Lore

PDF HERE by Gordon Pytlik 

The Sands of Time  by M. Zottmann.

Cathramun (Basti warrior) The warrior cult of the Basti warriors was in charge of the kingdoms‘ granaries and to thwart evil magic and spells. They had to face off against small rodents and malvolent spirits alike, keeping safe the nourishment of the populace. From ancient texts we know of one „Cathramun“, who is mentioned as a great hero of the Basti warrior cult and repelled an attack on the kingdoms by giant snakes and other reptiles which threatened the stocks of food in the storages, thus saving the peolpe from starvation.   

Mummy with two-handed weapon; Mummy with dagger and staff of life The inhabitants of the ancient desert lands were driven by one ultimate quest: To conquer death and find eternal life. In fact they did achieve this to a certain extend. It was they who first mastered the rites of mummification. The dead are wrapped in cloth bandages after being covered with holy salt and other ingredients for a certain amount of time. Magic trinkets are woven into the cloth and clerical sermons are uttered during the process. Thus they can bring back the dead to a form of undeath and do their bidding.  

Mummy pharao with mace; Mummy pharao with knuckleblades; Mummy pharao with whip and sword A Mummy can have incredible powers and physical strength, but when a mighty pharao is revived and the ancient rites are followed to the letter, they are reborn in bodies not only preserved, but imbued with magical power that let their bodies grow and bolster muscle and sinew. Thus these mummy pharaos become an almost unstopable force, a true terror in the hulking form of a king from ancient times.

Fadeeya (Flying carpet rider) Legend has it Fadeeya was born to the hot desert wind and a beautiful genie girl. Of course Fadeeya nurtures such stories with word and action as it helps her and her desert raiders when dealing with caravans and rich merchants. Who would not think of a genie when seeing Fadeeya on her flying carpet at the head of her raiders charging down a sand slope? Having a bunch of ruffians under her command, Fadeeya has to be the toughest and the most daring of the bunch, being said to have robbed a sultan three times in his own bedroom.  

Anubti warrior with two daggers In ancient times the most revered fighters in the desert kingdoms were the members of the warrior cults. Deeply infused with belief to the deities of the ancient pantheon, these mostly human warriors willingly underwent rituals that were not only meant to bind them to their patron god or godess, but also amalgamate them with the spritual animal of the deity. Thus they tried to gain the favour of the deity and a fraction of the divine powers according to those of the god’s.   

Anubti warrior with single dagger With their bodies taking the likeliness of their deities, the warrior cults were few, but highly revered by other mortals. Among the most wide spread cults were the Anubti warriors, especially when the inhabitants of the desert kindoms turned their interests from life to afterlife or death. The warrior cults overlooked the keeping of the sacred rites and rituals for the passing of the dead. Hence their armament was restricted to the tools of preparation, mostly razor sharp knifes and daggers.  

Medusa Medusa is a woman with the lower body of a snake and with snake hair. Her gaze can turn her victims to stone, the venomous poison of her snake hair can kill an opponent where he stands. Her rattle unnerves those who oppose her before she strikes with gaze, bite, sword or entangling them with her snake body. It is said she was a woman once who angered the gods who turned her into her current form. Others argue why they would gift her with all the skills and traits she owns. Whatever the truth is, Medusa is lethally dangerous and the match for any would be hero, who might seek to fight her.  

Scarapion (Scorpionid chimera) There is a tale of a king who defied the priests and their gods, a pharao who wanted to lift the darkness from his people created by myth and dark rituals. He tried to alter the path of his people, whose goals in life were nothing against their goals in afterlife. So fixed on their death and life beyond, they started to see their life as a dream, merely a preparation for their true existence. But the King ultimately failed. When denouncing the gods‘ will, he condemned himself to eternal life, but altered and mutilated into a mixture of man and scorpion, forevermore known as Scarapion, the Scorpion Pharao. 

 Felibra (Catwinder sorceress) When the great snake Apefh was about to bring eternal darkness to the mortal planes, he was beheaded by another deity in the form of a catlike creature. As a sign of victory the deity then donned the lower part of the snake like a second skin, thus binding part of Apefh to her own considerable power. The head of a cat, the torso of a woman and the lower body of a giant snake is the description of Felibra which fits the ancient texts to the letter. Felibra carries a staff with a snakehead design on it and she wields magical powers matching those of the greatest wizards and sorcerers. Is she an avatar of a god, a mighty sorceress or a mythical creature? What is her purpose? Only Felibra knows...  

Sethos (Ancient conjurer) An old traveler of the sands of time, Sethos‘ origins are all but covered by the sands. He reads the ancient glyphs and writings like noone else, speaking with a rare but distinctive accent. He always seems to be looking for a hint to a temple or tomb and collects all kinds of ancient papyrus scrolls, he can lay hands on. On his expeditions he has been seen accompanied by a falcon, two cats and even snakes, all animals that once were revered as symbols of the ancient gods. He carries with him a staff with the ancient sign of life itself on its tip and is said to speak with the dead by merely touching their bodies with it.   

Tomb Guard Scorpion One of the many dangers when traveling the sands of time are scorpions. Depending on their size and lineage, their sting can result in painful swelling to instant death. But there is one rare species only found in the ancient tombs and temples of the desert: the Tomb Guard Scorpion. This scorpion not only reaches sizes of several metres, it also displays a certain form of intelligence. All of these beasts bear a golden crest on their forehead and there exist many telltales they guard the ancient sites against all who seek to disturb the peace, whether they seek knowledge or loot. 

 Odiphia (Sphinx) A sphinx is a creature with the body of a lion, the head of a human and wings like an eagle. Often they come as admissaries of the gods and bring decrees of fate of the mortals. They are epitomes of wisdom often hidden behind their ritualistic and riddle-like speeches. The sphinx called Odiphia seems to have found some interest in the farings of the mortal races and more frequently visits their towns and cities. Nethertheless she seems to spend most of her time in the warm sands of the south amidst the ruins of the ancient civilisations.  

Horathi warrior with kopesh, Horathi warrior with spear The aspect of the deity formed the equipment, armament and even the tactics of the corresponding warrior cults. The Horathi warriors were known for their surprise attacks and hit and run tactics. Therefore they used weaponry with a greater range and sharp edges  in melee combat. Despite their great agility and speed, these warriors were heavily armoured and were often used as scouts for their excellent seeing capability.    

Itaka (Ancient elf) When Itaka was young, the desert kingdoms were at the top of civilization. Her curiosity lured her into the splendid cities bristling with life. When she rescued a member of the royal household from the attack of a desert lion, Itaka became a honoured member of the court herself, being granted to bear the royal crest on her robes. Her lightning quick reflexes and deadly aim at close combat gave her the position of a royal champion. Over the centuries the elf witnessed the downfall of the kingdoms, who turned evermore from the ways of life to the ways of death, and the reconquest of the lands by the searing sands.  

Vipeerath (Cobra demon) This ancient demon appears as a titanic cobra with his spiky hood produced and outstretched and muscular humanoid arms ending in clawed fingers. Vipeerath is just a name given by recent wizards and other wise men, his name being Apefh or Apophet in ancient manuscripts. In these tomes he is said to wield the power to stop the sun from rising in the morning, by attacking the sun god’s vessel in the mid of night, cursing the land of the living to eternal darkness. It is further said only a god can stop Vipeerath by cutting off his head.  

Ephreton (Genie) A spirit with the power to fulfill all wishes, bound to a trinket like a lamp, a mirror or a ring and forced to do the bidding of the trinket’s master. Of course there a many legends were the genie has its own, often evil, way of fulfilling the master’s wishes, or where the wish backfired to the master in the end. What if the genie is freed or becomes himself master of his trinket? For an aeon Ephreton was slave to the long list of masters of his lamp. Then one day his last master’s wish was Ephreton’s freedom. Although he still has the power to fulfill any wish and he now can choose whose wishes he grants, he still needs someone to do the wishing.  

Meritamun (Cobra priestess) Meritamun is descended from the priesthood or one of the royal lines of the ancient kingdoms. She is the leader of the Cult of the Snake, whose only goal is to summon the great Apophet into this world or bring him back to life from his death at the hands of another god. Her bearings and her garments are those of an ancient priestess and she knows many of the rituals of yore. Still she is eversearching for the final scroll or glyphs that will awaken her true master and thus begin her rule over the sands of time.