STORMBRINGER

GURPS and the Melnibonean Grimoire!

 

 True love 

"This is a fresh age...in more than one way. The time of subtle sorcery is on the wane. Men are finding new means of harnessing natural power."
-Stormbringer I,2

In the Young Kingdoms, Chaos is willing to pass the gift of magic on to any who ask. It is a corrupting influence, the tool of Chaos, but still, mortals of the Young Kingdoms are willing to accept it, for it makes them strong. However, even Chaos is somewhat discerning. The greatest spells are saved for the beloved of Chaos. What follows are some of the known spells of the Melniboneans. These are not spells that should be easily available to adventures. Rather, they are magics which might be known by foes or patrons. Alternatively, they could be discovered in an ancient grimoire, the goal of a long quest.

[Many of these spells are drawn directly from the Elric books where they were used by Elric or another Melnibonean. We have done our best to make these spells fit the GURPS system while maintaining their original effects, while also remaining true to the Melnibonean culture and game balance.]

The Melnibonean Spells:
The following spells are still being edited and may not yet be in their final form.

Demon's Awakening (4) [Spells of Being]

"His head still bent, he stretched out his right hand and touched the pulsating stone, stretched out his left hand and rested it upon Myshella's navel, and he began a chant in an ancient tongue that had been spoken before true men had ever walked the Earth."
-The Vanishing Tower I, 7

Range is touch. Chaotic. Awakens a person from any type of magical sleep (see The Runesleep below). However, in order for this spell to have its affect, a rare Nanorian is needed. These magical gems form the hearts of some of the greater demons of Chaos (see the rumors on page 102 of ELRIC!). After the spell is completed, the sleeper will awaken in 1d8 hours.

Grome's Call to the Dead (5) [Spells of the Elements]

"A low moan was coming from the lips of the living dead. Suddenly, a whole area of the surrounding hillside split into cracks, and yawning crannies appeared in the surface... With a frightful, multi-voiced scream, the dead Lords were swallowed by the earth."
-The Weird of the White Wolf II, 3

Range is sight. Chaotic. Causes the Earth to open up and swallow the dead which are walking the Earth. Bound up with ancient agreements with Grome, this spell is one of the less reliable of the Melnibone spells. A LUCK roll is required for it to work at all. Even if the roll is successful, 1d8 combat rounds will pass before the earth responds. When the earth does finally open up to swallow the dead, the results can be quite cataclysmic. Nearby dwellings may be destroyed, and unfortunates who stand too close to the dead might be dragged to their doom. Dead beings of great power may be able to resist the effects of this spell, for Grome is both wary and indolent.

Hell's Fortress (1-4) [Spells of War]

"But the door resisted as it should not have resisted. `Sealed by sorcery and I've no means of unsealing it,' said the albino." -The Sailor on the Seas of Fate II, 6

Range is touch. Chaotic. Adds ten times that many hit points of protection to walls, doors and other similar structure. Each cast of the spell affects an area no larger than ten feet by ten feet.

Lassa's Zephyr (1) [Spells of the Elements]

"Gradually, from the grains of the dunes, a spiral of sand began to move upwards, whistling as it spun faster and faster."
-The Fortress of the Pearl I, 3

Range is touch. Chaotic. A very minor variant of Wings of Lassa (Elric, pg. 83). Similar minor spells are taught to the sorcerers of Melnibone from the youngest age. Creates a small whirlwind of air, just a few feet tall, that may meander about a small area. Usually harmless, although in sand, snow or loose soil, it can be blinding.

The Runesleep (4) [Spells of Being]

"She was lying upon a couch and she was naked. There were runes painted on her flesh and the runes were, in themselves, obscene. Her eyelids were heavy and she did not at first recognise them... The body was oddly cold."
-Elric of Melnibone II, 8

Range is touch. Chaotic. Before the spell may be incanted, certain runes must be drawn upon the flesh of the victim. If these runes are not drawn perfectly, the spell will utterly faily. When the spell is complete, the sorcerer expends 4 magic points. If a POW:POW then succeeds, the victim falls into an eternal sleep. The caster must expend one point of POW at this time. Only the caster himself, or certain spells may break this sleep. The most powerful of people (those with POWs beyond the range of humans) may escape the runesleep for a short time, but even they will eventually succumb.

The Pan Tangians too know of this spell (TVT I, 5). As the Melniboneans slowly descend into obscurity, it is the Pan Tangians who are becoming the new race of Chaos.

Spark of Life (4) [Spells of the Unseen World]

"Slowly, with jerky movements, the creature raised itself stiffly upright and pointed a clawed finger... its glazed eyes staring as if beyond."
-Stormbringer I,1

Range is touch. Chaotic. Spark of Life is a summoning. It causes the spirit of a dead creature to reanimate its corpse. A number of magic points equal to the magic points of the spirit being summoned must be expended (in addition to the original four). The spirit of the dead could be bound, just as a demon or elemental, although doing such would be very dangerous.

When the summoning is complete, the resulting revenant is slow and clumsy, but it does remember its past life. It may answer questions, but these answers are never direct. They are often riddles, prophecies or even new questions. Practitioners of the dark arts who use this spell should be warned, for the lords of the nether realms are usually not pleased with having the souls of their subjects disturbed.

Burning Breath (3) [Spells of the Elements]

"As the hugh marsh creature lay waste to the last of the hired guards the Melnibonean spoke strangely and grabbed my head, I felt a magical burning....in my mouth! Before I could strike him for his betrayal, he said to breath upon the water creature, so as I turned and vomited flame upon it as I struck it with my blade." Chaotic. Range is touch. Resting your hands upon someone's head will grant them the ability to breath flames. This gives a new attack.

Base Chance: Dx -2

Damage: 3d6 +2

Distance: 2d6 yards

The recipient of the spell automatically gains 2 chaos points. Kakatal first brought this spell to the Young Kingdoms, and his cultists are still quite possessive of it.

Stolen Knowledge of Maluk (3) [Ritual]

"Having broken into the Melnibonean's private quarters, Argor could not believe his luck, there on the desk was the Melnibonean's Grimoire and open. Argor could not resist, kowning the Melnibonean was on board ship, piloting it through their acursed maze, he begain to read, suddenly he felt as if his head were spinning.....on board the Seahorse Jarnang smiled, looking very wise, he knew exactly where the missing crewman was."
-Stormbringer Campaign

Chaotic. Range is touch. This spell may be cast on any book or sheet of paper. Anyone reading the book must pass a IQ -2. If the victim fails, he will forget some of his knowledge (Loss of 1 point of IQ!) and the caster of the ritual will learn it (caster gains IQ +1!).

A variant of this spells exists, where the knowledge stays in the book rather than being learned by the caster of the ritual.

Burning Death (6) [Spells of War]

"Suddenly, he cried out! An immense heat inside his body began to melt his flesh and to evaporate his blood. Stunned from the pain and unable to move, he died a cruel death."

Range is sight. Chaotic. The caster causes the target, which has to be a living being, to lose 1D6 internal damage per round, for as long as the spell lasts. Each round, the victim can make a successful Contest Roll (HT plus magic resistance vs. the mage's spell casting roll) to end the spell.

Crystals of Communication (12) [Ritual]

"Plundering the treasure room, they found a small piece of crystal that felt warm and full of life. Rhowan, trying to find out the secret of this jewel, pressed it with both hands and an electrical magic force shot through his body. Pressing stronger made him dizzy for a moment, then he was elsewhere, standing in another room, decorated with red carpets. Before him was a sorcerer. 'What do you want, foolish being?' the sorcerer asked."

This ritual creates a communication device. You need a large crystal. Each part of it that is broken off can be used to communicate with the holder of the large part. This costs 1 MP. The enchanting costs 3 points of POW for the large crystal plus 1 point for each additional piece made. If the caster fumbles his luck roll, the large crystal cracks and becomes useless. The ritual to break off a piece of the large crystal takes 1D6 hours per piece.

If the communication is established, the holder of the crystal fragment sees the holder of the large crystal and feels as if he were in front of him. This is an illusion. He can only communicate, not physically interact with the holder of the large crystal.

Simulacrum (varies) [Ritual]

"Rhowan's final blow killed the sorcerer. He fell down, his dead corpse crashing to the floor. Immediately, the corpse began to crumble into dirt. Rhowan had to use all of his strength to pull his broadsword from the destroyed body. As Rhowan looked about nervously, another door opened. The same sorcerer advanced through it, laughing evilly."

This spell allows the caster to form an earth golem into exactly the image of a particular target. The caster needs to sacrify three points of POW. He also needs the heart of a person from the same race as the target, as well as some of the target's blood. The spell costs MPs equal to the SIZ of the target.

Spheres of Devastation (1-4) [Spell of War]

"The weapons of the attackers couldn't harm Rhowan in his plate armor. Protecting himself with his large metal shield, he ran through them, killing two with mighty blows. Only one warrior stood between him and the exit. Just a few steps lay between Rhowan and his last enemy when the man cast a spell and hurled a white cloud-like sphere at Rhowan. He tried to block this attack, but the cloud hit his shield and blasted it apart."

Range is sight. Chaotic. The sphere is harmless, except when it touches metal, whereupon it bursts with an explosion doing 1D6 damage per MP spend. This spell especially destroys armor points of metal weapons and armor.

Shadow Fighter (2-12) [Spell of War]

"Rhowan and Fenshia could retreat no further. Just behind them were the cliffs. Far below, the ocean smashed into the beach caves. The hostile warriors approached. 'I'll stop them. Use your rope,' Fenshia shouted. Then, she cast a spell. While Rhowan tied his rope around a rotten stump, the noises of ancient battles became audible - the combat cries, the clash of swords, the groans of fighting and dying men. The attackers froze, confused. As they watched, four shadowlike forms grew out of the ground, black shapes of fighters, armed and prepared."

Range is sight. Chaotic. Summons a random number of 1D6 shadows of warriors and controls them as long the sorcerer concentrates. The number of magic points spent determines the HP divided bewteen the ghostly images. Damage done by the shadow fighters isn't real unless they kill someone. All other damage will vanish together with the shadows.

Shadow Fighter statistics

ST 15
DX 15
IQ 10
HT 10
PR 1D6-2
DR 1D6+2
MOV/Dodge 6/6

Hit points depends upon the fatuge spent and how many appear. Attacks with hand-to-hand weapon at DX 1D6-2 with 1D8+1D4 damage. Armor absorbs 1D6+3 points. (Also: Normal weapons only inflict half damage)

Spell of Pain (2) [Spell of War]

"'You can't escape! Stand and fight!' Rhowan shouted as he rushed towards the mage he had searched for so long. The mage pointed at Rhowan, weaving a magic spell. Crying in pain, Rhowan dropped."

Range is sight. Chaotic. The victim is attacked by stunning pain if a POW:POW roll on the resistance table is successful. He loses 1 HP. All of the target's skills, his damage bonus and his MOV are halved for the duration of the spell.

Nameless Dread (2) [Spell of Being]

"The night is dark. Clouds hide the stars. Dull moonlight throws dark shadows. Fenshia is on her way home when suddenly two thugs block her way. They try to grab her. Then, one of them yells, turns, and runs away, an insane look upon his face, not stopping until he breaks down from exhaustion. Fenshia draws her dagger, and rams it into the other before he can move. That's Fenshia."

Range is touch. Chaotic. Contest of Will vs Will, if the caster's roll is successful, the victim is frightened like never before. It is a terror the victim will never be able to describe, nor even remember. Victim automatically fails a FRIGHT check with a -10 on the table effects. When horror and fear seize the victim, he...

1D6
1 - runs and runs, as never before
2 - drops, crying, yelling, creeping, hiding
3 - stands, laughing insanely, noticing nothing
4 - curls up into a fetal position
5 - attacks all nearby objects berserkly
6 - falls down, unconscious

(Optional: If the victim succeeds at an idea roll, he will remember both the caster and the horror. Surely, he will hate the caster for his nightmares.)

Seduction (4) [Spell of Being]

"`Please help me, my beloved hero'. Like a puppet, somehow confused, Rhowan helped the witch to stand up again. Carefully he removed the dagger with which he had stabbed her one minute ago. `You are wounded' he said, `If only I could catch the one who hurt you, I...'"

Range is sight. Chaotic. Only works against opposite gender. After a Will vs Will resistance roll, the target falls madly in love with the caster. He will follow all orders, doing everything he thinks might please the caster. Logical thinking and reason are reduced.

The spell lasts until broken, which will happen if the caster dies or releases the target or if the target succeeds at an idea roll. An idea roll can be attempted whenever the target is forced into doing something dangerous or something against his own deep beliefs.

Command (2) [Spell of Being]

"Ramir spoke to Gatan, the sorcerer. `You'll get 100 bronze if you come with me and ward off the demon.' `My price is 300.' Gatan ignored Ramir and continued to sort dusty containers on a dirty shelf. Ramir dropped a bag of 50 bronze. `You'll get another 50 bronze if you have it banished.' `300. You are miserly.' Ramir grabbed his sword and took a step toward the magician. `I am what!?' `You are miserly and annoying. Please go!' Ramir turned around, an unbelieving look upon his face. `I ... what... ' In front of the hut he shook his head as if trying to drive away an unpleasant feeling. Then, he went his way."

Range is sight. Chaotic. Caster can influence another intelligent being that he is talking with to act in a certain manner. The actual influence lasts the normal spell duration, but the target can't even remember what happened if the caster succeeds at a Will vs Will resistance roll. The command has to be a short and clear sentence.

Life Drain (1) [Spell of the Characteristics]

"Rhowan felt uncomfortable. Since finding that strange sparkling jewel, he had been tired. He couldn't sleep; visions he couldn't remember kept him awake. The backpack hurt, even walking brought him pain."

Range is touch. Chaotic. STR, DEX and HT are reduced by 1 each per day, with all consequences. The spells lasts until undone or 1D6 +2 days.
After this time, the characteristics return at a rate of 1 point per day, up to the old values. The skill reduction vanishes in the same manner.

Paralysis (3) [Spell of Being]

"Rhowan hated sorcerers. Nearly every time, they enchanted him. This time was no different. He thought he had finally cornered his enemy, but now this! He couldn't move a single limb, and had to watch the guards of the sorcerer carry him off to jail."

Range is touch. Chaotic. Until the spell fades, the target has to succeed at a Will vs Will roll each combat round or he stands paralyzed, unable to do anything. The third round paralyzed, the victim can't even stand anymore and falls down.

Awaken the Spirits of the Woods (3) [Spirit Magic Ritual]

"Ever since she and Rowan had entered the forest, Fenshia had felt that something was watching her. She turned around, but, like before, she couldn't find anyone. Fenshia's attention returned to Rhowan, who was pointing out a strange Khiobl carving made in an old tree. But, as she examined it, Fenshia again felt eyes staring at her back."

After a ritual that lasts 2D6 hours, the caster is able to smell, hear or feel through the spirits who live in the forests by entering a trance. He has a diffuse multi-visual impression and is unable to realize clear pictures, sounds or feelings. The spells lasts as long as the caster concentrates. The range is 50 yards. If the caster has foci, he can jump from focus to focus (if they're no more than 50 yards away) to reach the final point he wants to observe. Each jump lasts 1 minute. He needs a very good area knowledge of that forest to do so without getting lost in a world of strange impressions.

A focus can be carved into an old tree or an old boulder. This ritual costs 1 point of fatigue and lasts 2D6 hours too. The sorcerer has to make a luck roll to succeed. (On Koptu they say that the Khiovl, the alien lizard-like creatures living in the Western forests have knowledge of this spell.)

Animate the Ancient Power of a Tree (1-6) [Spirit Magic]

"They reached a dead, gray clearing. Four crippled trees, reminiscent of writhing humans, were all they saw. `Yes', Rhowan said, `That's the clearing the old man mentioned.' Suddenly, one of the trees came to life!"

The caster can animate and control a tree for up to POW combat rounds. He has to spend 1 magic point per 5 points of SIZ of the tree. An experienced shaman can estimate the size of an tree quite well.

Attacking Tree statistics

ST 24
DX 9
IQ 4
HT 20

PD d6 +1
DR 2D6-3
MV/Dodg3 3/3

Create Staff (varies) [Spirit Magic Ritual]

Old trees are inhabited by spirits. If these spirits die, the tree dies, too. Sometimes however, the tree dies too fast and the spirit is imprisoned. From the wood of these trees, a sorcerer can create a powerful staff. He can reanimate the spirit by sacrifing a point of IQ and create a sort of familiar that gives him more magic points (D6 per point of IQ spent) that he can use to fuel his magic. The staff is able to restore its magic points at the rate of 1 point per hour. The ritual lasts 1D6 hours. You can do this ritual several times on the same staff, but on any critical failure, the staff breaks and the magicpoints are lost.

(A normal failed spell roll gives the staff some sort of quirk, for example it only regenerates while lying in butter or doesn't works the night of the new moon)

Call for Shielding Spirits (4) [Spirit Magic]

"Suddenly Fenshia started to spin, her arms flailing as if she was surrounded by a swarm of bees. But, all that could be seen was shadowy, whirling mist."

1D6-1 (minimun 1) random summoned spirits wrap the target, stopping her from acting normally until the spell fades (after she succeeds at a Will vs Will resistance rolls against all attacking spirits. She loses 1 Will each round a spirit is not defeated, but gains 1 Will per spirit when it is defeated. The victim can attempt a Will attack against a randomly selected spirit each round.

Shielding spirit

Will 2D6 +3
MOV 20

No one but the victim and the caster are able to effect the Shielding spirit. If the victims Will is reduced to zero, the Shielding spirit(s) have trappedthe victim's soul and will depart...

Theft of Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"He sat up in his bed, his wide open eyes glistened in the darkness. Carefully, he listened. Was there a sound that had awakened him? Resolute, he lay down and tried to sleep again."

Range is touch. Chaotic. This rare spell enables the caster to rob the dreams of a sleeper. From now on, the sleeper will wake each night with the feeling of something missing. She will not benefit from the effects of sleep anymore. Not dreaming will eventually drive the target mad. She will begin to become nervous and irritable. Finally, she will suffer from hallucinations, becoming slightly insane.

Sharing of Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"The creature approached! Smelling its repulsive breath, she retreated. Suddenly, she was stepping into emptiness, and she fell! With a cry, she awoke! Again! It was the third night she had dreamed the same nightmare."

Range is special. Chaotic. Two somehow connected beings can share dreams. These dream can even overcome the bounds of time. The dreamer might see an upcoming event or dream of something long lost in the past. A powerful sorcerer might be able to manipulate these dreams. By controlling dreams, the dreamer can be enabled to enter the dreamlands.

Desire (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"Tan was a poor man. All he owned were his ragged clothes and a hungry stomach. It was autumn but Dhowil, the new keeper of the inn, did not let him sleep in the kitchen. Tan was cold and sleepy, so cold... Ach! If he only had one chance, to be a hero, like Rhowan! Sunshine awoke Tan. A tall warrior kicked him. `Stand up, Tan, we've a long journey ahead today.'"

Range is touch. Chaotic. Strong wishes and hidden dreams can become true, at least in the dreamworld, if you've luckly like Tan or if you're a great dream magician and spend at least 1 point of IQ. What happens if you awake? Good question. Maybe the target can find a way to make his dreams permanent while he's dreaming.

Dreaming (1) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"She had an unhappy life. There was only one part of her life that she gladly awaited each day, and that was sleeping. She looked forward to her dreams. Her dream-self was a different and more interesting person. She'd have another adventure in the dreamlands tonight."

Range is self. Chaotic. Allows the caster to enter the dreamlands. What are the dreamlands? They are another world, perhaps better, built on the dreams of thousands of dreamers. There are more connections between this world and the world of dreams than might be good, ways to enter the dreamlands, permanently and physically. But, these paths are protected. Nearly every addicted dreamer is searching for a chance to stay there forever.

Call the Dreams (variable) [Rituals of the Dreaming]

"Srarea stared into the fireplace. Her companions were sleeping. It was an frightened old house they rested in. No one had dared to sleep in one of the bedrooms above. Pieces of wood crackled, or was that the stairs? Three disguised shapes tried to sneak into the living room, holding bloody knives! Realizing that they were detected, they fled upstairs. Srarea grabbed her spear and followed. One of them turned. He looked exactly like Srarea's father. His blow caught her unprepared. Then, she reacted, impaling him with her spear. The other two fled down the corridor. For a moment, it seemed that one of them turned into a lion and back again. She followed into the darkness. Suddenly she ran against the back wall of the building. How had they vanished!?"

Just as dreaming humans can reach the dreamlands, dream beings can reach the mundane world if they're called. Details are left to the gamemaster, but, it's not easy to open a passage between the two worlds. The ritual lasts 1D6 hours. If a luck roll fails, it attracts a guardian.

On Koptu, the serpent men have tried to find and close all passages to the dreamlands. Sometimes you can find a strange obelisk which guards one of these passages. If you rest near it, you can suffer unusual dreams. These gates are protected by magical guardians which look like a great serpent with a human torso and head. In fact this creatures are built by combining a giant serpent and a human soldier slave, but that's another story.

These are the statistics of such a Naga-like creature:

ST 21
DX 18
IQ 09
HT 21

PD 1D6 -2
DR 2D6 (human part), 1D6+1 (serpent part)
MV/Dodge 8/8

Weapons: Sword, Shield, Hunting Bow
Skills: Track 14.
Spells: d6, gamemaster's choice.

Ancient Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"`I wonder who lived in these building when they were still intact.' Perhaps it would have been better for Srarea not to have asked this question. When her party awoke the next morning, something had changed. The air smelled different. The building they had rested in was now undamaged. From outside came noises and voices."

Range is sight. Chaotic. Whoever likes can visit the past, because dreams are not strictly connected with time. Maybe a dream or an idea still lives, even if its dreamer is dead and forgotten. Old buildings and places remember the past. But, reawaking the past can be dangerous. Maybe someone doesn't like the idea that he's in fact long dead. Who knows...

Mouth of the Earth (5) [Spell of the Elements]

"Suddenly the earth crumbled. It opened under the soldier as if he had fallen into a whirlpool. There was one last cry, then it was silent again."

Chaotic. Range is sight. If cast upon a target standing on raw, natural earth, he will be swallowed by the earth if he is unaware of the danger or did not succeed at a DEXx3 roll. To get free, the targer has to make a successful STR:STR roll against the 4D6 STR of the earth mouth. Reroll the strength of the earth each round, using a cumulative -1 each round after the first.

Whisper of the Wind (3) [Spell of the Elements]

"Fenshia left the others. Knowing that they were lost, she sat down at the cliffs, staring into the jungle that covered all the land below. She listened to the wind which played with her long hair. `Tell me', she said, `where are we? Where's the tower? Please answer.' `North.' someone whispered. `Go north.'"

Chaotic. Self. The caster can ask a question at a windy place and hope for an short answer. It's up to the gamemaster to determine whether the wind elementals will know the right answer. The caster must meditate for about an hour before casting this spell.

Ring of Fire (4) [Spell of the Elements]

"Finally, in the basement of the tower, Fenshia and Rhowan found the treasury that they had been looking for so long. As they tried to leave the building, loaded with gold, suddenly they walls of the fortress crumbled and more than two dozen skeleton warriors attacked. Rhowan drew his sword, preparing to rush into the fray, but Fenshia told him to wait. `I can protect us,' she said, `stand close to me.' And then, a beam of fire sprang from her hands to the ground, spread out in both directions and built a circle of fire. The skeletons stopped, screaming their rage and fear. `And now?' Rhowan asked, suspiciously watching their enemies. `Now we think of a better plan,' Fenshia answered."

Chaotic. Self. Around the caster arises a circle of fire of about 3 yards diameter, large enough to enclose 6 people. As long as the spell lasts, no undead (optional: and no demonic) creature can pass the circle. Other beings can pass the flames without harm. The circle doesn't move with the caster and will vanish if the caster doesn't concentrate.

Gift of Water (5) [Spell of the Elements]

"The Khiovl shaman pointed at the attacking Fenami warriors, his tail waving due to the effort. He spit into his folded hands, and a sunbeam reflected in the pooled liquid. Then, he hurled it against the advancing Fenami. All who were hit by a dash of the liquid started to gasp. They stopped, became white, then blue in their faces. One cried, one fell down, another grabbed his throat. They spit water, then blood and bile. All died a horrible death."

Chaotic. Range is sight. Cast upon a living being, the target's lungs will be filled with water if it misses a Will vs Will resistance roll. The target suffers from the effect of drowning.

Sternenstahl (Star Steel) [Ritual]

"Like a fiery finger, it fell down from the sky. With a sound like the roar of a dragon, it hit the ground. Gol, a peasant who was working on the nearby field, decided to explore the new hole in the soil. He cautiously approached after the dust had vanished."

From time to time, a meteor comes from the endless depths of outerspace down to earth. These stones often contain a metal called Sternenstahl which can be enchanted to free its great magic power. The stones are magical because they collect raw magic on their way between the stars.

Sternenstahl can be enchanted into many different forms. An amulet of Sternenstahl carried by a magician enhances his spellcasting ability. He only has to spend half (round up) the needed magic points on all spells. Or, it could give him +1 to +3 on Will vs Will Resistance rolls. Weapons of this black metal count as magical weapon and can injure demons or other magical creatures which are not harmed by normal weapons. Wounds made by this weapons don't heal normally. Bonds forged out of Sternenstahl will prevent a sorcerer from casting spells. There are surely other possibilities. It's a very valuable metal.

"`What's that black thread of smoke,' he wondered. He saw a dark red, glowing stone which reminded him of a pulsing heart. Above it, there were three threads, each about 3 meters long and as thick as a finger. They wound trembling up through the air, searching and scanning. Gol picked up a short branch and touched the threads. Then, they noticed him. Paralysed by fear he watched as they reached out for him. The stab came so fast that he couldn't even cry before he died. The threads slid inside."

But, the greater the piece of Sternenstahl, the greater the chance that something ancient from beyond the world has been caught by the meteor and dragged down to earth. Sometimes, something like an outer world spirit is caught and enclosed in the stone. Whatever being is carried to this world, it's very dangerous. Count them as demons.

The being that killed the unlucky Gol was called a Schoggote. They absorb all higher life they can get. The Schoggote that is absorbing Gol will soon look like the peasant, maybe with deadly grey skin and some unreal looking deformations. Then, it will melt together with other humans that it can absorb. Probably, it will start with Wenle, Gol's wife, and their children. Then, the Schoggote will try to find a safe hide-out where it can start to grow.

On Koptu, the greatest known piece of Sternenstahl is in Khaa, the capital of Kassar, one of the greatest cities of the continent. It's a block of about 3 cubic meter of black stone. The stone is covered with silver threads, which are sometimes waving. It's kept in the temple of Aralaana, the sun goddess. The priests believe that Aralaana has send it to Haqbar, the first prophet, as a sign to unite the tribes of the East.

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