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Dragons of Caen
By Douglas Seacat
Art by Oscar Cafaro and Néstor Ossandón

Lore on dragons is scarce and scattered with many gaps. Gathering legends from cultures across Immoren allows a timeline to emerge tracing some of their
movements. Dragons are immortal, sometimes vanishing for centuries. Recently multiple dragons have been reported flying above Immoren, provoking dread
in all who witness them.

Dragon Names and Epithets

Not all the names of Toruk’s progeny are known, some having been forgotten or never spoken of among the races of
Immoren. The exact number of progeny is unknown. The Circle Orboros has access to an ancient inscribed relic called
the Wyrmstone, said to be the most comprehensive collection of draconic names, but few besides its omnipotents have
deciphered its cryptic runes. Dragons acquire numerous names and epithets over the centuries.

68 Iron kingdoms archives

 Warlord Era
Known Dragon Names
~3500–3000 BR
and Epithets Everblight takes interest in the ancient
kingdom of Morrdh and the lairs beneath
Ashnephos­ Twin of Charsaug, Erdross’ Get, Giant’s Bane, Lava Bringer, Scoria its capital, eventually entering into an
Blighterghast Seether, Old Ravager, Boiler of Seas, Wyrmwall Serpent, Blackship Bane arrangement with the ruling Lords of Morrdh.
Everblight lends dragonspawn to Morrdh’s
Charsaug Twin of Ashnephos, Erdross’ Get, the Mountain Shadow, Sundrinker armies, helping expand their territories.
Chimera the Shapeless, the Forgotten
~2900–2800 BR
Erdross Oceandrinker, Burner of the Seas, Baleblight, Bemoth’s Curse
In eastern Immoren, the giants of Bemoth
Gaulvang Galvaug, Despoiler, Townender, Ashen King defeat Erdross. After many futile attempts
to destroy its athanc, the peerless giant
Everblight Ethrunbal (Iosan), Bane of Issyrah, Shadow of Morrdh, the Unseen, Betrayer
Hekor shatters his sword against the athanc
Halfaug Wyrmlich, Frostfire, the Frost Mother, the Preserver, Old Hoarfrost, but splits it in half. The giants hurl the two
Glyssingfor (Nyss) shards into a volcano, giving rise to two
dragons—Ashnephos and Charsaug—who
Nektor Terror of Thelborn, Incendus, the Lurker Below
plague Bemoth thereafter.
Nidoboros The Favored, Everflaem, Farsear, Lord of the Howling Wastes
Pyromalfic Corpsefeaster, Shining One, Grymvane (Iosan), the Poison Seed ~2600 BR
Nektor is offended by an offering made by a
Scaefang Soul Eater, Ravager, Lord of the Black, Scylfangen (Rhulic), the Stone chieftain of Thelborn and in retaliation razes
that Burns the island, reducing its villages to ashes.
Shazkz the White Dragon, White Mother, Scalebringer, the Sacrifice
Toruk Dragonfather, God of Caen, Eldest, the Black Wyrm, Lord Toruk, Font of
~2300 BR
A legendary battle is fought between
All Blight
Halfaug and Kossite King Javosk Descra
and his family. The gorge, where Dragovich
Hall is eventually built, is carved from the
defeating them all and sent them scattering
Prehistoric Era across Caen. The dragon Everblight did not
earth by the dragon during this battle. After
many are slain, Halfaug retreats into the
participate in this clash. Toruk eventually
Unknown frozen north.
begins hunting his progeny to consume
Toruk the Dragonfather is alleged to have their athancs. Little is known of Toruk’s
flown across the skies of Caen before life earliest hunts or the names of the dragons ~2100–2000 BR
arose, before land rose from turbulent he defeated. An aggressive Iosan sect serving
seas, and before the cycle of seasons were Pyromalfic seizes the fortress now referred
Ancient human historical documents
established by the primal gods. No one to as the Castle of the Keys, which was
place this event at 3500 BR, though this
knows how ancient Toruk may be, though once occupied by now-forgotten warlords.
has been refuted. More reliable Rhulic
he seems to have existed for thousands of The dragon creates a lair beneath the
records describe dragon sightings as early
years. It is impossible to confirm whether or fortress complex.
as 5500 BR.
not he predates life on Caen.
Some Dhunian myths say the Devourer ~5300–4800 BR
Thousand Cities
Wurm created Toruk alongside other
scaled beasts. Blackclad druids of the
The now-lost “Beladal Eddas,” poems Era
passed by word of mouth, describe the
Circle Orboros deny this myth and insist wyrm Nidoboros and its battles with its
the Dragonfather has no place in Caen’s ~1800 BR
brothers and sisters, wherein it consumed Everblight’s dragonspawn draw the
natural cycles. Blackclads say dragons are several and grew into a mighty “blighted
powerful, intelligent beings that are not attention of Toruk, who attacks his progeny.
serpent,” greater than all others. Some tales While wounded, Everblight flees Morrdh
truly alive. This organization has studied of Nidoboros describe it consuming itself in
dragons more closely and for longer than with Toruk in pursuit, flying near the lair
a cycle of destruction and rebirth. of Nektor, successfully distracting Toruk.
any other group, but even they do not know
when and how Toruk came to be. Nektor is destroyed while Everblight
~4000 BR escapes and dives into Blindwater Lake,
What is known is that the vast draconic body One of Toruk’s progeny, identity unknown, burrowing into its bottom to hide and
of Toruk is a corporeal vessel containing a is caught in the supernatural cataclysm recover from his wounds.
crystalline heartstone—the athanc that is caused by the collapse of the Bridge of
the core of Toruk’s being. Worlds in eastern Immoren. While this ~1700–1500 BR
cataclysm obliterated the elven Empire Gaulvang destroys a number of towns and
Sometime before 5500 BR of Lyoss and changed the geography and villages across Midar, Ryn, and Umbrey for
Toruk divides his athanc into numerous climate of Caen, the dragon survived. Its reasons unknown before retreating deep
shards, each growing into a powerful athanc was permanently damaged, altered within its lair in the Kovosk Hills.
dragon. Though created to serve Toruk, so severely that this dragon became the
these progeny rebel. In a battle that set the Chimera, an ever-changing monster
skies afire, Toruk proved his superiority by dwelling in the Abyss.

Iron kingdoms archives 69

 ~1640 BR from which he observes the living gods 230 BR
Toruk defeats Shazkz in a clash high above of the Divine Court of Ios eventually An Orgoth expedition into the Castle of the
the island of Satyx. The blighted blood of leaving that land. Taking an interest in Keys decimates the Iosan cult devoted to
Shazkz rained down upon this island and studying the Iosans, Everblight begins Pyromalfic but is defeated by the dragon. A
transformed its once-human inhabitants into to experiment with manipulating their fragment of an Orgoth tome detailing this
the Satyxis. minds from a distance. encounter suggests the dragon was somehow
poisoned or cursed.
1387 BR 800–670 BR
Toruk defeats and consumes the athanc of the Halfaug initiates a cycle of unpredictable 140 BR
dragon Gaulvang. attacks on northern tribes, terrorizing During the Rivening in Ios, Everblight
Kossites, Ruscar, Skirov, Vindol, and the burrows beneath the abandoned Fane of
1270 BR Nyss. This gives rise to an unprecedented the goddess Ayisla in the city of Issyrah and
Nidoboros, the greatest of Toruk’s progeny, alliance of elves and humans that eventually begins experimenting on captured Iosans by
confronts the Dragonfather. Zevanna Agha succeeds in wounding the dragon and exposing them to his blight.
claims this champion gave its life to prove driving it north into the wastes.
to the rest that Toruk could be hurt and 105 BR–502 AR
therefore destroyed. Toruk was badly injured 780 BR Scaefang prowls the northern reaches of Rhul,
in this clash but cast Nidoboros down. Lich Lord Desiccus, Cryx’s master of draconic incinerating those it encounters. Periodic
lore, attempts to assault Blighterghast’s clashes take place between Rhulfolk and this
Several other dragons are drawn to the clash
lair and is destroyed in the process. His dragon in the following centuries. The cities
and their presence prompts Toruk to leave
responsibilities fall to Venethrax. of Griddenguard and Groddenguard are
before claiming the fallen dragon’s athanc,
which is instead secured by the Old Witch. increasingly fortified as a refuge against the
This athanc is sealed within an elaborate 669 BR dragon. All expeditions to slay the dragon
contraption and hidden deep below Lich Lord Venethrax leads an army in pursuit fail, though it withdraws into a chasm
Hellspass, where a secret order of Rhulfolk of Halfaug into the Blackice Mountains. called the Foundation in 502 AR and is not
tends to its machinery. Venethrax manages to corner and confront the witnessed for over a century.
wounded dragon, but his army is obliterated;
the lich lord is forced to retreat before he can Iron Kingdoms
finish Halfaug. The dragon moves deeper
into the frozen north to recuperate. and Modern Eras
Orgoth 215 AR
Numerous villages in southwestern
Occupation Era Cygnar react in terror to Blighterghast
flying overhead. Witnesses spot the dragon
538 BR obliterating pirate ships and one or more
Orgoth ships—sent from Drer Drakkerung on Cryxian blackships along the beaches
Garlghast to secure additional territories of of Eyewall Bay, possibly representing a
the Scharde Islands—provoke the ire of Lord thwarted invasion.
Toruk. Emerging from Skell for the first time
since that city was built, Toruk obliterates 390–375 AR
this fleet as a lesson to the Orgoth, who never Everblight is discovered below Issyrah,
again attempt to expand their island holdings. prompting the Iosans to send armed forces
into the fane. This provokes the dragon to
390 BR rise and attack the city while additional Iosan
Three unidentified dragons are spotted flying military forces rush to the defense of the city.
in close proximity over the Fenn Marsh, Though Everblight is eventually defeated,
Sandbottom Point, and Eyewall Bay before Issyrah is destroyed. Everblight’s athanc is
~1000 BR veering south and disappearing over the sealed and sent away—first to Mount Shyleth
Blighterghast convenes a gathering of Toruk’s horizon. This is described as a fell omen by both Breen, then to a peak in remote northern
surviving progeny and convinces them to trollkin and gatormen mystics in the region. Khador near the Shard Spires.
ally together and attack the Dragonfather.
Coordinating their efforts, this alliance 605 AR
370 BR
drives Toruk from the mainland. The ogrun Thagrosh is drawn to the mountain
The Orgoth defeat an unknown dragon near
The Dragonfather settles in the Scharde Vroggen. Its athanc is brought to a temple where Everblight’s athanc was hidden and is
Islands, founding the Nightmare Empire in that city, but it soon reforms its body compelled to recover the stone and insert it
of Cryx. Blighterghast takes up vigil in the and annihilates its captors before escaping. into his heart, becoming a blighted warlock.
Wyrmwall Mountains, watching against his Some have theorized this atypically small With the help of the sorceress Vayl Hallyr,
return. The dragons vow to confront their dragon was a remnant of Gaulvang, arisen Thagrosh blights the wells of the Nyss.
creator should this happen. Everblight is not from a lost shard of that dragon’s athanc Blighted Nyss set upon non-blighted ones in
a part of this alliance. that was not consumed by Toruk. The fate a clash that brings about the near annihilation
of this “dragon hatchling” is unknown, but of their culture and the birth of the Legion
~930–800 BR writings from this incident assist human of Everblight. Thagrosh uses the Morrdhic
Everblight emerges from Blindwater and understanding of dragon athancs and their weapon, Rapture, to divide Everblight’s
travels to the Skybridge Mountains, apparent imperishability. athanc and create additional warlocks.

70 Iron kingdoms archives

 607 AR, Rowen (6th Month, their forces, and this leaves them vulnerable Orboros in order to reveal the locations of
7th day) for an attack by the Cygnaran Army. The Everblight’s warlocks, which can then be
Battle at the Castle of the Keys is fought; Cryxians are defeated and the athanc destroyed by the dragons. This requires the
the Legion of Everblight defeats Pyromalfic machinery is seized by the Cygnaran, placed coordination of the allied dragons, several
and takes his athanc, which is swallowed by on a riverboat, and sent south, intended to of which are tasked with carving complex
Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight. be secured at a fortress deep in Cygnar’s patterns in the earth at key locations,
interior. scarring the face of Caen with intense blight.
Krueger does not reveal his plans to others
607 AR, Doloven–Ashtoven in the Circle Orboros, knowing they would
608 AR, Trineus (3rd Month)
(11th-13th Months) Scaefang attacks and destroys a skorne not approve of damaging the ley lines even if
After an encounter with Zevanna Agha, this facilitated the destruction of Everblight,
fortress at the Castle of the Keys. Halfaug is
Krueger Stormwrath steals the Wyrmstone their greatest enemy.
seen flying in the vicinity. These dragons may
from Omnipotent Dahlekov and deciphers
have been investigating the location where
its writings. Krueger defies all three
Pyromalfic was defeated.
omnipotents and meets with Blighterghast
in the Wyrmwall Mountains. He informs
the dragon that Everblight has attacked the Late 608 AR
dragon alliance by consuming Pyromalfic, Attracted by the presence of powerful
a member. Krueger and Blighterghast enter blight, Charsaug is drawn to a spawning
an accord. Shortly thereafter, Blighterghast ritual conducted by several of Everblight’s
summons the other dragons of the alliance to warlocks. The first  archangels are created
warn them of the threat of Everblight. from the bones of Pyromalifc during this
ritual, and as especially large dragonspawn,
they closely resemble the dragons
608–Early 609 AR themselves. Everblight dispatches a force,
Lich Lord Venethrax learns from Lich Lord
led by his warlock Lylyth together with
Malathrax of the existence of a disembodied
the archangels, to intercept the intruding
athanc preserved beneath Hellspass—it is
dragon. While Charsaug is only lightly
the essence of Nidoboros. Venethrax travels
wounded, he flees the area, apparently
there and secures this athanc together with After Charsaug’s battle with the archangels,
unnerved by the unknown power of these
the machinery containing it, creating a slow he threatens to withdraw from the plan
unusual dragonspawn and the blighted army
conveyance with which to return it to Cryx. unless the gargantuan dragonspawn are
utilizing them.
The military column escorting this prize destroyed. Krueger meets with Charsaug
attempts to bypass the Thornwood using and Ashnephos and reveals the scope
subterranean passages but is thwarted by an Late 608–Early 609 AR of his plan, previously only known to
earthquake invoked by the Circle Orboros. Krueger’s involvement with Blighterghast Blighterghast, convincing these eastern
Pursued by warlocks of the Legion of deepens as they devise a plan to combine dragons to cooperate.
Everblight, the Cryxians are forced to divide dragon blight with the ley lines of the Circle

Iron kingdoms archives 71

 T
he Iron Kingdoms abound with people both good and evil, but many others live, survive, and
even thrive in the grey shadows between heroics and villainy. Social misfits but not always
social outcasts, they make their way through the world any way they can—even if it results in
hardship for others. In the end, even scoundrels and sell-swords feel justified in doing what they must
to stay alive. These kinds of characters make excellent NPCs—whether as antagonists or allies—for
your Iron Kingdoms RPG campaign. This time you’ll meet a gunsmith’s daughter whose family
®
and sanity were consumed by flames.

Ghostmaker
By Chris Jackson With Kelsey Fox • Art by Arthur Bozonnet

The bounty hunter known as Ghostmaker was baptized by fire taken without a shot being fired. Guard squads went house
and then tempered in the snows of the Rhulic mountains afterto house, looking for weapons and rounding up the populace.
a single bullet to the eye destroyed the woman she once was.Some of the common folk fled across the border into Rhul
After avenging the slaughter of her father and husband, who or into the mountains, but others chose to fight rather than
were killed by a Winter Guard detachment in the year 604 AR,lose all they had struggled to build to Khadoran invaders.
she seemed unable to quench her desire for blood. Most thinkWith only half of the houses and shops secured, an altercation
with an innkeeper ended in gunshots. The sounds of violence
the woman is crazy, ceaselessly seeking solace for the loss of
woke Ghostmaker’s father, giving him time to prepare for
her former life, but none forget that Ghostmaker is one of the
most efficient and relentless killers in the Iron Kingdoms. the impending attack. When Winter Guard smashed in the
door of the shop, the first soldier fell to the blast from her
GHOSTMAKER: father’s blunderbuss. The Khadorans responded with a hail
of gunfire that cut down her father and gravely wounded her
A BRIEF HISTORY husband. When Ghostmaker rushed forth from the back of
the building to her husband’s aid, a startled soldier assumed
In her former life, Ghostmaker—whose real name is unknown,
she was armed and fired. The enemy bullet destroyed her left
though a dozen different aliases have been investigated
eye, shattering bone and creasing her skull. She fell across her
and dismissed—was the daughter of a talented Rhulic
dying husband’s body in a welter of blood.
gunsmith. She inherited her father’s talent for gunsmithing
and allegedly lived with him and her husband in the small Assuming all three were dead, the commander of the force
border town of Two Forks on Rangercliffe Run. One night ordered the shop torched as an example to the rest of the
under the cover of darkness, the Winter Guard swept into town. The soldiers set fire to the stores of gun oil and blasting
Two Forks, intending to take control by surprise as much as powder. As flames enveloped the building, however, a
force. Resistance to the overwhelming enemy proved futile, bleeding figure crawled away, dragging her father’s heavy
and the small garrison of Llaelese regulars in the town was rifle. She collapsed in the snow only yards into the trees, but

Scoundrels & Sell-Swords 91

the depths of the drifts concealed her. Why she didn’t freeze
to death that night, no one knows, but one thing was certain:
OUT IN THE WORLD
the young woman had perished in the flames that consumed Skilled in stealth, traveling in rough country, and infiltrating
her home, her husband, and her sanity. Only Ghostmaker seemingly impregnable fortresses and guarded cities,
remained. When dawn broke, a bloodstain in the snow and Ghostmaker moves like the name she has earned, invisible
a ragged trail into the mountains were the only traces of her and ethereal. Since none know where she might live, potential
to be found. Khadoran trackers briefly followed that trail but employers are encouraged to put the word out on the streets
turned back when it crossed the border into Rhul. of the cities of Ord and Cygnar. Eventually, she will find them.

That winter, a remote village in the mountains of Hanoghor Ghostmaker will not take contracts from any Khadoran
received a strange surprise as Ghostmaker staggered into element, be it military or independent, but has ventured
their midst. Her hair was white as the snow that crusted her deep into that country to fulfill jobs. She rarely carries
ruined eye socket, and her back was etched with deep burns. more than her rifle, a few supplies, gunsmithing tools, and
She couldn’t or wouldn’t tell the villagers her name, and her a large bayonet. The Stone Lords of Rhul have employed
only possession was a finely made breech-loading rifle. When Ghostmaker on many occasions to settle “trade disputes”
they tried to take it, she became violent and raved that no one with overzealous Khadoran envoys. They say Ghostmaker
would take her “baby.” The Khadorans had taken everything takes these contracts at a special rate, though no one knows if
else from her, but they would never take Baby from her. The revenge or the ties of blood motivate her generosity. She has
villagers tended her injuries as best they could, but she would never taken a contract against a Cryxian target and was heard
not release the rifle, even in sleep. When they asked what they to ask when offered such a job, “Where’s the fun in killing
should call her, she told them that she was Ghostmaker, and something that’s already dead?” Ghostmaker has taken many
those who made her this way would pay. During that long contracts from Ord and Cygnar though none yet from the
winter, Ghostmaker regained her health and strength but Protectorate. There is a price on her head in Khador, but that
never a shred of her former self or her sanity. When spring has not dissuaded the assassin from working in that country.
came and the mountain passes opened for travel, she left the
War has put much gold into Ghostmaker’s pockets, yet no one
village for the fortress of Hammerfall.
can say how that gold is spent, aside from specialized armor-
The news of the destruction of Riversmet and the occupation piercing ammunition and improvements for Baby. Ghostmaker
of the small border town of Two Forks had already reached has no friends, per se, but has made many professional
deep into Rhul prior to Ghostmaker’s arrival. She sought acquaintances she considers allies. She has taken jobs with
retribution for the loss of Rhulic lives in Two Forks, but the mercenary companies when long-range killing was necessary.
Stone Lords weren’t about to start a war with Khador over While she has no known residence in Corvis, she has acquired
the incident. They did, however, sympathize with their mechanikal repairs and replacements for her prosthetic eye
kinsman’s loss and chose to facilitate her revenge. When and Baby’s arcantrik scope in the city’s local shops. Her latest
Ghostmaker left Hammerfall some months later, her ruined contract was taken from the Mercarian League to rid the
eye had been replaced by a gleaming mechanikal prosthetic, world of the notorious pirate and warcaster, Phinneus Shae.
and her rifle, Baby, sported a new arcantrik scope. With these, That contract seems to have taken her far abroad and remains
she set out on the path of vengeance. She didn’t know the active. She’s not cheap, but death comes swiftly to those she is
names of the soldiers who had burst into her father’s shop paid to kill. If PCs have money to spare, simply pay her price
and killed her family, but their faces were forever burned into and point her at the nearest problem. To date, Ghostmaker has
her mind’s eye. never failed to finalize a contract.

Over the course of the next year, she traveled from Korsk
to Laedry to Rynyr and finally to the conquered city of
Riversmet in Llael, leaving behind a trail of bloody bodies
as she went. When she finally put a bullet between the eyes
of the last of those soldiers’ faces, a cold sense of fulfillment
seemingly tempered her madness. She would never be a
gunsmith’s daughter again, but this new self, Ghostmaker,
would survive. With that resolve, she turned her recently
accumulated skills to a profession as a hired killer.

92 Scoundrels & Sell-Swords

Ghostmaker
Physique PHY 7 Abilities: Skills:
Speed SPD 5 Crackshot – When making a ranged Name Stat Rank Stat + Rank
Strength STR 6 or magic attack against a target Climbing AGL 2 7
that has concealment, cover, or Craft (gunsmithing) INT 2 7
Agility AGL 5 elevation, this character gains +2 Detection PER 2 6
Prowess PRW 4 on the attack roll. Great Weapon PRW 2 6
Poise POI 4 Dual Shot – The character can forfeit Hand Weapon PRW 2 6
her movement during her turn to make Intimidation SOC 2 *
Intellect INT 5 Jumping PHY 2 9
one additional ranged attack with a
Arcane ARC — pistol or rifle.
Rifle POI 2 6
Sneak AGL 2 7
Perception PER 4 Feat Points – This character starts Survival PER 1 5
Baby each encounter with 2 feat points. She Swimming STR 1 7
is allocated 1 feat point at the start of
rat Rng AOE POW
each of her turns. She can only have up
6 14 — 12 to 2 feat points at a time.
Abilities: This is a magical weapon. Attacks Feat: Prescient – The character can
with this weapon ignore spell effects that add spend 1 feat point to win initiative
to the target’s DEF and ARM. automatically and take the first
Arcantrik Scope – A scope adds eighteen turn that combat. If two or more
feet (3”) to the weapon’s effective range and characters use this ability, they make
ninety feet (15”) to its extreme range when initiative rolls to determine which of
the character aims during her turn. When them goes first.
the character forfeits movement to aim, the
Load Bearing – Reduce the SPD and
character ignores stealth that turn.
DEF penalties from the armor the
Bayonet character wears each by 1 (Included).
MAT POW P+S
Marksman – The character can use
5 2 7 quick actions and aim in the same
Abilities: The character can affix this weapon round, but still has to forfeit her
to Baby or remove it as a quick action. While movement to gain the aiming bonus.
affixed to Baby this weapon gains +1 POW,
Quality Prosthetic Eye – The
+2 charge to attack rolls, uses the Great
character treats darkness and dim
Weapon skill, and has reach.
light as bright light and gains +2 on
Initiative Init 13 PER rolls to spot things at a distance.
Defense DEF 13 Targeteer – When the character hits
(Infantry Armor –1) with a ranged attack, she chooses the
branch of the target’s life spiral or the
Armor ARM 14 column of the target’s damage grid
(Infantry Armor +7) that is hit, if applicable.
Willpower Wil 12 Weapon Master [Baby] – When
resolving a ranged attack with the
listed weapon, this character’s damage
TY
2 GI
LI roll is boosted.
A

1 3

4
T
EC
INTELL

PH
YSIQUE

6
5
Initiative Init
Command Range: 5
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 18
Equipment:
Baby (heavy mechanikal rifle with arcantrik
scope), bayonet, gunsmith’s kit, infantry
armor, 25 heavy rounds, 45 gc

Scoundrels & Sell-Swords 93

heavy hitters By Matt Goetz • Art by Néstor Ossadón, Andrea Uderzo, and Chris Walton

I
ron Kingdoms Unleashed: Skorne Empire introduced the first gargantuans to the roleplaying game: the desert hydra and mammoth. With
these massive creatures striding and slithering onto the battlefields of Immoren, this article gives Game Masters tips on how to incorporate
them into their games.

94 Heavy Hitters
Telling Big Stories
Instead, consider embracing the enormous scale of a
gargantuan. Foreshadowing its presence long before it arrives
in an encounter helps build tension, keeping the players on
Gargantuans are a powerful tool in the Game Master’s toolbox.
their toes. Feeling the earth shudder from some distant impact
Not only are they some of the most potent creatures in Iron
and hearing the distant, echoing roar of an angry gargantuan
Kingdoms Unleashed, these enormous beasts are visually stunning
lets the players know that something big and dangerous is out
and carry great dramatic weight. (Sorry. The pun was irresistible.)
there, putting them on edge. As the anticipation builds, players
Gargantuans should be used sparingly, in part to preserve the will continue to worry about when the Game Master plans to
sense of awe they can instill in the PCs and also because of the have them face down the beast.
logistical concerns of dealing with such large entities. Living
Since they are so large, gargantuans can command a massive
gargantuans, like the desert hydra and mammoth, consume
area of the wilderness, driving off other creatures and leaving
staggering amounts of food every day. Keeping them from
clear signs of their passage. To give the PCs a reason to sweat,
starving and going berserk requires a steady stream of food,
Game Masters who plan to use gargantuans in their stories can
seasoned with just a bit of mortitheurgy to control the creatures’
roll on the following table each day the PCs are in the region, or
hunger. Even unliving gargantuans like the woldwrath
pick appropriate results. Feel free to adjust the following results
represent many months of work and vast amounts of resources
to suit the specific gargantuan and location.
to create. While gargantuans do walk Immoren, there aren’t
many of them out there. 2d6 Roll Result

Foreshadowing 2
A deep and distant roar sounds, its booming
noise echoing. In the direction of the roar,
great flocks of birds explode into the sky.
A Game Master who plans to use a gargantuan as an opponent
shouldn’t just spring it on the players. These multi-ton creatures The soil has been torn up in an area large
enough for dozens of soldiers to encamp. From
cannot lurk in the shadows or launch stealthy ambushes. They
are simply too large. Having a PC turn a corner to face down a
3–4 a distance, this wide patch of earth can be
seen for what it really is: the place where an
desert hydra is sure to have someone calling foul. enormous beast bedded down for the night.

The ground is pocked with a series of shallow

pits or small pools, each strangely uniform
5–6 in shape. Upon closer examination, the PCs
discover these marks are massive footprints.
A massive swath of debris (crushed structures,
carts, and so forth if in an urban setting
or village; snapped trees, upturned earth,
7 and flattened underbrush if in a wilderness
setting) stretching for a hundred yards leads
into the distance.
The half-eaten carcass of a massive beast lies
with black flies buzzing around its wounds
8–9 in a clearing. Gashes in its flanks over a foot
wide look like they could have been made by
enormous teeth or claws.
A pack of beasts both large and small comes
charging toward the PCs, eyes wide and
10–11 clearly panicked. These creatures pay the PCs
no attention as they flee, running from some
unseen menace.
Obscured by dust, smoke, fog, or foliage, a
huge shadow shape moves in the distance,
12 the ground trembling as it passes. It stops
for a moment and seems to look in the PCs’
direction before continuing on its way.

Pick your moment

While it is possible that player characters may take control of
their own gargantuans, in most cases they are more likely to be
used as centerpiece antagonists in a dramatic final encounter.
Choosing when to use gargantuans is important.

Heavy hitters 95
A gargantuan is much more than the sum of its encounter If it was sent into an area to destroy warbeast paddocks, level
points, stats, and weapons. Each one is a huge beast or a specific structure, or kill a noteworthy target, once the job is
construct that causes the earth to tremble with each heavy complete there’s no reason for the gargantuan to stick around.
step, casting a long and massive shadow over the world. An The gargantuan’s warlock wouldn’t risk such a valuable asset
encounter that includes one or more gargantuans should be a and will recall his gargantuan once the job is done.
memorable experience for the players.

One way to do so is to hold off on the reveal of the gargantuan

Say Hello to My Little Friend
until the time is right. Choosing when to use gargantuans is an Inevitably, a player will work to get his or her hands on their
important decision: they should be saved for when they have own gargantuan. Sometimes the Game Master will want to
the most dramatic punch in the story. include one as a massive—possibly temporary—boon. Being
able to take command of a huge creature and send it crashing
Often this is in the finale of a campaign. A warlock with his
through any obstacle can be a thrilling experience provided the
bonded gargantuan make for a deadly and impressive final
obstacle warrants such overkill.
encounter, especially if the PCs have brought some NPC
assistance along. The gargantuan can make short work of the Putting appropriate obstacles in the way of PC-controlled
NPC allies with its oversized fists and blasts from its huge ranged gargantuans can be a tricky balance. It can be easy to divert too
weapons. Having a gargantuan slaughter hordes of weaker much attention to the gargantuan and the PC controlling it, and
opposition helps demonstrate just how powerful the beast really a gargantuan shouldn’t be responsible for securing total victory.
is. PCs who defeat such a huge opponent are literal giant-slayers. That job falls to the PCs.

Another place to use gargantuan opponents is when the PCs Instead, consider using the gargantuan as a means to get the
aren’t equipped to deal with them. Having the characters arrive characters somewhere they could not reach under normal
at their home village or city in the middle of a gargantuan assault circumstances. For instance, when a horde of enemies stands
sets the tone for a very different kind of game. Depending on the between the PCs and their ultimate goal, the gargantuan can go
circumstances, the PCs might have to flee from the destruction of wading into battle to break through the enemy lines, opening a
their home while the gargantuan bulldozes through it, or quickly gap the PCs can rush through to reach the enemy general beyond.
try to locate and evacuate survivors trapped and terrified in the
Another obstacle the gargantuan can surmount for the PCs is
gargantuan’s vicinity. Presenting the players with an opponent
the wall of an otherwise impenetrable fortress. The gargantuan
they can’t outfight forces them to outmaneuver and outsmart
can smash through such bulwarks, allowing the characters to
the problem—if they want to survive.
storm in, or it can provide an impressive distraction to draw off
Have an Escape Plan defenders while they slip in unnoticed.

PCs often attempt to take on opposition that far outclasses them. One of the most dynamic ways to use a friendly gargantuan
Starting PCs that find a gargantuan in their path may be inclined is, of course, to have it fight one or more enemy gargantuans.
to go in guns blazing. In many cases, this will result in the PCs Clashing in the heart of a battle, these titanic beasts don’t just
being smashed into a paste by the gargantuan. For Game Masters make a dramatic backdrop for the more reasonably scaled
who want to avoid a sudden and messy end to a campaign, it fighting going on down below. They can also provide a dynamic
may be wise to formulate an escape plan for the story. encounter environment as the gargantuans smash dangerously
around the battlefield, their heavy feet slamming down to
Under most circumstances, a gargantuan has better things to flatten warriors with each step (see “Trampling Feet,” 97).
do than tangle with a handful of PCs. Gargantuans are military
assets sent to deal with specific threats or to attack predetermined Location, Location, Location
targets. Except for the attacks of extraordinary PCs, a gargantuan
As important as choosing the moment to introduce a
is likely to ignore them for favor of its main target.
gargantuan into an encounter is choosing where that encounter
Another way to draw the gargantuan off and give the PCs time takes place.
to get away from a losing battle is to involve other defenders.
If the gargantuan is tearing up a village or city, a warjack or Close Quarters
warbeast can attack and momentarily distract it. The gargantuan
If the purpose of the encounter is to harry the PCs with a nigh-
will prioritize the larger enemy over the smaller one and give
unstoppable force, setting it in a dense forest with towering old
the PCs a window of opportunity to get away that the smarter
growth trees or in the cloistered streets of a city is ideal. The
players will exploit.
dense terrain restricts the gargantuan’s ability to maneuver
Depending on the reason for the gargantuan attack, it is possible thanks to its size and huge 120 mm base. In such an encounter,
the creature may simply complete its work and choose to leave. the goal of the PCs should be to quickly move from one safe
haven to the next while trying to entangle the great beast in a

96 Heavy Hitters
copse of trees or a heavy structure to buy some time. Clever gargantuan from throwing its weight around. Anything small
players may even turn the environment to their advantage, or weak will simply be flattened by the gargantuan’s incredible
using their armament and abilities to drop impassable obstacles weight as it tramples across the battlefield.
in the giant’s path—or on its head!
Game Masters who want to reflect the inherent danger of
Of course, a gargantuan confronted with one of these gargantuans locked in combat can make use of the following
environments won’t be deterred for long. Obstacles like optional rule:
buildings or old trees are likely to be smashed down in a fit
of rage. Game Masters who want to have their gargantuans go
through such impediments, rather than over or under them, can
make use of the following optional rule:

Trampling Feet
A small- or medium-based character that
begins his Activation Phase within 1˝ of a
huge-based creature engaged in combat with
Huge-Based Creatures another huge-based character must make an
AGL roll against a target number of 12. If the
Slamming Obstacles roll succeeds, nothing happens. If the roll fails,
the character is knocked down and suffers a
and Structures damage roll with a POW equal to the PHY of
A huge-based creature that slams an obstacle
the huge-based creature as one of its limbs
or structure applies damage to five 6-foot
smashes into him. If the character is within 1˝
(1˝) sections per slam attack. Any damage
of multiple huge-based creatures, he suffers a
caused is applied to the five continuous 1˝
damage roll with a POW equal to the highest
sections directly in front of the creature’s
available PHY.
base. The damage is resolved simultaneously.
If the damage roll is sufficient to destroy the
material of the object or structure, characters
on the opposite side within 6 feet (1˝) suffer a
damage roll with a POW equal to the ARM of

New Gargantuan:
the material.

Woldwrath
The Great Wide Open
Alternatively, if the purpose of the encounter is to have the
PCs fight against the gargantuan, consider an environment
with wide-open spaces in which it can maneuver. Setting the Gargantuans Timeline
encounter in a location with denser environment gives the The default timeline for Iron Kingdoms
PCs a distinct advantage against their foe, with the potential Unleashed takes place in 608 AR prior to
to gain elevation on the beast or launch an ambush. In an open Hoarluk Doomshaper raising the Mountain
Kings from their slumber or the creation of
battlefield, there are fewer defiles to hide in or places to avoid
Archangels using pieces of Pyromalfic’s corpse.
its potent ranged attacks.
Future releases will explore these immense
Open battlefields do not need to be devoid of terrain for a creatures, but like the forces of the United
gargantuan to be effective, however. Thanks to the advantages Kriels and the Legion of Everblight, you’ll have
granted to huge-based creatures, many pieces of smaller terrain
to wait.
can be used without impeding the creature’s ability to move
around the battlefield, while still giving the players a diverse
environment to interact with.

Such terrain elements also help keep the encounter from feeling
sparse or uninteresting and give smaller opponents, like infantry
and warjacks or warbeasts, obstacles to overcome. Even minor
obstructions, like shanties or huts, are unlikely to keep the

Heavy hitters 97
Using the Woldwrath Resource Acquisition
Gathering the resources required to construct a woldwrath can
A Game Master who wishes to use the woldwrath has several
provide fodder for an interesting scenario. Toiling in a quarry or
opportunities for interesting encounters and situations specific
cutting down trees doesn’t make for the most exciting night of
to the construction of these giant wolds. The following
roleplaying, but sending PCs to clear out a group of interlopers
suggestions offer just a few ways to work stories around these
from the quarry site can enrich the experience. Look for the most
titanic stone constructs.
interesting obstacles to put in the way of the group’s efforts and
Woldwraths have been a part of the Circle’s arsenal since before focus the game on how they surmount those obstacles.
the Orgoth landed in western Immoren. Standing nearly thirty feet
Overseeing the movement of quarried stone can present some
tall, these wolds represent a massive outlay of time and resources
challenges the players will have to think around rather than
for the Circle Orboros. Each woldwrath monopolizes the time of
fighting their way through. Figuring out how to move many
a master stone shaper for months on end, as well as that of a team
tons of stone over a raging river to reach the next set of shifting
of workers who toil to meet his exacting specifications.
stones can introduce the players to a new sort of challenge.
Building the woldwrath requires meticulous planning. The
One of the most important resources needed to complete a
process of moving such massive amounts of stone, timber, and
woldwrath is sacrificial blood—in immense amounts. This
blood to the build site requires coordination among multiple
blood is most often collected in the aftermath of a battle. The
overseers. Construction must take place on a potent ley line
Circle has sufficient rivals willing to engage them in battle, and
nexus, and the movement of material can draw unwanted
when there is a need, the leadership of the order will launch
attention to these rare and valuable sites. Most of all, the final
an attack for the express purpose of collecting the vital blood
rituals that give the woldwrath life and the soaking of its frame
sacrifice. The PCs can be members of such a strike force,
in volumes of blood must be performed under auspicious
fighting a protracted battle only to learn in the aftermath that
celestial conjunctions. Knowing when to begin the long process
the conflict’s sole purpose was to gather blood for the last rites
of construction to be ready in time for these rare events requires
of a woldwrath’s construction.
careful plotting by blackclads who are intimately familiar with
the movement of heavenly bodies. With a bit of deviousness, a Game Master can turn each step
of the process into its own unique adventure, pitting the PCs
The woldwrath can benefit from any of the previous suggestions
against countless rivals as they transport resources through the
that apply to all gargantuans, but due to the manner of their
nearby cities of civilization, the territory of hostile tribes, and to
production, there are some additional concepts a Game Master
the build site.
can exploit.

Protecting the Site

Once construction of a woldwrath begins, it is on a strict timeline
in order to complete the work in time for the next celestial event.
Failure to finish on time means a delay of months or more before
the wold can join the Circle’s armies. Meanwhile, any enemies
of the blackclads who learn of the project will do everything
possible to deny the Circle another gargantuan.

To protect the construction effort and their master stone shapers,

the blackclads appoint guardians to the build site. Whether
drawn from the Circle’s allies or members of the organization,
these defenders are responsible for keeping watch for enemies
who seek the downfall of such efforts.

Protecting the work during its final stages is vital. To spend so

many weeks shaping the woldwrath only to miss the pivotal
celestial event needed to bring it to life would be a catastrophe
for the druids, thus it is often when the enemies of the Circle
Orboros choose to strike. Keeping the senior stone shaper
safe from harm in these final moments adds another layer of
challenge to a combat encounter and can change the stakes of
an otherwise normal combat.

98 Heavy Hitters
 Abilities Physique PHY 20
Construct – This creature is a construct. Speed SPD 5
Collapse – When this creature is incapacitated, each character B2B with it must make an AGL roll against a target number of 12. If Strength STR 16
the roll fails, the character suffers a damage roll with a POW equal to this creature’s PHY. Agility AGL 1
Impervious Flesh – When this creature is hit by a ranged attack, the attacker rolls one less damage die. Prowess PRW 4
Poise POI 3
Spell Ward – This creature cannot be targeted by spells.
Intellect INT 1
Masterwork – The time required to construct this creature is double what its complexity rating would normally require. Arcane aRC —
Additionally, this character can only be animated during key astrological conjunctions, requiring a successful Lore (astronomy)
Perception PER 3
or Lore (Orboros) roll against a target of 14 to calculate. If the roll fails, the character can wait one year and roll again.
Lightning Strike
Animus RAT RNG AOE POW
COST RNG AOE POW UP OFF 5 15 5 15
Druid’s Wrath 2 SELF – – No No Abilities: This weapon causes electrical
Friendly characters gain an additional die on magic attack rolls targeting enemy characters within 10˝ of this model. Druid’s Wrath damage. When a character is directly hit
lasts for one turn. with this weapon, center a 3˝ AOE on it.
Lightning arcs to the nearest character
Special Rules within 4˝ of the character hit, The character
the lightning arcs to suffers an unboostable
Initiative is rolled only in the case of an uncontrolled wold. Otherwise, the wold activates on its controller’s initiative. POW 10 electrical damage roll.
After this damage roll is resolved, center
a 3˝ AOE on the character hit. The AOEs

Woldwrath
remain in play for one round. Characters
entering or ending their activations in an
AOE suffer a POW 10 electrical damage roll.
Description: An enormous construct composed of whole Stone fist
tree trunks and tremendous slabs of rune-carved stone, the MAT POW P+S
L 6 3 19
woldwrath is one of the most powerful and largest wolds.
Brought to life in prolonged, blood-soaked rituals performed Stone fist
atop the most potent ley line conjunctions, a woldwrath MAT POW P+S
R 6 3 19
channels the vast energies that flow within the earth. A
Abilities: Open Fist.
woldwrath’s wood and stone body must be ceremonially
This is a magical weapon.
imbued with the blood of life at a nexus of ley lines during key
Earth Shaker – When an enemy is directly
astronomical events. Fresh blood is harvested in the aftermath hit by an attack made with this weapon,
of battle or taken from living sacrifices and delivered to the site center a 4˝ AOE on the character directly hit.
Characters in the AOE are knocked down.
of construction, along with vast quantities of quarried stone
and stout timber. Initiative Init 12
Defense DEF 7
Blackclads perfected the construction of wolds millennia ago, (–2 from Size)
but the first woldwraths did not take the field of battle until Armor ARM 20
after the dragon Toruk was driven from the mainland. Toruk’s Willpower Wil 21
destruction of Circle holdings on the Scharde Islands and the
corruption of ley lines there prompted the druids to create new,
mightier weapons. These were the first woldwraths, which TY
2 GI
LI
would stand sentry over the Circle’s most sacred sites. When 1
A

the Orgoth landed in western Immoren, the woldwraths played 3

a key role in battle, helping to slow the invaders’ desecration of
pivotal ritual sites. 4
T
INTELLEC

The escalating conflict in western Immoren has forced the

omnipotents to once again rely on these gigantic weapons.
PHY
Ancient, weathered woldwraths and their modern counterparts SIQUE
once again stand ready to defend the Circle. 6
Material Cost: 2500 gc 5

Complexity Rating: 12 fury: 4

Threshold: —
Command Range: 1
Base Size: huge

Heavy hitters 99
 CHASING THE DRAGON
PART four
Blighted Swordsmen and shepherds
By Matt Goetz and Orrin grey • Art by Arthur Bozonnet, David Kuo,
Karl Richardson, Daniel Rudnicki, and Andrea uderzo

100
100
Under the shadow of Everblight, the Nyss have continued is nothing compared to the unspoken connection between
to evolve to fill increasingly specialized niches within the the blighted shepherds and dragonspawn. They work in
Legion. The dragon shapes the Nyss into new forms to match silent tandem, the shepherds guiding the spawn with a single
his will and the needs of his armies. Some are completely touch or a tap from their shepherd’s crook. Many shepherds
torn down and remade, disfigured and distorted into feel so much closer to the spawn than to their own kind that
creatures that bear scant resemblance to the beings they once they choose to live and sleep among them. If they are forced
were, while others merely find their innate characteristics to interact with other Nyss too frequently, the shepherds
enhanced, transforming them into focused engines with all grow increasingly irritable.
of their essence bent to a single task. Each and every blighted
Like the swordsmen, the shepherds’ single-minded
Nyss feels the presence of the dragon in some way, and as
dedication to their role isolates them from the other Nyss of
time passes and new generations of Nyss are born to blighted
the Legion, who see them as especially blessed. And it’s true
parents, the long-term effects of the touch of Everblight are
that few other blighted Nyss can claim as close a connection
only just now beginning to be made manifest.
with the dragonspawn—and through them with Everblight
Among those Nyss who serve specialized roles in the Legion himself—save for the dragon’s chosen warlocks. Though the
of Everblight, the swordsmen and the shepherds both belong roles they serve are very different, both the swordsmen and
to traditions that predate the coming of the dragon. In some the shepherds are emblematic of the continued refinement
ways, both the swordsmen and the shepherds have changed of the Nyss under Everblight’s power, each one changed in
little under the yoke of Everblight, at least when compared ways both subtle and overt to make them evermore fit for
to many of their kinsmen. Both have always been somewhat their chosen tasks.
isolated from their brethren—the former by the almost
As striking and terrible as the transformations the blighted
monastic discipline required to truly master the art of the
Nyss have already undergone may appear to outsiders,
sword, the latter by their connection to the beasts in their
what the world has witnessed thus far is undeniably only
charge—and both find an echo and a magnification of this
the beginning. As more and more Nyss are born to blighted
cold distance in the will of the dragon.
parents—and as the effects of the blight drive them
The swordsmen of the Nyss have long placed mastery of to maturity at an ever-increasing rate—the
the blade above any other attachment, and in the service of transformative power of the dragonblight will
the dragon, they retain their connection to the sacred Nyss continue to manifest in new and startling
claymores that they still wield. These blighted swordsmen ways, refining the Nyss into the race
fight without fear of death, lost in a perfect unity with their Everblight desires them to be in order to
weapons. They will never willingly relinquish their blades, further his machinations.
and so they will go to great lengths to recover the swords of
fallen comrades. While other servants of the dragon partake
of his hunger and his cruelty, in the swordsmen there is
only a cold detachment. They kill without joy or malice, the
heat and chaos of battle sliding away to become something
almost like a ritual. The closer their bond becomes with their
weapons, the more distant they feel even from other blighted
Nyss. They have achieved a kind of hollow enlightenment
that separates them from their kin and singles them out
amongst Everblight’s soldiers as surely as their elegantly
curved blades.

Before Everblight corrupted the Nyss, the shepherds cared

for the ulk that provide the Nyss with mounts. The shepherds
used metal crooks on the end of long sticks to guide the
animals, and they felt a kinship with the herds that extended
beyond the affection of a farmer for his flock. Now, the
shepherds of the Nyss are greater in number, and the flock
they tend is one of ravening dragonspawn. To the outside
observer, many shepherds are perhaps less touched by the
blight than other Nyss, but they feel the presence of the
dragon deep inside just as they hear the echoes of his voice
in the nature of the dragonspawn in their care. Whatever
kinship the shepherds of the past may have felt with the ulk

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 Blighted Swordsman Prerequisites: Blighted Nyss

Abilities: Fearless, Flesh of Steel

Military Skills: Great Weapon 1
Starting Abilities and
Occupational Skills: Command 1, Intimidation 1, Survival 1
skills
Special: A character created as a Blighted Swordsman begins the game with the
Bone Spurs blight gift.
Starting Assets Nyss claymore

Cleave, Combo Strike (Nyss claymore) (p. 108), Fast Draw, Fearless, Flesh of Steel,
Blighted Swordsman
Overtake, Perfect Form (p. 108), Relentless Charge, Retaliatory Strike, Two-Weapon
Abilities
Fighting
Blighted Swordsman
Connections (Legion of Everblight)
connections
Blighted Swordsman
Hand Weapon 2, Great Weapon 4
Military Skills
Blighted Swordsman
General Skills 4, Survival 4
occupational skills
When Everblight began spreading his influence among the the mastery of the sword, then the blighted swordsman is
Nyss, the swordsmen were some of the first to turn to his the career for you. If taken as a starting career, the blighted
service. Long renowned for their skill with the curved swords swordsman gains the Bone Spurs blight gift, which helps to
of their people, the swordsmen found the blight enhanced protect against enemy attacks, while all blighted swordsmen
their talents, and the emptiness that came with the dragon’s start with a Nyss claymore. As he advances, the blighted
touch mirrored the meditative discipline required to truly swordsman increases his proficiency with the blade until he
master the blade. Even before the coming of the dragon, the becomes one with his sword. Blighted swordsmen can even
Nyss swordsmen had a singular bond with their weapons. learn to wield a Nyss claymore in each hand and perform
The Nyss claymores and great swords are considered even deadly Combo Strikes or attain the ultimate mastery of the
by outsiders to be among the finest weapons forged in blade and achieve the Perfect Form, allowing them to strike
western Immoren. The swordsmen treat them with an almost with unparalleled accuracy and power.
religious reverence.

A Nyss swordsman would sooner die than let

his claymore fall into enemy hands and will go
to great lengths to recover the weapons of fallen
comrades. Rather than severing this tie to their
previous culture, the coming of Everblight seems
to have strengthened it. The blighted swordsmen
treat their blades as a part of their very essence,
something more sacred than their own lives. When
blighted swordsmen are not wielding their blades
with deadly efficiency in battle, they can often be
found meditating, staring into the blade’s shining
surface as if they can see something there beyond
the emptiness of their own black eyes staring back.

Playing a Blighted Swordsman: If you want to

play a character with no fear of death, one who
is dedicated with almost monastic intensity to

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Shepherd Prerequisites: Blighted Nyss

Abilities: Animal Mastery (p. 108), Specialization (Shepherd’s Crook)

Starting Abilities and
Military Skills: Great Weapon 1
spells
Occupational Skills: Animal Handling 1, Survival 1, Tracking 1
Starting Assets Shepherd’s crook, 50 gc

Animal Mastery (p. 108), Beast Master (p. 108), Beast Manipulation: Caretaker (p.
108), Beast Manipulation: Enrage (p. 108), Beast Manipulation: Toughen (p. 108),
Shepherd Abilities
Dodger, Specialization (Shepherd’s Crook), Wall of Flesh (p. 108), Spawn Whisperer
(p. 108)

Shepherd connections Connections (Legion of Everblight)

Shepherd Military Skills Great Weapon 2

Shepherd occupational
General Skills 4, Survival 4, Tracking 4
skills

As Everblight’s power descends upon and reshapes the Nyss, Whisperer, which allows her to run a pack of
its expression varies from one individual to the next. Existing dragonspawn with ease. Shepherds pair
characteristics are enhanced to create perfect soldiers for the well with the Blighted Warlock career,
armies of the dragon. In some Nyss, the blight shapes them allowing warlocks to hone their control
into consummate hunters or warriors, while others find their over larger numbers of dragonspawn,
natural gifts of sorcery enhanced, and still others are disfigured but they can also stand in for the
entirely and remade. For some rare few, the blight brings less Blighted Warlock career, granting
of a physical change than a mental one, opening their thoughts non-warlock characters the ability
to the whispered voice of Everblight. These blighted Nyss are to wield dragonspawn with
known as shepherds, and they are seen as particularly blessed; much of the same deadly
only Everblight’s chosen warlocks share a closer connection to precision granted to
their draconic master. Everblight’s chosen.

The singular rapport the shepherds share with the

dragonspawn around them appears uncanny even to other
blighted Nyss, and shepherds are tasked with the vital role
of guiding and caring for the spawn alongside Everblight’s
warlocks. For their part, the shepherds feel closer to the
dragonspawn than they do to their own kind, often choosing
to sleep amongst the spawn entrusted to their care. Shepherds
who are separated from dragonspawn for long or who are
forced into social interactions with other intelligent beings
for prolonged periods often grow sullen and short-tempered
until they can return to the spawn where they feel at home in
the shadow of their master.

Playing a Shepherd: Play a shepherd if you want a career

that’s more at home among dragonspawn than it is among
other blighted Nyss. The shepherd’s array of skills and
abilities make her an expert at guiding and bolstering
dragonspawn, either in support of a warlock, on her own,
or as a warlock herself. Animal Mastery means a shepherd
never needs to worry about frenzied warbeasts, while her
Beast Master, Wall of Flesh, and Beast Manipulation
abilities can simulate many aspects of being a
bonded warlock. At PER 6 she can pick up Spawn

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 grotesque
Just looking at them, it’s difficult to imagine that the grotesques were ever related to the Nyss from which they were created, but if you’re
ever unlucky enough to stare one in the eye, you’ll find it’s impossible not to believe it.
–Professor Viktor Pendrake, Monsternomicon

To outsiders, the effects Though they possess little of Everblight’s cunning, the
Physique PHY 8 of Everblight’s power grotesques inherited much of his ravenous hunger. Driven
Speed SPD 5 upon the Nyss are only by their instinct to hunt and kill, the grotesques attack
Strength STR 7 almost universally the enemies of the dragon like a flock of starving birds,
Agility AGL 4 horrifying, even when ripping them to shreds and stuffing bloody bits into their
Prowess PRW 3 the results are at times toothy maws.
Poise POI 3 eerily graceful or
Intellect INT 1 beautiful; however, Combat
Arcane aRC — there is nothing
Grotesques live only to feed and to spill blood for
Perception PER 4 beautiful about the
Everblight. They are driven by the hunger and the will
winged horrors known
Claws of the dragon, and their minds have been replaced by the
MAT POW P+S as grotesques. These
basest instincts of wild beasts—a hunger that can never be
5 3 10 misshapen gargoyles
sated. Grotesques dwell together in flocks, and when they
that descend upon the
Initiative Init 12 attack, they swarm their enemies in a cloud of beating wings
enemies of Everblight
Defense DEF 13 and slashing claws. Grotesques will always attempt to gang
in a cloud of leathery
Armor ARM 13 up on an enemy, clustering as many grotesques around it as
wings stand out
(Natural Armor +5) possible in order to take it down quickly before moving on
as one of the most
Willpower Wil 9 to the next target.
Vitality: 8 terrible alterations
Everblight has ever While grotesques are sometimes found in the wilds around
Command Range: 1
worked upon the Nyss. Legion of Everblight encampments, perhaps acting as
Base Size: Small
The grotesques have sentries or hunting for food, they are more often employed
Encounter Points: 4
replaced all of the by the Legion to harry the flanks of enemy forces or to strike
grace and poise of the unexpectedly from the sky in order to distract or break up
Nyss with the brutal savagery of a wild beast, guided and enemy formations, leaving them open to a more focused
directed by the will of the dragon. attack from dragonspawn or other troops.

While other blighted Nyss have gained the cold cruelty

Lore
of their draconic master through corporeal reshaping—
sprouting horns, talons, or bony spurs—few have changed A character can make a Lore (dragon or extraordinary
as drastically as these blighted creatures. Not content with zoology) skill roll to determine what he knows about this
the subtler changes he had performed upon his followers, creature. The higher the character’s total, the more he learns.
Everblight sought to create Nyss who were closer to his own The character learns all the information up to his total.
draconic perfection, at least in form. Leathery wings have
10: Grotesques are blighted creatures that travel in flocks,
sprouted from their backs, along with drastically altered
harrying the enemies of Everblight. Though they bear some
musculature, which they use to propel themselves in flight.
resemblance to Nyss, they are driven only by the basest of
Further, their hands and feet have transformed into talons
instincts and are little more than animals.
they use to rend their prey.
12: Though not especially cunning, grotesques are pack
The grotesques were so greatly altered from their former
hunters and will swarm their prey in order to bring it down
state that they became an entirely separate species. While
as quickly as possible. They are particularly dangerous in
born from Nyss parents, the grotesques now live apart from
groups, and their primitive pack tactics make each individual
their former kin. Together, the grotesques roost like gigantic
grotesque more deadly thanks to the proximity of its brethren.
and malformed ravens, breeding among themselves to
produce offspring that mature at an alarming rate, ready to 14: The twisted grotesques were once Nyss, but the dragon’s
fly and kill within only a few weeks of birth. blight transformed them into an entirely separate species that
now reproduces among themselves. Infant grotesques grow
While there is little left to show the grotesques were ever
to full maturity very quickly.
Nyss, even the most casual observer can still detect enough
of a kinship to give a frisson of recognition; these beasts that The blight that affects the Nyss is like a living thing, one that
were once sentient beings are now hideously changed. grows and changes according to its own strange rhythms,
all bent to serve the purposes of Everblight himself. While

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the first Nyss to fall under the shadow of the dragon found Abilities
themselves altered by the experience, the changes were, at
Fearless – The character is utterly fearless and automatically passes Willpower
first, subtle and small compared to the alterations that have rolls to resist Terror.
since been performed. With the passage of time, new Nyss Flight – This creature can advance through terrain and obstacles without
are born to blighted parents, and the long-term effects of penalty and can advance through obstructions and other characters if it has
the dragon’s blight begin to become manifest. Just as certain enough movement to move completely past them. This creature ignores
intervening characters when declaring its charge target.
bloodlines, which show a natural propensity for sorcerous
Gang – When making a melee attack that targets an enemy in melee range of
talents, are carefully nurtured and pruned to encourage
another friendly character, this creature gains +1 to melee attack and melee
arcane development, so too are characteristics enhanced and damage rolls. When making a melee attack that targets an enemy in melee range
amplified by the power of the blight to create increasingly of another friendly character who also has this ability, these bonuses increase
to +2.
refined blighted soldiers who bear less and less resemblance
to their Nyss forebears. Creature Templates:
Alert, Alpha, Hunter, Starving

Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Detection PER 2 6
Tracking PER 2 6

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 Succubus
As horrifying as they are, there is every reason to believe that the changes Everblight has wrought upon the Nyss are only beginning.
As the blight that affects them continues to evolve, so too will the blighted Nyss grow more and more dissimilar to the race we know.
The strange and sinister succubi are ample evidence of this.
–Professor Viktor Pendrake, Monsternomicon

Physique PHY 5 The sorcerous potential The Nyss who will become succubi are taken to the same
Speed SPD 6 of the Nyss has proven spawning pools where the dragonspawn are created.
Strength STR 4 an important resource There, they are ritually bathed in the blood of a warlock,
in the arsenal of a transformative rite that not only douses them with the
Agility AGL 5
Everblight, and curating protean blood of the warlock but also unlocks the full power
Prowess PRW 3
that potential has taken of the blight already within them. What emerges from the
Poise POI 3
on a special prominence spawning pool at the conclusion of the ritual is no longer
Intellect INT 3
among his blighted Nyss truly a Nyss at all but some new creature, one attuned to
Arcane aRC 4
followers. The sorcerous the blood of the warlock that birthed it and the power of the
Perception PER 4
gift seems to manifest dragon that is its master.
tail strike more frequently among
The succubus is a strange and almost hypnotic creature,
MAT POW P+S female Nyss, and as
5 2 6 terrible but also beautiful in its way. Though its torso and
more and more of them
head still resemble a Nyss female, its legs have fused into a
Abilities: This weapon has reach. are born with arcane
serpentine tail that grants it an inhuman stability and grace.
Initiative Init 13 gifts, their bloodlines
Vestigial wings sprout from its back, horns grow from its
Defense DEF 14 are carefully cultivated
head, and many succubi develop altered musculature and
(NYss Leather Armor –1) in order to provide the
additional arms. Strangely, none of these visible alterations
Armor ARM 11 armies of Everblight
(Nyss Leather Armor +6) are the most dramatic mark of its metamorphosis, for the
with sorceresses and
sorcerous potential of the succubus has been transformed
Willpower Wil 9 other arcane weapons.
into a font of arcane power, which other blighted spellcasters
Vitality: 6 Not all born with
can tap into to fuel their magic.
Command Range: 3 arcane potential go on
Base Size: Small to serve the Legion as Not quite Nyss and not quite dragonspawn, the succubi are
Encounter Points: 3
sorceresses, however. bound to the warlock whose blood helped create them and
Some are chosen for an are as loyal to their masters as any spawn. In the field of
entirely different honor: battle, they act as extensions of their warlock’s will. Their own
a ritual that gives a startling indication of the scope of the arcane potential acts as an amplifier to the warlock’s gifts.
metamorphic power of the blight and a possible glimpse into With a succubus by her side, a blighted warlock becomes an
the future of the evolution of the blighted Nyss. even more potent weapon in the armies of the dragon.

Abilities Combat
Altered Anatomy – A character cannot claim the benefit of the Anatomical
Precision ability against this character.
While succubi are perfectly capable of fighting by lashing out
with melee weapons or their sinuous tails if the need arises,
Arcane Assist – If a friendly spellcaster is in this character’s command range, the
spellcaster can upkeep one spell without gaining fatigue or spending fury. they prefer to act as arcane support to the warlock whose
Steady – This character cannot be knocked down.
blood empowers them. Unless ordered to do otherwise, a
succubus will always stay in close proximity to its warlock
Spirit Tap – The character can spend a quick action to immediately cast the animus
of a friendly blighted warbeast in its command range as a spell. This character and attack enemies at a distance using spells or by casting the
cannot cast an animus with a RNG of SELF. This character must make a magic animi of nearby warbeasts.
attack roll to cast an offensive spell.
Will Weaver – This character is a will weaver. The character has the Blight Strike
A succubus is loyal to the death. The life and will of its
spell plus one chosen by the Game Master from the Blighted Sorcerer spell list. warlock is more important than any other consideration.
When needed, the succubus will ignore its own safety to
Creature Templates: provide support and protection to its warlock. Though
Alert, Alpha, Hunter, Starving succubi are will weavers and capable of casting spells on
Skills: their own, their principal battlefield function is to serve as
Name Stat + Rank Total arcane amplifiers for their warlock, allowing her to tap into
Detection PER 2 6 their own arcane power to fuel her spells.
Tracking PER 2 6

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Lore
A character can make a Lore (dragon or extraordinary 14: The succubus is bound to the warlock it serves, and like a
zoology) skill roll to determine what he knows about this dragonspawn, it is completely loyal. Wherever a succubus is
creature. The higher the character’s total, the more he learns. found, a warlock isn’t far away.
The character learns all the information up to his total.
17: Something between a Nyss and a dragonspawn,
12: A succubus acts as an arcane reservoir for a blighted warlock. succubi are created when Nyss with sorcerous potential
With a succubus nearby, a warlock can draw upon an additional are transformed by bathing in the blood of a warlock. This
font of arcane power to fuel her spells. The succubus is also a ritual binds the succubus and warlock together and creates
spellcaster in its own right, able to not only cast its own spells an arcane bond, which allows the warlock to use the arcane
but also to tap into the animi of nearby dragonspawn. energy of the succubus to power her spells.

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 New Abilities
Animal Mastery Perfect Form
Prerequisite: Animal Handling 1 Prerequisite: Great Weapon 3

When a friendly blighted warbeast frenzies within the The character can spend a feat point to boost the attack and
character’s command range, the character selects the target damage roll of a Nyss Claymore or Nyss Great Sword.
the frenzying warbeast will attack. When a friendly blighted
warbeast makes a threshold check within the character’s Spawn Whisperer
command range, the character may choose to have the Prerequisite: Animal Handling 2, PER 6
warbeast automatically fail the roll.
The character can affect two warbeasts in range when
Beast Manipulation: Caretaker performing a beast manipulation.

Prerequisite: Animal Handling 2 Wall of Flesh

While B2B with a friendly warbeast, this character can spend Prerequisite: Animal Handling 2, Intimidation 2
a full action to use this ability on the warbeast. The warbeast
removes 1 damage point from each of its life spiral aspects. When the character is directly hit by an attack while B2B
with a friendly warbeast, you can choose to have the attack
Beast Manipulation: Enrage directly hit the warbeast instead of the character. In this case,
the warbeast is automatically hit and suffers all damage and
Prerequisite: Animal Handling 2
effects from the attack.
While B2B with a friendly warbeast, this character can spend
a full action to use this ability on the warbeast. The warbeast
gains +2 STR and must charge or make a slam or trample New Gear
power attack without being forced during its next turn. Beast
Manipulation: Enrage lasts for one round. Shepherd’s Crook

Beast Manipulation: Toughen Cost: 7 gc

Prerequisite: Animal Handling 2 Skill: Great Weapon

While B2B with a friendly warbeast, this character can spend Attack Modifier: –1
a full action to use this ability on the warbeast. The warbeast
POW: 4
gains +2 ARM for one round.
Description: Little more than a metal crook on the end of a
Beast Master long staff, these tools were useful for herding ulk prior to the
Prerequisite: Animal Handling 3 coming of Everblight due to the crook’s natural sturdiness
and reach. Since then, shepherds have put these same
This character can force a friendly blighted warbeast in qualities to work guiding dragonspawn.
the character’s command range as if it were the warbeast’s
bonded warlock. Special Rules: This weapon has reach.

This weapon requires two hands to wield.

Combo Strike (Nyss Claymore)
A character with Specialization (Shepherd’s Crook) armed
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting
with this weapon can perform beast manipulations on a
While armed with a pair of Nyss claymores, instead of creature in this weapon’s melee range.
attacking with each sword separately during his turn, this
A character armed with this weapon gains +2 to animal
character can strike with both blades simultaneously. Make
one attack roll. If the attack hits, double the POW of the Nyss handling skills.
claymore when resolving the damage roll. A character does
not gain an attack from Two-Weapon Fighting during a turn
he uses Combo Strike.

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