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Solsturm, the fabled Isle of Dragons, was once the last redoubt
of those same creatures of myth and legend. Indeed, today
nearly all dragons have retreated to this pseudo-continent,
becoming virtually extinct in the world outside.
Solsturm is, perhaps, not as great as other fabled lost
lands. Its borders are finite. It has never hosted ages of untold
magic and wonder. There was never a great cataclysm that
forged great nations or dread powers. Solsturm is as it always
has been: the last home of dragons.
HOW THE WORLD WAS FORGED...
...AND THE DOWNFALL OF THE DRAGONS
The first to come were the dragon gods, who called themselves
the gaia. They looked upon the void and pooled their strength,
separating the void in an orderly fashion. They shaped land
and sea and sky, and placed the planets above to watch over
their creation. They fashioned some of the life of the world,
and over them placed their prized children: the dragons.
In time, just as the gaia had created themselves, other
divine forces came into existence. But these new gods were
lesser entities than the gaia and were called the aegisai, or the
mortal gods. These lesser gods were fascinated with the
beloved gem of the dragon gods, and in time they fashioned
their own wills upon the world, spilling their imaginations
into the lands and sea.
Some of the gaia were joyous and welcomed the new
additions, whilst others were jealous and spiteful. Yet, despite
the ingenuity of the aegisai, they could not create anything as
mighty as the very children of the gaia. Thus began the Age
of Dragons, for the dragons were without peer in the world.
They wandered where they desired, with little to stop their
depredations and amusements. They set themselves up as
kings and emperors, some few even claiming the title of god.
Such was the way of things; eons and centuries of all
power held within the claws of the dragons. To the mortal
gods, this corrupted warden-ship was a thing to be despised.
Conferring with their elders, the lesser gods begged a boon of
the gaia – a way to end the tyranny of the dragons. Displeased
with the idea of bringing low the very creations they had set to
guard the planet, the elder gods refused their plea and sent the
mortal gods away in disgrace.
The aegisai were angered by the refusal. Seething with
hatred, the lesser gods banded their strength together and
fashioned a device meant for the sole purpose of ending the
dominion of dragon-kind. From the soul of the elf-god came
the blade - a massive sword with pure lines and glorious
power. From the hands of the dwarf-god came the first suit of
articulated plate ever to be seen, designed to protect the body
and soul of its wearer. From the hair of the halfling-god was
fashioned a shining belt, blessed with the breath of luck and
wisdom. From the eye of the orc-god came a helm of
knowledge, foresight, and brute cunning. From the will of the
human-god came the shield, a massive tower of shining
platinum designed to break away the accursed breath of the
dragonkin.
With the combined force of their wills and power, a
shining weapon in five parts called the kyohokijin, was born.
After much discussion, a human warrior of note was chosen as
the bearer of the device, and sent forth to lay siege upon the
dragons.
He succeeded far too well.
Even the mightiest of wyrms and cleverest of linnorms
could not stand before the power of the weapon. The bearer's
name was lost, his soul subsumed into the weapon's own, his
body merely a tool used to move the armor and swing the
blade. No dragon could stop it, and since dragons were the
greatest of mortal creatures, nothing else could bring the
kyohokijin to bear. And as untold thousands of dragons were
slaughtered like cattle, the world itself began to shift and
groan in agony.
With the realization that the dragons were necessary to
the very survival of the world, the lesser gods watched,
horrified and in awe of their own creation. In panic, the dwarf
and orc deities set forth to stop the device, but they too were
powerless against the artifact.
The dragons fled before the wielder of the weapon. In a
mass exodus, they left the world for the safety of Solsturm, the
Isle of Dragons. It took many long years, but the weapon
managed to follow. The five gods went before the gaia and
begged for forgiveness, giving the secrets of their creation to
Io, the father of all dragon-kind and greatest of the gaia.
Banishing the lesser gods from his sight, he set his three
greatest warriors to Solsturm to confront and destroy this
weapon.
It took the combined power of the three, plus the force of
the five lesser gods, to finally bring the weapon to a hold.
During this epic battle, the shape of Solsturm itself was
changed drastically, eventually culminating in the death of
one of the dragon-gods. The cataclysmic release of power from
that divine entity's erasure stunned even the blade for a short
moment, allowing the five lesser gods to kill the bearer, thus
stopping the device.
The seven deities who remained found they were unable
to so much as harm the five artifacts. Without the ability to
destroy the elements of the kyohokijin, they decided that the
pieces would be surrendered unto the dragon gods, and hid in
the world at their leisure. For their part, the gaia fore-swore
forever the position of their children's arrogance and decided
that, from that moment until the cracking of the world, all
dragons would remain on Solsturm and become extinct in the
lands of men.
And so, for ages afterwards, the dragons remained exiled
to their last redoubt. In time, the legends of the weapon and
the dragons themselves became little more than myth to even
the longest-lived of the mortal races. And without the ever-
present threat of the great beasts, they fell to squabbling
amongst themselves. Some fashioned keen wooden vessels
upon which they plied the waves, eventually coming to
discover the land of Solsturm. After many generations of such
immigrants, the dragons grew decidedly panicked.
The mortals bred far faster than the dragons, and while
even a single wyrmling was more than a match for an entire
village of the two-legged beasts, it quickly became a case of a
hive of ants versus the single scorpion. Banding together,
many of the ancient wyrms casts a great spell with shattered
the deeps between the island and the rest of the world,
creating the Mist; a vast wall through which nothing can pass.
They then forged the Compact with the humanoids, that
dragons would forswear mastery over the humanoids in
exchange for peace. Those foolish dragons that broke the
compact would be given to the humanoid races for retribution.
Only the oldest and greatest of the dragons could break
the Compact without fear, such as Glitterfang, Lord of the
Glittering Path, or Ravenna, Tyrant of the Eternal Sands in
Aburdon.
As for the aegisai that created the weapon? They
sacrificed themselves before the altar of Io's wrath for their
hubris. From the shattering of these divine sparks came the
gods that the humanoid races know of today.
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 CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
THE LANDS OF SOLSTURM
While the dragons are a fairly common sight, most of
Solsturm is given into the care and warden-ship of the
humanoid races. - the so-called 'civilized' races. These are
divided amongst seven large countries, each nation boasting
its own varieties of communities, creeds, and loyalties.
URUKHIM
To the north of the Great Rift, Urukhim is a rough
mountainous land populated by the orc nations; an uncounted
number of barbarous tribes, ruled by a council of devout
shamans and priests.
While not a true nation in any sense of the term, Urukhim
is the racial homelands of all orcs, who are resistant to the
organized rule of other races or nations.
AURELIUM
To the south of the Great Rift, Aurelium is a human- FERTHISMOOR
dominated kingdom currently ruled by King Orrin
Pendergast. Aurelium was once reigned over by a dynasty of
despotic rulers who became progressively more warlike. This
changed 53 years ago (AF 133), when Orrin led a great
revolution against his father, ousting and imprisoning the
Mad King Markus.
With Orrin’s rise to power, a time of peace has come to
Aurelium. Tensions with Urukhim have dropped significantly,
trade with Persidium has increased, and various duchies
within the country have seen a welcome increase in
productivity.
Aurelium is traditionally separated into the seven ducal
regions, presided over by the current Duke or Duchess, named
for that region. Each duchy is further separated into three to
nine counties, presided over by a count or countess. Some
counties are then further separated into viscountcies governed
by Viscounts, who over-see the reports and actions of the
mayors (the elected officials of larger cities) and steadholders Thorne is Althis Lyonheart’s peer as a fellow duke, he has
(elected officials of farming or ranching communities called
steadings).
AICHTENMARCH
As the northern-most duchy of Aurelium, Aichtenmarch
borders the Great Rift, across which is the orcish nation of
Urukhim. Much of Aichtenmarch consists of fortified
steadings and forts along the rift. This is the most heavily
militarized area of Aurelium, although far less so since Orrin GLITTERING PATH
Pendergast came to power.
Aichtenmarch is currently governed by Lord Althis
Lyonheart, son of Morris Lyonheart, a hero who aided then-
prince Orrin’s assumption of the throne. Morris was known as
the Lion-Hearted by 2000 orc warriors placed under his
command by the Urukhim warlords. His bravery in battle and
skill in strategy were among the few factors that allowed King kingdom, and volunteers little. He pays his tithes to King
Orrin to win the revolution and over-throw his despotic father. Orrin out of respect and to ensure a stable government.
Althis follows his father’s noble accomplishments by firmly
stomping on anti-orc opinion within the march, allowing trade
and diplomatic relations to flourish between the orcs and
humans for the first time in over 2 centuries.
FALCONCREST
Bordering the Glittering Path to the west, Falconcrest butts up some 170-mile constructed path through the mountains lay a
against the more southern mountain ranges. In ancient days,
Falconcrest was known for its massive aviaries and gryphon
roosts. During several devastating border wars with the
goblinoids living within Five-Dragon Fall (a large area of the
southern mountains) before the founding of Aurelium as a
kingdom, Falconcrest lost many of the prized aviaries. Today
only six strongholds remain to house the proud Black Riders,
each tasked with the care and husbandry of a unique winged
beast.
With King Orrin’s rise to power, Falconcrest has
reclaimed an ancient rite in which they elected their duke
from the greatest of the Black Riders. Currently Emelia
Stroman is the Magistrate, the only title the Falconcrest allow
their duchess. While she is nominally a duchess in power and
responsibility, Emelia leaves most of the governing (other
than obligatory diplomatic functions) to a chosen council.
While thought young for the title, Emelia has proven herself a
capable woman and inspired leader.
Directly south and east of Aichtenmarch, Ferthismoor is a cold
and rocky land where few but the hardiest of men and women
live. While originally only inhabited by angry and taciturn
sheepherders, Ferthismoor has recently seen an upswing of
immigration from the western mountain ranges. In AF 141 a
number of rich veins of silver and mithral were discovered in
central Ferthismoor, prompting an inrush of dwarven
prospectors. Since that time, much of the duchy has become
home to several clans of dwarves, highlanders, and halflings.
While some of the Ferthis humans welcome the new infusion
of life, some of the highlanders view the dwarves and halflings
with suspicion and mistrust (namely because dwarves don’t
like mutton, and how can you trust a man that doesn't like
mutton?).
Ferthismoor is currently governed by Lord Markel
Thorne, Duke of Ferthismoor, Count of Herthing-on-the-
March (a large county bordering Aichtenmarch). As Markel
given over the governship of Herthing to his eldest daughter,
the Lady Samantha Thorn. He technically retains ownership
of the land, with Samantha ruling by proxy. As Althis is
currently pursuing a three-year long (and so-far successful)
courtship of Samantha, it is believed by many that Herthing-
on-the-March will be soon folded completely back into
Aichtenmarch as a very great dowry.
Not even the mad tyrant, or any of his ancestors back to when
Aurelium was founded, ever dared to assume control of the
Glittering Path. While technically part of the Aurelium
borders, the Path is governed solely by an ancient dragon
known only as Glitterfang. Nominally a duke, and granted the
titles and rights as such, Glitterfang has scant input in the
The Glittering Path is a massive trade route carved
through the Platinum Wing mountains separating Urukhim
and Aurelium from the rest of Solsturm. The path was
fashioned by Glitterfang some five centuries ago, and has
since been policed by the white dragon and his subjects to
ensure safe travel. To the east and west of each end of the
border-town called Stonecrown (to the west) and Icecrown (to
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 the east).
Stonecrown and Icecrown are sister-cities, each carefully
monitoring the trafficking of people and goods through the
path. While he entrusts some 100 or so elite riders for policing
the path, Glitterfang still takes pride in ensuring the safety of
any travelers with his own claws.
LENDISWOOD
While waiting for Morris Lyonheart to return with word of his
diplomatic ventures amongst the orcs, most of the
revolutionary armies hid within the forestlands of
Lendiswood. Home to some of the largest uninterrupted tracts
of woodlands on the eastern side of the Platinum Wing
mountains, Lendiswood proved to be an ideal location for
subtle meetings of all kinds.
Today, Lendiswood’s former population of humans has
been augmented by an infusion of elven immigrants. The once
mostly tamed forests have become decidedly more wild with
the advent of the elves, something which the locals aren’t
terribly fond of.
Lady Miriam, the current duchess, vies for peace between
the elven colonists (many of whom are related to the Queen)
and her human subjects. The situation is made more dire due
to the scorched earth policy Markus employed during the war,
with many once productive fields now salted and left barren,
forcing the human landowners to turn to the verdant woods
for resources.
The elves have made themselves somewhat necessary, for
their ability to increase the production and sustainability of
Lendiswood’s famous hardwood.
SUMMERHAVEN
The central-most duchy of the kingdom, Summerhaven is also
the smallest duchy, essentially serving as the Crown’s main
area for armed force training. Summerhaven is currently
governed by Damien Pendergast, King Orrin’s half-elven son.
The command was given to him seven years ago on the
prince’s 30th birthday (thought by many to be an attempt to
settle the some-what wild man down).
Summerhaven is home to some of the greatest wheat and
barley ranges known across Solsturm. It is said that crossing
the forest-strewn hills of Lendiswood into Summerhaven is
like walking into a sea of gold.
VARDENGATE
Bordering Glittering Path and Falconcrest, Vardengate is
Aurelium’s leading supplier of energy resources; coal, oil, and
other sundries. Since King Orrin’s rise to power, the
Vardengate fortune has been spent improving the technology
within this pre-industrial duchy, releasing new and more
productive tools to aid in many varieties of tasks to the rest of
the kingdom.
Aurelium's premier magical academy, RaLeouche’s
Academy of Arcane Secrets (usually referred to only as the
Academy within Vardengate) has been leading the fore in
arcane and industrial discoveries over the past twenty years.
FEYWILD
Called the Great Forest, Feywild is a vast series of forests and
groves inhabited by the elves and their sylvan secrets. Few
who enter the Feywild emerge unscathed... or ever return at
all.
It is said that border reaches of the Feywild are like any
other forest, although with strange combinations of flora and
fauna that should not exist together. The deeper parts of wilds,
however, defy logic and explanation. Fast reaches of Spring
and Autumn, but never Winter or Summer. Islands of rock
and water that float on the winds. Creatures of nightmares
hunting realms of eternal twilight. Whole stretches where
Night or Day only exist, never the other.
PERSIDIUM
Butting up against the greatest amount of viable coastal land,
Persidium exists as the central trading and growing area for
most of Solsturm, providing grain and goods to the rest of
Solsturm’s inhabitants for a nominal fee. Persidium is heavily
populated by humans and halflings, with a somewhat recent
infusion of dwarven exiles.
While nominally a single nation, Persidium is actually
structured into several lesser states, each closely allied to each
other through trade and diplomatic relations. Each of the
three States chooses a representative from that faction's
greatest merchants to sit on a council, which then decides any
matters of national importance. Otherwise, each state is left to
function almost on its own.
NEZAREPH
Sometimes referred to as the Burning Southlands, Nezareph
straddles the infamous Eternal Sands and the mysterious
desert kingdom of Aburdon to the south, and the dwarven
redoubt of Baruk Duir to the south-west.
Nezareph is peopled largely by humans, with the rare elf,
dwarf, or orc slave. Some tribes of Sembian halflings also
adventure in the wastes, casually resisting the over-whelming
military power of the Nezarite empire.
ABURDON
Perhaps one of the most ancient inhabited lands, Aburdon
remains something of a mystery to the rest of Solsturm. A few
cities and way-stations lay on the outskirts of this desolate
place, but the Nezarites know better than to trespass without
cause. Any who venture deeper into the deserts do not return.
BARUK DUIR
Baruk Duir is an ancient dwarven redoubt, where once the
dwarves existed without ever communing with the outside
world. All tales of Baruk Duir come only though those dwarves
exiled three to four centuries previously. While many have
refused to speak about the nation, low whispers circulated of a
massive underground empire that delved too deep into the
darkness and stirred a vast evil.
Dwarves still live within Baruk Duir, and steadfastly
refuse the entreaties of all others, even those who were exiled.
Anything that approaches the vast strongholds is killed
without mercy.
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COSMOLOGY & CALENDAR
The world on which Solsturm resides is a orb called Aeisvahn,
nestled inside a perfect sphere called the Umbrae. Beyond
Umbrae is the Outer Cosmos which is pure light and energy.
The Outer Cosmos is connected to other planes of
existence by the Astral Sea, whose headwaters flow into
Umbrae, dammed by Ceran's presence. The Sea wends its way
to the other planes, such as Heaven, Hell, the Beastlands, the ELUNAS, THE MOON
Elemental realms, and many more besides.
UMBRAE
An orb that floats well beyond the surface of Aeisvahn. In the
beginning of time, when the dragon-gods crafted this world
from their combined might, Umbrae was a perfect milky-black
shadow of the Outer Cosmos. In the eons past, small fractures
began to show in the black veil. No-one claims to know what
caused these minute fissures, but they seemed to cause no NERRUS, THE TRICKSTER MOON
harm to Aeisvhan, and the world below seemed to feed on the
light.
Within the space between the inner surface of Umbrae
and Aeisvahn are three small moons, which orbit the
world. 6 other celestial objects are hosted
there-in, but they merely mirrors and gates
to other realms.
While Aeisvahn rotates through a
day, Umbrae and the non-lunar
planets do not. Thus, Solus and
Ceran are always in the same
position, and their visibility
depends wholly on the angle of
Aeisvahn itself.
The three smaller planets
that orbit Aeisvahn show many
of the same properties, except
Darius and Elunas always show
the same face to Aeisvahn,
regardless of their actualy
positions. Nerrus, alone of the
lunar planets, shows frequently
different faces to the planet in its
extremely infrequent appearances.
THE PLANETS
Planets are the brilliant celestial bodies that can
be seen in the skies over Aeisvahn. Most of the planets
were placed over tears in the Umbrae's veil, while the three
moons are orb-shaped bodies that orbit around the world.
SOLUS
Called by many names, even amonst dragon-kind, this
celestial object is a massive crystal and glass sphere placed
over the largest rent in Umbrae. It mutes and channels the
awesome power of the Outer Cosmos, allowing light and
warmth to sail across Aeisvahn.
Solus is the largest and first of the planets, with a brilliant Home to many of the elemental deities, Soma is chaos and
glass-like surface made of purest crystal. Despite its immense
heat and pressure, many of the lesser gods have made this
world their home.
DARIUS, THE RED SHIELD
The Red Shield orbits the world in a regular fashion, much
like Elunas. However, Darius only appears every fifteen years,
and wafts across the night-sky. It is sometimes said that the
phases of this moon reflect the four seasons. Darius is home to
nature and wild deities. Despite its brilliant ruby hue, it is a
lush, beautiful, and verdant place with no natural winter.
Darius is represented by a sword crossed with a scythe,
and in the zodiac it represents solidarity, war, and harvest. In
opposition, it represents divisiveness brought about by
conflict, profiteering, and slaughter.
The true moon of Aeisvahn, Elunas follows a predictable orbit
around the world. When people speak of the moon, they are
most likely speaking of Elunas.
Elunas is home to the mysterious entity Selene. In the
zodiac it is represented by a woman pouring water from an
urn, and is associated with emotions, maternity, and cycles. In
opposition, Elunas can represent rage, cruelty, and bondage.
Called the Amethyst Moon or the Trickster Moon, Nerrus is a
faintly purple orb that appears in the night's sky apparently at
random. No sage has ever been able to determine when the
planet would appear, and Nerrus has never been
known to eclipse the sun. It is a herald of
mysterious circumstances. With each
appearance, strange events take place all
over the world.
Travel to Nerrus is extremely rare,
and possible only when the planet
shows itself. Sages have claimed
that it appears much like
Aeisvahn, except all plant and
animal life is made of a semi-
translucent purple gem.
Nerrus is usually not
depicted as part of the zodiac,
although the color purple and
amethysts are used in arcane
rituals to represent mystery and
the unknown.
CERAN
A faint gray wisp on the horizon, Ceran
is the dimmest of the planets and can be
seen only on auspicious nights or by
advanced magical methods. Ceran is tied to the
Astral Sea, which is said to connect all the planes to the
Outer Cosmos. Thus, Ceran is the crossroads, where all other
planes connect.
In the zodiac, Ceran is represented by a cowled man with
a aged quarterstaff, walking along an endless road. It serves as
a representation of all of the choices a person can make in
their life. In opposition it represents blindness to opportunity,
or indecision.
SOMA
uncertainty; fire, air, earth, and water given form in the void.
It stands as the gate the elemental planes. Soma is also the
planet of bounty, where gems, grain, gold, and treasure drip
upon Aeisvahn's firmament. In the zodiac, Soma stands for
chaos, riches, and the four elements. It is often represented by
a coin lit on fire. In opposition, Soma can represent
destructiveness, greed, and gluttony.
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RAHU allows for an very precise numbering of days per month, and
A black planet in the northern sky, Rahu is only visible during months per year. (Where most cultures disagree is exactly how
an lunar eclipse of Solus. In the zodiac, Rahu is represented by long a year is.)
a ferocious hydra attempting to devour the other planets. The general consensus in Solsturm is that a year is 348
Rahu is the gate of Hell and home to fiendish or dark-hearted days. Each year is a 12-month cycle of 29 days. For ease, each
gods and spirits. Rahu naturally represents the oppositional month has 4 weeks of 7 days, and then a 1-day “rest” at the
elements of the other planets, and turns them from their true end of the month. A month ends with the New Moon and
path. Senna, when the moon is practically invisible. A month begins
the next day, and reaches its crescendo during the Full moon
KETKURA at the middle of the month.
A soft blue glow in the southern skies, Ketkura is sometimes In order from the first day of the week, to the last:
visible in the day during winter months. In the zodiac, Ketkura Vutandai, Heraldai, Shadai, Saintai, Eastrai, Persai, Archsol.
is represented by a three-eyed serpent. The end-of-the-month rest-day is simply called Senna.
Ketkura signifies the spiritual process of the refinement of In order from the beginning month of the year, to the
materialization to spirit and is considered both malefic and ending months of the year: Dragon, Sparrow, Lion, Hawk,
benefic, as it causes sorrow and loss, and yet at the same time Phoenix, Unicorn, Owl, Wolf, Bear.
turns the individual to the gods. In other words, it causes In winter times, vigilant dragon sleeps, his breath fanning o'er
the world he keeps. Sparrows song
material loss in order to force a more spiritual outlook in the
soars forth, heralding the coming
person. Ketkura is often used in jewelry to represent warmth. Lion roars to the dawning
intelligence, wisdom, non-attachment, fantasy, penetrating light, calling to Hawk giving flight. As
insight, derangement, and psychic abilities. brilliant sphere passes noon,
Ketkura is host to arcane deities, magical beasts both phoenix awakens and burns
benign and malign, and a few of the dragon gods. anew. With her passing,
Unicorn dances, glorious
even in dimming light. Owl
IO watches all on silent wings,
Sometimes called the False Sun, IO is said to be the body of giving voice only as the wolf
the greatest dragon god itself. It appears, however, to be a howls and sings. And slowly,
solid golden orb that catches and reflects the light of Solus. It slowly, does the thoughtful bear
is host to most of the gaia, but is also home to bestial gods creep, to his cave for his
and those devoted to good or law. winter sleep.
In the zodiac, IO is represented by a
bas-relief of a gold and glass dragon
head. IO represents nobility, honor,
trust, and order. In opposition, IO can
represent stagnation, carelessness, and
tyranny.

ECLIPSE
With Aeisvahn the yolk, and Umbrae the
shell of a celestial egg, it stands to reason that
the non-lunar planets are merely cracks in that
shell. And cracks do not generally move.
Thus, an eclipse can only be caused when
one of the three moons passes before one of
the other planets (even the other moons).
Elunae can eclipse Darius and Nerrus, Darius
can eclipse Nerrus, but never the other way
around. Based on her constant and predictable
orbit,
Elunae most frequently eclipses the other
planets, and even rarely blocks out Solus in a
dramatic and incredible performance. An eclipse
from Darius is far rarer, and thought to have
more cosmological influence.
Nerrus is known to only ever have eclipsed once, when it
covered the presence of Rahu on the very day that the last
true-giant died. It is said that Rahu seemed to swell behind
the moon, shedding a massive light-killing aura that covered
the surface of Nerrus in a black mist.

THE CALENDAR
Since Aeisvahn lacks an orbit around the sun, most cultures
on the world typically use the orbit of Elunae to determine a
lunar calendar. As Elunae's orbit is extremely regular, this

Page 6
 CHARACTERS
This section explains how to create characters to play in a
Solsturm. This involves a series of decisions that will shape
your character, so the more you understand what kind of
character you want to play, the easier character creation will
be. The process involves understanding the values of three
game statistics and choosing three aspects that determine
your character’s capabilities.
CHARACTER STATS
Every player character has three defining characteristics,
which are typically called “statistics” or “stats.” These stats are
Might, Speed, and Intellect. They are broad categories that
cover many different but related aspects of a character.
MIGHT defines how strong and durable your character
is. The concepts of strength, endurance, constitution,
hardiness, and physical prowess are all folded into this one
stat. Might isn’t relative to size; instead, it’s an absolute
measurement. An elephant has more Might than the mightiest
tiger, which has more Might than the mightiest rat, which has
more Might than the mightiest spider.
Might governs actions ranging from forcing doors open to
walking for days without food to resisting disease. It’s also the
primary means of determining how much damage your
character can sustain in a dangerous situation. Physical
characters, tough characters, and characters interested in
fighting should focus on Might.
SPEED describes how fast and physically coordinated
your character is. The stat embodies quickness, movement,
dexterity, and reflexes. Speed governs such divergent actions
as dodging attacks, sneaking around quietly, and throwing a
ball accurately. It helps determine whether you can move
farther on your turn. Nimble, fast, or sneaky characters will
want good Speed stats, as will those interested in ranged
combat.
INTELLECT determines how smart, knowledgeable, and
likable your character is. It includes intelligence, wisdom,
charisma, education, reasoning, wit, willpower, and charm.
Intellect governs solving puzzles, remembering facts, telling
convincing lies, and using mental powers. Characters
interested in communicating effectively, being learned
scholars, and wielding the numenera should stress their
Intellect stat.
POOLS, EFFORT, AND EDGE
Each of your three primary stats has two components: your
Pool and your Edge. Your Pool represents your raw, innate
ability, and your Edge represents knowing how to use what
you have. A third element ties into this concept: Effort. When
your character really needs to accomplish a task, you apply
Effort.
POOL
Your Pool is the most basic measurement of a stat. Comparing
the Pools of two creatures will give you a general sense of
which creature is superior in that stat. For example, a
character who has a Might Pool of 16 is stronger (in a basic
sense) than a character who has a Might Pool of 12. Most
characters start with a Pool of 9 to 12 in most stats—that’s the
average range.
When your character is injured, sickened, or attacked,
you temporarily lose points from one of your stat Pools. The
nature of the attack determines which Pool loses points. For
example, physical damage from a sword reduces your Might
Pool, a poison that makes you clumsy reduces your Speed
Pool, and a magical blast reduces your Intellect Pool. You can
also spend points from one of your stat Pools to decrease a
task’s difficulty. You can rest to regain lost points from a stat
Pool, and some special abilities or cyphers might allow you to
recover lost points quickly.
EDGE
Although your Pool is the basic measurement of a stat, your
Edge is also important. When something requires you to
spend points from a stat Pool, your Edge for that stat reduces
the cost. It also reduces the cost of applying Effort to a roll.
For example, let’s say you have a spell that costs 1 point
from your Intellect pool to activate. Subtract your Intellect
Edge from the activation cost, and the result is how many
points you must spend to use the spell. If using your Edge
reduces the cost to 0, you can use the ability for free.
Your Edge can be different for each stat. For example, you
could have a Might Edge of 1, a Speed Edge of 1, and an
Intellect Edge of 0. You’ll always have an Edge of at least 1 in
one stat. Your Edge for a stat reduces the cost of spending
points from that stat Pool, but not from other Pools. Your
Might Edge reduces the cost of spending points from your
Might Pool, but it doesn’t affect your Speed Pool or Intellect
Pool. Once a stat’s Edge reaches 3, you can apply one level of
Effort for free.
A character who has a low Might Pool but a high Might
Edge has the potential to perform Might actions consistently
better than a character who has a Might Edge of 0. The high
Edge will let her reduce the cost of spending points from the
Pool, which means she’ll have more points available to spend
on applying Effort.
EFFORT
When your character really needs to accomplish a task, you
can apply Effort. For a beginning character, applying Effort
requires spending 3 points from the stat Pool appropriate to
the action. Thus, if your character tries to dodge an attack (a
Speed roll) and wants to increase the chance for success, you
can apply Effort by spending 3 points from your Speed Pool.
Effort lowers the difficulty of the task by one step. This is
called applying one level of Effort.
You don’t have to apply Effort if you don’t want to. If you
choose to apply Effort to a task, you must do it before you
attempt the roll—you can’t roll first and then decide to apply
Effort if you rolled poorly.
Applying more Effort can lower a task’s difficulty further:
each additional level of Effort reduces the difficulty by another
step. Applying one level of Effort lowers the difficulty by one
step, applying two levels lowers the difficulty by two steps, and
so on. However, each level of Effort after the first costs only 2
points from the stat Pool instead of 3. So applying two levels
of Effort costs 5 points (3 for the first level plus 2 for the
second level), applying three levels costs 7 points (3 plus 2
plus 2), and so on.
Every character has an Effort score, which indicates the
maximum number of levels of Effort that can be applied to a
roll. A beginning (first-tier) character has an Effort of 1,
meaning you can apply only one level of Effort to a roll. A
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 more experienced character has a higher Effort score and can
apply more levels of Effort to a roll. For example, a character
who has an Effort of 3 can apply up to three levels of Effort to
reduce a task’s difficulty.
When you apply Effort, subtract your relevant Edge from
the total cost of applying Effort. For example, let’s say you
need to make a Speed roll. To increase your chance for
success, you decide to apply one level of Effort, which will
reduce the difficulty of the task by one step. Normally, that
would cost 3 points from your Speed Pool. However, you have
a Speed Edge of 2, so you subtract that from the cost. Thus,
applying Effort to the roll costs only 1 point from your Speed
Pool.
What if you applied two levels of Effort to the Speed roll
DIVINE POOL
instead of just one? That would reduce the difficulty of the
task by two steps. Normally, it would cost 5 points from your
Speed Pool, but after subtracting your Speed Edge of 2, it costs
only 3 points.
Once a stat’s Edge reaches 3, you can apply one level of
Effort for free. For example, if you have a Speed Edge of 3 and
you apply one level of Effort to a Speed roll, it costs you 0
points from your Speed Pool. (Normally, applying one level of
Effort would cost 3 points, but you subtract your Speed Edge
from that cost, reducing it to 0.)
Skills and other advantages also decrease a task’s
difficulty, and you can use them in conjunction with Effort. In
addition, your character might have special abilities or
equipment that allow you to apply Effort to accomplish a
special effect, such as knocking down a foe with an attack or
affecting multiple targets with a power that normally affects
only one.
EFFORT AND DAMAGE
Instead of applying Effort to reduce the difficulty of your
attack, you can apply Effort to increase the amount of damage
you inflict with an attack. For each level of Effort you apply in
this way, you inflict 3 additional points of damage. This works
for any kind of attack that inflicts damage, whether a sword, a
crossbow, a mind blast, or something else.
When using Effort to increase the damage of an area
attack, such as the explosion created by a sorcerer’s Flash
ability, you inflict 2 additional points of damage instead of 3
points. However, the additional points are dealt to all targets
in the area. Further, even if one or more of the targets in the
area resist the attack, you still inflict 1 point of damage to
them.
ANCILLARY POOLS
Ancillary Pools are secondary Pools of points that have special
game mechanics. Ancillary pools can be used only in specific
circumstances, and characters will never have more than two
(and rarely more than one) ancillary Pools. Ancillary Pools
always have unique rules, and points in these pools do not
prevent you from moving down the damage track (or from
dying).
Some examples are the Luck Pool (granted by the Lucky
descriptor), the Moon Pool granted by the Flies by Night
focus, and the Divine Pool described below.
The Divine Pool is an ancillary Pool that governs how much
power your chosen nascent deity can grant you. This Pool has
a maximum value of 3 + your current tier. You must have at
least 1 point in your Divine Pool to activate or maintain your
dominion abilities or to gain the benefits of your divine shifts.
Points in your Divine Pool can only be replenished by
performing a feat in your god's name (1+ points), a roll of a
natural 20 on any task (1 point), or by advancing to the next
tier (full replenishment). Other events might restore points on
a case-by-case basis.
You may spend points from your Divine Pool to
accomplish any one of the following tasks:
Force a Reroll (2 points): This works exactly the same
as spending XP to force a re-roll.
Activate an Ability (1+ points): You may spend points
from your Divine Pool on a one-for-one basic when activating
any other ability, but you must first spend at least one point
from your Might, Speed, or Intellect Pools.
Restore a Pool (1+ points): Once per day, when at
least one of your Pools is at 0, you may exchange points from
your Divine Pool on a one-for-one basis. For example, if your
Might Pool drops to 0, as an action you may expend 1 or more
points from your Divine Pool and add that many points to
your Might Pool.
Resist Death: This ability activates as long as you have
at least one point in your Divine Pool. If you would die, your
Divine Pool drains and you are restored to life with 1 point in
each of your primary Pools. Your remain unconscious until
you use a recovery roll or are healed by another source.

MULTIPLE USES OF EFFORT AND EDGE

If your Effort is 2 or higher, you can apply Effort to multiple
aspects of a single action. For example, if you make an attack,
you can apply Effort to your attack roll and apply Effort to
increase the damage.
The total amount of Effort you apply can’t be higher than
your Effort score. For example, if your Effort is 2, you can
apply up to two levels of Effort. You decided how to allocate
those levels.
You can use Edge for a particular stat only once per
action. For example, if you apply Effort to a Might attack roll
and to your damage, you can use your Might Edge to reduce
the cost of one of those uses of Effort, not both. If you spend 1
Intellect point to activate your mind blast and one level of
Effort to decrease the difficulty of the attack roll, you can use
your Intellect Edge to reduce the cost of one of those things,
not both.

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