The World and Its People

Chapter One
The World and Its People
“Take one of Voltaire's swift shining shafts of wit: "History is after all only a pack of tricks we play on
the dead." Ah, yes, how true it is, we say; and we are astonished that Voltaire could have been so
profound. Then we realize that he did not really mean it. To him it was a witticism intended to brand
dishonest historians, whereas we perceive that it formulated, in the neatest possible way, a
profound truth — the truth that all historical writing, even the most honest, is unconsciously
subjective, since every age is bound, in spite of itself, to make the dead perform whatever tricks it
finds necessary for its own peace of mind.”
-- Carl L. Becker, The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers (1932), Ch. II. New
Haven: Yale University Press, 1971, pp. 43–4.
1.1 The Mundane World
1.1.1 History of the Mundane World
1.1.2 The Mundane World Today

The general year is 2015, the time and place seems to be ordinary TL8
Earth, but this is not so.
Magic has always existed, but wizards of the past were unable to
organise effectively or create powerful enough magic to change the
world significantly - thus ensuring that the Masquerade (the line of
secrecy separating the affairs of wizards from the mundane public) was
upheld. Then the Industrial Revolution happened, allowing the wizards
of various European societies to come together for the purpose of
expanding their abilities and hidden political pull.
1.1.2.1 North America

Eventually, the World Wars allowed a large conspiracy of North American
wizards, the Illuminati, to rise to power through co-opting the rising
US military and corporate might. Since crushing the Soviet Union in the
Cold War, the Illuminati set to controlling more than the big
businesses and political administration of America. They uplifted
various other wizard organisations in the Western World, as puppets
answering to them. They were the European Alliance, The Virtues in
Australia and M-EPIC in Canada - these factions were called "cabals".
In erratic opposition to the Illuminati-led cabals were the masses of
independents, otherwise known as "rogues", and the xenophobic
nationalist cabal of Japan known as the Imperial Drums.
But whatever status quo the Illuminati tried to establish died on
October 17 2004, along with their entire organisation and most of their
membership. On that day, all enclaves of Illuminati adepts were utterly
and lethally swarmed by an endless tidal wave of hostile and powerful
maze creatures – most died without even knowing they were under attack.
At the exact same time, the Illuminati cities in the Dreamlands were
also ravaged by the waves of monsters – only two managed to fight back
hard enough to avoid being completely wiped out, although they
nevertheless were reduced to a fraction of their original population.
Even though the Masquerade was preserved by a combination of luck, the
usual Cabalist secrecy and outside efforts to cover it up, the United
States of America, as a land and as a tool, was lost to all of wizardry
from then on, for the foreseeable future. What is now called the
American Plague has ensured that any magic users entering the USA
borders find themselves ruthlessly hunted down and killed by mysterious
monsters who never fail to track their prey, given enough time. Though
some Illuminati managed to escape over the border or were abroad from
the homeland at the time, corporate America and the US political system
were torn from the control of its puppet masters, and nobody mundane
even noticed. Very little Illuminati infrastructure or resources could
be scavenged or reclaimed – whole sections of it died with certain
individuals. The international authority of western Cabals was brutally
wounded overnight, every Cabal that relied upon Illuminati leadership
and backing found itself alone against any and all pushback from the
Imperial Drums and the rogues – not to mention in conflict with their
fellow westerners. The fact that the Illuminati had kept several
regional adept populations, such as China, Russia, the Middle East and
Latin America, politically weak and deprived of resources in favour of
disproportionally benefitting the westerners as a matter of policy
practically ensured military conflict between the rogues and the Cabals
– it was just a matter of whom, where and when.
The Canadian M-EPIC greatly fears the hideous American Plague striking
them next, ruthlessly policing the northern borders and building up
whatever military might they can acquire, by any means necessary, in
order to combat the threat.
1.1.2.2 Asia
The Imperial Drums rule Japan with an iron fist, hoping to undermine
the EA and the hated rogues of China, Korea and other Asian
nationalities. Their political power grew out of co-opting the Yakuza
syndicates, which were, in turn, used to drive out and exterminate any
other magical traditions, aside from their own Kotodama, on charges of
being ‘decadent, foreign blights’. (See Onmyodo for information on non-ID
magical traditions of Asia.)
The adepts of China and Korea thus greatly hate and fear the Imperial Drums,
although resistance to the Cabal from rogues in the region is scattered, due
to a combination of infighting, lack of support from the Tribes, fears of
breaking the masquerade to the Chinese government (whose reputation for
brutality and oppression make the prospect of their wielding magic a ‘doomsday
scenario’ amongst the West), an general shortage of magical knowledge, the
lasting effects of Illuminati adventurism (such as the Vietnam War and
their bombing of Cambodia) and Imperial Drum violence. Many rogues from
Asia instead travel to the Dreamlands and Australia, with the purpose of
operating with less restrictions and better resources.
1.1.2.3 The Middle East

The brutal and constant warfare between the regional adepts, that had
plagued the land for centuries, was mostly tamed in the late Nineties,
along with the mundane conflicts, when the Illuminati used their
puppet, the American military, to crush the power of the region’s
strongest countries. Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia...All were
invaded, stripped of their independent governments and all their adept
populations were rounded up for evaluation. The Israel-Palestine
Conflict was resolved peacefully in the August of 2001, the two state
solution was implemented exactly as the Illuminati preferred.
The fall of the Illuminati was felt most keenly in this region. Within
a week of the Plague striking, the American outposts in the most
populated areas were overthrown and the adepts began anew their old
invisible civil wars. For the most part, though, adepts in the Middle
East do not travel to the Dreamlands, nor do they interfere with other
regions – they have their own problems at home, their politics are
local.
1.1.2.4 Africa
Although the region has seen its share of chaos in the past, and the
sting of Apartheid still lingers in the south, it should be noted that
the continent of Africa is currently the safest and most stable area of
the world for rogue magicians. The strife of Cabalist intrigues is
remote here, with few entrances to the Dreamlands complicating things.
Quite a few rogues nearing their retirement years have their eyes on
carving out a peaceful life in Kenya or Madagascar, confident that they
will be removed from the discord and hostility that characterise the
hotspots of the Dreamlands. Not many of Africa’s rogues travel to the
Dreamlands, either visiting or immigrating.
1.1.2.5 Latin America

Throughout the Cold War, the Illuminati made special effort to dominate
the region of Latin America, ensuring that Communist influence was
curtailed. In this mission, they were less successful than their Middle
Eastern endeavours, as Castro and El Che took control of Cuba,
Nicaragua suffered a brutal civil war, death squads raped Guatemala and
the adepts of the region were much more united and better funded than
those of the Middle East.
Rogues from this region of the world are often travellers to the
Dreamlands, and are important citizens of every Tribe. The most
troubling development, however, is the rise of vicious and treacherous
organised crime syndicates within the region – the threat of the drug
cartels discovering the existence of magic and exploiting it is a
severe one, considering that they’ve terrorised the populations of
several large countries through merely mundane means already.
1.1.2.6 Australasia
Western Australia (the city of Perth being most well-known) and New
Zealand belong almost entirely to the rogues and Tribes, with a few
Virtues outposts scattered amongst their territory for easy contact
with that Cabal. It is the most common source of Tribals and rogues who
have west European heritage. Meanwhile, the eastern part of Australia,
especially Sydney and Canberra, are controlled and maintained by the
Virtues, although they have little problem with most other adepts.
This region of the world is the fertile with gates to the Dreamlands
and deposits of raw mana materials. All magical factions thus have a
vested interest in the situation.
The surrounding countries, such as Indonesia and New Guinea, are mostly
devoid of adepts.
1.1.2.7 Europe
The European Alliance desires the domination of the Dreamlands and its
untamed adept populations, with the destruction of the Imperial Drums
being an obvious first step.
The Cabal has controlled Western Europe under the supervision of the
Illuminati since its forming in the last days of the Second World War,
gaining much of its power during the Cold War by appealing to
Illuminati anti-Communist sentiment. The Illuminati saw the chance to
guard against the red menace at the very borders of its Union, and thus
saw little problem with supplying the Cabal with plentiful resources.
The adepts of Russia and the Balkans, meanwhile, suffered under Soviet
oppression along with the rest of the Eastern European populace.
Although they tried to make an alliance against the mundane USSR
governments, they found their pleas falling on deaf ears. The EA had
nothing but suspicion and contempt for Slavs, seeing their calls for
assistance as merely opportunities to be betrayed by shifty and
desperate rogues. The EA wanted to destroy the USSR, yes, but they
wanted to destroy it THEIR way and with THEM getting the full credit
for it. When the Illuminati fell, rogues in Eastern Europe flooded into
the Dreamlands non-stop, looking for any chance that the Tribes would
give to them to strike back at the EA.
1.2 The Dreamlands Realm
1.2.1 History of the Realm

During the year 1994, a large pocket plane of existence was discovered
that could be accessed all over the mundane world. Christened the
Dreamlands, this plane was considered a "homeland" for wizards, where
magic users could go to build societies just for themselves. The
rogues, in particular, decided to forge a new frontier, eventually
resulting in the creation of new political factions, which would become
the basis for several Tribes.
Of special consideration was that new magical materials, such as raw
mana, could be harvested only in the Dreamlands. One large region,
known as The Maze (see below), seems to have these resources in spades,
although the region is extremely dangerous as well – unnatural, hostile
creatures dwell within it. Using the various materials may require the
magic perk Secret Material.
1.2.2 Regions of the Realm Today

Today, the peace is fragile. The EA and Drums continue their
complicated cold war against each other, with the Virtues secretly
playing both sides against each other for the sake of their own
survival. The Dreamlands Tribes co-operate with the Virtues, both
overtly and covertly, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and genuine
goodwill. The Rogues continue to struggle on the Dreamlands frontier;
perhaps a new Tribe will emerge.
Sidebar: Realm Gates

The most vital resource available to any population of adepts are the
gates to and from the Dreamlands. Although magical doors to other
places do exist, they do not occur naturally like inter-dimensional
gates do (magicians need to cast the right spell to create them) and
they do not allow a person to cross the plane borders.
Like any border, they are a contentious political issue, guarded and
watched zealously by the adept power blocks, an important factor in
trade and the legal penalties for unauthorised interfering with them is
often dire.
The spells for creating, modifying, closing and finding them are not
only rare and difficult to learn, but also tightly controlled by pretty
much every magician rule of law. It requires the appropriate Permit
perk for most – even attempting to learn the spells without the perk
can mean some light jail time if caught by the local magician’s law
enforcers (LC3). The legal penalties for unauthorised casting of the
gate spells are usually comparable to the crime of possession of
illicit substances with intent to distribute (LC2) – lengthy
incarceration in a maximum security prison or even the death penalty if
the spell was cast with the intent to commit treason, terrorism or an
act of war.
1.2.2.1 Cities of the Virtues

Tannhäuser Gate
Population: 45,000 (Search +1)
Terrain: Plains
Appearance: Beautiful (+3)
Hygiene: +2
High Mana (Very Common Enchantment)
Language: English
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Wealth: Wealthy (5x)
Status: -2 to 7
Government: Thaumatocracy, Matriarchy, Military Government
CR: 3 (Corruption -1)
MR: $11.7M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: Capital Dreamlands outpost for the Virtues Cabal (80% of city’s
population are Virtues Cabalist), +3 for most search rolls related to
the Virtues. Magic is ultra visible, magic items and magi-tek are sold
here, +2 for search rolls related to getting such items. TL 8^ is
effectively 9 or 10 in some rich and military areas, although there are
no penalties for lower personal TL. CR +1 for non-Virtues. 7% of the
city’s population are mundanes, 84% of the population are female.
Alhambra
Terrain: Plains
Appearance: Attractive (+1)
Hygiene: +2
Normal Mana (Common Enchantment)
Language: English
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Wealth: Comfortable (2x)
Status: -2 to 6
Government: Thaumatocracy, Matriarchy, Military Government
MR: $2.6M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: Important Dreamlands outpost for the Virtues Cabal (78% of
population are Virtues Cabalists), +2 for most search rolls related to
the Virtues. Magic is highly visible, magic items and magi-tek are sold
here, +1 for search rolls related to getting such items. TL 8^ is
effectively 9 or 10 in some rich and military areas, although there are
no penalties for lower personal TL. CR +1 for non-Virtues. 10% of the
city’s population are mundanes, 85% of the population are female.
1.2.2.2 Rogue and Tribal Cities

Citadel
Terrain: Plains, Sealed, Aerostat
Hygiene: +2
High Mana (Common Enchantment)
Language: English, Korean, Greek
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -1 to 6
Government: Thaumatocracy, Socialist Dictatorship
MR: $3.848M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: Capital city of the Watchtower faction (83% of population are
Watchtower Tribals), +3 for search rolls related to Tribe Watchtower.
Socialist society means the Status bonus from Wealth is limited to +1 and
Rank replaces Status (First Citizen Panopticon is Administrative Rank 6).
Magic is ultra visible, enchanted items can be bought here, +3 to search
rolls. CR+1 for Non-Watchtower Tribals, CR+0 for Virtues Cabalists and
mundanes, CR+2 for other Cabalists (if Cabal is not banned completely), CR-2
for workers’ rights. City is composed of several magically floating tower-like
mega structures that are connected together by a series of wire-like ‘bridges’
and ‘tunnels’. Population is 16% mundane and 67% female.
The Hidden Fortress

Terrain: Woodlands, Mountain, Underground
Appearance: Average (+0)
Hygiene: +0
Language: Swahili, Cantonese, English
Literacy: Accented
TL: 8
Wealth: Average (1x)
Status: -2 to 6
Government: Sanctuary, Representative Democracy
MR: $5.2M
Defense Bonus: +14
Notes: Capital city and fortified military base for the Harbingers of
Arcadia Tribe (93% of population are HoA Tribals, the rest are mostly
mundanes), +3 to search rolls related to the faction. CR+3 for
security, military resources and secrecy. Location of this city is
completely confidential, its general area for kilometres around is
patrolled by Red Caps and heavily booby trapped – only HoA Tribals can
learn how to bypass them and learn the location of this city. Magic is
highly visible, but enchanted items are rarely traded here, +1 to
search rolls for buying and selling magic items. Population is about 62%
female.
Atlantis
Terrain: Reef, Sealed
Hygiene: +1
Language: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, Latin
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Wealth: Wealthy (5x)
Status: -2 to 6
Government: Thaumatocracy, Corporate State
MR: $6.5M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: Capital city and corporate HQ of the Friends of Wisdom Tribe
(78% of population are FoW Tribals), +3 to search rolls related to that
Tribe. CR+2 for mundanes (enslavement of mundanes is legal here), CR+1
for non-FoW factions, CR-1 for free enterprise. Centre of
thaumatological research and the enchanted time market, +2 to search
rolls related to those fields. Magic is ultra visible, the city itself
is an underwater structure magically maintained and built, with
entrance to and exit from requiring either gate travel or underwater
vehicles (submarine, bathysphere, etc.). Population is 59% female.
Inferno
Terrain: Desert, Plains
Hygiene: +0
Language: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese
Literacy: Accented
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 3
Government: Sanctuary, Anarchy
MR: $190
Defense Bonus: +5
Notes: Capital city of Tribe Hands of Glory (75% of population are HoG
Tribals), +3 to search rolls related to that faction. Popular criminal
hangout and mercenary company recruiting ground, +2 to search rolls.
Magic is highly visible, the enchanted item market is mostly
unregulated, +2 to search rolls. Population is 73% female and 18%
mundane.
Barter Town
Terrain: Swampland, Enclosed
Appearance: Unattractive (-1)
Hygiene: -1
Language: Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, English, Swahili
Literacy: Accented
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 3
MR: N/A
Defense Bonus: +5
Notes: One of the largest cities in the Dreamlands, not controlled by
any one faction, hotspot for the black market and several organised
adept crime gangs, +3 to search rolls related to illegal activity and
‘underground interests’. Magic is highly visible, the enchanted item
market is unregulated, +2 to search rolls. 9% of the population are
mundane, only 18% of the permanent population are citizens of a Tribe
or Cabal, most are simply rogues.
Pandemonium
Terrain: Plains
Hygiene: +0
Language: Spanish, Greek, Italian, Latin
Literacy: Accented
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 3
MR: $87,100
Defense Bonus: +5
Notes: A Hands of Glory aligned city, Pandemonium prides itself on its
extensive entertainment industry and opportunities to let loose, +1 to
search rolls related to the Hands of Glory, +3 to search rolls for a
‘good time’, both wholesome (games, sport, music, festivals, shows...)
and illicit (drugs, sex, fights...). Magic is ultra visible, the
enchanted item market is unregulated but somewhat lacklustre in range
and supply, +1 to search rolls.
Lightning Rod
Terrain: Mountain, Enclosed
Hygiene: +2
Language: Korean, English, Greek, Latin
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 3
Government: Clan/Tribal, Municipality, Bureaucracy
MR: $2.08M
Defense Bonus: +14
Notes: A Watchtower aligned city that is mostly run by the Korean
Military clans and some trade unions, with only some supervision by the
Panopticon administration, +2 to search rolls related to Tribe
Watchtower. The city itself revolves around the military base and
thaumatological research station, with most resources allocated to
reconnaissance of the Dreamland wilds and surveillance on the other
factions. CR+1 for Non-Watchtower Tribals, CR+0 for Virtues Cabalists and
mundanes, CR+2 for other Cabalists (if Cabal is not banned completely), CR-2
for workers’ rights. Magic is ultra visible here, but the enchanted item
market is restricted and civilians are rarely given many rights compared to
military personnel and government scientists.
New New York

Terrain: Island
Hygiene: +0
Language: English, Spanish
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 4
Government: Thaumatocracy, Military Government
MR: $6.942M
Defense Bonus: +13
Notes: One of the few surviving enclaves of the Illuminati Cabal,
although it is slowly becoming less set in its way as a matter of
course (65% of population is former Illuminati), +2 to search rolls
related to the Illuminati. The city is highly magical, but the
enchanted item market is highly regulated and monitored despite its
richness, +2 to search rolls. 73% of the population is female.
Lost Vegas
Terrain: Desert
Hygiene: +1
Language: English, Spanish
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 4
Government: Thaumatocracy, Military Government
MR: $2.938M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: One of the few surviving Illuminati enclaves left after the
plague (49% of the population are former Illuminati), Lost Vegas was
once a jewel of show business, gambling, vice and luxury. After the
plague hit and the Cabal fell, it was slowly repurposed into a
fortified military outpost for the former Illuminati, although not
totally (+2 to search rolls related to ex-Illuminati, criminal activity
and gambling). Magic is ultra visible. The enchanted item market is
officially restricted, but the black market for magical resources is
open, extensive and hungry for money (+2 to search rolls).
Shangri La
Terrain: Mountain
Hygiene: +1
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, Xiang, Gan, Hakka, Min Bei, Min Dong,
Min Nan, Wu
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 3
Government: Sanctuary, Representative Democracy
MR: $1,419,600
Defense Bonus: +7
Notes: One of the more obscure cities in the Dreamlands, but still very
important in a political and economic sense, it is mostly home to
rogues of Chinese heritage (82% of population are citizens of China who
have travelled to the Dreamlands), stereotypically one who have
campaigned for democracy or oppose the Imperial Drums Cabal. The city
itself is built on the highest and steepest cliff of a large mountain
side, and the architecture displays several kinds of finely crafted
Chinese art that are visible from quite a distance. Although there are
no official laws against it, people of Japanese heritage are not
welcome here (Imperial Drums are attacked on sight) and some other
Asian nationalities are given a cold shoulder – although there is a
significant community of people from Tibet and Nepal who have found a
new home here.
Eden
Pagan’s Landing
Population: 2,300 (Search -1)
Terrain: Plains
Appearance: Ugly (-2)
Hygiene: -1
Language: Russian, English, Spanish, Greek
Literacy: Accented
TL: 8
Wealth: Poor (1/5x)
Status: -2 to 2
MR: N/A
Defense Bonus: +5
Notes: One of the worst dirt holes in the Dreamlands, Pagan’s Landing
is described as “the filthy, unemployed, drunk, violent younger brother
of Barter Town” and they aren’t lying. The petty rogue gangs and
bandits populate this ramshackle town, getting by on a diet of robbery,
black market racketeering, slave trading and chaotic violence, +2 to
search rolls related to criminal activity and the black market. Only a
decent run of luck in the raw mana trade stops the town from descending
completely into useless squalor and crushing poverty.
1.2.2.3 Cities of the EA

Neo-Camelot
Terrain: Woodlands
Hygiene: +1
Languages: English, French
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Status: -2 to 6
Government: Thaumatocracy, Representative Democracy, Municipality
MR: $6.864M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: This city is aligned to the European Alliance, especially its
members from the British Isles and France (81% of the population are EA
Cabalists), +3 to search rolls related to that Cabal. CR+1 for non-EA
Cabalists and CR+2 for rogues and Tribals – Imperial Drums are banned
completely, maybe shot on sight. Magic is ultra visible, but there are
no open commercial markets for it in the city. The military are fairly
entrenched here, although some vital diplomatic ventures are conducted
from here. TL 8^ is effectively 9 in some rich and military areas,
although there are no penalties for lower personal TL.
Elysium
Terrain: Plains
Hygiene: +1
Languages: French, Greek, German
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Status: -2 to 6
MR: $3.146M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: Also known as “Neo-Paris”, this EA-aligned city (76% of the
population are Cabalists) is well known for its rich culture, its well
trained guardian militia and diverse thaumatological research
(including magi-tek), +2 to search rolls related to those areas. It is
also one of the few EA controlled territories where street crime and
mob activity are on the rise and visible, +1 to search rolls related to
the underworld. Magic is highly visible here, a key part of its
recreation of French and Greek art. CR+1 for non-EA Cabalists and CR+2
for rogues and Tribals – Imperial Drums are banned completely, maybe
shot on sight. TL 8^ is effectively 9 in some rich and military areas,
Tartarus
Terrain: Island/Beach, Underground
Appearance: Unattractive (-1)
Hygiene: +1
Languages: Greek, Italian
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Wealth: Struggling (1/2x)
Status: -2 to 4
MR: $559,000
Defense Bonus: +11
Notes: Despite its position as the EA-aligned city (92% of the
population are Cabalists, +3 to search rolls related to the Cabal)
closest to Very High Mana zones and several raw mana mines, the city of
Tartarus is mostly known as an economically disappointing hole-in-the-
ground. Multiple attacks on the city by antagonistic rogues, combined
with worsening conditions in the mines, have made the underground and
dreary municipality the butt of many jokes to the other EA cities.
Magic is highly visible here, but its application is mostly focused on
defense and mining rather than residential areas and fancy businesses.
CR+1 for non-EA Cabalists and CR+2 for rogues and Tribals – Imperial
Drums are banned completely, maybe shot on sight. TL 8^ is effectively
9 in some rich and military areas, although there are no penalties for
low TL.
Utopia
Population: 3,200 (Search -1)
Terrain: Plains
Appearance: Very Beautiful (+4)
Hygiene: +2
Languages: German, Latin, Spanish, English
Literacy: Native
TL: 8^
Wealth: Very Wealthy (20x)
Status: -2 to 6
MR: $8.32M
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: The secretive enclave for the European Alliance’s most powerful
members (94% of population are Cabalists), Utopia boasts a high
standard of living, strong security and amazing magical achievements
integrated into the city’s infrastructure, +3 to search rolls related
to the Cabal, Western European high society and high end technology.
Magic is ultra visible here, the EA’s magi-tek resources is readily
available, +2 to search rolls. CR+1 for non-EA Cabalists and CR+2 for
rogues and Tribals – Imperial Drums are banned completely, maybe shot
on sight. TL 8^ is effectively 9 in some rich and military areas,
1.2.2.4 Cities of the Imperial Drums

Neo-Tokyo
Terrain: Island/Beach, Enclosed
Hygiene: +1
Languages: Japanese
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 6
Government: Thaumatocracy, Dictatorship, Oligarchy
MR: $19.084M
Defense Bonus: +13
Notes: The Dreamlands HQ of the Imperial Drums is an fortified island
city named Neo-Tokyo, carefully constructed to repel attack from their
rivals from Western Europe (95% of population are Cabalists), +3 to
search rolls related to the Cabal. While the Cabal leader herself is
stationed in mundane Japan proper, the inner circle of ID advisors and
senior lieutenants maintains this Cabal outpost and directs their assignments
from Neo-Tokyo. Only people of Japanese heritage and nationality are allowed
in this city, and Imperial Drums are the only legal adepts accepted on any
level. Magic is highly visible here, with restricted and regulated enchanted
item markets available to the authorised consumer.
Mu
Terrain: Woodlands
Hygiene: +2
Languages: Japanese
Literacy: Native
TL: 8
Status: -2 to 4
Government: Thaumatocracy, Dictatorship, Oligarchy
MR: $17,830,800
Defense Bonus: +12
Notes: The ‘front line’ for the Imperial Drums (95% of the population
are Cabalists), the city of Mu finds itself the closet to rogue
territory and the European Alliance forces – forcing itself to focus on
military defense and counter-intelligence. Despite its siege mentality,
it proudly displays a flamboyant Japanese aesthetic and entertainment
industry from its city limits and inward, helped by its ready supply of
raw mana from prosperous mining operations in Very High Mana zones.
Only people of Japanese heritage and nationality are allowed in this city, and
Imperial Drums are the only legal adepts accepted on any level. Magic is ultra
visible here, with restricted and regulated enchanted item markets available
to the authorised consumer.
1.2.2.5 The Maze

The Maze is a term for a region of the Dreamlands that stretches over
an area about the size of a small country. Concrete information on the
exact characteristics of the Maze are relatively minimal, as the myriad
dangers of the area make gathering data and living to report it
difficult.
Nevertheless, there are some confirmed facts about the Maze known to
humanity; first, the region seems to boast multiple types of terrain
(plains, woodland, mountains...), including structures that, bizarrely
enough, seem to be manmade (abandoned buildings, bridges, steel
monoliths, gravel roads...) and tunnels leading underground into a
labyrinthine network of caverns (some of which resemble artificial
structures).
Second, sources and deposits of raw mana materials seem to be naturally
occurring here, and in much greater frequency and wealth than other
regions of the Dreamlands. Occasionally, some have found enchanted
items and alchemical elixirs in out-of-the-way places as well. Thus,
many rogues and all factions have taken to venture into the region and
start mining operations or treasure hunting expeditions.
Third, strange weather effects and unnatural phenomena also occur more
frequently here than other Dreamland regions. These happenings also
tend to be more hazardous – strong winds, blinding rainstorms, gravity
fluctuations that cause random objects to fly off the ground and crash
down erratically, puddles of water becoming acidic, the earth breaking
open, plant life bursting into flames as if divinely struck,
hallucinations, mood swings...All of these have been observed by
explorers and raw mana miners. And then there are the monsters, none of
which are ever observed outside the Maze...
Fourth, the region appears to have at least some of its features and
landscape ‘in flux’ - that is, it changes when people aren’t looking at
it. Some say that a hilly forest near the northern border used to be an
icy flat, for example. This especially seems to be the case for areas
closest to the centre of the region, where people rarely explore on
account of it being the most dangerous area.
Sidebar: Glowgrass Manor

One unusual area within the Maze that seems to have appeared half a
year ago and has, so far, stayed exactly where it was first spotted is
a large mansion on top of a cliff overlooking a large woodland valley.
According to reports, the mansion’s size is about three stories high
and easily several carparks wide from one wall to the other. The
outside gardens and inside rooms change features occasionally (the
front yard, for instance, was reported to have a large fountain full of
grimy water at first sighting but now features several looping concrete
pathways around a few marble statues) just like Maze structures have
been known to do. Explorers in the mansion report that its seems like a
typical abandoned and somewhat rotting high status residential
dwelling, although lacking working facilities (no working electricity
or running water) and most signs of life (no food in any kitchens).
Some claim to have found secret passageways in the bedrooms and bizarre
underground labyrinths in the basement, much like the cryptic manors of
pulp crime and horror stories. Many explorers of the mansion have found
enchanted items and strange supernatural phenomena.
The name given to the structure by its first explorers is Glowgrass
Manor, after a tendency of the nearby greenery (trees and grass) to
glow an eerie yellow-ish light in dusk and night time.
Sidebar: The Whispering Bottles

Explorers of the underground caverns and tunnels in the Maze have
reported coming upon a large chamber full of numerous bottles, each
sealed with a wax stopper and with a nametag attached to the neck.
The nametag attached to the bottle all bear a name, the witnesses say,
in one language (which language seems to vary a lot – most reports
claim English, Spanish or some Chinese language). The bottles’ glass
were a very dark green, making seeing inside them impossible and it
seemed they were all empty anyway. Most witnesses claimed that they
could not manage to unseal any bottle they picked up, nor could they
break them in any way.
On some occasions, the witness claimed to have found a bottle amongst
the chamber which bore their name on the tag. The witnesses described
that opening the bottle’s seal by hand with no difficulty. Once opened,
they described hearing a strange voice coming from inside the bottle,
which delivered a message to their ears. None of the witnesses chose to
divulge what the content of this ‘message’ they received was, so far.
Sidebar: Common Characteristics of Maze Creatures

The following traits are universal amongst the monsters found in the
Maze (some have Doesn’t Breath and/or Doesn’t Sleep);
Doesn’t Eat or Drink
Unaging
Wild Animal
Social Stigma (Monster)
Compulsive Behaviour (Kill all humans) (9)
IQ 2 to 5
Maze monsters (that we know of...) do not have Magery and cannot cast
spells, although they often do have various exotic and supernatural
traits.
Rumors claim that some Maze monsters hiding deep in the centre of the
Maze are sapient, capable of magic and have complex agendas...But
they’re just rumors.
1.2.3 Wizard Society
Sidebar: Permit and License for Mages

The License perk (Thaumatology: Magical Styles p27) is generally not
used in this setting; most magical styles are a part of a Cabal’s
training or culture (thus the adept has Rank that grants her the
privilege of her magic being socially accepted) and the ones that
aren’t either are part of a Tribe’s training or culture, or are rogue
traditions and thaumatological praxis. In other words, adept typically
have either Rank or live in a fringe society, both of which negate the
need for such accreditation.
The Permit perk (Thaumatology: Magical Styles p28), on the other hand,
is a key part of wizard politics. Getting a Permit for the casting of
specific spells and the handling of other aspects of wizard society
usually involves proving competence with magic (typically use of
Magical Style helps, as per Thaumatology: Magical Styles p12) and
taking the necessary steps with wizardly society’s bureaucracy. An
adept without the perk might be authorised to cast these spells, but
ONLY under the tight supervision of an official and the incident is
reported and logged with the proper channels (or in a dire emergency).
Otherwise, it is generally a crime.
The Permit perk can be bought for the following areas;
Mind Control – any magic (spell or elixir or whatever) that manipulates
a person’s thoughts and feelings or directly usurps control of a
person’s body, undermining free will.
Battle Magic – any magic that directly injures another being or has
destructive capabilities.
Magi-Tek Implant and Biomod Surgeon – the medical procedures that cover magi-
tek cybernetics and bio-modifications.
Enchantment & Elixir Dealer – buying and selling magical items and alchemical
elixirs.
Suspend, Restore and Drain Mana – interfering with the mana zones can be a
serious crime, magic that affects mana may be restricted.
Invasion of Privacy – any information gathering and mind reading magic, as
well as magic that can negate a privacy measure (like See Secrets or Metal
Vision) in some cases.
Suspend, Restore and Drain Magery – interfering with another person’s own
talent for magic is a serious offense, rarely allowed except to punish
dangerous criminals.
Divination – seeing into the future (and the past, sometimes, although that’s
usually covered as an Invasion of Privacy) is regulated by all wizardly
societies, mostly because unregulated diviners could easily be frauds, conmen
and “expert witnesses” for hire.
Curse – not just the spell Curse, but also hostile magic that harms a person
indirectly (if the spell Remove Curse can counter it, it probably goes into
this category).
Creating Gates – portals to and from the Dreamlands are highly
restricted and regulated by all wizardly societies, including magic for
creating, modifying and closing them. This category covers the Planar
Shift, Planar Summon and Planar Visit spells.
Teleportation – magically moving through space a long distance at a
great speed is restricted, including the Blink, Blink Other, Phase,
Phase Other, Teleport Other, Beacon, Divert Teleport and Teleport
spells.
Time Manipulation – magic that allows one to time travel or stop time
is restricted.
Wishes – altering reality with magic like the Lesser Wish, Wish and
Great Wish is restricted, severely.
Necromancy – doing the “creepy stuff” like Zombie, Steal Youth, Death
Vision (although Battle Magic also covers that) or Wraith is
restricted. But simply speaking to ghosts is not, and neither is the
Resurrection spell, although that’s mostly because the Resurrection
spell is very newly discovered amongst most and has only been
successfully used once – most think it’s a myth.
Note that some magical styles teach these spells anyway without having
Permit as one of their style perks – this means it’s a “maverick” or
criminal tradition (or the writer made a mistake)...
1.2.3.1 The War of the Pentagram

Turns out, the Australian Virtues were the first to butt heads with the
population of rogues, across a raw mana rich region of the Dreamlands
named The Pentagram. The conflict began with February of 2007, and
lasted for 7 months.
The War of the Pentagram began with an explosion of tensions resulting
from the Virtues’ heavy handed attempts to acquire the regional raw
mana mines which the rogues had claimed for themselves. Negotiations
with the rogues for the raw mana broke down. Pressure mounted when the
Virtues leadership perceived a growing threat to regional stability
from the European Alliance and the Imperial Drums, which the Virtues
felt could be headed off at the pass by increased military presence in
the Dreamlands and consolidation of their hidden grip on Australia’s
government and corporations. The alternate would be to risk being
forcefully vassalized by the bigger Cabals, who saw the Australian
Cabal as something to be co-opted and then aimed against the other.
Maintaining power required a fresh infusion of raw mana resources into
Virtues coffers to facilitate. Consequently, they chose to deploy an
invasion force into the Pentagram and secure the mines for the Virtues.
The rogues responded promptly by uniting their military might and
declaring war.
After 7 months of bloody fighting, the war ended with the Virtues
withdrawing their forces and negotiating a truce with the rogues, who
had recently begun founding the Tribes we know today. Despite the
general discomfort with this anti-climatic outcome, this farewell to
arms ended up being the catalyst for a hugely improved relationship
between the Virtues and most Tribals in the years to come. Though the
Virtues emerged fatigued from the war, their new understanding with the
Tribes ended up providing a solution to the twin problems of the EA and
the Drums – neither Cabal could find the courage to make a move against
the Virtues while the Tribes had decided to aid them as per the terms
of the Pentagram truce. The Tribes, though still wary of the Virtues,
never stopped seeing the EA and the Drums as much more dangerous and
vile foes. The mutual protection eventually developed into a fellow
feeling of sorts – respect and understanding slowly flowed in
afterwards, securing the political futures of both sides.
1.2.3.2 The Masquerade

Perhaps one of the only Illuminati traditions that succeeded in
widespread adoption, the Masquerade is the basic law of secrecy and the
custom of unconditional concealment. Any evidence of the supernatural
and especially magic is to be revealed only to approved and secure
mundane, with any ‘leaks’ to be plugged, through fair means or foul.
Most wizards agree to the basic concept of the Masquerade, and the
reputations of wizards and the factions are based on their attitude to
the Masquerade policy and wherever or not they can avoid breaking it.
Breaking the Masquerade is considered by most factions as criminal
negligence or even treason, and many wizards feel the veil of secrecy
that surrounds their magic to be a wise strategy.
Generally speaking, mundanes need to be audited inside and out for
months at least by professionally accredited investigators before they
can be cleared for knowledge of the truth – becoming what’s known as a
‘sanctioned mundane’. Auditors do a full background check and bring all
the magic they have to bear in evaluating the mundanes – key factors in
wherever they pass are their criminal record, their psychological
profile, their possible usefulness to the auditor’s faction and how
easy the sanction will be to ‘reverse’ should the faction change their
mind. A mandatory part of the audit is the mundane surrendering their
true name, a sample of all their various identifiers (blood, hair,
fingerprints, etc.), a through mind-reading and access to all their
relevant records. Mundanes who fail to be cleared by an auditor face
either memory wiping, imprisonment or death. Some mundanes in the
Dreamlands, typically those in rogue territory, are ‘tuned-in’ despite
having never been sanctioned – this has stoked considerable anti-rogue
sentiment amongst the Cabals.
Being a sanctioned mundane is a Permit perk, unsanctioned knowledge of
magic and the supernatural is a Secret worth -20 points.
Keeping the Masquerade usually means use of memory wiping magic,
destruction of documents both paper and digital, assassination,
trickery, kidnapping and character assassination, depending on
circumstances.
Despite their best efforts, however, most adepts feel that that the
Masquerade will be broken and stay broken sometime after the next five
years to a decade. There’s simply too many ways for a secret to be
exposed, especially a secret shared by more than a million. The thought
is a hot political issue, driving several policy decisions.
1.2.3.3 The Wizard Lifestyle and Subculture

Wizards use the same CFs as the mundane - the list of Cultural
Familiarities is the same as an ordinary TL 8 modern world setting.
Wizards do not have their own culture; they are a subculture of the
mundane world.
Wizards have their own slang and jargon, of course. A partial list;
Rakshasha – mage who has become unable to pass as ordinary at first glance due
to severe backlash effects giving them obviously unnatural Disadvantages.
Fumble – a critical failure with casting a spell.
Hearts – The Compassion.
Spades – The Valor.
Clubs – The Conviction.
Diamonds – The Temperance.
White Devil – Hidden Blade assassin.
Empty bottle – derogatory term for a mundane doesn’t know magic exists.
Broken bottle – derogatory term for a mundane who knows about magic.
Blunt – derogatory term for a mundane with Magic Resistance or similar
anti-magic abilities.
Screamer – a mage who specialises in anti-magic countermeasures.
Nameless one - any mage who lives and operates entirely in the Mundane
world and not in the Dreamlands.
Sleepwalker – mage who was born in the Dreamlands and/or lives in the
Dreamlands most of the time.
The Talent – Magery.
Skinjob – derogatory term for a Virtues Cabalist with Magi-Tek
implants, usually used by Tribals and rogues.
Toaster – derogatory term for a Golem made out of metal machinery
instead of the usual clay, or a Virtues Cabalist with Magi-Tek
implants.
Shovelhead – derogatory term for a member of The Conviction.
Euro – an European Alliance Cabalist.
Backlash – a Calamity result that had permanent effects, like a
Disadvantage.
Ultra – a Cabalist, particularly one from the EA or The Virtues.
Faerie – Harbinger of Arcadia Tribal.
Plato – Friends of Wisdom slang term for a thaumatological scholar.
Majestic-12 – uncommon term for The Virtues Cabal in general, usually
used by M-EPIC and EA Cabalists, more commonly used by most to refer to
the leadership of the Cabal in particular.
Pyro – a derogatory term for a Hands of Glory Tribal.
The Masquerade - the standard policy amongst most, if not all, to avoid
any public exposure of magic’s existence to mundane.
Trinket – an enchanted item.
The Fearful – derogatory term for adepts in general, used typically in
a cynical, misanthropic and self-depreciating sense.
Ice skating – casting a spell while over your threshold, especially if
you’re dangerously (and perhaps illegally) in excess of your threshold.
People who were born and raised in the Dreamlands and have little
experience with the mundane plane, however, do NOT have a completely
normal view of their own culture – growing up in the Dreamlands means
being socialised to accept a lot of idiosyncrasies as normal, you’re
separated from the original context of your traditions and you get a
biased, second hand and inevitably misinformed view of what mundanes
are like. Thus, a person from the Dreamland comes across to an
uninformed mundane as mildly alien in worldview and attitude, even if
they share a CF. This is a Quirk: Raised in the Dreamlands, which means
that the character suffers a milder version of the unfamiliar culture
penalty (B23) with CFs they technically have – they suffer a -1 penalty
to use any skill with a significant cultural component but only with
mundane and adepts who do not have the skill Hidden Lore (Wizards) or
the same quirk. You suffer the normal penalties for lacking a common
Cultural Familiarity – in that case, your oddness is lost in a sea of
mutual confusion.
Many wizards take careful care to have accredited documentation of

their ‘profile’ – what spells they know, what Permits they have, what
their threshold is and so on. This documentation tends to be either in
the form of a ‘spirit badge’ which can be read via the Aura spell or
the appropriate magi-tek device, or it is recorded on an actual
database (typically computerised and sometimes using magi-tek
technology) and printed out onto hard paper in code (to prevent
Masquerade violations). This ‘profile’ is considered as important as a
list of references and past employment history on a CV, or a police
clearance after a background check.
Magic contributes to the standard of living in the Dreamlands as per

Thaumatology: Urban Magics pages 32 to 39, 48 to 50 and 27 to 31. Also
see Fantasy pages 95, 64 to 67, 70 to 72 and 21 to 25 for more relevant
reading on magic in society. Enchanted items are common in the
Dreamlands – see Chapter Three for details on the enchanted item
market. Technology does not ‘clash’ with magic – in fact, it can be
integrated in strange ways (what’s known as magi-tek and some
enchantments). Several resources and technologies are imported from the
mundane planes to the frontier of the Dreamlands, thus assisting in
building the trappings of TL 8 civilizations for the adepts. It should
be noted, however, that while computers, automobiles, phones, radio and
televisions are available in the Dreamlands, the mundane world is still
a plane of existence away – which means, in the Dreamalnds, calling
someone across the planar ‘border’, listening to mundane radio
stations, using the internet and watching TV shows from the mundane
world are all impossible without the right magic. Most rogues simply go
without these things (there are Dreamlands radio stations and
television broadcasts, though, produced within the same plane and
unable to be received from the mundane world) and the usual source of
the right magic are the Virtues and the European Alliance.
As far as anyone knows for sure, it seems religion is not mystically

significant outside of appropriating its symbolism for use in real
magic - the gods do not exist, nor do they take any interest in magic,
demons are simply constructed spirits of negative concepts (like wrath,
lust, greed and so on) and ‘angels’ are similar except for being
constructs of virtues. Science does not generally know of magic’s
existence, thaumatology excluded, but magic is a part of natural law –
albeit a natural law that is not yet widely and entirely understood.
Thus, many adepts are atheists, or subscribe to a religion without
deities.
Because magic is dominated by women (it’s believed that roughly 75% of

the worlds’ total adept population are female, 100% of all Cabals are
women), this does lead to some...odd gender and sexual politics.
Generally, an adept will regard the mainstream gender stereotypes of
mundane as bizarrely ignorant, cryptically self-flattering and
childishly fixated on trivial ambitions, for instance.
It should be noted that magical talent is power in its rawest form –
altering reality with sheer personal will. Thus, adepts will often come
across as generally more self-confident than normal to mundanes – power
changes how you see the world, no matter your native culture or general
experiences. It should also be noted that greater magical power (Magery
4+, most obviously) seems to intrinsically encourage one’s personality
to pick up idiosyncrasies (in game terms, the GM may rule characters
with high levels of Magery, lot of spells learned and other such traits
will have noticeable mental disadvantages). So adepts tend to see
unconventional attitudes to societal norms and abnormal worldviews, or
even just straight-up personality disorders, as a sign of mastery with
spell casting and general competence. Generally, an adept has a higher
than average IQ and Will by a level or two. Their spells are usually at
the two or four point level for one they use regularly for their jobs.
Higher thresholds and tally recovery rates are the most common magical
advantages outside of Magery, with magical powers being much rarer (and
even stigmatised as ‘mutations’ in some parts of the Dreamlands).
Sidebar: Wizard Law

Adepts see no need to re-invent the wheel – they merely add to mundane
laws to compensate for the existence of magic after adopting them
wholesale, rather than formulate a new system of police, courts, tort,
and legislature and so on from scratch. There are significant
departures from mundane civics here and there, the Friends of Wisdom
Tribe’s enslavement of mundane being the obvious example.
Magic of any kind is given a LC just with equipment - see Fantasy pages
71-72, the Masquerade as above and the section on Permit and License
for Mages above.
1.3 The Afterlife
Only one person is believed to have been successfully resurrected

and he is something of a recluse, although ghosts of the departed
have been interviewed on the subject of the afterlife.
Put simply, there is none. The souls of the dead can hang onto the
‘twilight’ (non-corporeal form) and occasionally manifest in the
land of the living (usually with the help of magic, but occasionally
by exploiting ‘weak’ areas in the ‘border’) – but they eventually
‘lose their grip’ on twilight and simply cease to exist, just as
with most souls upon death.
How resurrection works or undoes/prevents this termination of

existence is unknown (it’s possible to resurrect a person whose
ghost has faded away, for some reason) - the spell technically
exists, but is obscure, poorly understood and even the most updated
version of the spell is buggy.
A soul can only avoid immediate cessation of existence through force

of will – magical talent seems to help. Ghosts eventually fade away;
the time to do so varies greatly from person to person. Ghosts in
this setting have the Spirit (if the GM judges you experienced
enough with magic or life as a spirit to develop the proper
abilities and traits) or Astral Entity Meta-Trait (B263) (without
the Unaging disadvantage, since fading away is similar, except your
GM decides the rate at which your existence crumbles away into the
nether) while manifesting in the land of living. The GM decides,
ultimately, who can become a ghost and who fades away immediately.
Spirits aren’t the same as Ghosts, technically. Spirits were never

human, Ghosts can only be human.

The World and Its People

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The World and Its People

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Chapter One

The World and Its People

1.1 The Mundane World

1.1.1 History of the Mundane World

1.1.2 The Mundane World Today

1.1.2.1 North America

1.1.2.3 The Middle East

1.1.2.5 Latin America

1.2 The Dreamlands Realm

1.2.1 History of the Realm

1.2.2 Regions of the Realm Today

Sidebar: Realm Gates

1.2.2.1 Cities of the Virtues

1.2.2.2 Rogue and Tribal Cities

The Hidden Fortress

New New York

1.2.2.3 Cities of the EA

1.2.2.4 Cities of the Imperial Drums

1.2.2.5 The Maze

Sidebar: Glowgrass Manor

Sidebar: The Whispering Bottles

Sidebar: Common Characteristics of Maze Creatures

Sidebar: Permit and License for Mages

1.2.3.1 The War of the Pentagram

1.2.3.2 The Masquerade

1.2.3.3 The Wizard Lifestyle and Subculture

Many wizards take careful care to have accredited documentation of

Magic contributes to the standard of living in the Dreamlands as per

As far as anyone knows for sure, it seems religion is not mystically

Because magic is dominated by women (it’s believed that roughly 75% of

Sidebar: Wizard Law

Only one person is believed to have been successfully resurrected

How resurrection works or undoes/prevents this termination of

A soul can only avoid immediate cessation of existence through force

Spirits aren’t the same as Ghosts, technically. Spirits were never

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