage-smiths of Arteneia, and it is said, it can command any body of water to move as the wielder dictates. When Nimir-Esh died, many were eager to claim this powerful item for themselves. However, it was not mentioned in his last will, and despite multiple very thorough searches of his palace-laboratory it has never been found. Some say that he hid it in a secret place, awaiting his true heir. Other say it has returned to Artaneia, as Nimir-Esh had only borrowed it from his makers. A third theory is that Samsir took it, and now it resides somewhere in the hair-filled halls of her tower. Wherever it may be, it is certain that everyone with even a passing interest in the po

Sasmir is the wife of the late Nimir-Esh . After her husband’s death she dressed in a white burial garment and sealed herself inside the tallest tower in Satnak . For years no-one entered, or even knew what was going on. Last summer, however people began to notice strands of hair growing out from behind the sealed gates. As Sasmir did not answer to magical or non-magical summons, the seal was ordered broken, and the gates opened. What was found no-one could have anticipated. The inside of the tower was overrun with vibrant, luscious locks of hair. They grew from unseen roots, high up in the tower. Although they grew slowly, they seemed to grow with purpose, like a plant growing towards the light. The higher one would go, the more tightly packed the locks would become, until finally one would enter the room it all began. The hair grew, of course, from the head of Samsir, now unmoving and unresponsive, yet still undeniably alive. None could tell how, but she seems to have achieved a s

Unlike most other forms of magic which are restricted to priests, divine champions , or the descendants of deities, curses are available to most people. Curses are essentially prayers to Underworld deities, usually written on metal tablets, paper slips, or pieces of ceramics which are then ritualistically buried. The curse must specify who the accursed should be, what misfortune should befall them, and which deity is invoked to make that happen. A sacrifice must also be buried at the same time as the prayer. Most often takes the form of money, other valuables or black-colored animals. In order to break the curse one must find where the sacrifice is buried, and take it out of the ground, then donate it to a temple of a different deity. This is obviously harder to do with already decomposed sacrificial animals, but people often hide the remains inside other offerings, tricking the temples into accepting them. Alternatively one can dig up the prayer itself, then take it to the temple o

Nimir-Esh was the most powerful of the Five Sorcerers of Satnak and, perhaps surprisingly, he was the first of them to die. When the news broke, hundreds fell to their knees crying on the streets, in their homes, even on the balconies and terraces of the temples and palaces. He was a large man, with a thick beard and a thicker arm. His eyes gleaned red, and his hair ran wild. He claimed to be descended from Soo-Eh , and wielded the magic of rage and the magic of blood. Yet he was kind, and he was thoughtful. Once he spent a day thinking on how to help a man stuck under a collapsed house, as to not cause him injuries while saving him. It is whispered he knew the names of the demons of the winds, and that he foresaw the hour of his death. With his passing the shadows grow long, and the hearts of men grows bitter. The remaining members of the Five now turn to their own machinations, and his legacy seems to already be corroded. It is not all lost, however. A few of his old followers sti

According to mystics who communicate with beings from the stars, the various species of dinosaurs that roam the land come from the same place as humans, only from another time, but there is no way to verify this. It is certain, however that they are beloved by the goddess Soo-Eh. She is a mighty goddess who has power over those in love, in war, or in power over their fellows. She is considered a benevolent goddess who often grants blessings, and rarely metes out punishments. In her anger though, she is terrifying and destructive, even more so than other deities. It is said, that anyone who kills a dinosaur without offering something in her temple as compensation will suffer bad luck for seven years, after which they will die with nothing to their name, alone, and unloved. Soo-Eh is usually depicted as various dinosaurs, most commonly a T-Rex or a sauropod, with gold and opal jewelry. Her symbols are stylized drawings of dinosaurs, large fangs or claws, and eggs. Her priestesses gain

Genoth Genoth are large predatory animals, approximately the size of a bull. They have six limbs. The uppermost pair looks almost humanoid, with opposable thumbs and long, sharp nails. The middle and hind pairs don’t share this feature, they have large claws instead. Genoth are ambush predators, with numerous color variants, each adapted for different environments. The most common are the reddish-brown and the yellow-black striped variants. Their heads feature relatively short faces, small, pointed ears and deep set eyes. Their bite force is very formidable, allowing them to access the bone marrow from scavenged kills from other predators. Genoth usually travel on four legs, move on all six when stalking or sprinting, and can usually rear up to their hind two legs to fight. In mythology Genoth are usually portrayed as evil, unstoppable forces of destruction, despite being no more malicious than any other animal. In many cultures saying their name is taboo, for the fear of summoning

Sem is the goddess of the river Sem. Her father is Nir, and her mother is Emsa. Like most river deities she is the patron of farmers, and fishermen. Unlike most river deities she is a great warrior-goddess, and a patron of fighters. It is said that when the Ippur Empire conquered Satnak , fifty of her priestesses slaughtered a three hundred men before being overwhelmed by the tide of soldiers. But overwhelmed they were, and the goddess was stolen. She now dwells in a modest temple in Nashat-Ippur, instead of her great cathedral in her home city of Satnak. She is usually depicted as a middle-aged woman with long, curly hair, wearing bronze armor decorated with a jackal’s hide, holding a trident and a net, and carrying a bow and arrows. Her symbols include jackals, tridents, nets, and four bronze wires crossed like a hash sing (#). Her holy days are the third week of spring, when the river floods. Warriors who retire often give their armaments to the temples as sacrifice on that week

Not-a-Wolf is the common name of an evil spirit (its real name is only spoken to bind of banish it, because if the speaker is not trained enough in the mystical art, they may summon or even fall under the control of the spirit). It manifests as a large, black wolf with glowing red eyes. It can talk, and will insist, loudly, that it is just a perfectly normal wolf, vehemently denying any evidence to the contrary. The best way to make it absolutely livid is to point out that wolves usually don’t talk. Not-a-Wolf hunts those consumed by some sort of addiction, although it’s not very particular about the form of the addiction itself. It approaches the addict from the shadows as they indulge in their vice, only its glowing eyes showing at first. Then it attacks its victim, trying to tear them apart. In truth the spirit is a shapeshifter, its true form being a shadowy, lumpy, fleshy mass with four humanoid arms extending from it, enabling it to move around. It retains the glowing eyes in

Deep underground, in the mountains near Satnak , there is a three-ton stone tablet engraved with protective and restraining spells. Under the tablet there is a flight of stairs that leads deeper into the bowels of the earth. It continues for seven miles, until it reaches a heavy bronze door. The door has even more spells engraved on it, mostly focused on keeping the door shut from the other side. It also has a prominent engraving in a dead language only spoken by a few scholars in the greatest temples. It simply says “Leave this place!” Behind the door is a small room covered in obsidian plates, with a gold and silver encrusted bronze pillar in the middle. There is a giant, vaguely humanoid figure chained to the pillar with steel chains. The figure has ashen skin, lidless black eyes, and no hair. In fact his entire upper cranium is missing, as the steel chains binding him end in two great serpents, which are forever feasting on his continuously regenerating brain. Who this figure is,

Foxes have long been associated with murder, war, and destruction. It is said that the first fox used to be all white, before he made a pact with Aramash-Itar, the Bringer of Agony. He would retrieve the gods lost nine-headed scourge and in exchange he would be allowed to bathe in the blood of the god, becoming immortal in the process. However a carrion bird informed Aramash-Itar that it was in fact the fox who stole his scourge, leading to the god grabbing the fox’s tail as he dived into the pool of his blood, explaining why the end of the fox’s tail is still white, and why foxes aren’t invincible.  Image by Roger N Clark

It is said that Prior to the Satnak Uprising the Five Sorcerers of the city were visited in his dreams by a fox . It said to them: “Lead your people to war, and I shall grant you the strength to crush all who stands before you.” the Sorcerers didn’t accept. The next night, a blood-red skeleton visited them. “Lead your people to war, and I shall give you the power to turn your enemies, their families, and all of their works to dust.” they refused again. On the third night a great black vulture visited their dreams. “Lead your people to war, and I shall give you the power to erase even the memory of your enemies from the world.” it said. The Sorcerers once again refused. Finally a small girl visited their dreams, and said to them: “Lead your people to freedom, and I shall give you the power to give them what they ask for.” The next day Satnak rose in rebellion. This account was given by the Sorcerers themselves, and there are a number of people that believe it to be false, especially

It is said that once a year, on the slopes of Mount Arduk, less than a week’s journey from the city of Satrak , the gods and goddesses sing and dance and the gods take wives and the goddesses take husbands for the following year. One day two young men thought to spy upon these festivities, and to take goddesses as their wives. Just before dawn they crept up the slopes, trusting in their skill as hunters, trappers, and wife-stealers. They concealed themselves in a rose bush, and waited for the sunrise. Just as dawn broke, they saw the Heavens and the Earth open up, sky-gods and goddesses descending from the heights, and underworld deities slowly creeping up from down below. Then there was singing, and dancing, and food, and drink. The two youths knew, that if only they could eat the food and drink the drink, they would become unaging as the gods. They tried to sneak out from the bush, but it became as vines, and held them in place. For the gods have seen them hiding in the rose bush,

For the past two hundred years the Sarcophagus of Yillim has been housed deep in the caves of the mountains outside Satnak . It’s a huge stone structure, almost two meters tall and about four meters long. It is decorated with numerous carvings of people and animals traveling to see a creature with a humanoid body, but with the head of an unidentifiable animal. The identity of this figure has long been the subject of speculation among sorcerers and mystics. The priests of the temple of Kuthur have a few partially damaged tablets that suggests his name is Yillim, but nothing more is known. The Sarcophagus is enchanted with strange magic. If someone lies down in it, they wither and die in a matter of minutes. However, if someone lies down in it with a corpse, the corpse will turn to dust, and the person will find themselves larger, stronger, faster, and more intelligent than before. Their eyes will also take on a strange yellow tint. After a few months, people changed this way start to d

Tzukrurh are strange, otherworldly beings. They look like llamas with very long fur, except that they don’t have a head, their neck just ends in a rounded stump. They are about as tall as a human. They each have a bone plate that looks like a humanoid face hidden under the fur of their necks (it faces the way you would expect it to face, and it’s about 15 cm under their top of their neck stump). They move in small herds of 3-10 individuals. The people of the western forests hold them sacred, but pretty much everywhere else, meeting them is considered a terrible omen, foretelling a great catastrophe. It is sometimes said that the catastrophe can be avoided if the tzukrurh are ignored, then once they are out of sight, salt is poured onto their tracks.

It has been forty-five years since the city of Satnak, and by extension the province named after it rose up in rebellion. Forty-three years since the Five Sorcerers have slain the tyrant Numash-Akir , and seared his flesh from his bones. Forty-two since the new Sorcerer-King of Nashat-Ippur sued for peace. Now the situation is almost as volatile. Three of the Five Sorcerers are dead or on their deathbed, and the remaining two seem to have their sights on making sure that their sons rule Satnak as sole Sorcerer-King. Yet the families and followers of the other three are not ready to take this change in leadership lying down, and are willing to look for outside help to rescue the city from this predicament. The city of Satnak itself is built where the rivers Nir and Emsa merge to form the river Sem, at the foot of the northern mountains, at a natural meeting place of different peoples, making it a bustling hub of trade. Since before the city’s founding the mountain peaks were used to