game\cyclopedia 1 338 0 Locations 1 Dyrford Village 3 Characters 4 Sample Place 5 Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularized in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. 6 Lore 7 The Blacksmith Knights 8 Dunryd Row 9 The Dozens 10 Ethik Nôl 11 The Fangs 12 House Doemenel 13 The Dyrwood 14 The Aedyr Empire 15 Eir Glanfath 16 Knights of the Crucible 17 Admeth Hadret 18 Edrang Hadret 19 Galven Regd 20 St. Waidwen: Farmer Become God 21 The Saint's War: From Inception to Godhammer 22 The Moons of Eora 23 Animancy 24 True Stories from the Living Lands 25 The Calendar 26 Aedyran Customs 27 Glanfathan Customs 28 Naasitaq Poetry 29 Glanfathan Poetry 30 Skaenite Holy Text 31 Magranic Holy Text 32 Berathian Holy Text 33 Woedican Holy Text 34 Eothasian Holy Text 35 Dyrwoodan Farce 36 Readceran Morality Play 37 Vailian Tragedy 38 The Life and Discoveries of Pandgram 39 Monsters of the Deadfire Archipelago 40 The White that Wends 41 The Great Western Stag 42 43 Beetles are not quite man-sized, but they strike a sufficiently intimidating form to frighten off most travelers. The alarmingly large insects never fail to impress and terrify visitors, and reinforce the image of the Dyrwood as a barely civilized backwater. The expansive wilderness in and around Dyrwood (and Eir Glanfath) gives beetles plenty of room to multiply. The most successful species of large beetle have evolved to not only camouflage themselves in the surrounding environment, but also to grow carapaces made out of common and hardy materials, such as wood, stone, and adra. Glanfathan tribes have been known to fashion crude shields and even weapons out of the limbs and shells of these beetles. Despite all appearances to the contrary, there is an underlying complexity to the common beetle. When they choose a material with which to develop their shell, they do so with a level of intention that borders on artistry. Wood beetles will often burrow intricate holes in their carapaces. By blowing air through these makeshift pipes, they play an eerie music to attract mates. Stone beetles fashion rudimentary tusks and horns that help them to defend themselves and to attack prey. The intricacies of adra beetles are as of yet not well understood, save that they are notoriously difficult to kill. 44 Phantoms are souls that did not properly separate from the body after death. This usually happens as a result of severe trauma, particularly in the case of a violent death. Unlike lost souls, which are incapable of interacting with or being detected by normal mortals, phantoms (like shadows and cean gŵla) maintain a connection to the physical world. They will attack other life forms without discrimination. Phantoms can also manifest from kith who lived particularly chaotic lives, including violent criminals and the insane. Anyone can become a phantom under the right circumstances, but the fear of phantoms – and their association with the mentally ill – can result in vulnerable populations being shunned across many communities. 45 Ogres are large, thick-skinned creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall. They are heavily muscled and typically attired in the furs, or skins, of their prey. Clubs, axes and maces of bone or wood are their preferred weapons. Ogres are as intelligent (often more so) than "civilized" races, but their overwhelming hostility towards even their own species keeps their numbers low. Despite their natural intelligence, their volatile temperaments have historically prevented them from concentrating long enough to create anything of significant cultural value. Most live semi-nomadic, secluded lives in the wilderness, where they are less likely to encounter others. The only time they reliably come together is during the mating season, which often does almost as much to reduce their numbers as it does to replenish them. Ogres with a more "peaceful" streak take particular pains to avoid contact. On the rare occasions that ogres are found working together, they are almost always operating under the direction of an ogre matron. Ogre matrons are even larger than male ogres, but tend to be less aggressive toward their own kind. Where ogres have banded together, they have often represented an insurmountable threat to other kith. 46 Shadows are created when creatures with heavily fractured souls die without re-entering the cycle of rebirth. Because these souls are damaged, they drain essence from other creatures in a futile attempt to repair themselves. The more essence they steal, the more powerful and dangerous shadows become. As they devour essence, they pick up pieces of corporeal matter, giving them a visible, if indistinct, form. Luckily, shadows can only draw a small bit of spiritual energy from souls still attached to a body or bound to an object. They mainly rely on creatures like the pŵgra, who can draw souls out of their physical form, to help them obtain the essence they crave. Shadows have been known to draw spiritual energy from people while they sleep, when their souls are not bound as strongly to their bodies. This results in horrible nightmares that leave the person in an exhausted state the next day. If an entire town suddenly begins to suffer nightmares, it is highly probable that a strong shadow has taken up residence there. Since shadows absorb spiritual energy, they appear invisible to creatures that rely on spiritual sight. This has led to experiments in binding shadows to armor or other objects to act as a cloak to obscure those who do not wish to be seen by such creatures. 47 Young dragons begin their life cycle as wurms, though most never develop beyond that stage. Wurms are clever and sly, if not especially intelligent. To develop into a drake (and eventually a dragon), a wurm must have ample space and resources. They will not develop if they live near existing drakes and dragons. They must seek out a habitat that has not already been claimed by a larger counterpart. Since the chances of further development are low, most wurms will band together in covens for survival. They are bold and highly aggressive creatures, if not particularly intelligent – the intense competition for food and territory demands this. 48 Enormous and hostile spiders come in a terrifying array of shapes, colors, and sizes throughout the Eastern Reach. Much more aggressive than their tiny kin, these giants actively seek out human and animal prey. Even the weakest of them, the spear spider, can easily kill a grown kith if the victim is unprepared. Though the spear spider lacks a poisonous bite, its piercing legs, from which its name is derived, can inflict terrible wounds, even through armor. More deadly than spear spiders are ivory spinners and widowmakers, with both species possessing horrific poisonous bites. The ivory spinner also has the ability to fire webbing at its prey, slowing it down. Widowmakers do not cast webs, but their poison is extraordinarily toxic. Seldom seen outside of the most remote locations in Eir Glanfath, the fabled crystal-eaters are enormous and powerful, possessing magical abilities some wizards believe have been developed through the consumption of adra and enchanted gemstones. In addition to their ability to raise a field of deadly crystal spikes, the venom of a crystal-eater will temporarily turn a victim's flesh and blood to stone. Subsequent attacks by the crystal-eater on a petrified foe are quickly fatal. 49 Lurkers are actually comprised of a colony of several different species of parasitic, carnivorous plants and fungi working together to hunt common prey. As a whole, they stand nearly ten feet tall in a vaguely anthropomorphic "body" comprised of vines, leaves, roots and earth. The coexistence of so many separate organisms can make them hard to eradicate, and it is usually best to sever the parts that enable locomotion or to simply light the entire colony on fire. While the means by which lurkers form remains a bit of a mystery, some speculate that they form when certain species of flesh-eating plants come together on a common host, such as the hollowed victims of dank spores, and achieve locomotion once sufficiently strong. This theory is supported by the fact that many lurkers, when cut open, contain bones and other remains riddled with roots and spores. Lurkers are notorious for hiding in plain sight, often waiting motionless amongst the trees and underbrush to ambush their prey. They appear to hold a rudimentary intelligence, and are at least sophisticated enough to store food. It is not uncommon to see several unconscious victims tangled in a lurker's vines, being saved for a later feeding. 50 Lions were once a common sight on the plains east and south of Eir Glanfath's great forests, but colonization in the Eastern Reach has pushed the great cats back to the relative safety of the territory between Glanfathan and Dyrwoodan communities. In addition to their great power, lions are known for their roar, a terrifying sound that can strike fear even into the hearts of the bravest kith. 51 "Where there are deer, wolves will soon follow." This Aedyran proverb, often spoken with the first phrase omitted, suggests the vulnerability that early settlers often felt in the Eastern Reach. It also speaks to the long association that the Aedyrans (literally "People of the Deer") have had with the four-legged predators that are as ubiquitous in the Dyrwood as they are in the Aedyran Empire. Wolves are legendary for their speed as well as their ability to knock their prey prone, subsequently subjecting them to devastating attacks. 52 These giant mushrooms stand nearly as tall as adult aumaua, and are topped by a broad and colorful cap. Their enormous weight is only held upright by the dozens of roots surrounding their base. Dank spores are unique, compared to other forms of fungi, in their appetite for the souls of living creatures. They often grow and move in groups along the forest floor, searching for weakened or exhausted travelers who are unable to fight back. Once they find a host, they bind to it and supply it with the basic nutrients required to keep it alive while they absorb its essence. Dank spores are extremely hostile once they find a host, and will attack anything that gets close to their meal with their poisonous, barbed roots. Dank spores feed on the most corrupt and splintered energy of a soul first, continuing until the host is nothing but a soulless husk. This makes dank spore flesh useful to experienced apothecaries as a cleansing agent in soul purification medicines and techniques. Improperly applied, however, this treatment can lead to amnesia and, in extreme cases, soul fracturing. 53 Sporelings are the larval form of dank spores. While more mobile and agile than their mature counterparts, these humanoid-shaped creatures are also far weaker. They spawn from the dank spores, and use their heightened mobility to seek nourishment. Like dank spores, sporelings feed off of both decaying organic matter and soul essence, and they must bulk up on a sufficient amount of both before maturing into dank spores themselves. 54 These gangly giants stand twice the height of average humans. Their bodies are covered in large, fungal growths which leak foul-smelling, pus-like fluid. Their oversized hands and feet extend to giant claws capable of rending a man in two. Dozens of slimy tendrils hang loosely from atop their oversized head, and their vast maws are filled with jagged, razor-sharp teeth. Trolls have long faces, long chins, long noses, and tangled masses of wiry, fungus-infected hair on the tops of their heads. They have never been observed to use weapons, tools, or clothing. Looking at a troll, it can be difficult to tell whether they've evolved in harmony with lichen, moss, and fungi, or whether they've been overtaken by them. A troll's naturally clammy flesh provides the ideal growing environment for these plants. They provide camouflage as well as some protection from the elements, and the enzymes they produce also offers limited sustenance for trolls in lean times. Because of their symbiosis with these plants, trolls generally dwell in heavily-wooded areas, although some may occasionally be seen in damp underground environments that also house an abundance of lichens and fungi. 55 The vithrack are extremely rare, very dangerous creatures with natural cipher abilities. They are mostly humanoid in shape, slightly taller and thinner than humans, but boast fanged, spider-like heads. Similarly to spiders, they are capable of spinning silk. Rather than creating webs, they use this skill to fashion complex hive structures, along with their own very intricate and fine robes. Males and female vithrack are indistinguishable from each other. They are primarily spellcasters and mental manipulators, like ciphers, though they will also attack with their fangs when forced into close quarters. Vithrack psionic powers allow them to communicate mentally with one another. Like many social insectoids, their society includes a variety of specific roles, including scouts and defenders. Despite their extreme intelligence and power, vithrack are not a major force in the world due to their extremely low birth rates. While these low birth rates are likely responsible for their famed hostility toward other races, they have also made the vithrack highly altruistic when it comes to their own kind. They will defend their nests to the death. 56 These amorphous clouds rapidly swirl with violent energy. Within the maelstrom, dozens of humanoid shapes materialize and vanish within an instant. Faces scream in silent agony while hands desperately clutch and claw at the air around the mass. Bîaŵacs (spirit winds), as these storms are known, often create blights. If souls are ripped free of bodies and caught in the center of the storm, they may become stuck together and bonded with any other elemental substances in the maelstrom. They are pure chaos and confusion, and destroying them is considered a mercy to the souls trapped within. Experimenting with blight creation is yet another questionable activity that has earned animancers a bad reputation in many circles. Some see it as dangerous and inhumane, others as a means to an end. The creation of blights is an accusation many fearful kith level at animancers. 57 A delempŵgra ("rotten leaf"), more typically called pŵgra ("rotten"), is a delemgan that has been corrupted by the destruction of their home tree or adra stone. They are as ugly as delemgan are beautiful, spindly and emaciated with cool tones to their skin. Their hair is dead, dark, and slimy, their facial features contorted, and their teeth long and sharp. Unlike delemgan, they are not surrounded by motes of light, and they are more than willing to attack unfortunate travelers with their long talons. Pŵgra decorate themselves with the skulls, skins, and feathers of animals they've killed. Just as delemgan seek to maintain the health of their forests, pŵgra seek to corrupt them, making the two species mortal enemies. The rot that infects them endows their attacks with a ghastly poison, but it also makes their bodies weak and brittle, leaving them vulnerable to piercing and crushing attacks. Since they can no longer draw essence from a healthy forest, they must survive by drawing energy and essence out of plants, animals, and kith. This makes them natural allies with shadows, which feed by similar means and enjoy the benefits of a shared hunt. They are hostile toward all life, but rangers and druids are their most common foes. 58 The delemgan are forest spirits of Eir Glanfath that are bound into ancient (often petrified) trees or adra monuments. They appear to have mostly elven-shaped bodies, but their skin is made of wood and their hair is long and plantlike (adragans appear to have skin made of adra). Delemgan glow slightly and often have tiny motes of light around them. They do not wear clothes, but lack sexual organs, as they only have the overall shape of humanoids. Delemgan are entirely magical beings and do not use physical weapons to attack. Their attractiveness is used in tandem with their magic, typically to stop attackers or lure them to their deaths. These creatures draw their essence from their environments. While they have physical bodies and can be killed if those bodies are destroyed, their survival also depends on the health of their environment. They feel no natural animosity towards other beings, but they will defend their territories fiercely. Thus, delemgan and adragan ("adra-born") may individually be more or less hostile depending on the well-being of their locale, and on whether other explorers or adventurers have, in the past, proved dangerous or benign. They are a natural roadblock to large-scale development. While rural tribes in Eir Glanfath often live peacefully alongside them, expanding or developing cities and towns may find themselves beset by hostile delemgan. Some kith, too, oppose the destruction of delemgan habitats. City-dwellers generally support the notion, believing that their souls will simply reincarnate in other forests or back into kith. Delemgan are traditionally friendly toward rangers and druids. Their spiritual link with trees has led to greater understanding of the link between rangers and their animal companions, though a definitive connection has yet to be made. 59 60 A full-grown dragon is colossal, taller than most buildings of kith construction when at rest. They can easily rise to twice that height when rearing up on their hind legs. Dragons have reached the mature stage of their life cycle. Like drakes, they have adapted to fit in their environment, but even more extensively. Their coloration, ornamentation, and even body structure will reflect their chosen territory, as will the attacks and defenses they can bring to bear. Because they have already claimed territory and rarely face a threat from other dragons or drakes, they are more conservative in nature and will not seek unnecessary conflict. Only dragons can mate. This is generally the only occasion that will cause a dragon to leave its lands or seek out others of its kind. Upon reaching the dragon stage, these creatures will assume a sex. However, if surrounding populations are too heavily skewed one way or the other, individual dragons can change their sex. As creatures that reach this stage are so rare, this ability is critical to the survival of the species. Dragons are more intelligent than most other sentient beings, but their solitary nature prevents them from interacting meaningfully with other species. 61 Drakes represent the middle stage of a dragon's life cycle. They have developed from wurms, but have not reached (and may never reach) the dragon stage. Drakes will aggressively defend their territory and seek to expand it as much as possible. Drakes are actively hostile against other drakes, who represent competition for scarce resources. Their coloration reflects the territory they have claimed. A drake living in a swamp, for instance, may be shades of green, brown and black, and possess nictitating membranes, a flat snout, and raised nostrils. While all drakes can breathe fire, many also develop alternate breath attacks, incorporating other elements. 62 Druids believe that essence is strongest and most harmonious when connected to the natural world. As most beings have souls (or parts of souls) that have lived dozens or hundreds of lifetimes before, they already have a link to the natural world. Learning and practicing spiritshift forms is about tapping into previous lives and experiencing the strengths and skills (if not the actual memories) of soul ancestors in the animal kingdom. Druids also believe that spiritshifting allows an individual to find greater balance and strengthen essence by "aligning" oneself with past lives. This practice avoids the trauma of a full Awakening, which druids see as unnatural and forced. Accomplished druids may learn multiple spiritshift forms, believing that each form imparts a unique set of experiences to the practitioner and more fully balances his or her essence. 63 Rangers often choose as companions creatures with whom they share a strong natural affinity. The process of soul-bonding connects ranger and beast to such a degree that both entities share stamina, health, and eventually, death. It is believed that rangers bind themselves to animals in which they were recently, or most vividly, incarnated. Once bonded, ranger and companion never part. 64 Due to spear spiders' speed and unique method of attack, very brave (or very foolish) swordsmen and women, particularly members of the Fangs, have traditionally fought them for sparring practice. Today, this tradition is hardly followed by any but the most rustic and rugged warriors-in-training. The spear spider is also known as one of the boldest arachnid hunters, as it tends to rely less on its webs and more on its barbed legs to capture prey. As a result, this species ventures further from its nest than most other spiders. 65 Stelgaers are large predatory cats. While juveniles are often lone hunters, mature stelgaers will often band together in prides to defend territory, hunt prey, and care for their young. These cats are aggressive and highly adaptable, and particular strains of the species may be found in a range of environments, from hot plains to frozen tundra. Kith settlements have pushed them out of most of the territory around Defiance Bay. As a result, they are more common in Eir Glanfath. Their status as a deadly predator makes them a noteworthy trophy among followers of Galawain. 66 An ooze is a mobile, carnivorous mold that develops in dark, dank places that experience little to no regular traffic. Oozes feed off of ambient bacteria, fungi, and small insects as they grow. They begin to seek larger prey, including humans, once they reach the size of a dog. Like all living creatures, they have a measure of soul essence, but their lack of intelligence and a true nervous system makes them mindlessly aggressive and difficult to deter. Their viscosity and mobility enable them to perform surprisingly nimble attacks, and they are capable of "spitting" corrosive enzymes to break down flesh and armor. Some of the more dangerous variants of the species are disease vectors, making any confrontation with them especially perilous. 67 Cean Gŵla are violent and confused spirits that have been unable or unwilling to move beyond the Shroud. More specifically, these are the spirits of women who die under particularly tragic or traumatic circumstances, hence the name "cean gŵla," which translates to "blood mother." The popular image of the cean gŵla as the spirit of a jilted lover has changed in recent years, as the effects of Waidwen's Legacy have become more widely known. With so many Hollowborn arising and a similarly steep rise in cean gŵla sightings, many assume these spirits are linked to mothers who have died in childbirth. In reality, the Cean Gŵla manifest just as readily from the spirits of women who perished in violent crimes or accidents, or those who led particularly violent lives. 68 In the cities of the Dyrwood, will-o-wisps hold an almost mythological status, and feature in several old wives' tales. One of the most popular of these suggests that will-o-wisps are the souls of lost children, wandering towards their next lives. In rural areas, those who come into regular contact with will-o-wisps regard these stories with some amusement. Wisps are known to inhabit abandoned ruins and other such forgotten places. They are thought of as curious creatures, for they will sometimes follow travelers for short distances. While typically peaceful, wisps are notoriously aggressive if provoked, and will viciously defend their territories if they perceive these to be under threat. As a result, wisps are often described as the weeds of the spirit world - small, quick to regenerate, and nearly unstoppable in large numbers. 69 Animats were initially created to serve as guardians for royal tombs. Their earliest creators bound the souls of their strongest warriors and servants to intricate sculptures, made of various materials in accordance to the rank of the soul captured within. As the knowledge of the technique for this process became more widespread, powerful animancers started creating their own animats to serve as personal guardians, using whatever weapons and materials lay at hand. Animats can only be created through the use of loyal souls that hold a powerful dedication to protecting their charges. While the ritual to create them can still be performed upon unwilling subjects, a lack of resolve in a participant's soul can result in abominations which immediately attempt to destroy themselves in a violent manner, often inflicting collateral damage in the process. Even successful creations remain vulnerable to the onset of doubt, and most animat creators take great care not to allow such doubts to manifest. 70 Darguls have reached the first irreversible step in the decay of a nominally dead body sustained by soul energy. At this stage, they have lost some portion of their memories and mental abilities, but they retain the self-awareness to recognize their own decline. Their insatiable hunger and inevitable decay makes Darguls more reckless and aggressive than fampyrs, even as they are compelled to seek out secret and secluded environments so as to avoid drawing the attention and wrath of civilized communities. Some fampyrs dread this stage more than those that follow, for they know that they will retain enough of their faculties to fully experience their own downfall. 71 Fampyrs are kith that have had their lives unnaturally extended. Though they retain most of a normal humanoid appearance, they are merely a few missed meals away from devolving into mindless monstrosities, and they know it. As fampyrs maintain individual personalities and memories, this morbid knowledge may manifest itself in a number of ways. Some may become reclusive and cautious, avoiding any threats that could prematurely weaken or destroy them, and others become outgoing hedonists, seeking to enjoy every pleasure the world has to offer while they can. Sooner or later, every fampyr (unless killed) will inevitably succumb to decay. Because fampyrs require living essence in order to stay alive, and the blood of kith provides the richest and most immediate source of it, they are shunned by most civilized communities. As a result, fampyrs tend to live at the fringes of society, if they participate in it at all. 72 Like animats, flesh constructs are created by animancers and powered by a captive soul. Unlike animats, they are not dependent on the will and loyalty of the bound soul. Flesh constructs, therefore, cannot be undone by doubt, but they are only capable of following simple instructions. They also tend to be shorter-lived than animats. Whereas the energy and faith in an animat's soul can sustain it for decades, even centuries, the soul bound to a flesh construct will gradually fade away from its physical form, and the body will eventually stop responding to the soul's energy. Opponents of animancy in general and soul constructs in particular see this as a soul's rejection of an improper body, and as evidence that flesh constructs are an abomination. Even among animancers, the creation of flesh constructs is controversial. Some see the process as a "soul lobotomy" and believe that a soul should be allowed to pass on to the next life rather than be used as mindless fuel for a body. 73 It is generally understood that guls retain enough cunning to make dangerous hunters and adversaries, but not enough to be concerned about their rapid deterioration. Like darguls, they are drawn to secluded environments, though some gravitate towards cemeteries in search of readily available flesh. The meat of dead kith satisfies some of a gul's hunger, but it does little to sate their need for soul essence. Inhabiting a graveyard may actually hasten a gul's decay, as it reduces their incentive to seek out living sources of food. 74 Revenants are undead that have devolved beyond even the relative intelligence of a gul. Revenants retain their instinctive hunger, but they don't have the will or intelligence to reliably satisfy it. They are drawn to any environment where dead or dying bodies can be found. 75 Skeletons no longer require flesh or essence, but their drive to kill has been instilled over many stages of progressive decay. As a result, they will attack anything that approaches them, but they won't attempt to consume it after it is slain. The essence that animates them is energy at its most basic level, as the skeleton has lost all measure of will, intelligence, or personality. If not killed, a skeleton may eventually grind itself into bone dust, or its essence may finally evaporate into the ether. Skeletal savants are the remains of warriors, wizards, and other adventurous types. They are similar in overall properties to other skeletons, but they are more capable in combat and often retain rudimentary skills from their adventuring lives. Death guards are an aberrant form of these skeletons, as they are skilled, powerful, and intelligent. When fampyrs wish to avoid the gradual decay associated with their condition, they can engage in a risky, expensive, and extremely painful process that separates the tissues from bone and leaves a perfectly aware skeleton. In this case, essence does not decay in the flesh, and it instead resides in bone, a much hardier substance. Since the newly created death guard requires virtually nothing to survive and will not naturally decay further, it can "live" until it is killed. 76 Upon the onset of Waidwen's Legacy, desperate families turned to animancers for help. Transferring a lost soul into a living body was out of the question (for most), since almost all such transplants result in an immediate Awakening of the transplanted soul. The soul would regain the memories of a previous life, rather than that of the recently-born child. Animancers were pressed to come up with a quick solution, though they cautioned against such haste: if an animal soul were put into a soulless child's body, the child might gain awareness, instinct, and volition. It was suggested that, as animal souls possess less individual personality and memory than kith souls, the children might be able to grow into their new soul over time, and imprint over the weaker animal spirit - thus developing into healthy children. Transplants were quickly performed throughout the Dyrwood, and tens of thousands of afflicted children underwent the process. These children did seem to regain awareness and volition, and for a time the Saved children were believed to be cured. As they aged, however, it became clear that the Saved were not like other children. They held little understanding or concern for social norms, and often behaved strangely. Upon reaching adolescence, these differences began to manifest in physical changes of an entirely different kind from their maturing peers - the children began to turn into wichts. The first of these was an orlan adolescent. Having come of age, she sprouted bestial fangs, and acquired a feral appetite. Though her family attempted to hide her condition, she eventually butchered them in their beds, and escaped into the wilderness. Other Saved children soon followed, and vast numbers of broken families were forced to witness their childrens' transformation into ravening beasts. 77 Skuldrs are large, mammalian creatures that dwell in caves in total or near-total darkness. As a result, they have poor vision and rely on their sense of hearing to navigate and find prey. The protrusions and hairs on their ears allow them to detect airflow, which is key to telling direction in an underground environment. They communicate through screeches and clicks, and use these vocalizations in a form of echolocation. They are communal creatures, and will nest and raise young together. 78 Xaurips are reptilian humanoids about the size of orlans. They adorn themselves with the bones of fallen enemies - mostly xaurips from rival tribes. They also have an affinity for large feathers, which they hang and pin to their attire. Xaurip skin tones can vary from light green to a rustic brown. Their elongated snouts (which make speech impossible) and overly-aggressive behavior have hindered them from communicating with the more civilized races of the world. They live in secluded, tribal territories and are known for ruthlessly attacking anyone foolish enough to cross their path. Xaurips revere dragons as deities and build their communities around the lairs of these powerful creatures. It is not uncommon for a small tribe to wander nomadically until it has found a drake or dragon to worship. Once a tribe dedicates itself to a dragon, they will defend it at all costs. Elaborate rituals, in which the dragon consumes xaurip sacrifices, are a normal practice. As a dragon grows in age and size, these sacrifices become large religious events that cost the lives of hundreds of xaurips. The power and prestige of a xaurip tribe directly correlates with the age of its dragon. The most powerful tribes have existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Warriors and shamans of these large tribes typically paint their bodies to resemble their draconic gods. 83 Accuracy 84 Accuracy is part of almost every attack. It influences how likely the attack is to affect the target. Accuracy is defined primarily by a character's class and level but it is also influenced by Perception, Talents, and other active effects, such as spells or items. When an attack is made, the Accuracy is compared to the appropriate defense on a target to determine how the attack roll will be modified. If Accuracy is above the target's defense, it will be more likely to result in a Hit or Crit, less likely to result in a Graze or Miss. Any Ability or Talent that does not use a weapon as part of the attack gains a small Accuracy bonus based on the level of the character. 85 Deflection 86 Deflection is the defense used to resist direct melee and ranged attacks against the character that are not area of effect (AoE). It is defined by the character's class, level, and Resolve but may also be influenced by shields, certain weapons, Talents, and other effects from spells or items. 87 Fortitude 88 Fortitude resists attacks on the internal physical systems of the character (e.g. poison, disease, etc.). It is defined by the character's class, level, Might, and Constitution, but can also be influenced by other effects. 89 Reflex 90 The Reflex defense allows characters to dodge out of the way of physically harmful AoE attacks (e.g. explosions, bolts of lightning). It is defined by a character's class, level, Dexterity, and Perception, but may also be influenced by other effects. 91 Will 92 The Will defense opposes attacks that are mentally-based (e.g. a spell that mentally paralyzes the target). It is defined by a character's class, level, Intellect, and Resolve, but may also be influenced by other effects. 93 Blinded 94 Accuracy is reduced by 25 for all sources. Perception is reduced by 4. Movement is reduced by 2. Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 20. 95 Charmed 96 A Charmed target fights on behalf of the enemy at reduced capacity. Speed, Accuracy, and all defenses are reduced by 25. Charmed is exclusive, meaning a character can only have one Charmed affliction at a time. A newer one will dispel any older one present. 97 Confused 98 The Confused affliction makes the character behave erratically. Every 6 seconds, the target checks randomly to do one of the following: behave normally, attack an ally, walk in random direction, or do nothing. 99 Dazed 100 A Dazed victim's Accuracy is reduced by 10. Dexterity, Perception, and Intellect are all reduced by 2 and Attack Speed is reduced by 15%. 101 Dominated 102 A Dominated target is subservient to the will of the enemy and will use everything at its disposal to fight its former teammates. Overrides Charmed. Dominated is exclusive, meaning a character can only have one Dominated affliction at a time. A newer one will dispel any older one present. 103 Flanked 104 Deflection is reduced by 10. 105 Frightened 106 Resolve and Dexterity are reduced by 2 and Accuracy is reduced by 10. 107 Hobbled 108 Hobbled characters have their Dexterity reduced by 2, Movement by 1.5, and Reflex by 20. 109 Paralyzed 110 A Paralyzed target can't take any action. Their Dexterity is set to 0 and their Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 40. Overrides Stunned, Stuck, and Prone. 111 Petrified 112 A Petrified character's soul temporarily transforms their body into immobile, brittle stone. They suffer the same effects as being Paralyzed, but attacks do greatly increased damage. Overrides Paralyzed, Stunned, Stuck, and Prone. 113 Prone 114 Prone characters can't take action. Dexterity is reduced by 2. Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 10. 115 Sickened 116 A Sickened character has all attributes reduced by 1. Fortitude and Will are reduced by 10. 117 Stuck 118 Stuck characters are rooted, able to act but unable to leave their current location. Dexterity is reduced by 2. Accuracy is reduced by 5 for all sources. Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 20. 119 Stunned 120 Stunned characters can't take any action. Dexterity, Perception, and Intellect are all reduced by 4. Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 30. Overrides Stuck and Prone. 121 Terrified 122 Resolve and Dexterity are reduced by 4. Accuracy is reduced by 20 for all sources. Overrides Frightened. 123 Weakened 124 Weakened characters have their Might and Constitution reduced by 2. Movement is reduced by 1. Fortitude and Will are reduced by 20. 125 Bruised Ribs 126 Characters with Bruised Ribs suffer a penalty to their Constitution. 127 Concussion 128 Concussions inflict a penalty to the character's Resolve and Intellect. 129 Sprained Wrist 130 The Sprained Wrist injury inflicts a penalty to Deflection. 131 Swollen Eye 132 Characters with a Swollen Eye suffer penalties to Perception. 133 Twisted Ankle 134 A Twisted Ankle injury reduces a character's Reflex defense. 135 Wrenched Knee 136 Characters with a Wrenched Knee suffer a penalty to Movement. 137 Wrenched Shoulder 138 Wrenched Shoulders inflict a penalty to Action Speed and Might. 139 Crit 140 A Crit is any attack roll that is above 100. A Crit that does damage increases the total damage done by 50%. A Crit on effects with a duration (typically afflictions like Sickened or Paralyzed) will increase the duration by 50%. 141 Graze 142 A Graze is any attack roll that is between 16 and 50. A Graze reduces damage and duration by 50%. 143 Hit 144 A Hit is any attack roll that is between 51 and 100. When an attack scores a Hit, it does standard damage and has a standard duration. 145 Defenses 146 There are four defenses in Pillars of Eternity: Deflection, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will. Each defense is used to resist a different category of attacks through the Attack Roll. Deflection is used to resist most direct weapon attacks or attacks that are similar to weapons. Fortitude opposes physical attempts to overpower a character or attack their body internally (e.g. via a poison). Physical area effect attacks like fireballs and lightning bolts are resisted by Reflex. Almost all mental attacks are opposed by Will. Fortitude, Reflex, and Will are all based on pairs of attributes. Might and Constitution define Fortitude, Dexterity and Perception define Reflex, and Intellect and Resolve define Will. Base Deflection is defined by the character's class and Resolve. All characters gain flat bonuses to their defenses every level. Additionally, spells, abilities, afflictions, and items can all modify a character's defenses. 147 Afflictions 148 Afflictions are explicitly bundled sets of status effects that can be applied to, suspended, or fully removed from a character. While some afflictions have explicit overriding or exclusivity rules, most afflictions can co-exist with other afflictions. When a spell is cast on a target, it and its subordinate effects and afflictions are all bundled together in a procedurally-bundled container created by the spell. If these procedurally-bundled containers are applied while an identical version is in effect (e.g. Blessing cast on someone already under the effect of a Blessing), the new version replaces the old. No matter how many effects are on the target, generally only the best bonuses and the worst penalties are applied. Some creatures can be immune to one or more afflictions. If so, these afflictions cannot be applied to those creatures. 149 Passive 150 A Passive talent or ability is one that can be added to a character where the bonus is gained automatically. For example, a character with Snake's Reflexes gains their bonus to Reflex saves automatically. 151 Active 152 An Active talent or ability is one which the player must choose to use. For example, a fighter who has Knock Down must select the Knock Down icon from the action bar and select a target for the ability. 153 Attack Resolution 154 All attacks in Pillars of Eternity compare the attacker's Accuracy value to one of four defenses: Deflection (direct melee and ranged attacks), Fortitude (body system attacks like poison and disease), Reflex (area of effect damage attacks), and Will (mental attacks). A number between 1 and 100 is generated and added to the difference between Accuracy and defense to determine the attack results. Less than or equal to 15 = Miss, 16-50 = Graze, 51-100 = Hit, greater than 100 = Crit. In a balanced Attack and defense scenario, the majority of attacks wind up being Hits or Grazes. When Accuracy is superior to defense, more Crits are likely. When defense is superior to Accuracy, more Misses are likely. 155 Miss 156 A Miss is any attack roll that is 15 or less. A Miss does no damage and inflicts no status effects or afflictions. 157 Damage Reduction 158 When an attack hits, there is one primary means of mitigating damage: Damage Reduction. Damage Reduction value is usually derived from armor, but many creatures have natural DR or can raise it through the use of magic, Abilities, Talents, or other equipment. Damage Reduction is subtracted directly from all incoming damage. E.g., an attack that initially does 20 damage to a target with 7 DR would be reduced to 13. Damage will never be reduced below 20% of the initial incoming amount. When this minimum value is hit, you will see a MIN message in the combat log on the attack line. Note that many suits of armor and many creatures will grant different Damage Reduction values against the different Damage Types. Lower DRs protect against less damage, making the target more vulnerable to attacks of that type. 159 Concentration 160 A character's Concentration determines how likely they are to have their spells or attacks interrupted during combat. Every point of Resolve increases a character's Concentration and is opposed by the attack's Interrupt rating. Like attack rolls, Interrupts use a randomized roll to determine if the Interrupt is successful. If Concentration is superior to the Interrupt rating, the Interrupt is less likely to occur. 161 Endurance 162 Endurance represents a character's short-term survivability. Damage that is not absorbed by a character's Damage Reduction goes straight to their Endurance and Health. Potions and healing magic (such as from a paladin, priest, or druid) can restore Endurance in combat. When a character's Endurance reaches 0, he or she will be Knocked Out. A Knocked Out character can be brought back in combat through the use of a Revive ability. Otherwise, characters will regain all of their Endurance at the end of combat (assuming they're on the winning side). 163 Health 164 Health is long-term damage (only regained through rest and certain Talents). Damage that is not absorbed by a character's Damage Reduction goes straight to their Health and Endurance. When a character's Health reaches 0, they will either be Maimed or Killed (depending on game settings). A Maimed character who is reduced to 0 Health will always be killed, regardless of settings. Unlike Endurance, a character's Health does not get restored after combat, but characters have much larger Health values than Endurance values. 165 Maimed 166 A Maimed character has been reduced to 0 Health. They will regain 1 Health after combat ends, but suffer large penalties to all Defenses and Accuracy. If they are hit again and take 1 point of Health damage, they will immediately be killed. 167 Injuries 168 Injuries are long-term afflictions. "Long-term" means they last until the character rests. Injuries are typically gained through scripted interactions. 169 Scouting 170 Scouting mode is used for two purposes: sneaking and searching. Sneaking may allow you to avoid or gain a tactical advantage against difficult foes. Searching allows you to detect traps and hidden objects. 171 Stash 172 The Stash holds all of the player's extra items that cannot fit into the inventory of individual characters. The Stash also holds special items like crafting supplies and quest items. 173 Interrupt 174 Interrupt determines how likely a damaging attack is to delay their opponent's current or next action. The roll uses an Interrupt value from the attacker (derived from Perception) that is then compared to the target's Concentration (derived from Resolve). A 1-100 roll is made, adding the Interrupt. If the result is higher than the Concentration, the target plays a hit reaction and their current action is delayed. The duration of the delay is determined by the Interrupt strength listed on the weapon or attack. An Interrupt applied to a character already suffering from an Interrupt with a longer duration will have no effect. 175 Per Encounter 176 A Per Encounter Ability can only be used for a set number of times per combat. For example, an Ability that has 3 uses Per Encounter may only be used 3 times during a single fight. At the end of combat, the uses will be refilled for the next Encounter. 177 Per Rest 178 A Per Rest Ability can only be used for a set number of times before running out of uses. For example, an Ability that has 3 uses Per Rest may only be used 3 times. To regain these uses, the character must Rest. 179 Modal 180 A Modal Ability is one that causes a effects to occur continuously while it is active. For example, a paladin's zealous auras grant bonuses to everyone near them for as long as they are active. Modal Abilities are often grouped so that only one modal ability in a category can be active at any given time. These groupings are reflected by how the Abilities are organized on the action bar. 181 Death 182 On certain difficulty settings, if a character is reduced to 0 Health, he or she goes down and is either Maimed or, if already Maimed, killed. A dead character is killed outright and cannot be brought back. 183 Poison 184 A Poison effect can be a variety of status effects or afflictions, typically from a creature's attacks, but often from a spell. 185 Disease 186 Diseases can inflict a wide variety of status effects or afflictions. A disease effect is typically from a spell but often from a creature's attacks. 187 Recovery 188 Recovery is the amount of time that a character spends between actions. Longer actions result in proportionally longer Recovery. Armor also has a large effect on Recovery. Generally, heavier armor inflicts longer Recovery penalties. 189 Stronghold 190 The Stronghold, also known as Caed Nua, is a base of operations for storage, rest, organization, party management, and investment. The Stronghold will need to be upgraded before many of its features are available for use. 191 Secondary Defenses 192 Secondary Defenses are used for second stage attacks, e.g. the poison on a dagger. In this example, the first attack (the dagger swing) targets one defense (Deflection) and the poison's attack will only be checked if the first attack hits. If the attack hits, then the Secondary Defense (in this case, Fortitude against Poison) is checked to determine the effects. If the initial attack misses, then the Secondary Defense will not be checked. 193 Damage Types 194 There are eight damage types in Pillars of Eternity: Slash, Pierce, Crush, Burn, Shock, Corrode, Freeze, and Raw. Damage types are used to determine how easily a target resists damage of that type based on their Damage Reductions. A creature or suit of armor may be very resistant to one type of damage but quite vulnerable to another. Some weapons or attacks may do multiple damage types or list an "or" between their damage types. When an "or" is listed, the attack will always do the damage type that the target is most vulnerable to. Raw damage is the only damage type that ignores all Damage Reductions and is generally associated with poisons and similar effects. 195 Interrupted 196 Antelopes are commonly found across the plains of the Eastern Reach. Though colonization and subsequent hunting have thinned their numbers, they still thrive in lightly forested areas throughout the Dyrwood. Antelopes are not generally hostile, but may be found in the company of rangers as fearsome animal companions. 197 The Dyrwood has a healthy bear population, though most avoid the civilized areas and roads used by kith. Nobles sometimes hunt bears for sport, but most colonists, old-timers, and Glanfathans simply avoid them. The forests of the Eastern Reach contain game that puts up far less of a fight than an angry bear. 198 Wild boars are considered a nuisance and danger in the areas that most colonists settle in. Aggressive and fearless, boars have killed many human and elven children as well as fully grown orlans. Packs of boars can be a threat to any traveler or explorer. They are notoriously difficult to put down, but their tusks are valued by traders and enchanters. 199 Extraordinarily rare, death guards are sometimes created upon the demise of a particularly determined individual who refuses to leave the physical world for the Beyond. Paladins are the most common subjects for this terrible transformation, but priests and other exceptional zealots often suffer the same fate. Death guards occupy their former bodies, but the energy that allows the soul to remain in the physical world rapidly consumes the flesh, leaving only bone behind. Death guards are often driven mad by their state. They are terrifying foes to behold, striking fear into those who stand before them. Their limited connection to the Beyond allows them to summon fearsome balls of flame, summon shadows, and even slay the living with a word. 200 CUT - Damage Reduction 201 CUT - When an attack hits for any amount of damage, it is initially reduced by the target's Damage Threshold, then further reduced by Damage Reduction. Damage Reduction is a percentage reduction of incoming damage, making it more valuable against truly large amounts of damage from a single hit. Like Damage Threshold, Damage Reduction cannot reduce incoming damage 20% of the initial amount. When this minimum value is hit, you will see a MIN message in the combat log on the attack line. Note that many suits of armor and many creatures will grant different Damage Reductions and Damage Thresholds against the different Damage Types. Lower Reductions protect against less damage, making the target more vulnerable to attacks of that type. 202 Engagement 203 Engagement occurs any time a character attacks an enemy with a melee weapon at close range. As soon as the attacker gets close enough, he or she will Engage. When a character is first Engaged, he or she will stop moving. The character is free to move again, but doing so provokes a Disengagement Attack. If characters break Engagement, they have a limited amount of time before the enemy they Disengaged can attempt to re-Engage. Some afflictions make it impossible for a character to Engage an enemy. Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, and Stunned all automatically drop Engagement and can be used to get out of trouble. Note that there are a number of Talents and Abilities that modify Engagement rules, such as Graceful Retreat, Hold the Line, the fighter's Defender, the barbarian's Wild Sprint, and the rogue's Escape. Some creatures, especially large ones, may be able to Engage more than one creature at a time. 204 Flanking 205 Flanking occurs any time two attackers Engage an opponent in melee from opposite directions. When this situation exists, defenders are Flanked, inflicting various penalties and allowing them to be Sneak Attacked. Any condition on an attacker that would break his or her Engagement will also remove the Flanked condition on the defender if it cannot be sustained without him or her. Note that there are a small number of Abilities that grant exceptions to the standard flanking rules, such as the barbarian's One Stands Alone, the ranger's Stalker's Link, and the cipher's Phantom Foes. 206 Stacking 207 Stacking rules control how bonuses and penalties are added together. For simplicity, the game distinguishes four source categories of bonuses: passive, weapons, active/modal, and equipment. All bonuses and penalties from passive sources and weapons stack. Active and modal bonuses (e.g. from Abilities or consumable items) use the highest bonus and the lowest penalty to any given statistic. E.g. if a wizard spell grants +3 to Deflection and a paladin's aura grants +5, the active/modal bonus is +5, with the +3 being suppressed. If the same wizard spell also granted a bonus to Might, it would apply unless it was also trumped by a superior Might bonus from another active/modal source. Equipment also uses the highest bonus and lowest penalty to any given statistic. It includes all items equipped directly on the character except for weapons. Equipment is a separate category from active/modal, so the highest bonuses and lowest penalties from each category are added together. Afflictions (e.g. Stunned, Prone) are generally considered active effects. If an affliction is applied to a character while the same affliction is already active, it will replace the existing affliction's duration if the new duration is longer. 208 Fatigue 209 Fatigue represents the physical and psychological wear and tear of demanding activity on a character. It is most commonly received as an Injury when a character is knocked out, but some scripted interactions will also result in Fatigue if they are especially grueling. Fatigue goes through multiple stages, initially inflicting minor penalties but growing in severity over time. Resting is the easiest way to remove the effects of Fatigue, though some consumables can also remove Fatigue. 210 Camping Supplies 211 Camping supplies are required to rest in most wilderness and dungeon areas. The items represent a collection of items that would be required to make camp, prepare food, bind wounds, and otherwise rest and recuperate. Many stores sell camping supplies, but supplies can occasionally be found in containers or on enemies. The game's level of difficulty restricts the maximum number of camping supplies you can carry at once. Lower levels of difficulty allow you to carry a greater number. 212 Tools 213 You may find a variety of simple and specialized tools in your journeys across the Eastern Reach. Items like prybars and grappling hooks may all be used in scripted interactions. These items need not be equipped, but will be removed from inventory when they are used. Lockpicks are a special type of tool that is used for picking locks. If the character's Mechanics is high enough, lockpicks are not required (and not used up) when picking a lock. However, for challenging locks, you may need to sacrifice some lockpicks to succeed. As with other tools, the lockpicks do not need to be in an individual character's inventory. 214 Full Attack 215 Many Abilities will state that they use either a Full or Primary Attack. When such Abilities are used, the character applies the effect through an attack with either all currently equipped weapons (Full Attack) or with their primary equipped weapon (Primary Attack). This means that all of the statistics of the weapons still apply, including the damage and other effects that they provide. 216 Primary Attack 217 Abydon 218 God of golems, machines, industry, strength, hope, and aspiration. Favored most commonly upon the laboring class. "The Golem" is thought to have once been able to take a human-resembling form as most of the other gods are, but then been somehow killed, only to forge himself back into existence inside the shell of an immense golem. Various accounts of his death exist, and none is considered definitive. 219 Berath 220 God of death, cycles, doorways, mortality, and inevitability. The keeper of the cycle of life and death, Berath is thought to seek to claim the lives of those who have lived past their time. According to folklore, Berath is seen most often in the form of the Pallid Knight or the Usher, two skeletal characters who lead such people to their deaths by way of challenge or trickery. 221 Eothas 222 God of rebirth, redemption, dawn, spring, and light. Traditionally shown as a man bearing a candle and wearing a silver crown. Believed to have possessed the body of the Readceran farmer Waidwen during the Saint's War, and been destroyed along with Waidwen at the end of the war. 223 Galawain 224 God of the hunt, assassins, pursuit, wilderness, and predatory creatures. Sometimes thought to take the form of a fur-clad hunter or of a great hound. Galawain favors the survival of the strong and the culling of the weak. 225 Hylea 226 Goddess of the sky, maternity, creativity, birds, song, invention, language, and the arts. Not known to take a particular physical form but thought to be present in birds of all kinds. 227 Magran 228 Goddess of war, fire, transformation, purification, consumption, and trials. Patron goddess of the Dyrwood. Thought to have blessed the Godhammer bomb that destroyed Waidwen and possibly Eothas. 229 Ondra 230 Goddess of Oceans, forgotten things, loss, relentlessness, and mourning. Said to have once fallen in love with the moon, and to have tried to draw it near, with catastrophic consequences. People bring tokens to her temples of things they wish to forget, and her clergy sees the tokens cast into the sea. 231 Rymrgand 232 God of entropy, cold, winter, bad luck, famine, and natural disasters. Manifests as a giant albino aurochs, moving amidst a great blizzard, and in the plodding footsteps of Rymrgand come death and disintegration. 233 Skaen 234 God of defiance, violent rebellion, secret hatred, covert plots, resentment, and envy. Frequently pictured as a disfigured and scarred slave and worshiped most often by the subjugated and destitute. 235 Wael 236 God of secrets, revelations, illusions, cryptography, obfuscation, perception, dreams, and visions. Wael is, in and of itself, a mystery, with no consistent form or gender. Its followers revel in the acts of creating and unraveling mysteries. 237 Woedica 238 Goddess of justice, law, oaths, promises, rulership, vengeance, memory, and hierarchies. Depicted as an old noblewoman, bearing a broken crown upon her head. Said to have been once ruled over the other gods but has since been overthrown. 239 Aedyran Empire 240 A nation that resulted from the merger of a human kingdom and an elf kingdom four hundred years ago, ruled by a fercönyng ("first king") or mecwyn ("illustrious queen"). Both Dyrwood and Readceras originated as colonies of Aedyr. 241 Dyrwood 242 A colonial nation founded by settlers from the Aedyr Empire. Following a series of conflicts with Aedyr, the territory became independent in 2672 AI, and is now ruled by a duc, who is elected by seven erls that oversee its erldoms. 243 Eir Glanfath 244 A territory comprised of the forest southeast of the Bael River, populated indigenously by a group of loosely affiliated tribes collectively known as Glanfathans, and governed by a council of its six most powerful tribes. Eir Glanfath is home to a large number of ruined Engwithan sites, which Glanfathans hold sacred. The ruins have been at the center of a number of large-scale conflicts with Dyrwoodan colonists, whose settlements often encroach on Glanfathan territory and who frequently seek to plunder the ruins for their relics. 245 Engwith 246 The name of an extinct civilization that dates back more than two millennia. Their population center is believed to have been where present day Eir Glanfath and Dyrford lie today. 247 Readceras 248 Dyrwood's neighbor to the north. Readceras is a nation firmly rooted in its Eothasian faith - a fervor that took hold during the events of the Saint's War and remains even after the apparent death of Eothas. 249 Vailian Republics 250 A mercantile power and former colony of a larger, more ancient nation, Old Vailia. The Republics lie to the south of Dyrwood and Eir Glanfath, and are ruled by a duc elected by the "consuagli asegia," a council of 14 ducs, including its five most prominent, the "ducs bels." 251 Adra 252 A shell-like organic material, sought after by artisans because it is easy to shape and by animancers because of its unique ability to draw in, hold, and channel souls. 253 Animancy 254 The science of soul manipulation. A field both controversial and relatively new. Banned in some nations like Aedyr, but permitted in other countries like Dyrwood and the Vailian Republics. 255 Awakened Soul 256 Ordinarily, people do not consciously remember their past lives. Someone with an Awakened soul, however, has had either memories from a past life or an entire past-life personality emerge in present day. As with ordinary memories, frequently an Awakening is caused by seeing something in the present that recalls a past experience. 257 Berath's Wheel 258 Also known as the "Wheel of Life and Death" or simply "the Wheel," Berath's Wheel is a metaphorical concept used to describe the collective churning of souls as they leave their bodies upon death, exit the world through pillars of adra, and then are reborn in new bodies. 259 Bîaŵac 260 A windstorm local to the wilds of Eir Glanfath. Those caught within the storm have their souls sheared from their bodies. 261 Essence 262 Souls are made up of essence. As a resource, this soul matter is prized by animancers, whose experiments often require its use. 263 Hollowborn 264 An infant born without a soul. 265 Lost, The 266 Upon death, souls find their way into pillars of adra, at which point they can rejoin the Eoran cycle of rebirth. In some cases, souls fail to reach these pillars, or otherwise refuse to enter them. Such souls are called "lost souls" or "the Lost." 267 Purges 268 In the wake of the Saint's War, Dyrwoodan mobs, particularly in rural areas, sought to kill all followers of Eothas. Beginning in the town of Cold Morn, which was said to have permitted Waidwen's forces to pass through without resistance, Eothasians were hunted down, tortured, and murdered in the streets. 269 Saint's War 270 Began as a peasant revolt in Readceras, led by a farmer named Waidwen, who claimed to be the living vessel of the god Eothas. After overthrowing the Readceran government, Waidwen invaded the neighboring Dyrwood, where he was defeated - destroyed by a weapon dubbed the "Godhammer bomb." Eothas has not been heard from since. 271 Salvation, The 272 An attempt by animancers to curtail the number of Hollowborn deaths during Waidwen's Legacy by transfusing the souls of animals into Hollowborn children in hopes they could care for themselves. The practice was a catastrophic failure, resulting without exception in the creation of wichts, and is often called "the Cruel Salvation." 273 Waidwen's Legacy 274 A widespread blight of unknown origin in which babies in the Dyrwood began to be born without souls. So-named because its origins roughly coincided with the death of St. Waidwen in the Saint's War. 275 Watcher 276 One of a rare few who are either born with or acquire the means to see souls, and sometimes even read them or commune with them. Many varied accounts exist of how Watchers come upon their talents, and it is far more common to encounter someone falsely claiming to be a Watcher than to find a real one. 277 Wicht 278 A Hollowborn child that has, through the science of animancy, been made the vessel of the soul of an animal. In time, all such children become feral and violent. 279 Deities 280 Locations 281 Lore 282 Miscellaneous 283 Quick Stash 284 Hotkeys 285 Backer Content 286 Queuing Actions 287 Clicking an item in a container while holding the shift key will move it directly to your stash. 288 You can hotkey any ability by hovering the mouse cursor over its button and pressing the desired hotkey. 289 Pillars of Eternity was made possible by the generosity of thousands of backers, many of whom contributed content to the final game. NPCs with gold name plates were designed by our backers. Interacting with them will allow you to experience each one's unique history. The tombstone icon indicates a memorial. These are personalized messages written by our backers. Many of them break the fourth wall, so players desiring complete immersion may wish to avoid clicking them. 290 Shift-clicking a series of actions or waypoints adds them to an action queue that will be carried out in order. 291 Friendly Fire 292 Many spells and abilities that cover an area of the battlefield can harm both enemies and allies. If an ability lists an AoE radius, it affects everyone in the area. AoEs differentiated by Friendly or Foe descriptors affect those groups only. However, even an ordinarily hostile AoE will not affect allies in the outer margin of the area provided by a high Intellect. You can use this outer margin to safely hit enemies while leaving your allies unharmed. 293 Suppressed 294 Spellbind 295 An item with the spellbind property allows an ability or spell to be cast while the item is equipped. 296 Spell Holding 297 Items with the spell holding property will automatically trigger the listed ability or spell when the user of the item is Crit in combat. Spell holding will trigger no more than 2/encounter. 298 Spell Striking 299 Weapons with the spell striking property will trigger the listed ability or spell when the weapon's wielder scores a Crit against an enemy. Spell striking may only trigger 1/encounter. 300 Stags have been an integral part of Aedyran and Glanfathan cultures for centuries. They are hunted for their horns, hide, and meat, revered for their power and speed. Does and fawns typically pose no problems for hunters and travelers, but the great stags of the Dyrwood are known for being particularly aggressive. 301 Lagufaeth are territorial, four-armed amphibians. Though their thick skin protects them from the cold climate of the White March, they tend to favor hot springs. Lagufaeth are communal wilder with rudimentary weapons but a natural aptitude for magic. They are especially dangerous in the mountains, where storms and snowfall may hide their presence from travelers until it's too late. They can remain under ice for extended periods of time and have been known to surprise unwary fishermen. A lagufaeth redfin is a dominant, mature lagufaeth. They may be male or female. A lagufaeth that transitions into a redfin develops a reddish-brown tint to its skin and a bony crest atop its head. They are rarely the oldest member of a group, but they are the most aggressive, and they are typically responsible for defending a nest or group. When a lagufaeth redfin loses status, its crest falls off and its skin returns to a shade of blue, green, or purple. 302 The fate of the dwarves of Durgan's Battery remained a mystery to scholars for two hundred years. What little was known indicated that the dwarves had been divided by a great disagreement among their komendants. They locked the doors of the Battery and never emerged again. These skeletons are the size of dwarves, and the armor they wear was once of excellent quality, much like the legendary Durgan steel. Unlike most skeletons, they fight in organized battle formations. Their skill and discipline in battle make them formidable foes, as does their sturdy armor. 303 Like phantoms, wraiths are spirits that have remained behind after an especially violent life or death. Though they appear all over Eora, the passes of the White March - populated as they are with ogres, lagufaeth, bandits, and slavers - propagate them with alarming speed. Wraiths seek to feed on living essence, and they will attack any kith or wilder nearby. Though seemingly mindless in their aggression, they are clever enough to fragment groups, snatching up and isolating their victims so they can feed upon them one at a time. 304 Sirens are believed to be manifestations of essence drawn together by some fervent longing or desire imprinted by its former host. They are commonly associated with the sea and with Ondra as many stories of sirens entail navigational mishaps thought to have been caused by their irresistible call. In truth, however, sirens can be found anywhere the right conditions arise, and they are less dangerous for their call than for their earsplitting shriek. They are said to most often take the shape of an alluring woman, regardless of the identity of the person or people who surrendered the essence, and the reasons for this are uncertain, though the most popular theory suggests that this was a preference of Ondra. 305 Spite is among the most enduring of negative emotions. Hatred often cools over time. Sadness surrenders to acceptance. But the indignation brought about by cruelty, injustice, or even simple annoyance can infect the spirit and survive even beyond death. So it is with bitter spirits, which exist as little more than an amalgam of resentful instincts, inclined to lash out at anyone they perceive, and unsatisfied until their victim has suffered and died. "Bitter spirits" is also the name of a homebrewed liquor popular in the rural areas of northern Dyrwood, and it can be described in much the same terms. 306 When Durgan's Battery had nearly fallen, a final stand was made. Its best surviving craftsmen used the White Forge to create guardians made of their finest materials and most heroic souls. In the end, however, the Battery fell all the same. Attempts to create artificial beings from metal, stone, and other materials substantially predate modern animancy, but advances in the science have taken constructs from rare, malfunction-prone automatons to semi-sentient beings that have become somewhat more commonplace in recent years. Malfunctions are less common, though the use of souls - often from dubious sources - does seem to increase the severity and violence of such episodes. Because metal is frequently employed in their construction, constructs are often thought of as walking suits of armor, but this is a misnomer. Constructs are rarely empty shells - more typically they are made of solid materials, or filled with clockwork mechanisms to aid with locomotion. More subtly, but perhaps more significantly to their creators, constructs are typically designed to be kith-like in both shape and function, and constructs with any semblance of personality are rare, companionship is one of the most cited motivations for building them. 307 Alguls are guls whose physical deterioration has been halted by a wizard's ritual. The number of wizards who have successfully converted a gul to an algul are few - the ritual is complex, and it is rumored that the ingredients required in the ritual are unsavory and difficult to acquire. Sages believe that the ritual is the first step for a cure for undeath. Whatever reasoning behind the ritual, alguls are fearsomely powerful and intelligent. Though their bodies no longer decay, their eternal hunger for kith flesh remains. 308 Liches are as formidable as they are rare. They're masters of the arcane who have discovered ways to extend their own lives without facing the mental deterioration of fampyrs and other vessels. There are no reliable records or accounts of how to become a lich - the few who've managed to succeed have been hesitant to share their methods - but it's believed that the process is both difficult and excruciating. The annals of wizardry are littered with cautionary tales of ambitious mages who attempt immortality but manage only to rip their own bodies apart. While liches decay physically, they retain their mental faculties, which is part of what separates them from vessels. They achieve this by binding their own essence to phylacteries, which are popularly represented as vials or charms worn or kept close to the body. However, none of the few known liches have ever revealed the nature or location of their phylacteries, so theories about them are ultimately speculation. Most liches are believed to be powerful wizards or mages, but this is a generalization rather than a rule. One lich who lived almost a thousand years ago was a priestess of Berath who was sustained through her own rigorous devotion. Animancers have been rumored to experiment with similar concepts, but given the profession's questionable reputation, none have been willing to admit this. 309 Animancers, necromancers, and other unscrupulous spellcasters who experiment with the bodies of kith have been known to create all sorts of constructs and vessels. Some exist as subjects for study, and others are sources of amusement. Void seers are skulls filled with essence. The first accounts of void seers come from Old Vailia, where a now-infamous necromancer created them as a diversion for court. Since then, they've been used as patrols, guards, and attendants. Their small size makes them easier to create and direct. 310 Wizards have experimented with constructs for centuries, but the process of transferring soul essence out of a living body and into something else - be it stone, metal, or bone - has always been a difficult one. As the body of research on the subject has grown - thanks in large part to animancy - methods have improved. Yet transferring an intact soul - one that retains personality, memory, and intelligence - is harder still. Ethelmoer, the head of the Brackenbury Sanitarium in Defiance Bay, is one of the few successes. Proponents argue that perfecting this method would allow kith to extend their own lives without degenerating into fampyrs, guls, and other flesh-eating vessels. Others contend that the metallic monstrosities that fill clandestine animancy labs are more horrific still. It's been estimated that, for every truly sentient construct, there are scores - if not hundreds - of maimed souls trapped in half-finished bodies. 311 Skeletons make formidable and persistent warriors, though their exposed bones can be vulnerable. Armor can mitigate this somewhat, though plate, chain, and scale mail gradually wear away at bones. Various solutions have been sought to prevent this, including the coating of bones in protective sheaths or resins. The challenge is to cover the bones without impeding their movement. It's a difficult task that, when successful, creates incredibly strong and durable skeletons. 312 Flying swords and floating brooms has been a dream of would-be battlemages and overworked apprentices forever. But while many wizards can levitate everyday objects, few can control them midair, especially in the heat of battle. Yet if a magically and martially skilled spellcaster could learn to manipulate dozens of weapons at once, she would be powerful, indeed. 313 Immune 314 A subset of enemies may be immune to one or more damage types. In these cases the defender will never any take damage of that type. However, secondary effects that are applied separately from the damage can still affect the target. 315 Soulbound items are unique items that can magically bond with the soul of a single character. Once bound, the item can only be used by that character unless the bond is severed. A soulbound item will increase in power as the wielder completes certain requirements specified in the item's description. Most soulbound items can only bond with characters of certain classes. However, regardless of the item's type, a soulbound item always qualifies for any Talents or Abilities like Weapon Focus and Specialization that the character may have. E.g. if a fighter has Weapon Focus and Specialization in Ruffian, he or she would gain their benefits even when wielding a soulbound great sword or wand. Benefits from multiple Talents or Abilities of the same type (e.g. Weapon Focus Ruffian and Peasant) do not stack. If the bond to a soulbound item is ever severed, it will lose all of the abilities it has gained over time. 316 White March 317 A series of fallen Pargrunen territories that were settled by dwarves in the earliest colonial years of the Eastern Reach. The most prominent settlement, Durgan's Battery, was well-known for its high quality bronze art objects and unparalleled steel weapons, shields, and armor. Over several decades, the White March's various settlements were either overrun by myriad raiders or collapsed due to growing fears of instability. The stronghold of Durgan's Battery was apparently abandoned and sealed almost two centuries ago, marking the unofficial end of the White March. The arms of the White March can still be seen on fine pieces of bronze and steelware circulating in the Eastern Reach. The symbolism of the mountains is obvious, but the linked circles at the top were common to many Pargrunen settlements, representing the common link of kinship between them. The yellow field, not often found on metalwork, indicated the bronzeware that the White March was initially famous for. 318 Maegfolc 319 Maegfolc are among the largest creatures in Eora. They typically live in remote, rugged areas where they often live and hunt alone or in small groups. While there are many different kinds, almost all are known to be aggressive and reclusive. 320 Spellchance 321 Weapons with the spellchance property have a chance to trigger the listed or ability or spell, typically on a Hit or Crit. 322 The Distracted affliction lowers all of the target's defenses by 6 and lowers their number of Engagement targets by 1. For most characters, this means they cannot hold any enemies in Engagement while Distracted. 323 Unconscious 324 Unconscious characters can't take action. Dexterity is reduced to 0. Reflex and Deflection are reduced by 40. 325 Frostbites lowers a character's Freeze DR and Fortitude defense. 326 A Severe Burn lowers a character's Burn DR and Dexterity. 327 A Severe Wound reduces a character's received healing. 328 System Shock reduces a character's Shock DT and resistance to Stunned and Prone. 329 Strange Illness 330 This is the illness you contracted near the ruins of Cilant Lîs. It is characterized by simultaneous chills and intense flashes of warmth as well as shortness of breath. The caravan master, Odema, identified it as a common illness, the Rumbling Rot, but there's something strange about it. In spite of the symptoms, it doesn't feel like any sickness you've ever had before. 331 Sailors all over Eora tell stories of the beasts that haunt the deep. Of these, few are more feared than the kraken. Krakens rarely venture to the surface, and they almost never leave survivors in their wake. They are massive, tentacled beasts, capable of crushing small ships and plucking sailors from their decks. Despite their size, krakens' soft, flexible bodies allow them to squeeze through tight spaces in search of prey or shelter. Thankfully, they prefer dark, quiet spaces to open water. They are cunning hunters and, according to legend, Ondra's terrible servants. 332 The Eyeless are ancient, mysterious maegfolc, more widely known in myth than fact. With their grotesque build and their crude yet functional limbs, they vaguely resemble constructs, though their origins and purpose are unknown. They know neither hunger nor fatigue, making them singularly relentless foes. Popularly, Eyeless are said to serve Ondra by seeing old or dangerous things forgotten. The peoples of the White March describe them as bogeymen that stalk old roads and secluded places. Parents warn their children not to forget their chores lest the Eyeless see them "forgotten," and people who lose something traditionally thank Ondra that the Eyeless did not come for them, too. 333 Like the more common Dank Spore, the Radiant Spore is a giant, fungal organism drawn to the soul energy of living creatures. Unlike its more overtly predatory cousins, however, the Radiant Spore appears to boast a kind of central, sentient intelligence. It is capable of forming and utilizing parasitic bonds with several prey species by releasing potent clouds of mind-altering spores. These provide the Radiant Spore with a link to its many victims, through which it is able to project its will. Held upright by a network of thick, mobile roots, the Radiant Spore is also capable of more direct attacks, utilizing its tendrils as gripping appendages or else as immense bludgeons. 334 335 Ground 336 Any attack marked as "Ground" is one that affects the ground itself or creates a hazard immediately above it. Spells like Slicken or Tanglefoot are both classified as Ground attacks. Some creatures, especially flying monsters or spirits, are immune to attacks classified as Ground. 337 Though superficially similar to the cavern-dwelling skuldr, skuldrak are found in colder climes, and typically at much higher altitudes. They boast considerably better eyesight, but are still most effective as scavengers or ambush hunters. While the skin flaps beneath skuldr forelimbs are entirely vestigial at all ages, young skuldrak have fully functional wings. These wings are capable of sustaining their body weight at first, but once skuldrak mature, they can only glide for short periods of time. Like their hairless cousins, skuldrak are communal, and nest and raise their young together. Their close-knit communities depend upon such bonds in order to survive the harsh climate. 338 Enormous and hostile spiders come in a terrifying array of shapes, colors, and sizes throughout the Eastern Reach. Much more aggressive than their tiny kin, these giants actively seek out kith and animal prey. Moon spiders are infamous for forming symbiotic relationships with other, typically intelligent species, actively seeking out allies which might further their own survival. In turn, they project an aura which heals and rejuvenates these allies. It is hypothesized that this aura is in fact comprised of minute particles of moon spider venom, which is alleged to be a powerful stimulant. But few moon spider specimens have been captured for study, and even fewer scholars have survived the aftermath. 339 War dogs are a common enough sight upon the battlefield, though they have never held a particularly large role in the pitched fighting between Dyrwood and Readceran forces. The dogs employed by The Iron Flail hail from a large, sturdy breed common to the Readceran countryside, where they are valued as guardians against wolves and other predators. The Flail's war dogs, of course, have been bred and raised to take on far more formidable opponents. 340 Spellstamina 341 Items with the spellstamina property will automatically trigger the associated effect when the user hits the listed percentage of Endurance. 342 Bog bats are differentiated from their skuldr and skuldrak relatives by several physiological differences. Chief among these is the fact that bog bats appear to retain their juvenile morphology even once mature. This provides adult bog bats with the capacity for flight, but it limits their prey to what creatures they can bring down individually. To that end, bog bats are equipped with a noxious secretion which they spit at their intended victims. Bog bats also eschew the large, communal broods of their larger relatives. Bog bats are typically found in small swarms, and will frequently squabble over food, mates and territory.