A thousand years ago, the man now known as the Masked One was Hadrak Urjan, a visionary magician and priest in the Temple of the Lunar Queen, and the secret lover of Zenobia, a priestess there. It was his passion for the future Lunar Queen that was to be his tragic doom. When the illicit tryst was exposed, he was excommunicated and executed. Through his occult studies, Hadrak Urjan had found a way to pass through death and rise from his grave mightier than before. However, this process was not without consequences. Hadrak Urjan returned from beyond the grave as an undead horror, with only one thought occupying his mind – to regain his love at any cost!

The Masked One is a lich who hides his withered husk under a purple robe and a weeping moonsilver mask. He rarely leaves his home, an opalescent pagoda situated on a high cliff. The Masked One has an unhealthy obsession with the Lunar Queen. He wants to liberate her from her marriage to the dread Droonag Zar by breaking the magical bond between the two. But since Zenobia has undertaken this ordeal of her own will, for the sake of the lunar realm, this can only be done by kidnapping her. The Masked One has tried and failed several times, but as one of the undead, he has all the time in the world to plan his deed, which is why he spends most of his time gazing through a crystal orb at his former lover and her monstrous husband. His only other interest is playing Varrak Kress, but he does not often encounter potential opponents.

Interactions with the Player Characters: The Masked One may try to recruit the PCs as pawns in some complicated plot to kidnap the Lunar Queen. He could also act as a mentor for a magic-user who is willing to serve him. In the end, the Masked One is likely to end up as a foe to most player characters.

The Masked One, Lich

Armour Class 0 [19]

Hit Dice 11**** (50 hp)

Attacks 1 × touch (1d10 + paralysis) or spell

THAC0 11 [+8]

Movement 60’ (20’)

Saving Throws D11 W12 P11 B14 S12  (Magic-user 10)

Morale 10

Alignment Chaotic

XP 4,300

Treasure Type A

Undead. Makes no noise until he attacks. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading spells (e.g. charm, hold, sleep).

Aura of fear. Anyone seeing a lich must save versus spells or flee for 2d6 turns. Characters above the 4th level are immune. 

Mundane damage immunity. Can only be harmed by magical attacks.

Energy immunity. Unharmed by electrical and cold-based attacks.

Magic immunity. Immune to magic that causes polymorph, insanity, or death.

Arcane spells. Cast spells as a 10th-level magic-user.

Level 1: Light (Darkness), Sleep, Summon Chaos Spawn;

Level 2: Radioactive Blast, Ray of Enfeeblement, Web;

Level 3: Haste, Invisibility 10’ radius, Lightning Bolt, Mysteries of the Worm;

Level 4: Charm Monster, Remove Curse (Curse), Polymorph Self

Level 5: Animate Dead, Teleport;

Illusionist spells. Cast spells as a 10th-level illusionist

Level 1: Colour Spray, Glamour, Phantasmal Force

Level 2: Blindness/Deafness, Hypnotic Pattern, Mirror Image

Level 3: Phantom Steed, Spectral Force, Wraithform

Level 4: Confusion, Phantasmal Killer, Shadow Monsters

Level 5: Seeming, Demi-Shadow Monsters

Paralyzing touch. Chill touch causes paralysis for 6 turns (save vs paralysis).

Moonsilver mask. Can be used once a day to cast Cause Fear.

Henchmen

The Masked One has created three henchmen: the mutants Goro and Katan, and the robot Mantron, designed to serve their master fanatically. They are equipped with illusion projectors, allowing them to blend in when on missions to gather information and recruit agents.

Goro

This mutant lunarian has bat-wings and eight undulating snakes for legs. Goro wears a helmet, an ornate battle harness, and fights using a light raygun or a sword.

AC 3 [16], HD 5, Att 1 x light raygun (1d10) or 1 x sword (1d8) and 1 x snake bite (1d4 + poison), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, THACO 17 [+2], MV 60′ (20′) / 180’ (60’) flying, ML 6, AL C

Katan

A mutant lunarian with hooves for feet and a flaming skull crowned by rams’ horns. The skull smolders continually and flares up in bright flames when Katan becomes angry or enters battle. Katan wears a breastplate, bracers, and greaves. He fights with a battle axe or by butting his opponents with his horns.

AC 3 [16], HD 5, Att 1 x horns (1d4 + 1d4 fire) or 1 x battle axe (1d8), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, THACO 17 [+2], MV 90′ (30′), ML 7, AL C

Mantron

This robot warrior has brightly polished silvery armor and is equipped with four sword-arms.

AC 1 [18], HD 6, Att 1 x deathray (1d8 + save or be vaporized) or 4 x sword-arms (1d6), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, THACO 17 [+2], MV 90′ (30′), ML 8, AL C

City of Secrets

Among the lunarian city-states, it is Irdonozur that has preserved and recovered the greatest amount of science from before the great cataclysm. However, the ruling astrologer priests jealously cling to their knowledge and keep their city secluded from the outside world. 

A dome as translucent as glass but stronger than steel protects the city’s beautiful temples, palaces, and gardens. The 22.700 lunarian inhabitants are isolationist, xenophobic, and secretive. No foreigners are ever allowed to enter the city.

Rumors in Irdonozur, d12

Rumors are labeled (T) for True or (F) for False. 

1. The astrologer priests ruling Irdonozur have foreseen a great calamity that will befall the Moon and plan to teleport the entire city to safety on a distant planet. (T)
2. The great library has the greatest collection of books, scrolls, and tablets on the topics of astrology, divination, geomancy, and esoteric architecture. (T)
3. The priests ruling Irdonozur wear masks to conceal the fact that they are all robots. (F)
4. Despite being strictly prohibited, passage into the city can be arranged – if you can afford the astronomical price! (T)
5. There is a war brewing between Irdonozur and the Selenites of Ki Irix (#4513). (T)
6. Alchemists of Irdonozur have concocted a poison that only harms the vampires of Zarthoris Plenia. (F)
7. Only citizens of low status or those who are atoning for some kind of wrongdoing are required to leave the sacred city to meet with foreigners. (T)
8. There is a section of the Great Library that is only available to those with a special permit. (T)
9. Artos Rand, a nobleman of Issum, was caught after entering the forbidden city and is now held prisoner for life. (F)
10. Lalit Morn, the wine seller, is the woman to talk to for black market contacts in the Foreigners’ Harbor. (T)
11. One of the greatest treasures of the great library is the Exalted Kybalion, the grand grimoire of the Sorcerer-King Arzal Zarakan, who ruled ancient Irdonozur before the rise of the astrologer priests. (T)
12. An anonymous person, known only as the Faceless Philosopher, has gathered a secret group of followers and teaches the way of the Audient Void, a doctrine of individual freedom and self-deification. The authorities are looking for this dangerous heretic. (T)

The Foreigners’ Harbor

This small artificial island serves as a harbor where foreigners may conduct business with Irdonozur. Traders from all the seas of the moon mingle with masked temple servants in the narrow alleys and wine shops. At the end of each lunar day, all goods imported to Irdonozur are transported to the city on a barge decorated with pale flowers, accompanied by sacral chanting and the deep, sorrowful sound of bronze horns.

Goods Number in Stock Price

Astrolabe 1d6-1 35 gp

Compass 1d6-1 45 gp

Map, Lunar Realm – 15 gp

Map, regional – 10 gp

Marine charts – 20 gp

Telescope 1d6-1 100 gp

The black market

Foreigners are never allowed to enter the city of Irdonozur, and officially, the Foreigners’ Harbor only exists as an inlet for supplies to the city. However, a black market exists where goods and information are illicitly transported in and out of the closed city. 

Black market services Price

Bring messages in/out of the city 200 gp

Consult the Great Library by proxy 500 gp

Smuggle contraband in/out of the city 1,000 gp

Smuggling a person in/out of the city 10,000 gp*

* Any foreigner discovered within the dome of the city will be killed on sight.

Technological artifacts

There is a 50% chance of finding a specific kind of device or weapon. See the Equipment chapter for a list of items and prices.

Government

The city is run by an order of astrologer priests whose vestiges are hidden behind ornamented masks and white robes. The seat of government is located in the great temple observatory at the center of the city.

The priesthood is organized as a series of concentric circles: from the lowest-ranking priests of the Circle of Three Thousand, through the Circle of Three Hundred, and the Circle of Thirty, to the inmost and most powerful Circle of Three.

The Great Library

The library of Irdonozur has the greatest collection of books, scrolls, and tablets on the topics of astrology, divination, geomancy, and esoteric architecture. 

A special, closed section of the library contains especially valuable and sensitive books, the foremost among them being the Exalted Kybalion, the grand grimoire of the Sorcerer-King Arzal Zarakan, who ruled Irdonozur in the days before the astrologer priests. The Referee can put any kind of high-level Magic-User spells in this book.

The Theater

In the center of the city, close to the temple observatory and the great library, surrounded by beautiful gardens, lies a large amphitheater. This is the primary location for culture, entertainment, and civic ceremonies among the citizens of Irdonozur. During many nights of the week, there are performances of plays, music, and dance. Vendors offer wine and candied fruits.

Army

The city’s standing army consists of 570 fanatic warrior priests, and it can levy an additional 1.330 troops in times of need. Furthermore, Irdonozar has an air force with 6 Interceptors and 3 Crusaders (Freighters). Irdonozur’s only warship, a small galley, “The Sea-Pearl”, lies moored at the Foreigners’ harbor.

Irdonozur is currently at war with the Selenite city of Ki Irix over a nearby poleastis mine.

City of Strife

The 19.000 inhabitants of Dervat are known for their great learning and fine culture. However, their once beautiful city lies in ruins and is plagued by both internal strife and external enemies. The remnants of the population live in a handful of palatial Houses, surrounded by crumbling ruins that encompass more than three-quarters of the city. As the noble families fight ever more desperately over the dwindling resources, the old republican institutions are torn asunder, and law and order give way to naked violence. All the while, Dervat’s ancient enemies, the Ukbar batkin, make probing attacks to test the defenses of the weakening city.

Recently, the city has become home to a minority of refugees from Zarthoris Plenia who have fled the bloodthirsty tyranny of the vampire sisters. Due to their pale white complexion, they stand out among the jet-black Dervatites. Lacking ties to the city’s noble families, they are viewed with suspicion but also seen as useful assets.

Rumors in Dervat, d12

Rumors are labeled (T) for True or (F) for False.

1. The Hungering Mother is a renegade sorceress who teaches self-deification to the select few who possess the required strength and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices. (T)
2. Lady Sarbana of Ahn, Supreme Mystagogue of the House of Sapphire and speaker of the Council of Elders, has not been seen in public for several Lunar days and has been missing from one meeting in the House of Pearls. She has been murdered by assassins working for Lady Nara of Tarvon. (F)
3. Butar, the younger son of Lady Ptali of Gandra, is to be married to Inistra, daughter of Lord Kendar of Arz-Domor, signifying an alliance of the two noble families. (T)
4. Lord Valhar of Dirin has given expensive gifts to prominent members of the refugees from Zarthoris Plenia to buy their support. (T)
5. Lady Una of Tarvon has lost her wits to old age but refuses to be superseded as matriarch by her daughter Nara, High Priestess of the Lunar Queen in the House of Opals. (T)
6. There have been street fights between armed gangs supporting the families of Tarvon and Gandra. Several people have been killed. (T)
7. An assassin was recently caught after trying to murder Lord Kendar of Arz-Domor. The would-be murderer managed to commit suicide before she could be interrogated. (T)
8. A recent fire in the barracks of the House of Rubies was the work of agents of the Dirin family. (F)
9. Lord Leton of Dirin has fallen ill after being poisoned by enemy agents. (T)
10. The masked fighters who attacked and killed ten civilians in the service of the Tarvon family were men from Zarthoris Plenia working for the Arz-Domor family. (T)
11. The refugees from Zarthoris Plenia are agents sent by the vampire city to conquer Dervat from within. (F)
12. The Hallowed Ancestors in the Crypt of Dreamers know many things long forgotten by the living; the trick is knowing what to ask for. (T)

The Noble Families of Dervat

Traditionally, Dervat has been ruled by five great families: Ahn, Tarvon, Arz-Domor, Dirin, and Gandra; each one having a wide set of branches as well as several allied lesser families. However, as the population dwindles, the city can no longer support such an extensive aristocracy. Thus, the nobles find themselves fighting not only for power but for their very existence.

Lady Sarbana, the matriarch of the Ahn family, is the Supreme Mystagogue of the House of Sapphire, the crypt of dreamers containing the memories of dead aristocrats. The supreme mystagogue is, by tradition, also the speaker of the Council of Elders. The Ahn family has taken a neutral position regarding the strife between the other noble families.

Lady Nara, daughter of Lady Una, the matriarch of the Tarvon family, is the High Priestess of the House of Opals, the Lunar Queen’s temple in the city.

Lord Kendar, the patriarch of the Arz-Domor family, is the master sage of the House of Emerald, the city’s center of learning.

Lord Valhar, son of Lord Leton, patriarch of the Dirin family, is chairman of the merchant council of the House of Onyx that controls any trade passing through the harbor.

Lord Ravan, son of Lady Ptali, matriarch of the Gandra family, is commander of the garrison of the House of Rubies.

The House of Emerald

This venerable institution is famed for the learning and wisdom of its sages, especially concerning philosophy, history, and the fine arts.

Item / Service Price

Sage’s wisdom. The sages of the House of Emerald can answer questions relating to philosophy, history, or the fine arts. 50 gp / question

The House of Obsidian

This is an arena for combat, encompassing both blood sports, where gladiators entertain the citizens, and litigation duels, where disputes between aristocrats are settled by martial prowess. 

The gladiators fight each other or captured monsters, using standard melee weapons. Each noble family supports a gladiator team of their own, but common citizens and foreigners are welcome to enter the arena to prove their bravery and prowess. The winning side is rewarded 1d6 × 10 GP for every HD defeated.

The litigation duels are conducted according to a local custom peculiar to Dervat, where the combatants wear aggressive marshhogs (an amphibious relative to the billhog) strapped to their bodies instead of ordinary weapons or armor. It is common for aristocrats to hire a combatant to take their place in such duels.

The House of Onyx

The council of merchants ruling the House of Onyx controls the harbor and has a monopoly on trade. Everything passing in or out of the city goes through their hands and is subject to fees and levies. The House of Onyx is home to merchants, sailors, and artisans, but also fishermen and farmers.

Item / Service Number in stock Price

Condensation unit 1d6-1 20 gp

Macbrus lantern 1d6-1 25 gp

Poleastis stove 1d6-1 35 gp

Saber, moonsilver 1d6-5 1,000 gp

Poleastis crystal 4d6-4 5 gp

Macbrus crystal 2d6-2 60 gp

The House of Opals

The House of Opals is the temple of the Lunar Queen. The clergy possesses the city’s only functioning manna-machine. At the start of each Lunar day, all inhabitants of the city come to worship the Lunar Queen and receive their share of manna for that period (non-citizens must pay to partake of this).

Item / Service Number in Stock Price

Manna, 1 ration – 1 gp

Detect Magic – 100 gp

Cure Light Wounds – 75 gp

Cure Disease – 1,000 gp

Remove Curse – 1,500 gp

Dispel Magic – 1,000 gp

Cure Serious Wounds – 350 gp

Holy Water (vial) 2d6 25 gp

The House of Pearls

This is where the Council of Elders holds its meetings and where the noble families run the city. At the start of every year, the inhabitants of the city gather in the square outside for the Assembly of Commoners to ratify the council’s decisions and approve any new official appointments.

The House of Rubies

The House of Rubies contains the city garrison, comprised of 650 guards that man the walls and towers, guarding the city against the Ukbars. Furthermore, Dervat can muster an additional 1.450 warriors when attacked by the Ukbars or other enemies. Dervat’s fleet is also under the command of the House of Rubies, and consists of only two small galleys, “the Scar” and “the Wave-Cleaver”. In addition to soldiers, the House of Rubies is also home to the craftsmen producing the arms, armor, and tools necessary for the defense of the city.

Armour AC Weight (Coins) Number in Stock Cost

Breastplate 5 [14] 100 1d4-1 300 gp

Battle harness, simple 8 [11] 50 2d6 50 gp

Battle harness, ornate 7 [12] 80 1d6 80 gp

Bracers (+1 bonus) 50 3d6 20 gp

Greaves (+1 bonus) 80 2d4 30 gp

Helmet (+1 bonus) 50 2d6 20 gp

Shield (+1 bonus) 100 1d8 40 gp

The House of Sapphire

The mystics of the House of Sapphire tend to the Crypt of Dreamers, where the memories and personalities of dead aristocrats are stored for eternity. The inhabitants of this house consist only of the keepers of the crypt, and are not many, but they are held in great esteem by the other houses.

Item / Service Price

Consultation with the Hallowed Ancestors. In the House of Sapphire are stored the memories of the dead aristocrats, reaching many millennia into the past. It is possible to petition the keepers of the crypt with questions for the dreaming dead. There is a 5 in 6 chance to find a correct answer to questions relating to Dervat and a 4 in 6 chance for questions concerning the Lunar realms in general. 1,000 gp / question

City of the Black Legion

This militaristic city-state is situated in a foggy swamp and consists of two dozen islands, each of which has a walled city block ruled by a noble family. The canals between the islands are crossed by drawbridges that are retracted at night or when the city is attacked. Many small vessels travel between the islands and through the swamp. There is a large circular harbor for ocean-going ships, but to enter it, one must traverse a maze filled with traps.

The 38,200 inhabitants subsist on fishing and farming, as well as cattle and grain, paid as taxes to the city by neighboring settlements.

Fifteen years ago, the citizens toppled the hereditary monarchy, killed King Zarthos XXIII, and exiled the twin princesses Hekatia and Lilin. Alas, the dream of equality and freedom was short-lived as the twins returned after having become imbued with the vampiric powers of the Scarlet Flame. The Arch-Lamiae gave the city’s aristocrats an offer to regain their power – by joining the sisters as vampires. Since that terrible night, when the city’s undead overlords bathed in the blood of the revolutionaries, Zarthoris Plenia has been the city of vampires, whose soldiers now wage a constant war against the outside world to catch fresh victims lest they fall prey to their ravenous masters.

Rumors in Zarthoris Plenia, d12

Rumors are labeled (T) for True or (F) for False.

1. Zarthoris Plenia is preparing for war against Issum (#3123) and is recruiting soldiers. (T)
2. The rulers of the city are looking for adventurers willing to travel to the ruined city of Sodosma (#3534) to kill the traitor Parth Oron and recruit his mercenaries for a war against Issum. (T)
3. The Military Academy teaches not only strategy and tactics but all sorts of knowledge needed to wage a military campaign: Engineering, Mathematics, and the Natural Sciences. (T)
4. The Arch-Lamiae have received the Lunar Queen’s blessing to rule Zarthoris Plenia. (F)
5. The Arch-Lamiae have spies in all the great lunarian cities. (T)
6. When the twin princesses were exiled by the revolutionaries who killed their father, they traveled to the east of Zarthoris Plenia to find that hideous power by which they turned themselves into vampires. (T)
7. The Arch-Lamiae, the twin queens of Zarthoris Plenia, are not as united as they want to appear. On the contrary, they have become rivals and have grown quite suspicious of each other. (T)
8. The vampire curse can be cured with a certain plant that grows on the highest mountain peaks. (F)
9. You can make a lot of money on the Privateers Exchange. (T)
10. Parth Oron is the last living member of the revolutionary republican council. He now survives as a mercenary in the south. (T)
11. Vampires are slaves to the ones who passed the curse to them, thus making the entire aristocracy of Zarthoris Plenia puppets to the twin Arch-Lamiae. (F)
12. Duke Oran Mal has gathered a secret group called the Temple of the Audient Void, who are researching a way to even greater power than that of the vampires of the Scarlet Flame. (T)

Government

The city of the Black Legion is ruled by the Arch-lamiae, Hekatia, and Lilin. The sister queens reside in the Twin Palace, where they have one wing each, joined by a common throne room. 

Despite frequent public shows of unity, the twin rulers have become jealous rivals, their mutual suspicion growing at the same rate as their ambition. Both Hekatia and Lilin are looking for competent people without previous connections to either of them to spy on their sibling.

The Military Academy

Officers educated at the military academy of Zarthoris Plenia excel not only at strategy and tactics but also in all sorts of knowledge needed to wage a military campaign: logistics, engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences.

Item / Service Price

Sage’s wisdom. The teachers at the military academy can answer questions relating to strategy and tactics, logistics, engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences. 40 gp / question

Military

The Black Legion of Zarthoris Plenia consists of 1.100 legionaries, 200 zombie slave-soldiers, 280 gazelope cavalrymen, 80 war myrmonts, and 40 lunar vampires. It can muster an additional 4.800 veterans and militiamen in times of need.

The city’s fleet is made up of one large galley, “the Wrath of Zarthos”, and five small galleys: “the Leviathan”, “the Crimson Tide”, “the Lamiae’s Revenge”, “the Fang”, and  “the Invictus”.

The Red Hand

The Red Hand is Zarthoris Plenia’s infamous guild of spies and hired killers. 

Renegades from the House of the Final Breath, they are loyal cronies of the Arch-Lamiae. Their leader is the soft-spoken, androgynous, and dangerously alluring Zandai Tar, a vampire of the Scarlet Flame and an 8th-level Assassin, under whose command are some 250 assassins of level 2-3.

The Sky Raiders

This towering edifice is the base of the air force of Zarthoris Plenia, aetheric privateers menacing the lunar firmament and ravaging where they will with impunity. Their fleet is comprised of the Conqueror-class Aether Cruiser “The Black Sun” and 12 Raptors.

The Privateers Exchange

The rulers of Zarthoris Plenia have begun issuing letters of marque and reprisal that authorize the holder to attack and capture vessels hailing from enemy cities. Many merchant captains of the city, who are no longer welcome in other harbors after remaining loyal to their vampire rulers (or becoming vampires themselves), have seized this opportunity and become privateers. 

Sailing the lunar seas can be dangerous, and piracy even more so. Therefore, many privateers seek investors to finance their expeditions in exchange for a share in the eventual profit. If the PCs want to invest in the privateer business, they can choose to either finance a specific captain or put their money in the exchange index that collects all expeditions. The first alternative is risky but possibly very lucrative, while the second is safer but yields less return. In both cases, the investment is made for one Lunar Day.

Investing in a specific expedition, roll 1d6: 1-2. -100%, 3. -50%, 4. +/- 0, 5. +150%, 6. +200%.

Investing in the exchange index, roll 1d6: 1. -50%, 2. -25%, 3. +/- 0, 4. +110%, 5. +125%, 6. +150%.

d12 Ship Captain

1. Zarthoris’ Pride Lord Koran Kothos

2. The Black Leviathan Duran One-Eye

3. The Crimson Death Little Hajak

4. The Laughing Leviathan Atol Vagh

5. The Lamia’s Wrath Big Beli

6. The Crimson Tide Angry Dirkas

7. The Queen of the Oceans Kab Vastus

8. Terror of the Seas Ikan the horrible

9. The Vampire Squid Djal Kantos

10. The Crimson Skull Xeelon the unrelenting

11. The Thirst For Blood Fat Matal

12. The Sea Serpent Pnom the legless

Recruiting crew

The wine houses by the docks and the privateers’ exchange are good places to look for crew for a maritime expedition.

Title: Sea captain (1 month) Number available: 1d3-1 Price: 275gp + 1 share

Title: Navigator (1 month) Number available: 1d3-1 Price: 175gp + ½ share

Title: Sailor (1 month) Number available: 2d20-5 Price: 12gp

The Temple of the Lunar Queen

When the Twin Lamias seized power in the city, they swiftly killed the temple clergy who had taken a neutral position during the republican revolution against the twins’ father, King Zarthos XXIII. The temple was outlawed, and its buildings were demolished and used as construction materials for the Twin Palace.

One single priestess, Altaria Yenin, survived and has surreptitiously gathered a dozen followers who meet in secret to praise the Lunar Queen and keep her light burning in these dark times. They are torn between the need for caution and keeping out of sight, and the will to make contact with the Lunar Queen and to recruit followers to overthrow the vampire rulers.

The City of Crystal Towers

With its 57,400 inhabitants, Issum is the moon’s largest and most powerful city-state, and merchant ships from foreign lands often visit its port. It is located on the southern shore of the Silver River, where the river flows into the sea. Gray banners wave from the slender glass towers, adorned with the white Silvermane, Issum’s coat of arms. 

The city was ancient when mankind was young, and the name of the people whose hands raised its glittering domes and soaring crystal towers has long been lost in the mists of time. In the days of yore, the city’s avenues, parks, and plazas were bustling with life and enterprise. In the latter millennia, however, the population has slowly but surely shrunk to a sorrowful sliver, only a hundredth of what it once was. The city’s ruling caste has lost all curiosity about the outside world and spends its days dreaming of bygone glories. The area currently inhabited is 3.5 square miles, but the city is surrounded by an area ten times as large, covered by ruins. Many streets lie empty and quiet, and the magnificent palaces are slowly being buried beneath the dust of centuries.

Government

Ever since the royal house of Parthat was deposed 600 years ago, Issum has been ruled by a satrap chosen by the Lunar Queen. The satrap, in turn, appoints the officials of the city from among the mighty families. These officials have great autonomy and are expected to take initiative on their own, in line with the satrap’s wishes and the city’s best interests. Issum is a chaotic collection of factions, led by the heads of the various noble families, vying for positions of power and the satrap’s favor. The bureaucracy is bloated, labyrinthine, and thoroughly corrupt. All subjects, however, are required to swear unconditional fidelity and absolute obedience to the Lunar Queen, Issum, and the satrap.

The Living Soul of the City

Mokar is a Silvermane with snow-white, scaly skin. Unlike other specimens of its kind, Mokar is intelligent and can speak. It is more than two thousand years old and shows no signs of aging. The ancient beast is worshiped as an incarnation of the city’s soul, and its image adorns Issum’s city coat of arms. Mokar lives in the temple of the Lunar Queen, but roams freely in the city and eats anyone or anything who crosses its path. It enjoys playing with its victims before devouring them. If anyone were to slay the beast, the perpetrator and anyone living under the same roof as them would be punished with an elaborate and painful death. Should the beast be seriously injured, the temple of the Lunar Queen will use all its resources to save its life.

Mokar

• Armour Class 3 [16]
• Hit Dice 7*
• Attacks 2 claws (1d4 hp each) + 1 bite (1d8)
• THAC0 13 [+6]
• Movement 120’ (40’)
• Saving Throws D8 W9 P10 B10 S12 (7)
• Morale 9
• Alignment Lawful
• XP
• Number Appearing 1 (1)
• Treasure Type U

• Regeneration. When damaged, Mokar gains 1d4 hp at the start of each round, if it is alive.

Military

Issum has one of the moon’s finest and most distinguished armies, surpassed only by the city’s arch-enemy, Zarthoris Plenia. This high level of military preparedness is necessary to repel the recurring threat from the hordes of batkin. It is also rumored that the arch-lamiae in Zarthoris Plenia are preparing for war against Issum.

Issum is surrounded by a 90′ high city wall of somber, gray lunar rock. The three gate towers are equipped with ray cannons, and each tower is manned by a garrison of three hundred guards, tasked with patrolling a section of the wall. The soldiers are dressed in gray cloaks and armed with halberds and rayguns.

The city’s cavalry comprises ten platoons, each with twenty-five gazelope riders armed with sabers, lances, and rayguns. They wear plumed helmets and gray suits with silver-colored pennants attached to the back in the shape of wings. The cavalry also has four hovering artillery platforms.

The navy has one large galley, the Ruler of the Waves, and three small galleys: the Sea-beast, the Grey Gazelope, and the Scimitar. 

The air force consists of the aether-cruisers Thunderbolt (Destroyer class) and the Celestial Wrath (Annihilator class), as well as 5 Interceptors and 15 Sentinels. The pilots enjoy the absolute highest status among Issum’s armed forces, and only aristocrats are eligible to serve in the Air Force.

In addition to this, an additional 5.100 able-bodied citizens can be called together to take part in the People’s Guard, a national militia, armed with slings, spears, and shields.

The satrap is protected by the Silver Guard, a corps of a hundred elite soldiers, trained since childhood. They wear white overalls, carry round shields of moonsilver, and wield rayguns and swords.

Player characters who wish to acquire citizenship of Issum can perform military service. They will have to muster and receive basic training and are then placed either in the guard on the city wall or in the navy. Those who prove capable can advance to the cavalry. When a character has gained two levels of experience during their military service, they have proved themselves worthy of citizenship and can choose whether to remain in service or muster out.

Laws

Law and order in Issum is in equal parts a matter of tradition, politics, and brutal violence. Among the lower castes, street gangs act as a kind of militia that keeps order in their respective city blocks. The families of the aristocracy all have guard forces of their own. Disputes between families are effectively a pure power struggle, but the verdict is always given the weight of tradition by referring to some paragraph in Issum’s millennia-old law code. When a dispute cannot be resolved through the court, aristocrats sometimes challenge each other to a duel on the Field of Glory. 

If someone from the lower castes has committed some kind of crime against a member of the ruling class, there are no limits to what the victim can do to win redress. If the aggrieved aristocrat is merciful, he may request that the offender be extradited and subjected to whatever punishment the victim deems appropriate. However, collective punishment is not uncommon. The criminal’s family may be tortured to death, or their neighborhood may be leveled to the ground, depending on what the privileged class deems necessary. Aristocrats’ crimes against the lower castes never have legal consequences. At best, a symbolic fine can be imposed, but often the whole thing is overlooked in silence.

The Night Watchmen, the secret police of the Satrap, monitor everything and everyone in search of the enemies of the state. Those suspected of posing a threat to the rulers of Issum are treated mercilessly, regardless of whether they are plebeians or aristocrats. The whole city is therefore permeated by paranoia and an informer mentality.

Significant regulations

The following laws are likely to affect the PCs.

• It is illegal to carry a weapon without a license from the House of Corporations.
• It is illegal to trade in antiques without a license from the House of Corporations.
• A special permit from the House of Corporations is required to recruit retainers or mercenaries.
• Only the Hexagon may trade in advanced technology.
• It is illegal to sell or possess crystal dust.

Street Gangs

The streets of Issum are dominated by gangs. They maintain order in their territories and protect their people from other gangs. Anyone who is not affiliated with a gang is practically without legal protection. Most gangs look the other way when confronted with criminal activity on their streets, as long as they get a share of the proceeds. Many gangs also have a particular criminal activity that they specialize in.

A gang consists of 3d10+5 Bandits (see Old School Essentials Referee’s Tome). In their headquarters, they have a type A treasure.

Ethnic minorities

The majority of lunarians living in Issum are descended from many generations who have lived within the City of the Crystal Towers. But many have arrived more recently. The two most significant groups are the Ghantoreans and the Zarthoric exiles.

The Ghantorean diaspora

When the city-state of Ghantor was laid waste a hundred years ago by ravaging Batkin hordes, a small splinter of the population managed to seek a safe harbor in Issum. However, the rulers of Issum did not welcome the refugees freely. The roughly one thousand persons: two aristocratic houses with servants, guards, retinue, and some sundry citizens, were forced to part with all their valuables. Those who could not pay by other means were sold into slavery. The Ghantorean minority in Issum has not forgotten this injustice. In theory, they are granted the same rights as any other citizen of Issum, but they are still viewed as strangers, and in practice, they must often perform twice as well to be considered equal. Today, many Ghantoreans support themselves by running glassworks and taverns and raising billhogs. The heads of houses Duraj and Zanda are not recognized as aristocracy in Issum, but their status as leaders is indisputable within the Ghantorean community. The lords of the Ghantorean diaspora could be interested in employing daring adventurers to look for lost heirlooms in the ruins of their city. 

Zarthoric exiles

During the republican revolution and the subsequent vampire coup, in Zarthoris Plenia, many aristocrats fled the City of the Black Legion. Some of these ended up in the unlikely haven of their primary rival, Issum. A dozen Zarthoric aristocrats, with their accompanying retinue, were allowed to enter the City of the Crystal Towers. This was not an act of charity on behalf of the rulers of Issum. The Zarthoric exiles are all eager to vanquish the vampire cabal that has stolen their home and could become useful when the brewing war between Issum and Zarthoris Plenia breaks out for real. For now, they court the satrap and the noble houses for favors and listen anxiously for news from home. They could be interested in hiring intrepid adventurers to travel to Zarthoris Plenia as spies or saboteurs.

Festivals

Life in Issum is governed by age-old traditions and rituals whose significance has often been lost in history’s mists. Six major holidays are celebrated annually, but there are also countless minor holidays.

The Festival of the Lunar Queen, on the 1st ul of the shesh of the Blood Panther.

The magnificent history of the Moon and the hope of passing it on for a few more generations are celebrated. During the day, the Daughter of Issum is appointed. All young women of the city may participate and test their strength, cunning, and courage. The winner is sent to the Ivory Palace (#1722) to join the Lunar Queen’s Invincible Celestial Guard.

Ancestors’ Day, on the 14th ul of the shesh of the Silver Spider.

This festival honors the dead of the city and reminds the living that they will one day join them. The townspeople dress in ashes and eat skull cakes while the denizens of the grave are dressed in finery and paraded in the streets. The people gather at the foot of Zanador the Shimmering, the spire of the temple of the Lunar Queen, where the great catacombs are located, and chant, ”Bring out our dead!” The priests of the Lunar Queen bring the dead of the mausoleum back to life with the sacred Bone Flute. Those who can’t afford to keep their dead in the mausoleum and whose ancestors are therefore not included in this resurrection instead make puppets of their skulls and bones. Paupers can earn an extra buck by weeping over the departed family members of the wealthy.

The Day of the Sun, on the 7th ul of the shesh of the Silvermane. 

This feast is celebrated in honor of the satrap. The ruler of the city travels along the streets on a richly decorated hovercraft platform accompanied by a parade of aristocratic families, bureaucratic dignitaries, and the military. At Victory Square, in the Lower City, the youths who have come of age during the year gather to swear allegiance to the Satrap. It is said that once upon a time, the crowd of children could fill the whole square. These days, it is seldom more than a handful or two who take the oath. The day ends with a gladiator fight at the Field of Glory. The winner receives an honorary award from the Satrap himself.

The Gauntlet of Freedom, on the 2nd ul of the shesh of the Gazelope.

To alleviate the expenditures of the reformatory, prisoners and lunatics are given a chance to regain their freedom. They are allowed to run down the street from the penitentiary to the Traitor’s Gate. Those who come out of the city alive have won their freedom. The Penitentiary sells stones and sticks of approved weight to the spectators. Anyone who attacks the runners with too heavy stones or sticks must run the gauntlet themselves.

The Celebration of the Working People, on the 10th ul of the shesh of the Myrmont.

In the House of Corporations, medals are awarded to the Heroes of Labour. The idler of the year is elected through a procedure where everyone in the city writes the name of the person they think has been the laziest on a pot shard. The votes are collected the day before, and the verdict is announced by the grandmasters of the corporations. The idler is evicted from the city through the Traitors’ Gate and is banished for ten years. In the evening, the aristocrats bring gifts of food to the plebeians and proletarians.

The Celebration of the Eternal Heroes, on the 7th ul of the shesh of the Bone Wolf.

Issum’s military demonstrates its strength in festive ways. The soldiers parade with orchestras, the fighter pilots show off their skills in the sky, and the ray cannons on the walls fire salutes. The Satrap gives a speech to the troops that often lasts six hours or more. Of course, the soldiers have to stand at attention in the meantime. Those who faint are assigned to scrub the latrines for the coming year.

The Moon is home to a great variety of creatures, most of which are indigenous to its eldritch orb, but some stem from Earth or other nearby planets, and others originate on strange worlds never touched by the light of the sun.

Common plants of the moon

Many of the lunar plants release swarms of pollen or seed capsules that float on the winds in search of a place with enough moisture to take root. They use wings to maneuver and possess rudimentary sensory organs to navigate and avoid hazards. They serve as the primary food source for a variety of winged insects and predatory plants.

The Alabaster Meadows that surround the Moon’s black seas gain their name from the thin white grass that grows there. 

The mandool trees have fat, round, bottle-shaped trunks that grow to between 12 and 16 feet high and 4 to 6 feet in girth. The grey bark is covered with webbed silver patterns. At the top of the trunks grow short branches with large silver leaves. They usually stand solitary, surrounded by an expanse of grass. The sap of the mandool is sweet and can be fermented into wine.

The druz trees have slim, tall, bone-white trunks that often reach up to 30 feet and are crowned by cone-like bundles of branches packed with small golden leaves. They cluster together, forming copses and small woods. The druz produces nutritious nuts that are enjoyed by both lunarians and batkin.

In the Grey Wastes and the Pale Highlands grows the hardy sark bush. This small plant with rough grey leaves is a rather sad sight, but beneath the ground, it hides an extensive system of roots that dig deep and grow fat with moisture. The sark is very important to nomadic tribes, but many inexperienced travelers have suffered a slow and painful death after failing to filter out the poison from its water.

The yhrn is a tough vine, covered with sharp barbs, that grows in the Grey Wastes and the Pale Highlands. Nomads chew on their roots to increase alertness and dampen feelings of thirst and hunger. 

The insidious gargar, which grows in the Grey Wastes and the Pale Highlands, looks like a dark grey shriveled sphere, perhaps 1’ or 2’ large, and covered in long, fine hairs. When a flying seed or small animal passes within 5’, the gargar opens wide and shoots out a long, thin, sticky tendril to catch its prey. It then closes its shell again to savor the nutrients of its little morsel. 

Common animals of the moon

Animal life on the moon encompasses the same basic ecological niches that are found on Earth, and many other worlds – from micro-organisms and the maniform crawling things in the soil and the silt to herbivores, carnivores, and scavengers adapted to life in the ocean, sky, and among the different kinds of terrain on land. Many lunar animals belong to either a class with arthropod-like characteristics, a family that shares features with annelids as well as mollusks, or a category that shares traits with both reptiles and mammals.

Aerial jellyfish are shaped like globes or saucers. They are filled with gas bubbles that allow them to float through the air. They drag tentacles behind them, which they use to snare their prey.

Gazelopes are slender four-legged herbivores with white, grey, or golden skins and a short proboscis. They are bred as both riding animals and for their meat. Wild gazelopes and those bred for war have long curved or spiral horns, while the other domesticated variants have none.

The vanak are the lesser cousins of the gazelopes, comparable in size to ordinary domesticated goats. These herbivores travel in herds of between a handful and a score. Vanaks are kept as livestock, and wild herds are hunted.

The vashoon are herbivores native to the Alabaster Meadows. They have short legs with sharp claws for digging and are covered in armor shells. Their narrow, wedge-shaped heads end in funnel-shaped snouts that are used to sniff out food. They are considered to be exceptionally filthy animals.

The aihor are twelve-legged serpent-like predators that can become up to 5’ long. They live in the Alabaster Meadows and eat small animals and aerial seed pods.

The Billhog is a lizard-like beast named after its sharp bill. In the Lunarian city-states, they are kept as domestic animals by the plebeians, who eat their eggs and meat. These usually docile animals can be goaded into a frenzy. Young animals can be trained to guard and fight. They can also be taught to perform tricks and parrot simple phrases.

Myrmonts are a kind of immense giant ants, comparable in size to a rhinoceros. They live among the mountains and are used as mounts and pack animals by the Lunarians.

Antorox are distant relatives of myrmonts, who rarely grow bigger than two feet in length. This predator hunts by hiding in the undergrowth to shoot itself as a projectile at passing prey, launched with the force of its strong hind legs. The javelin-shaped shell of the antorox is patterned and colored to blend in among leaves and fronds and is sometimes used for making jewelry or decorative clothing.

Sligs are six-legged vermin that come in packs (treat like Normal Rats). They are common pests in all lunarian cities. Unlike their terrestrial counterparts, sligs are eusocial and live in hives where a queen gives birth to sexless workers and warriors.

Ikosu, aquatic beings resembling a mix between fish and arthropods, inhabit the lunar seas, streams, and lakes. Their streamlined, elongated bodies feature a protective carapace, stalked antennae, mandibles, and compound eyes. The undersides exhibit six swimming legs, complemented by a horizontal tail fan for steering. These diverse species vary in size from one inch to an impressive 70 feet and play a significant role as a food source.

Many terrestrial birds, such as swans, swallows, nightingales, and woodcocks, migrate to the Moon for the winter. As the seasons pass on the Earth, the Moon is home to birds hailing from many different regions. The journey through the aethers of space takes between one and two weeks. How this habit once started is a mystery, but the bodies of migratory birds are sufficiently infused with aether to allow them to fly in the Moon’s thin atmosphere. Messages can be carried by the birds between the Earth and the Moon, in the manner of homing pigeons.