ATLANTEAN ITEMS
For almost two thousand years, Atlantis was a beacon of human technology and philosophy. While colonies and conquests upon Thule extended the reach of the empire, the city of Atlantis was a centre for science and arcane study. The city also boasted great temples devoted to Asura, Mithra, Nergal, and Tiamat, along with some of humankind’s most powerful priests, even
if the populace at large was not fervently religious. Much knowledge was lost beneath the waves when the city was destroyed, and human civilization has yet to climb back to its peak. The relics of Old Atlantis are perhaps the most common superior and magic items found among the larger cities of Thule. Many such items were brought to Thule during the settlement and exploration of the continent, and even more travelled across the sea with the last refugees fleeing Atlantis’s destruction. The secrets of steelmaking did not survive Atlantis’s fall, and Atlantean steel survives only in the blades and armour rescued from the city’s destruction. Atlantean weapons and armor are usually heirlooms, passed down over generations. They are usually
adorned with aquatic symbols such as fish scales, shells, or wave motifs. Holy symbols for the Nine, particularly Asura, are commonly Atlantean in origin, as are wands of arcane spells, the preferred accessory of Atlantean wizards.
BARBARIAN ITEMS
The barbarian tribes of Thule are quite varied. Each tribe has its own traditions, whether they are nomads of the Long Shadow, jungle savages of Dhar Mesh, or the almost-civilized Ammurans. Nearly every barbarian tribe boasts a legend involving a weapon wielded by a great warrior or chieftain of the past. Primal spirits and forces throughout Thule sometimes manifest in what might otherwise be mundane items, and still others are bound into sacred relics by animist practitioners. While distrustful of most magic, many clans nevertheless pay great respect to the shamans and druids among them. As a result, primal magic is not out of place among the tribes of Thule. Most weapons and armor can be of barbaric origin, as can any item that has a primal or primitive feel. Such items range from crude constructions made of animal bones or wooden clubs set with spikes to the fine craftsmanship of the Ammur metalsmiths, who craft massive greatswords and axes from copper or bronze. Totems and gnarled staffs for spellcasters fit the primal themes of the savage tribes, and other primitive trinkets might be imbued with primal magic. Many barbaric items might not be magical at all, and are instead harvested from the beasts and plants available
to the barbarians.
SERPENTMAN ITEMS
The first practitioners of arcane magic in Thule were the serpentmen, who began weaving spells tens of thousands of years before humans or elves came to Thule. Bound by tradition and ceremony, serpentmen never refined their arcane knowledge to the extent that the Atlanteans and elves did in a later age, but the magic they did wield was well-practiced and powerful. Many of the spells and rituals still practiced today by the scattered mages and wizards of Thule were first scribed on scrolls by the snake people. Though the great empire of Nessk is a fading memory, forgotten temples and catacombs may yet hold treasures of that ancient time. Serpentman magic is strongest in the realm of charms, enchantments, and transmutations. It is a
mix of arcane magic and invocations to Set, the Great Serpent, with snakes and poisons as common motifs. Magic items that can focus energy or empower spellcasters are usually relics of Nessk.
The dwarves of Thule jealously guard their handiwork, and haven’t been in Thule long enough to leave buried legacies throughout the mountains. As a result, dwarven relics and items are very rare outside the realms of the dwarves. Dwarven steel is renowned for its strength, but it is only occasionally traded to non-dwarves. Dwarven weapons are typically well-suited to their stature and fighting in their mountain tunnels. Larger weapons like longswords or most of the two-handed weapons are exceedingly rare among hoards of dwarven work. Like most dwarves, the dwarves of Thule craft weapons they also use as tools, such as axes and hammers. Almost all dwarven relics found outside dwarven kingdoms are arms and armor, or finely wrought jewelry. Every dwarven item is marked with the rune of its creator, and it is rumored that dwarven smiths keep a ledger of the items that have been sold or lost, and can quickly determine who truly is the rightful owner of a dwarven-made item.
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