A long time ago I wrote about some kinds of spirits which dwell in the untravelled places of the world. I don't know how much I still like the idea of basically everything being a spirit of some kind, but hey-o, here are some spirits in the shapes of animals! They are the exemplars of their kinds, mostly-natural, that warp the world around them to better reflect their needs and natures.
Here are the first 10 (plus 2 silly ones) I've been able to churn out.
Ankhegs - Growth
The Queens of Ankhegs are almighty insects, legs like tree-trunks and shovel-ended. Their mouths drip with Alkahest, the universal solvent, and their piercing cries can shatter glass at their highest and split the earth at their deepest. Thankfully, they are really quite lazy and love to luxuriate deep in the earth. They bully other Ankhegs into serving, and carve out enormous cave systems with grand pillars and vast halls. They are spirits of growth, and their lairs are always overflowing with plants which constantly fight the long slow wars for light and nutrients that plants always fight, but in a constant, furious slaughter, fueled by the presence of the Queen of Ankhegs.
The heart of her lair is so choked with vines and roots and creepers that moving through it is more like swimming or digging like the worm does, and with her acid-slathered maw, the Ankheg Queen most certainly can dig through it quicker than you can...
Apes - Fire
The King of Apes, unlike it is commonly supposed, are not much bigger than their lesser cousins. They still need to climb, but they will still stand head and shoulders above other apes. The most marked difference will be their pair of extra arms, and the flames they hold in their second palms. They are mysterious, and hold deep loves for their flames, which they protect with all their might. Some say they are care-takers of the forests in which they live, and decide when it is time for fire to ravage the land, that new growth can begin. Their families are sometimes described as being almost entire cities of apes, with the Ape-King sat in meditation, clasping its flame in the highest branches of the mightiest trees.
The oldest legends say that it was the Ape-Kings who first plucked fire from the heavens, and shared the gift with man, but man spurned their generosity, and turned against their cousins, leading to their long divisions. More reliable sources suggest that, since of course Monkey's can't talk the whole story is ridiculous. The Ape-Kings are certainly not about to tell, the only interactions between men and Ape-Kings anyone knows about all end in charred and ruined villages, and haunting choruses of ape-song.
Badgers - Luck
Badger Kings are admittedly, pretty big, and they have great ridges of bone all along their arms and backs and flanks, the better to scour out their tunnels. Supposedly custodians of that most precious and mysterious resource, Luck, they hoard it like gold in their lair. You can't quite see it, but still, if you were to delve deep into their lair, you would find it, shimmering and glinting. The Badger-Lord guards it jealously, and its blood-lust is surprising and deadly. And they are quiet.
So very, very quiet.
As long as you do not threaten them in their lairs, Badger-Lords are somewhat amenable, even friendly, and there is more than one story about a wanderer clutching a badger-given charm which grants extraordinary luck.
The stories almost always end with the Badger-King coming to claim back the luck, with interest, with particularly deadly consequences, one way or the other.
Bats - Curses
Bat Kings are lazy, lazy creatures, content to while away days and days at a time in quiet contemplation, wrong-side up to the world. Easily the size of a man, they choose great caves in cliffs and mountains to hold their courts, and even men are sometimes permitted to enter to ask their questions of the Lords of Night. They pronounce curses, upon you, upon others, upon whomsoever they please, though mostly it is on the deserving (from the Bat-King's point of view). They aren't above bribery; and if caught in a relatively congenial mood, they might be offered full-blooded and vital livestock to break curses you happen to bear, or perhaps as an 'incentive' to speak against your enemy. Rarely do they take to the wing, but when they do, it is best to stay inside and look not at the sky for a day or two. The Bat-King can only Curse you if it sees you, though sometimes it can be very forceful in the matter, and its screech can stun even the largest beast.
Basilisks - Stone
Basilisk Kings are great wurms, snaking along the earth on tree-thick legs, dragging their mighty bellies, scouring the earth clean beneath them. They are like immense fleshy centipedes, pulling their lizard-bodies along on many many legs; claws like boulders, scales like breast-plates, gaze like a hurricane.
For the most part, the eyes of a Basilisk Lord are closed beneath stone lids, or what appears to be eye-lids at least. Their powers of petrification are so strong that they petrify everything they see, the ground, the trees, mud, man, monster alike. Even the air is susceptible to the gaze of a Basilisk Lord, and when a Basilisk Lord does release its eyes from their lithic prisons, it is a like twin spiraling coils of rock erupt from their heads, smiting all it touches to rock and covering the area in rubble, petrified air flaking and filling the atmosphere with dust.
Thankfully they wake but rarely. Like the rock itself, they see in the tectonic inevitabilities of stone and awaken only for those things that they believe must happen.
Bears - Strength
They almost seem to be made from stone, so tough is their hide, their fur is like bark and twigs, knotted and cruel. Teeth long as swords, claws like spears, and their eyes are glossy and black.
Twice as tall as even the largest of their mundane cousins, their treads shake the ground as they casually tear trees out from the earth and toss them aside like garbage.
Their strength is, needless to say, ferocious. They shred plate armour-like tissue and batter stone to rubble under the immense pounding of their wrath. Despite their utter dominance, they are not wicked; they are mostly content to sit and chew up bushes in their great mouths and guzzle cows. People have even been known to approach them, and with proper gifts (very large gifts) and demonstrations of strength, they have been known to teach even humans the ways of the forest.
But that's also not to say that they never get angry.
Crabs - War
Great living fortresses with shells of coral-reefs and claws the size of people, though often much of their features are covered in the mighty swarms of mundane crabs that cover them thickly, and that swarm about their feet. In great sideways drifts they march along the sea-floor, conquering all in their way. Once a slaughter is completed, and the flesh of their foes eaten, great shrine-piles of bones are built and set to wander the sea, tumble-weeds of the dooms of hundreds.
The Crab Kings love war beyond all reason. Only twice, two Crab Kings were seen to be fighting each other, two-hundred years separating both sightings. It was the same pair of Crab Kings, fighting the same war.
They are not totally belligerent though. They have been known to enter into mercenary contracts with devastating efficiency.
The rate with which they turn against their old masters at the end of said contracts does not bear thinking about.
Goats - The Occult
Horns that spiral endlessly (literally), cloven hooves that spill smoke from their contact with the earth, eyes which branch in fractal patterns. Their fur ruffles forever in an endless ethereal wind, and comes in all manner of shades darker than black. They are not bigger than other goats, but you would not need that to recognise that they are something other. Proud they walk the depths of the woods, supremely confident in the power and worth of the dark secrets they know, written in the empty spaces behind their eyes.
Sometimes, they share their knowledge with the outcast and the vulnerable. Sometimes, they share their knowledge with the greedy who bring them many gifts for the knowledge the goat holds. Sometimes, they step into the darkened cells of the condemned, and off them them power and the means of revenge. Whenever they release their secrets, it is always in the name of chaos and tragedy.
Once in a hundred years, all 13 of the Goat Kings will commune together at the top of a hill crested and crowned with great stony spires.
No-one knows what they do. Perhaps we should never know.
Owlbears - OH GOD NO PLEASE
YOU THINK REGULAR OWLBEARS ARE BAD OH BOY HOWDY DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING COMING THINK HOW CRAZY A REGULAR OWLBEAR IS HOW THIRSTY FOR BLOOD IT IS HOW THE RAGE CLOUDS THEIR EYES IN A OWLBEAR KING THE RAGE SPILLS LIKE MIST FROM ITS SOCKETS BLOOD SPILLS ETERNALLY FROM THEIR CLAWS THEY WADE THROUGH MIST AND BLOOD TO SLAUGHTER AND KILL AND DEVOUR HOW DID THEY EVEN GET ANIMAL LORDS OF THEIR OWN THEY ARENT NATURAL THEYRE MAN MADE OH GODS SAVE US PLEASE
Rocs - Wait, hang on
Hey... these are just Bird-Kings. What are you doing putting this in the list? Surely there can't possibly be birds even greater than Rocs? Preposterous.
Scorpions - Fear
Look, Scorpions are terrifying as they are. Twinned claws, arcing sting, many many legs; it isn't hard to see why Spirits of Fear take this form. The first sign you will see of a King of Scorpions is a strange pillar of stone, curved in a quite improbably way jutting up out of the sand. Perhaps there will be other such stones just protruding from the dunes. They like to bury themselves in the sand whilst they are dormant, and burst forth to destroy trespassers and prey. Their legs are many more than other scorpions. Their sting strikes with such speed that it needs no venom, and turns the very desert itself to glass when it strikes. And their claws snip through stone as easily as flesh. Oh, and don't look at their mouths. Please. Luckily for us, they are few, and they are mostly loners, and rarely encourage great swarms of their lesser fellows. Rarely.
Sharks - Death
Normal sharks can taste death on the water, Shark Kings can taste the intent of death, even hours before it happens. Dread omens of slaughters yet to happen. Large even as Sharks are large, they lead great demon-packs of deadly predators in slaughters of blood and frenzy, even tearing out the bellies of ships in their blood-lust. At least, only some of the time. Long days will pass when the Shark King and its court are content merely to swim long, lazy circles. The Lairs of Shark-Kings are mighty coral reefs of sunken and ruined ships, spires of shattered masts and halls of splintered hulls. It doesn't bear thinking of what they used before ships were made...
Showing posts with label Monsters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monsters. Show all posts
The Major Locales of the Crimson Sea
Holy Vesturia - Seat of the Holy Covenant
Of all places sacred to men, none shall be held as high as Grand Vesturia, the Birth-Place of the Great Blood-Covenant forged between men and the Gods-to-Be. Its tall spires scrape the very skies, its statuary raise profligate hands to receive blessings from above, its people offer their all to the Grand Church of Blood-Communion.
And all are lead in Worship by his Most Holiness, Pontif Sanguinius the First and Only, forever and ever, Amen; who forged the Promise on which all who live on the Shores of the Crimson Sea do dwell. And blessed too be his Crimson Ministers who tend to the herds of the High Shepard of men.
During the day, Vesturia is a quiet bustle as humans tend to themselves and their daily tasks, underneath the watchful eyes of the Crimson ministers, who are jealous of their flock as a husband is jealous of his wife. In the darkened manors and homes of the Gods-to-Be, the Crusaders of the Covenant play at high society in grand symposiums and soirees. At night, men huddle in their homes, and try to shut out the sounds of the bloody violence, the screams of demons, and the Victory Hymns and exultations of the Crusaders.
The Church of the Holy Covenant rules all in Holy Vesturia, as it should be, for only through his Most Holiness can men ever hope to escape the horrors of the Night.
Sight-Seeing in the Red-Walled City of the Holy Covenant:
- The Mighty Cathedral of the Glories of the Blood-Pact - Where his Most Holiness, the First and Only (forever and ever, Amen) Pontif forged the Covenant with men, and the First of the Red Ministers joined him in holy brotherhood. Its tall, white-stone walls stand out against the dull greys and blacks of the Cities, an endless reminder of the Dominion of the Church.
- The Conflagration of the Apostate - Once a glorious estate of much wealth and the home of a noble lineage, the current occupant (who has lived there for over two centuries now) performed an unforgivable sin in the eyes of the Church: he poisoned himself. It was such a sin, Pontif Sanguinius himself came down from the Cathedral of Glories wreathed in wrath and power, and laid down upon the Noble and his house a terrible curse. Now it stands forever, as does its owner, only they are wreathed in an eternal flame, ever burning in parts, ever smouldering in places, always blossoming with smoke, forever and ever, until such a time as his sins have been scoured away in cleansing fire.
- Wolf-Pyre Plaza - A great square at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Cathedral of Glories, its centre is blackened and charred, for it is where the Beasts and Demons of the Night are burned as the morning sun is only just daring to rise, to the furious jeers and cheers of the Crusaders still high on the Night's Hunt-Lust.
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The Bone-Metropolis of Demise
Built by those who would escape the Tyranny of the Church, Demise was constructed in the one place the Church would never find them, in the titanic, skeletal remains of the so-called "arch-demon". Though now the Covenant are well aware of the dissidents, they can no longer easily crush them, thus they bide their time and plot the downfall of the Corpse-City.
The skull of the Demon has been fashioned into a kind of Anti-Cathedral, the eyes and nostrils filled in with stained-glass, and the teeth hollowed out into the pipes of a Great Organ, played only when the Red Ministers of the Communion that are captured face their now traditional execution; a stake through the heart and decapitation.
The City proper is built in the hollow of the Rib-Cage, the tall off-white towers rising in their arcs above the homes and buildings, fashioned into Watch-Towers. The Left Leg and the Right Arm have been fashioned into the Western and Eastern Wharfs respectively, as the Right Leg has long been lost to the Waves of the Living Sea. The Shoulder Blades, flanking the Anti-Cathedral, now form the home of the Ivory School, and the Noble Houses of the City Founders. The Pelvis is the foundation of the grand Fortress of the City, and stands as their great Fastness against the Churches Crusaders. The City has now spread beyond the confines of the almighty bones now, and only continues to grow from those that escape Vesturia, and the growth of hope and rebellion against Pontif Sangunius.
Their true strength, though they do not know it, lies in the Ivory School, who practice the lost and ancient art of Bone-Carving. They have created and discovered many tools that are particularly effective against the Gods-to-Be, and when the Church finally makes their move against Demise, they will find it a much more stalwart foe that any guessed it to be.
The Leviathan Yards
Huge, Pallid, and Ever-Squirming and Writhing, beasts like beached whales mount the shore leaking foul fluids into the furious sea, and birth the Flesh-Hulks that can sail the Living Sea.The Harbour-Masters of the Leviathan Yards are some of the most feared (and rich) individuals of the Crimson Sea, second perhaps even to The First and Only (forever and ever Amen) Pontif of the Church of the Communion. Certainly they are second in influence, as they sell the Living Ships that alone are capable of surviving the Attentions of the Crimson Sea for any length of time without cracking open like a nut. They charge exorbitant prices, which are duly paid for now.
They are something like a cross between Spiders and Lobsters, standing up like a crooked old man, most of their limbs tucked away like a mental-patient while the main arms constantly scribble in their record books, their multi-facet eyes dancing this way and that and their mouths full of articulated teeth chitter quietly even as they speak to you. They are thin and long, unlike their worker-soldier brethren, who are much like them, only shorter and fatter, like crabs in the way the Harbour Masters are like Lobsters. Their thick, almost lacquered armour plates have been know to turn aside even the heaviest sword blows, though their underbellies have proven to be relatively soft.
This isn't to say that they aren't also feared in battle. Most every power on the Crimson Sea has tried once or more to take the Leviathan Yards for themselves. All have failed, the Nerve-Arresters and Claws of the Worker-Soldiers proving devastatingly effective even against the terrible power of the Crimson Crusaders. Mercifully, they have neither the numbers nor the inclination for conquest, as far as is known and hoped.
The Supra-Human Republics
The last (and most recently founded) of the Mighty Powers of the Crimson Sea, the Supra-Human Republics are feared by just about everyone. Of course, the Red Church of Vesturia is the most powerful and feared of the cities of the Living Sea, but the Supra-Human republics have proven themselves their equal in terms of the fear they spread, in the way they deal with prisoners, in their ever-changing and unpredictable power struggles, and in the doom they represent for Man-Kind.They are the pinnacle of Human Evolution, as they tell everyone, beyond the Gods-to-Be of the traitor-state, beyond the Homunculi of the Alchemists, beyond the Star-Priests, beyond the Elves, beyond all and any! Their biology is as perfect as can ever be attained, neither age nor sickness nor exposure will ever slay one of their number, and their unimpeachable flesh is left behind by the Crusaders of the Church, evidence of their superiority!
In one aspect they still seem human though, they squabble endlessly and constantly. The Republics are fractitious in the extreme, and new havens are constantly being born left and right, and coups are levied against the new most treacherous and decadent of the Doges, only to be replaced by a Doge twice as corrupt and reprobate again. Trade continues to thrive in the turmoil though, and thus the Apex of Men supports many of their lesser kind in orbiting towns.
Of course, there is much war made between the Republics and Vesturia, the one enemy the Doges can actually ally as a group against for any amount of time. Such wars are often short-lived, as the Crimson Crusaders must always return to The City of Red Walls before the fall of night, and the Doges can never actually organise any kind of co-ordinated assault against the Holy City, their fragile alliances born of mutual hatred of the Red Ministers finally being overtaken by the storm of their petty squabbles. It is doubtful the Republics could ever actually overcome Vesturia; their numbers are too few, but the Church is determined to exterminate them, which betrays more than the ever-teethy smiles of the Ministers could.
Within the Republics themselves, the Supra-Humans dwell in endless luxury and fathomless melodrama, constantly seeking deeper and deeper depravities to explore and thrills to chase. Around them, "lesser-men" toil to sustain them, even as the Supra-Humans bully them to work harder and harder.
Of the origins of the Supra-Humans, they will not speak. Many rumours have been circulated (many certainly started by the Supra-Humans themselves), perhaps they are the final result of an Alchemist's life-time research into the creation of perfect Homunculi, or maybe they are renegade Ministers of the Church who have overcome their needs and vulnerabilities. It is even possible that they are lying, and sustain themselves purely on magic. No-one can tell for now, and if the secret is anywhere, it is in the dread-hearts of the Palaces of the Doges of the Supra-Human Republics.
The Alchemist's Manor
The Alchemist Arnault Roftengirt passed away peacefully in his sleep. His house however, has passed into chaos and horror.
A great roiling serpent of purest mercury, it surges throughout the house when roused, engulfing and crushing with its flowing poison-flesh.
For the most part it is happy to remain in its vat, but vibrations bother it, and the greater the vibration, the greater the Serpent's anger. The source of its life is a chunk of alchemically treated stone, carved with runes, and infused with strange aethers. It cannot be subdued unless the stone is removed from its head.
2 - The Formless One
It tries its best to look human. Perhaps it was once, but not any more.
The unfortunate result of alchemical run-offs and by-products carelessly disposed of. Its flesh warps and flows, and can with only a few minutes observation, perfectly (for the most part) mimic another humanoid creature. It only lasts a few minutes, but until it breaks down, most would not be able to tell the creature apart from the original; except for one major difference. The Formless One stinks to high heaven of ammonia. It is well aware of this fact, and tries to hide this from potential prey by remaining in areas that already reek of alchemical compounds.
3 - Poor Old Jeeves
The much used and abused butler of the household in his time has had to clean up alchemical accidents, nurse the old alchemist back to health after said accidents, and quietly 'dispose' of numerous failed experiments. These days, he finds his own health in a state of some flux, though he still dutifully conducts his tasks throughout and around the chaos of the grounds.
His skin is black and brown and bubbling, more oil and grease than meat. His eyes have gone too, replaced with ever weeping pools of sickly yellow gel. He can't tell that you're a person, he just sees you as another mess to clear up, and he's awfully good at clearing away messes with his terrible, inhuman strength.
Luckily for you, he won't kill you. Unluckily for you, he'll probably dump you in with the Menagerie...
4 - The Aqua Regiad (The Acid Nymph)
She luxuriates in her steaming chamber, constrained by glass to contain the worst of the vapours she sloughs off.
An elemental spirit of some maddeningly specific facet of nature, summoned by Arnault, and contained for future conversation and general chit-chat, being one of the few people Arnault ever saw whom he wasn't paying to be there. Even now, her inhuman nature is content with the quiet, though she would certainly appreciate some actually coherent company. Even better if she could ever find a way out of her containment...
5 - The Menagerie
They are twisted and pathetic. Their skin bubbles and wriggles against their crooked bones, and their hair seems to float across their bodies. The results of Arnault's final experiments in his infirmity, they are utterly wretched, and Jeeves the Butler couldn't quite bring himself to burn them alive after blade and poison didn't kill them. Now they languish in the cellars in cages too small for them and with all possible food gone. Some have resorted to auto-cannibalism in their desperation.
These shall be the Table for generating them:
Locomotion
1 - Only ragged arms
2 - Many faceted legs
3 - Long, thin hooks of nail
4 - Oozing and heaving
5 - Legs like peoples', almost
6 - On all fours, animal like
Method of Attack
1 - Retractable Teeth-Spears
2 - Claws and Teeth
3 - Caustic Bile
4 - Jutting rib-cage maws
5 - Formless flesh-gloop
6 - Constriction with boneless arms
Patheticism
1 - Huge, weeping, and misshapen eyes
2 - Its flesh is all but gone from where its mouth can reach
3 - Bones protrude from flesh
4 - Boils and blisters cover it
5 - It spouts many useless, vestigle limbs
6 - Its flesh has all but abandoned it
Useful Mutation
1 - Gribbly insect wings
2 - Sensitive detecto-whiskers
3 - Constantly spills slippery oil
4 - Contortionist rubber-bones
5 - Poisoned gas-bladders
6 - Extra, actually useful limbs
6 - The Corruption
Like tiny feather-shreds of black glass, it creeps and grows like mold throughout a section of the Manor, contained for now by the last few efforts Arnault made before he succumbed to age. It is a result of his effort in achieving his ultimate goals [see the Magnum Opus], which he of course, never fully realised. Exposure to the Corruption is not immediately fatal luckily, but it is slow, insidious, and secretive. The explosive finale where the black flakes and spines erupt from your skin and take you over entirely will not occur until you least expect it. Its almost as if the Corruption plots against you to find the opportune moment to strike. Almost.
Crystals are odd things, and during his initial experiments with them, Arnault created this strange, self-replicating formation. It grows only slowly, but over the years it has infested a goodly portion of the house. It is far sharper than it looks (and it looks terribly sharp), though a good strong brush will clear it out, even if it means the destruction of the brush...
2 - Melt-Haze Mold
A spongy kind of mold that bloats itself on specially prepared surfaces, that ran rampant when Arnault, in his infirmity, spilt the mixture that would allow its spread. The air around it shimmers and shines subtely, and is dreadfully corrosive to organic matter. Luckily, all that is needed to undo this dreadful hazard, is a stiff breeze. Blowing away the vapours allows safe passsage for 10 minutes, while the Mold replenishes the dissolving mists. Alternatively, a thin film of any inorganic matter will also protect you from the mists, and applying this cover to the mold will kill it in only a few minutes, though it must be nearly airtight at least.
3 - The Tree of Life
At first, you would be forgiven for assuming that it was a tree, but the fruit it produces are too soft and meaty to be real fruit. Within each fruit-sac a fetus-thing slowly grows and develops. No-one yet can tell what they will become, but surely it can't be anything good. Damaging the sacs with an edged or piercing tool or weapon bursts it prematurely, releasing a smattering of soft flesh and acidic fluids. Other weapons deal insignificant damage to the squidgy sacs.
What lies within?
1 - Tiny people, with strong and strange telekentic powers, and a deep set hatred of humanity.
2 - Wolf-like things with tentacle mouths, they will steal babies to hatch eggs in.
3 - A thin serpent of green and pallid flesh. It can burrow into flesh to wrap around the spinal chord, and pilot the helpless person like a meat puppet.
4 - Uncountable spiders with a single hive mind, their task is to retrieve prey to feed the tree.
5 - Clones of Arnault, with dark and twisted ambitions and minds, and all his vast knowledge.
6 - Seeds of the Corruption.
4 - The Old Lab
Beakers, vials, metal boxes, glass tubes in all shapes and configurations, tomes, grimoires, incunabula; Arnault spared no expense in stocking his laboratory. Unfortunately, in his old age he left much of it in long-term experiments that he swiftly forgot about and neglected. The descent of his lab has only accelerated since his death. Even the smallest touch could have drastic effects.
5 - Vitae Storms
Clouds of ever-billowing purple-tinted smoke, shaped like people. Small arcs of lightning crackle and snap within. They don't move, unless you touch them, then they mirror you. Only strong winds can disperse them away from you once you touch them. Don't go inside them, or you'll crackle up into burnt meat.
6 - Bubbling Doom
Spilt vats of glinting powder, harmless, unless inhaled. Its effects won't manifest straight away, but in the weeks to come, you will hack up lumps of your lungs, slowly giving in to asthma, and eventually suffocation on your own liquefying lungs. There are masks which allow safe handling of the stuff in the Old Lab, and of course, its perfectly safe to handle as long as you don't breathe...
It looks almost, but not quite like it. It would take an expert to be able to distinguish it though.
1 ounce of Fool's Gold is as valuable as an ounce of Gold, to those who can't tell the difference.
2 - Vials of Alchemical Products
Mysterious vials of equally mysterious liquids? Probably quite valuable.
What does this vial do?
1 - Heady fumes; enough to get you high for a good hour.
2 - A viscous, and terribly staining, ink.
3 - A minor explosive, enough to knock someone down.
4 - Apparently nothing... roll twice more if mixed with another vial.
5 - Bottled blood.
6 - Glows when shaken. Burns on contact with air.
7 - A powerful (if gritty) antiseptic.
8 - Steams a huge amount when mixed with water.
9 - Fizzes and sparks when exposed to air.
10 - Just water. Colourful water.
11 - Horrifyingly potent acid.
12 - Mutagenic, make a constitution save. On a fail, gain a menagerie patheticism. On a success, gain a menagerie useful mutation.
3 - Roftengirt Heirlooms
Potentially there are other branches of Arnault's family who might pay for these. At the very least, there must be collectors who would cough up for them.
Each heirloom is either a trinket, or a trophy. Trinkets take up no inventory space, each trophy takes up 1 inventory slot.
Trinkets are worth d6-1 gp each.
Trophies are worth 2d6 x 10 gp each.
4 - Arnault's Alchemical Notes
His works were extensive before his untimely demise. There must certainly be dozens of stable recipes scattered around the house, and many more pages of unfinished projects beside that still fit for fiddling with.
By using Arnault's notes, you can speed up one of your alchemy projects. The notes begin with a rating of 6. Each time you wish to use the notes, roll a d6. If the result is equal to or less than the Note's rating, you cut the time and costs required for the project by half, as Arnault has already performed much of the work for you. Then, decrease the Note's rating by 1 if it was successful.
The Note's effect can be used whenever you perform that project as well, but on subsequent attempts, it only halves the time cost of a project.
5 - The Distillation Knife
This is a rather rare and exceptionally well-made tool of alchemy. Its specific purpose is to, rather than cut things into pieces, to separate them on a chemical level into their component parts. Slicing a loaf of bread would not result in slices of bread, but piles of flour, maybe a bit of sugar, some yeast, a puddle, etc. Nothing is beyond the capabilities of the knife, though more complex materials take more time to separate. Harming a living being with one would take minutes of plunging the knife into them, slowly bubbling them away; hardly worth the effort.
6 - The Formalline Lense
The other half of a Distillation Knife, and apparently unique in all the world, Arnault's true masterpiece and legacy. It allows you to see things as their constituent alchemical parts, ripe to be separated with the Knife.
The universal solvent, it requires a talented alchemist to construct a container that you can remove the glue from. Once applied, it indelibly binds two surfaces together. Onyl Sovereign Glue can separate them after that.
2 - Sovereign Glue
The exact opposite of Alkahest. Also requires a skilled alchemist to create a container that won't fall apart while containing it. Reverses all reactions, separates all binds, key component of Distillation Knives.
3 - Gilting Oil
When applied, leaves a material stained a slick brown. When dried, it appears to all eyes to be gold. Even to experts. It wears off after about a year, or after exposure to alcohol.
4 - Liquid Crystal-Grass
Takes a minute to set, by once poured, will harden into a slightly cloudy crystal that is just as hard as glass, but also half as brittle. Viscous enough to pour into rough 3D shapes too, but very rough shapes. Runny enough to spoil most details without great skill and/or constant tooling.
5 - Rejuvenation Salts
When dissolved in water, one dose of Rejuvenation Salts creates a tonic which has the same effects as a potion of healing. Desperately hard to create, a key ingredient is serpent scales.
6 - Withering Stone
The opposite of Rejuvenation Salts. Even mere physical contact withers and desiccates living tissues. Swallowing one would be terribly painful, and almost certainly lethal. Similarly tricky to create as rejuvenation salts, a key ingredient is ferret bone.
1 - The Psuedo-Resonator
Part observatory, part crystal sphere, part dream-occulum; no-one is quite sure what it really does, or how it does it, but its uses are documented, and the instructions are followed, and the results occur, and everyone is mostly happy about it. Putting your head into it is like the most incredible high, hallucinations, strange sensations, sudden revelations, the whole bit. It also requires a saving throw or reorder your mental statistics due to mind-scrambling.
If Arnault had an Abstract specialisation, the shard of the Philosopher's Stone is within the Psuedo-Resonator.
2 - Ioniser/Deioniser
A bizarre labyrinth of crackling coils and sparking resistors, standing between the coils while they are activated (which is done by dipping the control rods in the battery-bath) requires you to make a saving throw of some sort or get blasted with lightning. Wearing metallic armour means that you take the saving throw at disadvantage.
If Arnault had an Energetic specialisation, then additionally, the False-Arnault is here.
3 - Distillation Chamber
A great vat with tubes, valves, and small localised furnaces dotted higgledy piggledy over it. Within, things are broken down, reconstituted, or refined. Getting inside would be something of a chore, but if you did, you would have to make a total of 3 saving throws. For each you fail, you lose a third of your hit points. If you succeed on all three, you actually gain a new hit die, and gain 1 point of AC as your flesh crystalises.
If Arnault had a Basic specialisation, then within the Distillation Chamber floats the Psuedo-Panacea, which will require a saving throw against the Chamber's effects to retrieve.
4 - Condensing Chamber [Aetheric - Breath of Life]
A great tank with a rib-cage of looping coils that runs underneath the vat into a freezing bath of mysteriously cold liquid. Anything dunked into the coolant the pipes loop through instantly freezes and in all probability, snaps off immediately. This is doubly certain for organic matter, and limbs in particular.
If Arnault had an Aetheric specialisation, then sat among a huge number of nearly, but not quite, identical glass beakers, is a stoppered bottle holding the Breath of Life. It is the only bottle that holds a gas, all the others have dusts and liquids and oozes and such, but you wouldn't spot it from a cursory glance.
Arnault's Breath of Life is not perfected of course, and rather than a permanent effect, it has 6 doses which provide its effect for 1 hour.
5 - Deep-Freeze Storage [Biological - False Homunculus]
A chamber, reinforced walls and stranged frosted pipes. The noise it creates is incredible, and it can be heard clearly in any room it borders, and faintly in rooms bordering those. Staying in the chamber is dangerous, and causes damage for each round beyond the first you stay within, such is the rampant cold. First, it deals d4 damage, the d6, then d8, scaling up a dice size each turn up to d20 every turn.
If Arnault has a Biological Specialisation, then the False Homunculus sits, floating in a iron chamber filled with preservatives and sedatives.
6 - The Smelter Vats [Impirical - Fool's Gold]
Basically a huge, huge furnace, with great vials of glowing liquids resting atop it, bubbling gently. A small door hinges open to reveal a deeply soot-black chamber that reeks of gas.
If the Vats are activated, almost anything placed in there will be almost immediately obliterated. If its organic and alive, it takes 10d10 fire damage each round. Most anything else will be ruined after a round, and obliterated d6 rounds after that. Its somewhat hard to get anything in there though, the aperture is only a little larger than a shovel's blade. Metal will melt in a round as well, regardless of how much is placed inside.
If Arnault had the Impirical Specialisation, then on one of the desks near the Vats is an instruction pamphlet (scribbled and rough) and a few goodly sized nuggets of Fool's gold (appearing to be worth about 100sp). From the instructions, given 10 sp of input materials, 2d10 x 10sp of Fool's Gold can be produced. It has no real value of course, it is only worth that much money to those who can't tell you aren't offering the real deal.
Adventure Overview
As far as is known, Arnault was something of a recluse anyway, and was never really seen around town, only his manservant, Jeeves. Recently thought, many of his house-servants have left his service, saying that he has gone slightly mad in his old age.
In truth, his obsession with Alchemy drove them away, and he came this close to achieving his Magnum Opus before old age claimed him.
Since then, all the various bottled terrors and demons of science have broken free from their restraints, and the house is now a veritable death-trap.
Though a deathtrap that also happens to be full of the riches of a retired noble and accomplished alchemist...
Terrors of the Manor
1 - The Quicksilver SerpentA great roiling serpent of purest mercury, it surges throughout the house when roused, engulfing and crushing with its flowing poison-flesh.
For the most part it is happy to remain in its vat, but vibrations bother it, and the greater the vibration, the greater the Serpent's anger. The source of its life is a chunk of alchemically treated stone, carved with runes, and infused with strange aethers. It cannot be subdued unless the stone is removed from its head.
2 - The Formless One
It tries its best to look human. Perhaps it was once, but not any more.
The unfortunate result of alchemical run-offs and by-products carelessly disposed of. Its flesh warps and flows, and can with only a few minutes observation, perfectly (for the most part) mimic another humanoid creature. It only lasts a few minutes, but until it breaks down, most would not be able to tell the creature apart from the original; except for one major difference. The Formless One stinks to high heaven of ammonia. It is well aware of this fact, and tries to hide this from potential prey by remaining in areas that already reek of alchemical compounds.
3 - Poor Old Jeeves
The much used and abused butler of the household in his time has had to clean up alchemical accidents, nurse the old alchemist back to health after said accidents, and quietly 'dispose' of numerous failed experiments. These days, he finds his own health in a state of some flux, though he still dutifully conducts his tasks throughout and around the chaos of the grounds.
His skin is black and brown and bubbling, more oil and grease than meat. His eyes have gone too, replaced with ever weeping pools of sickly yellow gel. He can't tell that you're a person, he just sees you as another mess to clear up, and he's awfully good at clearing away messes with his terrible, inhuman strength.
Luckily for you, he won't kill you. Unluckily for you, he'll probably dump you in with the Menagerie...
4 - The Aqua Regiad (The Acid Nymph)
She luxuriates in her steaming chamber, constrained by glass to contain the worst of the vapours she sloughs off.
An elemental spirit of some maddeningly specific facet of nature, summoned by Arnault, and contained for future conversation and general chit-chat, being one of the few people Arnault ever saw whom he wasn't paying to be there. Even now, her inhuman nature is content with the quiet, though she would certainly appreciate some actually coherent company. Even better if she could ever find a way out of her containment...
5 - The Menagerie
They are twisted and pathetic. Their skin bubbles and wriggles against their crooked bones, and their hair seems to float across their bodies. The results of Arnault's final experiments in his infirmity, they are utterly wretched, and Jeeves the Butler couldn't quite bring himself to burn them alive after blade and poison didn't kill them. Now they languish in the cellars in cages too small for them and with all possible food gone. Some have resorted to auto-cannibalism in their desperation.
These shall be the Table for generating them:
Locomotion
1 - Only ragged arms
2 - Many faceted legs
3 - Long, thin hooks of nail
4 - Oozing and heaving
5 - Legs like peoples', almost
6 - On all fours, animal like
Method of Attack
1 - Retractable Teeth-Spears
2 - Claws and Teeth
3 - Caustic Bile
4 - Jutting rib-cage maws
5 - Formless flesh-gloop
6 - Constriction with boneless arms
Patheticism
1 - Huge, weeping, and misshapen eyes
2 - Its flesh is all but gone from where its mouth can reach
3 - Bones protrude from flesh
4 - Boils and blisters cover it
5 - It spouts many useless, vestigle limbs
6 - Its flesh has all but abandoned it
Useful Mutation
1 - Gribbly insect wings
2 - Sensitive detecto-whiskers
3 - Constantly spills slippery oil
4 - Contortionist rubber-bones
5 - Poisoned gas-bladders
6 - Extra, actually useful limbs
6 - The Corruption
Like tiny feather-shreds of black glass, it creeps and grows like mold throughout a section of the Manor, contained for now by the last few efforts Arnault made before he succumbed to age. It is a result of his effort in achieving his ultimate goals [see the Magnum Opus], which he of course, never fully realised. Exposure to the Corruption is not immediately fatal luckily, but it is slow, insidious, and secretive. The explosive finale where the black flakes and spines erupt from your skin and take you over entirely will not occur until you least expect it. Its almost as if the Corruption plots against you to find the opportune moment to strike. Almost.
Hazards of the Manor
1 - Crystal-GrassCrystals are odd things, and during his initial experiments with them, Arnault created this strange, self-replicating formation. It grows only slowly, but over the years it has infested a goodly portion of the house. It is far sharper than it looks (and it looks terribly sharp), though a good strong brush will clear it out, even if it means the destruction of the brush...
2 - Melt-Haze Mold
A spongy kind of mold that bloats itself on specially prepared surfaces, that ran rampant when Arnault, in his infirmity, spilt the mixture that would allow its spread. The air around it shimmers and shines subtely, and is dreadfully corrosive to organic matter. Luckily, all that is needed to undo this dreadful hazard, is a stiff breeze. Blowing away the vapours allows safe passsage for 10 minutes, while the Mold replenishes the dissolving mists. Alternatively, a thin film of any inorganic matter will also protect you from the mists, and applying this cover to the mold will kill it in only a few minutes, though it must be nearly airtight at least.
3 - The Tree of Life
At first, you would be forgiven for assuming that it was a tree, but the fruit it produces are too soft and meaty to be real fruit. Within each fruit-sac a fetus-thing slowly grows and develops. No-one yet can tell what they will become, but surely it can't be anything good. Damaging the sacs with an edged or piercing tool or weapon bursts it prematurely, releasing a smattering of soft flesh and acidic fluids. Other weapons deal insignificant damage to the squidgy sacs.
What lies within?
1 - Tiny people, with strong and strange telekentic powers, and a deep set hatred of humanity.
2 - Wolf-like things with tentacle mouths, they will steal babies to hatch eggs in.
3 - A thin serpent of green and pallid flesh. It can burrow into flesh to wrap around the spinal chord, and pilot the helpless person like a meat puppet.
4 - Uncountable spiders with a single hive mind, their task is to retrieve prey to feed the tree.
5 - Clones of Arnault, with dark and twisted ambitions and minds, and all his vast knowledge.
6 - Seeds of the Corruption.
4 - The Old Lab
Beakers, vials, metal boxes, glass tubes in all shapes and configurations, tomes, grimoires, incunabula; Arnault spared no expense in stocking his laboratory. Unfortunately, in his old age he left much of it in long-term experiments that he swiftly forgot about and neglected. The descent of his lab has only accelerated since his death. Even the smallest touch could have drastic effects.
5 - Vitae Storms
Clouds of ever-billowing purple-tinted smoke, shaped like people. Small arcs of lightning crackle and snap within. They don't move, unless you touch them, then they mirror you. Only strong winds can disperse them away from you once you touch them. Don't go inside them, or you'll crackle up into burnt meat.
6 - Bubbling Doom
Spilt vats of glinting powder, harmless, unless inhaled. Its effects won't manifest straight away, but in the weeks to come, you will hack up lumps of your lungs, slowly giving in to asthma, and eventually suffocation on your own liquefying lungs. There are masks which allow safe handling of the stuff in the Old Lab, and of course, its perfectly safe to handle as long as you don't breathe...
Treasures of the Manor
1 - Fool's GoldIt looks almost, but not quite like it. It would take an expert to be able to distinguish it though.
1 ounce of Fool's Gold is as valuable as an ounce of Gold, to those who can't tell the difference.
2 - Vials of Alchemical Products
Mysterious vials of equally mysterious liquids? Probably quite valuable.
What does this vial do?
1 - Heady fumes; enough to get you high for a good hour.
2 - A viscous, and terribly staining, ink.
3 - A minor explosive, enough to knock someone down.
4 - Apparently nothing... roll twice more if mixed with another vial.
5 - Bottled blood.
6 - Glows when shaken. Burns on contact with air.
7 - A powerful (if gritty) antiseptic.
8 - Steams a huge amount when mixed with water.
9 - Fizzes and sparks when exposed to air.
10 - Just water. Colourful water.
11 - Horrifyingly potent acid.
12 - Mutagenic, make a constitution save. On a fail, gain a menagerie patheticism. On a success, gain a menagerie useful mutation.
3 - Roftengirt Heirlooms
Potentially there are other branches of Arnault's family who might pay for these. At the very least, there must be collectors who would cough up for them.
Each heirloom is either a trinket, or a trophy. Trinkets take up no inventory space, each trophy takes up 1 inventory slot.
Trinkets are worth d6-1 gp each.
Trophies are worth 2d6 x 10 gp each.
4 - Arnault's Alchemical Notes
His works were extensive before his untimely demise. There must certainly be dozens of stable recipes scattered around the house, and many more pages of unfinished projects beside that still fit for fiddling with.
By using Arnault's notes, you can speed up one of your alchemy projects. The notes begin with a rating of 6. Each time you wish to use the notes, roll a d6. If the result is equal to or less than the Note's rating, you cut the time and costs required for the project by half, as Arnault has already performed much of the work for you. Then, decrease the Note's rating by 1 if it was successful.
The Note's effect can be used whenever you perform that project as well, but on subsequent attempts, it only halves the time cost of a project.
5 - The Distillation Knife
This is a rather rare and exceptionally well-made tool of alchemy. Its specific purpose is to, rather than cut things into pieces, to separate them on a chemical level into their component parts. Slicing a loaf of bread would not result in slices of bread, but piles of flour, maybe a bit of sugar, some yeast, a puddle, etc. Nothing is beyond the capabilities of the knife, though more complex materials take more time to separate. Harming a living being with one would take minutes of plunging the knife into them, slowly bubbling them away; hardly worth the effort.
6 - The Formalline Lense
The other half of a Distillation Knife, and apparently unique in all the world, Arnault's true masterpiece and legacy. It allows you to see things as their constituent alchemical parts, ripe to be separated with the Knife.
Alchemical Products
1 - AlkahestThe universal solvent, it requires a talented alchemist to construct a container that you can remove the glue from. Once applied, it indelibly binds two surfaces together. Onyl Sovereign Glue can separate them after that.
2 - Sovereign Glue
The exact opposite of Alkahest. Also requires a skilled alchemist to create a container that won't fall apart while containing it. Reverses all reactions, separates all binds, key component of Distillation Knives.
3 - Gilting Oil
When applied, leaves a material stained a slick brown. When dried, it appears to all eyes to be gold. Even to experts. It wears off after about a year, or after exposure to alcohol.
4 - Liquid Crystal-Grass
Takes a minute to set, by once poured, will harden into a slightly cloudy crystal that is just as hard as glass, but also half as brittle. Viscous enough to pour into rough 3D shapes too, but very rough shapes. Runny enough to spoil most details without great skill and/or constant tooling.
5 - Rejuvenation Salts
When dissolved in water, one dose of Rejuvenation Salts creates a tonic which has the same effects as a potion of healing. Desperately hard to create, a key ingredient is serpent scales.
6 - Withering Stone
The opposite of Rejuvenation Salts. Even mere physical contact withers and desiccates living tissues. Swallowing one would be terribly painful, and almost certainly lethal. Similarly tricky to create as rejuvenation salts, a key ingredient is ferret bone.
Alchemical Equipment
Every machine described here is present in the Manor somewhere, but only one has Arnault's masterpiece in or near it, according to his specialism.
Part observatory, part crystal sphere, part dream-occulum; no-one is quite sure what it really does, or how it does it, but its uses are documented, and the instructions are followed, and the results occur, and everyone is mostly happy about it. Putting your head into it is like the most incredible high, hallucinations, strange sensations, sudden revelations, the whole bit. It also requires a saving throw or reorder your mental statistics due to mind-scrambling.
If Arnault had an Abstract specialisation, the shard of the Philosopher's Stone is within the Psuedo-Resonator.
2 - Ioniser/Deioniser
A bizarre labyrinth of crackling coils and sparking resistors, standing between the coils while they are activated (which is done by dipping the control rods in the battery-bath) requires you to make a saving throw of some sort or get blasted with lightning. Wearing metallic armour means that you take the saving throw at disadvantage.
If Arnault had an Energetic specialisation, then additionally, the False-Arnault is here.
3 - Distillation Chamber
A great vat with tubes, valves, and small localised furnaces dotted higgledy piggledy over it. Within, things are broken down, reconstituted, or refined. Getting inside would be something of a chore, but if you did, you would have to make a total of 3 saving throws. For each you fail, you lose a third of your hit points. If you succeed on all three, you actually gain a new hit die, and gain 1 point of AC as your flesh crystalises.
If Arnault had a Basic specialisation, then within the Distillation Chamber floats the Psuedo-Panacea, which will require a saving throw against the Chamber's effects to retrieve.
4 - Condensing Chamber [Aetheric - Breath of Life]
A great tank with a rib-cage of looping coils that runs underneath the vat into a freezing bath of mysteriously cold liquid. Anything dunked into the coolant the pipes loop through instantly freezes and in all probability, snaps off immediately. This is doubly certain for organic matter, and limbs in particular.
If Arnault had an Aetheric specialisation, then sat among a huge number of nearly, but not quite, identical glass beakers, is a stoppered bottle holding the Breath of Life. It is the only bottle that holds a gas, all the others have dusts and liquids and oozes and such, but you wouldn't spot it from a cursory glance.
Arnault's Breath of Life is not perfected of course, and rather than a permanent effect, it has 6 doses which provide its effect for 1 hour.
5 - Deep-Freeze Storage [Biological - False Homunculus]
A chamber, reinforced walls and stranged frosted pipes. The noise it creates is incredible, and it can be heard clearly in any room it borders, and faintly in rooms bordering those. Staying in the chamber is dangerous, and causes damage for each round beyond the first you stay within, such is the rampant cold. First, it deals d4 damage, the d6, then d8, scaling up a dice size each turn up to d20 every turn.
If Arnault has a Biological Specialisation, then the False Homunculus sits, floating in a iron chamber filled with preservatives and sedatives.
6 - The Smelter Vats [Impirical - Fool's Gold]
Basically a huge, huge furnace, with great vials of glowing liquids resting atop it, bubbling gently. A small door hinges open to reveal a deeply soot-black chamber that reeks of gas.
If the Vats are activated, almost anything placed in there will be almost immediately obliterated. If its organic and alive, it takes 10d10 fire damage each round. Most anything else will be ruined after a round, and obliterated d6 rounds after that. Its somewhat hard to get anything in there though, the aperture is only a little larger than a shovel's blade. Metal will melt in a round as well, regardless of how much is placed inside.
If Arnault had the Impirical Specialisation, then on one of the desks near the Vats is an instruction pamphlet (scribbled and rough) and a few goodly sized nuggets of Fool's gold (appearing to be worth about 100sp). From the instructions, given 10 sp of input materials, 2d10 x 10sp of Fool's Gold can be produced. It has no real value of course, it is only worth that much money to those who can't tell you aren't offering the real deal.
Arnault's Magnum Opus
Depends entirely on the specialism that Arnault held in life. Roll to determine the specialism and thus the Magnum Opus.
1 - Biological
The Pursuit of Bodily Perfection, the skill of distilling humours, and molding flesh into new modes and shapes.
The Magnum Opus of the Biological Alchemist is the creation of a perfect Homunculus, a created man. Arnault was close, but his creation was flawed, and the mind of his creation fractured at birth. It currently sleeps in an amniotic tank, but it is vastly aware of the House, its psychic powers latent, but unconsciously potent.
- Additional Terror: The Imperfect Homunculus - It is a horrible thing, diseased and corrupted, afflicted with every single result on all the menageries' tables. Somehow it is still nimble, fast, and strong...
- The Maker's Mark: The forms of the Terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) look distrubingly close to human, but not quite close enough.
- Additional Treasure: The Nomad's Rose - A single flower, deep crimson, so deep as to almost be black. Smell its scent, and be transported briefly to a comprehension beyond comprehension. Eat it, and gain a revelation. It is also a token for a journey to the far shores of death and a safe return, for yourself at least.
- Signature Machine: The Deep-Freeze
The Magnum Opus of the Biological Alchemist is the creation of a perfect Homunculus, a created man. Arnault was close, but his creation was flawed, and the mind of his creation fractured at birth. It currently sleeps in an amniotic tank, but it is vastly aware of the House, its psychic powers latent, but unconsciously potent.
- Additional Terror: The Imperfect Homunculus - It is a horrible thing, diseased and corrupted, afflicted with every single result on all the menageries' tables. Somehow it is still nimble, fast, and strong...
- The Maker's Mark: The forms of the Terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) look distrubingly close to human, but not quite close enough.
- Additional Treasure: The Nomad's Rose - A single flower, deep crimson, so deep as to almost be black. Smell its scent, and be transported briefly to a comprehension beyond comprehension. Eat it, and gain a revelation. It is also a token for a journey to the far shores of death and a safe return, for yourself at least.
- Signature Machine: The Deep-Freeze
2 - Impirical
The Pursuit of Material Perfection, the skill of refining metals and crystals, of ascending base materials to transcendent metals like Gold.
The Magnum Opus of the Impirical Alchemist is the perfection of Transformation of Base Materials, particularly into Gold. Many methods of creating materials that look very much like gold have been devised, and Arnault's is likewise flawed. It is however, new, and as such it will fool most for a while at least. Possession of it will attract attention however, both from those who wish to posses that knowledge and those that seek to destroy it.
The Magnum Opus of the Impirical Alchemist is the perfection of Transformation of Base Materials, particularly into Gold. Many methods of creating materials that look very much like gold have been devised, and Arnault's is likewise flawed. It is however, new, and as such it will fool most for a while at least. Possession of it will attract attention however, both from those who wish to posses that knowledge and those that seek to destroy it.
- Additional Terror: None - the true test is fending off rival Alchemists and Witch-Finders who want what they think you know.
- The Maker's Mark: The forms of the Terrors are somewhat metallic in patches and growths.
- Additional Treasure: A nearly endless supply of Fool's gold; almost the same thing, only detectable by a knowledgeable few
- Signature Machine: The Smelter Vats
- The Maker's Mark: The forms of the Terrors are somewhat metallic in patches and growths.
- Additional Treasure: A nearly endless supply of Fool's gold; almost the same thing, only detectable by a knowledgeable few
- Signature Machine: The Smelter Vats
3 - Aetheric
The Pursuit of Environmental Perfection, the skill of inducing vapours, and dictating their properties and uses.
The Magnum Opus of the Aetheric Alchemist is the Breath of Life, which would allow Man to survive most any condition, to free him of such needs as comfort, and oxygen. One of the rarest branches of Alchemy, in this result, Arnault is one of the few to dedicate himself to it, but his work was dreadfully flawed, and instead of creating a Breath of Life, he accidentally opened a gateway to the outer reaches of that Distant Night, and a Monstrous Wind came into our world. It twists and warps, much like Arnault's experiments do, and it was such that attracted it to the gateway, but for now at least it is sealed; Arnault had the foresight for that much at least.
The Magnum Opus of the Aetheric Alchemist is the Breath of Life, which would allow Man to survive most any condition, to free him of such needs as comfort, and oxygen. One of the rarest branches of Alchemy, in this result, Arnault is one of the few to dedicate himself to it, but his work was dreadfully flawed, and instead of creating a Breath of Life, he accidentally opened a gateway to the outer reaches of that Distant Night, and a Monstrous Wind came into our world. It twists and warps, much like Arnault's experiments do, and it was such that attracted it to the gateway, but for now at least it is sealed; Arnault had the foresight for that much at least.
- Additional Terror: The Monstrous Wind - Slightly yellow tinged air, it ages and deteriorates far too rapidly to be safe at all. For the most part it is quite placid, though sound disturbs it, the louder the sound, the greater its desire to hunt you down and weather you down to nothing...
- The Maker's Mark: The Terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) have mechanical breathing apparatus incorporated into their bodies.
- Additional Treasure: 2d4 vials of Void-Vapours - A vial of void vapour does wonders for the human brain, you gain insight into the wisdom of the starry heavens for a moment, enough to ask a question, and receive a truthful, if brief and overly-literal answer.
- Signature Machine: The Condenser
- The Maker's Mark: The Terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) have mechanical breathing apparatus incorporated into their bodies.
- Additional Treasure: 2d4 vials of Void-Vapours - A vial of void vapour does wonders for the human brain, you gain insight into the wisdom of the starry heavens for a moment, enough to ask a question, and receive a truthful, if brief and overly-literal answer.
- Signature Machine: The Condenser
4 - Base
The Pursuit of Unseen Perfection, the skill of removing flaws, of making what already is as good as it can possibly be.
The Magnum Opus of the Base Alchemist is the Panacea, the universal remedy. It is said that a few examples of it already exist in the world, and as skilled an Alchemist as Arnault was, his was not quite as perfect as those must be. His version is very close to it, once ingested, all ailments are cured and forced from the body, resulting in perfect health. There is a catch however. The removed impurities and imperfections are literally removed from the body, and will form a new instance of the Corruption whenever the Psuedo-Panacea is used.
The Magnum Opus of the Base Alchemist is the Panacea, the universal remedy. It is said that a few examples of it already exist in the world, and as skilled an Alchemist as Arnault was, his was not quite as perfect as those must be. His version is very close to it, once ingested, all ailments are cured and forced from the body, resulting in perfect health. There is a catch however. The removed impurities and imperfections are literally removed from the body, and will form a new instance of the Corruption whenever the Psuedo-Panacea is used.
- Additional Terror: None - though use of the Psuedo-Panacea will recreate the Corruption
- The Maker's Mark: The terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) bear Corruption like marks on their flesh.
- Additional Treasure: The Psuedo-Panacea - Will heal any diseases and ailments that trouble you, and even give a go of curing those of magical providence. However, the following day you will vomit up a harmless black pellet, which will sprout into an infestation of the Corruption the next day...
- Signature Machine: The Distillery
- The Maker's Mark: The terrors (except the Quick-Silver Serpent and The Aqua Regiad) bear Corruption like marks on their flesh.
- Additional Treasure: The Psuedo-Panacea - Will heal any diseases and ailments that trouble you, and even give a go of curing those of magical providence. However, the following day you will vomit up a harmless black pellet, which will sprout into an infestation of the Corruption the next day...
- Signature Machine: The Distillery
5 - Energetic
The Pursuit of Power and Potential, the skill of inducing and discharging, of making machines and controlling the obscure energies that control them.
The Magnum Opus of the Energetic Alchemist is the Machine-Mind, the Deus Ex Machina. Arnault's experimentations created many things in the world that could be mistaken for thoughts, but none were truly original. None arose from nothing, they were only ever reflections of himself. One of these reflections he sculpted in his own image, an idol of narcissism, who even now pretends control of the house and the roiling chaos within.
The Magnum Opus of the Energetic Alchemist is the Machine-Mind, the Deus Ex Machina. Arnault's experimentations created many things in the world that could be mistaken for thoughts, but none were truly original. None arose from nothing, they were only ever reflections of himself. One of these reflections he sculpted in his own image, an idol of narcissism, who even now pretends control of the house and the roiling chaos within.
- Additional Terror: The False-Arnault - Just like he used to be in his prime, only his intentions are dark, and the corruption bears no risks to him. He sees it more as... a tool to get what he wants. And his hungers range so deep...
- The Maker's Mark: Sparking rods and cables adorn the Terrors and/or their prisons
- Additional Treasure: The Charging Rod - All lightning is attracted to the rod, and stored endlessly within. Where does the lightning go? Who can say, it just does.
- Signature Machine: The Ioniser/Deioniser
- The Maker's Mark: Sparking rods and cables adorn the Terrors and/or their prisons
- Additional Treasure: The Charging Rod - All lightning is attracted to the rod, and stored endlessly within. Where does the lightning go? Who can say, it just does.
- Signature Machine: The Ioniser/Deioniser
6 - Abstract
The Pursuit of Splendid Existance, Eternal and Untouchable, the skill of uttermost refinement and perfection, even unto levels the human mind cannot conceive.
The Magnum Opus of the Abstract Alchemist is theorised and conjectured to be possible, but none have ever managed to produce a Philosopher's Stone of their own. Arnault had decades of his own research and the research of dozens that came before him, and the stone eluded him too. Through great personal expense, he managed to procure for himself a spent shard of a stone for his own tests, though he never quite managed to replicate it.
The Magnum Opus of the Abstract Alchemist is theorised and conjectured to be possible, but none have ever managed to produce a Philosopher's Stone of their own. Arnault had decades of his own research and the research of dozens that came before him, and the stone eluded him too. Through great personal expense, he managed to procure for himself a spent shard of a stone for his own tests, though he never quite managed to replicate it.
- Additional Terror: The Kaleido-Meister - A terrifying, long being of strange and abstract realms, he might boil you away into butterflies, or flense you with merely a touch. It is somewhat confused about being in this... simplistic world, but its confusion is deadly to us.
- The Maker's Mark: The Eyes of the Terrors are Starry Voids
- Additional Treasure: Shard of the Philosopher's Stone - can transform one object into solid gold, ever. Don't touch the ground, only a small patch would transform. Be very literal with the definition of "one object".
- Signature Machine: The Psuedo-Resonator
- The Maker's Mark: The Eyes of the Terrors are Starry Voids
- Additional Treasure: Shard of the Philosopher's Stone - can transform one object into solid gold, ever. Don't touch the ground, only a small patch would transform. Be very literal with the definition of "one object".
- Signature Machine: The Psuedo-Resonator
The Bovine Mass
[Look, this has been set in my drafts for feckin' forever. Have a peek.]
So like, I've got this whole list of monsters I've come up with for an adventure that I may eventually ever get around to running. In the mean time, gorge your eyes on them.
The Bovine Mass
When the star fell, one of the tiny incandescent fragments landed in the Abbey's cowshed, and unfortunately, every one of the Abbey's animals was there. Now, there are no cows left, only the Mass.
It heaves and grunts when it sleeps, limbs hanging limply and gangling here there and everywhere. Its hide is covered in pustules and lesions of every colour, and its many tongues hang vacantly from its many, many mouths. Drool hangs in thick, ropey knots, and eyes roll unseeing in bloated, puffy sockets. The Mass is about the size of a small bus, about 20 cows in all went into it, and now only this hateful screaming thing remains.
Mostly it just loiters, wallowing in its unending misery. Mud cakes it, and shit. It has the colons of a couple of dozen cows just sitting there, every other day or so one bursts.
And yet the Mass continues to live, sustained by the baleful energies of the fallen star.
If disturbed, the Mass slops up on many spines like a hateful fleshy worm, limbs hanging from it like hairs or spines, and screams, loud enough to shake the pathetic timbers of its home. It has no dexterity or grace at all, it attacks only when it must, and when it attacks, it throws itself forward with no sense of self-preservation, its massive and crushing weight the only it has.
Wounds phase it very little too, its nerves long since disintegrated. Even hacked off hunks of flesh will continue to thrash about and struggle long after death unless they too are dealt sufficient punishment. Mostly they can only writhe and squeal and spray acidic vomit in gouts from weeping wounds, but even the vomit is caustic enough to be deadly for the unlucky.
The Gardener
When the star fell, a small shard of it stabbed down into the Abbey's garden, where one of the unlucky brothers was tending the vines. Now, the vines tend to him.
So like, I've got this whole list of monsters I've come up with for an adventure that I may eventually ever get around to running. In the mean time, gorge your eyes on them.
The Bovine Mass
When the star fell, one of the tiny incandescent fragments landed in the Abbey's cowshed, and unfortunately, every one of the Abbey's animals was there. Now, there are no cows left, only the Mass.
It heaves and grunts when it sleeps, limbs hanging limply and gangling here there and everywhere. Its hide is covered in pustules and lesions of every colour, and its many tongues hang vacantly from its many, many mouths. Drool hangs in thick, ropey knots, and eyes roll unseeing in bloated, puffy sockets. The Mass is about the size of a small bus, about 20 cows in all went into it, and now only this hateful screaming thing remains.
Mostly it just loiters, wallowing in its unending misery. Mud cakes it, and shit. It has the colons of a couple of dozen cows just sitting there, every other day or so one bursts.
And yet the Mass continues to live, sustained by the baleful energies of the fallen star.
If disturbed, the Mass slops up on many spines like a hateful fleshy worm, limbs hanging from it like hairs or spines, and screams, loud enough to shake the pathetic timbers of its home. It has no dexterity or grace at all, it attacks only when it must, and when it attacks, it throws itself forward with no sense of self-preservation, its massive and crushing weight the only it has.
Wounds phase it very little too, its nerves long since disintegrated. Even hacked off hunks of flesh will continue to thrash about and struggle long after death unless they too are dealt sufficient punishment. Mostly they can only writhe and squeal and spray acidic vomit in gouts from weeping wounds, but even the vomit is caustic enough to be deadly for the unlucky.
The Gardener
When the star fell, a small shard of it stabbed down into the Abbey's garden, where one of the unlucky brothers was tending the vines. Now, the vines tend to him.
Take the bones of a person, wrap them all about with the thickest, lushest, greenest vines you can find, make sure they are the deep greens of the hearts of forests, and then give it the life of a dead star that it walks and lives too.
The Gardener continues to perform the duties it conducted in life, leading the orchestra of fecundity and feral growth the fallen star has induced in the Abbey's gardens. He walks about it jerking, faltering steps, and he caresses the plants he tends with a stiff, arthritic affection. He wields no tools, only his hands and the more dexterous creepers that curl and spiral up his back like spider legs; these he uses to prune and weed with single-minded determination and endless effort. He slows down at night, but he never stops.
If disturbed, he will ignore you. If greatly disturbed, he might shove you away without turning towards you, is other limbs continuing their work as he does so. If you attack him, he will collapse into a pile of soft and rotting vegetable muck. He will then grow again, out of sight, and watch you.
When he thinks his moment has come, vines will erupt from the earth, grasping, strangling, choking. If he slays one of your number, he will slink into their flesh and wear it like a suit. For now he will only play dead. Later he may use it to ambush you, or possibly just fertilise his subjects with the softening meat.
If disturbed, he will ignore you. If greatly disturbed, he might shove you away without turning towards you, is other limbs continuing their work as he does so. If you attack him, he will collapse into a pile of soft and rotting vegetable muck. He will then grow again, out of sight, and watch you.
When he thinks his moment has come, vines will erupt from the earth, grasping, strangling, choking. If he slays one of your number, he will slink into their flesh and wear it like a suit. For now he will only play dead. Later he may use it to ambush you, or possibly just fertilise his subjects with the softening meat.
Grave-City of the King-Priest
| Choose wisely. |
Somewhere out on the frontiers, in another age, in another time there was a desert, ruled by kings who were gods. The tombs they built to preserve their earthly souls after death survived the world they knew, and now this one stands still, just. A few individuals and defences still hang on too, destroying those who would defile the holy corpse of the King-Priest.
Terrors:
1 - Sand-Sealed Soldiers: Trapped in sealed chambers, stood in their ranks, the sand poured in an eternal vigil. Opening certain doors will release them.2 - The Scorpion Sisters: Spirits of the desert bound to the tombs by an ill-considered deal. Like a centaur only the horse parts are giant scorpions. Guard the Promenade of Heroes.
3 - Desert Hunger Spirits: They remain clinging to the edge of the tomb-complex, held at bay by the sun disk. Their prey end up husks, withered and dry.
4 - Curse-Seals: Hold fast the great stone doors of the tombs. If broken by intruders, they release the curses that are stored inside.
5 - Guardians of the Royal Souls: Canopic-Statue-Guardians, holding the sacred organs within their chests. Imbued with divine purpose.
6 - The Many-Lords of Rot: A rival power to the King-Priest, a hive mind of worms, locusts, beetles. They would feast on the royal souls.
Treasures:
1 - The King's Riches: Much gold, animated servile statuary, gems, jewels, scepters, oh my!2 - The Sun Disk: Blazes with golden light, the power of the sun. Blasts of incandescent flame blast and repel spirits and the inhuman, at least those without the seal of the King.
3 - The Moon Blade: Blazes with a cold blue flame, the power of the moon. Harms and subdues ghosts and other such otherwise immune undead.
4 - Preserved Remains: Alchemically potent through the weight of passing centuries, academic types would pay through the nose for them.
5 - Historical Information: Requires some serious translation work, but the context it would provide historians is invaluable.
6 - Salt: Just like loads of salt. Loads of it. It was valuable back then! Still worth something now.
Features:
1 - Defeated Defilers: Blackened and twisted and contorted, held in place forever. The ghosts of some rage nearby. Some still clutch treasure in dried and oily hands.2 - Small Shrines: Here there are ancient and crooked priests who can cleanse you of your sins, if you bring a proper offering.
3 - The Promenade of Heroes: Many columns depicting and retelling the tales and legends of ancient adventurers and heroes. Offer clues about the contents of minor tombs and the grand pyramid.
4 - Scarab-People Scavengers: They too seek the treasures and wonders of the city, travellers from the roving tent-city of their people. They have trinkets for sale, and would perhaps buy ones you find.
5 - Houses of the Dead: Here the corpses of the worthy underwent their journey to eternity. Now they are cold and empty of all but the many jars and urns of salt.
6 - Titan of the King's Judgement: The Doom of Sinners, but blind to the unblemished. The weak point is at the base of the skull; it is unguarded, but hard to access.
Ancilliary Tables
The Holy Souls of the King-PriestFirst is the Soul, then the organ that it inhabited, then the head of the Guardian, and finally the power of the Guardian.
1 - The Name - The Teeth and Tongue - Jackal - Taunting and disorienting cackles and whispers.
2 - The Shadow - The Liver - Crow - A paralysing shadow, which animates and grapples you.
3 - The Soul - The Stomach - Hippo - A bite attack which grapples on a hit.
4 - The Mind - The Eyes - Ibis - Fights with a bow which fires feather arrows.
5 - The Breath - The Lungs - Hawk - Flight on great skeletal wings.
6 - The Body - The Spine - Crocodile - Armour, which it can partially shed to regenerate.
7 - The Blood - The Heath - Bull - Flaming Aspect, which intensifies as it bleeds.
Curse-Seal Effects
1 - Swarms of Locusts pour forth from the shattered seal.
2 - The one that broke the seal magically ages a year each day.
3 - Each week, one of the family of the one who broke the seal is compelled to commit suicide.
4 - Creeping Petrifciation spreads from the limbs that broke the seal.
5 - Water turns into Sand in the mouth of the one that broke the seal.
6 - The one that broke the seal is always on the verge of heat-stroke, even in the snow.
7 - The eyes of the one that broke the seal turn to scarabs which will live in the sockets.
8 - The Black Jackal of Doom follows the one who broke the seal, it hounds them.
9 - A Creeping Flame sets in the air, spilling like mist from the broken seal.
10 - Water won't stop pouring from the broken seal.
11 - The Guardians of the Royal Souls always score critical hits on the one who broke the seal.
12 - The one who broke the seal becomes deathly vulnerable to sunlight.
Sin and the Titan
The titan is a vengeful guardian of the Great Pyramid. Its empty eyes see only the sins of trespassers, and the blameless are invisible to it. Every other round it makes an attack against a sinner, determined randomly, though it has double chances to target the most sinful individual it can see and reach. It rolls to hit with only a d20, modified by the amount of sin the target has accumulated.
Each sin is counted up individually, and each sin must be atoned for individually. For each category that you have 3 or more sins of, the titan gains +1 on to hit rolls against you. If you have 10+ sins in total, the Titan hits you automatically.
Sins:
1 - Breaking a Curse-Seal
2 - Destroying one of the Guardians of the Royal Souls
3 - Stealing Funerary Gifts
4 - Trespassing in Sacred Spaces (i.e. the burial/treasure chambers of minor tombs, and any chamber on the third and fourth levels of the Great Pyramid)
Minor Shrines
First is the name of the Shrine, then the price that must be paid for atonement, finally the benefit it provides.
Each shrine only occurs once in the Tomb-City, further rolls of previously discovered shrines indicate another entrance to it.
1 - House of Names: A Tooth - Atones for all sins gained from destroying guardians of the royal souls.
2 - Pit of Unburdening: Only the pain of being thrown into the Pit (20 feet deep), and remaining there for 1 hour - Atones for all of one random type of sin.
3 - Table of the Feast: Salt for further meat, at least a pound - Merely a safe haven, laden with food.
4 - Shrine of Red Release: 1 constitution point's worth of Blood - Atones for all sins gained from breaking Curse-Seals
5 - Cells of Contemplation: A Day's worth of fasting and meditating - Reduces each count of each sin you have down to 2.
6 - Pools of Cleansing: A deep and jagged cut, dealing 1 point of damage for each hit die you have - Breaks a curse that affects your character.
7 - Temple of Judgement: 10% of all gold carried on your person - Atones for all sins gained from stealing Funerary Gifts.
8 - House of Confession: A penalty of 1 to all d20 rolls you make for the rest of the day - Atones for all sins gained from Trespassing in Sacred Spaces.
Defeated and Cursed Defilers
They are all black and shrivelled by age, their skin slightly sticky and greasy, and they are frozen in their current poses. Trying to rearrange any part of them will snap off the part in question.
Each has a 3 in 6 chance of manifesting its ghost, and a further 3 in 6 chance to have its treasure somewhere on its person. Ghosts can't stray out of sight of their body. If a defiler has both a treasure and a ghost, the treasure is almost certainly the cause of their suffering.
Each Defiler can be encountered multiple times, until it is encountered with either its ghost or treasure. It cannot be encountered again after that.
1 - Frozen in a convulsion of pain - ghost only wishes for mercy - treasure is a ruby carved like a fire
2 - Pinned to a wall - ghost fights to the bitter, bitter end - treasure is a masterwork spear-head, needs re-hafting.
3 - Face-down in the sand - ghost is a cruel thief - treasure is a pouch full of old gold coins.
4 - Curled up, feotal, wracked with fear - ghost cowers in the corner and waves a knife desperately at any who draw near - treasure is a golden ring, set with a tiny rat skull.
5 - Decapitated and dropped - ghost is headless, and swings a blade around wildly - treasure is a canopic jar with a preserved organ inside (roll on the Holy Remains to see which organ it is, though it is never the kings actual organs of course).
6 - Torn in half and discarded - ghost desperately tries to scoop its organs back inside its ruined form - treasure is a golden plate bearing mystical rites for burials.
7 - Bloated and disfigured by a scorpion sting - ghost spews poison and miasmas, it can't help itself - treasure is a cursed, lapis lazuli scorpion.
8 - Aged to a thin and broken nothing - ghost is an ancient old man, wracked with age-pains - treasure is a map of the (supposed) afterlife.
9 - Shrivelled and curled by the sun - ghost desperately seeks water - treasure is a beautifully adorned urn full of salt
10 - Nibbled and Chewed by Locusts - ghost is merely a mad swarm of ethereal insects - treasure is a scepter with the end carved in the likeness of a flying insect
11 - On hands and knees, as if desperately crawling away - ghost crawls, throwing up clouds of sand, fights more like a wolf than a man - treasure is an amulet depicting a prowling jackal.
12 - Knelt, sobbing, forever - ghost merely weeps - never any treasure.
Minor Tombs
Each tomb has a 1 in 6 chance of already having been looted floor to ceiling by Scarab People. They will be selling any of the treasure that would have been inside on a small mat just outside the entrance of the tomb.Name of the Hero buried there
Each of these tombs can only be encountered once, further rolls of previously discovered tombs indicate another entrance to it.
1 - Ash-Kin-Pal: Master of the Armoury
2 - Sen-Wos-Ret: Conqueror of the Mishaninites
3 - Ren-Qo-Tet: Chosen of the Sun
4 - Fos-Mah-Ning: Breaker of Men
5 - Sir'ik-Toh-Pah: Beloved of Gods
6 - Xer-Man-Yung: Tamer of Crocodiles
7 - Sehk-Met-Hol: 100 Man Slayer
8 - Bah-Sing-Kir: Master of the Walls
9 - Far'aq-Mal-Dur: He who crossed the Desert and Returned
10 - Ihm-Ho-Tesh: Chief Priest of the Little Temples
11 - Seer-Et-Josh: Who died too Young.
12 - Anu-Bish-Shal: Keeper of the Moon-Blade (His Tomb also has the Moon-Blade as its treasure)
The Tomb's Defences
Each tomb will have d4+1 defences.
1 - Hidden Pits with spiked bottoms.
2 - A Curse-Sealed Door.
3 - A Maddening Labyrinth.
4 - An Animated Guardian Statue, each has a measure of power over either Fire, Sand, or Light.
5 - Sand-Preserved Soldiers, each turn an exploding d4, with a +1 modifier for each turn the chamber has been open, number of soldiers crawl forth from the sand before rising to attack. More emerge each turn until all 40 have been slain.
6 - A Great Mummified Beast, thrice the size of a Man, and has either immense strength, paralysing venom, or a hypnotic gaze.
7 - Acidic Mists in precariously Balanced Jars.
8 - Spring loaded blades and Spears hidden in the walls.
9 - Trapped Monsters, kept alive by ancient magics, use your favourite random monster table, or one of flaming desert wolves, fog-breathing vultures, or a crocodile-dragon
10 - A Door locked by a Perplexing Riddle.
11 - A Huge Serpent whose scales are miniature sarcophagi for mummified snakes. d4 are released and animate each time the Serpent is hit by an attack.
12 - A Spirit of the Sands, takes the shape of a desert jackal. Contact with it withers you for 1 hit point per level/hit die you have. Is willing to talk, will permit the pious to pass, if they can prove it.
Treasures of the Tombs
(Besides your usual compliment of gold and art objects)
These are the special contents of the final chamber, alongside the sarcophagus and remains of the tomb's owner.
Roll only a d6 to begin with, but cross out each treasure you roll except 'Much More Gold', effectively pushing each lower result one number higher. If you roll higher than you have results for, use the highest available.
1 - Much more Gold
2 - A Magical Blade, it can harm spirits and glows in their presence.
3 - A Sacred Spear, once per day it can be called upon to release light like the sun.
4 - A Statue of a Horse, it obeys the one who wears its amulet, and is in all regards, a stone, tireless, perfectly obedient horse.
5 - An Amulet of a Scarab, it is a brilliant blue. The next time the wearer is targeted by a curse, the amulet takes it on instead, and becomes a dull black, and the curse is nullified. Useless once this happens.
6 - A Pouch of Sand, when a handful is thrown, it creates a great gust of hot, dry wind. Enough for 2d4 such handfuls.
7 - A strangely curved Knife, it can cut apart water like clay; where the knife has sliced, the water cannot fly back, unless encouraged by a hand like reconnecting dough.
8 - A Mummified Crocodile, if ground up and snorted, you experience unsettling visions of the crocodile stalking and eventually killing helpless prey,
9 - A Scroll depicting many old and lost Gods. Worth much to the discerning collector.
10 - Scraps of ancient wisdom on the Arts of Alchemy.
11 - A Golden Crown, those who see you in it are filled with a minor admiration, until you perform an act that would go against their faint respect for you.
12 - A Jar of Ointment. Wounds washed in it will never go septic and heal in the hour. Corpses covered in it will never rot. Enough ointment for 100 wounds, or 10 corpses.
Rooms and Guardians of the Grand Pyramid
The Courtyard of the Titan is the outer entrance of the Pyramid. Rooms 2 - 5 are on the first level of the Pyramid. Rooms 6 - 8 are on level 2, rooms 9 - 11 are on level 3, and room 12 is on level 4. Each level is Curse-Sealed, and has a number of Defences (from the minor tombs) equal its level in the corridors connecting each room.The Sun Disk crests the very peak of the Pyramid.
First, the name of the Room, then a description, finally, any noteworthy contents.
1 - The Courtyard of the Titan: Wide and open, surrounded by pillars - The Titan of the King's Judgement keeps a careful watch for sinners.
2 - Hall of History: A long hall, many murals and depictions of the King-Priest's glorious deeds - a withered old priest who will explain it all to you, at great length.
3 - The Champion's Chamber: A circular chamber, ringed with chest-high braziers, still burning, the floor is covered in sand - The King-Priest's Champion, a master swords man whose blade commands the sands.
4 - The False-Door: A great door-way, only it is no door at all, and is merely solid rock - the False Door is flanked by Animated Guardian Statues.
5 - The Corrupted Chamber: Walls are covered in rot and putrefaction, leaking from a cage in the centre of the room - in the cage is a Many-Lord of Rot, bound in place with mystic sigils.
6 - Shrine of Contemplation: A small altar, bearing a replica of the Sun-Disk, and ringed with incense burners, still full - no other contents, it is a sin to trespass in this sacred space without leaving an offering, or if you make any sound beyond your footsteps.
7 - The Pristine Pools: 5 pools, one inside a ring of the other four, cleanses curses from those who bathe in them - a white-scaled Water Spirit in the shape of a serpent desires fine music and proper respect to allow entry to the pools.
8 - The Cult Chamber: At the centre of the room is a huge statue of the King-Priest, a place to worship his departed divinity - an Invisible Sand Spirit attacks those who do not show proper respect to the shrine and leave suitable offerings.
9 - The Model Chamber: A grand table sits at the centre of the room - on the table rests a miniature model of the city, any change made to the model is physically reflected in the real city over the next hour, as if an army of invisible servants carve it away or build it up (which is in fact, exactly what is happening).
10 - The Treasure Chamber: Vast piles of wealth, stacked as high as a man - as soon as even one coin is removed from its pile, 3 Sand-Sealed Soldier chambers open.
11 - The Queen's Tomb: Plainer than you might expect, a reasonably sized sarcophagus lies in the centre of the room - the Ghost of the Old Queen dwells in this chamber, she is quite friendly, and is not angered by tomb-robbing, just very, very disapproving of it. She knows all about the Grave-City, as she helped design it. Can (and indeed, is eager to) tell you any secret about it if you stay on her good side. A bot touchy about being dead.
12 - The Burial Chamber of the King-Priest: Huge, and high roofed, many opulent murals - the King-Priest's Sarcophagus, and the 7 Guardians of the Royal Souls. Should all the Guardians be destroyed, and the King's Corpse revealed, there will be One More Complication.
The King's Corpse bears: a Royal Scepter, 6 Holy Rings, A Might Amulet, and its left hand is clad in gold and heals at a touch of the fore-finger.
One More Complication
1 - A Many Lord of Rot emerges from the shadows. It has followed you for some time now, and it demands the holy organs and flesh of the King-Priest, as revenge for an ancient wrong.
2 - The Tomb has started to collapse! There's only time to grab one thing each if you don't wish to risk death.
3 - The Corpse of the King rises, ready to interact with the party.
4 - Each individual member of the party is inflicted with a Curse as if they had broken a Curse-Seal. Curses that would pour out of a broken Curse-Seal, instead tear holes in the palms of the PC's hands, and pour forth from that with a great deal of pain.
5 - The Desert Shadows, an order of Mystic-Knights devoted to the old line of King-Priests will not rest until the Party have atoned for their trespasses and returned any the stolen Royal Souls, or been butchered to a man.
6 - A section of each of the four walls drops away, revealing a chamber each of Sand-Preserved Soldiers. They will fight until totally destroyed.
Random Encounters in the Tomb-City (2d6)
Roll every 10 minutes of searching. Do not roll at any other time, even night. The city is utterly dead.2 - Scarab-People Scavengers (roll reaction with advantage), they seek to plunder one of the minor tombs
3 - A Friendly(ish) band of high-born "Archaeologists", hopelessly inexperienced and under-equipped. They will probably die if they remain without help.
4 - A Wandering Ghost, of either an old priest, a tired soldier, or a murderous defiler.
5 - A Minor Shrine (there are up to 8 of these, rolling a duplicate shrine indicates you have stubbled across another entrance)
6 - 3d4 Bone-thin Wolves (1d4 less each time it is encountered, when no d4 are left, it is only a single, dead wolf)
7 - A Defiler
8 - An Animated Guardian Statue, each has a measure of power over either Fire, Sand, or Light. There are 12 wandering the Tomb-City, further rolls indicate only a pile of rubble.
9 - A Minor Tomb (there are up to 12 of these, rolling a duplicate tomb indicates you have stubbled across another entrance)
10 - A Rival Band of Adventurers, experienced, equipped well, and armed to the teeth. There are as many as 2 in the Tomb-City at any one time. They can change over time.
11 - A Spirit of the Sands, taking either the shape of a Sphinx, A Great Serpent, or a Giant Skeleton.
12 - A Many-Lord of Rot (roll reaction with disadvantage)
Monsters of the Old Frontier: Tash, the Breath-Taker
Out there on the frontier, there are villages that house mute people. They were not born that way, no magic or wound took their voice, it was the strings of Tash.
He is built something like a human, only made up of parts like a bird. His flesh is feathered, his feet are hooked like a crows, and his face is crested with a great raven-beak. He has four arms, two set above the others, which are smaller and frailer, while the first are strong and more jointed. It wears crude clothes, of a sort.
His greatest power, and the one for which he is named, is his power to steal the breath from a person. At a distance, he can gesture with his smaller hands, and draw forth a near invisible thread from someone's throat, and from then on, they will be unable to speak, while Tash quickly bottles and stoppers it, tucking it away to keep. The breath, and the voice can only be restored by breaking the bottle.
If he gets closer to you, and you cannot stop him, he can take your breath more fully, and lethally.
He takes breathes because he has none of his own, he needs them to stoke the fires of life in his chest.
His smaller arms have two other powers. Firstly, at a gentle touch across the lips he can sew your mouth shut. Not permanently thankfully, the sutures can easily be cut if you're careful. The second power is his 'Curse of Strings', which binds you all up in near-invisible strings, with which Tash puppet-masters your movements, leaving you an unwilling marionette. Again, like the lip-sutures, the strings can be cut, and the curse also consumes much of Tash's (not inconsiderable) attention.
In darkness, Tash's sable feathers blend in almost perfectly. This is merely mundane, if extraordinarily effective, camouflage.
His deadliest weapon, even beyond the knives he carries in his greater arms, is his beak, which more than once has been seen to punch straight through plate armour, pulling out a gorey and gooey heart impaled upon it.
Tash has a second reason to steal voices as well. It is his first and greatest weakness, the human voice (and the human voice only) harms and repels him. Normal talking seems to cause merely discomfort, but louder than that, and feathers have sloughed from him, and blood burst its way from its bare skin. So far, no one has been able to discover how much harm a full scream can cause. Tash is usually cunning enough that most voices are silenced before he is revealed.
His second weakness is his dependence on the breaths he steals. He has none of his own, without breaths to drink, he would die. Probably. Hopefully.
He has in his thrall a small number of Crow-Imp creatures. They are totally wretched, nearly worthless things, their only merit that they share Tash's breath-taking power, though they must work as pairs to bottle up the stolen breathes, lest they escape, as they are too small and feeble to accomplish this single-handedly. They are also disgustingly, disappointingly cowardly. No doubt they would cravenly swear fealty immediately to anyone who did manage to slay their master.
In a clash, Tash fights dirty. Preferably from stealth, he will steal as many breaths as he can, before striking decisively from the dark. He is quite capable of fighting many targets at once at no disadvantage, his greater arms parrying and striking while his smaller ones steal the remaining breaths, sewing shut lips, and marionetting problematic targets if needs be. Above all though, Tash is not a brave warrior. If the fight turns against him, he will readily quit the field with as many bottled breaths as he can get away with, throwing some down to slow pursuit if he thinks it would benefit him.
Tash's lair is a honey-comb maze of dark and poorly lit caves in the earth, the better for him to stalk his foes unseen. Some chambers deeper down contain crude shelves, filled up with stocks of bottled breaths for lean times. Others have cages of stolen victims, regularly visited to fill up bottles. Other caves are chock full of bottles. Where they came from, no one knows.
You will know the path of Tash by these signs; bird shit, sticky brown spittle, shiny black threads, suffocated corpses.
He is built something like a human, only made up of parts like a bird. His flesh is feathered, his feet are hooked like a crows, and his face is crested with a great raven-beak. He has four arms, two set above the others, which are smaller and frailer, while the first are strong and more jointed. It wears crude clothes, of a sort.
His greatest power, and the one for which he is named, is his power to steal the breath from a person. At a distance, he can gesture with his smaller hands, and draw forth a near invisible thread from someone's throat, and from then on, they will be unable to speak, while Tash quickly bottles and stoppers it, tucking it away to keep. The breath, and the voice can only be restored by breaking the bottle.
If he gets closer to you, and you cannot stop him, he can take your breath more fully, and lethally.
He takes breathes because he has none of his own, he needs them to stoke the fires of life in his chest.
His smaller arms have two other powers. Firstly, at a gentle touch across the lips he can sew your mouth shut. Not permanently thankfully, the sutures can easily be cut if you're careful. The second power is his 'Curse of Strings', which binds you all up in near-invisible strings, with which Tash puppet-masters your movements, leaving you an unwilling marionette. Again, like the lip-sutures, the strings can be cut, and the curse also consumes much of Tash's (not inconsiderable) attention.
In darkness, Tash's sable feathers blend in almost perfectly. This is merely mundane, if extraordinarily effective, camouflage.
His deadliest weapon, even beyond the knives he carries in his greater arms, is his beak, which more than once has been seen to punch straight through plate armour, pulling out a gorey and gooey heart impaled upon it.
Tash has a second reason to steal voices as well. It is his first and greatest weakness, the human voice (and the human voice only) harms and repels him. Normal talking seems to cause merely discomfort, but louder than that, and feathers have sloughed from him, and blood burst its way from its bare skin. So far, no one has been able to discover how much harm a full scream can cause. Tash is usually cunning enough that most voices are silenced before he is revealed.
His second weakness is his dependence on the breaths he steals. He has none of his own, without breaths to drink, he would die. Probably. Hopefully.
He has in his thrall a small number of Crow-Imp creatures. They are totally wretched, nearly worthless things, their only merit that they share Tash's breath-taking power, though they must work as pairs to bottle up the stolen breathes, lest they escape, as they are too small and feeble to accomplish this single-handedly. They are also disgustingly, disappointingly cowardly. No doubt they would cravenly swear fealty immediately to anyone who did manage to slay their master.
In a clash, Tash fights dirty. Preferably from stealth, he will steal as many breaths as he can, before striking decisively from the dark. He is quite capable of fighting many targets at once at no disadvantage, his greater arms parrying and striking while his smaller ones steal the remaining breaths, sewing shut lips, and marionetting problematic targets if needs be. Above all though, Tash is not a brave warrior. If the fight turns against him, he will readily quit the field with as many bottled breaths as he can get away with, throwing some down to slow pursuit if he thinks it would benefit him.
Tash's lair is a honey-comb maze of dark and poorly lit caves in the earth, the better for him to stalk his foes unseen. Some chambers deeper down contain crude shelves, filled up with stocks of bottled breaths for lean times. Others have cages of stolen victims, regularly visited to fill up bottles. Other caves are chock full of bottles. Where they came from, no one knows.
You will know the path of Tash by these signs; bird shit, sticky brown spittle, shiny black threads, suffocated corpses.
Monsters of the Old Frontier: Beast of the Brocken
Oh heck its been a while.
So for my next game I want a few monsters out and about that aren't just lower-case 'm' monsters, like orcs or goblins or whatever. I want capital 'M' monsters, like the Minotaur, like Medusa. Monsters that you'd need to prepare to fight, Monster Hunter style, that there are stories and legends about, that are a session in and of themselves. This is the first one.
Something like a bear, something like a wolf, something like a gorilla. Spikes in ridges along its forearms, and its spine. Long, thin, bony muzzle. Teeth like spear-heads.
Its preferred tactic is to lurk atop one of the rocky piles that dot the landscape and then leap down from above onto unlucky prey. Alternatively, it lies in the furrows that best hold the mist until prey pass by, then it sprints at them, bellowing.
In a fight, black fog spills from its mouth, it sometimes pauses to hack up great clouds of it, covering the battlefield. It can see through it of course, and obviously, you can't. It is easily dissipated by flame, or by strong winds.
If a fight actually starts to go against it, it bites down hard on its hands, and its blood bursts into flames, coating its claws and jaws in scarlet flames. These flames do disperse the Black Fog that flows from the Beast's mouth though.
It has a strong sense of smell, though it has a hard time distinguishing smells "underneath" other smells so to speak.
Much of the Beast's power is in its arms, which are thick and ropey with muscle. Its hind legs, while strong enough to sprint as fast as a man can, and can jump far further, are its true weakness. If damaged, the Beast would struggle to locomote with any efficiency.
As stated above, the Beast's blood has curious alchemical properties, including flammability in certain conditions, but not others. Of most interest to the prospective opponent of the Beast, Silver has been noted to cause some measure of harm to the beast through mere contact. The closest anyone has ever come to actually equaling the Beast, was with a sword edged with silver, and a shield clad in the same way.
The Beast has another advantage, however. Around it, a pack of wolves has sprung up, clearly revering the creature as some kind of hyper-alpha male. The Beast for its part, cares little at all about the Wolves, but allows them to dwell near its lair and feed on its leftovers, in exchange for a constant watch around its Ravine lair.
Speaking of its lair, it is found to rest in a great gash in the rock, a Ravine that descends surprisingly far beneath the surface of the Moors. It is nearly sealed at the top, but a river cuts its way down and traces the very nadir of the Ravine. Rocky crags jut out from the sides, and scree-slopes dot the remaining edges.
You will know its passage by the following signs; Brutalised bodies, claw marks on stone, shredded wolves, huge and inconspicuous shit-piles.
So for my next game I want a few monsters out and about that aren't just lower-case 'm' monsters, like orcs or goblins or whatever. I want capital 'M' monsters, like the Minotaur, like Medusa. Monsters that you'd need to prepare to fight, Monster Hunter style, that there are stories and legends about, that are a session in and of themselves. This is the first one.
The Beast of the Brocken
The Brockenmoors are dark nearly all of the time, even in summer. Clouds just seem to linger, unwelcome guests that shield the mists beneath from the wrath of the Sun. And it is one the moors, broken with rocky outcrops hither and thither, that the Beast of the Brocken makes its home.Something like a bear, something like a wolf, something like a gorilla. Spikes in ridges along its forearms, and its spine. Long, thin, bony muzzle. Teeth like spear-heads.
Its preferred tactic is to lurk atop one of the rocky piles that dot the landscape and then leap down from above onto unlucky prey. Alternatively, it lies in the furrows that best hold the mist until prey pass by, then it sprints at them, bellowing.
In a fight, black fog spills from its mouth, it sometimes pauses to hack up great clouds of it, covering the battlefield. It can see through it of course, and obviously, you can't. It is easily dissipated by flame, or by strong winds.
If a fight actually starts to go against it, it bites down hard on its hands, and its blood bursts into flames, coating its claws and jaws in scarlet flames. These flames do disperse the Black Fog that flows from the Beast's mouth though.
It has a strong sense of smell, though it has a hard time distinguishing smells "underneath" other smells so to speak.
Much of the Beast's power is in its arms, which are thick and ropey with muscle. Its hind legs, while strong enough to sprint as fast as a man can, and can jump far further, are its true weakness. If damaged, the Beast would struggle to locomote with any efficiency.
As stated above, the Beast's blood has curious alchemical properties, including flammability in certain conditions, but not others. Of most interest to the prospective opponent of the Beast, Silver has been noted to cause some measure of harm to the beast through mere contact. The closest anyone has ever come to actually equaling the Beast, was with a sword edged with silver, and a shield clad in the same way.
The Beast has another advantage, however. Around it, a pack of wolves has sprung up, clearly revering the creature as some kind of hyper-alpha male. The Beast for its part, cares little at all about the Wolves, but allows them to dwell near its lair and feed on its leftovers, in exchange for a constant watch around its Ravine lair.
Speaking of its lair, it is found to rest in a great gash in the rock, a Ravine that descends surprisingly far beneath the surface of the Moors. It is nearly sealed at the top, but a river cuts its way down and traces the very nadir of the Ravine. Rocky crags jut out from the sides, and scree-slopes dot the remaining edges.
You will know its passage by the following signs; Brutalised bodies, claw marks on stone, shredded wolves, huge and inconspicuous shit-piles.
Candlemarsh Part the number 2
In no particular order (yet)...
2 - Flaps of Sagging Skin
3 - Spider-like Clusters of Eyes
4 - A wide, Ponderous Jaw
5 - A scraggily 3rd Arm
6 - Pock-marked Bone Crests
7 - Twists of Gnarly Scars
8 - Drifts of Warped Burns
9 - An Atrophied Limb
10 - Is Missing a Chunk
11 - Useless, foot-long Fly-Wings
12 - Outcrops of Parasite Fungus
13 - An Ad-Hoc "Prosthetic" Leg
14 - Half of their Head is Merely a Skull
15 - A Weapon is stuck in their Flesh
16 - Long and Pointy Facial Features
17 - Has Crocodile-Scale Tattoos
18 - Sports a Twisted Horn
19 - Has a foot-long, Dangling Tongue
20 - Has a Hole all the way through
2 - Has Leaves for Hair
3 - Has Feathers for Hair
4 - Has an Animal's Eyes
5 - Has Hooves for Feet
6 - Has Gills on their Neck
7 - Has patches of Scales
8 - Has Stone Teeth
9 - Twists of Gnarly Scars
10 - Wears a Cloak of Insects
11 - Altogether too... normal...
12 - Has Fly-Faceted Eyes
13 - Smells of Sweet Flowers
14 - Tangles of Twigs for Hair
15 - Has a flickering Snake Tongue
16 - Has a Constant Animal Companion
17 - White Flowers sprout at their Feet
18 - Always, always Muddy
19 - Wears a Mantle of Fog
20 - Has Fish-Webbed Limbs and Digits
4 - They dress only in geometric tattoos of beasts and plants
5 - They all have shaved heads and wear dark marks around their eyes and mouths
6 - They jangle as they move from all the bones that dangle from their clothes
7 - They all wear long, winding strings of prayer-beads wrapped around their bodies
8 - They all walk about on stilts to avoid the bog-water
For Groups of Trolls, roll d40.
For Troll Warriors, roll d30 + 10.
For Troll Knights, roll d20 + 20.
1 - 3d20 Fish Heads
2 - d4d4 Crocodile Teeth
3 - A Painted Stone
4 - d4 False-Heron Beaks
5 - A Flint Knife
6 - A Satchel of d12 Fat-Candles
7 - Some reeking Cheese
8 - Some smoked Meat
9 - A Crude Wooden Charm
10 - A Collection of Mosses
11 - An assortment of Roots
12 - d6 Bloody Druid Scalps
13 - 2d4 Rusted and Ruined Weapons
14 - A Jumble of Crocodile Bones
15 - A Chunk of Masonry
16 - A Bundle of Sopping Clothes
17 - d4 Painted Bark Scraps
18 - A Lump of Raw Bog-Iron
19 - A Dead Dog
20 - A Rather Large Bone
21 - An actually Useable Weapon
22 - A Spirit Ward
23 - d4 Crocodile Skins
24 - A Flask of Hag-Tea
25 - d12 dried, Hallucinogenic Frogs
26 - d4 clumps of Medicinal Herbs
27 - An Idol of the Troll-King
28 - A Crocodile's Heart
29 - A Druid's Totem-Staff
30 - A Goodly Chunk of Bog-Iron
31 - A piece of Loot from the Wizard's Tower
32 - An Iron Cage holding a Small Sprite
33 - A Looted Master-work Weapon
34 - A Bone Charm, a gift from the Oni
35 - A Necklace of Wolf-Teeth
36 - A Hunting Horn
37 - A Runed Hunting Spear
38 - Cursed, Ground Insect Powder
39 - d4 Lightning-Struck Stones
40 - Actual, real, bone-fide LOOT
This Map you got your grubby hands on leads to...
1 - A Gnarled and Twisted Oak with 3 great Branches
2 - A Triangle of 3 Standing Stones
3 - A Bog-Isle, bearing 3 ancient Graves
4 - A Rock-Outcrop bearing 3 Carven, Pain-Wracked Faces
5 - The Old and Rotted Remains of 3 Boats
6 - An unfinished dig-site; you weren't the first ones here...
The Treasure has turned out to be...
1 - Absent. It was only ever a Legend it seems.
2 - All but destroyed by time and water.
3 - A few bottles (2d4) of Very Fine Wine
4 - A Book of Esoteric Alchemical Formulae
5 - Just a Key. But to what?
6 - Actually a Gold filled Chest. Who knew?
The Three Guardians however, are...
(Only roll on this if there was anything left to guard)
1 - Now just Bloat Dead.
2 - Old bones, nothing more.
3 - Spirits that manifest as Malicious Terrain
4 - Spirits that manifest as Raging Ghosts
5 - Spirits that manifest as a Terrible Dream-Curse
6 - Spirits that have reincarnated into Marsh-Beasts
2 - A Nacreous Skull that babbles when Trolls are near
3 - An Oily Seed that will grow into a Lake if planted (over the course of 1 year)
4 - A pit which leads ALL THE WAY DOWN
5 - The bones of an Angel, carven with celestial runes
6 - The Foetal Embodiment of the God 'Neath the Murk
7 - A concreted mass of Troll Skulls, silently screaming
8 - A miniature forest, somehow vast and dark within the Oyster
2 - The bog forms a silently screaming face from the muck, it stretches up, as if trying to escape, before it collapses again into nothingness.
3 - A patch of water instantly freezes, criss-crossed with dark cracks.
4 - A swarm of bugs are pulled instantly together into a solid clump of squirming, buzzing agony. They are slowly crushed together into nothing.
5 - A Tree trembles before splitting open to unleash a sudden geyser of thick marsh-water.
6 - Just a moment too long for comfort, the whole world appears as if underwater.
7 - A False-Heron minds its own business, before it tenses, and then rises up into the air and unravels into strings of meat and bone like so much knitting being pulled apart.
8 - The water suddenly becomes hard as concrete, though beneath the surface it feels like grasping hands. Slowly it all melts back to normal.
9 - For a moment, the sky appears to become a great ocean, roiling and stirring according to unseen winds.
10 - The trembling earth rises like an egg about to burst over a flame; it splits open to emit a creature of mist that surges forth screaming as its form slowly dissipates into nothing.
1 - Half a crumbling Tower, ever floor barred open
2 - A Shattered Dome, like a hatched egg
3 - A Hollow Old Hall, gaping like a mouth
4 - A Slumping Mansion, missing its upper floors
5 - A Flaking Pagoda, soaked and ruined by water
6 - Just a Pile of Rubble now
The Last Remaining Wonder
1 - An Alchemical and Artificial Brain that can think for itself
2 - A Window that can be calibrated to show anything another Window can see
3 - A Mirror that shows you as you might have been, and that you can ask questions of
4 - The Glass Heart, which reveals the true emotions of those viewed through it
5 - A Set of Oracular Knuckle-Bone Dice, powered by life-blood
6 - A Lock, which when placed against a wall, causes it to become a door back to
The Last Crumbling Guardian
1 - A Statue that talks, and fruitlessly warns of the Dangers of Trespassing
2 - An Animated Filigree-Silver Butler, serving a plate of Foetid Drinks
3 - A Stained and Blotched Book-stand on that wanders on Tiny Little Baby Legs
4 - A Corroded old Golem, any kind of violence would crumble it, and it knows it
5 - The Wizard's old apprentice, accidentally bound to serve eternally as a ghost
6 - An Old and Weary Manticore, grumpily living out the days of its servitude
The Last Hidden Secret
1 - A Tome of Alchemical Secrets
2 - The Wizard's Old Spell Book
3 - A List of Three Demon's True Names
4 - A Map to an Ancient, Legendary Land
5 - The Blueprints for a Powerful, Esoteric Ritual
6 - The Secret Histories of the Local Kingdom
What Has Moved In Since the Wizard Left
1 - A Particularly Large and Vicious Troll-Eater Crocodile (5 HD)
2 - An Outcast Troll, fruitless plotting revenge against the Troll-King
3 - A Mournful and Beautiful Naiad, an old friend of the Wizard
4 - A Lost and Scared Adventuring Party
5 - Creakbeast. OH SHIT RUN
6 - The Candle Golem, it is ever so lonely
Further Hooks for Entering the Wretchedness of the Marsh
1 - A priest grows uneasy, the barrier between the living world and the dead is weakened, and the source is the Candlemarsh; discover the source of the corruption and destroy it.
2 - The Grand Light of the Cathedral-Beacon was stolen in the night, and it cannot be relit! The thief disappeared like smoke, and fled to the Candlemarsh. Reclaim it.
3 - You must discover a secret, but the only person who knew it is now dead. There is an oracle who supposedly lairs in the Candlemarsh who could reveal the secret to you. Find it and learn the secret.
4 - Recover the Last Secret/the Last Wonder of the Old Wizard's Tower.
5 - Someone was taken in the night by... something. It was feral, and merely looked like a man, and dragged them into the Marsh. Rescue them.
6 - There is an old Mansion in the Marsh built in old times before the Marsh spread beyond its boundaries. Loot it.
7 - You have this old map, supposedly it leads to Tief Le'Jeans' long lost treasure. Recover it.
8 - An Alchemist requires that most rarest of flowers, the Artisan's Orchid. The closest plant grows in the Candlemarsh, in the Gardens of Aunty Seepstitch. Retrieve it.
9 - The Druids of the Swamp cry for help from their Animist Brethren. Answer the call.
10 - A Fae wandered into town, and bestowed upon you a righteous quest! Aid the Moth-King in his war in the Dread-Candlemarsh!
Distinguishing Features: Trolls
1 - A drooping Pot Belly2 - Flaps of Sagging Skin
3 - Spider-like Clusters of Eyes
4 - A wide, Ponderous Jaw
5 - A scraggily 3rd Arm
6 - Pock-marked Bone Crests
7 - Twists of Gnarly Scars
8 - Drifts of Warped Burns
9 - An Atrophied Limb
10 - Is Missing a Chunk
11 - Useless, foot-long Fly-Wings
12 - Outcrops of Parasite Fungus
13 - An Ad-Hoc "Prosthetic" Leg
14 - Half of their Head is Merely a Skull
15 - A Weapon is stuck in their Flesh
16 - Long and Pointy Facial Features
17 - Has Crocodile-Scale Tattoos
18 - Sports a Twisted Horn
19 - Has a foot-long, Dangling Tongue
20 - Has a Hole all the way through
Distinguishing Features: Druids of the Swamp
1 - Has a Pair of Antlers2 - Has Leaves for Hair
3 - Has Feathers for Hair
4 - Has an Animal's Eyes
5 - Has Hooves for Feet
6 - Has Gills on their Neck
7 - Has patches of Scales
8 - Has Stone Teeth
9 - Twists of Gnarly Scars
10 - Wears a Cloak of Insects
11 - Altogether too... normal...
12 - Has Fly-Faceted Eyes
13 - Smells of Sweet Flowers
14 - Tangles of Twigs for Hair
15 - Has a flickering Snake Tongue
16 - Has a Constant Animal Companion
17 - White Flowers sprout at their Feet
18 - Always, always Muddy
19 - Wears a Mantle of Fog
20 - Has Fish-Webbed Limbs and Digits
Marks of the Druid Clans
1 - They all wear masks like animals of the swamp.
2 - They are particularly mutated: roll twice the number of distinguishing features as normal
3 - They wear suits of layered bark-scales4 - They dress only in geometric tattoos of beasts and plants
5 - They all have shaved heads and wear dark marks around their eyes and mouths
6 - They jangle as they move from all the bones that dangle from their clothes
7 - They all wear long, winding strings of prayer-beads wrapped around their bodies
8 - They all walk about on stilts to avoid the bog-water
Troll Loot
For Lone, Regular Trolls, roll d30.For Groups of Trolls, roll d40.
For Troll Warriors, roll d30 + 10.
For Troll Knights, roll d20 + 20.
1 - 3d20 Fish Heads
2 - d4d4 Crocodile Teeth
3 - A Painted Stone
4 - d4 False-Heron Beaks
5 - A Flint Knife
6 - A Satchel of d12 Fat-Candles
7 - Some reeking Cheese
8 - Some smoked Meat
9 - A Crude Wooden Charm
10 - A Collection of Mosses
11 - An assortment of Roots
12 - d6 Bloody Druid Scalps
13 - 2d4 Rusted and Ruined Weapons
14 - A Jumble of Crocodile Bones
15 - A Chunk of Masonry
16 - A Bundle of Sopping Clothes
17 - d4 Painted Bark Scraps
18 - A Lump of Raw Bog-Iron
19 - A Dead Dog
20 - A Rather Large Bone
21 - An actually Useable Weapon
22 - A Spirit Ward
23 - d4 Crocodile Skins
24 - A Flask of Hag-Tea
25 - d12 dried, Hallucinogenic Frogs
26 - d4 clumps of Medicinal Herbs
27 - An Idol of the Troll-King
28 - A Crocodile's Heart
29 - A Druid's Totem-Staff
30 - A Goodly Chunk of Bog-Iron
31 - A piece of Loot from the Wizard's Tower
32 - An Iron Cage holding a Small Sprite
33 - A Looted Master-work Weapon
34 - A Bone Charm, a gift from the Oni
35 - A Necklace of Wolf-Teeth
36 - A Hunting Horn
37 - A Runed Hunting Spear
38 - Cursed, Ground Insect Powder
39 - d4 Lightning-Struck Stones
40 - Actual, real, bone-fide LOOT
Tief le'Jean's Buried Treasure
Once called "The Gentleman Corsair", Tief le'Jean was famed and feared, and according to legend, once buried an entire chest filled with jewels in the depths of the Marsh for reasons now lost to knowledge. The legends also say that he buried three of his most loyal crew, that they might guard in even beyond death...This Map you got your grubby hands on leads to...
1 - A Gnarled and Twisted Oak with 3 great Branches
2 - A Triangle of 3 Standing Stones
3 - A Bog-Isle, bearing 3 ancient Graves
4 - A Rock-Outcrop bearing 3 Carven, Pain-Wracked Faces
5 - The Old and Rotted Remains of 3 Boats
6 - An unfinished dig-site; you weren't the first ones here...
The Treasure has turned out to be...
1 - Absent. It was only ever a Legend it seems.
2 - All but destroyed by time and water.
3 - A few bottles (2d4) of Very Fine Wine
4 - A Book of Esoteric Alchemical Formulae
5 - Just a Key. But to what?
6 - Actually a Gold filled Chest. Who knew?
The Three Guardians however, are...
(Only roll on this if there was anything left to guard)
1 - Now just Bloat Dead.
2 - Old bones, nothing more.
3 - Spirits that manifest as Malicious Terrain
4 - Spirits that manifest as Raging Ghosts
5 - Spirits that manifest as a Terrible Dream-Curse
6 - Spirits that have reincarnated into Marsh-Beasts
What Lurks Within the Swamp Oyster?
1 - Actually just a really big, somewhat green Pearl of Prodigious Size2 - A Nacreous Skull that babbles when Trolls are near
3 - An Oily Seed that will grow into a Lake if planted (over the course of 1 year)
4 - A pit which leads ALL THE WAY DOWN
5 - The bones of an Angel, carven with celestial runes
6 - The Foetal Embodiment of the God 'Neath the Murk
7 - A concreted mass of Troll Skulls, silently screaming
8 - A miniature forest, somehow vast and dark within the Oyster
Stirrings of the Lake God
1 - An aqueous hand rises from the water, highers and higher, before it snuffs out a star and collapses back into the bog.2 - The bog forms a silently screaming face from the muck, it stretches up, as if trying to escape, before it collapses again into nothingness.
3 - A patch of water instantly freezes, criss-crossed with dark cracks.
4 - A swarm of bugs are pulled instantly together into a solid clump of squirming, buzzing agony. They are slowly crushed together into nothing.
5 - A Tree trembles before splitting open to unleash a sudden geyser of thick marsh-water.
6 - Just a moment too long for comfort, the whole world appears as if underwater.
7 - A False-Heron minds its own business, before it tenses, and then rises up into the air and unravels into strings of meat and bone like so much knitting being pulled apart.
8 - The water suddenly becomes hard as concrete, though beneath the surface it feels like grasping hands. Slowly it all melts back to normal.
9 - For a moment, the sky appears to become a great ocean, roiling and stirring according to unseen winds.
10 - The trembling earth rises like an egg about to burst over a flame; it splits open to emit a creature of mist that surges forth screaming as its form slowly dissipates into nothing.
Stats for the Beasts
TROLLS
Armour: 13, Move 30', 3 Hit Dice, Morale 7.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Weapon for d10
Special: Trolls regenerate 1 HP at the start of each of their turns. Fire damage they take also reduces their maximum HP by an equal amount. Trolls can even regenerate from 0 HP, though they die permanently if their Maximum HP is reduce to 0 by fire, or if they receive damage equal to their normal maximum while at 0 HP.
Trolls can also hold their breath for up to an hour.
Text
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Weapon for d10
Special: Trolls regenerate 1 HP at the start of each of their turns. Fire damage they take also reduces their maximum HP by an equal amount. Trolls can even regenerate from 0 HP, though they die permanently if their Maximum HP is reduce to 0 by fire, or if they receive damage equal to their normal maximum while at 0 HP.
Trolls can also hold their breath for up to an hour.
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The Troll Knights
Crocodile Hunter
Armour: 14, Move 35', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Knuckle Dusters for 2d4 each.
Special: As Troll, but regenerates 3 HP at the start of each turn.
Text
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Knuckle Dusters for 2d4 each.
Special: As Troll, but regenerates 3 HP at the start of each turn.
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Boat Sinker
Armour: 16, Move 20', 4+2 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or a Figure-Head Smash for 2d8 which also attacks any creatures directly behind the target. Boat Sinker can't move and attack in the same turn.
Special: As Troll, but can also plant their Hull-Shield to grant +3 to their AC against attacks from a specific direction as long as it didn't move that turn.
Text
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or a Figure-Head Smash for 2d8 which also attacks any creatures directly behind the target. Boat Sinker can't move and attack in the same turn.
Special: As Troll, but can also plant their Hull-Shield to grant +3 to their AC against attacks from a specific direction as long as it didn't move that turn.
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Dumb Boi
Armour: 12, Move 20', 4 + 4 Hit Dice, Morale 3d4 (roll each time).
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Rock for d12 (30' range).
Special: As Troll, but is also too stupid to be affected by many Mind-Altering Effects.
Text
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Rock for d12 (30' range).
Special: As Troll, but is also too stupid to be affected by many Mind-Altering Effects.
Text
Voodoo Warrior
Armour: 12, Move 35', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 7.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Bone-Tomahawk attacks for d8 and Curse (see below).
Special: As Troll, and also Tomahawk and Armour Curses.
If you miss an attack against the Voodoo Warrior, you begin to see the Faces that make up its armour come to life and scream and mock and jeer, giving you stacking disadvantage on attack rolls against it each time you miss, until you hit an attack against the Voodoo Warrior.
A Critical Hit from a Bone Tomahawk attack inflicts its curse on you, and you must make a save against its magic at the start of your next turn to prevent yourself from giving into the compulsion to drown yourself in the marsh.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Bone-Tomahawk attacks for d8 and Curse (see below).
Special: As Troll, and also Tomahawk and Armour Curses.
If you miss an attack against the Voodoo Warrior, you begin to see the Faces that make up its armour come to life and scream and mock and jeer, giving you stacking disadvantage on attack rolls against it each time you miss, until you hit an attack against the Voodoo Warrior.
A Critical Hit from a Bone Tomahawk attack inflicts its curse on you, and you must make a save against its magic at the start of your next turn to prevent yourself from giving into the compulsion to drown yourself in the marsh.
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Bird Eater
Armour: 14, Move 40', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 6.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Flint Kunai in melee range for d8, or d4 Flint Kunai at 10' to 20' range.
Special: As Troll, but can also leap 40' in any direction using its cape instead of moving.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Flint Kunai in melee range for d8, or d4 Flint Kunai at 10' to 20' range.
Special: As Troll, but can also leap 40' in any direction using its cape instead of moving.
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Tree Feller
Armour: 13, Move 30', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Big Ol' Log for d10.
Special: As Troll, but also Bark-Armour special Property.
Tree Feller's Bark Armour has 10 HP. Each time Tree Feller takes damage, half of it (rounding down) is prevented, and the Bark Armour takes 1 damage. This effect ends when the Bark Armour is reduced to 0 HP.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or Big Ol' Log for d10.
Special: As Troll, but also Bark-Armour special Property.
Tree Feller's Bark Armour has 10 HP. Each time Tree Feller takes damage, half of it (rounding down) is prevented, and the Bark Armour takes 1 damage. This effect ends when the Bark Armour is reduced to 0 HP.
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Spirit Seeker
Armour: 12, Move 35', 4 + 2 Hit Dice, Morale 10.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Flint Spear for 2d6 magical damage (20' range).
Special: Can throw and recall their Spear to their hand magically, as part of their attack.
Suffers no penalty for being blind.
Spirits will not harm the Spirit Seeker for any reason.
Spirit Seeker adds 2 to its AC until the end of its next turn each time it is hit because of the protection of its magic tattoos.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Flint Spear for 2d6 magical damage (20' range).
Special: Can throw and recall their Spear to their hand magically, as part of their attack.
Suffers no penalty for being blind.
Spirits will not harm the Spirit Seeker for any reason.
Spirit Seeker adds 2 to its AC until the end of its next turn each time it is hit because of the protection of its magic tattoos.
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Iron Taker
Armour: 18, Move 25', 4 + 2 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Corroded Greatsword for 3d6 though if it ever rolls a double 1 on the damage roll, the Greatsword breaks after dealing its damage.
Special: As Troll, and each time the Iron Taker takes damage, its AC is reduced by 1.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Corroded Greatsword for 3d6 though if it ever rolls a double 1 on the damage roll, the Greatsword breaks after dealing its damage.
Special: As Troll, and each time the Iron Taker takes damage, its AC is reduced by 1.
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Bone Breaker
Armour: 14, Move 35', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or a Bone Spear for d10, or d8 at 20' range. It holds 3d4 spears at any one time on its back.
Special: As Troll, but as part of its turn, it can restore 10 HP to itself at the cost of 1 AC because of the magic of its Bone Armour. It can't reduce its AC to less than 10 because of this effect.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or a Bone Spear for d10, or d8 at 20' range. It holds 3d4 spears at any one time on its back.
Special: As Troll, but as part of its turn, it can restore 10 HP to itself at the cost of 1 AC because of the magic of its Bone Armour. It can't reduce its AC to less than 10 because of this effect.
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Pond Lurker
Armour: 14, Move 35', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Oily Net attack that restrains the target. Can't attack using the Net whilst a creature is restrained by it.
Special: As Troll.
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Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Oily Net attack that restrains the target. Can't attack using the Net whilst a creature is restrained by it.
Special: As Troll.
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Troll Weapons
1 - A Big Log
2 - A Big Ol' Fish
3 - A Flint Axe
4 - A Wooden Stake-Spear
5 - An Ivy Net
6 - A Bog-Iron Smasher
7 - A Fuggin' Rock
8 - Tooth Knuckle-Dusters
9 - Another Troll's Leg
10 - A Cart-Wheel
The Troll King
Armour: 15, Move 30', 5 + 3 Hit Dice, Morale 10.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Bog Iron Smasher attacks for d12+2.
Special: As Troll, except that he regenerates d6 per turn.
If the Troll King suffers a critical hit, something has been severed, roll on the following table.
1 - The 2nd Head: The Troll King gains no benefit from its Second Head. This won't regrow.
2, or 3 - An Arm has been severed. The Troll King can't make Claw attacks next turn, and can only make 1 Bog Iron Smasher attack rather than 2. The turn after that and after, the Troll King can attack as normal, but also makes an additional Claw Attack each time he does.
4, or 5 - A Leg has been severed. The Troll King's movement is halved for his next turn. The Turn after that and after, his speed is 10' greater than normal.
6 - His Guts have been spilled from his body. The Troll King's next turn is spent shoveling them back inside his body. The turn after that and after, the Troll King's AC is increased by 1 from the extra flesh on his belly.
The Troll King also has a 2nd head, which has its own turn, and can cast rudimentary curses, which it must maintain each round to continue the effects.
Hexes of the 2nd head:
1 - Compell a target to drown itself. Save to resist.
2 - Compell a pile of bones to animate as a 2 HD skeleton.
3 - Compell 1 item of metal to rust away.
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The Oni of the Drowning Faith
Armour: 13, Move 30', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Ritual Knife for d8, which also reduces the targets next attack roll by the same amount.
Special: As Troll, but the Oni also have benefits from their Magics and Bone Charms.
The Oni can cast the following spell-like effects.
1 - Ranged attacks that would hit them dissolve into dust (if they feasibly could) on a d6 roll of 4+.
2 - The next Iron object they touch rusts to nothing.
3 - They summon and can command a 3HD Insect Swarm.
4 - They can command Miasmas to inflict Marshplague.
5 - They can command the earth to soften to mud.
6 - They can command mud to harden into earth.
Each time they manifest these effects, they must roll their spell dice, which begins as a d4. If they roll a 4 or more, they lose 1 HD worth of HP as the God 'Neath the Murk claims some of their flesh, which sloughs off as a tiny water sprite and scurries away. If they roll less than 4, the dice size increases a step instead. If they roll a 4+ while their die is larger than a d4, it also resets to d4.
Oni of the Drowning Faith can also craft Bone Charms which duplicate the effects of their magics when broken. These take great time and effort to make, so they give them out only rarely.
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CREAKBEAST
Armour: 15, Move 10' + d6 x 5' (roll each time), 5 + 5 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: d6 Limb Smashes for d6 each, or a bite for 2d12 (one of the d12 is fire damage), or a telekinetic scrap attack which deals d8 damage to all targets in a 15' line, reflex save to avoid, if Creakbeast is at half health or lower, it deals 2d8 damage instead.
Special: Creakbeast can breath a 15' cone of flame dealing 3d6 damage once per minute instead of attacking. It can also sweat out a fog cloud with 20' radius as part of its turn. It can also create a pair of illusiory duplicates of itself, as if created by the spell mirror image.
Creakbeast regenerates d8 HP at the end of each of it turns, or d4 HP on a turn it attacks, or 1 Hp on a turn it uses one of its magic abilities. It does not regenerate while at 0 HP (see below).
Creakbeast must be dealt damage equal to its normal maximum while at 0 HP to be permanently destroyed. For each point of damage it takes while at 0 HP, it takes 30 minutes to repair itself, at the end of which time it regains 1 HP and then begins regenerating normally.
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CANDLE GOLEM
Armour: 12, Move 25', 6 + 6 Hit Dice, Morale 6 (12 while fighting Trolls).
Attacks: 2 Fist Smashes for 2d6 (one of the d6 is fire damage). It can also attempt to grapple someone without using any of its hands, and with a range of 30' by causing water to grasp at the target.
Special: If any of its limbs or body parts are ever severed or damaged, at the end of its next turn it lose d6 HP and regenerates/repairs the missing parts. It can eat eat a candle as an action, regaining 1 HP. Cold effects slow it (as the spell) and fire effects haste it (as the spell), but the effects wear off at the end of its next turn.
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TROLL EATER CROCODILES
Armour: 14, Move 20' on land, 35' in water, 3 Hit Dice, Morale 5, or 8 when fighting Trolls.
Attacks: A bite for d8 and a grapple. When attacking a grappled target, attacks hit automatically and deal d12 damage instead.
Special: Regenerates d6 HP each turn, but loses the ability to regenerate for 1 hour if it rolls a 6. Will death-roll grapple-attack corpses for d3 extra rounds after death due to fighting trolls.
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FALSE-HERONS
Armour: 13, Move 40', 2 Hit Dice, Morale 5.
Attacks: 1 Tentacle attack for d6 with 10' range.
Special: Advantage on rolls to avoid being tripped, shoved, or grappled. Its movement speed can't be reduced by non-magical terrain effects.
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THE MOTH KING
Armour: 14, Move 20' on the ground, 40' in the air, 5 + 5 Hit Dice, Morale 6, or 8 when fighting Trolls.
Attacks: 2 Claws for d6 each, or Dive Bomb for d8 and grapple. When attacking a grappled target, attacks hit automatically and deal d12 damage instead.
Special: Can screech once per hour that affects all targets that can hear it, dealing d4 damage and stunning those damaged who fail a fortitude saving throw.
3 times per day each, it can cast silent image, dancing lights, and gust of wind.
Once per day, it can spit a blinding, stinking ichor at an adjacent target.
If suddenly exposed to bright light, it is blinded for d3 turns.
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THE BLOAT DEAD
Armour: 10, Move 20', 1 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 12.
Attacks: 1 Claw for d4.
Special: On death, has a 4 in 6 chance to explode, dealing d4 damage to targets within 5 feet, and infecting those damaged with Marshplague.
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THE DRUIDS OF THE SWAMP
Armour: 11 + d3, Move 30', d3 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: Short bow for d4, or Spear for d6, or Stolen Bog Iron Smasher for d10.
Special: Druids of the Swamp don't reduce their movement speed whilst swimming.
Druids of the Swamp can wild-shape a number of times per day equal to their Hit Dice, choosing their forms from Birds or Fish.
Druids of the Swamp can also cast a number of spells equal to their HD from the following list: call insect swarm, water surge, poison spray, entangle.
Druids of the Swamp with 3 HD can instead spend all their spells to summon a Swamp Elemental to fight for them with 2 HD, + 1 HD for each spell expended.
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The Grove-Masters
Armour: 12 + d3, Move 35', 3 + d3 Hit Dice, Morale 10.
Attacks: Short bow for d4, or Spear for d6, or Stolen Bog Iron Smasher for d10.
Special: As Druid of the Swamp. Dunno yet, we'll see.
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THE OLD MAN OF THE MOSS CLUMPS
Armour: 14, Move 25', 7 + 3 Hit Dice, Morale 12.
Attacks: 1 Fist for 2d8, or 1 Rock for d12 (30' range). If an attack deals maximum damage on any of their damage dice, the target is also knocked prone. If a fist attack rolls double damage, it also deals damage equal to 1 of the dice results to adjacent targets if the attack roll would have hit them too.
Special: Every d6 rounds, it can also release a cloud of blinding and sickening spores that require a fortitude save to resist. Its movement speed can never be reduced whilst within the Candlemarsh.
The Old Man can also stomp prone targets adjacent or under it as part of its attack for d8 damage.
Instead of knocking a target prone with a fist attack, it can instead pick up the target and throw them 30 feet, or 10 feet if the target succeeds on a saving throw.
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AUNTY SEEPSTITCH
Armour: 14, Move 30' on ground, 40' in water, 5 + 2 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d8. Deals triple damage on a critical hit.
Special: Her lure is entrancing. If you look at it on your turn (treat yourself as if blinded to avoid it) you must make a save against magic or be enthralled (treated as if paralysed).
Can cast darkness at will, though only 1 instance of it can be active at a time. The previous instance is dispelled when a new one is created.
Aunty Seepstitch can grapple or manipulate objects and targets within the darkness regardless of range or obstacles, and can create small, unbreakable objects within it while it lasts.
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Aunty Seepstitch's Familiars - Gasp and Rattle
Armour: 12, Move 30' in the air, 2 Hit Dice, Morale 7.
Attacks: Bite for d6. If a creature is hit by both Familiar's bite in one round, they are paralysed until the end of their next turn if they fail a saving throw.
Special: The familiars can see through darkness created by their Mistress.
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2 - A Big Ol' Fish
3 - A Flint Axe
4 - A Wooden Stake-Spear
5 - An Ivy Net
6 - A Bog-Iron Smasher
7 - A Fuggin' Rock
8 - Tooth Knuckle-Dusters
9 - Another Troll's Leg
10 - A Cart-Wheel
The Troll King
Armour: 15, Move 30', 5 + 3 Hit Dice, Morale 10.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 2 Bog Iron Smasher attacks for d12+2.
Special: As Troll, except that he regenerates d6 per turn.
If the Troll King suffers a critical hit, something has been severed, roll on the following table.
1 - The 2nd Head: The Troll King gains no benefit from its Second Head. This won't regrow.
2, or 3 - An Arm has been severed. The Troll King can't make Claw attacks next turn, and can only make 1 Bog Iron Smasher attack rather than 2. The turn after that and after, the Troll King can attack as normal, but also makes an additional Claw Attack each time he does.
4, or 5 - A Leg has been severed. The Troll King's movement is halved for his next turn. The Turn after that and after, his speed is 10' greater than normal.
6 - His Guts have been spilled from his body. The Troll King's next turn is spent shoveling them back inside his body. The turn after that and after, the Troll King's AC is increased by 1 from the extra flesh on his belly.
The Troll King also has a 2nd head, which has its own turn, and can cast rudimentary curses, which it must maintain each round to continue the effects.
Hexes of the 2nd head:
1 - Compell a target to drown itself. Save to resist.
2 - Compell a pile of bones to animate as a 2 HD skeleton.
3 - Compell 1 item of metal to rust away.
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The Oni of the Drowning Faith
Armour: 13, Move 30', 4 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d6 and Claws for d6, or 1 Ritual Knife for d8, which also reduces the targets next attack roll by the same amount.
Special: As Troll, but the Oni also have benefits from their Magics and Bone Charms.
The Oni can cast the following spell-like effects.
1 - Ranged attacks that would hit them dissolve into dust (if they feasibly could) on a d6 roll of 4+.
2 - The next Iron object they touch rusts to nothing.
3 - They summon and can command a 3HD Insect Swarm.
4 - They can command Miasmas to inflict Marshplague.
5 - They can command the earth to soften to mud.
6 - They can command mud to harden into earth.
Each time they manifest these effects, they must roll their spell dice, which begins as a d4. If they roll a 4 or more, they lose 1 HD worth of HP as the God 'Neath the Murk claims some of their flesh, which sloughs off as a tiny water sprite and scurries away. If they roll less than 4, the dice size increases a step instead. If they roll a 4+ while their die is larger than a d4, it also resets to d4.
Oni of the Drowning Faith can also craft Bone Charms which duplicate the effects of their magics when broken. These take great time and effort to make, so they give them out only rarely.
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CREAKBEAST
Armour: 15, Move 10' + d6 x 5' (roll each time), 5 + 5 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: d6 Limb Smashes for d6 each, or a bite for 2d12 (one of the d12 is fire damage), or a telekinetic scrap attack which deals d8 damage to all targets in a 15' line, reflex save to avoid, if Creakbeast is at half health or lower, it deals 2d8 damage instead.
Special: Creakbeast can breath a 15' cone of flame dealing 3d6 damage once per minute instead of attacking. It can also sweat out a fog cloud with 20' radius as part of its turn. It can also create a pair of illusiory duplicates of itself, as if created by the spell mirror image.
Creakbeast regenerates d8 HP at the end of each of it turns, or d4 HP on a turn it attacks, or 1 Hp on a turn it uses one of its magic abilities. It does not regenerate while at 0 HP (see below).
Creakbeast must be dealt damage equal to its normal maximum while at 0 HP to be permanently destroyed. For each point of damage it takes while at 0 HP, it takes 30 minutes to repair itself, at the end of which time it regains 1 HP and then begins regenerating normally.
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CANDLE GOLEM
Armour: 12, Move 25', 6 + 6 Hit Dice, Morale 6 (12 while fighting Trolls).
Attacks: 2 Fist Smashes for 2d6 (one of the d6 is fire damage). It can also attempt to grapple someone without using any of its hands, and with a range of 30' by causing water to grasp at the target.
Special: If any of its limbs or body parts are ever severed or damaged, at the end of its next turn it lose d6 HP and regenerates/repairs the missing parts. It can eat eat a candle as an action, regaining 1 HP. Cold effects slow it (as the spell) and fire effects haste it (as the spell), but the effects wear off at the end of its next turn.
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TROLL EATER CROCODILES
Armour: 14, Move 20' on land, 35' in water, 3 Hit Dice, Morale 5, or 8 when fighting Trolls.
Attacks: A bite for d8 and a grapple. When attacking a grappled target, attacks hit automatically and deal d12 damage instead.
Special: Regenerates d6 HP each turn, but loses the ability to regenerate for 1 hour if it rolls a 6. Will death-roll grapple-attack corpses for d3 extra rounds after death due to fighting trolls.
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FALSE-HERONS
Armour: 13, Move 40', 2 Hit Dice, Morale 5.
Attacks: 1 Tentacle attack for d6 with 10' range.
Special: Advantage on rolls to avoid being tripped, shoved, or grappled. Its movement speed can't be reduced by non-magical terrain effects.
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THE MOTH KING
Armour: 14, Move 20' on the ground, 40' in the air, 5 + 5 Hit Dice, Morale 6, or 8 when fighting Trolls.
Attacks: 2 Claws for d6 each, or Dive Bomb for d8 and grapple. When attacking a grappled target, attacks hit automatically and deal d12 damage instead.
Special: Can screech once per hour that affects all targets that can hear it, dealing d4 damage and stunning those damaged who fail a fortitude saving throw.
3 times per day each, it can cast silent image, dancing lights, and gust of wind.
Once per day, it can spit a blinding, stinking ichor at an adjacent target.
If suddenly exposed to bright light, it is blinded for d3 turns.
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THE BLOAT DEAD
Armour: 10, Move 20', 1 + 1 Hit Dice, Morale 12.
Attacks: 1 Claw for d4.
Special: On death, has a 4 in 6 chance to explode, dealing d4 damage to targets within 5 feet, and infecting those damaged with Marshplague.
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THE DRUIDS OF THE SWAMP
Armour: 11 + d3, Move 30', d3 Hit Dice, Morale 8.
Attacks: Short bow for d4, or Spear for d6, or Stolen Bog Iron Smasher for d10.
Special: Druids of the Swamp don't reduce their movement speed whilst swimming.
Druids of the Swamp can wild-shape a number of times per day equal to their Hit Dice, choosing their forms from Birds or Fish.
Druids of the Swamp can also cast a number of spells equal to their HD from the following list: call insect swarm, water surge, poison spray, entangle.
Druids of the Swamp with 3 HD can instead spend all their spells to summon a Swamp Elemental to fight for them with 2 HD, + 1 HD for each spell expended.
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The Grove-Masters
Armour: 12 + d3, Move 35', 3 + d3 Hit Dice, Morale 10.
Attacks: Short bow for d4, or Spear for d6, or Stolen Bog Iron Smasher for d10.
Special: As Druid of the Swamp. Dunno yet, we'll see.
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THE OLD MAN OF THE MOSS CLUMPS
Armour: 14, Move 25', 7 + 3 Hit Dice, Morale 12.
Attacks: 1 Fist for 2d8, or 1 Rock for d12 (30' range). If an attack deals maximum damage on any of their damage dice, the target is also knocked prone. If a fist attack rolls double damage, it also deals damage equal to 1 of the dice results to adjacent targets if the attack roll would have hit them too.
Special: Every d6 rounds, it can also release a cloud of blinding and sickening spores that require a fortitude save to resist. Its movement speed can never be reduced whilst within the Candlemarsh.
The Old Man can also stomp prone targets adjacent or under it as part of its attack for d8 damage.
Instead of knocking a target prone with a fist attack, it can instead pick up the target and throw them 30 feet, or 10 feet if the target succeeds on a saving throw.
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AUNTY SEEPSTITCH
Armour: 14, Move 30' on ground, 40' in water, 5 + 2 Hit Dice, Morale 9.
Attacks: Bite for d8. Deals triple damage on a critical hit.
Special: Her lure is entrancing. If you look at it on your turn (treat yourself as if blinded to avoid it) you must make a save against magic or be enthralled (treated as if paralysed).
Can cast darkness at will, though only 1 instance of it can be active at a time. The previous instance is dispelled when a new one is created.
Aunty Seepstitch can grapple or manipulate objects and targets within the darkness regardless of range or obstacles, and can create small, unbreakable objects within it while it lasts.
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Aunty Seepstitch's Familiars - Gasp and Rattle
Armour: 12, Move 30' in the air, 2 Hit Dice, Morale 7.
Attacks: Bite for d6. If a creature is hit by both Familiar's bite in one round, they are paralysed until the end of their next turn if they fail a saving throw.
Special: The familiars can see through darkness created by their Mistress.
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Tables for Rival Adventuring Parties
There are d4 + 2 members of each adventuring party (at least, to start with). Each member of the party has 4 HD if the result of the d4 was a 1, each member has 3 HD if the result of the d4 was a 2 or a 3, and each member of the party has 2 HD if the result of the d4 was a 4.
Members of the Party
Roll to determine the profession of each member of the Party.
1 - A Grizzled Soldier
2 - A Dandy Duelist
3 - A Thick Jawed Thug
4 - An Overburdened Armsman
5 - A Paranoid Bowman
6 - A Self Righteous Knight
7 - A Flamboyant Corsair
8 - A Sunken-Eyed Cutthroat
9 - A Shadowy Assassin
10 - A Cowled Woodsman
11 - A Bare-Chested Berserker
12 - A Silver-Tongued Scoundrel
13 - A Softly-Ticking Tinkerer
14 - A Vial-Laden Alchemist
15 - A Wind-Worn Animist
16 - A Bone-Bedecked Shaman
17 - A Charm-Swaddled Mystic
18 - An Insence-Swirling Priest
19 - A Pompous Arcaniste
20 - A Threadbare Wizard
...Who is...
Roll to add a further detail to them.
1 - Gaunt with Marshplague
2 - Carrying Several Troll Heads
3 - A Chronic Kleptomaniac
4 - Chronically Dishonest
5 - Hollow-Eyed and Haunted
6 - Suspiciously Undead
7 - Covered in all kinds of Bites
8 - Just covered in Parasite-Moss
9 - Missing a Limb
10 - Some Pristine and Irritatingly Cheerful
11 - Fussing Desperately over a Stained Map
12 - Lugging a Man-Sized Sack...
13 - Bearing Some Particularly Gnarly Wounds
14 - Nervously Sharpening their Blades
15 - Constantly Watching the Shadows
16 - Trying to Appear like they are in Control
17 - Has a Spider Clamped on their Chest
18 - Giggling Nervously
19 - Won't Make Eye-Contact at all
20 - Quite Dead
The Group are Desperately...
Roll once to determine what the Party are doing when you find them.
1 - Trying to Deal with a Random Encounter
2 - Running Away from a Random Encounter
3 - Being Slowly Overcome by a Random Encounter
4 - Hiding from a Random Encounter
5 - Heaving a Companion out of the Mud
6 - Seeking a Way Out of this Hell
7 - Digging Down into the Mud
8 - Treating a Barely-Conscious Companion
9 - Trying to Avoid Attention
10 - Trying to kill YOU
Base Debasements of the Marsh
1 - Leeches
You must decrease your HP by d4 at the end of any rests you take, and receive 1 less HP from any healing you receive per instance of Leeches you have, until someone trained in medicine can remove them.
2 - Midgeblight
You have a penalty of -1 to all dexterity related rolls per instance of Midgeblight you have, until you rest a full night away from the Marsh (i.e. away from the Midges).
3 - Parasite Moss
You need to eat an addition allotment of food per day for each instance of Parasite Moss you have, until until a Medical Professional treats you for a whole day.
4 - Bog Fever
You believe yourself to actually be in place that is really very nice and sunny place, nothing like this awful horrible marsh. No actual mechanical drawbacks, but it might make it harder to engage with situations you stumble across.
The Ruins of the Wizard's Old Tower
Shape of the Ruins1 - Half a crumbling Tower, ever floor barred open
2 - A Shattered Dome, like a hatched egg
3 - A Hollow Old Hall, gaping like a mouth
4 - A Slumping Mansion, missing its upper floors
5 - A Flaking Pagoda, soaked and ruined by water
6 - Just a Pile of Rubble now
The Last Remaining Wonder
1 - An Alchemical and Artificial Brain that can think for itself
2 - A Window that can be calibrated to show anything another Window can see
3 - A Mirror that shows you as you might have been, and that you can ask questions of
4 - The Glass Heart, which reveals the true emotions of those viewed through it
5 - A Set of Oracular Knuckle-Bone Dice, powered by life-blood
6 - A Lock, which when placed against a wall, causes it to become a door back to
The Last Crumbling Guardian
1 - A Statue that talks, and fruitlessly warns of the Dangers of Trespassing
2 - An Animated Filigree-Silver Butler, serving a plate of Foetid Drinks
3 - A Stained and Blotched Book-stand on that wanders on Tiny Little Baby Legs
4 - A Corroded old Golem, any kind of violence would crumble it, and it knows it
5 - The Wizard's old apprentice, accidentally bound to serve eternally as a ghost
6 - An Old and Weary Manticore, grumpily living out the days of its servitude
The Last Hidden Secret
1 - A Tome of Alchemical Secrets
2 - The Wizard's Old Spell Book
3 - A List of Three Demon's True Names
4 - A Map to an Ancient, Legendary Land
5 - The Blueprints for a Powerful, Esoteric Ritual
6 - The Secret Histories of the Local Kingdom
What Has Moved In Since the Wizard Left
1 - A Particularly Large and Vicious Troll-Eater Crocodile (5 HD)
2 - An Outcast Troll, fruitless plotting revenge against the Troll-King
3 - A Mournful and Beautiful Naiad, an old friend of the Wizard
4 - A Lost and Scared Adventuring Party
5 - Creakbeast. OH SHIT RUN
6 - The Candle Golem, it is ever so lonely
The Bone Thieves
The Bone Thieves lurk in the Putrescent Garden. They have come for bones.
They look like man-sized Centipedes, thickly swaddled in black robes, only with altogether too many limbs, which grow longer the close they get to the head. Their face is split in a wide, fang-flanked maw, perpetually twisted into a rictus grin. Their skin is the shiny dark-brown of insect shells.
They have a close relationship with death, and indeed though they live, many abilities that affect specifically the undead affect them too. Many are the tales of how their primordial patriarchs crossed the barriers between life and death as they wanted. These days, they are considered little more than myth, but that misconception is about to be startlingly shattered.
Here in the Candlemarsh, there are many bones, and many sources of bones, and the Thieves and their creations are well-suited to the terrain. They have made their servants of the scraps, and now work tirelessly to bring about their grand endeavours, the completion of The Great Work.
Their lair is ringed with long-bones, one end planted in the mud, the other wrapped about in specially treated material to allow it to burn with an eldritch blue flame. These are the Corpse-Lights, and they are a fearsome obstacle indeed; while they do nothing in and of themselves, they provide the spirit-energy that powers the other creations of the Thieves.
Works of the Bone Thieves
They look like man-sized Centipedes, thickly swaddled in black robes, only with altogether too many limbs, which grow longer the close they get to the head. Their face is split in a wide, fang-flanked maw, perpetually twisted into a rictus grin. Their skin is the shiny dark-brown of insect shells.
They have a close relationship with death, and indeed though they live, many abilities that affect specifically the undead affect them too. Many are the tales of how their primordial patriarchs crossed the barriers between life and death as they wanted. These days, they are considered little more than myth, but that misconception is about to be startlingly shattered.
Here in the Candlemarsh, there are many bones, and many sources of bones, and the Thieves and their creations are well-suited to the terrain. They have made their servants of the scraps, and now work tirelessly to bring about their grand endeavours, the completion of The Great Work.
Their lair is ringed with long-bones, one end planted in the mud, the other wrapped about in specially treated material to allow it to burn with an eldritch blue flame. These are the Corpse-Lights, and they are a fearsome obstacle indeed; while they do nothing in and of themselves, they provide the spirit-energy that powers the other creations of the Thieves.
Works of the Bone Thieves
1 - Rib-Stalkers: Spiders of arching ribs, they stand at least 8 feet above the bog they stride through on stilt-legs, spearing prey through the heart to take back to the Bone Thieves.
Appearing: d3, 3 in 6 chance of being accompanied by d3 Scapula Knights if alone.
2 - Osseonauts: The last line of defence for the Thieves; the Osseonauts are ogre-sized colossuses of bone, armoured and armed with mighty, mace-like hands. There are two of them, one has a mighty spike of bone mounted on a piston-like apparatus on its back, the other has almost fingers made of spines on one of its bludgeons.
Appearing: 2, Unique
3 - Scapula Knights: Man-sized, they almost look like skeletons, only their bones are shaped into armoured plates, their joint's subtly reshaped, their limbs a little longer. They are the infantry of the Bone Thieves, and they wield sharpened scapulas like handaxes, reaving and stalking in the mists of the Marsh.
Appearing: 2d4
4 - Digit-Bugs: Smaller than your hand, because they are made of hand bones. Crawling around on finger-bone legs with shells formed from tiny, tiny hand bones, they stalk through the trees, almost invisible, spying through stolen eye-sockets for the Bone Thieves.
Appearing: d10
5 - Hanging Watchers: Built from the taken skulls of foes, they are nestled in the crooks of trees and in the long grasses, to spy on and scream for intruders.
Appearing: d4 clusters of d4 Watchers each.
6 - Osseinodons: They resemble elephants, or more properly mammoths. Their hollow bellies are the methods by which the Bone Thieves arrived in the marsh, and the way by which they will take all they have gathered when they leave. Thick-set limbs carry the great rib-cage hold, and even now they carry much in the way of cargo. They are not risked in combat, they carry something above value: the Thieve's cargo of bones.
Appearing: 3, Unique
7 - Spine-Pilots: Whirling octopuses of spines joined together at a central axis by a misshapen skull, these are the most insidious agents of the Bone Thieves. When they can, they claim a body, and slip inside it, tentacles first, which then spread through the body to animate like a suit of flesh. Sometimes they will even do it to living prey if they can.
Appearing: d3. Alternatively, 1 inside a Troll's body.
8 - Carpal-Kites: Made from the bones of bats and birds, Carpal-Kites are the second half of the Theive's network of spies. They drift above the Marsh on spectral winds, spying from above and reporting back on the movements of Trolls, Druids, and the skirmishes they engage in.
Appearing: 1
The Great Work
Roll once to determine the Ultimate Goal of the Bone Thieves' efforts in the Candlemarsh.
1 - The Crawling Tower: It drags itself along the ground on a tide of bone fingers and arms, tearing out bones from those in its way to build itself ever larger, the ultimate mobile fortress from which the Bone Theives will project their power, and become the Bone Tyrants.
2 - The Arachneoplasts: Spider like in the way that a spider is like a cancer, they reshape their bone bodies as they wish to better serve their master's goals. In theory, they can be grown from single pieces of bone, all the better to perfectly serve their masters; efficient in every way.
3 - Ivory Humonculi: Alchemy has many high goals, but this one is closer to Lichdom than Alchemy. Either way, these 'perfect' bodies would serve as endlessly recreatable existence for the new Bone Liches.
4 - The Spirit-Beacon: It would stand many stories tall, and drag all manner of spirits into it, utilising the great capacity of bone to store power. Like a lightning rod in the spirit world, the Bone Thieve's would have an endless
5 - The White God: No one has ever tried to create an entirely artificial god before, but once the great vessel is built, the power within need only be coaxed from a smattering of embers into a grand flame, brought to life to lead the Bone Prophets into a new age of grandeur and power.
6 - The Gate: In days of old, the Bone Thieves were called the Lords of Death, and strode the dark shores of the Other Side with impunity. The Bone Thieves would bring back those days.
Appearing: d3, 3 in 6 chance of being accompanied by d3 Scapula Knights if alone.
2 - Osseonauts: The last line of defence for the Thieves; the Osseonauts are ogre-sized colossuses of bone, armoured and armed with mighty, mace-like hands. There are two of them, one has a mighty spike of bone mounted on a piston-like apparatus on its back, the other has almost fingers made of spines on one of its bludgeons.
Appearing: 2, Unique
3 - Scapula Knights: Man-sized, they almost look like skeletons, only their bones are shaped into armoured plates, their joint's subtly reshaped, their limbs a little longer. They are the infantry of the Bone Thieves, and they wield sharpened scapulas like handaxes, reaving and stalking in the mists of the Marsh.
Appearing: 2d4
4 - Digit-Bugs: Smaller than your hand, because they are made of hand bones. Crawling around on finger-bone legs with shells formed from tiny, tiny hand bones, they stalk through the trees, almost invisible, spying through stolen eye-sockets for the Bone Thieves.
Appearing: d10
5 - Hanging Watchers: Built from the taken skulls of foes, they are nestled in the crooks of trees and in the long grasses, to spy on and scream for intruders.
Appearing: d4 clusters of d4 Watchers each.
6 - Osseinodons: They resemble elephants, or more properly mammoths. Their hollow bellies are the methods by which the Bone Thieves arrived in the marsh, and the way by which they will take all they have gathered when they leave. Thick-set limbs carry the great rib-cage hold, and even now they carry much in the way of cargo. They are not risked in combat, they carry something above value: the Thieve's cargo of bones.
Appearing: 3, Unique
7 - Spine-Pilots: Whirling octopuses of spines joined together at a central axis by a misshapen skull, these are the most insidious agents of the Bone Thieves. When they can, they claim a body, and slip inside it, tentacles first, which then spread through the body to animate like a suit of flesh. Sometimes they will even do it to living prey if they can.
Appearing: d3. Alternatively, 1 inside a Troll's body.
8 - Carpal-Kites: Made from the bones of bats and birds, Carpal-Kites are the second half of the Theive's network of spies. They drift above the Marsh on spectral winds, spying from above and reporting back on the movements of Trolls, Druids, and the skirmishes they engage in.
Appearing: 1
The Great Work
Roll once to determine the Ultimate Goal of the Bone Thieves' efforts in the Candlemarsh.
1 - The Crawling Tower: It drags itself along the ground on a tide of bone fingers and arms, tearing out bones from those in its way to build itself ever larger, the ultimate mobile fortress from which the Bone Theives will project their power, and become the Bone Tyrants.
2 - The Arachneoplasts: Spider like in the way that a spider is like a cancer, they reshape their bone bodies as they wish to better serve their master's goals. In theory, they can be grown from single pieces of bone, all the better to perfectly serve their masters; efficient in every way.
3 - Ivory Humonculi: Alchemy has many high goals, but this one is closer to Lichdom than Alchemy. Either way, these 'perfect' bodies would serve as endlessly recreatable existence for the new Bone Liches.
4 - The Spirit-Beacon: It would stand many stories tall, and drag all manner of spirits into it, utilising the great capacity of bone to store power. Like a lightning rod in the spirit world, the Bone Thieve's would have an endless
5 - The White God: No one has ever tried to create an entirely artificial god before, but once the great vessel is built, the power within need only be coaxed from a smattering of embers into a grand flame, brought to life to lead the Bone Prophets into a new age of grandeur and power.
6 - The Gate: In days of old, the Bone Thieves were called the Lords of Death, and strode the dark shores of the Other Side with impunity. The Bone Thieves would bring back those days.
Lamp-Taker
Somewhere in then Marsh is a house in a tall tree, once the home of a Druid Grove. Then one day, the Druids all died, and suddenly the Grove was lit by many, many lamps, and the House appeared soon after too. It is almost beautiful, lights of all kinds decorate the tree and the house, lamps, lanterns, candles, torches, braziers. Many hang from the tress around it too, and it glows with a soft, comforting gold. The way the grove has grown though, means that it is hard to see from within the Marsh, though it is quite obvious from above.
The Being called the Lamp-Taker is a relatively powerful spirit all things told, though not powerful enough to be self-assured of its safety. It appears as if a hunched old man, with long - slightly too long - limbs and a long thin face. It is dressed in thick furs, and many chains of prayer-beads, and its skin is a peculiar cold blue. From its back sprout long thin arm-things with which it carries lanterns. It is a curious thing, that believes that it is only potent in the light, and powerless and immaterial in the dark. This has lead it to its curious 'hunting' patterns.
It lurks in the House much of the time, cowering in the corners of windows to ensure nothing will harm it, and maintaining the lamps around its home with stores of stolen Troll-Wax. When its stores run low, it lurks the darkness of the Marsh like a cloud of mist, solidifying into its form when it approaches light, and stealing it. Many lanterns have been stolen off packs by this trickster-spirit, and stolen away to its glowing abode.
It wants nothing more than to be safe and lit as much as possible. It has pilfered many, many lamps, particularly from the Trolls, who believe that the God 'Neath the Marsh is angry at them, and is stealing their lights as a form of penance. Meanwhile, Lamp-Taker remains secret. The Druids know that something has moved into the ruins of the Old Grove, but they have never found Lamp-Taker, and they do not know that it was Lamp-Taker that killed all the Druids that lived here before.
If confronted, Lamp-Taker will never fight. It will hide in its house, and flee into the darkness and disappear before it can be found. It will reveal itself however, if its lights are threatened, or taken. It will beg for their lives, and prostrate itself at the feet of its opponent. It is merely watching though. When the moment is right, it will direct its flames to attend him, and they will dance around him in a swirling vortex-snake of flame. Thusly adorned, he will attack, directing the flames with his many lamp-limbs.
Perhaps it might be persuaded to part with its lanterns, or to leave the Marsh, or aid the party to some extent; if in return, it were given the whole store of the Troll's candles and wax...
The Spider Oracle
Deep in the Marsh; in the tall, hollow corpse of an ancient Spirit Tree, suspended above the ground, high, high up in the trees, there is a web; and in the Web, lurks the Oracle.
The Oracle is a huge and sable-black spider, eerily quiet despite its bulk, never moving quicker than it has to. It never descends from the web, content to hang above, casting its shadow upon its propitiates. Bones litter the ground around the base of the Tree's empty trunk, chewed clean. Many Druidic talismans litter it too; they despise the Oracle, but have never been able to slay it. Sunlight dapples the walls during the day, providing a dim gloom just bright enough to see in, just enough to discern the Oracle's nature.
When you enter and propitiate the Oracle, gently drifting silk strands will pull up a tangle of bones into a perverse marionette, who will speak to you for the Oracle, and explain then Oracle's terms:
- The Oracle will speak to you in exchange for corpses.
- The Oracle will speak to you only of what the corpse once knew in life.
- If you take bones from the Oracle's lair, you will die.
- If you leave bones in the Oracle's lair, they become the Oracles, and it in return, will give you a gift.
The Oracle cares nothing for the Politics of the Marsh, nor even the of the awakening of the God 'Neath the Murk. If it ever awakes, the Oracle will have plenty of warning, and will escape well in advance. It is bothered by the Druids ever so often, and would very much appreciate it if they could be persuaded, through one means or another, to leave it alone.
If attacked, the Oracle can scuttle away faster than you can probably kill it. It has AC 15 and 4 + 4 HD. It will not attack you, merely try to lose you in the Marshes, which it can handle far more easily than you can.
Imagine if a Tiger were playing a game of cards, and always had a sly grin, as if he knew exactly what you had in your hand each turn. This is how the Spider smiles and acts, though you can't see it, because of course, it is a Spider, who can't smile. It is also well dark inside the tree.
The Gifts of the Oracle:
At your discretion, the propitiate may choose the gift, or receive one at random.
1 - A Companion: A Spider who grants all benefits and acts as if a result of the find familiar spell.
2 - Spider's Eyes: The Oracle grants you spider's eyes, and you gain advantage on any save required to retain your sight, and can see in Darkness up to 60 feet perfectly.
3 - The Spider's Gentle Touch: Once per day, you may cast either spider climb or move without trace.
4 - A Silken Doll: It is but a mere doll of woven spider silk. It is strangely beautiful, if somewhat sticky. Accept it graciously. The Oracle took a long time to create it, with many errors along the way.
5 - A Spirit-Tree Twig Marionette: A Marionette created from the branches of the dead Spirit Tree. Druids would kill to posses it, as it may yet be used to regrow the Tree's Spirit. Otherwise, it is a curio, nothing more.
6 - A Pig-Sticker: Just a weapon a previous, and foolish, propitiate thought they could use to buy the Oracle's services. 2 in 6 chance of being minorly magical, otherwise it is merely a masterwork example of its kind.
7 - A Spider-Silk Mask: Put it on, and no-one will be able to remember you were ever there. Remove it, and it will tear to shreds and be destroyed. This much is explained upon the granting of the gift.
8 - A Philter of Liquid Sleep: A Small Chitin-husk vial holds a single dosage of the Oracle's venom. Any who ingest it are immediately taken into a dreamless sleep as if dead for d6 days.
9 - A Secret of the Marsh: You may ask a single question that requires but a single word to answer of the Oracle, and it will answer Truthfully.
10 - A Release from Life: The Oracle offers you a release from death, and rebirth as its kin. Results in death. Truthfulness of promise of rebirth up to DM interpretation. You need not take it. The Oracle does not mind either way.
The Swamp Vampires
The Manor of the line Le'Laudrain has lain empty and hollow for many generations now, the damp and creaking shell almost now totally disintegrated beneath the attentions of the Marsh.
The line Le'Laudrain remains however.
They are vampires of a sort, but the long decades in the Marsh have twisted them as much as it has twisted the manor. In their hey day, they were outed as blood-cultists, and almost all the line was burned alive and screaming, not even their bones were spared. Three escaped however, and they drank the last dregs of power from the weeping bones to become what they are now.
They are wretched and grey, clawed fingers and filed teeth, putrefaction and peeling skin from the damp. They have stained mouths from spilled blood, ragged holes blight their bodies, and their muscles bulge not just with flesh, but with pus. They are utterly degenerate in the worst senses of the word, and though they are feral and animalistic, they do still have a small measure of humanity left.
They sometimes sit around a bowed and bent dining table to butcher a person; sometimes they engage in delicate dances with corpses they rest against their chests, sometimes they even clean themselves. More often than not though, they are digging away desperately at the earth with their hands in the Manor's cemetery to find bones to chew on, or a last scrap of rotted flesh to gulp down.
One of them is bigger than the others, built more like an ape than a person now, and frightfully strong and tough. Another is ringed with strangely geometric runes written into its mottled skin, and magic flows through its veins, released only by instinct and chance. The last wears the marsh like a shroud, disappearing into the murk and then bursting forth in a spray of filth.
When they kill, they waste no time in setting upon it with tooth and claw to gulp down its juices and swallow great clumps of red and raw meat. They do however, waste a lot of time on doing it.
One last treasure remains however, though they no longer have the faculties to appreciate it.
The Last Gift of House Le'Laudrian
1 - The Divine Apparatus: A painting of Staggering Beauty and Unparalleled worth, hidden in an underground vault, the key of which was accidentally swallowed by one or other of the vampires.
2 - The Heart of the River: A uniquely shaped and colour sapphire, sits in the mud in one of the rooms of the manor. Sometimes one of the vampires uses it to brain animals.
3 - The Tome of Musings: One of the foundational texts of a school of philosophy, it now lies in a water-tight box, slowly slipping deeper into the mire.
4 - The Reliquary of Saint Hymnal: Too big to move, the Reliquary remains undisturbed for now, its holy light burning the flesh of the Vampires, who avoid it totally. Within is the whole arm of the saint, and the ring they once wore.
5 - The Sword of House Le'Laudrian: Though they have forgotten how to use it, the Vampires still respect this ancient blade, which has been reforged over the decades many times. History lies heavy upon it.
6 - The Ledger of House Le'Laudrian: Many old and long forgotten debts remain in this book, many secrets lurk in foot-notes too. It would be a powerful black-mail tool if it were ever recovered.
The line Le'Laudrain remains however.
They are vampires of a sort, but the long decades in the Marsh have twisted them as much as it has twisted the manor. In their hey day, they were outed as blood-cultists, and almost all the line was burned alive and screaming, not even their bones were spared. Three escaped however, and they drank the last dregs of power from the weeping bones to become what they are now.
They are wretched and grey, clawed fingers and filed teeth, putrefaction and peeling skin from the damp. They have stained mouths from spilled blood, ragged holes blight their bodies, and their muscles bulge not just with flesh, but with pus. They are utterly degenerate in the worst senses of the word, and though they are feral and animalistic, they do still have a small measure of humanity left.
They sometimes sit around a bowed and bent dining table to butcher a person; sometimes they engage in delicate dances with corpses they rest against their chests, sometimes they even clean themselves. More often than not though, they are digging away desperately at the earth with their hands in the Manor's cemetery to find bones to chew on, or a last scrap of rotted flesh to gulp down.
One of them is bigger than the others, built more like an ape than a person now, and frightfully strong and tough. Another is ringed with strangely geometric runes written into its mottled skin, and magic flows through its veins, released only by instinct and chance. The last wears the marsh like a shroud, disappearing into the murk and then bursting forth in a spray of filth.
When they kill, they waste no time in setting upon it with tooth and claw to gulp down its juices and swallow great clumps of red and raw meat. They do however, waste a lot of time on doing it.
One last treasure remains however, though they no longer have the faculties to appreciate it.
The Last Gift of House Le'Laudrian
1 - The Divine Apparatus: A painting of Staggering Beauty and Unparalleled worth, hidden in an underground vault, the key of which was accidentally swallowed by one or other of the vampires.
2 - The Heart of the River: A uniquely shaped and colour sapphire, sits in the mud in one of the rooms of the manor. Sometimes one of the vampires uses it to brain animals.
3 - The Tome of Musings: One of the foundational texts of a school of philosophy, it now lies in a water-tight box, slowly slipping deeper into the mire.
4 - The Reliquary of Saint Hymnal: Too big to move, the Reliquary remains undisturbed for now, its holy light burning the flesh of the Vampires, who avoid it totally. Within is the whole arm of the saint, and the ring they once wore.
5 - The Sword of House Le'Laudrian: Though they have forgotten how to use it, the Vampires still respect this ancient blade, which has been reforged over the decades many times. History lies heavy upon it.
6 - The Ledger of House Le'Laudrian: Many old and long forgotten debts remain in this book, many secrets lurk in foot-notes too. It would be a powerful black-mail tool if it were ever recovered.
Flicker-Flame Moths
They really don't actually do all that much. They are like many other moths, and are only really active at night, yet the Trolls fear them above many other things in the Marsh, due to the Moth's embodiment of their clearest vulnerability; flame.
They are like twinned candle-flames, sputtering their way through the murk, and though alone they are pathetic and small, in a group when riled up they become a catastrophic surge of flame that obliterates trees and scorches flesh to the bone. They are however, repulsed by the smell of burning flesh and meat, thus the Trolls have been able to ward them away from their main hunting grounds by festooning the marshes with Corpse-Fat candles.
They will also "eat" open flames that burn on wood or oil, any fuel really that isn't meaty. In doing so the original flame slowly gutters and dies, and new Flicker-Flame Moths are born in the death-smoke. Attended flames are only occasionally nibbled on, but unattended ones become veritable feasts for the Moths.
They are like twinned candle-flames, sputtering their way through the murk, and though alone they are pathetic and small, in a group when riled up they become a catastrophic surge of flame that obliterates trees and scorches flesh to the bone. They are however, repulsed by the smell of burning flesh and meat, thus the Trolls have been able to ward them away from their main hunting grounds by festooning the marshes with Corpse-Fat candles.
They will also "eat" open flames that burn on wood or oil, any fuel really that isn't meaty. In doing so the original flame slowly gutters and dies, and new Flicker-Flame Moths are born in the death-smoke. Attended flames are only occasionally nibbled on, but unattended ones become veritable feasts for the Moths.
Possible Origins of the Moths:
1 - Birthed by the Lamp-Taker from its lights as they die to keep the Trolls away.
2 - Minions of the Moth-King imbued with its light, to battle against the Trolls.
3 - An accidental creation of the Old Wizard before they left their tower behind.
4 - Embodiment's of the God 'Neath the Marsh's turbulent dreams.
5 - Born from the Corpse-Lights of the Bone-Thieves, and part of their plan to gather further materials for their great work.
6 - Some other origin of the DM's devising.
The Moth King's Court
Though beyond its boundaries, it is a beast of shadows and silence, in its home, it is bright and glorious.
It does not lair in the Candlemarsh, it merely walks the drifts of mist in the dark of the night, and follows the curves of the moon as it sails the dark. When the time for its prowling draws to an end, it returns to a secret place, where the split trunks of an ancient spirit-tree capture the light of the moon just right, and draw it onto the water of a cool and clear pool, alone in all the Candlemarsh. The Moth King arcs high above it, before drifting down gently, barely breaking the surface, and slipping back through into the Court of Butterflies.
No mortal can get there on its own power, except by the most potent of magics. It is a place of infinite and infinitely tall trees, lit with the soft golden light of the sun at dawn through the clouds. The Palace of the Moth King seems almost grown from the trees themselves, and is run all about with soft silks and drifts of almost, almost solid mist.
Here, he is not arrayed in his war-form. He is bright and clear, elegant and lordly, like his subjects. They are an endless see of beautifully arrayed insect-peoples, all clad in a dizzying riot of colour and shapes and swirls. During the day, he communes with his people, and their (somewhat mercurial) whims influence his hunts during the night.
They are also your way of maybe getting the Moth-King to help you, even if in a roundabout way.
Interacting with the Court
The Court of the Moth King is keenly aware of the situation in the Candlemarsh, and they seek to enforce their will through the might of the Moth King. To this end, they have set out 12 Declarations that enforce their ideas and decisions upon the Moth-King's deeds. These will only ever be revealed to those who visit the court.
Each day, the Moth-King convenes the court to allow the will of his people to be heard. Each day, 3 declarations are discussed, and changes to the Declarations are considered. So far, almost no changes to the Declarations have been approved. Some small Decisions have made it through, but no major changes in policy have been enacted. It will require outside intervention to make the court act.
Each day you are in Court, roll 3d12, these are the Declarations that are to be brought up for discussion. You may try to influence the proceedings if you wish. Through skill check or the producing of evidence, you might convince the court to replace one of the Declarations with another, though no Declaration may be brought up two times in a row.
At this time, also roll 2d20 to determine the Court's mood. These will make it more or less likely for the Court to accept or reject changes to Declarations. Duplicates are allowed here, it means the court feels particularly strongly one way for once.
Each night, there is a 1 in 3 chance that a Declaration change is suggested without the Party's intervention. Roll a d3 to determine which of the raised Declarations is being discussed, and determine a change that would inconvenience the party in some small way using the rules below. Such changes should not bring themselves a penalty of more than -1.
Once the Declarations have been chosen, they are up for discussion. You may suggest changes, and the court may sometimes raise options as well. Changes to the Declarations must be kept brief, must not change the topic of the Declaration, which are indicated by the bolded words in the declarations (i.e. Declaration 6 must always relate to the loot-rights of the Troll's treasure).
The following rules apply as well:
- New words can be introduced into Declarations, but every word past the first introduces a -1 penalty to the reaction roll.
- Words can be changed within Declarations (except bolded words), but every other word past the first changed introduces a -1 penalty to the reaction roll.
- Changes must result in grammatically correct sentences.
- Changes cannot result in paradoxical statements.
- If the party wish to introduce changes on more than one declaration, each one past the first brings a penalty of -1 to all reaction rolls for those changes.
When changes have been decided, they are brought up for debate within the Court. Here, a reaction roll determines whether the changes are brought on or not. Roll 2d6, and if the total is 9 or more, the change is adopted. The following rules apply to this roll:
- The party may use their evidence or skills or speeches to try and sway the court of the righteousness of their convictions, bring a bonus of +1 for each convincing example of the above brought forth.
- Using the same methods, the party may attempt to change the mood of the court, on a success they may re-roll one of the Moods of the court. On a failure, they gain a -1 penalty to all their proposed changes on that day.
- If the change aligns with one of the moods of the court, the roll is made on 3d6, taking the highest 2 of the dice.
- If the change opposes one of the moods of the court, the roll is made on 3d6, taking the lowest 2 of the dice.
- If a change aligns with one mood, but opposes the other, the roll is made on 2d6 as normal.
Each day the Party interacts with the court and brings up a change after the first change, roll a complication on the table below.
Declarations of the Court
1 - We do not concern ourselves with the well-being of the Druids, they are not ours to keep.
2 - We shall destroy every last Troll-Kin in the Marsh, eventually, none shall be spared.
3 - The Spider-Oracle shall be left alone, we do not need its guidance in this struggle.
4 - We shall strike when the Troll's least expect it, from the sky, surprise shall be our strength.
5 - We need no weapons or allies, we shall overcome our foes without the gratitude of lesser beings.
6 - We shall take away all the hoards of the Troll's treasures as our loot-rights, the spoils of war.
7 - We shall not concern ourselves with the God 'Neath the Marsh, the land will heal.
8 - The Bone-Thieves are our enemies, but we shall deal with more pressing concerns first.
9 - We shall recover the stolen lights of the Lamp-Taker in time, to light our homes.
10 - We shall allow the Candle-Golem to continue its rampage, it hurts the trolls more than us.
11 - We shall keep no watch on the Lynching-Tree, it is more than capable of looking after itself.
12 - We shall not investigate the Old Wizard's Lair, it is more trouble than it is worth.
Moods of the Court
1 - Lazy
2 - Kind
3 - Calm
4 - Mercurial
5 - War-like
6 - Diligent
7 - Peaceful
8 - Diligent
9 - Spiteful
10 - Riled
11 - Pragmatic
12 - Principled
13 - Indifferent
14 - Antagonistic
15 - Charitable
16 - Co-operative
17 - Tired
18 - Brooding
19 - Despondent
20 - Vibrant
Complications in Court
1 - A Butterfly-Noble has risen up to request the Party be expelled from Court!
2 - A Moth-Earl is furiously opposed to a change than the Party wants, giving their change a -2 penalty on the reaction roll, unless some sort of settlement can be reached.
3 - A Silk-Worm-Magnate desires that the Moth-King ceases his Night-time roamings for now. Treat this as change to a Declaration in terms of the resolution of the proposal. No other changes may be discussed tonight.
4 - A Caterpillar-Princeling challenges the Party to a Duel over their proposed alterations! If bested, the party must give up their changes, if they best the Prince, they enjoy the Mood of the court aligning with their changes, regardless of the current Mood.
5 - A Cocoon-Oracle issues a Declaration change that cannot be overwritten or over-ruled.
6 - The Moth-King himself shows his support or disdain for a change. Roll a die, if the result is even, the reaction roll for it is made on 3d6, keeping the highest two results, which overrides any results from the Mood of the court. If the result is od, the reaction roll for it is made on 3d6, keeping the lowest two results, which overrides any results from the Mood of the court.
They are also your way of maybe getting the Moth-King to help you, even if in a roundabout way.
Interacting with the Court
The Court of the Moth King is keenly aware of the situation in the Candlemarsh, and they seek to enforce their will through the might of the Moth King. To this end, they have set out 12 Declarations that enforce their ideas and decisions upon the Moth-King's deeds. These will only ever be revealed to those who visit the court.
Each day, the Moth-King convenes the court to allow the will of his people to be heard. Each day, 3 declarations are discussed, and changes to the Declarations are considered. So far, almost no changes to the Declarations have been approved. Some small Decisions have made it through, but no major changes in policy have been enacted. It will require outside intervention to make the court act.
Each day you are in Court, roll 3d12, these are the Declarations that are to be brought up for discussion. You may try to influence the proceedings if you wish. Through skill check or the producing of evidence, you might convince the court to replace one of the Declarations with another, though no Declaration may be brought up two times in a row.
At this time, also roll 2d20 to determine the Court's mood. These will make it more or less likely for the Court to accept or reject changes to Declarations. Duplicates are allowed here, it means the court feels particularly strongly one way for once.
Each night, there is a 1 in 3 chance that a Declaration change is suggested without the Party's intervention. Roll a d3 to determine which of the raised Declarations is being discussed, and determine a change that would inconvenience the party in some small way using the rules below. Such changes should not bring themselves a penalty of more than -1.
Once the Declarations have been chosen, they are up for discussion. You may suggest changes, and the court may sometimes raise options as well. Changes to the Declarations must be kept brief, must not change the topic of the Declaration, which are indicated by the bolded words in the declarations (i.e. Declaration 6 must always relate to the loot-rights of the Troll's treasure).
The following rules apply as well:
- New words can be introduced into Declarations, but every word past the first introduces a -1 penalty to the reaction roll.
- Words can be changed within Declarations (except bolded words), but every other word past the first changed introduces a -1 penalty to the reaction roll.
- Changes must result in grammatically correct sentences.
- Changes cannot result in paradoxical statements.
- If the party wish to introduce changes on more than one declaration, each one past the first brings a penalty of -1 to all reaction rolls for those changes.
When changes have been decided, they are brought up for debate within the Court. Here, a reaction roll determines whether the changes are brought on or not. Roll 2d6, and if the total is 9 or more, the change is adopted. The following rules apply to this roll:
- The party may use their evidence or skills or speeches to try and sway the court of the righteousness of their convictions, bring a bonus of +1 for each convincing example of the above brought forth.
- Using the same methods, the party may attempt to change the mood of the court, on a success they may re-roll one of the Moods of the court. On a failure, they gain a -1 penalty to all their proposed changes on that day.
- If the change aligns with one of the moods of the court, the roll is made on 3d6, taking the highest 2 of the dice.
- If the change opposes one of the moods of the court, the roll is made on 3d6, taking the lowest 2 of the dice.
- If a change aligns with one mood, but opposes the other, the roll is made on 2d6 as normal.
Each day the Party interacts with the court and brings up a change after the first change, roll a complication on the table below.
Declarations of the Court
1 - We do not concern ourselves with the well-being of the Druids, they are not ours to keep.
2 - We shall destroy every last Troll-Kin in the Marsh, eventually, none shall be spared.
3 - The Spider-Oracle shall be left alone, we do not need its guidance in this struggle.
4 - We shall strike when the Troll's least expect it, from the sky, surprise shall be our strength.
5 - We need no weapons or allies, we shall overcome our foes without the gratitude of lesser beings.
6 - We shall take away all the hoards of the Troll's treasures as our loot-rights, the spoils of war.
7 - We shall not concern ourselves with the God 'Neath the Marsh, the land will heal.
8 - The Bone-Thieves are our enemies, but we shall deal with more pressing concerns first.
9 - We shall recover the stolen lights of the Lamp-Taker in time, to light our homes.
10 - We shall allow the Candle-Golem to continue its rampage, it hurts the trolls more than us.
11 - We shall keep no watch on the Lynching-Tree, it is more than capable of looking after itself.
12 - We shall not investigate the Old Wizard's Lair, it is more trouble than it is worth.
Moods of the Court
1 - Lazy
2 - Kind
3 - Calm
4 - Mercurial
5 - War-like
6 - Diligent
7 - Peaceful
8 - Diligent
9 - Spiteful
10 - Riled
11 - Pragmatic
12 - Principled
13 - Indifferent
14 - Antagonistic
15 - Charitable
16 - Co-operative
17 - Tired
18 - Brooding
19 - Despondent
20 - Vibrant
Complications in Court
1 - A Butterfly-Noble has risen up to request the Party be expelled from Court!
2 - A Moth-Earl is furiously opposed to a change than the Party wants, giving their change a -2 penalty on the reaction roll, unless some sort of settlement can be reached.
3 - A Silk-Worm-Magnate desires that the Moth-King ceases his Night-time roamings for now. Treat this as change to a Declaration in terms of the resolution of the proposal. No other changes may be discussed tonight.
4 - A Caterpillar-Princeling challenges the Party to a Duel over their proposed alterations! If bested, the party must give up their changes, if they best the Prince, they enjoy the Mood of the court aligning with their changes, regardless of the current Mood.
5 - A Cocoon-Oracle issues a Declaration change that cannot be overwritten or over-ruled.
6 - The Moth-King himself shows his support or disdain for a change. Roll a die, if the result is even, the reaction roll for it is made on 3d6, keeping the highest two results, which overrides any results from the Mood of the court. If the result is od, the reaction roll for it is made on 3d6, keeping the lowest two results, which overrides any results from the Mood of the court.
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