A Torch in The Dark V 1.3

A TORCH IN THE DARK

Solo Dungeon Crawling Forged in the Dark Written & Designed by Michael Elliott

A TORCH IN THE DARK Single Player Dungeon Crawling Forged in the Dark Version 1.3 Written & Designed by Michael Elliott

Produced by my Diabolic Patrons: Andrew Ferguson - Ashley Turner - Cindy Chamberlain - Guillaume Tremblay - Michael Bain Michael Gillaspy - Mike Thorpe - Navi - Patrick Barnes - Sara Chicazul - Terbayr - Tim B - Tony Support my work: http://patreon.com/notwriting Cover Photo: Linus Sandvide & Karson on Unsplash Images: Open Clipart Vectors on Pixabay & Public Domain Vectors Ink Splashes and Spatters: Peach Garden Games & Aaron King INFLUENCES AND TOUCHSTONES Games: Band of Blades by Off Guard Games, Curse of the Dead Gods by Passtech Games, Darkest Dungeon by Redhook Studios, Dungeon Solitaire by Matthew Lowes Music: Stuart Chatwood, Batushka, Feminazgul, Mick Gordon, Heilung This work is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: THE BASICS PHASES OF PLAY ROLLING DICE DRAWING CARDS INVENTORY & LOAD CONSEQUENCES TREASURE & STASH COMPANIONS XP DEATH CHAPTER TWO: YOUR CHARACTER MAKING A CHARACTER SKILLS ITEMS EXAMPLE CHARACTERS CHAPTER THREE: DELVES DUNGEONS ENCOUNTERS RISK IT ENDING A DELVE RESURRECTION EXAMPLE OF A DELVE CHAPTER FOUR: DOWNTIME DOWNTIME ACTIONS EXAMPLE OF DOWNTIME CHAPTER FIVE: DUNGEON GUIDE THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

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WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON “The dungeons beneath the Imperial capital of Kynburgh have served as the sanctified burial grounds for the noble lords of the realm since time immemorial. Whenever their syphilitic bodies finally succumbed, whenever their dark deals in devilry and diabolism finally came due, we put them to rest in the crypts beneath the city. They would be buried with their crowns and their gold and the trophies they took from the land. No peasant, no commoner, no one who was not noble born was given this same consideration, except to sometimes be buried alive to serve their rulers in the great Hereafter. When the People’s Revolution reached Kynburgh we threw all the nobles into that exact same pit. We filled it with barons stripped of their furs, lords stripped of their jewels, and kings stripped of their heads. We packed their precious mausoleums to the brim and buried them with their lies. But we underestimated their desperation. With his final breath the Emperor Titan Kyn cursed Kynburgh and all who lived therein. He called upon the power of the demons and devils he had served during his terrible reign to curse the People’s Revolution. And so that dark diablory has found its way back into the realm. The dead kings have arisen, our crops are blighted, and the Revolutionary Council has become corrupt. The last act of the Revolution falls to you. It is up to you to kill the dead lords and reclaim their wealth. It is up to you to keep the people safe. It is up to you to end the last Emperor’s death-curse and restore the land. For the realm. For the people. For the Revolution.” —Last public address from Brada Twice-Betrayed, Mother of the People’s Revolution. A Torch in the Dark is a single player tabletop role playing game about exploring dangerous dungeons, reclaiming wealth, and surviving for as long as you can. There are undead nobles, deadly traps, and tough choices. You will make several delves into different dungeons, randomly generating the encounters as you go. If you survive you’ll spend time recovering, resupplying, and preparing for your next delve. The game requires 6 six-sided dice, a deck of playing cards (jokers included), and something to write with. A character sheet and list of dungeon encounters are provided with the game.

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CHAPTER ONE: THE BASICS PHASES OF PLAY Torch in the Dark has two primary phases of play: delves and downtime. Delves are when your character descends into a dungeon to fight undead Lords and reclaim treasures.Each delve starts with selecting a dungeon, reading the introduction to discover your goal, and shuffling a deck of cards which will determine the encounters you will have during your delve. Delves will drain your character of their resources, beat them up, and gradually infect them with the corruption of demonic magicks and noble wealth. But delves also reward you with treasure recovered from the undead Lords that help you recover from consequences. If you reach the goal of the dungeon, or decide to retreat between encounters, you will enter the downtime phase. During downtime you’ll have the opportunity to recover from your last delve by removing conditions, stress, and corruption. You will also be able to resupply by buying and replenishing items. Once you finish with downtime you can set off to delve into the dungeons again.

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ROLLING DICE A Torch in the Dark is fuelled by die rolls. You’ll roll a pool of six-sided dice (referred to as d6’s) to overcome encounters when you take risks and to recover during downtime. You’ll make two types of rolls when you play: risk rolls and downtime rolls. RISK ROLLS Different encounters will call for you to “risk it” a certain number of times. When you risk it you assemble a pool of dice equal to the number of skills and items your character can bring to bear on the challenge ahead of them. You then roll the dice and keep the highest result. This is called a risk roll. If the highest result of the risk roll is a 6 that is a success, you overcome the challenge and suffer no consequences. For example you may break down a door, slip past a foe unnoticed, or strike and kill a foe. If the highest result is a 4 or 5 that is a mixed success, you still succeed and perform the action but there are consequences and complications. You disable the trap but lose a torch, you deal harm to a foe but they deal harm to you as well. If the highest result is 1-3 then your character does not succeed but fails: there’s a consequence or complication, and you get experience. You set off the trap and take harm, you are spotted by animated skeletons, you fail to open the door. If your result is multiple 6’s then you get a CRIT. A CRIT counts as multiple successes and always immediately ends an encounter in your favour. If you ever need to roll zero or negative dice for a risk roll, roll two dice and take the lowest result. Whenever you fail an action roll, you always get experience. Mark 1 xp on your character’s xp track. Before a risk roll you may push yourself. When you push yourself you mark 1 stress and gain +1d to the risk roll. You can only push yourself once per risk roll.

DOWNTIME ROLLS When you have retreated from the dungeon and are keen to recover from all the risks you took, you can spend the money you’ve earned with treasures to do downtime actions. There are actions to remove conditions, recover stress, remove corruption, and replenish your items. When you decide to perform these actions, you assemble a pool of dice based on how much money you are willing to spend on that action. You then roll the dice and keep the highest result. This is called a downtime roll. Different downtime actions let you recover from different consequences, and we’ll delve into those details later in this book. All you need to know for now is that each downtime roll adheres to this formula: on a 1-3 you clear 1 consequence or gain 1 item, on a 4/5 you clear 2 consequences or gain 2 items, on a 6 you clear or gain 3 things, and on a CRIT you clear or gain 5.

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DRAWING CARDS The various dungeons beneath Kynburgh are represented by a standard deck of playing cards (jokers included). Each dungeon uses the same deck of playing cards, but the encounters each card represents change with each dungeon. Each dungeon guide lists people, undead Lords, traps, and environmental hazards that you may encounter. Delving is basically the act of drawing cards from the deck and seeing what your character has to face. When you delve you draw cards from the deck following these rules: 1. Shuffle the cards thoroughly before you start your delve. 2. When you delve you draw 1 card at a time, flip the card face up and set it next to the deck. Consult the Dungeon Guide (Chapter Five) to see what kind of encounter the card represents. 3. Follow the encounter prompt on the card. 4. When you have completed the encounter, draw another card from the deck and set that card on top of the previous encounter card. When drawing cards there are a few things to keep in mind: Face cards and Aces are unique encounters. They can only be encountered once during your delves into a dungeon. After you complete a unique encounter, discard it into a separate pile from the encounter cards. If you leave and attempt another delve into the dungeon, these unique encounters will not be shuffled back into the dungeon deck. Jokers are always demon encounters. They do not count as unique encounters. They are always shuffled back into the deck. If you decide to abandon a delve before you complete the dungeon’s goal, shuffle all non-unique encounter cards back into the deck. You will need to face these encounters again on your next delve. When you complete a dungeon’s goal and decide to stop the delve, shuffle all cards back into the deck.

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INVENTORY & LOAD Your character’s inventory is how much space they have on their person to carry items during a delve. These items could be stored in a sturdy backpack, a series of pockets sewn into their clothing, whatever you like to imagine. Your inventory is represented by 15 squares in a 3 square by 5 grid. To add an item to your inventory, write it so that it takes up squares equal to it’s load. An item’s load is how many boxes an item takes up in your inventory. For example armour is always 3 load and must be written so as it takes up 3 continuous boxes in your inventory. Any item with more then 1 load must be written this way, either horizontally or vertically. Here is an example of a character’s inventory during a delve:

rd Swo

ARMOUR Torch

Torch

king Wrec s Tool

Treasur e

Treasur e

The inventory above has a sword (1 load), armour (3 load), 2 torches (1 load each), 2 treasures (1 load each), and wrecking tools (2 load). All items and their load are detailed in Chapter Two. You may rearrange your inventory at any time during a delve or downtime. If you need to make room for items you may remove items from your inventory at any time, but any items removed are lost forever. 4

CONSEQUENCES Consequences are what happens to your character when you risk it in a dungeon and roll less than a 6. Many encounters will make it obvious which consequences you’ll suffer as a result of risking it. It is always up to you which consequence you choose from the list below: CONDITIONS A condition is harm your character suffers. When you choose a condition, imagine what happens to your character and then write it on your character sheet under “Conditions.” Conditions should be one or two words that describes something that would debilitate your character. Examples: Anxious, Beaten, Bleeding, Broken bones, Bruised, Concussed, Confused, Cursed, Cut, Depressed, Drained, Exhausted, Furious, Horrified, Scared, Shot, Sick, Slashed, Stabbed, Terrified EXPEND AN ITEM Any item that has more than 1 load can be expended. When you expend an item it breaks or is used up in some way and you decrease the item’s load by 1. When you do this erase and rewrite the item in your inventory so it takes up 1 less square. For example armour (3 load) can be expended to represent dents, cuts, and broken pieces. Expended armour would go down to 2 load and then 1 load if it is expended again. Bombs (3 load) and pistols (2 load) can also be expended as a consequence to represent your depleting munitions. You cannot expend an item that has only 1 load, or as been expended down to 1 load. LOSE AN ITEM When you lose an item you erase an item from your inventory. Any item may be lost regardless of the item’s load or whether or not it was expended. This consequence often makes sense for torches as they are used up during your delve. Lost items can never be retrieved again. STRESS When you select stress as a consequence, mark 1 stress on your character’s stress track. This represents your character’s physical and mental fortitude. If your character’s stress track is already full and you need to mark stress, you mark 1 corruption instead.

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CORRUPTION Corruption tracks how your character’s body is being overtaken by the diabolic magicks in the dungeons beneath Kynburgh. When you select this consequence, mark 1 corruption on your character’s corruption track. For each corruption you have marked, you take -1d whenever you risk it against a demon. This means that once you assemble your pool using your character’s skills and items, subtract 1 d6 from the pool for each point of corruption you have marked. HARM A COMPANION During your delves you may come across other delvers, Revolutionaries, or even Royalists willing to help you. Much like your character they can also take harm, but they are far less resilient than you are. When you select this as a consequence, mark 1 harm next to the companion’s name on your character sheet. You cannot choose this consequence if you have no companions. If you have multiple companions you may select which companion is harmed. When a companion has a total of 2 harm, they die. Erase them from your character sheet.

When you risk it and get a mixed success (4/5) you can select any consequence. You still succeed so you have some creative control over what happens to your character during the delve. When you risk it and fail (1-3) you must select either a condition, corruption, or to lose an item. Failures are more punishing for your character, and so you must select one of the more dangerous consequences as a result.

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TREASURE & STASH When you delve you will gain treasures. Treasures are always 1 load and represent different items you find or take from undead Lords during a delve. These could be coins, jewellery, gems, and trinkets made from precious materials that the Lords of the realm liked to adorn themselves in. Whenever you add treasure to your inventory, always write each treasure in your inventory so that it only takes up 1 load per instance of treasure you find. Treasures can be lost as a consequence but never expended. The treasures of the highborn are still prized by the common people of Kynburgh that now rule the city after the Revolution. When you finish a delve and leave the dungeon all your treasures are converted to stash. Stash is an abstract representation of the coins you need to cover living expenses and other services you might need during downtime. Each 1 load of treasure is worth 1 stash. So if you finish a delve with 5 load worth of treasure, you would erase each instance of treasure from your inventory and mark 5 stash on your character sheet. Stash doesn’t cost load. It is assumed that you have room enough to hold coins on your person, hidden beneath your mattress, or secured somewhere in Kynburgh. Your character sheet has space for 20 stash. This mean you can never have more than 20 stash, even if you have the treasures that could take you over that limit. If you’re ever in a position when your stash is full, but you still have treasures left over from a delve, you may keep those treasures in your inventory until you free up room in your stash.

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COMPANIONS You aren’t the only one delving into the crypts of the old Lords. There are other delvers searching for treasures, Revolutionaries looking to twice-kill undead nobility, and even Royalists fleeing justice. These non-player characters who may join you in your delve are called companions. Not everyone you encounter during a delve is willing to be your companion. An encounter will let you know if a chance to gain a companion is available to you, and then it is up to you to risk it to see what happens. All companions have a name and a role. Their role is their background, experience, or job, noted in the encounter. A companion may be a thief, a grave robber, a warrior, an explorer, etc. Whenever you risk it and have a companion with you, if you think their role could help overcome the encounter, you may add +1d to your risk roll. Make sure to be fair and reasonable when assessing whether a companion can assist you when you risk it. A thief might be able to help with a locked door or a trap, but likely wouldn’t be much help against a demon or a horde of skeletons. Companions who have taken harm can still help you when you risk it. You may have as many companions as you like during a delve, and multiple companions may help during a risk roll. Companions only stay with you during a single delve. When you leave a dungeon, even if you plan to return to the same dungeon on your next delve, erase all your companions from your character sheet.

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XP Experience (xp) represents the lessons your character has learned during their delves. You mark 1 xp on your character sheet whenever you fail (1-3) a risk roll. When you mark xp equal to the number of skills your character currently has, erase all marked xp and then write a new skill or rewrite an existing skill on your character sheet. You do this as soon as you have xp equal to your number of skills, despite whether you are delving or are in the middle of an encounter. When you write a new skill make sure it is specific and makes sense for your character. For more information on skills, see Chapter Two. Rewriting skills is an excellent way to refine a skill that is too general or ill-defined, or to get rid of a skill that has proved to not be useful to you as you delve. Your character can never have more than 10 skills. If you mark 10 xp and already have 10 skills you may only rewrite an existing skill.

DEATH Delving is a dangerous business. Your first few characters will likely die in one of Kynburgh’s dungeons. Death is a natural part of this game, especially when you first start out. There are 3 ways your character can die in A Torch in the Dark: CONDITIONS When you mark the same number of conditions as you have skills, your character dies. They likely succumb to their wounds or debilities while in the dungeon. CORRUPTION If you ever need to mark a point of corruption and have no room left on your character’s corruption track, they die. This happens regardless if you mark a corruption due to a consequence or due to having a full stress track. If you ever need to mark a 6th corruption, your character dies, succumbing to the demonic magicks that the first Lords brought into the world. LIGHT Darkness reigns in the tombs and crypts beneath the earth. Even outside, the stars and moon are obscured ever since the Emperor’s death-curse. If your character ever runs out of light sources, meaning they have no torches, lanterns, etc. marked in their inventory, they become lost in the dark forever and die.

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CHAPTER TWO: YOUR CHARACTER rada Twice-Betrayed, Mother of the Revolution, died during the siege of Kynburgh. It took a while for news of her death to spread, as the wards of the city fell from the highborne’s hands. There was mourning, there were ceremonies, there were dedications. The Revolutionary Council, after claiming the tallest towers of Kynburgh for themselves, promised to keep her memory alive in the continued work of the Revolution. None of them spoke about her last public address, none of them spoke about Emperor Titan Kyne’s death-curse, even as ghoulish Lords rose from the crypts beneath the city. They simply wanted the war to be over. When you arise on the thirteenth day after Brada’s death, there is a chill in the air. Perhaps you are set to rebuild your market stall, or maybe you are a soldier looking for something to do. You may even be a delver, someone who took Brada’s last words to heart and are now set to explore the tombs beneath Kynburgh to stop the Emperor’s death-curse. Whoever you are, this is the day Brada’s ghost finds you, and whispers in your ear, “Be not afraid. I have come to offer my aid. There is a terrible threat beneath the city. The First Lords have arisen, all those old architects of the Empire and our grand city. The people are are in danger. The Council will do nothing. Let me show you, let me help you, let us together twice-kill the last nobles of Kynburgh and secure the Revolution. For you. For me. For the people. What say you?”

MAKING A CHARACTER In A Torch in the Dark you play as a delver, someone committed to exploring the tombs beneath Kynburgh to reclaim those dead Lord’s wealth and stop the plague of demonic magicks spreading through the city. But unlike everyone else, you are accompanied by the spirit of Brada TwiceBetrayed. Brada will guide you between the different tombs and give you insight into the history of the world, and may help in other ways as well. When you make a new character you start with 3 skills and 3 items, as well as 3 torches (1 load each) to help you on your first delve. You will also need a name for your new delver. This chapter will offer you advice and best practices for selecting skills and items, and also give you a few example builds of different types of delvers. A character sheet is provided with the game so you can keep track of your character, though you can easily keep track of all of your characters skills, items, etc on a piece of paper or a notebook.

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SKILLS Skills are single words, usually a verb or noun that describe something your character can do when they risk it. Your skills increase your odds of success during your delves, since you will use them to build your pool of dice. It is important for your skills to not be too generic. A skill like “Fighting” is an example of a generic skill, while “Dueling” and “Explosives” are more specific. While general skills will give you better odds, since they could be applied to more situations where you risk it, specific skills will let you will fail more often in your early delves, which is important if you want to get xp in order to add more skills to your character. Below are examples of skills you can pick from when creating your character, adding a new skill, or changing an existing skill. Feel free to come up with your own skills!

DELVER SKILLS ACROBATICS Tumbling, jumping, and dodging Contortionists were a staple of noble courts, until their tastes turned to devilry.

CONSORTING Making friends and conversation with people who share your background The Revolution was born between free people in the cellars and dark corners of the Empire.

AIM Take careful appraisal of your target There are many things in those dungeons that will not give you a second chance. Don’t miss.

DECEPTION Lying, swaying, speaking falsely A natural defence mechanism of the common people, when faced with the demands of the rich.

ALCHEMY Concocting cures, poisons, and potions There are many secrets of this art that yet allude us.

DEMONOLOGY Knowing demons and their ways Devilish deals are for those with nothing left to lose.

ATHLETICS Lifting, swimming, and climbing Strong poor people built this city. We must see that they can enjoy it once more.

DUELING One-on-one combat between people Before the Revolution, Lords would simply send their favourite demons at each other.

ARCANA Using and understanding diabolic magicks The nobility brought demonkind into Kynburgh, and with them their dark powers.

ENDURANCE Taking blows, fighting disease, holding breath The nobility never needed to learn how to suffer.

BRAWLING Fighting close and dirty Most Revolutionaries weren’t trained in combat. It didn’t matter. There were always more of us.

EXPLOSIVES Knowledge and use of bombs and anything else that combusts violently. A young invention for a young movement. 11

HISTORY Knowledge of old important things A useful skill, for those who know how to wield it.

SCAVENGING Picking through detritus for useful things We are all of us accustomed to finding what we need, or making do with what the nobles gave us.

HUNTING Stalking and tracking a target All of our old jobs and roles served us well in the Revolution.

SCRAMBLING Moving out of or around danger Staying alive in the face of certain death is never as pretty as the stories would suggest.

INTIMIDATION Getting what you want by force of will The common people are well versed in this particular skill.

SHOOTING Ranged attacks and picking out targets Bows won’t serve you down there. I hope you have a pistol or two in your possession.

MANOEUVRING Move into and out of advantageous positions Watch your step down there. Time and space do not behave as you think.

TINKERING Picking locks and disabling traps The Lords guarded their stolen wealth with envy and malice in their hearts. Be cautious.

MEDICINE Healing yourself and others Herbs, learned methods, and alchemy serve us better than any diabolic magicks.

SNEAKING Skulking in the shadows unseen The Emperor’s death-curse plunged the entire city into darkness. Use this to your advantage.

NAVIGATION Finding your way around and alternate paths The crypts beneath Kynburgh are a dark labyrinth, this skill would serve you well.

STUDY Closely inspect inscriptions and puzzles Many things in this world will reveal their secrets only to the patient.

PERSUASION Getting other people to see things your way It never takes much to convince people that the world didn’t have to be this way.

SURVEY Perceive people, places, and things Some people take in the whole world, rather than get lost in details.

POISONS Formulas and applications of deadly potions and herbs An ever popular method among nobles to get rid of their competitors, a practice that served us well during the Revolution.

TACTICS Planning, flanking, and outwitting enemies The Empire’s tactics kept us under their heel for so long that many people could not imagine a better world.

RHETORIC Fine words and tricks of language Never underestimate the power of a good speech.

WRECKING Breaking and destroying things Some say destruction is another form of creation, though it usually the people not being destroyed who say such things.

RITUALS The slow and precise work of drawing sigils and magick circles Slow and dangerous work. I cannot advise it.

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ITEMS Items make up the other half of your risk rolls. Having a diverse set of items is just as important as having a diverse set of skills. All items have a load which determines how many consecutive squares they must cover in your inventory. Items that have more than 1 load can be expended and help you deal with more consequences as you delve. There are no limits to how many items you can have, so long as they can all fit into your inventory. However, A Torch in the Dark assumes you will need to keep one hand free for a light source so you can find your way around in the darkness. While you could have a shield and a sword in your inventory, you won’t be able to use them at the same time during the same risk roll. Items that would require two free hands are omitted from the list below. These items cover everything you can find when you delve or when you resupply. You could think up your own items to find or purchase, in which case look for a similar item on this list to determine its load.

DELVER ITEMS ALCHEMICAL REAGENTS (3 load) Ingredients for potions and poisons Careful how you store these. Alchemical accidents often have explosive results.

BAG OF BALL BEARINGS (1 load) A hempen bag full of 100 small steel balls Useful for defeating traps or to slow down pursuers. BOMBS (3 load) Fist-sized pewter balls of explosive powder, each with a short fuse Please be careful with these.

AMMUNITION (3 load) Extra shot and munitions The solution to not enough explosives is, quite often, more explosives.

BOTTLE OF ALCOHOL (1 load) A large glass bottle of intoxicant Many alchemical concoctions use alcohol as an accelerator, as do many personal connections.

ANCIENT TOMES (2 load) Historical documents, arcane theories, alchemical recipes, etc. A mind needs books to be kept sharp.

BOTTLES OF OIL (2 load) Two bottles worth of a flammable, slippery substance They say its also good for your skin.

ARCANE IMPLEMENTS (3 load) Salt, offerings, and a ritual dagger Everything you need to manage diabolic powers, except common sense.

CHALK (1 load) Several small sticks, all white Can help you find your way, create friction, or draw arcane sigils

ARMOUR (3 load) Iron plates and leather padding Everything is going to want to kill you down there, even the stone itself.

CLIMBING TOOLS (2 load) Rope, a harness, a small hammer, and pitons The dungeons beneath the city are probably falling apart, this could help you find alternate paths.

AXE (1 load) Heavy bladed weapon Good for forcing open bodies and doors.

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DAGGERS (2 load) Several small stabbing implements, easily thrown For the up close and personal touch.

SHIELD (2 load) A round wooden shield reinforced with iron Weapons aren’t your only option against the undead. SHOVEL (1 load) Wooden shaft with an iron spade at one end All the nobles buried their treasure with them, some took it more literally than others.

FIRST AID KIT (1 load) Clean bandages and herbal ointment You never know who will need help in those ancient crypts.

SMALL PET (1 load) A rat, lizard, toad, cat, etc. I guess they could come in handy, so long as they follow your commands.

HOLY SYMBOL (1 load) A symbol of your faith or of the Revolution I was just as surprised as anyone when the demons were repelled by our symbols.

SMOKE BOMBS (3 load) Fist-sized bundles of alchemical reagents, activated with a short fuse Good for creating confusion or a swift get-away.

INSTRUMENT (1 load) A small stringed or wind instrument The bards carried the message of the Revolution all across the Empire.

SOCIALIST LITERATURE (1 load) JAVELINS (3 load) Popular pamphlets and underground books Several short spears, ideal for throwing I didn’t write as much of this as people think. These were a popular weapon among the gladiators of the arena, before the nobility grew tired of bloodsport. SWORD (1 load) Typical one-hand edged weapon LANTERN (2 load) In the end the Revolution came down to blood and Glass lantern filled with oil, provides light iron, but this time we got to make the choice. Heavier but more versatile than a simple torch. TINKERING TOOLS (1 load) MAPS (1 load) Lockpicks, screws, pliers, etc. Rough guides and best guesses of the territory Ideal for traps, doors, and whatever mechanisms the beneath Kynburgh nobility dreamt up to defend their wealth. The Emperor’s death-curse has warped reality itself, but anything helps. TEN FOOT POLE (1 load) A long narrow pole made of wood PICKAXE (1 load) Useful for triggering traps at a manageable distance. A heavy mining implement May help you traverse caverns or break through TORCH (1 load) collapsed passageways. Always found as a bundle of 3 (1 load each), provides light PISTOLS (2 load) A tool for both the rioter and the delver. Breach-loading handheld firearms A shrewd choice when one hand is always on your TREASURE (1 load) torch. Crowns, rings, jewels, Imperial coin These trinkets are still highly valued among the ROPE (1 load) members of the Revolutionary Council. A thick coil of hempen rope A mainstay of delvers and adventurers. WRECKING TOOLS (2 load) A prybar, iron stakes, a saw, etc. Tools of destruction and vandalism. 14

EXAMPLE CHARACTERS The following are examples of characters you can make in A Torch in the Dark. These character builds have certain strengths and weaknesses and serve as a good starting points for new and returning players who want to try different approaches in their delves. Feel free to use these characters or modify them them to fit your vision.

Alfons, the Demon Hunter SKILLS: Brawling, Duelling, Athletics ITEMS: Sword (1 load), Armour (3 load), Holy Symbol (1 load), Torches x3 (1 load each) While Alfons performs well against single targets, especially the undead and demons, he struggles against any encounter that cannot be easily addressed with force and violence.

Corine, the Bard SKILLS: Consorting, Deception, Sneaking ITEMS: Instrument (1 load), Small Pet (1 load), Smoke Bombs (3 load), Torches x3 (1 load each) Corine has been built to win over companions to help her with her weaknesses, and to be able to avoid all other encounters if she needs to.

Galatea, the Arsonist SKILLS: Sharpshooting, Explosives, Wrecking ITEMS: Pistols (2 load), Bombs (3 load), Axe (1 load), Torches x3 (1 load each) This character tries to get the most out of her skills and items. The combination of Explosives, Wrecking, and Bombs is effective at destroying both physical obstacles and foes.

Rufio, the Burglar SKILLS: Acrobatics, Tinkering, Navigation ITEMS: Tinkering Tools (1 load), Daggers (2 load), Shovel (1 load), Torches x3 (1 load each) Rufio is a more well-rounded character. Their skills and tools will help them with traps, locked doors, and the environment, and daggers will give them at least 1 relevant item in a fight.

Tryggvi, the Diabolist SKILLS: Arcana, Rituals, Demonology ITEMS: Ancient Tomes (2 load), Holy Symbol (1 load), Arcane Implements (3 load), Torches x3 (1 load each) This is a character trying to leverage magicks to cover any encounter they may come across. A risky but potentially rewarding strategy. 15

CHAPTER THREE: DELVES mperor Titan Kyne’s death-curse has resurrected the old Lords of Kynburgh and all the nobility that were buried beneath the city. The Revolution has secured the city, and will soon secure the Empire, but all our work will be undone if these undead Lords gather their power and wealth. We must twice-kill them all, the Marshals, the Stewards, the Commanders, and finally that dread Emperor himself, in order to break the curse. I will show you the way. I shall tell you about each of the old Lord’s tombs so that we may delve within and stop the rich from ruling Kynburgh once more.

DUNGEONS When you play A Torch in the Dark you progress through each dungeon in order as they are listed in the Dungeon Guide (Chapter Five) starting with the Vault of Viscount Alard Hund and ending with the Tomb of Emperor Titan Kyne. There are 9 dungeons in total. Each dungeon has an introduction where Brada explains to you the history of the dungeon and who is buried there. Each dungeon also has a goal, something you need to achieve before you move on to the next dungeon. Usually this goal will be a unique encounter, like an undead Lord you will need to defeat before you can move on. If you end a delve before you complete the dungeon’s goal, you must face that dungeon again the next time you make a delve.

ENCOUNTERS Delves will take up most of your time playing A Torch in the Dark, and each delve is composed of several encounters. An encounter is represented by a card drawn from the deck. Each card has a corresponding description in the Dungeon Guide which you follow to proceed through the dungeon. Encounters can be anything from traps, the undead, animals, demons, cultists, locked doors, anything that could challenge or delay your progress through the dungeon. Most encounters will make you risk it meaning you will need to make at least one risk roll to progress.

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RISK IT When an encounter asks you to risk it, make a risk roll. You do this by consulting your character sheet and adding up each of the skills and items listed that you think your character could use to address the challenge described in the encounter. Your character can also push themselves by marking 1 stress and getting +1d to their pool before you roll. You then roll the dice and see what happens based on the highest result on the dice. ◆

If the highest result is a 6, your character succeeds.

◆

If the highest result is a 4/5, your character succeeds but there is a consequence. You will need to either mark a condition, expend an item, lose an item, mark 1 stress, mark 1 corruption, or harm a companion.

◆

If the highest result is a 1-3, your character fails. You mark 1 xp, but your character does not get what they want. You must choose a specific consequence: mark a condition, lose an item, or mark 1 corruption. If your character fails, and there is a reason you want them to succeed (perhaps because there is a treasure or a companion at stake) you may risk it again.

◆

If you get multiple 6’s, that is a CRIT. Your character gets multiple successes and the encounter immediately ends in their favour.

Some encounters will offer you a choice of whether or not to risk it. In that case you may risk it, or you may just draw another card and move on to the next encounter. Some encounters, especially unique encounters, will make you risk it multiple times. In those encounters you will need to perform a certain number of risk rolls before the encounter is over. Some of those encounters will require a certain number of successes to get a reward. Make notes on your character sheet to keep track of how many successes you’ve acquired during these encounter.

ENDING A DELVE There are a few ways that a delve can end. You can choose to end a delve any time between encounters. Once you have completed an encounter have not yet drawn the next encounter card, you may decide to end the delve and begin downtime. If you have yet to complete the dungeon’s goal, shuffle all the non-unique cards back into the deck. Your next delve will be in this same dungeon. Once you complete a dungeon’s goal, you may complete the delve and begin downtime. You may also continue to explore the dungeon. When you end a delve and have completed the dungeon’s goal, shuffle all the card back into the deck. Your next delve will be in the next dungeon. If your character dies, the delve ends immediately. Shuffle all the non-unique cards back into the deck, as well as the encounter card you were currently using. But this isn’t necessarily the end of your character’s story... 17

RESURRECTION I know you must be full of questions, delver. I wish I could tell you. Understand that nothing holds me back, it is comprehension that divides us. I could no more tell you what the afterlife is like than I could explain class struggle to an insect. But there is one thing I can give you. If you fall in that dark place, I can bring you back. For as long as your body and spirit can bear that great burden, I can resurrect you. When your character dies that is not necessarily the end of the game. You may decide that you want to start fresh with a new character. If that is the case shuffle all the cards together, make a new character, and start again with a delve at the first dungeon in the Dungeon Guide. But Brada can also resurrect your character. When your character dies, you may permanently fill in one of the boxes on your character’s corruption track to bring them back to life. Use a pen or a different method of filling in the corruption box to note this difference. If you already have corruption marked on your character sheet, you permanently fill in that corruption box. When you resurrect your character, erase all conditions, stress, and temporary corruption from your character sheet. You maintain all xp and items in your inventory and appear in Kynburgh ready to start downtime. You then continue the game as normal. Remember that your character suffers a -1d penalty for each mark on your character's corruption track when facing a demon. Your character can only be resurrected five times using this method. If you would need to permanently fill in a box on your character’s corruption track, and all boxes are already permanently filled, your character finally perishes and you will need to create a new character to continue playing A Torch in the Dark.

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EXAMPLE OF A DELVE Sheila starts a game of A Torch in the Dark. She decides to make her own character called Elbert and picks some skills. She picks Athletics, Brawling, and Wrecking , and a Sword (1 load), Armour ( 3 load), and Wrecking Tools (2 load) as her items. She writes “sword” so it takes up 1 square in Elbert’s inventory, “armour” so that it takes up 3 squares, and “wrecking tools” so that it takes up 2 squares. She also writes 3 torches (1 load each) in one square each in the inventory. Sheila is now ready to start her first delve. She consults the Dungeon Guide and sees that the first dungeon is the Vault of Viscount Alard Hund. She gets some six-sided dice and a deck of playing cards. She makes sure that the jokers are in the deck and shuffles the cards thoroughly. She begins her first delve by drawing a card from the top of the deck.

▒

2 ♣

Card Deck

Encounters

She draws the 2 of Clubs. Sheila consults the Dungeon Guide for the Vault of Viscount Alard Hund to see what encounter the 2 of Clubs represents. She reads, “A locked wooden door. Risk it.” She has to overcome this encounter if she is going to progress through the dungeon so she looks at Elbert’s skills and items She thinks that Elbert would try to break down the door, so she thinks the Wrecking skill and Wrecking Tools item will help her. So she grabs 2 dice (1 for the skill and 1 for the item) for the risk roll and rolls them. One die is a 2 and the other is a 5. She keeps the highest result so she got a success but there is a consequence. She thinks this used up some of Elbert’s Wrecking Tools, so she decides to expend that item. She erases Wrecking Tools from Elbert’s inventory and rewrites it so it has 1 less load. That encounter is now complete so she draws another card from the deck. She draws the 10 of Hearts. It reads, “Revolutionaries and royalists clashed here during the war. Their bodies reanimate. Risk it.” She thinks Elbert’s Brawling skill will help, as well as the Sword and Armour from Elbert’s inventory. She takes up 3 dice and makes a risk roll. He highest result this time is a 4. She decides that the undead have started to infect Elbert and so she marks 1 corruption box on her character sheet. 19

▒

10 ♥

Card Deck

Encounters

Sheila draws another card from the deck and sees that it is the Queen of Hearts. She puts this unique encounter in a separate pile so that it won’t be shuffled back into the deck if she delves in this dungeon again.

▒

10 ♥

Q ♥

Card Deck

Encounters

Unique Encounters

She reads that the Queen of Hearts is a companion encounter: “You find a warrior named Sara lost in the Vault. You may risk it to gain them as a companion for the rest of this delve.” Sheila notes that this is a “may” encounter and doesn’t need to make a risk roll if she doesn’t want to. Also her character doesn’t have anything in their skills or inventory that she thinks would help Elbert make a convincing case. She would be rolling zero dice if she risked it, so she decides that Elbert will push themselves to get at least 1 die. She marks 1 stress on her character sheet and makes a risk roll with 1d. She gets a 6, Elbert succeeds! She writes “Sara, a warrior” under Companions on the character sheet and continues the delve.

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▒

Joker

Q ♥

Card Deck

Encounters

Unique Encounters

A Joker! Sheila knows that a Joker always represents an encounter with a demon, she knows she will have to risk it three times before she can continue the delve, though she is thankful that she does not need to get 3 successes. Sheila looks at her character sheet. If she fights the demon she can get 3 dice from her skills (Brawling) and items (Sword, Armour) and another die from her new companion, Sara the warrior. Four dice seems good for fighting a demon, so she makes a risk roll. But wait! She has 1 corruption on her character sheet. That means that whenever she faces a demon she has to subtract 1 die from her pool. She decides to try her luck with only 3 dice. Her highest result is only a 2! Elbert failed to overcome the demon! Sheila marks 1 xp on the character sheet, and then has to choose to lose an item, mark a corruption, or mark a condition. She decides that a condition makes the most sense, and imagines that the demon tore at Elbert with it’s massive claws, so she writes “Slashed” under Elbert’s conditions. She decides Elbert will push themselves for another die, and marks 1 stress on the character sheet. Now she had 4 dice again and makes the risk roll. A CRIT! Sheila got 2 6’s. The encounter immediately ends in Elbert’s favour and Sheila breathes a sigh of relief before continuing on with her delve.

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CHAPTER FOUR: DOWNTIME owntime is when your character recovers from their delve. When you end a delve you immediately enter the downtime phase where you recover from conditions, restock and resupply items, etc. Downtime is less intense than delves, and you can use this time to think about the wider world outside Kynburgh and the fiction around your character. Do they have a home? Do they stay at an Inn? Where do they go to indulge their vice? Who, if anyone, is happy to see your character return from a delve? When you exit a delve and enter downtime you sell all your treasures and convert them to stash. For each treasure you have, mark 1 stash on your character sheet and then erase all treasures in your inventory. You spend stash to get dice to perform downtime actions. Each downtime action lets your character recover a resource. You may perform these actions as many times as you like and in any order. When you select a downtime action to perform, you choose to spend as much stash as you’d like for that action. You get 1d to roll for each 1 stash spent. You then roll the dice and keep the highest result. You cannot perform downtime actions if you have no stash to spend.

DOWNTIME ACTIONS CLEANSE Your character prays, performs rituals, or helps with the Revolution in order to cleanse themselves of corruption. You cannot remove permanent corruption when you cleanse. ◆

On a CRIT you remove up to 5 corruption

◆

On a 6 you remove up to 3 corruption

◆

On a 4/5 you remove up to 2 corruption

◆

On a 1-3 you remove 1 corruption

RECOVER You search Kynburgh for assistance in treating your various injuries, maladies, and doubts. You can remove conditions from anywhere in the list on your character sheet, you don’t have to start with the most recent or most pressing conditions. ◆

On a CRIT you remove up to 5 conditions

◆

On a 6 you remove up to 3 conditions

◆

On a 4/5 you remove up to 2 conditions

◆

On a 1-3 you remove 1 condition 22

REST You spend time sleeping, meeting with friends, or indulging in vices. When you rest you erase a number of filled stress boxes equal to your highest die roll. For example if you roll a 5, you can erase up to 5 stress from your character sheet. On a CRIT you erase all stress from your stress track and erase 1 corruption. RESUPPLY Kynburgh is full of shops and craftspeople ready to supply delvers for their next quest beneath the city. When you resupply you restore or buy items. When your restore an item you can recover any lost load from an item that was expended during your delve. When you buy an item you get to add an item to your inventory. It is up to you what items you expend or buy, just make sure you have room in your inventory for treasures on your next delve! Use the items list in Chapter Two as a guide for things you can find when you resupply. You cannot sell any items from your inventory. If you are running out of room or have something that you just don’t need, simply erase it from your inventory. ◆

On a CRIT you get up to 5 items

◆

On a 6 you get up to 3 items

◆

On a 4/5 you get up to 2 items

◆

On a 1-3 you get 1 item

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EXAMPLE OF DOWNTIME Sheila’s character Elbert has finished their first delve into the Vault of Viscount Alard Hund. Elbert has 5 stress, 1 corruption, and 2 conditions (“Slashed” and “Burned”). Elbert’s Armour and Wrecking Tools were both expended down to 1 load each, he still has his Sword and 1 Torch remaining. Sheila ended the delve with 7 treasures, and so she starts downtime by marking 7 stash and erasing all the treasures from her inventory. She wants to deal with Elbert’s stress first so she decides to take the rest downtime action. She wants to get rid of as much stress as possible, so she decided to spend 3 stash on this action. She erases 3 stash from her character sheet and rolls 3d6. Her highest result is a 5, so she erases all 5 marked stress. Next she wants to deal with Elbert’s conditions so she decides to spend 2 or her remaining 4 stash on recovery. She erases 2 stash and makes a downtime roll with 2d6. Her highest result is a 4, so she can erase both conditions. Elbert only has 2 stash left and so instead of getting rid of that 1 corruption, Sheila decides to spend the rest on the resupply action. She erases the last 2 points of stash and makes a downtime roll with 2d6. She gets a 6! Sheila can get up to 3 things for Elbert. She decides to restore Elbert’s Armour to 3 load and Wrecking Tools to 2 load, and buys a bundle of 3 Torches so that Elbert is well supplied on their next delve.

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CHAPTER FIVE: DUNGEON GUIDE Torch in the Dark features 9 dungeons each with 52 unique encounters. All of them are detailed here in the Dungeon Guide. When you delve you will want a copy of this guide to consult so you know what encounter each card represents. When you start a new dungeon, read the dungeon’s introduction and make sure you know what your character’s goal is for that dungeon.

JOKERS The only cards that do not change between dungeons are the Jokers. Jokers are a non-unique encounter but are always demons, and can always be read as: You smell ash and sulphur. The air around you is suddenly hot enough to burn parchment. A scaly humanoid form emerges from the darkness with wings made of smoke. Their eyes burn with violet light as their massive mouth grins down at you. This demon is hungry. Risk it three times. A separate copy of the Dungeon Guide is included as a downloadable pdf with this game for ease of use. Good luck delver!

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THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND

The Viscount was in charge of wheat production for Kynburgh. He oversaw the hundreds of farmers who the nobility taxed and promised protection. The official story is that he died of exhaustion plowing the fields. But we all knew that man never worked a plow, never set foot on a farm, not unless it was to berate his workers or to secret away his best farmers. His soul was probably claimed by the demons the highborn consorted with, though I also heard a rumour that he died on the commode. He had a habit of forcing his best farmers to be buried in his Vault, and sometimes he wouldn’t even wait until they were dead. The Viscount hated the idea that other Lords would steal them away and profit from their labour. After the Revolution, many people have attempted to delve into the Vault, seeking the remains of their families, and some personal recompense from this dreadful landowner. Expect a lot of undead, other desperate delvers, and traps fashioned from farming equipment.

Goal: Kill Viscount Alard Hund (J♣) 26

THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND

♣ CLUBS ♣ A

Royalists once camped out in this section of the Vault, hiding from the Revolution. Now their bodies litter the stone floor. Risk it to find 1 treasure among their bodies.

2

A locked wooden door. Risk it.

3

The earth around you begins to shake. Stone bricks fall. Your footing shifts. Risk it.

4

Noxious fumes begin to fill this section of the Vault. Risk it.

5

The ceiling begins to collapse above you. Risk it.

6

A large hungry swarm of rats surrounds you. Risk it.

7

You find a safe spot to rest for a moment. Recover 1 stress.

8

You hear diabolic words. You feel ghostly flames around you. Risk it.

9

A locked thick stone door blocks the way. Risk it.

10

The tunnel before you has collapsed. You’ll need to clear the way. Risk it.

The tomb of Viscount Alard Hund is full of painted frescoes and statues imitating the wheat farmers who suffered under him for years. Many of his farmers are entombed JACK here with him, along with what remained of his personal bodyguards. His elaborate sarcophagus slowly opens. Risk it three times, after 3 successes you find 3 treasures and complete the goal for this dungeon. You come across a painted mural of Viscount Alard Hund. The painting depicts what he QUEEN thought were his greatest deeds during his rule of the farms surrounded Kynburgh. Jewels are embedded in the painting. You may risk it to gain 1 treasure. You come across a twelve foot tall statue of Viscount Alard Hund, clutching a set of scales and a bushel of wheat. As you raise your light source you can see two massive KING gems socketed into one of the statue's eyes.If you want, risk it twice, after 2 successes gain 2 treasures. 27

THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND

♦ DIAMONDS ♦ A

A trap was sprung here. You see a dead delver impaled on a spike, an decorative sword in their hand. Gain 1 treasure.

2

Wooden spears suddenly shoot from the walls. Risk it.

3

A pit opens up beneath you, rusted iron pitchforks line the bottom. Risk it.

4

The stone walls around you start to slowly close in. Risk it.

5

Arrows shoot out from the walls. Risk it.

6

Rusted rakes, shovels, and pitchforks swing out at you from the walls. Risk it.

7

Water starts flooding into the Vault. Risk it.

8

Massive steel scythes cut at you from the walls. Risk it.

9

You spot holes and slits in the walls before you. This tunnel is full of traps. Risk it.

10

The ceiling opens up and rotten fermented wheat kernels flood the hallway. Risk it.

You find a room with a checker board pattern on the floor stones. Each tile is marked with one of the farms the Viscount ruled. Some tiles are brittle and crumble beneath JACK your feet into a room dozens of feet below you. Some tiles are firm under your feet. At the centre of the room is the Viscount’s golden abacus and scales he used to tally his profits. Risk it twice, after 2 successes gain 2 treasures. The Viscount’s best farmer had the privilege to be buried here with him when the Viscount died. Alard Hund wouldn’t let any other Lord benefit from the farmer’s QUEEN excellent labour. You find a golden bushel of wheat atop the poor farmer’s sarcophagus. Gain 1 treasure. You open a stone door to find a room full of minor barons’ stone coffins. In the centre of KING the room is a stone plinth with their golden signet rings. You may gain 3 treasures. If you do, the room begins to rapidly fill with rotten wheat kernels. Risk it three times. 28

THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND

♥ HEARTS ♥ A

You find the remains of several barons and knights, executed here during the Revolution. Gain 1 treasure.

2

Two peasants have found their way in and are picking over a noble’s remains. They won’t let you pass. Risk it.

3

You find a delver. Their leg is broken. You may risk it to help them. If you do, gain 1 item.

4

A young armed Revolutionist spots you. He questions your loyalty to the Revolution. Risk it.

5

You find a delver. He’s screaming at demons that you cannot see. Risk it.

6

A delver down on their luck and badly injured points a blade at you. Give them 1 treasure, or risk it.

7

You find a secret cache of wine stashed here by the Vault’s builders. Remove 1 condition.

8

You are swept up by a group of delvers fleeing from something. They are terrified. Risk it.

9

You spot someone from your past. They’re dead. They shouldn’t be here. Risk it.

10

Revolutionaries and Royalists clashed here during the war. Their bodies reanimate. Risk it.

JACK

QUEEN

KING

A thief named Tory stumbles into you. You may risk it to gain them as a companion for the rest of this delve. You find a warrior named Sara lost in the Vault. You may risk it to gain them as a companion for the rest of this delve. You find a historian named Ash exploring the Vault. You may risk it to gain them as a companion for the rest of this delve. 29

THE VAULT OF VISCOUNT ALARD HUND

♠ SPADES ♠

A

A broken wooden door leads to a small room. One of the Viscount’s sons was buried here. Now his decrepit undead form shuffles around the tomb. He is adorned with several pieces of golden jewellery. Risk it to gain 1 treasure.

2

The ground here is uneven, a shallow grave full of royalists. They start to animate. Risk it.

3

A ghoulish noble crashes through a nearby wall. Risk it.

4

You hear a large ghoul stalking through the tunnels nearby. Risk it.

5

An undead knight stumbles around in the dark. It hasn’t spotted you yet. Risk it.

6

A group of animated skeletons tumbles into view. Risk it.

7

You find a font of crystal clear water. Remove 1 corruption.

8

You find an undead baron feasting on a dead delver. Risk it.

9

The floor beneath you gives way. You fall into a room of undead. Risk it.

10

A group of undead nobles shuffle through the vault. Risk it.

The stone coffin for the captain of the Viscount’s personal guard remains unopened, JACK though you can hear the sounds of scraping inside. If you open it, risk it twice, then gain 2 treasures. The Viscount forced his farmers to give him their prized animals. They were buried here QUEEN with him, to serve him in the Hereafter. Now their twisted undead bodies bleat and cry and bite at anything that moves. If you want, risk it, then gain 1 treasure. Pitre was once the Viscount's personal attendant. His tomb is one of the largest rooms you’ve seen so far in the Vault. Several broken statues stand guard around his KING sarcophagus. The statues break open, revealing undead city guards inside. Risk it three times, after 3 successes gain 3 treasures. 30

THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL

Westeyel was the Emperor’s Lord of Seas. He was the admiral of their warships, the master of every dockworker and seaman. He wanted to be buried at sea, but when an agent of the Revolution poisoned his final meal the Emperor refused to sacrifice a single ship as the towns and provinces around Kynburg reverted to the People. Instead he was laid to rest on a small island in the middle of the Tenoy River outside Kynburgh. The island was gradually transformed into a Necropolis, as Lord Captains from the Emperor’s navy vied to have their own plots next to the legendary Lord Admiral. Revolutionaries have found the Necropolis and are openly clashing with Royalists as they attempt to find their buried relatives and reclaim some coin for themselves. We have not yet seen how the Emperor’s death-curse interacts with the natural world, so there may be beasts and worse yet turned against you. Expect battling Royalists and Revolutionaries at the very least.

Goal: Kill Lord Admiral Geoffry Westeyel (J♦) 31

THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

Royalists were buried here in a shallow grave. You may risk it, after 1 success you find 1 treasure among their bodies.

2

A partially collapsed stone bridge stretches before you. Risk it.

3

The earth around you begins to shake. Crypts topple over. Your footing shifts. Risk it.

4

A storm hits the island, suddenly and without warning. Lightning strikes all around you. Risk it.

5

Suffocating smoke and ash falls across the island and threatens to snuff out every torch. Risk it.

6

Old, gnarled tree roots encircle your ankles. Risk it.

7

You find a spot of dry elevated land. You can imagine the sun on your face. Clear 1 stress.

8

A large hungry crocodile has spotted you. Risk it.

9

A crevasse opens beneath you, releasing fire and putrid air. Risk it.

10

Water-logged corpses are walking onto the island from the shore. Risk it.

A large ship was beached here during the siege at Kynburgh, and is now the scene of JACK intense fighting between Revolutionaries and Royalists. If you want, risk it. After 1 success, you gain 1 treasure. The mausoleum of Stithulf Harleye, the Ship Breaker Baron stands before you. Risk it to find a way inside. If you do, you find that the bottom of the tomb has collapsed, the QUEEN shattered body of Stithulf Harleye lays below you, mixed with mud and rubble. Risk it twice to find a way down. Then gain 2 treasures. The Lord Admiral’s flagship The Divine Right was the last ship he served on. The dreadnought lies in pieces scattered throughout this part of the Necropolis. Nesting KING between them is a giant octopus. It’s skin is as red as blood and covered in spines as long as lances. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures. 32

THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

The ruins of the ship King’s Reaver were brought here to be laid to rest alongside its former captain: the Lord Admiral. If you want to explore, risk it. After 1 success you gain 1 treasure.

2

As you explore an old crypt it begins to collapse on top of you. Risk it.

3

A pit opens up beneath you, iron spikes line the bottom. Risk it.

4

Bear traps line the ground. You see Revolutionaries hiding nearby, hoping to catch a stray Royalist. Risk it.

5

You cross the threshold of a crypt. Your leg brushes against a tripwire hooked up to a bomb. Risk it.

6

The mud beneath you gives way. You fall into an ancient crypt. The walls begin to close in. Risk it.

7

You find an out of the way spot to rest and recuperate. Clear 1 stress.

8

You see diabolic sigils painted onto one of the crypts. The crypt doors open. Risk it.

9

You stumble upon an incomplete magic ritual carved into the mud. The sigils spark and glow. Risk it.

10

An old grey willow tree crawls toward you. Its roots and arms move like spider legs. Risk it.

You see the late Lord Admiral Geoffry Westeyel standing on the tallest hill in the Necropolis. Skeletal workers around him are starting construction on another ship for JACK him to captain. The gold and silver of his medals and uniform reflect the violet light burning in his old fractured skull. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures and you complete the goal for this dungeon. Three siblings are looking for their mother’s tomb. She built ships for the Lord Admiral, they say. If you help them, risk it. If you succeed you find the gravestone and the QUEEN siblings exhume their mom. Inside their mother’s casket is a secret compartment hiding a small chest full of stolen jewellery. They share it with you, as thanks. Gain 1 treasure. You spot a golden compass partially submerged in the mud beneath your feet. Gain 1 treasure. The compass points to a tomb in the middle of a field of gravestones for the KING sailors of the Jeering King. The compass is also a key that opens the tomb. Inside is a ghoulish captain armed with an emerald studded scimitar. Risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 1 treasure. 33

THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

You find the remains of a knight, executed here during the Revolution. His skeleton begins to animate. Risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure.

2

A group of peasants have arrived to pick over the Necropolis. They won’t let you pass. Risk it.

3

Revolutionaries are vandalizing tombs. They hand you a bucket of black pitch and expect you to help. Risk it.

4

You spot a group of delvers about to be overwhelmed by ghouls. Risk it.

5

A group of Royalists bar the way, arguing and fighting with some Revolutionaries. Risk it.

6

You spot a young Revolutionary, lost and scared. You may risk it to help them to safety.

7

You find a stone fountain, overgrown with ivy and full of crystal clear water. Remove 1 condition.

8

You see the tombstone of someone you knew who served the Lord Admiral. Who were they? Risk it.

9

A firefight between Royalists and Revolutionaries threatens to engulf you. Risk it.

10

You find a young Revolutionary laying beneath a tree. They are severely wounded. If you want to help, risk it.

A widowed woman named Edda is exploring the Necropolis. She’s a mapmaker by trade. Her husband died serving in one of the Lord Admiral’s many campaigns. She JACK might be willing to join you. If you want, risk it. If you succeed you gain Edda as a companion for the rest of this delve. Two grave robbers, Kestrel and Lynne, are arguing about who can claim the treasures they just took from a Lord Captain’s tomb. They are starting to brandish weapons at QUEEN each other. If you intervene, risk it. If you succeed you gain 1 of them as a companion for the rest of the delve. Thomas, an arsonist, chucks lit bombs at fleeing royalists. He shouts “BRADA WAS KING BETRAYED” at their fleeing backs. You may risk it. If you succeed, you gain Thomas as a companion for the rest of the delve. 34

THE NECROPOLIS OF LORD ADMIRAL GEOFFRY WESTEYEL

♠ SPADES ♠

A

You find the remains of several nobles executed against the outer wall of a minor lord’s tomb. If you want to, risk it. If you succeed you gain 1 treasure.

2

The ground here is uneven, a shallow grave full of Royalists. They start to animate. Risk it.

3

A ghoulish noble crashes through the doors of a nearby mausoleum. Risk it.

4

A large ghoul emerges from a reedy pond nearby. Risk it.

5

You spot an undead knight wandering between gravestones. Risk it.

6

Some skeletons overwhelm a group of delvers and begin tearing at their flesh. Risk it.

7

You find a backpack lying forgotten beneath a dead tree. Risk it to find the owner, or gain 1 item.

8

You find an undead baron feasting on a dead delver. Risk it.

9

An undead crocodile riddle with arrows and spears charges at you. Risk it.

10

A skeletal hand bursts from the ground and grabs at your ankle. Risk it.

Delvers run screaming from an open tomb, clutching treasures in their arms. You smell burning flesh as an undead knight ascends the steps of the tomb and steps into the JACK open air. One of the delver’s torches is stuck in their armour. Flame and smoke billows around them. Risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. Atop a hill lies the crypt of Lord Captain Easton Cooke, the Lord Admiral’s best pirate hunter. Surrounding the crypt are a group of Royalists dressed in maroon robes. They QUEEN sit upon a ritual circle drawn in salt. They chant the Lord Captain’s name. The crypt begins to open. Risk it three times, then gain 3 treasures. You see a group of delvers trying to close a crypt. Undead hands and skeletal fingers KING reach for them from between the stone doors. If you help, risk it. If you succeed they thank you and give you 1 treasure. 35

THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE

The Lord Commander was the Emperor’s Marshall. He was one of the chief architects of the invasions that would establish Titan Kyne’s Empire. He was killed in one of the first battles of the Revolution. He thought he would be safe from the fighting, that we would be honourable and follow the rules of combat. He thought he would be given the right of ransom. We sent the Emperor his body. Sigward Baine and his family were buried under Fort Kyne, the keep at the centre of Kynburgh. Some say that Fort Kyne was built upon the ruins of another castle, back when the Empire was still a scheme cooking in Titan Kyne’s mind. No one knows how deep those catacombs penetrate into the earth. But we need to know what is going on down there. We need to know what the last Emperor’s death-curse has done to warp those tight passageways. Expect difficult terrain and treacherous footing. Also, I often heard rumours of some sort of insect infestation in the Catacombs. This delve will be more difficult than the last two, be wary friend.

Goal: Kill Lord Commander Sigward Baine (J♠) 36

THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

An old Count met his end here, stuck to a massive web that blocks the passageway. He holds a decorative sword in one hand. If you want, risk it. After 1 success, you gain 1 treasure.

2

You’ve gotten turned around in the catacombs. You are lost. Risk it.

3

The tunnels have become uneven and so narrow that you can barely fit through. Risk it.

4

Thick spider webs block this tunnel. Risk it.

5

This tunnel was being renovated during the revolution. The support beams begin to collapse. Risk it.

6

You smell sulphur and ash. Something on you is burning. Risk it.

7

You find a quiet natural cave in which to rest. Clear 1 stress.

8

Thick webs mixed with wood and stone debris bar the only way forward. Risk it twice.

9

A crevasse separates the Catacombs here. A wide canyon lays before you. Risk it twice.

10

You find a dead delver cocooned in webbing. If you want, risk it twice, then gain 1 item.

You enter a large crypt reserved for the officers of the Lord Commander’s armies. Stone sarcophagi are arrayed on multiple levels, connected by a wide central spiral staircase. JACK Spiders the size of large dogs have made their nests here. Several crypts are adorned with treasures stolen during the Emperor’s invasions. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. The Lord Commander’s champion was a soldier named Tatton, a giant of a man. He never once lost a duel. His body, now animated with diabolic fire, wanders the QUEEN Catacombs of the Lord Commander, his great sword dragging behind him. Risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. The Catacombs here have been excavated by a massive spider. Its web stretches across KING the cavern, containing stone debris and several bodies. It’s massive eight legged body scuttles towards you. Risk it twice, after 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. 37

THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

The Catacombs are interrupted by a large, natural cave. There are signs that there was a party here as well as a diabolic ritual circle. The incomplete runes and sigils beneath your feet begin to spark with arcane magicks. Risk it, then gain 1 treasure.

2

You come to a dead end, blocked by 3 different stone doors. All of them are locked. Risk it.

3

You begin to cough and sweat. Something in the Catacombs has infected your body. Risk it.

4

The stone brick tunnel before you starts to collapse. Risk it.

5

An iron gate slams down in front and behind you. The passageway begins filling with water. Risk it.

6

The stone beneath you gives way. You fall into an ancient crypt. The walls begin to close in. Risk it.

7

You find an out of the way spot to rest and recuperate. Clear 1 stress.

8

You come upon an elaborate trap, partially disarmed by a mess of thick spider webs. Risk it twice.

9

You find a wide stone hall, lined with statues of imperial soldiers. They begin to animate. Risk it twice.

10

Rusted swords swing out on spring traps from the walls. Risk it twice.

You enter a room full of strange contraptions linked with pulleys, weights, and levers. On closer inspection it appears to be an elaborate mechanism to open the only exit out JACK of the room. Risk it. If you risk it by solving the puzzle and succeed, gain 1 treasure as a secret door open to reveal a nobleman’s stone sarcophagus. You spot a few dusty stone sarcophagi in a small room. You also notice holes and slits in QUEEN the walls and a false floor beneath you. Traps. If you want, risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. Massive stone doors open into a wide storage room. You see chariots, racks full of ornate weapons, and siege weapons, all relics from the Lord Commander’s campaigns. KING Trophies and treasures line the walls. But as you step into the room, the floor begins to collapse. The weight of everything in this room is causing it to subside into a bottomless cavern below. Risk it three times, then gain 3 treasures. 38

THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

You spot a golden wine chalice suspended in a large web. If you want, risk it and gain 1 treasure.

2

You find a grave robber, lost in the catacombs. If you want to help them find their way, risk it.

3

A man dressed in maroon robes ambushes you with a dagger in the dark. Risk it.

4

You spot a man in maroon robes humming liturgies to demons in a circle of candles. Risk it.

5

A Revolutionary stuck in webbing pleads for help. If you help them, risk it.

6

Someone is screaming in the catacombs. You can’t find them. The sound echoes everywhere. Risk it.

7

You find an underground river full of crystal clear water. Remove 1 condition.

8

You see a delver about to be overwhelmed by a swarm of huge spiders. If you help, risk it twice.

9

A Royalist charges you. Extra arms covered in demon scales emerge from his robes. Risk it twice.

10

You find a pile of dead Royalists dumped here during the Revolution. The pile writhes. Risk it twice.

A starving nobleman runs into you. He has been hiding down here for days. His name is Woodrowe Green, a Baron until the Revolution. He says he can help you navigate the Catacombs if you protect him. But he refuses to give up his golden signet ring, or the JACK golden scroll tube he clutches to his chest. Risk it to kill the Baron and gain 1 treasure, or let him join you and gain Baron Woodrowe Green as a companion for the rest of this delve. You come upon a thief. Her name is Thistle and she’s in the middle of disarming a trap. QUEEN If you want to convince her to join up with you as a companion for the rest of this delve, risk it. Aldora, a cleric of the revolution, incinerates a demon in front of you. She is covered in KING holy symbols that emit a calming glow. If you want to convince her to join up with you as a companion for the rest of the delve, risk it. 39

THE CATACOMBS OF LORD COMMANDER SIGWARD BAINE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

You come across a dead royal guard, killed during the Revolution. Their armour is bent and rusted, but you can spot jewellery and a fat coin purse. If you want, risk it, then gain 1 treasure.

2

An animated skeleton leaps at you from a dusty coffin. Risk it.

3

A ghoulish noble grabs you from the darkness. Risk it.

4

A large ghoulish Count lumbers toward you, shuffling slowly through the tight corridor. Risk it.

5

You spot an undead knight wandering in the tunnels ahead of you. Risk it.

6

You pass a pale corpse stuck to the wall with webbing. It lunges at you as you pass. Risk it.

7

You find a backpack lying forgotten in the Catacombs. Gain 1 item.

8

You find several undead Barons feasting on a dead delver. Risk it twice.

9

A ghoulish noble lunges at you from a side passage. A swarm of spiders escape his undead body. Risk it twice.

10

An undead Baron wanders into the tunnel, violet flames in their chest. Risk it twice.

The crypt of Lord Commander Sigmond Baine is full of relics from his life. Ornate armour and swords adorn the walls. The Lord Commander is slumped over the remains of a Royalist clothed in a maroon robe, chewing on their flesh. You can see the Lord JACK Commander’s body is rejuvenating. A diabolic ritual is painted on the floor. His hands end in sharp skeletal talons. Risk it three times, after 3 successes you gain 3 treasures and complete the goal for this dungeon. The Lord Commander’s chariot horses were buried here with him. They were not spared the death-curse. They canter through the tunnels, violet fire burning in their QUEEN eyes. You spot them at the end of one wide tunnel. Risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. You come across a room full of dead Royalists. Wine bottles and spoiled food litter the KING floor, mixed with dried blood. They sought shelter here, but someone found them. A diabolic sigil on the floor sparks to life. Risk it, then gain 1 treasure. 40

THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE

Duke Kyne was the Emperor’s younger brother. The Duke never sought the Imperial throne, and instead ruled in the shadows. Oswald was the Emperor’s Master of Spies. We do not know all of the Duke’s crimes, and we never will. All we know is that the jail of Watchtower Keep was full of people that had been missing for years. Their crimes were as ill-fitting as the Emperor’s massive crown. The homeless jailed for the crime of idleness when they refused to be the Duke’s eyes and ears around the city. Students jailed for sedition when they questioned the Empire’s laws. Citizens jailed for treason when they tried to leave the Empire’s borders. We did not kill the Duke. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how he died. All we know is that there was no funeral, no grand procession, no notice. All we have is a single direction, written in green ink on a single slip of parchment with the Spymaster’s sigil in black wax. “Let me rest in the dungeon ‘neath Watchtower Keep.” Somewhere in that prison lies the Duke of Spies. Find him and let him rest a second time. Watchtower Keep served as Kynburgh’s prison, so it will be full of people, locked doors, and traps.

Goal: Kill Duke Oswald Kyne (Q♣) 41

THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

You find the animated corpse of Edard Fayne, the Duke’s key master. He wears a grey cloak wrapped in chains, on each link a ring of keys. Most are dull iron, but some are forged from gold and silver. Risk it twice. After 2 successes gain 1 treasure and 1 item “dungeon keys” (1 load).

2

Locked wooden door. Risk it.

3

Another dead end. The dungeon is rearranging itself when you aren’t looking. You are lost. Risk it.

4

Water has flooded this part of the dungeon. You’ll have to swim to go forward. Risk it.

5

A few cells have partially collapsed, blocking this part of the dungeon. Risk it.

6

Royalists have erected a shrine here to demons. It glows with diabolic magicks. Risk it.

7

A crack in the dungeon lets in some fresh air. Loose stone bricks offer a place to sit. Clear 1 stress.

8

A swarm of rats descend on you from cracks in the ceiling. Risk it twice.

9

A thick wrought iron door bars the way. There are several locks. Risk it twice.

This passage has collapsed. The only way around is a series of locked jail doors. Risk it twice. Lord Dalton Thorne. The Duke’s head torturer. His corpse has made its way back to its favourite instruments, in a room full of bloody tools and devices. You’ve found this JACK room, and the torturer’s twisted body, deformed from the final punishments the Revolutionaries visited upon him. Finish the job. Risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. The Duke of Spies lives! Oswald Kyne’s grey and stringy hair hangs off his head as he peers at papers arrayed over his own stone coffin. Jars of water and food are stacked in the corner, along with a healthy supply of coins. He is muttering incoherently about the QUEEN Empire and the threat of demons. He keeps saying that “He tried.” He reaches for a dagger on the coffin. Risk it three times, then gain 3 treasures and you have completed the goal for this dungeon. That’s Prince Octavin Kyne in that cell, the Emperor’s youngest son. Why is he here? His body is a mess of scars and sigils he’s carved into his own flesh with a curved silver KING dagger. He speaks only in devilish incantations. There’s violet fire in his eyes. If you attempt to interact with him at all, risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure. 10

42

THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

You find a locked room with a small window in the door. Inside are valuables seized from the citizens imprisoned here, as well as some noble’s trinkets. Risk it to get inside. After you succeed, risk it again to deal with the traps in the room. Then gain 2 treasures.

2

You come to a dead end, blocked by 3 stone doors. All of them are locked. Risk it.

3

A pit opens up beneath you, iron spikes line the bottom. Risk it.

4

You spot a pressure plate before you. Risk it.

5

There’s a false floor before you. Risk it.

6

The stone beneath you gives way. You fall into a pit. The walls begin to close in. Risk it.

7

You take a brief moment to rest and recuperate. Clear 1 stress.

8

A complicated series of levers and pulleys open the doors ahead of you. Risk it twice.

9

Acid starts to drip from the ceiling and pool on the floor. Risk it twice.

10

An impressive series of traps line the hallway before you. Risk it twice.

A Royalist lays slumped over a blade protruding from the ground. Golden jewellery hangs from his corpse. A silver sceptre dangles from a pocket. His body starts to twitch, JACK as does the trap that tries to reactive below him. Risk it twice. After 2 successes gain 2 treasures. A man in maroon robes has scrawled diabolic sigils on every spare brick in this hallway. The air smells of blood. Each sigil begins to spark with violet flame, the same flame QUEEN alight in the man’s eyes. There’s a jewelled dagger in his hand. If you want to, risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure. You find an open cell full of Lords, Knights, and Barons. They were tortured, but that’s not how they died. Empty wine bottles are arrayed around them, they smell of KING almonds. Their bodies are scared with sigils and devilish incantations. They all start to twitch and writhe. Risk it three times, then gain 3 treasures. 43

THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

You find two burglars, Payton and Baylee. They were imprisoned here before the Revolution. Several locks on the door to their cell keep them inside. If you want, risk it twice to set them free. After 2 successes, they are grateful, and point you to a secret stash of Royalist treasures as thanks. Gain 2 treasure.

2

Some enthusiastic Revolutionaries try to convince you to help them burn the dungeon down. Risk it.

3

Someone in the dungeon is screaming for their lives. If you investigate, risk it.

4

A dungeon guard stabs at you from the dark. Risk it.

5

You hear people running down a nearby tunnel, and the sound of the undead chasing them. Risk it.

6

A Royalist in a cell screams for help. The undead will surely hear him. Risk it.

7

You find a broken wooden trunk containing medicines and cloth wraps. Remove 1 condition.

8

You come upon some Revolutionaries trapped in a cell surrounded by undead. They call out to you. Risk it twice.

9

You spot a half-starved man trapped in a cell. He can barely stand. If you help, risk it twice.

10

You find dead Royalists and men wearing the Duke’s signet. The royalists begin to rise. Risk it twice.

A woman almost pins you to the wall with a spear. She quickly apologizes and introduces herself as Adella Thorn, a cleric of the Revolution. She is adorned with holy JACK symbols and seals of the Revolution. She has come here to kill demons and the Royalists who worship them. If you risk it and succeed, she agrees to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. You find a man named Bren picking locks and looking for treasures to claim. His QUEEN pockets jingle with coins. If you risk it and succeed, he agrees to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. A woman in a cell calls to you. Several twice-killed undead surround her cell. She introduces herself as Kathryn. She says she was an assassin who worked for the Duke, KING and that the Duke turned against the Emperor when he started cavorting with demons. Do you trust her? If you risk it and succeed she will join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. 44

THE DUNGEON OF DUKE OSWALD KYNE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

A man in maroon robes crouches over the body of a dead delver. They are both covered in blood. The man in robes digs through the delver’s backpack. It’s full of coins. Risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure.

2

An animated skeleton leaps at you from an open jail cell. Risk it.

3

A ghoulish noble grabs you from the darkness. Risk it.

4

A skeleton has become stuck in the bars of the door ahead of you. Risk it.

5

You spot an undead Knight wandering in the tunnels ahead of you. Risk it.

6

You spot a ghoul feasting on a dungeon guard. They haven’t spotted you yet. Risk it.

7

You find a storage room, only partially looted. Gain 1 item.

8

A horde of ghouls and skeletons bursts through a nearby door. Risk it twice.

9

A ghoul in mismatched heavy armour is pursuing you. Risk it twice.

10

The cells ahead of you are packed with undead. They haven’t detected you yet. Risk it twice.

Diabolic utterances fill the air. A maroon-robed Lord stands in the middle of a prison JACK cell, violet flames erupt from his hands, melting the bars and scorching the walls. He leaves the cell and sniffs the air. Risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure. You find two men locked in combat. One is dressed in all black and wears the sigil of Duke Kyne. The other is a noble Lord, a Baron. The Baron wears a fine gold circlet and QUEEN an array of sigils painted on his flesh. If you get involved, risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure. Count Kendall Rey led the city guard and kept Watchtower Keep in order. His duty was to catch criminals, but what he actually did was filled his coffers with taxes and did KING whatever the Duke of Spies told him. Now his ghoulish corpse paces his office, covered in the finery and golden trinkets he was paid with. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. 45

THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE

Count Edwag Turnbulle was Emperor Kyne’s Steward, the Master of Coin. He was likely the richest man in the Empire, probably even richer than the Emperor himself. But who could find it all. The Count was a master of lies and the liberal application of the Empire’s tax codes. He spent more money than the people of Kynburgh have ever seen, and has hidden more besides. His Mausoleum is massive, built on the spot where his favourite market used to be. Hundreds of people were forced out of work because Count Turnbulle wanted to be buried somewhere where everyone could see him. If you were to stand at one end of the Mausoleum, you could barely make out the people standing at the other. It was a burial chamber for everyone in the Tunrbulle family and their extended relatives. But now it is a battleground, raided by both Revolutionaries and Royalists. Watch your back. There is enough wealth in the Mausoleum alone to improve the lives of those in Kynburgh, or to fund the Royalists’ retribution. If you need to stock up on treasures, it may be worth the risk to spend a little more time here.

Goal: Kill Count Edwag Turnbulle (Q♦) 46

THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

A Baron surrounded by Royalists is trying to escape the Mausoleum with a sack full of coins. If you want, risk it three times. Then gain 3 treasures.

2

Part of the Mausoleum roof is collapsing above you. Risk it.

3

Part of the Mausoleum floor below you is collapsing. Risk it.

4

Part of the Mausoleum wall next to you is collapsing. Risk it.

5

One of the statues of Count Turnbulle is crumbling and falling towards you. Risk it.

6

A fire has started in this part of the Mausoleum. Acrid smoke fills the air. Risk it.

7

You find an abandoned backpack in the middle of the Mausoleum. If you want, gain 1 item.

8

A volley of arrows rains down through holes in the Mausoleum’s domed roof. Risk it twice.

9

A catapult has hit the Mausoleum. Stone and flaming pitch rain down around you. Risk it twice.

10

Fighting between Royalists and Revolutionaries overtakes this part of the Mausoleum. Risk it three times.

The decrepit Viscount Varnhame and his workers emerge from a hidden crypt beneath the Mausoleum. They have bags full of golden relics. His workers are armed with JACK nothing more than shovels and pickaxes. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. A hollow statue falls over, revealing jewels and Imperial coins stuffed inside. Royalists QUEEN and Revolutionaries both fight over the spilled wealth. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. A group of maroon-robed nobles rush into the Mausoleum, each holding a jewelled KING ritual dagger. They speak in diabolic incantations and violet fire leaps from their hands. Risk it three times, then gain 3 treasures. 47

THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

The Count’s son Bertram Turnbulle was meant to succeed his father, but was killed during an outbreak of plague. When Revolutionaries first entered the Mausoleum they activated a trap that made Bertram’s sarcophagus rise in the air on a thirty foot column of stone. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures.

2

A chandelier above you is falling to the floor. Risk it.

3

The marble beneath your feet cracks. A pit opens up, iron spikes line the bottom. Risk it.

4

Royalists with crossbows are shooting bolts into the Mausoleum. Risk it.

5

Royalists are trying to erect a barrier to keep delvers and revolutionists away. Risk it.

6

Your foot crosses a demonic sigil scrawled on the floor. Risk it.

7

The chaos within the Mausoleum briefly abates. Clear 1 stress.

8

One of the massive columns supporting the vaulted ceiling is collapsing. Risk it twice.

9

A series of traps have been activated in this part of the Mausoleum. You can see the mechanisms powering them. Risk it twice.

A series of arcane sigils have been painted on the floor. They start to glow. Risk it three times. The Blackburne crypt is built from black marble. It’s the size of a house, and holds the remains and wealth of each member of the Blackburn family, who married into the JACK Turnbulle family during the Empire’s invasion. The crypt is surrounded by a series of traps which are in a constant state of activation due to the ongoing conflict. If you want, risk it up to three times, then gain 3 treasures. Count Edwag Turnbulle’s stone crypt is covered with golden filigree depicting him and his family. The doors are inlaid with gemstones. Edwag Turnbulle defends the tomb, his QUEEN ghoulish body adorned with golden decorative armour, a whip in each hand. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures and complete the goal for this dungeon. A group of maroon-robed men are defending a sarcophagus carved from green marble. It is the resting place of Lord Grant Glasse, the founder of the largest bank in KING Kynburgh. The lid of the sarcophagus is sliding aside, a skeletal hand adorned with emerald rings reaches out. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. 48 10

THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

You are stopped by a bounty hunter named Faith. She has a contract on a Lord, Earl Slade Hightower. She asks if you want to help in exchange for a cut of whatever they find on the Baron. If you agree Faith joins you as a companion as you risk it three times to hunt and kill the Baron. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures and Faith leaves.

2

A Royalist with a rifle snipes at you from behind a pillar. Risk it.

3

Someone is tossing bombs around. Risk it.

4

Royalists with daggers and knives point at you and start running towards you. Risk it.

5

You spot an injured delver trying to find their way out. If you help, risk it.

6

A group of Revolutionaries demand you join them as they charge some Royalists. Risk it.

7

You find a holy font full of water and draped in symbols of the Revolution. Remove 1 corruption.

8

Royalists and Revolutionaries are firing at each other nearby. Risk it twice.

9

You spot a noble, their flesh transmogrified by purple scales and massive talons. Risk it twice.

10

The fighting here is especially intense. Explosions, bullets, and blades abound. Risk it three times.

Hertha, Knight of the Fallen Bridge, is planning to overrun one of the Royalist positions within the Mausoleum. She led the charge that opened the gates of the city during the JACK Revolution. She says if you help her route the nobles from the Mausoleum, she’ll repay the favour. If you agree Hertha joins you as a companion for the rest of this delve and you risk it three times fighting Royalists. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures. You find a Revolutionary rifleman named Ashter. They’re a bit anxious about all this but QUEEN they’re also a bloody good shot. If you risk it and succeed, they join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. KING

You are ambushed by Kater, an assassin! Risk it to convince her to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve, or risk it to kill her. If you kill her, gain 1 treasure. 49

THE MAUSOLEUM OF COUNT EDWAG TURNBULLE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

A demon, resplendent in gold offerings appears out of a crevasse in the Mausoleum’s floor. The demon is surrounded by a cloud of smoke and ash. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures.

2

A ghoul falls upon you from above. Risk it.

3

Zombie Lords march past you. They haven’t spotted you yet. Risk it.

4

You happen upon a group of skeletons pursuing some Revolutionaries. If you help, risk it.

5

An undead Lord with a rifle is shooting at you. Risk it.

6

A few Royalist corpses nearby start to twitch and reanimate. Risk it.

7

You find a young physician surrounded by wounded. They’re willing to help. Remove 1 condition.

8

A horde of ghouls and skeletons burst into the Mausoleum from outside. Risk it twice.

9

An undead Knight covered in plate armour has spotted you. Risk it twice.

10

Dozens of undead nobles crawl from the dungeons below the Mausoleum. Risk it three times.

Royalists and Revolutionaries are locked in a bloody fight inside a nearby crypt. The walls are covered in blood, something inside the crypt is burning. Both sides are JACK fighting for their lives and are trying to escape with whatever they can carry. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. Maroon-robed cultists have successfully summoned Baron Dunston Underhill from his crypt. The doors burst open and the undead Baron is catapulted out atop his chariot, QUEEN pulled by two undead horses he had buried with him. Cultists are trampled underneath the chariot’s wheels as the Baron laughs maniacally and rides around the massive Mausoleum. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. Count Stanford West insisted on being buried with his servants. Now he and his dozens of undead attendants march between the pillars of the Mausoleum, intent on KING overwhelming any Revolutionaries or delvers they find. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. 50

THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE

The Baron had no official duties at the time of his death. He spent his days organizing elaborate parties for the nobility. His estate outside the city became an orgy of legendary excess. More than a few of the common folk disappeared into that mansion. Eventually this became the Baron’s sole purpose. Every night there were birthday parties, anniversaries, holy days, any and all excuses for debauchery and excess. When the pleasures of this world became insufficient, they turned to the arcane arts and diabolism. Who knows how many pacts they made with demonkind to acquire new experiences and sensations. He drank himself to death, or so the stories go. He was entombed below his mansion, in an Ossuary where the bones of his servants and peasants were arrayed in grim architectural designs. People say they can still hear the sounds of revelry echoing from the mansion. The Baron’s manse was a popular spot for the nobility, so you’ll likely find a lot of unfriendly faces and perhaps more of those cultists.

Goal: Kill Baron Osbert Dale (Q♠) 51

THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE

♣ CLUBS ♣ A

A ghoulish noble with an unbroken bottle of wine attacks you from the dark. Risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure.

2

You descend a steep stairwell with loose stone steps. Risk it.

3

The stone ceiling above you begins to collapse. Risk it.

4

The hall ahead of you is partially collapsed. Risk it.

5

You come upon a room full of rotting food, wine, and corpses. The stench is overwhelming. Risk it.

6

This part of the Ossuary is flooded chest-high with wine. Risk it.

7

You find pieces of someone and their backpack of belongings. If you want, gain 1 item.

8

An undead animal stalks you in the darkness. Risk it twice.

9

You find a room full of caged, undead animals. They strain at the cages to get to you. Risk it twice.

10

The way down is blocked by undead nobles, still trying to continue their revelries. Risk it three times.

You enter one of the Baron’s many wine cellars. Several of the barrels have burst, the floor is hidden under a few inches of spilled wine. Three undead Barons are laughing JACK and dipping their golden chalices into the wine below them, drinking even though it passes fruitlessly through their bodies. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. The Baron loved to entertain his guests with animals hunted and captured by the Empire. Especially popular were lions, tigers, and other predators. They would force QUEEN their servants to enter their cages to see how long they could survive. Only one of those animals has survived the Baron’s tortures, the Revolution, and the Emperor’s deathcurse. They are hunting you right now. Risk it three times. Earl Wesley Reed loved the Baron’s parties, and he enjoys them still. His skeletal servants scrounge the Ossuary for wine and food and treasures and deposit them in KING and around a copper tub the ghoulish Earl is relaxing in. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. 52

THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

You find Baron Osbert Dale’s prized drinking chalice. It is made of silver and inlaid with several rubies. It sits on a stone plinth surrounded by a ring of burning alcohol in the floor. If you want risk it, then gain 1 treasure.

2

This hall is lined with broken glass protruding from the walls. Risk it.

3

The stone beneath your feet cracks. A pit opens up full of soured wine. Risk it.

4

You spot a few pressure plates before you. Risk it.

5

The ceiling opens up and spoiled food and carcasses rain down on you. Risk it.

6

Your foot crosses a demonic sigil scrawled on the floor. Risk it.

7

You find a brief moment of respite. Clear 1 stress.

8

Wine starts to fill the room from holes in the walls and ceiling. Risk it twice.

9

The way forward is blocked by several locked iron doors. Risk it twice.

10

This level of the Ossuary is slowly coming apart. This section is collapsing. Risk it three times.

Baron Osbert Dale’s prized silverware is on display on a long wooden dining room JACK table. You spot diabolic sigils glowing under each set of silverware. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 1 treasure. The Baron’s private pantry is locked behind a stone door. If you want to get inside, risk it. When you succeed you can see the pantry is full of rotten food, bottles of wine, and QUEEN precious plates and crystal drinking glasses. There’s also several traps in the walls and floor guarding the most precious items. If you want, risk it twice. After 2 successes, gain 2 treasures. The Baron’s crypt was built among his personal wine casks. The crypt door is open, the sarcophagus is empty. The lid has a large ruby embedded in it. If you want, gain 1 KING treasure. If you do, the crypt door swings closed, and poison gas fills the small space. Risk it. 53

THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

Screams echo throughout the Ossuary. They’re coming from a peasant captured by the Baron’s skeletal attendants. If you intervene, risk it. When you succeed, the peasant is thankful but doesn’t know the way out. If you want, risk it to help them escape.

2

A living noble is wandering the Ossuary, yelling for the Baron. Risk it.

3

An armed Royalist bumps into you in the dark. Risk it.

4

You find a demon cultist chanting spells in the dark. Risk it.

5

You spot an injured delver trying to find their way out. If you help, risk it.

6

You spot a few Royalists making skeletal art for the Ossuary. Risk it.

7

Someone painted a symbol of the Revolution on the bones that cover this wall. Remove 1 corruption.

8

Fresh Royalist bodies have been dumped in this room. They start to reanimate. Risk it twice.

9

You can hear a few living nobles in a side room plotting their revenge. Risk it twice.

10

A group of armed Royalists and skeletons patrol the Ossuary. Risk it three times.

A living servant named Harper carries a silver platter topped with spoiled food. He is obviously terrified, and is joined by a few skeletal servants carrying the same. If you JACK want, risk it to deal with the skeletons. When you succeed Harper is more than willing to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. You also gain 1 treasure. Elizabeth, a historian, is lost in the Ossuary. She holds a leather bound tome under one arm. She is trying to verify the contents of the Ossuary for the Revolutionary Council: QUEEN the nobles living, dead, and undead, as well as artifacts the Baron had in his possession. She is happy to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. Tabatha, a rogue, is exploring the Ossuary looking for expensive wines she can sell to KING the Revolutionary Council. If you want to gain her as a companion for the rest of the delve, risk it. 54

THE OSSUARY OF BARON OSBERT DALE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

The Baron’s father, Osram Dale, built this mansion and the Ossuary beneath it. A line of skeletal attendants offer their bodies to continue the old Baron’s art. His own skeletal body breaks the skeletons into new arrangements. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures.

2

A line of skeletal servants marches through the Ossuary. Risk it.

3

The skulls on the wall next to you come alive. Risk it.

4

The bones next to you rearrange themselves into a skeleton. Risk it.

5

A skeleton falls from the ceiling. Risk it.

6

You find some Royalist corpses. They begin to twitch and reanimate. Risk it.

7

You find a storage room full of fresh food and water. Remove 1 condition.

8

Several armed skeletons march towards you. Risk it twice.

9

A few undead Knights covered in plate armour have spotted you. Risk it twice.

10

A horde of armed skeletons march towards you. Risk it three times.

The Baron’s favourite chef was given the privilege to be buried in the Ossuary. He had no choice in the matter. His bones are displayed on a wall opposite you. Below them a JACK group of maroon-robed cultists prepare a circle of sigils. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. The undead form of Baron Osbert Dale sits at the head of a long table piled high with wine bottles, food, and Imperial coins. A dozen Lords sit on each side of the table, gorging their necrotic bodies on food prepared by skeletal servants. They swear QUEEN vengeance against the Revolution and the common folk. They plot to hire themselves an army to retake Kynburgh. They plot to make more offers to their demonic allies. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures and complete the goal for this dungeon. The Baron’s personal bodyguard, the Knight Bolden Wyne, hunts you through the corridors of the Ossuary. His great sword scrapes against the walls and pushes bones to KING the floor. His iron breastplate is studded with rubies, and his skeletal form is full of purple fire. Risk it three times. After 3 successes you gain 3 treasures. 55

THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE

The Emperor killed his only son and heir to the Empire, Kenelm Kyne. He was thrown from the top of the Imperial Palace. While we all despised Emperor Titan Kyne, but his son was well-loved. Where his father promised war and colonization and had dealings with demons, the younger Kyne sought to heal the divide between rich and poor. During the Prince’s last public address he openly admitted that his father and the other noble families had embedded themselves with demonic powers. Many of us thought he would join the Revolution. But his father made sure that we would have no Royal support. The Prince’s remains are buried in the crypts below the Imperial Palace, along with many other nobles stripped of their titles. We do not know if the diabolic powers have have taken Prince Kenelm. If they have, you will need to twice-kill him. If not, please take his remains from his Sepulchre and return them to the Revolutionary Council. They would not dare deny the people a chance to mourn for what could have been. Many Revolutionaries have attempted to enter the Sepulchre, but none have returned. The Emperor’s tomb is located nearby. Perhaps the potency of the death-curse and the nobility’s diabolic magicks are stronger there.

Goal: Find the remains of Prince Kenelm Kyne (K♣) 56

THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

Time isn’t working properly in the Sepulchre. You find yourself dead and bleeding on the floor more than once. At one moment the halls of this dungeon are dusty and decayed, the next they are pristine and new. You are lost in space and in time. Risk it three times.

2

You descend a steep stairwell with loose stone steps. Risk it.

3

The stone ceiling above you begins to collapse. Risk it.

4

The walls ahead of you are pulsing like a heart. Risk it.

5

A twisted mass of Revolutionary corpses block the way forward. Risk it.

6

A wall of diabolic purple flame blocks the way. Risk it.

7

Demonic sigils line the Sepulchre’s halls. Risk it twice.

8

Parts of the floor before you have fallen away into a bottomless crevasse. Risk it twice.

9

The Speculchre’s passages are stretching, collapsing, and transforming around you. Risk it twice.

10

Diabolic incantations threaten to shake the Sepulchre apart. Risk it three times.

A noble cultist in maroon-robes incants spells that force the Sepulchre to twist and JACK reshape itself over and over. He is surrounded by floating blocks and sigils. Risk it three times. After 3 successes you gain 1 treasure. Empress Carling Kyne’s crypt is carved from simple black marble. Her numerous attendants serve her in unlife, depositing the remains of delvers and Revolutionaries on QUEEN the steps below her tomb. Her military commanders stand at attention nearby, bespoke in jewelled armour. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures. The Emperor and Empress hid their son’s body in a nameless Sepulchre made from granite. The only sign that the tomb contains royal bones is the Imperial seal on the KING cover. To open the lid, risk it. The prince’s body is undisturbed inside. You must add “the Prince’s Body” (3 load) to your inventory to complete the goal of this dungeon. 57

THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

Waves of diabolic magic pulse through the halls of the Sepulchre, setting stone alight with violet flame, burning at your flesh, and decaying your equipment. Risk it three times.

2

A stone shifts beneath your feet and an avalanche of bones falls from the ceiling. Risk it.

3

The stone beneath your feet turns to liquid and you start to sink. Risk it.

4

You spot a few pressure plates before you. Risk it.

5

The way forward is blocked by a few locked wooden doors. Risk it.

6

Your foot crosses a demonic sigil scrawled on the floor. Risk it.

7

The way forward is blocked by thick locked stone doors. Risk it twice.

8

Diabolic sigils are carved on the floor and walls ahead. Risk it twice.

9

The way forward is blocked by a locked iron door. Risk it twice.

10

Space and time shifts in this room, causing the traps inside to randomly trigger. Risk it three times.

The maroon-robed cultists of the Kynburgh nobility have created a ritual in this room. A large diamond floats in the centre of a circle of diabolic sigils painted on the floor. JACK You walk in, and walk back out. The room collapses, then rebuilds itself. Nothing in here behaves as it should. Risk it three times. Then gain 3 treasures. QUEEN

This section of the Sepulchre is unstable. Stones fall from the walls and ceilings, crypts and hallways fall into endless darkness below you. Risk it three times.

A lone stone crypt occupies this room. The bodies of delvers and Revolutionaries litter the floor around it. Bolts, spears,and poisoned darts litter the floor and their corpses. KING This crypt is defended on all sides by several traps. If you want, risk it three times. Then gain 3 treasures. 58

THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

You can hear the muffled sound of screams. Someone was sealed alive in a nearby stone sarcophagus. If you want to open it, risk it. The man inside is Count Edmond Kenway, trapped here by “the meddlesome rabble.” He is willing to lead you to a secret cash of coin in the Sepulchre if you let him join you as a companion. If you do, gain 1 treasure and gain the Count as a companion for the rest of the delve.

2

You find an injured delver. If you want, risk it to help them.

3

You find a few delvers suffering from infected wounds. If you want to help them, risk it.

4

You find a maroon-robed demon cultist chanting spells in the dark. Risk it.

5

You can hear someone lost in the Sepulchre. If you want, risk it to help them.

6

This hall is packed thick with dead Revolutionaries. Risk it.

7

A few maroon-robed cultists are conducting a ritual to raise the dead. Risk it twice.

8

You are swept up by a group of delvers fleeing from something. They are terrified. Risk it twice.

9

Ahead of you is a skirmish between some delvers and a horde of undead nobles. Risk it twice.

10

You see a version of yourself, covered in wine and glowing with violet flame. Risk it three times.

JACK

You meet a grave robber named Meredeth prying open a stone coffin. If you want to gain her as a companion for the rest of the delve, risk it.

A maroon-robed man lies slumped over in the dark. His name is Duke Karlyle, he’s bleeding from a knife wound in the stomach. He says he tried to defect from the cult of QUEEN demon worship, and could help you negotiate the diabolic sigils and strange phenomenon in the Sepulchre, if you can treat his wound. If you do, risk it. After 1 success, Duke Karlyle joins you as a companion for the rest of this delve. You find a warrior named Henley covered in blood and grave dust taking a breather on top of a coffin. She’s been down here for days trying to hunt down Royalists and demon KING cultists. She’ll join you, for a fee. If you want her to join you as a companion for the rest of the delve, spend 1 treasure. 59

THE SEPULCHRE OF PRINCE KENELM KYNE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

Sir Sanfrod Grey, one of the Emperor’s personal guards, stalks through the Sepulchre. His great axe scrapes against the stones, his gold and pearl armour covered in dents and blood, and his decrepit undead form peers in the darkness for interlopers. Risk it three times. After 3 successes you gain 3 treasures.

2

A skeleton lounges at your from the dark. Risk it.

3

An undead Lord ambushes you from a stone crypt. Risk it.

4

You spot a ghoulish noble wandering in the Sepulchre. Risk it.

5

You spot a skeleton armed with a rusty sword wandering around the Sepulchre. Risk it.

6

A stone sarcophagus nearby begins to open. Risk it.

7

Skeletons clad in armour are chasing you. Risk it twice.

8

A few undead Knights patrol the Sepulchre. Risk it twice.

9

Two undead Knights ambush you, swinging wildly with their great swords. Risk it twice.

10

An undead Lord infused with diabolic magics floats through the Sepulchre. Risk it three times.

The Sepulchre opens up into a large room full of featureless granite coffins. This is JACK where the Emperor buried his bastards. The Imperial seal decorates each lid as they slowly begin to slide open. Risk it three times. A mass of bones and necrotic flesh tumbles through the halls of the Sepulchre. Several QUEEN undead bodies are twisted together in a ball of grasping hands and gnashing teeth. Risk it three times. You open a door to find a hidden sanctuary of royalists. Golden plates and crystal glasses full of spoiled wine cover the stone coffins and stone floor. They all fled here KING during the Revolution, and died when then the food ran out. Their bodies begin to rise. Risk it three times. Then gain 3 treasures. 60

THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE

When the nobles had grown tired of their terrestrial pleasures, they turned to Beorthric Kane. He wasn’t a Lord, he was lowborn like us, but he hired himself to the nobles and taught them to engage in unspeakable acts with the diabolic forces hidden behind this reality. This made him a Duke, and then an Archduke, then a close confidant of the Emperor himself. It was likely the Archduke who taught the Emperor the death-curse that now haunts Kynburgh. It has taken us some time to track down the Archduke’s resting place. There is a grotto in the cliffs beneath Kynburgh, a favourite place for the nobles to cavort and summon their demonic slaves. It is the most likely spot. Find the Emperor’s diabolist. Scrape the runes from the grotto’s walls. Help stop this curse from spreading. I do not know what horrors await you in those caves beneath Kynburgh, but the Revolution cannot prosper if that vile sorcerer's body still twitches.

Goal: Kill Archduke Beorthric Kane (K♦) 61

THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

The Grotto wall next to you takes on the consistency of human flesh and a massive mouth full of fangs that attempts to bite at you. The stalactites and stalagmites transform into grasping hands. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you find a cache of coins and gems. Gain 3 treasures.

2

Locked wooden doors have been built into the Grotto, blocking the way. Risk it.

3

A wave of unstable magic pulses through the Grotto. Rocks fall. Risk it.

4

The ground rumbles and a crevasse opens up beneath you. Risk it.

5

Stalactites crack and fall above you. Risk it.

6

A large hungry swarm of bats surrounds you. Risk it.

7

You become lost in cramped passageways and dark caves. Risk it twice.

8

Diabolic whispers in your ear. The shadows around you come alive. Risk it twice.

9

The way forward is partially blocked by rubble. Risk it twice.

10

The Grotto around you transforms. The stone is full of teeth, eyes, and arms. Risk it three times.

You find a cavern full of coins, silver chalices, and decorative weapons. If you want, gain JACK 3 treasures. If you do, demonic sigils alight on the ground around you and you are surrounded in rings of violet flame. Risk it three times. QUEEN

You find a vein of gems in a seam of rock in the Grotto. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures.

The tunnels around you are suddenly filled with poisonous vapours. Risk it three times. KING When you have, you discover an old ritual space full of dried blood and noble jewellery. Gain 3 treasures. 62

THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

A trap was sprung here. You see a dead delver impaled on a spike, an decorative sword in their hand. Risk it, then gain 1 treasure.

2

Diabolic sigils spit violet fire at you. Risk it.

3

A pit opens up beneath you, iron spikes line the bottom. Risk it.

4

Diabolic sigils are painted on the ground before you. Risk it.

5

A rickety drawbridge spans a crevasse ahead of you. Risk it.

6

Several locked wooden doors have been built into the cave ahead of you. Risk it.

7

A series of trip lines strung between stalagmites criss-crosses before you. Risk it twice.

8

Several locked stone doors have been built into the cave ahead of you. Risk it twice.

9

You see glowing runes on the walls before you. This passage is full of protective sigils. Risk it twice.

10

You find an intricate ritual painted within the Grotto, glowing with magic and blocking the way forward. Risk it three times.

You step out of a tunnel and fall into the ceiling. Diabolic magicks have caused gravity to fluctuate in this cavern. Stones and undead bodies rise and fall like they’re being JACK tossed around by a giant. A large diabolic sigil painted on the ceiling glows with each rise and fall. Risk it three times. A large cavern stretches before you. Holes in the ground show you that most of the QUEEN stone beneath you is false, and leads to a pit lined with spikes and impaled undead. Risk it three times. You hear a voice echoing in the tunnels. You follow it to find Archduke Beorthric Kane, covered in a maroon cowl and resplendent jewellery, chanting in a demonic liturgy. Royalists clad in robes and jewellery prostrate themselves around him in a circle. The KING Emperor’s diabolist is in the middle of a ritual, which you can see as a circle of violet fire forms before him, and a scaly limb reaches out. Risk it three times. After you get 3 successes, gain 3 treasures and complete the goal for this dungeon. 63

THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

A group of Royalists are camping in this section of the Grotto, hiding from the Revolution. A handful of servants still attend them in their lean-tos and tents made from the rugs and robes they took from their mansions. Risk it twice. After 2 successes you gain 2 treasures.

2

A cultist with a curved ritual dagger runs at you from the dark. Risk it.

3

You find a maroon-robed cultist chanting in the Grotto. Risk it.

4

You find a cultist carrying a torch patrolling the Grotto. Risk it.

5

A cultist casts violet flame at you. Risk it.

6

You find a Royalist lost in the Grotto. If you want, risk it. After 1 success, gain 1 treasure.

7

A group of cultists invoke demonic liturgies above a circle of sigils. Risk it twice.

8

A group of cultists patrol the grotto with torches and daggers. Risk it twice.

9

You spot someone from your past. They’re dead. They shouldn’t be here. Risk it twice.

10

You see a group of cultists, partially transmogrified into scaly demons. Risk it three times.

A cleric of the Revolution named Candace is praying above a circle of sigils. As she prays the sigils burn away under white flame. She will happily join you as a companion for the JACK rest of this delve, if you can prove you are here to cleanse the Grotto, and not for the treasures that lay within. Risk it. A woman named Alfreda, clad in heavy armour and wielding a great axe, stomps QUEEN through the Grotto hunting down Royalists. If you want her to join you as a companion for the rest of this delve, risk it. You spot a man clad in symbols of the Revolution twice-killing a skeleton with a sword KING bathed in white light. He introduces himself as Truman, a cleric of the Revolution. If you want, he will join you as a companion for the rest of this delve. 64

THE GROTTO OF ARCHDUKE BEORTHRIC KANE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

Duke Eduard Calimdore has been summoned from the dead. He was one of the Archduke’s assistants, and a vocal proponent of sacrificing lowborn to the demons. Now in death he serves the Archduke, wandering the Grotto as a ghoul belching violet flame at any who come near. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures.

2

The ground here is uneven, a shallow grave full of people. They start to animate. Risk it.

3

A ghoulish noble emerges from a nearby pool of water. Risk it.

4

You hear a large ghoul stalking through the caves nearby. Risk it.

5

An undead lord stumbles around in the dark. He hasn’t spotted you yet. Risk it.

6

A few animated skeletons tumble into view. Risk it.

7

A large skeleton full of burning violet flame charges at you from the dark. Risk it twice.

8

You find several undead barons feasting on a dead delver. Risk it twice.

9

You find a cavern full of undead nobles wandering in the dark. Risk it twice.

10

A horde of skeletons swarm you. Risk it three times.

Sir Kamden Alymere was the Archduke’s favoured Knight. He would round up lowborn peasant’s to be used in the nobility’s rituals, and attempted to violently squash the JACK rumours of the nobility’s corruption. Now he is hunting you. You can smell his necrotic flesh, his plate mail glints in the darkness, and his menacing flail swings around him in wide arcs. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. Screams suddenly surround you. The spirits of those tortured and killed at the hands of QUEEN the Archduke and his lackeys are being drawn to this place, seeking vengeance. They are lashing out at any living thing in the Grotto. Risk it three times. You smell ash and sulphur. The air around you is suddenly hot enough to burn parchment. A scaly humanoid form emerges from the darkness with wings made of KING smoke. Their eyes burn with violet light as their massive mouth grins down at you. This demon is hungry. Risk it three times. 65

THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

The Emperor died without an heir. His court fell to infighting, and the Revolution finished off what the nobility didn’t break or steal. The royal crypts beneath Kynburgh have been overflowing with undead: animated skeletons, undead lords, even demons. Whatever the nature of this curse, its epicentre is surely the tomb of Titan Kyne. Tyrant, diabolist, and enemy of every lowborn person. You have survived every challenge thrown at you. Your soul may not be stainless but let’s be honest, neither is mine. The Revolutionary Council is growing fat on the reclaimed wealth of the nobility. The power and authority has gone to their heads. Despite my grandiose speeches, this won’t be the final act of the Revolution. But twice-killing that despot may help to free us from the past and see a new world, a better world. Thank you for doing this.

Goal: Kill Emperor Titan Kyne (K♠) 66

THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

♣ CLUBS ♣

A

The Tomb of Emperor Titan Kyne is massive. It stretches far below the city of Kynburgh, intersects several ancient catacombs, and was shifted and mutated after the Emperor’s death-curse. You must keep your mind sharp during these long hours wandering in the dark, lest you lose yourself and be doomed to wander down here for the rest of your days. Risk it three times.

2

A thick metal door with several locks bars the way. Risk it.

3

A wave of unstable magicks pulses through the tomb. Risk it.

4

The tunnels rearrange themselves around you, threatening to crush you. Risk it.

5

Stone bricks fall from the ceiling. Risk it.

6

A swarm of large spiders, eyes alight with violet flame, surround you. Risk it.

7

Several locked doors block this hallway. Risk it twice.

8

You descend steps only for them to start falling into darkness behind you. Risk it twice.

9

The way forward is blocked by massive pieces of rubble. Risk it twice.

10

This whole section of the Tomb begins to collapse around you. Risk it three times.

Lord Eoforwine Claye was the Emperor’s personal blacksmith. You can hear his hammer against the forge now, all his tools buried with him in his crypt. His massive JACK ghoulish expanse towers over his latest project. Risk it three times. After 3 successes gain 2 treasures and 1 item. Earl Astone Merton was the architect of the Emperor’s tomb. He designed himself an impressive monument beneath Kynburgh, a marble obelisk atop a grand crypt. In QUEEN undeath he still makes designs, and has skeletal attendants picking away at the earthen walls around him as he laughs and eats old rancid food and wine. Risk it three times. After 3 successes gain 3 treasures. Even the Emperor’s personal assistants were buried here. There would be too many to name, even if the Emperor gave them that privilege in death. Their unmarked granite KING coffins fill this room, Imperial coins placed on each one as a sick joke, the wages owed to them in life. The lids all start to slide open as you cross the room, dozens opening at once. Risk it three times. After 3 successes gain 3 treasures. 67

THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

♦ DIAMONDS ♦

A

The Tomb of Emperor Titan Kyne is full of traps. They seem to operate with a mind of their own, anticipating your direction and movements. Now you can see why. You open a door to a massive room full of cogs, gears, and ticking mechanisms, powered by an underground river. It is a massive analogue computational device, designed to run and trigger the traps throughout the Emperor’s Tomb. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes you gain “trap key” (1 load) as an item.

2

Diabolic sigils spit violet fire at you. Risk it.

3

A pit opens up beneath you, iron spikes line the bottom. Risk it.

4

Diabolic sigils are painted on the ground before you. Risk it.

5

Thick sharp blades cut out at you from the ceiling. Risk it.

6

Noxious gas begins to fill the tunnel. Risk it.

7

Flames leap from the mouths of stone gargoyles ahead of you. Risk it twice.

8

Dozens of trapped doors bar the way. Risk it twice.

9

You see a passage full of protective sigils. Risk it twice.

10

A massive system of mechanisms rearrange the passages and rooms around you. Risk it three times.

Some cultist has used lowborn blood to craft a massive circle of interconnected sigils that bar the way forward. Some spark with arcane magicks, others warp reality around JACK them, and others burn and smoulder as if they want to light the air on fire. Risk it three times. This section of the Tomb is falling apart. An underground river has eroded part of the stonework, creating a massive gap. Traps are misfiring, and waves of magic are QUEEN reducing stone to liquid and manipulating the weight and density of everything here. Risk it three times. You come across a statue of Emperor Titan Kyne. It is Titan Victorious, one of the personas the Emperor adopted in life. He stands atop a slain enemy, sword held aloft. It KING is carved from rare green marble and set with three massive rubies where his eyes would be (an extra to show his divine insight). It begins to animate and swings it’s massive stone sword at you. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, gain 3 treasures. 68

THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

♥ HEARTS ♥

A

The Tomb of Emperor Titan Kyne is full of Royalists hiding from the Revolution. Some were killed by traps, but many more have been guided through the various dangers by cultists. You open a door to find a room full of Royalists and maroon-robed cultists, assembling weapons and treasures from the Tomb, intent on retaking the city. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures.

2

Cultists with curved ritual daggers run at you from the dark. Risk it.

3

You find maroon-robed cultists chanting in the Tomb. Risk it.

4

You find some Royalists carrying torches patrolling the Tomb. Risk it.

5

Some living nobles charge at you. Risk it.

6

You stumble upon some Royalists lost in the Tomb. Risk it.

7

A large group of cultists rush you with swords and daggers. Risk it twice.

8

A group of Royalists patrol the Tomb with torches and daggers. Risk it twice.

9

Cultists alight with violet fire hunt you in the darkness. Risk it twice.

10

Dozens of maroon-robed cultists stand around a large ritual circle. Risk it three times.

You find a burglar named Kelcie trying to outrun several cultists pursuing her. If you JACK want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, she will join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. QUEEN

A warrior named Cooper is getting overwhelmed by undead nobles. If you want, risk it three times. After 3 successes, he will join you as a companion for the rest of the delve.

A cleric named Farrah is attempting to dispel diabolic magic from this section of the KING Tomb. If you want, risk it three times to help her. After 3 successes, she will join you as a companion for the rest of the delve. 69

THE TOMB OF EMPEROR TITAN KYNE

♠ SPADES ♠

A

The Tomb of Emperor Titan Kyne is full of undead nobles. A horde of them are passing through the tomb now, lured by the sound of your footsteps and the smell of living flesh. Risk it three times.

2

A massive undead ghoul wanders in the dark. Risk it.

3

Several ghoulish nobles emerge from a nearby crypt. Risk it.

4

You hear a group of ghouls wandering through the Tomb. Risk it.

5

Several undead Lords stumble around in the dark. They haven’t spotted you yet. Risk it.

6

A group of animated skeletons tumble into view. Risk it.

7

Several skeletons with rusted swords rush at you. Risk it twice.

8

You find several undead barons drinking fruitlessly from casks of wine. Risk it twice.

9

Ghoulish nobles with swords and firearms hunt you in the dark. Risk it twice.

10

You find a horde of undead Lords gathering weapons. Risk it three times.

Duke Ealdwine Black was the Emperor’s personal steward. He would help manage the Emperor’s wealth and collected taxes from his vassals. It is no wonder then that his JACK crypt is covered in gold and gems, much of which is currently being removed by cultists to collect for their Emperor. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures. Duke Duarte Osbourne was the Emperor’s chancellor. He led the Emperor’s foreign affairs, which became increasingly simple as the Emperor’s enemies found themselves dead or impoverished. He was a constant fixture of the debauched celebrations that QUEEN occurred in Kynburgh, so of course his crypt is surrounded by a moat filled with wine. Corpses of other delvers and lowborn float in the wine, and several undead ghouls wade through, on the look for living flesh to drown in the wine. Risk it three times. After 3 successes, you gain 3 treasures. Emperor Titan Kyne stands twelve feet tall, demonic magicks stretching and mutating his undead form. He sits on a basalt throne, cultists, nobles, and ghouls surround him, plotting how to take back Kynburgh from the people of the Revolution. His sallow flesh glows with violet light, his white hair drapes around his purple and gold robes. He KING sniffs at the air as you enter his Tomb proper, and takes up his obsidian great sword. Risk it five times. After 5 successes, the death-curse of Emperor Titan Kyne is broken. The undead across Kynburgh all fall to dust, you have completed the goal for this dungeon, and the game is over. 70