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...
An amalgamy of unclean ideas and unshaped fuel. Burn it into your eyes that the electric pathways of your mind to settle in your head like worms to take root and overtake and flourish in fecund glory. Or maybe not. Its your call really. Also, go to Indexes on the right to get to stuff organised in a semi-logical way.
Showing posts with label Spirits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirits. Show all posts
Spirit-Guests of Master Katawa's Bath-House
This was a cute little project of mine once upon a time, a Ghibli-esque bath-house inhabited by many spirits of all shapes and sizes, consumed with either having a great time, or commiting acts of sabotage and intrigue against each other. It spiralled out of control somewhat, so here's the one part that is so-far complete; a guest list!
More to come, hopefully.
Guest Stats
There are 5 stats for guests.
Hit Die [HD] - A relative counter of how tough they are.
Number [No.] - A count of how many of them there are, in absolute number or dice.
Affiliated [Aff] - The chance in 6 of each guest knowing anything about another guest, the more it passes by, the more they know. Also the odds of knowing who you should talk to about a specific problem you might have.
Relation [Rel] - How friendly they might be with the party (to begin with at least).
Influence [Inf] - How much everyone else in the Bath-House will want to speak with them.
2 - The Dark Apostles
Soft and rounded in places, thin and curved in others, like they have been molded by great fingers. Large, haunted lantern-eyes. Dread adherents of the Void-God-Who-Is-Devoured
HD - 1 No. - 3d6 Aff - 2 Rel - 3 Inf - 1
Secret: If you propitiate them properly, they can eat someone totally and unacceptably. (No-one is truly safe from them, but by no means is the doom of particularly powerful beings guaranteed either.)
3 - The Flame-Bellied Djinn
An agent of Mechanus, the city of law and Djinni. His belly is a great barred furnace, smoke constantly pools in his mouth and ears, curls from his nose. Boistrous, laughs from the belly.
HD - 6 No. - Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 3 Inf - 2
5 - Reynardine, the Were-Fox
Seducer of women, seducer of men, seducer of trees and water features, seducer of... well just about everything. A bit of a foppish rake, but looks just fabulous without fail.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 4 Rel - 3 (5 for characters with 15+ cha) Inf - 2
11 - The Owl-Sages
Bedecked in fine robes and adorned with fine jewelry. Know much of the secret things of the world. They have many books they read at night that keep their secrets safe.
HD - 1 No. - 2d8 Aff - 3 Rel - 3 Inf - 3
Secret: They bought their knowledge from a Demon of the Moon, at a terrible cost that they have yet to pay.
12 - A Maniple of Centurion's Rose
Boistrous and unruly, they speak through pheromones and generally get up to little more than fighting and brawling. Easily coaxed into drinking competitions.
HD - 2 No. - 5d6 Aff - 1 Rel - 2 (4 if drunk) Inf - 1
More to come, hopefully.
Guests of the Bath-House
At any given time there are 2d4 dozen general patrons of the Bath-House going around their much-less-important business. For each dozen general patrons, there is an exceptional Guest, who are found on the list below.
Why are they here?
If you feel it appropriate, you could also roll the Guest an Ulterior Motive as well. Probably at least 2 or 3 Guests should have Ulterior Motives at any given visit.
1 - Just passing through, thought they would grab a drink
1 - Just passing through, thought they would grab a drink
2 - Having a meal in the Food-Court
3 - Come for a Bath and a Meal, a nice day out really
4 - A few days rest and relaxation
5 - Come to sort out a little business in a neutral area
6 - A deep cleanse (and they mean deep)
7 - None of your business!
8 - "Business"
Where are they currently?
These are general guidelines for determining location without context, they need not be proscriptive.
General Patrons (i.e. non-specific Guests) roll d4.
Guests with INF 1 roll d6.
Guests with INF 2 or 3 roll d8.
Guests with INF 4+ roll d10.
1 - Enjoying a nice Sake
2 - Enjoying a relaxing Bath
3 - Wandering the Gardens
4 - Receiving a Deep Cleanse
5 - Sleeping the Sake off in a Pod
6 - Having a meal in the Food Court
7 - Speaking with the Complaints Statue
8 - Engaging in business in one of the Meeting Rooms
9 - Sorting out a discrepancy with Administrator Goro
10 - Talking with Katawa himself!
*Sidebar - Ulterior Motives*
Where are they currently?
These are general guidelines for determining location without context, they need not be proscriptive.
General Patrons (i.e. non-specific Guests) roll d4.
Guests with INF 1 roll d6.
Guests with INF 2 or 3 roll d8.
Guests with INF 4+ roll d10.
1 - Enjoying a nice Sake
2 - Enjoying a relaxing Bath
3 - Wandering the Gardens
4 - Receiving a Deep Cleanse
5 - Sleeping the Sake off in a Pod
6 - Having a meal in the Food Court
7 - Speaking with the Complaints Statue
8 - Engaging in business in one of the Meeting Rooms
9 - Sorting out a discrepancy with Administrator Goro
10 - Talking with Katawa himself!
*Sidebar - Ulterior Motives*
Ulterior Motives
1 - To steal from another guest.
2 - To discover the truth of the Bath-House's heating.
3 - To break into Katawa's office and read a document.
4 - To rob Administrator Goro's safe.
5 - To learn another Guest's secret.
6 - To break up talks between two other Guests.
7 - To ruin another Guest's reputation.
8 - To hunt down a Guest who knows their secret.
9 - To hunt down Katawa and have a stern word with him.
10 - To find the Complaints Statue's records.
*Siderbar ends*
2 - To discover the truth of the Bath-House's heating.
3 - To break into Katawa's office and read a document.
4 - To rob Administrator Goro's safe.
5 - To learn another Guest's secret.
6 - To break up talks between two other Guests.
7 - To ruin another Guest's reputation.
8 - To hunt down a Guest who knows their secret.
9 - To hunt down Katawa and have a stern word with him.
10 - To find the Complaints Statue's records.
*Siderbar ends*
Guest Stats
There are 5 stats for guests.
Hit Die [HD] - A relative counter of how tough they are.
Number [No.] - A count of how many of them there are, in absolute number or dice.
Affiliated [Aff] - The chance in 6 of each guest knowing anything about another guest, the more it passes by, the more they know. Also the odds of knowing who you should talk to about a specific problem you might have.
Relation [Rel] - How friendly they might be with the party (to begin with at least).
Influence [Inf] - How much everyone else in the Bath-House will want to speak with them.
Guest List
1 - The Mantis Ambassadors
Long, thin, elegant. Soft of speech, harsh of word. Straight to the point. Superior, but are too polite to admit it. They speak for the Insect Queendoms.
HD - 3 No. - 2d4 Aff - 4 Rel - 3 Inf - 4
Secret: Plotting a war to elevate Queen Chitin to Arch-Fae status.
Long, thin, elegant. Soft of speech, harsh of word. Straight to the point. Superior, but are too polite to admit it. They speak for the Insect Queendoms.
HD - 3 No. - 2d4 Aff - 4 Rel - 3 Inf - 4
Secret: Plotting a war to elevate Queen Chitin to Arch-Fae status.
2 - The Dark Apostles
Soft and rounded in places, thin and curved in others, like they have been molded by great fingers. Large, haunted lantern-eyes. Dread adherents of the Void-God-Who-Is-Devoured
HD - 1 No. - 3d6 Aff - 2 Rel - 3 Inf - 1
Secret: If you propitiate them properly, they can eat someone totally and unacceptably. (No-one is truly safe from them, but by no means is the doom of particularly powerful beings guaranteed either.)
3 - The Flame-Bellied Djinn
An agent of Mechanus, the city of law and Djinni. His belly is a great barred furnace, smoke constantly pools in his mouth and ears, curls from his nose. Boistrous, laughs from the belly.
HD - 6 No. - Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 3 Inf - 2
Secret: Spying on the other realms to assess if any are approaching Mechanus' technological level.
4 - Grande Toade
A huge, boil-covered toad. Long fu-manchu style moustache, great bushy eye-brows like feathers. Apparently some sort of royalty, or perhaps semi-divinity. Uncertain. Never elaborates.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 3
Secret: Grande Toade is a manifestation of the True God of all Amphibians, who dwells partially beneath the lake the Bath-House sits upon.
4 - Grande Toade
A huge, boil-covered toad. Long fu-manchu style moustache, great bushy eye-brows like feathers. Apparently some sort of royalty, or perhaps semi-divinity. Uncertain. Never elaborates.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 3
Secret: Grande Toade is a manifestation of the True God of all Amphibians, who dwells partially beneath the lake the Bath-House sits upon.
5 - Reynardine, the Were-Fox
Seducer of women, seducer of men, seducer of trees and water features, seducer of... well just about everything. A bit of a foppish rake, but looks just fabulous without fail.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 4 Rel - 3 (5 for characters with 15+ cha) Inf - 2
Secret: When a 1 is rolled on an Affiliation roll for another guest, Reynardine has had a secret dalliance with someone close to the guest.
6 - A Squadron of Locust Knights
Members of the warrior caste of Sahandralar, the great democracy. On some sort of quest, but they've been on so many damn quests no one cares any more. Boistrous, but honourable.
HD - 3 (and 1 captain of 5) No. - 3d6 Aff - 2 Rel - 5 Inf - 2
6 - A Squadron of Locust Knights
Members of the warrior caste of Sahandralar, the great democracy. On some sort of quest, but they've been on so many damn quests no one cares any more. Boistrous, but honourable.
HD - 3 (and 1 captain of 5) No. - 3d6 Aff - 2 Rel - 5 Inf - 2
Secret: They are exiles from Sahandralar, and cannot return until their great deeds outweight their hidden shame.
7 - Mogirus, the Bear
He's a big bear. Smart enough to come in every so often for some fish and a wander, but otherwise, just a bear. Despite this, all the other guests are convinced there is something more to him.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 0 Rel - 3 Inf - 2
7 - Mogirus, the Bear
He's a big bear. Smart enough to come in every so often for some fish and a wander, but otherwise, just a bear. Despite this, all the other guests are convinced there is something more to him.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 0 Rel - 3 Inf - 2
Secret: Is literally just a bear, there is nothing special about him.
8 - The Sturgeon Scholars
The most pre-eminent scholars from the Benthic Colleges, with doctorates in all manner of subjects and passing interests in everything left over. As far as they know at least. Snooty. Intolerable.
HD - 1 No. - 2d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 2 Inf - 3
8 - The Sturgeon Scholars
The most pre-eminent scholars from the Benthic Colleges, with doctorates in all manner of subjects and passing interests in everything left over. As far as they know at least. Snooty. Intolerable.
HD - 1 No. - 2d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 2 Inf - 3
Secret: Stole much of their original research from a rival school, who they bully into silence.
9 - The Beetle Brethren
Adherents of the Holy Order of Mistress Moth. Thick, hempen robes and swinging fire-fly censers. Speak only in chittering, though they can speak human perfectly well. Just want to be left alone.
HD - 1 No. - 3d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 1 Inf - 1
9 - The Beetle Brethren
Adherents of the Holy Order of Mistress Moth. Thick, hempen robes and swinging fire-fly censers. Speak only in chittering, though they can speak human perfectly well. Just want to be left alone.
HD - 1 No. - 3d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 1 Inf - 1
Secret: Mistress Moth is dead, and they have killed her; they feasted on her semi-divine flesh.
10 - The Many-Armed Scroll-Keeper
How many arms does he have? Many. How many scrolls does he have? Many. How many long centuries has he kept to his sacred task? Many. How many more questions will he have to answer before you get he picture and bugger off? ... (sigh) Many.
HD - 2 No. - Unique Aff - 1 Rel - 2 Inf - 2
Secret: He keeps all the secret knowledge he collects, he does not burn it like he says he does.
10 - The Many-Armed Scroll-Keeper
How many arms does he have? Many. How many scrolls does he have? Many. How many long centuries has he kept to his sacred task? Many. How many more questions will he have to answer before you get he picture and bugger off? ... (sigh) Many.
HD - 2 No. - Unique Aff - 1 Rel - 2 Inf - 2
Secret: He keeps all the secret knowledge he collects, he does not burn it like he says he does.
11 - The Owl-Sages
Bedecked in fine robes and adorned with fine jewelry. Know much of the secret things of the world. They have many books they read at night that keep their secrets safe.
HD - 1 No. - 2d8 Aff - 3 Rel - 3 Inf - 3
Secret: They bought their knowledge from a Demon of the Moon, at a terrible cost that they have yet to pay.
12 - A Maniple of Centurion's Rose
Boistrous and unruly, they speak through pheromones and generally get up to little more than fighting and brawling. Easily coaxed into drinking competitions.
HD - 2 No. - 5d6 Aff - 1 Rel - 2 (4 if drunk) Inf - 1
Secret: They bear a magic book which contains a number of rituals for opening Secret Roads of magic. They use it as a seat for the Rose-Captain.
13 - A Random Hag
Even hateful demon-women of the woods need to pop in for a deep-cleanse and a few tots of sake every so often. Be reasonable please.
HD - 3+ No. - 1 Aff - d4 Rel - d4 Inf - d4
13 - A Random Hag
Even hateful demon-women of the woods need to pop in for a deep-cleanse and a few tots of sake every so often. Be reasonable please.
HD - 3+ No. - 1 Aff - d4 Rel - d4 Inf - d4
Secret: Depends on the Hag, usually is a magical power, with a terrible cost.
14 - The Prince of Bats
Long eared, wet-nosed, sniveling, squeaky voice. Much maligned, but put up with due to his powerful connections. Exceedingly nocturnal, and very nosy.
HD - 6 No. - Unique + 2d4 Bat-folk attendants Aff - 4 Rel - 1 Inf - 4
14 - The Prince of Bats
Long eared, wet-nosed, sniveling, squeaky voice. Much maligned, but put up with due to his powerful connections. Exceedingly nocturnal, and very nosy.
HD - 6 No. - Unique + 2d4 Bat-folk attendants Aff - 4 Rel - 1 Inf - 4
Secret: Plots to kill his father and become The Dread King of Night.
15 - Long-Ears and Long-Whiskers
Human in shape, yet animal in aspect, and a powerful spirit of the woodland in nature. They clad themselves in a human form to better facilitate negotiation about the well-being of the forest in which it lives.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 1 (but pretends it 4) Inf - 3
15 - Long-Ears and Long-Whiskers
Human in shape, yet animal in aspect, and a powerful spirit of the woodland in nature. They clad themselves in a human form to better facilitate negotiation about the well-being of the forest in which it lives.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 1 (but pretends it 4) Inf - 3
Secret: Secretly despises "civilised" cultures, but will never let you know it. Dreams of putting them back in their place.
16 - A Dryad Bacchinalia
The best party you've ever been to, the worst hangover you've ever had. Some of its tame, some of it is jaw-droppingly decadent and depraved. Not good at tidying up.
HD - Between 1 and 3 No. - 10d10 Aff - 1 (with a +1 for each party the Guest has attended with the Dryads, if in doubt, roll d4) Rel - 3 (6 when drunk) Inf - 2 (6 if they're out for a party)
16 - A Dryad Bacchinalia
The best party you've ever been to, the worst hangover you've ever had. Some of its tame, some of it is jaw-droppingly decadent and depraved. Not good at tidying up.
HD - Between 1 and 3 No. - 10d10 Aff - 1 (with a +1 for each party the Guest has attended with the Dryads, if in doubt, roll d4) Rel - 3 (6 when drunk) Inf - 2 (6 if they're out for a party)
Secret: They stole all their membership from village orphans and changed them into the psuedo-spirits they are now.
17 - The Rat-Nobles
Refined, cultured, well-groomed. Always out on some kind of urgent (but never too urgent) business, always far too busy to talk to you (but never busy enough to rush).
HD - 2 No. - 3d4 Aff - 4 Rel - 1 Inf - 4
17 - The Rat-Nobles
Refined, cultured, well-groomed. Always out on some kind of urgent (but never too urgent) business, always far too busy to talk to you (but never busy enough to rush).
HD - 2 No. - 3d4 Aff - 4 Rel - 1 Inf - 4
Secret: They pray that no one ever finds out that really, they aren't all that important, all that rich, all that cultured. They pour their hearts into the deceit.
18 - The Brewer Dogs
Punks in leather jackets, festooned with silver spikes, make a killer pale ale. Out for a good time, and hoping to bump into a great business opportunity while they're at it.
HD - 1 No. - 3d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 4 Inf - 2
18 - The Brewer Dogs
Punks in leather jackets, festooned with silver spikes, make a killer pale ale. Out for a good time, and hoping to bump into a great business opportunity while they're at it.
HD - 1 No. - 3d4 Aff - 3 Rel - 4 Inf - 2
Secret: There is only a limited supply of their precious ale. They don't know how to make more. They dread the day it runs out.
19 - A Bone Scrivener
Something like a cross between an owl and a centipede that wears heavy cloaks so that you are never quite sure what it really is. An oracle whose preferred medium should be obvious, the older the better.
HD - 3 No. - 1 Aff - 5 (but the costs are always high) Rel - 3 Inf - 3
19 - A Bone Scrivener
Something like a cross between an owl and a centipede that wears heavy cloaks so that you are never quite sure what it really is. An oracle whose preferred medium should be obvious, the older the better.
HD - 3 No. - 1 Aff - 5 (but the costs are always high) Rel - 3 Inf - 3
Secret: The price it paid for its powers were its family's lives. The guilt wracks it terribly.
20 - Carved-From-Stone, the Giant
Barely fits within then Bath-House, has to bathe in the hot springs beneath, makes the whole place smell slightly when he does, is not well liked for that reason.
HD - 8 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 1
20 - Carved-From-Stone, the Giant
Barely fits within then Bath-House, has to bathe in the hot springs beneath, makes the whole place smell slightly when he does, is not well liked for that reason.
HD - 8 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 1
Secret: He is a cousin of the Spirits of the Hot-Springs, which is the only reason Katawa still allows him to come to the Bath-House.
21 - Big-Headed Carlos
His head is far too big for his small, stupid body. He is not stupid, though everyone assumes he is. He knows far more than he lets on with his stupid, gormless face.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 4 Rel - 3 Inf - 1
21 - Big-Headed Carlos
His head is far too big for his small, stupid body. He is not stupid, though everyone assumes he is. He knows far more than he lets on with his stupid, gormless face.
HD - 3 No. - Unique Aff - 4 Rel - 3 Inf - 1
Secret: None, but when he is affiliated with another Guest, he knows their secret too, and looks out for any chance to leverage it for his own gain whilst also maintaining his charade.
22 - Many-Legged Karthus
He is a spider, who is also a man. Somehow, try not to think about it too much, dear morsal, you get all tough and stringy when you get stressed. Long thin grins, like, all the time.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 3 (5 for delicious looking PCs) Inf - 2
22 - Many-Legged Karthus
He is a spider, who is also a man. Somehow, try not to think about it too much, dear morsal, you get all tough and stringy when you get stressed. Long thin grins, like, all the time.
HD - 4 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 3 (5 for delicious looking PCs) Inf - 2
Secret: He is terribly lonely, and wishes only to find a mate.
23 - Rot-Grub the Stinky
Bloated body, buzzing wings, wrist-rubbing, wheezy voice. A consummate sycophant, and totally oblivious to the fact that everyone hates him. Never realises that some of the things he's heard are actually quite important...
HD - 2 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 4 Inf - 1
23 - Rot-Grub the Stinky
Bloated body, buzzing wings, wrist-rubbing, wheezy voice. A consummate sycophant, and totally oblivious to the fact that everyone hates him. Never realises that some of the things he's heard are actually quite important...
HD - 2 No. - Unique Aff - 2 Rel - 4 Inf - 1
Secret: None, but when he is affiliated with another Guest, he knows their secret too, but doesn't know that its important.
24 - Stone-Antlers and his Family
A great elk with flinty protrudences, he is haughty and proud. Disinclined to conversation, but can easily be coaxed into opportunities to show off his powerful physicality. Family are quiet and subservient to the overbearing father. They wish to be rid of him.
HD - 4 (1 for family members) No. - Unique +2d3 family members Aff - 4 Rel - 1 (3 for the family) Inf - 3
24 - Stone-Antlers and his Family
A great elk with flinty protrudences, he is haughty and proud. Disinclined to conversation, but can easily be coaxed into opportunities to show off his powerful physicality. Family are quiet and subservient to the overbearing father. They wish to be rid of him.
HD - 4 (1 for family members) No. - Unique +2d3 family members Aff - 4 Rel - 1 (3 for the family) Inf - 3
Secret: Stone-Antlers is quite unaware of all the enemies he has accumulated, and his family would eagerly sell him out to any one of them.
25 - A Gaggle of Goblins
Immature, inept, inexplicable. They cause trouble wherever they go, and by their gobliney nature, they spontaneously generate more of them from the dark and damp corners.
HD - 0 No. - d6d6 (d6 more appear each day) Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 1
25 - A Gaggle of Goblins
Immature, inept, inexplicable. They cause trouble wherever they go, and by their gobliney nature, they spontaneously generate more of them from the dark and damp corners.
HD - 0 No. - d6d6 (d6 more appear each day) Aff - 2 Rel - 2 Inf - 1
Secret: None as such, but if more than 100 goblins are ever present in the Bath-House at one time, the entire place will just become utterly infested, and it will resemble a battle-ground more than a recreational establishment.
26 - The Kindly Ferret Maidens
Just absolute sweethearts is clean white dresses. Virtuous to a fault. Courteous to the extreme. Everyone loves them, no-one has any reason to dislike them at all. Often go around the Bath-House handing out small plates of cookies. Delicious cookies.
HD - 3 No. - 2d6 Aff - 4 Rel - 2 Inf - 4
26 - The Kindly Ferret Maidens
Just absolute sweethearts is clean white dresses. Virtuous to a fault. Courteous to the extreme. Everyone loves them, no-one has any reason to dislike them at all. Often go around the Bath-House handing out small plates of cookies. Delicious cookies.
HD - 3 No. - 2d6 Aff - 4 Rel - 2 Inf - 4
Secret: Actually deadly assassins. Very rarely are they here on business.
27 - The White Bride and the Black Widow
Two who seem similar in look, but are altogether opposites. One is delighted, one is devastated. Its not often that your expectations align with the reality. Perpetually awaiting their big days, supposedly related to some incredibly important people, but no-one can ever agree on who.
HD - 1 No. - 2, Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 4 for the Widow, 2 for the Bride Inf - 4
27 - The White Bride and the Black Widow
Two who seem similar in look, but are altogether opposites. One is delighted, one is devastated. Its not often that your expectations align with the reality. Perpetually awaiting their big days, supposedly related to some incredibly important people, but no-one can ever agree on who.
HD - 1 No. - 2, Unique Aff - 3 Rel - 4 for the Widow, 2 for the Bride Inf - 4
Secret: The Bride killed the Widow's husband, which put in her current predicament.
28 - Songbird the Beautiful
Wears her wings like robes and her feathers like jewelry, her song is exquisite, he laughter like sunshine. Everyone knows she's a spy, but she's just so charismatic that they don't care. She's never here to spy on them after all, she told them herself!
HD - 6 No. - Unique Aff - 6 (though you'd never bother a lady about her work would you?) Rel - 4 Inf - 6
28 - Songbird the Beautiful
Wears her wings like robes and her feathers like jewelry, her song is exquisite, he laughter like sunshine. Everyone knows she's a spy, but she's just so charismatic that they don't care. She's never here to spy on them after all, she told them herself!
HD - 6 No. - Unique Aff - 6 (though you'd never bother a lady about her work would you?) Rel - 4 Inf - 6
Secret: Its always a secret just who it is that she really is here to spy on.
29 - THE BULL
THE BULL IS BIG. THE BULL IS MEAN. THE BULL WILL TOLERATE NO WEAKNESS. THE BULL WILL TOLERATE NO WEASEL WORDS. THE BULL IS TRUE! THE BULL DECLARES IT SO!
HD - 6 No. - Unique + d6 Minotaur attendants Aff - 3 Rel - 2 (5 for tough types) Inf - 2
29 - THE BULL
THE BULL IS BIG. THE BULL IS MEAN. THE BULL WILL TOLERATE NO WEAKNESS. THE BULL WILL TOLERATE NO WEASEL WORDS. THE BULL IS TRUE! THE BULL DECLARES IT SO!
HD - 6 No. - Unique + d6 Minotaur attendants Aff - 3 Rel - 2 (5 for tough types) Inf - 2
Secret: THE BULL is slowly dying, his invincibility wears thin.
30 - A Visiting Fae Lord
30 - A Visiting Fae Lord
Roll on your favourite table for Fae Lords!
HD - Lots No. - Unique (usually) Aff - 6 Rel - d6 Inf - 6
Secret: Depends on the Fae Lord
HD - Lots No. - Unique (usually) Aff - 6 Rel - d6 Inf - 6
Secret: Depends on the Fae Lord
Tazima and the Thin Forest
South across the Middle Sea is the great city of Tazima, land of the the Long River, guarded by the Thin Forest.
Approaching from the sea, with the south-westerly wind in your sails, from far off you will first see the great Lamp-Fires atop their tall monoliths, and as you approach, the many faces of their many gods will watch over your ship as it comes in to port. Here, the river is a great delta, and many farms grow rice and crops of all kinds in the shallow mud. You sail up the deepest channels at the certain times of day to stop yourself from being grounded. Not far ahead are the 7 great pyramids that make up the city of Tazima.
They are arranged in a ring formation, six ziggurats surrounding a central seventh. The outer ziggurats have four steps, but the centre one has five, and they are all always topped with pillars of smoke, visible even from far off.
They sacrifice men to give the Dying God of the River more time.
The city of Tazima recognises many gods, but they revere (and equally fear) three in particular.
- The Dying God, whose blood is the river (which is named for them). They dwell far off to the south in a prison of mountains.
- Jaguar, who governs the jungle while the sun shines, and is noble, proud, and fierce.
- Panther, who rules the jungle while the sun is gone, and is secretive, cunning, and really quite personable.
Much of life in Tazima is focused on placating the three gods of their microcosm.
The hearts and bloods of their honoured warriors are cut out and drained and stored. Each year, when the river is at its weakest, the boats are set up-river to deliver a cargo of blood to the mountains. They never return, but the river floods again next year, so the cycle continues.
The bodies are left to the jungle to be eaten by Jaguar, Panther, and their courts. It is assumed that they do not mind that the hearts and bloods are missing, since their forest relies on the river just as much as Tazima does.
Almost all the other bodies are given to the river.
A tiny few are given to the desert beyond the far edge of the jungle.
Everyone in Tazima dreads the desert. Hungry spirits who wear the skins of jackals and the wings of vultures dwell in those spectre-haunted dunes.
But beyond that, the Desert represents a more existential terror. The Dry Wastes are eternal stasis; death in the jungle or the sea is rebirth, a return to the eco-system; death in the Desert is an endless non-life, relegated to a swirl of dust on the wind.
The Jungle is another world altogether.
A mad riot of life and vibrancy, continual death and renewal, ruled by twin-kings, haunted by mysterious spirits. All kinds of tales are told by the hunters who salvage meat from the fringes; howling spirits who dangle from the trees, snakes who can grow big enough to swallow trees (though they die and leave behind a great skeleton in the process) and insects who speak with the voices of dead-men.
The strangest sights are seen most commonly not deeper into the jungle, for it is a thin place, but further up-river, where even the men are strange, and the earth itself rebels beneath your feet.
In general, as long as one is courteous, and brings the proper gifts, your safety is usually assured. It takes a bold beast indeed to go against the guest-rites of the jungle, but it has been known to happen.
Within the city itself however, life is a competition, in almost every aspect.
Each of the seven Ziggurats is something of a mini-city within the greater whole; each is governed by a Great Family whose primary concerns are spiritual, followed by political.
Each tries to out do the others to raise the most sacrifices each year for the annual offerings; leading to inter-city raids, war-parties sailing out into the Middle Sea to raid nearby cities, and even up-river slaver-bands to steal people from the yet-more mysterious cities close to the Dying god.
Of course, only the most honoured warriors and leaders are worthy sacrifices for the offerings, luckily for the commoners of Tazima.
Plot Hooks in Tazima:
1 - The annual offering is due to leave when the river hits its lowest in 2d4 days. One of the great families would rather like some honourless mercenaries to head on over and steal a few hearts for their ships instead...
2 - This year, one of the Great Houses is rather inclined to have their ships returned to them after making their offering. They are looking for capable warriors to guard the ships.
3 - One of the Princes of the city has been kidnapped and left to die in the desert. Someone who isn't totally terrified of the sand needs to go out and rescue him.
4 - A spirit of the Jungle came back into the city with a hunting party, impersonating a warrior. Someone needs to find it before it causes any problems.
5 - A great spirit-king of the jungle has captured a group of hunters, with a voice like howling wind and fur like fire. The Great Families would really like their honoured warriors back, regardless of the whims of the Spirit.
6 - A classic; one of the heads of the Great Families is really too good at his job. For the sake of the whole city, they need to die.
7 - A rather large spirit in the guise of a crocodile has taken one of the inter-pyramidal bridges as its new lounging spot, and is apparently asking the populace to pay a toll of either a tooth, a chicken, or a riddle. Deal with it before it gets out of hand or really hungry.
8 - A spirit of the forest has been stealing the hearts of hunters in their sleep, it is unknown how it is accomplishing this.
Approaching from the sea, with the south-westerly wind in your sails, from far off you will first see the great Lamp-Fires atop their tall monoliths, and as you approach, the many faces of their many gods will watch over your ship as it comes in to port. Here, the river is a great delta, and many farms grow rice and crops of all kinds in the shallow mud. You sail up the deepest channels at the certain times of day to stop yourself from being grounded. Not far ahead are the 7 great pyramids that make up the city of Tazima.
They are arranged in a ring formation, six ziggurats surrounding a central seventh. The outer ziggurats have four steps, but the centre one has five, and they are all always topped with pillars of smoke, visible even from far off.
They sacrifice men to give the Dying God of the River more time.
The city of Tazima recognises many gods, but they revere (and equally fear) three in particular.
- The Dying God, whose blood is the river (which is named for them). They dwell far off to the south in a prison of mountains.
- Jaguar, who governs the jungle while the sun shines, and is noble, proud, and fierce.
- Panther, who rules the jungle while the sun is gone, and is secretive, cunning, and really quite personable.
Much of life in Tazima is focused on placating the three gods of their microcosm.
The hearts and bloods of their honoured warriors are cut out and drained and stored. Each year, when the river is at its weakest, the boats are set up-river to deliver a cargo of blood to the mountains. They never return, but the river floods again next year, so the cycle continues.
The bodies are left to the jungle to be eaten by Jaguar, Panther, and their courts. It is assumed that they do not mind that the hearts and bloods are missing, since their forest relies on the river just as much as Tazima does.
Almost all the other bodies are given to the river.
A tiny few are given to the desert beyond the far edge of the jungle.
Everyone in Tazima dreads the desert. Hungry spirits who wear the skins of jackals and the wings of vultures dwell in those spectre-haunted dunes.
But beyond that, the Desert represents a more existential terror. The Dry Wastes are eternal stasis; death in the jungle or the sea is rebirth, a return to the eco-system; death in the Desert is an endless non-life, relegated to a swirl of dust on the wind.
The Jungle is another world altogether.
A mad riot of life and vibrancy, continual death and renewal, ruled by twin-kings, haunted by mysterious spirits. All kinds of tales are told by the hunters who salvage meat from the fringes; howling spirits who dangle from the trees, snakes who can grow big enough to swallow trees (though they die and leave behind a great skeleton in the process) and insects who speak with the voices of dead-men.
The strangest sights are seen most commonly not deeper into the jungle, for it is a thin place, but further up-river, where even the men are strange, and the earth itself rebels beneath your feet.
In general, as long as one is courteous, and brings the proper gifts, your safety is usually assured. It takes a bold beast indeed to go against the guest-rites of the jungle, but it has been known to happen.
Within the city itself however, life is a competition, in almost every aspect.
Each of the seven Ziggurats is something of a mini-city within the greater whole; each is governed by a Great Family whose primary concerns are spiritual, followed by political.
Each tries to out do the others to raise the most sacrifices each year for the annual offerings; leading to inter-city raids, war-parties sailing out into the Middle Sea to raid nearby cities, and even up-river slaver-bands to steal people from the yet-more mysterious cities close to the Dying god.
Of course, only the most honoured warriors and leaders are worthy sacrifices for the offerings, luckily for the commoners of Tazima.
Plot Hooks in Tazima:
1 - The annual offering is due to leave when the river hits its lowest in 2d4 days. One of the great families would rather like some honourless mercenaries to head on over and steal a few hearts for their ships instead...
2 - This year, one of the Great Houses is rather inclined to have their ships returned to them after making their offering. They are looking for capable warriors to guard the ships.
3 - One of the Princes of the city has been kidnapped and left to die in the desert. Someone who isn't totally terrified of the sand needs to go out and rescue him.
4 - A spirit of the Jungle came back into the city with a hunting party, impersonating a warrior. Someone needs to find it before it causes any problems.
5 - A great spirit-king of the jungle has captured a group of hunters, with a voice like howling wind and fur like fire. The Great Families would really like their honoured warriors back, regardless of the whims of the Spirit.
6 - A classic; one of the heads of the Great Families is really too good at his job. For the sake of the whole city, they need to die.
7 - A rather large spirit in the guise of a crocodile has taken one of the inter-pyramidal bridges as its new lounging spot, and is apparently asking the populace to pay a toll of either a tooth, a chicken, or a riddle. Deal with it before it gets out of hand or really hungry.
8 - A spirit of the forest has been stealing the hearts of hunters in their sleep, it is unknown how it is accomplishing this.
An Overview of Magic
Beginning Brain-Wiggles
I have discovered that, in my world, the magic number is three. This is only partly because there was a kick-ass Dark Crystal Art Book with all kinds of law stating that three was the most stable number, and was thus the number of magic (with other, forbidden numbers too). The rest of the reason is total coincidence.
Magic Itself
There are three main "classes" of magic, in as much as mortal minds can comprehend. The higher beings such as angels, seem to enjoy magic of their own which does not fit with this system. It is however, useful to bend the simple geometry of the human mind around and against such mystical forces.
1 - Hedge Magic
The simplest kind, which most anyone can master, given time, knowledge, and resources. The magic for the most part is bound in the objects, though bond is a very loose and mostly incorrect way to put it. It is the passive magic of things; the way the deck of cards can be used to predict the future, the way that a bowl of water can reveal visions; how, with the right chalk marks, a mirror can hold things inside its reflections.
2 - Theurgy
The classical magic, where words and spells summon powerful effects and rain destruction down from on high! Difficult to learn, even for those that devote themselves to it. Works pretty much like in regular DnD, probably only wizards can learn this kind of magic easily (but that's a discussion for another day).
3 - Arcana
This is deep wizard knowledge man. This is where the whole "sufficiently advanced..." and "appears to be magic," stuff kicks in. This is where being able to enter into contracts with outer-powers comes in, where you can find the ways to the Undying Lands of the Fae, where you can discern the routes to eternal life. Its magic to everyone else, to the sufficiently learned, its just elementary.
Magic Items
Similarly, there are three kinds of magic item, which roughly sort of map to the three kinds of magic.
1 - Awoken Items
All things have their spirits, and the spirits of made-things are strange indeed. Unsure of what they really are, they sleep, and have little magics of their own. It takes great deeds to rouse them to greatness again. This is how the fighter can ambiently make magic weapons, how the cloaks of invisibility get made, how Magic Mirrors get to answering questions about subjective opinions.
Coincidently, this type of magic item has the greatest abundance of sentient items by far, even if the sentience is only the passive type.
2 - Enchanted Items
These are your classic "A WIZARD DID IT" items. They have magic woven into them, the item is more of a store and a repository, than a source. They will run dry and disenchant naturally if you let them, but many items (especially those made by competent wizards) have ways to replenish their enchantments.
3 - 'Magical' Items
This type of magic only sort of counts, these are the items made of magical things, and thus possess their properties. Healing potions, adamantine weapons, mithril armour, that kind of thing.
How this fits into the game
Firstly, I imagine Wizards interacting with the types of magic like a ladder.
They start off with very few spells, but the ever usable (but minor) Hedge Magics.
As they level up early and into mid levels, they begin to amass their vast repertoires of spells that they are famous for. Then, as they progress, they slowly pick up Arcana, and puzzle out the deeper mysteries.
What about other magic classes?
I really don't know.
I do like the difference between Wizards and Sorcerers being learned versus innate, but that doesn't jive nicely with my magic system. And I don't know what the third type of wizard would be for the "Magical Trifecta".
I could on the other hand, try and wrangle out classes that each focus on other types of magic. For example, if Wizards overall focus on Theurgy, then you could have a Hedge Wizard type class. An idea I had for a type of magic user who focused more on Arcana would be a kind of Monk type character who pondered the universe, but then I lose out on the space for a Sorcerer.
Oh I don't know what to do.
Also, the Awoken Items are a great way for non-magical folks to get/make magical items, which is always a good thing I think.
I have discovered that, in my world, the magic number is three. This is only partly because there was a kick-ass Dark Crystal Art Book with all kinds of law stating that three was the most stable number, and was thus the number of magic (with other, forbidden numbers too). The rest of the reason is total coincidence.
Magic Itself
There are three main "classes" of magic, in as much as mortal minds can comprehend. The higher beings such as angels, seem to enjoy magic of their own which does not fit with this system. It is however, useful to bend the simple geometry of the human mind around and against such mystical forces.
1 - Hedge Magic
The simplest kind, which most anyone can master, given time, knowledge, and resources. The magic for the most part is bound in the objects, though bond is a very loose and mostly incorrect way to put it. It is the passive magic of things; the way the deck of cards can be used to predict the future, the way that a bowl of water can reveal visions; how, with the right chalk marks, a mirror can hold things inside its reflections.
2 - Theurgy
The classical magic, where words and spells summon powerful effects and rain destruction down from on high! Difficult to learn, even for those that devote themselves to it. Works pretty much like in regular DnD, probably only wizards can learn this kind of magic easily (but that's a discussion for another day).
3 - Arcana
This is deep wizard knowledge man. This is where the whole "sufficiently advanced..." and "appears to be magic," stuff kicks in. This is where being able to enter into contracts with outer-powers comes in, where you can find the ways to the Undying Lands of the Fae, where you can discern the routes to eternal life. Its magic to everyone else, to the sufficiently learned, its just elementary.
Magic Items
Similarly, there are three kinds of magic item, which roughly sort of map to the three kinds of magic.
1 - Awoken Items
All things have their spirits, and the spirits of made-things are strange indeed. Unsure of what they really are, they sleep, and have little magics of their own. It takes great deeds to rouse them to greatness again. This is how the fighter can ambiently make magic weapons, how the cloaks of invisibility get made, how Magic Mirrors get to answering questions about subjective opinions.
Coincidently, this type of magic item has the greatest abundance of sentient items by far, even if the sentience is only the passive type.
2 - Enchanted Items
These are your classic "A WIZARD DID IT" items. They have magic woven into them, the item is more of a store and a repository, than a source. They will run dry and disenchant naturally if you let them, but many items (especially those made by competent wizards) have ways to replenish their enchantments.
3 - 'Magical' Items
This type of magic only sort of counts, these are the items made of magical things, and thus possess their properties. Healing potions, adamantine weapons, mithril armour, that kind of thing.
How this fits into the game
Firstly, I imagine Wizards interacting with the types of magic like a ladder.
They start off with very few spells, but the ever usable (but minor) Hedge Magics.
As they level up early and into mid levels, they begin to amass their vast repertoires of spells that they are famous for. Then, as they progress, they slowly pick up Arcana, and puzzle out the deeper mysteries.
What about other magic classes?
I really don't know.
I do like the difference between Wizards and Sorcerers being learned versus innate, but that doesn't jive nicely with my magic system. And I don't know what the third type of wizard would be for the "Magical Trifecta".
I could on the other hand, try and wrangle out classes that each focus on other types of magic. For example, if Wizards overall focus on Theurgy, then you could have a Hedge Wizard type class. An idea I had for a type of magic user who focused more on Arcana would be a kind of Monk type character who pondered the universe, but then I lose out on the space for a Sorcerer.
Oh I don't know what to do.
Also, the Awoken Items are a great way for non-magical folks to get/make magical items, which is always a good thing I think.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Gardens of the Briar Hags
Hmmm, I seem to find myself writing more and more adventure outlines. I don't seem to mind this.
Anyways:
Out in the woods, far from any village, is a grand and winding Hedge, perfectly trimmed and metres tall. It encompasses a huge area of the woods, and no-one really knows what lies within; except that it is all gardens of the most beautiful and wondrous sort.
THE HAGS
Nanny Greenteeth
The youngest of the Hags, she is endlessly energetic and enthusiastic of her care of the Vegetable Patch, Herb Garden and endless trimming of the Hedge Maze. She is particularly fond of the hard-fleshed plants like the trees and bushes, and often forgoes her secateurs for her huge beaver-teeth, gnawing away at branch and trunk. The least subtle of the hags, she scoffs down sandwiches and drags huge wheelbarrows of tools behind her, ladening herself down with axes, shovels, rakes. Her greatest pride is the Promenade through the Arboretum, which she has devoted herself to above all other parts of the garden, though she does have a soft spot for the vegetables too, which she prepares for the Hag's meals.
Her schedule takes her around from the Herb Garden to the Vegetable Patch, round the Hedge Maze, and finally through the Arboretum.
Granny Thistles
The oldest and most careful of the Hags, Granny Thistles is the most meticulous of the three, and the only one who cares for the Rose Garden: she will not permit the others to touch it save with their feet and gaze. Her hair is knotted brambles woven around flowers, and her eyebrows thorns. Her gaze is stern, and her hands and flesh gnarled. She has the greatest access to and affect on the powers of the Garden, which slightly twists in her presence, more so when she is angered. Of all the Hags, it obeys her over all.
Her schedule takes her down the western side of the Gardens, beginning in the Flower Beds, then the Rockery and Water Gardens, then the Butterfly Gardens, and then down the Promenade to the Rose Garden, where she spends much of her greatest efforts.
The Hag's Cottage
Here is the Home of the Hags, their rooms, their secret belongings, their larder, and the prison which lies beneath it. They sleep here, or maybe they only pretend to sleep. They certainly cook here, and some of what they make is even edible, potentially even beneficial! There are many traps however; nothing malicious of course, it is merely that the natural habitat of the Hag is naturally inimical to humans.
Connects to the Herb Garden, the Flower Beds, and the Vegetable Patch.
The Herb Garden
The herb garden contains many rare and unusual herbs, some unknown to even the most ardent herbologist. They are ripe for the taking, but the Hags come here early in the day, and will quickly notice theft.
Contains the "Tower Ruins", gothically-inclined psuedo-ruins built for the aesthetic pleasure of the Hags, and now home to a Spirit that represents this fascination with decay and destruction, at least on the facade level.
Connects to the Hag's Cottage, the Flower Beds, and the Vegetable Patch.
The Flower Beds
Here, flowers are allowed to grow wild and rampant, with occasional pruning and nudging. There is much beauty here, enchanting and wild.
Contains the Greenhouse, the Glass Stronghold of the Legionnaire's Rose.
Connects to the the Hag's Cottage, the Herb Garden, the Rockery, and the Butterfly Gardens.
The Vegetable Patches
Swathes of tilled earth give way to rows on rows of neatly nurtured vegetables. They are all perfect specimens of course, and some are particularly special. Theft here will not go unnoticed, the careful ordering of the vegetable ensures any absences are quickly spotted.
Contains the "Stone Circle", and the Compost Heap. Much like the Tower Ruins, the Stone Circle was created to have the impression of age for the pleasure of the Hags, and the Spirit within reflects the values that the Hags believe the Circle should have. The Compost heap is the opposite; it is utterly unsightly, filled with rotting plant flesh, and teeming with worms. One of them is horrifyingly big.
Connects to the Hag's Cottage, the Herb Garden, the Hedge Maze, and the Butterfly Gardens.
The Butterfly Garden
Here, all manner of plants are cultivated and specifically chosen to provide a beautiful home for butterflies and other such insects. The Hags have made careful bargains with the insects to insure that the teeming swarms of fluttering bugs will quickly report intruders to the hags, and harass and bother such intruders should they get into a sticky situation.
Contains the Pavilion, and the Fool's Honey. The Pavilion is where the Hags meet for High Tea, and always has a pleasing and magical plate of curious sandwiches, which may or may not confer benefits or curses upon their eater. The Fool's Honey is detailed below.
Connects to the Vegetable Patch, the Flower Beds, the Rockery, the Arboretum, and the Hedge Maze.
The Rockery
The Rockery climbs up a small hillside towards the Flower Beds, and leads down via winding paths to the Water Garden. Many Motelings have been gathered to form the foundation of the Garden. Nephew spends what little of its time it does spend above ground here, and it plays little games with the Motelings when the Hags aren't watching.
Connects to the Flower Beds, the Butterfly Garden, the Arboretum, and the Water Garden.
The Hedge Maze
Winding and Non-Euclidean, the Hedge Maze is a masterwork of topiary spacial Distortion. It doesn't really lead anywhere, except back to the Entrance, to the Lover's Tunnel, and to the Great Fountain at the centre. Or as close to the centre as a non-linear maze can actually have. Sometimes it also impeaches on the Undying Lands, and more than one Fae now endlessly wanders the Maze.
Contains the Grand Fountain of the Nymph Atlanta.
Connects to the Vegetable Patch, the Butterfly Garden, the Arboretum, the Hanging Garden, and the Mushroom Patch.
The Hanging Gardens
Modelled after some ancient city, the Hanging Gardens are thick with the perfume of flowers, and rich with Grape-Vines. There are many small Pagodas on many different levels arranged around one long plaza. Green vines against off-white stone.
Contains the Hot Springs of the Nymph India.
Connects to the Hedge Maze, and the Mushroom Patch.
The Mushroom Patch
Relatively small compared to other parts of the Garden, it is nonetheless lovingly tended to as well. All manner of strange and wonderful fruiting bodies can be found here at all times, though of course the main body of the garden actually lies down beneath the surface, growing and growing...
Contains the Lover's Tunnel, and the Destroying Angel, which is detailed below, and which guards the Lover's Tunnel. The Lover's Tunnel is a secret. None have seen it before, they were all taken by the Angel. Something valuable must be inside, of course, beyond the secret way into the Hedge Maze. Some say it is an elixir of eternal love. Others say it must be a fountain of youth. Who could say?
Connects to the Arboretum, the Hedge Maze, and the Hanging Garden.
The Water Gardens
The calm and serene Water Gardens are arranged around a pond on a higher level, which feeds a small waterfall leading down to a small and perfect lake. After a stressful day, one of the Hags might come here to relax, and wash her calloused feet, much to the chagrin of Pacifi.
Contains the Lake and Waterfall of the Nymph Pacifi.
Connects to the Rockery.
The Arboretum
The Trees of the Arboretum grow tall and proud, green of leaf and strong of root. Many bear bite marks, but that's just from the pruning. Many Dryads are here, nurturing the trees, and spying on intruders. The Barkskin Pangolin can often be found here too, rubbing its rough bark-plates against the trees. It is often shooed away by the Hags if they catch it in the act.
Contains the Promenade, and the Starting Point of the Titan Oak. The Promenade is lined with only the most perfect specimens from the Arboretum, and provides a direct and straight path to the Rose Gardens. It is also lined with white-marble statues of Soldiers and Lovers, who spy on the path for the Hags. Some of the Knights might be bold enough to attack.
Connects to the Butterfly Garden, the Rockery, the Hedge Maze, the Mushroom Patch, and the Rose Garden.
The Rose Gardens
The most perfect and beautiful of all Gardens, no mercy at all shall be shown to those who trespass here. None.
Contains the Eternal Tree, the Pride and Joy of the Hags, and which is the source of the Eternal Apples which are detailed below.
Connects to the Arboretum.
Legionnaires Rose
The Rose that is also called the Phalanx Rose, or the Spartan Flower, consists of small, plant-creatures about the same size and shape as a child, with heads made of luxurious rose-flowers. They are dreadfully territorial and expansionistic, though the Hags keep them contained in the Greenhouse. They wield spears and javelins made of long, thin thorns, and shields made of scraps of bark, and fight in disciplined formation.
Aella's Orchid
A huge, vibrantly-coloured orchid that moves around on long, vine-like legs. The flower of the Orchid forms a great cup-pit at the apex of the creature, and is full of a thick, almost ropey acidic-mucus that looks like a pit of coiling, roiling snakes. The Orchid uses its tendril-limbs both for movement and manipulation, and throws its prey into the Flower-Pit to digest them.
Venus Man-Trap
You see a women, alluring and almost hypnotic in her movements and appearance. You move closer, and she pulls you into her silky embrace, whispering sweet nothings in your ear, your eyes close, content and relaxed. The Plant's jaws close. You are gone.
Wolf-Nettles
Wolves made of tense, entwined nettles. They act much like regular wolves, only instead of biting their main form of attack is to bodily throw themselves at you and to knock you down and sting you. It is only painful at first, but after that it is numbing. Once you are too numb to move, the wolves drag you away into the long grasses where it is safe enough to sting you until your heart explodes inside your chest.
Foxglove Packs
This roaming bush-like beast is covered in thousands and thousands of tiny foxglove flowers, each barely the size of a finger. When threatened, the Bush-Beast releases the flowers, which form tiny little fox-flowers, and they rush towards you in a swarm. They deal you no harm, but they force themselves down your throat and into your stomach, where their poison does its work. The bush then slowly envelops you under itself and sets roots in your still warm flesh to feed as you rot.
Hangman's Willow
For all the world it appears to be a willow tree, but stray too close, and the long thin branches whip up into a frenzy and try to loop around your throat and lift you up into the tree to hang you. In larger brawls, those swept up will also be used to batter those that have so far avoided the branches.
Black Widow Lily
A huge spider formed of plant matter. The abdomen is formed by a huge Lily-flower, and the stamen within are a writhing web. The spider's teeth are thorns, and its legs are twisted roots.
Topiary Boa
A huge, 40 foot long serpent fully 6 feet thick made up of a huge volume of topiary bush. Its only attack is to batter foes with its weight, or "swallow" them up inside itself. It can't digest such swallowed creatures, it mostly has to leave them there and batter them to death with the movements of its innards.
Barkskin Pangolin
A huge, donkey-sized Pangolin named "Cat" with skin like the most rugged barks, covered in jagged edges that the Hags have encouraged into a diet of meat.
Vegetable Crustaceans
When dormant, they appear to be tiny little vegetable jack-o-lanterns, if disturbed, the vine-like hermit crabs within emerge. Mostly they don't harm you much, they just get in the way and trip you up.
The Vine Kings
Luxuriating men made of vines who only relax and have long, drawn out symposiums on the nature of nature and enjoy afternoon tea with the hags. If disturbed or threatened however, they explode out into horrible vine-tentacled octopus-plant-beast-monsters.
Mature Mandrakes
Like men, but lumpy, brown, bruised, and vague misshapen. They run about like children who have only just discovered walking and scream at things when scared. Their screams are physical, and tear up the ground and throw away threats. Their song is melodic and hypnotic. They never fight directly, they only have the minds of children, but they will scream and run about like headless chickens if anyone tries to meet them with violence.
The Destroying Angel
Also called Satan's Angel, or the Demon Fungus, it is a mycellium that spreads beneath the Earth, and is thuslywise invisible for most of the time. When disturbed (ie. when someone walks on it) it fruits up its defence, the Destroying Angel. It is a muted and raw grey, with fibrous wings, hollow eyes and mouth, and "arms" that meld into its chest as if held in an organic straight-jacket. It approaches implacably, and the mouth stretches down and down, fibering the whole body to make the mouth wider and wider, and eventually the entire angel begins to split open to swallow up an unfortunate, and drag them down into the earth. It is almost invincible, and mostly unstoppable, for it is the Mycellium beneath the ground that is vulnerable to harm.
The Sweeper Fungus
A great big rotten ooze that absorbs the detritus and compost that doesn't end up in the Compost Heap. Leaves behind a trail of stinking mold, much to the annoyance of the Hags who never quite seem to be able to schedule the time to deal with it. Not particularly aggressive, but it releases stunning spores when damaged, and wounds erupt with sharp, flailing tendrils.
Fool's Honey
A honey coloured ooze, mostly content to stick to its lair and cultivate its honey-comb. If disturbed from its tasks, or if the royal jelly it guards is taken, it will spawn swarms and swarms of bees to attack intruders.
The Titan Oak
Basically a massive treant, brutally strong, and uses its strength to hurl front-liners at the back-liners. Basically invincible and somewhat implacable, but really slow and somewhat stupid. It will chase you, but it is so slow that it will quickly give up on it. It can root itself into the earth for quick regeneration, but it cannot move during that time, and up-rooting itself is painful and time-consuming.
See Above
Venus Man-Traps
Hangman's Willow
Vegetable Crustaceans
Quick-Earth Mycellium
The earth beneath the Mycellium is soft and spongy, though its appearance doesn't betray this. When stood upon, the fungus sucks the unfortunate down into the near-liquid earth like sentient, malevolent quicksand to entomb you and digest you away from the light and the surface.
Strangle-Grass
This long, dry grass goes for the throat when you walk through it. It tangles you up and pulls you down, entombing you int hick, thick wrappings of grass. Highly flammable, though that also applies to those tangles up in the grass.
Pyroclastic Mold
Giant, vibrating puff-balls the size of chairs, disturbing them detonates them in a fiery explosion. Not as damaging as you might expect, but the noise is sure to attract attention.
2 - Fruit/Vegetable Boxes
3 - Compost Bins
4 - Pedestals
5 - On the Plant Itself
6 - Tastefully Arranged in a Vase
Major Treasures of the Garden:
1 - The Green Thumbs
Found strung around the necks of the Hags.
An enchanted digit, blessed by plant spirits to ensure that the wearers garden is always blossoming and blooming, even into the start of the winter months. Somewhat morbid.
2 - The Cherry Blossom
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Arboretum.
A tree of exception beauty, no harm can befall any who stand in its shade, and similarly, any buried within its roots will accept no magics of any kind, except those that aid in the rebirth of its spirit.
3 - The Royal Jelly
Found in the Lair of the Fool's Honey.
Particularly potent, it invigorates the flesh and heals wounds, and the imbiber projects a commanding aura of majesty for a time. Drink too much though, and you become rich and sweet like honey itself.
4 - The Shaman's Friend
Found in the Flower Beds, Butterfly Garden, and Hedge Maze.
The seeds of this Poppy are a powerful hallucinogenic, with a curious twist; when brewed into a tea and drank, the drinker can also see and talk to spirits that are normally invisible. Drink to much however, and you will be taken by them, never to return to your mortal flesh.
5 - Mandrakes
Found in the Vegetable Patch.
These shrieking plants are always in demand by alchemists for their curious properties, the most well known of course is their key part in the creation of Perfect Homunculi (in theory at least).
6 - Sunset Lilies
Found in the Rockery, and the Water Garden.
The petals of this Lily can be ground up and made by alchemical processes into a soft, sweet smelling incense. When burned, it ensures a peaceful nights sleep, and strange, deep dreams of water, and that strange land some occultists call Nevuah.
7 - The Mighty Vegetable
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Vegetable Patch.
It seems just like any other vegetable of its kind, but when removed from the pacifying magics of the Hags, it will show its true nature. Roll on the table below to determine what this is:
1 - The Vegetable grows, and grows, and grows, to huge proportions!
2 - The Vegetable is a particularly large specimen, and will regenerate its flesh infinitely as long as it is allowed to remain rooted into the earth.
3 - If left to mature, it will grow into a 4HD vegetable Knight, who will show great kindness to those who nurtured it in its infancy.
4 - If left to mature over the next year, it will grow into a lignified castle of moderate size and dazzling beauty.
5 - If baked into a pie, those that eat of it will be satisfied for many, many days.
6 - The vegetable will be hard and grey, seemingly rotten, but it can be smelted into particularly potent ore for a curious metal.
7 - If left to mature, the stem of the plant will grow to truly preposterous proportions, opening up a way to the empyreal realms of the sky, or the stygian realms of the deep world, 50/50 chance of each.
8 - If eaten raw, the flesh of the eater will toughen and become ripe, adding addition HP and a small regeneration factor.
8 - Eternal Apples
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Rose Gardens.
These Apples are those that Heracles journeyed for at the farthest ends of the earth. Some say that from their juices, cider that provides life eternal might be brewed. Maybe.
9 - Heart Render Worms
Found in the Compost Heap.
These small worms seem small and innocuous, but that belies a curious savagery when exposed to human flesh. Some particularly sadistic assassins will place one in a target's meal, who will have no chance to survive if they eat it.
10 - Grit Wine
Found in the Hanging Gardens, or the grapes used to make it are at least.
The wine brewed from this grey and gritty vine is also grey and gritty, and thoroughly unappetising. Indeed, few can stomach it without vomiting. Except, curiously, wizards and other such magic users, who find it invigorating and empowering, unless they vomit it up to. They are better at keeping it down that most.
Anyways:
The Hook
Out in the woods, far from any village, is a grand and winding Hedge, perfectly trimmed and metres tall. It encompasses a huge area of the woods, and no-one really knows what lies within; except that it is all gardens of the most beautiful and wondrous sort.
It is the Gardens of a Coven of Briar Hags, botanical spirits of nurturing and growth, twisted and crooked by superstition and myth. They spend their days tending to the plants and holding High Tea with Nymphs and Dryads, and they abhor outsiders. Still, this does not deter the bravest and most foolish from attempting to trespass their sacred space. Those that return bring tales of impossible beauty and strange treasures, and also of terrifying plant-beasts and dangers. This does not deter future trespassers.
The Characters of the Gardens
THE HAGS
There are three Hags that dwell within the Gardens; Granny Thistles, Nanny Greenteeth, and Auntie Midden.
Auntie Midden
This Hag cares for the Mushroom Patch particularly, and is responsible for consolidating waste into the Compost Heap. Her skin is soft and milky, her clothes mouldy and fruiting. She is always damp and smells like oldness. She is meek for the most part, but quickly blooms into a great anger when threatened. She nurtures, but often in the form of benign neglect; she inspects the Mushroom Patches very thoroughly, but rarely takes much action unless forced to. She is more proactive with the Hanging Garden however; though that mainly takes the form of carefully arranged frames for the creepers and plants to grow up and spill out from. She somehow still creates arrangements of great beauty with her laissez faire gardening.
Her schedule takes her all about the Gardens, collecting waste and dumping it on the Compost Heap. She spends a lot of time in the Mushroom Patch and Hanging Garden too.
Auntie Midden
This Hag cares for the Mushroom Patch particularly, and is responsible for consolidating waste into the Compost Heap. Her skin is soft and milky, her clothes mouldy and fruiting. She is always damp and smells like oldness. She is meek for the most part, but quickly blooms into a great anger when threatened. She nurtures, but often in the form of benign neglect; she inspects the Mushroom Patches very thoroughly, but rarely takes much action unless forced to. She is more proactive with the Hanging Garden however; though that mainly takes the form of carefully arranged frames for the creepers and plants to grow up and spill out from. She somehow still creates arrangements of great beauty with her laissez faire gardening.
Her schedule takes her all about the Gardens, collecting waste and dumping it on the Compost Heap. She spends a lot of time in the Mushroom Patch and Hanging Garden too.
Nanny Greenteeth
The youngest of the Hags, she is endlessly energetic and enthusiastic of her care of the Vegetable Patch, Herb Garden and endless trimming of the Hedge Maze. She is particularly fond of the hard-fleshed plants like the trees and bushes, and often forgoes her secateurs for her huge beaver-teeth, gnawing away at branch and trunk. The least subtle of the hags, she scoffs down sandwiches and drags huge wheelbarrows of tools behind her, ladening herself down with axes, shovels, rakes. Her greatest pride is the Promenade through the Arboretum, which she has devoted herself to above all other parts of the garden, though she does have a soft spot for the vegetables too, which she prepares for the Hag's meals.
Her schedule takes her around from the Herb Garden to the Vegetable Patch, round the Hedge Maze, and finally through the Arboretum.
Granny Thistles
The oldest and most careful of the Hags, Granny Thistles is the most meticulous of the three, and the only one who cares for the Rose Garden: she will not permit the others to touch it save with their feet and gaze. Her hair is knotted brambles woven around flowers, and her eyebrows thorns. Her gaze is stern, and her hands and flesh gnarled. She has the greatest access to and affect on the powers of the Garden, which slightly twists in her presence, more so when she is angered. Of all the Hags, it obeys her over all.
Her schedule takes her down the western side of the Gardens, beginning in the Flower Beds, then the Rockery and Water Gardens, then the Butterfly Gardens, and then down the Promenade to the Rose Garden, where she spends much of her greatest efforts.
"Nephew"
What the Hags will only refer to as "Nephew" is an immense Stone Elemental who dwells in the earth beneath the gardens. How he came to be there, no one is telling. How he came to hold a pseudo familial relation to the Hags, no one could say. But when the Hags are run tagged by trespassers and thieves, they call upon nephew to teach the interlopers a lesson.
They only do this in the most due of circumstances, since he inevitably brings devastation to the garden with him.
The Nymphs
The Nymphs of the Gardens are relatively peaceful and benign creatures, four in all, dwelling in the various fountains and water features of the Gardens. Their names are Pacifi, Atlanta, Arcturus, and India.
Pacifi is the Nymph of the waterfall and lake in the Water Gardens, and is the oldest and strongest of the four. She is beautiful, interesting, and utterly bored. She knows much of trees and the waters, but she desperately yearns to know more of the world beyond the borders of the garden. Of all the Nymphs, she is most likely to both be able to, and want to, stand up to the hags.
Atlanta is the Nymph of the fountain at the heart of the Hedge Maze. She is rambley, engaging in excruciatingly circular conversations, entirely oblivious to the annoyance of her audience. She knows much of the flowers of the Garden, and desires only to be content, and to feel joy. She will stand up to the Hags for those she likes.
Arcturus is the Nymph of the ice pool in the Rockery. He is cold and distant, and will rarely share his knowledge of stone. He craves Pathos, but his personality makes the chances that he will ever receive it desperately slim. He will turn over intruders to the Hags without much thought of it.
Finally India is the Nymph of the hot springs in the Hanging Gardens. She is mysterious and exotic, and is intimately familiar with the roots and things that creep beneath the earth. She desires to be exposed to beauty, and craves new and pleasurable experiences. She will help those who please her, but not to any particular difficulty.
The Dryads
The Dryads are altogether stranger than the Nymphs. They care for the living plants and growing things of the world, and thus they are drawn in great numbers to the Garden of the Hags. They have no particular innate love of the Hags, save for their care for their plants, and as such they share a sort of distant alliance of convenience.
They are subservient to a being who lives just behind the bark of Trees, the Great God Pan. Pan is ancient, wild, and powerful, on par with the oldest Forest Gods. For the most part he dwells in a pseudo-dimension of wood, an eternal bacchanalia of unrestrained decadence. He can be tempted away from his revelry, though only by the most interesting individuals and requests. He is dark and monstrous beneath a thin veneer of light-heartedness, huge and wooden, with a barely formed face and huge, curled branch-antlers. The trees are his first and foremost love, followed closely by unrestrained, animalistic desires of course.
The Gardens
The Hag's Cottage
Here is the Home of the Hags, their rooms, their secret belongings, their larder, and the prison which lies beneath it. They sleep here, or maybe they only pretend to sleep. They certainly cook here, and some of what they make is even edible, potentially even beneficial! There are many traps however; nothing malicious of course, it is merely that the natural habitat of the Hag is naturally inimical to humans.
Connects to the Herb Garden, the Flower Beds, and the Vegetable Patch.
The Herb Garden
The herb garden contains many rare and unusual herbs, some unknown to even the most ardent herbologist. They are ripe for the taking, but the Hags come here early in the day, and will quickly notice theft.
Contains the "Tower Ruins", gothically-inclined psuedo-ruins built for the aesthetic pleasure of the Hags, and now home to a Spirit that represents this fascination with decay and destruction, at least on the facade level.
Connects to the Hag's Cottage, the Flower Beds, and the Vegetable Patch.
The Flower Beds
Here, flowers are allowed to grow wild and rampant, with occasional pruning and nudging. There is much beauty here, enchanting and wild.
Contains the Greenhouse, the Glass Stronghold of the Legionnaire's Rose.
Connects to the the Hag's Cottage, the Herb Garden, the Rockery, and the Butterfly Gardens.
The Vegetable Patches
Swathes of tilled earth give way to rows on rows of neatly nurtured vegetables. They are all perfect specimens of course, and some are particularly special. Theft here will not go unnoticed, the careful ordering of the vegetable ensures any absences are quickly spotted.
Contains the "Stone Circle", and the Compost Heap. Much like the Tower Ruins, the Stone Circle was created to have the impression of age for the pleasure of the Hags, and the Spirit within reflects the values that the Hags believe the Circle should have. The Compost heap is the opposite; it is utterly unsightly, filled with rotting plant flesh, and teeming with worms. One of them is horrifyingly big.
Connects to the Hag's Cottage, the Herb Garden, the Hedge Maze, and the Butterfly Gardens.
The Butterfly Garden
Here, all manner of plants are cultivated and specifically chosen to provide a beautiful home for butterflies and other such insects. The Hags have made careful bargains with the insects to insure that the teeming swarms of fluttering bugs will quickly report intruders to the hags, and harass and bother such intruders should they get into a sticky situation.
Contains the Pavilion, and the Fool's Honey. The Pavilion is where the Hags meet for High Tea, and always has a pleasing and magical plate of curious sandwiches, which may or may not confer benefits or curses upon their eater. The Fool's Honey is detailed below.
Connects to the Vegetable Patch, the Flower Beds, the Rockery, the Arboretum, and the Hedge Maze.
The Rockery
The Rockery climbs up a small hillside towards the Flower Beds, and leads down via winding paths to the Water Garden. Many Motelings have been gathered to form the foundation of the Garden. Nephew spends what little of its time it does spend above ground here, and it plays little games with the Motelings when the Hags aren't watching.
Connects to the Flower Beds, the Butterfly Garden, the Arboretum, and the Water Garden.
The Hedge Maze
Winding and Non-Euclidean, the Hedge Maze is a masterwork of topiary spacial Distortion. It doesn't really lead anywhere, except back to the Entrance, to the Lover's Tunnel, and to the Great Fountain at the centre. Or as close to the centre as a non-linear maze can actually have. Sometimes it also impeaches on the Undying Lands, and more than one Fae now endlessly wanders the Maze.
Contains the Grand Fountain of the Nymph Atlanta.
Connects to the Vegetable Patch, the Butterfly Garden, the Arboretum, the Hanging Garden, and the Mushroom Patch.
The Hanging Gardens
Modelled after some ancient city, the Hanging Gardens are thick with the perfume of flowers, and rich with Grape-Vines. There are many small Pagodas on many different levels arranged around one long plaza. Green vines against off-white stone.
Contains the Hot Springs of the Nymph India.
Connects to the Hedge Maze, and the Mushroom Patch.
The Mushroom Patch
Relatively small compared to other parts of the Garden, it is nonetheless lovingly tended to as well. All manner of strange and wonderful fruiting bodies can be found here at all times, though of course the main body of the garden actually lies down beneath the surface, growing and growing...
Contains the Lover's Tunnel, and the Destroying Angel, which is detailed below, and which guards the Lover's Tunnel. The Lover's Tunnel is a secret. None have seen it before, they were all taken by the Angel. Something valuable must be inside, of course, beyond the secret way into the Hedge Maze. Some say it is an elixir of eternal love. Others say it must be a fountain of youth. Who could say?
Connects to the Arboretum, the Hedge Maze, and the Hanging Garden.
The Water Gardens
The calm and serene Water Gardens are arranged around a pond on a higher level, which feeds a small waterfall leading down to a small and perfect lake. After a stressful day, one of the Hags might come here to relax, and wash her calloused feet, much to the chagrin of Pacifi.
Contains the Lake and Waterfall of the Nymph Pacifi.
Connects to the Rockery.
The Arboretum
The Trees of the Arboretum grow tall and proud, green of leaf and strong of root. Many bear bite marks, but that's just from the pruning. Many Dryads are here, nurturing the trees, and spying on intruders. The Barkskin Pangolin can often be found here too, rubbing its rough bark-plates against the trees. It is often shooed away by the Hags if they catch it in the act.
Contains the Promenade, and the Starting Point of the Titan Oak. The Promenade is lined with only the most perfect specimens from the Arboretum, and provides a direct and straight path to the Rose Gardens. It is also lined with white-marble statues of Soldiers and Lovers, who spy on the path for the Hags. Some of the Knights might be bold enough to attack.
Connects to the Butterfly Garden, the Rockery, the Hedge Maze, the Mushroom Patch, and the Rose Garden.
The Rose Gardens
The most perfect and beautiful of all Gardens, no mercy at all shall be shown to those who trespass here. None.
Contains the Eternal Tree, the Pride and Joy of the Hags, and which is the source of the Eternal Apples which are detailed below.
Connects to the Arboretum.
Beasts of the Gardens
These are essentially the creatures that are on the Encounter Tables, though the Fool's Honey, Destroying Angel, and Sweeper Fungus are placed on the Map, rather than randomly encountered.Legionnaires Rose
The Rose that is also called the Phalanx Rose, or the Spartan Flower, consists of small, plant-creatures about the same size and shape as a child, with heads made of luxurious rose-flowers. They are dreadfully territorial and expansionistic, though the Hags keep them contained in the Greenhouse. They wield spears and javelins made of long, thin thorns, and shields made of scraps of bark, and fight in disciplined formation.
Aella's Orchid
A huge, vibrantly-coloured orchid that moves around on long, vine-like legs. The flower of the Orchid forms a great cup-pit at the apex of the creature, and is full of a thick, almost ropey acidic-mucus that looks like a pit of coiling, roiling snakes. The Orchid uses its tendril-limbs both for movement and manipulation, and throws its prey into the Flower-Pit to digest them.
Venus Man-Trap
You see a women, alluring and almost hypnotic in her movements and appearance. You move closer, and she pulls you into her silky embrace, whispering sweet nothings in your ear, your eyes close, content and relaxed. The Plant's jaws close. You are gone.
Wolf-Nettles
Wolves made of tense, entwined nettles. They act much like regular wolves, only instead of biting their main form of attack is to bodily throw themselves at you and to knock you down and sting you. It is only painful at first, but after that it is numbing. Once you are too numb to move, the wolves drag you away into the long grasses where it is safe enough to sting you until your heart explodes inside your chest.
Foxglove Packs
This roaming bush-like beast is covered in thousands and thousands of tiny foxglove flowers, each barely the size of a finger. When threatened, the Bush-Beast releases the flowers, which form tiny little fox-flowers, and they rush towards you in a swarm. They deal you no harm, but they force themselves down your throat and into your stomach, where their poison does its work. The bush then slowly envelops you under itself and sets roots in your still warm flesh to feed as you rot.
Hangman's Willow
For all the world it appears to be a willow tree, but stray too close, and the long thin branches whip up into a frenzy and try to loop around your throat and lift you up into the tree to hang you. In larger brawls, those swept up will also be used to batter those that have so far avoided the branches.
Black Widow Lily
A huge spider formed of plant matter. The abdomen is formed by a huge Lily-flower, and the stamen within are a writhing web. The spider's teeth are thorns, and its legs are twisted roots.
Topiary Boa
A huge, 40 foot long serpent fully 6 feet thick made up of a huge volume of topiary bush. Its only attack is to batter foes with its weight, or "swallow" them up inside itself. It can't digest such swallowed creatures, it mostly has to leave them there and batter them to death with the movements of its innards.
Barkskin Pangolin
A huge, donkey-sized Pangolin named "Cat" with skin like the most rugged barks, covered in jagged edges that the Hags have encouraged into a diet of meat.
Vegetable Crustaceans
When dormant, they appear to be tiny little vegetable jack-o-lanterns, if disturbed, the vine-like hermit crabs within emerge. Mostly they don't harm you much, they just get in the way and trip you up.
The Vine Kings
Luxuriating men made of vines who only relax and have long, drawn out symposiums on the nature of nature and enjoy afternoon tea with the hags. If disturbed or threatened however, they explode out into horrible vine-tentacled octopus-plant-beast-monsters.
Mature Mandrakes
Like men, but lumpy, brown, bruised, and vague misshapen. They run about like children who have only just discovered walking and scream at things when scared. Their screams are physical, and tear up the ground and throw away threats. Their song is melodic and hypnotic. They never fight directly, they only have the minds of children, but they will scream and run about like headless chickens if anyone tries to meet them with violence.
The Destroying Angel
Also called Satan's Angel, or the Demon Fungus, it is a mycellium that spreads beneath the Earth, and is thuslywise invisible for most of the time. When disturbed (ie. when someone walks on it) it fruits up its defence, the Destroying Angel. It is a muted and raw grey, with fibrous wings, hollow eyes and mouth, and "arms" that meld into its chest as if held in an organic straight-jacket. It approaches implacably, and the mouth stretches down and down, fibering the whole body to make the mouth wider and wider, and eventually the entire angel begins to split open to swallow up an unfortunate, and drag them down into the earth. It is almost invincible, and mostly unstoppable, for it is the Mycellium beneath the ground that is vulnerable to harm.
The Sweeper Fungus
A great big rotten ooze that absorbs the detritus and compost that doesn't end up in the Compost Heap. Leaves behind a trail of stinking mold, much to the annoyance of the Hags who never quite seem to be able to schedule the time to deal with it. Not particularly aggressive, but it releases stunning spores when damaged, and wounds erupt with sharp, flailing tendrils.
Fool's Honey
A honey coloured ooze, mostly content to stick to its lair and cultivate its honey-comb. If disturbed from its tasks, or if the royal jelly it guards is taken, it will spawn swarms and swarms of bees to attack intruders.
The Titan Oak
Basically a massive treant, brutally strong, and uses its strength to hurl front-liners at the back-liners. Basically invincible and somewhat implacable, but really slow and somewhat stupid. It will chase you, but it is so slow that it will quickly give up on it. It can root itself into the earth for quick regeneration, but it cannot move during that time, and up-rooting itself is painful and time-consuming.
The Hazards of the Garden
These can be rolled as part of the encounters above to add extra dimensions to fights, or encountered as barriers themselves.See Above
Venus Man-Traps
Hangman's Willow
Vegetable Crustaceans
Quick-Earth Mycellium
The earth beneath the Mycellium is soft and spongy, though its appearance doesn't betray this. When stood upon, the fungus sucks the unfortunate down into the near-liquid earth like sentient, malevolent quicksand to entomb you and digest you away from the light and the surface.
Strangle-Grass
This long, dry grass goes for the throat when you walk through it. It tangles you up and pulls you down, entombing you int hick, thick wrappings of grass. Highly flammable, though that also applies to those tangles up in the grass.
Pyroclastic Mold
Giant, vibrating puff-balls the size of chairs, disturbing them detonates them in a fiery explosion. Not as damaging as you might expect, but the noise is sure to attract attention.
Treasures of the Garden
Minor Treasures:
1 - Exceptionally Beautiful Flowers
Particularly found in the Flower Beds, Butterfly Garden, and the Rose Garden.
2 - Exceptionally Potent Compost
Particularly found in the Compost Heap.
3 - Exceptionally Useful Herbs
Particularly found in the Herb Garden.
4 - Alchemical Ingredients
Particularly found in the Herb Garden and the Rockery.
5 - Highest Grade Seeds
Particularly found in the Flower Beds, and the Rose Garden.
6 - Tasteful Statuettes
Particularly found in the Flower Beds, the Promenade, and the Rose Garden.
7 - Hag-Sandwiches
Particularly found in the Pavilion. Better than they sound.
8 - Highest Grade Fruit and Vegetables
Particularly found in the Vegetable Garden.
9 - Sweetest Nectar
Particularly found in the Butterfly Garden.
10 - Silver Birds
Particularly Found in the Butterfly Garden, and the Hedge Maze.
Which Might Be Found In:
1 - Seed Stands2 - Fruit/Vegetable Boxes
3 - Compost Bins
4 - Pedestals
5 - On the Plant Itself
6 - Tastefully Arranged in a Vase
Major Treasures of the Garden:
1 - The Green Thumbs
Found strung around the necks of the Hags.
An enchanted digit, blessed by plant spirits to ensure that the wearers garden is always blossoming and blooming, even into the start of the winter months. Somewhat morbid.
2 - The Cherry Blossom
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Arboretum.
A tree of exception beauty, no harm can befall any who stand in its shade, and similarly, any buried within its roots will accept no magics of any kind, except those that aid in the rebirth of its spirit.
3 - The Royal Jelly
Found in the Lair of the Fool's Honey.
Particularly potent, it invigorates the flesh and heals wounds, and the imbiber projects a commanding aura of majesty for a time. Drink too much though, and you become rich and sweet like honey itself.
4 - The Shaman's Friend
Found in the Flower Beds, Butterfly Garden, and Hedge Maze.
The seeds of this Poppy are a powerful hallucinogenic, with a curious twist; when brewed into a tea and drank, the drinker can also see and talk to spirits that are normally invisible. Drink to much however, and you will be taken by them, never to return to your mortal flesh.
5 - Mandrakes
Found in the Vegetable Patch.
These shrieking plants are always in demand by alchemists for their curious properties, the most well known of course is their key part in the creation of Perfect Homunculi (in theory at least).
6 - Sunset Lilies
Found in the Rockery, and the Water Garden.
The petals of this Lily can be ground up and made by alchemical processes into a soft, sweet smelling incense. When burned, it ensures a peaceful nights sleep, and strange, deep dreams of water, and that strange land some occultists call Nevuah.
7 - The Mighty Vegetable
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Vegetable Patch.
It seems just like any other vegetable of its kind, but when removed from the pacifying magics of the Hags, it will show its true nature. Roll on the table below to determine what this is:
1 - The Vegetable grows, and grows, and grows, to huge proportions!
2 - The Vegetable is a particularly large specimen, and will regenerate its flesh infinitely as long as it is allowed to remain rooted into the earth.
3 - If left to mature, it will grow into a 4HD vegetable Knight, who will show great kindness to those who nurtured it in its infancy.
4 - If left to mature over the next year, it will grow into a lignified castle of moderate size and dazzling beauty.
5 - If baked into a pie, those that eat of it will be satisfied for many, many days.
6 - The vegetable will be hard and grey, seemingly rotten, but it can be smelted into particularly potent ore for a curious metal.
7 - If left to mature, the stem of the plant will grow to truly preposterous proportions, opening up a way to the empyreal realms of the sky, or the stygian realms of the deep world, 50/50 chance of each.
8 - If eaten raw, the flesh of the eater will toughen and become ripe, adding addition HP and a small regeneration factor.
8 - Eternal Apples
Found in the Deepest Heart of the Rose Gardens.
These Apples are those that Heracles journeyed for at the farthest ends of the earth. Some say that from their juices, cider that provides life eternal might be brewed. Maybe.
9 - Heart Render Worms
Found in the Compost Heap.
These small worms seem small and innocuous, but that belies a curious savagery when exposed to human flesh. Some particularly sadistic assassins will place one in a target's meal, who will have no chance to survive if they eat it.
10 - Grit Wine
Found in the Hanging Gardens, or the grapes used to make it are at least.
The wine brewed from this grey and gritty vine is also grey and gritty, and thoroughly unappetising. Indeed, few can stomach it without vomiting. Except, curiously, wizards and other such magic users, who find it invigorating and empowering, unless they vomit it up to. They are better at keeping it down that most.
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