Searching the Desert is a piece of fiction for Moüd: The City of Bones, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

“I really don’t think this was such a good idea Dranolf,” yelled Feyla through the howling wind and blowing sand.

“You worry too much,” rumbled the Arasta dwarf in reply. “It’s just a mild blow, that’s all.” The wind howled again, sending particles of sand flying through the air with a force capable of scrubbing skin from bones.

“Not all of us grew in the desert!” shouted Feyla in return. “And I doubt anyone else would categorise this sandstorm as ‘mild’!”

The two had set out from Moüd earlier into the sands of the Trackless Quarter, not to cross it but to search the desert itself. They’d stumbled across something in the Dead Market in the city that looked as if it dated back to before the city now known as Moüd was overwhelmed by the necromantic energies drawn from the Prim.

It seemed clear that the vendor didn’t know what they had for sale. It wasn’t a trinket as would normally be found in the market, but it lacked any noticeable magical energy to it. The seller likely thought it was junk, a piece of stone with some curious markings.

The thing was definitely a piece of stone with curious markings, but neither Feyla nor Dranolf thought it was junk. They recognised some of the symbols and, from what they could tell, it looked like it might be a map from Moüd’s history.

That was why they were in the desert, following the map. It seemed they were right, and the stone was a map, perhaps to something of value from that age. They should have been more careful in checking the weather before setting out, though Dranolf was indeed raised in the desert and felt the storm was not natural.

“We’re going to have to seek shelter soon!” Feyla yelled at the dwarf.

“You’re likely right,” was the reply.

Hunching through the sandstorm, protected from its worst effects by plenty of wrappings, the pair suddenly stumbled across a hollow in the sand, a hollow with a black opening in one side. The opening was ringed with stone on which symbols had been carved.

“Could it be…” asked Feyla.

“Yes,” replied Dranolf, “I think it is. The storm has brought us to what we were looking for.” A slight shudder passed through his frame; it still felt unnatural. Heading for the opening, the two drew torches from their supplies and lit them, going in.

Behind them, something stirred in the sand.

Send in The Dogs is a piece of fiction from Guilds of Sundara, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

Selene Troyas sat at her elegant desk, the sun splashing across her study and the sound of birdsong coming in through the open window. Her short bob of dark hair gleamed in the soft light, and the white jerkin she wore practically shone, contrasting with the dark, whipcord breeches and riding boots that hugged her legs. Her quill scratched over a letter, her neat, particular handwriting looping across the page in perfect lines as she made a final offer on a parcel of ground east of the town of Kask. There were holdouts who were waiting to see just how badly the Landers Guild wanted their patch, and Selene was making it very clear that if this price did not satisfy, then she would move onto other methods.

A knock at the door drew Selene’s gaze. Iris withered under the house mistress’s look, and Selene took a moment to compose her face. She offered a smile, and carefully set her quill aside. It was a mark of how frustrating the acquisition near the small town had proven that she was letting her emotions show on her face.

“What is it, Iris?” Selene asked.

“The… representative you sent for has arrived,” Iris said hesitantly.

“Send him in,” the mistress of the estate said.

“Do you wish to meet with him alone, miss?” Iris asked. Selene pursed her lips. Iris wasn’t usually so skittish.

“Yes,” Selene said, sprinkling a handful of writing sand over the ink to ensure it dried quickly. She held the letter out to Iris. “Now take this to Duncan. Tell him to send the redtail to deliver it.”

“Yes ma’am,” Iris said, taking the paper and departing the room. Selene crossed her legs, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. Heavy footsteps entered her outer chamber, and a moment later a figure stepped through her study door.

He was rangy and rugged, dressed in an oilskin duster with a ragged rain cape that bore the scars of fire and blade alike. Crossed weapon belts hung from his hips; a brace of daggers on one side, and sloshing, alchemical concoctions on the other. A wide-brimmed hat shaded his face, but it did nothing to hide the three days’ worth of stubble on his cheeks, nor the brand on the side of his neck. What most struck her, though, was the smell of the man; a mix of horse sweat, rich forests and earth. When he met her gaze, she saw that one of his eyes was a deep, dark brown. The other was a golden yellow that caught the light, and glimmered.

Now she understood why Iris had been so nervous about their visitor.

“You sent for me,” he said. It was a statement, not a question.

“If you are the representative of the Manhunters Guild, then yes, I did,” Selene said, her voice cool, and steady.

The figure tucked his fingers behind the edge of his coat, and pulled it back. Resting on his hip was a gleaming guild seal; a pair of manacles beneath a headsman’s sword. He pulled his coat back over the badge, and folded his hands in front of him.

“Very well,” Selene said. “Do you have a name?”

“Trask,” he said.

“The job I have is a sensitive matter that needs to be handled with the utmost discretion,” Selene said, pursing her lips slightly. “Some people are making… trouble near one of my guild’s holdings.”

“What kind of trouble?” Trask asked.

Selene opened the shallow, central drawer of her desk, and took out a series of letters. She offered them to the bounty hunter, who read through them carefully. Selene withdrew a smoking taper from a box on the corner of her desk. She placed one end in her mouth, leaned over to the oil lamp where it hung on a chain, and lit the other end. Fragrant herb smoke filled the air as she watched the manhunter. After several silent moments he unceremoniously dropped the letters on her desk.

“Guild will expect double the normal fee for this,” he said.

“Oh?” Selene said, her voice as cool as winter dew. “And why is that?”

“You want us to hunt down a runaway, maybe deal with bandits, that’s one thing,” Trask said. He tapped the letters with his index finger. “That ain’t what this is, and we both know it.”

“And what is this, exactly?” Selene asked.

“Landers Guild doesn’t appoint people who spook easy,” Trask said. “And they don’t send their governors out without competent guards. You lost three governors in as many months over this little patch of ground. Every one of them sent you back a report saying something different was wrong with the land. Every one of them resigned. The ink is crooked, and smeared, which tells me their hands were shaking. There’s drops of blood staining the bottom of the third letter.”

The manhunter folded his arms over his thick chest, and focused his mismatched eyes on Selene. There was something unnerving in that gaze. It was as if he could see straight through to the core of her thoughts, and read the secrets written on her soul. She took another drag on her taper, and let the smoke trickle out from her nose.

“Your point?” Selene asked. Trask stepped closer, and planted his scarred knuckles on her desk, lowering his face until he was eye-level with her.

“Somebody walked right under your people’s noses, and scared your lackeys so bad they didn’t believe you could protect them,” Trask said. “And whoever they are, they did it three times. You want us chasing ghosts in the dark, that’s the price.”

Selene leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing. She blew out one more breath of smoke as she re-evaluated the hunting hound of a man across the desk from her. Then she stubbed out the remnants of her taper in a shallow, glass tray.

“Double the fee, then,” she said. “Triple if you resolve this in the next fortnight.”

The manhunter gave her a wolfish grin, and without a word turned and left her study. After a moment Selene realized that for all the noise he’d made coming in, there hadn’t been so much as a whisper when he departed.

Welcome to Hoardreach is a piece of fiction for Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

Hoardreach is an impressive sight when seen from a distance, whether approaching it by land or air, and air is a common method of reaching the city, given the number of flying creatures that live in it and the airships that Hoardreach is known for.

The city is built atop a table mesa and its lights are visible from a long way away at night, reflecting off cloud cover if there is any. Smaller lights can be seen floating in the skies above the city, which during the day as the traveller gets closer resolve into some of the airborne beings that live there and the mentioned airships. Not everything has, or needs, a light, but enough do, for whatever reason, that a dancing show of diving and glittering lights can be seen weaving amongst that are more constant in their path.

The mesa rises out of the forest surrounding the city, towering into the sky. Paths lead through the forest, passing the villages that nestle beneath the shadow of the dragons’ wings, farms growing crops and raising livestock.

Most of the population lives within the city’s walls, and Hoardreach itself is a study in contrasts. The influence of the five founding dragons can be felt throughout the city, as the land has adapted to them, from the bogs of Westgate to the kiln-like air of the Sunrise District to the frosts of North District. Contrasts that wouldn’t be seen elsewhere, as such different climates would not, under other circumstances, be found so close to each other. The influence of the founders alters the climate itself.

Within the city itself can be found a host of different species, as different peoples cluster in the areas with the conditions they most enjoy; those who like winter’s chill do not appreciate the heat of the Sunrise District. Other districts are less obviously dominated by a single dragon, and trade comes in by air from other cities. Huge airships slow above the city and descend to the ground, there to be unloaded of people and cargo.

Hoardreach is a city of contrasts, a cosmopolitan city and a place to rub shoulders with all manner of peoples. Hoardreach is my city, and I welcome you to it.

Danger from Above is a piece of fiction for Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

“Look out!” came the cry from above.

Ghellin looked upwards, and then ducked. Though flying things were hardly unknown in Hoardreach, normally only visitors treated such with alarm. For residents of the city, and for those who had visited enough to become immune, flying creatures, whether natural, magically or mechanically assisted, were just part of the every day scenery. No more worthy of notice than the road underfoot.

This one was a bit different, though. For one thing, it looked to be out of control. No matter what, out of control flying items were definitely something worth avoiding.

For another thing, it was most peculiar. And that was for someone familiar with the airships and scale suits that Hoardreach produced. Though such devices might be rare elsewhere, unless Hoardreach traders had visited, they were just another thing in the air in the city itself.

This… contraption, for Ghellin could think of no better word, looked to be a jumble of sales and spars with no discernible purpose or logic behind them. Or perhaps there was logic, but as the pilot was not in control, that logic may have fallen by the wayside.

Ghellin was not the only person on the street to duck. Or, for that matter, move rapidly out of the way as the contraption came in for what only just escaped being called a crash. It was certainly damaged by its encounter with the ground, and the single occupant looked a bit shaken by the ordeal.

Ghellin, and others, went to see if the pilot, a Skycatcher halfling if he was not mistaken, was okay. And, in the cases of some of those on the street, to loudly complain about the Skycatcher from flying a clearly malfunctioning machine over an area where people were living.

“Well,” said the halfling. “I guess that didn’t go to plan.” She apologised to the people who had nearly got a much closer view of her contraption than they would have preferred.

Ghellin thought she wasn’t a native to Hoardreach, even though there was a substantial community of the gnomes living in the city. He inquired. “No, I’m from Silkgift originally,” was the halfling’s response.

Silkgift. That did explain a lot, Ghellin thought to himself.

A Treat is a piece of fiction for Ironfire: The City of Steel one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll wear it out with your eyes.”

The comment drew Kalem’s attention away from the blade he was admiring. He looked over at the weaponsmith in the shop in the Stone Pole district of Ironfire.

“Just kidding,” said the heavily-tattooed Takitori dwarf proprietor of the shop. “Dragon steel doesn’t wear out that easily, of course. But you’ve been fixated on that sword for a good chunk of time.”

“It’s a beautiful weapon,” Kalem said.

“Of course it is!” was the dwarf’s response. “I made it!” Though the dwarf still had a broad smile on his face, it was clear he did have pride in his craftsmanship. Justifiable pride, Kalem thought, looking around the, to him, uncomfortably warm, shop. The Takitori’s love of fire went well with the vulcanism of the Ironfire region, and the dwarf had the place at a temperature he probably considered ‘comfortable’ and most other beings ‘sweltering’ bordering on ‘cooked.’ The dwarf wasn’t the only one enjoying the heat; a cinderscale lizardfolk was also busily hammering away next to the forge. Far closer than Kalem could have stood without going up in flames.

“Are you interested in buying?” asked the dwarf.

Kalem nodded his assent and replied “I’ve just finished a very good job and I’ve always wanted a dragon steel sword. I’m going to treat myself.”

“Pick it up then and let’s see how it goes.”

Kalem did as told, performing several moves with the blade. “Hmm,” said the dwarf, peering at the grip. “That’s just a standard demonstration handle fitted to the blade. If you buy, we’ll add one that’s designed for you. A good sword needs a good handle. And this is a good sword. If I do say so myself. Don’t worry; it’s included in the price.” He mentioned a number.

Kalem gulped a bit, but they’d gone in knowing what the sword would cost. And the dwarf was right. It was a very good sword. And it had been a very good contract, so he could buy it.

Calculate Twice, Experiment Once is a piece of fiction for Silkgift: The City of Sails one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

“Careful now,” said Verin to Challis as the latter started gradually adding droplets of the solution to the bubbling beaker in their workshop in the Ingeneurium. “Are you sure you got the calculations right this time?”

“Of course I did!” responded Challis with what Verin considered an unwarranted degree of certitude, given that every previous experiment was a failure. “You worry too much!”

“Well, one of us have to and you don’t worry enough,” Verin mumbled under his breath. Louder, he reminded Challis “These are potentially volatile, so it’s important to be careful, take our time and make sure everything is correct. This time.”

“Don’t be a silly! We’re taking every precaution and it’s not like anything really bad has happened so far!”

“And I’d like it to still not happen, if it’s all the same with you,” retorted Verin. “Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen. You know that.”

“The risk is worth the reward! Just think what we’ll be able to do if this works!”

“It’s the not working bit that concerns me,” stated Verin. “I’m all for experimenting, or I wouldn’t be here, but I do prefer to make sure the odds are in our favour.”

Verin stood next to Challis as she carefully added the last droplet of the solution into the beaker and turned up the heat slightly. The liquid started to bubble more fiercely.

The next thing Verin knew, they were both lying on the floor and his ears were ringing. Slowly, he picked himself up and held out a hand to Challis so that she could get up off the floor as well.

“Drat,” said Challis.

Looking at the smoking remains of their workshop, the fires slowly guttering out on the bench and the damage to the ceiling, and glancing down at what used to be the clothes he was wearing, Vern felt this was a significant underreaction.

“You may be a touch over socialised,” he commented.

The Ingeneurium was not going to be pleased.

Brains not Brawn is a piece of fiction for Ironfire: The City of Steel, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

Callen and Drexla made their way through Ironfire towards the centre of the city, stopping as they arrived at Stone Pole, both to take a look around, as this was the heart of mercenary activity in the city, and to grab a drink at the Ashes.

“Look!” said Callen, nudging Drexla, as they stood watching a duel on the square around the district’s titular Stone Pole. “Isn’t that one of the Crimson Sergeants watching?”

Drexla glanced over at the figure in red and gold and affirmed that indeed it was.

“I want to get into the Crimson Company,” proclaimed Callen. “Maybe if I challenge someone to a duel and fight it whilst the sergeant is watching, that will improve my chances.”

The rather more experienced Drexla looked at her younger friend, remembering some of her own youthful exuberance, and the mistakes it sometimes led to. She wondered what would be the best way of putting things, then decided that the truth was better than honey coating everything. Callen was a competent fighter, but needed to learn more.

“Look, lad,” she stated. “The Crimson Company gets a lot of applicants, as you well know, as we’ve seen the crowds outside the Scarlet Chevron. They, and any other mercenary company worth its iron, for that matter, are not just looking for people who can fight, and certainly not those who can just fight a duel. And that’s even assuming you’d win. Who would you challenge and why? Remember, you need a reason for a duel, and I’ve seen more than one fool pick a fight with what they think is an easy target only to find out they were sadly mistaken.

“Good mercenary commanders want, and need, more. They don’t want someone who will pick a fight just to show off. Because mark me, picking a fight in front of a Crimson Sergeant is showing off, and the sergeant will know that just as much as I do. A mercenary needs to be able to use their brain as well, for more fights are won with brains than unthinking brawn.”

Drexla looked at Callen’s now somewhat crestfallen face. “Cheer up lad,” she said. “You’re competent and competency does speak for itself; you just need a little more seasoning. Now, how about I buy you that ale we came here for?”

Power and its Misuse is a piece of fiction for Archbliss: The City of the Sorcerers, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

“Legend says that the sorcerers who founded Archbliss were fleeing a cataclysm,” said Thannis Mantar. “At least that’s what the surviving books from the era say.”

“Legend says a lot of things,” retorted Brendor Calliorn. “Some may even be true. That doesn’t mean they all are, or that tales of a great cataclysm are true.”

“But what if the legend about the cataclysm was true?” asked Thannis. “That could mean that the legend about those who raised the city being empowered by the Prim are also true. And if that’s the case, then such power could be obtained by others. All we’d need to do is find out how it was accomplished.”

“Playing with the raw power of the Prim can cause serious problems.” stated Brendor in warning. “Just look at what happened to Moüd. The Silver Wraiths are still cleaning up the necromantic mess from that. If both legends are true, then mayhap the power the city’s founders had from the Prim caused the cataclysm. They could easily have been fleeing a mess they caused.”

“We’d just need to be more careful,” was Thannis’s reply. “Power in and of itself doesn’t cause a cataclysm, only its misuse. If it wasn’t misused, then there wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Misuse is something that it’s easier to state you’re going to avoid than to actually avoid,” said Brendor in turn. “I’ve seen enough spellusers injured by their own power when they intended anything but. By the time misuse becomes obvious, it may well be too late.”

“Say what you will. I am not going to be so overly cautious. I’m going to look into the legends for the truth of the matter, and see if there is a way of gaining the power of our forefathers.” Stated Thannis.

“Do as you will,” said Brendor as Thannis departed. “For your sake, I hope that the legend is just that. And for our sake, if you do uncover something, do not play with the Prim where it will affect the rest of us.”

On Little Cat Feet is a piece of fiction from Cults of Sundara, one of the supplements for Cities of Sundara, which is available in versions for 5th Edition and Pathfinder.

Raskin Bowers reclined on his couch, a glass of wine in one hand, and his smoldering pipe in the other. A tall man whose thick shoulders and powerful arms were sheathed in a thin layer of recently-acquired fat, the governor had worked hard to raise himself out of the dirt of the common soldier’s lot. Promoted in the field, and then promoted within command, he’d eventually been elected to take charge of a collection of towns that had come under the rule of the Lander’s Guild. An aristocracy in all but name, the guild had deep pockets, but when gold wouldn’t get their way, they weren’t shy about using steel to enforce their will.

Bowers dragged deeply on his pipe, and closed his eyes as the slow-burning leaf filled his lungs. The old ache in his back from his years on the march began to fade, as did the tension in his temples. He blew the smoke out through his nostrils, sipping at his wine.

Despite his admonitions to himself not to take his duties to bed with him, he couldn’t help but think about the reports he’d been getting for a fortnight or more. Strange figures had been seen stalking through the night, vanishing into the surrounding countryside when approached by guild guards. Guild representatives had awoken to find rats with their guts torn out, or birds with their heads twisted off, the bodies left on the representatives’ side tables like presents. Or warnings. Bowers laid his wine glass aside, and put his pipe back to his lips. He had sent orders that these events were not to be discussed. They were petty tricks, and as such they should be ignored. The Lander’s Guild had to be above such things; to act, as Bowers said, as the stewards of those who had proven unable to be their own caretakers.

A breeze ruffled the governor’s hair. He frowned, and glanced at the window. It was open, letting in the night air. He laid his pipe aside, careful to keep the bowl facing upward. He dusted his hands, and crossed the room to the casement. He was sure he’d closed it earlier, after he’d had one too many papers blow off his desk and onto the floor. His legs were a tad unsteady, and he paused for a moment with one hand on the wall, and the other on the window.

That was when the lights went out.

At first, Bowers was sure it was just an errant breeze that had snuffed his candles. That was when he realized the night wind had died. He raised his gaze to the glass, and he saw a figure behind him. Before he could turn, though, he was seized by strong hands. One clamped down hard on the back of his neck, and the other cupped his throat. He felt five, sharp points prick his skin, and a trickle of blood bead down his neck.

“Move, and I will tear out your throat,” a soft voice whispered in his ear. “Do you understand?”

“I don’t know who you think you are-” Bowers snarled, until he felt the points dig into his neck.

“I will not repeat myself,” the voice hissed in his ear.

“Yes,” Bowers said after a moment. “I understand.”

“You will write to your superiors, and tell them they were misinformed,” the voice continued, a single, sharp point running up and down Bowers’ throat, just over his trip-hammering pulse. “The land here is bad, and yields sick crops. There is a blight that will curdle their coffers. Tell them there are creatures in the forests. It doesn’t matter what you say, so long as they understand that holding this place will cost them more than it could ever yield.”

“I can’t do that,” Bowers hissed. “If the guild finds out I lied to them, they’ll kill me.”

The pinpricks at Bowers’ throat grew hot, and dug deeper. The beads of blood on his neck grew to a trickle, and he felt one of the blades press up behind his jaw. He felt hot breath on his ear, and cold sweat on his brow.

“They might kill you, if they find you,” the voice purred. “I will do it here, and now. And I will do it in such a way that no one who hears the tale would ever accept your posting for themselves.”

“All right, all right,” Bowers moaned. “I’ll send the missive.”

“Tonight,” the voice said.

The pressure at Bowers’ throat increased another hair, then something struck the back of his knee. The governor was thrown to the ground, barely getting his hands up in time to stop himself from slamming into the boards. Bowers pushed himself to one side, rolling, snatching his dagger from its sheath as he came up, one arm ready to block a descending blow. All he saw was moonlight streaming in through the open window, and all he heard were the sounds of the night outside. He was alone once more.

Once the governor got his breathing under control he fumbled his way to his desk, and re-lit the taper with a hand sparker. He lifted a small mirror, looking at his throat. Four small punctures stood out clearly on one side of his neck. He dabbed away the blood, and collapsed into his chair. A night breeze made the window creak, and he shuddered.

Bowers drew a fresh sheet of paper from a sheaf. He took up his pen, and stared at his hand until the adrenaline shakes stopped. Once they had, he started writing. Blight had been discovered among the crops, he said, and entire fields had been lost. Worse, the soil had been tainted by something he could not identify. It was for this reason he recommended the Landers’ Guild withdraw their interest. Then, as a postscript, he resigned his commission with the organization. Bowers sealed the missive, stamping the wax before slipping it into an envelope.