Summons of the Whyter

Transcription

Games Master Summary
The scenario begins with the Adventurers returning from
service with the EWF forces in the ongoing struggle to secure
and grow the boundaries of the empire. They are members of
(or affiliated with) the Jendarl family, the dominant bloodline
of the draconised Orlanthi Black Grove clan. As they near
their homestead they see a pall of smoke overhanging the
settlement, and they return to a scene of devastation: The
central longhouse is nothing more than a pile of smouldering
wood and blackened stones, and the few clan members who
can be seen are digging through the rubble recovering bodies.
The stead has been attacked by a force of God Learner
mercenaries, aided members of the rival Orldor family
(though the surviving victims are currently unaware of
this). Iddi Iddrosson, the leader of the Orldors, has been a
fervent but secret opponent of the EWF for many years, and
has launched his bid to purge the draconic beliefs from the
clan and secure himself the chieftainship. To this end he has
won the support of a God Learner expeditionary force who
are ostensibly helping Iddi to push back the EWF. Their
real purpose, however, is to secure and ensure the safe return
of the clan’s draconised wyter to their Order, though Iddi
believes they are simply going to remove its draconic taint,
thereby purifying it and returning it to its original state. He
has allowed them to establish and work in secret from an old
Dawn Age ruin on his lands.
While the Adventurers aid their surviving relatives the wyter
sends a summons, a call for help; the God Learners and Iddi’s
priests are trying to subdue it through a HeroQuest ritual. As
they prepare to travel to the Black Grove (the clan holy site
and the home of the wyter) Iddi arrives with his warriors in an
attempt to finish the Jendarls off. A fight ensures and during
which the Adventurers must escape from Verstead and race to
defend the wyter.
When the Adventurers reach the Black Grove they make a
dangerous crossing over to the Other Side and find themselves
trapped in The Burning: a hellish limbo formed from a dark
chapter in the clan’s past. With the assistance of a dying
shaman they return to the Black Grove to face the power
of Ernalda, who attempts to settle the conflict with Peace,
drawing them into another myth. Failing this the Adventurers
witness the defeat of the wyter and the treachery of Adraxos,
the God Learner leader: he steals the wyter’s focus and slays
the presiding Orldor priestess, shattering the magic binding
them to the God Plane.
On their return to Inner World, the Adventurers find that
several days have passed, and Iddi’s forces have been scattered
by the timely arrival of the Order of Crimson Purity, an EWF
inquisition warband whose sudden appearance is in reaction
to the God Learner incursion. They meet with a mysterious
dragonewt construct who informs them of a secret task
to ensure that the wyter is transported to the God Learner
Empire. The mission is architected by the ex-God Learner
Delecti the Inquirer, but this is unknown to others of the
Guiding Council, hence the need for the utmost secrecy.
The construct, who names itself the Emissary, informs the
Adventurers that the wyter has been retaken by the Crimson
Purity and the God Learners have been vanquished, thus
derailing Delecti’s plans.
The Adventurers are charged with ensuring that the wyter is
delivered as intended, but this poses a dilemma: the loss of the
wyter means the certain ruin and dissolution of their clan, but
the Emissary makes clear the success of their mission could
mean an end to the Middle Sea Empire for once and for all.
If the Adventurers choose the interests of the EWF over the
survival of their decimated folk they must steal the inert wyter
from their comrades and make good their escape.
Introducing the
Adventurers to the
scenario
The main theme of this scenario hinges around the deadly
conflict within the Black Grove clan and the consequences
of the Adventurers’ actions at the end. To enable this there
must be a strong connection between Adventurers and the
clan itself, so at least one Adventurer (though preferably
more) should be a Jendarl family member (i.e. a draconised
Orlanthi). However, as the Adventurers are assumed to
have been away from the clan before the scenario starts, it
is reasonable to assume that they might return with EWF
friends and allies who are not clan members, so this offers an
opportunity to introduce characters from other backgrounds
if required.
The adventure is designed for beginning characters (possibly
with the odd seasoned or veteran Adventurer amongst them if
desired) and forms the start of a larger campaign that stretches
into the heart of the Middle Sea Empire and beyond. Some
of the opponents detailed herein may seem overmatched for
inexperienced Adventurers, but the Games Master should bear
in mind that much of the combat takes place in the presence
of other allied Non-Player Adventurers, and these can provide
help and support if necessary.
Throughout the First Age the clan survived both the treachery
of Lokamayadon and the vengeance of Arkat, managing to
maintain their borders and status through shrewd diplomacy,
raiding, and the occasional battle. The end of the Gbaji Wars
brought a period of relative peace and isolation that lasted
until some seventy years ago when the EWF Hunting and
Waltzing bands first appeared in the area. Although resisted
at first, the persistence of the Wyrmfriend missionaries
eventually penetrated the ranks of the priesthood and the
worship of Orlanth the Dragon and Ernalda the Snake took
root within the clan.
The clan is fairly small (approximately 550 members) and is
comprised of several bloodlines. It is dominated by the two
largest: the rival Jendarl and Orldor families. The Jendarl
family were the first to embrace and support the teachings of
the EWF and this strengthened their position within the clan,
so much so that they have held the chieftainship for the past
twenty years. The Orldors, who have never wholeheartedly
accepted the draconic influence, resent this situation, and this
bitterness has grown and festered over the years into hatred.
The Orldor leader, Iddi Iddrosson (a violent and headstrong
weaponthane), has decided he can tolerate no more: he
is determined that the clan must be purged of the Jendarls
tainted blood, and purified for the redemption of all.
The current chieftain is Sarask SecondSpear, who rules the
clan from his hall at Verstead, the seat of the Jendarl family.
His wife, Ingana Jade, is the high priestess of Ernalda the Scale.
Where in the world?
This scenario is nominally set somewhere in or near the Aggar
or Bilini regions in southern Peloria, but the exact location
is not critical and may be adjusted to suit the needs of the
individual Games Master. Any place on the edge of EWF
territory where the mystical teachings of the Dragonlords
clash violently with the staunch beliefs of the Orlanthi
Traditionalists will suffice: areas such as Northern Charg in
Fronela, Eastern Kotorsland in Maniria or even Delela in
Ralios could all be possible alternatives.
The Black Grove Clan
The Black Grove are a minor Orlanthi clan established
sometime before The Dawn. They were once known as the
Green Grove and lived in peace and prosperity with a local
Aldryami tribe, each aiding the other though the terrors and
suffering of the Great Darkness, and each respecting the
other’s territory and traditions. However, with the passing
of the great ordeal and the return of the Sun to the sky their
alliance faltered; the sages do not recall who struck the first
blow, but when the fighting finally ended the clan had a new
name, the Black Grove, and the Aldryami were scorched from
the land, never to return.
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The Black Grove
The clan holy site is the Black Grove itself, a collection
of twisted and fire-scarred trees atop Umbrak’s
Mound, a large wooded hill deep within the clan tula.
Once called the Green Grove, this was the home of
M’heylya, a powerful dryad witch who ruled the local
forest with her Aldryami kin in the early years of the
First Age. In the subsequent war with the clan she
was incinerated along with her brethren when a foolish
Kolating shaman, Asbar the Ashen, believed he could
master Wild Fire and invited Oakfed to the fray. The
ensuing conflagration (known as The Burning) nearly
wiped out the clan along with their enemies; it caused
such grievous offense to Ernalda that she withdrew her
bounty and blessing, leading to a winter of starvation
and despair. Only the heroic efforts and sacrifice
of Erinala The Young, the last Ernaldan priestess,
saved them from the blight. She was buried beneath
Umbrak’s Mound and her spirit became the clan
wyter, inhabiting the only living thing in the newly
named Black Grove: a young ash tree that sprouted
there upon her death.
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Verstead
Sarask’s Hall
Orlanth Shrine
Hengall’s Longhouse
Well
Loom House
Rastok’s House
Verni’s House
Ditch
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Homecoming
It is the end of Fire Season, and the Adventurers are returning
home to their tula after a long summer of fighting against the
enemies of the EWF. Soon it will be time for the harvest and
the preparations for winter. It will also be time of celebration,
of feasting and drinking, storytelling and dancing, the
renewing of old friendships and maybe even the prospect of
new love; the returning warriors can expect a warm welcome
from their kinsfolk, happy to see them alive and victorious,
home from another hard season’s campaigning. The Games
Master should encourage a light-hearted mood, maybe even
distributing a small amount of booty and goods, given to the
Adventurers as rewards for their recent loyal service before the
adventure begins.
Very soon the Adventurers arrive at the borders of their lands,
but strangely they find there is no one to greet them: usually
all visitors are intercepted by a Black Grove patrol when they
cross the clan boundary stones, but this time they are left
unchallenged.
As the morning wears on and the party continues onwards to
the chieftain’s lodge at Verstead, the lack of any contact with
the clan should lead to a growing sense of unease: something is
seriously amiss. Soon afterwards those Adventurers who make
a successful Perception roll notice a faint smell of burning in
the air. As the trail leads them over the next rise they see a
dark pall of smoke drifting above Verstead valley, slowly fed
by gently rising columns of grey smoke from a source hidden
behind the hilltops. It is obvious that a catastrophe has
befallen their home.
When the Adventurers finally enter the valley they see the true
horror of the devastation: The stead gates are smashed and
hang ajar; nearly every building has been razed to the ground,
and Saresk’s once proud hall is nothing more than a heap of
glowing cinders, burnt timber, and blackened stones. Ash
falls gently from the sky, coating the ground like snow. Cattle
and other livestock roam amongst the ruins, freed by open
pens and broken fences.
Several dozen covered bodies litter the ground; some are
shrunken and charred, while others are bloodstained and bear
the marks of sword and spear. The surviving clan members,
soot-smeared and weary, can be seen desperately searching
the rubble, raking through the embers and pulling aside
smouldering logs in the hope of finding someone alive. Some
sit cradling the bodies of loved ones, weeping for their loss,
while others stare silently at the carnage in disbelief, their
minds clouded with thoughts of grief and vengeance.
It is some moments before the Adventurers are acknowledged.
They see the clan champion, Hengall BoneBlade, is still alive
and organising the rescue efforts. Hengall is a Humakt Claw
and a skilled warrior: his deadly reputation is well earned and
he is famous for his prowess with his bone-sung dragonbone
blade.
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He has little time for questions and wants them to work
looking for survivors and healing the wounded if they have
the skills. It would be highly likely that the Adventurers will
find dead relatives amongst the victims, though the Games
Master should present the opportunity to rescue someone like
a younger sibling or cousin too. Linking the one or more of
the Adventurers to a live and vulnerable family member will
make some of the decisions they face later on in the game
more challenging and personal. Such rescue attempts should
involve Perception rolls to locate trapped clansfolk, use of the
Brawn skill to move large pieces of collapsed timber and stone
(fumbles here may result in further damage to the unfortunate
sufferer), and First Aid rolls for healing. Appropriate magic
may also be used to help of course.
It seems the survivors know very little about the cause of their
predicament and there are conflicting tales. The Adventurers
are able to piece together that the attack started sometime
after midnight inside Sarask’s hall, and the community was
also attacked from without: witnesses recall seeing bronze
clad warriors strike down the distracted sentries and storm
through the settlement setting light to the other buildings and
slaughtering any who emerged to face them. Numbers are
uncertain. What is known is that no one left Sarask’s hall and
it burnt very quickly. There is also some surprise that there
was no warning of the attack, as the clan wyter has always
alerted them of the presence of foes in the past.
In truth Sarask and his household were assaulted by a powerful
demon; it was conjured by the sorcerer Adraxos to swiftly kill
the chieftain and his household before burning their hall
to the ground. In the meantime God Learner mercenaries
swept through the stead destroying and slaughtering as much
as they could before retreating into the darkness, taking their
casualties with them. They had a long time to prepare while
hiding on Orldor lands, so their assault was swift, deadly and
precise.
A Cry for Help
The rescue effort continues on into late afternoon and it is slow
and demoralizing. Adventurers who are Jendarl clan members
begin to notice a dull headache develop as they continue to
work, steadily increasing in intensity until there is a sudden
pain behind the eyes. Those who make a successful Culture
(Own) roll are granted a brief vision of the Black Grove with
the draconic form of the wyter, Erinala, beseeching their
help. As the vision fades the headaches recede as well. Other
clan members have seen the vision and all realize this event
is unprecedented: the wyter normally communicates with
the chieftain directly, and communication with other clan
members occurs only at holy days and the Sacred Time.
The summons cannot be ignored. There is much speculation
as to its cause but all agree that it must be heeded as the loss
of the wyter means the loss of the clan. In light of the stead-
burning and now the wyters’ plight the situation seems dire
indeed.
An exhausted Hengall begins to gather a small band of weary
weaponthanes and carls and asks the Adventurers to join
them. Another eleven men join the group but more cannot
be spared as the remaining folk of Verstead need protection
as well. There are approximately sixty survivors left, most of
them women and children.
As the horses are saddled and the force assembles there is a
cry from the watch tower sentry: He reports a band of forty
or so riders heading towards the stead. Weapons are drawn
and a Hengall orders a shield wall to be quickly formed at the
broken gate. The adventurers may choose to join the shield
wall or mount their horses ready for a fight. As the riders
draw closer the sentry identifies them as a Black Grove clan
warband: they sport Orldor tattoos and markings and their
leader is Iddi Iddrosson, who has come to finish what the God
Learners started the previous night.
Betrayed
Although there is little love lost between the Jendarls and
Orldors, no one at Verstead has the slightest idea of Iddi’s
plans and Hengall orders the shield wall to stand down.
Hengall even looks relieved as the Orldors ride through the
gates and rein to a stop.
Adventurers who make an Insight roll notice that some of
the riders look apprehensive and nervous. Anyone making
a critical success notices that Iddi seems pleased: hardly an
appropriate demeanour considering the surrounding carnage.
None of Orldors look surprised, and sheen of war magic can
be seen on their weapons and armour (nothing suspicious in
that of course as they were heading into a scene of a massacre).
‘Well well, the last of the Jendarls – I should have known you’d
still be alive Hengall’ remarks Iddi as he surveys the ruins of
the stead.
Hengall ignores this and tells Iddi briefly about the attack and
the wyters’ summons, asking him how his own stead has fared.
Iddi looks down at Hengall. “My stead? My stead is fine
Hengall, though maybe I’ll move here soon, as you and those
sorry wretches over there won’t be needing it much longer. I’ve
always liked the view here.”
Hengall looks confused, and then steps back, a dark look of
anger crossing his face, his hand moving to the hilt of his
sword.
“What are you saying?” asks Hengall in disbelief.
“I’m saying that you dragon-lickers are done. I’ve killed your
chief, and I’m about to rip the scales from Erinala at the Black
Grove, and then we’ll have the Old Ways back, the way it
should be.”
There is a split second of silence before Hengall sweeps his
sword from his scabbard and leaps at Iddi in a vicious attempt
to strike him from his horse. The Orldor leader parries just
in time and the battle is joined; the rest of his forces surge
forward to crush the Adventurers and their clanmates, who are
now outnumbered more than two to one.
The Orldors are ready for the fight and have combat magic
already cast on them as the melee begins. Some of them
attack the Adventurers, while some others force their way
further into the settlement to crush any resistance there.
The fighting continues for 1D3+3 rounds. During this time
Iddi is reinforced by several of his thanes who force Hengall
back, though at least two of them lie dead at his feet already.
The Adventurers find themselves fighting next to Hengall,
who orders them to mount up and ride for the Black Grove to
save the wyter. He knows the Jendarls really are doomed if the
wyter falls, and he stresses this point to any Adventurers who
refuse. He is confident that he can kill Iddi which he hopes
will break the Orldors’ confidence and force them to retreat.
Escape
Escaping from Verstead is not easy. The Adventurers must
disengage or incapacitate their immediate foes and mount
their horses if they are not mounted already. They must then
attempt to evade the Orldors and ride across the neighbouring
hills to Umbrak’s Mound and the Black Grove.
Disengaging from combat is explained on page 92 of the
RuneQuest Core Rules. Mounting hastily during the attack
needs a successful Ride roll.
Three mounted Orldors are holding the gate entrance to stop
any Jendarl clansfolk from fleeing. Adventurers who wish to
break through them need a successful Charge as per the rules
on page 89 of the RuneQuest Core Rules. It is left up to
the Games Master to decide if a charged Orldor evades or
attempts to block instead. Not all of Iddi’s men are as keen
to attack fellow clan members as is Iddi himself: some of his
men are uneasy with his actions, so there is a fair chance a
charged opponent will evade, thereby creating an opening for
the Adventurers to ride through.
Fleeing Adventurers are likely to be assailed by ranged weapons
and magic, but there is no immediate pursuit as Iddi wants to
consolidate his gains at Verstead first. He intends to take the
women and children as thralls, along with any surrendering
fighters.
Umbrak’s Mound
The journey to the Black Grove takes less than an hour and it
is nearly dark by the time the Adventurers reach the wooded
slopes of Umbrak’s Mound. Looking back long their route
any who make a successful Perception roll see the silhouettes
of several riders cresting the top of a hill some distance back.
They are riding fast and are probably less than 15 minutes
away. Any Adventurers who make a critical success can also
determine that they are Orlanthi, and there are probably a
dozen or so (There are actually nine of them, and they are
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some of Iddi’s followers who just attacked Verstead, sent out
after the Adventurers to stop them).
The entrance to the Black Grove begins at an archway formed
from two weathered stone plinths, topped by an ancient,
cracked lintel that stretches between them. Runes and other
pictograms adorn the surface and tell the story of the Black
Grove. A carved stone snake winds its way around the lefthand column and wraps its coils around the lintel, its hard
and flinty stare gazing dispassionately at the Adventurers from
above.
A rough and uneven pathway disappears beneath dark boughs,
threading its way past sinuous and twisted trunks and leading
up to the summit of the Mound. A faint orange glow can be
seen flickering between the tangled black branches, and the
distant notes of a reed-pipe can be heard along with a drum
and the sound of voices chanting.
There should be just enough time for the Adventurers to
prepare and head up to the grove ahead of their pursuers.
They can see that some sort of event is happening at the top
of the hill, and the Games Master should remind them of the
wyter’s importance if they decide to tarry or set an ambush
instead.
Adventurers who are clan members are familiar with the
Black Grove, having been to rituals held there many times
before, but this occasion is nothing like any ceremony they
have experienced there in the past. The barriers between the
worlds have always been thin here, but Adraxos’ meddling
has destabilised the area further, leaving an open gateway
into the Other Side, a situation that soon becomes obvious
to the Adventurers as they begin their ascent (Under normal
circumstances entering Other Side requires some preparation
and knowledge of the myths involved in the attempt, as
explained in the HeroQuesting section on page 12 of Cults
Of Glorantha, but a combination of God Learner magic, the
history of the Grove, and the power of the wyter itself have
made such requirements unnecessary at present).
Advancing along the steadily rising path the Adventurers see
their environment beginning to change: The atmosphere
grows oppressive and tense, the air becomes thick and warm.
The trees seem closer and more tangled, crowding upon the
trail and leaving less room to pass by. Leaves whisper and
rustle without a breeze, branches crack loudly as if stretching;
they sway and creak as if reaching out to grasp the unwary and
pull them into the gloom. Half-glimpsed shadowy figures flit
quickly between the trunks, always just out of sight, obscured
by thin tendrils of pallid mist that drift lazily to curl about
the Adventurers’ arms and legs. The Inner World has been
transcended and the Adventurers have entered the precincts
of the God Plane (This also means that all Common Magic
is now rendered unusable as per the section Using Magic on
HeroQuests on page 13 of Cults Of Glorantha).
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An Ancient Wrong
As the Adventurers adjust to their new surroundings there
is a sudden stomach-wrenching lurch and a sharp attack
of vertigo. The world shifts and they find themselves in a
nightmare setting: They stand on the path surrounded
by a host of burning trees; the sky overhead is an inferno,
a billowing cloud of flame that sweeps across the tree-tops,
incinerating the branches as it moves. The Adventurers have
fallen into a crack between the Inner World and the God
Plane, a borderland limbo where the horror of the Burning
is replayed without end, its creation the result of the age-old
sacrilege that was committed here.
There is a huge blast, and the Adventurers are engulfed in a
wall of flame. Treat this as a single Combat Round attack
from a 3-cubic meter Salamander as described on Page 169 of
the RuneQuest Core Rules.
Immediately after the flame subsides the Adventurers are
attacked by a 1D3+3 fire-scarred elves. They are maddened
and berserk with the pain of their wounds, some of which still
smoulder and blister, cracking their skin and oozing boiling
sap. Horrifyingly one of the elves staggers and screams before
the Adventurers, burning and combusting from the inside, his
crumbing body consumed by the intense effect of pyrolysis.
These elves are victims of Oakfed’s summoning, reliving their
torment and death in this timeless environment. They are
completely insane and fight as though under the effects of
Fanaticism as described on page 111 of the RuneQuest Core
Rules (Note however, that this is not a spell and therefore
cannot be dispelled).
Escape from this otherworldly hell seems impossible as the
Adventurers are enclosed by a brutal firestorm on all sides, the
path seemingly leading to its raging heart. The air is hot and
thick with smouldering cinders and choking ash. Those who
make a successful Perception roll while trying to see their way
past the obscuring smoke notice the slumped figure of a thin,
wasted man, groaning weakly in pain at the blackened spear
impaled in his chest, pinning him to a tree a short way from
the path.
Closer investigation exposes the grievously wounded form of
an elderly shaman who opens his one remaining eye and begs
the Adventurers piteously for water as they approach. He is
in a dreadful state: as well as the spear wound he bears many
burn wounds across his body, some down to the bone, and his
legs end in charred, cracked stumps. If the Adventurers help
him he thanks them in a quiet, broken voice, and reveals that
he is Asbar, the instigator of The Burning and now cursed
with this unending torment by the anger of the gods.
For their kindness Asbar offers to tell the Adventurers the way
to escape this awful reality and return to their original path,
though he himself cannot leave: the spear, of Aldryami origin,
cannot be removed, and the old man screams in acute agony if
the Adventurers try. All he asks for is a flask of water and for
their prayers when they return to the Inner World.
Although talking causes him considerable pain Asbar
haltingly reveals the details of the ritual the Adventurers must
perform. It is similar to the normal HeroQuest entry ritual
as described on page 12 of Cults of Glorantha, though in this
case it is more of an exit ritual instead. Using the highest
of either their Culture(Own) skill or Draconic Illumination
skill, the Adventurers must win an Opposed Skill Test against
the Mythic Resonance of The Burning which has a resistance
of 40%. Success finds the party on the original path to the
Black Grove once more. If the attempt fails they may try once
every 1D3 combat rounds, though they remain susceptible to
further flame bursts and attacks by tortured Aldryami at the
discretion of the Games Master.
At the Black Grove
When the Adventurers return to the path on Umbrak’s
Mound they are near the summit and the entrance to the grove
itself. Another archway marks the end of the trail, possibly
the twin of the one at the start, but this one looks melted
and soot-blackened and the lintel is missing. A thin film of
phosphorescence stretches across the opening, obscuring their
view through the pillars. As the Adventurers emerge from
the darkness of the path they are momentarily blinded by the
sudden brightness of the open sky and the spectacle of the
brilliant sun hanging high against the silvery background of
the GodTime heavens.
The grove itself is approximately 50 meters in diameter, and
framed with a ring of scorched and blackened trees. There
are several worn and eroded standing stones placed around
the perimeter of the circle, and in front of each is an Earth
cultist, head bowed in prayer, chanting and rocking, and
facing towards the centre of clearing. The object of their
attention is Erlinda’s Tree and the serpentine form of the wyter
curled around it, hissing and swaying above the seated figure
of Yorsara, a senior Orldor Ernaldan priestess.
Yorsara is performing the final stages of the “Ernalda Charms
Talosa” HeroQuest (Talosa is the Orlanthi Snake Goddess),
which is the root of the cult’s Command(Snake) magic. She is
attempting to exhaust the wyter’s resistance and bring it under
her command by using a small set of wooden reed pipes to
play a lilting, soothing tune. Nearby another initiate taps a
soft rhythm on a small drum to fortify Yorsara’s spell. The
Adventurers can feel Erlinda’s strength is beginning to fade but
they still have the benefit of her magical Pact enhancement.
The appearance of the Adventurers is noticed by a small
group of women who stand near the grove entrance between
them and Yorsara. Two of the women are grim and fearsome
Babaeester Gor Axe Sisters. A middle-aged Ernaldan priestess
called Evarne steps swiftly forward, her right hand held out
before her in a symbol of peace.
She looks directly at the lead Adventurer and says in a forceful
voice “There is always another way”.
How Peace Was Made – Mythic
Resonance 60%
Trouble is easy to make but hard to end. “Better to
stop it from happening,” said Ernalda. She determined
to make something to help her create a lasting peace.
She sat at her loom and wove a magnificent carpet,
Orventili, the Rug of Peace. She put her face in the
center, where the basket goes, so that all who sought
peace would feel her gaze upon them. She put runes of
power around the edges to bind the participants. She
marked places on the rug for the two parties to sit, and
for the four supporters behind each of them, and for
the two peacekeepers. More runes marked the places
where each person should place their gifts.
Ernalda and her assistants bore the rug upon their
shoulders to Engimal, where Orlanth was fighting
against an enemy that Ernalda thought could be a
friend. Ernalda called to her husband to stop fighting
for a time and come join her in her pavilion.
“There is always another way” she told him.
He came and sat on Orventili where she directed him.
While he was resting Ernalda called to his foe, whom
she had known before.
Engizi came in through the other door. Ernalda offered
him her hospitality before Orlanth could object, and
he took his place upon the Peace Rug. Ernalda then
sat between the two gods and helped them negotiate
a peace. They finally came to terms, and Orlanth
welcomed his foe into his realm, which was Engizi’s
realm as well.
After that the promise was made again many times.
Although it was sometimes strained it was real, each
moment adding to the reality. So Ernalda’s Peace was
made, bit by bit.
Adventurers who make a successful Lore(Orlanth) theology
roll recognise these words from the myth “How Peace Was
Made”. Evarne has prepared a HeroQuest ritual of her own
and is trying to force the chosen Adventurer to assume the
role of Orlanth in the Peace Story in an attempt to dissuade
or delay them from disrupting Yorsara. If she succeeds the
entire party are drawn into the myth where they face the new
self-proclaimed chief of the Black Grove clan, Iddi Iddrosson.
The chosen Adventurer may elect to enter the myth voluntarily,
or may resist by making a successful Opposed Skill Test pitting
his Persistence (or Draconic Illumination) skill against the
Mythic Resonance of the Peace Story. Entering voluntarily or
7
failing the test results in the Adventurers shifting myths, and
the Games Master should refer to the next section entitled
‘Making Peace’; otherwise they stay in the Black Grove
and witness the treachery of Adraxos, as described in “The
Maiming of Erlinda” further on.
Making Peace
The Adventurers find themselves inside a large green pavilion
with the fabled Peace Rug, Orventili, laid before them. There
is no sign of the Black Grove and they can no longer feel
the presence of the wyter. Evarne, now Ernalda, stands to
one side, indicating that the Adventurers should sit in the
appointed places on the rug. At this point the Adventurers
have a choice: they can sit and follow the flow of the myth,
or they can refuse. If they choose the latter they are ejected
from the Hero Plane, and returned to the Inner World. The
Adventurers do know this is a consequence of resisting a
myth, so the Games Master should remind the players of this
fact if necessary. In this case go to the section entitled “The
Emissary” below.
If the Adventurers sit they are brought food and drink by
servants while they wait for the arrival of their adversary.
After a short time the entrance to the pavilion is drawn aside
revealing Iddi, who strides forward and seats himself before
the Adventurers on the rug. He is accompanied by several
members of his warband who seat themselves behind him.
Any attempt to attack him results in the Adventurers being
ejected from the myth with the same consequences as above.
Iddi ignores the Adventurers at first, concentrating on enjoying
the refreshments. Adventurers who make a successful Insight
roll notice he appears impatient and annoyed. Once he has
finished Iddi grins at the Adventurers and says “Here is my
peace: surrender to me and you live. Your family are my thralls
and you shall renounce the Dragon and join them. Choose
otherwise and you will be dead before Yelm next rises.”
While Iddi sounds confident and brash the Adventurers
should remember that the Peace Story is one of negotiation,
not of intimidation, and Iddi is just as bound by the myth as
the Adventurers are. He himself is displeased with this turn
of events and would rather have simply enslaved or killed the
Adventurers: being drawn into the Peace Story myth was not
in his plans. There is a chance to strike a bargain here and
save their captive clansfolk and themselves from slavery and
renunciation of their faith or even death. They also have
something of an unexpected ally in Evarne: although she and
her fellow priestesses want the presence of the EWF removed
from their clan they want as little bloodshed as possible, and
are dismayed at the cost in lives so far.
The negotiations may be role-played entirely between The
Games Master and the players, or may be simulated by
making Opposed Influence Skill Tests as described on page
38 of the RuneQuest Core Rules. More than one test may
8
be taken if desired as separate points are discussed and agreed.
Evarne’s favour gives the Adventurers an extra 10% bonus to
their Influence skill when arguing with Iddi.
If the Adventurers ask for details on the welfare of the
surviving Jendarls, Iddi delights in telling them of Hengall’s
death, exaggerating the ease with which he was brought down
of course (Hengall actually slew another three of Iddi’s best
weaponthanes before he was brought down by sheer weight
of numbers). He is vague about the number of survivors:
he attempts to paint a very bleak picture for the Adventurers
to pressure them into agreeing to a peace on his terms. For
example, may mention that he holds several close relatives, or
he may mention how hard with all be to feed all of his own
family in the coming winter, never mind feeding slaves: he
fears he may have to sell them further afield.
Ultimately a scowling Iddi will agree to release all the captive
Jendarls he holds and will see them and the Adventurers
escorted to the Black Grove borders and banished, thereby
removing their bloodline from the clan. He resists handing
over any livestock unless pushed, and flatly refuses to pay any
weregeld for those who have died during the uprising.
Once the talks are complete Iddi and the lead Adventurer must
clasp wrists to seal the bargain and swear an oath binding them
to it. Evarne seems pleased with the outcome of her plan. Iddi
simply snarls and storms out of the tent along with his men.
Both parties are bound to this agreement, and breaking it will
incur the divine disfavour or Ernalda and bring a curse upon
the transgressor’s family, blighting crops and livestock.
The pavilion fades gently from sight and the Adventurers find
themselves in a deserted Black Grove – see “The Emissary”
below.
The Maiming of Erlinda
If Evarne’s attempt to lure the Adventurers into the Peace
Song fails she quickly withdraws, stepping behind the two
Axe Sisters who move forward, heft their weapons and slip
smoothly into a battle stance. They are a chilling sight: their
exposed skin and faces are painted black and striped with dark
red streaks. Severed fingers, toes, ears and other appendages
adorn their weapons and armour like some kind of hideous
jewellery. They grimace and snarl, exposing their gruesome
teeth which are stained a dark crimson from the magical
Blood Beer they drink before battle.
Evarne calls out for the Adventurers to leave the grove as only
Death await them here. If the Adventurers do not retreat the
Axe Sisters scream their war cry and attack.
After 1D3+1 combat rounds there is a loud, sharp hiss and
the pipes and drum stop playing. Erlinda’s serpent form lies
supine and motionless before a spent and tired Yosara. Any
beneficial effects supplied by the wyter to the Adventurers are
no longer active.
Before anyone can react the grove is bathed in a wash of
unholy green light from a shining point just above the wyter’s
body. With a sickening tear a breach in the fabric of the myth
is formed and a pale, thin man steps through, holding aloft a
wickedly enchanted dagger. He is quickly followed by several
bronze-armoured warriors. Adventurers who fail a Very Hard
(-60%) Resilience roll retch and vomit for 1D4+2 combat
rounds at the sudden feeling of wrongness and nausea that
this violation has caused. The other characters in the grove
suffer the effects too, and the Games Master should roll to see
the effect on any surviving Axe Sisters.
The pale man is Adraxos, the leader of the God Learner
expedition that is “aiding” Iddi, and he has come to steal the
essence of the wyter and return it to his masters. As Yosara
screams he quickly raises the dagger and plunges it into
Erlinda’s chest, cutting deeply. The focus of her binding was
her mummified heart, removed after her sacrifice and buried
beneath the mound. Adraxos digs his hand into the open
wound and removes its mythical equivalent, now infused with
the mystical energy of the dragons; his expression is mixed, a
combination to triumph and disgust.
Those adventurers able to act at this point can try to stop
Adraxos, though he is very well protected and his mercenaries
engage any attackers while he is busy removing the heart
(which takes 1D3+1 Combat Rounds). Any able Axe Sisters
disengage from the Adventurers and turn to confront this new
menace as well.
Adraxos’ final act is to turn to a gasping, horrified Yosara,
and with a distasteful look, slice the dagger sharply across her
unprotected throat. The death of the HeroQuest initiator
has a powerful and dramatic effect, instantly collapsing the
myth around the Adventurers and the other participants and
ejecting them violently from the God Plane back to the Inner
World. They return to silent and deserted Black Grove (the
effects of this ejection result in Falling damage as per page 57
of the RuneQuest Core Rules – treat as a 5m fall).
The Emissary
Regardless of how they got there the Adventurers find
themselves back at the Black Grove 1D3+3 days after their
departure from the archway at the foot of Umbrak’s Mound.
Time has no real meaning on the Other Side hence the
disparate amount of days passed since the events at Verstead.
The grove is silent and dark; it is near dawn and first rays
of the sun are moments away from touching the tops of the
surrounding trees. As Yelm slowly climbs into the eastern
sky the light drives back the shadows revealing the desecrated
site. The central ash tree is dead: it is cracked vertically right
through its core, and all its leaves are curled and shrivelled.
At its base is a small, rough hole in the earth containing the
disinterred funerary urn of Erlinda: it is broken open and
missing the mummified heart that was buried with her ashes.
Balancing perfectly on one leg between the archway pillars is
a strange sight: a large, semi-humanoid figure, its four arms
wrapped tightly around its torso, its head bowed and still. A
long tail curls around its leg, the tip slowly moving backwards
and forwards, leaving a shallow furrow in the dirt. Neither
man nor dragonewt but a blasphemous combination of both,
Delecti’s construct unfolds its limbs and raises its barely
human features to regard the Adventurers with an impassive
reptilian stare.
It addresses the Adventurers in sibilant Auld Wyrmish:
‘You may address me as Emissary. I bring you greetings from
my master, the most revered and holy Delecti, Intellect of the
Guilding Council and Mystic Illuminary of Orin Jistel. You
wish the return of your wyter. This is Wrong Action.’
‘A new power rises beyond the mountains, a new power called
the Dragon Breaker. The ignorant say it presages the doom of
The Plan, but this not so. The Dragon Breaker is our power,
to break those who would Disturb. It is the reaching arm, it is
the mighty hand, it is the rending talon, is it the will of That
Which Is To Be.’
‘You are the thought of That Which Is To Be, you are that
which will aim the Breaker. This is Right Action.’
The Dragon Breaker threat
The Emissary is referring to the danger posed by Alakoring
Dragon Breaker, an Orlanthi Wind Lord who has fought the
EWF in Ralios for several years with increasing success. Some
among the Guiding Council, led by Delecti, rightly fear his
ascendancy and they have hatched a plan to deflect his war at
the Middle Sea Empire instead, intending that their biggest
two foes will fight and destroy each other. They are not alone
in this conspiracy and there are other unlikely allies in the West
that are prepared to help: there are certain elements in Jrustela,
for example, that are resentful of Seshnela’s dominance and
wish for a return to Jrustelan primacy. There is also support
from distant Brithos: it is said that the destruction of the
Seshnelan peninsular seems to be a key element in Zzabur’s
plans for future.
The history of the Middle Sea Empire has its roots in the
pagan cult of the earth goddess Sesha, patron goddess of
Seshnela. Many centuries ago, the early kings of the land
were known as the Serpent Kings, the mightiest of which
was Froalar, who married the goddess and begat a dynasty.
After this he ascended to become the supernatural guardian of
Seshnela itself, taking the form of a great serpent. Much of this
knowledge is today forgotten or ignored amongst the scholars
of the West: they have little time for such dead, and ancient
religions when there are more vibrant and interesting ones
to plunder. However, the worship of Sesha is not forgotten
amongst the simple folk of that land, and the plotters within
the EWF and their allies intend to exploit this.
Their plan is to draconise the worship of Sesha, and thereby
Froalar, and create a new draconic threat at that Alakoring
will not be able to ignore. They hope that the Wind Lord will
be able to defeat and slay the dragon-aspected Froalar thus
leaving Sesha vulnerable to her enemies. Even if he fails, a
9
dragon tainted homeland would leave the Seshnelans with
little choice but to attempt Froalar’s execution themselves,
ensuring their doom by their own hand.
A vital component of this process is the Black Grove wyter:
interaction and manipulation of draconic magic has always
presented something of a problem for the God Learners, so
Delecti intends to pass this valuable object to his western
co-conspirators to examine, dissect, extract and replicate its
attributes. Direct physical access to the mythical properties
of the wyter will allow them to achieve results much quicker.
They need to create the myth-altering processes required to
infect Sesha and her pagan congregations, and the fact that
the wyter is already consecrated to Ernalda the Scale, another
earth goddess, should ease this procedure.
Secrecy is of course paramount: Many of the other EWF
leaders have no idea about Delecti’s plan and they would not be
keen to pursue it if they knew. They realise that handing such
an item to the God Learners intact could give them access to
vital draconic secrets and even some insight into the mythical
theory about the Great Dragon To Come, information which
could be used against them in the future.
upon the mystery of the Utuma, the First Sacrifice, as realised
through the dance of the Lifebringers Quest: Orlanth,
imbued with wisdom learned from the Heart and Mind of
the Cosmic Dragon, meditated on the plight of the cosmos
and threat of dissolution. At the appointed hour he sacrificed
his wife, his companions, his brothers, his friends, his Tribe,
his place, and finally himself to achieve his own death, where
in contemplation he realized Ourobouros and reassembled
his seven parts, forming the Egg from which the world was
reborn, banishing Oozing Chaos and reaffirming the Infinite.
The Emissary concludes: ‘The Wisdom of the Dragons
teaches us that the First Utuma brought life and order to the
world, thus it is known that the sacrifice of self leads to life
and rebirth. So it was and so it is. The sacrifice of your clan
leads to the life of the Empire: life for the Empire means the
rebirth of the Great Dragon To Come. This is the Dance Of
Life, and it is infinite.’
Adventurers who make a successful Draconic Illumination
roll can see the truth contained within this dance, and can see
the Orlanth’s sacrifice reflected in the need of their own. It is
Right Action.
Right Action
Wrong Action
When questioned further the Emissary explains ‘Right
Action’: it means that the Adventurers must obtain the wyter
and take it across the mountains into Ralios themselves. This
was originally the task of Adraxos but new events have made
this impossible:
• While the Adventurers have been on the God Plane an
EWF warband, part of the Order Of Crimson Purity, has
entered the area as a result of the God Learner presence.
They have already met and fought Iddi and driven him
back to his own stead, where they cornered him and slew
most of his household before he escaped into the hills.
• The Order then located Adraxos at Starinth’s Fort, an old
Dawn Age ruin on the edge of Olrdor lands, and proceeded
to storm the God Learner positions. The sorcerer was
defeated (missing, presumed dead), his men killed, and
the wyter recaptured, but the wyrmsfriends took heavily
casualties during the assault.
• The surviving forces of the Order have retired to Verstead to
recuperate and gather their strength. They have possession
of the wyter but re-consecrating and binding it is a lengthy
process, and the clan is too weakened at present to attempt
this.
The Adventurers may have some severe objections to the
Emissary’s request, not the least of which is the prospect of
stealing the wyter and effectively disbanding and dooming
the clan: it is virtually a death sentence for their friends and
family.
However, to help them understand that this is Right Action
the Emissary invites the Adventurers witness and meditate
10
Should the Adventurers refuse to follow Delecti’s plan the
Emissary appears sad, possibly the first human emotion it has
expressed so far. Without a further word it steps back into the
archway and simply disappears, dissolving into the shadows of
the trees beyond. The Adventurers, in refusing Right Action,
are now viewed as renegades and, of course, they know too
much. Delecti acts to ensure that no word of his plan escapes
and issues orders for the party to be hunted. He also gives
instructions to wipe out all traces of the Black Grove clan,
pronouncing them anathema: they must be destroyed to
prevent their heretical “infection” spreading to others. This
is a task the Order of the Crimson Purity is only too keen to
perform, and over the ensuing weeks they track down and
destroy the remaining members of the clan. The Adventurers
are pursued with all the resources at the Orders’ disposal:
their only hope of survival is to flee as far away and as fast as
possible from Delecti’s wrath. With this outcome the scenario
ends here, the question of Adventurers’ fate left for the Games
Master to decide.
Return to Verstead
If Adventurers agree to assume the responsibly of transporting
the wyter to Ralios they must return to Verstead and steal it
from the Order of Crimson Purity. Should they succeed The
Emissary says he will meet the Adventurers at Horn Tor, a
local landmark two day’s ride west of Verstead. There he will
offer further guidance and assistance to the adventurers.
During their absence the clan survivors have not been idle
and some small attempt at rebuilding has taken place: One of
The First Utuma
When its meditations were complete the Ancestral
Dragon sliced open its loins and created the seas and
oceans of the world which flowed freely in defiance of
the Oozing Chaos which was now defeated. Then the
Ancestral Dragon cut open its belly and gave power to
the world through the first gifts of Life, thus defeating
the body of Orxili the Disturber forever.
Next the Ancestral Dragon removed and dismembered
its head, creating the Sun, the Stars and the Gods
with each of its eyes, and the skull of the Ancestral
Dragon became the God Plane where their powers
would flourish in noble fashions.
From its brain came new servants, identical to the
Grand Ancestral Dragon, who taught the Gods how
to know and use their powers and how to keep the
Oozing Chaos at bay. They taught the gods through
the First Dance and from which all other dances are
derived. The First Dance took place at Dragon Pass
and now it is sacred to gods and dragons and the Uz,
who guard its gateways from the Chaos Ooze. When
the First Dance was finished, the Ancestral Dragons
each laid an egg and the gods returned to the God
Plane made from the Grand Ancestral Dragon’s skull.
From these eggs hatched the True dragons, which
were mighty beings and had substance and form. The
Ancestral Dragons, their dance complete, returned to
meditate with the Grand Ancestral Dragon and still
watch the world through the secrets of the universe,
accepting worship from the True Dragons and their
offspring.
Thus the first utuma of the Grand Ancestral Dragon
brought life and order to the world and established
the sacrifice of the self, and subsequent rebirth, as
the Dance of Life and Egg, which all dragonewts
follow. From utuma comes the egg, and from the egg
comes life. Its cycle mirrors the actions of the Cosmic
Dragon but is real in the world. And, because the
Cosmic Dragon defeated Orxili and remade infinity,
so is the Dance of Life and Egg infinite.
the minor halls that suffered the least damage has fitted been
with a makeshift roof and is now used as the main shelter, and
a few pens have been repaired and the remaining livestock
rounded up. Efforts have also been made to fix the main gate,
but it would not stand up to any serious assault at present,
and is secured only by a light wooden bar. The smell of ash
and charcoal still prevails over the site, and recent rainfall has
churned this into a thick black mud. A small cairn of stones,
topped by the broken bone blade of Hengall, marks the site of
his last stand near the restored shrine of Orlanth The Dragon.
A pole bearing the Order’s black and crimson banner flies from
the walls, twisting lazily in the wind, and alongside are hung
several flayed God Learner corpses, their bodies curiously
pale. The Order itself has quartered inside the settlement
near the southern walls, setting up a few rows of tents to
house themselves away from the Verstead residents. Grateful
at first for freeing them from Iddi, the residents of Verstead
have since learnt to fear their liberators: they work silently and
sullenly beneath the watchful gaze of the sentries, having been
subject to some of the Order’s methods and questioning in
recent days. Two clansfolk remain chained to the central post
near the well, punished and bled for failing to satisfy their
interrogators.
The Order of Crimson Purity
The Order of Crimson Purity believes that the mystical
fluid flowing through dragon veins is much purer than
human blood and that which beats through the hearts
of mortals is the biggest limiting factor in ascension.
Founded centuries ago by Merisian the Benevolent on
principles of self-sacrifice, the cult has degenerated in
the years since its inception. They purge the Empire
of internal enemies, especially Old Ways cultists,
sacrificing them and offering their blood through
rituals in veneration of the Cosmic Dragon. Through
this they show their commitment to the Dragon of All
and receive his blessings in turn. Their magic focuses
on extrasensory perception, causing fear, and the
manipulation of blood into alchemical elixirs. Their
symbol is a bloody hand print superimposed over a
black dragon’s claw.
To the average imperial citizen, a cultist of the Order
of Crimson Purity is little more than an inquisitor
or witch-hunter and the cult numbers many hired
soldiers among its Believers. The so-called ‘Red Order’
is more feared than admired as a general rule, though
their fervency buys a serious stripe of respect among
the citizens of the Empire. In cities where the Old
Ways take greatest root among the populace, the
Order sends cells of Initiates and Believers to blend
spell and sword in the name of annihilating any heresy
that could interrupt the great transmutation.
There are currently twenty-two members of the Order
stationed at Verstead, with another nine wounded and still
recovering from the recent conflict: healing resources are
scarce at present. Another group of fifteen is away from the
base, scouting and harrying any Traditionalists they find in
the surrounding hills. There is also a small enclosure for the
Order’s two remaining Renders, who eye the penned cattle
and their owners with barely concealed hunger. Two Crimson
11
Purity sentries are posted at the watchtowers at all times,
while two more guard the gate during the day when it is open.
There is one guard on the gate at night but a roving patrol of
three is maintained instead; they periodically sweep through
settlement and check the perimeter before returning to their
camp fire near the ruins of Sarask’s hall.
Stealing the wyter will not be easy and it is up to the adventurers
to determine the best way forward. For example they could
attempt to sneak in during the night and remove the inert
wyter, but this would involve some remote reconnoitring to
determine where it is being kept. Of course this also requires
some excellent stealth skills: the forces of the Order are
weakened, but they should not be underestimated.
An easier route might be to return to Verstead openly and
await an opportunity to retrieve the wyter and escape. This
would give the Adventurers more time to plan and observe,
but they must beware of the scrutiny of the Order, who
are expert at detecting sedition and disloyalty. Adventurers
who choose this option can expect to be questioned closely
by the Order’s leader upon their return. Known as Bastak
the Hound, he is an expert interrogator and cross-examiner,
and analyses the answers he is given closely to look for any
inconsistencies and evidence of treason. In most respects the
Adventurers are safe from his suspicions because their actions
have done nothing that the Order would find troubling; the
only part of their tale they must omit is the meeting with the
Emissary on their return from the Other Side. At this point
the Games Master should make a secret Opposed Skill Test of
Bastak’s Insight against the Adventurers’ Influence. If Bastak
succeeds and the Adventurer fails he will have them watched
for signs of treachery. If the Adventurer fumbles Bastak will
have them tortured instead (refer to the Withstanding Torture
rules on page 35 of the RuneQuest Core Rules).
The adventurers may also be able to enlist their dispirited
clan mates, though they cannot reveal why they are taking the
wyter. Perhaps they can spin a convincing tale about restoring
it so it can protect them all once again. It might be difficult
for the Adventurers deceive their friends and family faceto-face, knowing that their actions will all but doom them.
Influence rolls will be needed to convince the frightened and
weary population of Verstead to stand against the Order of
the Crimson Purity (Most of the survivors from the initial
attack weathered Iddi’s brief reign, so there are still sixty or
so remaining, though more than half of them are children).
There is also the possibility of scouring the clan tula in an
attempt to locate other Black Grove clan members from some
of the lesser bloodlines who are still loyal to the Empire and
were not killed by Iddi (or persecuted by the Order).
However the Adventurers wish to approach the problem they
are able to learn that the wyter is held in one of the tents that
12
serves as the Order’s equipment store. The tent is guarded at
all times and Erlinda’s heart is kept within a locked bronzebound chest. Bastak holds the only key to the chest, and he
has told the clansfolk that he will hold the wyter safe for them
until such time as it can be restored. Picking the lock on
the chest needs a Hard (-40%) test against the Adventurers
Mechanisms roll as explained on page 42 of the RuneQuest
Core Rules. The chest itself is not too large and can be treated
as a Relic Case as described on page 13 of the RuneQuest
Arms and Equipment book.
Horn Tor
Assuming the adventurers succeed in retrieving the wyter they
should make their way to Horn Tor to meet the Emissary,
who stands perched atop the lonely spire, lost in some
inner contemplation until they arrive. It relays Delecti’s
congratulations and delight at their success, and the several
crested dragonewts who accompany it attend the Adventurers
and furnish them with supplies and equipment for the next
stage of their journey.
The construct explains that their destination is the sorcerous
city of Tiskos on the shores of Lake Felster in Ralios: once the
centre of the Dark Empire’s arcane wisdom, it is now host to
the God Learner plunderers who use its ancient secrets to raid
and desecrate the realm of myth.
Rewards
In addition to the normal experience checks those Adventurers
who were able to successfully contemplate the LifeBringers
quest from the Emissaries’ dance are automatically given a
1D3+1 point increase in their Draconic Illumination skill.
Delecti also provides his faithful servants with a reward from
the following list. One reward per adventurer:
The Needle – a broadsword with a strangely carved hilt,
handle and pommel (it is made of a human arm). The
broadsword has the normal characteristics of a broadsword
but is also capable of the Sunder Combat Manoeuvre and is
treated as a weapon cast with a permanent Bladesharp 3 spell
(so, +15% to the Combat Style and +3 damage).
The Thread – a 10cm length of ragged-looking rope woven
from human hair. The owner of The Thread can command it
to extend or contract: the former command sees it extend by 2
metres for every point of POW the adventurer has. The rope is
also resistant to burning, breaking, cutting and tearing.
The Patch – a 10cm square patch of thin, warm cloth. When
placed over a wound it acts as a Heal 3 spell. It will only heal
one wound on one location of one person: once healing has
been received, that person cannot receive it from The Patch
again.
The Vambrace – a vambrace of leather offering 2 Armour
Points. However, once per day, on the wearer’s command,
it double’s the wearer’s Damage Bonus (thus +1D2 become
+2D2, and so on). This effect last for a number of Combat
Rounds equal to the wearer’s POW.
The Hood – a Hood of what could be human flesh. When
worn it double the wearer’s Perception skill for a number of
rounds equal to the wearer’s POW. This effect can be used
once per day. However, whilst wearing it (and unbeknown to
the wearer) his own face becomes a ghoulish death’s head with
CHA reduced to 1.
The Pattern – a cloak stitched with a swirling, multi-coloured
pattern. When worn it double’s the wearer’s Stealth skill for a
number of rounds equal to the wearer’s POW once per day.
However the wearer automatically gains a level of fatigue once
the Pattern’s power has been called upon.
Epilogue
The Black Grove clan does not fair so well as the Adventurers.
In an attempt to cover his tracks Delecti still orders it’s
destruction as described in “Wrong Action” above, though he
is careful not to impart this information to the Adventurers.
Umbrak’s Mound and the Black Grove are destroyed by the
dragon known as Scorch, who uses its holy fire to purify the
area and cauterise the breach that leads to The Burning. It
settles and rests there for many years until disturbed by the rise
of the grim hero Iddi Iddrosson, remembered in the centuries
to come as the hero Iddi Scorchbane.
13
D ramatis Personae
Erinala the Young
Erinala is the Black Grove clan wyter. She was sacrificed
using the Ana Gor rites to appease the Earth and local spirits
after the disastrous summoning of Oakfed led to the ruin and
destruction of the surrounding land.
She appears just as she was when she died, as a beautiful young
girl, but since the adoption of Ernalda the Scale she has taken
on a decidedly more draconic appearance that mirrors that
of the Goddess. Her lower body now appears like that of a
snake, scales adorn her arms and her fingers end in long claws.
Her once striking green eyes are serpentine and hooded.
Intensity
POW
INT
CHA
Enhancement
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
5
33
12
15
Devotion Increase - +50% to the Pact skill
when invoked.
22
17
26
22
16
19
24
Delecti’s Emissary
This creature is one of Delecti’s few triumphs so far: a
construct of human and dragonewt parts stitched and
melded together. It is formed from a purple and gold beaked
dragonewt lower body and a human torso hosting two grafted
emerald dragonewt arms along with its original human pair.
A barely human face is fused with a draconic skull, framed by
its striped bony ridges and spines. Stitch marks and deep scars
serve to show the grim method of its manufacture.
The Emissary is still magically and mentally linked to the two
original dragonewts who provided its draconic body parts:
they both performed the Utuma for Delecti, who harvested
the limbs and organs he needed for the surgery. It is this link
that allows Delecti to communicate with his Emissary at great
distances; he simply keeps one of the reincarnated source
dragonewts nearby to relay messages.
The human component of the Emissary is a former Hadmalist
sorcerer, hence the reason why the creature knows sorcery as
well as Draconic Mysticism.
1D20
1-2
3-5
5-6
7-8
9-11
12-13
13-14
15-16
17-18
19-29
Hit Location
Tail
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest (human)
Lower Right Arm
Lower Left Arm
Upper Right Arm (human)
Upper Left Arm (human)
Head (human)
AP/HP
6/9
6/9
6/9
6/10
3/11
6/8
6/8
6/8
6/8
3/9
Armour:
Skills:
Thick dragonewt skin, supplemented with thin scales over its human parts
Athletics 56%, Brawn 70%, Dance 95%, Draconic Illumination
88%, Evade 34%, Influence 68%, Insight 80%, Lore(Hadmal) 66%,
Lore(Malkion) 72%, Manipulation 81%, Meditate 97%, Perception 83% ,
Persistence73%, Resilience 64%, Right Action 76%, Stealth 61%, Utuma
30%
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
4
1D10
16
8m
+23
Dragon Magic:
Become Draconic Wyrm, Cold-Blooded, Command Reptile, Draconic Regeneration, Eye Membranes,
Flamesight, Incinerating Breath, Royal Grace, Sense Surface Thoughts, Speak with Reptiles, Universal
Negation, Unseen Presence
Sorcery:
Grimoire(Ninth Literal Examination) 78%: Castback, Diminsh(INT), Dominate(Human), Dominate
(Theist), Intuition, Mystic Vision, Telepathy
Combat Styles
Klanth 94%, Utuma 84%
Weapons
Type
Dragonbone Klanth
Dragonbone Utuma
SIZ
M
M
Reach
M
S
Damage
2D6
1D6
14
AP/HP
8/18
8/12
Range
n/a
n/a
Iddi Iddrosson
Iddi Iddrosson is the head of the Orldor bloodline; he is vicious, brave, and proud. He very ambitious and acutely envious of the
Jendarl family, and he has developed into a fervent Dragon hater who believes that the clan should remove themselves from the
yoke of the EWF. Emboldened by rumours of a great dragon-slaying warleader called Alakoring in distant Ralios, Iddi has sought
and secured the help of a God-Learner sorcerer called Adraxos, who he believes will help him in his desire to purify the clan. He is
a firm believer in the old proverb “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, but unfortunately in this case “the enemy of my enemy
is still my enemy”.
He is an initiate of Orlanth Thunderous, focused on the Mastery Rune, but he is a relatively new convert hence his low Pact and
Lore skills. He is Rune Touched by Mastery, gaining a +10% to all Opposed Tests – a gift from Orlanth at his Initiation as a sign
of the god’s favour.
He cuts an impressive figure, well-built and finely dressed; silver and gold armbands and rings show the spoils of his battle-prowess.
Sporting a long, thick moustache, his wolfish features are framed by a mane of black hair, from under which his pale green eyes
evaluate his opponents with a cool, calculating stare. He is fond of tattoos, far beyond the normal clan ones. They cover most of
his neck,, arms, torso and legs. There are some scars as well, from the draconic ones he removed with a red-hot blade.
Iddi will one day be known as the hero “Scorchbane”, whose pyrrhic victory lives on in the sagas centuries after his death.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
14
15
13
18
12 (9)
17
16
(3 Dedicated)
1D20
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Hit Location
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
AP/HP
4/6
4/6
5/7
5/8
4/5
4/5
5/6
Armour:
Chainmail Hauberk, Scalemail Greaves and Vambraces, Open
Helm
Skills:
Athletics 72%, Brawn 53%, Culture(Own) 74%, Evade 61%,First
Aid 44%, Influence 87%, Insight 55%, Lore(Orlanth Thunderous)
48%, Pact(Orlanth Thunderous) 36%, Lore(Regional) 54%,
Perception 66%, Persistence 67%, Resilience 78%, Ride 86%,
Track 73%, Unarmed 62%
Combat Actions
3
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
1D2
9
8m
16
Common Magic:
Common Magic 73%; Bladesharp 3, Demoralise, Detect Enemy, Mobility 2, Skybolt, Thunder’s Voice 4
Divine Magic:
Dismiss Magic, Extension, Flight
Combat Styles
Sword & Shield 92%, Spear & Shield 84%, Dagger 72%,
Weapons
Type
War Sword
Dagger
Heater Shield
SIZ
M
S
L
Reach
M
S
S
Damage
1D8
1D4+1
1D4
AP/HP
6/10
6/8
6/12
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
15
Iddi’s Weaponthanes
These tough clansmen are Iddi’s bodyguard. There is at least one Humakti Initiate amongst them.
They have Bladesharp and Protection cast before they join battle.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
15
14
16
13
13 (10)
14
10
(3 dedicated)
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
3
3
4
4
3
3
3
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D4
10
8m
9 (14-5)
Common Magic
Common Magic 56%; Bladesharp 3, Protection 2, Heal 3
Divine Magic
(Orlanth) Dismiss Magic, Shield; (Humakt) Dismiss Magic, True Sword
Combat Styles
Spear & Shield 75%, Sword and Shield 70%, Javelin 50%, Dagger 52%
Weapons
Type
Shortspear
War Sword
Dagger
Heater Shield
Javelin
SIZ
M
M
S
L
H
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Armour:
Scalemail Hauberk, partial ringmail, with leather trousers
Skills:
Athletics 48%, Culture (Own) 66%, Evade 61%, First Aid 36%, Influence
53%, Insight 41%, Lore (Orlanthi) 38% / Lore (Humakt) 38%, Lore
(Regional) 45%, Pact (Orlanth)/ Pact(Humakt) 35% , Perception 56%,
Persistence 48%, Resilience 61%, Ride 69%, Track 40%, Unarmed 59%
Reach
L
M
S
S
n/a
Damage
1D8+1
1D8
1D4+1
1D4
1D8 + DB
16
AP/HP
4/5
6/10
6/8
6/12
3/8
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
30m
Iddi’s Carls
These warriors are part of the clan fyrd, hence they are not as well trained as the weaponthanes because they are part-time warriors.
As members of the fyrd the carls will stand shield to shield to defend each other. As with the other members of the Orldor family
they are recent converts to the Old Ways, hence their low Divine Magic skills.
They have Bladesharp cast before they join battle.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
13
14
14
13
11 (10)
13
11
(1 dedicated)
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D4
10
8m
9 (14-5)
Common Magic
Common Magic 56%; Bladesharp 1, Speedart 2
Divine Magic
Flight
Combat Styles
Spear & Shield 55%, Bow 50%, Dagger 52%
Weapons
Type
Shortspear
Dagger
Heater Shield
Short bow
SIZ
M
S
L
H
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Armour:
Partial Ringmail, with leather trousers
Skills:
Athletics 46%, Brawn 47%, Culture(Own) 50%, Evade 51%, First Aid
31%, Influence 37%, Insight 34%, Lore (Orlanth Adventurous) 32%,
Lore (Regional) 30%, Pact(Orlanth Adventurous) 15%, Perception 44%,
Reach
L
S
S
n/a
Damage
1D8+1
1D4+1
1D4
1D6 + DB
AP/HP
4/5
6/8
6/12
3/8
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
80m
17
The Axe Sisters
These grim Babeester Gor acolytes are responsible for protecting the clan’s Earth cultists. They were never really draconised and
accepted Ernalda the Scale the same way they accepted her original aspect. They are bloody-thirsty and vicious, needing little
excuse to start a fight.
In spite of this they are not stupid, and can fight tactically against greater odds, using their defensive magic to give them an
advantage. Berserk is reserved for those who have especially offended the Goddess, or as a last-stand “death-song”. Casting Fear is
a favourite tactic: they enjoy the chase of hunting down a terrified foe.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
14
15
12
13
15 (9)
16
9
(6 dedicated)
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
3
3
5
5
3
3
5
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D2
9
8m
8 (14-6)
Common Magic
Common Magic 76%; Bladesharp 4, Detect Oath Breaker, Detect Murderer, Fanaticism, Parry 4
Divine Magic
Axe Trance, Berserk, Blessing, Fear, Great Parry, Slash
Combat Styles
Axe & Shield 80%, Two Handed Axe 75%, Dagger 52%
Weapons
Type
Battle Axe
Great Axe
Dagger
Heater Shield
SIZ
M
H
S
L
Armour:
Chainmail Hauberk, Ringmail Greaves and Vambraces, Open Helm
Skills:
Athletics 67%, Brawn 68%, Culture (Own) 54%, Evade 58%, First
Aid 65%, Influence 51%, Insight 45%, Lore(Babeester Gor) 72%, Pact
(Babeester Gor) 67%, Perception 78%, Persistence 76%, Resilience 80%,
Track 65%, Unarmed 81%
Reach
M
L
S
S
Damage
1D6+1/1D8+1
1D12+2
1D4+1
1D4
18
AP/HP
4/8
4/10
6/8
6/12
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Bastak
Bastak is the leader of this Crimson Purity Hunting and Interrogation Band. Like all of his Order he is passionate and zealous
about his work, and tends to carry it to an extreme. His superiors, even though they recognise and appreciate his talents, consider
him to be a little too extreme to serve in the Empire’s heartland, so he spends much of his time patrolling the borders where faith
is weak.
Bastak treats everybody outside of his Order with suspicion and contempt, though he remains respectful of dragonewts themselves.
Whilst he finds the Old Way Traditionalists objectionable, he still believes they have souls that can be redeemed (however much
pain is involved), but he has a special loathing for the God Learners and would like to see them wiped from the face of the world.
He is short and stocky but well muscled. His hair has long since receded, leaving him bald, his pate covered in the intricate
draconic tattoos of the Crimson Purity. A puckered scar runs down the right side of his face, cutting through his close-trimmed
grey beard near the chin. A velvet patch covers his ruined eye; his remaining eye is slitted and reptilian, the result of steady Draconic
Evolution. He is ever-restless, always seeking for traitors and spies.
Like his disciples, Bastak is not afraid to use his dragon powers to achieve his end. He does not crave personal salvation, but
salvation for all; he has Lost The Path several times. In combat he directs and leads from the back.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
1D20
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
16
14
10
17
16
18
15
Hit Location
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
AP/HP
5/5
5/5
5/6
5/7
5/4
5/4
5/5
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D2
16
8m
9 (15-6)
Armour:
Chainmail with a crimson surcoat
Skills:
Athletics 71%, Brawn 68%, Dance77%, Draconic Illumination 70%,
Evade 69%, Insight 88%, Meditation 64%, Perception 87%, Persistence
77%, Resilience 70%, Ride 80%, Stealth 74%, Unarmed 94%
Common Magic
Common Magic 82%; Bearing Witness 4, Befuddle, Bludgeon 4, Demoralise, Fanaticism, Dragons Breath
Dragon Magic
Blood Of Lava, Bone Ridges, Brand Traitor, Dragon Claws, Flay Soul, Mystic Sight, Scaled Skin, Sense
Surface Thoughts
Combat Styles
Mace & Shield 76%, Two Handed Mace 67%, Bow 72%, Dagger 49%
Weapons
Type
Heavy Mace
SIZ
L
Reach
L
Dagger
Heater Shield
Recurve Bow
S
L
H
S
S
n/a
Damage
1D8+1
1D10+1
1D4+1
1D4
1D8
AP/HP
6/10
Range
n/a
6/8
6/12
4/8
n/a
n/a
175m
19
The Disciples of Crimson Purity
These are fanatical followers of the Crimson Purity cult, rooting out heretics and dissenters within the Empire. They burn with
religious fervour and eagerly await the birth of the Great Dragon To Be.
On the whole they are dedicated, small-minded, petty and brutal. Most enjoy their work a little too much.
While most dragon mystics hesitate to use draconic magic for fear of Losing The Path, the average disciple will not; they believe
they sacrifice their own enlightenment for the good of the Empire, ridding it of unbelievers and other vermin.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
15
16
14
11
13
16
13
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D2
13
8m
7 (13-6)
Common Magic
Common Magic 45%; Demoralise, Fanaticism, Dragons Breath
Dragon Magic
Blood Of Lava, Bone Ridges, Brand Traitor, Dragon Claws, Sense Surface Thoughts
Combat Styles
Spear & Shield 60%, Bow 55%, Dagger 45%
Weapons
Type
Shortspear
Dagger
Heater Shield
Recurve Bow
SIZ
M
S
L
H
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
Armour:
Chainmail with a crimson surcoat
Skills:
Athletics 71%, Brawn 59%, Dance 49%, Draconic Illumination 35%,
Reach
L
S
S
n/a
Damage
1D8+1
1D4+1
1D4
1D8
20
AP/HP
4/5
6/8
6/12
4/8
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
175m
Ursuk
Ursuk is the Render wrangler for the Crimson Purity warband, and is responsible for the control and well-being of the Renders in
his care. He dearly loves his charges and prefers their company to any of the others of his Order. Unlike most of them he is not a
fanatic, but he enjoys his work, both the reptile care and the occasional chance to strangle a heretic with his chain.
He is big, slow, and always calm. He speaks infrequently and there is quietness to his manner that most others find uncomfortable.
He is currently very sad, as one of the Renders in his care was killed while fighting Adraxos, leaving him with two.
He prefers to remain out of close combat letting his Renders do the fighting, while he guides them and provides healing if necessary.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
1D20
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
18
10
17
12
14
8
14
Hit Location
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
AP/HP
0/5
0/5
0/6
0/7
0/4
0/4
6/5
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
2
+1D4
14
8m
11
Common Magic
Common Magic 82%; Heal 4, Dragons Breath
Dragon Magic
Command Reptile, Dragon Teeth, Dominate Reptilian Mind, Scaled Skin, Speak With Reptiles
Combat Styles
Chain 70%
Weapons
Type
Chain
SIZ
M
Armour:
Bone sung helm and a leather thong
Skills:
Athletics 55%, Brawn 80%, Dance 41%, Draconic Illumination 56%,
Reach
M
Damage
1D4
AP/HP
8/6
Range
n/a
21
Renders
Two vicious black-striped velociraptors. They are reasonably intelligent and employ misdirection and ambush techniques to
overwhelm hunt their prey, attacking from the side and rear when possible.
While everyone else is fair game for becoming a meal, they are fond of Ursuk and will not harm him.
The velociraptor’s bite is capable of Bleed and Impaling. The Kick and Foreclaw are both capable of Sundering and Bleed, owing
to the razor-like talons on each. The kick and claws are used as primary methods of disabling prey before the bite is used to tear
the victim asunder.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
27
14
19
7
9
11
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-2
3-5
6-8
9-11
12-15
16
17
18-20
Tail
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Claw
Left Claw
Head
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
7
7
8
9
6
6
7
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
3
+1D8
9
12m
15
Combat Styles
Bite 40%, Kick 35%, Foreclaw 65%
Weapons
Type
Bite
Kick
Foreclaw
SIZ
L
L
M
7
7
7
8
9
6
6
6
Armour:
Thick Hide
Skills:
Athletics 40%, Perception 50%, Persistence 40%, Resilience 52%, Stealth
50%, Track 45%
Reach
L
VL
M
Damage
1D8
1D6
1D4
22
AP/HP
As per head
As per Leg
As per Foreclaw
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fire-Scarred Elves
These poor wretches are frenzied and insane, driven mad by their perpetual Life Sense connection to the agony of the blazing trees
and vegetation surrounding them. They are all severely charred and burnt and this is reflected in their hit points below.
They should be treated as Fanaticised (as per the Common Magic spell) – this effect is already included in the statistics and cannot
be dispelled.
Tactics: None. They simply attack in the most direct manner possible, favouring close combat and resorting to their Unarmed
skill if necessary.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
9
8
14
11
10
8
5
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
4
5
6
3
4
4
5
5
3
5
7
1
4
5
4
5
6
7
4
4
3
5
4
6
4
4
2
1
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
2
None
Combat Styles:
Two-handed Spear 75%, Two-Handed Club 65%, One Handed Club 60%
Weapons
Type
Longspear
Charred Branch
6m
+4
SIZ
L
M
1
5
6
7
3
4
5
5
3
6
7
4
4
5
Typical Armour:
Burnt remnants and scraps of bark and copper armour
Traits:
Life Sense, Night Sight
Skills:
Acrobatics 32%, Athletics 39%, Evade 12%, Lore (Green Grove)
9%, Lore(The Burning) 64%), Perception 42%, Persistence 49%,
Resilience 24%, Stealth 66%, Survival 76%, Tracking 41%,
Unarmed 62%
Reach
VL
S
Damage
1D10+1
1D6/1D8
AP/HP
2/5
2/2
Range
n/a
n/a
23
Adraxos
Adraxos is a former Hwarosian Mystic and now a dedicated Sorceror Pilot of the Otherworld Explorers. He is obsessed with
penetrating and manipulating the secrets of the Dragons, far more so than his peers who tend to focus on the “normal” theists
instead. He has planned the theft of the wyter for some time, having been given the resources to pursue his desires, but he has little
interest in the politics behind the robbery.
The sorcerer is lean, with hawk-like features, dark hair, and a small goatee beard. He is refined and cultured, but has little time
for small talk outside of his peers. He dislikes “getting his hands dirty” and prefers to direct others; the thought of cutting out the
heart of the wyter has been making him queasy for some weeks.
Adraxos tries to avoid close combat if he can; it’s what he hires mercenaries for after all. He prefers to support them with magic
where needed and uses Attract Missiles on a follower to avoid danger. He always ensures he has Damage Resistance cast when
travelling anywhere near “the natives”.
He has a 16-point magic point storage crystal embedded in a lead armband on his left arm, and a 12-point magic point storage
crystal set in a silver amulet at his neck.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
1D20
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
8
12
13
18
17
16
17
Hit Location
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
AP/HP
0/5
0/5
1/6
1/7
0/4
0/4
0/5
Combat Actions
3
Armour
Robes and a thin leather jerkin. (All very finely tailored however, and gives
a +10% bonus to Influence when dealing with those who care about such
things)
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
None
17 + 16 + 12
8m
12
Skills
Athletics 24%, Courtesy 78%, Culture(Own) 82%, Culture(Orlanthi)
67%, Culture(EWF) 65%, Evade 32%, Evaluate 68%, Influence
63%, Insight 57%, Lore(Malkion) 80%, Lore(Otherworld) 66%,
Lore(Otherworld Pilots) 54%, Manipulation 81%, Perception 73%,
Persistence 88%, Resilience 39%, Ride 60%, Stealth 43%, Survival 63%,
Unarmed 30%
Common Magic
Common Magic 94%; Bandit’s Cloak 4, Befuddle, Countermagic 3, Disruption, Golden Tongue 4,
Mindspeech 3, Second Sight
Sorcery
Sorcery( Hwarosian Grimoire) 82%; Banish, Myth Engineering, Neutralize Magic, Project (Hearing),
Project (Sight); Sorcery (Unencumbered Lights of Reason) 78%; Dominate Culture(EWF), Dominate
Culture (Orlanthi), Haste, Mystic Vision, Myth Treading, Myth Manipulation, Navigate Otherworld;
Sorcery(The Abiding Book) 93%, Attract Missiles, Damage Resistance, Intuition, Teleport
Combat Styles
Dagger 52%
Weapons
Type
Dagger
SIZ
S
Reach
S
Damage
1D4+1
24
AP/HP
6/8
Range
n/a
God Learner mercenaries
These grim and hardened mercenaries are part of Adraxos’ expeditionary force and act as his bodyguards. They are on hire from
the Bardan’s Book Church where they are members of Chapter of the Russet Cross.
Tactics: They open with a heavy crossbow volley if possible, after which three of them move into hand to hand combat, with the
forth covering using the crossbow and magic if needed.
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
CHA
16
14
17
10
13
14
10
1D20
Hit Location
AP
HP
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
10-20
Right Leg
Left Leg
Abdomen
Chest
Right Arm
Left Arm
Head
6
6
5
5
5
5
6
7
7
8
9
6
6
7
7
7
8
9
6
6
7
7
7
8
9
6
6
7
7
7
8
9
6
6
7
Combat Actions
Damage Modifier
Magic Points
Movement
Strike Rank
2
+1D4
13
8m
5 (13-8)
Common Magic
Common Magic 52%; Protection 3, Heal 2, Parry
Sorcery
Grimoire(The Book Of Accuracy) 56%; Accurate Missile, Augment Armour, Damage Enhancement,
Damage Resistance, Rapid Fire
Combat Styles
Two-handed Axe 82%, Sword & Shield 83%, Flail And Shield 80%, Heavy Crossbow 85%, Dagger 65%
Weapons
Type
Great Axe
War Sword
Military Flail
Dagger
Heater Shield
Heavy Crossbow
SIZ
H
M
L
S
L
H
Armour:
Plate greaves and helm, chainmail elsewhere
Skills:
Athletics 60%, Brawn 63%, Evade 68%, Evaluate 50%, First Aid 49%,
Influence 55%, Insight 38%, Manipulation 34%, Perception 57%,
Reach
L
M
L
S
S
n/a
Damage
1D12+2
1D8
1D10
1D4+1
1D4
1D10
AP/HP
4/10
6/10
4/10
6/8
6/12
4/8
Range
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
150m
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Rob “RuneGoon” Finnegan for help with the stats.
25

Summons of the Whyter

Transcription

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