Please, only Dwarven characters. This is an All Dwarven adventure.

You begin as a 2nd level Dwarf. You have recently arrived at the once great city of Brundishere after receiving an unusal summons. As one of the last surviving members of an all but extinct Clan - Clan Hardizand - you have been summoned to this great fortress for an urgent and secretive mission. The other members of your party are unknown to you, but you do know they are all descendants of once proud Hardizand, and in one way or another, directly related to you. The ill fortunes of the WAR have strained Khazad culture, and all but destroyed your Clan. Still, untill they prove otherwise, you feel you can trust your party members completely. All are united in the goal of perserving the existance of your people!

Send your first post for a character to me with only this information, please:
class, alignment, character name and a short paragraph or two (more is always better) on the personality of your character and/or their history and/or what they've been doing in the WAR, and what they hope to accomplish in the present endeavor. People who follow the above rules, will get a quick response from me to go ahead and fill out a charsheet, and equipment list. This procedure should save you time, as well as me.

Equipment: Once your character is accepted, send me a seperate email with heading "homecoming:(char name): equipment", so I can have a ready record of just what you have. You are being equiped by the Battlelord at Brundishere keep, so actually anything NON-MAGICAL you can come up with that you or your team of 6 packponnies can carry, you can have. Limitations: Your best armor is Dwarven chainmail, which for this adventure will be +1. Your other misc magic items you begin with are listed on the Supplies Page. These items have been given you by the Battlelord Gwyvern Himself, master of Brundishere. The Party must devide the equipment among the members. I will be looking at all the equipment lists very closely -- and will only allow things that make sense for your mission, and what you are able to carry, even with a team of work horses. The final "Party list" (seperate from items carried by each individual) will be posted on the webpage.

Posting Rules: Please post at least twice/week. DM postings will be Monday and Thursday night, with normal deadlines the noon of the same day. If three or more people post quickly, I will usually post a response, but the 2 post/week is required to stay in the game. Posting more than once per period will always be rewarded with experience points.
Failure to post will mean failure to gain exp, repeated times could mean exp. pt loss or even removal from the game. I understand that the real world and poor ISP service can hit anyone with a problem, but do at least email me about it. Explained absentees are never punished (though you may be removed). I need your help, as I'm doing the baddies, the plot, and everything else. You must hold up your end to make this work.

Standard Posting rules: Most of you will probably be familiar with this - but for those of you not - In posting to the list, inter in the subject "(your character name): Turn #". In emails to the DM (asides or questions), put "hc: (your character name): (whatever you're asking about or whatever)". When posting, please do so in the past tense, as in,"Boffin went down the tight flight of stairs" -- NOT "Boffin goes or will go down the flight of stairs." This makes it A LOT easier for me to cut and paste the different posts when making the archives. PLEASE help your DM to make this work. Feel free to contact the other players via email, icq or whatever -- but any "in character" conversations must be "CC" to me. Lurkers are NOT to contact the players in any way -- any reports of this will mean removal from the list. Hope I'm not sounding like an ogre, but I want to protect the privacy of my players.

Spells and Magic items: Use standard PHB, 3rd Ed. rules for Clerics/Bards. All spells must be picked each morning, and I will expect an email or posting from the player with subject "HC:(char name): spell list", showing the spells you've chosen for the day. While this is "low Magic" world, the Khazad civilization is the most advanced and powerful civilization, with unique access to many magical forces/items. Nevertheless, the flagrant use of magic is frowned upon. It is known that the overuse of magic in any particular geographical area has - over time - a dangerous affect on the fabric of reality. In Khazad culture, Wizards only exist in the highest social classes, and sorcerers are viewed as unwanted and dangerous freaks. If your PC is one such, they must conceal that fact from your Khazad breathern. While no PCs will begin the game as Magic-Users, this may change over the course of the game. More on this "in game".

Priests/Clerics

Since priests and clerics receive their spells from their deity, they do not need to prepare their spells in advance. Simply spend the "casting time" praying for it.

When things go Wrong: I use the -10 rule for HP lose. If you are broght to 0 Hp, you fall unconscious, and lose 1 HP/round till your wounds are bound or you are healed. If you reach -10, the character dies. Damage to PCs and NPCs will be reported typically -

80-99% of total HP : "Near death"
55-80% : "Critically wounded"
25-55% : "Seriously wounded"
1-25% : "Lightly wounded"

This is a rough approx of your condition. Someone with Healing skills can more accurately access an ill person's condition.

Dwarven Abilities: Dwarves, or as they call themselves, the "Khazad" people, are defined thusly: "...Dwarves tend to be dour and taciturn. They are given to hard work and care little for most humor. They are strong and brave. They enjoy beer, ale, mead, and even stronger drink. Their chief love, however, is precious metal, particularly gold...Not overly fond of elves, they have a fierce hatred of orcs and goblins. They are ill-desposed toward magic and have little talent for it, but revel in fighting, warcraft, and scientific arts such as engineering. Though Dwarves are suspicious and avaricious, their courage and tenacity more than compensates for these shortcomings."

Dwarves have access to hydro technology for power and engineering. Their technology can be simplistically described as late renaissance transplanted to the 12th century. They do not have firearms, but politically and technologically, they are much more advanced than the other cultures of this world.

All Khazad are excellent miners, able to detect changes ingrade/slope in a passage and new passage construction 5 times in 6, detect stonework traps, pits, deadfalls, as well as their depth underground 3 times in 6. To accomplish any of these however, the Khazad character must be consciously attempting to do just that. Constitution bonus and Charisma loss are used, as are all Dwarven Saving throw advantages.

Infravision : Dwarves are blessed with an excellent form of "heat" vision, particularly useful in areas completely absent of natural light. It has a range of 60' (feet), and shows the outline and textures of things with different temperatures. Virtually any form of natural or artificial light cancels the advantages of infravision. Also, while one can "get around" in complete darkness, one's vision is still very limited. To effectively search or examine an area, you will need some form of light. Going from Light to infravision (or vica versa), there is a delay of ONE TURN.

Languages: All Khazad begin with their racial tongue, and at least a smattering of Orcish. The barbarious Atani have different languages for every tribe. These must be gained seperately, and their existence must be explained in character history. Atani Language are always "Cross-Class" skills, reflecting how difficult they are to become proficeint in. If you choose to have NO Atani languages, your PC gains +5 skill pts to be destributed as you like. You may not take more than two Atani languages at the beginning. Some examples on known Atani languages:

Formain - A seafaring group that have been contracted to service the Khazad port at Tristizad. Very trustworthy group, some of which have even been permitted to learn some Khazad(!). They are a backward, chaotic people who love the sea.

Supitai - Forest tribe in the swamps to the north-west of Azadimere. Some limited trade for furs/ivory. Masters of Wood craft.

Caldaran - Newly arrived barbarian tribe from the far south, they have rapidly increased in population. A local chieftan has contracted with one of the Clans to provide wheat and to lease some unused mines. They transport their harvest to Tristizad. They do not get along with the Formain. Not trusted, but this group seems more ordered than the chaotic Formain. Very primitive.

Boii - Atani displaced by the savage Caldaras. They now live among the mountains and hillcountry south of our home. Skilled in nature magic, they are a small but troublesome group of Atani. Some tribes have been contacted producing friendly relations. Others resist all contact, and attack caravans on sight. Extreme hatred of the Caldaras and the Formain.

Malderin - civilized group of Atani in the far south. Apparently has contact with the Eldrin court in the west, and regretably openly uses magic. Strong Naval forces. Does not get along with Formain or Caldaras. Trade does happen in Triztizad, but only on a semi-annual basis. Technology primitive, but magically advanced.

Other Languages : Eldrin is a rare language, and is also a "cross-class" skill. However the languages below are "Class" skills you may pick from / ordered by most friendly to least friendly. Other languages may be picked and be useful as well, but those below are most likely to be used:

Race	Relationship
Roc/Raven*	Friendship
Azer**	Friendship
Gnome	Friendship
Underdark-trade/common	Neutral
Giant	Neutral
Eldrin (Elvish)	Neutral
Gargoyle	Distrust
Ogre	Distrust
Gnoll	Hatred
Orc/Goblin (same lang)	Hatred
	* : A friendly and intelligent race of ravens, the Skarryn, normal-sized but have a language. The Skarryn can communicate with and are friendly with the Rocs. Without a Skarryn present, change Rocs from Friendly to Distrustful.
	** : The Azer are a race of Khazad on the Elemental plane of Fire. A Gate there still exists allowing trade
Also languages allowable only by class:
High-Khazad	Bard/Cleric only : Archaic form of Khazad used only by upper classes
Thieve's Cant	Bard/Rogue only : Thieve's guild sign/slang
Others?	Secret societies / Player creations

Language in Skill ranks :

Ranks	Effect
0	Language is complete gibberish - only basic sign language possible
1	Can read some of the language - store signs / road markers. Say Hello,goodbye
2	25% reading ability, 10% chance of successfully speaking. Can trade/negotiate: very poorly / can not use Charisma bonuses
3-4	35/50% reading, about 25% speaking. Can trade/negotiate: low penalties but may use CHR bonus
5	65% reading ability, 35% speaking. Can trade/negotiate: no penalties
5+	Each trank above 5 adds 10% additional to reading/speaking. Loose accent at 100%

Tournament Aspect: Homecoming is a game taken from a tournament module I ran many years ago at a Navcon. There the all dwarven team began at the doors of Grimbroar, had to find a way in and get the magic sword that would "win the war". This is basically the plot here, but I have added to the story somewhat using another module, removing the site of the lost sword from "the base" -- hopefully stretching this adventure out from a 2.5 hr game, to a 1/2 or 3/4 of a year by PBeM. I have no plans to continue the game after the success or failure of the team, but if 3 or more players show real interest in doing so, I will consider it. This tournament game was very popular, and over the years I've had several people come back to me about it -- then a friend suggested, "why not try and do it via PBeM?" -- and here we are. :)