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Novus Ordum Mundi

The Masters of the Great Game

Introduction

becoming more and more arrogant in their right to rule.

Before the population reached breaking point something else

occurred, General Gaius Philippus

Macer staged a brilliantly successful

coup and took control of the entire

Empire as one of the greatest

Imperators in Numan history. His

obvious first act was to reduce the

power of the Senate down to an

almost advisory body. The leader of

NOM at the time was the devious

Commodus Flavius, who railed

against Macer and plotted countless

assassination attempts. For nearly

thirty years, the group opposed

Macer, but the shrewd Imperator

deflected all their challenges. That is until a single action

changed the balance of power and altered Theah in a way

that reverberates to modern day. The Bargain for the

sorcerous arts.

Contents of this eBook

This book in intended for Game

Masters to give a background to

the group known as Novus

Ordum Mundi and information

on using them in their

campaigns. There is no

information in this text for the

use of players, excepting those

that have an insatiable curiosity

to learn about the true masters of

Theah and so risk their terrible

wrath. The book is split up into

three main sections, the first details the history and structure

of the group along with its main members, the second part

details two major locations of the group and a few minor

ones along with some sample plotlines, the third and final

part is an essay detailing ways in which Novus Ordum

Mundi can be used by Game Masters in their sessions. While

a number of people appear in this book for the first time,

many are old hands from the printed book line although

most have had been advanced to reflect the time since their

appearance.

The Bargain made by Senator Octavus Montanus and the

others not only overthrew the control of the Imperator, but it

also turned the balance against the other Senators that did

not enter into their pact with Legion. Montanus used his new

found abilities to destroy any who opposed their new rule,

one of the first of these being his long time nemesis

Commodus Flavius who was thrown screaming into a rift on

the very floor of the Senate. The surviving members

withdrew to assess the situation and plot how they could

regain their favoured positions of power. They knew from

FlaviusÓ example that it was almost impossible to go against

the sorcerors directly, so they fell back on their considerable

guile and intelligence. The Council of Thirteen was formed

out of this to mark the thirteen Senators, and their positions

have carried on down to the present day, although their exact

tactics and drives have changed as new members came to the

fore. Of course, the fall of Numa destroyed all chance of

retaking control of the Empire, so the Council members

moved further out into Theah and sought to control the

History

The villainous organisation known as Novus Ordum Mundi

dates from the Old Republic of the Numan Empire, like

many of the secret societies that it has watched and

manipulated for centuries. In AUC 385, thirteen Senators of

the Numan Senate met to discuss the corruption that they

observed in the government. Over a period of years, they

slowly gained influence and control, for instance by having

friends appointed to key positions in the government,

priesthood and military. Even in almost full control of the

Senate, they often were unable to stop the shifting of power

back to a particular capable Imperator. This alternating state

of affairs continued for centuries, with members of the group

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entire continent in its new constituent parts. As one fell to

age or the plots of an adversary, another member was

selected by the group from a list that had usually been

groomed for years for such a role.

with the loss of a single figure. While some may see the

promotion of democratic ideals by the Council as laudable,

they are hardly doing it for humanitarian reasons and this

subversion of the concept may in the end stagnate the

development of true political freedoms across Theah for

centuries to come.

Philosophy

As mentioned above, the original purpose of NOM was to

overthrow the rule of the Senators and retake control of the

Numan Empire. This changed with the fall of the Empire,

although even before that event the Council members had

seen the decline of the power of the sprawling mass that it

had become. From this point forward, the goals of the

Council of Thirteen became split, some wanted to return to

the central control of Empire while others felt that the rise of

the new nation-states should be supported and each

controlled separately. The proponents of the latter ideal

could strongly point to the causes that lead to the fall of the

Numan Empire and the difficulties in maintaining such tight

control over a widely spaced and culturally disparate

populace. While those that longed for the romanticised glory

of the old Empire maintained a powerful hold on the Council

for centuries, their failure to move towards this played into

the hands of the more modern-thinking members who would

eventually rise to dominance. Traditionally the organisation

has maintained its influence on Theah through a three-fold

method, with infiltration of the noble elite, the Church and

the criminal underclass. This technique has proven to work

over countless generations, although in the last century

things have begun to change. The appearance of the idea of

democracy and governance in a number of nations has upset

the established orders of Theah and the Council of Thirteen

have ensured that they are in a position to best use these

changes. In the past when a single ruler proved impossible to

manipulate, NOM simply waited for a new more pliable one

to succeed him or took matters into their own hands and had

the intransigent ruler eliminated. With the emergence of the

idea of control of a nation in the hands of a body of people,

be it a parlement such as in Avalon or an organisation like

the Vendel League, there is always someone within the

structure that can either be subverted or manipulated. The

Council has therefore taken to the concept of these forms of

government with a great deal of interest, since the network of

control and influence they can create in them does not die

Organisation

While NOM consists of a vast network of informants,

contacts, killers and petty villains, its true core is the Council

of Thirteen. These men would be power-brokers of Theah in

their own right, without the resources and opportunities

presented to them by the organisation. No doubt because of

this fact, while other secretive groups may have internal

squabbles, the Machiavellian plots of the Council members

against each other can lay waste to entire regions and leave

trails of bodies in their wake. The Espectro Acero, the ÒSteel

SpectorsÓ, act as a balance to the powers of the Council by

preventing the members acting directly against each other

and securing meetings between these dangerous men.

Although they are meant to be impartial, a particular

powerful Council leader has often used the Espectro Acero

to their own ends, cowling the other Council members and

even on occasion carrying out assassinations. Each Council

member usually has a particular region of control from

which they are based, although these regions often overlap

and those involving the other societies of Theah can be wide

ranging indeed. The Council members that survive the

longest are those that know which fights to pick and with the

expertise that makes them more useful to the other members

alive, rather than floating facedown in one of DionnaÓs many

canals. Strictly speaking each Council member has equal

voice in the organisation, although one is considered the

leader in order to chair the annual meetings of the entire

Council and maintain their neutral holdings in Numa. If an

issue comes to vote, each of the thirteen carries one vote.

Since any Council member worth their seat usually knows

exactly how each other member will vote, ties are very rare

but when they happen the leader decides on the outcome.

The structure underneath the Council of Thirteen depends

very much on the particular Council member, as apart from

the Espectro there is no other formal members or groups.

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Most Council members retain their own selection of agents

and informants, very few of which are usually aware of the

existence of the group. A handful of incredibly skilled men

have served a succession of Council members, such as the

infamous assassin Quinn who served the previous Council

leader before Alvara Archiniega. This secrecy has allowed

such as powerful and manipulative group to survive so long,

with very few outside of the circle ever aware of its

existence. After centuries, the shadowy operations that saved

the Senators from the sorcerors have become the very

identity of the group. Thousands of people across Theah are

involved in the activities of NOM in any month, almost all of

them with no knowledge that their small actions have

contributed to a wider event.

Alvara Soldano de Arciniega

The Castillian scholar centres his control of NOM from a

massive fortress deep in the Sierra de Hierro mountains,

especially after he engineered the InquisitionÓs purge on

members of the Invisible College and was forced himself to

flee. His power over the group is based on his incredible

intellect and a willingness to use deadly force against those

that oppose him. An extremely skilled duellist in his own

right, it was this ability that saved him from the fires of the

Inquisition after his publication of information of the

spectrum of light. With the Invisible College now almost

dependant on him as one of its most public figures, his

access to technology and invention is incredible. His

advances in Blood Alchemy, a field in which he is a leading

researcher, also enhance his power. He is also by far its most

vocal proponent on the Council, as he sees this new form of

sorcery as a way to redress the balance of the Bargain and

restore the members of NOM to a position of supreme

power. It is this obsession that has split the Council in

recent years, with a number of the other members

proving to be strong and vocal opponents against

what they see as an obnoxious and dangerous

discovery. While Arciniega maintains his

control and has enough of the other

Council members either agreeing with

him or afraid to act, significant

resources of NOM will continue to be

devoted to the study of Blood Alchemy.

The Council of Thirteen

The current Council is lead by the charismatic and powerful

Alvara Soldano de Archiniega, who was selected for the

group by the previous leader, Iselo Arciniega de

Aldana. The lessons of his former mentor sharpened

an already brilliant mind into a deadly

instrument. Over the last few years he has

engineered the destruction of many of his

rivals in the group and more recently has

his own daughter, Monica Allias du

Crieux, appointed as a Council member to

replace the disgraced Jean Pierre du Lac.

With Quinn and many of the Espectro Acero

under his control, he exercises more control

over the group than any one man in

centuries. Many of the other members are

very concerned about this shift in power, but

as yet none of them have been able to

counter it and by their very nature are

unlikely to work together enough to

succeed in such a task. The other eleven

members of the group represent some of the

most powerful people in Theah. A total of

eleven of the Council are detailed here,

the other two are left for the GM to use

major villains from their campaign or to tailor to their

players.

While he has had to abandon his position at

the Universidad de Altamira, Archiniega is

still in effective control of the Invisible

College through its network system known as

the ÐChain of KnowledgeÑ. The vast

majority of his agents operate in Castille

and Vodacce, although he make sure that he

has resources available in other nations

should he need them. His collaborators among

the Blood Alchemists give him some

leverage in Kirk, where the science is

perhaps finding its strongest footing.

The ultimate goals of Archiniega are the realisation of the

founding of NOM, to retake control of the continent from the

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corrupted descendants of the sorcerous Senators. Secretly an

atheist, he also seeks to undermine the Church, although he

does certainly realise that it is a useful instrument for the

control of the masses. The greatest weakness of the master

manipulator is that his arrogance is starting to allow him to

believe in his supposed invulnerability, leading over the last

few years to his actions getting more blatant and his

treatment of rivals more severe. While few could oppose his

destruction of Jean Pierre du Lac, the treatment of another

Council member in this way has galvanised quite a bit more

opposition to him among the other members which may

swing the balance of power should the opportunity present

itself.

Menial Tasks 3, Unobtrusive 5

Spy: Bribery 3, Conceal 4, Disguise 3, Forgery 3, Poison 3,

Shadowing 5, Sincerity 4, Stealth 4

Athlete: Climbing 3, Footwork 5, Leaping 3, Side-step 5,

Sprinting 4, Throwing 3

Fencing: Attack 5, Parry 5

Soldano ( Master ): Double-parry 5, Exploit Weakness 5,

Tagging 5, Whirl 5

Valroux ( Journeyman ): Double-parry 5, Exploit Weakness 4,

Feint 4, Tagging 5

Knife: Attack 5, Parry 5, Throw 4

Alvaro Arciniega ( d20© )

Castillian Male Wanderer 4 / Swashbuckler 1 / Blood

Scientist 5 / Soldano Swordsman 5 / Valroux Swordsman 3:

CR 18; HD 14d8+3d10+d6; hp 82; Init+6; Spd 30ft; AC 25; Atk:

rapier +16/+11/+6 melee (d8+3; 18-20/x2); SA A Trail of

Destruction, Knacks, Marshal the Strength, Raise the Stakes, The

Unstopping Blades, Whirling Blades; SQ Brew Cordial, Evasion,

Extracts, Fast Healing, Side Effects: 1-3, Uncanny Dodge, Ward

of the Albatross; AL LE; SV Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +11; Str 12,

Dex 14, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12; Skills: Appraise+8,

Bluff+7, Climb+13, Craft (alchemy)+22, Craft (poison)+8,

Diplomacy+7, Disguise+12, Hide+21, Intimidate+10, Jump+13,

Knowledge (arcana)+15, Knowledge (economics)+15,

Knowledge (Mathematics)+22, Knowledge (natural sciences)+25,

Knowledge (nobility)+10, Knowledge (philosophy)+17,

Knowledge (religion)+18, Listen+5, Move Silently+21,

Profession (housekeeping)+9, Sense Motive+7, Speak Language

(Castillian, Montaigne, Thean, Vendel, Vodacce), Spot+5,

Tumble+7; Feats: Castillian Education, Cleave, Expertise, Great

Cleave, Improved Initiative, Parry, Power Attack, Run, Secret

Society Membership (Invisible College, NOM), Tagging, Two

Weapon Fighting, Unarmored Defence Proficiency (Beginner),

University, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (main gauche,

rapier), Weapon Specialization (main gauche, rapier); Reputation

11; Knacks (6/4/4/2/2 save DC 12+level): 0-level: detect illness,

detect poison; 1-level: cure light wounds, endure poison; 2-level:

delay poison, catÓs grace; 3-level: contagion, remove disease; 4-

level: inflict critical wounds, ignore injury

Allies and Enemies: Alvara Archiniega is the currently

undisputed leader of the Council of Thirteen and so has

quite an ability to shape the direction of the organisation to

his goals. He is the foremost proponent of the pursuit of

Blood Science, and counts Boli Kollsson and Aleksi

vÓNovgorov as supporters in this arena. With the succession

of his daughter Monica to the Council, he can also count on

her vote on all occasions so far where the Council has had

call to debate.

Resources and Strongholds: Arciniega bases his work out of

his hidden fortress in eastern Castille. His primary power-

base is through the Invisible College and its wealth of

knowledge and inventions, although this is also

complimented by the extensive network of agents that Iselo

left in his control and his influence over the Espectro Acero

through Quinn.

Brawn 4, Finesse 5, Wits 5, Resolve 4, Panache 4

Reputation: -61

Arcana: Overzealous

Advantages: Castillian (R/W), Montaigne (R/W), Than (R/W),

Vendel (R/W), Vodacce (R/W), Castillian Accent (Soldano),

Alchemist, Castillian Education, Connections (many), Extended

Family, Grandmaster, Linguist, Membership (Invisible College,

NOM), Noble, Research Library, Secret Laboratory, Spark of

Genius, Toughness, University

Scholar: Astronomy 5, History 3, Mathematics 5, Natural

Philosophy 6, Occult 4, Philosophy 4, Research 5, Theology 4

Servant: Accounting 3, Etiquette 3, Fashion 2, Haggling 3,

Monica Allais du Crieux

While many of the other members have decried the

appointment of ArchiniegaÓs daughter to the Council, her

aptitude in politics and diplomacy cannot be denied.

Growing up as the adoptive daughter of a cousin to the Duke

of Crieux in Montaigne, she wanted for nothing and was

trained by one of the harshest environments in Theah, the

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Montaigne court of lÓEmpereur. Rescued by Quinn from the

deprivations of the Revolution, she was united with her real

father and since then has become his most loyal and able

student. It remains to be seen if she will hold her own in

such as powerful group and become more independent of her

powerful father, or merely act as an extra vote for him in

important matters.

Monica grew up a pampered life in Montaigne and

demonstrates that most dangerous of combinations, a sharp

mind and a striking appearance. Immediately following the

Revolution, Monica shed the haute-couture style that was

the lifeblood of the Montaigne courts for a more restrained

appearance. However, over time and as she has become

accustomed to the new level of power that her position

allows, she has started to return to her more decadent ways.

Her fathers contacts allow her to buy expensive jewellery

from exotic locations, although her style reflects a more

mature and even sombre look than the gaudiness of the

Montaigne court.

a young noble who had spurned her for his betrothed at a

dance. The young man seeing his future ruined by the fickle

interests of the court took his own life, something that would

have shocked many into reforming their actions, but to

Monica only demonstrated the power that she had over those

around her. Now with the resources and backing of NOM,

Monica does not have to reign in these darker impulses and

has taken to the lessons of her father with a zeal that has

surprised even him.

Although Monica was born into a minor branch of

Montaigne nobility, her wit and intelligence allowed her to

work the local courts as well as more powerful members of

her family. The Revolution killed much of the former noble

class, including the Duke of Crieux, which meant that many

of her former rivals have been conveniently taken out of the

picture. With the restoration of the monarchy under King

Montegue, Montaigne is once again relatively safe for the

gentry and she has taken full advantage of this fact. As one

of a steady stream of emirgs returning to Charouse and the

other main cities, she uses her adoptive name to restore and

expand her power in the region. Her father encourages her

actions, as they both consolidate her position on the Council

but also expand his influence in an area in which he had

little prior interest. However, Monica has learned from a

master manipulator over the last few years and for every new

contact that she discusses with her father, there are two more

that do not get mentioned. While acting quiet and demure in

most company, especially when in the presence of her father,

MonicaÓs upbringing has led her to be rather vindictive

towards those that have hurt or annoyed her. This is not a

new thing, one of the first acts in the Montaigne court during

the height of the rule of lÓEmpereur was to utterly humiliate

In the recent months, with the gentle murmurings of her

advisors, Monica has come to realise that the other Council

members are becoming more and more opposed to the rule

and actions of her father. While for the moment she is

completely devoted to him, she is quietly deciding whether it

is worth lending some assistance to one of the other

powerful Council members in order to secure her position

following what she sees as her fatherÓs unavoidable fall. Of

all the other men, she is the most attracted to her fellow

countryman Hughes Sices du Sices or the dangerous beauty

of Giovanni Villanova. Time will tell if she is able to exert

any influence on these men and will go through with the

betrayal of her father. If Alvara had any concept of what his

daughter is thinking, it is likely that she would not survive

although she might take comfort that it would be the first

killing that he would regret.

Allies and Enemies: As the newest member of the Council of

Thirteen, Monica would be expected to have her abilities

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