Issue 14 of The 9th Scroll, an e-magazine produced by The 9th Age project, was released in January 2019 and is available for free download HERE.
The issue contains, among other things, official background texts about The 9th Age. These are used as Sources on this site. Most notable among these sources is a full page spread about the Orcs and Goblins and a several pages long text about the Makhar.
Contained sources[]
Issue 14 of The 9th Scroll contains the follow sources, in the order they appear. Some texts use an unspecified narrator, these texts are referred to as simply "Informative text about ...".
Diary of Marzell von Stirlingen - Entry from 3rd Acrober (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p16)[]
Von Stirlingen, ambassador of Emperor Matthias, writes of an expedition to a camp of Makhar three days march east of Volskagrad. He describes the encounters he has with many in the camp, both Makhar and others. Among them is the dung shoveller, once Questing Knight, Baron Luis de Châtray and guide, once Reiter, Sgt JG Holtz.
Von Stirlingen writes of the might of the Makhar and comes to fear it. He also comes to fear that he won't be allowed to return home, and ponders if he can smuggle out his diary, so that it might warn the Emperor.
Gravius Stiegler - Imperial Ambassador Departure Notes - 25th Acrober (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p22)[]
Stiegler, having found the diary of Von Stirlingen in the hands of Holtz and Châtray who seemingly has escaped. He writes in his departure notes when he sets out on another diplomatic mission to ascertain the claims of the diary and try to find Von Stirlingen.
Informative text about the Orcs and Goblins (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p44)[]
The narrator tells of the Orcs and Goblins, their differences and similarities. How the orcs are tough and robust beings who love to fight, and the cunning of the goblins. He also uses the the term "warborn" to describe them, and ponders their ability to appear in large swarms seemingly out of nowhere.
Liluth Araran - 'A Beastmaster's Journal' (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p44)[]
Araran writes of the relationship between different beasts and the orcs and goblins. How orcs tend to form connection with stubborn creatures such as boars and wyverns, while goblins seems to have creatures of all kinds as guardians of their lairs. The goblins skills at this is something that Araran marvels at.
Translation of a carving found on an unfinished stone idol (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p44)[]
The carvings appear to be a poem about a stone.The stone is to be shown the way of war.
Field notes of researcher Johan Möhring (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p45)[]
Möhring describes his observation of orc broods, and his increasing conviction that these birth-groups are central to orc society. He also describes four individuals of different broods that he has observed, referring to them by names he as attributed to them: Gustav, Heidi, Henning and Wilhelm. His observations seem to suggest that the terms Feral, Common and Iron Orc is in fact connected to the age of the orc.
Niccolò Solo, Book of the Terrors of the World (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p45)[]
Solo writes of a mystic labyrinth built under the Great Mountains by the Darrmu, the oldest prophet-leaders of the goblins. At the centre of the labyrinth was a secret abode, a paradise for goblins, protected by the gogyag, mystic beasts of the deep.
Mantra reportedly recited by orc prisoner under torture by Tsuandanese authorities (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p45)[]
Every other line of the matra goes "The only king".
Interview with Sigmund Selig, the Great Sage, fifth session (The 9th Scroll, issue 14, p52)[]
The fifth session of an interview with Sigmund Selig. In this session, Selig is asked the following questions:
- What happens if a Magister/Patriarch eats too many Dark Shards?
- Who is Prince Estaban and what is his relation to Empress Sophia?
- How many regions does Sonnstahl have? How many princes?
- Are Beast Herds, Saurian Ancients and Vermin Swarm connected? All of them are bipedal animalistic humanoids?
- You say that you do not like to debate the divine, Herr Selig, but perhaps you will permit me tne question: the daemons who serve the Dark Gods are well known. Do other gods, such as Sunna or the elven gods, have lesser supernal servants of their own? If so, why are there so few stories of them sending servants of their own to aid their worshippers in battle, like daemons are often reported to do? Do the oher gods not send their servants?
- Why do dragons accept to be mounted by so puny riders? Why can’t dragons fight on their own, like so many monsters?
- Who is Olaron? Is s/he part of the universal elven pantheon or unique to the Dread Elves?
- How and why did King Henry the Young became king?
- Who are scraplings in Ogre society? Slaves? Henchmens? Friends? Pets? Why do they live together? Scraplings are goblins or other type of creatures?