The Wild Hunt

Every winter solstice, the Wild Hunt rides from Castle Woden. A group of riders with black faces, a large pack of huge black hounds, and numerous spirits or fairy beings, in pursuit of a single mortal being. The Hunt rides over ancient paths and roads, now long gone. If they encounter a farm, a village, or another building in their way , it’s burned to the ground.

Master of the Hunt is the Dark Huntsman, demon-like figure with antlers and a leather mask covering the entirety of his face. He rides either a black horse, or a white one, depending if the Hunt hunts a guilty soul, or an innocent.

Some years (40% chance) Frau Hulda, the snow maker, rides in front of the Hunt in her chariot. If she’s with the Hunt, a terrible storm rages over the land, felling trees, destroying blowing down wooden structures like fences and barns, and sometimes making casualties.

People encountering the Hunt should avert their eyes or risk being swept up by it. Characters who see it must save vs. spells or become part of the Hunt. The fate of such a person varies wildly. Some join the Hunt as hunters, following the Master’s orders, even if they go against their alignment. They will be released after the quarry has been caught and the Hunt is over.

Others are not so lucky. Characters with WIS 7 or lower will join the Hunt as one of its black hounds. The unlucky character will start running on all four and turn into a huge dog. A smaller white puppy will stay behind in his place. After the Hunt is over, the black hounds evaporate and the persons are lost in the spirit world for a year. If his family takes good care of the white pup, the character will be released next winter solstice.

Beautiful young girls and boys (CHA 15 or above) will be kidnapped by the riders and taken back to Castle Woden, never to be seen again.

The Wild Hunt often rides through its quarry’s home town, destroying the village in the process. To prevent the village from being burned down, villages often cast out girls into the forest, hoping the Hunt’s designated prey is among them. These girls are often taken into the homes of gnomes or witches in the forest. Some of them are lost for good or are found the next day frozen to death. Most of them return to the village safely, with no memory of what happened to them that night.

The Hunt’s quarry is usually a girl, often guilty but sometimes innocent. She can always hear the hounds coming closer, and is under the influence of a fear spell during the hunt. The Hunt is over when it captures its prey and shreds it to pieces.

However, deep in the woods is an unnamed stone circle, overgrown and hardly recognizable as such. The bones of the Master of the Hunt are buried there. If the prey manages to reach the circle she’s save. The Dark Huntsman cannot enter the circle, and will release the prey. She will never be hunted again by the Wild Hunt in her life.

The Hunt can be fought, but it can never be destroyed. When the Dark Huntsman and his hounds are killed in combat, their bodies will disappear, only to reappear the next night. If their prey is still alive, the Hunt continues.

The Dark Huntsman: AL N; MV 180’ (60’); AC 2; HD 15; hp 80; #AT 2; Dmg 1d6+6 (spear +3 ); Save F15; M 10; XP 1900. The Huntsman usually attacks with his spear +3. He may also steer his horse to trample an opponent, for 4d6 damage.

Frau Hulda: AL C; MV 120’ (40’); AC 3; HD 12; hp 72; #AT 3 (2 claws, 1 bite) ; Dmg 2d6 (claw) or 1d8 (bite); Save M12; Special: Spells; M 10; XP 2000. Frau Hulda specializes in spells concerning the weather. She can ride her chariot over victims, for 3d10 of damage.

Hounds (3d4): AL C; MV 120’ (40’); AC 4; HD 6; hp 25 each; #AT 1 (bite); Dmg 1d6; Save F6; M 9; XP 570. The Hounds of the Hunt can cause fear in any mortal being.

Call Forth the Wild Hunt

 Level: Druid 4

Duration: up to 10 days (see below)

Range:  0

This specialized ritual should be cast in the ten days between the winter solstice and the new year in the stone circle where the Dark Hunter was buried. The spell costs thirty minutes to cast, and requires an item belonging to the intended victim. Once the ritual is complete, the ghost of the Hunter will appear and listen to the caster’s reasons to call the Hunt on someone. No matter if the reasons for doing so are just or not, the spell compels the Hunt to obey and pursue the quarry designated by the spellcaster.

Subagua

Description: Miles of the Necharan coast six rusty iron fortresses rise up from the waters of the Heart Sea.  These large strongholds guard the great elevators that give access to the underwater cities of Subagua.

The six cities were built in ancient times, but it is unclear who built them. Some say they were surface cities that sunk into the waves during the Great Deluge. Others claim they were built by an unknown species of aquatic fairies. Now, the Subaguan cities are primarily inhabited by humans, who live in artificial air pockets created by noisy machines of massive size and made of stone. Whole districts are completely submerged, and are home to sea devils (sahuagin), haimaidens (shark mermaids), weeds (aquatic botanoids) and other intelligent water breathing species.

Ruler: The cities of Subagua are dictatorships, ruled by the members of the Unbreathing Court. Court members travel between the cities without an established schedule, ruling a city for an unpredictable time before leaving for another. Sometimes two or more Unbreathing are in the same city at the same time, and they either work together, or start a small scale civil war. Although the court doesn’t really have a leader as such, most Unbreathing obey Ayafun the sea witch, a shape shifting creature of unknown origin, often appearing as a beautiful maiden or a terrifying squid-like monster.

Population: The inhabitants of Subagua react to the chaotic, ever-shifting rule of the Unbreathing by living their lives as rigidly structured as possible. Every Subaguan carries with him a calendar and a day planner, which are consulted multiple times a day. A common joke about Subaguans says they even schedule the times they consult their schedules.
All Subaguans have pale skin, often with small fish scales on their hands and feet. Relationships between the human and non-human populations are good, and half-breeds are common. They have developed a bizarre religion around the act of drowning. They believe water is the same substance spirits are made of, and the sea consists of all souls that died or will be born. Sea priests regularly drown in religious rituals, trying to gain visions of the future by staying under water for the longest possible time.

Cascade: In Subagua, Cascade is known as the seventh city. It isn’t connected to the surface by elevator as the other cities are, and its ruler isn’t part of the Unbreathing Court. Cascade is the home base of the dreaded submarine pirates who regularly attack ships on the surface and raid the coastal cities of Necharan and Terre Sainte.

The Guilds

The cities of the Weird Opera world each have a multitude of craft associations, business organizations, and trade guilds. However, when an inhabitant of Seralin mentions a Guild, he is usually talking about one of seven worldwide organizations.

The Guilds each have their own distinct culture, which is often visible in areas influenced by a Guild. Just like the Catholic Church in medieval times, the Guilds bring their own symbols, rituals, traditions, and so forth, which modify local customs and way of life.

Company, Inc.: Also known as simply “the Company”, Company, Inc. is the only multinational conglomerate on Seralin. Originally it was a large trading company like any other, but in recent decades its power grew to include all commerce in the broadest sense of the word. In addition to trade, Company Inc. is in the business of production and manufacturing of goods, mercenary hiring, real estate, prostitution, opium smuggling, slaving, and tourism.

Benefits: A member of the Company can expect to pay the best price for any purchase he makes from another member.

Druids of the Ancient Mother: The order of druids exists since the earliest days of mankind. The druids are servants of nature, which they call The Ancient Mother. They revere – and bargain with – the pagan nature spirits of the dark forests to gain knowledge of the mysteries of Seralin. They have many ancient rites, some involving human sacrifice.

Druids have a worldwide organization. One enters the order as initiates. The titles of Druid, Archdruid, Great Druid and Grand Druid are won by challenging higher level druids in ritual combat.

Benefits: Without joining this Guild, a character cannot gain levels in the druid class.

Knights of the Ark: Also known as amazons and sometimes as valkyries, the Knights of the Ark is an all-female knightly order. Their home base is an ancient ship called Utnapishtim, which some say is the same ark build by Deucalion to save mankind in the Great Deluge.

The knights are champions of neutrality, trying to preserve the delicate balance between Law and Chaos. As such, they often come into conflict with lawful Guilds like the Temple and Company, Inc.

Benefits: One has to be female to join the Knights of the Ark. A Knight of the Ark may apply either her DEX or CHA bonus to AC. She may borrow special equipment needed for a quest or adventure for a period of one week. If the borrowed equipment is lost, the knight is responsible for replacement.

La Révolution: Depending on whom you ask, La Révolution is either a terrorist organization or an army of courageous freedom fighters. The Guild is opposed to hereditary rulership, and believes people should be able to choose their own leaders. Of course, in nations where the government is chosen democraticly, La Révolution claims the regime is corrupt and should be overthrown. There’s just no pleasing some people.

La Révolution is organized in small, localized cells. Each cell claims to be independent, but it is often rumored the Guild is under the influence of a single individual; someone using the revolutionaries for his own political purpose.

Benefits: Because of their free spirit, members of La Révolution gain a +4 on saving throws against charm, domination, and similar mind-influencing effects.

The Secret Masters: The Secret Masters are an order of political assassins. The Guild’s masters steer the course of politics and diplomacy by assassinating specific targets, often letting others taking the blame for the murder. The Guild can be hired, but it only takes on an assignment when the elimination of the proposed target agrees with the Guild’s master plan for the world.

Benefits: Members of the Secret Masters may petition for people of authority to be assassinated. The member must present his case for a lesser Guild official, basically having to convince him that assassinating the target is in the Secret Masters’ benefit. If the Guild agrees, the target will be killed in 3d10 days. PC members of the Secret Masters may be placed in influential political positions at higher levels.

Society for Language, Vocabulary and Idiom (SoLVI): The common language on Seralin is a constructed language. The members of SoLVI are the ones constructing it. Once every decade or so they update the vocabulary and grammar of the common tongue and publish the updated rules in a new edition of the Green Tome.

Common was supposedly designed to be easy to learn and understand for native speakers of all languages. However, the correct spelling of words has changed so much over time, nobody except SoLVI members is really sure what is correct.

Benefits:  SoLVI members can automatically comprehend languages and read languages, both once per day.

The Temple: On Seralin, philosophy is much more important than religion is. Most people are either atheist, follow philosophies like Humanotheism or the Path of the Self, or use their faith in higher powers as part of the quest for self-improvement and Enlightenment. As a result, most gods have only a small area of influence and are worshipped very locally. To protect their faith from the rising threat of atheism, several churches banded together to form one large meta-church, known as The Temple.

The Temple consists of many different orders, all dedicated to a single god or pantheon. However, all churches within The Temple make use of the same holy symbols and rites, often with minor variations. Cathedrals of The Temple have many shrines and chapels dedicated to some of the better known gods, as well as to important local gods and saints.

Benefits: When joining The Temple as a priest, a character gains a granted power according to his faith. Mage-priests gain access to the large libraries of The Temple, as well as many secret spells the churches possess, including some normally reserved for clerics. (The cleric class doesn’t exist in the Weird Opera campaign.)

Dharma, Karma, and Reincarnation

The concepts of karma and reincarnation are part of the teachings of almost all philosophies and religions on Seralin. Humanotheism, the Path of the Self and the Obedience of Law are all paths to self-improvement and Enlightenment, and many religions teach that the only true way to Enlightenment rests in the worship of its god.

Karma is a form of cause and effect between this life and the next. It proposes that good actions will cause good consequences, and bad actions will cause bad consequences. Dharma is a man’s obligation in life. It helps him to achieve good karma by fulfilling the duties to which he is bound by his station.

If he leads a good life, performing the duties his dharma dictates, he will be rewarded by a better position when he is reborn in his next life. If he leads a bad life he will be punished by being reincarnated as a beggar, slave, or maybe even as an animal.

A PC's dharma is a combination of character class and alignment. In order to follow his dharma, a character must behave according to the alignment guidelines given in the Player's Handbook. These tenets must be followed strictly, or the character will suffer a karma penalty (see below). For example, a Lawful Good character who participated in the theft of a magic sword would be violating his dharma, for he would be breaching his duty to respect the laws of the land,

Characters should follow the behavioral guidelines of his alignment strictly. In addition to alignment, each player should work with the DM to define his character’s dharmic duties, using his race, class, social status, philosophy, religion, and any other important elements in his background. Example dharmic duties are given below.

Assassins: Get the job done, no matter what. Never let emotion come in the way of an assignment.

Druids: Revere nature. Never harm plants or animals without reason.

Fighters: Always be brave. Never flee from danger while an ally fights on.

Humanotheism: Strive for perfection, both physical as mental.

Knights: As fighter. Fight with honor. Always help the weak and needy.

Mage: Pursue knowledge and pass up no chance to learn new spells or acquire magical items.

Merchants: Attempt to acquire wealth for your own benefit and for your family.

Nobles: Serve your lord. Protect your vassals.

Path of the Self: Place yourself above all others.

Priest: Devote yourself to your god and your church. Recruit followers for your faith whenever possible.

Rangers: As fighter. Revere nature. Never harm plants or animals without reason.

Thieves: Attempt to acquire wealth, either for your own benefit or to help others. Rely on stealth, trickery and cunning.

A character gains a point of karma every time he goes up in level. If his dharma and karma played a big role in the gaming session, the DM may reward another karma point to the character. If a character violates his dharma, he loses a karma point.

It is entirely possible for a character to have conflicting dharma requirements. If, for example, the dharmic duties for a character’s class go against those of his alignment, violating either still results in the loss of a karma point.

After the character dies, his player doesn’t create a new character, but rolls 2d6 on the table below to see what he comes back as.

	Karma Points
2d6	0	3-5	6-10	11-15	16-20	21+
2	Giant snail*	Ogre*	Gnoll*	Porcine*	Morlock*	Human*
3-5	Ape* or Baboon*	Minotaur*	Pig* or Porcine*	Morlock*	Human*	Paragon*
6-8	Lizardfolk*	Pig* or Porcine*	Neanderthal*	Human*	Human+	Paragon+
9-11	Pig*	Neanderthal*	Human*	Human+ or paragon*	Human++	Paragon++
12	Neanderthal*	Human*	Paragon*	Paragon+	Human+++	Enlightenment
*: Create a new character of the indicated race. Transfer the old character’s INT, WIS and CHA to the new character. All other stats are rerolled. The new character starts at level 1.
+: Transfer the old character’s INT, WIS and CHA to the new character. All other stats are rerolled. The new character starts at a level 1d4 lower than the old character.
++: Transfer all stats of the old character to the new. The new character starts at one level lower than the old character.
+++: Transfer all stats of the old character to the new. The new character starts at the same level as the old character.
Enlightenment: The character is elevated to a higher state of existence. Create a completely new character. The new character receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

The new character will show up after 1d6 days. The character starts with 0 karma points and has only vague recollections of his previous life.

The reincarnation spell grants a roll on the table above, but the player rolls 1d6 to determine the new character’s level, and the character starts with a number of karma points equal to his level.

Raise dead or similar spells used on the previous character’s body will raise him normally, causing the new character to die. The character is taken out of the reincarnation cycle, and will never reincarnate again, not even with the reincarnation spell. People living outside the reincarnation cycle are known as beimaan (cheaters). Beimaan are seen as unnatural creatures equal to demons. Beimaan are considered chaotic outsiders for purpose of all spells, magic items and spell-like effects, in addition to their actual alignment and race. When in conflict, the chaotic designation takes precedence.

Notes: These rules were inspired by existing rules, and were reworked and restated for use in my Weird Opera campaign. The reincarnation table was written for the world of Anderove, which has no elves, dwarves, or other common demi-humans. DM’s wanting to use these rules in their own campaign should devise their own table.

The Paragon Colonies

Description: In the southwestern wilderness of the tropical peninsula lie the independent city-states known collectively as the Paragon Colonies. They were founded in a period about 1000 - 1200 years ago by colonists (some say, criminals) from Pretomournon and Woulph. Around 800 years ago, paragons claiming to be the reincarnations of the original founders started to arrive. After hypnosis and magic confirmed their claims, they quickly took control of the city’s ruling families. In less than two centuries, every one of the eight cities was under the power of paragons.

Asuras is a decadent city of hedonists. Breathing is most famous for its plantations. Its major exports are coffee and tobacco. Godsgrace was built around an ancient tower only paragons are allowed to enter.  Everlost is the shadow of a city existing in another reality. It only enters Seralin when its Emir wills it. Illuminate is ruled by the bodhisattva Julemorus, who has reached enlightenment but chose to stay on the material plane to guide his people. Refuge is a city of thieves, criminals, murderers, whores, poisoners, slavers and politicians. Southpoint is the most southern city on the continent, famous for the beautiful orchids it grows. Vulture is also known as the “city of alchemists.” It is build upon an ancient dungeon of unknown origin. It is said deep below the city there’s a time portal that transports the user to an aeon of long ago.

The peninsula jungle is hot, wet, and dangerous. Many species of spiders and snakes, all lethally poisonous, can be found in the jungle, and bigger predators like tigers, dinosaurs and manticores also dwell here. Numerous tribes, all independent with their own laws and customs, make their home in the deadly jungle. Although the jungle tribes have a reputation for hostility and violence, they are actually peaceful hunter-gatherers. Disputes between different tribes are resolved in ritual combat without bloodshed.

Ruler: Although the colonies form a very loose alliance, every city is ruled independently and has its own prince, emir, lord mayor or patriarch. The paragon families of the cities plot against one another constantly.

Population: Society in the Paragon Colonies is heavily stratified. All paragons in the cities are automatically part of the noble class. Below the nobles are citizens, those wealthy human merchants and that are allowed to own property, including slaves. Individuals belonging to the freemen class may not own property but are allowed to rent it from those who do. Inhabitants of the small villages providing food to the cities are usually freemen. On the lowest rung of society’s ladder are the slaves. More than half of each city’s population consists of slaves. Many slaves are taken in slave raids on villages of the native jungle tribes, but white slaves, pigs and Neanderthals are imported from the north.

The Paragons follow the philosophy known as The Path of the Self. It teaches individuals to strive to be better than his peers. Followers of the Path are often selfish and cruel, and only work for personal gain.

Nechara, Land of a Thousand Pyramids

Description:  Wedged between the Heart Sea in the north and the Unsaid Ocean in the south, the southern empire of Nechara is a tropical land of humid rainforest. The vast jungle covers most of the realm. Forest trolls, lizardmen, botanoids, and intelligent baboons make their home in the jungle, as do dinosaurs and other ancient creatures from before the time of men.

Most human settlements lie along the outer edges of the rainforest.  In the deeper parts of the forest lie the ruins of the many pyramids that give Nechara the epithet of “land of a thousand pyramids”. These huge mausoleums are the tombs of Nechara’s emperors of past dynasties. Many of the oldest of the ancient pyramids are protected by odd astronomical time locks that track the positions of far away stars. When the stars are right, the tombs will open and release whatever secrets are buried there.

Ruler: Empress Emuishéré, assisted by her two husbands: General Mdjai, commander in chief of the Necharan legions, and chief bureaucrat Khenti of the imperial bureaucracy. Although the traditional marriage between empress, general and bureaucrat is formal procedure, Emuishéré has managed to maintain romantic relationships with both her spouses.

Population: The original inhabitants of Nechara were a dark-skinned people. However, millennia of invasions, conquest, mercantile relations and migrations have mixed Necharan blood with that of many different races. Modern-day Necharans have brown skin. Hair ranges from blond to black, eyes are most often brown. Green eyes are believed to be a sign of sorcerous talent, and green-eyed children are sold as apprentice to mages at a very young age; sometimes as young as six years old.

Necharans believe in a version of humanotheism, a philosophy that states all people must strive to be the best they can be. Necharan humanotheism says humanity was created by a mother goddess, which charged her children with the quest for divinity. When humans have reached divine perfection, she will permit them into her divine realm.

Lambakota: The imperial capital has a population of about 13,000. Its ancient streets are laid out in concentric circles around the Great Pyramid. This gigantic building is said to be the oldest pyramid in the empire, and maybe even the oldest man-build structure in the world. Recent study of the astronomical lock shows the pyramid will soon open its gate.

Cieloretta Spire

Description: Cieloretta Spire is one of four ancient arcologies surviving into this age. The soaring, slender tower is made of an unknown metal alloy and unbreakable glass. It is said the tower is indestructible, and it will stand long after humanity has gone.

Closest to the ground are the fungus farms, Cieloretta’s primary food source. On the levels above are the workshops of Cieloretta’s craftsmen and residential districts. On the highest level are the governmental offices and the residences of noble families.

Ruler: Cieloretta is a democracy ruled by an elected council. All citizens over the age of 20 are eligible to vote, including the women. However, the system of election is a very convoluted affair of designated voters who appoint councils who appoint electors, which means that in reality the outcome of elections is controlled by a very small group of influential patriarchs. The current chairman of the council is Arturi Lorenzia, the charismatic son of a minor noble house. Lorenzia is very popular and seen as a strong leader, but he’s nothing more than a figurehead for the council.

Population: The Cieloretti are the result of carefully controlled breeding programs rigorously executed over a period of centuries. This artificial evolution maybe can best be described as survival of the most beautiful, for a very narrow definition of beauty. Cieloretti are tall, skinny, and young-looking, and prefer an androgynous look. Men are frail and grow their hair long; women have slender, boyish figures and short hair.

Cieloretta is an isolationist nation, and most of the inhabitants never leave the tower. The arcology is entirely self-sufficient and has no ties with the outside world. The Cieloretti revere a small pantheon of sky gods unknown outside the spire. Religious services are held on large plazas open to the sky.

The Warrens: Cieloretta Spire was built in an earlier, more crowded age, and the arcology is big. In fact, it is much bigger than is needed for the 70,000 people who live there now. Whole regions, some the size of city districts, are abandoned and forgotten. This is where the outcasts of society make their home. The ugly, the deformed – either by birth or as the result of an accident – and even overweight people have no place in Cieloretti society, but are taken in by the residents of the Warrens. Here they lead a meager existence of poverty, invisible to the general populace.

The Mournful Kingdom

Description:  For over fifty years, the kingdom was ruled by King Luther Kaspara II, better known as The Tormenter for his harsh and often cruel reign. During his reign, Pretomournoun fought numerous wars against the kingdom of Woulph in the south, and conquered the Island of Schicksal in the Silk Sea. Three years ago, the king was assassinated by an unknown assassin and succeeded by his daughter, the twelve-year-old Amarande.

Though Pretomournoun controls all the land between the Silk Sea in the west and the Monument Mountains, the kingdom is heavily forested and sinister, with huge tracts of abandoned lands left to the encroaching forest. The dark woods of the Mournful Kingdom are populated only by animals, and are home to countless monstrous non-humans like deodands, hags, and gnomes.

Ruler: Queen Amarande Kaspara, the Child Queen. Because of her young age and inexperience, she doesn’t have absolute power: her most important advisor, Chancellor Ludwig has considerable influence, as do prince Garland of Western and the Duke of Skinmarch. The duke’s daughter, countess Lorelei of Skinmarch, is Amarande’s best friend and the queen is known to discuss many important (and often secret) affairs of state with her.

Population: The people of the Mournful Kingdom are handsome, with dark hair and light eyes. Both men and women wear baroque, elaborate costumes more suited for the theater rather than practical or sensible clothing, especially the aristocracy.

The Pretomournoun follow the philosophy of Humanotheism, which states that mankind is nearly divine, and encourages men and women to strive for perfection, both physical as mental. Most people in the kingdom are atheists, but religion is not prohibited, and The Temple has a large cathedral in the capital of Pretomournoun.

Pretomournoun: The capital of the Mournful Kingdom is the largest city of the continent, but much of it lies in ruins. According to the latest census, the inner city has a population of about 36,000. About a quarter of that number lives in the mostly ruined districts outside the inner walls. Citizens in the inner city are most likely craftsmen, shopkeepers, merchants and aristocrats. In the outskirts live the thieves, whores, escaped slaves, mad priests and sorcerers of the city. At night, the affluent citizens of the inner city visit the taverns, bordellos, night markets and more secret forbidden pleasures of the outskirts, while the thieves and burglars visit the palaces of the inner city to ply their trade.