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This issue of BEHOLD! sees the start of quite a few new features. We have articles on miniatures, computers and board games, as well as the usual dosage of articles on roleplaying games. We will try to support as many aspects of gaming as possible, so look forward to more such articles in the future.

A few changes have been made to the magazine too: The Hotline has been removed from the magazine, and will be included as an "insert" in the main magazine from time to time. This leaves the back page free for more artwork, news and a preview of next month's BEHOLD! We now also have a letters page for you to share your ideas with all our other readers.

A hearty welcome to the new readers we have picked up since we started. We have included more articles of general interest in this issue, so that BEHOLD! will be enjoyed by more gamers. We hope you stay with us and enjoy all of the future issues of BEHOLD!

There was no clear result for last issue's competition. None of the proposed names was clearly the most popular, so we will try to come up with a good name by discussing the entries we had.

Finally, we say good-bye to Geva for a month or two, as he goes globe-trotting off to America. (Geva, there is a mistake on page 14 of my shopping list. I'll give you the correction before you go.) I'm also going to be doing some travelling, but unfortunately only as far Verwoerdburg. Oh, well...

See you next month.

Anthony Brooks

2    Editorial
3    Windows Within Our new letters column lets you air your views.
4    Course 101: Intelligence Techniques Enter the maze of intelligence and counterintelligence.
5    The Halfling Language  An amusing look at the development of the halfling language.
6    Computing in a Dream World  The time of computerized roleplaying games creeps closer...
7    The Day Dawns  An introduction to the world of miniatures and Warhammer.
8    This Page Intentionally Left Blank  Unfortunately, there will be no Paranoia article this issue.
10    King Arthur Pendragon  Ever wanted to be a knight in shining armour? Welcome to Camelot.
11    For Those Who Missed It  The board game is back! A look at a Star Warriors game scenario.
12    Storm of Change  You have met the world of Shadowrun. Now find out how it all started.
14    AD&D Game Guide (Part 3)  Vraytar dies as the party is overcome by a host of undead.
15    In Character: Artak of Triscoh  This month we take a look at one of the AD&D rogues.

Cover: In this issue we have two full-sized pictures by Dominik Wysocki. The main cover is entitled Rings of Fire and depicts a immense carrier craft emerging from warp space, accompanied by an attendant fleet of battle ships. The back cover deals with more down to earth things, and is called Awakening.

This edition of BEHOLD! sees the launch of our letters page, Windows Within. This page is your chance to air your views on any gaming-related topic. Our letters this month are a comment on weapons in AD&D and a list of a few unanswered questions.
 

Our wars in the spaceways, among the outer rim planets, are the hidden wars. Not only do we fight against the vast fleets of the Emperor, but against his extensive and well funded propaganda machines. Throughout the core worlds the Rebel Alliance is regarded as a militant, terrorist organisation. Only those not mesmerized in apathy have seen through the façade of the Emperor's creation. And those who have visited the outer worlds. Under the Empire's mighty military arm many systems, countless worlds and myriads of races have been subjected to oppression. It is not just the gallant forces of the Rebellion that must struggle against the Imperial Navy. We must struggle against the minds of every soul living within the Empire. We must light a fire within the hearts of the nations that not even a new Death Star could extinguish.

An extract from Mon Mothma's address to the Moharbath System,
shortly after the destruction of the Death Star.

During the assault of Mirath IV, the Imperial Navy turned the whole planet into a hideous hulk. During the bombardments, which continued for more than a week, 90% of the planet life, sentient and non-sentient, was destroyed. It was a brave Rebel leader who managed to capture the assault and aftermath on holographic disks. The disks were smuggled to the Rebellion, but the leader, Commander Vasume died in the process. The Empire covered up the entire assault and blamed the Rebel Alliance Fleet. Doctored footage was broadcast throughout the core worlds with disastrous effects. Mon Calamari Cruisers were shown bombarding the worlds. Rebel sympathizers and valuable funding were lost. This however, was rectified when millions of copies of Commander Vasume's disks were smuggled throughout the core worlds. Rebel funding from the core worlds has, at worst, doubled since then.

Most of this smuggling was done by Rebel spy rings. These are made up of hardy souls who know that their life expectancy is as long as a Jawa is tall. Imperial Intelligence has established "Remik", a counterintelligence division in charge of identifying and dismantling enemy spy operations. Their efforts have doubled to find counter-propaganda spy rings since the release of Commander Vasume's footage.

Spy rings are, however, not always dismantled. If a ring is considered to be potentially useful, all information about it is handed over to Infiltration. Infiltration believes that the best way to destroy an enemy is from within. We shall deal more with this subject in future lectures.

Most of the spy rings we have established within the core worlds rely a great deal on Rebellion smuggling operations for supplies, holographic disks and information. These rings very rarely trust, or even show up at meetings with untried smugglers. The smugglers could easily be Remik agents who have "intercepted" the real contacts. The smugglers themselves must have nerves of steel, for once discovered there is little chance of escaping from the core worlds. If they are ever caught, these brave pilots try to take as many Imperials with them as possible before initiating a self destruct sequence.

One of our more ingenious and tricky counterintelligence operations involves intercepting Sector Plexus droid vessels. These vessels are the heart of the Imperial Intelligence information system, as most of the Empire's confidential data is carried from system to system in them. They are extremely hard to detect on scanners and are also extremely fast. They are run solely by expert droids and only contain engines, wiring and a hull. If these vessels can be intercepted and the information which they contain altered, the Rebellion achieves a double goal: The Empire is provided with false information, and valuable information on Imperial Intelligence activities is gained. Unfortunately, more often than not, Remik ferrets out the false information.

Another aspect of intelligence work is the uncovering of Imperial agents. This is hardly ever achieved, unless the Imperial agent slips up - not a frequent occurrence. We shall deal more with this next week. Enjoy heavy weapons practice.

While the origin of the halfling race is not truly known, it can be said that these pestly little furballs probably developed from a magician's experiment, and that is being kind at the best. Many great scholars think that the great wizard Fatbumkins was experimenting on creating a creature with the strength of a dwarf and the intelligence of a gnome. Obviously a stray goblin got in the way of the spell and the creature that Fattikins created is that dear creature we all hate, the halfling.

The halfling's view is that they were created by the gods themselves (Who has ever heard of anything as terrible as that?). They say that the great deities found the elves to be too flighty and cheerful. (Well, at least we can agree with that.) The dwarves were too dour and their bad tempers pushed them too much. (Here I must agree again, thinking of that nice garden I had till a dwarf found gold on it...) And the Gnomes were too clever for their own good. (Yes. I still need that wall repaired after they broke it with their automatic-wall-scrubber-cleaner-and-painter-that-works-really-well-sometimes or something like that.) The gods thoughts on humans were that we were too greedy. (Can You Believe THAT?)

Still, the halflings believe that the gods (once they had finished creating the world) found the races not quite to their liking, so they created a race that included all of the best features of the other races; namely: the elves' good looks and cheerfulness; the dwarves' strength and toughness; the gnomes' dexterity and curiosity; and the adaptability of the humans. (This last point has some truth, as you could throw a halfling onto a rubbish heap in the depths of Hades and the little furball would survive.)

When we come to the language of the halfling race, we find that it is not based on any one single style; rather it seems to be a floating language. In an effort to find the beginning of the halfling language, I traced several old manuscripts which dated from a time when the world was newish. (Can you believe it, the stupid little creatures tried to stop me with the claims that those dirty rags were "precious documents"? Of course, I ignored them and impressed them no end by vanishing into midair.)

After several weeks of study, I finally managed to solve the riddle. The halflings are nothing but plagiarists. Their so-called "language" is based solely on the ancient elven and dwarven scripts. They seem to have copied the languages and then mixed them to suit their own needs. (What needs?) Time progressed, as it will, (My, what a nice sentence!) and the halflings, true to form, corrupted their own language to such a degree that it was unrecognizable.

So, these little pests actually learned how to write by copying their cousins. After this amazing little discovery, I decided that it was time for a little truth from the dwarves and teleported myself into one of their many caverns. Here I seem to have been in luck as I found a scholar sitting on a golden chair, and, after binding him in a stasis field, I transported him back to my tower. (I wonder why the scruffy-bearded shorties looked so angry when I borrowed the dirty little mole?)

It was with much regret that I was unable to get anything out of the rodent; the dwarves show amazing resistance to magical tortures. Anyway, to cut a long story short, after a while, I visited the halflings, elves and gnomes and took one of each their oldest scholars. (I wonder what that chipping sound is? Probably rats.) Anyway, as I said, I found an elderly elven scholar on his way "to meet destiny" as he put it. (What codswallop!) He proved to be of not much use by acting plain dumb, claiming that his mind was not as good as it used to be. The halfling was pestersome as he managed to escape several minutes after I caught him. (No matter, I don't think he knew how to write anyway.) The gnome proved to be the most useful (until he blew up half my house by mixing certain chemicals). He told me that we humans (yes, he used that terminology) are a rather young race, and that when we were still living in animal-skin tents the non-human races had already built cities, and had a spoken language. Unfortunately, I was unable to confirm this, as the gnome seemed rather distracted with his own self-importance. (What is that noise.....?????) Anyway, as far as I can make out, WHAT......!*

[* This text ends here, as the scholar that wrote it is now dead. Cringkiath the sage, did not notice the fact that while he was torturing his victims, a rather annoyed bunch of halflings, gnomes, dwarves and elves placed his tower under siege. The previous extract was found in the possession of the halflings, who thought it was part of the ancient manuscripts that were stolen from them. The scroll seems to have been a rough draft as well as having some of Cringkiath's personal thoughts on it.]

Do you remember when you got your first fantasy-orientated computer game? It was probably something like Atic Atak on the Spectrum or the Commodore. Or perhaps you played (or tried to at least) The Hobbit? Have you ever thought about how far we have come since then, with computer-based fantasy games? Or where it will all lead to?

Today you can walk into any software outlet and get a game from a selection of hundreds, most of which take you into a fantasy world. Although so far none of them are as convincing as roleplaying or playing board games with a group of people, the games are mostly fun. There are all types of games - Police Quest, where it is necessary to keep to strict police procedure to get anywhere; Larry, which needs a dirty mind to be played, Space Quest, King's Quest, Willy Beamish, Wing Commander, Flight Simulator, and so on. The list is miles long. There are even games based on classic AD&D procedures - games such as Eye of the Beholder or Curse of the Azure Bonds. I generally prefer the latter category of games as they are more challenging to play. Lots of the games I have mentioned do get very boring - the creators spend too much time on the scenery and too little time on the story line. There is, however, that very handy advantage of playing on the computer - you can always delete a character, or change his stats, as you wish!

Computers can be used for far more than simply playing a simulation on your own computer. In the U.S.A., Sierra, a software publishing firm, has started up a WAN (Wide Area Network), where people from all over the world can play each other using their machines. At the moment it is only possible to play chess and backgammon, but can you imagine playing a campaign game with people from around the world? Now that could be fun! Who is to pay the phone bill is of course another question...

Do you remember the film Total Recall from last year? What Arnie went through in the "dream machine" when he went on "holiday" is not far off - to an extent it already exists. Its name is Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality (V.R.) is a fantasy universe: it is a place where you can don a suit and goggles, and interact with a computer-generated true 3D world. And lots of people can interact in the same V.R. The system consists of a pair of goggles and a suit which work as follows: the goggles have two display units in them, together your eyes form a true to life 3D image. The suit is full of sensors which tell the computer what your body is doing; if, in your suit, you raise your hand in front of your eyes, a 3D computer image of your hand and arm will raise itself in front of you on your goggles! The computer can even generate imaginary objects, which you can manoeuvre in Virtual Reality! Now imagine playing a campaign game like that! Nintendo already have a home system out - a glove with mono goggles and various games sells for $100 in the U.S.A. In a couple of years time, our group will be donning suits, linking up to a 986, and disappearing into a V.R. never to return. Datajacks and matrices, here we come!

A less significant use for computers in roleplaying is in the good old data capture side. A computer can be used to store information on your characters, keep your game updated, plan your adventures or to print out a character sheet. If we were all rich, I am sure that we would have laptops or notebooks at our meetings, with custom written software for our adventures. The problem that we face with this idea at the moment is that computers are too expensive. And concerning existing I.B.M. compatible games - they're just not good enough yet. I am however positive that these facts will change for the better.

Lastly, concerning computers, one has to of course delve into the world of PARANOIA! What with V.R. and people who write viruses and other such destructive programs, imagine what might happen to all of us! One day you may wake up after an especially good game and find that you have this red suit on, with VI-R-USD 1 written on it! Or if you are especially unlucky, an orange or yellow suit...

...and a weary sun rises slowly above the tortured land.

A hoarse, ragged shout arises as the servants of Chaos catch sight of their hated foes, the stalwart dwarves. As the light grows, both forces prepare themselves for the trial to come, commanders encourage their contingents and on both sides sorcerers weave mighty enchantments to aid their allies. Dwarfish machineries of destruction are wheeled to vantage points, a gyrocopter heaves itself into the smog, gibbering goblin slaves are herded into place behind the dwarfish "Goblobber". The two dark-elf heroes, mercenaries to fortune, mount the dreaded Cold Ones; their employers remain at a healthy distance. Crossbows are cocked, long thin jagged things are unsheathed and a gasp rises involuntarily as skeletons rise from the ground, shambling to do their mistress's bidding. Swirling mists surround the skaven conjuror as he makes contact with the nether world, beseeching the most evil of creatures for assistance.

If this sounds like a pleasant fantasy to you, you're wrong! This is Warhammer gaming, where every day, the forces of Good unite to meet the insidious forces of Chaos as evil threatens to overwhelm the land.

Battles come to life as contingents of miniatures thrust and parry, manoeuvre and counter-manoeuvre over the sculpted table forming the battle-field.

Sounds complicated, doesn't it? Well, wrong again! The Warhammer rules are contained within a single volume, the armies and troop types in another. There is a detailed magic system, machineries of destruction, everything needed for the aspiring warlord!

At the moment, only Keith and myself play regularly; the skaven suffer mightily at the hands of the dwarfs, but not always...

Keith and myself are thinking of running a sample battle for anyone interested. A GM'ed battle is miles better than one with only players, and considering the game quality already, it should be a tremendous fight!

Of course, you don't need models to play, labelled cardboard cutouts should work fine, although it is more fun with figures.

So, come to Warhammer, whether you want to uphold Law and Order or grind it beneath your heel. Chaos and Decay are rife, prevention may be possible, elimination is impossible!

ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS ... ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS ... ATTENTION ALL CIT

The COMPUTER has designated this article to be above your security 
clearance*. It has therefore been omitted from the magazine. Please 
turn the page immediately and proceed with the next article. Have a
happy life.

IZENS ... ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS ... ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS ... ATTENTIO

As we all know, the COMPUTER has generously supplied every citizen with a number of clones which can step in as replacements in the event of any ... er .. unfortunate accidents. Each clone is, of course, meant to last a lifetime; but, as troubleshooters soon discover, a lifetime in Alpha Complex can be alarmingly short. Since clones are a troubleshooter's most valuable resource, here are a few tips on how to keep that little number after your name as low as possible:

1. Shoot first; ask questions later: There are commie traitors everywhere. Even worse, there are people everywhere who are waiting to expose you as a commie traitor. In Alpha Complex, paranoid feelings are entirely justified: they are out to get you. Be sure to get them first.

2. Better yet, don't ask questions: So what if the commie traitor you've just shot turns out to be a trusted High Programmer? Work out a convincing argument, get a post-termination voucher and forget about it.

3. When injured, refuse medical assistance: As part of its on-going efforts to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, the COMPUTER has discovered that it can save a lot of money by using unmodified butcherbots as docbots. Since the Hippocratic Oath has been uncovered as a commie plot, docbots are now supplied with a much simpler motto: "To stop disease, chop disease". Thus a docbot, when faced with a bleeding nose, is most likely to solve the problem by amputating the head. A hangnail would, at the very least, require the removal of the affected limb. This is not to say that docbots don't aid the recovery process: there's nothing like the sight of an advancing chain-saw to make someone feel dramatically better. They should never, however, be allowed to complete the operation.

4. Avoid R&D at all costs: It is a common misconception that "R&D" stands for "Research and Development". In fact, it stands for "Ruination and Death". Fortunately, the COMPUTER is aware of R&D's rather dismal track record, and now requires them to print a health warning on all equipment with indelible ink. Unfortunately, R&D's newly-designed indelible ink, although impervious to heat, cold, water, friction, acid, shock, age, and small nuclear holocausts, does not stand up too well to the oxygen present in the air we breathe. So, take heed: volunteer at your own risk. Mind you, if you don't volunteer, you'll probably be shot as a traitor. That's life...

5. Keep quiet about your mutant powers: If you're going to set somebody's head alight with pyrokinesis, do it discreetly. Mutant powers can be very useful; but it's best not to be too obvious about them (unless you're idiot enough to have registered them). This entails a degree of restraint: If, for example, you decide to make the rest of your party spontaneously explode, the fact that yours is the only clone left in one piece is a dead giveaway. Rather get rid of them more subtly, one by one. Of course, there's not much you can do about the mutant powers of others. If you're caught floating fifteen feet up in mid-air, you'll be vapourized before you can say "It's not me, honest!".

6. Watch your mouth: If you have picked up some non-standard vocabulary somewhere, don't let it slip into your everyday conversation. Words like "guinea-pig", "buy", "mother" and "carrot" are best avoided. How, you may well ask, are you to know which words are "non-standard"? The only way to find out for sure that a word is taboo is when you get blasted for using it. When in doubt, mumble.

7. Be very careful during debriefing: The docbot-general has determined that debriefing is the single greatest cause of premature clone fatalities. The best advice that we can give about debriefing is to avoid it altogether. Since this is usually impossible, you'll just have to make the best of a bad situation (this usually means losing only one clone as opposed to three). Be sure to be ready with a good explanation of everything you did during the mission, along with several scurrilous stories about the other members of the party to divert attention from your own misdeeds. It helps to practise your fast talking and boot-licking skills, too.

8. Don't roll any twenties: Speaking from bitter experience (Seven in one game! How unlucky can you get? Muttermutter.), I can assure you that there is no faster way to lose a clone.

9. If you manage to survive, don't flaunt it: If you're lucky enough to be on clone one or two, while everyone else in the party is on about clone number four, don't brag about it. This is liable to earn you envy and hatred over and above the already dangerous levels of these two emotions found in any well-balanced party. If you insist on rubbing people's noses in your longevity, it won't be long before you, too, will find yourself on clone four. It follows, therefore, that the best way to ensure survival is not to survive. Failing that, the order of the day, is, as usual, keep mum.

10. Don't be caught reading this article: It's not easy slipping subversive material like this past the COMPUTER. The little trick with the footnote seems to have worked quite well, but if anyone ever caught wind of it, there'd be he

Editor's note: We apologize for this article's abrupt end, but when we found this manuscript, the rest of it was inexplicably charred.]

Fantamania, one of the leading book and game suppliers in Johannesburg, is opening a shop.

The shop will stock all kinds of gaming products, from board games to roleplaying games. It will also have a large selection of comics, magazines, graphic novels and, of course, fantasy, horror and science fiction books.

The new shop will be located at 38 Grant Avenue in Norwood, Johannesburg. The grand opening will take place on Wednesday, 11 December, and there will be plenty of opening specials, sales and discounts.

Some of the new products which will be making an appearance on opening day are: Moving Pictures, the tenth and latest Discworld novel; Cracken's Rebel Field Guide, the new Star Wars manual on equipment and technology; and all of the latest Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels.

Tarantarararantantantaaa! - Pendragon has arrived.

Pendragon is set in about 531 A.D. and portrays the realm of the legendary King Arthur. It is a good time to be alive. King Arthur has done miracles for Europe since he pulled the sword Excalibur from an anvil and stone to claim his right of Kingship. Peace and harmony now prevail and any badness that seeps in gets a jolly walloping with a certain rather sharp sword.

The order of the round table established by King Arthur is the ultimate position of knightly standing. This circle of mighty warriors has never failed to keep peace in Arthur's domain. It is established in Camelot, the central city of Logres. Arthur and these followers are unbeaten in battle and have driven all rebellious kings away. No one denies that Arthur with Excalibur by his side is the most spectacular ruler of all time.

The people of highest importance in his domain are Queen Guenever, Arthur's beautiful wife; Gawaine - Arthur's eldest nephew - the most renowned knight of the realm (for flirting); Sir Lamorak de Gales, best and by far the most valorous fighter. Sir Lancelot du Lac, who after recently killing evil Sir Carados of the Dolorous Tower is sure to become a high honour round table knight; Sir Ywaine (son of King Uriens of Gorre and Morgan le Fay), a great knight of the round table even though he was banished by Arthur previously.

Other famous characters are known for their magical abilities. The magician Merlin who vanished some fifteen years ago was the most skilled of his kind. He dearly helped King Arthur to reach his status and a search is currently on for him. Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, once served under Merlin and is also magically gifted. Morgan le Fay, youngest sister of Arthur, once friendly but now plotting against Arthur, is notoriously known for her powerful sorcery.

Britain is divided into five areas: Logres, Cambria, Cumbria, Pictland and Cornwall, Logres being the most dominant area. This is where most of the action takes place, the bull's-eye being Camelot. Camelot is where tournaments of joust and sword take place, of archery and of strength. Camelot is where your personality is admired, where your passions are expressed, where your size, dexterity, strength, constitution and appearance intimidate and your skills are displayed. All of which also apply when trying to find a suitable wife.

All in all, from the hoof of your horse to the tip of your lance, Pendragon is an exciting roleplaying adventure for both the players and the gamemaster.

Arms and Equipment Guide from TSR                                                                                       Fantamania price: R 69.95

The new Arms and Equipment Guide contains information on all types of medieval weapons, clothes and other equipment. The Guide also has many detailed and descriptive illustrations of many AD&D weapons. It is now in stock at Fantamania.

The board game. What an interesting concept. A large, colourful playing board, with three dozen or so easy to lose counters, a few cards, a handful of dice, a wad of rules and away you go.

It's been around a long time, but only recently did the idea of the board game scenario begin to take flame, and at the moment is flickering along quite nicely. Below is an excerpt from one of the few board game scenarios so far developed, using the Star Warriors game. The scene was carefully laid out, even more carefully transported to a new location, re-laid once more, packed up again, and finally relocated back with a "Would you please make up your mind!" comment attached. The adventure was set, the noise level soared, and the tea tasted really good. The newly rolled-up rebel pilots prepared to take on and tackle a mission. Unlike the roleplaying games or movies, this version had no fixed ending. It was all based on how the players flew, and on an overly large chunk of good luck.

Down the Throat of the Death Star  -  (A Star Warriors game scenario)
The Y-wing slipped through the last corner. In front loomed the target, behind and closing fast, was Vader. The TIE's bolts skimmed the sides of the trench. The target rushed forward, as the Rebellion pilot battled to lock on. Vader fired, the bolts just missing, and pulled back to half-loop out into open space. Below, the Y-wing hurtled forth, overflying the target and slamming into the turret gun behind. The ship exploded, taking the gun, crew and a small percentage of the base with it.

Death Star : 1 , Y-wing : 0.

The battle station moved ever closer - the planet would soon be in range. But all was not lost to the Rebellion. Luke guided his damaged X-wing through the trench at breakneck speed. Behind followed two more X-wings, plus the Millennium Falcon bringing up the rear. A loud hoot sounded from the rebels, as another turret fell under Han Solo's fire. Luke flew on, dodging the last of the debris of previous Y-wing, to line up for his shot, the targeting-computer on overload. Vader, sensing the looming danger, forced his Intercepter into the red, and dived wildly back into the trench, just in time to slam straight into the incoming Falcon, destroying them both.

The Death Star came in range. The initial firing sequence began as the power couplings hummed with energy. The gauges began to rise, as the massive capacitors were slowly charged. Luke fired. The torpedoes tore into the exhaust port and exploded. Deep inside the battle station, a rumbling began. The rebel ships were fleeing the area at a rate of knots, when, from within, the entire Death Star erupted into a fiery ball of energy. The explosion could be felt throughout the entire system.

Well done chaps. You've won!

I would just like to add a warm "thanks" to the Selmers for the smashing food and for the use of their home.

The 21st century broke as a chaotic wave against the shore of the world. The megacorporations were quickly rising to power. The Native American Indians, or Amerindians, were being eradicated like bothersome insects in order to gain their resource rich tribal lands. Retaliations were becoming more and more violent. There were nuclear meltdowns, toxic chemical fallouts, a chemical and nuclear war between Israel and Libya, and political turmoil throughout the world - but the confusion was about to get worse.

Virally Induced Toxic Allergy Syndrome (VITAS) first broke out in New Delhi in 2010. Within weeks the worst epidemic since the Black Plague spread throughout the world. By the end of 2010 an estimated 25% of the world population was dead or dying.

The turmoil was only the beginning. More governments dissolved in the five years leading up to 2011 than in any other time in history. Famine stalked the world. Riots, raids, protests and massive civilian deaths were now everyday news.

On the heals of VITAS came UGE. All over the world, mutant or changeling children emerged, caused by the phenomenon later named Unexplained Genetic Expression. Newsweek dubbed these UGE children "elves". It seemed that the horsemen of the apocalypse had finally arrived. This year became known as the "Year of Chaos".

Miracles and calamities were reported; religions rose and died overnight; prophets appeared proclaiming the end of the world. The greatest of these rose from the despair of a concentration camp. On December 24, at the same moment that hundreds of Japanese people witnessed the appearance of the great Dragon Ryumyo, the Prophet of the Great Ghost Dance, Daniel Howling Coyote, led his followers out of Abilene Re-Education Centre.

The Year of Chaos was the end of an old age and the beginning of a new - the dawn of our "Awakened" world. Mystics point to the Mayan Calender, noting that it predicts a new cycle of humanity on December 24, 2011. They also see the appearance of the Dragon Ryumyo as a signpost, marking what the Mayans called the Sixth World. It was in this Sixth World on April 30, 2021, that one out of every ten men and women metamorphosed into hideous humanoid shapes. Sometimes the change took days. Other times people would scream in agony for weeks, before sweet Death took them.

The media named this process "Goblinization". It was but another threshold point in the re-emergence of Magic. One tenth of the world's population became what were soon dubbed "Orks" and "Trolls". It did not end there. Normal children changed as they grew older. This was the spark that ignited a new time of violence and fear. The colour of one's skin was no longer a barrier. People around the earth began to hate and fear the new "races" emerging as a result of UGE and Goblinization : Elves, Dwarves, Orks and Trolls.

Metahumans had been born into a world not ready for them. Over the years that followed, riots and violence continued. Another outbreak of VITAS ravaged the planet. Metahumans became known as "the Awakened". The Matrix and Cybernetic Interface Systems were developed. Superpowers rose and fell. The Awakened continued to establish a foothold in the Sixth World. New violence erupted in 2036. A group calling itself "Alamos 20000" Napalm fire-bombed a small, mostly metahuman, community. Over the next fifteen years, they claimed responsibility for the deaths of over one hundred metahumans and publicly sympathetic normals.

In 2039, metahuman hatred culminated in the Night of Rage. Thousands of metahumans died in worldwide riots. In New York City alone, 836 metahumans perished. Retaliation soon followed. The most noted was the destruction of EuroAir flight 329 (with no survivors) by a great dragon known as Sirrurg. A valiant passenger managed to hold the reptile off with Sorcery for several minutes. "Humanis Policlub", an anti-metahuman organization, emerged over the next few years. It was suspected to be nothing more than a shadowy arm of Alamos 20000. Many pro-metahuman organizations had also emerged. Tir Tairngaire and Tir Nan Og became Sovereign Elven nations. Metahumans gradually began to be accepted into some parts of the new society of the Sixth World. In 2050, anti-metahuman violence had mostly been quelled, although racial tensions still ran high.

As more and more human offspring are born as the Awakened, or Goblinize as they reach puberty, many consider the days of the human race to be numbered. As the Awakened population continues to grow, so do racial tensions continue to rise. The world waits with bated breath for the day when the fear of the "norms" will breach the surface, and bubble over in a new rage of death.

The group of heroes had just fought the mage Blamonis when we last left them. They next discovered that the cylinder that they had recovered from his laboratory was indeed the second part of the Rod of Time. We continue the story just after Clytor has left the party.
 

Game 7: Dancing with Death

Featuring: Tekuna Chand, Souriin Draco, Shadow Kaylar, Casoe Quantamine, Opand Rupdel, Slyoak Woodguard and Vraytar Zythorac.

The group had been floating along the river on their raft for some time, when they first encountered Bolyan Risp, the honest boatman. After Opand had repelled an attack by a group of Lacedons, Bolyan offered to let them travel downstream with him. The group travelled with Bolyan to the small village of Zadar, where in a battle against hordes of undead, they were forced to call on the evil powers for aid. Aid came, but at great cost, as Vraytar was spirited away in return.

Creatures encountered: Lacedons, a Mummy, a Ghast, Ghouls, a Heucuva, a Wight, a Shadow and Minotaurs.
Game Dates: 2/1/93 - 3/1/93
 

Game 8: The Quesca Trip

Featuring: Tekuna Chand, Souriin Draco, Shadow Kaylar, Casoe Quantamine, Styer Rhon, Opand Rupdel and Slyoak Woodguard.

Feeling demoralized after the loss of Vraytar, the companions returned with Bolyan to the boat, meeting the paladin Styer Rhon on the way. On the remainder of the journey down the Quesca river, the heroes managed to stop a mutinous crewman, making a life-long friend of Bolyan as a result.

Creatures encountered: An Eagle.
Game Dates: 3/1/93 - 6/1/93
 

Game 9: The City of Feroll

Featuring: Tekuna Chand, Souriin Draco, Shadow Kaylar, Casoe Quantamine, Styer Rhon, Opand Rupdel and Slyoak Woodguard.

The band of adventurers finally reached their destination, the outskirts of the city Feroll. They left Bolyan's boat, and began the short journey to Feroll proper. Following a slight altercation, the group split up, and attracted unwanted attention from a patrol of Orcs. After a prolonged battle, the heroes triumphed.

Creatures encountered: Orcs, a Brown Bear and a Leopard.
Game Dates: 6/1/93

"On the journey, we were attacked by some sea ghouls. Praying to Artafor, I held my Holy Symbol aloft. The creatures looked at my holy symbol and fled from me. I was rather surprised. The sailors then bowed and started to worship me. I told them to rather worship divine Artafor. It was then that I discovered that the main religion in the area was that of Artafor."

Character: Artak of Triscoh
Race: Human
Alignment: Neutral
Class: Thief (of souls)
Level: 7

Alternate Identities: The Terminally Herbitual Herbalist, Rabbit, The Deadly Twin, Footloose.
Family: Wanwier (the older twin), both parents deceased.
Enemies: Any law enforcement officers, Athalar, Some mage, and all the others he has forgotten about.

Game Statistics: STR 18, DEX 19, CON 8, INT 11, WIS 8, CHA 8. Hit Points: 27.

"It's my silent strength, cat-like agility, and excellent marksmanship that have saved the party on many occasions."

Description: Artak is a mere five foot five inches in height. He is a stocky male with pitch black hair and brown beady eyes. His appearance is usually scruffy, he is always seen carrying a picnic hamper, and he wears poorly concealed leather armour beneath his clothes. Friends are always wary to accept drinks from him. Darts are his weapon of choice. He is known to carry some well-hidden daggers on his person, for backup of course.

"It was a ravaged childhood that led me to the paths that I now tread."

Background: Artak prides himself on being self-taught in the arts of silent death. He first learnt the ways of the rogue when doing mischievous deeds with his brother during school. It was these deeds for which his brother was expelled, and in the ensuing family argument both of Artak's parents were killed. The twins fled together, Artak preferring subtlety over his brothers brutish ways. From studying snakes, Artak first learnt the ways of the poisoner. It is on dark nights that victims are found below the symbol of the snake.

"A blade sweetly coated with Olymis is better than any lightning bolt that I have ever seen."

Tricks of the Trade: Artak is a thief of no small note in the Rotan Thieves Guild. (What Rotan Thieves Guild? - Ed.) His thieving skills include: Pick Pockets 90%, Move Silently and Climb Walls 60%, Open Locks 55%, Hide in Shadows 50%. His most valued possessions are poisons, which he carries in a hamper. His favourite poison is Olymis (type E). This is very risky as Artak has no antidote. Artak seems to relish risk, his favourite magic item is the Wand of Wonder. This chaotic device almost caused the death of several party members. He has also found the Dwarven Talisman particularly useful.

"May my poisons feed upon the very juices that constitute your soul!"

Deeds of Note: Artak's right foot was removed some time ago, while he was defending a village from a fearsome Dragonne. Before this he forfeited a wish so that his halfling companion could be resurrected. As a reward for this selfless deed, Hicluin granted him superhuman dexterity. Artak once ingeniously used his Wand of Wonder and a potion of plant control to vanquish a monstrous undead beast.