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Children of the Rune PDF

286 Pages·2005·0.84 MB·English
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THE LANDS OF THE DIAMOND THRONE COME ALIVE! They are seldom seen, but their deeds are often marveled at. They live in legend to serve the land. They are the mysterious runechildren, favored by some greater power to receive a distinctive runic tattoo—and magical gifts to work great wonders. Runechildren blaze a brilliant path in a world where good and evil are never clear, guiding it to a destiny not even they always understand. This anthology showcases the oaths and magic, the songs and ceremonies of Lands of the Diamond Throne in more than a dozen thrilling and imagi- native short stories by such authors as Monte Cook, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, and others. ® Unearthed Arcanais a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., PDF Version 1.0 in the USA and other countries. Arcana Unearthedis used with permission from Wizards and all rights are reserved. June 10, 2004 Malhavoc is a registered trademark owned by Monte J. Cook. ® All rights reserved. TALES FROM THE LAND OF THE DIAMOND THRONE BY MONTE COOK ED GREENWOOD JEFF GRUBB AND OTHERS EDITED BY SUE WEINLEIN COOK ® MONTE COOK’S ARCANA UNEARTHED: CHILDREN OF THE RUNE This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Malhavoc Press. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including photocopy, recording, Internet posting, electronic bulletin board—or any other information storage and retrieval system, except for the purpose of review, without permission from the publisher. Malhavoc Press is committed to reducing waste in publishing. For this reason, we do not permit our covers to be “stripped” for returns, but instead require that the whole book be returned, allowing us to resell it. All persons, places, and organizations in this book—except those clearly in the public domain—are fictitious, and any resemblance that may seem to exist to actual persons, places, or organizations living, dead, or defunct is purely coincidental. The mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned. Unearthed Arcana is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, in the USA and other countries. Arcana Unearthed is used with permission from Wizards, and all rights are reserved. Children of the Runeis published by Malhavoc Press LLC. This anthology is ©2004 Monte J. Cook The contents of each individual story in this anthology is copyright as listed below, excepting those elements that are components of the Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthedand The Diamond Throne intellectual properties. Such elements are TM and © Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Introduction ©2004 Sue Weinlein Cook • “Stone Ghosts” ©2004 Lucien Soulban “How it Works” and “Not Without Cost” ©2004 Monte J. Cook • “Skin Deep” ©2004 Steven Brown “The Silent Man” ©2004 Richard Lee Byers • “The Fallen Star” ©2004 Ed Greenwood “Hollows of the Heart” ©2004 Bruce R. Cordell and Keith Francis Strohm “Child of the Street” ©2004 William B. McDermott • “Clash of Duty” ©2004 Miranda Horner “The Pebble Before the Avalanche” ©2004 Mike Mearls • “Name Day” ©2004 Wolfgang Baur “Singer for the Dead” ©2004 John J. Grubb • “Precious Things” ©2004 Thomas M. Reid Cover art by Mark Zug Cover and interior design by Peter Whitley Cartography by Ed Bourelle ISBN: 1-58846-864-X Stock #WW16145 First Printing: August 2004 Printed in Canada Distributed for Malhavoc Press by White Wolf Publishing 1554 Litton Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083 www.montecook.com MONTE COOK’S ARCANA UNEARTHED: CHILDREN OF THE RUNE VI INTRODUCTION SUE WEINLEIN COOK 1 STONE GHOSTS LUCIEN SOULBAN 23 HOW IT WORKS MONTE COOK 36 THE SILENT MAN RICHARD LEE BYERS 60 HOLLOWS OF THE HEART BRUCE R. CORDELL & KEITH FRANCIS STROHM 80 THE FALLEN STAR ED GREENWOOD 99 CHILD OF THE STREET WILL MCDERMOTT 120 CLASH OF DUTY MIRANDA HORNER 144 THE PEBBLE BEFORE THE AVALANCHE MIKE MEARLS 165 NAME DAY WOLFGANG BAUR 184 SINGER FOR THE DEAD JEFF GRUBB 205 PRECIOUS THINGS THOMAS M. REID 224 SKIN DEEP STAN! 248 NOT WITHOUT COST MONTE COOK SUE WEINLEIN COOK I N T R O D U C T I O N Welcome to the land of the Diamond Throne, home of the runechildren. Since the release of Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed roleplaying game, readers have become entranced with the setting’s exotic peoples, arcane vistas, epic history, and—most of all—its ancient magics. The mysterious runechildren are inheritors of this magic. These chosen heroes are granted mystical powers and the mark of a supernatural tattoo. The runechildren don’t know why they’re chosen, or even by whom. Is it the gods? The land itself? In any case, their purpose is clear: to shepherd the land and its people through whatever dangers may come. Some runechildren are unsure of their calling, at least in the beginning. Just making the acquaintance of a runechild can change one’s life forever. Often they are asked to take great risks and make great sacrifices for the good of the world. And born of these sacrifices is the freedom the folk of the land enjoy. vi INTRODUCTION Runechildren can spring from any race:the tall and noble giants, known for their battle prowess, ancient traditions, and wise leadership; the reptilian mojh, canny spellcasters who once were human; the three diminutive faen races—tiny winged sprytes, agile and frivolous quicklings, and the magic-loving loresongs; the honor-bound, leonine litorians of the plains; the jackal-headed sibeccai, whom the giants raised to sentience from their once feral status; the strange verrik, with their wine- colored skin and psychic natures; and even the humans, the most populous of all the races. These select heroes come from backgrounds as diverse as their race. Some are spellcasters like magisters, runethanes, greenbonds, witches, or mage blades. Some are bold warriors— champions, warmains, totem warriors, or the unfettered. And some call upon unique powers, such as the akashics, masters of the racial memory, and the oathsworn, made mighty by virtue of their sworn bond. In getting to know the runechildren, you will come to dis- cover the exciting land of the Diamond Throne. Three centuries ago, the draconic dramojh held the land and its people captive, subject to their monstrous tyranny and hideous experiments. Then the giants came to these shores, unstoppable in the war- dance they called Chi-Julud. The giants freed the people, van- quished the dramojh, and together built a new realm. This is a realm where one’s honor is more important than per- sonal desire, where individual choice can rule over destiny, and where the land is a thing to be protected, not exploited. It is a land steeped in ceremony, upheld by the innate strength of one’s sworn oath, and bound together by the burning power of hope. Some people think the runechildren are only a myth. Others know they’re real. But everyone has a different opinion of exactly what it means to bea runechild. The thirteen original tales in this book showcase these varied points of view. I hope you enjoy meeting these new heroes, who wield the power of deed and rune. vii LUCIEN SOULBAN S T O N E G H O S T S Morgain Nai-Barinon strode through the cobblestone streets of Ka-Rone with no interest in the surround- ing festivities. Despite her evenly bronzed skin and lustrous black rope of braided hair, Morgain’s empty scabbard drew the most stares. Why a warrior such as she carried no weapon added to her mystique. The gazes then drifted back to her unwavering emerald eyes that challenged anyone to make comment. None did. The worn leather attire and the sword scars and arrow nicks on her arms bespoke a veteran. In all the mystery and beauty of Morgain, never once did onlookers see the rune adorning the back of her hand. They never suspected Morgain as a runechild. The port city’s normally pungent air of brine and slaugh- tered fish lay masked beneath a sea of new odors: vendors sell- ing roasted chestnuts and spiced chai, taverns serving freshly baked breads and meats. If food didn’t delight the senses, then 1 L U C I E N S O U L B A N the eyes and ears indulged in other banquets. To the joy of chil- dren, performers juggled spheres of colored glass lit from within, while musicians set tempo for the savage movement of litorian war-dancers. Torches of yellow flame lit the streets into the late hours, while dyed cloth and festive banners fluttered from the eaves of buildings. Morgain, however, stopped for none of these distractions. While the Narasanight Festival was a joyous time, it was once strictly a Hu-Charad celebration. The giants were somber crea- tures, and their festival was one of words and memories. But, if the giants had learned one thing in these lands they’d con- quered, it was that the greatest of human qualities was appro- priation. The festival belonged to all now, and had grown far too garish for the understated Hu-Charad. Only in Ka-Rone’s giant districts did the noise drop away and the festivities adopt a quiet, more sober tone. Morgain walked past poetry and story circles, where giants sat and recounted their works. Their tales were precise, their passions exact in the measured cadence of rhyming schemes and wordplay. A few distracted giants watched Morgain walk by, curious at the human who seemed comfortable in their hushed streets. Morgain found her destination, a courtyard park surrounded by colonnaded buildings with pediment-style roofs. The garden’s hanging vines and verdant crown of shrubs were spec- tacular against the alabaster-white structures and toga-clad sculptures. At the garden’s center sat a circle of eight giants, while outside that, numerous children played quietly. Even seated, the giants were heads taller than Morgain, but she ap- peared at ease. The circle listened to one speaker, his voice rev- erential on this, the Hu-Charad’s holy night. A few onlookers roasted corn or boiled chai on a heated brazier at the center of the circle. Morgain, her stride unwavering, marched straight for the giants before stopping. Everyone stared, surprised at this diminutive stranger who now waited for their attention. 2

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form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including photocopy, recording, Internet posting, Unearthed Arcana is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, in the USA and elements that are components of the Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed and The Diamond Throne.
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