Retroconversion of Root of All Evil to OD&D - pt. 4

THE ATTACK
51 Hachita tribesmen veterans: AC 7; MV 12"; F 1; hp 6 (x25), 5 (x26); leather armor, club, javelin each.
10 Belsona tribesmen veterans: AC 8; MV 12"; F 1; hp 5 (x5), 4 (x5); shield, short bow, quiver of 20 arrows, hand axe each.

THE BELSONA
Belsona (village): AL N; population 180 (100% human)
Authority Figures: Krunk, male human F 3
Important Characters: Halaan, male human M-U 7
Others: 70 1st level fighters, plus an additional 3rd level fighter
Krunk, swordsman: AC 8; MV 12"; F 3; hp 12; AL LN; S 18, I 13, W 9, D 13, C 15, Ch 14; shield, short sword, short bow, quiver of 15 arrows.
City of Belsona
B) Fire god temple
4 Belsona tribesmen veterans: AC 8; MV 12"; F 1; hp 5 (x2), 4 (x2); shield, short bow, quiver of 20 arrows, short sword each.
G) Guardian temple
3) Halaan
Halaan, enchanter: AC 9; MV 12"; M-U 7; hp 15; torn robes.
Spells: None at present.

CONCLUSION
In addition to awarding xp for monetary treasure (1 gp = 1 xp), each PC should be awarded xp for each section of the adventure completed, as follows:
VEODEN'S TOWER = 100 xp
THE GRAVEYARD = 100 xp
THE CRATER = 200 xp
RETURNING TO HAANEX = 100 xp
ENCOUNTERS AT SEA = 400 xp
OVERVIEW OF ZOA = 100 xp
ENTERING ZOA = 200 xp
THE FALLEN CASTLE = 800 xp
THE ATTACK = 100 xp
THE BELSONA = 100 xp

NEW MAGIC ITEM
The Coin of Power
The Coin is a powerful magic item that bestows the following powers:
• The owner gains one level in his or her class.
• On command, the Coin can cast finger of death once per week.

ENCOUNTER TABLES
Zoa city encounter notes:
Roll (d%) Character Race
01-05 Dwarf
06-10 Elf
11-12 Gnome
13-17 Hobbit
18-23 Human, Brandobian
24-26 Human, Dejy
27 Human, Fhokki
28-37 Human, Kalamaran
38-95 Human, Reanaarian
94-99 Human, Svimohzish
00 Sil-Karg (Half-hobgoblin)
Armorer: The armorer (or any craftsman -- armorer, basketweaver, blacksmith, bookbinder, carpenter, cobbler, cooper, jeweler/gemcutter, locksmith, potter, sculptor, shipwright, stonemason, or tailor) has a 50% chance of also being a Fighter, Magic-User, or Cleric of 1st-3rd level, and a 50% chance of just being a 1st level fighter.
Artist: The character is a Fighter, Magic-User, or Cleric of 1st-3rd level who also fancies himself a fine artist. Two artists will be a master with a student or admirer. An apprentice is at least one level lower than his mentor. Admirers are non-classes, peasants or levees by Chainmail rules.
Assassin: The assassin is a 1st-10th level fighter who may be working with 0-2 (d3-1) assistants. Assistants are 1st-3rd level fighters.
Bards: Bards need both adulation and coin, though 25% are adventurers. A single bard is a lone traveler, two bards are a master and an apprentice. The main bard will be a Fighter or Cleric of 1st-4th level; an apprentice would be a 1st level fighter or cleric.
Beggar: A beggar is a peasant or levee, though there is a 20% chance the beggar is actually a 1st-2nd level fighter in disguise.
City guard: Most guards are 1st-2nd level fighters. For every 8 soldiers, there will be one 3rd-level fighter. Use the guard subtable for race.
Roll (d%) Guard's Race
01-27 Human infantry
28-66 Dwarf soldiers
67-00 Gnome archers
City official: The official is a 1st level fighter, magic-user, or cleric. Officials travel with 0-3 guards or assistants. The assistants are 1st level fighters, and the guards are 1st-2nd level fighters.

Retroconversion of Root of All Evil to OD&D - pt. 3

Driscall's House
Driscall (fights as peasant, as per Chainmail rules. Useless in one-on-one combat.)
The Sentinels of the True Way
Faupel, Daarle, Vaeniiv, Suetin, veteran guards: AC 5; MV 9"; F 1; hp 6 (x2), 5 (x2); chainmail armor, broadsword, javelin, 6 ep each.
Neaboo, Kaizil, veteran sentinels: AC 6; MV 12"; F 1; hp 6, 5; leather armor, shield, handaxe, 4 ep each.
Tealia, warrior: AC 7; MV 12"; F 2; hp 9; leather armor, cloak, broadsword, short bow, quiver of 10 arrows, 10 gp.
Fulkaft, Kazuk, Borli, dwarven veteran miners: AC 6; MV 6"; F 1; hp 5, 4, 3; leather armor, shield, warhammer, 4 sp each.
Kibik, veteran: AC 7; MV 12"; F 1; hp 7; leather armor, club, short bow, quiver of 20 arrows, 4 ep, small sack, 50' of rope.
1 more veteran: AC 7; MV 12"; F 1; hp 6; leather armor, short sword, short bow, quiver of 10 arrows, 9 sp, small sack.
Raspar's Silver Book. It contains the following spells: detect magic, read magic; phantasmal forces, and invisibility.
Book of Carlisle. The pages are all dogeared, though the spells within are intact. They include: detect magic, read magic, charm person, sleep; and knock.
The Leaf and the Twig. This druidic book of herbs and medicine allows anyone to learn how to doctor wounds. Anyone studying this book, and keeping the book as a reference, can see his patients return to full hit points after just 6 days of rest.

THE FALLEN CASTLE
A. Castle Exterior
2) Tower
The doors from the inner bailey to these towers are barred from the inside, and the bars have rusted to their brackets (23 hp, blunt weapons only).
3) Inner bailey
2 gorillas (treat as ogres): AC 5; MV 9"; HD 4+1; hp 13, 11.
B. Keep Interior -- Ground Floor
5) Main keep
Strong wooden doors fill the place. Most are swollen and stuck from the humidity (25 hp, blunt weapons only).
9) Kitchen
18 giant rats: AC 7; MV 12"; HD 1/2; hp 3 (x7), 2 (x8), 1 (x3).
C. Keep Interior -- Second Floor
11) Balcony and landing
2 skeletons: AC 7; MV 6"; HD 1/2; hp 3, 2.
14) Guest room
The ring is a ring of fire resistance.
18) Secret passage
The shield is actually a shield +1, though the other items are not magical.
21) Great room
The doors on the east wall are locked (25 hp, blunt weapons only).
22) Armory
Most of the weapons are damaged beyond repair. However, one light crossbow is intact, as well as three short swords, a battleaxe, and a composite bow +1.
23) Treasure room
The throne is indeed solid gold and is worth a good 10,000 gp to the right buyer but is securely bolted and held to the floor with a wizard lock cast by a 10th level magic-user. It would be a major undertaking to remove or even move it. It weighs 500 pounds. A potion of ESP lies on its cushioned seat.
The chest the vampire cat guards is wizard locked (10th level) and holds seven pieces of jewelry; a gold crown studded with gems (6,000 gp), an ornate spyglass (900 gp), a silver tiara with small sapphires (2,000 gp), a platinum scepter studded with rubbies (7,000 gp), a jade bracelet of intricate design (1,400 gp), a pair of silver and gold earrings (300 gp each), and an ivory armband (600 gp).
The second chest is sealed shut and must be bashed open (15 hp, blunt weapons only). In the chest are 2,730 sp.
1 vampire cat: AC 2; MV 12"/18"; HD 7; hp 25; attack energy drains one level from the victim.
24) Landing
9 giant mosquitos: AC 6; MV 3"/15"; HD 1+1; hp 5 (x2), 4, 3 (x2), 2 (x4).
29) Laboratory
13 giant centipedes: AC 8; MV 15"; HD 1/2; hp 3 (x4), 2 (x4), 1 (x5). Poisonous bite -- save vs. poison at +4 or die in 1-4 hours.
30) Library
Anyone who views the scene must make a saving throw vs. spells or immediately panic. Unlike most fear encounters, those who fail the save are rooted to the spot and must watch the whole grisly thing.
31) Study
The raven is just an illusion masking the presence of a wight.
1 wight: AC 5; MV 9"; HD 3; hp 10; attack paralyzes unless victim saves vs. paralysis.
32) Wizard's room
A wizard lock, at 10th level, holds the door to this room.
35) Kitchen
3 poisonous snakes (adders): AC 4; MV 9"; HD 1+1; hp 6, 5, 4; poisonous bite -- save vs. poison or die in 1-10 rounds.
36) Lieutenant's quarters
8 large spiders: AC 6; MV 12"; HD 1+1; hp 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 (x4); poisonous bite -- save vs. poison at +2 or die in 3-18 rounds.
45) Bedroom
2 giant owls: AC 5; MV 3"/18"; HD 4; hp 14, 13.
3 huge owls: AC 6; MV 3"/18"; HD 2; hp 9, 8, 6.
50) Temple
12 skeletons: AC 7; MV 6"; HD 1/2; hp 3 (x4), 2 (x3), 1 (x5).

Retroconversion of Root of All Evil to OD&D - pt. 2

g) Back door
The door must be bashed in (10 hp from blunt weapons only).
4 goblins: AC 6; MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 4, 3, 2, 1; leather armor, shield, morningstar, 2 javelins, 1d4 sp.
h) Rear guard
2 goblins: AC 6; MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5, 3; leather armor, shield, morningstar, 2 javelins, 1d4 sp.
j) Great hall
There are ten female goblins here; four are pregnant and avoid combat. One is afraid, and runs for help. The remaining five attack (as if kobolds).
5 goblin females: AC 8; MV 6"; HD 1/2; hp 4, 3 (x2), 2 (x2); shield, dagger, 1d6 cp.
3) Alchemist's Hut
The lone foor to the place is chained and locked (20 hp of blunt weapon damage). The shutters hang ajar, but the windows are blocked by iron bars (10 hp of blunt weapon damage to dislodge).
Arowain Fain, warlock and alchemist: AC 9; MV 12"; M-U 8; hp 22; tools, clothes, leather apron.
Spells: No spells memorized.
The sorceress comes to check on her charge and overhears most of the conversation. She is incensed at the betrayal, but smart enough to have cast protection from good and protection from normal missiles on herself.
Daresh, sorceress: AC 9 (7 with spell); MV 12"; M-U 9; hp 27; AL L; S 8, I 18, W 11, D 16, C 15, Ch 10; ring of telekinesis, wand of fear (22 charges), potion of flying, potion of healing, dagger, 3 darts, gold necklace with lapis lazuli worth 550 gp.
Spells: detect magic, protection from good, charm person, sleep; levitate, continual light, knock; hold person, lightning bolt, protection from normal missiles; polymorph self, dimension door; teleport.

RETURNING TO HAANEX
Dinner Anyone?
Grumm, Blash, ogres: AC 5; MV 9"; HD 4+1; hp 19, 18; club, pouch with 67 gp (27 of which belong to the dwarf in the bag), small ornate silver dagger worth 25 gp (also the dwarf's) (Grumm); spear, gold belt with three ruby chips forming the eyes and mouth of a skull (rubies 50 gp each, belt as a whole 200 gp) (Blash).
Wegred, hobgoblin: AC 5; MV 9"; HD 5; chain mail, short bow, quiver of 20 arrows, 2 gp.
Stirukar, dwarven veteran and smith: AC 9; MV 6"; F 1; hp 7; no possessions carried (unless returned from the ogres).

THE BOAT TO ZOA
The Forsaken
18 sailors (fight as levee, as per Chainmail rules. Useless in one-on-one combat.)
Shipmaster Haager Pocaat, warrior: AC 7; MV 12"; F 2; hp 9; AL L; S 14, I 15, W 8, D 15, C 10, Ch 11; leather armor, short sword, dagger, 5 sp.

ENCOUNTERS AT SEA
1) Becalmed (keep weather conditions, but substitute sahuagin with encounter 2)
2) Sea Serpent
1 giant sea serpent (constrictor snake): AC 5; MV 9” (12” swimming); HD 10; hp 36.
3) Pirates!
10 pirates, veterans: AC 6; MV 12”; F 1; hp 7, 6 (x2), 5, 4, 3 (x2), 2 (x2), 1; leather armor, shield, short sword, hand axe, 1d6 cp each.
Shipmaster Vile, swordsman: AC 6; MV 12”; F 3; hp 15; leather armor, shield, morningstar, 10 cp, 11 sp, 7 gp, 1 pink coral gem worth 100 gp.
4) Death Ship
Mast. 8 zombies: AC 8; MV 6”; HD 2; hp 11, 10, 9 (x2), 8 (x2), 7 (x2).
3 ghouls: AC 6; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 9, 8, 7; attack paralyzes unless victim saves.
Varin, evil prefect: AC 5; MV 9”; C 5; hp 20; AL L; S 10, I 7, W 15, D 8, C 9, Ch 10; chainmail armor, footman’s flail, potion of invisibility, potion of healing, 6 gp.
Spells: cause light wounds, purify food & water (x2); blight, hold person; animate dead.
Wheel. Shipmaster Wien, swordsman: AC 9; MV 12”; F 3; hp 12; AL L; S 11, I 14, W 9, D 9, C 10, Ch 17.
Galley. 1 zombie: AC 8; MV 6”; HD 2; hp 7.
Captain’s Cabin. 8 skeletons: AC 7; MV 6” HD ½; hp 3 (x3), 2 (x3), 1 (x2).
Bilge. 16 animal skeletons: AC 7; MV 6”; HD ½; hp 3 (x5), 2 (x7), 1 (x4).

OVERVIEW OF ZOA
1) The Market
Scam A) Please Sir, May I Have Some More?
Elvoir, veteran: AC 9; MV 12”; F 1; hp 6; dagger, chalk, wax, a whistle, and some string.
Scam B) Sleight of Hand
Beriece, anti-hero: AC 9; MV 12”; F 4; hp 23; dagger, short bow, quiver of 12 arrows, ring w/needle (for cutting purses), pouch containing 9 gp and 28 sp.
Scam C) Going Once, Going Twice, Sold!
Miana Reemae, myrmidon: AC 9; MV 12”; F 6; hp 33; dagger +1, merchant’s scale, pouch containing 11 gp, 39 sp, and 19 cp.
Scam D) Now You See It…
Miana Reemae (see above).
Scam E) In a Hurry
Semaj, swordsman: AC 7; MV 12”; F 3; hp 18; leather armor, battleaxe, pouch containing 5 sp and 27 cp.
3 warriors: AC 9; MV 12”; F 2; hp 14, 11, 9.
5) Small Town
Purguld, dwarven warrior: AC 5; MV 6”; F 2; hp 14; chainmail armor, dagger.

ENTERING ZOA
Geolain’s Tower
Geolain, enchanter: AC 9; MV 12”; M-U 7; hp 20; AL L; S 10, I 18, W 18, D 14, C 16, Ch 17; quarterstaff, ring of invisibility, scroll of finger of death, wand of paralyzation (12 charges), silver pin worth 70 gp.
Spells: detect magic, light, protection from evil, read languages; detect invisible, ESP, locate object; dispel magic, lightning bolt; dimension door.
The Blind Beggar Inn
3 sentinels (fight as peasants, as per Chainmail rules. Useless in one-on-one combat.)

Retroconversion of Root of All Evil to OD&D - pt. 1

[While I never ran a Kalamar-based campaign, nor used this module, I was very much interested in the game setting until 2002 and worked to convert several modules in the hopes I would get to use them someday.]
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Kingdoms of Kalamar
THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Credits
Author: Andy Miller, et. al. -- 2001
Conversion Editor: Scott Casper -- 2001

INTRODUCTION
You, the DM, will need a copy of the D&D booklets, Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures for this adventure. It may also be useful to have the Chainmail wargaming rules. One can find statistics for monsters and key Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in the Appendix at the back of this book. As the adventure takes place in the Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting, the DM should also have the Kingdoms of Kalamar core sourcebook.

Conversion Note: This module has been converted from 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons (c. 2000) back to 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons (c. 1974). This is not a complete reproduction of the original module; it includes only paragraphs in which game mechanics-specific changes have been made.

Note on Resting
Since this adventure does not take place in a single dungeon, there will be more than one opportunity for the PCs to rest, recover lost hp, and rememorize spells. It is recommended that this be allowed to take place whenever the PCs have returned to the village of Haanex or the city-state of Zoa during the adventure.

Note on Character Death
Expect at least several. Players should be encouraged to have wills made for their PCs, and possibly back-up PCs on hand.

Haanex (village): AL NG; population 600 (99% human, 1% dwarven).
Authority Figures: Mayor Foosiwain, male human F 2
Important Characters: Veoden, male human M-U 7; Elskin Torris, male human C 4 (Holy Mother/home); Fortis Aluz, male human F 2 (militia commander); Alexis, female human C 1 (Lord of Silver Linings/healer).
Village Militia: 13 1st level fighters (led by Fortis Aluz, above).

VEODEN'S TOWER
All windows and doors of the place have a wizard lock spell cast on them at 7th level.
Veoden, enchanter: AC 8; MV 12"; M-U 7; hp 18; AL N; S 9, I 18, W 16, D 13, C 14, Ch 16; dagger +2, +3 vs. orcs, goblins, and kobolds; ring of protection +1, potion of flying, potion of healing, scroll of lightning bolt.
Spells: read magic, charm person (x2), sleep; levitate, invisibility, continual light; hold person, fireball; dimension door.

THE GRAVEYARD
1) Main gates
The bronze chains on the gates are old. They are heavy and resist any attempts to damage them (10 hp, affected by blunt weapons only).
2) Mausoleum
The old, sealed door can be bashed with blunt weapons (5 hp).
8 skeletons: AC 7; MV 6"; HD 1/2; hp 3 (x3), 2 (x3), 1 (x2); shield, short sword each.
3) Atuur Dairoo's grave
If the PCs have the shovels Veoden offered them, it only takes 30 minutes (with two people digging) to uncover the coffin of Atuur. The casket is wrapped in iron chains and held by a stout lock. The lid is tightly shut but easily opened once the chains are removed (10 hp, from blunt weapons only), to reveal the decaying body of Atuur Dairoo.
Atuur Dairoo (wight): AC 5; MV 9"; HD 3; hp 10. Attack paralyzes unless victim saves. Immune to normal missile fire.

THE THIRSTY HOUND
Girion, veteran: AC 5; MV 9"; F 1; hp 7; AL N; S 16, I 13, W 12, D 17, C 15, Cha 8; chainmail, short bow, quiver of 20 arrows (4 silvered), longsword, silvered dagger.

THE CRATER
2) Goblin lair
4 goblins: AC 6; MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5, 4, 3, 2; leather armor, shield, short sword, 1d8 cp each.
a) Entrance guardroom
2 goblins: AC 6; MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5, 3; leather armor, shield, short sword, 1d8 cp each.
b) Goblin barracks
10 goblins: AC 7 (or 9); MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5 (x2), 4, 3 (x2), 2 (x3), 1 (x2); leather armor, morningstar, 2 javelins, 1d8 cp each.
c) Lieutenant's barracks
4 goblins: AC 7; MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5 (x3), 4; leather armor, longsword, 1 sp each.
d) Guard barracks
10 goblins: AC 7 (or 9); MV 6"; HD 1-1; hp 5, 4, 3 (x3), 2 (x3), 1 (x2); leather armor, morningstar, 2 javelins, 1d8 cp each.
e) Chief's room
When someone attempts to open the door, a trip wire across the top pulls a burning lantern into a pan of oil in an overheard compartment. The compartment opens, splashing flaming oil onto those below in a 6 foot diameter. If the first person through the door tries to close it immediately upon seeing the charred goblins, then there is only a 1 in 6 chance of the lead PC being killed. Otherwise, there is a 2 in 6 chance of the lead PC being killed, and a 1 in 6 chance of the second PC being killed. The oil burns for 3 rounds before it burns away.

Dwarven Philosophy Primer

[This work was prepared for a sourcebook on dwarves proposed, but never submitted to, Kenzer & Co. for Kingdoms of Kalamar. When rejected, it was modified to fit TSR's World of Greyhawk and intended to go in a "Dwarves of the Flanaess" article for the Canonfire! web site, but then was cut and a more concise "Dwarves" article can still be found on Canonfire!]

Ever since Moradin created the first dwarves and showed them around his smithy, the gods have been generous in sharing knowledge with dwarvenkind. This has not been a hindrance in the development of dwarven philosophy. Some are driven by a need to understand for themselves. Others seek answers the gods have always protected. These answers include the nature of the world, knowledge, truth, and alignment with the gods.

Middle Bronze Age Philosophy

The earliest known school of dwarven thought was propagated by four known philosophers -- Telak, Rogamikim, Remimikim, and Remakanaz. They all lived roughly 8,500-8,000 years ago. Variations aside, all four subscribed to the same theory on the nature of the world. The world was forged out of earth, and all life is understood through earth. What's more, all earth is itself alive, albeit in a different sense than dwarves are alive. As proof, they offered plant life, and how it springs directly from the earth. Telak elaborated on the relationship of earth to the rest of the four basic elements -- air, fire and water. Air, fire and water are finite -- there are places where dwarves have trouble breathing, fires eventually all burn out, and water disappears over time. Only earth is permanent and infinite.

Dwarves have always known this world, which men call Oerth, by the name Gurad. Many human religions hold that the world has always existed, while others have conflicting creation myths. Dwarves, who have always valued the act of creation above all else, have poured many a philosophical thought into solving how the gods created Gurad. Rogamikim offered an explanation for the creation of the world in his analogy of a scrambled egg. In the beginning, earth was the yolk -- the life. Air, fire, and water fed the earth. But the gods scrambled the elements together until they intermingled into the shape of the world as it is now.

Almost universally, dwarven thought has focused on Gurad as being everything underground. The aboveground is the top of the world, or at least a natural extension of it. Remimikim described the world as a melon, with the rind being the aboveground. What mattered was inside, but the rind was still important to the melon as a whole. Completing the analogy, the seeds inside represented living beings, like the dwarves.

Some failings that crop up in ancient dwarven philosophy include the failure to acknowledge life on the aboveground as important, or even that a universe beyond the world mattered. Dwarves of eight millennia past surely knew of life on the aboveground. The philosophers valued surface world items for their value in analogies. The aboveground was a useful tool for understanding how the world as a whole worked -- like being on the outside looking in. But dwarves seem to have found little other importance in it. Even more curiously, no known ancient dwarven writings so much as mention the sky, the moons, the sun, or the stars. It is as if dwarves found these things above the world only a distraction, and not necessary in an understanding of the world.

Remakanaz came closest to describing the sky when he proposed his layered world theory. This theory held that the world was divisible into 11 layers. The uppermost was the air layer, or sky. Beneath that was the water layer, which seemed to include the entire surface world down into the soil. The rest of the world was composed of layers of the nine then-known components of earth -- coal, sulfur, lead, mercury, tin, iron, copper, silver, and a gold core. The layers were not pure, but contained veins of the materials from the other layers.

As early as Rogamikim, it has been believed by dwarves that all knowledge is ultimately knowable. The basic tenents of how reality works are lawful and unchanging, and thus mortals could eventually accumulate the total sum of knowledge about reality. Documentation of knowledge becomes even more important with this mindset, explaining how any writing by philosophers 8,500 years ago has endured. Only Remakanaz of the ancient scholars remained skeptical, believing that the gods would always keep some information unknowable.

Followers of skepticism have been rare throughout dwarven history. It has been generally assumed that the gods are always truthful in what they reveal to dwarvenkind, that what they choose to reveal is in dwarven best interests, and that truth itself exists a priori to the gods, and is thus unalterable by the gods.

Late Bronze Age Philosophy

Though it was Moradin who taught dwarves about smithing, it was Ulaa who first took them to the surface and showed them how many hills and mountains there were, thus showing the dwarves the way of numbers. When dwarves were still 4,000 years from the present date, they had already mastered arithmetic and were beginning on geometry. These developments profoundly changed the nature of philosophy. Logic was now dictated by mathematical doctrines.

Rurimari was the first to apply shapes to theology. Rurimari’s famous table of squares has been borrowed since by other races. It is a grid three squares on a side that shows law, chaos, good, evil, and neutrality intersecting and combining at various points on the grid. As an example of how seriously dwarves take their philosophy, Rurimari had an argument with his students over mapping the known gods onto the table of squares. Several students were so adamantly opposed to his placements that they bound him to his chair and held him prisoner. They were unable to force him to reconsider, until eventually his family effected his rescue.

Ulgimurar Angak lived nearly 3,000 years ago. He is remembered for two advances. The first was differentiating between Rogamikim’s notion of perfect truth, which is attainable through knowledge, and truth perceived by the senses. The second was suggesting that Rurimari’s table of squares can be viewed as a series of paths. Dwarven history reflected a movement from the juncture of chaos and evil across the table to the juncture of lawful and good. Ulgimurar believed that history was a macrocosmic view of a path every dwarf was meant to take in life, always aiming to be lawful and good. In fact, the dwarven phrase rorm lem digar (“left and up”) is a direct reference to Ulgimurar’s theory.

Turimardek was a dwarven noble who turned his mind to philosophy around 2,100 years ago. Turimardek tried to reconcile the world as an ordered, rational place -- as dwarves understood it -- with the existence of magic, which was unknowable and unpredictable -- as dwarves understood it. He declared that magic was not real or, more specifically, was in varying degrees illusionary. After Turimardek’s death, there would be a schism amongst his followers for the next 1,000 years. Some believed that if all magic was illusionary, and the gods wielded magic, then spellcasters were all taping divine power. The rest believed that, if magic was illusionary, then the gods were all tricksters and their power should be denounced. The schism ended dramatically when his atheistic followers were struck down in a massive retribution by the gods.

Tegimum Angak was a poet who lived 1,700 years ago. As well as being a direct descendent of Ulgimurar, he is also remembered as the first dwarf to advocate the notion of dualistic reality. Light and dark are exclusionary, in that one "is" while the other "is not." Yet, when looked at together, light and dark create shadow -- a more comprehensive reality than either is separately. Tegimum applied this thinking to explain how chaos could exist in a lawful universe. The truth is the more comprehensive reality revealed when one looks at lawful reality with the "spheres" of chaos inside it. Previously, some dwarven scholars had even doubted that chaos truly existed or, rather, that chaos could be explained by rational law if it was fully understood. Turimardek had refered to "cycles" of chaos, which were themselves lawful in nature. Tegimum asserted that this was not a true assessment of chaos on an individual level. That chaos existed in its own "spheres" (read as microcosms) within which results could not be predicted.

It was 1,600 years ago that a once-young apprentice of Tegimum named Onez began a campaign of skepticism that contradicted his former mentor. Onez's bone of contention was time, which did not seem to have an opposite or a dual reality. It would take over 50 years before another thinker, Turtek Tumal,came up with a solution. Time, he said, was the lawful structure of reality. Its opposite was entropy. Viewed together, the larger reality was the plan of the gods. Turtek is still widely respected today, perhaps moreso because he was also a warrior. Had he not been cut down at a relatively early age by orcs, who knows what further insights he might have had.

Living after Turtek was a poet/philosopher named Relbidak Zargok. Relbidak tried to explain how a dualistic universe operated with a system of four elements. His solution consisted of two dualities which existed simultaneously -- air and fire opposed by earth and water, and a balance of elements opposed by an imbalance of elements. The former pairings have been judged as weak and arbitrary by most other philosophers, but the later concept has been much favored since. What Relbidak is really remembered for, though, is the concept of "four in two in one," or, two pairs of dualities which combined make an even greater truth. Philosophers since have used this slippery math to explain the paradox of duality with four elements. Skeptics have delighted in using the phrase "four in two in one" to apply to situations which do not add up.

Larminad Danglim was a later contemporary of Relbidak who offered his own fix on the duality of elements. Larminad saw separate dualities above and below ground -- fire and air held sway aboveground (as evidenced by the sun), earth and air held sway underground (as evidenced by air-filled caves deep beneath the surface). This concept would be adopted by the field of medecine. If a dwarf suffered any malady while aboveground, it was said the dwarf was lacking earth in his body and needed to return beneath the surface. Likewise, dwarves who stayed too long underground were said to need a trip aboveground to restore their inner fire.

Salireta: City of Heroes

[Written for, but never submitted to, Kenzer & Co. for the Kingdoms of Kalamar -- and before the City of Heroes video game]
SALIRETA: CITY OF HEROES

A Sourcebook for the Kingdom of Kalamar

by Scott Casper

Welcome to Salireta! One hundred and fifty miles upstream of the capital, Bet Kalamar, Salireta is a small but important port city along the Badato River. It has a rich history, almost as old as the kingdom itself. The appellation, City of Heroes, dates back only 200 hundred years, when the first of several Kalamaran heroes called Salireta home. Today, it is a thriving city, built on river travel commerce, logging, and agriculture.

Bet Kalamar and Salireta

To understand Salireta, one must look at its relationship to its considerably larger neighbor. Bet Kalamar eclipses all other cities in the Kingdom of Kalamar, if not the known world. Bet Kalamar is the largest of cities -- grand in its excesses. Not counting lands handled by lieges, the king directly controls a roughly 300-mile radius of land around the sprawled metropolis, because Bet Kalamar and its suburbs need that much farmland to support them. There are cities the size of Salireta and larger within five miles of the capital, few of which delude themselves into thinking they have any autonomy. Smaller towns fan out from the capital in a fifteen mile radius. Everywhere else there are much smaller farming villages and thorps. Between all of these locations is a vast network, a web, of commerce that connects them. Salireta is very much a part of that web, yet it still retains much character from its frontier days when this was not yet so.

History & Background

Salireta in 30 IR

It was only 29 years since King Ali Inakas established the Kingdom of Kalamar, and nine years since Rulakan and Fulakar seized the throne. To the northeast of Bet Kalamar, the Paliba Woods remained unexplored, and considered beyond the frontier of Kalamar's immediate holdings. The carpenters of Bet Kalamar must have salivated, thinking of all that unused timber, but instead they fought over scraps from lesser, closer copses that have since all been decimated. In fact, Rulakan did indeed have plans for a great logging enterprise situated where the Badato River met the Paliba Woods -- the modern site of Salireta. But he was swayed by advisors who warned that the Paliba was reportedly full of goblins, and would have been too costly to clear out.

The reports of goblins in the woods, as it turned out, were greatly exaggerated. Oh, there were goblins there all right, but they were not great in number, and they had no wish to draw the ire of the First Legion stationed in the capitol. Aside from their wastes found floating down the Badato, and the occassional raid on a village, the goblin threat existed only in rumor and fairy tale.

Now, at this time there was already a small thorp of farmers and herders living in present-day Salireta. It is thought that there might have been only four large families of initial settlers, which made them brave people indeed. Yet for their bravery they were rewarded with ample wood for building, water for drinking, and land for farming and grazing. Life must have been difficult, for it was a ten mile hike to a village downstream that had a mill. This tiny community had attracted a blacksmith before attracting its own miller.

Almost nothing is known of The Smith, except that he was responsible for organizing the first militia in the area in response to a goblin raid. The Smith's name remains unknown, and there are no written records of his existence, which has lent an appealing air of mystery to the countless retellings of the goblin attack. A mythology of sorts has arisen around The Smith, and the more glib-tongued bards present him as Salireta's first hero -- almost single-handedly fighting a horde of goblins. It is unlikely, of course, yet goblins are the first boogey-men most children here learn to fear, and The Smith is the fairy tale hero who drives them off in each night's bedtime story.

Moving back into the province of facts, it was in the spring of 30 IR that The Smith's thorp is mentioned in any documentation. Prince Fulakar himself was leading the First Legion north along the Badato River, to engage in some violence far afield. By some chance, they continued past the Wooded Road (it might have been washed out, which has always been a problem) and Fulakar first eyed the site of Salireta. He remarked it was a promising location and went to investigate. The settlers, he learned, were illegally free serfs, yet he uncharacteristically spared them from execution. Instead he ordered that enough men be left behind to construct a watchtower on the spot. It was a long overdue precaution against goblin attacks from the Paliba Woods, and the tower's garrison would need food. The settlers would provide it -- in addition to other heavy taxes -- to make them pay for their arrogance in wishing to be free. Whether or not The Smith actually spoke to the prince and convinced him to be so lenient is questionable, but it is usually a glib-tongued bard who raises such questions.

The Legionnaires, disgruntled at having to miss out on the spoils of war, were vindictive towards the settlers. Much of the labor of constructing the watchtower was done by local hands -- after a full day of their regular chores. It would take until the following summer for the watchtower to be completed. It remained for 42 years -- longer than The Smith ever did.

Salireta in 100 IR

The thorp struggled hard over 70 years to grow into a village. It had its biggest setback nearly three decades ago (72 IR) when orcs and hobgoblins marched over the P'Sapas Hills and charged down into Kalamar. The watchtower was razed, and most of the people were killed or taken for slaves. That might have been the end of the village, had it not been for Baron Balamir Aroposi. Baron Aroposi was overseeing the defense of the region, and was determined to keep the humanoid invaders from getting any closer to the capitol. He was also an ambitious man with eyes on the throne in Bet Kalamar, which had been disputed since the death of King Kolokar in 89 IR.

To secure the Badato River, the baron dubbed one of his knights Baronet Pilamel Salireti and dispatched him to construct a new keep where the village had been. There were low expectations for the young baronet, but this suited the baron who feared granting power to competent vassals who might turn against him.

In the previous decades, Salireta had been a frequent stopping point for the Badatarans. These nomadic anglers had been moving up and down the Badato for years without making any permanent homes, choosing instead to follow the spawning habits of the trout that populated the river. When Pilamel neared the ruins of the village, he found the Fishermen waiting for him with a proposition. The village needed new people, and the Fishermen wanted to settle down.