diff --git a/src/common/attributes/Jamfile b/src/common/attributes/Jamfile
index 44edac56c..ce3307cf3 100644
--- a/src/common/attributes/Jamfile
+++ b/src/common/attributes/Jamfile
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ SOURCES =
  targetregion.c
  ugroup.c
  viewrange.c
+ variable.c
  ;
 
 Library attributes : $(SOURCES) ;
diff --git a/src/common/attributes/attributes.c b/src/common/attributes/attributes.c
index 1ff19821f..c53bab14e 100644
--- a/src/common/attributes/attributes.c
+++ b/src/common/attributes/attributes.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #endif
 #include "moved.h"
 #include "aggressive.h"
+#include "variable.h"
 
 /* util includes */
 #include <attrib.h>
@@ -74,4 +75,5 @@ init_attributes(void)
 	init_ugroup();
 #endif
 	init_aggressive();
+	init_variable();
 }
diff --git a/src/common/attributes/variable.c b/src/common/attributes/variable.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f4ed021b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/attributes/variable.c
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+/* vi: set ts=2:
+ *
+ * 
+ * Eressea PB(E)M host Copyright (C) 1998-2004
+ *      Christian Schlittchen (corwin@amber.kn-bremen.de)
+ *      Katja Zedel (katze@felidae.kn-bremen.de)
+ *      Enno Rehling (enno@eressea-pbem.de)
+ *
+ * This program may not be used, modified or distributed without
+ * prior permission by the authors of Eressea.
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+#include <kernel/eressea.h>
+#include <attrib.h>
+#include "variable.h"
+
+/* libc includes */
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+typedef struct {
+	char *key;
+	char *value;
+} variable;
+
+static void
+initialize_variable(struct attrib * a)
+{
+	a->data.v = malloc(sizeof(variable));
+}
+
+static void
+finalize_variable(struct attrib * a)
+{
+	free(a->data.v);
+}
+
+static void
+write_variable(const struct attrib * a, FILE *F)
+{
+	fwritestr(F, ((variable *)(a->data.v))->key);
+	fputc(' ', F);
+	fwritestr(F, ((variable *)(a->data.v))->value);
+	fputc(' ', F);
+}
+
+static int
+read_variable(struct attrib *a, FILE *F)
+{
+	char localBuffer[BUFSIZE];
+
+	freadstr(F, localBuffer, sizeof(localBuffer));
+	((variable *)(a->data.v))->key = strdup(localBuffer);
+
+	freadstr(F, localBuffer, sizeof(localBuffer));
+	((variable *)(a->data.v))->value = strdup(localBuffer);
+
+	return AT_READ_OK;
+}
+
+attrib_type at_variable = {
+	"variable", initialize_variable, finalize_variable, NULL,
+		write_variable, read_variable
+};
+
+const char *
+get_variable(attrib *a, const char *key)
+{
+	attrib *ap;
+
+	for(ap = a; ap; ap=ap->nexttype) {
+		if(strcmp(key, ((variable *)ap->data.v)->key)) {
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if(ap) {
+		return ((variable *)ap->data.v)->value;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+void
+set_variable(attrib **app, const char *key, const char *value)
+{
+	attrib *ap;
+
+	assert(value);
+
+	for(ap = *app; ap; ap=ap->nexttype) {
+		if(strcmp(key, ((variable *)ap->data.v)->key)) {
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if(ap) {
+		free(((variable *)ap->data.v)->value);
+		((variable *)ap->data.v)->value = strdup(value);
+	} else {
+		ap = a_add(app, a_new(&at_variable));
+		((variable *)ap->data.v)->key = strdup(key);
+		((variable *)ap->data.v)->value = strdup(value);
+	}
+}
+
+void
+delete_variable(attrib **app, const char *key)
+{
+	attrib *ap;
+
+	for(ap = *app; ap; ap=ap->nexttype) {
+		if(strcmp(key, ((variable *)ap->data.v)->key)) {
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if(ap) {
+		free(((variable *)ap->data.v)->key);
+		free(((variable *)ap->data.v)->value);
+		a_remove(app, ap);
+	}
+}
+
+void
+init_variable(void)
+{
+	at_register(&at_variable);
+}
diff --git a/src/common/attributes/variable.h b/src/common/attributes/variable.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53ea7f9ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/attributes/variable.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/* vi: set ts=2:
+ *
+ * 
+ * Eressea PB(E)M host Copyright (C) 1998-2004
+ *      Christian Schlittchen (corwin@amber.kn-bremen.de)
+ *      Katja Zedel (katze@felidae.kn-bremen.de)
+ *      Enno Rehling (enno@eressea-pbem.de)
+ *
+ * This program may not be used, modified or distributed without
+ * prior permission by the authors of Eressea.
+ */
+
+#ifndef H_ATTRIBUTE_VARIABLE
+#define H_ATTRIBUTE_VARIABLE
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+const char *get_variable(struct attrib *a, const char *key);
+void set_variable(struct attrib **app, const char *key, const char *value);
+void delete_variable(struct attrib **app, const char *key);
+void init_variable(void);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/alliance.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/alliance.cpp
index c831d76a7..773385b68 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/alliance.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/alliance.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <lua.hpp>
 #include <luabind/luabind.hpp>
 #include <luabind/iterator_policy.hpp>
+#include <luabind/object.hpp>
 
 using namespace luabind;