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A Visitor's Guide to the City of Shadows

The world of Erebus is built around the themes of Blazing Action and Dark Intrigue. The former is reflected in Erebus' 1920's pulp sensibilities. Street predators, gunslingers, and vigilanti wage private wars in the streets, while skinwalkers and commoners must fight for their very survival. The latter theme is realized in the labyrinthine political situation in the City of Shadows. The wealthy rule via a Council, forging and enforcing laws based only on their self-interests. Cults and subversive groups incite the populace to action and spread their influence along the bottom rungs of Ereban society. It is a world of mystery, adventure, and danger where nothing is ever as it seems!

Geography

Sometime in the primordial past, tectonic drift caused the World’s three largest land masses to collide. Over the eons, these collisions raised gigantic mountain ranges, flooded wetlands, and cast rain shadows over most of the mainland continent. When humans arose, they entrenched themselves along the temperate coasts and banished the most dangerous of their fellow creatures to the wasteland deserts of the interior. Driven by their own fierce competition, and unhealthy doses of a rare element called "philosopher's stone," these creatures soon became truly dangerous, and the humans found themselves on the defensive.

Forced separation has led to the rise of three great, and radically different, civilizations. Between the western coast and Upland mountain range huddles the Crown Empire, a monotheistic kingdom possessing advanced alchemical technology. Across the wastelands, on the eastern coast, stands the Order of the Moth, a nation-cult that maintains its power through total control of information. Finally, an alliance of ocean navigating anarchists inhabits the waters and islands far south of the mainland. They are known by most as the Wayfarers’ Concord. Erebus lies on a jungle peninsula between these three super powers, and hosts the only safe harbor along their trade routes.

The City of Shadows began as a simple fishing village, but when sailing barges from the Concord began landing in their harbor, the natives did not hesitate to exploit their ownership of the land. The Naga (see "Shapeshifters") soon took control of the port and moved to establish trade routes with the Crown and Order as well. Their mastery of Ereban politics and trade has continued virtually unchallenged to the present.

The location of the original village has become Inner Erebus, a walled fortress for the city's rulers. Its oval confines hold the Council Chambers and the homes of all but one Counselor. It is the only part of Erebus not open to the general public; one must have a "writ of invitation" from a Counselor to get through the gates. It is a dark, forbidding place that conceals well the lavish accommodations within.

The Old City, which surrounds the Inner, is what most travelers imagine when they think of Erebus. It contains the wharfs and docks, inns and taverns, and wealthier residences of Erebus. The architecture is gothic and monolithic, composed primarily of marble and granite. The shadows are deep here, even for Erebus.

Arching around the canals and warehouses of Old Erebus are the wooden shops and modest lodgings of New Erebus. The jungle encroaches more heavily here, and the buildings are less impressive in their design. However, the multitude of labyrinthine alleys and catwalks that twist and writhe through this area make it every bit as foreboding as Old and Inner Erebus. This is where the Ereban artisans and lesser merchants live and conduct business. (It is also where Chancellor Mirage, of the Wizards' Guild, resides.) The New City also stretches across the river that forms Inner Erebus’s southern border by means of a rope-guided ferry. There are docks on either end of the ferry that cater to riverboats and traders from the peninsula’s interior.

Finally, those who cannot afford to live any better erect their homes in Outer Erebus. This area is more jungle than city, a permanent shantytown on the fringes of New Erebus. Immigrants, thieves, and things best avoided reside beneath the rain forest canopy. Ironically, much of Erebus’s business is conducted here, because much of Erebus’s business is conducted with immigrants, thieves, and things best avoided.

The Crown Empire - The Crown is held together by religion. The Church (that is its only name) preaches a strong doctrine of righteous living, civil responsibility, and divine right. Such teachings have their largest following in the northern regions, near the capitol city of Throne. The southern areas, far from the monarchy and its Church, are aptly referred to as the Wildlands. The Crown is bordered on the east, and separated from the treacherous Inland Waste, by the Upland mountain range. The sole pass through the Uplands is located in the Wildlands, a fact that only bolsters the dangerous reputation of the area. The Crown currently holds total control over alchemical technology, it's major export.

Order of the Moth - The Moths are a hereditary order of mystics who can project their wills outside their physical bodies. Ages ago, they used these powers to subjugate and enslave the humans of the East. At first, the Order provided safety in the form of the Barrier: a gigantic wall erected to protect the Eastern lands from the creatures of the Inland Waste. After its completion, however, the humans found themselves building palaces for the Moths; they had bought their safety with their freedom. In the present day, the Order maintains their power though control of information. Only one city, Serenity, is open to foreign visitors.

Wayfarers’ Concord - This anarchy occupies a string of volcanic islands to the south of Erebus. The absolute freedom of the individual is the only law. To ensure that no citizen exploits another, thereby taking away their freedom, an order of nomadic warrior-monks called "vigilanti" wander the islands, defending those who cannot defend themselves The Wayfarers, ocean-navigating nomads, opened the first trade routes between the Crown and the Moth, and they still play an important role in modern trade though Erebus.

The Council

Erebus is "governed" by a Council of its six wealthiest people. The purpose of this Council is to keep a civilized veneer over their economic struggles. This rather Machiavellian system has kept at least an appearance of peace in Erebus for the last two and a half decades. Mostly, the Council members make laws to protect their own interests, and enforces them when and how they choose.

As mentioned above, the Council Chamber is located in Inner Erebus, a walled fortress which stands in the same place as the original village of Erebus. The Chamber is in the center, with five "estates" surrounding it. Each Councilor is responsible for the security of their estate’s portion of the wall. (This is primarily so that each group can circumvent security procedures whenever they need to.) Entrance usually requires a "writ of invitation."

The Councilors and their organizations shape, in large part, the nature of Erebus. Knowing them helps us know the City itself.

The Naga - Hss’vai has coiled on the Council since its formation. He is the leader of his race (see "Shapeshifters") and their cult. Recently, he expanded the Serpent Cult’s business to include medicinal herbs as well as the recreational drugs and poisons they have always trafficked. Their primary ally is the Society of Bliss, whose members purchase a large percentage of the Naga’s drugs.

Society of Bliss - These hedonists have made their name synonymous with entertainment. Anyone looking for amusement in Erebus has only to enter the nearest Temple of Bliss. The Society’s leader is a larger-than-life deva named Euphoria. Her place in the cult, and on the Council, is hereditary, but conditional on the continued profit of the Society. Were those profits to fall, others may stand a chance of wresting control away from her. Fortunately, few Blissites have the ambition needed to hatch such a plot.

Sir Erik of Knightlund - This westerner’s title is probably honorary, though there are men who whisper otherwise. He was among the first Crown subjects to trade alchemical technology for silk and herbs from the East. This is still his primary source of wealth, though he has managed to carve out small pieces of other, related markets as well. Some of his beaten competitors claimed agents of the Crown Ministry of Intelligence sabotaged their businesses, and few would put such things past Sir Erik. There are even rumors that he is a member of the Cult of Thal, God of Murder.

Magician’s Guild - The Guild is the only professional association allowed to exist in Erebus. (A large pool of disorganized thugs and henchmen facilitates political and covert operations.) However, even the Guild is not as strong as it could be; it is primarily a centralized method of arranging employment for magi. The creator and administrator of this service is a charismatic woman known as Mirage. Though she charges no more than ten percent commission, the income has bought her a seat on the Council. She uses her power to fight for sovereignty and autonomy for Guild members. She is the only Councilor who lives in the New City.

The Purifiers - Golan Para has held sway in his cult for a remarkably long time, especially considering the fact that his own people are constantly trying to overthrow him. The Purifiers take it upon themselves to weed out the weak from their own ranks... and the human population in general. Consequently, they have holdings in virtually every market that flows through Erebus. The closest thing Para has to an ally is Jonathan Steel, from whom most Purifiers buy their weapons.

Jonathan Steel - The steelwork of this enigmatic easterner is beyond compare. His weapons have perfect balance and razor-sharp edges, armors are light and fit like a second skin, and his jewelry are masterful works of art. Unlike the others, he heads no organization; the high prices he can demand for his work have bought him his own seat on the Council. However, Steel is a popular and visible figure in Erebus, and his Forge is a good place for new arrivals to find guides, contacts, and other information.

Kewl Powerz

Magic - Magicians in Erebus practice a combination of three skills. Legerdemain involves the conjuring and vanishing of objects, using optical illusions to make things appear other than they are, and otherwise clouding observers' perceptions of reality. Mesmerism uses hypnosis and con artistry to influence the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others... with nothing more than words. Augury is the art of discerning facts about the past, present, and future by analyzing the patterns in seemingly chaotic events, like the order of shuffled cards, the lay of thrown runestones, or the motion of heavenly bodies. None of these techniques can actually change physical reality, but manipulating people is often just as useful, if not more so.

Psionetics - The magic of the Moths is based on Astral Projection. All Moths have the ability to "leave" their material bodies and move about as ephemeral distortions in the ether. The "astral form" can travel at incredible speeds, pass through solid barriers, defy gravity, and perform a host of other supernatural feats. Through study, the form can be granted even more powerful abilities, not the least of which is the ability to affect the material world. A Moth with such powers is an unstoppable killer. No place is safe from him, and no defense possible.

Natural Philosophy - The alchemists of the Crown Empire manipulate the ether through a catalyst called Philosopher’s Stone. This substance aids them in the shaping of etheric distortions, allowing them to change one substance into another. This technology has virtually unlimited applications: weapons that throw lightning or boil blood, armors and construction materials that are nearly unbreakable, devices that control temperature, etc. Many such technologies are available for purchase from Crown merchants, most notably Sir Erik of Knightlund.

And more... The mountains and jungles around the Inland Waste, as well as the myriad islands of the Concord, harbor even more mysterious forms of magic. The tribal humans who inhabit the rain forest around Erebus employ shamanic arts that summon sentient creatures from the ether. Deranged anatomists huddle in secret laboratories, applying alchemical principles to the study of death: Necromancy. Many suspect that the lightning reflexes and extraordinary combat prowess of the Vigilanti are magical in nature. Certain ninja, it is whispered, have received Psionetic enhancements to their auras which grant them supernatural physical powers. Many other mysteries may well hide in the shadows.

Skinwalkers

In every corner of the world, there are men and woman who share their bodies with the soul of an animal. As the balance of power between the two souls changes, so to does the skinwalker's body change. There are three reasonably well-known breeds of shapeshifter, as well as two elusive groups who's existence is only suspected:

Naga are reptilian in form, their features most closely resembling snakes. Venomous fangs are favored weapons, though many prefer constricting opponents with arm or leg coils. Scales can be formed to provide armor. The sense of smell is highly acute, and secondary "eyes" can see by heat instead of light. The Naga are the most cohesive ‘shifter group; their Cult of the Serpent occupies one of Erebus’s Council seats.

Werewolves first appeared in the forests of the West, but xenophobic Crown humans have since hunted them into the mountains. These ferocious creatures usually work in packs of 2-12 and are widely known for their hunting prowess. Werewolves have formidable natural weapons (fangs and claws), acute senses (smell, hearing, and night vision), and an infamous capacity to plan and execute ambushes.

Mer dwell in the shallow seas of the Concord. Of the all the skinwalkers, they are the most diverse group. Some take on the form and disposition of the dolphin, while others prefer the fierce visage of the shark, and still others affect squid’s tentacles. However, most Mer are intelligent and sociable beings who play as large a role in Concord politics as their human counterparts.

Guar are thought to stalk the primitive jungles around Erebus. Through their keen hunter’s instincts and mastery of shamanic magic, they control many of the human tribes who share their habitat. By all accounts, they are the most feral ‘shifters, far more like their feline cousins than their human ones.

Tengu are known by little more than rumor and legend. In fact, there is really no agreement on what form(s) they usually take. Part of the problem is the fact that Tengu live in the East, well within the borders of the Order of the Moth, where no foreigner may travel. Moth exiles tell stories of trickster beings who can take on many forms, usually with some exaggerated or comical feature that can give them away to astute observers. They are said to delight in interfering with the Moths’ rule, and guard their sovereign territory viciously.

Life in the Shadows

The Wildlands have nothing on Erebus. The Council keeps most of the populace in a state of perpetual disorder. (This provides excellent cover for their own activities, as well as a vast pool of potential new hires and recruits.) The laws of the Council are enforced only to protect the interests of the Council, so mere citizens can do just about whatever they want to each other. Consequently, only those who can defend themselves stay long in the Shadows.

Erebus has the best, and the worst, of what the World has to offer. A vast array of goods and services are bought and sold on its streets and plazas every hour of every day. No where else can one see as many sights, or meet as many people, as in the City of Shadows. Anything that can be imagined can be found, if you look hard enough.

With the exception of magicians, there are no professional or philanthropic groups allowed by the Council. Therefore, most citizens belong to a cult, a "pack," or both. The Council allows lesser cults to exist because they fracture the population and keep the people divided. Packs are small teams of mercenaries, thieves, or artisans that work together for mutual benefit. Such groups are often hired for contract jobs by Councilors, cults, and merchants.

Finally, the three great civilizations of the World often use Erebus as a political battleground. The Crown’s Ministry of Intelligence is often accused of sending covert agents to shut down Sir Erik’s competitors. Ninja clans from the order of the Moth use Erebus to gather recruits and equipment for their fight against the Order's rule. Wayfarers from the Concord, though they hide behind a practiced mask of neutrality, play all sides against each other for their own profit.

Welcome to the shadows, fresh blood.

Previews - Fiction - Scenarios - Cults - Miscellany