*153*
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The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Up, up and away--across the Known world!
A new article series explores the D&D(R) Known World--from above.

by Bruce A. Heard

    For several years now, I have planned and monitored the development 
of the D&D(R) game's Known World at TSR, Inc.  A relatively small area 
of the world, stretching from the Empire of Thyatis to the Atruaghin 
Clans, was described in great detail in the Gazetteer accessories.  Only 
recently did we venture farther away, starting with the /Dawn of the 
Emperors/ campaign set covering the illustrious empires of Thyatis and 
Alphatia.
    Now, by popular demand--meaning horrible threats from gamers and 
designers--I have started a quest to resolve certain troubling 
questions.  (Nope, it's not what you think!)  These questions concern 
the intriguing continental map published in the D&D /Master DM's Book/ 
(e.g., "Just who /is/ Dorfin IV?"--an annoying question that came up 
more than once).  But fear no more!  Here are some logical answers for 
that and other strange geographical peculiarities of the Known World!
    While browsing through some obscure tomes in my office, I discovered 
a dusty pile of scrolls written by the hand of an intrepid Alphatian 
explorer.  Let's now embark on a fabulous jouney across the D&D Known 
World and see what we discover.

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    NYXMIR 11, 1964 AY: I am astounded by the complete lack of interest 
in geographical matters on the part of Alphatia's younger mages.  Worse, 
it has been found that the geographical teachings offered at Eriadna High 
are based on the fallacies of a Thyatian lowlife!  This general--without 
a doubt a failure in the Thyatian legions--retired after a shabby 
campaign in Thothia.  There he stole an ancient map of this world from a 
pillaged temple.  The map was but a simple continental outline with a few 
words here and there.  Upon his return, this lowlife invented kingdoms 
and empires, then placed them on the map and wrote tome upon tome about 
them.  His knowledge of ancient Nithian and his interest in the truth 
being what they were, nothing good came out of this ignorant barbarian's 
overactive imagination.  He made a fortune selling his books, and many 
took them as the final authority on the world.
    His errors were legion.  Ridiculous assumptions were made about the 
size of the Thyatian Empire.  The map shows the limits of that empire 
stretching beyond the Wendarian Reaches, north of the Principalities of 
Glantri.  Poppycock!  There are at least a half-dozen countries between 
Thyatis and Glantri having nothing to do with Thyatis.
    You can forget about those absurd borders, too.  These were in fact 
various creases in the original crumpled map which that Thyatian dimwit 
mistook for actual borders.  The "Empire of the Great Khan," east of our 
province of Esterhold, is another fantasy.  There are indeed large 
steppes there, but no Great Khan--we'd know about it by now!
    And, yes, about this Dorfin Empire: It was the joke of a certain 
gnomish king, the inventor of wondrous but totally useless contraptions, 
who went by the name of King Dorfin IV.  His kingdom is, in truth, merely 
the workshop of a few hundred gnomes in the hills of Traladara.  One of 
Dorf's favorite pastimes was to send loyal followers beyond the Sind 
Desert.  There, they would pose as plenipotentaries of the imaginary 
"Empire of Dorfin IV," then hire local people to carry a sealed message 
back to the real King Dorfin.  These strange messengers, obviously from a 
distant place, seemed to make quite an impression on local Traladaran 
barons when they brought the gnomish king those phony and pompous 
greetings from his "imperial cousin to the west."  These messages hinted 
at the outrageous size of this bogus empire, alleged to be twice the size 
of Alphatia!  What nonsense!  And the barons believed it, the fools.
    I shall skip the details on other equally fals kingdoms such as 
"Vulcania" (that was the Thyatian general's wife's name), "Cestia" (his 
mistress), "Brasol" (his dog), "Tangor" (a brand of cheap beer found in 
the streets of Newkirk), or "Zyxl" (a deceased gladiatorial hero whom the 
general claimed was also a fallen queen of that same nation).  For all 
this, I find that I grudgingly admire such a bold and irreverent joker.  
After all, everyone fell for his fake encyclopedias.
    I propose that in the name of grand buffoonery, we keep these place 
names, since they are now the ones with which laymen are most familiar, 
but we should use them in a purely geographic sense.  For example, let's 
do away with the nation of Nentsun (an Ethengarian word for a Heldanner's 
arm pit) and simply call that land the Nentsun Peninsula.  Similarly, 
we'll forget about the state of Izonda (Hin for "fruitcake"--it figures), 
renaming that area the Desert of Izonda, since this is what is really 
there.
    So be it!  It is time to see for myself if this old Nithian map has 
any truth to it.  I today obtained permission from her Imperial Majesty 
for the /Princess Ark/ be recommissioned for a last but glorious mission 
of exploration in the name of Our Illustrious Empire....
    ALPHAMIR 15, 1965 AY: Finally, she is airworthy again!  It took no 
less than 35 master crafters and 300 slaves to refit the beautiful 
skyship.  Her five masts stand majestically over her black hull, bearing 
the sails that will trap the magical wind.  One can almost feel a strange 
life emanating from her as she gently pulls on her mooring lines in her 
desire to cast off and head into the sky.
    SULAMIR 10, 1965 AY: Days have come and gone since our departure from 
Sundsvall.  After leaving the capital, I ordered a southerly course.  Our 
/Princess Ark/ sailed well into the clouds above Edairo, Caerdwicca, and 
Beitung.
    Soon we reached the barbaric coast that lies east of the Thyatian 
Hinterlands.  Some people refer to the region as The Coast, or the Four 
Kingdoms.  The Four Kingdoms no more exist here than water exists in our 
bilge.  As far as The Coast goes, we in Alphatia prefer calling it the 
Jungle Coast, because that's what it is: a forsaken, endless jumble of 
tropical growth.  It is always hot and humid here, and torrential rains 
from the Bellissarian Sea drench the place every day.  If the boredom 
doesn't kill you, then the savages, diseases, and monsters will.
    It is no wonder the stiff-necked Thyatians did not waste their time 
in conquering thie foul region.  The white sandy beaches are idyllic, but 
no pleasures can be found here.  Immediately beyond the beaches stretch 
hundreds of miles of rolling hills.  Dark jungles blanket the highest 
terrain, and repugnant swamps corrupt the lowlands.
    SULAMIR 25, 1965 AY: The savages who live on the eastern Jungle Coast 
are quite different from those in the neighboring Thyatian Hinterlands.  
The latter are believed to be descendants of slaves brought from the 
Nithian colonies nowadays known as Olstland and Vestland.  The Nithians 
carved out a southern domain from the jungle for their priests.  Then 
three tribes of slaves rebelled and escaped north, seeking their 
fatherland.  Instead, these ruffians found (and founded) what would later 
become Thyatis.  A century later, Nithia foundered.  The unruly slaves 
who stayed south obliterated whatever remained of their Nithian origins; 
in a few centuries, all was lost to the jungle.  These hardy, blond 
Hinterlanders survived and became savage jungle warriors who were capable 
of fighting the original natives on equal footing.
    SUDMIR 3, 1965 AY: Terrible, those natives.  We came close to a large 
town deep in the rain forest.  Smoke from their fires could be seen from 
miles away.  Thousands of huts sprawled across a clearing in the forest, 
with several stone buildings placed near the clearing's center.  We 
spotted what seemed to be a temple of some sort.  Upon our descent, it 
was observed that the natives were of a much smaller build than the 
Hinterlanders.  Tattoos covered their copper skin, and most of them had 
long, black hair tied in the back.  The natives immediately attacked our 
vessel, using poison needles and blowguns against our exposed crewmen 
when we came within range.  The gray substance on the needles was deadly, 
and we lost two men.  Magic from their barbaric sorcerers cracked and 
thundered, but the /Princess Ark/ withstood the crude spell-strikes.  As 
we sailed away, we spotted some of their shamans--or se we assumed those 
monstrosities to be, as they all had various snakelike features.  Alas, 
we did not remain to study this culture any further.  We will return at a 
later time to deal with these natives in a more fitting way.  I sent an 
invisible messenger back to Her Imperial Majesty with our last position, 
then ordered the /Princess Ark/ farther east along the Jungle Coast.
    SUDMIR 25, 1965 AY: This morning I watched one of the nicest sunrises 
just as we steered eastward toward the Pass of Cestia.  There we reached 
an unknown cape on the continental coast.  I named it Cape Eriadna, in 
honor of Her Imperial Majesty.  The place seems deserted.  Despite the 
hot and rainy weather of this area, no rain forest grows here; instead, 
savannah spreads out as far as we can see, with occasional clusters of 
trees dotting the land.  Unlike the dominant northeasterly winds of the 
Jungle Coast, the winds here usually blow to the southeast.
    SUDMIR 26, 1965 AY: Talasar, my second in command, is in charge of 
replenishing the /Princess Ark/'s food and water supplies.  The magic 
from his Immortal patron is powerful, but some of the supplies are now 
reported to be spoiled.  This is quite unlike Talasar; he is a dedicated 
priest.  This will be investigated at a later time.  I am sending an away 
team to gather food and samples of the local vegetation.
    VERTMIR 1, 1965 AY: The away team--or what's left of it--has finally 
returned.  Xordon, the captain of the guard, took matters in his own 
hands and mounted a rescue mission to find the team.  I quote from his 
report:
    "We had marched 30 miles south when we found the antelopes that the 
team was tracking.  With their hunting wands, the men should have easily 
caught their prey, skinned it, and cut it up.  But there was no trace of 
the team nor of any fight.
    "Then Ramissur, my forward boltman, saw a glint on a nearby hill.  I 
ordered the men into skirmish order and approached it.  The grass was 
nearly 3' tall, and the ground was a bit marshy.  Suddenly, one after the 
other, guards screamed in horror.  I ordered the men into a tighter group 
but found that those who had screamed were missing.  We made it to the 
hill and found two survivors from the away team.  None appeared wounded, 
but they bore strange purple marks on their bodies, like bruises.  Both 
were insane, and in their mad babbling they screamed of an attack by 
tentacles that shot from under mosses and peat.  The other poor devils on 
their team must have been pulled underneath and devoured by foul beasts.
    "Once warned, it wasn't difficult to spot the concealed creatures on 
the way back.  My two elite boltmen on point took pleasure in blasting 
the things once they found them.  Ramissur managed to stun one creature 
that had rags hanging from its tentacles, rags that probably belonged to 
Azoth, the Dispel Warden of the lost team.  By Razud, I'll now have to 
train Ramissur in the art of magic dispelling.  Azoth was a fine guard.  
I cast a binding on the creature's mind, then brought it back.  And so we 
returned."
    VERTMIR 4, 1965 AY: These beasts are quite a discovery--they are 
vegetable beings.  I have named them "Cestian gobblers."  Each appears to 
have a short, fat trunk with a slimy, sphincterlike mouth on top.  Three 
to six gooey tentacles grow on the sides of each trunk, which are used to 
capture prey.  The tentacles exude a substance capable of stunning an 
ox.  When I brought fresh meat near the opening of one gobbler, small 
translucent tendrils stuck out of it like little tongues, each of them 
ending in a noisy, smacking suction cup.  It took the gobbler very little 
time to suck the juices from the meat.  Afterward, the opening widened 
and the gobbler gobbled its food.
    I was able to retrieve Azoth's partially digested remains from one 
plant, and after some cleaning of his remains, I animated the late 
warden's body and set it on permanent duty in the hold.  There, away from 
the common crew, Azoth will cater to the Cestian gobbler, now properly 
restrained and potted in a large jar.  I was surprised to see that the 
gobbler wouldn't attack Azoth in his present state.  In fact, it seems 
the gobbler now looks forward to Azoth's arrival with fresh food.  This 
unusual vegetable specimen deserves to be brought to the Imperial 
Greenhouse.
   It appears these gobblers commonly grow throughout the coast in the 
Pass of Cestia.  This explains why we've found no human population 
there.  Beware of low-lands with high grasses in this region!  This is 
where gobblers are most likely to be found.  After this discovery, I 
ordered the /Princess Ark/ back to her original easterly course.
    /*To be continued....*/

    Please send your questions and comments on this series to Bruce 
Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  
We cannot guarantee that all letters will get an answer, but they will 
be given all the attention they deserve.  Your input into the development 
of the D&D Known World is welcome.  Thank you!

*Cestian Gobbler*

*Armor Class:* 6
*Hit Dice:* 3-6*** (1 HD per tentacle)
*Move:* Nil
*Attacks:* 1 per tentacle, plus 1 cluster of tendrils
*Damage:* Entangle and paralysis; 1d12 per round
*No. Appearing:* n/a
*Save As:* Fighter 3-6
*Morale:* Nil
*Treasure Type:* V
*Alignment:* Neutral
*XP Value:* 125 (3 tentacles); 225 (4 tentacles); 550 (5 tentacles); 950 
    (6 tentacles)

    The Cestian gobbler is a gray-brown plant that might be found in any 
tropical wilderness.  It hides beneath mosses or dead branches in muddy 
holes.  The gobbler consists of a hollow trunk, 3-6 tentacles spaced 
evenly around a sphincter-shaped mouth, and a cluster of small tendrils 
that can protrude from the mouth.  Cestian gobblers never grow within 
60' of each other.
    A gobbler surprises any prey walking past it on a roll of 1-2 on 
1d6, attacking with its tentacles.  After a successful attack, the 
victim is entangled and must Save vs. Poison or be paralyzed.  Although 
nearly instantaneous in effect, the paralysis lasts only 1-6 rounds 
after the victim is pulled away from the gobbler.  An unparalyzed victim 
must pass a Strength check with a -1 cumulative penalty for each Hit Die 
the creature has and for each tentacle holding the victim.  A roll of 1 
always indicates the victim has freed himself; a roll of 20 always 
indicates failure.  Tentacles reach lengths of 12', plus 3' per Hit 
Die.  The gobbler can attack as many victims as it has tentacles, but 
the gobbler only senses creatures that walk on the ground within 30' of 
the plant's trunk.
    The gobbler needs a full round to pull a victim toward its mouth.  
There, a cluster of translucent tendrils comes out and must score a 
to-hit roll to attach itself to the victim and draw out its blood.  The 
tendrils cause 1-12 hp damage at the end of each subsequent round until 
the victim dies or is rescued, or until the plant is slain.  A dead 
victim is swallowed whole into the gobbler's trunk, where it is 
eventually digested.  Various treasures belonging to previous victims 
may be found at the bottom of the hollow, fluid-filled trunk.
    Cestian gobblers of 6-HD size have a 10% chance of developing an 
Intelligence score of 2d6+1.  These creatures are capable of empathy and 
may use bait to attract their prey (paralyzed animals, treasures, rags, 
etc.).  A gobbler reproduces once a year by shooting 2-8 spores from its 
mouth.  Spores are hurled 30-300' away.  Each spore has a 25% chance of 
sprouting; it then needs six months to grow into a 3-HD gobbler.  
Sprouts need only water and humus.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
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*154*
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The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 2: Into the mountains, to meet with... doom
The flying ship finds an abandoned civilization--and the reasons for its 
destruction.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    VERTMIR 7, 1965 AY: After Cape Eriadna, the coast runs directly to 
the south.  Another land lies to the east; the pattern in the clouds is 
quite clear about it.  So far, it seems the old Nithian map is quite 
accurate.  After pondering our course, I decided to head due east.  Heavy 
clouds persisting in the south warned of violent weather; I feared the 
/Princess Ark/ would hardly be able to climb above them.  The eastern 
coast is no more than a few hundred miles away.
    VERTMIR 17, 1965 AY: After reaching the western coastline at dawn, I 
decided to follow the coast to the north rather than penetrate this 
unknown land.  The terrain is similar to the Jungle Coast, and so far no 
sign of population has been seen.  By evening, we reached the northern 
end of the Isle of Cestia, which I named Cape Andor.  Our choice is 
either to veer toward the isle to the northeast, or to follow the other 
side of Cestia, due south.  Tonight I will consult the Auguries and make 
a decision.  Which is the most interesting course?
    VERTMIR 18, 1965 AY: At midnight, Talasar traced the circle around 
the mizzenmast, then inscribed the eight runes.  The crew was silent, 
perfect in observing the ritual.  The drummers, in trances, slowly beat 
the pace as the ship pivoted on its center, from starboard to port.  The 
moon appeared late and low on the horizon.  At the point where the shadow 
of the mast intersected with a rune, Talasar lifted his hand.  The 
drummers and the ship stopped.  It was the rune of Ice and Sun.  So be 
it: Today we rested, but tomorrow we shall sail away from the coast to 
the northeast.  So spoke the Immortal Razud.
    TSALMIR 8, 1965 AY: Wize is the Immortal Razud!  His path has led us 
to a strange island, which we discovered after following the coast for a 
few days.  This island is a large one by our standards (and probably 
bigger than what the Thyatians call their "Known World").  To the west 
lies the Bellissarian Sea; to the east is an ocean unknown to us.  We 
named this place the Isle of Oceania.
    To the south of Oceania is a smaller island, 200 miles long.  This 
rocky formation is the realm of sea birds and large lizards; its rocks 
are almost completely covered with their droppings.  The birds feed on 
the fish, the lizards consume the birds' eggs and remains, and fish feast 
on the sludge washed from the rocks into the sea by the storms.  I shall 
name this place Everfeed.
    A few forests grow along the rare beaches of Oceania, but for the 
most part its mountains form jagged cliffs that drop straight into the 
sea.  The reefs and shoals around Oceania would be deadly to seafaring 
vessels.  The mountains rise over 20,000' in height.  We discovered the 
abandoned ruins of two towns built on ledges above the sea.  Their 
architecture is unknown, and time has washed away any inscriptions or 
paintings.  Judging from several imposing buildings, this must once have 
been an advanced culture.  No clue was found to tell us what may have 
happened to the "Oceanians."
    In the morning, we'll explore a narrow mountain pass that opens over 
a small bay on the south side of the island.  Through the pass flows a 
river that forms a high cataract plunging straight into the bay.
    TSALMIR 11, 1965 AY: After days of trial and error, we are closer now 
to the center of the mountains.  Many passes branched off the one from 
which we started, some forming a maze of jagged rocks and dizzying 
gorges, others ending in treacherous, impassable walls.  Maneuvering out 
of these dead ends proved considerably more difficult than I had 
expected.  The /Princess Ark/ is a large ship and cannot climb above 
10,000'.  Several passes nearly reached that limit, one of them causing 
the ship to scrape her keel.  The weather is much cooler here than near 
the coast.  At sundown, we found another ruined town, this one quite huge 
and with a once-mighty citadel.  Still no clue was at hand as to the fate 
of the Oceanians.  We anchored off several promontories to prevent the 
/Princess Ark/ from swaying into teh cliffs on the wind.  Clouds formed 
around us, muffling every sound.  Now for our sleep.
    TSALMIR 16, 1965 AY: By the blessings of the Immortals, we yet live!  
The crew is exhausted from a difficult day.  Visibility today was reduced 
to less than 30'--a mere fraction of the /Princess Ark/'s length.  Late 
during the night of the 15th, Second Class Petty Officer Nadonosor 
reported that the watch was missing, along with a launch.  The deck watch 
was young Tarias, the midshipman sent along with us by the House of 
Arrogansa for his education in the science of sky navigation.  I 
immediately ordered Xerdon and his men to follow me to the ruins.  If 
Tarias died, then so might I.
    We found the launch on one of the old bastions, where Tarias's 
footprints led toward the citadel.  The place was ghastly at night.  
Murmurs and whispers could be heard everywhere, but never could we find 
their source.  Tracking the boy tood time and skill on the part of 
Xerdon.  At last, when it seemed we would never find the boy in this maze 
of collapsed houses, we reached an open-air temple.  There, chained to an 
altar in the center, lay Tarias, staring blankly into the sky.  Our 
midshipman was someone's sacrifice!
    Yet we could see that he still lived--and we could see his unhuman 
captors, who sent the chill of fear through me.  A ring of translucent 
beings knelt around the altar!
    Instantly, Xerdon ordered his boltmen to blast the ghosts away.  
Screams of unearthly terror and pain shook the temple as the undead wisps 
were scattered like paper ash.  Forward boltman Ramissur was the first to 
reach the midshipman, and he had nearly removed the rusty shackles when a 
swarm of shadowy apparitions swirled around him.  The boltman was clearly 
dying!  Fortunately, I could cast a magical /light/ to relieve him.  As 
expected, the shadows reeled back in terror from the illumination.  We 
moved in and thought our battle over.
    But as we rushed forward in the moment of our triumph, we discovered 
a terrifying presence that had remained unseen.  A huge, pitch-black 
dragon emerged from the dark, looming over the altar.  Xerdon's men froze 
as it advanced, and I am afraidd that I did the same.
    But the dragon stayed its attack.  To our astonishment, it said in 
perfect Alphatian, "You are trespassing on lands which ought to remain 
the domain of my kin and of the dead.  You who are called Haldemar--you 
have a choice: take back the boy, or save your warrior.  Make your 
decision now, and you may return to your ship unharmed.  I shall keep the 
soul of he who remains."
    I had no certainty that the wyrm would be true to its word, nor that 
it would not come after us again.  Yet I could see a multitude of ghostly 
shapes and unspeakable abominations coming up the streets of the ruined 
city.  We had run out of time.  I made my choice.  I /had/ to save Tarias 
of Arroganse; his family is a terrible enemy.  With deep regrets, I 
pointed to the boy.  As I did, Xerdon turned to me with flames of anger 
in his eyes.  I fear I have lost a friend as well as a superior boltman.  
As we hurried away with the limp form of Tarias in our arms, the wyrm's 
thundering laughter echoed in the ruins.
    We reached the ship with no further incident.  Suspecting more 
trouble from the monster, I ordered watches with torches to the prow, 
then cast off.  Very slowly, guided by the words of the watches, the 
/Princess Ark/ veered away from the ruins and moved down into the 
darkness of the gorge.
    That wiley wyrm!  It did not lie, for it let us reach our ship in 
safety--but it promised nothing more!  The expected attack came swiftly.  
Three lesser dragons were seen on the approach, and they swooped upon us 
three times.  Each time, their teeth, claws, and wings ripped a whole 
sail to shreds.  Each time, Xerdon's boltmen braved the danger in defense 
of our ship, while the bosun exhorted hi sailors to man the riggings at 
all costs.  We could not afford to lose our sails here!
    It was Talasar who saved the night.  He later revealed that he sensed 
the nature of these dragons, which were clearly not of this world.  Our 
priest of Razud had closed his eyes to better sense the presence of the 
wyrms.  Then he cast his magic, and one of them, somewhere in the 
darkness, roared in pain and agony.  It fell like a rock, and the sound 
of its bones crashing into the jagged ridges below echoed through the 
gorge.  An insane, monstrous shriek rose from the citadel--and the 
/Princess Ark/ lurched forward as if struck by a storm.
    We do not know if the ship moved on her own or if she was lifted and 
thrust away by some enormous force.  In any event, the sudden movement 
was enough to outdistance the wyrms, though only by great luck did we 
avoid smashing into the rocks.  We flew all night, and by this morning's 
dawn we had reached the cataract at the bay.  The deck was a scene of 
utter carnage.  The crew had suffered many wounds, though no deaths.  
However, the mountain passes are marked in our chart room.  Someday I 
shall return, for if there are such powerful dragons, great treasures and 
magic must lie beyond.  Alas, the fate of the Oceanians is now clear.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

/*Ship Flight*/ (Reversible)

*Spell Level:* 7 (Clerics only)
*Range:* 100-yard radius per level (see text)
*Duration:* Until /dispelled/ or until destination is reached.
*Effect:* Guides to a destination or reveals the best course among 
    several.

    Alphatian clerics developed this spell primarily for use with their 
skyships.  When the spell is cast, the caster must name a specific 
destination (which he need not have visited before) or direction (if the 
caster is merely exploring and wants to see the most interesting and 
unusual sights).
    When cast, this spell ensures that all skyships within its range 
(including a single skyship or a whole fleet of them, and even including 
all aerial mounts and flying devices) will reach that destination or 
follow that course, barring complete disaster.  (If a fleet is 
separated, the individual ships will arive at the destination 
nonetheless.)  The spell will function regardless of any helmsman's 
intervention.  This spell can conveniently take the course deemed th 
safest, the shortest, the most scenic, etc., as requested by the caster 
and as set by the Immortals.  (Of course, what an Immortal considers 
"safe" or "scenic" could prove dangerous anyway).
    Passengers on an enspelled ship who are unwilling to reach its 
destination must Save vs. Spells ro recognize the ship's true course.  
To break the spell, a passenger must either successfully cast a /dispel 
magic/ spell against the /ship flight/ spell on the ship, or destroy 
that ship completely.  The remaining alternative is to simply leave the 
ship.
    The spell requires the drawing of a magical circle with eight runes 
around the ship's mizzenmast after nightfall.  If the sky is overcast, 
drummers must be used with the spell to ensure its success.  The ship 
rotates around its central axis while the caster specifies the 
conditions of the spell, as previously described.  The moon, planets, or 
stars will create a shadow of the mast, which slowly crosses over the 
runes.  When the shadow reaches the proper rune, the latter flashes 
briefly and the circle disappears.  the rune indicates the direction the 
ship should take.  Only a /detect magic/ spell reveals the presence of a 
/ship flight/ spell.
    The reversed form of this spell, /block ship flight/, must be cast 
at the highest point of a given location (a tower, a tree, a mountain 
peak, etc).  It prevents a skyship or equivalent airgoing vessel, such 
as a flying carpet or a mounted creature, from ever discovering the 
location guarded by the spell--unless a /ship flight/ spell had already 
been cast on an incoming vessel.  For example, a /block ship flight/ 
spell cast on a town's church steeple could be set to prevent any 
skyship from locating that town.  However, that spell would not prevent 
a skyship from locating the province in which the town lay, nor could it 
distract a skyship whose /ship flight/ spell has been cast two days 
before and was guiding the ship and crew to that very town.  This 
reversed form of the spell will cause an unguided visitor to fly by and 
totally fil to recognize either the value or the nature of what lies 
below (the landscape isn't invisible--it is simply uninteresting!).  
/Block ship flight/ does not affect visitors on foot or on the sea, as 
long they remain off a skyship or its equivalent.  The reversed spell is 
frequently used to conceal secret outposts, wizards' towers, and the 
like.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

*155*
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 3: To seek out new life and new civilizations
The /Princess/ has landed--maybe permanently.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    TSLAMIR 21, 1965 AY: Makeshift repairs have been finished since our 
unfortunate encounter at the citadel.  The /Princess/ needs a complete 
hull overhaul, and the sails' enchantments threaten to fade.  
Fortunately, we escaped the Isle of Oceania without further difficulties 
and have now reached the eastern coast on the Isle of Cestia.  Heavy 
forest and hills, however, have prevented us from landing the /Princess/ 
where she could be properly cared for.  We are veering to the west in 
search of a quiet bay.
    TSLAMIR 24, 1965 AY: We have reached a large bay with lower hills.  
No sign of active, intelligent life can be seen in this region.  In honor 
of Xerdon's fallen boltman, I've named this place Ramissur Bay.  I plan 
to land the /Princess/ tonight in a clearing that was sighted this 
morning.  The moon hasn't reached first quarter yet, but the night should 
be clear enough.
    TSLAMIR 25, 1965 AY: The landing was a success, considering the 
difficulties.  Night landing with a damaged vessel has rarely been 
practiced.  I sent the forward scouts ahead with the landing raft, and 
they revealed no impending danger.  Three squads of boltmen and dispel 
wardesn under Xerdon then secured the landing site.  Raman, the chief 
carpenter, followed with his men and tools.  They installed the wooden 
beams to hold the /Princess/'s hull  off the ground, then placed the 
/magical globes/ at the edges of the dry dock.  Finally, I maneuvered the 
ship down into the landing joists.  By then it was almost dawn, but the 
ship was properly secured and nearly hidden by the surrounding trees.
    Our cleric Talasar took half the crew and a squad of boltmen into the 
forest in search of trees that could be used to replace the foremast, 
which had been damaged during the final battle against the night 
dragons.  Raman's crew began their work on the hull.  I remained on board 
the /Princess/ with the remaining boltmen and the rest of the crew to 
oversee the repair of the sails and the enchantment operations.  The 
enchantment took until sundown, at which time I reached a break in the 
incantation sequence.  I ordered the crew back on board to get some rest, 
while Xerdon and his boltmen set up camp around the /Princess/.  Talasar 
and the away team have not yet returned.
    This is the most dangerous part of the operation.  While the 
incantations are in a hiatus, all sails are off the masts.  They must not 
be disturbed, for the magic would then be completely spoiled.  The 
/Princess/ will have to remain stranded for the night.
    TSLAMIR 26, 1965 AY: I should have known better.  Near midnight, 
Xerdon quietly warned his men and sent a message aboard that movement had 
been sighted in the forest around the ship.  It lasted a few hours but 
nothing else happened.  This is when I noticed the real danger.  Were it 
not for the stars that disappeared for an instant in the sky, I would not 
have realized the threat.  The creature of darkness from the Isle of 
Oceania must have been tracking us ever since we left the citadel, 
seeking revenge for the death of its kin.  With hardly a thought, I cast 
a /ball of fire/ at the dragon.  It roared with rage, which alerted 
Xerdon's guards and awoke the crew.  Unfortunately, the beast was very 
hard to see.  It swooped twice on the boltmen, and both times it seemed 
that several men disappeared into the dark wings.
    Then the unexpected happened.  A signal of light went off in the 
forest nearby.  Whizzing balls were hurled from the surrounding trees and 
hit the dark dragon several times.  The balls produced blinding flashes 
upon impact with the dragon, causing it to lurch in its flight and wail 
in pain.  A faint glow remained on its hide, apparently from a sticky 
substance within the balls.  Almost immediately, a cluster of /bolts/ 
shot up at the dragon from every point of the landing site.  Xerdon and 
his guards would not miss such an opportunity for revenge.
    But such was not the end of the dragon.  It escaped, and it will most 
certainly return.  At the end of the battle, Xerdon and his men searched 
the edge of the woods, but nothing was found there except dozens of 
broken jars attached to ropes.  All of these were smeared with the 
strange glowing substance we had seen cast upon the dragon.
 TSLAMIR 28, 1965 AY: The crew was back at work when, soon after dawn, a 
scout brought news of Talasar's return.  The priest, who has a knack for 
the grandiose, certainly made a triumphant arrival.  He had left with a 
few dozen men but returned with hundreds!  There came drummers, 
trumpeteers, soldiers riding elephants, and a horde of totally mysterious 
people.  Talasar and his men were carried on palanquins, obviously 
enjoying their ride.  Several perfectly shaped trees followed, carried by 
an army of bearers.
    It so happens that Talasar was captured by natives, whom we totally 
failed to notice in our preliminary observation.  The natives are none 
other than the descendants of the ancient Oceanians!  They fled centuries 
ago and constructed a new civilization here on the Isle of Cestia.  
Talasar was able to communicate with these people and describe our battle 
against the dragons.  Tales of the death of one of these beasts caused 
great joy among the natives--I'll call them Cestians--who then honored 
Talasar and his men.
    It was a group of Cestian scouts that routed the dragon two nights 
ago.  The Cestians have developed a nonmagical substance that produces a 
blinding flash, which they hurl at their targets using jars attached to 
rope slings.  They must still fear the dragons of darkness to carry these 
heavy jars around so routinely.
    ANDRUMIR 4, 1965 AY: The Cestians are a fine bunch.  They helped 
repair the /Princess/, then invited us to meet their king.  Some of their 
warriors joined the ship's crew and began their training as sailors and 
boltmen.  Learning our language and the work aboard the /Princess/ will 
take time, but we need reinforcements.  Their abilities with the 
antidragon balls are welcome, and it is a honor for them to serve on the 
ship that defeated a night dragon.  While the other Cestians return home 
on foot through the forest, I set sail to the wouth with their guide, 
Abovombe, who provided directions to their capital.  She is a rather 
sophisticated lady, which is a shock as we did not expect to find a 
civilized, educated people in such an isolated region.
    ANDRUMIR 7, 1965 AY: We finally arrived at the capital city of 
Cestia.  After the rugged, hilly terrain and heavy forest of Ramissur Bay 
came a series of plateaus on which the Cestians grow their crops.  The 
plateaus are well irrigated, with many small canals and dams.  Farming 
communities cluster at the crossroads.
    The city, which the Cestians call Tulear, is a large urban centre 
with high walls.  Unusually high towers rise at many points of Tulear, 
each of them pointing huge, jagged stone spikes in every direction--not 
unlike the mountains of Oceania.  Barbed chains stretch from tower to 
tower over 
the houses below.  Abovombe explained the chains were a simple defense 
against the wings of low-flying dragons.  The spikes were designed to 
wound dragons that come too close.  (I could also see problems for 
skyships that attack such a bastion of ingenious traps.
    We landed at the gates of Tulear.  There, Talasar and I reached the 
palace by way of a palanquin and met King Mananjary.  Like many Cestians, 
King Mananjary is a tall person with dull brick-red skin and black hair.  
We used magic to communicate, and we learned that the Isle of Cestia has 
four kingdoms, the largest being King Mananjary's Manakara.  The kingdom 
on the south of the isle, Androkia, is very hostile to foreigners.  Here 
live the descendants of the island's original natives, who were pushed 
back when the ancient Oceanians fled their home isle.  Two other Oceanian 
kingdoms lie to the north: Morovoay on the western shore, and Ambiroa on 
the eastern shore.  (The anciant Oceanians apparently split up after 
their arrival and formed separate, sovereign nations.) Most of the 
population of all kingdoms remains hidden in the mountains or in the 
forests, for fear of the dragons' return.  Nonetheless, wars here seem to 
be as common as rainstorms.  The people of Manakara, Morovoay, and 
Ambiroa seem to hate each other; it wasn't clear why.  On behalf of Her 
Imperial Majest, I formally established diplomatic ties with King 
Mananjary and bid him farewell.
    Shortly after casting off, I summoned an invisible messenger and sent 
it to Sundsvall with our last position and royal greetings from King 
Mananjary.  Our course is now due south.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

*Bolas of Sunlight*

    These items were originally developed by the Cestian warriors to 
protect themselves against the night dragons of Oceania.  Each bola 
consists of three small jars attached at the ends of three 4'-long 
cords.  The other ends of the cords are knotted together.  Each jar 
contains a different substance (about one pint per jar).  The two first 
jars contain two volatile substances which, when mixed, produce a 
blinding flash.  The third jar contains a glowing adhesive that retains 
its properties for 1d6 rounds after being exposed to the air.
    A Cestian warrior holds the center knot of the cords and carefully 
whirls the triple bola until the proper throwing speed is attained; this 
produces a characteristic whizzing sound.  The bola is then released.  
The impact against any target is sufficient to break the jars and mix 
their contents.  The bolas of sunlight require a full round of 
preparation and a clear space of at least 5' radius around the thrower.  
The weapon causes no physical damage, but it has a chance of entangling 
a human-size target or catching the wings of a very small dragon (see 
regular bolas on pages 3-4 of the /Players Companion/ book).  Hurling 
this type of bola requires special skills on the part of the warrior and 

*Bolas of Sunlight Table*
*Cost: 150 gp*  *Encum.: 30 cn*

  *Ranges*  *Skill level*
  -/60/90   Basic
  -/50/120  Normal
  -/40/150  Expert
  -/30/180  Master
  -/20/210  Grand Master

a minimum Strength of 16.  An untrained user has a 75% chance of either 
breaking the jars or being trapped in the cords, and he would attack 
with a -5 penalty to hit.
    The flash of light causes temporary blindness for 1d4 rounds.  A 
successful Save vs. Paralysis prevents the target from being blinded 
(save at -5 during the night or in darkness).  The flash of light is 
particularly suitable against creatures of darkness, such as shadows or 
night dragons (against night dragons, the flash causes 3d6 hp damage).  
The adhesive substance has the effect of revealing invisible or 
otherwise hard-to-see targets but causes no damage.  The substances used 
in the bolas are extracted from various plants growing on the Isle of 
Cestia and are not magical.  The bolas do not work underwater, and they 
cannot be used at less than the ranges indicated in the Bolas of 
Sunlight Table (in other words, bolas of sunlight can be used only at 
long range).

                        *Imperial Navy Boltmen*

    The Alphatian navy commonly uses troops armed with /wands of 
lightning bolts/.  These experienced troops are well trained in the arts 
of aiming and firing such weapons, and they understand the limitations 
and risks involved in using such magic.  They neither use it 
inconsiderately nor without orders.
    The wands typically contain six charges each and can be recharged, 
normally by a navy magist after a battle.  If a warship hasn't engaged 
in battle for several days, it is likely that the boltmen's wands are 
fully recharged as per navy regulations.

        *Boltmen Table*

                        *Boltman*        *Officer*
        Armor Class     8                4
        Hit Dice        MU1 or E1        MU3+ or E3+
        Move            120'(40')        120'(40')
        No. of Attacks  1 wand           1 wand or spell
        Damage/Attack   6d6              8d6 or by spell
        No. Appearing   1 squad (1d6+6)  1
        Save as         MU1 or E1        Per class/level
        Morale          10               10
        Alighment       Any              Any
        XP Value        20               150+

    Boltmen are usually 1st-level magic-users or elves.  Each wears 
knee-high boots, white knickerbockers, a laced shirt, a red padded 
jacket with epaulets, and a black velvet cloak.  A boltman wears leather 
headgear and carries some equipment on his belt in a leather case.  His 
equipment normally includes one or two daggers, a score of darts, his 
wand, food, and other minor field equipment (rope, hooks, spade, 
bandages, waterskin, torches, etc.).
    Officers are higher-level spell-casters who use wands having more 
charges and causing more damage than normal boltmen's wands.  Officers 
wear magical headgear made of very thin metal over leather.  This does 
not provide physical protection, except perhaps from the sun, but does 
provide magical protection granting a +2 Saving Throw against any 
magical attack.
    Each Imperial boltman squad usually has its own officer.  Each 
boltman and officer has a different word to activate his wand, and has 
sworn never to reveal this word.  However, many boltmen who have fought 
together know each other's magical words.  Officers ensure that these 
words get changed, especially after a major battle.  See the Boltmen 
Table for game statistics on officers and enlisted boltmen.
    In addition to the boltmen, various specialized troops may be added 
to the squad.  They have the same game statistics as those of the 
standard boltmen but use different magical items.  /Dispel wardens/ use 
wands with six charges of /dispel magic/.  /Protection wardens/ use 
wands with six charges of /protection from normal missiles/.  /Light 
marines/ use wands with 20 charges of /magic missiles/ (1d6+1 
damage/round).  /Heavy marines/ are not commonly seen; these are 
low-level fighters complete with chain or plate armor and bastard 
swords.  Heavy marines are used only during large-scale battles.  
Otherwise, non-spell-casting troops handle more menial tasks, especially 
in the navy (sailors, carpenters, KP personnel, etc.).


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

*156*
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the Princess Ark
Part 4: Capture, surrender, and--death?
At a strange seaside castle, the voyage may abruptly end.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    ANDRUMIR 12, 1965 AY: Our flight over the kingdom of Manakara was 
uneventful.  The high plateaus of Tulear eventually passed, and we 
reached the northern border of Androkia, near the coast.  We then 
continued southwest over the sea to avoid direct confrontation with the 
Androkians, xenophobes about whom we were warned by King Mananjary 
himself.  The decision was made more to please Lady Abovombe than to 
avoid difficulties with the natives.  (I neglected to mention that the 
lady has stayed aboard the /Princess Ark/ to join our voyage of 
discovery.  Upon our return to Sundsvall, she will be King Mananjary's 
ambassador.  Lady Abovombe has a refreshing personality, and the crew is 
becoming fond of her.)
    I heard a noise against my window, at the /Princess/'s stern.  A 
small bat was there, apparently terrified by my presence but too 
exhausted by its flight above the sea to flitter away.  I pitied the poor 
thing and put it in a cage in my room.  It will be yet another witness to 
my long journey.
    ANDRUMIR 24, 1965 AY: The journey across the southern eddge of the 
Cestian Pass was quite an endeavor.  The quasi-permanent storms that 
prevail in this region dropped so much rain on the /Princess/'s deck that 
she almost alighted on the roaring sea--a fate that would have destroyed 
her since she was built to fly, not to float.  The /Princess/'s hulk is 
much too light to withstand even normal sea navigation, much less a 
violent storm.  Fortunately, the crew performed splendidly in bailing out 
the water.  Any navigation of these waters by a seagoing vessel would be 
excessively dangerous and thus should be a avoided.
    ANDRUMIR 26, 1965 AY: We reached the continental coast after 
sundown.  I would have ordered a southerly course if one of the crewman 
had not discovered some lights in the distance, perhaps a native 
village.  I've decided to investigate, using the clouds for cover.  We 
shall see what we shall see.
    ANDRUMIR 28, 1965 AY: Our approach toward what we thought be a native 
village became a very serious situation.  We are fortunate to have 
survived.  Indeed, there were lights, but not from a village--they came 
from a large, gloomy castle perched atop an incredible clff overlooking 
the Gulf of Mar.  All seemed to be fine as we observed thefortress from 
our position in the clouds, until I noticed that the /Princess/ was 
getting dangerously close to the cliff, despite my orders to stand off.  
Our strenuous attempts to pull away inexplicably failed.  It was then I 
detected a powerful magical force that had locked onto the /Princess/'s 
bow.  Nothing could break that grip--neither my powers, nor those of 
Talasar, nor those of the dispel wardens.
    As we slowly drifted down to the black fortress, knights in armor 
could be seen standing motionless in the rain and the wind.  All of them 
bore the coat of arms ofthe Heldannic Order.  How such an insignificant 
clerical order built a mighty fortress so far from the Heldann Freeholds 
was at first inconceivable; later events would explain all, as we 
learned.
    As soon as the range permitted it, the battle started.  The boltmen 
and their Cestian squires did their best.  But when the /Princess/ 
reached the main Heldannic bastion, the heavily armored knights boarded 
the ship en masse and overwhelmed the crew.  There was no alternative but 
to surrender in hopes of saving the ship.
    Of course, for a wizard of my status, being "captured" is a relative 
term.  I had copiously prepared myself, then allowed these knights to 
believe I was their prisoner.  I followed their commander, planning to 
learn the Order's reasons for this act of war against a ship of Her 
Imperial Majesty.
    As the commander of the /Princess Ark/, I was predictably and 
forcibly taken to the fortress's high priestess.  Her welcome was very 
cold.  These knights knew about wizardry and had made all the right moves 
to ensure I would not cast spells.  I had a short conversation with the 
high priestess, which id not amount to much since she had protected her 
thoughts against any sort of magical /empathy/.  Soon enough I tired of 
her charades, and I played my trump card.
    Years ago, when I dabbled in spell research, I stumbled upon an 
interesting spell of /delaying/--a rather difficult spell, but if used 
successfully it confers the ability to delay a number of spells until a 
certain condition occurs.  It will not work for more than an hour for me, 
but that was sufficient.  A few blinks of my right eye and a casual sniff 
were all it took to /time stop/ this fine company.
    My, what an interesting discovery I then made.  A little 
/invisibility/ here and a bit of /teleport/ there, and before long I had 
found a temple at the center of fortress.  A stairway spiraled down into 
the rock, leading to a crypt--a regular sort of crypt, mind you, like the 
ones that invariably contain someone's grave.  After blasting away a few 
creatures that did not expect my impromptu appearance, I read the 
inscriptions carved just about everywhere.  Crafty sculptors, these 
knights.
    The Heldannic Knights have been on a quest for decades to find the 
mortal remains of their Spiritual Patron.  One of their heroes had made 
it this far and had actually found the grave.  The knights managed to 
create a permanent /gate/ to this place, then built their fortress above 
the ancient crypt.  So far, they had succeeded in keeping it secret, 
which leads me to believe they murdered the wizard hired to create the 
/gate/, as well as all those who built the castle.  This explains why 
they might desire the destruction of the /Princess/.
    It took some sophisticated magical doing on my part to remove the 
corpse and take it away into the planes, to a place of my knowledge 
alone.  Just as I returned from my journey, knights poured into the crypt 
and recaptured me again--this time for sure.  Their anger was as 
palpable as the many sharp blades they laid at my throat.  It would have 
been over for me, but the high priestess arrived in time.
    And she /knew/ what I had done.  It took some very careful discussing 
to sort things out.  A shrewd negotiator, that lady; I grant her that.  
Eventually, she ordered the release of both ship and crew, in exchange 
for which she and I went into the planes the next day and recovered the 
body of the order's Spiritual Patron.
    I must admit that I had a very tough time breaking away from the 
priestess.  Her intention, of course, was to never let me go--I was too 
dangerous, now--but neither was my intention to stay.  The priestess had 
what she wanted--the "holy relic"--any my ship was free and far enough 
from the fortress to avoid being pulled back.  We left immediately; the 
empire has no interest in the clerical matters of petty knighthoods.  My 
personal interest in this whole episode lies now in discovering the 
nature of the force that pulled the /Princess/ down--and this I am intent 
upon unveiling one day.  It will have to wait for now.
    CYPRIMIR 1, 1965 AY: After returning to the /Princess/, I ordered a 
new course, away from the fortress.  These knights will probably be 
looking for us, but I care no more about them.  We are now sailing south 
over the coast.  The land has become an extremely rocky, uninviting 
region.  Despite some rainfall, it seems the vegetation is getting 
sparser.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

*Heldannic Knights*

    The Heldannic Order is a grim brotherhood of warlike knights whose 
quest and devotion is the unification of the barbarian freeholds north 
of the Kingdom of Vestland.  The Heldannic Knights, most of them 
powerful in the magic of clerics, are brutal and bloodthirsty.  They 
exterminated countless barbarian clans during the centuries of Heldannic 
terror.  The knights are extremely loyal to their order and are the 
embodiment of the concept "rule by the strong."  They have no mercy for 
the weak.  These enigmatic knights have no known allies and have 
systematically rejected all diplomatic ties with either Thyatis or 
Alphatia.
    A Heldannic Knight is recognizable for his dark, dull-gray plate 
armor; for his long white tabard with its black, upright lion; and for 
his full-face great help topped with the ominous upright lion to make 
him appear much taller than he really is.  These are heavy cavalry 
knights with fully barded warhorses.  They normally travel and march to 
battle brandishing dozens of very large banners, standards, and pennants 
bearing the order's coat of arms.  When a great cavalry charge is 
possible, Heldannic Knights are likely to use heavy cavalry lances.  
Otherwise, half of them use large shields and bastard swords, and the 
remainder use two-handed swords.
    A Banner of Heldannic Knights (2-12 men) typically casts /protection 
from evil/ before combat.  Their officer, the Knight Banneret, is likely 
to also cast a /blight/ spell and remain at the center of his troops.  
The officer's two remaining spells are often /cure light wounds/ and 
/hold person/.
    Lower-level clerics of the order are students who reside at the 
various strongholds of the order, or else act as squires or men-at-arms 
during conflicts.  The Heldannic Order as a whole is said to have up to 
2,000 knights and officers (Knights Banneret, Lieutenants, and 
Captains), and 5,000 students.  Twelve High Priests (C12) under the 
authority of the Great Knight of the Order (C25) rule the knighthood 
from the Fortress of Freiburg in the Heldann Freeholds.
    Countless other troops and armies exist in the Heldann Freeholds.  
These include barbarian hordes, town militias, and mercenaries opposed 
to the Heldannic Order.

*Heldannic Knights Table*

                 *Knight*          *Officer*
Armor Class      3 (plate armor)   2 (field armor)
Class and Level  C2                C5
Move             90'(30')          90'(30')
  Mounted        120'(40')         120'(40')
Attacks          1 sword or lance  1 weapon or spell
Damage           By weapon type    By weapon or spell type
No. Appearing    1 Banner (2d6+6)  1 per Banner
Save as          C2                C5
Morale           11                11
Alignment        Chaotic           Chaotic
XP Value         30                425


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

*157*
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 5: As they fed on a nation, so were they cursed
A meeting with vultures... and the ruins on which they feed.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    CYPRIMIR 10, 1965 AY: We have now reached the region called the 
Vulture Peninsula.  It is a complete desert, where occasional sand dunes 
alternate with desolate rocky wasteland.  According to the stars, we have 
sailed well south of the Meridonal Tropics, and the winds regularly blow 
from teh west.  Despite the presence of the sea, very little vegetation 
grows here at all.  Temperatures are similar to that of southern Alphatia 
in summertime.  The very poor quality of the soil and extremely dry winds 
coming from the land contribute to this infertile wilderness.
    CYPRIMIR 16, 1965 AY: A large plateau can be seen on the peninsula, 
no more than a few miles from the coast, forming sandstone cliffs falling 
into the sea.  The plateau reaches 600' in average height.  So far, no 
sign of civilization has been encountered in this region.  This place 
deserves its name, for the whole peninsula has the shape of a vulture's 
head, and vultures slowly circle underneath the ship.  The refuse dumped 
overboard has attracted these clumsy birds.  A lucky bird sometimes 
succeeds in catching some falling garbage, but most of them manage only 
to get splattered with smelly waste.  If nothing else, the vultures 
offter the crew some amusement, making easy targets for the antiquated 
crossbows on board.  At dawn I shall order a southern course to cross the 
peninsula's widest section.
    CYPRIMIR 18, 1965 AY: The vultures are getting bolder.  They seem to 
have figured out our dining hours and know when to expect waste to come 
falling down.  I caught one indolently perched on the railing next to my 
door.  Another ruffled its filthy feathers while observing the shipboy 
scrubbing the deck--hungrily observing, I imagined.  That's when a 
blood-curdling shriek from starboard literally froze everybody in place.  
It was Lady Abovombe.
    The scene that greeted our hasty arrival was certainly a striking 
one.  Lady Abovombe had been taking her daybreak stroll when one of the 
vultures perched in the riggings managed to soil her favorite decollete 
dress.  Furious, the ambassadress seized a boat hook and swung it at the 
bird, impaling the "criminal"--but further splattering her with its 
blood.  Then she sought out the watch on duty, screaming at the top of 
her lungs as to why such a slovenly creature could be permitted to remain 
on board, and she gave the watch a solid punch in the mouth.  It is the 
first time I've noticed that Lady Abovombe has a hot temper, but she is 
extraordinarily pretty when her cheeks turn rosy.
    CYPRIMIR 19, 1965 AY: In the morning, the lookout called out a 
discovery on the ground below.  At first we saw nothing, but after a few 
minutes we made out what must have been a road, centuries old--now merely 
a narrow band of a color different from the soil.  Then I saw several 
other ancient roads.  They converged to the east, and we followed 
them--and there it was.  A ruined city!  From the ground it would have 
been nearly impossible to see but we were high enough to distinguish its 
shape.  Streets, walls, buildings--we could see the outlines of them all, 
but barely even the walls remained now.  The city must have been raised 
in the depths of times past.  It had been built on a group of several 
small hills, with one larger hill, tapered on top, in the center.  I 
decided to investigate this myself, and I ordered Xerdon and a squad of 
boltmen with me.
    CYPRIMIR 20, 1965 AY: There was very little to see on the 
surface--mostly dust and rocks.  We climbed the peaked central hill and 
discovered the ruins of an old temple.  The men started digging and 
sifting through rubble, in search of archaeological clues.  We found 
plenty.  There was indeed an advanced civilization here.  It appears that 
at the time of its splendor, the city was surrounded by fertile plains, 
lush forests, and several rivers and lakes.
    Then following the death of a great king, the king's two sons fought 
for the throne, dividing the nation in a bloody civil war.  No other 
clues were unveiled aas to the outcome of the struggle.  It was getting 
late, and I ordered the team back to the ship for the night.  We'll 
remain in this area and explore a bit more tomorrow at our leisure.
    CYPRIMIR 21, 1965 AY: Soon after sunset last night, a sentry 
interrupted my rest with news of movement down below.  I had him order 
total silence aboard the ship while I took out my /crystall ball/ for a 
little investigative work.
    A strange creature was slowly walking by, hunched under the weight of 
a bag.  It looked like an old man with the head of a vulture.  Another 
hint at vultures!  This could no longer be a coincidence.  I decided to 
let the creature go its way, so I could quietly observe it.
    The creature never showed any awareness of the ship above the 
temple.  It marched away and kept going for hours along one of the nearly 
invisible roads to the east.  Before sunrise, it crawled into a niche 
under a large rock and closed the entrance with a dusty blanket.  It then 
went to sleep--and shortly thereafter, so did I, canceling our planned 
foray into the ruins.
    Since this creature was the only apparent inhabitant we have met in 
this desert so far, I've decided to follow its slow journey from a safe 
distance, observing it through the magical sphere again this evening.  
More later.
    CYPRIMIR 24, 1965 AY: It has been days now since I first saw the 
vulture-man.  I discovered a fitting description of it in the ship's 
library.  It is a nagpa, a creature found in other parts of the world and 
said to dabble in necromancy (how fitting).  As usual, our specimen 
crawled out of its shelter after sundown and kept moving to the east.
    Its journey's end was at hand, however.  Much later in the night, it 
reached the edge of a depression in the desert.  Hundreds of other nagpas 
were walking down the slopes to the bottom, toward a large volcanic-like 
mound.  They encircled it, then one after the other they climbed to the 
top of the mound to drop some jewelry into the dark opening thereon.  
Meanwhile, the other nagpas chanted a sad but powerful psalmody.  The 
wind picked up, and the nagpas knelt down facing the mound, waiting.
    Many long minutes, perhaps an hour, passed.  Then faint lights 
appeared above the nagpas--at first only a few flickering auras, then 
hundreds and soon thousands of them, filling the sky above the 
depression.  The scene was frightening.  These illuminated shapes were 
undoubtedly the ghostly images of the people who once populated this 
region.  These ghosts slowly reenacted scenes of battle and carnage 
involving a level of violence that I have never before witnessed.
    Then a huge, ugly shadow rose from the opening of the mound when the 
horrifying war scenes reached their paroxysm.  This shadow was, for me, 
the embodiment of fear and destruction.  Even from this ship, stationed 
miles from the site, I could sense the evil of that grotesque being.  
Inexplicably, the apparition and the ghosts suddenly faded in the dark.  
The nagpas began searching the site, picking up round, black cocoons from 
the sand that had not been there before.  Within the hour, most had left, 
headed in various directions.  Our little nagpa is coming back toward the 
ship.  It is time to know the truth.
    CYPRIMIR 25, 1965 AY: I decided to meet our specimen personally late 
last night, so I prepared myself and waited along the road for it.  It 
was not surprised when it saw me.  "You saw," it said somberly (its words 
translated by my spells).  It obviously knew I had been observing it all 
along.
    "Our" nagpa goes by the name of Abatu of Varellya.  It told me of its 
tormented existence.  There was indeed a vast nation here once, and a 
brutal war.  One of the two princes conjured a powerful monster from the 
Sphere of Entropy to destroy his rival He clearly was unable to control 
the Immortal avatar, and when it had accomplished its crime, it turned on 
its summoner and obliterated his entire land.  He and all his people 
would be cursed to live, die, and forever return as nagpas--feeders on 
carrion as they had once fed on each other in war.
    Every year for centuries, the accursed people of Varellya return to 
the site of the ancient conjuration and sacrifice jewels, precious 
metals, magical items, books, knowledge, food, anything that may have any 
value to them, seeking atonement and an end to their wretchedness.  Death 
itself will not break the curse.  When death befalls, the souls of the 
Varellyans return to the mound.  Every year at the same time, the ghosts 
fight their wars all over again, then materialize as embryos inside the 
black cocoons.  Over time--I don't know how long--they grow to adult size 
and breach the cocoons.
    Many nagpas wander the far reaches of the world, but they always 
return to Varellya in soul or in body.  Abatu pulled one of those black 
spheres from his robes and said, "You see, wizard, this is my father.  He 
was the King of Varellya, and I was one of his sons.  Such is the 
sentence for my crime.  Perhaps one day the Immortals will forgive us, 
but until then we must go on.  Feel free to plunder the mound, wizard, 
but beware of the risks."
    I bade him farewell.  As the ship continued its course to the south, 
I burned the map of the site and all notes on its whereabouts, then 
scattered them in the nocturnal wind.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

*Abatu of Varellya, Nagpa*

Armor Class    3
Hit Dice       9**
Hit Points     64
Move           120'(40')
Attacks        1 bite or spell
Damage         1d8 or special
No. Appearing  1 (1)
Save As        MU9
Morale         9
Treasure Type  I
Alignment      Chaotic
XP Value       2,300

    Abatu was a human being back is 565 A.C. (1565 A.Y.) and was the 
Crown Prince of Varellya.  The king wasn't dead when Abatu claimed the 
throne; Abatu had merely had the old man abducted and declared dead.  
Abatu had a twin brother, Lothir, who was Abatu's accomplice in the 
king's abduction but who challenged Abatu's right to the crown.  Their 
morbid rivalry caused the total destruction of Varellya and the curse 
that turned all Varellyans into nagpas (see AC9 /Creature Catalogue/, 
page 73).  Since then, Abatu has already died and been reincarnated 
three times.
    Abatu's goal is to break the four-century-old curse that afflicts 
him and his people.  Since the catastrophe, Abatu has discovered that he 
must find his brother and come to terms with him in order to break the 
curse.  He knows--but ignores--where Lothir is.  Abatu has visited many 
places in the world, including Alphatia, Thyatis, and the far reaches of 
Sind.  He commonly travels with the Flying City of Serraine (see PC2 
/Top Ballista/), a fabulous gnomish creation that roams the world.  
Abatu has a /ring of teleportation/, the only item of value he has never 
dropped into the mound.  He uses it to get aboard the Flying City.
    Abatu has avoided dealing with the face that his brother is kept 
prisoner deep beneath the volcanic-like mound, where he nourishes an 
eternal hate toward Abatu.  The keeper is a nightwalker (HD 25, hp 171, 
D&D /Master DM's Book/, pages 36-37) that can only be dismissed back to 
the Sphere of Entropy by a voluntary and simultaneous wish (not as a 
spell) on the part of the twins.  If an outside party ever managed to 
defeat the nightwalker, it would reform within a day and return from the 
Sphere of Entropy.  If Lothir (himself a nagpa, identical to his brother 
in statistics) was taken away from the mound, the nightwalker would 
stalk him forever, seeking to bring him back.  Once the nightwalker is 
properly dismissed, the twins disintegrate and the curse is broken; the 
Varellyan nagpas continue their normal lives as nagpas, but their deaths 
afterward are final and forever.  The land remains a desert.  The 
Immortal who caused the Varellyan calamity has long forgotten about the 
whole affair and is neither reachable nor interested.
    Abatu keeps his true identity a secret, fearing that his people 
might interfere with his goals or torture him.  Death is no concern, 
since he would reincarnate within a year--but he fears the loss of his 
magical ring.  Abatu loathes the thought of entering the mound in search 
of his brother, and he generally would prefer staing out of Varellya.  
Abatu is a conniving, treacherous being who stops and nothing to reach 
his goals.  Abatu senses when a kin dies, and he returns to Varellya for 
the cocoon to place it in a local cavern or dungeon later on.
    Nagpas can do each of the following, three times a day: /create 
flames/, /paralysis/, /corruption/, /darkness/, and /phantasmal 
force/.  /Create flames/ causes flammable objects within 60' to burst 
into flames for 1-3 rounds, inflicting 2-12 hp damage (a Saving Throw 
vs. Spells grants half damage).  /Paralysis/ causes all Lawful 
characters within 10' to make a Saving Throw vs. Spells or be paralyzed 
for 1-4 rounds.  /Corruption/ causes nonliving objects within 60' to 
decay into uselessness (magical items make Saving Throws vs. Spells at 
the level of the character using them).  In combat, a nagpa will try to 
avoid melee and use its spells instead.
    Nagpas prefer staying in deserted ruins or wastes, avoiding humans 
if possible.  They speak their own tongue, Varellyan, and often another 
language or two (Glantrian, Sindish, etc.) depending on where they 
live.  A reincarnated nagpa takes 5-8 months to breach a cocoon, then 
emerges as an adult with all its memories of its previous lives intact.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

*158*
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 6: A culture with a different sense of taste
Sometimes it's better /not/ to know what you are eating.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    HASTMIR 4, 1965 AY: Last night, Lady Abovombe and I had a fine dinner 
in my quarters.  We spoke at length of the potential for enhanced 
cultural exchanges between our nations.  I am convinced she is perceiving 
a certain charm in my Alphatian manners--or perhaps it is my gray hair.  
I got very close to a more personal approach to the subject but was 
interrupted by my little bat companion's sudden tantrum in its cage.  
Lady Abovombe took pity on the furry thing, pampered and petted it, then 
returned to her cabin.  The bat stared at me all along.  I could have 
sworn I have seen that look before.
    The air is much cooler now that we have reached the Wyrms Strait, on 
the southern coast of the Vulture Peninsula.  The crew has switched to 
winter uniforms.  Many of the Cestian squires are in sick bay with 
chills; they are not used to colder weather.  We are proceeding due west.
    HASTMIR 6, 1965 AY: The water here is dark green, thus the name of 
the bay--Green Bay.  I ordered the ship to wait until sundown before 
reaching the coast.  High mountains rise to the west, and I would like to 
examine them.  There has to be some civilization in this region.  Most of 
the coast is covered with forests of oaks, and game seems plentiful.
    HASTMIR 7, 1965 AY: Aha!  We have flown over several villages 
already.  I was expecting human population, perhaps luckier people than 
the Varellyans of the Vulture Peninsulaa.  Instead, we found very tall 
people, closer to the size of ogres but not quite as muscular.  Detail we 
difficult to determine in the dark, so I ordered Xerdon and few boltmen 
to join me in an ground expedition to observe the natives.  The ship is 
to go offshore to avoid frightening the local population and is return 
tomorrow night at the same place and time to pick us up.
    HASTMIR 8, 1965 AY: This was a rather surprising expedition.  As 
planned, we left the /Princess Ark/ and approached a native settlement.  
There must have been no more than 500 people there, with children and 
cattle.  These people are indeed as tall as ogres, strong but not as 
massive.  Their skins are red, and most favor a style in which their 
black hair is tied back in long, single tassels.  They wore elegant and 
very colorful graments made of felt and wool, including hats and boots.  
The most surprising characteristic they shared was their obvious elven 
phusical features--delicate facial lines and pointed ears.  Wood was a 
material commonly used in the construction of their houses.  The logs 
were ornately carved and painted.  At the center of the village stood a 
stone totem, with many sculptures of various animal heads.
    I ordered Xerdon to remain at his post, then turned /invisible/ to 
continue my observations.  I visited a few houses, which looked very 
clean and quite comfortable.  It was late and many of the natives were 
sound asleep, although two woke up as I entered their houses.  They must 
have the keen hearing of the elves.
    I saw a house curiously built on top of a high menhir stone.  Despite 
the precarious look of the house, it was verysolidly built--as it should 
for people of that size.  I /levitated/ up to the door since I could not 
find a stairway.  Fortunately the massive door was ajar, so I peeked in.  
An old female was sitting on a rocking chair, reading a leatherbound book 
and smoking a pipe.  A large cauldron was puffing steam in the fireplace, 
releasing the pleasant smell of stew.
    This is when I noticed the female had lowered her book and was 
quietly watching me.  She cleared her throat and pointed at another 
chair, near the table--a rather large chair, of course.  It was all 
rather embarrassing.
    After a final puff on her pipe, she pulled out what looked like dried 
lizard tongues from a nearby jar, then tossed them into the fire, 
muttering some incantation.  I decided not to intervene.  She turned 
back, and said, in perfect Alphatian, "Well, visitor, why were you 
sneaking around our village?" 
    After a number of probing questions, she was apparently satisfied of 
my intentions.  She called herself Ngezitwa in her dialect, and said her 
people were the N'djatwa (pronounced: un DJA twa).  They seemed to be a 
crossbreed of elves and either ogres or giants--and a very successful 
mixture at that, offering the strength of giant humanoids with reasonable 
spellcasting abilities.  It seems that they kept the best of both worlds.
    The N'djatwa have lived on the shores of the Green Bay for centures, 
even before the Varellyans reached their golden age.  In fact, the 
N'djatwa had regular trade with the latter until the culture of the 
Vulture Peninsula was obliterated.  This did not hurt the N'djatwa, since 
they could no longer rely on the shipment of goods from Varellya nor on 
any wealth created by commerce.
    The N'djatwa did travel north in search of other people and bet the 
bellicose Androkinas on the Isle of Cestia.  That proved disastrous to 
the expedition, of which only a handful returned.  The N'djatwa shun the 
uninhabited desert, the savannah, and the jungle.  To the west lies a 
very large mountain range, and to the east a land of horrible monsters.  
The latter is mostly surrounded with mountains, but occasionally monsters 
wander into their lands, near the Green River.  The N'djatwa built 
fortified walls in several mountain passes to prevent these destructive 
incursions.
   Most surprising was the old female's mention of the lands that lie 
farther to the east.  Ngezitwa said that it was the realm of the titans, 
huge creatures that seem to spend their time fighting and destroying each 
other.  Most intriguing, she pointed out that she had seen another flying 
ship--like the /Princess/--in that region!
    Ngezitwa casually explained with a smile that village hunters had 
seen the /Princess/ and had followed her moves until my arrival at the 
village.  She added, "It really is a nice ship you have, but personally I 
prefer riding our giant pelicans.  They are quite friendly, they do not 
rely on powerful magic, and they have no equal when it comes to bringing 
a load of fresh fish to the village."  Well, I certainly felt I had been 
put in /my/ place!
    We spent a few hours talking about N'djatwaland and Alphatia.  
Ngezitwa didn't think the N'djatwa would mind establishing ties with 
Alphatia.  She seemed very interesed in the prospect of acquiring books 
and anything related to magic--definitely an elven attitude.  As druidess 
of the village, she could speak for the villagers, but a more official 
approach for the whole nation would be to meet the head of the clan in 
the city of M'banyika.  The druidess would not reveal where the city was, 
however, and she wanted it to remain hidden.  I accepted her invitation 
to ride with her to M'banyika.
    The next morning I discovered Xerdon and his boltmen standing toe to 
toe with a group of N'djatwa hunters, defiantly gauging each other.  
Xerdon had come to the village looking for me.  Fortunately, my 
intervention and Ngezitwa's prevented the worst.  Xerdon will dispatch a 
messenger to the ship, and remain at the village until my return.
    HASTMIR 16, 1965 AY: The flight to M'banika was pleasant, albeit too 
slow for my taste.  The giant pelicans are comfortable birds, but they 
require constant care and time to rest.  Halfwayto the city, Ngezitwa 
requested that I wear a blindfold--which I did.  This however did not 
prevent me from seeing the path to the city, at least partially; /wizard 
eye/ spells are still fairly useful in this condition.
    The forest of oaks gave way to the pines that grow on the mountain 
foothills.  Mbanyika lies 300-400 miles southwest of Mgezitwa's village, 
at about 3,000' altitude.  It is a very nice city, with white fortified 
walls, slender towers, smal water canals, and elegant bridges.  It lies 
halfway up a tall mountain peak, facing south.  A waterfall drops several 
hundred feet to the city, where the water forms a lake.  The city seems 
to have underground sewers (which alone proves to me that the N'djatwa 
are good architects).  The streets are rather narrow, and most residences 
have to to three stories.  I would estimate the population at 35,000 
souls.  Evidently, it would be dificult to see the city from the mountain 
pass down below.  Finding the city through the jumble of mountain peaks 
and ridges is an impossible feat without a guide.
   I was adequately greeted at the palace and given a comfortable room to 
recover from the jouney.  Unfortunately, I had the distinct feeling the 
palace guard would not allow me to wander the city unescorted.  I did, 
however, encounter little trouble in leaving my room at night without 
being seen.  All is not as nice as it would seem.  The N'djatwa are 
slavers.  Several markets were still open, where N'djatwa bought and sold 
their captives--mostly gnomes and humanoids.  I saw one human slave, 
too--a Heldanner, judging from his fair complexion and a black lion 
tattooed on his chest.  One group of slaves was taken to what I would say 
was a slaughterhouse, while warriors entered the city gates, pulling 
several hundred captives in chains behind their lizard mounts.  
Apparently these N'djatwa haven't completely shed their ogrish 
attributes, either.  It seems a great part of the food required for a 
large city such as M'banyika comes from these slaves; I saw almost no 
fields, cattle, or pastures near the city.  I did not have time to 
investigate further.
    HASTMIR 17, 1965 AY: I met His Highness Kitakanga, the Clanmaster of 
the N'djatwa, early in the morning.  He was just as eager to learn from 
the empire as was Ngezitwa.  There was genuine interest on his part in 
the establishment of some commercial and diplomatic link with the 
empire.  However, some tension grew when I brought up the slavery issue.  
If the N'djatwa wish to maintain any kind of relationship with the 
empire, I said, it is imperative that all Alphatian subjects must be 
absolutely immunte to any law or situation in which N'djatwa could 
enslave or eat them.
    N'djatwa laws are quite clear about their own attitudes: Non-N'djatwa 
are fair game, unless noted by proclamation from His Highness Kitakanga.  
Even then, any lawbreaker could be enslaved (and devoured).  After much 
discussion, His Highness agreed to concede such a proclamation toward 
Alphatian citizens, provided Imperial Authorities would acknowledge (if 
not approve of) N'djatwa civil laws.  Kitakanga would not negotiate that 
point.  I had no choice but to agree to his terms and sign a provisional 
treaty.  The Heldann slave I observed earlier was offered to me as a sign 
of goodwill.  Fine--I did wish to question the fellow, after all.
    It was time to return.  The Heldanner was tied up quite literally in 
the manner of a sausage--no allusion intended--and given over to my 
custody.  Ngezitwa was happy that we had come to an agreement.  The 
return to the village was uneventful.
    HASTMIR 25, 1965 AY: Ngezitwa and I traded gifts.  I received a pair 
of exquisite felt quilts bearing pelican emblems, several scrolls of 
N'djatwa poems, and a stuffed bread--no doubt a N'djatwa delicacy.  I can 
only conjecture about the nature of the stuffing in that bread.  It does 
smell good, though.  Perhaps a small taste of it wouldn't hurt.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

*N'djatwa Experience Advancement*

                     *Experience*  *Spells per level*
*Level*  *Hit Dice*    *needed*    1     2     3     4
 Young       1         -4,800      -     -     -     -
 Teen        2         -2,400      -     -     -     -
 Adult       3            0        1     -     -     -
   2         4          4,800      2     -     -     -
   3         5         14,400      2     1     -     -
   4         6         33,600      2     2     -     -
   5         7         72,000      2     2     1     -
   6         8         148,000     3     2     2     -
   7         9         300,000     3     3     2     -
   8        10         600,000     3     3     2     1
   9        11         900,000     3     3     3     1
  10*      11+2       1,200,000    4     3     3     2

* +2 hit point per level thereafter; Constitution adjustments no longer 
apply.  No other spells are gained beyond level 10.

*The N'djatwa*

    Many centuries ago lived two large rival clans.  One was the Nunjar, 
a horde of ogres; the other was the Hatwa, a tribe of mountain elves.  
Survival was very difficult in this land of frigid claciers and eternal 
snows.  Wood was scarce, and wildlife was equally rare.  Relations 
between the Nunjar and the Hatwa teetered between all out wars and 
precarious truces.  None would leave the mountains, the land of their 
ancestors and their sacred ground.  After centuries of fruitless wars, a 
great shaman rose from the ogrish ranks.  Utaba the Shaman claimed 
Immortals had spoken to him and had given him the /Altar of the 
Stars/--a powerful relic that was to be the salvation of the holy land.  
According to the Immortals' directives, he made the prophecy that 
Nunjarese and Hatwa must one day all become blood kindred on the /Altar 
of the Stars/.  Though his philosphy was quite unpopular, Utaba went on 
preaching for peace.  A shower of Hatwa arrows and Nunjarese boulders 
eventually ended Utaba's bright but ever-so-brief vocation.
    Soon thereafter, pestilence and death swept the hallowed land. 
Losses became so horrendous that it was painfully obvious both races 
were doomed.  Finally, an elven hero reminded his people of the shaman's 
fateful prediction, and it total desperation all attempted to follow 
Utaba's precepts.  Each elf and each ogre made a cut on his or her hand, 
mixing their blood together on the holy altar.  So was the blood 
alliance of Nunjar and Hatwa forever sealed.  Racian intermarriage was 
enforced, and generations later, Nunjarese and Hatwa were no more.  
Their children, the N'djatwa, flourished and eventually reached the 
Green Bay.  The /Altar of the Stars/ remained at the site at which the 
races merged, sheltered by an impressive temple at the center of the 
N'djatwa capital of M'banyika.
    The N'djatwa race is similar to others used in the D&D game.  To be 
a N'djatwa, one needs a Strength and Intelligence of 12 minimum.  Hit 
points are rolled on eight-sided hit dice, according to the N'djatwa 
Experience Advancement table.
    N'djatwa save as elves of the same level (young and teens save as 
E1).  They have infravision and the ability to detect secret passages.  
They are not, however, immune to ghoul paralysis, nor can they climb 
trees.  N'djatwa are Neutral or Chaotic, and they can cast magic-user 
spells.  Neutral individuals with a Wisdom of 13 or more can cast 
druidic spells in lieu of magic-user spells (no clerical spells beyond 
the first level are allowed for these druids); this decision is 
irreversible and must be taken when the character is created.  Typical 
adult statistics are as follows: Ac5; HD 3*; MV 120'(40'); #AT 1 fist or 
weapon; Dmg 1d6 per fist or by weapon; #AP 1d12 (any); Save E3; ML 10; 
AL N or C; XP 115.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

*160*
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 7: The /Princess Ark/ aims for the stars
A daring maneuver begins a journey that leaves the world behind.

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    EIMIR 3, 1965 AY: It has been six days since we left N'djatwaland.  
We are now at the southern edge of the Green Bay, and the weather is 
getting much cooler--it is well into winter in Aasla, but it is midsummer 
in this hemisphere.  Cold winds blow down a large valley to the south of 
us, between high, snow-capped peaks.  On the west lies N'djatwaland's 
southernmost borders; to the east is the unknown.
    I invited the Heldanner I extracted from the voracious N'djatwas' 
appetites to dinner (not "as" dinner) at my table.  He apparently does 
not know of my little adventure at his order's citadel some time ago.  He 
is neither a very talkative fellow nor a very thankful one.  The man, who 
introduced himself as Rolf Schwartzen, is an arrogant Heldanner indeed.
    Herr Rolf has been suspicious of my intentions since we took him 
aboard the /Princess/, tied up like a sausage.  How petty.  After all, he 
could have ended up as a package of steaks.  He has been treated as 
befits common gentry, which is more than reasonable for someone who has 
failed to offer his rank, title, name (other than one that I suspect is 
false), and a plausible reason for his presence so far from his native 
land.  He claims that slavers captured him near Ostland many years ago; 
since then he has been bought and sold, every time being moved farther 
away from Ostland.  He admitted studying at the Temple of Freiburg at a 
younger age, after Lady Abovombe made mention of the conspicuous 
black-lion tattoo on his chest.
    EIMIR 4, 1965 AY: This morning we veered eastward.  At noon, a 
dangerous storm rolled down the mountains to starboard, and I ordered 
maximum altitude to avoid the worst.  /Airmasks/ have been distributed to 
all  personnel aboard, according to standard procedures.  We will 
maintain this position until the tempest comes to an end.
    After several unsuccessful attempts at conversation with Herr Rolf, I 
simply made use of certain powers at my disposal to pry into his thoughts 
during his sleep.  That proved to be a difficult endeavor.  The man is 
strong willed!  Nevertheless, I learned that he is an officer of the 
Heldannic Order, as I suspected--but he left his citadel on a flying 
ship!  So they /do/ have such ships here, after all!  His original 
mission had something to do with the stars.  Then his ship was attacked 
by the N'djatwas, and he was captured.  There is a recurring vision of 
his ship spiraling away from him into the sky.  That annoys me greatly, 
as I cannot find a clear explanation for it.
    Herr Rolf is free to go about the deck, but he is being watched for 
his (and our) safety.  Just to be certain, I cast a /geas/ on him without 
his knowledge.  He will not be able to do harm to the ship nor to any of 
the crew or officers aboard.
    EIMIR 5, 1965 AY: The storm is still raging below.  Late in the 
morning, the quartermaster sounded the alarm when several large cloud 
funnels soared up into the sky, surprisingly close to the /Princess/.
    I would have ignored this harmless event--harmless to a seasoned 
Alphatian skyshipper like myself--had it not been for the Heldanner's 
reaction.  Few people know about this rare atmospheric turbulence, and 
very rare indeed are those who have actually encountered it.  I would not 
have expected this knowledge of Herr Rolf.  However, he calmly secured 
himself, studying the largest and closest funnel.  He seemed surprised, 
then a bit amused, when I ordered the /Princess/ away from the 
turbulence.  Most intriguing this was.
    EIMIR 6, 1965 AY: I gave great thought to what happened yesterday, 
and I concluded there is something more about these funnels than is 
taught at Eriadna High--something that the Heldanners already know.  And 
I was right.
    Later in the day, a very large funnel rose near the ship.  After 
ordering everyone and everything secured aboard, I commanded full speed 
forward--/into the funnel/.  That obviously startled Herr Rolf, who got 
increasingly nervous as we approached the roaring funnel.  Shortly before 
reaching the turbulence, he turned around, staring at me in panic, and 
shouted, "Fool, you will kill us all!  Roll her over!"
    Everything became clear to me at that instant.  We were on Death's 
doorstep.  I maneuvered the /Princess/ to the limit of her endurance.  I 
heard a low groan rise in her hull, then a shattering shriek as the 
/Princess/ flipped over--out of my control--and his the funnel like a 
diving falcon, her wings bent back and almost touching the hull.  The 
wood /should/ have splintered, yet didn't.  After a dizzying moment of 
whirling around, the sky became very dark, and the thunderous roar of the 
funnel came to an abrupt end.  And there we were...
    What a discovery--the /Princess/ has vanquished the skyshield!  No 
Alphatian skyship in recent memory has ever sailed into the dark, 
unbreathable sky above the clouds.  The the /Princess/ has now done so!
    There are legends of ancient Alphatian vessels capable of traveling 
beyond the skyshield, to moons, stars, and distant mysteries of the 
universe.  That science was long lost--until /I/ rediscoverred it for the 
greatest glory of the Empire!
    EIMIR 10, 1965 AY: The world below us has rotated already four times 
since we passed the skyshield.  Fortunately, our crew was wearing 
/airmasks/ at the time we entered the funnel--a good thing, or by now 
we'd all be dead.  What lies on this side of the skyshield is a vast, 
cold, and airless void.  Our speed seems to be much greater than could 
possibly be reached in the atmosphere of our world.  The studies we have 
now made reveal much about this environment and its laws.  Only now do I 
begin to realize the incalculable consequences of my gamble!  I must 
gather as much information as possible before I return to the Imperial 
Palace.  And there is so much to do, so many questions to answer...
    Much to my astonishment, I also suspect there is more to the 
/Princess/ than I once imagined.  It isn't the first time that she has 
maneuvered in some unexpected fashion almost as if she were a living 
being.  I recall the encounter with the night dragons back in Oceania, 
when the /Princess/ seemed to act on her own to avoid a fatal blow from 
one monster.
    And this enigmatic Heldanner!  How could he have possibly known about 
the effects of such a reckless maneuver as I attempted into the funnel?  
This leads me to believe that we are not alone beyond the skyshield!  Now 
the vision he had while sleeping /does/ make sense.  I can only conclude 
that the Heldannic Order is in possession of at least one skyship, and it 
has acquired the knowledge of reaching past the skyshield.  But how?  And 
from whom?
    Our /guest/, Herr Rolf, has been totally mute about this whole 
affair.  I had no choice but to clap him in irons and cast him into the 
brig.  For him to know so much, he must be a high clerist of his order 
and, therefore, a dangerous man.  What else does he know?
    EIMIR 12, 1965 AY: This day we made our first encounter in the 
Void--and a most unexpected encounter at that.  It began while I was 
conducting research in my laboratory.  Without warning, a flock of 
creatures dropped onto the deck out of nowhere, causing great surprise 
among the crew.
    The fight was brief but fierce.  Our assailants had not counted on 
our boltmen's firepower.  Most of the attackers were quickly slain, and 
the survivors retreated.  The attackers were catmen, much like the 
rakasta of our world--but they were mounted on sabre-tooth tigers!  
Shortly after they took off, the attackers vanished again into the void.  
But it was not my intention to give up pursuit so quickly.
    I ordered the /Princess/ full speed ahead after the fugitives.  It 
seemed we had almost caught up with those flying felines when, to our 
astonishment, an entire world appeared before our eyes--between it and 
our vessel were many hundreds of rakasta mounted on their great cats, 
obviously waiting for us!  By the time the /Princess/ could come to a 
halt, we were surrounded.
    It would have been stupid to resist their many bowmen.  An emissary 
flew close to us and gestured for the /Princess/ to follow him, as we are 
doing now.  I must close and prepare for the worst.
    EIMIR 14, 1965 AY: It appears now that we have found a previously 
unknown moon of our world, called by its natives Myoshima.  Myoshima is 
not a very large globe, but it has its own atmosphere.  From what we 
could see, it is mostly covered with jungle and mountains, a warm world 
by our standards.
    We landed near a mountain city not unlike those of Ochalea.  The 
buildings are elaborately carved with curved pagoda roofs, many dragon 
sculptures, and mansions made of wood and paper.  First Officer Talasar 
and I followed the emissary to a palace, while rakasta warriors set up 
camp around the ship.
    We were brought before a rather haughty rakasta noble who introduced 
himself--in very barbaric Alphatian--as Lord Katayama, Imperial Governor 
of Ichiyoda Province.  In our discussion, Lord Katayama did not seem 
surprised by our arrival; it is clear that many other space-going ships 
have come and gone in this area!  It was also clear to Lord Katayama and 
his generals that we were unaware at first of their existence, since we, 
as he said, "were drifting about, bobbing aimlessly in the solar winds 
like an empty gourd."
    We had come very close to their world and were spotted by one of 
their scouts.  He apparently saw a certain person with a black lion 
tattoo on our ship's deck.  That person was wanted there, and Lord 
Katayama had ordered the /Princess/ to be lured closer.  Lord Katayama 
seemed very satisfied with the results of his plan.
    In effect, Lord Katayama offered us a trade.  He would release the 
/Princess/ and her crew in exchange for the man with the tattoo--our man 
Rolf.  In addition to this, Lord Katayama wished to establish ties with 
our Empire, and to that end offered to provide a gift from the Emperor of 
Myoshima to our illustrious Empress.  All of this was acceptable to me, 
although rather abrupt in general approach.
    The deal was done, and we stayed at the palace overnight.  Clearly, 
we were "guests" so long as we did not try to leave.  We had no freedom 
to move about the palace, and the governor's guard was very assertive.  
There were no friendly whiskers among the rakasta nobles.  Why, some were 
at the limits of the most basic courtesy, while others even showed their 
claws at us!
    Much was learned from our host.  It appears that this moon, Myoshima, 
has a very strange nucleus, a core highly magical in nature.  It bends 
rays of light around its atmosphere, causing the moon to be invisible to 
onlookers outside its atmosphere!  This explains how the scouts observed 
us without being seen, and how we missed seeing such a huge object while 
being so close.  I do suspect the moon of being visible to those using 
infravision, though, because of the heat it would radiate.  Lord Katayama 
would not disclose the exact course of the moon around our world, so we 
are still uncertain of its position at any one time.
    These rakasta have good spell-casters among them, since they have 
developed items very similar to our own /airmasks/.  Their tigers wear 
magical /flying collars/, which makes me believe that rakasta are capable 
of reaching our world.  It is also possible that rakasta settlements in 
the more remote regions of our world are descended from these Myoshima 
felines.  This would explain how Lord Katayama knew about Alphatia.
    The most saddening aspect of our agreement with Lord Katayama is that 
we do have to let go of the Heldanner at once.  He is one prisoner on 
whom I would have liked to have spent more time and effort.  The 
Heldannic Order apparently committed some act of sacrilege and was 
outlawed on Myoshima by the Emperor.  Lord Katayama would not expound on 
the subject, and palace etiquette required our tact and discretion.
    EIMIR 15, 1965 AY: Talasar and I returned to the /Princess/ with the 
imperial gift carried on a huge palanquin.  The thing is a 10'-tall hunk 
of rock with a few sculptured figures on it.  It is far heavier and 
harder than I had believed it would be.  It radiates a pulsating, 
pale-blue aura.  Its magic is so powerful it made the hair on my skin 
rise when I approached.  There is much to study upon my return to 
Alphatia.
    EIMIR 16, 1965 AY: Lord Katayama's cats-at-arms boarded the 
/Princess/ very late this night without warning.  Their leader--a minor 
noble who called himself Kenju, complete with shining katana, do-maru 
armor, great kabuto helm, and a sabre-tooth tiger on a leash--approached 
and addressed first officer Talasar in mediocre Alphatian.  "Haaken-San, 
Lord Katayama sends me.  Man with lion tattoo has escaped.  My master 
lose great honor if prisoner not brought back to Imperial Palace.  Lord 
Katayama says maybe lion knights' ships set ambush for you if lion man 
not recaptured soon.  Lion man seen flying on stolen tiger toward south 
of your world.  I go with you.  Both our empires lose much if lion man 
succeeds."
    At these words a squad of pole-toting catmen seized Lady Abovombe 
and moved to take her off the ship.  Talasar shouted a word, and every 
wand on deck came free.  Katana-wielding catmen froze, as did we, poised 
for combat to the death.  But Lady Abovombe, I knew, would die first.
    There would be better times for battle.  At my sign, Talasar 
accepted the generous "offer."  The cat warrior then bowed briefly and 
stood back as Lady Abovombe was taken away.  He was a bit smug and 
arrogant, and his tiger hissed in our direction.
    Not that I cared about his tale of ambush against ships of Her 
Imperial Majesty--we can deal with Heldanners--but I want Lady Abovombe 
back, unharmed.  She is important to my mission.  And I might yet pry 
some information from that pretentious Heldanner.  Alphatians have more 
than one way to skin a cat.
    Lord Kenju and two of his followers were shown to their cabins while 
I ordered immediate takeoff.  We headed for the south of Vulcania.  Soon 
thereafter, the rakasta army escorted us to the edge of Myoshima's 
atmosphere.  The /Princess/ had no difficulty breaking through 
Myoshima's skyshield, a much weaker one than that of our world.  Soon, 
Myoshima vanished into the dark, starry sky.
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.

*The Second Moon: Myoshima*
    Myoshima is a moon orbiting the D&D game's Known World.  It is 
small, with a circumference roughly equal to 3,000 miles.  The central 
core of Myoshima is extremely dense and magical, allowing a gravity 
comparable to that of the Known World.
    This moon completes a full revolution around the Known World in 
three days and twelve hours (or two revolutions per week).  Myoshima 
follows an exact polar orbit above the Known World, so that the moon 
passes above almost every point on the globe.  Myoshima does not have a 
rotation of its own.  One hemisphere (nearside) always faces the Known 
World, and viewers on the opposite side of Myoshima (farsaide) never see 
the world they orbit.  The pattern of day and night cycles on Myoshima 
is thus very complex because of the Known World's axial tilt, which 
provides its seasons.  The sun appears to wobble back and forth across 
the sky over a 3 1/2-day period as it also appears to travel around the 
Myoshiman globe along a great cycle every 336 days, the Known World's 
year.  (Myoshiman calendars take a year of study to be understood, and 
its inhabitants have no fixed cycle of wakefulness or sleep.)  Nearside 
usually receives a small amount of light reflected from the Known World.
    Full daylight on Myoshima is not as bright as on the Known World, 
being more like twilight.  The sky changes color during a "day," ranging 
from fiery tones at noon to tamer red and purple hues at dusk or dawn.  
This happens because Myoshima has a light-reflecting shield at the 
immediate edges of its atmosphere.  This shield bends light rays except 
at the extreme ranges of visible spectrum.  In effect, this causes the 
planet to be nearly invisible from the outside and allows little light 
to filtern in (only the Known World, the major moon, and the sun can be 
seen from Myoshima's surface). Myoshima's core generates the light 
shield's effects.
    Myoshima is mostly covered by steaming jungles and earthquake-prone 
volcanic mountains that surround three freshwater seas.  Rain clouds 
cover a third of Myoshima at all times, and precipitation is abundant.  
The two polar areas of the moon offer at worst a temperate climate.
    The vast majority of the sentient population is made of various 
breeds of rakasta (see AC9 /Creature Catalogue/, page 44).  Unlike the 
earthly species, these all have infravision good to 60'.
    Myoshima is divided into three major political blocks.  The largest 
and potentially most aggressive is the Empire of Myoshima itself, a 
nation of feudal provinces controlled by daimyos, with a single emperor 
who rules them all.
    Next is the nation of Rajahstan, made up of twelve allied realms.  
Each realm is a sovereign state ruled by holy gurus (who handle law, 
education, religion, and iternal politics) and maharajahs (who handle 
the economy, military, and foreign politics).  Together these form the 
Spirigual Council to run Rajahstani affairs as a whole.
    The third block consists of many loosely allied petty kingdoms and 
principalities.  Among the more prominent territories are Kompor-Thap (a 
valley of a thousand hidden temples), Selimpore (a mercantile 
matriarchy), Malacayog (a nation of headhunters), and Surabayang (fierce 
island pirates).  These territories are politically aligned with placid 
Rajahstan against imperial Myoshima--when they are not fighting each 
other.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[161]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 8: Voyaging down under--and inside!
How can you land on the South Pole when your world has none?

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    EIMIR 16, 1965 AY: It was merely a day after we left the moon 
Myoshima when the alarm was sounded.  Five large ships were sailing 
through space on an intercept course with our /Princess/.  They were very 
close, coming around a small field of asteroids that had shielded them 
from our view.  There was no time for evasive maneuvers.   The ships were 
of a strange build, most of them bearing bird features.  The largest of 
the five, a very large war galley, had an eagle figurehead, and its hull 
was engraved with golden feathers.  Two large eagle claws jutted out on 
either side of the galley's prow.  The vessel bore the banner of a 
capital ship.  Many pennants and main sails revealed a black lion against 
a white background.  Clearly, we had run into the clutches of a Heldannic 
war fleet.
    The boltmen raced to their battle stations and braced for combat, 
while the sailors feverishly prepared the riggings for an imminent 
boarding.  Yet the rakasta Kenju and his two henchmen remained near the 
center of the deck, calmly observing the proceedings with haughty and 
arrogant postures.  They showed no signs of fear or nervousness.
    Oddly enough, I soon discovered there was little activity aboard the 
Heldannic "warbirds"; certainly no Heldannic sailors were preparing for 
battle.  The ships came almost within ramming distance of us--and 
inexplicably continued full ahead, totally ignoring our potentially 
doomed /Princess Ark/.  I could clearly observe Heldanners moving about 
their ships, mending sails and scrubbing decks; one of their leaders 
casually paced the upper deck, mumbling some obscure prayer while picking 
his nose.  They were totally oblivious to our presence!
    The ships came so close that I could hear an eerie military march 
emanating from the war galley.  I dismissed that as an auditory illusion, 
and all was fine.  The ships sailed on and soon disappeared behind us 
into the celestial void.  Kenju and his henchmen simply returned to their 
cabins, apparently satisfied and no more surprised at the results than 
they would have been had they seen another group of asteroids pass by 
us.  Somehow, they had been confident of this event's outcome.
    I had the chance to observe the Heldannic ships at my leisure as they 
unwittingly sailed by.  The war galley was very heavily armed with 
catapults and ballistas.  I could see metal bolts all along its hull, 
holding together an ominous coating of metal plates.  This ship was not 
built to fly in the air, like the /Princess/; it would require far too 
much magic to be worthwhile.  I suspect it was built in this airless void 
with the help of several smaller vessels.  Large feathery oars slowly 
rowed the galley through space, occupying four decks of the ship.  The 
strangest sight, however, were a half-dozen small black boats--for lack 
of a better term--tethered to poles at the sides and stern of the 
galley.  These were each large enough for one man and had man-made wings 
and tails like those of ravens.  Two rods, probably weapons packed with 
Heldannic clerical magic, jutted from beneath the wings.
    Escorting the war galley were four smaller ships, each bearing some 
resemblance to a vulture.  More lightly armed, these lesser ships seemed 
built more for speed and maneuverability than for heavy assault.  From 
astern, all four ships displayed appropriate birdlike tails.  It was not 
a sight I'll soon forget.
    EIMIR 17, 1965 AY: Our three rakasta guests haven't come out of their 
cabins yet.  So much the better.  At least they haven't interfered with 
ship's duties.
    I have begun studying Lord Katayama's monolith.  After several hours 
of experimenting, I determined that the monolith has the ability to bend 
light around a sphere with a set radius--a sphere large enough to 
encompass the /Princess Ark/.  These are the same properties of 
Myoshima's core.  Smaller fragments of the monolith retain this 
light-bending power, with areas of effect appropriate to each fragment's 
size.  This explains why the Heldannic fleet ignored the /Ark/, and also 
why the rakasta felt so obviously secure.  The Heldenners simply could 
not see us!  The /Princess Ark/ is practically invisible!  This Imperial 
gift has proven to be a very useful contraption indeed.
    EIMIR 18, 1965 AY: I observed the stars and their alignment with our 
world as a means of measuring the speed of the /Princess/.  Although it 
is hardly noticeable to the crew, our speed in the void has varied 
greatly.  It seems that our speed has to do with the proximity of other 
physical bodies, such as ships on intercept courses, asteroids, moons, or 
planets.  The farther we are from physical obstacles, the greater our 
speed potential becomes.  This is vital for future voyages, since it 
would enable journeys far from our world and at little risk of smashing 
into obstacles.
    In effect, what seems to be "full speed ahead" on our /Princess/ 
remains a stable constant when we are close to a moon, within our world's 
skyshield, or within sighting distance of an oncoming ship.  Away from 
celestial bodies, our speed could increase a hundredfold--indeed, perhaps 
even more.  I do not have the means to fathom any conceivable limits.
    It appears that the constant use of a means of propulsion such as 
magical power or very fine silk sails increases our speed, especially 
more so when traveling away from a world.  Removing the means of 
propulsion would not be sufficient to halt the ship, which would instead 
continue on its course at a constant speed.  Inertia remains a definite 
force in the void.
    EIMIR 22, 1965 AY: I have finally located Herr Rolf, our fugitive 
Heldannic knight, several hundred miles ahead of our ship and riding a 
winged sabre-tooth tiger common to Myoshima.  He has put his few hours of 
lead time to good use.  I am now tracking the knight with my /crystal 
ball/.  Straps have kept him on the saddle during the times he has fallen 
asleep.  Herr Rolf is getting very close to our world's great blue 
skyshield, heading toward the south pole.  The /Princess/ is pursuing, 
following a southerly course slightly above the skyshield.  It would be 
preferable to capture him while the /Princess/ is still in the void, as 
that would save us the trouble of returning later to complete further 
studies of this outer space.  I would intercept the man myself in normal 
conditions, but my inexperience in this environment demands that I remain 
aboard.  We will maintain our course and pursue the fugitive.
    EIMIR 23, 1965 AY: We are finally closing in on Herr Rolf.  He is now 
in visual range of the common crew.  It should only be a matter of a few 
hours before we catch up completely.  Unfortunately, I fear that we must 
soon reenter our world's skyshield, several hundred miles south of the 
N'djatwaland.  We are much too close, and we can feel the effects of the 
skyshield's pull on the /Princess/.  There is no alternative but to carry 
on.
    EIMIR 24, 1965 AY: Trickery!  I should have known better.  As soon as 
we entered the skyshield, the /Princess/ began a dangerous dive.  Every 
beam and mast of the /Princess/ screamed in the dizzying fall, but the 
ship managed to progressively alter her course, heading away from the 
pole.  This beautiful ship sensed the danger and acted on her own to save 
herself and her crew!  She barely avoided the worst and landed heavily on 
a thick snow bank.  The truth of our fate became as brutal as a frigid, 
antarctic wind howling around us in the night.  We were stranded without 
magical power.
    Herr Rolf is a devil of man.  He must have been aware this region was 
/anti-magical/.  Fortunately, the effects were progressive.  Herr Rolf 
perceived he could not escape the /Princess/, as she was much too fast 
for his winged cat.  He had to find a way to escape us.  He's probably 
flapping away on his winged cat even now.  His assessment of the 
/Princess/'s speed was amazingly accurate--a fine mathematician, that 
knight.  He obviously did not waste his time during his journey aboard 
our ship.
    I will find Herr Rolf even if I must devote the rest of my life to 
the endeavor.  But the task of saving the crew and the /Princess/ remains 
a more pressing matter.
    EIMIR 25, 1965 AY: Something very strange is happening.  Night has 
now lasted far longer than it should, and the sun still has not risen 
anew.  According to tome three of the /Arcanean Worlds/ by the respected 
sage Nesfutar, complete night never falls upon the frozen lands, and 
neither does the sun ever rise high above the horizon there.  But here, 
neither the light of the moon nor that of the sun could be sensed at 
all.
    The crew was given heavy winter gear and completed repairs of the 
/Princess/.  Fortunately she suffered little damage.  We are still 
stranded in this bleak land of ice and howling winds.  Magic of any sort 
has been totally ineffective.  The threatening cover of dark clouds 
hasn't shown any sign of thinning so far.  Snow storms occur with 
discouraging regularity.  I estimate our position is due south of the 
Vulcanian Coast.
    The rakasta finally emerged from their cabins, warmly dressed.  They 
had also managed to totally cover their great cats with fur boots and 
several layers of coats sewn together.  Kenju mentioned their cats were 
used to warm climates and wouldn't last long without protection in these 
temperatures.
    I plan to head a scouting party to seek out nativ villages for help, 
probably to the north--or what I surmise is north.  In this kind of 
weather, I hope the remainder of the crew can survive several days 
without too many difficulties.  After that, I fear the /Princess/ will 
have to be abandoned.
    EIMIR 26, 1965 AY: The sun still hasn't returned.  After a long 
discussion with the crew and our feline guests, it seems the best course 
would be for me to leave with Kenju and Myojo, his first henchman.  The 
cats would be able to smell their own tracks and return to the 
/Princess/ if we became lost.  Traveling in the dark in these 
conditions--without magic-- seems nearly hopeless.
    I will be riding the third great cat, while Kenju's other henchman 
Jiro remains aboard the /Princess/.  We would move much faster this 
way.  Talasar argued vehemently against the decision, for I was quite 
vulnerable without magic and nothing so far could be said abut the 
rakasta's loyalty.  If I did not return within five days, my orders to 
Talasar were to execute Jiro, abandon ship, and proceed due north the 
the Vulcanian Line.
    BURYMIR 1, 1965 AY: Jiro's great cat has proven to be a difficult 
mount to control, but I've managed well so far.  At least we've been 
blessed by the speed of these animals.  We found no villages, and we 
lost some time hunting seals and polar bears to feed the cats.  It was 
virtually impossible to keep an accurate orientation.  The sky remained 
overcast, masking the stars, and the uselessness of magic still prevailed.
    In the course of our latest hunting expedition, our mounts followed 
a scent and stumbled upon the frozen remains of a dead winged cat.  This 
must have been Herr Rolf's mount.  /So Herr Rolf is stranded as well!/  
His cat did not survive the cold, and without his own clerical magic, he 
could not heal or revive the animal. Fine; then we know he is close.
    Fresh prints of Herr Rolf's heavy boots were visible in the snow.  
According to Myojo, Herr Rolf camped there until recently.  Many other 
footprints and signs of a fight were apparent in the snow, and Myojo 
concluded the aggressors pursued Herr Rolf back toward the general 
direction of the /Princess/--or so I judged, compared to our own 
footprints.
    Ever since this discovery, Kenju and Myojo have acted even more 
insolent than usual.  Kenju's subordinate was so bold as to even lay a 
hand on his sword's hilt at my order to set camp.  Apparantly, the two 
wanted to go after Herr Rolf immediately and scorned the task of seeking 
help for the /Princess/ and the crew.  Eventually, Kenju disdainfully 
nodded his approval.  I must use caution while I rest.
    BURYMIR 2, 1965 AY: My caution paid off.  The two rakasta made an 
attempt on my life during my sleep, but I was expecting a move on their 
part. Kenju was observing from the other side of the campfire when Myojo 
suddenly reached for his large bow, on the back of his cat.  But I was 
quicker.  There are certain things that wizards do instinctively in the 
face of danger, things done without thinking. That saved my life.
    As I uttered the last syllable of the incantation, I suddenly 
realized the futility of my reaction.  I had been powerless for days.  
But no!  Against all hopes, the spell did work!  In a split second 
before the ball of flames flared up, Myojo ducked behind a snow drift, 
barely escaping a fiery death.  His cat wasn't so lucky, however, and it 
died on the spot.  Kenju jumped to his feet, already whirling his katana 
with blurring speed.  But strengthened by my initial success, I drew two 
wands and roared "Go ahead, kittycat!  Come find out if they work!"
    Instantly circumspect, Kenju hissed at me and lowered his blade.  
There was no telling if magic would work again.  But I won.
    Myojo crawled out from behind the pile of melting snow, smoking but 
alive.  The two must have thought they could go after Herr Rolf on their 
own and return back to Myoshima with the Heldanner.  That would have 
gained them great honor and put us in a position of weakness, subjecting 
citizens of Her Imperial Majesty to ridicule.  Fortunately, we must have 
unknowingly passed the limits of /anti-magic/.  Herr Rolf failed to 
notice it.  How ironic.  He could have saved his cat after all!  That 
will be his undoing.  If only I could get the /Princess/ this far!
    I have maintained a safe distance from the two rakasta since the 
incident.  They seem to fear my magic and have obeyed my orders--quite 
reluctantly of course.  We followed the natives' footprints toward the 
ship, with Kenju riding the lead cat.  The now charcoal-hued Myojo 
trotted at his best pace between Kenju and I.  I, of course, retained 
the other great cat--humiliating Myojo even more.  I will make the stops 
as few and as brief as I can.
    BURYMIR 3, 1965 AY: Today we caught up with the natives.  They were 
elves--but more like savages, I would say.  Perhaps these people are the 
remnants of some forgotten tribe lost in the ice centuries ago, 
afflicted by this bleak land's /anti-magic/ curse.  Over the centuries, 
these elves must have then sunk into the abyss of barbarity and 
historical oblivion.  But they still remembered how to fight.
    They came by the dozens, screaming down an icy hill at us.  I must 
say that Kenju and Myojo did wonders, chopping away at the howling 
mass.  I, of course, remained mounted, displaying the most contemptuous 
and unconcerned attitude possible.  I suspected my magic was gone again, 
as we probably had reentered the /anti-magic/ zone.  I would have died 
in the matter of a cat's eye blink if either rakasta had suspected my 
renewed weakness.  I caught a few increasingly worried glances from a 
frantic Myojo as a wailing elven savage almost reached me.
    All of sudden, a huge white monster rose from behind a hill.  The 
thing was a hideous sloth, half the size of the /Princess/ herself and 
equipped with flesh-rending teeth.  It lunged for the savages, ripped 
two of them apart, and swallowed them in no time.  The rest of tribe 
fled as swiftly as they came.
    The growling sloth then slowly turned on our party.  Kenju and Myojo 
rapidly executed a strategic retreat, standing behind me.  Obviously 
they expected me to handle the situation.  Not knowing what else to do, 
I remained calm and waited, too.  The sloth was poised for attack, 
staring at me.  It hesitated.  It sniffed.  It snorted.
    And it relaxed.  I noticed that the monster's eyes had the 
unmistakable flicker of intelligence.  As I was thinking this, I was 
overtaken by a powerful feeling of warmth.  It occured to me the sloth 
was empathic; it could sense my feelings and bare its own to me!  
Apparently it felt only anger for the elven savages.  Elves must have 
been ancestral hunters of its kind.
    It did not take long for the beast and I to become attuned to one 
another.  Somehow I managed to make it understand I needed its help, and 
it shuffled over to me like a huge puppy.  Minutes later, I sat on the 
sloth's furry shoulders.  Apparently the two rakasta were oblivious to 
the sloth's empathic powers.  Myojo stood there, open-mouthed, until 
Kenju slapped him in the face and ordered him to mount my winged cat.
    We were running short of time.  Soon we resumed our journey back 
toward the /Princess/, along with our fearsome new companion.  Herr Rolf 
would have to wait.
    BURYMIR 4, 1965 AY: We finally made it back on time to the 
/Princess/.  There was no further hindrance from Kenju.  Before leaving 
our last campsite, however, Myojo bowed deeply and presented me with his 
katana.  He had offered me his loyalty!  Aha!  I could use this.  Of 
course, Kenju was greatly angered, and the two haven't spoken to each 
other since then, except for occasional hisses and caterwauls.
    Our arrival at the /Princess/ created great confusion.  My sloth 
wasn't sighted until the very last moment.  Its white fur blended very 
well with the frozen surroundings.  A few dozen crossbow quarrels were 
about to shoot forth when Talasar recognized me.  I ordered Kenju to be 
sent to the brig.  Jiro was to remain in his quarters, under guard.  I 
sent Myojo to separate quarters with his gear, free to roam the ship.
    BURYMIR 5, 1965 AY: Talasar and I decided to spend more time with 
the sloth.  It had curled up against the /Princess/'s flank like a cub 
against a she-wolf.  We sat next to its chest in the warmth of its fur, 
while a raging blizzard blanked out the rest of the world.
    It was clear that the sloth was eager to help.  It could not 
understand the concept of north or south, but I managed to make it feel 
that we were seeking warmth for the /Princess/.  It took some work to 
set up the next step.
    The /Princess/ was eventually fitted with outrigger skis to prevent 
her from rolling on her sides, and the sloth was harnessed to pull the 
ship.  As the /Princess/ slid across the snow, the crew's morale began 
to improve.  Myojo and Xerdon volunteered to mount to the two remaining 
great cats and scout the surrounding for signs of the elven barbarians.  
The sloth is moving very fast for its size; I had to stop several times 
to allow Myojo and Xerdon to catch up and get some rest.  We are making 
great progress over the flat, wind-beaten ice pack, but still no sign of 
the sun.  Why?
    BURYMIR 12, 1965 AY: Despite our great speed, we have not reached 
the limit of the /anti-magic/ region.  I suspect the sloth has perhaps 
taken us in a direction other than what we had expected.  Despite this, 
it still communicated to me that it went "toward warmth."  I was 
concerned.  For all I know, it may be heading for a volcano, but we are 
too far into this journey to turn around now.
    There is no sign of Herr Rolf.  Without his magic, he must have 
starved and frozen to death--or perhaps he was captured by the elven 
barbarians.  We may never know.
    BURYMIR 19, 1965 AY: The sun still has not returned.  I know not 
what to think.  If we were reaching the edge of the frozen lands, 
periods of day and night would become evident, but this...  Darkness has 
prevailed for days with no sign of change.  Yet the sloth does not seem 
concerned.
    Polar bears and occasional monstrosities from this dark world of ice 
have been sighted and hunted down.  Unfortunately, none of these 
creatures has been kept for study.  The need for restocking food 
supplies has remained a constant concern.  Heating is an even worse 
problem.  There are few places aboard where fires may be lit, and even 
fewer things that can be burned.  During our occasional halts, the sloth 
digs through the ice pack to hunt and feed itself.  Sometimes it returns 
with a hunk of whale or a mouthful of walruses.  Their fat becomes vital 
for heating.
    Xerdon caught two sailors attempting to cut away some of the 
rigging, hoping to burn that and get some warmth.  I loathe the idea of 
turning the /Princess/ into a mere source of firewood.  The two were 
flogged and thrown in the brig.
    BURYMIR 26, 1965 AY: The crew is getting very weak, and desperation 
has affected even the toughest veterans.  Food supplies are minimal.  
Many men are sick with fever, especially among Lady Abovombe's Cestian 
contingent, who among all the crew have suffered the most from the 
cold.  Discontent among the crew is getting more apparent each passing 
day.  Weapons have been locked in the armory.  Only officers, the most 
trustworthy boltmen, Myojo, and myself are armed.  Magic still does not 
operate.  The sloth still does not seem to be affected by the darkness.
    A late note: A large amount of food has been stolen.  The guard was 
ill and fell unconscious during his watch.  No trace was found of the 
stolen supplies.  No doubt the culprits have already devoured it.
    NYXMIR 05, 1965 AY: Light has begun to return, and just in time.  
Talasar had major difficulties keeping discipline among the men.  Even 
the Word of Razud brought little strength to his worshipers.  A fight 
broke out, and Talasar barely escaped.  The return of the light, as 
tenuous as it was, calmed the growing psychoses dividing even the oldest 
of friends.
    NYXMIR 12, 1965 AY: Indeed the light is increasing, although it has 
an unusual reddish tint.  The ice, the snow, and the skies all range 
from dep purple to a fiery amber hue, unlike anything we have seen 
before.  The temperature has risen substantially, and wildlife can be 
found more readily.  Morale is improving among the crew, but uncertainty 
remains.  The sloth persisted in its course, probably led by some 
Immortal will.  It had been a month since we left Herr Rolf's tracks.  I 
have no idea where we are.
    NYXMIR 15, 1965 AY: Two men have been found dead.  Both the guard on 
duty at the supply hold and the watchman at the stern had their heads 
crushed, each by a single blow.  More food supplies were stolen, as well 
as one of the great cats.  It wasn't long before Myojo spotted the cat's 
footprints.  Judging from their depth in the snow, one man with some 
heavy gear has left the /Princess/, probably with enough food for 
several days.
    NYXMIR 16, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 19, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 21, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 22, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 23, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 24, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 25, 1965 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[162]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 9

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    NYXMIR 26, 1965 AY: 
    NYXMIR 28, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 3, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 5, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 7, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 8, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 9, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 10, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 11, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 12, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 16, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 17, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 18, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 22, 1965 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[163]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 10

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    AMPHIMIR 23, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 24, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 25, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 26, 1965 AY: 
    AMPHIMIR 28, 1965 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 15, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 19, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 20, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 21, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 22, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 23, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 24, 1966 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 25, 1966 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[164]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 11

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    ALPHAMIR 26, 2000 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 27, 2000 AY: 
    ALPHAMIR 28, 2000 AY: 
    SULAMIR 1, 2000 AY: 
    SULAMIR 14, 2000 AY: 
    SULAMIR 15, 2000 AY: 
    SULAMIR 19, 2000 AY: 
    SULAMIR 25: 2000 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[165]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 12

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    SULAMIR 26, 2000 AY: 
    SUDMIR 17, 2000 AY: 
    SUDMIR 19, 2000 AY: 
    SUDMIR 20, 2000 AY: 
    SUDMIR 25, 2000 AY: 
    SUDMIR 26, 2000 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[166]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 13

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    VERTMIR 11, 2000 AY: 
    VERTMIR 13, 2000 AY: 
    VERTMIR 15, 2000 AY: 
    VERTMIR 16, 2000 AY: 
    VERTMIR 28, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 1, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 2, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 3, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 4, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 5, 2000 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[167]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 14

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    TSALMIR 8, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 9, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 10, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 11, 2000 AY: 
    TSALMIR 12, 2000 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----

[168]
-----8<-----
The Voyage of the /Princess Ark/
Part 15

by Bruce A. Heard

/This series chronicles the adventures of an Alphatian explorer and his 
crew as they journey across the D&D(R) Kknown World in their skyship.  
The information herein may be used to expand D&D campaigns using the 
Gazetteer series./

                            From the Journals of
                          PRINCE HALDEMAR OF HAAKEN
                    Lord Admiral of the Mightiest Empire
                       Captain of the Ever-Victorious
                                PRINCESS ARK
                        Imperial Explorer, etc, etc.

    TSALMIR 13, 2000 AY: I've entered this day's report from the back of 
a young sky wyrm.  Immediately after the ship started to crumble into 
pieces, the sky wyrms swooped down and picked up those crewmembers who 
did not have time to reach the escape rafts.  We all watched the 
/Princess Ark/ tumble down, breaking apart totally.  Meryath ordered her 
sky wyrms to return to their fortress, while she and Talasar followed the 
wreck in its fall toward the small, nearby world that the sky wyrms call 
Hakh.  She was paying a last homage to her mother's sould.  I could not 
bear the sight of the destroyed ship.
    TSALMIR 16, 2000 AY: Talasar and Meryath have not returned; they 
should have been back by now.  They sky wyrms are showing signs of 
irritability.  I had to suspect foul play.  I had a long talk with 
Meryath's elder seneschal, Fenroth, and we decided to return to the world 
where Meryath and Talasar were last seen.
    TSALMIR 17, 2000 AY: Dense layers of blue clouds covered Hakh; 
spotting any sign of either Meryath or the wreck was clearly hopeless.  
We dove toward that perpetually dark world and landed in a dense jungle.  
Strange, gnarled trees with dark blue leaves and purplish vines seemed to 
creep away from the magical, golden light that I invoked to show our 
way.  Fenroth growled and hissed impatiently when his huge wings got 
entangled in the labyrinthine foliage.  He soon decided to revert to a 
rakasta's shape, that of an old one with silver hair and two small fangs 
protruding slightly under his upper lip.  A chilling, oily rain began to 
come down, turning the ground into a muddy, smelly mire, Fenroth hissed 
and spat his disgust for this repugnant place.
    Fenroth said he had heard of hunting tribes in these woods who might 
help us.  He did not know whether they were peaceful or not.  We would 
have to find out.  We began our slow trek through the sticky mud and the 
tangled vines.
    TSALMIR 20, 2000 AY: It had been raining on and off every hour since 
our arrival.  Both of us were soon unrecognizable, covered almost 
entirely with mud, leeches, and clouds of tiny flies.  Chilled to the 
bones and exhausted, we were debating on whether or not to leave when my 
dagger betrayed some danger nearby.  I looked but could not see much 
ahead.
    All of a sudden, a heavy net fell from the branches above, and I felt 
ropes tightening around us.  A trap!  Fenroth snarled and was ready to 
revert back to his natural form, but I bade him not to, for we would then 
never find the hunters' village.  He hissed to me how foolish that 
was--and perhaps he was right, for a terrible blow to my head left me 
unconscious for the remainder of the day.
    TSALMIR 21, 2000 AY: It was clear these hunters were no friendly 
folk.  Both Fenroth and I were tightly tied up, gagged, and hanging by 
our feet from a branch.  Ignoring a fuming look from Fenroth, I could see 
that the village consisted of a number of spherical huts hanging from 
branches, each large enough for one small family.  The hunters were tall 
humanoids, very similar to our hobgoblins but with jet black skin, long 
blue hair, and white eyes.  They wore little more than leather breeches 
or skin cloaks that still seemed to protect them well from the cold 
rain.  Amazingly, their skins were covered with tattoos that glowed in 
the dark, producing a strange ballet of monstrous images in the dark 
distance.
    At the far end of the village, on the ground, was a huge mound where 
trees had been cut down and piled up.
    TSALMIR 22, 2000 AY: 
    /*To be continued....*/

    If you have already designed the areas covered by the flight of the 
/Princess Ark/, simply ignore the information given here (the skyship 
simply went by, assuming that these areas were already well known to the 
Alphatians).  If you have any comments regarding this column or the D&D 
game's Known World as designed in the Gazetteers, please send your 
inquiries to: Bruce Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake 
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.  We cannot guarantee that all letters will get 
answers, but they will certainly have our attention.  Your input into 
the development of the D&D Known World is welcome.


Copyright TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not repost.
----->8-----