BLACK EMPIRE


THE SEA OF FEAR


Game Package
Includes: Sea of Fear Guidebook & 36 maps

©1995 Wanderer Games
Developed by Plate Games, 1995



All Rights Reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photographic or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher.


Contents:
Legends of the World
Special Location Descriptions
Mapset (But not on the WWW, Heck If IÕm going to scan & then convert36 hand drawn maps)



LEGENDS OF THE WORLD
It was written in the Annals of Valentius and the Histories of Tac Ba Chih that the world was created by Elder Gods who lived on an island fortress called BallardÕs Keep. The Elder Gods from their number created the Younger Gods who then created all the races that inhabit the World. The Younger Gods were jealous of their elders and chose to assail the Elder Gods in their fortress at BallardÕs Keep. A fierce battle ensued which shook the young World to the core, giving birth to Dragons, and the fearsome Beasts. The Elder Gods had won, barely. Their price of victory was banishment from the World, and BallardÕs Keep vanished behind a mystical fog, forever screened from mortal eyes. The enchanted waters that once was the serene coast of BallardÕs Keep became know as the Sea of Fear, for none who entered ever returned. The Banishment of the Elder Gods occurred some 3000 years before the Devastation.
In the aftermath of the Banishment, the races had to fend for themselves and rely on minor spirits and the residue magical powers left behind by both the Elder and Younger Gods. The influence of the Elder Gods became indirect. Those Younger Gods who survived the Banishment fled to the infernal planes in a ceaseless struggle to attain power in the World and elsewhere. The first civilization to rise was that of Elfdom west of Lake Shipoy, 500 years after the Banishment. The Selphers were the first to cast Meta Spells, cast iron for their swordsmen and ride horses. Their influence spread in all directions and was most profound in the now lost land of Kismet. Kismet engineers built the fabulous pyramids and invented agriculture on their fertile land. However the forces of Evil had began their march from the volcanic mountains of Chivval a witch king emerged subverting dwarves, humans and gnomes laying waste to the Selpher influenced civilization of Caell The Ceall Basin was henceforth called the after the witch king, Nazoul, and forever became a name and a land of dread. Around the 1000th year after the Devastation, a successor of Nazoul, Azkarom, led his fell host and barbarian allies from the south against the Elves of Selph‘ and the Kismet. Using terrible magic lent to them by the evil God, Xhass, they sank the land of Kismet under the watery waves and scattered the Elves of the Selph‘ Forests and the Dwarves and Gnomes of the High Plateau of Jaling. After a century of domination, Azkarom betrayed his own God, seeking to take his place and both King and God vanished into the Void.
The Diaspora of civilization spread to all areas of the World, inhabited by barbarian races, human and non-human. Kismet, Selph‘ and Jaling survivors sparked many civilizations such as the Old Khin, Baharam, Vulatec, Tiahuanaho, Elahos, Gassabive, Thetis, Sivva and Otaw by the end of the Second Millennium after the Banishment. Dragonlords also began appearing, exerting control in some areas, even becoming rulers of the Otaw, Old Khin and Vulatec. In time, however, greed and power began to corrupt the great kings and they began to appeal to the fell forces to increase their power. Near the end of the Third Millennium, the rulers of Old Khin and Baharam, one a proponent of technology and the other, sorcery waged a deadly war against each other. Eventually all empires were involved and there was much terror. It ended when both sides launched ÔDoomsday WeaponsÕ against each other destroying both their lands and enveloped the World in a Cloak of Darkness that lasted for half a century. Where there were great civilizations before, there was scattered tribes eking out a miserable existence in the world after the Devastation.
Now 500 years has passed and an Age of Champions has begun. New kingdoms seek to attain and bypass the glory of the old ÔBlack EmpiresÕ of pre-Devastation. Both the Elder and Younger Gods are eager to lend their support to those who would worship them. All races search the land for the secret that would gain them access to the Sea of Fear.




SPECIAL LOCATIONS

Map A & B: Five Towers

The Five Towers rise above the plains of Picknow. Once they housed powerful wizards. Now they are abandoned. Looters fear to enter these monoliths for the wizards had long ago placed curses upon intruders.

Map A: Goldenhorn

Extensive Caverns can be found within Goldenhorn. Ancient caches of treasure have been left there by Dwarven miners.

Map B: Orb of Order

At the heart of the Ordered Land (Terre DÕOrdre), a fifty foot tall pedestal holds the mysterious Orb of Order. Even though the makers of this Orb have been wiped out by Goblins, the Orb continues its enchantment upon the Ordered Land, putting mountains, rivers and plants in neat, angular rows. The Goblins have been unable to turn off the Orb of Order much as they would like to.

Map B: Ruined Cities of Lanakey & Nispen

These are the Cities of the Ancient Ordered Civilization . Goblins have destroyed both towns. Spirits of the dead inhabit these places now.

Map B: Temple of Od

Built by the Wizard Kings of Hagua, the Temple of Od remains a center of Worship for the Royat. The Temple covers a square mile and some parts of the holy site have fallen into disrepair.

Map C: Gran Caldas

The ÔGreatest Bath in the WorldÕ as the Exeterians would have it. This bubbling hot springs have attracted many seeking a healthy bathe. The Gran Caldas is party underground and includes many caverns yet unexplored.

Map C and 7: The Sea of Fire

No one knows what makes the Sea of Fire burn so. It is one of the greatest and most dangerous mystery of the World. As ships (air & sea) approach the Sea of Fire, the ocean begins to steam and boil, and upon reaching the Wall of Fire, ships will ignite, killing all aboard.

Map D & E: The Oracle

The Oracle is a great domed palace atop a hill guarded by acolytes. Those who travel to the Oracle must bring no weapons and can only ask one question to the seers who live there. Depending on how the question is asked, the Oracle will divine an answer in the form of a riddle.
Rules Note:
Every ÔSearchÕ at the Oracle must have a question attached. A leader accompanied by an army will be denied entry. If an army attempts to attack the Oracle, it will vanish for 10 years.

Map E: Sea Spike

The Sea Spike is an one mile tall steel spike jutting from the OceanÕs depths. Atop the Steel Spike is a platform that emits lightning. The only safe way to approach the Sea Spike is by sea and then to climb its slippery length. So far, no one have succeeded in making it to the top.

Map E: The Stone Heads

The Stone Heads are blackened stones shaped into the form of near-human heads. The race that made these have vanished. Caves and tunnels can be entered through the eyes and mouth of these statues.

Map F, J,K,O,P & Q: The Great Glacial Ice Cap

The Great Glacier covered the Cold Lands soon after the submergence of Kismet. Travel is hazardous over (and under) this extensive Ice Cap without specific preparations.

Map F: Das Erzenmassiv

A great mountain block found to be rich in Iron and Copper Ores have been mined by Dwarves and Gnomes for centuries. Das Erzenmassiv is criss-crossed with many abandoned tunnels and dead ends giving the adventurer much opportunity for fun.

Map F: Schwarzkastell

This is seat of the Ocrom Kingdom. The Schwarzkastell is huge and includes the dungeon and grottos carved in the mountain the citadel stands on.
Rules Note: Schwarzkastell is a level 5 fortress and adds +5 to the Maximum WP that can be built in the region of Fasing.

Map G: Fairy Mounds

The original inhabitants of Kaelga, the Fairies buried their dead in extensive Mounds in the region of Paflea. If one searches well hidden entryways can be found amongst the trees and rocks surrounding the Mounds.

Map G: Great Rock

The Great Rock is seen as the entryway to the spirit world by the Kaelga, shrines and temples were dug at the RockÕs base where offerings were thrown to appease the Gods. Sometimes if an offering is good, treasure will appear. When offended the Gods will unleash a terrible monster.

Map G: High Cliff and Sidhe Cliff

On both shores of Kaelga, tall cliffs separate the land from the sea. Both are explorable.

Map H and M: Pyramids of Nantecam

The first Dynasty of the Aztlan Empire built Pyramids in the style of the Kismet. These are the greatest Pyramids in the World, entombing long, forgotten treasures of the past.

Map H: Long Cave

Reputedly dug by the Kismet, the Long Cave goes deep into Earth and branches out for hundreds of miles.

Map I: Fungus Castle

DonÕt laugh. This is a castle made entirely of growing fungus. If you can sneak in youÕll find it an extensive tunnel network above and beneath the ground.
Rules Note:
Fungus Castle is a Level 5 fortress. If reduced, the wall points ÔgrowÕ back. It cannot be improved.

Map J: Mount Zoltz

This great snow capped mountain has a maze of caves in and around it.

Map K: The Stautmaj Eis

This lesser Ice Cap feeds the Hornavan with melt water. Every spring air bubbles and tunnels can be seen within its icy mass.

Map L: Great Lobster Stone

The people of Owau pay homage to the Giant Lobster Stone for a powerful Lobstergod dwells within.

Map M: Temple of the Sun

Dominating the fields of Cumo, the Temple of the Sun is still a site of sacrifice, human and non-human. Many ÔvolunteersÕ have lost their lives to the thirsty daggers of the priesthood.

Map M: Mountain Arch

The Mountain Arch was dug by gnomes hired by neo-Kismeti Pharaohs to prevent flooding of Batkem-JudmikÕs fields. The Upper Neshar River became a tributary of the Ulacchu and Batkem-Judmik inadvertently became a salty desert. Subterranean gnomic tribes have bored holes in the Mountain Arch over the centuries creating a series of old caves now inhabited by wild beasts.

Map M: Chalky Break, Nazca Cliffs and Acolhuan Cliffs

Riddled with Caves, Coves and Underwater Lagoons, these cliffs can be investigated as well.





Map M and N: The Wall of Sharif Abd al Harun

Built by the Sharif of El Karub (Who conquered Gassabive), the Wall kept out the even more dangerous hordes of the South, most of the time. Subsequent Rulers before and after the Devastation have kept the extensive, 1000 mile wall in good repair.
Rules Note:
All armies and defenses are doubled against any army attacking over the wall. Sections of the Wall can be searched just specify which border. There are 13 Sections.

Map N: Nuq Pool

Interesting things have been thrown in bottom of the deep Nuq Pool. You can search the place if you can successfully go underwater for long periods. Be careful for Dragons guard the Pool jealously.

Map O: Jade Pillar

A 200 foot tall Jade Pillar stands to mark the ancient northern border of the Old Khin Empire.

Map P: Vault of Sivva

The original Sivvan Empire built as their great edifice, the Vault where all the secret of the Ancient World were stored. The Leut Capital of Kisivva has been built around the Vault which is kept by a monastic order.
Rules Note:
The Vault adds +5 maximum to the maximum fortification built in Ninkul.

Map Q: Zombie Island

The Necropolis of Zombie Island contains secrets not meant for the living. Even the Moibians shun this island for fear of being eaten.

Map R & S: Valley of the Kings

The last of the Kismet Kings after being driven from Aztlan established a Kingdom in Labo. 500 years before the Devastation, Dragons destroyed the valley and lay waste to the land. The mummified remains of the Kismet Pharaohs wander the crypt hallways and tunnels of their former burial ground.

Map R: Ruined City of Vermull

Vermull thrived in the days of Antiquity as a religious mecca, for those who lived there were close to the Ballardine Gods. This city was destroyed by Dragonic and Fell armies in their endless march for conquest in the days of the Devastation.

Map R: The Sea of Fear

A thick fog envelops the Sea of Fear and the waters beneath turn murky black. All who enter the Sea of Fear, never returns.

Map S & T: Stone Mountain Face

Some one in the days before Old Khin carved a human face on the side of a mountain. The facial expression changes from time to time indicating Stone MountainÕs judgment of the events of the World. There are caves in Stone Mountain where adventurers can search.

Map S: Beacon of Darvyd

Built by King Darvyd of Vulcan in the days before the Devastation, the Beacon warns mariners that they approach dangerous waters.

Map S: Twin Peaks

Two tall, looming peaks rise above the mountains of South Khin. As always, caves can be discovered upon its slopes.

Map T: OjinÕs Gate

Early Emperors of Hashinon built a Great Gate across the Ikawatsi River. Its true purpose has been lost in time.

Map T: Fujiyama

Unlike other Volcanoes, Fujiyama is dormant and has been for thousands of years. Every 200 years or so, Fujiyama will emit a puff of smoke. There are many shrines and temples on FujiyamaÕs slopes, many of these have long been vacated.

Map U & Y: Sand Pool (also called the Sand Pit)

In the heart of the Fabemi Desert, where sand dunes are endless, there is a Sand Pit. Those who climb into the Sand Pit are sucked in. It is rumored that a vast cavern lies underneath the Sand Pit.

Map U: Blacktop

Unlike most mountains, whose tops are covered in white snow. Black Top is covered with a tarry, black substance.

Map U: Great Boiler

Great Boiler is unlike most volcanoes. In its perfect circular crater is a lake, that often boils with the heat of magma. When Great Boiler erupts, it erupts with steam and boiling mud, rendering Kapu into a badland.

Map U: Lama Monastery

The Lama Monastery was built pre-Devastation as a site of religious study and training.

Map U: White Mountain

White Mountain is considered the birthplace of Dwarves. It is almost entirely hollow but its honeycombed interior is sparsely inhabited.

Map V: MadmanÕs Labyrinth

After the Devastation, the Mad King Russ built a Labyrinth and stocked it with wild animals. It is still one of the most bewildering and dangerous places in the World.

Map W: The Catacombs

The Catacombs was the refuge of the Baharami when their Empire was destroyed by fire. The survivors abandoned the Catacombs when Orcs invaded. But now, even the Orcs will not enter for even more perilous beast dwell within.

Map X: City of Crystal Towers

Reputed to be almost as old as the World, the City of Crystal Towers was an enigma even to the ancients. Its tall crystalline towers reflect the sunlight, refracting colors. Local villagers will not come near the Crystal Towers for evil spirits are said to dwell within.

Map Y: The Eye in the Mountain

The Eye in the Mountain protects Jadang from being invaded. In fact it protect Jadang too well. All ships, aircraft and amphibians entering the EyeÕs Watch are blasted by the EyeÕs deadly energy. Even Jadangs have been attacked if they try to leave their island.

Map Y: The Mystic Pagoda

Perhaps the most holy place of all Khin. The Pagoda stands on the site where the Ancients blessed the land. The Mystic Pagoda draws power from this place. Visitors are welcome, so long as they disturb none of the monks who live there in their states of meditation.

Map Z: Forest Pyramid

It is written that the first Pyramid was the Forest Pyramid. Now covered in ivy, trees and vines, the Forest Pyramid still stands as a testament to an lost civilization.

Map Z: GiantÕs Headbone

The GiantÕs Headbone was the traditional palace of the Witch King of Nazoul.

Map Z: Maw Pit

This pit opened up during the Devastation and is currently a hazard for travelers passing by.

Map Z: The Black Tower (Citadel of Darkness)

The Black Tower was built by the infamous Azkarom to be his capital. It is now abandoned but magical enchantments have kept it in its original condition. The Citadel of Darkness is so forbidding, that even the fell wights and trolls that inhabit Nazoul these days avoid it.
Rules Note:
The Black Tower is a 10 WPÊCitadel and adds +6 to the Maximum amount of WP that can be built in Tor Sirok.

Map 1: Magic Trees

These Trees, it is said, are the oldest and are the fathers of all trees. So huge, so large, their trunks are twisted and filled with cavities. The Magic Trees are intelligent and will telepathically speak to those pure in mind and spirit.

Map 2: Ancient Star Ship

An unknown pre-Devastation Civilization even managed to build steel air ships said to travel between the stars. Their only artifact is a crash star ship in the badlands of Urrari.

Map 3: Heart of the Jungle

A gnarled, but towering black stone, stand at the Heart of the Jungle. This is a holy place for the Saurians who live in the Jonbu Jungles.

Map 4: Underwater Pyramid

At Solstice, seafarers can see into the Depths of the Kismatic Ocean and see on its bottom, the Underwater Pyramid.

Map 4: Flames of Desapa

The Rulers of Padjenta tend to the Flames of Desapa, which burn from a bronze cauldron, 500 feet across. The Flames sit upon DesapaÕs tallest peak. They are a testament to the ancient glory of Kismet, for these Flames have been burning for over 4000 years.

Map 5: Chain of Yartola

The Mad King of Limnos, Yartola, built a heavy chain across the Strait of VÕkesh, preventing passage between the Ancona Shallows and YartolaÕs Waters. The Chains are connected to mortared off sections of the citadels in both VÕkesh and Ung.

Map 5: Tower of Doom

The Tower of Doom is an enigma. No one knows who built it. No one knows why itÕs there. It is inhabited by many evil demons who desire the taste of human flesh.

Map 5: VendelÕs Keep

Vendel was the last great King of Thetis before the Devastation. He built a circular keep, a mile in circumference to protect him and his family, but the citadel didnÕt protect him nor his family from the ravages of disease.
Rules Note:
VendelÕs keep is a 10 wall point fortress.

Map 6: Meglodome

The ancient inhabitants of Itahia were sports crazy. They had built a Meglodome so they could watch their endless exhibitions of violence. When the populations and animal life of surrounding regions had been depleted, they turned on themselves for sport. These days, the Meglodome is occasionally used for a jousting tournament or a public duel.

Map 6: The Wailing Mountains

The Ancient Rulers of Kaiel retreated into the Wailing Mountains from whence they got their technology during the days of the Devastation. Disease wiped them out and now the Wailing Mountains are avoided as a place of evil.

Map 6: Stone Passage

A neat and wide Stone passage makes passage between Sipire and Harma as easy as traveling on a flat surface. Square windows line the passage on both sides but few dare to peer into them for fear of being possessed.






Map 8: Island of the Ape

To avoid the Saurians, the Ape-Men have moved to an island of their very own. The Dum-Dum Mounds are a place of great worship, where the bones of the dead are buried and used for ritual celebration.
Rules Note:
The Island of the Ape and the City of the Apes produces Force Points for Battle Apes only. If you choose ÔReptilianÕ and choose the Island of the Ape as your start, your nation can only build Battle Apes in all Jungles you control.

Map 8: Coral Monolith

The Coral Monolith juts from the Salvafata Kai. It is filled with holes and caverns going deep underwater.

Map 8: Lost Goldmine

The Lost Goldmine was once the greatest source of Gold in the world. But then greedy dragons came by, plundered it and killed all the miners. It is now abandoned for fear of the wrath of dragon-kind.

Map 9: Pinnacle Peak

The tallest mountain in the World. Pinnacle Peak rises five miles above the Plateau of Vulcan which itself is 5 miles above the surface of the ocean. Climbers who attempted to brave Pinnacle Peak, pass out from lack of air, and many have fallen to their deaths.

Map 0: The Underworld

The Underworld has long lost its connection to the surface millennia before the Devastation. Phosphorescent Light and Magma Flows lights up the Underworld, sometimes as bright as the surface world in daytime. Somehow survivors of the Kismet civilization have arrived here and had duplicated the old civilization as best they could.

Map 0: Tar Pits

Bubbling from an even deeper place, pitch tar traps animals and men and drowns them in its goo.

Map 0: Tower of the Ankh

A tower shaped like an Ankh is the most revered place in the Underworld The Temple complex covers the entire Isis Isle.

Map 0: Lone Mountain Earh

Earh has many nooks and crannies left untouched by prospectors.

Map 0: The Grottos

The Grottos is one of the most inaccessible places in the Underworld. Yet it contains treasures hidden from the exiles Kismet Kingdom.

Map 0: Tunnel of Kroll

Kroll, the Lord of the Snakes, had his Seba goblin slaves dig a tunnel through solid rock to Djeneh so he could conquer the other side. There are some side tunnels that lead into darkness.

Map 0: Cliffs of Doverdar

The Cliffs of Doverdar are made of a brittle limestone, making searches in this place especially dangerous.



CREDITS:
Original Game Concept: Thomas Harlan
Subsequent Development and Design: Thad Plate, Forrest Johnson, Bill Bond, Thomas Harlan
Sea of Fear Module and Mapset: Thad Plate