The Dragonlands

Talzhemir on "True Sight":

(For anyone not already familiar with this material: The RP information on the Furcadia web site defines the official default Continuity, known as 'The Dragonlands'. It is source material that will eventually be integrated with an RPG called 'Furre!'. Roleplaying with the Dragonlands background is not required on Furcadia; it is always opt-in.)

True Sight is exactly that: an ability to detect supernaturals. Those who possess it constantly see a fringe of colored light around others (a la Kirlian photography). It does require the furre's eyes to be open.

Characters with True Sight have some Prime or Dark Prime ancestry. (They may be grandchild or great-grandchild of Prime/Dark Prime, but not a son or daughter.)

True Sight may give a false reading if the subject is a very kind, sympathetic, and caring person. The way a power of this sort works when you don't have code to handle it, is, you put [True Sight] in your desc. This lets other furres OOCly whisper to you, saying you happen to notice something about their character. This is appropriate for Persona RP, where the outcome of conflicts is up to the furre to decide.

(For those who prefer the heightened drama of "Strict" RP, I think True Sight really needs to be coded. Then, after opting in to a Continuity in which it exists, whenever someone uses True Sight it is entirely invisible to the subject.)

On Consorts:

Having once received energy from a Consort, the Mage cannot accept energy from another Consort for five (RL) months. Consorts, however, can do so with any Mage.
Grything is only possible if the Consort is happy. If they are afraid or sad or angry, they cannot Gryth. In Mage society, Consorts may be kept under lock and key in perfect gardens,
isolated from the toil and grief of the outside world. Their existence is not secret but it is a highly personal matter to Mages in general.

Consorts are sought-after by Vampire Furres, who start to absorb a bit of their life-like-ness. After having a Vampire Furre in their house, the Consort starts to look more pale and corpse-like, and the Vampire Furre starts to look and feel more alive. If a Vampire Furre attempts to "turn" a Consort, the Consort perishes.


Lycanthians and Consorts are instinctively repulsed by each other. The Consort cannot Gryth while a Lycanthian is present; the Lycanthian is seized by a strong and undefined feeling of worry if a Consort is present. Consorts are immune to becoming Lycanthians.

On Alchemists:

Still to be detailed are the Alchemists. In the Dragonlands, the work of Mages is almost always a temporary thing, but more permanent effects are possible using potions. Potions from Alchemists are more in keeping with the flavor of the world. If a non-mage wants to accomplish something magical, wands, scrolls, enchanted swords, etc. are not appropriate; in the Dragonlands, these effects are done with potions. A potion might be poured on a bow and arrow to give them greater accuracy, for example. There are few permanent enchantments; most (but not all) potion effects do ultimately wear off.

On Faefurres language and Mage culture:

The Faerie-furres have their own culture; they can speak their own language, Glimmerish.

Mages are into a kind of magic-bloodline-promoting eugenics and consider themselves a separate race. They have a kind of subculture, with its own esoteric and private writing system called Magian.

On Ferians:

It's always a curse. Ferians are always born as furres. There are a number of ways that someone can become a Ferian but not many ways to undo it. The vast majority of Ferians die Ferians. They also usually go crazy. Sometimes the madness is, they forget they were ever furres.

The ill-tempered creature that King Callistin rides is actually a Ferian.

On Wyrmmes:

The Wyrmmes have three tools for oppressing the Furres. They use psionics. They use weapons, yes. Thirdly, and this is important: they vigorously suppress the idea that there can even be free Furres. Not being a slave is as unthinkable to many Drakorian slave Furres, as an eight-year-old child living without parents is, to our sensibilities.

Information of this sort will go into a Drakorian sourcebook/almanac eventually.

On Phoenixes:

There are a number of floating islands, but the one the Phoenixes speak of is the one called Zephiroth. The "Zephiroth" we have on Furcadia is an area connected to the VINCA map, accessible only to winged characters and those they 'summon.

Phoenixes typically live in nests. They prefer forests because it's easiest to hide a nest amongst lots of trees. (There are three Objects in the art from the last Update, which assemble into a huge nest in a tree.) Phoenixes, for reasons of safety, don't say where their nests are.

On the 'nature' of magic: I'll start by saying, I think we should be flexible when granting credibility to abilities when playing outside of a Guild.

Since you asked, though, Furcadia was written to be not too far off from "typical" medieval fantasy, notably, the spell effects of D&D. In a "strict" interpretation of the Dragonlands Continuity, many hyooman magic traditions don't exist. There would be no voodoo, for example.

By definition, all the odd effects in Furcadia are "magic". Furcadian psionics is included; ESP is not a different "sphere" of interactions. According to "canon", permanent telepathic links are always accomplished using a magical ceremony that requires a mage, and many of those ceremonies require specific musical phrases.

Magic is not a manifestation of natural energy exuded by living creatures or special items or features of the environment, to be stored like electricity and stored or released by emotionally-charged events.

There are two kinds of magic in Furre! : alchemy, and spellcasting.

Alchemy triggers inherent interactions: Brown an Eye of Toad, sprinkle in Feather of Youlanda, mix in 11 more secret Herbs 'n' Spices and maybe you get something that causes you to sprout wings and go to Cons. Being an alchemist requires training by those who have passed on its secrets, and it's assumed that there's much more to it than can be contained in recipe books.

It could be argued that Alchemy is not even "magic" at all, since it's "natural" in the Dragonlands. But, as alchemical effects decrease the closer one gets to the Olde World, it definitely relies on some natural law already referred to as "magic".

Spellcasting requires a genetic potential in the Furre, and knowledge of secrets placed there by Dragon and Primes long ago. Drakorian magic tends towards music, while Kasurian magic tends towards rhymes. One utilizes pitches in sequence, and the other utilizes sounds and rhythms.

I think if there is an "energy" involved, it comes from the furre themself. The trappings of the spell are like lenses, giving it form and function.

Consider a love-charm to fetch hither the best match for the subject. By whose standards? I would presume, by the standards of the spellcaster. So, if the spellcaster was a ladyfurre who wanted her daughter to be wealthy, the charm would lean towards millionaires, but if the spellcaster was a wise old witch who valued education, maybe the spell "prefers" a teacher. If the spellcaster was superficial, maybe the love-charm would rather target a handsome furre.

Spellcasting effects may require "apparent omniscience". An assassin could leave a mango enchanted to explode if Ridere comes within four paces of it. The spell presumably somehow has to sense Ridere, in an undefined fashion- it works even if Ridere is in disguise. (I suppose a magical disguise would work?)

Furcadia's natural laws don't "power" magic, they "permit" it. Following in the footsteps of many fantasy writers, I'm going to write that gunpowder fails to combust in Kasuria or Drakoria. Exploding gunpowder is not "powered" by "physics energy" either.

Restrictions and Requirements for Player Characters
This is a restricted character race. You must register your wyrmme character with the administration, via forum PM or e-mail, before you play it in Blackstone.
Kasurian-born wyrmmes are becoming second-class citizens as the war wears on. If you intend to play a Kasurian-born wyrmme, you will be required to know something about the recent history of Kasuria as per the Blackstone Canon, as well as knowing about the special abilities of your race.
Drakorian-born wyrmmes grew up in an environment very different from Kasuria's "courtly chivalrous society" (R). If you intend to play a Drakorian-born wyrmme, you will be required to know lots of somethings about Drakoria as well as knowing about the special abilities of your race.

Wyrmme History
Creation:
The Wyrmmes were the first race of sentients created by the Primes. They were destroyed when the Dark Primes Telcodar, Chatengo, and Tallus became involved in a battle between the Witchqueens of Ommol Hoonim and the sky fleets of the Ommol Vanoor. After the Dark Primes were driven out of the Palace of the Vinca, they fled to deep caverns within the Urrth. (R)
The Furre! canon information on how the Wyrmmes returned to the Urrth is contradictory. (See (R) and (R))
The more recent source material (R) on the Wyrmme's Second Creation says that the Prime Thelcoda laid the eggs from which the Second Wyrmmes hatched. "The other Primes carried the eggs down to the land of Drakoria, to hide them. Even when far apart, the eggs of the Second Wyrmmes mindwhispered good and gentle things to each other." But while Thelcoda rested, the Dark Primes gathered in Drakoria and caused lava to stir beneath the land until the great heat caused the Second Wyrmmes to hatch earlier than intended.
"Ravenous hunger was their first memory. "Go forth and conquer," whispered the minions of the Dark Primes. "For you are the rightful rulers of the world!" (R)
( Old material: "Some time after their defeat at the hands of the Primes, the Dark Primes gathered upon Drakoria, and, led by Dyarr/a , they captured a number of true dragons, and from them, recreated the extinct dragonlike people, called the Wyrmmes." )
Drakoria:
Drakoria was also inhabited by wild nomad Furres, who lived in tribes made of around 50-100 Furres.
The Wyrmmes grew more numerous and took over Drakoria. The Dark Primes decreed that the Wyrmmes should rule the Furres, and Furres should rule the Bugges, and the Drakorians remain loyal to the evil Dark Primes. "In Drakoria, Wyrmmes are the rulers. Furres of Drakoria are next in status, and they keep both Bugges and other Furres as slaves, yet it is illegal to enslave a Wyrmme. (R)
Kasuria:
In the 1000th Year of the Dragon (~150 years ago), "the Kasurian skies were first darkened by the wings and scales of the forces of Drakoria... Arriving on quadrupedal flying dragons and magnificent many-sailed airships, the Wyrmmes raided and plundered the Kasurian cities for food, craft goods, and slaves." (R)
The Wyrmmes were driven off by squadrons of Raptor knights armed with crossbows and Kasurian magic, by mercenary Vampyre Furres, and eventually by the Mysterious Cold, which made the Northern Counties (the Highlands) too cold for Scarhawks, Wyrmmes, or Dragons.
Between the First and Second Drakorian Invasions, the only Wyrmmes in Kasuria were refugees: "Those Wyrmmes who live in Kasuria tend to be very nice; they are the ones who rebelled against the harsh Drakorian empire." (R)

The Second Drakorian Invasion, according to Blackstone Canon, occupied Harfang in the 1159th Year of the Dragon. (R) All communication with Harfang was cut off in August of the 1160th Year of the Dragon. (R) It is now the 1163rd Year of the Dragon, Drakorian forces have advanced halfway to Malgrave, and Kasurian tolerance of its Wyrmme population is at a very low ebb, indeed. Kasurian-born Wyrmmes are becoming second-class citizens as the war wears on, despite the fact that "the good Kasurians believe in equality of the races, and freedom." (R)

Appearance & Abilities

Wyrmmes are very easily distinguished from furres. They are "bipedal talking dragons" (R): "The Wyrmmes were like The Dragon in form, but they had no wings. They had scales of different hues, and frills and horns upon their heads. They were tall and slender, taller than Furres of today, though not so tall as the Primes." (R)
They are between 7' and 8' tall. Their scales are tough enough to act as a "natural armor". (R) They have reptilian metabolisms, and are cold-blooded-- "cold... means pain and fatal paralysis for Wyrmmes."(R)-- which keeps them out of the Northern Counties of Kasuria . Their senses of hearing, smell, and taste are slightly less keen than those of a furre. (R)

Noble-born Wyrmmes have wings capable of flight. (R) Wyrmmes from Lesser Houses may have vestigal wings incapable of flight. Commoners are landbound and wingless. (R)
Psionics
Wyrmmes are capable of powers that are not exactly magic, but "psionics." (R) They can read minds; they can attempt to implant suggestions the receiver would not consider harmful. Psionics is the norm for Wyrmmes and rare in Furres.

A Wyrmme related to the Lords and Ladies of Drakoria, with a pedigree of 11, may be capable of the Kajutar Mindscourge ability. (R)

Reproduction
The following is NOT considered Canon information for the most part; this is what Blackstone players have created out of necessity.
For information on the IC timeline of reproduction and the aging of kits and hatchlings in Blackstone Continuity, we need a page!
Wyrmme mating season falls between December and January, when the Wyrmmes' natural pheromone production peaks. (However, just like furres, Wyrmme mating and pheromone production happens all year, just to a lesser extent.) Elaborate courtship is the norm, posturing and gesturing with frills and wings.
As reptilian creatures, Wyrmmes are egg-layers.(R) The female Wyrmme carries the hard-shelled eggs internally for approximately a month while they form, during which time she is considered "gravid" rather than "pregnant." She and her mate (if present) are prompted by instinct to build a nest in a protected place, usually of whatever's available--stones, branches, vegetation, skins.
After the eggs are laid, they require incubation of some kind: heat from burial, from a nearby fire or heat source, or the little heat their cold-blooded parents can provide by their presence (preferably a combination of the above). The natural incubation time is about two months (or for twice as long as they were carried). Sustained intense heat will likely shorten the time. (R)
Young Wyrmmes, referred to as hatchlings rather than kits, emerge from their eggs with the help of an eggtooth, which is later shed as furre kits shed their baby teeth.
Half-Breeds
There are rare occurrences in which Wyrmmes will interbreed with furres or other non-Wyrmmes, but given the general attitude of Wyrmmes towards furres, this should be considered extremely rare. Wyrmmes are terrified of passing on their psionic abilities outside of the race; Talzhemir describes them as "violently anti-crossbreed" (R). Furres are not fond of half-Wyrmme, half-furre children either. Both races generally consider such unnatural offspring "abominations."
Although there is speculation that a Wyrmme and furre crossbreed could be accomplished naturally (I swear there's a reference for this on the Furc site, I just can't find it!), it's generally accepted that a potion is needed. (The Prime Jeltana is given credit for magically imbuing "certain herbs with the magic that permits Furres of different Orders or Species to produce fertile offspring." (R) It's traditionally played that the herbs need to be made into a potion by an alchemist or other furre well-versed in herbology and magic.)
The appearance and abilities of mixed-race children are unpredictable. Some may inherit Wyrmme psionics or wings, which may be usable if one of their parents had functioning wings. They may have oddly colored or oddly placed fur or scales; frills might take the place of ears, a tailtuft the place of a tailspade. To most eyes, they would look horrific.
Half-Wyrmme, half-furre children face an uncertain future. If they were the product of a loving couple, those parents may be the only ones to accept them unconditionally. Almost everyone will be unnerved at the sight of such a half-breed, even furres who are tolerant of Wyrmmes and Wyrmmes who are tolerant of furres.
A special case is found when Wyrmmes and Serps breed. Although they are both reptiles, Wyrmmes are native Drakorians and Serps are native Kasurians. Their similarities will very, very rarely allow offspring to occur naturally, without the use of a potion (like a horse and a zebra could naturally produce a hebra, but the hebra would probably be sterile.) (R) This has been rolled for with odds of gravidity 1/1000.

"Psions" includes all Dragonlands characters who possess psionic abilities. Telebonded (1) to another furre Telebonded (1) to a pet (must buy Pet advantage separately) Telepath (1) can speak mind-to-mind with one other furre, who must also buy this Advantage. Psihealer (1) can transfer the wounds of others onto themselves. 5. Dragonmounts and Scarhawks require their rider to be psionic. The Wyrmmes are the source of the knowledge that Dragonmounts are bonded to their rider in a magical ceremony involving secret music. Furres managed to steal this information forty years ago, and since then, there have been Furre riders of Dragonmounts as well as Scarhawks. 6. About Psion's animals: Amongst Tribesfurres, training and bonding rituals are done by Shamans. (Psion animals do not provide a "telepathic switchboard" service, nor are they ever more intelligent than about a 3-year-old RL human. Perhaps only one in a thousand Psions can link to two Psion creatures; three is not possible. DRACONOIDS --Minidragons are very rare, and about the only thing a Bugge Psion can connect with. Their eggs are precious and they're a bit like cockatoos: They can be friendly but they can also bite. Wyrmmes tend to dislike them because of their use as spies, and in most Wyrmme strongholds, they are shot on sight. When wearing a cloak, they can be smuggled into places they don't belong. --WatchWyrmmes are thought of much like crocodiles. In the wild, they will eat a young Furre, and are often hated. They cannot fly. WatchWyrmmes are blind in daylight, but can get around if guided by their Psion rider. Conversely, they lend their remarkably acute nightvision to their Psion, hence their role as the pets of those who patrol or hunt at night. --Dragonmounts seem related to Minidragons and WatchWyrmmes. They are the preferred aerial steeds of the Wyrmmes, who breed them for war. They do not eat fish; they live on kiwis, or ostrixes. Keeping them is an expensive and/or time-consuming proposition around which the rider's life is soon irrevocably wrapped. Unlike Minidragons and WatchWyrmmes, Dragonmounts are never found in the wild. AVIANS: --Kiwis are usable as Psion pets, but would probably be used as such by somebody very desperate. The odds that such a domesticated food bird would get eaten are high. --Ostrixes are common flightless birds large enough to be ridden. They are so docile that there is probably little advantage as a Psion's pet except perhaps for the use of their sharp eyesight. Although they are of low status amongst Psions, Ostrixes are undeniably the most personable and inexpensive of pets, happy to eat shoots and leaves. --Scarhawks may be found in the wild, where they are at the top of the food chain. In a flock of 2-3, they will tear a furre to pieces. --Raukors are twice the mass of an Ostrix but only a little taller. Like Scarhawks, they are frightening predators, with beaks that can crush a furre's skull like an eggshell. Rare in Kasuria, they form packs and hunt anything that moves above ground and doesn't fly. Their splotched pelts can be made into shields.

Bogblort™

The unlikely Bogblort lives in still water, the more
foul the better. Children may cuss, "Oh, bogblorts!"
when something goes wrong. Perhaps that is because these
little creeps are known to sneak in and sabotage
machines and tools. They sometimes infest the
sewage moats of castles.

The Bogblort's specialty is illusion. It stands
only half a meter tall, but can look like somebody much
bigger. A Bogblort can impersonate monsters it
has encountered, too, but cannot look like something
it hasn't seen from a number of angles. More
often, its efforts are directed at looking like
natural pieces of scenery like a boulder or bush.
Those rare individuals who are "psionic nulls"
(and thus immune to these illusions) are the Bogblort's
deadly enemies. Bogblorts normally go to great
lengths to kill such a person.

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Furre™ Brigand
In the Olde World, cities do not have "city guards"
while in Kasuria, only the very largest do. Keeping
people safe is the responsibility of household guards
in the pay of noble families. That leaves the roads
between settlements a ripe place to harvest the money
of travelers!
Brigands aren't really a separate race, but they do
try to look like no race in particular. Thus, you
may find rat-like dogs, cat-like rabbits, wolfish
horses, and so on, amongst them. They will trim
the fur on their tails or permanently cut their ears
for this effect-- all the better to elude the law.

The normal operations of brigands is to stop furres
on the road and demand they leave their goods and
money. After they have robbed their victims, it is
normal for them to attack until the victims are not
in any shape to follow them. More vicious brigands
simply kill their victims and rob them afterwards.

The brigands of the Olde World will tend to use sword
and crossbow. Brigands of Kasuria can be mages with
wands as well. Brigands of Drakoria tend to use
flint-tipped spears and bow-and-arrow.

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Cauldruin-born™

There is an epic song of a lapine witch whose wolf
lover became one of the Cauldruin-born. She
gave him a magical draught to restore his
memories. Alas! Although he remembered clearly
who he had once been, he was still a monster,
and he killed the witch for trying to come
between him and the power of the Cauldruin.
Once taken, there is no turning back.
The winged spear-hurling warriors wear helms
with a third eye, enabling them to see all
that is invisible. These are servitors of
the Cauldruin, a famous magical artifact.
Known as the Cauldruin-born, legend says they
sometimes appear at the close of a battle to
carry away the body of a fallen hero. The
remains are thrown into the Cauldruin, to rise
again as an intelligent but strange and unfeeling
being.

Cauldruin-born have no need of breath, food, or
sleep. They do, however, need to drink water.
Drinking or immersion in saltwater hurts them.
Their arms have two elbows and they can carry
a furre off into the air with ease. They have
no nipples or genitals; indeed, they entirely
lack a sex drive.

They stand a head taller than normal furres,
and could perhaps pass for a Wyrmme if hooded
and cloaked. Cauldruin-born have no tails,
which makes the deception more difficult.


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Roughly the size of a furre's forearm, the
Chiznat does not eat, but only drinks dew.
Most of its eating is done during its larval
stage.

Native to western Drakoria, the Chiznat is
wasp-like creature that lays its eggs in a
living host. Its stinger
delivers a powerful dose of paralyzing venom
that carries a virus. After
infection, the victim gets a boil that grows
bigger and bigger. If not cut out or otherwise
treated, the victim will go into a catatonic
state, with one to four Chiznats hatching out
of their abdomen in approximately fifteen days.

Evil Faeriefurres know a spell to make a
Chiznat into a tool for long-distance spying.
They are not so useful up-close, as the
drone of their wings gives them away.


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Curcupine™

These green behemoths are created by sorcery. They
start out four times the mass of a furre, and stand
one and a half times as tall. They are used to dig
moats, build castles, and protect forests against
logging. As they age, they grow larger, and there
are legends of Curcupines the size of windmills!

Up close, they attack with hard and armor-cutting
claws. Their tails can be swung to shoot magically
armor-piercing spikes as long as a furre's forearm.

Curcupines are mute and intelligent. They need only
sunlight and water to live. They can be peaceful,
given care and guidance, but without a caretaker, they
become dangerous. If rewarded for it with praise,
they learn to love destruction and a Curcupine on
the rampage can easily wipe out a village. With
effort, they can even claw their way through castle
walls.

A lucky Curcupine in the care of a follower of
the Prime Jujinka may be taught "abbey wave". This
is an ancient Kasurian druidic sign language made
of big graceful motions.







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Dracosaur™

Native to Drakoria, Dracosaurs are quadrupeds
with wings. They are not sentient (but they
are about as intelligent as the smartest
real-life dogs and not as smart as real-life
chimps).

There are three species of draxorian: the
large rideable flying Dracosaur, the flightless
Nightdrake (see Nightdrake entry), and the
smaller Minidrake.

Although they are both winged and scaled, the
draxorians are not that similar to the Wyrmmes
(sentient bipedal dragons).

All three draxorians can be bonded psionically
using a magical music ceremony between
compatible subjects. From this time until the
time it is large enough to be ridden is three
years. This is typically reckoned as one year
as a hatchling, and two as an ansel.
(For RP purposes, IC time is 2/3 RL time. So,
9 RL months as a hatchling, and 18 as an ansel.)

Those who do not bond this way simply go wild.
In the wild they are fierce and wary, untamed
and untameable. They will attack a furre to
drive them away from a nest, and there have been
cases of Dracosaurs who developed a taste for
the flesh of young furres.


The Dracosaur's shoulder is at the level of a
tall furre's eartips, with its wings rising
higher than that. It can carry two typical
furres on its back.


Female Dracosaurs are called casses. Males are
called syres. A dragon that is too young to
ride, but larger than a hatchling, is called
an ansel.

Dracosaurs come in gem-like colors and their
color is already known by the color of their
eggshell. They can be carnelian, ruby,
burnished (like burnt gold), ivory, blue agate,
white jade, emerald, jade, and earth brown.
Blue agates sometimes contain rare brilliant
blue sapphire dragons. A male born from a
burnished egg will be obsidian. Various
markings can be brilliant colors.

The Minidrake, the smallest member of this
family, is less than a meter tall at adulthood,
and can ride on a shoulder comfortably. It
looks just like a miniature Dracosaur.


Minidrakes have a very active social life if
they are around other Minidrakes. They form
alliances, hold grudges, forgive, fall in love,
break up, get back together, and so forth.
Dracosaurs of all kinds tend to lay their
eggs far from their homes, leaving their young
to fend for themselves. This protects them
from another instinct: to eat any eggs they
find. Dracosaurs of all sizes find eggs
delicious.



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Eetrox™

Powerful and compactly built, the Eetrox can leap about
in trees. They are known to eat non-Eetrox. They
roam the wilds of Drakoria in hordes of around 20-40,
and they are hated by the Wyrmmes, who will send out
patrols to wipe them out if they get too close to the
City-States.
They are primitive, and occasionally will run by
crouching on all fours and wriggling across the
ground quickly.

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Evil Faeriefurre™


Physically, Faeriefurres are no larger than teenage
mortal furres. Most are the size of children. They
have great big eyes, profuse hair, and large ears.
Their paws have one less finger than normal.
Unlike mortals, the species of a Faeriefurre is hard
to discern. They may mix the features of predator and
prey creatures, for example. They divide themselves
into two factions: the Seelie, who are fond of the
quaint mortal world, and the Unseelie, who treat it
with contempt.

Faeriefurres who fulfill the ideals of their Court
live longer than mortals.
The evil "ilk" are malignant spirits to the core,
honoring each other for spiteful and malicious acts.
It is customary to brag about it in Unseelie Court,
and the one who doubts another may find themself in
a bloody duel-- to the delight of the rest of the
court. The signature weapon of the Unseelie are
"elfdarts"- slender twinned crystals made of refined
poison that vanish after they have done their dirty
work.


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Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Herdbird™

There are several types of herdbird that furres keep.
They produce a bird-wool, which resembles peacock tail
hurls. It can be spun into a very soft fuzzy thin yarn.

The nomad Furres of Drakoria keep a kind of herdbird
called a Beb-Kra. When one is alarmed, it thumps the ground
frantically with its heavy feet. Beb-Kras are very
affectionate birds and are only eaten in the direst
of emergencies.
PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Impellion™

The Impellions were created by the Dark Primes to serve
their high priests. They are very rare. One Impellion
is a traditional reward for destroying a large town
or city. They arrive in this world in the form
of fist-sized eggs.

They devour whatever they can, and
grow to their full size in minutes. They must eat
large quantities of fresh prey to keep up their
physical speed, slowing down somewhat if starved.

They do not sleep. They are almost like machines
in the execution of their assigned tasks. They
do not like to talk to anyone but their master or
mistress. They do not possess emotions such as
pride, affection, or anger.

Their tails are equipped with heavy armor-piercing
projectiles which they launch at their enemies. As
soon as one is fired, a new one starts to form, and is
ready a second later. Their scythe-claws cut
through stone as if it were cake; they cut through
an armored Furre as if they were made of warm
butter!
Except for the tips of their four feet, their bodies
disintegrate nearly anything touching them. They
possess a psionic ability to appear to be in a
location that is not where they are. The more magic
a viewer possesses, the more pronounced this effect.
Impellions can magically see through total darkness
but not walls, so they try to avoid being in
buildings or other structures that impede their vision.

As if that was not enough to keep them alive, they
are also the fastest self-regenerating creatures
in all the Dragonlands.

Because they require magic to live, they can not
survive in the Olde World. It is fortunate that Impellions
cannot breed, for they would quickly overrun the world
if they did. Thanks to the gems set in their heads,
they can see all around them, even in the dark, and
they can never be surprised. They can sense evil
as if it were music.

They can be targetted through sonar and other
discriminatory senses. It is also possible to hazard
a guess as to where they are, by watching the prints
of their feet in sand, their shadows, and similar
indirect indicators.

Impellions are immune to magic and psionics that attempt
to affect them (such as setting them afire or
mind-control). They are not immune to indirect use
of magic, such as, setting a forest around them
on fire or blowing at them with a gale-force wind.

After they have been vanquished, Impellions are
strangely forgotten, except by those who faced
them directly in combat. Mage lore sometimes has
scrolls with precious accounts of the encounter.
It is written that one Impellion can destroy an
army of four hundred Furres and their Dracosaur
and Scarhawk mounts, mages included. Fighting one
is invariably a matter involving kings, arch-
mages, and even lords and ladies of supernatural
courts.

The reader of such lore could learn (for a time!)
that a magical circle blocking out all magical energy
formed around an Impellion will cause it to
revert back into the inert egg. To awaken it
again, it must be bathed in the blood of a dying
innocent sentient Furre (a Wyrmme or Bugge will
not suffice).

Perhaps their greatest weakness is that they
must obey the will of the one that awakened
them. They are cunning but not geniuses; they
rely on the wits of their superior. If that
person is somehow removed, the Impellion will
try to find a replacement patron on their own.

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Leotaur™

Another of the elusive and primitive "Kentauri"
tribes, the Leotaurs are inimical, seeking to kill
any regular furre that they find. Like their
lupine counterparts, the Wolventaurs, Leotaurs
are "sennibals", that is, they will eat sentient
creatures such as furres and other Kentauri.
While Wolventaurs are happiest in packs,
Leotaurs are often solitary wanderers or
mated pairs. Unfriendly males will fight to
the death for a female, but friends will
prefer to wrestle.

Female Leotaurs have a pouch.

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Lichenthrope™

Ancient Drakorian Wyrmmes discovered that a certain
fungus, when allowed to cover a corpse, would reanimate
it into a creature with the intelligence of a snake.
The Wyrmmes made herds of them to protect their tombs.
Able to sense vibrations and heat through their textured
surface, lichenthropes can tear would-be tomb raiders
to shreds. Lichenthropes know no fear, and can not
fall unconscious due to injury.
Capable of living for centuries, older lichenthropes have
an outer covering resembling random staghorns, while
the younger ones are rough, crinkly or warty.
The nails of lichenthropes grow into dangerous claws
that cause grotesque and painful infections if the
wounds are not cleansed. If an infected furre dies,
they become a lichenthrope themself.
Vulnerable to sunlight, lichenthropes can leave their
subterranean lairs by night. Most of the time they are
perfectly still, dormant.

The deep bodily fluids of lichenthropes are a green goo
that glows in the dark. This substance seems useful-
but so long as it gives off light, it is capable of
infecting a corpse. It usually lasts up to three days.

PHYS: 9 Hit Points: 8 Move: 5
DEFT: 9 Attack ability with claws: 14
INTL: 3 Damage: 2/3/4
Initiative: 1/1/2

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Evil Furre™ Mage

Evil furre mages have different spells than their
good counterparts because they are learned in
secret schools called the "Colleges of Shadows."
These three organizatins are known to their
members as the School of Corruption, the School
of Darkness, and the School of Dark Bindings.
see details here.

Like brigands, the evil mages aren't a separate
race-- but they wish they were. Magical talent
is somewhat hereditary, and they make a big
deal out of arranging marriages between their
secret bloodlines.
PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Evil Merfurre™

There are legends of sailors tossed overboard during
a storm who are rescued by the fish-tailed "Daughters
of Dahlsea". Evil Merfurres, however, are those
denizens of the deep who have turned to evil.

Equines are the most common Merfurres. They tend to
be highly territorial and place great value on
privacy and secrecy. They are superstitious and think
that witnesses to their elaborate dances and ceremonies
rob them of their effectiveness.

They consider themselves different groups according to
the forms of their lower bodies. Some resemble
sharks; some resemble seals; some resemble dolphins;
some resemble a certain kind of fish such as a marlin.

The Merfurres have no need of air, so they build
great cities at the bottom of the sea. Or rather,
they grow them, by cultivating corals
into beautiful and strong structures. Good and evil
merfurres dwell apart in different places, and there
are often wars taking place between them.
The evil Merfurres create shrines to Nareetha, a
Dark Prime. She is depicted as a rodent merfurre
with a huge pearl in her mouth. She is accompanied
by two smaller feline merfurres that are chained
by their necks to her wrists.

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Evil Nagafurre™

These are the traditional temple guardians of
the ancient world. They have the torso of a
Furre but a lower body like a huge snake.
Their faces are often snake-ish, with scales
and backswept ears tight to their heads.
Furres tend to find them beautiful yet somewhat
repellant at the same time.

A nagafurre can only be magically created by a
conclave of Dark Mages. It begins as an egg,
which hatches and rapidly grows into a four-
meter-long adult over the space of a month.
Making a Nagafurre requires the destruction
of a Faeriefurre, a mortal Furre, and a snake.

They are usually equipped with a warrior's
weapons, and armor made especially for them.
Then they are set to guard great treasure
hoards.

Nagafurres can spit fist-sized balls of "fyre":
gooey stuff that bursts into fire in the air.
Their range is equal to that of the finest,
heaviest bow. Once set on fire, a victim's
best chance is to smother the fire with
something fireproof. Rolling on the ground
will make it worse and spread the fire.
Water does nothing to the Nagafurre's fyre.
It will burn for weeks- donated fyre from a
friendly nagafurre makes a great lamp fuel!

The best action for someone hit by fyre is
to apply large amounts of dry powdered
gypsum or plaster-of-paris. The burning will
go out but the victim will still be horribly
injured.


The nagafurre's senses of touch and hearing
are very acute, and they cannot be surprised
if they are awake. They can hear the heart
beat of a furre hiding behind a huge pillar
several meters away, for example. Thus,
they can fight in pitch darkness without
any penalty.
Nagafurres are, by nature, vain and insecure.
They can embody all the worst traits of a
young child-- greed, selfishness, laziness,
malice, and so on. Also, like a young child,
they love to listen to stories. (Long epics
are their favorite.)

There are three known ways to distract one.
Its serpent nature makes it hungry and after
being given a large offering of food, it will
go to sleep. Its Faerie nature gives it a
curious, playful side, and it can become
obsessed with a puzzle toy, such as a large
jigsaw or a metal blacksmith's puzzle.

The mortal Furre nature gives the Nagafurre
susceptibility to loneliness. Most will
never have seen another Nagafurre and can be
thrown into a state of rapture and longing
by showing it a large mirror.

It is also true that a mortal furre of the
opposite sex who is good and pure of heart
can tame the Nagafurre with kindness. (This
isn't sexual, and it's always a furre of the
opposite gender.) Once tamed, a Nagafurre
starts to grow up, showing more and more
self-control and maturity over time.


PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Nightdrake™

[[There are three species of draxorian: the
large rideable flying Dracosaur, the flightless
Nightdrake, and the smaller Minidrake.
All three draxorians can be bonded psionically
using a magical music ceremony between
compatible subjects. From this time until the
time it is large enough to be ridden is three
years. This is typically reckoned as one year
as a hatchling, and two as an ansel.
(For RP purposes, IC time is 2/3 RL time. So,
9 RL months as a hatchling, and 18 as an ansel.)
Those who do not bond this way simply go wild.
In the wild they are fierce and wary, untamed
and untameable. They will attack a furre to
drive them away from a nest, and there have been
cases of draxorians who developed a taste for
the flesh of young furres.


Tribesfurres of Drakoria tell frightening
campfire stories of hunters being stalked by
legendary Nightdrakes with furre-level
intelligence.


The Nightdrake is perhaps the rarest. Its
wings are only used for attracting a mate-
and grow out of its skull instead of shoulders.
Its skin is dark colored, usually dark blue
or dark dark green. Nightdrakes have big eyes
like milky opals, and they cannot see during
the day. At night, however, they have
perfect vision. They also have small gemlike
lenses on their foreheads which project a
light that only they can see.
Furres who mindmeld to a Nightdrake are said
to become very strange. They become withdrawn
and don't like to speak much. At night, they
see through the Nightdrake's eyes, while in
the day, they allow the Nightdrake see. The
Nightdrake's dislike of wide open spaces tends
to magically "infect" their rider.
Untamed Nightdrakes are a deadly menace. They
run at a shockingly fast gallop and swim very
fast. Their jaws crush legbones or skulls as
if they were paper; their teeth are hard enough
to pierce armor. Their skin is extremely tough.
They are the preferred mounts of Drakorian
bandits, but are also favored by miners.



Draxorians of all kinds tend to lay their
eggs far from their homes, leaving their young
to fend for themselves. This protects them
from another instinct: to eat any eggs they
find. Draxorians of all sizes find eggs
delicious.



PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Raukor™

The Raukor is twice the mass of a domestic Ostrix, and
more common in Drakoria than Kasuria. It is virtually
unknown in Olde World, where they may haunt misty
eastern jungles. In Drakoria, a bad-tempered lady
may be called "that old Raukor" behind her back.
Highly intelligent, Raukors can mimic sounds they have
just heard with great accuracy. They are voracious
and clever pack hunters. Where there is one, there
is usually a dozen or two more. They attack with
an unceasing chorus of cawing shrieks that makes
even yelled speech impossible.
They are most deadly because the whole pack will
attack a single victim unceasingly, then move on
to the next foe. Their thick hide is very tough,
and can even resist crossbow bolts, thus their
skin is prized for making feathery shields.

The long plumes on its back are not its tail, but
a tuft that can be raised, lowered, or made to
quiver. Drakorian chieftains and chieftainesses
sometimes wear cloaks woven from Raukor throat
plumes.

Wyrmme nobles hunt Raukors with long spears, and make
their back-plumes into fans on long handles.

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Roctopus™

Roctopuses are animals normally found on the ceilings
of caves. They have a natural ability to fly slowly.
They catch prey by dropping down on them, and then
crushing them to death. They tend to be alone, as
they are cannibals out of mating season.
(Roll INT+SearchSkill-1 or less on 2d10 to detect them.)
PHYS: 14 Hit Points: 29 Move: 5
DEFT: 10 Grapple ability with tentacles: 11
INTL: 3 Damage: 4/6/8
Initiative: 1/2/3

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 0 vs Physical 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 vs Energy 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


These are the rare and elusive snake people of the Dragonlands.
Related to Nagas something like the way Faeriefurres are related
to mortal Furres, the race of Serps are a shy people. In ancient
days, some Serps would eat baby Furres, but most of them today
would be appalled by an act of sennibalism.

Preferring live food, their favorite food is usually fresh bird
chicks, and many of them enjoy eggs too. Serps can be very kind
and philosophical, and some live a vegetarian lifestyle.

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Surfcutter™

Surfcutters are swimming birds, unable to fly, but swift swimmers.
Their hind legs have moved forwards and their wings have become
flippers. They are not natural creatures; they are the result
of a potion on birds. Their presence is usually heralded by
the wind going dead, a magical effect that they cause around
them.

They are usually sent in a large flock to assassinate someone at
sea, following them magically. The surfcutters then weaken the hull
of the ship, going into a frenzy to attack any people in the
water.

The potion used to transform birds is known as Nareetha's Tears.
Its effect lasts eleven years and a day. If given to a Furre,
the result is a Merfurre until it wears off.
PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Snugg™

This creature "sneezes" its long sticky tongue at prey.
It would be quite comical except that its saliva is a
very potent paralysis poison. Their habitat is caves and
forests with very little sunlight. A naturalist by the
name of Yorkin ti'Payne was touched on the cheek by one.
He reports that he was conscious as it licked a wound into
him with its abrasive tongue. Fortunately, he recovered
and was able to run away before bloodloss killed him.
PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Vampyre Furre™

Vampyre Furres are rare. Those that aren't evil
are even rarer still. The acquisition of their
vampyric abilities damages their minds, and
this change is visible in their aura as a very
dark blotch. These personality flaws are called
"Lacunas".
The strange powers of the vampyre furres
are known as "Evil Ways".

They also have their own set of
vocalizations, which can not be
heard by mortals. These are called
"Voices of the Damned". Very weak
vampyre furres are looked down upon
by the powerful ones because they
cannot make these sounds.
Click here for more info.


PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Wolventaur™

Native to Drakoria, Wolventaurs are one of several "Kentauri"
races of the Dragonlands. The females bear their young in
pouches. They are violent and survive partly because of
their amazing ability to regenerate within a week. Whereas
Leotaurs are solitary or pairs, Wolventaurs generally move
in packs of 8-20.

Like the other 'taurs, they are sennibals, willing to eat
any sentient beings including other Wolventaurs. They are
only able to eat meat, and must consume a great deal to live.
They typically wipe out all the game in a region, then
move on.
PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Evil Wyrmme™

The word "Wyrmme" is what the bipedal talking
dragons of Drakoria call themselves. The
noble-born Wyrmmes have wings but the
commoners are landbound and wingless.
To make up for this, they ride non-sentient
quadruped dragons, called dracosaurs.

Known for their use of psionics to control
the minds of furres, the race of Wyrmmes is
not well-loved in Drakoria. Those Wyrmmes
who live in Kasuria tend to be very nice;
they are the ones who rebelled against the
harsh Drakorian empire. Wyrmme psionic
powers are visible as a subtle rainbow
shimmer in the air from forehead or jaws,
(as if they were breathing it out.)

PHYS: ? Hit Points: ? Move: ?
DEFT: ? Attack ability with claws: ?
INTL: ? Damage: ?/?/?
Initiative: ?/?/?

Damage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Armor: 3 vs Physical 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8
4 vs Energy 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SERPS

These are the rare and elusive snake people of the Dragonlands.
Related to Nagas something like the way Faeriefurres are related
to mortal Furres, the race of Serps are a shy people. In ancient
days, some Serps would eat baby Furres, but most of them today
would be appalled by an act of sennibalism.

Preferring live food, their favorite food is usually fresh bird
chicks, and many of them enjoy eggs too. Serps can be very kind
and philosophical, and some live a vegetarian lifestyle.

Here's the 'canon' take on it.

1. "What sort of names?"

In most places, Serps survived yet didn't manage to maintain an independent culture. They're very rare. Their names tend to come from the cultures around them as they "pop up". In Frrance, a Serp egg discovered by a couple of raccoon cottager and adopted might be Francois. In Kasuria, a Serp from the deserts of a southeastern County might be Ippem- no particular meaning, just a couple of syllables by which she likes to refers to herself.

In Olde World India, serps may command a bit of respect, just like feral non-sentient "ordinary" cobra still does today in real life. You might like to take a traditional name like Kaliya. (That's Lord Krishna's multi-headed cobra. Lord Krishna is worshipped as a lion furry. http://www.krishna.com/en/node/1341 )

Some Serps enjoy extremely long lifespans. Their names may date back to languages no longer spoken.

By the way, Serp eggs can maintain for millenia in perfect health, hatching long after they were laid, so some Serps wouldn't know what their parents had been named, what language their ancestors had spoken, and so on.

Some Serps don't even have Serp ancestors: they were the product of magic upon an ordinary snake's egg!


2. "How do ordinary furres perceive them?"

Probably much the way a human today might perceive a being that was part serpent, part -human-. Unlike the lack of wild quadruped sheep and wild quadruped horses, there -are- ordinary snakes. So the comparison would probably be made.

Some Serps are venomous. That alone would be threatening.

The Nagas have a single tail instead of legs. That's going to be disturbing until friends get used to it. A furre meeting a Serp for the first time might be a bit uneasy-- like talking to somebody with a severe facial deformity for the first time. It takes a while before the feeling of "wrongness" goes away.

Furres whose archetypes resemble earthly prey for snakes might be uneasy around them, maybe even frightened. In real life, snakes and cats both give off scents so mice that have never met either still instinctively fear them.
http://pinktentacle.com/2007/11/scientists...fearless-mouse/

In character generation, this is done as a special optional disadvantage on the serp: 'offputting to prey species'.



3. "Do Serps receive special treatment in Drakoria?"

"Special" as in, privileges or affection? No, not really. The only way a Wyrmme and a Furre would produce offspring is with some kind of magical potion's interference.

For the typical Wyrmme, furres are as low as real-world humans perceive the cockroaches that run around inside the walls of old buildings. They are wilderness vermin who, with a bit of work, can be made into serviceable servitors. So many things about furres they find instinctively repulsive-- their exterior fuzzy like mold, their eyeballs always twitching shut for no reason, and their gross sweaty musky STINKY smell, no matter how much one bathes it.

So, Wyrmmes are extremely disgusted by any hint of a cross with a furre. Some of the city-states have laws against it. A half-furre half-dragon would be viewed the way we might see a half-human half-cockroach: an exceptionally disgusting cockroach.
http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merchandiser/21223.jpg

In fact, having Wyrmme genetic heritage risks giving the furre the Wyrmmes' psychic abillities, and resistance to them. Even if Wyrmmes liked such a creature, it's a dangerous liability. Drakorian furres would tend to see 'the enemy' in a Serp.

Because a Serp has features in common with a Wyrmme/furre hybrid, I'm afraid the 'special treatment' in Drakoria would probably be, "Kill it. KILL IT NOW!"

The Book of Sanguine Bindings
THE Definitive Reference on Vampyres
"The flame of the logs has died to the hidden glow of the coals. You ask me to tell you about the Vampyre furre, or Vampfurre. Very well. Come closer, bring that cushion and sit beside me. Ah, young one. So many questions!
You ask me why they live in such dreary places. Where the walls are so cold, there is more fear than beauty. That is where the powers of darkness are strongest. Where it is dreary and bleak and cold, that is where the Evil Ways of the Dark Primes may be accomplished.
The sun is the Dragon's eye; that gaze destroys a Vampfurre. Colors, love, and beauty, all these will weaken a true Vampfurre. They shun Syndira's color, sneer at Jujinka's love, and cringe at Danival's `beauty.' These things will sway the balance in the favor of good, keeping the Dark Primes at bay..."

THE ORIGIN OF THE VAMPYRE FURRES
Bleakness, hatred, and ugliness, as decided by the common Furre, all these make evil stronger. The garden's bright flowers, the tavern's good cheer, the chapel's sweeping architecture, all these are anathema to evil. Most of all, no thing consecrated with a Vinca in plain sight can willingly be harmed by a Vampfurre; they may open the door but they may not break it down. There are other such symbols, and one of them is the magically empowered Unholy Sign that is inscribed upon the door of the place where Mirmoggin is imprisoned: the Vault of Dread.
Long ago, thirteen followers of the Dark Prime Mirmoggin sought to set him free. They were wizards, dark priests and priestesses, kings, queens, emperors and empresses. They called themselves the Coven. The magicks required enormous blood sacrifices: they filled a room chin deep in the blood of furres, and by floating in this while it was still warm, and chanting, they came to dream of the Vault of Dread. Their chanting would have shattered the Unholy Sigil had it not attracted the attention of Aristaya, the Prime whose domain is Dreams. She could not approach the Unholy Sigil herself, so she awakened Beekin, the smallest of all the Primes.
It is Beekin's power to whisper in the ears of all, no matter how far away they are. She told Beekin to alert the Dark Primes. And so the Little Dragon did. The Dark Primes were very surprised, then enraged. They sent Suffrith, Lady of Disasters, to deal with the mortals.
She came in the form of a beautiful lady furre, a pure white fox, with milky sharp teeth and sparkling ruby eyes. To stop them from setting Mirmoggin free, she inflicted the Hunger upon them: the overpowering craving for blood. Then, as they began to drink the blood in which they were swimming, she tore slowly tore out a piece of each of their souls.
Mirmoggin himself heard their screams. With power that he had been hoarding since before the invention of time itself, he bestowed strange abilities upon his followers. He ordered them never to reveal their true nature to any not in their power, and this order he laid upon them in the form of a Geas: a supernatural compulsion. All true Vampfurres, to this day, desire to keep their true nature secret. The Vampfurre whose nature is known by a multitude loses their powers.
LACUNAS
At the moment of their change, all Vampfurres feel the pain of the tearing-out of a portion of their souls, and the ecstasy of newfound power. Their aura is marked by at least one black spot, their Lacuna. This makes them incapable of some normal furre feeling. The feeling will be, at best, a faint faint memory, and they can never again regain what they have lost. Some say that the Primes can grant that which makes them whole, but the oldest texts say that only the scent of the Dragon Him/Herself can do this. It is no light matter.
There are thirteen Lacunas, each named for the first Furre to bear it. Each is associated with a Dark Prime. It is really only Vampfurre Hunters who speak in terms of Lacunas: the Vampfurres themselves have a tendency to deny the Lacunas even exist. But those who are granted the ability to see Auras (via a Mage spell or by True Sight (3 Point Advantage!!!)) will see the Lacuna as a very dark hole, a very large obvious blight of the aura. (There *are* other ways by which one can acquire a Lacuna, so it is not proof of Vampfurric nature.)
NOTE:
At Cool 3 There is no way to rid oneself of a Lacuna. This is what is tragic about the Vampyre: there is no going back to being a regular furre. It cannot be cured by a magical spell, or a potion, or willpower. Old and powerful vampfurres do not overcome their Lacunas. They start to *really* enjoy them...
At Cool 2, a Lacuna can be bought-off using experience points. As a rule of thumb, it takes at least 90 real-life days to play through a plot explaining how a Lacuna is overcome, before the purchase takes effect.
At Cool 1 or below, take a Lacuna if you want your character to feel "authentic" to Furcadia but you're by no means bound to play it out in any way, and you can ditch it if you don't like it.
A List of The Thirteen Lacunae
1. Kuyorra, The False Glory (Taglinn Tigh) A lack of regard for the right to live free from fear makes this a subtle evil. The furre takes pleasure in bullying others. They will make their lair into as frightening a place as they *can*. The furre lives in constant fear for their own existence.
2. Nuava, The Unseen Hand (Tallus) The furre has an inability to understand the concept of personal possessions of others, but wants to own things. This may manifest itself as kleptomania. Stealing from individuals brings a kind of thrill that stealing from the community (for example, shoplifting or bank robbery) does not yield.
3. Tauthmyarr, The Nihilism (Greydark) The furre has an irrational urge to destroy. It can be as small as throwing a plate to the ground, or they can be driven to destroy buildings, burn down forests, etc. There is nothing breakable that is unbroken, in the lair of one afflicted by Tauthmyarr's Lacuna.
4. Ghislok, The Loneliness (Drossifer) The furre is incapable of normal emotional bonding with others. They are incapable of love, romantic or otherwise. They can not trust or love others. They will occasionally feel possessive of others (so long as they are useful and cooperative), but the slightest sign of independence is perceived as betrayal. Yet the furre is cursed to crave company and possibly romantic companionship.
5. Svinlok, The Emptiness (Suffrith) The furre lacks the ability to derive gratification from normal sensory stimulation. Food, art, sex, and so forth, bring no pleasure. The furre can only find unusual physical stimulation pleasurable, such as beating their head against a wall, taking euphoric drugs, being drunk, or even something bizarre like staring into a candle flame.
6. Sharok, The Fury (Telcodar) This Lacuna is the furre's utter lack of self-control. They act upon impulse, attacking at the slightest provocation. All their wrath is magnified a thousand times stronger. Those with Sharok's Lacuna usually live alone.
7. Kriorn, The Blindness (Peristane) Other people are seen as inferiors, to be used and enslaved, or superiors, because they can hurt and destroy the furre. This is an inability to treat others as equals. The furre is not content to limit this to opinions; they must go out and make others their thralls, or else live in torment, feeling that *they* are no better than slaves.
8. Gozmeron, The Cruelty (Lokira) Very simply, the furre wants to cause others pain, physical and emotional both. The sight of another in torment brings pleasure. This is like an addiction: if the furre has not done so, they will be at a minus to all their abilities, and they will be quite irritable.
9. Shatugar, The Untrust (Chatengo) The furre has no sense of obligation. Furthermore, they are compelled to break any promise they make, and openly mock any promise made unto them. Smells that are foul to normal furres actually smell *good* to those with this Lacuna, and normally delicious smells are repulsive. The furre has no honor, and enjoys breaking local taboos and generally being a deviant.
10. Aburralon, The Weeping (Nareeth) The sight of others happy is painful to the furre. They can not drive the awareness that all things come to an end, from their minds. Their own happiness is shortlived, followed by an even greater backlash of depression.
11. Heng, The Inimicality (Erigon) Life is intrinsically hateful. The furre enjoys the feeling of power gained from ending a life. The sight of dying brings a joy that other emotions cannot match. This furre lacks the ability to value any existence other than their own.
12. Willathar, The Double Tongue (Dyarr) A compulsion to lie, and a lack of regard for accuracy or truth. Being a compulsive liar will not give one a Lacuna. In compulsive lying, the liar often doesn't remember having told the lie. With the Lacuna, the liar is very aware of the lie, and remembers it. With the Lacuna of Double Tongue, the furre feels gratification, almost like physical pleasure, when they lie.
13. Tamanannu, The Flesh Hunger (Mirmoggin) This is an addiction, not merely to blood, as is standard with Vampfurres, but also to fresh furre flesh. They require a pound of flesh at least, per week.

GENERATION
The Coven, those thirteen original Vampfurres, are the First Generation. (Their IC life and times were prehistoric.) Their Vampfurric Progeny, the Second Generation, settled in towns (not unlike those of the "Biblical" era). Characters of higher generation are weaker and younger than those of lower generation. Characters with no character sheet are automatically Generation 7 or higher/weaker.
7th Generation Vampfurres are generally less than 200 years old. They are a new phenomenon: they lack the Voices of the Damned abilities. This has alienated many of them from Generations 2-5, who often hold the "puling babes" in contempt.
Most Vampfurres leave no successors. It only takes one foolish slip to alert those who hate and destroy the Undead. Most fledgeling Vampfurres don't even last a year past their Embrace. A few manage to produce 1 surviving Progeny. A very rare few will manage 2 or even 3. If you did buy the "Generation" advantage in Character Generation, you must buy the "Progeny" Advantage with experience points before your character can ICly Embrace another.)
Vampfurres in one's lineage are referred to as one's Progenitors. At the 10th Generation, Mirmoggin's "Dark Gift" can no longer be passed on. 10th Generation Vampfurres are "sterile". It is worth noting that neither Wyrmmes nor Bugges can be Vampyres or Minions.
In the year 915, the Coven established a secret underground citadel at Modesty, in Desdemond (Kasuria). Here, protected by enchantments to cause the place's existence to slip from the minds of all non- Vampfurres, exists the fabled Library of Puru-Shottem. It is here that scribes still keep records of Vampfurre lineages. They use the archaic and obsolete prefix "Ek'" (ekazaad, "protected by") in their Longnames.

AUTOMATIC VAMPYRE DISADVANTAGES (MANDATORY AT COOL 2 AND ABOVE)
(Ah, you didn't think that simply being inhuman was enough, did you?)
Repelled by the Vinca Sigil Must avert their eyes from it, and upon sighting it, can approach no closer.
Phobia of those who know their true nature. A Vampfurre can only tolerate the presence of up to 2 non-Vampfurres that know their true nature. The sight of a mob that *knows* they are a Vampfurre fills them with supernatural terror.
Upsetting to Animals Cannot ride Ostrixes or Raptors; they will bristle and scream at the sight of this character.
Severely burned by Sunlight Exposure of fifteen seconds is enough to send the Vampfurre unto true death.
Paralyzed by Day During daylight hours, the character is paralyzed, trapped with eyes closed in a state of unconscious terror resembling a coma. Begins at sunrise, and ends at sunset. Vampfurres do *not* sleep. No rest for the wicked, indeed.
Any 1 Lacuna (player's choice) Regardless of the Vampyre's willpower, they cannot go against their Lacuna. This part of them is forever destroyed, and to try to conceal or overcome it is simply not possible. They can not be talked out of their irrational state, and must either go to great lengths to rationalize it unto themselves or angrily attack that which is causes them to question it.
AUTOMATIC VAMPFURRE ADVANTAGES (MANDATORY AT COOL 2 OR ABOVE)
Longlived (*) Will not die of disease; will age extremely slowly. If you can find a willing player-character furre who is an Alchemist who knows the Anagathica potion, then you may appear to be very young. Otherwise, Vampyres do show signs of aging, eventually, it is just very, very, very, slow.
Heal from Death (*) If reduced to negative hit points, the vampfurre is still not dead, but will not heal without fresh blood. If their body is beheaded or cremated, they face True Death, however.
Voices of the Damned (*) Each true Vampfurre traces their origins back to one of the thirteen Lineages. These are mystical vocal sounds that can only be made by Vampfurres, that only Vampfurres can hear. Vampfurres of higher than 6th Generation can neither hear nor produce Voices!

Greeting Rattle- Upon hearing this, each Vampfurre
present must answer in kind to the best of their
ability.
Warning Hiss- This conveys the Vampfurre's Generation,
(how many Vampfurres it took to pass the
Embrace to that Vampfurre; all characters not
officially registered are Generation 7 or higher)
Threat Growl- More serious than a Warning Hiss. All
Vampfurres of weaker (higher) Generation will back
away instinctively unless they are allies. Mortals
present will feel a physical chill but be otherwise
unaware of this. This cannot be "targetted" at an
individual; it's "broadcast" to the area.
Wierding Howl- No matter where they are, your Progenitor
and all of your Progeny have an instant sense of
where you are, and should try to come to your aid
instantly. Note that if you move or are moved,
they will still only have a sense of where you
*were*, not where you *are.*

OPTIONAL VAMPFURRE-ONLY ADVANTAGES
These aren't included in the Vampfurres package automatically, but a
Vampfurre can purchse them *separately*, for additional points.
* Generation 2 (*Special: send URL of background,
and a character sheet that's legal except that you have
spent 2 Adv. Pts. on "Supernatural: Vampfurre" and 3 on
Generation. I'm looking for a background that not
only shows an awareness of the canon background but also
reinforces it. I am looking for "stereotypes" rather
than exceptions. You'll notice that a Generation 2 has
no points to throw around for high stats. That's right.
This character has to rely on the player's own wits and
charisma, not on even *slightly* good stats! There can
only be 2 for each of the 13 Coven members, and if your
character has been inactive for a long time, I reserve
the right to remove them from the web page listing.)
Character is the Childe of a member
of the Coven. This Advantage automatically includes "license" for
2 Progeny (who must buy the Advantage Generation 3) and 1 Minion.
All of the Coven would know this person by name. This character
may even have received instruction (in skills, in combat, or in an Evil
Way) from a member of the Coven. At your option, your Progeny can
be NPC's (See NPC rules below). Your character should be between the ages of
5000 and 6000. Generation 2 Vampfurres receive 8 Hobbies, 7
Apprentice skills, 6 JourneyFurre skills, and 4 Professional
skill, which *must* be NON-COMBAT abilities.
* Generation 3 (-3 Points) Character is the Progeny of the
Progeny of the Coven. This Advantage automatically includes "license"
for 1 Progeny (who must buy the Advantage Generation 4) and 1 Minion.
Only one member of the Coven, the lineage's Progenitor, is likely
to know this character by name. Upon learning their Progenitor,
they might be granted a measure of respect from the Coven. At your
option, your Progeny can be NPC's (See NPC rules below). Your character
should be between the ages of 4000 and 4999. To help reflect your age, you
receive 7 Hobbies, 6 Apprentice skills, 5 JourneyFurre
skills, and 3 Professional skills, all of which *must* be
NON-COMBAT abilities.
* Generation 4 (-2 Points) During their existence, this
character has probably only spoken to one member of the Coven,
most likely their own Progenitor. They may have had some teaching
from various members of the 2nd Generation. This Advantage
automatically incluces "license" for 1 Progeny (who must buy the
Advantage Generation 5). At your option, this Progeny can be an NPC
(see Progeny below).
Your character should be between the ages of 2000 and 3999.
To help reflect your age, you receive 6 Hobbies, 5 Apprentice
skills, 4 JourneyFurre skill, and 2 Professional
Skills, which *must* be NON-COMBAT abilities.
* Generation 5 (-1 Point) Your Progeny will still possess the
Voices of the Damned abilities. (They must purchase the Advantage
Generation 6.) This Advantage automatically includes 1 Minion. Your
Progeny may not be NPC's. Your character should be between the ages
of 1000 and 1999. To help reflect this, you receive 5
Hobbies, 4 Apprentice skills, 3 Journeyfurre skills, and 1
Professional skill, all of which *must* be NON-COMBAT abilities.
* Generation 6 (Free upon completing official character generation!)
Your Progeny may not be NPC's. Your character can be up to 999
years old. Like Generations 1-5, you are capable of Voices of the
Damned abilities. You receive 4 Hobbies, 3 Apprentice
skills, 2 JourneyFurre skills, 1 Professional skills, all of
which *must* be NON-COMBAT abilities.
* Regeneration (-1 Point: Vampfurres Only.) This is the ability
to regrow a limb or sensory organ, which the various forms of Healing
cannot do. Normally, if a Vampfurre loses a limb or sensory organ such as
an eye, it will *not* grow back. (This Advantage may be purchased with
experience points to restore a disability later.) The ability is not
instantaneous: For each pound of flesh and bone that is missing, it
requires 1 real-life week of healing.
* Minion (-1 Per Minion: Vampfurres Only.) A Minion is a servitor,
like Dracula's Renfield. Minions who share their master's taste for
flesh are referred to as "Ghouls", but not all Minions have this craving.
This Advantage allows the player to invent an NPC (see Progeny rules
below for regulations on NPC's). A player-character Minion gained
during Roleplay is free. To become a Minion, a furre drinks a cup of their
Regnant's blood on three separate nights. The Minion is Enthralled by
the Vampfurre, will follow an order as long as it does not obviously
endanger their own life. Player-Character Minions may acquire a Lacuna
in exchange for an Evil Way, but their power remains only as long as they
keep drinking a cup of their Regnant's Blood once each month. Minions
live beyond normal lifespan so long as they keep drinking Vampfurre blood-
there are even Hunter Minions, who use their Evil Ways to prey upon
Vampfurres the way Vampfurres prey upon mortals! (This can be bought
with experience points)
* Progeny (-1 Per Player Character Progeny: Vampfurres of Generation
6 or lower Only) This is for Progeny beyond those automatically awarded
as part of a Lower Generation Advantage. NOTE: If you are Embraced ICly,
your character sheet must be done all over again. Progeny pay only 1
points for being a Vampfurre *PLUS* the cost of being one Generation
higher than their Sire.


NPC Rules


It's generally acceptable to invent Non-played characters
(NPC's) to fit your character's background as long as they
are completely ordinary Furres. For example, you can't
invent an NPC Mage to heal you of wounds you received.
Doing so is unfair to player characters of that kind of
character.


In Roleplaying (as opposed to Persona Play), once you
begin playing the character, the NPC's don't show up as
characters unless you purchased them with Advantage Points.
NPC's are not permitted to fight for you. Don't generate
characters for them, as this would violate the rule that
your alts may not interact. NPC Progeny exist "offstage",
purely for background and ongoing story purposes. They
are considered Cool 1.


NPC Progeny therefore do not have character sheets. They
may have Disadvantages, but the only Advantages they ever
possess are"Vampfurre" and being one generation higher
than your character. If it becomes absolutely necessary
to know what their statistics are like, they are Average
(10). If you want you can "flesh them out" and give them
some background by giving them skills. They may take
1 JourneyFurre skill and 1 Professional skill which are
combat-related, plus those skills they receive for their
Generation.



OPTIONAL VAMPFURRE-ONLY DISADVANTAGES




The Evil Ways (Vampyre Furre Powers)


The powers are learned in strange rituals, which came from the Dark
HalfPrimes. For each one a Vampfurre possesses, they acquire one
additional Lacuna. Such is the price of the Evil Ways. Evil Ways
do not work upon QuarterPrimes, but do work on QuarterDarkPrimes.
*Mindslip. The Vampfurre is not remembered by those they have met,
unless a specific ritual is performed. The ritual requires a drop
of the Vampfurre's blood to be smeared on the eyelids of both of
the rememberer's eyelids. The Vampfurre will also be remembered
if the victim is reminded by something at a time that they see
Furre blood. (In a modern setting: Photography, and other
mechanical means will record the Vampfurre just as normal. When
the spell is broken, the victim is very aware that something wierd
had happened.
*Ghostpaw. At will, the Vampfurre can walk or run leaving neither
prints nor scent. They can pick items up and leave neither prints
nor scent. This power is thwarted by moving across live green
plants: their scent will remain, and leaves will be bent, crushed,
or broken.
*Demonwings. In about five minutes, the furre grows a set of batlike
wings on their back. They cannot carry more than a third of their
own weight. They move as fast as a running Ostrix in flight. It
also takes about five minutes to banish the wings. This takes just
a little concentration, and if this is interrupted by the presence
of combat (or similar distraction), the process of growing or
ungrowing the wings must begin again.
*Soulsear. By drinking a cup of the victim's blood, the victim temporarily
acquires the Lacuna of the Vampfurre's choice for three nights,
after which they return to normal, as if nothing was amiss. Only
one Lacuna can be inflicted at a time, but this can be done
repeatedly, and even from a distance.
*Mistform. This does not permit the Vampfurre to pass through cracks,
rather, it makes them immune to injury from blades, bludgeons,
missile weapons, and falling damage. The Vampfurre appears to be
a colorless fog version of themself. Magical, mystical, blessed,
etc. weapons are effective against a Vampfurre ONLY if they are
the property of a Guild to which both attacker and defender both
belong. A Vampfurre can assume or recover from Mistform in five
minutes, during which time, they must concentrate a bit. If this
is interrupted by the presence of combat or similar altercation,
they must begin again. (Clarification: not *all* magical etc. weapons
work on a Vampfurre in Mistform, but those that are THE relics or
artifacts of their Continuity *do* work, especially if they are
consecrated to "Good".)




We Just Say No...
The following are powers we have deemed to be a) too powerful to give
even the NPCs, b) not fun for other player characters and/or c) just
can't be done credibly in the scope of our game. They are likely to be
thought of, as "twinky."

If you are playing Cool 2 or higher they are not permitted.

* Magic Item (*) Artifacts have to be the property of the game and the
Guilds' continuities. Magic items exist but they are NOT given away as
Advantages.
* Shift_Planes (*) This power implies the existence of other worlds, and
we're sorry but we can't permit players to invent other dimensions, or
to claim a connection between the worlds of Furcadia and any other
place.
* Teleportation (*) This power seriously violates fairness and credibility.
* Wingless_Flight (*) This one is inappropriate; it feels like Superheroes.
* Invisibility (*) Real-life privacy is far to sensitive to justify its
use IC.
* Bodiless (*) This power includes all phenomena such as being soul
locked in a tiny amulet, being a ghost, turning into a cloud of
mist.
* Super-high Tech (*) That means androids, cyborgs, supercomputers, FTL
space ships, and so on.
* Prime/DarkPrime (*) These are actually OOC jobs, not roleplaying abilities.
Please do not claim to be one of these! This category includes
anything like a "god".
* Half Prime (*) We don't permit players to create Half-Primes .

The OOC Registry-- If you would like to be a registered Childe, send the URL to a background summary (no more than 200 lines please) to Talzhemir@furcadia.com . Please do not use this address for other purposes. Repeat, this is not a public email address. Please note that this is only for those players who choose to adhere to the official authentic rules.

*Kuyorra the Terrifying

*Nuava the Taker




**Evalia Ek'Nuava



*Tauthmyarr the Destroyer

*Ghislok the Alone

*Svinlok the Hollow

*Sharok the Unbound

*Kriorn the Master




**Grimgroth Ek'Kriorn


**Voltemand Ek'Kriorn



*Gozmeron the Cruel

*Shatugar the Betrayer

*Aburralon the Sorrowful




***Diantinus En'Albion Ek'Aburralon



*Heng the Enemy

*Willathry the Cunning

*Tamanannu the Eater of Flesh


**Seldron ti'Keung Ek'Tamanannu



(sire?) **Orbulon




Vampyre Furre Ranks

"Larva"-- a newly-minted bloodsucker. They need very little blood to survive; that
need grows as they age. Larva are on probation and have no more rights than mortants.

"Thane"-- a Larva who has behaved acceptably and lived long enough can be promoted to a
Thane by an Ellister. The Thane swears fealty to that Ellister. The word "Thane" is
Norse for "minor lord" but its older meaning of "Military servant" is the sense in
which it's applied. In Kasuria, vampfurre society is ruled by Thanes organized into
Councils. In the Olde World, that privilege is reserved for the less numerous Lancers.

"Lancer"-- Ranking higher than a Thane, a Lancer has something of a heroic tradition.
To avoid interference from society, vampfurres are self-policing, often harshly so.
The title refers to the silver-tipped boarspears that vampfurres traditionally used.
The rank of Lancer was traditionally only accorded after a Vampfurre killed a
Lycanthian. Now it may be granted for any warrior's act on behalf of vampfurres in
general, such as killing a known vampfurre hunter, or destroying a vampfurre whose
actions clearly endangered other vampfurres. The status of Lancer is traditionally
given by an Ellister in a ceremony before the whole Council.

"Ellister"-- The title accorded vampiric nobility is "Ellister". The position of
Ellister was created out of a need to organize who hunted where (an older title is
"Keeper of the Maps"). In time, the Ellister role changed into one who presides over a
Council. Currently, Ellisters have become like monarchs, with Lancers functioning as
combination knights and generals. The emblem symbollizing the office of the Ellister
is a willow tree, and an Ellister usually has a heavy staff made of willow for keeping
order.

---

"Mortant"-- a non-supernatural. The term is not applied to Lycanthians, Faeriefurres,
or Mages that have achieved immortality.

"Minion"-- a servitor to a Vampfurre. A being that is made a Minion becomes a
Mortant-- all their powers are lost in the transformation.

"Beyth"-- An Ellister's immediate household, usually consisting of several Lancers and
a number of supporting mortants.

Chapter 1: Waterfront Pup

Sitting on the docks of Malgrave, the capitol of Kasuria, a slender fuzzy terrier lad named Perrozi ate fish soup. It was what he ate every day, but he would never complain. The sun bathed everything in faintly golden warmth. He was a rag-clad orphan and if he were not a fisher-furre, he would very likely have starved on the vegetable foods the poor could acquire.

Because he was a canine, it was assumed Perrozi's true father had probably been a man of wealth. His mother was a squirrel.

Perrozi's mother had owned a small houseboat. When she died, it had been claimed as property by her brother Alfron (also a squirrel). Everybody knew Perrozi was her son but without a marriage record in the Pala Mestra, each town's Hall of Memory, he was not entitled to any inheritance. Because Perrozi was a bastard, Alfron refused to help him in any way.

So, Perrozi worked from dawn to dusk for one fisherman or another, cleaning fish with his one remaining possession: a long sharp knife with a pearly handle. In exchange, he was welcome to supper on several different ships. He wasn't paid a penny but as a sort of honorary crew member, he was entitled to protection from the bullies that typically prowl about a harbor.

Several sailors walked by, some rabbits and mice and a short powerful boar. Cats disdained this sort of work. Here in Malgrave, more than elsewhere in Kasuria, one's status tended to relate to species. At the top were the nobles, who were mainly predators. At the bottom were the vegetable-eating peasants. Two of the King's later wives were from poor families, and this had made King Constantine well-loved by the commoners. It was well-known that the youngest had been an oyster seller.

The terrier lad finished his meal and walked aboard Mayona's Gull. Several sailors nodded hello as he headed for his bed: the little skiff hanging between a mast and a sturdy post that jutted from the deck. Beneath the skiff's canvas tarp cover, a dozen pillow-like buoys on long tethers were kept around for floatation should the ship ever capsize. They were filled with milkweed down, and in the meantime, they made a comfortable bed. He settled down for a well-deserved rest.

It seemed to Perrozi that he had just closed his eyes when he had to open them again. The air was icy-cold, the sky overhead black and full of stars. A large figure wearing loose clothes, a broad hat and a kerchief about its muzzle was holding the tarp. In its right paw it held a clean cutlass with a shiny round handguard that glinted in the dark. It hissed, "Sit up but stay silent," to Perrozi. Shivering in his linen clothes and curly fur, Perrozi did so. The stranger looked to be some sort of canine with short sleek black fur and long legs. "Nod if you want to claim your father's legacy."

The young terrier nodded. The tall furre in hat and bandit's kerchief stepped forwards to close the distance. Before Perrozi knew what was happening, the handguard of the cutlass met the side of his head. He was unconscious before he could be aware of any pain...

Chapter 2: Captain Loquacious

It was the waking that was unpleasant. Perrozi found himself upon a long crate in the dark. His head was filled with a pounding ache. He sat up and set his feet down-- right into a finger-length of slimy foul-smelling water. The floor was wood and it sloped in a broad rounded V.

Perrozi became aware of a vague sourness in his stomach, small, bearable... but then suddenly it swelled up his throat, blossoming into full nausea. He tried to control it, tried to breathe deep. A little cough got by him and he choked, then he threw up from his mouth and both nostrils. Stomach acid and fish stew splattered to the ground, then Perrozi sat gaping and drooling.

The sound of stone sliding on stone behind him startled the canine so he turned. He saw the thin outline of a trapdoor in the ceiling. With the light that leaked in, Perrozi could make out a thick-necked head with short upright ears, a blunt muzzle and the tops of two bat wings. They were all oddly smooth. Then Perrozi realized he was looking at a sturdy gargoyle, somehow brought to life. He had heard of magic like this but he had never seen any. The terrier said shyly, "hello?"

The creature opened its eyes; they were two pale blue-glowing opals. They shed their own light on the powerful-looking chiseled body and made the slimy black water glint. Chains bound the gargoyle to the floor. It groaned, "...Hhhhelp." When it spoke in its grating voice, Perrozi realized the sound he had heard earlier was probably a sigh. Its jut-jawed face was contorted into a perpetual grimace or wince.

"Where am I?" the terrier lad asked cautiously.

The stone beast grunted, "Ship."

Perrozi asked, then, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

With an effort, it replied, "...Ballast."

The manacles were heavily encrusted with blackened rust and barnacles; Perrozi realized he must have been there a long time. The dog felt sorry for his fellow captive. He said, "I'll help you, sure. Who is the captain?" The gargoyle shrugged weakly.

Perrozi had to stoop as he walked closer, through the muck. He said, "where are these chains attached?" The creature raised its arms and the clanking links, each as long as Perrozi's hand, went taut. They were anchored somewhere in the muck. Perrozi crouched and felt around. The shackles were bolted solidly to the wood.

There came a creak and a sudden flash of light-- the gargoyle froze solid as the hatch was opened. The long-legged furre in the wide hat was standing at the opening. Posed like a dramatic sculpture where the tall one could not see him, the gargoyle apparently could not move.

Now that he wore no kerchief, Perrozi could see his captor was some sort of large exotic black deer in a faded velvet waistcoat, stained buccaneer's shirt, and trousers of black sailcloth. His hat was rakish, with holes for horns but this wasn't the season for them. His face seemed friendly except for black eyes surrounded by circles of pale fur, which were cold. He called down, "Me most sincere apologies for our abrupt initial introduction, but I wished to keep the location of me safe harbor most confidential. Won't ye come up from there?"

Perrozi did not trust the buck but he also did not wish to remain below the deck. Even before his eyes could stand the glare, he climbed up the ladder quickly. His head still hurt badly.

Shielding his eyes from the glare with a paw, he took in the sight of the most rundown schooner he had ever seen. All but one of the triangular sails was in tatters. The remaining one appeared to be sewn from large irregular pieces of at least three previous vessels. The only shelter from sun and storm was a covered area at the aft. On one side, most of the railing was missing.

Perrozi could hear the tall deer saying, "This 'ere was yer father's ship. I was his first mate. This is 'the Millarca'- the swiftest sea-vessel in all Kasuria." The young dog must have looked doubtful because the deer went on to say, "Well, not now, she isn't, but she just needs some minor fixin' up. Ye'll see."

A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over Perrozi; he quickly sat down on the splintery gray planks. The deer walked over and offered him a brown glass bottle, saying, "Drink a bit." Perrozi sipped; it turned out to be whisky, watered down but still strong enough to burn his throat. As the sun dried his grimy damp fur and he took a deep breath of fresh air, Perrozi decided he actually felt better.

He asked the black deer, "What's your name?"

"I be Loquacious Jake, the cleverest smuggler in all Kasuria," the captain announced. "Do me a good turn; I'll do ye ten, but cross me, and I'll make ye wish ye were never born! Ye can't cully ol' Jake. Say, what do ye want to be called, now?"

The youth said, "My mother named me Perrozi."

Loquacious Jake scratched behind one of his leaf-shaped ears and repeated, "Yer mother." He shook his head and said, "Ye need a sea-name. That way, when ye goes in to port, and ye meets a lovely lassie--" He was interrupted when something the size of a quill pen whizzed past his head. A second shot, to the back of Jake's shoulder, came bursting through his lapel in front. "Mers!" he yelled as he dove for the deck.

Merfurres! Perrozi knew of them from stories- furre from the waist up, but some kind of fishlike thing below. An equine head with fins for a mane appeared from over the side of the ship. The mer's bared teeth were shaped like interlocking jagged mountain peaks. He was followed by two more, each carrying a weapon like a trident on one end and a small crossbow on the other. They were blue-gray with dapples, their bodies dark above and light below. Despite having no legs, they moved swiftly, something like jumping inchworms, upon tails and the thick fleshy fins at their hips.

Loquacious Jake drew his cutlass. Perrozi reached into his shirt for the pearl-handled knife, and found that it was not there.

Chapter 3: A Craven Is Keelhauled

Having clambered aboard at the bow, two of the three merfurres charged Captain Jake. They stabbed in unison at his legs with their short tridents. He leapt high on his long deer legs and came slashing down at them with yells of "First! Third! And third again!" Loquacious Jake danced to keep the two in a line, so that only one could reach him at a time.

Fear was turning Perrozi's arms and legs to slow lumps of ice. He muttered, "I'm no warrior..." as his heart beat like something frantically trying to escape his chest. He had heard how excitement of a fight made a furre stupid, and he breathed deep, hoping that would help. He saw three choices-- the sea, the hold below, or the rigging.

With his mane of fins spread, the third merfurre advanced on Perrozi. He stopped to put a long urchin spine on his trident-crossbow, aimed, and fired. Perrozi yelled, "Ahhh!" in fear and scrambled for the trap door in the deck. Purely by luck, the spine went past the border terrier lad with a horrible whistling noise. The merfurre gave a sputtering snort that was probably a curse, then it began cocking its crossbow again.

By the time the next spine was loaded, Perrozi had reached the hatch. He raised it before him- the next spine shattered on the other side. He heard the sound of the merfurre reloading again. Perrozi yelled out, "Jake! My knife! Or anything!"

The deer's dark pelt gleamed like polished jet as he kept the merfurres at bay with quick unpredictable chops. He was saying, "Oh, ye're just lucky I don't have me horns today! I'd be pitchin' ye overboard both at the same time!" Frustrated by their quarry's agility, the merfurre in the middle went closer, trying to hook one of Jake's slender ankles with his weapon. Jake jumped, then gave the sea horse a kick to the nose.

It must have been painful; the merfurre fell back, eyes watering. Jake followed up with an overhand blow to the forehead. The merfurre froze, then slumped, and Jake barely managed to wrench the cutlass out of the flat area of the equine face. His voice strong despite his panting, the deer captain called to Perrozi, "The black chest, lad! Aft!"

Despite the stomach-turning reek that was coming up from the hold, the young dogfurre wanted nothing more than to throw himself down into the dark. He wondered why the merfurre who had fired at him was hanging back. The answer came to him like a bell's clear chiming: He was a coward!

Perrozi threw the hatch forwards- it crashed over with a loud slam. He waved his arms wildly and ran towards the merfurre with as loud a growl as he could muster. His opponent was caught in mid-reload. The merfurre's ears went back and he showed the whites of his eyes as he gallumped back a good several meters.

Suddenly, the terrier reversed his direction and ran for the back of the ship. The black seachest was obvious, its handles lashed to rings for the purpose. Perrozi threw the lid back and there was his precious knife, with its long slightly curved blade and thick counter-weighted handle. The distant thought occurred to him a dagger was nearly worthless for parrying a trident. He muttered to himself, "I will not be afraid. I will not be afraid."

In the chest, there was also a buckler of some kind of intricately carved iridescent blue ivory, so Perrozi took that as well. He slipped his hand through the strap, gripping the handle. It was light and the leafish shape covered his forearm and a handlength beyond his fist.

The merfurre still facing Loquacious Jake bellowed something; the language sounded like shrieking into a large seashell. Jake was not leaping as high, and he was being driven backwards, larboard, to the side of the ship without a rail. The merfurre cowering near the bow gave a wheezy reply, then turned its weapon trident-portion forwards and headed for Perrozi.

The young canine furre found himself cornered with the railing at his back. He saw a rope hanging from a horizontal boom. It would have been a magnificent opportunity to swing away if the other end of the rope had not been hanging loosely, unanchored some four meters away. Perrozi grabbed one end anyways and tied a loop with a running bowline, similar to a slipknot.

Meanwhile, Captain Jake's enemy was aware that the dark deer was tiring. He stabbed for the lean captain's ankle over and over. Jake watched the timing-- and leapt to stamp on the shaft of the weapon, trapping it on the deck. "Oho!" he crowed. It turned to a cry of pain as the merfurre's head darted forwards, sinking triangular teeth into Jake's thigh.

The terrier lad had no time to watch this. He had placed the knife between his teeth, the way he had heard pirates did it. He had never fought with a blade in his life! Ah, but he had sailed on fishing trips, and he knew how to cast a rope to secure the ship to the dock. Old Henk, a kind quartermaster, had made him practice when he was small.

Before the merfurre was in trident-range, Perrozi swung the rope. It cleared the merfurre's head, then encircled his neck. Rather than take it off, the sea-warrior backed away, causing the rope to tighten. In desperation, he threw his trident at Perrozi with all his strength.

It was then that Perrozi felt the little blue shield move of its own accord. It wrenched his arm awkwardly, committing force so that the incoming trident was slammed aside. Perrozi learned that parrying with a buckler was not merely a matter of putting a shield in the way of an oncoming weapon. The merfurre began shrieking hollowly as it headed towards the railing.

At the same time, Perrozi dove for a T-shaped metal cleat bolted to the deck. His paws a blur, he wound the rope in one figure eight after another, securing it. He had two completed when the panicking mer leapt overboard, and the rope went taut. The merfurre's blue-gray body was roughly slammed to the side of the moving ship. Perrozi saw it surface, only to be pulled under and repeatedly dashed against the hull in a repeating spiral.

The last merfurre was snapping at Loquacious Jake, who was fending it off with his cutlass. Deep gashes were open along the mer's side but blood was also running down Jake's thigh. Trusting to the power of the little blue buckler, Perrozi came running over, brandishing the pearl-handled knife.

Realizing he was unarmed in a fight that was now two against one, the mer immediately changed tactics. He rolled and flipped off the deck into the water. When Perrozi looked back, he saw blood-tainted foam.

Then he saw a flash of pointed fin and similar tailtip. Lured by the dragging carcass, sharks had probably gotten him. Perrozi pulled up the rope. There was only a frayed end.

For once Jake was quiet. He let down the remaining sail. When he licked his lips, Perrozi saw the deer's tongue was pale. He had lost quite a bit of blood. He said, "Ye did well." Then he pointed to the first mer's body, and said, "Push it into the hold. For Milady."

Perrozi dragged the dead mer to the trap door and shoved it down the hatch. The gargoyle, he saw, was still in the same immobile position it had been when Captain Jake had let the dog emerge. He wondered who Milady was, that she would want the corpse of a mer. The sun would be down within two hours. Maybe he could question Ballast some more tonight.

He was not given the opportunity to question the deer, though. When Perrozi looked up from his task, he saw that Loquacious Jake had wrapped whisky-soaked cloth strips about his leg, and passed out.

Chapter 4: Milady


Now the schooner was adrift. It rocked from side to side, heaved about by the tireless waves. On deck, Loquacious Jake's lanky form lay sprawled and unmoving. While the sun was setting, the direction of west was known, but there was no way to know which direction to proceed.

The ship's tiller was tied in place. Although it was possible to sail the schooner alone, it had to have been difficult. Perrozi knew he himself could not do it. What had happened to the crew? And, what had happened to his father?

Although Perrozi knew a little about sailing, he knew nothing of physicking. He feared the captain would be dead long before morning, and there seemed nothing he could do. Hoping the sea-chest might hold answers, Perrozi dove through the contents with more care. He had found one artifact; he allowed himself to hope for more.

Amidst velvet and silk, the canine youth found a number of precious things. There was a small goblet of solid gold, heavy gems studding its sides. There was a necklace of clear blue stones,also held together by gold. Poor as he was, it never entered Perrozi's mind to take them for his own. He put the magical blue buckler back where he had found it.

Most important of all, though, he found a tube of blackened bronze, splotched with beautiful blue-green tarnish. The young dog uncapped it and slid out a map. He couldn't read the words but he could recognize a coastline and a drawing of a large city, presumably Malgrave. Several things were marked on the map in charcoal rather than ink.

The sun melted to a red oblong, and neither shorebird nor shore gave any clue as to where Millarca was meandering. The cloak of night was drawn across the sky. Perrozi shivered. He took a large scarf of silk and wrapped it around his torso like a toga. Despite its feather-light quality, it was quite warm.

From the open hatch came faint sounds of movement. There was a scrape of wood and a rattle of heavy chains. The dogfurre remembered the gargoyle locked up in the stinking hold, and rushed down the ladder.

Perrozi could hardly see anything; he called out, "Ballast?" The gargoyle's eyes like glowing bluish opals opened, casting dim light on a terrifying sight. Too late, he realized the noise he had taken for the lapping of bilge was slurping. A female furre, clad in some sort of very elegant pleated gown, crouched on the remains of the merfurre, her long tail waving above her haunches. She looked like a primitive cross between several sorts of furre, a cougar-like face with a large dog nose, and a weasel-ish slinky body. She was emaciated, and her lips were black. The copious blood of a severed artery covered her muzzle and dripped down her chin. Perhaps the worst of it was that she was smiling with bloody teeth, and she looked so happy about it. "A vampire!" Perrozi gasped.

Ballast lowered its great head in respectful obeisance, then it grated under its breath, "Bow..." Perrozi thought he detected some anxiety in the creature's voice.

Perrozi followed Ballast's advice and bowed. He was an orphan of the docks; it was a clumsy bow, done too fast and without grace. Still, the gesture had a good effect.

As if she were not standing ankle-deep in bad-smelling muck, as if she had not just been caught sucking greedily at the dead mer's throat, the vampire furre stood up and curtseyed cordially. She spoke in a heart-meltingly sweet voice: "I see Jacob found thee. Didst thou bring the knife?"

"Yes..." and he added, "Milady." because it seemed the most natural thing in the world. The more he looked at her, the less brutish she appeared. She seemed pretty, and nice. Like a pupil with a crush on teacher, he wanted her to think well of him. "I have it here. Want to see it?" He hoped she did.

As if this was funny, the vampiress said, "Oh, no, thou must carry it. So we can find thy father's treasure. Now, where is Jacob?"

Perrozi blinked, realizing she was speaking of Captain Jake. Sudden as the popping of a soap bubble, the dire events of the previous day returned to him. "-He's on deck. He's hurt bad. Can you help him?"

"Yes, pet. I am a doctor, know thou." Milady picked up her skirts and made her way to the ladder, ignoring Ballast. Perrozi did not want her to leave, did not want to leave her presence. Dimly, he realized that if Ballast was down here, it was either her doing, or something she condoned. And, something about that ought to bother him, but it was hard for him to remember what. Milady climbed out with a liquid sort of agility.

After she was out of sight, there came, again, a sudden sharp clearing of Perrozi's mind. He turned to the gargoyle. If it was possible for something carved of marble to look relieved, Ballast was doing just that. The border terrier turned back and saw the gargoyle trying to stretch a wing in the low-ceilinged confines of the hold. The unblinking opals regarded Perrozi with a baleful air.

For the first time, Perrozi started to worry about what kind of person his father had been. "Did a dog furre put you down here?" He was relieved when Ballast shook his head no. "Why do they keep you here?" Perrozi asked.

Ballast grated, "Lift." With stubby-fingered paws, he indicated the hull of the Millarca. Something the gargoyle did was the source of the schooner's remarkable speed. The chains went right into the hull. If the gargoyle was able to raise the ship from the sea, setting him free probably meant somehow shattering the timbers. Without the ship, how could Perrozi recover whatever his father had left him?

Although the gargoyle was not really a furre, Perrozi still knew in his heart that this was not right. It was slavery. Slavery was against the king's law, was it not? He was sure that good King Constantine would not stand for this, if he knew... but the king and all his be-robed mages and fancy knights were not here. "I'll break you out of here," Perrozi whispered to the stone creature. "I don't know how, but I will." He patted Ballast on the arm and left the hold.

Milady proved to be a most skillful physicker. Loquacious Jake lay under a blanket, dreaming peacefully, his wounds bandaged. Milady was also a very skilled sailor. She ran the sail back up and steered a course by the stars. How she knew where they presently were, Perrozi had no idea.

After a dipper of fresh, clean water from a small barrel, the terrier wedged himself into the prow of the ship, curled up and thinking. Captain Jake, he decided, might be skillful and brave and clever, but he was also ruthless and would care about somebody only when there was something to gain. Milady seemed to be the same way.

They clearly wanted Perrozi for something. But what? What proof was there that Jake had even known his father at all...? Perrozi found himself questioning every word Jake had ever spoken.

Chapter 5: O, Fortunate Maiden!


By day, the schooner was left adrift, and all slept. At night, Milady came up from the hold reeking of death. Milady gave commands that sounded like mild suggestions, then Jake gave orders to Perrozi.

To the gargoyle down below, Milady would merely say, "Raise the ship." The chains would go taut and entire craft would rise half a meter. Each dawn, Ballast would let the ship drop back down, then curl forwards and pass out, exhausted and weak as a baby.

Loquacious Jake sat propped against the mast, his jacket mended and his shirt open in front in the fashion of a rake. The urchin spine wound and the bite on his thigh were healing slowly. Much of the work of sailing was up to the terrier. Some tasks Perrozi did not yet have the strength to do alone, so he and Jake did them together.

Each sundown, Perrozi prayed to Dahlsea for safety by tying three knots in a strip of cloth. He whispered his wishes to the Prime of the Seas as he did so, then cast it into the water. As the wind whipped about the tattered hem of her long dress, Milady watched, bemused.

Loquacious Jake, however, sneered, and said, "Ye ought to drop that silly superstition, lad."

Perrozi's ears lowered, his tail tucked, and he felt very uncomfortable. It was plainly evil to try to separate a furre and his faith. But, what should he expect from one who consorted with a vampire?

With hands imperiously perched on the edge of the ship's wheel, Milady said, "Leave off, thou! What harm's there in a prayer?"

Jake said, "'Tis a superstition, and such are traps for the mind. They say a knot-cloth won't work unless ye hold the belief that it works. So the lad's got to tell himself it is a truth, right from the start."

"And how does that harm anyone...?" the vampiress pressed on.

The dark deer replied, "He has no way to tell if the superstition be workin' or not. When it fails, he can either blame himself, thinkin' he did it wrong somehow, or he can tell himself he ain't done it enough. He's no choice but to throw more bloody knot-cloths into the water for the rest of his life!"

Milady said soothingly, "It matters not if he throweth one or a thousand, Jacob. Leave him be." Her voice was melodious and clear in the night.

Perrozi glanced at the lean captain, who looked about to argue. Male deer were known for their enjoyment of a good verbal sparring session. A moment later, though, Loquacious Jake was suddenly becalmed and smiling. He nodded to Milady and said, "Of course ye are right."

After Jake passed out from exhaustion, and Milady retired to below the deck, the dog had time to himself. He managed to find a fishing hook and some line wound around a stout length of stick, stashed in a chink at the aft. As the sun came up, he caught a fish he recognized as a rock frannard. For fear the Primes would think him ungrateful and withdraw their favor, Perrozi whispered a rhyming couplet to thank Dahlsea and Jemmion.

Without a fire, Perrozi had to eat the fish raw, which was not so bad now that he was very hungry. He and Jake both ate dry sailor's crackers. As they were made with a lot of dried green grass, Perrozi found them unpleasant.

There came numerous signs they were approaching the shore. A gull piped shrilly as it circled them. Gloppy green seaweed, sometimes tangled up with bits of wood, drifted by. Jake used a slim pole tipped with a hook to bring it aboard, and he ate the seaweed with gusto. Perrozi declined the deer's invitation to share it.

Milady brought out the map from the case and showed them where they were headed. She said, "This bay here has an old village. They pay no homage to the crown and they ask no questions. We will stop there for supplies." She turned to Perrozi and said, "You will tell no one about me, do you understand?" She looked at him the way she sometimes looked at Captain Jake, her eyes like wild honey, or dark amber, filling him with a sense of well-being.

Perrozi found himself saying, "Yes, Milady."

Distinctive in its disrepair, the Millarca drifted into port in the dead of night. There were a dozen fishing boats and another schooner at the docks, which seemed deserted. An elderly lady rat sold them everything they wanted except for tar and paint. She told them the furre who sold that was at the center of town for a big ritual.

Leaning on the fishing hook for a staff, the dark deer limped along the boardwalk. Perrozi followed him. They walked between neat buildings made of whitewashed wood. Their ears soon picked up the sound of a crowd gabbling excitedly.

A ring of stones surrounded a pile of wood. Rising up from the center of it was a long post. A female furre, some kind of brown-striped orange feline about seventeen summers in age, was struggling there, her wrists bound to a spike well above her head. Over some sort of noble's tunic and breeches, she wore a lacy yellow bridal gown decorated with pearly disks of shell. Her hair was very long and dark red and had nearly come free of its customary braid.

Perrozi whispered to Loquacious Jake, "Is she a witch?"

"Nay," replied the captain. "Methinks she is just a sacrifice." Killing furres in a ritual was against the King's law but in out-of-the-way places, old ways might continue if most of the people still accepted them.

Shocked by this, Perrozi whispered, "Are they starving...?"

The deer put a finger to his lips, "Shh."

The crowd fell silent when a well-dressed badger in robes mounted a nearby platform. He read from a book. He was saying, "Verily, her mortal form shall fall away as ashes. Her spirit shall rise up as smoke. Blessed is the bride given unto Morauz. O, fortunate maiden!"

Familiar with the rite, the local folk chanted, "O, fortunate maiden!" Their voices were charged with feeling. The crowd parted to let two respected villagers through. They were probably the local tavern owner and a senior shipwright, to judge by their clothing. They came forwards, a keg held between them.

Now the priest badger was speaking from memory, with no real need of the book in his paws, "Praise to thee, Morauz, who causes the river to seek the sea. Praise to thee, Morauz, who makes the trees grow into the shapes of timber. You send the rain to make the fields fertile; you give us the crab and the lobster to eat; praise to thee, Morauz!"

Overcome by emotion, an old woman furre burst out with a spontaneous wail of "Praise Morauz!"

The pair of furres bearing the tot of liquor removed its fist-sized cork, then sloshed the contents onto the dry wood. The smell of potent brandy filled the air.

A little girl pony with flowers in her mane had the honor of carrying the torch. It was made of pitch on a bundle of reeds bound with colorful ribbons. The assembly parted again, and she ran straight for the alcohol-doused pyre.

Chapter 6: A Blazing Exit

There was little time to think and no time to discuss. "Seize the child!" whispered Captain Jake as he put his bandit's kerchief on over his muzzle. With Perrozi in the lead, they moved out into the aisle that had opened to allow the torch-bearing girl.

This action was so unexpected that nobody stopped them. Perrozi picked the little one up from behind. She shrieked and nearly set his shin on fire. Despite his limp, Jake reached them swiftly. He seized the torch from the child, and brandished his cutlass. Loudly, he growled, "Back off, all of ye, lest I gut her!"

A mare furre in the crowd cried out, "Do as he says!" Muttering darkly, the villagers stepped back. The two holding the brandy keg threw it onto the pyre and turned to face these heretics. The mare pleaded, "My lord-- please!"

Perrozi had to admit that when Loquacious Jake wanted to, he could sound like a wolf or a hound. His boots and tail-covering waistcoat added to the illusion, and he had no horns to give him away. Jake snarled, "Set the lass free." as he pointed with his sword.

The tavern-keeper (a bull) frowned as he took his knife out. He climbed onto the woodpile and cut the ropes. Like a stone in an avalanche, the orange lady cat bounded down the heap, her skirts held up in her hands. She ran for Perrozi and Jake. Her mouth was still gagged.

Not quite satisfied, the half-masked captain said, "Now all of ye are going to run to yonder tavern, right now, and get inside!" He was so vehement, and sounded so imperious and savage, that no one doubted that he could slice the little girl to pieces if he so chose. "Do that and ye will find her on the docks."

"Do as he says!" bellowed the tavern-keeper. The mare led the stampede for the building. The priest hesitated until the tavern-keeper nudged him, and, as the latter held a blade, this was an especially bad time to disagree. The little pony girlchild whimpered in fear.

Confident and feeling like a hero, Perrozi whispered to her, "We won't hurt you." Confused and upset, she said nothing, but simply broke out into bawling.

She was getting too heavy to hold so he set her on her feet and held her wrist gently but firmly with both his paws. After the villagers had entered the building, and the door slammed shut, the four furres made their way to the docks.

Seen up-close, the freed sacrifice was bedraggled but pretty. The bonds at her wrists had left raw scrapes, swollen from her thrashing about earlier. She commented, "Mmph!" After a moment of struggle, she pushed the shell-adorned dress up and over her head, and left it on the dusty road behind them.

They reached the Millarca soon enough. Perrozi released the little horse.
She scampered off a ways, then turned and screamed, "Morauz will GET you!" Then she turned and continued running.

"Get aboard, please," said Jake to the feline female. He cut the ribbons on the torch, then divided it up, handing half to Perrozi. "Burn all the ships," Jake commanded.

"What?!" Perrozi yelped, his voice breaking. Most of the craft they could see were small, so he knew there was nobody aboard- but the idea of destroying the precious vessels was still horrible to him. The terrier shook his head, "They're just ordinary people. They need their boats, Jake!"

"They'll be after us in those boats, me lad." said the deer. "Or using them to seek help from other places on the coast. No guessing what lies they'll spread." When he saw Perrozi's tormented expression, he decided to try another tack. "They each had a part in tryin' to murder yonder orange lady."

After a moment's thought, Perrozi decided Jake was right. The principle of preserving the property of others came second to that of saving their own lives. That the people seemed to deserve punishment helped ease his conscience. The dog yelled and whooped "Ahoy there! Hello?!". Then, satisfied that there was nobody aboard, he set the other schooner ablaze.

By the time he was safely aboard the Millarca, the harbor was a row of burning tipping masts. Jake steered from a seated position, and Perrozi had to be his eyes to get them out of the mostly-enclosed bay harbor. When they were many knots' distance safely out to sea, Jake had them take down the sails. The dark deer limped to the covered part of the ship and lay down, exhausted.

Perrozi stared out at the waves, still feeling a bit sorry for the fisherfolk. He decided it was not their fault that they held such strange beliefs.

A faintly angry boyish girl's voice behind him brought Perrozi out of his moment of regret. "They have been doing that every year for three years. I was to be the fourth 'bride'." Perrozi turned and saw the orange cat lady. Her accent was highborn. They spoke without contractions. When she had eye-contact, her wrath faded and she said, "Thank you for what you did. My name is Zeliandra."

The terrier nodded, and said, "It would have been awful if they had burned you..."

Zeliandra smiled. She said, "What is your name?" Perrozi had not been around many nobles. Her crisp, clipped speech sounded odd to him.

"Perrozi, ma'am." he replied.

"My father will reward you," Zeliandra continued. "A new ship, if that is what you wish."

A reward was a wonderful thought. Perrozi's face lit up. "Your father must really be worried about you."

Zeliandra's smile shifted to look more cynical. "I am from a big family. I was not missed." She wrung her hands a bit. "Is there anything I can help with while I am here?"

The canine youth pondered. "Do you know how to sail?"

"Not a bit," Zeliandra admitted. "I can sew, I can weave, I can read, I can identify a knight by their shield..."

"Oh!" Perrozi said, "There's a map. I want to know what it says, maybe you can help me." Taking care not to wake Loquacious Jake, Perrozi fetched the dark metal scroll-case out of the sea chest. They moved away so they could speak over it.

Perrozi explained, "There's a rich lady sleeping in the hold and she navigates at night. She's doesn't want anyone to see her. This is her map."

Zeliandra nodded, and studied the charcoal. "Here is Malgrave. There is Kell, and the Tower of the Magi, and Falbert." Perrozi nodded; he had heard of them all. She continued, "Here is Drayvert, where you picked me up." She squinted, markings like gullwing eyebrows lowering in a faint frown. "What is this speck off the coast of Harfang? I have seen maps before, but this is not on them. It says 'Fumet Island'." It had been drawn in with charcoal.

"I've not heard of it," Perrozi said. "We're on our way to where my father hid his treasures. They say he was a smuggler." The brown wing-like smudges over Zeliandra's eyes rose and her ears went back a bit, at the word.

Chapter 7: The Surfcutters

Perrozi said defensively, "I didn't get to choose who was my father."

Zeliandra lowered her eyes, an apology of sorts. "No, I understand. Believe me, I understand." She turned attention back to the map. There was a small paragraph of charcoal writing near where she indicated. The highborn orange feline read it aloud:


walk G W P
Raise gull stone. 1000 paces.
Me blood breaketh the seal.


The words were mysterious. Perrozi found the first line especially cryptic. "Walk gee, double you pee? The treasure is revealed by peeing?"

The lady remembered the boy did not read, and she kindly did not laugh at her rescuer. She explained, "G, W, and P are first letters of words, perhaps. They stand for something."

The air was growing cooler, a sign of the approach of night. Perrozi nodded, repeating it aloud softly to himself to commit it to memory. "Walk gee, double you pee."

Zeliandra tossed her hair and grinned. "Would you like to learn to read? It's not that hard."

"Sure," said Perrozi, his tail wagging. "Show me."

The young lady cat said, "Well, I need a charred stick first. Or a beach." They stopped there, because they had neither, and Perrozi put the map back. Then he led Zeliandra to where two large piles of ropes lay upon the deck. She could not tell how many different ropes there were; she counted at least eight frayed ends on one heap. They appeared to have been gnawed and cut in many places.

The terrier lad said, "Help me untangle the lines? Start with the ones in front of the the main mast."

"Which one is the main mast?" asked the orange lady.

Perrozi replied, "It's the the bigger and taller one at the back. The other is the forward mast. The foremast."

"Sensible names," said Zeliandra, and she knelt to get to work. The cords were as thick as three of her fingers together, and just moving the lengths paw over paw took effort.

Later, Zeliandra also helped with fishing, another task she had never done before. She was very excited as she pulled a struggling silver salmon from the brine. Perrozi cut up their catch with such speed that she was impressed, and said so.

The wind tangled her hair into unsightly mats and strings, and her shoulders and arms ached from working on the ropes, but she did not complain. She ate better than she had in weeks, and slept soundly through each night. It did not escape the captain's notice that the cat and dog were working well together, and the ropes had gone into neat bundles quickly.

Loquacious Jake had recovered well, and had a craving for fresh greens. He announced, "There should be no one on this stretch of shore for many miles. Still, I'll be keeping watch at night." They eased the Millarca into a sandy bay and dropped anchor.

Zeliandra turned out to be a competent swimmer. Jake gave Zeliandra a tinder box and told her to find them chunks of driftwood for a fire. Then he went back to the ship. Perrozi guessed the captain wished to secretly speak with Milady.

Once ashore, Perrozi's task was to dig up fresh shellfish. He showed Zeliandra the little tell-tale bubbles in the wet sand that betrayed the presence of clams. The dog had a good time digging them up with his short strong claws.

Past afternoons spent learning the herbal lore of Kasuria paid off for Zeliandra. Not only did she get the firepit ready, she found the edible greens to put together a big salad.

The captain was delighted. After a savory meal, including slightly sweet roasted clams for the carnivores, Loquacious Jake leaned back against a tree and said, "Are ye eager to go home, miss?"

Zeliandra said, "I am from Malgrave. My father will reward you well for my safe return."

The dark deer noticed that she had dodged his question. He said, "Although a reward appeals, I don't want the Millarca to be seen in her current condition; she's too distinct, and there are certain parties far too interested in her whereabouts and that of a certain dark, handsome, and eloquent deer." Jake went on smoothly, "We're short of paws aboard the Millarca and I'd welcome ye on our journey."

The orange she-cat thought about what he was saying. The captain was inviting her to join the crew. It was an exciting idea-- and she had to admit, she had never been happier than when she was aboard the schooner. So Zeliandra said, "It would be an honor, Captain Jake."

Jake did have a few reservations that he needed to express. "Still, I couldn't help but notice that ye are perhaps used t' finer accomodations... I can't afford to pay ye anything, as ye might've guessed." He looked at her with cold serious eyes. "And it can get dangerous upon the seas. This ship did not come to be this way all on its own."

Perrozi finally asked, "What happened?"

Jake took off his broadbrimmed hat. "The first strange thing was that the wind stopped. We were dead in the water. Then we heard a scratching all over the belly of the ship. Looking over the side, I saw ...things. They came up for air from time to time, then they disappeared below the waves to go back to their dastardly work."

Zeliandra asked, "What were they?"

Loquacious Jake sat up on the sand. He recalled, "They were long as me forearm. They had hard beaks, diamond-shaped flat tails, and fins like wings. I couldn't tell if they were birds or fish. Orrin (me second cousin) called 'em 'Surfcutters'." Jake took a deep breath, and his audience realized that the memory was a painful one. "Orrin was a mage, an' he cast some kind of spell to stop 'em from bitin' the hull. So then they came flyin' through the air-- they tore our sails to shreds."

The terrier said, "And they chewed through our rigging?"

"Aye," said Jake. "But that's not all. They kept a-flyin' at a sailor-goat by the name of Donaire. When we saw they was after Donny, we formed a circle around 'im. I sliced a good number of 'em out of the air with me cutlass. To get to Donny, they tore up Arrowvine, then Hearty Henna, then they got Remm, even though he was a mighty leopard." He paused, then went on. "Perrozi's father, Orrin, an' me was covered in cuts an' blood; we tried to stop 'em but more kept a-comin'. The damned things chewed Donny to a skeleton. Then, all of a sudden, they all fell dead!" With regret in his normally chill eyes, Jake added, "Orrin died in the night, an' after that, it was just the captain an' me."

Perrozi believed the tale was true, yet he had a hard time finding this tale of bird-fish frightening. Zeliandra, on the other paw, looked a bit shaken. She said, "That is very powerful and dark magic. Why were they after Donny, Captain?"

Jake realized he had little choice but to explain more. He took out his bottle, chugged a sizable swig of whisky, wiped his muzzle with the back of a paw and kept talking. "There was a storm and we saw a beached wreck from a ways off. So we paddled a dinghy for a closer look. The tide went out, then we could see four crates held down by a chain. Some kind of clay seal covered a big padlock."

The younger furres listened carefully. Jake continued, "Donaire was talented with a pick, so he went up with a rock in paw. When he smashed the seal, there was a little flash of light but we all thought it was just the rock hitting the metal. Donny opened the lock so we could take the crates. And that would be your father's legacy."

"What? What was in them?" Perrozi yelped most curiously.

"Yes! what was in the crates?" echoed Zeliandra.

Chapter 8: Lacuna

A night breeze made the trees sway and rustle. The crackling fire cast merry glints across Loquacious Jake's dark eyes. "In the first chest there was a topaz, the color of fair honey. In the second was a ruby. In the third was a sapphire. And in the fourth was an emerald. They were round, and rough on the outside, mind ye. Big. The size of a pregnant lady's belly, by Dahlsea. Somebody had wrapped them in belts made of thousands o' little silver links. Each had a small padlock wi' a clay seal, just like the chain Donny had opened before. Enough booty to make us each rich as a Count."

Even the highborn Zeliandra was amazed at this wealth. The captain took another pull of the whiskey. "Ye believe me, do ye?" he asked the two.

"Yes, of course," said the terrier lad Perrozi. Doubt didn't come naturally to his mind but he did remember to be privately wary of what Jake said.

Zeliandra tossed her head to flick back auburn bangs that had gotten way too long, and smiled. "Gems the size of great melons? Show me one and I might."

Captain Jake took off his big wide hat and moved aside a flap of the silky lining. From this pocket he showed pieces of crystal, in four colors, roughly the size of the end of a spoon. They looked like uncut gems to Perrozi.

"Glass..." said Zeliandra, still dubious.

The captain took a chip colored like blood, and rubbed the edge on his bottle. He made a number of scratches and raised a bit of glass dust. Then he tossed the fragment to Zeliandra. "Here, keep this, my dear little lady." he said in a jovial way.

She examined the thing. Its razor thin edges were unharmed and still just as sharp. Only some kind of gem would do that to glass. Bunching her knees below her chin, Zeliandra said, "No wonder some wizard wants them back..."

A feeling of dread made Perrozi unpleasantly light-headed, and his fingertips went a bit clammy. He remembered the attack by the Merfurres had made him feel a little this way. He thought he did not want to be rich if it meant being pursued by a powerful and dangerous magus. Still, perhaps there was a chance the magical traps could be avoided. He took control of his anxiety and asked, "How can you get the locks open without getting cursed?"

Unconcerned, Jake smiled but his smile did not make Perrozi feel any better. The captain said, "I've got a plan, don't ye worry now. Ol' Jake knows just what to do. We need one more to help us. His name is Roshan; he's a reclusive scholar. They call him Dragoneyes."

"Why is that?" asked Zeliandra curiously.

"Because he has the eyes of a dragon, miss." Jake laughed, the whiskey making him feel more carefree than ever. "Ah, you'll see soon enough." They could get no more out of him because he passed out.

The crew spent another night at that spot and returned to the ship feeling well-rested. Days went by and there was smooth sailing. Zeliandra found time to teach Perrozi how to write the alphabet. Perrozi's charcoal scrawls covered little bits of the deck. He also learned a few of the shortest words.

Then, one night, there came a foggy night when the hatch of the ship came open with a bang and a stench rolled out across the deck. Zeliandra twitched awake and winced at the horrible odor. She sat up and looked around, the fur at her nape rising ticklishly of its own accord.

It was hard to see much in the darkness and mist. She looked around-- where was Perrozi? where was Jake? They were asleep nearby. She tried to whisper but, although she could feel the air moving thickly through her throat and lips, no whispers emerged.

In fact, there was no sound at all. Zeliandra had a fleeting thought that she was dreaming. Suddenly, there was someone right in front of her, a female furre with primal features, as if she had once been a brute living in a cave. Her skin clung to her bones like leather dried around sticks. Through holes in her tattered lace-trimmed under-dress Zeliandra saw ribs almost as clearly as if she had no skin.

The stranger's large eyes, nose and lips were black, and she had only the slightest wispy white fur over pale bluish skin. She was neither living nor dead, neither canine nor feline. Her pupils, contracted to dots, held supernatural green fire. Transfixed by the glistening eyes of the apparition, Zeliandra realized she herself was trembling violently.

"There, there," mouthed the ghastly creature, but that was no comfort. Cold leathery paws with retractile claws took hold of Zeliandra's shoulders. The emaciated womanfurre mouthed something Zeliandra couldn't hear, then drew back her dark lips to expose a row of teeth all shaped like little daggers. The gaping muzzle released a stench of rotting meat.

Zeliandra tried to close her eyes to this sight and found she couldn't. The orange cat expected to be bitten, and savagely gnawed. Instead, she felt awful stinging pains, in her eyes and inside her nose and beneath her tongue.

Then she saw fine streams of her own blood going straight out of her tear ducts, nostrils, and mouth. It flew in five straight wet strands, going into the demonic being's open mouth. Blood was being drawn out of her like thread. She had an eerie sense of some of her insides liquefying, and being slowly drained out of her.

Through it all, Zeliandra somehow became aware of a terrible hole in her attacker, an emptiness that her blood was going to fill, but there was also an unhealable wound, forever leaking. There came a knowledge that no matter how much the demoness drank, she could never be filled, would always be hungry, would thus always bring ruin and desolation to any that she came near.

Despair washed over Zeliandra. She felt as if she were realizing that she herself had just contracted a terrible disease from which she could never recover. She felt foul, unclean; she could not hate her attacker but somehow, she loathed herself. Her eyes, nose, and the inside of her mouth hurt terribly, becoming agony, and she still could not blink or move.

It all transpired without a hint of any noise. With no end in sight, these awful feelings could not lessen, could not fade. It was so irrational there was no way to reason past it.

The closest thing to hope was a dim notion that she could end it all if only she could die. Breathing hard and feeling blood sputter and bubble at the back of her tongue, Zeliandra desperately wanted to throw herself off the deck and drown. Or, she thought, there was Perrozi's knife. She could sever her own throat and, in doing so, put a stop to both herself and her attacker's evil action.

Chapter 9: Milady Disarmed

It is said that there is no rest for the wicked. In Kasuria, at least, this seemed to hold true, as the fate of most Vampyre Furres is to be held throughout the day in a paralysis brought on by fear. Milady had endured this regularly for so many centuries, however, that when the sun set each evening, she forgot about Day Terror almost instantly. A body-suffusing ache (which was how a Vampyre Furre's hunger normally manifested) had grown stronger and her body had grown much weaker.

It had taken all her strength just to open the hatch. What should she see, but a delightfully healthy ginger furred lass, sitting up as if waiting for her! Milady had immediately used the archaic Evil Way of the Circle of Silence lest she wake Jacob or that mangy young cur Perrozi. At thirteen or so years of age, he was too small to feed her.

Oh, but why was the orange-haired miss making such a fish-like face at her now...? Silly child. It was simple for Milady to apply the native Vampyrean talent for mesmerism.

Then came the Feeding. To bite was beneath her. She, Milady, was older than the Redeemers, older than the Covenant. She, a daughter of a daughter of one of the First Thirteen, need only concentrate, and a "vessel's" blood would hear this mystic summons, rushing to obey the will of the Deathless.

Such a rapture filled her! As the blood was consumed, her mind was overwhelmed by happiness and excitement. She could feel her strength returning... But why was the "vessel" still looking so distressed, now? Shouldn't everyone be at ease in her august presence, happy and helpful? She turned her face away from what threatened to be an unpleasant note upon her deliciously marvellous evening.

Zeliandra collapsed, curling forwards to hide her face in her hands. There was no hope for her; everything in the world was wrong. O Primes, but all she wanted was to die! Her whimper awakened the young sailor Perrozi as the Evil Way ended.

He scrambled to his feet and dashed over to Zeliandra. She looked haggard and weak. He could hear her saying softly, "...just... just give me a knife..." He put an arm around her and she tried clumsily to push him away, meowing weakly, "-stay away!". There were blood-tainted tears streaking her face. (A short distance away, the sleeping Captain Jake shifted position but went on snoring softly.)

Horrified, Perrozi looked up at Milady, her sinous posture silhouetted magnificently in the light of the moons. Yes, she was beautiful, he wanted to take time to admire her- but then his conscience nudged. Knowing the answer before even opened his muzzle, he yelped, "What did you do?!"

Her rounded ears flicked forwards (a cougar's? a pine marten's? Perrozi could not have said) and Milady turned to look down at him. As she spoke, she wove Vampyrean compulsions through her words effortlessly: "Keep thy voice down. Always begin or end what thou sayest with 'Milady'. Try again."

Perrozi discovered he couldn't resist the order. This time, he was aware that Milady was doing things, Vampyrean things. Under his breath he muttered, "Primes help us!" He swallowed hard and said, "Milady. What- what did you do?" He slipped his hand inside his shirt and drew his knife inside it.

At his side, Zeliandra also made an effort to speak but it was hard, so she gave an incoherent short sharp shriek instead. Milady still did not reply.

After a time, Zeliandra managed to speak; she said shakily "hurt..." The blood had been painfully forced out of her face; it filled her with rage now. It was on a par with her vengeful ire at the villagers who had tried to burn her at the stake. "...She hurt me!" The anger felt good; it helped to burn away her earlier misery.

Milady sat on a railing and said breezily, "Worry not. She will soon forget all about it." Perrozi could see bloodstains on her pale bluish skin; they made markings on either side of her mouth to give the illusion of jowls. She looked up at the furled sail. "We will set off again when the Name Stars have risen."

Far away, something in the air was coming towards them and Perrozi saw it. He squinted, trying to make it out. No one else saw it. He whispered, very softly, "Zeli, look. There's something out there..."

The cat stopped watching Milady with well-deserved hostility to search the sky. Her eyes were slightly keener than his in the darkness and she saw it right away.

It was shaped somewhat like a furre but with two arms too many. Its shoulders were broad and its waist was trim. She thought its hide was some sort of glossy brown or green by day. Some unspecified number of long appendages flailed in the air behind it, somehow propelling it forwards in frightening bursts of speed.

Perrozi and Zeliandra were going to slink to the back of the ship when Milady turned her head snakily towards them and said, her voice light, "The girl comes back and sits at my feet." Again, the Vampyrean compulsions were threaded through her words.

"No!" said Zeliandra. She began walking straight for Milady. Terrified on her behalf, Perrozi took hold of her hand and she grasped back as tightly as she could in her weakened state. She tried to fight the order. At this struggling, Milady broke into an honest laugh, which put a spur to Zeliandra's anger.

Perrozi said, "Milady, she doesn't want to be anywhere around you." He would have yelled if it were not for the previous compulsion. Milady ignored him.

"Come." said Milady with a beckoning gesture, insisting.

Zeliandra muttered, "I will not!" For half a minute she locked her legs and managed to stop, her teeth gritted and her knees shaking. Then her own controls gave out, and she marched to do as she was told, feeling just like a puppet on strings.

Perrozi stayed close, helped keep her from falling over. He realized that if he kept his grip on her paw, she would fall and probably hurt herself further. On a side Milady could not see, Perrozi slipped the pearl handle of the knife into her hand. She was smart and had the wits to keep it hidden. Then he let go.

Desperate, Perrozi went to try to wake Jake. Milady tended to be pleasanter when Jake was around, if only because she focussed her commanding nature mostly on him. Some kind of monster was coming; the captain's fighting strength would be desperately needed.

The gaunt gray-skinned creature, eerily attractive to those under her spell, was like a desert-mummified corpse to Zeliandra's clear sight. The magic could also mask her revolting odor. The young lady sat at her feet. Milady reached down a skinny hand to pet her hair. When Zeliandra naturally tried to get away, Milady said, in silken tones, "Hold still." Zeliandra was forced to endure Milady petting her tangled red-gold hair.

At the aft, Perrozi shook the sleeping deer furre. "Jake! Jake, wake up!" The captain was deep in the arms of the previous evening's whiskey, in which he had indulged more than usual. Perrozi tried for several more minutes, then gave up as Loquacious Jake was, for once, quiet.

At the aft, Perrozi drew Jake's cutlass, then dove into the black sea-chest and retrieved the enchanted blue buckler. His heart was beating too hard again, and his hands felt cold and sweaty. He was aware of faint nausea rising. It took some effort to keep from trembling in fear. Vaguely he wondered if successfully hiding the symptoms of being afraid actually meant he was less afraid. And if he was afraid, nobody was watching him anyways.

Meanwhile, from the corner of her eye, Zeliandra could clearly see the strange creature still approaching. In a moment it would be upon them. Now she could tell it was the size of a very large furre and had three reptilian tails. It wore a complex harness with bronze ornaments or armor around its body.

And now, like a comet of bronzey green flesh, the unknown being was flying right for Milady! Carefully clutching the fishing knife out of sight, the orange she-cat had chosen not to warn the VampFurre. Milady was no friend or ally of hers! At least seven long thick tentacles whipped forwards and wrapped around the Vampyre Furre, binding her slim arms tight to her body and lifting her clear off the deck.

Milady hissed loudly and venomously as Zeliandra heard dry bones being snapped. The attacker had at least six cherry-red eyes and a vertical mouth down the middle of its head. Two of its muscular arms grabbed Milady's wrist. The Vampyre Furre gave a wailing moan. The glistening green monster twisted... pulled...

Zeliandra covered her face. There was a sound of snapping tendons and ripping cartilege. Its face was so alien-looking that when it spoke, Zeliandra was surprised that such a creature would speak at all, and its voice was a growling bass. "Maggot-purse," it rumbled. "Moldy spawn of Mirmoggin." It threw the arm far out into the sea.

Then some of the bright red eyes swivelled to regard Zeliandra. "Arise, my princess. It is time Morauz, the son of Chatengo, reminded the world of our might."

Chapter 10: Bitter Libations

With tentacles, green skin, four arms, and a face out of nightmare, Morauz looked like nothing Perrozi had ever seen. "A Half-Prime!" gasped the terrier, in spite of himself. He had always believed in Primes, and now, here was one of their children, close enough to bite him. But, as Chatengo was numbered amongst the Dark Primes, this was probably a being of great malice.

Morauz casually pressed the sides of Milady's head with two large hands. The Vampfurre went limp, and the green creature dropped her onto the deck. It turned, narrowed his red eyes, and saw a potential worshipper in this scruffy young sailor dog. It said, "No. Jai-Chatengo Mai-Nareetha. I am Bivion, born of two of the Dragon's first-born. We are rarer than rare." The halves of its face drew apart to show a thousand pointed teeth.

Perrozi's eyes went wide as his body hunched. Feeling Morauz's six eyes staring at him without blinking, Perrozi found himself lowering his gaze.

Standing and steadied by the rail, Zeliandra curtseyed and found her voice at last. She said, "Forgive me, Kidha Morauz. I did doubt that Thou wast real. I thought I was just going to burn to death..."

It put a tentacle around Zeliandra's shoulder and said, "Understandable, Kidhayin. But, that ritual is the pathway to becoming powerful enough to be worthy of Me."

She was brave enough not to shudder, but she froze.

Just seeing the thing touch his friend, Perrozi winced. As with Milady, there was no telling what powers Morauz possessed. The green creature did seem to think like a furre, so maybe there could be reasoning with it. Perhaps it could even be tricked. They definitely could not defeat it with dagger and cutlass, however. He focused on thinking of a way to get Zeliandra out of its clutches.

For her part, Zeliandra seemed at ease speaking to it in the formal fashion of Kasuria using archaic terms. She said, "Kidha, is there something Thou couldst do for the captain? He was loyal to me, not the VampFurre."

The monster said, "Thou hast a knife. Give him some of my ichor, my princess."

Trying to act as if she did this every day, Zeliandra walked to Jake. The fleshy snaky bronze-green arm stayed on her shoulder. Morauz obligingly held it over Jake's mouth. The young lady feline cut it the way she had seen Perrozi cut into a fish's belly. Glowing green goo dripped out of the cut and into the mouth of the dozing captain.

Jake awoke with a wide-eyed start and made a noise like, "--gyaaak!" Some of the ichor spattered onto his dark fur to look like green stars. That it tasted unbelievably foul was clear from his expression as he spent some time choking.

Perozzi went to Jake's side, gave him back his cutlass, and helped him stand. He whispered, "I'll explain later! It thinks Zeli is in charge." The deer looked at him gratefully, nodded, and put his wide plumed hat on.

"Now," Morauz went on imperiously, "thy brother Callistin the Pure has called upon me for a favor. He did not want thee to come home again."

At the mention of her brother's name, Zeliandra shook her head in denial. She had numerous siblings; Callistin was the one closest to her in age. Had he been tricked somehow? She said, "No, he would not have made such a deal..."

The creature said, "He did, and he put my blood on something thou carryest. That is how I found thee." Zeliandra knew then that the monster was speaking the truth. Callistin had asked to see something of hers. Her own brother had betrayed her.

Morauz put the tentacle about her shoulder again (it had healed in seconds), and continued, "I normally do not care much about the doings of mortals, and would have been content to wed thee in my forgotten little village. I have since learned more about thy family, and I have changed my mind..."

Because she turned away, Perozzi could see Zeliandra looked horrified. She bit her lip.

Then she thought quickly and said, "But of course." She even managed a cool expression as she said, "Let us invite many lords and ladies to be witness to my ascension."

The green creature made that vertical teeth-bared expression, which Perozzi decided must be a leer. It bowed, sending a wave to ripple through its tentacles. "I give thee a month to return to Kasuria. I shall choose a less unusual form. If thou dost not return, I shall come find thee." Before another word could be said, Morauz spread its tentacles and snapped them downwards to soar straight upwards.

Perrozi looked over to see Zeliandra was quietly weeping. He went over to her and held her in a hug. She said softly, "My own brother sent that thing after me!"

Having never known a sibling, Perrozi could not really understand, so all he could do was nod. Then he brought her a drink from the water barrel. She took a shuddery breath and looked a little better for it. The terrier said hesitantly, "I... I'll be your brother if you want, Zeli?" It brought a bittersweet smile to her face for reasons he did not understand but it made him feel happier.

When they looked over at Jake, he was on his knees by Milady's crumpled body. He picked her up and stood. Zeliandra had nothing to say but Perrozi said, "I'm sorry, Captain Jake..."

"Sorry, me boy? Sorry that this parasitic witch had me in thrall since we picked her up in Falbert?" The black deer smiled with bright teeth, and he walked to the side of the Millarca that lacked a rail. "Nay, this be no true tragedy. This be cause for a celebration!" With those words, he threw Milady's body overboard. Then he turned to the crew of two and said, "Now, shall we head for Kasuria, or Fumet Isle?"

Zeliandra was quiet because this was a difficult decision. If she went home, she would have her father's help. They could have more time preparing for Morauz's return. If she went with Jake and Perrozi aboard the Millarca, however, she would doubtless share in their riches. They could visit the Tower of the Magi and bring back an army of spellcasters. She would need something like that to face her immortal tentacled suitor and survive.

A bit shyly, Perrozi cleared his throat. "Captain Jake? Either way... before I'll sail anywhere... there's one thing I think we should do."

Chapter 11: The Prodigy's Downfall

"What is it we should do?" asked Captain Jake. In a fine mood now, he straightened his flamboyant hat and held the sides of the coat that framed his dark bare chest.

Sailor Perrozi pointed towards the open trapdoor of the hold and said, "We should set the gargoyle free."

Zeliandra, who did not know about the stone creature chained in the hold, said, "A gargoyle? Where did you get it?"

Jake said, "Milady captured it shortly after Perrozi's father died. We've been using it to make the ship sail much faster. Quite a brute, he is! But turning him loose is out of the question."

Perrozi said, "Why's that?"

"Because," said Loquacious Jake, "without him, this ship would move like a plow drawn by an arthritic grandmother. We would never reach where we are going."

The terrier lad said, "I know... I'd be giving up my chance to get rich. You can find it someday, after Zeliandra's father gives you a new ship. But we can't keep the gargoyle prisoner. It's not right!"

Zeliandra spoke up, then. The orange-furred cat realized this decision fell to her. If Perrozi refused to crew the ship, she now knew barely enough to take his place. "Does the gargoyle talk, and think? Has he got feelings?"

"I've heard him talk, and I'm sure he thinks. I don't know if he has feelings..." said Perrozi.

"If he does," said the captain, "then he's most likely to be angry and take revenge once he's free. Me cutlass will have little effect on a flyin' rock statue." Having played this "angle" on the conflict, he leaned back smugly, sure that the others could not contradict him. "Keep him bound, for all our sakes."

Perrozi and Jake both looked to Zeliandra so she could have her say. She did not hesitate. "Captain, I agree the gargoyle could be dangerous. But I must also agree with Perrozi. If it can talk, and think, it is a sentient. By the king's law, it must go free."

The tall deer took off his hat and ran his fingers through his short black headfur, feeling the bumps where new horns would start growing in a month. What did the king, so far away, have to do with it? This was a matter for just the three of them. Lawful owner of the ship and most senior officer aboard he might be, but Jake knew that the captain who does not want mutiny is bound by the will of the crew. "Very well. But we will only do this after we've reached Master Roshan."

Jake nodded, and said, "Aye aye, captain." Satisfied that they had, indeed, made the most ethical choice, Zeliandra smiled and took up the position from which she helped raise the sail. In minutes, the Millarca was cutting through the waters once more. Was it just Perrozi's imagination, or was the ship moving a bit faster than usual tonight?

Without Milady navigating, their course had to be somewhat closer to the crinkled line of the coast. Perrozi could finally go down the ladder and visit Ballast. Zeliandra refused to go down there. It still smelled bad and there were bones in the sloshing blackish brine.

The sailor dog asked the gargoyle, "Where did you come from?" Ballast only shrugged. Perrozi asked, "If we set you free, will you hurt us?"

At this, Ballast appeared very confused and he grated, "...No?" He seemed fairly docile, not dangerous, to Perrozi. Perrozi went over and put his hand cautiously on the stone creature's foreleg. Ballast held still.

"I'll set you free, I promise," he said. "But I need you now."

Zeliandra frowned, her conscience troubled, but the choice was Perrozi's to make, not hers. Jake cheerfully accepted the decision without a murmur.

One day, to the south, Perrozi spotted a high forested hill with a castle at its summit. It was dominated by one especially tall spire, colored gold and white, which also served as a lighthouse. Unlike a castle, however, there was no village or town around its skirts.

"Behold," said Captain Jake, "the Tower of the Magi."

"Is that where this Roshan Dragoneyes lives?" asked Perrozi. He had just been writing words that began with the "J" sound, while Zeliandra was using her sewing skill to mend a sail. It was almost ready.

"Ah, no, I just thought you might like to see it. They exiled Roshan from there years ago," said the deer. "Up until then, he was a very promising student of magic."

In unison, Zeliandra and Perrozi asked, "What did he do?"

The captain mused, "Orrin said he was most talented at conjuration, which is makin' something from almost nothing, but he also had a flair for enchantments, which is addin' magical behaviors or effects. He conjured a soft red ball that would divide itself into two new ones just like itself."

"What is bad about that...?" puzzled Zeliandra.

Perrozi understood right away. "Each of the new ones divided themselves, too. There were four... then eight...then sixteen..." He did not know the number that came next, but Zeliandra had gotten the picture.

Captain Jake said, "It was against the rules, an' he knew it, but he could not resist."

"Did not the senior mages undo it?" asked Zeliandra.

Loquacious Jake said, "In time, aye, but not before great damage had been done. The way Orrin explained it, there's only so much power in a given place; all mages present must share it. The Tower of the Magi is special because it has much more of that power in one spot. Roshan's prank drained it all away."

Her sense of justice keen, Zeliandra frowned. She said, "So that's all? They exiled him because of a joke?"

"Ah," said Captain Jake, "some enchantments be evil but some be good. There was another student, a girl, whose neck had been broken in a riding accident. The magi had placed a spell upon her to let her walk an' move again. The red balls should have been harmless but then the magic waned. She was atop a parapet when it happened. She fell off the wall and was killed."

Zeliandra thought a moment. "He could have been hanged for that. Or thrown into the dungeons for life."

Jake shrugged. "They all knew it was an accident, an' he was just a high-spirited boy. They might have just caned his rear an' set him to cleanin' the privies for the rest of his apprenticeship. But he was a commoner, an' a freak to boot, while the girl was a highborn of House Giovarri. So he was exiled."

"Where did he go?" asked Perrozi.

With a grim smile, Captain Jake said, "To the Rovarrian Marsh. I've brought him old books for a great deal of silver several times before."

The Millarca now had a second sail mounted upon the mast. She moved faster than before, so they soon arrived at the mouth of a river choked with reeds. The Millarca was left anchored. They had to swim back and forth to and from shore to get the ropes and tools. Captain Jake built a marsh craft out of four trees. It was narrow; a passenger could have a foot in the water on both sides at the same time. Any wider, he said, and it would not be able to move between the reed islands. Shorter, and it would not keep the three of them and their gear out of the water and dry.

Perrozi and Zeliandra seated themselves precariously upon this raft, each holding a stout staff to prod them away from trees with plenty of long roots like stilts. Captain Jake pushed them along with a pole as he stood at the back. The river looked more like a lake filled with a maze of islands. There were thick stands of reeds and twisted stilt-trees draped with grey-green moss hanging like long shaggy beards. The air usually smelled musty but sometimes there was the fresh sweetness of myriad flowers on vines.

They had just begun a friendly discussion of whether it might be best to go back to Malgrave or on to Fumet Island after this. The conversation was interrupted by a loud flutter of wings as a covey of marsh-quail took frantically to the air. It was followed by an ominous hush.

Chapter 12: Fyre

Something had spooked the birds. Despite warm sun glittering silvery on the water of the marsh, the dog Perrozi felt cold. A wave passed through the water, making the log raft on which he was seated cross-legged bobble slowly. He could feel his heart starting to pound, so he worked on breathing evenly. Not too fast- that would make him dizzy. It was hard to think. When he remembered his knife, he drew it quickly.

Zeliandra's ears went back, and she mewed softly, "What is that...?" as she scooted closer to behind the terrier lad. She clutched her pole in both paws, ready to strike.

Standing alert at the back of their long makeshift raft, Captain Jake pulled his pole out of the water and said, "I know not." He kept his balance effortlessly, the slender hoofed legs flexing as waves roiled along below them. He searched alertly all around. Then, with bravado, he announced loudly, "Show yourself! Friend or foe?"

A furless head, arms, and mottled torso burst from the water at the side of the log craft and Zeliandra let out a scream. The face was scaled and snakelike, with black eyes and a childish gaping expression. Numerous necklaces of orange and white beads adorned it. One of its paws shot out to take hold of Zeliandra's staff between her paws. Immediately she struggled to wrench it free. Delighted at this game, the snakish creature gave several enthusiastic tugs and squalled, "--My!"

"Primes save us!" Perrozi said as he slid into the water. He felt plant growth brushing him all over yet his feet could not feel the bottom. He kicked and paddled towards the front of the long raft.

Loquacious Jake's eyes widened, and he said quickly, "'Tis a nagafurre. Let him have the stick."

Zeliandra did so. The nagafurre gnawed at the pole, its eyes on Zeliandra.

In the water, Perrozi heard Jake saying, "Back off! They spit fyre!"

Near Zeliandra's side, Perrozi could see its skin was very smooth, and covered in mottled patterns of dark gray, parchment, and reddish brown. Large translucent ears were held tight to its diamond-shaped head as the serpent turned towards the furre. The naga's throat suddenly glowed from inside, and it spread its mouth open wide. With a gasping noise it coughed a fist-sized glob of flame at him, as swift as a child might hurl a stone.

Perrozi had no time to draw in a breath; he threw himself under the water as hard as he could, diving to surface a good two meters back. When he came up, he saw that whatever the nagafurre had spit at him was floating on the water and still burning.

Zeliandra reached for Perrozi's pole from behind her.

The nagafurre was making the hollow sound in its throat again, gathering up another wad of naga's fyre. It turned towards Jake and yowled, "You! No like you. You go!"

The dark-furred deer said, "I'm going; no need t' do anything hasty." He tossed his broad hat onto the raft and stepped backwards with a splash.

The nagafurre snickered with its jaws apart, the forked tongue fluttering at the air. It might be playful and childish but its actions were malicious and deadly. Out of sheer spite, it coughed its fyre at Jake. The stuff grazed Jake and his coat caught fire where it brushed past. Knowing better than to touch it, Jake tore the jacket off as he tread water.

Zeliandra was trying to paddle the raft with her stick when the naga's hand grasped front of the raft. The naga's undulating body propelled it powerfully forwards. It was longer than the raft. With no sympathy for such a monster, Zeliandra stopped trying to row and instead, brought the stick down on its fingers. "I hate being kidnapped!" she exclaimed.

The naga flared its ears and hissed, sucking at its broken fingers. Its change in mood also manifested as a change in its skin color to shades of angry red, black, and cold ivory. Its throat lit up again as it made the rasping noise. Zeliandra took the opportunity to leap into the water!

Perrozi and Jake swam for the nagafurre as fast as they could, shoving the raft back as they moved. It was Perrozi who reached it first. Holding the pearl-handled knife point-downwards, he jabbed it into the naga's thick body. The sharp metal bit into tough skin over hard muscle, like stabbing a log. Jake's cutlass flashed up, throwing off droplets of water, then hacking into the nagafurre's flank. Blood billowed into the murky water.

It growled and roiled, gathering its long body up. The captain's muzzle was caught by the resulting wave. He took in a mouthful of water and had to sputter.

The terrier pulled back his dagger and stabbed for the naga again but missed.

Unarmed now, Zeliandra took hold of the far end of the raft and stayed back.

Loquacious Jake caught his breath, flicked his head to shake water from his eyes, and yelled, "Ye have to pierce its heart!"

In something half furre and half serpent, though, where might that be, Perrozi thought wildly. "Chest?" he called back.

"Aye, the chest!" Jake said, as he came up along the nagafurre once more. He took a swing but only gave it another deep gash.

The terrier lad felt himself growling. It wasn't loud but it was quietly fierce. The naga twisted to face him. Perrozi gathered his strength again, and drove his father's knife forwards, squarely to the middle of the nagafurre's torso. The young sailorfurre gave a triumphant, "Ha!" Heart pierced, the naga doubled forwards in agony, face in the water as its life's blood poured from the hole in its chest. After what seemed a long time, it stopped writhing.

Zeliandra said, "Verily, that was amazing!"

Captain Jake said, "'twas well done, me lad!"

Perrozi took in a breath to reply. Without warning, blazing pain attached to his stomach, forcing a ragged howl out of him, as the water before him flared with an unquenchable bright light.

The eyes of the nagafurre had raised above the water level. With its dying breath, it had spit its last ball of fyre at its destroyer. Then, the light went out of its eyes and it rolled over to float on its back.

Chapter 13: The Wild Mage

As the scruffy canine lad cried out in pain, fire bloomed from his abdomen making a brilliant glow under the water. It felt like something was very slowly eating into him with thousands of tiny teeth. The glob of Fyre that the dying nagafurre had belched onto him was sticky, and it looked like burning pitch. It roiled and bubbled.

When Perrozi convulsed; his head went under the surface of the water. He choked and involuntarily inhaled liquid. Agony and raw terror overtook him as he was both on fire and drowning at once. Paralysis was spreading to his arms and legs.

In the water with him, the black deer captain, Loquacious Jake, was still in command of his wits. Jake bellowed, "Get him onto the raft!" He dove under the surface. "But don't let the Fyre touch it!"

The tabby lass in her teens came closer using her pole. She tried to use it to lift Perrozi out of the water. She managed to push him upwards but then he slipped off the pole.

Jake was a strong swimmer. Using the top of his head, he pushed Perrozi so that Zelliandra could seize his arm and haul him aboard. The ends of his legs dangled in the water and fire blazed up from near the center of his torso.

Perrozi coughed a bit of water, and immediately began howling in pain, over and over again. Tears ran down his face and his body heaved as he breathed hard.

The four-log raft pitched alarmingly and Zelliandra grabbed for nearby ropes with one hand. Jake had heaved himself aboard without overturning it. The water sloshed onto the raft and flowed off. The stuff burning on him had a unique foul smell like nothing she had experienced before, mixed with the scent of burning hair and meat. A trail of smoke rose into the air.

Thinking quickly, Zelliandra grabbed the floating circular leaves of nearby swamp-plants. They were wider than a broad-brimmed hat and fleshy, with ridges like a spiderweb on its underside. They were still attached by thick stems as she stacked and pressed them to Perrozi's body, thinking to smother the dreaded Fyre.

Instead, the blaze ate palm-sized holes through them, setting the leaves afire. Hastily, the golden-orange cat lass threw them back into the swamp. She screamed, "It will not go out!"

Zelliandra sobbed but wouldn't give up. Through tears, she kept bringing leaves over, trying to smother the fire on Perrozi's body, then throwing them back overboard. The little pockets of air in the leaves were making popping sounds as they burned. The flames, now mundane fire, spread to other plants and a furre-sized blaze leapt up upon the dark surface of the swamp.

The tall dark deer swallowed hard, looking past Zeliandra's shoulder at the dying Perrozi. He hated to lose another sailing companion. He fought off sorrow with rage, and drily muttered, "damn..." Then he took up Zelliandra's pole, intending to continue their journey.

Perrozi's repeated screams, one with each breath, rapidly grew weaker until he passed out. He was still breathing, though. Around his neck, the dagger upside-down. Zelliandra drew it, leaving the sheath, and, with despair, she cried, "I will cut it out!"

"No!" Jake bellowed, and he seized her wrist before she could go through with such a desperate plan. "The fyre might go out, but cuttin' around his heart an' lights will kill him for sure."

Now another disturbance was approaching in the water. Jake's head whipped around as he caught it out of the corner of his eye. He released Zelliandra's wrist and pointed. "Sweet Primes," Zelliandra murmured. She held the dagger in both hands.

In the water, something was rushing towards them with a sinuous motion.

"Another one! I'll take this flame-drooling devil down with me, as sure as me name is Loquacious Jake!" Jake swore as he drew his cutlass.

With a spray and splashing, a large grimacing silver face with eyes like two huge spheres, broke the water some six meters away. Zelliandra realized it was a mask strapped to the head of some kind of enormous animal, its scaly skin dark blue.

Behind it a slim blue furre was clinging to its back and dripping water, his long black hair plastered to his body in weedy stripes. This rider was wearing a smaller mask to match his mount, but two long slim horns projected on either side, and they were swept back. A necklace of huge white teeth adorned his neck. He was bare except for this and a loincloth made of knotted dark brown reeds. His pelt and skin were somehow dyed dark blue, and when Zelliandra saw his scaly tail, she at last identified him as a rat furre.

Perrozi still lay draped across the log raft, the fyre eating at his chest. Now its center was a pinkish glow almost too bright to look at.

When the creature and its passenger drew close enough, Zelliandra saw, to her surprise, that the mount was a watchwyrm- a rare quadruped creature of the sort kept chained up as a guard creature. She knew their tails had fins, but she had never seen one swimming. Now it was obvious the creature's body, so ungainly on land, was graceful and perfectly suited for the water. They normally hid during the day, their huge opal eyes too sensitive for the light. It floated in the water peacefully enough.

The black deer Jake exclaimed, "Roshan, you sly vinegaroon!"

The watchwyrm swam alongside the boat, and, without a word, the rider extended his paws towards Perrozi's body. His claws scratched the air in very precise and intricate motions, and a gray stone bowl appeared in his hand. Roshan used it to scoop the fyre out of Perrozi's body, and he whispered things under his breath. Zelliandra recognized it as Taigorian, an ancient language, and she could not understand it.

The rat mage set the crucible on the raft. When the blaze went out, it left a tiny blackened creature with a head and two forearms and a tail but no legs. Thousands of black teeth lined its jaws. Then Roshan moved his paws above Jake's body as if he were weaving several dozen invisible strings together. The charred wound into which a fist could almost have fit grew smaller and smaller. When he finished, the only sign that anything was different was the fur at that spot was now a blue patch.

The rider lifted his mask. He was beyond striking; he had the kind of looks that would turn heads when he entered a room. His muzzle was streamlined, with jaws that spoke of crushing strength when not formed into the warm smile they now held. His eyes were dark red shot through with metallic gold around pupils like four-pointed stars or crosses. The colors were lovely but the alienness of them made Zelliandra shudder.

Loquacious Jake reached out and shook Roshan's hand, saying, "Where'd you get this strange water-beast?"

The handsome blue-furred rat lowered his chin, and replied, in a whispery voice, "Mycroft. I've had him a long time. You just never met him, Jake. And who are your friends?" He looked up at Zelliandra. "Normally, he just brings me books."

The orange-striped Zelliandra sat straight and held Perrozi's hand for comfort. She said, "My name is Zelliandra mai'Lorinda. This is Perrozi. Thank you for saving him. How did you find us?" He had such disturbing eyes; she looked away in spite of herself.

Roshan Dragoneyes noticed her reaction-- he had seen it plenty of times before. He closed his eyes to spare her his crimson and gold glare, and murmured, "I generally notice when someone starts setting my marsh on fire. Come, let us retire to my humble dwelling."

The canon magic of Furcadia just doesn't rely on in-scene "prepping", and it never has.

Nor is this a standard practice "across Furcadia."

From time to time a Dream may put up its own rules and, of course, when in Rome, please, do as the Romans do-- those are other universes and that's fine.

However, Furcadia-wide, we have a default, and that default is the Dragonlands, where magic has a longstanding tradition of being instantaneous.

Here's our standard:

Think of everything you could do if you had a sword or a cocked-and-loaded crossbow in your hands. Magic is no less effective than that.

Could you stab somebody who wasn't wearing armor and kill them in one shot? Yes.

Do you have to let everybody in the room pose once before you do so? No.

Say there's a bucket across the street, sitting on a wall. Could you just fire at it and try knock the bucket over? Of course you could. You'd just do it.

If magic were any less effective than that, you'd be an idiot to use it in combat.

Prepping implies wrongly that spell power is 'built up' somehow. If that were true, then weak mages would be able to get huge effects just by winding up a long time. Can a little beginner apprentice knock over Mount Rushmore because he'd gone through 500 poses? Well, no.

Pure and simple, the effectiveness of magic is limited by the effectiveness of the mage. Not by how long they bake some spell.

So, what ARE the limitations on magic? Here's four:

1. Fallibility. Spells can fail to go off. It's the mystic equivalent of a gun jam.

2. Natural resistance. Just about everyone has some inherent resistance to magical effects. (In diced gaming it would be an automatic modifier to a chance of success.)

3. Aim. The activating of magic is limited to line of sight. It is dodge-able. Whether it's a fireball or a love spell, you know who did it. (This is true of Dragonlands psychic abilities too-- there's a telltale shimmer in the air. Always. There are no anonymous psi or magical abilities in the Dragonlands.)

4. Ambient mana. Every time a magical effect actually goes off, it drains some of the mana in the area. There are not "types" of mana in the Dragonlands; mana is mana.

Because of the way ambient mana functions, there is one possible way time might play a part in spell-casting. A spell of monumental scale could temporarily drain an area of its mana.

You pretty much have to be lifting whole cities before that occurs, though.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
Naming Conventions
Many fictional worlds have rules that govern character names. For example, in Middle Earth, many proper names are derived from Elven languages, and most names that end in "a" are masculine. Are there any naming conventions for characters based on the Dragonlands (other than longnames)?


In Drakoria, names are generally formed of open syllables (start with a consonant and end with a vowel). So "Ravena" is fine but they'd think "Obama" is weird because it starts with a vowel. They sound "primitive".

Wyrmme names are hissy and snarly and get longer with status; see their city names.

In Kasuria, names are similar to medieval European names but tend to end in a consonent. R, T, N, TH, and S are typical. Carsir, Raven, Lumareth, and Vernos would fit. Commoners don't have last names; they don't own real estate so there's no "family land" to pass on. Wealthy people often do, because there's something to inherit. Kasurian nobles do- they must belong to the canon Houses, and must be ti'This and ti'That.

Names from the Olde World such as Ana, Jean, Fyodor, and Pieter may also appear.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
Do different races and cultures have separate naming conventions?


Furres did long ago but don't anymore. Some of their names date back to the long-ago Taigorean Empire or the Kingdom of Tellish.

They've been a cross-species melting pot for a long time.
http://www.furcadia.com/roleplay/charsht3.txt

There are three Kasurian martial arts traditions: Tonboka, Kiraal, and Pakchay. They're kept hush-hush, sort of ninja-style. Tonboka includes a lot of biting; it's canine in origin. Kiraal includes the use of the tail as a weapon and is preserved by marsupials. Pakchay involves kicking, and comes from rodents with powerful feet.

The Faerie-furres have their own culture; they can speak their own language, Glimmerish.

Mages are into a kind of magic-bloodline-promoting eugenics and consider themselves a separate race. They have a kind of subculture, with its own esoteric and private writing system called Magian.

Wyrmmes, Bugges, and the Mythicals do have names reflecting different cultures. The Phoenixes still have a homeland, with a loose ruling council, but the other Mythicals don't.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
Ferians
As I understand, Ferians have always been a part of the Dragonlands, having originated as a form of Lycanthian. What's the official version of the origin and nature of Ferians? Are Ferians born that way, or did they begin life as regular furres?


It's always a curse. Ferians are always born as furres. There are a number of ways that someone can become a Ferian but not many ways to undo it. The vast majority of Ferians die Ferians. They also usually go crazy. Sometimes the madness is, they forget they were ever furres.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
What kind of cultures do Ferians have? Do their cultures vary according to their species?


Most of the Ferians don't. They're normally far too rare to form anything of this sort. The Wolven Ferians are the exception. Night Music pretty much exemplifies what little culture they have.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
In Night Music, one of the Ferians can assume a furre form at will. What are the limitations on this power?


This question will have to wait until I've written up powers and their limitations in "Furre!". smile.gif Whatever control there is... it's never good enough for being a Ferian to stop being a major curse! They can't trust themselves around "normal" people.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
"Night Music" is about Wolven Ferians. Are there any stories about Tygard Ferians, Leonen Ferians, or Foxen Ferians?


Not yet, but there are Ferians in unexpected places. The ill-tempered creature that King Callistin rides is actually a Ferian.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
What is the relationship between Foxen Ferians and Floxes? (In other words, how did the flower get on the Flox?) Do Floxes have any special abilities?


There's no relationship at all (except they are both adorable!) Floxes are not canon; they don't appear at all in the Dragonlands.

QUOTE (Kamose @ Sep 10 2008, 04:12 PM) *
What is the canon's take on Kiwis, Bats, Penguins, and Chinchillas? Where do they come from? Are they sentient?


Those are more "seasonal" avatars, put in for fun.

Kiwis, however, are canon and appear fairly often. They're a common bird in Kasuria.

If you see a kiwi in-canon, it won't be sentient... unless it's a Ferian.

Throughout this Furcadian world known as the Dragonlands, there are the Furres, who walk upon two legs, and there are the birds and reptiles, which are hunted or farmed for food. It is said that the Primes of Light created the Furres, before they parted company with the Dark Primes.

If fur-bearing creatures running upon four legs are seen, they are normally assumed to be the products of vilest magic. They are always hunted, for that is their curse. However, there is one place they are not always hated and feared, and that is, in the primitive provinces of Drakoria, far to the west.

---

It was 'The Winter Tears Froze On the Face.' Everyone in the tribe was a grassblade's thickness away from starving. They lived in danger of attack by Raukor, Eetrox, Leotaur, and more. Here, as even small furrelings know, it is the furre's lot in life to be food for many other creatures. That is the way of things.

Wrapped in clothes made of woven feathers, the wolf-lady Sah-may-may of the Aka Kota was hunting alone. Her name meant "Very Serious", and she liked to be the best at anything she could do. She was only thirteen, but she was already one of the best with spear-thrower. There, up ahead, walked a snow-kiwi, so she stealthily raised the long dart-spear to above her shoulder.

Was she beautiful? Maybe. Her brown hair was never brushed. She hid her face with leaves tied to woven netting to make it harder for prey to see her. Her boyfriend Teh-gla-ri liked to say, "Night makes all women beautiful," but even he had never seen her face.

The snow-kiwi began scratching at the snow with its feet, a sign that it smelled food underneath. Sah-may-may cast the flexible spear; it flew with the proper wobbling movement. The tip struck the kiwi like a stormbird diving into water; it was dead before it could make a sound.

Sah-may-may ran, the sinew nets on oval frames strapped to her feet keeping her above the snow. When she reached the kiwi, she lifted it by a leg and, with a small chip of sharpened stone, she ritually offered its blood to Suffrith, Sharpener of the Senses. Then Sah-may-may cut it open and pulled back her hunting veil to eat the steaming liver, the hunter's due. Oh, so soft and delicious!

It was without warning that blue snakes erupted from the ground to grab the Aka Kota huntress. Sah-may-may gave an enraged scream and beat at them with her free hand, not ready to let go of the precious bird carcass yet.

The icy ground broke open and a slender panther-furre appeared, her white fangs bared as she laughed. Her arms were crossed before her bare bosom. The panther woman wore no clothes or ornaments, yet she appeared not the least bit cold.

Sah-may-may gasped to see this strange being had no fur on her lean body. All Aka Kota are wolves; they know of other kinds of Furre but almost never meet them, so Sah-may-may did not know a feline when she saw one.

Countless pale scars criss-crossed that dark blue skin. Then the wolf furre realized that the things circling her body were some of this monster's many tails. One was around her waist; one was around her shoulders; one bound her ankles tightly together. Sah-may-may fell over with a thump on the blood-spattered snow.

The wolf-furre resumed furiously trying to cut through the tails with her hand-length flint knife. She could not mar the smooth hide. The blue panther-lady hooted and cackled merrily, a toss of her head sending a ripple through her long frosty-blue hair.

Then, in the Aka Kota's own language, the blue-skinned one said, "Stop! Stop! Or I will hurt myself laughing so hard!" Sah-may-may ignored her and kept sawing with the little knife.

So, the tails tightened until Sah-may-may found she could not expand her lungs. In fear and pain, Sah-may-may was finally forced to drop her knife. The world was growing darker when the tails relaxed- but only a small amount. The tails claimed Sah-may-may's possessions as spoils-of-war. The tall she-cat wiped a tear of hilarity from a yellow eye without pupil, and said, "Much better. So. What is your name?"

The tribal wolf-furre remembered her warrior's lineage, and spoke the proper ritual boast, "It is Sah-may-may's knife that will cut your throat." She glared back, not expecting this alien who knew her language to give her own name, as would be proper even between deadly enemies.

To Sah-may-may's surprise, her captor said, "It is Lokira's claws that will make snowshoe strings of your guts." Then the furless demon said sweetly, "...but not today. No, today, I have a different game to play with you. Do you pledge on your honor not to run away? Or must I crush the air out of you and leave your bones for the Raukors to pick?"

The war stories told by the elders spoke of this choice. She could die a warrior, or she could live as a slave. Sah-may-may had always told herself, it would be best to die. To be a slave would be a deep disgrace to the Aka Kota. How could she live with herself if she surrendered? Would it not be better to perish, and for her soul to go on to Suffrith's paradise?

Then Sah-may-may realized that she had never really accepted the old tales as true. She sacrificed blood in the ancient hunting ritual to Suffrith, of course-- everybody did. But, she did not, in her heart, believe.

She looked down. She was still gripping the dead bird by the neck. In her mind, she saw the faces of her hungry kinfolk, for whom this snow-kiwi would mean two more weeks of life. After that, they might still all die of hunger, but until then, every moment was precious. The true surrender was in choosing death; only in life was there any hope.

Sah-may-may decided she desperately wanted to live. She gulped, and forced herself to speak. Her voice was raspy, not at all normal, as she said, "I give my word."

Without another sound, Lokira released the she-wolf. Sah-may-may was aware the snowy ground was sucking precious warmth from her body, so she stood.

The blue panther pointed at the space behind Sah-may-may. When the Aka Kota huntress turned, there, on the ground, was a huge fluffy bird-pelt with a round bare patch at its center. This display of strange magic filled the Aka Kota with deep dread; she did not understand it.

Sah-may-may could see there were dicing bones and the square design for playing N'Jom, a traditional wagering game. Without a word, they each took a seat.

"So. I see you know this game." the she-panther said casually. "I wager four things. Your knife. Your spear-thrower with dart. Your freedom... and a boon that one such as I can grant. You do not know my name but I am Suffrith's sister."

The revered name sent a prickle up Sah-may-may's nape. Suffrith was supposed to be a great power of the universe but Sah-may-may had never heard of Lokira. Before she could stop herself, Sah-may-may demanded, "How do I know this is true?"

"Did I not conjure this great bird skin from nothing?" said Lokira.

Sah-may-may said, without a smile, "That only proves you can perform magic."

The freakish blue panther with the many lashing tails threw her head back to roar with laughter again. "Oh, daughter of the Aka Kota, you are unusually hard to impress! Never mind who I am. It is not important. For the fourth stake, I offer to use my conjuring skills to grant you a wish."

The wolf huntress considered, then nodded. She said, "I wager only three things. My veil of leaves and net. This snow-kiwi. My shirt of woven feathers."

With a nod, Lokira laid possessions in a line across from Sah-may-may's, a small handful of beads standing for Sah-may-may's freedom. They took the bones between their paws and tossed them, counting the circular marks and moving counters on the N'Jom grid.

Along the way there were choices to be made. N'Jom was a game of skill as well as luck. Sah-may-may had never taken any pleasure in gambling games, but she had enjoyed the thinking part of it. She played shrewdly, cautiously.

Sah-may-may's pebble reached the first wide line. Lokira smiled and pushed the stone knife towards Sah-may-may, signifying that it had been won back. They played onwards. Several throws later, Lokira was smiling a little less, and she pushed the spear-thrower back towards Sah-may-may as well.

Seeing that the unkempt huntress was so far ahead, Lokira began to play with more abandon. She moved her pebble along the risky path that promised a high return. She told Sah-may-may, "You have already won twice, so, I know you have used up your luck."

The huntress saw the blue panther was becoming more desperate. She was tempted to try the same strategy herself. She worried that her caution might cost her the game. She resisted, though, and kept to the slow track.

Eventually, it came down to a single throw of the bones for each. Lokira crowed triumphantly, "There!" as she scored enough points to make it difficult for Sah-may-may to win. The wolf felt her heart thudding harder and harder, as if at the back of her throat.

As Sah-may-may cast the bones for the final throw, her paws trembled, for the third stake was her freedom. The bones all showed pairs of dots, and Sah-may-may called out the traditional name for the configuration, "Flock-of-crows!" She was free!

"No!" Lokira exclaimed and she punched the thick feather rug in dismay.

The Aka Kota huntress scooped the beads up and put them into her neck-pouch. "I give you to the count of four-hundred. After that, if I see you, I will kill you!" She trusted in her own skills; she knew that not much could survive her spear-thrower and dart.

The blue-skinned panther's tails twisted and untwisted in agitation. She said, "Wait, let us play one more round." Sah-may-may had already fit the dimpled end of the long spear to the matching peg on the thrower. Lokira said, "All of your things, against my boon!" Then she waved both of her hands, and said, "See."

This time, when Sah-may-may turned, there were eight low tables made of planks, each covered with wooden troughs piled high with food. There were heaps of hot grain mixed with fat and salt, little fried cakes made from sweet crushed acorns, bowls of fruit (fresh despite the season), smoked fish, mounds of spiced and juicy beb-krah meat. Sah-may-may's eyes went wide. With this, her people need not go hungry...

The Aka Kota huntress turned, and walked back to the thick feather-fur. She put her goods down on one side, and picked up the bones.

The blue panther lady picked up a sweet orange root from the banquet, and placed it opposite Sah-may-may's possessions.

They played one more game, rolling and passing the N'Jom bones back and forth between them. Again, Lokira moved her pebble along the chancy path, but Sah-may-may held to her slower way. The bones gave Lokira a poor score. The wolf's pebble moved steadily on the grid towards the winning line. Finally, it was so far ahead that there was no way for Lokira to catch up.

"Impossible!" the blue panther railed, throwing the offending N'Jom bones far into the sky. "To win four times in a row is impossible!"

The Aka Kota huntress shook her head, "no, just rare." She picked up the delicious-smelling roasted root.

With salvaged dignity, Lokira stood herself back up, but all her serpentine tails writhed independently, and one of her white upper fangs was bared. She said, in a grumbling manner, "Name your boon, Serious One. An unconquerable weapon? Beauty such that all malefurres fall down at your feet in wonder?"

The huntress replied, "My people must never want for food ever again." Even if the sorceress could not grant such a thing, she was still honor-bound to fulfill it to the best of her ability, and Sah-may-may did not doubt that she would try.

The blue panther lady made a dismissive gesture towards Sah-may-may, and said easily, "...Done." Once again, she crossed her arms before her chest.

The wolf huntress nodded and triumphantly brought the roasted root to her jaws and bit into it. For some reason, this was the most amazingly delicious thing she had ever tasted. Whatever she was, this panther-witch was a fine cook. As she took a second bite, it seemed to be growing larger and larger. She glanced over at Lokira, who had lost her previous irritation and was now smiling slyly at her.

Sah-may-may felt her clothing swallow her up as the ground dropped away below her. She struggled out of the woven feather shirt, no longer a wolf furre, and, indeed, no longer even a furre.

Her hands had turned to clumsy paws. She was crouching on four limbs instead of two. All the sounds around her were too keen and her ears felt enormous atop her head. Whereas before, the array of food had smelled wonderful, now it was burnt and disgusting, especially the meat. Worst of all, Sah-may-may found it hard to think. Everything was confusing, frightening. She hopped from the heap of clothing, and began to run...

---

This new form, called Ferian Rabben, was swift. Effortlessly it bounced over the snow with its long hind legs. It was a creature that none of the Aka Kota wolf-people had seen before. It had fur, like a person, yet, like a bird or serpent, it was not intelligent.
Being desperately hungry, they brought it down with a spear. To their delight, it was yummy, and nourishing. Realizing it was a gift from the Mighty Ones such as Lokira, they made a practice of burying the skin and bones with honor.

Strangely, they never saw more than one. One moon after they ate it, another one just like it would always appear. As even small furrelings know, there is no need to understand.

It is just the way of things.

=====================================================================

QUOTE
Do you have any stories pertaining to the 9 lesser primes(?)


One day those tales may be told; there aren't any posted, though. smile.gif

QUOTE
(is it) okay to write my own stories (which would be used in context occasionally in the Strict RP dream of Challiston Cross) (?)


Yes, for your Dream, it's totally cool. You're welcome to elaborate upon, re-imagine, interpret and reinterpret, the "official" stuff so that it works best for your Dream's Continuity!

For the record, one of the main canon idea of the Primes is their philosophy against direct interference with the lives of furres. They no longer beget any Half-Prime children, for instance. They don't want to be worshiped. Most furres think the Primes are pretty cool-- well, the Primes think the furres are amazing, too!

Devotees of Primes are asked to be more like fans for the Primes to inspire, not followers that they order about. They even insist that furres accept that Primes can make errors. They would rather that mortals stop respecting them instead of blindly going along with a mistake. They choose to earn love instead of forcing obedience.

By contrast, the Dark Primes are very willing to monkey around with furres and other sentient beings of the Dragonlands. They perform little stunts to encourage furres to bow and scrape before them.

The power of the Dark Primes is actually very limited but they work on getting fanatics to obey them in the mortal world. When questioned why they don't do more, they tell the mortals that they're being tested, and that to question in this fashion is to fail that test.

The Dark Primes do everything they can to convince furres to do as they say; control is the name of their game. Telling furres that they will get amazing rewards when they die is one of their most fruitful ploys. Questioners don't get into their wonderful afterlife paradise.

Dark Primes especially want furres to give them credit for EVERYTHING (including the furres' own accomplishments). All the Dark Prime has to do, is promise that they will grant success. If a general then succeeds in battle, he/she will attribute his victory to a Dark Prime's patronage. The number of believers increases.

If the general fails, well... he/she will be out of power, and it doesn't matter what he/she happens to believe.

If your general interpretation of the Primes and Dark Primes follows this "enlightened kindly Star Trek aliens versus manipulative cosmic con artists" sense, then you'll still be pretty "canon".

If your interpretation has the Primes being more "interference-oriented", then it'll be less canon. It's not wrong, it's just, not quite in line with the "official" stuff.

If your stories are set in the past, then the Primes can be less like abstract concepts, and actually doing things. Long long long time ago, the Primes did do things something like the way the Norse and Greek deities did, like sneaking around in disguise.

---

It's entirely possible for a furre to totally make up a fictitious Prime, and get furres to go along with their cult. It *is* a medieval setting, so, furres are undemanding of real evidence. ("Does Jujinka exist? Of course she does! Otherwise, we wouldn't have Spring.")

It's possible for a mage (or other supernatural being) to set themself up as a Prime. (They'd probably have to follow the example of a Dark Prime, and be a lying scumbag, to accomplish it.)

It's also possible for there to be regions where various Primes or Dark Primes are unknown. A really really peaceful culture could forget about Reegarr, the Prime of Valor. A colony of deformed inbred mutants might not have much use for Danival the Prime of Beauty.

By the way, in Drakoria, the Primes are believed to be evil, and the Dark Primes are worshipped. Here is a short story I wrote, from a Drakorian furre's perspective.
http://talzhemir1.livejournal.com/71939.html

Dec 25 2008, 07:37 AM
"Taigoria" is based on Goryeo (which, in the real world, existed from 900-1392.) 'Tae" means "Great" and "Goryeo" comes from an older country name "Goguryeo". The origins of "Goguryeo" aren't clear but may have to do with the Korean word "guri", which means copper. Their wealth is from the mines; their strength is the mountains that they know better than anybody else.

They use it in the glaze of the famous Celadon pottery.
http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/korea/index.html

Taigoria covers Southern Manchuria, southern Russia's Maritime Province, and most of Korea (the peninsula they called Joseon back then). Its rivals kingdoms are Pakchay and Shilla, each of which makes alliances to keep the other at bay.

There were lots of other Asian nations that are not so well-known in the West today. We sort-of lump some of them under the banner of 'China' and refer to them as "Dynasties" but they all had independent ethnic identities.

The Liao were originally Khitans (not Kittens smile.gif ), nomads of Mongolia. They have contact with the Turks and there's a Silk Road influence to their culture. Their language is now extinct.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o11/yhjow/khitan13.jpg

The Jin were originally Jurchens who lived in Manchuria; their language is now extinct. Amazing archers, they ruled what is now northern China from 1115 to 1234. They were succeeded by the Manju culture.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o11/yhj...31715317674.jpg

The Sui were a dynasty that only lasted twenty years. Nearly all of these Asian ethnic groups had professional warrior women.
[img]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ROGER_%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg[/img][img]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ROGER_%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.jpg[/img]http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/classical_imperial_china/sui.html

The Tang wear much the same wrap-around midsection and baggy pants that will someday be seen upon the Samurai of Japan. The Tang were once ruled by an empress.
http://chineseswords.freewebspace.com/custom2.html

The Song did everything big. This painting, "Games in the Jin Ming Pool" shows military exercises of their famous navy. One of the ships is like a small floating building, and we think these paintings show actual, not imaginary, watercraft. They were great engineers.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...ial-Garden1.jpg

This is a Song map carved in stone in 1147.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Dynasty_Map.JPG

This is a Song clock, mass-published via a printing press in 1092.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...ng%27s_Book.JPG

Rather like Eleanor's Aquitaine in Europe, these folks are bent on having their Renaissance in the 11th rather than the 15th century. The Song use gunpowder bombs in battle. This is one of their "delivery wagons."
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...1-intransit.jpg

I imagine the Taigorians hearing a seemingly fanciful story and saying, "Ah, but that was thousands of years ago. We're enlightened now." That's how they feel about themselves.

Chinese opera still celebrates the Song era's Mu Guiying, a famous woman general from a family of woman officers. Her grandmother, She Taijun, is also a famous woman general. It is recorded that she led the emperor's troops at the age of 100. The emperor owed his military victories to the She Taijun and Mu Guiying, who personally trained his warriors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo...005-10-15/1.htm

The possibility of women warriors is one of the things that I think sets Taigoria apart from our common conception of medieval Asia. It's a tradition that goes very far back. During the Shang Dynasty (1250-1192 BC), Lady Fu Hao had an army of 13,000 under her command. Her astonishing tomb was discovered in 1976.

The Maiden of Yue trained King Goujian's troops in the 5th Century B.C. for the wars between the kingdoms of Yue and Wu. She's said to be the first recorded martial arts hero. The story of Mulan is a poem, a ballad, from the 6th century. We don't know if the maiden of Yue or Mulan were real people, but we've found female skeletons buried with their favorite archery equipment, swords, shin guards, and so on.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926482/posts

Martial Arts do exist in Taigoria. In the real world, around the year 520, the Buddhist Tat Moh comes from India to China, where he teaches Kung Fu to the monks of Shao Lin. He eventually becomes Boddhi Dharma, and then "Daruma"-- the little red egg-shaped effigy with the staring empty eyes that you paint.
http://www.jun-gifts.com/specialcollection...darumadolls.htm
http://www.planetdianne.com/earl/blog_images/Di-Daruma.jpg

The tradition of ladies in martial arts continues steadily, through the Buddhist monasteries and nunneries both. Ving Tsun was invented in the 1600's by a woman named Yim Ving Tsun. Tradition!

Rather than pick apart which people become 'The Chinese' and 'The Koreans' and 'The Japanese' and so on, I prefer to think that it was much more chaotic and complex. The groups and lineages defeat; they annex; they suppress; they adopt; they adapt; they innovate. Here, nothing is ever truly forgotten or lost; everything old becomes new again. There's a sense that the present is a little block being added to a vast pyramid of the past. If you can get a sense of that across, I think that's "Taigoria." It's not "primitive pan-Asian" and it's not "proto-Chinese/proto-Korean", it's all its many and varied selves.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/t...00px-Jangsu.jpg
Liu Quan
Dec 25 2008, 08:16 AM
So does Taigoria include the 'Dynasties', or is it just Goreyo? Also, is Taigoria East Asia combined into its own state, or is it split up? From what you are saying, Taigoria and the Dynasties are seperate, but I just want to be sure. Oh, Merry Christmas!!!!
Talzhemir
Dec 27 2008, 12:22 AM
Merry Merry!

Taigoria is the largest region, and it's beset on all sides by rivals. I'd draw a map but I haven't got the background to do that yet. In a way, it's better without, because it is so turbulent. Many of the polities (group or country or faction or nation or intertribal alliance) have rapidly changing borders. Some are nomadic people who don't measure territory in terms of borders, they measure it in control of gigantic trade routes and tribute from the vassal states.

Goguryeo (the "old days") from 6th-9th century:
http://www.kokuryo.com/images/Goguryeo_map1.jpg

The Dragonlands is a rough amalgam of 9th-12th century.
Liu Quan
Dec 28 2008, 10:46 AM
So essentially, Taigoria and the Dynasties are two seperate regions. I could assume that the Dynasties would resemble the Tang Dynasty as it was around during the 9th century.

QUOTE

...what about homosexuality?


In general, the Dragonlands is a medieval world with some prejudice against gay relationships. Most people believe that marriage is for the purpose of producing an heir while forming a longterm alliance with another family.

Remember, this is medieval times. Arranged marriages are the norm. You don't have to be gay to hate that you're supposed to marry a particular person, and most furres go through with what their families have decided. I know that's a bit tough for us modern people to wrap our brains around it, but that's what the medieval world was like.

Not only does wealth (especially lands) follow the line of inheritance, so does authority. That means that every noble heir stands a chance of being liege lady/lord over more and more people. Heirs concentrate political clout. Trueborn kings and queens are especially important because they can declare truces. (In some countries, however, declaring war wasn't an acceptable kingly power.) The family of the non-reigning sovereign are expecting to become royalty by being blood relatives of the new king.

On top of all this, there is a superstition that being "trueborn" is somehow inherently better than being born out of wedlock. That's why it's such a big hairy deal that the king wants and needs a crown prince, in all those old tales.

In the Olde World, reactions vary...

In the Furre parallel to Africa, there are tribes where the malefurres marry several womenfurres but then the ladies live in households apart from each other. (They do this to better exploit desert scrub with their herd animals.) The ensuing children are very very wanted as labor, and children of different ages have specific duties. In general, the more children, the better. The females are likely to be bitterly jealous of each other (at best, they are chilly rivals). If the male loses interest, it means not conceiving subsequent children.

Here, there is a superstition that by visiting his wives, the male gives some of his magical power to his family members. It's apparently passed on via sex, so a gay relationship is "wasting" this precious whatever.

In the Furre parallel to Japan, homosexual relationships are accepted without any stigma-- as long as the person also upholds their duty to the family by getting married to someone of the opposite gender and producing at least one inheriting male child. Samurai would openly "court" same-sex lovers (nenja).

QUOTE

is there (a law against gay relationships) already in effect?


There is no law against gay relationships. There is no law against a married person having a lover on the side, either. Both, however, are severely frowned-upon-- to the point of being whipped and/or stoned and/or killed if you're caught. (Murdering people IS against the law but in a case like this, it's the community rising up together, so it's unlikely justice will be served.)

However, only spouses and/or children born in wedlock may inherit. If it looks like somebody's same-sex relationship is going to result in that person inheriting their partner's wealth, their family has the legal right to put a stop to it. Being gay is grounds for being declared crazy, and crazy people can't make binding legal agreements. If there is a protest, the court usually steps in and distributes the dead furre's possessions according to marriage and being a trueborn heir.

QUOTE

is there (a law against gay marriage) already in effect?


No- but there's no need, not any more than there's a need for a law forbidding a furre to marry the sofa. If he/she attempts to leave his/her wealth to the sofa, the courts ignore the will.

QUOTE

And, how would the normal Furres act towards homosexuality?


In uptight Kasuria, it's often treated as an "inferior" kind of relationship because it doesn't result in the financial and philosophical union of two bloodlines. The more high-class the family is, the worse this gets. In general, low-class furres tend not to worry about it nearly so much.

Unlike the historical medieval world, furres in the fictional world of the Dragonlands are not as guilty of the real-world stereotypes that gay men are sissies and gay women are brutes.

In the real world, human men were expected to take up arms and sacrifice their lives in defense of their families, while human women were excused from weapons duty for the sake of raising children. The societies of the Olde World are much like this too, but Kasuria is more equal-opportunity. Kasuria has both male and female soldiers/knights/warriors. Kasuria also has a cultural recognition of a class of furres who are neither.

QUOTE

Also, I know that Dragonlands is a PG rating, and the Harry Potter books were, too (in fact, the author, J. K. Rowling, revealed that Dumbledor was gay). But would homosexuality play any role against the continuity or what?


Technically, the Dragonlands doesn't really have 'a rating'. Dreams have ratings. There are two Dragonlands Dreams reserved for IC-only play: Goldwyn, and Theriopolis. Both are rated T+.

I try to keep the official descriptions of the Dragonlands appropriate to age 13 and up ("T+"). For example, there's no official web page with detailed description of how slavery is practiced in Drakoria; I think that would be more like movie-rating-R, or Dream-rating M16+ because it would include a whole bunch of info about torture.

Torture (and other beyond-T13+ topics) do exist in the Dragonlands universe. It's up to what furres want to play, in their own Dreams, and what standards they personally prefer.

QUOTE

Does the new King plan to have a decree against that...?


None has been announced. It is possible. He's the king; he can make eating with your fingers a crime for which furres must be hanged, right?

There's no law against gay marriage but that's probably because noble families already have far too many reasons to not do it. Or, at least they think they do. By Kasurian law, inheritance goes to the male's first-born child (whether the furreling is male OR female).

After two furres are married, their property and political power become united into a single entity. There's only one "package" that is going to be passed down. If a malefurre marries three femalefurres, all four must contribute their resources to the pool. Up to four families but only one heir.

Noble families tolerate daughters being second, third, fourth, etc. wives because any one of them might still be mother to THE heir. Older heirs might yet perish. (A manfurre with a first wife with six kids is thus less able to acquire a second wife.)

If two malefurres marry, one of them could also have a wife who bore him a trueborn heir. In theory, that would leave a child of the other male spouse out in the cold with nothing (remember, Dad has no major possessions; they were melded to the household upon marriage, and now everything goes to his husband's firstborn).

If there was a noble title, it would also pass out of the non-parent spouse's paws and into his husband's child's bloodline. That's a situation the hoity-toity highborn family wouldn't tolerate.

If two femalefurres marry, one of them would have to marry a male in order to produce a trueborn child. Again, in theory, that leaves a child of the other female "out in the cold". If the non-parent female spouse had a noble title, it would pass to her wife's offspring, a child with no blood relatedness to her family. This, again, is a situation a noble family would not want.

With your modern perspective, you might well ask, "Well, why don't Kasurians just throw out this nonsense of first-born-child-of-the-male-inheriting-everything...?" Perhaps, because adherence to traditions we understand the least are the ones most difficult to undo.

QUOTE

But would homosexuality play any role against the continuity or what?


The Dragonlands court setting and the noble society of Kasuria are rife with intrigues and bitter oppression (such as arranged marriages). Individuals's sexual orientations do matter upon occasion. As a story-theme, a homosexual relationship could eventually play a part in the Dragonlands canon background.

See the movie "The Lion In Winter" for inspiration. It shows a tiny tiny bit of the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was King Richard the Lionhearted and Prince John's mom. Richard was gay, and it plays an unavoidable part in the story.

King Callistin's "straight" obsession with the princess is causing a war. When it is revealed why the king hates vampires so deeply, however, we'll see a different side of him.

QUOTE

Sorry if this comes up as unexpected to most players who are heterosexual.


I think the discussion of gay marriage is very relevant to heterosexual people because the underlying principles have to apply to any kind of marriage.

Consider marriage to multiple partners. Why exactly is that a criminal act today? If you favor gay marriage, on what rational grounds can you reject polygamy/polyandry?

That's really up to you! If you're out-and-about in Furcadia in general, you are TOTALLY free to roleplay whatever powers you want your character to have. You can cast spells if you want if you can politely get others to play along. You can be a furre who transforms into a dragon, a dragon who transforms into a furre, a butterfly dreaming it's a man dreaming he's a dragon. smile.gif

Individual Dreams may have special rules. There are no dragons in the Dream "Salem by Night". In the Dream "DragonRiders", the dragons are genetically engineered four-legged creatures from space and there is no magic whatsoever. In the Pokemon Dreams, there are Charizards, and Neopets Dreams have Scorchios.

We *do* have one default official setting for those who wish to opt-in to it. It's called the Dragonlands, and that's where all this stuff about "Primes" and there being no hyoomans comes from. The "official" dragons (called Wyrmmes) actually come from a continent that doesn't HAVE magic. Should they get to Kasuria, you'll find that they are VERY poor at doing magic- in a contest between a lousy furre mage and Kasuria's finest dragon mage, the lousy furre mage will win every time.

The strength of the Wyrmmes is their mind-powers, like clairvoyance, mind-control, telepathy. Most Wyrmmes are evil; they use their psionics to try to make all furres into slaves. The toughest furre psionic is always weaker than a low-psionic-strength Wyrmme. According to the *official* background, anyways.

Like I said, if you haven't opted-in to a "continuity", you can pretty much roleplay a dragon however you choose. How do you see your character?

===================

In Drakoria and Kasuria:

There are no "Ferian dragons" or "Ferian Wyrmmes", but there are dracosaurs. Furres and Wyrmmes both tame and ride dracosaurs. Dracosaurs aren't sentient; they can't talk; they don't cast magical spells; they're more like "just dumb beasts".
http://www.thegenieslamp.com/Fur/bestiary/dracosaur.htm

According to the Dragonlands backstory, the whole universe was created by one super-powerful dragon. Nobody's sure if He/She walked on two legs like a Wyrmme, or four like a Dracosaur. (Heck, maybe He/She flew around like a balloon if you let go of the end!) "The Dragon" gave birth to the Primes, and then they got together to create the Wyrmmes.

Wyrmmes are Furcadia's dragon-people. Some of them have wings; some don't; they're definitely bipeds.

The Primes tampered with the Wyrmmes' lives. The ensuing disaster killed all the First Wyrmmes. The Great Dragon then gave the order for the Furres to be created. The Furres rule Kasuria and the Olde World.

Some of the Primes wanted to remake the Wyrmmes instead. They broke into two factions (a situation vaguely like having a war of angels and devils). The Dark Primes went ahead and created new Wyrmmes and they took over Drakoria.

Magic doesn't work in Drakoria, but psionics (powers like mind-reading and mind-control) does. The Wyrmmes are much better at this than the Furres, and in Drakoria, the Furres are either slaves or wild tribes living in terror of the Wyrmmes.

http://furcadia.com/roleplay/wyrmmes.html

Long ago, when Furcadia was first made, a number of things were written up to establish the default world setting. It's not mandatory to play by the Dragonlands but if there's a question of what is fair for most players to expect, you can draw on the Dragonlands source material. Because they're too problematic, powers like invisibility and being a magic null were disallowed from the official canon and "Furre!", Furcadia's official RPG documents. Being a psychic null is an actual official power, but it's not defined as "all psychic activity fails 100% around me". It's a modifier. http://furcadia.com/roleplay/furre.html


QUOTE

"First,Psychic Powers are not Magical in nature. They are delevoped by brains that have evolved/mutated in some way,they do not use 'outside' forces like a Mage or anything using magic does..."


Well, in a word, no. There is absolutely no assumption that furres evolved or mutated from anything. The Dragonlands specifically says they were created. If you're out and about in Furcadia, you may be an Uplift, genetically engineered from a domestic nonspeaking animal. You might be from Narnia, where Aslan gifted the animals with speech. You might be a Phooka, a spirit that just happens to look like a rabbity furre. There's absolutely no telling if a psychic ability such as reading a mind has a magical or non-magical explanation.

To explain in more detail, roleplaying outside of a Dream with rules means magic isn't limited to one type. If following the Dragonlands, yes, "magic is magic". The open RP areas of Furcadia aren't bound by the Dragonlands, and when someone says an ability they have is 'magic', that could be alot of things.

It could be a psychic ability, like the magic from the world "Tekumel" by M.A.R. Barker. The world Tekumel has Psychic Dampeners, so someone playing a Tekumelyani might lose ability around your creation.
It could be a 'Discipline' from the "World of Darkness" setting, which is a projection of the personal mystic power of a Kindred (vampire). Disciplines are never nullified this way.
It could be powered by sentient spirits like many real-world mystical traditions. Magic of this kind is assumed to have a kind of intelligence ('genii'), so it can solve challenges like, "Make the perfect mate fall in love with me." You can't assume all genii are automatically defeated.
It could be powered by non-sentient spirits such as 'elementals', like many other real-world mystical traditions. You just can't assume all elemental effects are negated.
It could be an inherent racial ability, like some fantasy explanations for flight for creatures that real-world physics declares are too large to fly on wings that size.
It could even be technology so sophisticated that it just *looks* like magic and can be called magic for all intents and purposes. To someone from a culture that doesn't have radio, using a remote control on a television is "magic".

Now, Furcadia's default magic, the Dragonlands, is very much not psychic in nature. It comes from the land, and it only functions fully on one of the three continents, Kasuria. In Drakoria it is extremely weak and in the Olde World it fails utterly. There are other forms of magic besides wand-waving. There's Alchemy, which unlocks magical potential in specific plants to create potions, for instance.

Dragonlands psychic abilities, called psionics, are a whole different field of abilities from magic. The Soma Breath of the Wyrmmes (dragons) is that visible colorful shimmer in the air when a Wymme tries to project his/her psychic talent, for example. (You know, the one with the cute pink hearts? Not so cute when you realize it's mind-control, eh?)

Psychic ability, conversely, is non-existant in Kasuria, very very weak in the Olde World, and stronger in Drakoria. If you're following the Dragonlands canon, then, to negate all psychic ability around you, even in just a very small region, you'd have to be as powerful as an extremely powerful god and you'd also have to be the size of a small continent. Say, Australia.

Roleplaying in, say, Meovanni Village or Haven, where nobody has opted-in to following the Dragonlands background, however, I think the only fair way to decide how characters from different universes affect each other is to assume that the outcome is inherently unpredictable. To do that, you can use Oracle to OOC figure out what the potential outcomes are, then roll dice.

Here's an example:

QUOTE

Mary is a weasel with big cuts from a demon's enchanted whip on her back. The enchantment is to cause wounds that don't normally heal. Lordan is a tortoise physician who employs magical herbs, and he's attempting to cast a spell of mending.

Step 1: Ask a yes/no question: "Does Lordan's spell succeed?"

Step 2: Give reasons for why and why not:
Yes: Lordan is good at healing.
No: Maybe the whip enchantment is too strong.
OOC reasons are totally okay:
No: Mary's player is really enjoying roleplaying how miserable and pathetic Mary is.
Yes: This plot seems to have gone on too long- Mary's been injured for three RL months.
Yes: No magic should be 100% effective; that would be way too powerful.
Do not bicker over whether the magical effect is powerful or weak. Do not bicker over
whether a character should succeed because they are skilled or experienced.
Discuss and have your say and avoid a full debate. The other player doesn't have
to say whether they agree or disagree with your opinions.

Step 3: Call for Odds: Each player (Mary and Lordan in this case) picks a number from the following table representing how likely they think the answer to the Question is "Yes". Here are the choices:

3 Almost Impossible
5 Very Unlikely
7 Pretty Unlikely
9 Unlikely
11 Toss-up
13 Likely
15 Probable
17 Almost Sure Thing

There are often situations where there can be no compromising on what happens-- it's either one thing or another, To remain on friendly terms, however, the players can compromise on HOW the outcome is decided, by choosing Odds that aren't totally in their own favor. Oracle gives you a chance to clearly express your willingness to share control of game world with someone else.

Step 4: To get a Target Number, average the Odds, dropping remainders. Add them up and divide by the number of players. If Mary's player says 7 and Lordan's says 11, 7+11=18 18 divided by 2 is 9.

Step 5: Roll dice once by typing ROLL 2d10 . If there's two players, they can roll one die by typing roll d10 If the outcome adds up to the Target Number or less, the answer is YES. So, let's say Mary rolls a 5 and Lordan rolls a 5. 5+5=10. The Target Number was 9, so Lordan's magic fails to heal Mary.

Oracle makes it possible to roleplay without first having decided every last little detail about the game world in-advance. (More info about using Oracle here: http://www.thegenieslamp.com/rp/oracle2.htm )


Of course, under Persona RP rules, where the default is the Consent Rule, Mary has the right to say, OOC, whether or not it succeeds. This is less satisfying because it means that the outcome was not a surprise to Mary's player-- she simply made up the ending. Anytime that's done, it feels a bit less like roleplaying, and a bit more like, "Come and listen to the magnificent story of ME ME ME, which you can not meaningfully affect."

I think this could be a workable character if they caused a tendency for magic around them to be less effective and to have a greater chance of failure. If any enchantment coming into the vicinity automatically popped like a soap bubble and/or NO magic could be performed near them, it would be grossly unfair to other players.

Remember, though, that anything affecting someone else's character is opt-in. You are essentially requesting the ability to shut down other people's talents. While it could possibly be interesting and fun, most of the time that's just frickin' annoying. I'd expect most people to say no to this character's effect.

Through this thread, the whole Voxnul background has ballooned and it seems like there's a Continuity of its own. That's not appropriate in Persona Roleplay, but it might work in a Strict Roleplay Dream of its own, one that has such things as Voxnul Hunters in it. A Dream would let you establish what's "secret info" and what's "common knowledge" about a race.

Strict RP doesn't run on the Consent Rule; it has more rules than Persona RP. http://furcadia.com/roleplay/strict.html

Designing worlds gets tricky. You have to anticipate things like, Voxnul Hunters carrying sticks with blue dots on the end, with spells on them to turn the dots pink. If they can't turn their power off, shouldn't Voxnuls be ridiculously easy to find? That would be a major disadvantage. Just stand by someone with tattoos and, if your indicator stick dot changes color, that's a Voxnul. Maybe Voxnul are a very "balanced" sort of player class in the context of their own world.

And then, if there are nice people in that world and Voxnuls aren't considered evil, there should also be Voxnul-Hunter-Hunters. You've established their ability is natural and hereditary. Alot of people wouldn't tolerate genocidal murderers. It seems plausible that Voxnul Hunters would be a secret society-- a faction.

...It just seems to me that the Voxnul belong in a place where people have heard of them, and know how to react to them. Many character types/races/professions/etc. are like that: they rely heavily on an expected reaction to feel right. A masked Death Eater should be feared and/or disliked-- like a KKK member in full regalia. If a Death Eater sits down in a tavern and nobody cares, that's just wrong. Or at least, it makes the experience of playing one pretty hollow.

Middle Earth's Rangers should be treated as disreputable by the common folk. Star Wars's Jedi are generally thought to be charlatans hiding behind sorceror's mumbo-jumbo, and when someone uses The Force it should be surprising. Stephen King's Gunslingers are honored as noble heirs of a legendary lord, their honor beyond questioning. Sure, you can play any of these in the middle of Imaginarium, but you're much less likely to get the appropriate response than if you played them in a Dream dedicated to the world they came from.

I'm just saying, some character types get some of their meaning from the world in which they developed. Uglies, Pretties, and Specials belong in the Uglies Trilogy world. Sandmen and Runners belong in the Logan's Run world. Pokemon trainers will function best in a place where it's understood what you're supposed to do when someone lobs a red and white ball at you.

Apr 17 2008, 01:13 AM
In the good ol' days, the Primes were a bit more like the Greek deities, and they begot mortal descendants from time to time. Nowadays, by mutual agreement, the good Primes don't interfere with the lives of furres. That includes not giving them special powers. You could live your whole life in Kasuria and be unsure if the Primes (Light or Dark alike) even exist.

Devotees of Jujinka may have abilities relating to her auspices but it's not because of their devotion. Furres with abilities relating to the Primes generally have them because they are descended from Primes or their created servitor races. Half-fairy Demifane furres fit this category.

The evil Primes, on the other paw, have no such scruples. They are still tampering with furres and their lives. They are reluctant to beget new offspring because first-generation Half-Primes seldom serve their parent. Devotees of the Primes of Light may become embroiled in stopping the Dark Primes' schemes simply because they are scholars and therefore know how to recognize the deeds of the Dark Primes and their brood.


By the way, there are no offspring of two Light Primes, nor are there any offspring of one Light and one Dark Prime. There's exactly one canon character who's the offspring of two Dark Primes. His name is Morauz and he believes himself to be a Prime. http://talzhemir1.livejournal.com/38363.html

As far north as the city of Songhigh, word travels that warships seen sailing east along the south shores of Tranzish have rounded the cape and are heading north...

If you're a noble in good standing, you would have heard announcement that King Callistin has made an offer of marriage to a desert princess named Safeeri in Aldriston. The leopardess's family has not yet replied...

If you are in County Aldric, you'll have heard the rumor that approximately one hundred and forty furres vanished over the space of a week. A contingent from the Tower of the Magi has set sail to investigate...



The city of Leejis has declared itself the Independent Duchy of Leejis, separate from Kosh. Countess Reffa K'Kosh has answered this insolence with a gracious invitation for Leejis's leadership to meet for a parlay midway between Kreegor and Leejis...

Meanwhile, Count Laslyn ti'Balsamud K'Hurpha has made an announcement offering amnesty to those who will swear loyalty unto him and House Balsamud. Those who pay taxes and remain citizens in good standing for five years will be awarded a very minor noble title and a parcel of land of their very own.

QUOTE

>>Sirum Hest writes:
"I'm curious - why was invisibility over all other magics considered overpowered in Furcadia's official canon?"


Hi, Sirum.

Most people have a pretty strong idea about how something called 'Invisibility' behaves. It tends to put roleplayers into extremely awkward positions.

Let's start with Persona Roleplay, where we can post whatever we want, but there's a strong onus on us to make it something credible. If someone thrust a spear at your character's gut from a meter away, it's reasonable to say it missed. You can pose a dodge and it makes sense to the typical observer. If someone tries to stab you and they're invisible, though, it's not believable to say that it missed. Invisibility is rude because it causes a situation that doesn't leave targets a reasonable out.

Being invisible requires making sorts of assumptions about other people's characters' abilities.

It assumes nobody has True Sight, something that definitely exists in the Dragonlands.
It assumes nobody has heat-vision.
It assumes nobody is psychic.
It assumes nobody has aura vision.
It assumes nobody present has super-keen senses.
It assumes nobody present has excellent powers of observation to spot depressions in the rug and so forth.

Forcing assumptions on others like that in Persona RP is also rude.

QUOTE

"...it's not a cyclone of wind and fire, or a boulder conjured over a person's head..."


For the record, the Dragonlands doesn't hand out cyclones of wind and fire, or insta-boulders, to player characters, either. The Dragonlands and the "Furre!" rules are intended for use with Strict RP, a system in which you can't just scream "Me No Consent! Me No Consent!" to avoid injury to your character. That means damage is going to be quantified and on a pretty tight scale. The odds of surviving combat are very very high, provided you don't do something foolish.

QUOTE

"Invisibility all on it's own is harmless -"


You mean it doesn't cause immediate damage in itself? Okay, but why the heck would anybody who was invisible not use their other abilities? My job is to consider abilities in conjunction with other abilities.

One of the disadvantages I built into all Dragonlands magic and psychic abilities is that people can see who's doing it. Anonymous magic makes for very frustrating RP in which the players harass each other, with good odds that there's nothing anyone can do about it. Therefore, there is always a visible effect, whether it's a flash of light or a shimmer in the air

If someone was invisible, and they cast a spell, they would escape such accountability. And, again, the target is often left without a reasonable out.

The likely interaction of magic and some other talent is exactly why I consider Invisibility so powerful.

QUOTE

"If there were issues of people using invisibility to kill other people, it seems that could've been easily hammed out with 'Wielding or wearing steel negates invisibility magics', or 'Preparing magic while invisibility is in effect negates invisibility magics'."


I don't have a totally free hand to create world laws. There are limits on how contrived theories of magic can get. I think invisibility that lets you walk across a room or pick your nose, but then shuts down if you try to cast a spell or perform an attack makes no sense. How the heck does "the magic" know the difference? It shouldn't. That's lame. It's a "game-ism", a mere arbitrary mechanic like the cut-off to the ability of a World of Warcraft Rogue, and not a natural-seeming credible world law.

I'd really rather not load the Dragonlands up with elaborate world laws that have to be explained. There's already enough I have to communicate during character generation. One of the design principles of the Dragonlands is that it be fairly close to a lot of "classic" medieval-fantasy literature. The background universe does have its quirks, and the time budgeted for explaining them is already tightly filled.

I've got quite a bit of experience with invisibility in online RPG's. In 1991, an RPG called Vampire the Masquerade gave some vampire player characters an ability called "Obfuscate". This worked fine in the tabletop diced version because it was mainly used on NPC's. The rules, as written, gave the victim no chance of resisting the ability. When it was adapted for online use on a MUSH (character sheets and dice coded in), in 1995, Obfuscate caused a lot of havoc.

If the vampire attacks from Obfuscation, then they become visible. However, they logically also get to act first, automatically, with a bonus for surprise. A little bit of strength + the ability to Obfuscate is a lethal combination.

Vampire the Masquerade is usually Strict RP. That means that every player has the right to their character's fair IC due. The Obfuscate power means you have to allow this invisible character the chance to eavesdrop on your conversation. You have to allow someone to follow your character home, and you have to allow them to steal things in your home.

This, in turn, means that every so often a player goes ballistic on an Obfuscate-using player, for OOC reasons. No other ability is responsible for as much OOC strife as Obfuscate. Because of this, and a few other abilities with similar problems, many of the online V:tM games were forced to convert from Strict RP back to Persona RP with some form of modified Consent Rule.

Invisibility is easier to handle when there's elaborate character generation doling out powers such as Auspex, which can penetrate Obfuscate, and, the players have the ability to veto whatever IC events occurring to their character that they please.

However, there's a price. Conflicts fail to resolve on those Vampire "MUSHes" that chose to go back to a Consent system. Everybody chose to live forever and it made the game dull. Most of them have closed down for lack of players. Strict RP makes a coherent overall story far more likely, and the Strict places are still thriving.

In the "Pocket Universe" game "Teenage Demon Slayers", we do have invisibility as a player character ability. Rather than being 100% perfect, it's implemented as a modifier during combat. Characters that you're trying to ambush or sneak around may make a Perception check to detect you. I think that this might be the best compromise for having invisibility in a Strict RP game. However, Pocket Universe has never been implemented large-scale in an online game like Furcadia.

Although the ability is called Invisibility, it actually plays more like being blurry. This was necessary to tone down how effective the character is in combat.

Game balance doesn't just take into account player-versus-player ability. Far more often, at least in tabletop, it's also a matter of how effective a character feels compared to the others. If one character is far more effective than the others, that's bad. Invisibility makes a character feel more effective by giving them survival strength.

Last but not least, there's the problem of the tabletop game referee's ability to control the encounter odds. Invisibility used in a group vs. group encounter can put one's companions in severe danger.

Consider the following scenario: There are four player characters and four monsters attacking them. Player 4 goes invisible using a spell. Players 1, 2, and 3 are now facing four enemies. If Players 1 and 2 each take on one opponent, that leaves Player 3 with two foes.

If they had simply fought, each player would be taking on 1/4 of the total danger. Because of invisibility, Player 4 faces zero danger, but Player 3 faces 1/2 of the total danger. Player 3 is much more likely to be taken down. ...If that happens, there will be three player characters versus four monsters. An encounter that a game-master carefully tried to balance has become frighteningly skewed, thanks to one player's ability to dodge danger.

QUOTE

I think the list there is contrived in a pattern that is meant to make invisibility look as though it counters all of those, (which it doesn't.)


There's nothing contrived here. I'm not describing what hypothetically might happen. I'm describing what roleplayers often do on Furcadia, and unfortunately, many players who have 'invisibility' on Furcadia define it as 'I am immune to perception'.

It really doesn't matter how you or I define it, because nothing's making everybody read a manual on the unified field theory of player-character invisibility and adhere to it.

I think invisibility in Persona RP gets more viable if the community standard within a Dream is tending towards a higher power level, but, out and about in Furcadia, I've encouraged a lower power level.

QUOTE

An invisible person walking in the sand would leave footprints, for example.


Again, your definition. Not most invisible players on Furcadia's definition.

You seem to be trying to use real-world physics to make sense of magical powers. That doesn't work. If the spell is limited to the person's own body, and not the world around them, then, okay, they're leaving footprints.

They are also totally blind.

Why? Because photons are passing through their invisible retinas, and they therefore can not see.

They're free to claim, "Well, my spell makes it so I can see." They can also claim, "My invisibility is like that power that "The Shadow" has. It doesn't make me transparent to light; it clouds the minds of everyone who looks at me. So, you'd edit out the footprints too."

Alternately, they could claim, "My magic spell includes wiping out footprints. It'd be a stupid spell if anybody could just look down and see footprints!"

QUOTE

The examples, (to me) seemed to be a very passive aggressive excuse to not include invisibility because it adds a bit of unbalance. (In my opinion, so does True Sight, though!)


In Persona Roleplay it doesn't add "a bit of unbalance". It's practically an instant win.

You've missed the point, though. I'll try again.

Invisibility differs from many other abilities because, in order for it to succeed, a roomful of other players' abilities have to simultaneously fail. That's not fair.

When I implement True Sight in Furre!, I'll be considering whether it works 100% of the time. Supernaturals might be able to purchase defenses against it. I am aware of how powerful it is; it has similarities to World of Darkness's Auspex, and, game balance aside, I dislike how Auspex is an insta-win that short-circuits actually having to actually roleplay to find out what someone is.

QUOTE

...you forgot to include that the odds against the monsters are now somewhat skewed if the player decides to help his companions out by stabbing the monsters in the back...


No, I didn't forget any of those things at all. Yes, it could be really really good for the player characters-- inviso-guy/gal wipes out the monsters in double time with backstab, etc. Or, it could be really really bad for the players-- monsters roll good initiative and manage to pile more attacks on one player.

You've pointed out ways in which the outcome is now less predictable. That's my point exactly. I didn't say, "If a player goes invisible, then all the other player characters automatically lose." I said, "there's the problem of the tabletop game referee's ability to control the encounter odds."

Come to think of it, it is also likely to interfere with the players' sense of whether or not they were in control of their destiny, too. Generally, RPGs are engineered so players can pull out if it starts getting too rough. Can't choose to back off if you're unconscious or dead.

Champions gives the characters so much durability in proportion to the damage done, that taking on twice as many opponents tends not to be fatal. It does that because it's a superheroes game-- it has to be able to accomodate powers like invisibility. Living Legends, another superheroes game, breaks invisibility down so you pay for every sense to which you are resistant or immune. Both of these games are gigantic sets of rules.

QUOTE

Or what if one of them dies immediately by a smack to the head?


Very very very few RPGs let an NPC one-shot a PC. Most game designers know better than to make a game like that. We've come a long way since the days of D&D where your Mage could enter the game with 3 hit points...

QUOTE

I feel your reasons are contrived, that's all. I wouldn't accept those reasons, (myself) as reasons to exclude it. Reasons to add specific limitations based on various different things, yes. Exclusion? No.

My two cents.


Ultimately, that's precisely the problem, Damadar. In Persona Roleplay, there isn't an option to "add specific limitations".

In the "Furre!" RPG, which is written for Strict Roleplay, I could implement invisibility exactly like in Teenage Demon Slayers and the tabletop version would work fine. The Furre! game and the Dragonlands has to do double-duty: its canon shouldn't encourage questions that are best answered with a full game system because that doesn't work in Persona Roleplay.

As you aren't under that particular constraint, you can go ahead and include invisibility in any of your creations, as you please. As for me, I don't think leaving out the things that I've noticed tend to cause frequent major arguments and confuse people is "contrived" at all.

=======================================================================

This is the Quick Magic system from Pocket Universe, which includes rules for True Sight as a spell in a medieval fantasy type world.
http://www.io.com/unigames/pu/pu_freebie/quickmagic4.pdf

QUOTE

...Especially helpful would be how these dragons maintain their rule over their slaves, especially in light of metal's rapid dissolution: are they literally using sharp sticks and psionics to control the masses?


The Wyrmmes have three tools for oppressing the Furres. They use psionics. They use weapons, yes. Thirdly, and this is important: they vigorously suppress the idea that there can even be free Furres. Not being a slave is as unthinkable to many Drakorian slave Furres, as an eight-year-old child living without parents is, to our sensibilities.

Information of this sort will go into a Drakorian sourcebook/almanac eventually.

QUOTE
...what I'm looking for is an indepth assesment of Drakoria like something you'd find in a source manual for DnD.


I'm still working on the basics of the Furre! RPG. It's looking like I will cover Kasuria first, but then go on to do a Drakoria supplement. Answers to alot of your questions can be inferred from the info here:

larger draft of the Furre! rules
mechanics-oriented segments of the Furre! rules

QUOTE

does kasuria have any plans to liberate those furres that are said to be under the thumb of the drakorian dragons?


Questions like this are determined by the owner of a Dream, by the folks running a Continuity. Each Dream is its own "pocket universe". I expect to eventually see different outcomes, like:

...the Drakorian Wyrmmes have taken over Kasuria
...the Wyrmmes have grown into a nice race and freed their slaves
...the Wyrmmes were so foul that they have nearly been genocided.

What happens will be up to you, the players, in your own Continuities. Heck, maybe Kasuria eventually develops a magic-based space program.

QUOTE

Where do these phoenix's make their homes? I would assume it was somewhere away from the machinations of the Drakorians, perhaps isolated and accessible via air.



"Phoenixes themselves tell of a floating forest island, the Land of Lifted Woods. Alas, where this fabled and beautiful place is, even they cannot say. Perhaps it is gone forever, or maybe it never ever was... "

There are a number of floating islands, but the one the Phoenixes speak of is the one called Zephiroth. The "Zephiroth" we have on Furcadia is an area connected to the VINCA map, accessible only to winged characters and those they 'summon.

Phoenixes typically live in nests. They prefer forests because it's easiest to hide a nest amongst lots of trees. (There are three Objects in the art from the last Update, which assemble into a huge nest in a tree.) Phoenixes, for reasons of safety, don't say where their nests are.

QUOTE

Apparently the old "rises from its ashes" line was far too elegant and simple for ol' Talzheimers.


Naw. It was just too wimpy. Rising from the ashes only worked if the phoenix set itself on fire when it got old. Traditional phoenixes could be killed like any other bird. With Furcadian "reborning", it also works if they get stabbed, poisoned, etc. To keep that from being totally cheesy, though, Phoenixes will still get a sort of "time out" while they recover and make their way back to the action.

Feb 9 2008, 05:32 AM
We have both marsupial and non-marsupial kentauri. There are placental direwolf 'taurs and there are thylacine 'taurs. There are placental sabre-tooth 'taurs and marsupial leotaurs. What there will not be, is modern animal 'taurs.

One of the biggest challenges for depicting Drakorian kentauri is that the natural animals don't have the proportions of the domestic horse. So, making a centaur-oid form often looks awkward to us because I'm drawing something to which our eyes are not accustomed. They were optimal in their day but very likely became obsolete.

For thousands of years, breeders have forced the horse's form into a square. This quality is so important that you'll hear horse-show talk about a horse being "in square".
http://www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingd...y_engraving.jpg

It's a ratio that helps make a cheetah's stride so perfect.
http://tostrokeacheetah.com/cheetah.jpg

By contrast, thylacines have very short forelegs and long hindquarters. They had a running dynamic more like hopping than a modern horse's run.
www.thegenieslamp.com/Fur/bestiary/thylataur.gif

You'll see a very similar proportioning in the early horse, Mesohippus:
http://gpc.edu/~pgore/myphotos/fossils/mesohippus%20copy.jpg

Some of the sabre-tooth (true) cats have an opposite dynamic: huge forelegs and little short hind legs.

Another candidate for a Drakorian kentaur tribe is the long-extinct Titanoides family. Bear-sized and sabre-toothed, they again have a heavy powerful build.
http://www.keltationsart.com/images/IMG0011.gif

It has a head shape that modern viewers will probably find ugly because it's unfamiliar.
http://www.keltationsart.com/images/IMG0008.jpg

It's likely that all of these animals were outcompeted on most continents by the feline family, which began much the same way, but developed long even legs and a suspended arch spine structure.
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/966/55045100.JPG

Anyways, what I'm mostly saying is, while there are placental Kentauri, they will not be merely "a cat-headed humanoid torso with a cat body" or "a dog-headed humanoid torso with a dog body". They'll be nasty, brutish, and ungainly anachronisms to ensure Drakoria has a "lost world" feel to it.

One of the things that happens, over the longterm, to change the relationships of nations, is climate. We tend to overlook it because tbey are relatively new aspects of science-- archaeological climatology and meteorological sociology.

New Mexico- Alot of cultural connection exists to link New Mexico with the Toltecs in Mexico. These were active trade routes, not merely tenuous migrations, such that quite a bit of New Mexico turquoise ended up in the Yucatan, for instance. Pueblo Bonito, in Chaco Canyon, gives a hint at what has been lost over the years. http://www.jqjacobs.net/southwest/images/p...bonito_view.jpg This photo doesn't convey what's remarkable. Sure, it has a lot of rooms, and it's creditable permanent elaborate stone masonry, but what's impressive is that there are remnants of thousands of these settlements all over the area. They were probably well-inhabited as late as 1400. So, a thriving culture can be forgotten a scant 700 years later.

England- At the time of Stonehenge's building, the weather in England was much warmer, what we'd call 'Mediterranean' today. The land was covered in tall trees, which made long ships extremely easy to make. So, river craft crewed by many rowers allowed them to use England's rivers as if they were roads. After the age of the long dugouts passed, the shipping of the enormous stones used to make Stonehenge looked mysterious-- so mysterious that even as late as the 1990's its building was attributed by many to supernatural powers. A shift in climate reduced rainfall and cooled the temperatures, such that the species of enormous tree that once grew, went extinct in that area. The casual cultural contact that once extended from Scotland at least to the Persian Gulf died out.

The political upheavals that occur are largely forgotten if the culture wasn't literate. Literacy can come and go-- nearly everybody could read in the Roman Empire, around the first century. They even had best-sellers that spawned fanfics, that's how literate they were. By the second century, this flowering of widespread literacy is gone again. In England, who remembers there was once a country called 'Deheubarth'?
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp...px-CymruMap.PNG

or how about the countries of Alt Clut, Gododdin, Bernicia, Rheged, and Deira?
http://www.kessler-web.co.uk/History/Featu...ishMapAD550.htm

Today, what we call countries are really what used to be empires. Today's France is what was once the Frankish empire; the United States is the direct product of the imperialism of the 1700's. So I would expect Kasuria's counties, which have a strong identity in medieval times, to the point of speaking different language in several of them, to be more like China. People of other countries refer to 'The Chinese', not 'Kiangianese', 'Yunnanese', and 'Ningsianese'.

Lack of invasion between Drakoria and Kasuria is directly due to the cold temperatures which discourage Wyrmmes from migrating northwards. If Urrth (the planet of the Dragonlands) gets an Industrial Revolution with resulting global warming, we might expect Wyrmme aggression to go nuts.

Humans wiped out their nearest relatives, the Neandertals, long ago. We suffer from a lack of other sentient races, with their different instincts and cultural priorities, with which we have to make peace. We're probably ill-prepared for for contact with aliens. How biological diversity affects the Furres, I am going to hint at soon, via the fiction and other venues. It will begin with the demise of King Constantine, and his succession by a son who instates as law a ban upon intermarriage between obviously-predator and obviously-herbivore Furres. He will revive the old Felines-first philosophy that his father worked so hard to abolish...

On Earth, guns have been an amazing boon to gender equality... I would expect the same to happen if firearms arise in the Olde World-- mouse-furres and lion-furres will finally be on even footing. However, guns don't work in Kasuria or Drakoria. Social 'enlightenment' is going to be delayed.

The lack of metal in Drakoria screws them over for a long time. If the keeper of your Continuity is nice, however, then, when the Furres discover plastics and ceramics, Drakoria can come out of the dark ages.

Safe exploration in Drakoria was stunted by lack of technology. There are unexplored primordial regions that would come to light, an era of delight like the Victorians experienced upon first cataloging the Galapagos, the creatures of Madagascar, the rare beasts of Borneo, etc.

The days of free use of magic might go away-- requiring those who can cast spells to be registered the way we record those who have guns today. (The old story that hands and feet Kung Fu experts have to be registered with the FBI as deadly weapons is just an urban legend.) I think that as societies strive for democracy, people tend to resent and fear natural inequalities. In America there is a powerful 'anti-intellectualism'; in Kasuria, I theorize a parallel 'anti-magism'. People who can do spells will be stigmatized exactly the way those who are competent with computers are STILL painted with the 'insane hacker' stereotype.

Well, that's a few directions things could go, anyways. Complexity says, even from the same starting point, wildly diverse directions are possible.

Feb 17 2002, 06:26 AM
Here's a bit about Furcadia's Dragonlands Continuity:

KASURIA (THE MIDDLE REALM)
A Kasurian furre would tend to feel out of place without the presence of magic-users or various permanent spells. If you want to travel between two cities in Kasuria, why, there are portals placed there by order of the King and the magical cooperation of the wizardry. A flying ship would be forced into the water as it approached the Olde World.

DRAKORIA (THE FAR WEST)
Being from Drakoria would be even more unusual. There, the furres are ruled or even enslaved by the Drakorian Wyrmmes. Magic of a musical and psionic nature is practiced there, used to spy and subvert and punish. Drakorian magic tends to be cruel and sinister.

Metal turns to dust in Drakoria, so weapons are bone and stone and wood. In the northernmost forest, too cold for Wyrmmes to be comfortable, the furres manage to live in primitive tribes. Even amongst these tribes, slavery is considered normal; Drakoria is a "barbaric" place.

Harshlaw, the furres' cavern city, is a port for air-pirates and privateers and those wishing to fly furres to the freedom of Kasuria.

THE OLDE WORLD
This place resembles real-world Europe and Asia, but the names are a bit different. Also, here is where the supernaturals (the Vampyre Furres and the WereFurres) are in full force because of a lack of mages.
http://www.furcadia.com/pixel/dragon/history.htm

Theriopolis is part of the most restrictive of the three IC regions (Olde World, Kasuria, and Drakoria). Be from whichever area you like; I recommend making a fresh new alt, and playing a native of Therio. Being proud of your city tends to be more fun than continually wishing you were back home again.

A GUIDE TO THERIOPOLIS
http://www.bga.com/~pixel/dreams/therio.htm

ElvenFurres

(Also known as Wee Folk, the Good Neighbors, Them Ones, the Strangers, the Little People, the Fair Folk, the Forgetful Ones, the Hidden Folk, Mother's Blessing, the Lovlings, the Night Folk, the Little Darlings, the Protectors, Fey Folk, and, vulgarly, Fairies)

The Primes Jujinka and Ahroth are responsible for the existence of all Fey Folk. It is said that the two Primes touched their hands and the sparks that fell upon the seedlings and the tiny stones below were imbued with magical life. For this, the ElvenFurres honor Jujinka (whom they call the Green Mother) and Ahroth (whom they call the Bearded Father) above all other Primes.

All FeyFurres receive the Advantage "Very Graceful" as part of the "package deal" of being a Faerie Furre. They receive fluency in their own language, "Glimmerish", in addition to fluency in Kasurian. They also automatically receive a Disadvantage, depending on their Ilk.
THE ILKS ("TYPES") OF FEY
Kitterwing Shee

These tiny, insect-winged Furre sprites are only nine inches tall! These are the very first FeyFurres and many of them lived in Jujinka's realm, the Great Garden. Kitterwings are not born: they're magically generated in especially pristine and beautiful beaches, meadows, swamps, waterfalls, mountainsides, etc. Kitterwings are naturally shy and must avoid places with more than 3 non-FaerieFurres present.
TALENTS:
Winged Flight
Transformation

Kitterwings may transform into ElvenFurres that are about a head shorter than the average Furre. It doesn't happen as a transformation, as with Lycanthians; it's a sudden change accompanied by an distinct "pop" sound. They can only do so when out of a complex or stressful situation such as combat.

The child of a Kitterwing Shee and a Lycanthian will have a Kawaii form.

AGE: Player character Kitterwings may claim to be any age up to 6000 years, but receive no extra skills for this.
Uneducated (*) Kitterwings don't grow up; they appear as diminutive full grown adults or children, and they never change. They didn't spend time as students in school or apprentices at a trade or doing chores on a farm. It's a hallmark of their Ilk that they truly hate to *learn*.
The Elementals

If a Kitterwing grows fond of a particular terrain feature, then an Elemental may one day appear there. Elementals are two or three heads shorter than a regular Furre, and may be mistaken for a child at a distance. Once in speaking-range, though, it becomes very clear that this is no Furreling child. There are four kinds, and their physical appearance strongly reflects an affiliation with an element. All Elementals love nature, preferring the outdoors over indoors.
Silfs (Air Elementals)
Silfs are extremely rare. They can levitate a few inches off the ground and can move at walking speed. They can cross lakes this way.
Undeens (Water Elementals)
Undeens can breathe water and swim twice as fast as they walk. Some even have gills, webbed paws, etc.
Salamanths (Fire Elementals)
Salamanths can not be hurt by heat or flame. They are famed for their beautiful hair.
Nomes (Earth Elementals)
Nomes are the most wildly varying FaerieFurres. They can be portly, wirey, homely, handsome. Nomes can smell metals the way Furres can smell fruits. This allows them to hide treasure and find it back.
TALENTS
Featherfall (*) Elementals are immune to damage from falling. They always land on their feet.
Camouflage (*) This is not invisibility, nor can it be used to dodge combat. It's being inconspicuous. The Camouflaged Elemental adds "HID" to the end of their name. If there is anybody besides the Elemental present, then they will not be noticed unless they directly interact. Somebody who is HID should be ignored. NOTE: This ability is only to be used in Public areas or in one's own Dream.
Affinity (*) Every Elemental has some object or location that's special to them because it's where they originated. An Elemental killed at that location will reappear at that location after one sunrise and one sunset!

To spot a Camouflaged Elemental who's alone requires you to ROLL 2d10. Outdoors your target number is (WITS+DETECTIVE_BONUS-8) or (SURVIVAL_BONUS-2). Indoors you must use (WITS+DETECTIVE_BONUS-8) or (WITS+STREETWISE_BONUS-8).
Dahna Shee
These are the offspring of Elementals that interbred with Furres. They have become numerous enough to have a small kingdom of their own, existing in the forests of County Raideth in Kasuria.

They are always thin, and sometimes tall (although never more than a head taller than regular Furres. They are often graceful, and favor archery over hand-to-hand combat. They prefer to fight with spears.

Dahna Shee have a few tiny cities deep in forests. Although by far the most numerous of the FeyFurres, they are still not nearly as common as regular Furres.
DISADVANTAGE:
Fragile (*) They are ill-suited for unarmed martial arts; the joints of their long limbs are easily dislocated, their ribs easily shattered.
TALENTS:
Lightfoot (*) (The opposite of the Vampfurre Evil Way called Ghostpaw) This power works only on green grass or other living plants. The Dahna Shee can walk across the tops of the plants, not leaving any tracks or scent. They don't even disturb the shimmering morning dew with their passage.
Passing (*) Of all the FaerieFolk, only Dahna Shee can pass for mortal Furres. To accomplish a mortal guise, the FeyFurre takes fresh flowers and sprinkles the petals over their head. This doesn't change the FaerieFurre into a new person, it just makes them look like a mortal version of their usual self. This effect goes away at the next noon or midnight.
FeyFurre-Only Advantages
These advantages can only be bought by FaerieFurres, and must be bought with additional Advantage points beyond the 2 spent to be a FaerieFurre.
Song of Serenity (-1) Use of this ability causes one target to fall into an unnaturally deep sleep. A roll of 2d10 is made. On a 12 or higher the target falls asleep. On a Fumble, the FeyFurre themself falls asleep. This sleep lasts until one noon and one midnight have passed. If the victim is kissed by someone of royal blood (someone with Pedigree Great House) the spell is broken.
Serenade of Serenity (-3) This is like Song of Serenity except it can be used on up to 5 targets at once.

Werefurres
LORE OF THE LYCANTHIANS (WEREFURRES) The first Lycanthians came from Drakoria, at a time when there were no cities, only large villages, and the Furres tended to live in wandering tribes. They are linked to old rituals practiced by Furre Shamans. Some say that the power was originally invoked in times of dire need to protect the tribe, and that it has grown out of control. Lycanthians don't to think of themselves as a "race." They don't have a special subculture or religion. They are cursed to be alone, apart from each other as well as from normal Furre society.
There are three ways to become a Were: 1) being bitten but not killed by a Werefurre with "the mania", 2) being death-cursed by a Shaman, or 3) being the child of one or more Weres and born during the full moons.
If you cut off a Werefurre's tail, they lose the power to shapeshift. The tail will remain warm and fresh and alive so long as the Were is still living. If it is placed back in its original place, the tail will grow back onto the Werefurre's bottom in less than a minute.
Werefurres all feel an instinctive hatred for the sign of the Vinca. Unlike Vampfurres, they are highly capable of destroying something marked with one, and they will go out of their way to do so.
Lycanthians take heavy damage from silver or blessed weapons.
Lycanthians make riding-dragons very uneasy; they will at best refuse to carry a Werefurre, and at worst, if in a group of dragons, attack.
They are immune to all damage from weapons wielded by a Vampfurre, even silver weapons.
LYCANTHIAN WEREFORMS
In addition to their "Furre" shape, the player chooses two other wereforms, or "morphs". One is the form which they must assume when the moons are full. (Treat the real-life first of each month as this time!) The other is a form that they can assume at will.

Furre
An upright bipedal form. Just like everybody else, pretty much, except for an ability to heal more quickly. A Were does not heal quickly enough for the effect to be visible. Werefurres do not automatically Regenerate (regrow a lost eye, limb, etc.); this is a Weres-only Advantage that must be bought separately. (see below.)
Bestial
These are four-legged versions of a Furre. While in this form, the Were's ability to reason and think are very very poor! They will remember their enemies, but they may or may not remember their friends! Most Werefurres can assume this shape at will, but those who are bound to take this shape when the moons are full are required to murder a furre in order to assume their true form again. Bestial forms normally inspire fear, and if one is seen in a city or village, they will quickly try to track and kill it.
Abomination
This is a hulking monstrosity one and half times the Furre's normal size. Its arms are longer and thicker; it moves by loping on all-fours half the time. Its head is a cruel and savage hideous parody of the original Furre. They attack by biting their prey, then shaking it until it is torn apart or its neck or spine are broken. Abominations inspire such blind terror that those seeing it will panic and run, stricken by a supernatural emotion that can only loosely be labelled "fear". (Upon seeing this creature, roll 2d10; on a roll of 13 or higher, you will panic, and you will not remember what you saw.) QuarterPrimes descended from good (not Dark) Primes are completely immune to this special effect. An Abomination *must* murder a Furre and eat their heart in order to assume their true form.
Kawaii
The Furre shrinks to a mere nine inches tall! This Wereform is terribly vulnerable because of its size: the Tinyfurre's strength is reduced as drastically as its size. Its durability is equal to that of a full-sized Furre. A running or climbing Kawaii can cover distances exactly as quickly as they could in Furre shape, but can only leap twice their height: around 18 inches. Kawaii Lycanthians are actually halfbreeds, a cross between a Lycanthian and a Kitterwing Shee (an Ilk of FaerieFurre).
Giganti
When enraged, the Furre grows to three times their normal Furre height. Their body is proportionally wider as well. Their ability to cover ground is tripled. They have very very limited ability to jump. Their paws are very clumsy; they severely lack manual dexterity and thus cannot use tools or wield weapons. While in this form, they are reduced in intelligence. This form usually reverts to regular Furre shape when the emotion of anger has faded.
Serpenti
The Furre is two heads taller than their normal Furre height, and powerfully built. Instead of fur, they are covered with crusty harsh alligator-like hide. They grow foot-long serrated bone spikes covered in a black horn from their knuckles, and use them like punch-daggers or knives. Their claws are as long as their fingers. Their necks are twice as long as normal although they may tend to hunch over like a vulture. Their backs are broad; the muscles along the flanks give the Serpentine's torso a cobra-like appearance. It is not stronger or more durable but it is a little faster. The Serpenti form leaves the Lycanthian so exhausted that they must sleep for three days after they assume this shape!
Daimoni
This Lycanthian form is always one head taller and nearly twice as wide as the original Furre. It is covered with dark hairless skin marred by long raw red cuts where the hide burst open during transformation. It has four horns like an oryx or gazelle's. The Werefurre finds they have great trouble speaking while in this shape: they can use words of only one syllable, except for proper nouns such as names, which they speak by breaking it up into syllables. The Daimoni is slow, strong, but not durable. It should not be thought of as useful, and it has been nicknamed the "Bath of Pain." A child of two Lycanthians will have Daimoni as one of their morphs.
Aviani
This is the most common moon-linked wereform for those cursed by a Shaman. The Furre finds themself robbed of their normal intellect, and forced into the shape of a Raptor, Ostrix, Kiwi, or Diatryma. Unlike the other Wereforms, the Aviani is as easy to kill as any normal bird of that type.
Menalti
On the surface this seems an innocuous change: the Furre takes on a different Type. For example, an Equine might become a Rodent. They may or may not keep the same gender or colors but they always keep the original Furre's clothing. This is because the Menalti is a very, very evil being, very jealous of "The Other One", and wants to wear the Furre's own clothes. It is secretly determined to try to ruin the Furre's life. If a Lycanthian with a Menalti form kills themself, then they come back as the Menalti-- permanently. The deeds done while in Menalti form are not remembered by other forms.
WEREFURRE-ONLY ADVANTAGES:
Regenerate (2 Pts) Character will regrow a lost digit, limb or sensory organ. This does *not* apply to tails.
Talisman of Control (1 Pt) With this object, usually an amulet, the Furre may change into their other Lycanthian forms and back. If it is ICly lost for some reason, the player may choose to have the character find another after 30 RL days have passed. They are custom-made for that particular Werefurre by Dark Shamans, normally in exchange for some dark and evil act.
Sense Other Lycanthian (1 Pt) You can tell by sniffing from nearby when someone else is a also a Werefurre. This smell is not pleasant; it is similar to the smell of sour milk and sewage. It doesn't go away no matter how much they bathe. The other Furre is probably aware that you have sniffed them; this is not a subtle power (Sniffed Furre rolls 2d10 for 13 or less to detect being sniffed.)
The Mania (1 Pt, may be bought up to 3 times) This is the Out Of Character license to make another character into a WereFurre. This power requires their OOC Consent to work. They acquire a moon-form of their choosing, but their other form *you* choose for them. They may not remake their character; the change happens in-game and they do not gain or owe any points. They may *not* buy any Were-furre Only Advantages.
Third Shape (1 Pt) In addition to your moon-form and your voluntary form, you have another voluntarily-assumed shape.
Fourth Shape (2 Pts) Weres who master a fourth shape are very very rare. At this level of shifting mastery, however, the Lycanthian gains control of their moon-form and may resist the change!.

Advantages
and Disadvantages
DISADVANTAGES ("disads")


About Addictions: This is something that isn't secret; those who know you
well enough to call you by name also probably know your addiction. When
you aren't around the object of your addiction, you become irrationally
unhappy. Your life is strongly influenced by either your pursuit of the
object of your Addiction, and you're drawn to others with the same
preoccupation.


* Addiction_Alcoholic (2 Points)
This is a serious disadvantage. IF you enter a place where alcoholic
beverages are served, you WILL try to get one, a potent one. If someone
tries to stop you, you'll get irritated, then angry with them. If you
have your drink, you feel better but all your physical abilities are at
half-power for half an hour thereafter. If you don't get your drink, you
will have the urge to go somewhere where you -can- have a drink.
While `under the influence', you will NOT `hold your liquor well'; your
speech will be slurred; your balance off; your reaction time poor.
Your response to stress and emotional difficulty will not be to seek out
loved ones, it will be to have another drink.

* Addiction_Clothes (1 Point)
Your identity is linked to the things you wear. Buying new garments,
perhaps having them custom-designed and tailor-made, gives you a thrill
others just can't understand... Wearing old things is depressing.

* Addiction_Collectibles (1 Point)
You like something so much, it's hard for you to talk about anything else.
Your hobby drives you to spend your money buying that thing and
your dwelling is devoted to housing your collection.

* Addiction_Euphorics (2 Points)
At least three times a week, you indulge in some inhibition-shattering,
pleasure-granting substance. The method of ingestion varies; Felines
use a form of catnip called 'gareem' that can be sniffed, eaten, baked
into cakes, refined into an essential oil that is absorbed by the skin,
or injected into the blood. Only Equines are susceptible to an herb called
'chahtoo', which is smoked. 'Black meat', a centipede derivative, is
hallucinogenic for all Furres. You may be addicted to one or many
different substances. This disad assumes that it is physical addiction,
with a heavy dose of psychological addiction layered on top of it.

* Addiction_Smoking (1 Point)
Furres have such sensitive senses that they generally don't like smoke.
It's a habit associated with the rough side of town, where the seedier
bars hold a blue haze that can make your eyes red and watery if you're
not used to it. In time it kills the senses of smell and taste, and
longtime smokers on the docks may have poor personal habits resulting
from the damage to their senses.
Smoking isn't permitted in many public and private establishments.

* Addiction_Ostrixes (1 Point)
This obsession centers on Ostrix racing and gambling. Maybe it was their
speed and grace and pleasant dispositions that endeared them to you at
first. But now it's the cash that's riding on their little plumed heads.
You've sunk money into bets, and when you're holding a ticket, when the
race is on, you're steeped in the fantasy of `the big score', of your
Ostrix coming through. You go to the tracks at least once a week.

* Addiction_Raptors (1 Point)
The care and training of the Raptor is much more intense than an Ostrix's,
and for every Raptor there are at least fifteen Furres devoted to its
upkeep. The city guard's Air Cavalry elite ride Raptors; they say that
you don't own a Raptor, it owns you- and it doesn't care. So why do you
break your back shovelling foul manure out of Raptor aeries, or spend
hours going through all the feathers, splicing in new ones if any are
broken, and picking out mites? Because, when you're soaring over the
city, and you know how rare and magical this really is, you know you're
up above it all...

* Age_Kid* (1 Point)
You're age 5-12. You don't have the legal rights of a grown-up,
and you're expected to have a legal guardian. If you haven't got one, then
you can be made a warden of the state by officers of the Garrison. Kids
who are out past sundown are usually rounded up and locked up for the night
in the Orphanage! You can't legally own property, and you certainly
haven't got any real employees unless they're other Kids. Kids may not
the Strong or Toughness Advantages.

* Deaf (2 Points)
You can't hear words (but you might be able to hear faint sounds or feel
bass vibrations). You probably can read lips, if someone is facing you.
In Furcadian cultures, where music is held in such high esteem, your
disability is met with pity that might result in low self-esteem.
Unfortunately, the medieval world of Furcadia does not have sign-language.

* In_Debt (1 Point)
Your story begins with you already in need of money. How did this come
to be? Perhaps you have a child, or an ailing relative. Perhaps you are
a student, and your money goes to tuition. Or perhaps there's a more
sinister reason you just never seem to have any cash on hand...
You live in a rented room. Start with X1/2 coins.

* Hard_of_Hearing (1 Point)
It's difficult to make out words, and if someone is behind you, it's even
harder. An ear-trumpet is helpful; at least everybody around you knows
they should speak up.

* Illiterate (1 Point)
The average Drakorian or Olde Worlder is illiterate, but the average
Kasurian is literate. Player characters are literate as a default
and may take this Disadvantage if their character is not.

* Oathbound/Code (1 Point)
You've sworn that there are Things You Must Do and Things You Will Not Do.
Those who try to talk you out of these dictates lose your respect. Your
own self-respect is tied up in your adherence to your Code, and if you
break it, it takes you weeks to regain your self-respect. Members of the
Garrison usually have this disadvantage, codifying their devotion to
the wellbeing of Theriopolis. Mercenary companies, shipping company crews,
and pirate crews all have codes. So do many Houses, and Guilds.

* Poor_Vision (1 Point)
This disad means you are either nearsighted, farsighted, or have poor
depth perception because you only have one eye. You might have
an eye patch, or you might squint. You take a +1 penalty to all
actions at-range. *If your character wears glasses to correct vision,
they may not take this Disadvantage.

* One_handed (1 Point)
You can't use 2-handed weapons. You should have some story behind
how you lost your hand (or perhaps you were born this way). In Barabic
cities, the penalty for theft is cutting off a hand, so Equines tend to
view a one-handed person with a bit of suspicion.

* Tailless (1 Point)
A Furre without a tail usually wears a prosthetic made from from natural
hair. The notorious pirate Dog Stumpfang was caught by Lord Sabarron, a
black panther who ordered Stumpfang's tail to be cut off. The dread
Captain Stumpfang escaped imprisonment and returned with a mercenary army.
Stumpfang captured Sabarron, and cut off his tail, then wore it hanging
from the back of his belt as a gruesome trophy. He then went on to
collect the tails of a half a dozen lords and rival pirate captains,
wearing them all on his own backside.

* One-legged/Slowed Move (1 Point)
You can't run or jump or climb as most folks can. You should have some
story behind how you got this way (or maybe you were born this way).

* Wanted (1 Point)
You are wanted by the authorities. You may not appear in a public place
(i.e., one listed as a Hangout) without a different disguise each time.

* Mute (1 Point)
This disadvantage is more serious than most 1-Pointers but it is not
especially encouraged, as it makes roleplaying with others much more
difficult.

* Foreign (2 Points)
You don't speak Therian. You can buy it as a normal skill but that
doesn't change the fact that there are features about you that mark
you as a non-native. You may not be born a member of a House although
of course you could get adopted later in play.

* Uneducated* (1 Point)
Instead of beginning with an Average_Education*, you only know 3 Hobbies
and 1 Job Skill.

* Homely* (1 Point)
Physically, you are unattractive. You may have repulsive physical
limitations which are further Disadvantages.

* Dense* (2 Point)
Your ability to reason is slower than the average Furre's, although
your actual conclusions might be just as accurate or not. You are what
polite Furres call "simple". It's easy for you to lose things; you
don't usually notice small changes around you. You might have suffered
brain damage during a breach birth, leaving you with slurred speech (and,
very likely, you're left-handed). Base INTL is decreased by 1.

* Fragile* (1 Point)
Physically, your bones are slender, and your overall constitution poor.
You're prone to ailments. Or, maybe
you're malnourished (and you're Poor* or In_Debt* or even both).

* Weak* (1 Point)
Perhaps you had a sheltered upbringing in which physical activity was
discouraged. You might be older (Age_Senior*). You can't lift your own
body weight off the ground. Base PHYS is lowered by 1.

* Slow Reflexes (1 Point)
Your reaction time is poor. In a fight, you'll tend to act last.
Initiative -1.

* All_Thumbs* (1 Point)
Fine manipulations are difficult for you. Scissors, musical instruments,
sewing needles, quill pens, and the like just don't seem to do for you
what they do in most other paws. Your handwriting is homely at best, and
possibly illegible by anyone besides you. All hand-eye skills (including weapon skills)
are performed at a -4

* Clumsy* (1 Point)
This is overall body awkwardness. You're prone to accidents of running
into people and things. Your clumsiness might be a byproduct of
Poor_Vision*. Base DEFT is decreased by 1 point.

* Poor* (1 Point)
If you're careful, you'll have enough money to rent a place to sleep and
to feed yourself, but homelessness and starvation are always just around
the corner! To stay clean, you might have to bathe in the canals. You
own the clothes on your back, plus one spare change of clothes. You
might have the tools, workspace, and supplies you need for your trade,
but you can't craft anything of exceptional materials without an advance
from the patron. Start with only X1/5 coins.

* Unknown* (1 Point)
Unknown Pedigree, that is. The identity of one or both of your parents
is unknown. You could be someone's illegitimate heir, or an orphan,
abandoned for some mysterious reason. If you're Foreign_Nobility, but
you're not aware of it, you should purchase that Advantage during
character generation, as you cannot buy it later.
(You may not roleplay the discovery of a commoner parent
until you have bought off this Disadvantage. You may not roleplay the
discovery of a noble parent unless you have bought the same Advantage
as the parent possesses.)

* Mindmute (1)
You cannot be *sent* Mindspeech. Empathy can read you just fine.
You cannot be a Telepath and possess this Disad.

* Mindwhipped (2 Point)
Drinking a Potion of Binding left you with a permanent strange
condition in which *any* Telepath may now use the Kajutar Mindscourge
ability upon you. This Disadvantage means that
your character is (or at one time, was) a Drakorian slave.

* Mindslave (3 Points)
You are the property of a Kajutar Mindscourge. You've been under their
influence so long that you are fanatically loyal to them. You have
no such feelings for any other Wyrmme, however.

* Drone (2 Points, Bugge Only!)
You are a male Bugge, genetically adapted for carrying things about.
Your PHYS base is 7. You may not have the
Advantage "Followers". You have small vestigial wings. You can mate
exactly once, but this would be fatal for you. Even with the
mightiest of magics, there is absolutely no way around this
tragic fact of Bugge existence.

ADVANTAGES

* Boss (-2 Points) You are the head of 3 to 20 NPCs. This is purely a
roleplayed thing; you don't need the Advantage for an existing organization
made up of player characters. This could be your pirate crew, the workers
in your tapestry workshop, the children in your gang of thieves, and so
forth. NPCs may be invented for RP purposes, but these "fictitious" people
may not possess any Advantages of any sort, as this is what makes Player
Characters special.

* Skyship (-1 Point) You own a flying ship. If you also purchased the
"Boss" advantage, then it can be a large galleon but otherwise, you own
a craft that you can fly by yourself. Skyships tend to be sailcraft but
in Drakoria there are remnants of Furre tribes who live in Skyships
pulled by Raptors. The entire tribe may live on a fleet, tethering
numerous craft together for the night into a floating village.

* Night-vision (-1 Point) Feline Furres still need to
purchase this Advantage, or else they are limited to ordinary vision.

* Eagle_vision (-3 Points) You were born with the amazing ability to see
tiny objects at extreme distances. You can focus on something up to fifty
meters away, seeing it as clearly as if it were right next to you.

* Super-keen_Smell (-3 Points) Most Furres have sharp smell but this
Advantage is necessary to be able to track someone by scent.

* Foreign_Nobility (-1 Points) At least one of your
parents is a Highborn, but not in Theriopolis. They are either from the
city of Kohazzah (Equine Barabs) or the city of Spallia (Equines, Canines,
other races).

* Beautiful Singing Voice (-1 Point) Perhaps you are a baritone with the
Theriopolitan Opera. Or perhaps you just sing as you sell flowers in the
market. Furres love to sing, and to hear others singing. Rodents sing the
deeds of the Primes and heroes in Therian but there are a few cycles still
sung in Valgorian. Mustelines favor the folk songs and romantic ballads
from the fallen Kingdom of Tellish. Felines still know the battle-hymns and
courtly song-poetry from the old Taigorian Empire. Canines of the
monasteries preserve manuscripts of chants to the glory of the Dragon and
the Primes. And in the taverns near the docks, sometimes catchy tunes can
be heard, their bawdy lyrics in Croadan.

* Respected (-1 Point) *** Adjust Social *** You have a good reputation
about town. At your favorite tavern, the tapster is happy to extend you
credit, and when you walk down the street, mothers point you out to their
children as a role model. Note that if you are villainous, this respect
will only be held by other villains, but if you are upstanding, both
villains and good citizens alike respect you.
EXAMPLE:* Kasurian Hero ...In the battles between Drakoria and
Kasurian, you've distinguished yourself. You have a modest amount
of fame, a modest pension from the government, and
the right to prefix your name with "Kil" (example: Kil'Tana)
You're addressed as a Knight, as Sir if you are male, and with
Ladysir if you are female.

* Celebrity (-2 Points) *** Adjust Social *** You are a writer, an artist,
a sculptor, a gladiator, a performer, an actor, a doctor, a scholar, or
-something- that has brought you renown in Theriopolis. Those who meet you
are likely to already know your name.

* Natural-born Mimic (-1 Point) Sound effects, the voices of political
figures, bird calls, all these come easily to you. You can feign the
intonations of the other races, and when you speak a foreign language, it
tends to be with very good accent. Street puppeteers of Kasuria are
famous for this.

* Contortionist (-1 Point) You could be a performer, twisting your body
up so the crowd might toss you coins. Those who try to Grapple you are
at a -2 to their chances.

* Ventriloquist (This is a Skill now, not an Advantage.) You can
throw your voice, and speak without moving your lips. Some street
puppeteers of Theriopolis perform ventriloquism with a live parrot.

* Matchmaker (This is now a Skill, not an Advantage)
The Matchmaker is important in Dragonlands
society. They may arrange marriages. More often, though, they arrange dates
between prospective partners. The Matchmaker is trusted with secrets a teen
wouldn't tell their own parents, or secrets that could cost a prestigious
CouncilFurre their position. Matchmakers don't carry books, therefore; they
keep all their information in their heads. They wear special hats, shaped
like fezzes and colored blue, with a yellow tassle. On the seedy side of
town, a Matchmaker might be a broker for more... unusual... services. All
Matchmakers belong to a single Guild, and, with a patron's permission, can
share information with other Matchmakers. (** it is intended that
Matchmakers will have access to a common database, and a private
database.**)

* Garrison (1 Point) You are a member of the Garrison; you should carry a
ceremonial baton, and wear a crescent-shaped throat ornament (gorget).

* Lucky* (1 Point) Maybe you don't win every raffle, but you tend to get
what you need fairly easily. You've got a number of tales of how things
just happened to go your way, and if it's convenient that some common item
might be in your pocket, chances are, it *is*. +1 to Serendipity Rolls.

* Attractive* (1 Point) Your physical features are memorable and very
attractive by typical Furre standards. You have a +1 to die rolls where
looks would be a factor.

* Gorgeous* (3 Points) Artists will want you to pose for them; poets will
write odes to your visage; strangers will introduce themselves. You might
be different from the classical Furre concept of pulchritude, but you're so
handsome, it's possible that you will be setting the new standard.

* Sharp* (2 Points) Mathematical games come easily to you; you have a rather
good memory. Possibly you're quite alert and it's difficult to surprise
you. Add 1 to base INTL.

* Hardy* (1 Point) You don't catch colds; you recover from injuries up to
twenty percent more quickly than average. Your resistance to pain is higher
than usual, too. You could fall one story and walk away unhurt. You can
take quite a few wounds and still not pass out from blood loss.
+2 Hit Points.

* Toughness* (3 Points) Your resistance to pain is at a heroic level. Your body
might or might not be extremely durable, but your skin is thick. +1 point
of natural armor versus both energy and physical damage.

* Small Stature (1 Point) This is an Advantage because there is a -2 penalty to hittingyou with a missile weapon.
* Large Stature (1 Point) +1 to Hit Points.
* Quick Reflexes (1 Point) +1 to Initiative

* Clever Fingers* (1 Point) This means your hand-eye coordination is well above
average. +1 to rolls such as carving, painting, etc. NEVER applies in combat.


* Ambidextrous* (2 Points) You're equally skilled with either paw.

* Graceful* (2 Points) Your posture is beautiful; you move smoothly,
quietly, when you want to. Balancing tends to be easy for you; you can
stand on one foot for a long time, and you can walk on balance beams no
wider than your hand without a bobble. You have a little advantage over
others in wrestling, and hand-to-hand fighting. +1 anywhere balance is a
factor, including Dodge but not any other Combat-related scores/rolls

* Wealthy* (1 Point) If you are Wealthy, you don't need to work
anymore, and you can afford to support two other individuals of
your choice as well, at a Wealthy level of comfort. These can be
employees or they can be dependents. Being an
employee or dependent of somebody who is Wealthy does not affect their
Social_Status; an employee or dependent must pay for the Traits Wealthy* or
Rich* on their own. Start with 1000 instead of 500 Coins. You own a house or a small business with home attached.


* Rich* (3 Points) A Rich Furre can support six individuals at a Wealthy
level of comfort, or two at a Rich level of comfort. (Or one at Rich and
three at Wealthy, it's to be presumed). These can be employees or
dependents. Being an employee or dependent of somebody who is Rich does not
affect their Social_Status; an employee or dependent must pay for the
Traits Wealthy* or Rich* on their own. Start with 2000 instead of 500 Coins.
You own a small estate.

* Lesser House (1 Point, Furres Only)
Your Pedigree is 11. Likely possibilities:
House Kithain (Raideth) Felines; descended from sea raiders.
House Kelmothand (Malcom) Semi-aquatic Mustelines; dates back to
the Kingdom of Tellish.
House Kosani (Lithe) Rodents, mostly Mice; famous as a banking family.
House Broderick (Aldric) Canines.
House Keung (Kosh) Tigers; trace their lineage to exiled Taigorian
warlord Jiyarr Keung.

* Furre Greater House (3 Points, not available to Bugges)
This Advantage doesn't mean as much in Drakoria as in Kasuria.
Your Pedigree is 12. Likely possibilities:
House Yasmeen (Raideth) Equines; famed for their opulent quarters.
House Kavillaur (Malcom) Heavyset Mustelines; dates back to the
Kingdom of Tellish.
House Sabine (Lithe) Feline; stereotypically swashbucklers,
and connoisseurs.
House Carthamine (Aldric) Lupine/Vulpine (Wolves and Foxes)
Rivals to Giovarri; Lord Dragar ti'Carthamine rules
Aldric.
House Giovarri (Kosh) Dominated by Wolves. The most prestigious
Canine clan.

* Wyrmme Greater House (3 Points, Wyrmmes Only)
Your Pedigree is 12.
There is only one Wyrmme Great House: Imperial House Kaut

* Highborn (2 Points, Wyrmmes only)
Your Pedigree is 11. Wyrmmes do not have Lesser Houses. They must
come from the following famous heroic Bloodlines:
Tragauth, Margaith, Hellikaun, Yarsha (It's possible that a
Furre might have a Highborn Wyrmme ancestor but a Furre
child amongst Wyrmmes would be such a disgrace that they could
never use it for status in Drakorian society.)

* Educated* (-1 Point) For one reason or another, you have had the leisure
time to learn and study numerous subjects. You might be
well-travelled, or perhaps you are a bookish recluse. +1 level on the Skill Slots chart.

* Scholar* (-3 Points) Scholars are those who either attended classes at
the Academy, were fortunate to have access to a House's library and hired
tutors, or attended similar schooling in Kohallah or Spallia. This
Advantage very specifically means that you have had an extensive formal
education, and you are not self-taught. You may desire to purchase Skills
to the level of being able to +Teach. You cannot be Illiterate* or Dense*
and purchase this Advantage. A scholar gets +2 levels on the Skill Slots chart.

* Telebonded (-1 Point) You share a telepathic connection with an individual or
creature. Telebonding can be accomplished naturally with both Scarhawks and
Feral Dragons but requires special potions for furres/byrddes/wyrmmes.

* Pet_Feral_Dragon (-1 Point) You have a Feral Dragon pet. You are not telepathic
with it, but you can ride it as it flies.

* Pet_Scarhawk (-1 Point) You have a giant falcon, or Scarhawk, pet. You are not
telepathic with it, but you can ride it in flight.

* Pet_Kiwi (-1 Point)
The word "kiwi" refers to numerous kinds of flightless birds with
pointy conical beaks. There are egg-layer kiwis; roasting kiwis;
dog-sized house-kiwis; curly feathered "woolbird" kiwis that get shorn
for fluff that feels like a cross between marabou down and angora hair,
paddling pond kiwis, hopping grass-seed-eating kiwis. Folklore has
it that the presence of a golden kiwi on one's shoulder brings romance
to the lonely, and the "heart" kiwi, which is red and about
the size of an apple, is a traditional gift for a lover. The kiwi is
traditionally associated with Matchmakers.

* Pet_Ostrix (-1 Points)
This creature is not known for its smarts. Ostrixes are relatively
common, and can be purchased at fairs or town markets. They can
only carry one passenger, but if hooked to a small cart it can pull
two persons. If hooked to a cart buoyed up by Liftwood, the
Ostrix can pull three passengers. Ostrix teams move very prettily,
because they have an instinct to synchronize their gaits. Ostrixes
are extremely reluctant to fight but they will defend their owner if
their owner has this Advantage. Ostrix racing is popular in the
largest Kasurian cities. Every Great House has a stable, and the
jockeys are traditionally chosen from amongst members of their
associated Lesser Houses.

* Pet_Minidragon (-1 Points)
Sharing a connection similar to a Dragonrider's, you are telepathic
with your little friend, so long as you remain in line-of-sight of
one another. Minidragons are not in telepathic contact with others.
They are about as intelligent as a clever dog. In Drakoria and
Harshlaw, a Minidragon not touching its owner may be shot as a
common pest.

* Pet_Watchwyrm (-1 Points, Furres only.)
Cousins to the true dragons, these quadrupeds have small wings but
cannot fly. On the ground they would be the match of a true dragon in
a fight if it were not for one serious quirk: all Watchwyrms have
such sensitive eyes that they are blind by day or on a night when
the two moons both shine full. In the dark, when both Raptors and
true dragons are rendered blind, however, the Watchwyrm goes about
in perfect comfort and awareness of its surroundings.
They are physically graceful, with more amiable facial features than
true dragons. Their eyes are either milky white or pitch black.
They are hatched from eggs, and, when they bond with
a Furre they may become diurnal-- using their Furre friend's vision
and hearing to navigate! Conversely, the Furre may use the
Watchwyrm's keen nightvision in the dark. Villages may not have
any Raptor Knights or Dragonriders but they will usually have at
least one Watchfurre who keeps the peace and rides a happy-go-lucky
Watchwyrm to which he or she is bonded. A WatchWyrm can carry 2-3
passengers for quite a way. To keep up their sturdy bodies' high
metabollisms, they will happily eat anything that doesn't protest.

* Wyrmme Heritage (-1 Point)
You are a Furre, but one of your parents was/is a Wyrmme. Wyrmmes of
Drakoria will see you as an abomination; typical Furres of Kasuria
might be somewhat suspicious of you if they knew your background. You
will feel most comfortable in warm places, as you will have reptilian
tendencies to your metabolism. Your senses of hearing, smell and taste
will be slightly less keen than a fullblooded Furre's. You might look
like any other Furre, or you might be scaly all over.

* Telepath (-2 Points)
You could be a Wyrmme, a Furre or even a Bugge. You have the ability to
mindspeak to someone you know personally, at a range of line-of-sight.
If you are blindfolded or blinded, you may only make contact at a range
of touch. You can carry on a conversation with a non-telepath but
this requires all your concentration. You can do this without
effort with another Telepath, as long as you can both see each
other. Telepathy can't be used to force information
out of anybody or inflict pain; this is the exclusive art of the Kajutar
Mindscourge. Telepathy doesn't give off any "waves", so there is
no clue to any observers that this is taking place. However, a
Telepath always knows if someone else is trying to contact them.
Telepathy, or "Mindspeaking", does transmit emotions.

* Antipath (-2 Points)
The Antipath (TM) is cut off from all Telepathy. They cannot be made
into a mindslave by a Kajutar Mindscourge, but they also can never be a
Dragonrider or speak with mindspeech. For all purposes of telepathy and psychic attacks
the Antipath creates a single-space personal null zone.

* Psihealer (-2 Points) By putting your hands on another, you can accelerate
their natural healing rate. But if the damage is great, doing this can hurt
you as well. Roll d10: 1-2, gain 1 HP. 4-8, gain 2 HP. 9-10, gain 3 HP.
For each 2 points the psihealer heals, they receive 1 point of damage
on their own body (round down). As with magic, further attempts have
no effect.

* Sidekick (-1 Point) You have a plain NPC assistant. They are created on 0 Advantage and 0 Disadvantage points. This assistant would do anything for you.

* Recall Heal From Death (Phoenixes ONLY) Should your character reach the negative
total of their hit points, they do not die, but return to some secret place, to
be reborn, within 3 days.

* Winged Flight (-2 Points)
In their Luminous and August forms, Primes nearly always have wings.
Nearly all Primes and Dark Primes have this Advantage.

---

*** For special use by Gamemasters/Guild Rahs in the
the generation of NPC creature opponents.

* Ageless (-2 Points)
You never grow older. You can still die perhaps, but it won't be of
old age. All Primes and Dark Primes have this Advantage.

* Carry_Cargo (-1 Point)
The ability of a creature to pull a cart or carry a passenger.

* Resistant to Magic (-2 Points)
This means that potions and spells do not work on you.

* All_Languages (-2 Points)
You automatically understand everything that you hear. This is a magical
ability.

* Shapeshifter (-2 Points)
All Primes have five forms: Luminous, August, Bestial, Avatar, and Object.
A Half-Prime with this power has an August, Bestial and Object form. The
normal Furre shape is their Avatar form, to which they revert if they are
knocked unconscious or slain. All other creatures with this power have
one single alternate form. For more forms, buy this Advantage several times.

* Prime_Hearing (-3)
When your name is spoken by someone who reveres and loves you, there's a
chance that it draws your attention. Every Prime or Dark Prime with this
power defines the conditions necessary before this power works, for
instance, a Dark Prime might require the sacrifice of a living Furre, while
a Prime's follower might need to be standing in a public shrine to that
Prime.

* Deathless (-2 Points)
There is only one way to destroy you (or, in the case of a Prime or Dark
Prime, banish you from the mortal plane). It must be one of the following:
a silver weapon; a wooden weapon; a stone weapon; fire; beheading;
drowning; sunlight; or the scream of a dying bird. Creatures with this
power are always hideous to look upon.

* Wingless_Flight (*)
This Advantage is very unusual. It's listed here because it's a feature
that can be given an object or NPC/creature. Because it gives a rather
un-genre "super-heroish" feel, characters PC or NPC *never* have it.

* Invisibility (*)
This power is too fraught with potential for annoyance and/or abuse. We
don't use it in the roleplaying games, but it does exist in the Furcadia
milieu.

* Bodiless (*)
This power, like Invisibility, is fraught with potential for annoyance and/
or abuse. We won't use it in the roleplaying games, but it does exist in
the Furcadia milieu.

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Ads/Disads for Ruvir

DISADVANTAGES ("disads")

* Addiction_Alcoholic (2 Points)
This is a serious disadvantage. IF you enter a place where alcoholic
beverages are served, you WILL try to get one, a potent one. If someone
tries to stop you, you'll get irritated, then angry with them. If you
have your drink, you feel better but all Combat rolls are at -7 for
the next 4 RL hours.

While `under the influence', you will NOT `hold your liquor well'; your
speech will be slurred; your balance off; your reaction time poor.
Your response to stress and emotional difficulty will not be to seek out
loved ones, it will be to have another drink. If you don't get one,
your next course of action will be to go somewhere where you -can-
have a drink.

* Addiction_Clothes (1 Point)
Your identity is linked to the things you wear. Buying new garments,
perhaps having them custom-designed and tailor-made, gives you a thrill
others just can't understand... Wearing old things is depressing. And
to you, "old things" means something you wore yesterday...!

* Addiction_Collectibles (1 Point)
You like something so much, it's hard for you to talk about anything else.
Your hobby drives you to spend your money buying that thing and
your dwelling is devoted to housing your collection. Anybody can be
an enthusiast but when you have "Collectibles" as your Disad, you
bore even the other collectors.

* Addiction_Euphorics (2 Points)
At least three times a week, you indulge in some inhibition-shattering,
pleasure-granting substance. The method of ingestion varies; Felines
use a form of catnip called 'gareem' that can be sniffed, eaten, baked
into cakes, refined into an essential oil that is absorbed by the skin,
or injected into the blood. Only Equines are susceptible to an herb called
'chahtoo', which is smoked. 'Black meat', a centipede derivative, is
hallucinogenic for all Furres. You may be addicted to one or many
different substances. This disad assumes that it is physical addiction,
with a heavy dose of psychological addiction layered on top of it.
Anytime you are involved in combat, you must first roll a d6. On a 1,
you were "indulging" earlier, and you are at -10 for the rest of the
scene.

* Addiction_Smoking (1 Point)
Furres have such sensitive senses that they generally don't like smoke.
It's a habit associated with the rough side of town, where the seedier
bars hold a blue haze that can make your eyes red and watery if you're
not used to it. In time it kills the senses of smell and taste, and
longtime smokers on the docks may have poor personal habits resulting
from the damage to their senses. You make all Combat rolls at -1.

* Addiction_Ostrixes (1 Point)
This obsession centers on Ostrix racing and gambling. Maybe it was their
speed and grace and pleasant dispositions that endeared them to you at
first. But now it's the cash that's riding on their little plumed heads.
You've sunk money into bets, and when you're holding a ticket, when the
race is on, you're steeped in the fantasy of `the big score', of your
Ostrix coming through. You go to some sort of racetrack at least once a week.

* Addiction_Raptors (1 Point)
The care and training of the Raptor is much more intense than an Ostrix's,
and for every Raptor there are at least fifteen Furres devoted to its
upkeep. Who are these devotees? They're "wannabes", non-Psions.
It's fairly common for boys and young men to go through a "raptor phase",
and perhaps the "raptor-struck" didn't outgrow it.

In Kasuria, the city guard's Air Cavalry elite ride Raptors;
they say that you don't own a Raptor, it owns you- and it doesn't care.
So why do you break your back shovelling foul manure out of Raptor aeries,
or spend hours going through all the feathers, splicing in new ones
if any are broken, and picking out mites? Because, when you're behind
someone else, soaring, you know how rare and magical this really is, you
know you're up above it all... (Being "raptorstruck" is not available to
Psions.)

* Age_Kid (1 Point)
You're age 5-12. You don't have the legal rights of a grown-up,
and IC, you must have a legal guardian. You can't legally own
property, and you don't start with any real employees.

In Drakoria, children must work from the time they are old
enough to dress themselves. Tribesfurres view them as the most
precious thing the tribe has; if there is a famine, it is the
children and nursing mothers who will get food first. But
in important matters, Drakorian children are expected to be
"seen and not heard". Both Wyrmmes and Furres of Drakoria
follow the custom that if one child misbehaves, they are all
punished. Outside of the big cities, orphans are rare
because survival alone is close to impossible.

In Kasuria, if you haven't got a legal guardian, you might
be made a warden of the state, to be raised by officers of
the local Garrison. Kids who are out past sundown are usually
rounded up and locked up for the night in the Orphanage.

* Deaf (2 Points)
You can't hear words (but you might be able to hear faint sounds or feel
bass vibrations). You probably can read lips, if someone is facing you.
In Furcadian cultures, where music is held in such high esteem, your
disability is met with pity that might result in low self-esteem.
Unfortunately, the medieval world of Furcadia does not have sign-language.
(If you are a Psion, this Disad is worth only 1 point.) Tribesfurres
from the harshest environments shun you. They consider you unlucky
to the point of passing your bad luck to others!

* In_Debt (1 Point)
You live in a rented room, and have but a
handful of coins. Your story begins with you already in need of money.
When money shows up, so do your debtors. How did this come
to be? Perhaps you have a child, or an ailing relative. Perhaps you are
a student, and your money goes to tuition. Or perhaps there's a more
sinister reason you just never seem to have any cash on hand...

* Hard_of_Hearing (1 Point)
It's difficult to make out words, and if someone is behind you, it's even
harder. An ear-trumpet is helpful; at least everybody around you knows
they should speak up.

* Illiterate (1 Point)
The average Drakorian or Olde Worlder is illiterate, but the average
Kasurian is literate. Player characters are literate as a default
and may take this Disadvantage if their character is not.

* Oathbound/Code (1 Point)
You've sworn that there are Things You Must Do and Things You Will Not Do.
Those who try to talk you out of these dictates lose your respect. Your
own self-respect is tied up in your adherence to your Code, and if you
break it, it takes you weeks to regain your self-respect. Members of a
Kasurian Garrison usually have this disadvantage, codifying their devotion to
the wellbeing of their city. Mercenary companies, shipping company crews,
and pirate crews all have codes. So do many Houses, and Guilds.

* Poor_Vision (1 Point)
This disad means you are either nearsighted, farsighted, or have poor
depth perception because you only have one eye. You might have
an eye patch, or you might squint. You take a +1 penalty to all
actions at-range. *A Kasurian character that wears glasses to correct
vision may not take this Disadvantage.

* One_handed (1 Point)
You can't use 2-handed weapons. You should have some story behind
how you lost your hand (or perhaps you were born this way). In Barabic
cities, the penalty for theft is cutting off a hand, so Equines tend to
view a one-handed person with a bit of suspicion.

* Tailless (1 Point)
A Furre without a tail usually wears a prosthetic made from from natural
hair. The notorious pirate Dog Stumpfang was caught by Lord Sabarron, a
black panther who ordered Stumpfang's tail to be cut off. The dread
Captain Stumpfang escaped imprisonment and returned with a mercenary army.
Stumpfang captured Sabarron, and cut off his tail, then wore it hanging
from the back of his belt as a gruesome trophy. He then went on to
collect the tails of a half a dozen lords and rival pirate captains,
wearing them all on his own backside.

* One-legged/Slowed Move (1 Point)
You can't run or jump or climb as most folks can. You should have some
story behind how you got this way (or maybe you were born this way).
Your odds in a fight are decreased; make Combat rolls at a -2 to
represent this.

* Wanted (1 Point)
You are wanted by the authorities. You may not appear in a public place
(i.e., one listed as a Hangout) without a different disguise EVERY time.

* Mute (1 Point)
This disadvantage is more serious than most 1-Pointers but it is not
especially encouraged, as it makes roleplaying with others much more
difficult.

* Foreign (1 Points)
You don't speak Therian. You can learn it eventually but you'll
have an accent, and there are features about you that mark
you as a non-native. (This Disad is most appropriate for
somebody from the Olde World.)

* Uneducated (1 Point)
This Disad describes various possible isolated backgrounds. You
might be a Tribesfurre who is naive about life in the city. Or you
might be a slave who was never allowed to do anything beyond
pulling a plow. Or you might be a pampered child of a noble,
kept in a scented garden all your life.

* Unattractive (1 to 3 Points)
The combination of your physical features and your charisma mark
you as exceptionally unattractive. At one point, the character
is not as attractive as the typical furre, and their appearance
might be politely referred to as "interesting." Strangers are
unlikely to strike up conversation, but will generally try to
be polite.

At two points, the character has notably ugly features. If
someone said, "Did you see an ugly furre walk by?" and this
character had passed, people would reply, "Yes." Some will
react with scorn, and others, with pity. Either way, it's hard
to get taken seriously.

At three points, the character's whole life is colored
by their unattractiveness; they are probably alone and lonely.
This level of Unattractive MUST be accompanied by unpleasant
speech and mannerisms. For whatever reason, there's some
amount of "inner" ugly here, too.

"Unattractive" should be noted in the character's Desc as
[Unattractive=-1], [Unattractive=-2], or [Unattractive=-3].

* Repulsive, 4 Points
Repulsive takes up where Unattractive left off! (So
a character can not have both.) At 4 points, Repulsive means
the character is not allowed into public establishments.
They are treated with open loathing, revulsion and/or fear.
In Hyooman terms, this Disadvantage describes the Elephant Man.
To be 4 Points of Repulsive, the character must be beyond
merely "unsightly". They should look contagious (pustulent
sores for example), or very asymmetrical, or alien in an
explainable yet disturbing fashion (burn scars over the
entire body and ears missing, etc.). (A character that is
outright alien must take "Repulsive, 5 Points.")
This Disadvantage should be represented in the character's Desc

* Repulsive, 5 Points
5 points the character is so hideous that they are taken for a
monster, and attacked on sight by all but their closest friends
and relatives. To represent this-- Each time the character goes
out into public, and they are not attacked by at least one PC,
the player must consult a Staffer to make a Quickie Roll versus
the "fearful mobs". This Disad is noted in the character's
Desc as [Repulsive=-5]

* Dense (2 Points)
Physically, you are unattractive. You may have repulsive physical
limitations which are further Disadvantages.
All rolls made involving smarts are at -5. If
there is a question of being surprised, you are automatically
surprised. If there is a question of noticing something, such as
being pickpocketed, you make the conflict resolving die roll at -5.

* Fragile (3 Points) When injured, normal penalties are doubled.
You have a medical condition that makes you very frail. Perhaps
you are a hemophiliac, or severely malnourished. You may take
this Disad to represent a very very old furre with brittle bones
(osteoporosis).

* Clumsy (1 Points) All hand-eye skills and all coordination rolls
(including all combat rolls) are performed at a -5. It is
hard to be taken seriously when you're clumsy.

* Poor (1 Point) You don't own land or a house.
If you're careful, you'll have enough money to rent a place to sleep and
to feed yourself, but homelessness and starvation are always just around
the corner! To stay clean, you bathe in streams. You own the clothes
on your back, plus one spare change of clothes. You might have the
tools, workspace, and supplies you need for your trade, but you can't
craft anything of exceptional materials without an advance
from the patron. Start with no money.

* Unknown (1 Point)
You begin play as an orphan of unknown pedigree. The identity
of one or both of your parents is unknown. You could be someone's
illegitimate heir, or an orphan, abandoned for some mysterious reason.
In Drakoria, being illegitimate bears such a heavy stigma that the
Furre or Wyrmme will most likely try to find somewhere they are
unknown and can hide their shame.

You may drop this Disad if you find an IC parent later. However,
they can only be a Noble if your character also purchased that
Advantage during character generation.

* Mindmute (1)
You cannot be *sent* Mindspeech. Empathy can read you just fine.
Mind powers that do not involve speech still work on you. (A
Psion may not possess this Disad.)

* Mindwhipped (2 Point)
A Potion of Binding left you with a permanent strange
condition in which *any* Psion may now use the Kajutar Mindscourge
ability upon you. This Disadvantage means that
your character is (or at one time, was) a Drakorian slave.

* Mindslave (3 Points)
You are the property of a Psion slaver, most likely a Wyrmme.
You've been under their influence so long that you are fanatically
loyal to your owner.

* Drone (2 Points, Male Bugges Only!)
You are a male Bugge, genetically adapted for carrying things about.
You're smaller than a female Bugge and smaller than the typical
Furre, yet you're very strong. You may not have the Advantage
"Followers". You have small vestigial wings and cannot fly. You
can mate exactly once, but this would be fatal for you. Even with the
mightiest of magics, there is absolutely no way around this
tragic fact of Bugge existence.



ADVANTAGES ("Ads")

Pet/Lackey (1 Point)
You have a typical devotee or pet. If it is a pet, it can be
clever for one of its kind, but it cannot really talk. Its
main distinguishing feature is its loyalty to you. A pet
or follower may NOT attack someone, but MAY grant you a +1
to your roll. This Advantage may be bought up to 2 times.

Followers (2 Points)
You have 2 to 10 NPCs that follow your instructions no matter
what. However, they are strictly "off camera". They could
be your ship's crew, your family's personal mercenary force,
your relatives, a gang of slaves you bought and freed, etc.
(They may only be your tribe if your tribe was approved by
the Factions Sphere Wiz.)

Attractive (1 to 5 Points)
This represents a combination of exceptional physical beauty
and personality. A character with 1 point of Attractiveness
is more physically attractive than a character without it;
a character with 4 points of Attractiveness is more handsome
or beautiful than a character with 3 points, and so on.
(This Advantage belongs in the character's Desc. as
[Attractive=+1], or whatever number is appropriate.

To go beyond Attractive 1 or 2 requires displaying positive
personality characteristics. Kindness, politeness,
chivalry, etc. are required of this character. These traits
can be a total front-- the character might be the most
loathsome and despicable villain-- but while in public,
they must keep up appearances.

Property (1 Point)
Your character has some kind of safe haven. It can be
a small keep, an underground cave complex, a farm, a
secluded forest valley, and so forth. Anything like a
"security system" needs to be approved by Staff.
(If you want servants or guards, you need to buy the
"Followers" Advantage separately.)

Without this Advantage, you may only own a plain
house. All action there is considered NOT
in-Continuity.

Skyship (1 Point)
You own a flying ship. If you also purchased the "Followers"
advantage, then it can be a large galleon but otherwise, you own
a craft that you can fly by yourself. Skyships tend to be sailcraft.
In Drakoria there are remnants of Furre tribes who live in Skyships
pulled by Raptors. The entire tribe may live on a fleet, tethering
numerous craft together for the night into a floating village.

Noble Born Kasurian (1 to 3 Points)
This is specifically for Furres from Kasuria (or the Olde World.)
The possible Houses are listed here:
Noble Houses of Kasuria
(Drakorian Furres don't have nobles.)
At 1 point, the character probably grew up in a wealthy family.
At 2 points, the character is the child or sibling of the head
of a noble family. At 3 points, the character is the heir to that
noble family. (Being a noble requires sending an application to
the Kasurian Furre Nobles Sphere Wizard.)

Wyrmme Nobility (1 to 3 Points; must also purchase Psion)
This could not be a Furre, since the Wyrmmes look down upon
them. For 1 point, the character is well-to-do, has a
position of prestige in a Drakorian city-state. For 2
points, the Wyrmme is recognized in court at Ssi'Ssaron,
Great Graa, and J'Voon alike.

For 3 points, the Wyrmme is a member of the Royal Family.
They will be recognized instantly by any Wyrmme, and
treated with deference. (Failure to do so in the major
Wyrmme City-States is treason, and fair grounds for
execution.)

Psion (2 points)
(see details here: WORK IN PROGRESS...)
Psions include those who perform ritual magic to permanently link minds (Shamans),
those who have odd "ESP" type talents, and those who are linked to their Psi-pets,
including Dragon Riders and Raptor Riders.

Possible Pets include: Dragonmounts, Scarhawks, Watchwyrmmes, Oxtrixes, Kiwis,
Diatrymas, and Minidragons. Shamans sometimes link to snakes.


Mage (2 Points)
(see details here: Mages)

Vampfurre (2 Points)
(see details here: WORK IN PROGRESS...)

Lycanthian (2 Points)
(see details here: WORK IN PROGRESS...)

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Furre!

by Talzhemir (last edited October 11, 2006)
based on Pocket Universe by Talzhemir and Jeff Dee
(c) UNIGames, 1999 Used by permission.

WHAT IS `ROLEPLAYING' ABOUT?

Well...Roleplaying is much more than just being
in-character. It's also about respecting the shared
reality (the "Continuity"). The goal is not to "win",
the goal is to participate in an ongoing story that's
meaningful and makes sense to all the players. Playing
by a set of rules makes this easier.
In Furcadia, we make a distinction between two kinds of
Let's Pretend. The most popular and common one is "Freeform";
we call it "Persona Play" because all it requires is taking
the very first step towards roleplay: choosing to play a
Persona. The other is "Strict Roleplay" (using capital R
helps to indicate it's a little different than the many
casual definitions of `roleplaying').
If you haven't officially agreed to any kind of limit to
your character's power or background, then what you're
doing is Persona Playing. It doesn't mean that you can't
have a very coherent adventure, or that you have no
background or that what you're doing is in any way
inferior to any other form of roleplay. It simply means
that the standard is (of necessity) relaxed.

We say "Strict Roleplaying" to mean playing in a
well-defined world ("Continuity"). It's unlikely that
you'll find "serendipitous" (spontaneous, instant) Strict
Roleplaying. RP takes alot of absorption of source material,
familiarity with conventions of play. RP is quite fragile; it's
heavily disrupted by mentioning OOC things. Because of this need
for more control, there's alot of Roleplaying in Furcadia, but
it tends to take place in private areas, and, at this time,
Furcadia's Staff has no time to monitor or regulate it. Nor do
we wish to.
If you want to maintain higher standards, you need to
be in a controlled environment, for example, your own Dream
or a Dream controlled by a Group. The extra work involved in R
oleplaying pays off in that you tend to get a more interesting
experience, and it makes possible the use of character sheets,
rules, and dice, all of which are optional on Furcadia. If you're
looking for RP, we recommend taking the effort to find and join
an RP Group.
The goals, setting, and rules of a Group may be explained
in a web document called a Charter. Furcadia's website includes
links to Groups that demonstrate, through their Charter, that
they can contribute to the game. There are four categories:
Social Groups, Persona Play Groups, Roleplay Groups, and
Adult Groups

CHARACTER GENERATION

1. Choose your Type
Possible choices:
Mythicals: Dragon, Phoenix, Gryffe
Mundanes: Equine, Canine, Feline, Musteline, Lagomorph, Rodent, Sciurine

Your stats don't need to reflect your race, but you can do so if you
wish. The base for all stats is 8.


2. Attributes
The next step in making this character is to decide how
to spend 10 points between the four Attributes. You
may not add more than 4 points to any one. Here are the
four Attributes and what they mean:
Physique, Deftness, Intellect, Willpower

Physique (PHYS) Physical strength, fitness, and health.
Deftness (DEFT) Manual dexterity, speed, reaction time, and agility.
Intellect (INTL) Intelligence, intuition and education.
Willpower (WILL) Personality and appearance, as well as
fortitude, empathy, and resistance to mental assault.

Individual aspects of stats (such as appearance, for Willpower, or Hit
Points for Physique) can be raised or lowered with Advantages and
Disadvantages. You may lower a Base to 7 to acquire 2 Advantage Points.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages
You can choose up to 5 points worth of Advantages. For every
point of Advantage, the character must have at least 1 point
of Disadvantage.
[The following character Advantages give further abilities:
VampFurre, Mage, Faerie_Furre, WereFurre, Psion, and Demifane.
They are currently beyond the scope of this document.]
EXPLANATIONS

DISADVANTAGES ("disads")
* Addiction_Alcoholic (2 Points)
* Addiction_Clothes (1 Point)
* Addiction_Collectibles (1 Point)
* Addiction_Euphorics (2 Points)
* Addiction_Smoking (1 Point)
* Addiction_Ostrixes (1 Point)
* Addiction_Raptors (1 Point)
* Age_Kid (1 Point)
* Deaf (2 Points)
* In_Debt (1 Point) You live in a rented room. Start with X1/2 coins.
* Hard_of_Hearing (1 Point)
* Illiterate (1 Point)
* Oathbound/Code (1 Point)
* Poor_Vision (1 Point)
* One_handed (1 Point)
* Tailless (1 Point)
* One-legged/Slowed Move (1 Point)
* Wanted (1 Point)
* Mute (1 Point)
* Foreign (1 Points)
* Uneducated (1 Point) Start with 3 Hobbies and 1 Job.
* Homely (1 Point)
* Dense (2 Points) Base INTL is decreased by 1 point.
* Fragile (1 Points) Hit Points are decreased by 2 points.
* Weak (2 Point) Your base PHYS is decreased by 1 point.
* Slow Reflexes (1 Point) -1 to your Initiative result.
* All_Thumbs (1 Points) All hand-eye skills (including weapon skills)
are performed at a -4
* Clumsy (1 Point) Base DEFT is decreased by 1 point.
* Poor (1 Point) Start with only X1/5 coins.
* Unknown (1 Point) Orphan of unknown pedigree.
* Mindmute (1)
* Mindwhipped (2 Point)
* Mindslave (3 Points)
* Drone (2 Points, Bugge Only!)

ADVANTAGES
* Boss (-2 Points) You are the head of 3 to 20 NPCs.
* Skyship (-1 Point) You own a flying ship.
* Night-vision (-1 Point) Feline Furres still need to
purchase this Advantage, or else they are limited to ordinary vision.
* Eagle_vision (-2 Points) Range penalties are 1 point lower.
* Super-keen_Smell (-3 Points) needed to be able to track someone by scent.
* Foreign_Nobility (-1 Points)
* Beautiful Singing Voice (-1 Point)
* Respected (-1 Point)
* Celebrity (-2 Points)
* Natural-born Mimic (-1 Point)
* Contortionist (-1 Point)
* Garrison (1 Point)
* Lucky (1 Point) Make Serendipity rolls at a +1.
* Attractive (1 Point) +1 in any roll where handsomeness/beauty would be a factor.
* Gorgeous* (3 Points) +3 in rolls where handsomeness/beauty would be a factor.
* Sharp (2 Points) Add 1 to base INTL.
* Hardy (1 Point) +2 Hit Points.
* Toughness (3 Points) 1 point of natural "armor" vs physical and energy damage.
* Strong (2 Points) +1 to base PHYS.
* Small Stature (1 Point) (This is an Advantage because there is a
-2 penalty to hitting you with a missile weapon.)
* Large (1 Point) +1 to Hit Points.
* Quick Reflexes (1 Point) +1 to Initiative
* Clever fingers (1 Points) +1 to rolls such as carving, painting, etc.
NEVER applies in combat.
* Ambidextrous (2 Points)
* Graceful (2 Points) +1 anywhere balance is a factor, including Dodge
but not any other Combat-related scores/rolls
* Wealthy (1 Point) Start with 1000 instead of 500 Coins. You own a house
or a small business with home attached. You get up to 3
employees/dependents.
* Rich (3 Points) Start with 2000 instead of 500 Coins. You own a small
estate. You get up to 6 employees/dependents.
* Lesser House (1 Point, Furres Only)
Your Pedigree is 11. Likely possibilities:
House Kithain (Raideth) Felines; descended from sea raiders.
House Kelmothand (Malcom) Semi-aquatic Mustelines; dates back to
the Kingdom of Tellish.
House Kosani (Lithe) Rodents, mostly Mice; famous as a banking family.
House Broderick (Aldric) Canines.
House Keung (Kosh) Tigers; trace their lineage to exiled Taigorian
warlord Jiyarr Keung.
* Furre Greater House (3 Points, not available to Bugges)
This Advantage doesn't mean as much in Drakoria as in Kasuria.
Your Pedigree is 12. Likely possibilities:
House Yasmeen (Raideth) Equines; famed for their opulent quarters.
House Kavillaur (Malcom) Heavyset Mustelines; dates back to the
Kingdom of Tellish.
House Sabine (Lithe) Feline; stereotypically swashbucklers,
and connoisseurs.
House Carthamine (Aldric) Lupine/Vulpine (Wolves and Foxes)
Rivals to Giovarri; Lord Dragar ti'Carthamine rules
Aldric.
House Giovarri (Kosh) Dominated by Wolves. The most prestigious
Canine clan.
* Wyrmme Greater House (3 Points, Wyrmmes Only)
Your Pedigree is 12. There is only one Wyrmme Great House:
Imperial House Kaut
* Highborn (2 Points, Wyrmmes only)
Your Pedigree is 11. Wyrmmes do not have Lesser Houses. They must
come from the following famous heroic Bloodlines:
Tragauth, Margaith, Hellikaun, Yarsha (It's possible that a
Furre might have a Highborn Wyrmme ancestor but a Furre
child amongst Wyrmmes would be such a disgrace that they could
never use it for status in Drakorian society.)
* Educated* (-1 Point) +1 level on the Skill Slots chart.
* Scholar* (-3 Points) +2 levels on the Skills charts
* Pet_Dracosaur (-1 Point)
* Pet_Scarhawk (-1 Point)
* Pet_Kiwi (-1 Point)
* Pet_Ostrix (-1 Points)
* Pet_Minidrake (-1 Points)
* Pet_Watchwyrm (-1 Points, Furres only.)
* Wyrmme Heritage (-1 Point)

* VampFurre (-3 Points)
* Faerie_Furre (-3 Points)
* WereFurre (-3 Points)
* Mage (-3 Points)

* ElvenFurre (-2 Points)
* Demifane (-2 Points)
* Psion (-2 Points)

4. Skills
The number and level of skills you start with is based on
your character's Intellect.

SKILL SLOTS
INT
7 1 Job, 2 Hobbies
8 1 Job, 3 Hobbies
9 2 Jobs, 2 Hobbies
10 1 Vocation, 1 Job, 1 Hobby
11 1 Vocation, 2 Jobs, 1 Hobby
12 1 Vocation, 3 Jobs, 1 Hobby
13 2 Vocations, 2 Jobs, 1 Hobby

POSSIBLE SKILLS

Easy Skills (-1 penalty for use without having the skill)
WEAPONS (based on DEX) Specify a weapon type: Axes, Blades, Bludgeons, Flails,
Staves, Spears, Thrown Blades, Thrown Spears, Whips, Slings, Bows, Crossbows,
Shield Use
BODY SKILLS (based on DEX)
Acrobat, Climber, CourtlyDancing, EscapeArtist, OstrixRider, ScarhawkRider
Stealth, ValgorianDance, Bitefighting, Clawfighting, Fisticuffs,
Kickfighting
HOME SKILLS (based on INT)
Cooking, Matchmaker, Physicker

Hard Skills (-4 penalty for use without having the skill)
STREET SKILLS
(based on DEX) Lockpicking, Pawmagery, Pickpocketing, Forgery
(based on INT) Detective, Disguise, Streetwise, Voicetricks
COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE (based on INT)
Alchemist, Architect, Cartographer, Astrologer, Astronomer, Etiquette,
Heraldry, History, Religion, Shipwright
BARD SKILLS
(based on DEX) Reedwind -Reedwinds can only be played by Equines.
Drummer, Flute, Harper, Lute, Pennywhistle, Recorder, Trumpet
(based on INT)
Composer, Jester, Poet, Singer, Ventriloquist
KNOWLEDGE CRAFTS (based on INT) Baker, Birdtrainer, Boater, Brewer, Butcher,
Distiller, Dyer, Farmer, Falconer, Fuller, Gambler, Glazier,
Merchant, Miller, Sailor, Survival, Tanner, Teamster, Tinker, Vintner
HANDICRAFTS (based on DEX) Armorsmith, Basketweaver, Blacksmith, Bowyer,
Carpenter, Cartwright, Chandler, Cobbler, Cooper, Coppersmith, Finesmith,
Fletcher, Glassblower, Illuminator, Jeweller, Leatherworker, Locksmith,
Netmaker, Oculist, Paintersketcher, Potter, Ropemaker, Saddler, Sculptor,
Spinner, Stonemason, Tailor, Weaponsmith, Weaver
LANGUAGES
KASURIA: The base language of Kasuria is Kasurian.
OLDE WORLD: Alemans (Alemanish States), Anglish (Albion), Barabic (Barabia),
Erish (Eriu), Criptic (Aegypt), Espallish (Espallia), Frrench (Frrance),
Kantenganese (Katenga Tribal Lands; many dialects), Kohazzi (Kohazzah),
Latalian ("the scholar's tongue"), Portigese (Portiga),
Pawlish (Mountain Lands of Vorsava), Rrussian (Moscavy),
Taigorian (Taigorian Lands), Valgorian, Therian (Catolia),
Croadan ("gutterspeech")
DRAKORIA:
Buggish, High Drakorian, Low Drakorian, Smargish, Glimmerish
WRITING (based on INT) Therian, Barabic (used for Barabic and Kohazzi)
Taigorian (used for Taigorian), Magian

5. Finishing Touches

HIT POINTS
PHYS HP
7 5 an elderly person with fragile bones
8 6 a child or younger teen, a typical phoenix
9 8 a typical musteline, rodent or lagomorph
10 10 a typical canine or feline
11 13 Indiana Jones, Lara Croft. A typical equine or dragon.
12 17 Conan the Barbarian, Wonder Woman
13 22 The Terminator, Metropolita

UNARMED DAMAGE
*Typical Furres don't do much damage to one another
with their fists.
PHY 1-2/3-8/9-10 on a d10 roll
7 0/1/1
8 1/1/1
9 1/1/2
10 1/2/3
11 2/3/4
12 2/4/6
13 3/5/7

INITIATIVE
DEF 1-2/3-8/9-10 on a d10 roll
7 0/1/1
8 1/1/1
9 1/1/2
10 1/2/3
11 2/3/4
12 2/4/6
13 3/5/7

MOVE
DEF inches/diamonds in 1 Round
7 3
8 4
9 5
10 6
11 7
12 8

6. POSSESSIONS

MONEY
Each character starts with 500 coins, unless
they have taken the Poverty Disadvantage.

RESIDENCE
It is assumed your character rents but does not own a place to live.
(Money for this doesn't need to be tracked.)

STARTING EQUIPMENT
If a weapon is wielded 2-handed, reduce its PHYS requirement by 2. If
the character's PHYS is too low, subtract one point from their
effective weapon skill per point they fall short. All costs are in
Coins.


Axes Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Hatchet 35 +1 2/4/6 8
Light Axe 70 +1 3/5/7 9
Wood Axe 95 0 4/6/8 10
Battleaxe 160 0 5/7/9 11
War Axe 215 -1 6/8/10 12
Great Axe 330 -1 6/9/12 13

Blades Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Long Knife 25 +3 1/2/3 5
Foil 35 +4 1/2/3 7
Short Sw. 70 +1 3/5/7 7
Cutlass 95 +2 3/5/7 9
Sword 125 +1 4/6/8 10
Longsword 195 +1 5/7/9 11
Bastid Sw.255 0 6/8/10 12
Greatsw. 375 0 6/9/12 13

Bludgeons Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Baton 20 +5 0/1/1 5
Club 20 +4 1/1/2 7
Mace 45 +3 2/3/4 9
Morningstar55 +2 2/4/6 10
Warhammer 95 +2 3/5/7 11
BattleMace195 +1 5/7/9 13

Flails Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Lt. Flail 55 +2 2/4/6 7
Flail 125 +1 4/6/8 9
Hvy.Flail 255 0 6/8/10 11
War Flail 480 -1 7/10/13 13

Staves Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Staff 20 +4 1/2/3 9
Quarterst. 45 +3 2/4/6 11
Iron Staff 95 +2 4/6/8 13
*Stave always require 2 hands.

Spears Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Javelin 25 +3 1/2/3 7
ShortSpear 55 +2 2/4/6 9
Pitchfork 125 -2 6/8/10 11
Spear 160 0 5/7/9 12
Trident 215 -1 6/8/10 12
Pike 330 -1 6/9/12 14

Whips Cost Hit Dmg PHYS
Whip 15 +4 1/1/1 7
Cat o' 20 +2 1/2/3 8
9 Tails
Bullwhip 30 +2 2/3/4 9
*Whips cannot be used 2-handed.

THROWING WEAPONS:
Range = 3+character's PHYS - weapon's PHYS requirement.
(Staves and whips can't be thrown.)

MISSILE WEAPONS:

Slings Cost Hit Dmg PHYS RANGE
Light 5 +1 1/1/2 7 18
Medium 15 0 2/3/4 9 24
Heavy 65 -1 3/5/7 11 30

Bows Cost Hit Dmg PHYS RANGE
Short 70 +1 2/4/6 8 18
Medium 125 +1 3/5/7 9 24
Long 255 0 5/7/9 11 30

Xbows Cost Hit Dmg PHYS RANGE
Light 335 +2 5/7/9 9 30
Medium 75 +1 6/9/12 11 36
Heavy 940 0 8/11/14 13 42
*Crossbows require an action to reload
after the action in which they were shot.
They can be fired 1-handed but require
two to reload.

RANGE MODIFIERS FOR THROWN & MISSILE WEAPONS:
Range Modifier
Point blank (adjacent square) -2
2-4 0
5-8 -1
9-16 -2
17-32 -3
33-64 -4

AMMO:
Sling stones 1 coins per 5
Arrows and Quarrels 5 coins per 3

ARMOR:
Armor softens the impact of attacks in battle.
The DEFT limit is the maximum DEFT a character
may use while wearing that armor (affects
initiative and all DEFT skills such as attacks
and Dodges).

Armor Cost Phys/Enrg. DEFT
Leather 75 +2/+1 13
Studded 100 +3/+2 12
Scale/Chain 400 +4/+3 11
Full Plate 1200 +6/+4 9

Helmet Cost Phys/Enrg
Cloth Cap 10 +0+0
Leather Cap 20 +0/+0
Chain Coif 40 +1/+0
Metal Cap 60 +1/+1
Full Helm 100 +2/+1 (-1 to perception type rolls)
Helmet bonuses are added to the character's overall armor.

Shields Cost Parry Hits PHYS
Small 100 +1 6 8
Medium 200 +2 9 10
Large 400 +3 12 12

*Shields require one free paw, and have a PHYS
requirement. For every point by which a character
does not meet that requirement, they suffer a -1
to their Shield skill total.

---

* Pocket Universe Damage Table *

ARMOR
DAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2
6 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 2
7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3
8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4
9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 5
10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6
11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7
12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8
13 13 12 12 11 11 10 10 9
14 13 13 12 12 11 11 10 10

* This table does *not* follow the
Pocket Universe formula precisely.
Small changes were made to produce
a smoother progression of numbers.

---

GAMEMASTERING

DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF RP
Within the category of "Roleplayers", there are many
different ways to RP. One of the most crucial decisions a
Roleplaying Group has to make, is what kind of RP to support,
encourage, and enforce prevent future confusion and conflict,
each Group or GM shoulds to decide

-what, and how much, every participating player can
be expected to have read
-what "mature themes" are permitted- what kind of
language (profanity, explicit) is acceptable
-what circumstances obligate a character to die
-whether or not to permit OOC questions relevant to
your own or another question.
-how Combat is to be handled.-how Injury is to be handled.
-how Captivity is to be handled.

The best roleplaying seems to grow out of a single
unified basic philosophy and level of strictness, instead
of having varying levels of strictness for all the different
features. There are MANY different "optimums" not covered
here. You should consider devising your own "formula", of
course, for your own Group. Here are three possibilities:

Cool 1: "Except for what the game world does not permit, I
control my character almost completely." This level of Cool
keeps the suspense, violence, and tragedy limited to what
you might see in a Saturday morning adventure cartoon.
Your character can't die under Cool 1.

Cool 2: "I exist in the Continuity. I have partial control
of my character." This is the level of adventure you can
expect from a prime-time TV show or a PG movie. Under
Cool 2, your character can't die unless you choose to let it.

Cool 3: "I embrace my destiny, and I shall live like a hero
in a chaotic world." Under Cool 3, your Furre may be killed
without your permission. The action is *still* limited to
what is "PG" but the flavor of the game can be much more
grim. This is the kind of action you might expect in a
horror movie. At Cool 3, your character dies if that is
what circumstances and chance dictate.



EXPERIENCE

Awarding Experience Points

For a game with a GM: 1-3 points may be awarded per session.
Portraying the character, 1 point
Surviving lethal combat, 1 point
Furthering plot & reinforcing continuity, 1 point

For a persistent game generally run by a bot:
A player may commend another player's RP for
portraying the character, furthering plots, and/or
reinforcing the continuity. A player may commend
another player up to once every 2 weeks. Players
may not commend characters from their own IP.

Commendations translate into experience points
by the following schedule:

1 ----> .5
2-3 ---> 1
4-6 ---> 1.5
7-10 --> 2
11-15 -> 2.5
16+ ---> 3

Spending Experience Points

Skill Slot Costs: Cost to upgrade from previous level
Attribute+0 (a hobby) 1
Attribute+1 (a job) 2
Attribute+2 (a vocation 3
Attribute+3 4
Attribute+N N+1


DICE

Furre! only requires 2 10-sided dice for each player.
Dice are simulated on Furcadia! using the Roll command. Just
type:roll XdY where X is the number of dice and Y is the
number of sides.roll XdY+Z where Z is added to the total
also works. ROLL XdY will tell you the specific results,
which is useful herebecause it matters if your roll
"doubles" in Furre.

---

COMBAT
In an online game, the attacker poses what their character is
attempting, then relevant die rolls are made. Then it is the
defender who poses the outcome.

INITIATIVE
Combat is accomplished in "Rounds", made up of "Turns".
Each player rolls a d10, and translates this to one of three
Initiative numbers. At the start of each Round, players
announce what they are doing, in order from worst to best
Initiative. They take their Turns in order from best to
worst. A furre may hold their Turn indefinitely,
interrupting to pre-empt the Turn of anyone without an "older" saved
Turn. (They may not save up more than one Turn.)

DEFT 1-2/3-8/9-10 on a d10 roll
7 0/1/1
8 1/1/1
9 1/1/2
10 1/2/3
11 2/3/4
12 2/4/6
13 3/5/7

ACTIONS
A Turn may consists of Actions (things that require
a die roll), and Movement. A Furre may do things
other than what they Declared, at a penalty of -4 to all Actions.
Movement may include trivial things like picking up a weapon,
drawing a weapon, etc. A change in location of up to 4 squares
is permitted (no diagonal movement). Movement may be done either
before or after the die-roll Action(s) but it may not be broken up
into Move-Act-Move.

IMPORTANT: DOUBLES ARE CRITICALS
Any roll of doubles is either a critical success or
critical failure. (Use `ROLL' instead of the `roll' command.)
Players who "overextend" by daring to take
too many Actions, etc., are risking a greater chance of rotten
consequences. Roll a d10.

CRITICAL SUCCESSES
ROLL
1 Target's armor damaged, losing -1/-1 before attack damage is applied.
For no armor, use 2.
2 Attacker gets an extra Action after this one, with no further
Multiple Action penalty.
3 Target falls down, requiring a full Turn to get up again.
4 Target gets only 1/2 normal armor protection (round down) vs this attack.
5 Target takes its own PHYS roll in damage; its armor does count towards damage.
6 Target drops something. If nothing is droppable, use 3.
7 Free Head Shot. Target gets only Helmet value for armor.
If any points get through, target must roll their PHYS-2
on 2d10 to stay conscious. (They can make regular rolls to
regain consciousness.)
9 Target disarmed. For no weapons, use 3.
10 Roll twice & combine.

CRITICAL FAILURES
1 Strike wrong target (Target's player chooses.)
Roll 2d10 to get 10-new target's Defense Modifier to hit.
2 Target gets a free roll to hit.
3 Attacker falls down. Takes a full Turn to get back up.
4 Weapon jammed. Takes a full Turn to unjam it.
If not possible, defaults to 5.
5 Attacker takes its own PHYS roll in damage. Its armor
counts.
6 Attacker drops something. Defaults to 7.
7 Weapon stuck. Roll damage. You must roll that amount
or higher on your PHYS roll to free the weapon.
It takes a full Move to try.
8 Attacker's armor is damaged, losing -1/-1 protection.
9 Attacker off-balance, and loses 1 point of Defense
until they take their next Turn.
10 Roll twice & combine.

KNOCKOUT
A character that takes over 1/2 their remaining hits in one blow
falls unconscious.

ATTACK ACTIONS
Punching. The player rolls 2d10. To hit, they must roll:
(DEFT + Punch Skill Plusses - Opponent's Melee Defense) or lower.
If successful, they roll d10 to determine one of the three
possible Unarmed Damage amounts. This is compared on the
Total Armor table, to find the points of damage that get
through.
Kick. The player rolls 2d10. To hit, they must roll:
(DEFT + Kick Skill Plusses - Opponent's Melee Defense) or lower.
If successful, they roll d10 one level higher on the Damage
chart (for example, a character with PHYS 11 has a Damage
roll of 2/3/4). This is compared on the
Total Armor table, to find the points of damage that get
through.
Melee Weapon Attack. The character rolls 2d10. To hit, they must roll:
(DEFT + Weapon Skill Plusses - Opponent's Melee Defense) or lower.
If successful, they roll d10 for the weapon's Damage. This is compared on the
Total Armor table, to find the points of damage that get
through.
Missile Weapon Attack. The character rolls 2d10. To hit, they must roll:
(DEFT + Weapon Skill Plusses - Range Modifiers - Opponent's Missile Defense)
If successful, they roll d10 for the weapon's Damage. This is compared on the
Total Armor table, to find the points of damage that get
through.


COMBAT MANEUVERS
Multiple Actions -2 to each Action
Avoid Armor -1 to hit per point of armor worn.
Desperation +2 to PHYS (recalculate damage), +2 Damage levels,
-2 on all skill checks and defense until
they take their turn the next Round.
Disarm -2 to hit, inflicts no damage. On a successful roll,
target must roll their PHYS-1 or less on 2d10 or else
drop the object specified. Picking it up again requires
Movement.
Full Defense Character sacrifices their full Action to receive a +2
to their Defensive Value. This lasts until they take their
next Turn.
Death Blow An attacker may attempt to slay their opponent instantly
by scoring a hit on a vital organ. The difficulty penalty
is -8. If the death blow hits and inflicts any damage past the
target's armor, the target must roll their PHYS or less on
2d10 at a penalty of -1 per point of damage inflicted. If
the roll fails, the target dies instantly. If the roll
succeeds, the target is left bleeding 1 hit point per combat
round, either until htey die or are healed.
(Note to paper-game GMs: NPC's should only use death blows in
pivotal plot-critical duels.)
Grapple Attacker rolls to hit using the Grapple skill.
On a successful hit, the attacker gets the defender in
a hold. A grapple inflicts no damage but if the Grapple roll
is successful then the victim is completely immobilized.
They may perform no Actions (no headbutting, no biting,
no psionic tricks, no magic, etc.) A grappler may "squeeze"
to deal their PHYS roll in damage to their victim. Squeezing
takes a full Turn. The defender may either attempt to
break free or counter-grapple on their own Action (these
are both counted as Movement). To break free, the defender
rolls their PHYS roll. The attacker rolls their PHYS roll
to resist the escape. If the defender rolls higher, then
they escape the grapple, and may take their full Movement
and Action(s). A successful counter-grapple enables them
to use their full Action to inflict PHYS damage. A Grapple
may be attempted at a -3 penalty to hit, to put the opponent
in a hold from which they can do nothing but attempt to
escape.
Two-weapon Style ("Florentine") Characters may carry two 1-handed
weapons, one in each hand. The two weapons may both be used to
attack, at a penalty of -1 to hit with each. Attacks beyond this
incur the normal Multiple Action penalties. A wepaon in the "off
hand" suffers an additional -1 penalty to hit, and the PHYS requirement
of off-hand weapons is increased by two points.

BITE (information to come)
TRIP (information to come)
OFFENSIVE ASSIST (information to come)


DEFENSE VALUES
This is a tricky chapter but it's crucial to correct execution of combat:

Every character has a Melee Defense Modifier and Missile Defense Modifier.
This is a number subtracted from an opponent's chance to affect you. Some
Defense Modifiers can come from several possible places; the player may
choose which one to use. To calculate a Defense Modifier, add the relevant
Attribute+Skill and subtract 10. (If the character is VERY bad at it,
the Defense Modifier can even give the opponent a bonus to hit them!)

Defense Type Legal Sources
MELEE DEFT+Dodge, DEFT+Shield, DEFT+Weapon, or DEFT+Kick.
(Add Parry Bonus if using a Shield.)
MISSILE DEFT+Dodge or DEFT+Shield

TAKING DAMAGE
When you have less than half your hit points (ignore fractions), you are
Heavily Injured, and receive a -3 penalty to all physical Actions
and all Actions requiring attention, such as spellcasting or
psionics. (Initiative, Damage, etc. are unaffected.)


For all attacks, add the points from Armor and
Helmets together, plus 1 if the character has Toughness,
then compare rating to the amount of damage taken, to
find the number of points that get through.
(Copy the relevant line onto the character sheet.)


Total Actual Damage Taken
Armor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 1 1 3 3 5 5 7 7 9 9 11 11 13 13
2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
3 0 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12
4 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
5 0 0 1 2 3 3 5 5 7 7 9 9 11 11
6 0 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
7 0 0 1 1 2 3 4 4 6 6 8 8 10 10
8 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WAKING FROM UNCONSCIOUSNESS
A character must roll their remaining PHYS+2 or less on 2d10. This
takes place between Turns, starting with the end of the Turn in which they
went unconscious.

HEALING
A character normally heals one hit point per day of rest. Magical
healing is not very powerful in the Furre! universe. A character can
receive magical healing only once per day, whether it is a potion or a
character attempting a spell. Further attempts (by the same mage or by
others) have no effect.
Roll d10: 1-2, gain 1 HP. 4-8, gain 3 HP. 9-10, gain 5 HP.
One psihealer may also make a separate attempt to heal.
Roll d10: 1-2, gain 1 HP. 4-8, gain 2 HP. 9-10, gain 3 HP.
For each 2 points the psihealer heals, they receive 1 point of damage
on their own body (round down). As with magic, further attempts have
no effect.

DYING
A character whose total remaining hit points fall below zero is dying.
A dying character loses an additional hit point per minute from blood loss.
Bleeding can be stopped by a successful INT+PhysickerSkillPlusses roll.
When the character's hit points drop to the negative value of their original
Hits, they are dead.

IC versus OOC
These abbreviations stand for In Character and Out Of Character.
IC refers to the appearance, feelings, possessions, events, and
so forth of your character. OOC refers to your real-life self.
(*IC and OOC were invented by Talzhemir in 1994 for the LambdaMOO
RPG. Prefacing speech with them was first coded for her by Malcolm
"Marat" McDowell, and popularized on MUSHes by Brian "Dusk/Monk/Kynwal" Holmes.)
Dividing things into IC and OOC is the heart and soul of roleplaying.
Players try to keep up an illusion, a shared "reality" called a
"continuity". Each Group runs its own Continuity, and in one
Continuity, all others don't exist. They aren't parallel dimensions,
you can't get from one of them to another. It's good etiquette to
keep OOC things as hidden as possible while playing. For instance,
you should walk out of everyone's "sight" before you log off.

OOC SPEECH
In an all-IC area, it's sometimes necessary to address everyone
on the OOC level. One convention is to put your OOC speech in
parentheses. Please keep OOC chatter to a minimum, and please
keep it relevant to the RPG and all the players. It's not
considered acceptable to use it for announcing the winner of
an ongoing football game, OOCly hugging your pals, etc., etc..

If a /whisper will do, use that instead! In a private scene,
you can relax the above somewhat.

ONLINE TIP: Please be careful when you use pronouns. They're
potentially confusing and it wastes time to ask someone what
they meant by "you" and "it".

EMITS
In a private scene in your Dream, or when you are running a
game online as a GM, you can also do scene-setting poses,
things that aren't your own character's doing. This kind of
narration is called an "emit" or an "attributed spoof". It's
also good to relieve the repetitiveness of every pose beginning
with your own name.

emit A cool wind ruffles your hair. Melissa sighs and gives back the flower...
[*] A cool wind ruffles your hair. Melissa sighs and gives back
the flower...

---

ROLEPLAYING ETIQUETTE

Your Group may or may not follow these conventions. They are
useful for helping to preserve the continuity and making play more fair.

SECRETS, AND YOUR DESCRIPTION

It's okay to say that you're a vampire in your description
in Persona Play, even though there is no visible "virtual" clue.
You're just "jumpstarting" the action by letting other players
know, Out Of Character, what you are like. In Roleplaying,
though, giving away In Character secrets is considered twinky
because it's spoiling the surprise.
In Roleplaying, your name and nature are normally only
known to those to whom you have introduced yourself. If you
want to Roleplay, it's better not to write in the names of
organizations to which you belong, IC. If you want to be
open about your identity, get creative. For example, you
might wear your faction's heraldic colors, or a medallion
or ring, and describe their insignia.
In a roleplaying description it is acceptable to write out
your entire Longname. It's less acceptable to write "Jojoba
likes to think about jousting." or "Jojoba is Daniel's father."
--How would anybody ICly know? We'll go so far as to assume that
if your longname is in your description, you're well-known enough
that folks could ask around and get your first and House name,
then go to the Pala Mestra (Hall of Living Memory, sort of like
a village library) and look up the rest.
If you are Roleplaying somebody secretive, it makes good
sense not to put in your longname. If you are Roleplaying
somebody "famous" (has the Reputation Advantage; see Advantages
later on), it makes good sense to put in your longname and maybe
even habits you have that are common knowledge: "Jojoba can
often be found nursing a Dark Beer over at the Glaive."


BEING PRESENT
If you're walking about in an "IC" region, you're present.
Consent doesn't allow you to be an OOC observer rather than a
participant. Although many roleplayers don't mind OOC observers,
we respect the wishes of the majority, who feel that if you aren't
contributing to the scene, you should leave.
Amongst skilled veteran RPers, it's a common unspoken rule
etiquette that you should let each person speak once, before
speaking again. If you lose interest and stop posing/speaking,
the others may very well halt, and you'll have wasted their time.
A TIP: Pose Quickly, Don't Multiworld. The credibility of
your pose is strongly helped by responding with decent speed.
It may surprise you that a speedily returned pose or emote
conveys more excitement than an adjective describing your
character's agitated state. To convey being interested in
someone, also, write faster. Shorter poses/speeches also
communicate excitement. If you have a "slow connection", and
your poses are held up by genuine lag, please be sure to tell
other players. They'll usually understand. On the other hand,
multiworlding is not acceptable an excuse. Please don't lag
because you're busy in another scene or playing another game!
As always, common sense and courtesy are the important things here.

CONTINUITIES
Roleplaying "with a capital R" automatically assume
that you are playing in a "Continuity", a consistent
train of events, where what you Roleplayed yesterday
leads to what happens today, and what you Roleplay today,
shapes what will happen tomorrow. Continuity also
includes what things do and don't already exist in the
game world.
It's frowned on in Roleplaying to invent your own
character classes, supernatural beings, major personalities,
factions, major history, special powers, and so on. Yet,
there is room for creativity. Suppose you invent the
Knights of Talthybia, who are immune to VampFurre bites,
regenerate extremely fast, and are famous as destroyers
of the Undead.
There are repercussions to this background. For
example, players of older VampFurre probably should be
made familiar with the Knights' existence. It's wise to
ask for approval from the Group or GM first. Perhaps
they will refuse because it implies events not in line
with the known Continuity. Group or GM are in no way
obligated to approve the Knights of Talthybia concept.
The Group or GM should not be expected to negotiate or
review the possibility of a new kind of character.

For those who play in Goldwyn, our "default" Continuity,
the Dragonlands, is in effect, and it's the only valid
Continuity for Goldwyn. For example, in the Dragonlands,
there are evil monstrous-looking Quarter Dark Primes, but
there are no `demons'. "Demons" and anything like "hell"
are not "according to canon" part of the official
Continuity, and therefore, don't exist there.


THEFT
In Roleplaying (as opposed to Persona Play), anything
that's dramatically important should be done with a die
roll. Pickpocketing is one of them, because a failed
attempt could have all kinds of IC consequences (like
getting arrested and losing a paw if you happen to be
in Barabia). A Group might specify that a Group-sanctioned
Judge be present for an action such as theft.
Being willing to permit your Furre to be imperfect
and not immediately notice pickpocketing and going out
of your way to let other players have fun are two of
the traits that will build you up in others' eyes.
Sometimes you even get a chance to be creative and
express something about your Furre's personality. Are
they carrying a lutepick? a bookmark? souvenir coins
from religious pilgrimmages? good luck charms?
Unless a Group rule says otherwise, an attempt at
theft is something to which the victim's
player must consent when Roleplaying. Circumstances and
die rolls determine the rest. The consequences if the
thief is caught, are also something to which the player
does not get a choice about consenting. In-character
actions yield fair in-character consequences.
Roleplaying is more "hardball" than Persona Play, and
an important principle is that other players should be
given the opportunity to use the abilities they ICly possess.

PROPERTY
If you create a personal place, it's really up to
the Group to give it a "seal of approval" before you
can declare that it exists in the Group's continuity.
If your furre is a poor traveller with twelve copper
pieces to his good name, it might violate Continuity
for him to own a palace with a huge marble spa.

PROPERTY DAMAGE
Affecting other furres' property is generally
only done with the permission of the Group or a GM.
Most Groups don't want to have to deal with this
kind of behind-the-scenes interaction. Some Groups
would make the would-be arsonist make die rolls in
their presence to hint whether or not they get
caught or if there were witnesses, etc., etc.. In
general, though, this is the kind of Roleplaying to
avoid, because it usually forces alot of different
people to put in time and effort.

PARENTHOOD
Normally, in-character actions should lead to
in-character results. In this specific case, though,
it is good RP etiquette to insist that a player's
OOC permission must be given before having their
IC children.
This control doesn't normally extend to
descendants of your offspring. The players of
your IC children have complete control over
whether or not they have their own kids, and
these will all be your IC descendants.

RAPE
Many players feel that rape is too offensive
to be a topic in a roleplaying game, and, out of
respect for those who have experienced it, or
whose loved ones have experienced it, they choose
to ban it from their continuity. It is our
experience that it can sour the atmosphere . Rape
events that are not roleplayed-out still have a
way of leaking out into the continuity, by simply
being mentioned, as background or offstage events.
It's well past Furcadia's PG-13 rating, into R or NC-17.
No player should ever feel obligated to go
through this kind of plotline or scene. Furcadia
doesn't encourage or condone it, and if you feel
uncomfortable about RP, you should stop immediately.

DEATH
Death in an online game can cause surprising
amounts of damage to OOC relationships. It also
hurts a Group's Continuity, where living characters
hold the storylines together like a net. You may
notice that the Furre! game tends to be nonlethal.
When death does occur, it's generally no accident,
and should be given its dramatic due. That means
a character doesn't come back from being dead
without the intervention of either the Group or
the GM. Note that if a character dies in one
Group, they might still exist in the Continuity
of another. By default, every Group gets its
own Continuity, and Continuities are completely
independent.


THE RETCON RUILE
Retcon is short for 'RETroactive CONtinuity.'
Sometimes a player makes a mistake, for instance
posing that they polish their sword when the sword
was dropped elsewhere earlier. The polite thing to
do is for the player to make a quick OOC
announcement that the previous action didn't
occur, and for other players to go on.
(Acknowledge the retcon with PRIVATE pages please.)
You can only Retcon something that just
happened. You can only Retcon your OWN actions.
The purpose of a Retcon is not to explore a
tree of possibilities relying on different
decisions or let a player make up for an action
that results in something they don't like. The
purpose of a Retcon is to repair damaged
continuity as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Retcons can't be used to "take back" an action
with a dice roll involved. Whether you succeed,
fail or fumble, that action has already taken
place in the game's continuity.

THE TIMESTOP RULE
The moment a fight breaks out, a Timestop
needs to be called. This is to prevent players
from calling in their buddies (even if they
have in-character means to do so!). Anybody
can demand a Timestop. Then, actions are
taking place in slow motion. If others happen
along, it's automatically assumed that they're
too late. Once the fight has ended all
participants who wish, may depart unseen,
unhindered. The Timestop rule prevents
fights from growing so big they take forever.

WHEN SOMEBODY WON'T "PLAY RIGHT"
Furcadia's Staff won't be the authority
figures when you Persona or Roleplay. If your
furre walks into a restaurant and uses a
flamethrower to set all the tables on fire
but nobody reacts to this IC action, we won't
do anything. Furcadia doesn't force anybody
to Roleplay or Persona Play.
If you're serious about having things
make sense, you need to get with a group of
players who have granted somebody the authority
to take action guarding their Continuity.
In Furcadia, these are our Groups.
If you all belong to the same Group
and using a flamethrower in-character is
acceptable, then you might lodge a complaint
with your fellow players. Groups shouldn't
generally be counted upon to be rules
enforcers; the object is for players to
decide in a mature fashion amongst themselves
whenever possible.
If you find that someone is doing things
such as routinely acting on information they
shouldn't have In Character, or doing things
their character wouldn't be able to do, you
may report them to your Group and refuse to
play with them. A Group is like a union, preserving
the Continuity and keeping up standards of gameplay.

THE SERENDIPITY RULE
This is for when you want to decide whether or
not a non-combat prop is present in a scene. In a
game that has a GM, the GM may choose to call for a
Serendipity Roll rather than arbitrarily make
something up. This is because sometimes GMs like
to be surprised right along with the players.
This rule is mainly intended for use online
where the setting is handled more by a cooperative
consensus. A Serendipity Roll should only be made
once per scene, and you must explain what your
character is searching for, and get the assent
of all those present BEFORE you try to make the
roll. After the scene, the prop is gone; do not
keep it and add it to your character sheet.

Roll 2d10 and on an 11 or less, the item is there.
Add +1 for each point of INTL above 10 to spot the item,
but subtract 1 for each point of INTL below 10.

Modifiers:
-ubiquitous to the setting but
there's a chance of failure
(a pencil or pen in an office;
a pinecone in a forest) +6
-appropriate to the setting and
not necessarily in full view
(a yearbook in a student's
bedroom; a teddybear in a
household with a child) +3
- item is somewhat common
but not especially appropriate
or inappropriate (an onion
in a refrigerator) +0
-common but somewhat
inappropriate to the setting:
(a telephone book in a car),
or, common but with a more
specific requirement (a
white rose) -3
-inappropriate to the setting
but it's possible (a silver
dagger or letter opener in
the attic) -6


ON BEING A BETTER PLAYER
Remember that roleplaying is a bit more than
wearing a mask, it's running a subprogram in your mind.
The events that happen in the game cause very real
emotions, with accompanying physiological hormonal
effects. How strong this is, varies greatly, depends
on the player, the character, the situation, etc.
In general, though, if you experience sadness, joy,
excitement with others, you can expect to feel a
real kinship with them. Pretend-battles can lead
to real friendships.


WHEN YOUR OWN RP MAKES YOU MISERABLE
Sometimes you may feel locked into an action by
your character's nature. You might find yourself roleplaying
out a course of action even though it makes you, the player,
deeply unhappy. This is called "Hanging yourself on the
Tree of Roleplaying," and we don't think it's healthy or
necessary. As a Roleplayer you have a reasonable obligation
to uphold the Continuity, but you also have an obligation to
yourself to... Have a good time!
Roleplaying "martyrdom" may get you attention but
"method-acting", throwing yourself utterly into their pawsteps,
isn't the point of the game. Roleplaying is discovering and
portraying your character's "hooks" and having "character
developments" over time. Sometimes you lose old "hooks" and
sometimes you gain new ones. The best roleplaying is finding
the compromise between that which makes you, as player, happy
yet makes your character's story dramatic and satisfying.

WHAT IS THE "CONSENT RULE"?
Persona Play is Furcadia's default and it has one main rule,
called the Consent Rule. Very simply: If somebody poses or says
something that implies your cooperation, you can act like it
didn't happen. This document, though, is not about how to
conduct Persona Play. This book is about Roleplaying.

(I posted the 'relevant' portion first.
Almost forgot this; it's important.

After 1996, all online RP of Pern *was* banned by the holders of the Pern copyright and patent. Existing games that had been granted official permission are grandfather-claused, and therefore permitted.

http://www.annemccaffrey.org/BookPages/FAQ.html#Answer1

For future reference, "Canon" Furcadia is distinguished from patented Pern by the following:

1. There's no magic in Pern. There's lots of it in Furcadia.
2. Physically, the dragons look different. Furcadian dragons look much like traditional European dragons. Pern dragons have smooth skin. Furcadian dragons have scales. Pern dragons have heads with eyebrow ridges and knobs. Furcadian dragons have cheekfins and fin-like crests that they can use to express themselves. Pern dragons' eyes change colors to show their emotions, Furcadian dragons' don't.
3. Pern dragons come in 5 colors. Furcadian riding-dragons are wildly varied.
4. Pern dragons choose their riders telepathically, consistently discriminating on the basis of gender and sexual-preference. Furcadian riding-dragons don't choose.
5. Pern dragons die without a Rider. Furcadian riding-dragons move on and don't even wonder what might have been.
6. Pern dragons can only bond to riders of a certain young age range. Furcadian riding-dragons can have a rider of any age.
7. Pern Impression requires only an appropriate rider. Furcadian riding-dragons are Bonded in a magical ceremony developed by the Wyrmmes, and it requires a secret musical tune.
8. Pern Dragons have the intelligence of 3-5 year old humans. It's rare but Furcadian riding-dragons can live for centuries, and can eventually be as intelligent as an adult human.
9. Pern Dragons die if their Riders die. Furcadian riding-dragons don't.
10. A Pern Rider can have only one Dragon. A Furcadian Rider can have as many as he/she can get. (The historical Furcadian record is six, and upon attempting to Bond with a seventh, the rider was driven insane.)
11. Pern dragons were genetically engineered by Kitty Ping. They are endotherms. Furcadian riding-dragons (sometimes called "True Dragons" by Furres) were created by Chim and Patrilius, to fool Dyarra into thinking they were re-creating the Wyrmmes. They are ectotherms-- preventing invasion of Kasuria by Drakoria because the region where they come close is in the cold north.

And if that isn't enough to distinguish Furcadia from Pern,

12. Pern is populated by humans (and some sentient dolphins), who came from Earth. Furcadia is populated by funny-animal guys in a universe where Earth never existed.

Dear friends,

I've noticed the controversy over magical healing here. Speaking as Harshlaw's creator,
there's a clear answer as to what role magical healing plays in Drakoria. When the
Dragonlands were created, a lot of thought went into this topic, and I have longstanding
definite answers here.

This isn't me giving new rules; you're free to RP as you see fit, and more power to ya.
This is just me expressing what magic in Harshlaw was meant to be like, and the way that
it's portrayed in any canon fiction.


1. In Both Drakoria and Kasuria, Magic is Common

That means that the typical furre, when they're hurt, may cry out for the healer-mage or
the shaman-herbalist before they ask for a mundane medic. Magic works better than mundane
healing. With magic, bones don't set crooked and cuts don't leave scars.

If you're a non-magical healer, you're second fiddle, at best. Furres don't come to you
unless they have to, and you might even be regarded as a quack, because what you do isn't
viewed as much better than just cleaning the injury and letting the body take its own
course. Kasurian "Chirurgery" or "Physicking" involves leeches, smelly mundane potions,
small branding irons for cauterization, needles strung with fine ostrix-sinew filaments to
sew things up. (The commoner's view is that wounds go septic because the Dark Primes can
then send small evil spirits into your breached hide- and some guy thinks pouring rum into
the wound, and sewing the cut up will be enough? That's just crazy-talk.)


2. Disease is Rare

Most Drakorian deaths are due to violence. If they make it through a fight, and a magical
healer gets to them, they will most likely live.

If a furre reaches old age in Drakoria, they usually view it as extra opportunity to find
glory through death in combat. They don't hang back hoping to eke out a few more years.
They're likely to view themselves as a burden to the tribe-- they can't work, they can't
bear and raise children anymore. What else are they for, if not to save the rest of the
tribe in heroic sacrifice?

Disease in Drakoria is very rare. Because it seldom happens, plagues are very terrifying
to furres there. To be successful, a disease usually needs a big population concentration.
Superstitious Drakorians (Furre but not usually Wyrmmes) view putting numerous people all
in one place as very dangerous. It's just inviting the powers of evil to smite you all at
once! Drakorians know plenty of true stories in which mighty cities arose long ago, and
were brought down by diseases, for the hubris of making tall permanent structures.

According to Drakorians, it's good hygiene to abandon where you are living and make a new
house every three or four years. A castle-- a big PERMANENT structure full of a zillion
furres all sweating and spitting in the same place-- are you MAD?! To the free-living
nomadic Drakorian furres, Harshlaw is a terrifying prospect.

To the slave-born furres, used to the confinement in the underground pens of the Wyrmme
strongholds, though, and very frightened of the above-ground dwellings where slavers
mounted on Dracosaurs might net them up or sennibals* might shoot them with bows at any
time... Harshlaw is paradise.

*A sennibal is a sentient who'll eat another sentient. If a Wyrmme has roast Furre (a
delicacy!), they are a sennibal. The wilds of Drakoria abound with sennibals: the
Eetroxes, the Leotaurs, the Wolventaurs, etc. In the big picture sennibalism is prevalent
because cannibalism is usually kept in check by risk of disease if you eat your own kind.
The typical Drakorian furre has a superstitious horror of cannibalism well-founded in a
medical reality.

Dragonlands Bestiary


3. In Drakorian Magic, Plants Hold Inherent Powers

According to canon, Jujinka placed the healing effects into the plants. Herbalism is an
integral part of healing magic. Herbs are used in other spells, too, for example, Sheesah
Paka uses them in a spell to choke an attacking Raukor. Authentic Drakorian magic is very
"tribal" or "stone age" in feel.

Compared to Kasurians, Drakorians are very superstitious. In modern parlance, well, they
do alot of stuff that's unnecessary because they don't dare to diverge. They have contempt
for experimentation and research into how a spell works because their spells, as they've
been taught, work just fine. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

When a shaman-herbalist teaches their craft to their successor, it's full of injunctions to
think certain thoughts, feel certain emotions. (Exactly like in real Hyooman history)
there's a widespread belief that the effectiveness of a spell is linked to the
psychological self-discipline of the caster.

The weakness of superstition is that, if an effect fails to happen, they assume it's
because they weren't doing what they know to do, enough. If you throw a virgin in the
volcano and then there's plentiful fish in the springtime, and one year the fish don't
arrive, the superstitious tribe's only conclusion is that they must have a) thrown in the
wrong virgin, b) not thrown enough virgins, c) somehow thrown the virgin in the wrong way,
or d) chosen the wrong volcano. According to their spiritual leaders, it will be
considered evil, blasphemy, to wonder if maybe virgins and fish migrations aren't really
related.

Since Drakorian superstition includes the need for "the right emotions", they are most
likely to assume that their virgin wasn't thrown in with enough feeling. Their most likely
response is to throw MORE virgins into volcanos. It's all they know how to do.

If "The Enlightenment" ever happens to the Dragonlands, and they were to experiment, they
would be able to discover that feelings and emotions are utterly irrelevant to the plant
effects. You and I, being modern people, can know that OOC. IC, though, Drakorians are
locked into arbitrary superstitious assumption, a.k.a. 'faith'.

Example: The Pakas

4. In Kasurian Magic, Symbols and Incantations Hold Power

By contrast, the magic of Kasuria is more mechanistic and refined, and doesn't have an
accent on any form of belief or emotion. It's based on esoteric symbollist theories.
Here, again, it's something about the shapes of scrawls and scratches-- it's "rote"
learning. This effect was placed there by The Dragon, a primal cosmic creature that
created the world.

Writing itself is held in superstitious awe-- it's "magical" enough to be able to look at
markings on a piece of parchment and recite words of furres far distant and long dead.
Many furres of the Olde World know how to read, but most Kasurians and Drakorians can't.
(Wyrmmes usually make their Wyrmme scribes do it for them; their writing system takes years
to learn.)

What separates the mage from the non-mage is a good memory and power, as if they were
"batteries". Kasurian magic is as tiring as biking in the top one hundred racers in the
Tour de France, BECAUSE the power comes directly out of the furre. Magical energy of
this kind cannot be STORED. Focuses like crystals are lenses, not batteries. (Compare
this to Lanacele/Leirune, where energy can conceivably be moved around like a "charge",
saved up in an artifact, etc.)

That power is hereditary, and, to put it in modern genetic terms, a recessive trait. How
did it begin? Ultimately, all magic is traceable to the Primes or Dark Primes, and,
whether they know this or not, all mages are descendants of half-Prime half-mortal furres.

This principle is so important that mages secretly practice eugenics. In addition to
mages, there are non-mage children who can, in cooperation with a mage, produce
extra-powerful effects. These siblings to sorcerors and sorceresses are called Consorts.
Mage families track the bloodlines even more zealously than the nobility.

You can diagram out how non-mage parents, children of many generations of non-mages, could
possibly give birth to a mage child. That is so rare that when that happens, the mother is
usually bluntly accused of infidelity. A "Magesports" may consequently be treated as the
unclean product of an affair.

In a mage family, a child born out of wedlock may suffer the double stigma of illegitimacy
and being of non-mage blood (not unlike ye olde Harry Potter wizarding "purebloods").
Mages who father or bear children in secret are suspected of planning treason-- because
those children may still turn out to be spellcasters, and could be used as a secret power
later. So heads of mage families are very zealous in destroying half-breeds-- but not
openly; in secret. If mages aren't careful with their seed, assassins will find a thriving
business opportunity here.

And, that's one very good reason a Kasurian Mage or Consort might flee to Harshlaw.

This is my outline for adapting
Kasurian magic to a simple paper/pencil/dice tabletop game. If you want to say
there are other kinds of magic in your version of the Dragonlands, GREAT!!!! If you're
uneasy about doing non-canon stuff and would take satisfaction in having a game that was
"authentic", you might want to follow this document instaed.


5. Psionics Also Exists

Complicating the study of magic for Kasurians is the fact that there are powers that are
not exactly magic, but "psionics." Psionics and magic are different in that, while magic
always always always happens with a visible clue (you see somebody wave their hand, or hear
them incanting, etc.), psionics "just happens".

They can read minds; they can attempt to implant suggestions the receiver would not
consider harmful. They can inflict terrible pain, and condition the recipient to
obedience, a practice known as "mind-scourging". Brain-washing is a common Wyrmme pastime-
not only is it useful to psychically torment Furres and low-status Wyrmmes, but they enjoy
it.

Psionic healing is empathic, and consists of transfering the wounds from one person to the
psionic healer. A high-level Wyrmme practitioner can simultaneously transfer the injury to
a restrained slave. (Another reason not to love the Imperial Drakorians.) It is a slow
process, requiring touch (so Wyrmmes can't just point at someone and give them a nasty
wound from across the field).

There is also a rare psionic talent that transfers physical features from one creature to
another. It can be used to disguise someone by trading someone else's face, hair, fur,
scales, claws, etc. Given a year or two, a furre can be made to look like a Wyrmme and
vice-versa! These disguises wear out after six years, as a body puts itself back the way
it was. If the disguise was too extreme (and giving a furre the wings of a Wyrmme is in
this 'too extreme' category), however, the disguise wearing off will kill them.

Psionic ability can only occur in a descendant of Wyrmme blood. Yes, Wyrmmes and Furres on
rare occasion produce offspring. Most are sterile. A very rare few are fertile. Psionics
is the norm for Wyrmmes and rare in Furres.

Wyrmmes find half-furre offspring very abhorrent. (It's not unlike, what if a scientist
crossed a Hyooman and an armadillo? That just ain't right!) Underlying their hatred is
FEAR. Wyrmmes obviously don't want their slaves running around with psychic talents. The
most likely escapee is a half-Wyrmme furre.

Tribal Drakorian furres also hate and fear psionic furres. They know that it means they
are tainted with the hated Wyrmme blood. In Harshlaw, a psionic character might be
tolerated, but out in the wilds, a furre with psionics will KEEP IT SECRET.

Focusing psionic powers can be done with the aid of music. The Wyrmmes know songs that act
as a magnifying glass lens. The songs are ancient, from long before the time of the
Furres.


6. Furre Slaves Are Not Allowed Magic

Furres in the Drakorians' slave pens are destroyed if they seem to magic. The Wyrmmes
know it is hereditary. Even stories about mages are highly forbidden. Slaves grow usually
grow up never having seen Kasurian-style (symbol-based) magic, and most don't even know it
exists.

Wyrmmes have generally heard about shamanic magic, and wouldn't let a furre keep their
little bag of weeds. Kasurian mages probably fare better here. Most Wyrmmes don't know
about scrawling magical diagrams with blood and a piece of haystraw, or drawing with
charcoal on one's own skin. Should a Kasurian mage somehow find their way far enough west
to be taken prisoner by the Wyrmmes, they would probably escape.

Wyrmmes who patrol the northeast tell tales of "super-furres" who came out of the tundra
where Wyrmmes cannot survive. As cold already means pain and fatal paralysis for Wyrmmes,
these tales are generally dismissed as horror tales, embodiments of a fear of the bleak
frigid desert that surrounds Harshlaw.


7. Ban Healing Magic?

It doesn't make sense to me to ban healer magic. For one thing, there's far too much
precedent set; if you banned it, you'd create something that wasn't much like Furcadia or
the Harshlaw many had come to know.

Most furres RP by an unspoken "rule of reverse engineering". We assent to the existence
of a power if it doesn't, absolutely/of necessity, imply a game world different than the
one we know. Can somebody instantly mind-control everyone else? No, because if they
could, it means they'd be running the world within a week. Can a vampire turn infinite
others into vampires? No, because if they could, it means they'd be running the world
within a week.

Applying "the rule of reverse engineering" to healing magic... It isn't always
automatically twinky. It makes more sense to ask all players to have healing magic come at
an immediate cost.

Healing magic is controlled by a few things. It does tire the healer out, especially if
it's the Kasurian chant/wave-your-paws/wave-a-taro-card/read-a-scroll variety. If it's
native Drakorian, it isn't as tiring, but it uses up precious herbs--

Remember that Harshlaw is a very cold place-- green growing things are RARE. They are
either shipped in or gathered up during the two weeks of mad flowering that passes for
Spring+Summer+Fall up here. Perhaps they could be grown through the use of magic that lets
someone coax a White Sage into growing in a dank cave next to a lamp, but that would
require other herbs or a mage's precious personal energy, too.

An additional price of magic in Drakoria is that, if they find out, the conditioned furre
agents of the Wyrmme Empire are going to try to kill you.

Oh, didn't I mention them? Oops, forget I said anything. Shhhhh! There are no
conditioned agents of the Wyrmme Empire. Everything is just fine and cozy. You can go on
about your life, don't worry.

--an excerpt from the game "Furre!", a tabletop RPG with dice. This is a draft, so, rules may (and most likely will) change before the final is released.

============================


THE MAGES OF FURCADIA

Being a Mage is more than just having the potential to do magic. Since potential to be a mage runs in the family, most Mage families practice the custom of arranged marriage even more stringently than the Nobility. They have grown into an elaborate subculture over the centuries. Because they are avidly hunted down by the VampFurres, the Mages of Erth are rarely found outside of the Mage subculture.

Mages can earn far more than the typical furre. This preoccupation with eugenics looms over their lives at all times. Although the magic of Erth does not provide a way to travel, the Mages are wealthy, and can afford to hire the services of riders of Scarhawks and Dracosaurs.

Mage ability is the result of the Primes begetting children with mortal Furres. For the past thousand years, the Primes of Light have not done so. The Primes of Dark will produce a half-Furre child on extremely rare occasions. The Dark Primes are apt to kill one another's half-Prime children because they threaten a balance of power held between them.

Amongst themselves, Mages are referred to as "Attuned". The child of a Mage who is not Attuned is merely "Resonant" and they are referred to as a "Consort". The rest of the population is called "Silent". Both the Attuned and the Resonant are immune to many Vampfurre abilities. Most Mages live in families that are a mix of the Attuned, Resonant, and Silent, and try not to attach such great significance to it. As egalitarian as the might wish to be, however, the fact remains: the Mages wield powers vital to the survival of the family, while the Silent can not fully understand what it is to be a Mage. That the Silent do not have a strong say in Magely family matters is a given. When, for instance, a marriage is arranged, the Silent will not be asked what they think, while every Attuned elder probably will.

By law, a youngster found to be Attuned must attend the Mage Academy west of the king's capitol at Malgrave from the age of six. Magery is like brain surgery-- it's complicated, and cannot be picked up "school of the streets". Consorts are allowed in if the family pays their tuition. Consorts may become herbalists, chirurgeons and other kinds of scholars. There is little pressure on them to do so, however, because the expectation is that they will become parents raising Mage children. The king's original intent was to weaken young mages' attachment to their families, and instill a sense of nationalism. While Mages do tend to be more loyal to Kasuria than the average citizen, the actual result has been to create a separate cultural identity for Magekind.

Mages can, with training, develop an ability to sense magic in other living beings. It is described as a supernatural kind of hearing, or a feeling of vibrations, and it has nothing to do with ears. Mages call it "Listing". To the observer, it looks as if the Mage were listening to a distant song, and while they are doing this, they must concentrate for several seconds. With this sense, Mages can tell apart the Attuned, the Resonant, and the Silent. They may even, on occasion, be able to detect the Undead, who seem to be "more Silent than silence." (In game terms, Listing requires either the Move or the Action part of a Round. The penalty for attempting any action while Listing is a -2. A Mage may attempt to List using their Listing skill. If they succeed and roll doubles, it is a critical success and they can discern any Undead present. If they are unsuccessful, they suffer a -2 penalty on their next roll. Listing is not without potential hazards: a Fumble means the character may not List or perform any magic for the remainder of the scene.)

At the formal gatherings of Mages (which happen twice a year), the festivities are opened with "the dedication", half a minute of Listing. The presence of the Attuned creates a marvellous "hum" to those who can List. During this time, it becomes obvious who is Attuned, Resonant, and Silent. Mages will tend to pay more attention to the Resonant and the other Attuned. The Silent in attendance may find being ignored uncomfortable, especially if they are not from Mage families.

It is most common for an Attuned Mage to be wed to a Resonant Consort, with children taking the surname of their Mage parent, and inheritance of all wealth going to the first-born male child. The children will have a 40/60 chance of being Attuned or Resonant. (Game terms: Roll a d10. On 1-4, they are Attuned; on a 5-10, they are Resonant.)

If an Attuned furre has children with another Attuned, however, there is a chance that a child will be "Discordant", that is, they will produce very disagreeable emanations. (Game terms: Roll a d10. On a 1-2, the child is Attuned. On a 3-6, the child is Resonant. On a 7-8, the child is Discordant. On a 9-10, the mother miscarries a few weeks before they would normally have given birth.) A child of two Attuned parents whose is themself Attuned is no stronger or weaker than any other Attuned.

Sometimes an Attuned furre takes a Silent mate. The odds of an Attuned child are very small in this case. (Game terms: Roll a d10. On a 9-10 the child is Attuned, otherwise, they are Silent.) Attuned children of Silent parents are just as powerful magically as any other Attuned.

There is a long-running cold war between the Mages and the Vampfurres. Furres of Mage blood have good reason not to stray far from the protection of their families. Some Vampfurres have the ability to detect the Attuned and Resonant (but can not tell them apart). Mages can detect Vampfurres, if not immediately, then over time. Their presence keeps Vampfurres out of normal politics.


The Standard Mage "Package Deal"
The character grew up normally in a Mage family in Kasuria. They are Attuned. Standard Mages get Sorcery skill at +0 and Listing skill starts at +1. You may choose two Spell Traditions at +0. One Tradition can be learned for 4 Experience Points.
-1 pt. Advantage: Mage Connections- New Traditions cost one point less.
-1 pt. Advantage: Wealth
-1 pt. Advantage: Listing Sense
-1 pt. Advantage: Resistant to Undead Abilities
+2 pt. Disadvantage: Hunted by Vampfurres
+1 pt. Disadvantage: Mage social restrictions
+1 pt. Disadvantage: Quirk: Isolated Upbringing

The Consort "Package Deal"
You are one of the Resonant. By default, you belong to a Mage family that nurtured you almost as well as they nurtured your Attuned siblings and cousins. This character is most likely either married or engaged to one of the Attuned. The Attuned treat the Consorts with a bit of patronizing ("Oh, your outlook is so simple, isn't it, dearie."), but for the most part, they are respected, loved, and protected.
-1 pt. Advantage: Wealth
-1 pt. Advantage: Trained (Character starts with one level higher starting experience points)
+1 pt. Disadvantage: Mage social restrictions
+1 pt. Disadvantage: Quirk: Isolated Upbringing

The Wild Mage "Package Deal"
Somehow, you grew up without all the Mage "politics" of Attunement, Resonance, and so on. (The Disadvantage "Mage Social Restrictions" does not apply to you.) You also grew up apart from the ease and elegance of Mage society (so, you do not have the Wealth Advantage). You must have had some kind of secret tutor, because magic is far too difficult to just pick up on one's own. At the player's option, you may be Dyslistic (see that Disadvantage), because you were never trained in how to do it. Wild Mages do not attend the Academy all the way through (although you may have spent a year or two there early on). If this character was not removed from the Academy for some reason, their back story should account for why they were not discovered by a Villister. One possibility is that they were hidden far underground, where the Villister's senses could not touch them. Like the Standard Mage, the Wild Mage is Attuned. A new Tradition can be learned for 5 Experience Points. The Wild Mage starts out with Sorcery Skill at a -2. The first point they spend on it will bring it up to a +0. After that it can be raised as any other Skill. Listing Skill starts at +0. The Wild Mage knows only one Spell Tradition at +0.
-1 pt. Advantage: Listing Sense
-1 pt. Advantage: Resistant to Undead Abilities
+2 pt. Disadvantage: Hunted by Vampfurres


The Lost Mage "Package Deal"
You are one of the Attuned yet you never learned sorcery. Perhaps one of your parents was a runaway Mage. Perhaps your father was a Mage who dallied with one of the local girls. You do not possess Listing Skill yet. The first point spent on it will bring it to a +0, after which it is raised as any other Skill. If you wish to learn Sorcery Skill, you must first find a teacher through IC events, then purchase it for experience points. One Tradition can be learned for 5 Experience Points.
-1 pt. Advantage: Listing Sense
-1 pt. Advantage: Resistant to Undead Abilities
+2 pt. Disadvantage: Hunted by Vampfurres

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SIDEBAR
Mages and "Heartless" Behavior

Although the Mages themselves will go on about being a breed apart, they still behave just like other furres. They are not lords of organized crime or hardened career-criminals or killers. They aren't ruthless, they are just ordinary people. In general, they tend to be more concerned with ethical behavior than the Nobility. When a Mage goes off the deep end or starts abusing others, the other Mages feel it is their duty to control them. They must be self-policing, lest the Crown start to interfere in their business.

When a Mage furre is required to go into an arranged marriage, they normally do so readily. Their duty to preserve the Mage bloodlines is drilled into their heads from an early age. A Mage father or mother never feels like they are dooming their child to something terrible. It's perfectly normal, and that's how the typical Mage youngster feels about it, too. From time to time it may happen that a Mage or Consort falls in love with another. If that happens, there is a potion that can be taken, to erase such feelings. There is also a potion that can cause a furre to fall in love in the wedding chamber.

Part of the responsibility of the Academy is to discover Mages who are psychologically imbalanced. The Listing emanations of children are much easier to read than those of adults. If, for instance, a young Mageling is secretly catching and torturing baby birds, their aberrant emanations are likely to give them away. Such a student is discreetly removed from the Academy and fostered to another family to prevent them from learning further. Sometimes, agents of the Dark Primes may find such a student, and secretly see to it that their rightful power is not denied.

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SIDEBAR
The Mages' Place in Society

Mages are fairly rare. Roughly one in three thousand furres is Attuned, and roughly one in four thousand is a Consort. Magic is the main source of healing for serious injuries, disease, and other maladies. The Attuned are not bound by an oath to help everyone; they can decide who they choose to heal, and charge as much money as they want. With few exceptions, they are an elite, and they act like it.

Over the course of history, it has happened that someone attempted to force a Mage to work for them. Typically, they would capture the Mage or capture an innocent relative. The Mages themselves deal very harshly with this. They have little patience for hostage situations. Mess with one Mage, and you're messing with most, and they have a lot of resources they can bring to bear.

Healing potions are also in short supply. Most are made by Consorts trained at the Academy. It is not likely they would be found in an underground treasure trove because they don't stay "fresh" forever. A shelf life of several months is accurate. The active ingredients are distilled from plants (good Prime Jujinka's gifts to Furrekind). They are rare, and have limited shelf life as well.

As a faction, the Mages can not be the rulers of Kasuria. There are far too few of them to be a serious force in the kingdom. Many commoners envy and resent them. The Mages repeatedly refuse to intermarry with the Great Houses. Nobles can field large numbers of soldiers with a combination of money and feudal oaths, but Mages neither inspire nor command that sort of loyalty.

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SIDEBAR
Magic and Drink Don't Mix

Alcohol suppresses the ability to List or cast spells. It can not, however, affect the disharmonious emanations of a Discordant. Mage gatherings do not normally serve liquor. As a Mage gets drunk, the chance of a Fumble goes up; the inebriated Mage is thus a danger to themself and all around them. Drinking is generally frowned upon in Mage society. (Game effect: For each drink they take, a Mage is at an additional -3 to their Sorcery skill roll.)

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SIDEBAR
The Mage Gathers

Mages and Consorts are expected to attend these holidays twice a year. The first is Verna, the spring gathering on the vernal equinox. Traditionally, it is when announcements of betrothals are made. Negotiations of arranged marriages take place during the two months before Verna.

The other is Autumna, the fall gathering on the autumnal equinox. Magical items lose their power over time. The recharging of such mystical artifacts is done at this time. This is done by spells that harmonize the collective will of those who participate.

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SIDEBAR
Polygamy Amongst Magekind

In western and northern Kasuria, the laws only allow monogamy. A Furre may normally only take one spouse. This is waived for the Attuned, who may take a second. In some families, this means that it may be accepted if they take in a second husband or second wife, who, if the Mage is not born of the Venerable Lineages, can even be one of the Silent. Children are accepted to be the child of all parents in the marriage. It's possible that a character from a Venerable Lineage could have an Attuned mother and two Consort fathers, or (more likely) an Attuned father and two Consort mothers.

In the southeast, it is customary for all wealthy males (Mage or not) to have multiple wives. The women may be given separate households. Offspring are considered the children of their father and their particular mother. Any character from the southeast could have many half-brothers and half-sisters from their father's co-wives, but they would only be considered to have one mother.

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SIDEBAR
The Venerable Lineages

A handful of families known as the Venerable Lineages look down upon the Silent and will not even allow them into their homes. Amongst the Venerable Lineages, the Attuned are the ruling class, and the Resonant are second-class citizens. It is Venerable Lineage custom for Attuned children to take the surname of their Attuned parent, and Resonant children to take the surname of their Resonant parent. Inheritance of wealth goes to the first Mage-born (that is, Attuned) child.

Listing is held in very high regard. Venerables will List before they eat, and before they go to sleep. They are exceptionally vigilant against the Undead.

To some degree, the Venerable Lineages Mages are inbred. Although it is not true today, there was a time when the Venerable Lineages secretly practiced brother-sister marriages. As a result, they are more likely to suffer birth defects which have been in the family so long they now "breed true". The line of Tregassian are prone to be clubfooted; the line of Adomartias have eyes which cannot contract so they cannot stand bright light. The Verdazi are tall and beautiful but have no sense of smell or taste.

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Mage-related Disadvantages

Discordant (2 pts) (May not be a Mage, Consort, or Silent.) You are the unfortunate child of two Mages. You are sterile. The Venerable Lineages would slay such a child out of hand. Others might give the child up for adoption. Whenever someone Lists in this character's presence (within 9 game inches), they must try to roll their PSYC or less on 2d10. If they fail, they suffer a -1 to all dice rolls for the remainder of the scene, plus, they may not use their Listing ability until the scene is over. Many Mages, even intelligent or kindly ones, will treat this character as if they were some sort of cripple. Mythicals and Ferians are a little uncomfortable around this character. It is as if they emanated a piercing annoying noise, or carried a strong unpleasant odor. Mythicals and Ferians can not get used to it. In the southwestern lands, Mages may tattoo the glyph for 'Discord' on such an infant's cheek. (You may also take the 1 point Disadvantage "Distinctive" if this is the case.)

Mage-biased (1 pt; Must be a Mage or Consort) This character puts the Attuned on a pedestal and is prejudiced against the Silent. This character is probably a member of a Venerable Lineage, or has bought into their ideology for some reason. They may be especially intolerant of a Discordant. This Disadvantage is just a Quirk, and can be overcome at the player's discretion.

Dyslistia (1 pt; Must be a Mage) Although able to perform magic, the character lacks the ability to List. Perhaps there was a traumatic event involving magic. Perhaps the character was just born this way. The Dyslistic Mage can not discern who is and is not a mage.

Disowned (1 pt; Must be a Mage or Consort) You have done something dangerous that profoundly angered your family. Perhaps you secretly killed a Mage who was a rival for your Consort. It could be that you were caught befriending VampFurres. Whatever it was, it was very serious, and you're lucky they didn't kill you outright. You have been stripped of the right to your former surname. This character is not invited to, and may not attend, the twice-a-year Mage gatherings. (The Disadvantages of Poverty and/or Debt may also be appropriate for this character.)

Quirk: Isolated Upbringing (1 pt; part of Standard Mage package deal) This Disadvantage reflects the character's somewhat unusual upbringing as a cozened student at the Academy and a cherished scion of a wealthy and insular Mage family. The Mageling isn't stupid, they just don't have a clear understanding of the commoners' lives. Food comes from kitchens with trained cooks; laundry is what the chambermaid carries away each morning and carries back tomorrow all white and starched. The fairytale character Rapunzel could have this Disadvantage. Nobles can, too: During the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette was informed that the commoners "have no bread." Legend has it that she replied, "Well, then they should eat cake."


Mage-related Advantages

Venerable Lineage (1 pt; Must be a Mage or Consort) You are a member of one of the handful of Venerable Lineages of Mages. Your pedigree is impeccable. As a result, you have one point of resistance to magical effects you do not wish. (This Advantage may only be taken once.) The Disadvantage of "Mage-biased" is especially appropriate to this character but not required. There are a few in the Venerable Lineage households who are unprejudiced- but they keep their mouths shut to avoid being disowned. Those of Venerables Lineage enjoy higher status within Mage society. The Advantage of another point of Wealth is also appropriate but not required.

Winged (1 pt; Must be a Mage, Consort, or Discordant) The blood of the Primes reveals itself through a pair of natural wings. If it is the Light Primes, the wings are feathered, but if it is the Dark Primes, they are bat type wings. At the player's option, the character may be able to make these wings grow and shrink away at will. Although the common furre may associate bat wings with the Dark Primes, there is no stigma to them. (People of Erth assume it was many years ago that your ancestor was born, and you might have nothing to do with any of them.) The Primes have no especial interest in winged characters, but they themselves may feel somehow connected. (It would be something like finding out you were the grandson of a very famous six-fingered guitarist when you yourself were born with six fingers on each hand.) This Advantage comes with a built-in Disadvantage: the VampFurres know what those wings mean, and may attempt to harm such a character.

Villister (1 pt; Must be a Mage; can not have Dyslistia) From time to time a Mage comes along who can List for a ten meter radius around them. They are not necessarily gifted in any other fashion. The name is a shortened version of "village Lister" The Academy employs Villisters to seek out Mage children. Villisters have another potential. It is possible that they will locate Undead. Because the Undead know about them, and will hunt them down, Villisters must travel incognito. They may disguise themselves as bards, traveling salesfurres, frivolous wealthy Silent tourists, etc. This Advantage is a prerequisite for being a Mage Inquisitor of the royal court.

Listing Sense (2 pt; Must be a Consort) On rare occasions, a Consort is born with the ability to List. It is more likely amongst the Venerable Lineages.

Excellent Emanations (1 pt; Must be a Mage or a Consort) This character's emanations are beautiful, like a striking melody. The character gets a +1 bonus to any social check where such a thing would matter. Such a furre is considered highly attractive by anyone who can List. This might confuse the Silent, who perceive only the character's personality and looks. For a Mage or Consort, intimacy with a character with excellent emanations is unmatched.