IN THE HEART OF ONE FIGHTER
DRAGON'S DOGMA
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Hybrid Vocation: Masters of sword and sorcery, the Mystic Knight deals devastating damage to foes on the battlefield with their enchanted weapons, while also defending against the most ferocious attacks with their magickal shields.
Primary Weapon: Sword/Mace
Secondary Weapon: Magick Shield
Strengths and Role
Battle Magick: Mystic Knights are able to cast powerful magicks while wearing heavy armor and wielding maces or swords.
Stalwart Defense: Mystic Knights carry large, magickal shields with them in combat, allowing them to defend against all but the most punishing attacks. The shields can also be imbued with magickal energy, providing a deadly surprise for any enemy that dare attack.
Deadly Enchantments: The Mystic Knight is the only magickal character capable of enchanting the entire party’s weapons at once, making them invaluable support characters.
Skills
Firecounter: Unleashes a knockdown wave when the user blocks an attack. A perfect block conjures tongues of enemy-seeking fire.
Sky Dance: Kicks at the air into a forward charge, delivering a powerful slash in the process.
Perilous Sigil: Draws a magick sigil that awaits contact with the enemy afore activating to devastating effect.
Hybrid Vocation: Equipped with magick bows, the Magick Archer is a class that weaves sorcery into every shot from their bow, ensuring that they always hit their mark. Magick Archers also blend sorcery into their daggers as well, making them a deadly class up close or from afar.
Primary Weapon: Daggers/Staff
Secondary Weapon: Magick Bow
Strengths and Role
Magick Arrows: Magick Archers have fused magick into their very bows, allowing them to fire magickal arrows without the need of a quiver.
Seeking Shots: The enchanted arrows Magick Archers fire are capable of tracking enemies and moving through the air, following their targets no matter where they run.
Mystical Daggers: Magick Archers are able to weave their sorcery into their daggers, allowing for spectacular magickal attacks that destroy their enemies.
Skills
Sunburst: Kicks downward and plunges the blades into the earth, channeling magick so that a pillar of flame erupts directly ahead..
Threefold Bolt: Fires three magickal arrows at a single point.
Seeker Bolt: Fires magickal arrows that seek out their targets. Up to five foes can be targeted at once.
Hybrid Vocation: A shadowy master of covert attacks, the assassin wields all manner of weapons to get the job done. From a near-surgical level of precision with bladed weapons, to a mastery of explosives and poisons, Assassins are truly an enemy to fear.
Primary Weapon: Sword/Daggers
Secondary Weapon: Shield/Bow
Strengths and Role
Weapon Masters: Assassins have access to a plethora of deadly weapons, making them a deadly jack of all trades.
Deadly Toolkit: Wielding paralyzing toxins, deadly poisons, and devastating explosives, Assassins use all the tricks of their trade to eliminate their enemies.
Silent Killer: Masters of stealth, Assassins utilize their shadowy abilities to move in to place and silently take their enemies out.
Skills
Intimate Strike: Delivers a quick stab and withdrawal slash without distancing user and target, allowing for further blows thereafter.
Clarity: Holds the blade in wait, deflecting and seamlessly countering enemy attacks.
Powder Charge: Places an explosive on the ground to be detonated from afar.
Advanced Vocation: Schooled in the arcane arts, Sorcerers deploy the deadliest of magicks in battle. From meteor showers, massive ice spikes, and deadly necromancy, Sorcerers are truly an awesome force to behold and should never be underestimated.
Primary Weapon: Archistaves
Strengths and Role
Devastating Magicks: No other class is capable of harnessing the near cosmic magickal forces that Sorcerers wield.
Powerful Enchantments: A Sorcerer’s enchanting magicks can turn the tide of any battle, powering up companions weapons with deadly magickal effects.
Crippling Debilitations: Sorcerers poses a variety of debilitating magicks, ranging from petrifying enemies, summoning noxious miasmas, or blinding enemies, making Sorcerers invaluable companions.
Skills
Exequy: Invokes a magickal aura capable of destroying outright any foe held within its span for a set length of time.
Maelstrom: Summons a whirlwind to wreak havoc upon any foes caught in its path.
Gicel: Conjures a twisting spike of ice that thrusts forward from the ground.
Advanced Vocation: Favoring brute force over subtlety, Warriors charge into combat head on. Equipped with massive two-handed weapons, Warriors fearlessly take on all foes, crushing enemies with incredible power and soaking up damage on the front lines so their ranged party members can punish enemies from afar.
Primary Weapon: Two Handed Weapons
Strengths and Role
Frontline Offense: Warriors are a force to be reckoned with on the frontlines of any battle and are capable of dealing out massive damage to enemies.
Impressive Reach: With their huge two-handed weapons, Warriors are capable of dealing devastating damage to multiple enemies with a single strike.
Staunch Defense: No one takes stands up to enemy punishment like a Warrior. With their heavy armor, Warriors are able to stand up to all but the most deadly attacks without being knocked down.
Skills
Savage Lunge: Charges forward with the blade extended, knocking down any caught in its path.
Savage Lash: Channels the user’s strength into a devastating hit that grows in power with the amount of time spent preparing.
Spark Slash: Spins the blade in a swift circle, slashing at foes all around the user.
Starting Vocation: Masters of elemental magicks, Mages rain down fire on their enemies while keeping their party alive with their restorative magickal abilities.
Primary Weapon: Staff
Strengths and Role
Offensive Magick: Mages possess deadly magickal abilities allowing them to control the elements. From walls of fire to deadly ice storms, mages are truly a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Healing: In addition to their offensive abilities, mages possess healing magicks, allowing them to heal their party’s wounds and cure debilitations.
Enchanting: Mages can use their mastery of elemental magicks to enchant their companions’ weapons, allowing the party to exploit the elemental weaknesses of enemies.
Skills
Ingle: Looses a ball of fire that explodes upon contact, engulfing both the target and the surrounding foes.
Frazil: Creates a concentrated field of cold around the user that freezes solid whatever enemies it touches .
Comestion: Generates a towering wall of flame; though only modest in power, it ignites adversaries with ease.
Advanced Vocation: No class is deadlier from afar than the Ranger. Equipped with a massive longbow, Rangers deliver punishing arrows from a distance, taking out enemies before they’re able to come near. And thanks to their dual daggers, Rangers also make capable opponents up close.
Primary Weapon: Daggers
Secondary Weapon: Longbow
Strengths and Role
Longbow Expert Marksman: Rangers are the only class able to equip longbows, which allows them to do massive amounts of damage from safe distances.
Debilitating Arrows: Rangers possess a number of trick arrows that allow them to stun or pin down enemies from afar.
Capable Melee: Rangers also make for tough opponents up close as they also possess a number of dagger skills as well.
Skills
Foot Binder: Pins the target to the nearest wall for a time with a wel-placed arrow. Quite effective in cramped quarters.
Dire Arrow: Focuses the user’s gathered strength into a single, devastating shot that grows in power as it is charged.
Flying Din: Fires an arrow that produces a deafening blare on impact stunning the target though it deals nearly no damage.
Starting Vocation: Equipped with a sword and shield, Fighters offer a good balance of offense and defense and serve on the party’s front lines.
Primary Weapon: One handed Sword
Secondary Weapon: Shield
Strengths and Role
Defense: Fighters offer a variety of defensive abilities that allow them to serve as a veritable “tank” for the party, allowing ranged and offensive classes to deal damage from further away.
Offense: Fighters posses a variety of deadly sword skills ranging from dashing attacks that allow fighters to quickly close the gap on an enemy to skills that allow them to skewer enemies safely behind their shields.
Combat Utility: Fighters are able to launch characters into the air to grab flying enemies with their Shield Toss skill, making them invaluable allies when fighting winged enemies.
Skills
Shield Strike: Strikes a foe with the shield, causing little damage but forcing the target to drop their guard.
Flesh Skewer: Thrusts the blade into the target’s body, pinning them in place while raining further blows upon them.
Blink Strike: Rushes to the target and visits a powerful blow on them.
Starting Vocation: Wielding dual daggers and a shortbow, Striders deal damage with quick speed and deadly accuracy. Striders also have trap abilities and trick arrows that allow them to confuse and disorient enemies.
Primary Weapon: Daggers
Secondary Weapon: Bow
Strengths and Role
Quick Damage: Striders serve as fast damage dealers, quickly moving around the battlefield with speed and agility and striking at enemies with their dual daggers.
Range: Thanks to their many bow skills, Striders are able to rain down arrows on enemies from long distances and can shoot down airborne enemies with ease.
Acrobatics: The Strider class is able to grapple and climb large enemies longer than any other class, allowing them to freely strike at an enemy’s weakest areas.
Skills
Ensnare: Casts cords to snare lightweight foes, knocking them to the ground to incapacitate them .
Scarlet Kisses: Concentrates a flurry of slashes on a single point, easily shredding foes with meager endurance.
Cloudburst Volley: Sends a wall of arrows skyward to rain down on a broad area.
Name: Julien
Role: Unknown
Personality: Pure, gentle, reserved, passionate, scientific. Looked upon as strange for his interests. Can disappear completely into his own thoughts.
Relationship: Unknown
Julien’s Tale
Having been born to a good family, Julien believed without a hint of reservation or irony that everything was for the sake of the people, exactly as he had said to his ruler. Such was his duty as a knight, as it had been the duty of his father and his grandfather before him. However, upon arriving in Gransys he was faced with the dirty truth, for there he met with the decadent, fallen statesmen. They had forgotten that which should have been their priority—the defeat of the dragon—and instead their heads were filled only with the desire to protect their own positions.
As he beheld the great leader who stood at the head of such men, the purity in his heart begin to slowly but surely blacken. He can no longer find any value in the continued existence of the country. The idealism to which he had clung for so long grows more and more distorted, and he along with it.
Name: Madeleine
Role: Trader
Likes: Money, her trusty dagger, people who help her make money
Dislikes: The Faith, poverty
Personality: Greedy, self-reliant, cunning. Madeleine looks out for herself and her goals first, though she does display a limited degree of loyalty when it comes down to it.
Madeleine's Tale
There is a small abbey in central Gransys which has never been known as anything more than “the abbey.” A number of sisters live frugal, modest lives in the abbey. These sisters are ardent followers of the Faith, kind and benevolent, and deeply relied upon by the people. Knowing that the sisters would never abandon a child, young babes were sometimes left on the steps of the abbey.
Madeleine was just such a child.
Madeleine was raised as an orphan by the sisters, but in complete contrast to her gentle guardians, she came to hate being poor and to hate modest living. While she was grateful to the sisters for raising her, she also vowed that she would never serve the Faith as they did.
Name: Mason (pseudonym)
Role: Unknown
Personality: Secretive. Little is known of the mysterious man called Mason. Some say he is a spy, for a secret organization. Other suggest he may be involved with things more nefarious.
Relationship: Unknown
Mason's Tale
Mason is skilled in smooth, elegant conversation, a vital tool to get close to others without arousing any suspicion. To the casual observer, he appears to be an affable and cheerful man with an excellent disposition.
However, this is simply an act he puts on in order to complete his mission, and not a reflection of his own true nature. Behind this façade, he is incredibly cold, calculating, and chillingly inhuman.
His standards for judging good and evil also differ from those of most of humanity. All that matters to Mason is completing the tasks given to him, and he will do whatever is required in order to achieve this. He does not hesitate nor feel guilt for committing acts such as thievery, intimidation, or murder, which may be frowned upon by the world in general.
Name: Mirabelle
Role: Handmaiden
Personality: Gossipy, proud, haughty.
Relationship: Unknown
Mirabelle's Tale
Mirabelle had been raised to be polite and courteous and she quickly grew to be an excellent lady-in-waiting, responsible for managing everything that happened around Aelinore. While Mirabelle and Aelinore maintained a strict formal relationship in front of others, the act was dropped in private and they remained the closest of friends.
Sometimes Mirabelle gently chastised Aelinore for her childish words or actions. However, Mirabelle still trusted Aelinore more than anyone else in the world. And when Aelinore was first told of her intended marriage to Duke Edmun, ruler of all Gransys, the first person went to for advice was Mirabelle.
Of course, Mirabelle could not let Aelinore go off to a foreign land all alone. Mirabelle therefore decided she would go with Aelinore to Gransys. Aelinore had hoped for the same thing.
Name: The Dragonforged
Role: Unknown
Personality: Unknown
Relationship: Unknown
The Dragonforged's Tale
There are very few who know of the existence of this man and none knows the truth of his identity. There is only one thing that they know for sure about this puzzling individual: he knows more than anyone else living about dragons.
His name and his ties are unknown. Equally mysterious is how he came to possess his considerable familiarity with dragons. However he came about it, the breadth of his knowledge is undeniable. He knows things that no person on the earth should know.
No one else can say if the things which he says are true. Some consider him to be nothing but a fabricator of myths and lies. Still he does seem to know something about dragons and so—since his connection with the terrible beasts was the only fact that anyone alive knew about him—he came to be known only as the Dragonforged.
Name: Quina
Role: Healer
Personality: Caring, protector, giver, healer, full of love for all, from pawn to human, following the path of righteousness.
Relationship: Childhood friend of yours. Quina only learned her magick to help you.
Quina's Tale
Quina was born to a mother of the healing Faith, and a father, rough around the edges like most fishermen, who was one of the many that sustains the small fishing village of Cassardis. Having little contact with him, Quina was raised strongly influenced by her mother and her gentle nature. As a result, Quina was often picked on by the other children. You were the only child in Cassardis who did not take part in the bullying and even defended Quina. Having lost your own parents at a tender age, you did not hesitate to stand up to those who bullied Quina and her mother, fearless of injury or reproach. Thus, you appeared as nothing less than a hero in her young eyes. When the other boys heaped abuses upon you in return for your bravery, the meek Quina began to search for a way to return your kindness.
Upon her parents’ passing and alone in the world, Quina grew into a beautiful young woman and she focused on learning the basics of healing magicks. The people of Cassardis, making their living on the sea, often suffered injuries both large and small. Quina healed the injured fishermen free of charge, sometimes staying by their bedsides to nurse them back to health. This role made Quina a vital part of the village and many came to praise her for her kindness and mercy, and for acquiring such healing powers all for the sake of the village. However, her true motivation in acquiring these valuable skills was to be able to heal the one person she cares most for: you, who were constantly covered in bumps and scrapes from your adventures. You, who had suffered blows and kicks to protect her from childhood bullies. Quina only learned her magick to help you—and all of her effort seems to have been for naught when you decide to leave Cassardis. She begins to question what she is doing in the village. She begins to question her own value. For the second time in her life, she chooses a new path—all for the sake of her one and only hero.
Name: Aelinore
Role: Niece of the descendant of Leonart; wife of Duke Edmun, the Wyrmking
Personality: Brave, good, kind, generous, trusting and merciful. Though a lady born into the House of Lords, Aelinore does not exhibit the overbearing pride of her peers. Instead, she embodies the noble ideals which her class should aspire to.
Relationship: Unknown
Aelinore's Tale
Born to the House of Biquard, Aelinore can trace her family line from a cousin of Godking Leonart, the great man who once defeated the dragon and united the entire continent. Lord Biquard currently governs the lands around peaceful Meloire as mesne lord. Sharing the same bloodline as the military genius Leonart, those from the House of Biquard are blessed with a similar gift, and their Meloirean soldiers are widely known as excellent fighters.
Duke Edmun, the Wyrmking and ruler of all Gransys, defeated a dragon in the same way as Godking Leonart before him. He sought to marry into the House of Biquard, yet the closest woman to Leonart in their bloodline was Aelinore. So Aelinore was sent to be Edmun’s bride, though not of her own desire. She had not even seen the face of her future husband prior to the day of their wedding ceremony. The hero’s marriage was heartily welcomed by the people of Gransys. Everyone believed that it meant the birth of a successor would follow quickly after, carrying on their hero’s bloodline. But there would be no reports of an impending heir to hearten the people of Gransys. Even after the exchange of their marriage vows, Aelinore remained as pure and untouched as she was the day that she was delivered to Edmun. But behind the duke’s frigid demeanor, a dark secret is hidden within his heart...
Name: Adaro
Role: Village Chief of Cassardis
Personality: Leader, fighter, righteous, strong, good, never gives up. The village is his family and outsiders don’t matter. Does not care for Pawns.
Relationship: Close to you as a father; he wants you to be the best you can be. He lets you do as you please so long as you do not bring harm to the village.
Adaro's Tale
At first glance, you would not guess that this short and stocky old man could be any threat. Yet get to know him and you will see why his ‘never say die’ defiant attitude transformed him from humble fisherman to one leading the charge against every village threat. His fighting abilities were unmatched as, weapon in hand, he boldly led the fighters of Cassardis against the gargantuan monstrosities that attacked the village. He openly shared his wealth of fishing and fighting skills with others, making the village of Cassardis not only prosperous, but also independent and completely self-sufficient in an attack. Thus, when the previous Village Chief passed away, there was no question that Adaro would succeed him.
But one day when you, his bravest fighter, returned deeply wounded after a battle with a monster, Adaro was furious with himself. He immediately resigned Cassardis’ autonomy to accept protection as a territory of Gran Soren. New laws and taxes were levied upon the village. This decision did not go over well with some, but when Adaro realized you were almost lost, nothing else mattered. For while he never sired children and you were an orphan, he considers you close as blood. Adaro sees a reflection of his younger self within your limitless potential. For even with his small form and humble beginnings, Adaro worked hard and became the greatest leader Cassardis has ever known.
Name: Edmun Dragonsbane
Role: Hero, duke, ruler of Gransys, Wyrmking Edmun
Personality: A fair ruler, snobbish, a lax controller. As an old man of more than 70, he is bitter and well known as a beast of a man.
Relationship: Unknown
Edmun’s Tale
Originally just another soldier, one day Edmun awoke as an Arisen. Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps fate, but just days later, a dragon attacked Gransys. Fulfilling his role as an Arisen, Edmun enlisted a number of pawns and set out to face the dragon. The epic battle that followed would be celebrated in song for generations to come, for unlike so many before him, Edmun triumphed over the wyrm. Slaying an evil dragon—in all of recorded history, there was only one other who had achieved this miraculous feat: the great unifier, Godking Leonart. Yet now, Edmun too had defeated a dragon. With everyone singing his praises, plus the support of the noble Gildas who had long been his ally, Edmun was propelled into the heart of government on an overwhelming wave of support.
A number of years passed. When the former duke fell ill and passed away childless, Edmun was selected as his successor. None contested his appointment to the position of duke for he was one of only two men to ever successfully complete a Wyrm Hunt. To refute him was to refute Leonart, the very father of their nation.
Having been appointed duke, Edmun took the name “Wyrmking” for himself. This title, a reminder of his victory over the dragon, was happily accepted by the people. Under the rule of Wyrmking Edmun, Gransys has seen a long period of peace and Edmun, with seemingly inexhaustible youth, remains hale and healthy to this day.
Name: Mercedes Marten
Role: Daughter in the House of Marten
Personality: Strait-laced, principled, tomboy with an inferiority complex, idealizes knights and knighthood.
Relationship: Unknown
Mercedes' Tale
Grende Hearthstone used to lead a company of knights. Of his two sons and his daughter, Mercedes, the brothers also led their own companies of knights. But Grende’s hopes for his daughter ran more towards wedding her to an influential noble or a royal from a neighboring demesne to firm up the power base of the House of Marten. But once she reached marrying age, Mercedes instead asked for her own company of knights. Aware of her own inexperience and that lack of skills required to lead others, she trained until she was reasonably able as a knight. It was around this time that the dragon appeared in Gransys. If someone from Grende’s nation defeated the dragon, it would greatly increase the power of Hearthstone. Grende was not reckless enough to send either of his brave and strong sons. However, he had to send someone of suitable position—someone as closely related to him as possible—or Gransys might take offense. For the first time in years, Grende called Mercedes forth to speak with her.
He hardly wanted his sons to head to the front lines of the battle with the dragon, for to face a dragon was certain death. Mercedes, however, was of suitable position to be Hearthstone’s representative. In addition, the people of Gransys would surely never allow a woman to stand on the front lines. Unaware of this, Mercedes was happy to receive the orders from her father and set off for Gransys thinking that he had finally given her his approval, not understanding his true reasons...
Name: Elysion
Role: Sent to Gransys to face the dragon and usher in the end of days…
Personality: Pure evil, destructive, dangerous, deadly, sees no value in life, hates the Arisen, loves only the dragon and welcomes Armageddon.
Relationship: Unknown
Elysion’s Tale
It took the dragon only seconds to wipe entire nations from the map of the world. One of the nations which the dragon had utterly destroyed had been large and powerful, enough so that if not for the dragon’s attacks it may well have come out the victor of the Endless Strife. But it was not a tragedy without survivors and among those few who lived through the horrors of that attack was the son of the king, the prince of this lost country. One of his eyes, wounded in his flight from the dragon’s attack, began to fester and, before long, the pestilence would claim his life. He took his rage and regret and transmitted them to the page via ink and quill. As the racking fever and pain gripped his body, he came to one conclusion: humans deserved to be destroyed. The world and its people clearly needed to be purged by the dragon’s claws in order to be reborn anew. He titled his writings “The Testament of Hopeless Regret” . The existence of this text eventually led to the creation a continent-wide secret society named Salvation. The Testament came to be blazoned always with the mark of a single eye: the Remaining Eye. This is most likely why Salvation favors the use of the cyclops, which they call “the beasts that beckon the destruction.”
Then, many years later, one young man performed an unheard act: before a large gathering of his Salvation brethren, he tore out his own right eye. Where he came from or what brought him to the doors of Salvation is unknown. What is known is that he believed that in giving up his eye, he remade himself in the image of Salvation’s creator and impressed upon his brethren that this was the man who could lead their cause to success. Just as he had desired, the young man quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became their Great Leader, the one who guided them, and was given the name Elysion to refer to the paradise that they expect to follow death. To be named after this idea illustrated the organization’s faith in the Elysion—that he would bring about such a paradise for all. The significant expectations placed upon him by the organization were again demonstrated when he, the Great Leader, was sent in person to Gransys after the dragon appeared. There are even whispers among the other members of Salvation that Great Leader Elysion is in fact a descendent of the prince who originally penned The Testament of Hopeless Regret and that this heritage is why the organization places so much faith in him…
Name: Feste
Role: Unknown
Personality: A jester and trickster with no goals other than a life of ease under others’ protection. Willing to betray, use or hurt others to succeed.
Relationship: Unknown
Feste’s Tale
Feste was born in a small farming village in Meloire, to a large family who worked the fields without rest. It was in no way an easy life. Because a male child could succeed the family name and would be a great aid to the farm once grown, Feste’s arrival was joyous and everyone showered love upon him. He was well cared for and even spoiled. However, after a number of years it became apparent that Feste was not a normal boy: he never appeared to grow any older. The family had no money for a doctor, so could only hope that his growth was simply slower than that of other people, but years later, Feste’s body remained that of a child. He could never help in the fields if he did not get any bigger, yet still had to be fed as much as anyone else. Additionally, being spoiled had made Feste a proud and arrogant boy. He threw tantrums if he did not get his meals on time, but made no effort to do any work himself. His birth now seemed a curse. One night, when their son was asleep, they looked down upon his childlike face and pressed a rag soaked in sedatives to it. Tears unchecked, they gave their son to the slave trader.
Feste was sold next to a troupe of players. Looking like a child, Feste was forced to become a jester, learning all sorts of tricks and skills as required. Amid these trials, Feste’s only wish was to gain an easy life and, relatively soon, he did exactly that. The answer he found was to gain the protection of one with power. He toadied up to the troupe leader and when performing, played his part for the nobles. He explained just how small and worthless a person he was, and praised the nobles for being so strong, so wonderful… Their egos salved, these powerful men and women took a liking to Feste and extended him their protection.
As one of the most popular performers, a request came from Duke Edmun of Gransys, asking for talented performers serve him in the castle. Feste wanted this more than anyone else. Feste’s ultimate desire was to gain the protection of those with true strength, get close to them, and live a life of comfort and ease. The duke had awesome power, making him the perfect target for this scheme. The troupe leader was afraid of earning Edmun’s wrath by sending less than their best performer, so Feste therefore began his days as the castle jester. However, this was still not enough to satisfy Feste. Once he learned of the factions within Edmun’s government that did not entirely agree with the duke’s rule, Feste quickly sidled up to the anti-Edmun elements and began to work informing those nobles of Edmun’s movements. When he heard of the increased activity of the organization Salvation, he next made contact with them and became their spy inside of Edmun’s territory. This indeed seems a rather lot of effort, more than was needed to survive, but it is all for Feste’s dream of an easy life. Thus he plies his wiles on all with power and uses them to his advantage, never once trusting another soul. Making use of everyone he can, and looking down on them all as he does, the jester Feste is a natural born trickster if ever there was one.
Name: The Fool
Role: Unknown
Personality: Benign, viewed as nonsensical and nothing more. However, there may be something deeper than people care to ponder.
Relationship: Unknown
The Fool’s Tale
In northern Gransys there is a small hillock called Hillfigure Knoll. The name naturally arose from the great carving of a human figure that adorns the hillside. None of those living nearby have any idea who created the figure. It had been there as long as anyone had been aware. It was assumed by the people to be the ancient remnant of some sort of forgotten culture, and the scholars who studied the site reached similar conclusions.
At some point, a man also appeared on Hillfigure Knoll, sitting on a rock on the hillside, staring off at nothing. Passersby tried to talk to him, but all the man did was to speak gibberish. People heard the rumors of this and came purposefully just to see him. As they had heard, there he sat on his rock, staring at nothing. When asked what he was doing there, he did not disappoint and the words he rattled off were completely incomprehensible. Day after day, the man sat on Hillfigure Knoll. He never did a thing other than stare out into the distance and ramble on if anyone spoke to him. At some point, he began to be known as “the Fool.” It started when someone suggested that he must have lost his mind after suffering a dragon attack because one of the few words the Fool still repeated was “dragon”. Once he had been written off as a senseless fool, though, no one ever gave him any deeper thought nor questioned the reason behind his presence. Yet the Fool is still there, alone, sitting on Hillfigure Knoll. He can always be found by those who take the time to look, almost as if he is waiting there for someone—and indeed he is.
Name: Barnaby
Role: Pawn, founder of the Pawn Guild
Personality: As one of the pawn legion, Barnaby has no emotions. However, because he has been in Gransys for untold decades and interacted with generations of mankind, he has developed something very close to an emotion: a wish for pawns and humans to coexist peacefully.
Relationship: Unknown
Barnaby’s Tale
As a pawn, Barnaby is not human. He does not age and cannot die, giving him little sense of life or vitality, and he never displays a strong will of his own. Long ago, Barnaby accompanied his Arisen and faced off with the dragon, but was defeated. Barnaby should have been dismissed back to beyond the rift, but his Arisen asked of him a promise: “Help those Arisen who follow after me…”
And so he continued to accompany Arisen, even as he has watched them repeatedly fall to the might of the dragons. Eventually Barnaby developed relationships with mercenaries, also fighting for money on the front lines. At night he would drink with them, laughing and joking. For the emotionless Barnaby this was nothing more than an act, but they treated him as one of their own. This brought about a change in Barnaby. Defending a mercenary, he suffered a terrible wound. Time healed his wound, but he was never able to regain the whole of his former strength. Forced to accept the bitter truth that he was no longer capable of defeating a dragon, he dedicated himself to creating a place to raise pawns who could aid the Arisen in his place. It also offered pawns a place of rest, the rift-crossers who otherwise wandered aimlessly, despised and shunned by humans. He had created the Pawn Guild. Now Barnaby waits for the appearance of a new Arisen, one with the bravery and strength to defeat a dragon…
Name: Valmiro
Role: Unknown
Personality: Pure, gentle, reserved, passionate, scientific. Looked upon as strange for his interests. Can disappear completely into his own thoughts.
Relationship: Unknown
Valmiro’s Tale
While most men in Valmiro’s village are fisherman, he only cared for the plants and animals that surrounded him. Other villagers thought him strange and his own parents did not quite know what to do with him. For them, it was frustrating and they tried countless times to bring him around. Valmiro, of course, realized his parents’ feelings and it pained him to disappoint them. He did once try to give fishing a serious attempt…which ended in his getting seasick and falling over the side. But then he started to wonder, why do the small fish form shoals? As soon as he thought of a question, Valmiro was driven to pursue the answer. He grew further and further isolated from his fellow humans, but there were more than enough plants and animals around to fill his time. He braved steep cliffs to investigate rare plants and dangerous beasts, giving himself over completely to his curiosity. Many people in the village started saying that Valmiro had lost his mind. There was one girl who watched warmly over him and that was Quina. She often chided him for being too reckless and always kept an eye out for him, but never criticized him. After all, she loved to listen to him talk—very one-sidedly, of course—about all that he had learned.
Time passed and Valmiro’s various observations drew closer to legitimate research. Indeed, the curiosity that had started with a desire to understand small animals and plants now grew to encompass the single greatest of questions: What did the world exist for? There was no way that he would be able to find the answer to this huge question in the small village of Cassardis, however. And so Valmiro came to dream of leaving the village and of heading out into the world in order to satisfy his deep and unending curiosity.
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These moving human remains which have been given false life by some evil power are simply known as skeletons. Since they are in truth the remains of former humans, most are between five and six feet in height.
Able only to do the bidding of the one who summoned them to life, skeletons clearly have no awareness of self. Even if they appear in numbers, they have no sense of cooperation and with no individual to take control of the group, their behavior is erratic and unfocused.
Yet they do not feel fear, since they have lost the ability to feel any emotion, and so they will not cease fighting until their bodies have been effectively destroyed. Since their bodies are those of the dead, they cannot feel pain and will come at you without pause regardless of what attacks you throw at them. This makes them undoubtedly formidable enemies and you must pay particular attention in a long and drawn-out battle.
Most skeletons continue to use whatever weapons they possessed before they died and so their strength in battle can seem to vary greatly depending on what they have the fortune to be equipped with.
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Skeletons are made from the bones of men, given false life by some evil power, but among their numbers are the remains of former magick users. These are the skeleton magi.
Just as regular skeletons, their heights typically reach between five and six feet. Most drape around their bones rotting robes and clutch crumbling wands—relics, perhaps, of their former lives.
They act in accordance to the orders they are given by their summoners, just as regular skeletons do, and never move of their own volition. However, while they have forgotten their own selves, their powers remain intact and they are able to employ a number of magicks.
Any creature identified as an enemy will be bombarded with these magicks and skeleton magi can even use auxiliary magicks upon their fellows to improve their standing in battle. Still, they do not act as a group commanded by any leader and such support is only given out of the instinctual drive to follow their given orders.
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Undead are one of the many monsters found not only in Gransys but in every corner of the world. Most are corpses that have been revived using necromancy and can thus only move within the reaches of that magick. There are also some examples of corpses buried in land with high magick concentrations coming to life spontaneously.
Their appearance is essentially human, but the undead have no memory of their former lives and very low intelligence. They usually form hordes of five to ten individuals, but there is no single undead that could be called the leader of these groups and they do not act so human as to consciously cooperate.
Another characteristic trait of the undead is their simplicity, which makes them particularly tractable. They have destructive tendencies and any creature that is their equal or inferior will be seen as prey and hunted down—humans and animals included.
They are said to possess no memory of their former lives, but in truth they do seem to maintain some fragmentary memories. At times, undead can be found talking to walls as if they were old friends or unconsciously performing habits they held in life: unnecessary gestures such as running their hands through their hair or rubbing their noses or mouths.
A single undead is not an opponent worthy of much fear, but if they appear in a horde, you should use more caution the greater their numbers.
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Wights are born as a result of sorcerers who, in pursuit of immortality, subject their own bodies to forbidden magicks and are cursed to live even in death.
Unlike skeletons, which are propelled by nothing more than inorganic impulses, wights clearly possess their own minds, losing none of their intelligence or sorcery after death. All of the magicks which they use are powerful and, thanks to their former lives as sorcerers, it takes little time for them finish their incantations.
Wights can even summon undead and skeletons to serve them strategically, using their magic to make these servants stronger and provide them with protection. Wights are usually seen floating in the air thanks to their powerful magicks and they are agile as well. Since their bodies are already dead, they are unfettered by pain or exhaustion and you will wish to avoid prolonged battles with these monsters.
It is said among adventurers that wights are what become of sorcerers who desired to know the truth of all the world. They have only rarely been sighted and one theory is that they put barriers up to hide themselves from the undeserving, thus unworthy adventurers will never even see them.
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Dragons are creatures wreathed in mystery.
Though they have appeared a handful of times in the long history of the continent, it is still not clear how they are born or what brings them to attack men’s civilizations. The small amount of knowledge that has been gleaned from their sporadic attacks reveals little more than the facts that dragons possess dreadful power and are intelligent enough to understand human speech.
Dragons appear without warning, sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds of years apart, bringing chaos in their wake and destroying men and nations without distinction.
Their actions are inhuman and atrocious, but given their high level of intelligence, it is hard to imagine that their violence is without purpose. Many times in the past have they brought the world to the edge of destruction, but they have never completely wiped out mankind.
In every age that they appear, the dragons commit a short-lived but ferocious assault upon the world. Then they cease their attack and alight atop a mountain or other visible location, as if waiting for something. Given these strange actions, it is possible to think that the dragons are fulfilling some sort of role or duty, serving some greater function in the world, yet at present there is simply not enough evidence to make any sort of theory about the dragons’ purpose.
It is also clear from past records that the number of monsters in the world seems to sharply increase around the time that a dragon appears. This could be nothing more than coincidence, but if it is somehow an effect of a dragon’s imminent appearance, then this would be another example of dragons’ peculiar place in the natural order of the world.
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Griffins are noble-looking creatures possessing the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. It is theorized that they arose from some strange bird, mutated by the effects of the Rift, that was able to adapt to this world and has since propagated.
The griffin is attracted to bright objects and habitually hoards treasures and gold. Ever vigilant, a griffin will react to even the slightest sound and are sensitive to any nearby presence, so do not let your guard down just because the beast appears to be asleep.
Griffins’ wings can also become electrically charged when flying through the sky, allowing them to employ lightning attacks.
Griffins have relatively high intelligence for a magical beast and are different from those creatures that act impulsively on instinct alone. This is why griffins have been respected as noble creatures since ancient times. Even in the present day, the image of a griffin is often emblazoned upon swords and armor and used in the standards of knights.
Griffins are not particularly quarrelsome or aggressive and they hunt primarily for food, not sport. They pose little threat to beasts which are not among their prey. That is, as long as you do not attempt to steal their treasure.
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Goblins are one of the species of foes that can be found inhabiting not only Gransys, but every corner of the world.
Their physical frames are quite similar to those of humans in structure, but even at full height it is rare for a goblin to reach five feet. Consequently, goblins cannot match the fearsome abilities of most other beasts and an individual goblin possessing some sort of weapon is only about as powerful in battle as an unremarkable human.
They possess about as much intelligence as a small child and are able to use rudimentary tools and weapons. Goblins appear to communicate with one another in their own particular language and some can even use a smattering of human speech.
Goblins usually form revels of five to ten individuals, commanded by a single leader. Strength in numbers is considered to be the goblin’s greatest weapon.
Goblins will also take human weapons and armor, mostly plundered from their fallen victims, and don them in their own fashion. Their looks may be laughable in the eyes of men, but the goblins seem to think that they look very fine in their outlandish outfits.
Goblins are able to take advantage of other creatures, thanks to their rather human-like intelligence. They have been known to set loose cyclopes, which they somehow are able to enslave, upon their human enemies.
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Even the bravest man would surely gasp at the sight of the great, demonic serpent that is the hydra. The black scales that cover its body seem to beckon ill luck and the body that stretches well over a hundred feet splits at last into four horrible heads.
The trouble lies in the fact that those four heads each possesses a mind of its own and will act against you independently if you approach it as an enemy. Even one of the heads would be a formidable enemy, so it is probably easy to imagine the threat that four can pose when attacking simultaneously.
The hydra has great size and dreadful strength, but its intelligence is on par with its reptilian appearance. In the end, its destructive tendencies and various attacks are nothing more than the result of base instinct.
The hydra possesses such horrifying life force that it can even regenerate its heads if they are cut off once.
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A fearsome beast bearing the heads of both a lion and a goat while its tail takes the form of a giant snake. The chimera’s features so distinguish it from the natural world that it is believed by most to be born not of God’s power but of the sorcerer’s arts.
The three beasts that reside within the creature each possess an independent will and this ability to act autonomously is frighteningly apparent if you come to blows with the chimera.
While the mobilization of its massive torso and legs is largely under the command of the lion head, the goat specializes in magickal attacks and the snake head on the chimera’s tail eliminates all blind spots and allows it to defend itself when downed. You would be foolish to approach a fallen chimera without caution if this snake is still able to fight.
On rare occasion, the chimera can be sent into a panic that will cause its respective personalities to fight for control of the body in a confused frenzy. Such behavior is not seen in other multi-headed beasts, such as the hydra, and so it appears yet another piece of evidence supporting the theory that the chimera is a man-made monster.
Chimeras are highly adaptive and can survive in any habitat, but they are most often observed in mountain shadows and deep in dungeons. They do not make a den or any other home for themselves as they are constantly on the prowl in search of new prey.
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Golems are humanoid figures made mostly from clay and stone. Buried within their bodies are magickal charms that grant them the ability to move autonomously.
Their dimensions are decided by their creators, but most do tend to top twenty feet at least. Golems are often created to guard important places, treasures, or people, and they follow orders loyally and without question.
Golems are a powerful force to be reckoned with, considering their overwhelming physical strength and defensive advantages, but if you can destroy the charms within them that grant them life, they will stopped forever.
Since golems are little more than puppets obeying the orders of their creators, they do not possess wills of their own, nor emotions or even a sense of self. Accordingly, they are not capable of any type of communication.
Thanks to their artificial nature, golems do not have pain receptors and will not be stopped by bodily damage. They also lack sight and detect enemies by life force alone. Tactics intended to impair their vision will thus be meaningless.
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Wolves can be found in every corner of the earth. They are carnivorous mammals from the Canis genus and commonly reach around 6 feet from snout to tail. They are not mystical creatures nor monsters, but their ferociously brutal nature separates them from their fellow animals.
Thanks to their social nature, wolves live in packs of up to a dozen individuals. An alpha male leads the pack and each pack seems to have its own demarcated territory. Wolves spend most of their time wandering within their pack’s territory in search of prey.
Wolves are quick and clever, more so than most animals, and so you will need to use caution to avoid their agile attacks. It used to be that wolves would not recklessly attack humans without provocation, but it is believed that the recent increase in monsters has caused their new hostility.
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From the tops of their lustrous heads to the curves of their bodies, harpies take the form of bewitching beauties, yet the wings and haunches of these creatures are those of a beast.
Harpies have a wingspan of nearly twenty feet and they have an undeniable grace when in flight. Their intelligence is that which you would expect from an animal, yet they are known to sing arias of such beauty that none can say whether the songs contain real language or nothing more than the simple cries of a beast.
Like most birds, they seem to have poor perception at night and avoid taking action during the dark hours, preferring to take their rest upon some safe perch. Yet there have been tales of harpies attacking by the light of the moon or the fiery glow of torches, so it will not pay to let your guard down at night.
The harpy’s song clouds human minds and lulls them into sleep. Once one harpy begins to sing, the others are likely to join in its song, so keep an ear open.
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Saurians are mostly found around water and have an appearance like bipedal lizards. They reach around ten feet in height and feed mostly on fish and animals.
Saurians are moderately intelligent and possess a sort of social structure, tending to operate in groups called basks. Most basks of saurians will have one of their own stand guard, usually while camouflaged, so exercise great caution around areas likely to be home to saurians.
They surpass humans in terms of brute strength and explosive power, and they can use their hunting harpoons as weapons. They can also spit poison from their mouths and quickly slither close to take a bite out of their foes.
A saurian’s body is covered with tough scales that cannot be penetrated by many attacks. These scales can also change color in response to the environment and thus saurians can disguise themselves to blend into their surroundings, all the better to ambush their prey. They call this ability “camouflaging.”
If you damage a saurian’s tail, it appears to lose the will to fight and will usually flee from battle. No one knows exactly why this is, but scholars theorize that a lost tail might demonstrate to others—especially potential mates—poor fitness, thus damaging a saurian’s social standing.
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The cyclops is a one-eyed monster possessing a huge body and fearsome tusks. Fully grown cyclopes reach a height of twenty to twenty-five feet and, as a result of their large size they are prone to sloth and apathy. However, cyclopes can be inspired to ferocious action when they are angered, so act with caution in their presence.
Cyclopes’ preferred methods of attack are primitive and unsophisticated, but devastating in their sheer force. Mainly resorting to their natural brute strength, some individuals have also been seen to employ a club as a weapon.
Cyclopes are woefully unequipped when it comes to intelligence and that is why they are often found enslaved by humans or other creatures. The secret society Salvation is known to prefer using cyclopes in their attacks, thanks to the creatures’ resemblance to the group’s symbolic icon: the Remaining Eye.
They can be surprisingly docile and will quickly take a liking to any who provides them with sustenance—but if a cyclops is hungry or angered, you will see its true brutality.
The appetite of a cyclops is voracious and they have been known to capture and eat goblins. However, goblins have also managed to enslave many cyclopes by feeding them. They view the cyclopes as useful bodyguards, and the cyclopes see the goblins as convenient masters that keep them in food.
