Pathfinder For Savage Worlds Rise of The Runelords Book 3 The Hook Mountain Massacre by Michael Barbeau
August 3, 2022 | Author: Anonymous | Category: N/A
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CONTENTS BACKGROUND
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PART PART FOUR: THE HAUNTED HEART
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Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Advances & Story A Awards wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Myriana’s Fa Myriana’ Fate te . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Into the Shimmerglens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
PART PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW
PART HARROWINGG THE HOOK PART 5: HARROWIN
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A Friendly Friendly Guid Guidee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 urtleback Ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Te Graul Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Last of the Black Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Discovering the raitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK PART
29
67
Hook Mountain Mountain Clanho Clanhold ld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Concluding the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
APPENDIX: CREATURES AND ITEMS
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New Creatures Creatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Magic Items Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Fort Rannick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PAR PARTT THREE: DOWN COMES THE RAIN 48 Te urtleback urtleback Flood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Skull’s Crossing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a Te following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b) “Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d) “Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts, creatures, characters, stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, desig ns, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “rademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy,
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distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Zombie, Juju from the ome of Horrors Complete © Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Pathfinder Adventure Path: Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition © Edition © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Stephen S. Greer, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Richard Pett, and Greg A. Vaughan. Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Worlds: Rise of the Runelords Book 3 © 2021, Pinnacle Entertainment Group Authors: Mike Barbeau and Shane Hensley
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
BACKGROUND The inbred in bred ogre ogress of the Kr Kreeg eeg clan ha have ve lon long g menaced those who sstr truggle uggle to survive in the shadow of Hook Mountain. The Kreegs, more than any other ogre cla clan n dwelling upon the Hook , are a aggressive, ggressive, ra ravenous venous butchers, responsible for the slaughter of countless mining and lumber camps. Tales of the horrors visited up upon on those c captured aptured by the K Kreegs reegs are some s omething thing of a local legend.The ogres themselves ha have ve llong ong wa waged ged war against the region region’s ’s bastion of wilder wilderness ness la law w, Fort Rannick , yet until recently they ha have ve made no headwa headway y. Toda Today y, thou though, gh, the fort li lies es in ruins and an d un under der Kreeg control control..
T
urtleback Ferry, a remote village not far from Hook Mountain, has long borne the brunt of Kreeg violenc violence. e. Th Though ough closer
ease (including their leader, Grolki), the rest saw the wisdom of accepting a new leader. Barl seled into his new role as chieftain of
to theanswered city-statethe of Korvosa, it wasfor Magnimar Hook ease, andbegan immediately that town’s request aid. set theMountain Kreegs towith work. They forging Eager to extend their holdings and massive weapons and shields from veins of influence to the east, the Lord Mayor of iron, enough to arm the host of marauders Magnimar established Fort Rannick. This gathering at the stone giant fortress of location provided Turtleback Ferry with Jorgenst. protection from the ogres, securing promises The Order of the Black Arrows spoed of regular taxes and trade. plumes of greasy smoke rising from these He stationed a band of rangers there—the forges and sent several scouts up the slopes to Alas, s, soon after discovering Order of the Black Arrows. The order was spy on the Kreegs. Ala charged with keeping the region safe and free what appeared to be ogres preparing for war, the scouts were spoed, captured, and killed. from ogres. Furious at the incursion and concerned Short but bloody skirmishes between the Kreegs and the Black Arrows have gone decided the rangers might divulge his purpose, Barl to act against Fort Rannick. on for decades since. Following their rst decisive defeat at the entrance to the Valley Breakbones’s plans were facilitated by of Broken Trees 45 years ago, the Kreegs have another of his master’s servants, a lamia never quite built up enough bravery to mount matriarch known as Lucrecia. She is the sister a second aack on Fort Rannick... until now. of the lamia matriarch Xanesha who recently A month ago, the Kreegs experienced troubled the city of Magnimar. a most unusual event—a visitor. Barl Under orders from Karzoug, Lucrecia Breakbones was a boulder-bellied stone giant, arrived in Turtleback Ferry under the guise of a necromancer who towered a full ve feet an entrepreneur several years ago. Lucrecia over the current Kreeg patriarch, Grolki. bought and refurbished refurbis hed an old barge into a Barl was sent by his master, Mokmurian, gambling hall. She dubbed the barge Paradise, to subjugate the ogres of Hook Mountain and offered any and all patrons myriad and prepare them for assimilation into the growing giant army. Barl’s initial reception by the Kreegs was anything but fr friendly. iendly. But after Barl dispatched many of the ogres with
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opportunities to enjoy themselves in her games of chance. Lucrecia used the den of sin as a place to foster and grow souls of greed to facilitate
BACKGROUND
Karzoug’s return. Favored guests were given on a not-so-secret love aair with a nymph small taoos to show on following visits to named Myriana in the nearby wilds. receive discounts o the entrance fee and When Barl Breakbones decided to mount other, less seemly benets. a devastating raid on Fort Rannick, it was a Of course, this taoo was none other than simple maer for Lucrecia to organize two the Sihedron Rune, and by so branding her key points of treachery to ensure the success customers, Lucrecia managed to prepare of the coming assault. nearly half of Turtleback Turtleback Ferry’s pop populace ulace for Having learned from Kaven that Karzoug’s runewell. Commander Bayden made regular monthly Many were willing to be marked in order trips into the Shimmerglens to tryst with his to enjoy Parad Paradise’s ise’s “members-only” benets, nymph lover, Lucrecia advised Barl upon and even the steadfast Black Arrows of Fort the best time to mount his raid—while the Rannick weren’t immune to the lure of easy fort’s commander was absent. Then Lucrecia women and easy money. One such unsteady convinced Kaven to delay a large patrol of soul, a skilled scout and archer named Kaven rangers returning from the wilds that very Windstrike, slipped out of the fort often to night. As the Kreegs descended on the fort, it was not only without its commander, but sate his desire for gold and women. Lucrecia recognized him by his gear, also missing many of its defenders, including charmed him, and sent him back to Fort its second-in-command, a man named Sovark, who was leading Kaven’s Rannick as her agent. Over the following Jakardros Sovark, months, Kaven’s dependence on Lucrecia ill-fated patrol. A night of red ruin followed as the Kreegs and the exotic oerings she provided only Rannic k; and also on its grew, to the extent that he is now rmly her descended upon Fort Rannick; absent commander’s clandestine night of bliss. minion even without magical control. Of the many secrets Kaven shared with Lucrecia, none intrigued her more than the discovery that Fort Rannick’s commander, a man named Lamatar Bayden, was carrying
The sun rose on a fort now ruled by ogres, its commander in chains and being led back to the clanhold near the summit of Hook Mountain. In one horric night, the Order
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
CATCHING THEIR BREATH The heroes just went through a dangerous series of events and have earned a lile R&R. Before starting In The Hook's Shadow , give the weary weary adv adventurers enturers a lile down time. They should haveor a chance to craft, make new contacts, visit with any friends they might have Oerings. made since Burnt Oerings. Once the events of this book begin in earnest, the party will not have much time to rest.
of the Black Arrows lost its commander, its greatest leaders, and its keep. Fort Rannick is now ruled by “Papa” Jaagrath Kreeg and his deformed family of
Crossing. After saving the town from disaster, the heroes learn the ogres of Hook Mountain were to blame for the strange weather. The adventurers climb Hook Mountain to end the ogre menace once and for all, only to learn the ogres might be the least of Varisia’s problems: the giants of the Storval Plateau are preparing for war.
ADVANCES & STORY AWARDS The Rise of the Runelords Runelords Adventure Path alerts a GM when players Advance. The Advancement bar is displayed prominently at several intervals within each book. Whenever one of these points are reached, allow the players to choose an Advance at the next convenient moment, usually some sort of rest after a dicult encounter.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED
deviants. Worried her presence in Turtleback Ferry was beginning to draw too much suspicion, Lucrecia abandoned the barge, If the players reach an Advancement but have book, you sinking it in Clayboom Lake while it was bypassed previous sections in the book, Advance. nce. full of gamblers, and in so doing sent two should still allow them to Adva dozen greedy souls to Karzoug. The lamia matriarch has relocated to captured Fort Rannick and now waits for the next stage in the plan plan— — with the aid of a coven of hags manipulating the early winter storms, In addition to Advancements, players may a ood is poised to destroy Turtleback Ferry. take actions that grant them additional Already secretly marked with the Sihedron rewards, such as Bennies, Conviction, Rune, half the populace of the town are connections, or other benets. The Game
STORY AWARD STORY AWARD
unknowingly set to fuel Karzoug’s runewell when the ancient dam known as Skull’s Crossing bursts.
SYNOPSIS The heroes of Sandpoint travel to Turtleback Ferry and discover ogres have taken the fort. After rescuing the last three surviving members of the Black Arrows, the Pathnders mount a daring raid against Fort Rannick and defeat the ogres within, only to learn that greater dangers are afoot. Soon thereafter, unnatural rains flood Turtleback Ferry and they must explore the ruins of an ancient dam called Skull’s
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Master can or grant rewards all the characters, just these those she thinkstoactively contributed to the particular story element as she sees t. These awards are for the completion of specic events or milestones throughout the campaign. They are extra rewards granted in addition to the standard rewards GMs typically grant players in the course of play.
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW A few months have passed since the events of the fateful Swallowtail Festival—winter withobvious it comes the seasonal as the days wear on, is it here, soon and becomes this is no typicalrains. rainy But season. Not a day day passes without a downpour in Cent Central ral Varisia, and the rivers swell against their banks, threa threatening tening early floods. Tempers flare a and nd relationships fray as the constant dreary weather wears at the soul, yet there are more sinister things in Hook Mountain’s shadow than the constant rain.
H
In some cases, particularly good-aligned parties might balk at doing the relatively unscrupulous lord mayor a favor. In such a case, you should impress upon the group group Cult’s for Lord him. Mayor If the Pathfinders haven’tplans earned Grobaras’s (perhaps via one of the lord mayor’s aides) disagreeable gratitude, however, they can still come to that the Black Arrows aren’t as disagreeable his aention when he hears reports of their as the lord mayor makes them out. There are, actions in Sandpoint or their work in stopping in fact, a lot of good folk among them, and if the murders that have been plaguing both they’ve fallen on hard times, someone needs to send them some help. communities. The lord mayor suggests Turtleback Ferry New adventurers make perfect candidates for a problem that’s just been brought to his be the heroes’ rst stop. This is the closest attention. According to a recent message selement to Fort Rannick, and there’s a good from Turtleback Ferry, the village has had chance someone in town will know why the no contact for weeks with Magnimar’s most fort’s gone silent. distant holding, remote Fort Rannick near By land, the journey to Turtleback Ferry Hook Mountain. from Magnimar is a voyage of nearly 400 The Black Arrows, the soldiers stationed at miles through lightly patrolled rural terrain ba nk of the Y Yondabakari ondabakari River. Fort Rannick, have traditionally been isolated, along the north bank but such a long silen silence ce is uncha uncharacteri racteristic stic This amounts to a two-week journey by even for them. foot, or a week-long trip on horseback. The Magnimar’s government has been pressing travelers can also take one of the many Grobaras to send a patrol to Hook Mountain river barges that ply the Yondabakari and to investigate. However, until the heroes Skull Rivers from Magnimar all the way to came to his aention, Grobaras had no one Turtleback Ferry (at a total cost of 50 gp per he felt he could spare for what he viewed as person—with a Persuasion roll, the lord a “pointless and silly trip to talk to those foul- mayor agrees to pay the party’s passage), in which case the journey also takes a week. tempered Black Arrows.” You can spend as much or as lile time Grobaras oers them 750 gp each to cover on the details of this journey as you wish, their for and to pay them for their expenses services— if the the trip party aasks sks for more, he creating encounters to liven things up as grows ustered but can be talked up to 1,000 you see t. gp each with a Persuasion Persuasion roll at –2. ook Mountain Massacre Massacre assumes the heroes earned the favor of Magnimar’s lord mayor after revealing the Skinsaw
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
A FRIENDLY GUIDE As the adventuring party prepares for their journey, jour ney, they are cont contacte acted d by a famil familiar iar face—the elven ranger Shalelu Andosana. The heroes rst encountered Shalelu during Burnt Oerings , when when she brought Sandpoint more news about the goblin threat, and
out why the man abandoned her so abruptly after her mother’s death, if only to convince herself he hadn’t been taking advantage of her mother in some way. P Shalelu Andosana: See Andosana: See below.
P SHALELU ANDOSANA
possibly assisted them in their ght against Type: Good Humanoid (Elven Ranger) the Thistletop goblins. Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility Strength d8, Vigor d6 She might have joined with the group to Skills: Athletics Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, face the goblins, or even developed a romantic Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, ShootShootrelationship with one of the characters. In ing d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8 any event, Shalelu’s learned her friends are (bow); Toughness: 8 8 (3) heading east to Fort Rannick and she would Pace: 6; Parry: 5 or 6 (bow); Toughness: Hindrances: Code Hindrances: Code of Honor, Loyal like to accompany them on their journey. Edges: Extraction, Ranger, Trademark Edges: If she’s in a relationship with one of them, Weapon (Bow), Woodsman this alone is reason enough for her to tag Gear: Composite bow (Range 12/24/48, along. Additional archery and survival Damage Str+d6, AP 2, Accurate), 20 arrows, support should be aractive to any group. short sword (Str+d6), studded leather Of course, Shalelu’s got her own reasons armor (+3, Aegis), adventurer’s pack, 2x for wanting to make the journey to Fort potion of Neutralize Poison or Disease, 2x Rannick. One of the rangers stationed there, potion of minor boost Strength , wand of heala man named Jakardros, was at one time ing (12 ing (12 charges; Faith), manacles, sunrod (3), her mother’s lover. Shalelu’s memories of 8 pp, 2 gp. Jakardros are mostly of a youn young, g, exu exuberant berant Special Abilities: man. She wasn’t sure what her mother saw Ancestry (Elf): (Elf): Agile, Elven Magic, in the impulsive young human, but she was Intelligence, Low Light Vision, Keen glad he was there for her. Senses, Slender. (Ranger): Armor Restriction When her mother was slain in a dragon Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Medium), Favored Enemy (Humanoid), aack, Jakardros left suddenly and without Favored Terrain (forest), Wilderness Stride. explanation, leaving Shalelu with a bier impression. This eventually drove her into the Languages: Languages: Common, Common, Elven, Goblin. isolated life she has lived for the past several years as a bounty hunter in the hinterlands. She recently learned Jakardros has taken up with the Black Arrows of Fort Rannic. Shalelu would very much like the opportunity to nd
UNUSUAL WEA WEATHER THER While it normally rains quite a bit this time of year, the rains have been unusually heavy recently. Make sure to incorporate the dreary and perpetually wetThis conditions throughout the book. sets the mood and foreshadow the breaking of the dam in a later section.
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TACTICS Shalelu prefers
to fight with her bow, resorting to melee only when truly desperate or an ally seems in dire need of healing. Shalelu is loyal to her friends, and as long as even one of them remains in danger, she won’t abandon them. That said, if she feels she can escape, get help, and return in time to save anyone captured, she might try to do so.
TUR TURTLEB TLEBAACK FER FERRY RY Until the there’s floodwaters in this adventure, not a lotrise to dolater in Turtleb Turtleback ack Ferry (save for perhaps noticing a few Sihedron taoos—see Mark of the Sihedron
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW below) except ask around for rumors and news (see Guide to Varisia) and Varisia) and perhaps do some idle shopping for mundane supplies.
that sank the barge several weeks ago. If the adventurers wish to investigate the sunken barge, locals can point out the location on Clayboom Lake where it sank easily enough. It’s possible to remove a Sihedron Rune taoo from a villager with a cantrip of dispel dispel.. Every day the party spends in Turtleback While doing so would rob Karzoug of the Ferry, have them make a Notice roll at –2. possibility of harvesting that villager’s soul A success means the characters notice a for his runewell, it won’t stop Lucrecia’s plans disturbing taoo on one of the locals, hidden to destroy Turtleback Ferry by ooding it. on the ankle, shoulder, or small of the back. The taoo is exposed for a moment when the local bends over to pick up a crate or otherwise allows his clothing to slip. Eventually, either from rumors gathered in The taoo is of a seven-pointed star. The town or simply because becau se they’re eager to solve adventurers adventure rs have seen this same star used by the mystery the Lord Mayor of Magnimar has goblins and murderers over the past several placed before them, the heroes should head to weeks: the Sihedron Rune. Fort Rannick to investigate the Black Arrows’ If the tattooed local is confronted in a silence for themselves. public place, he denies he’s got a taoo while The simplest route is to follow an old road simultaneously aempting to make sure it's leading up along the banks of the Skull River. covered up again. The road crosses an old wooden bridge to
MARK OF THE SIHEDRON
THE RROAD OAD TO FORT RANNICK RANNICK
The villager’s initial aitude to the intrusion is Unfriendly if confronted in this way. If he’s made Friendly, he quietly admits he got the taoo two months ago at Paradise, a barge that had been converted into a gambling and drinking hall but recently sank. The villager sullenly explains that by allowing Paradise’s owner, the lovely and silken-tongued Lady Lucrecia, to place the taoo on him for a small fee, he could then show it at Paradi Paradise’s se’s door and avoid paying the cover charge to board. Further, those who got “Paradise’s Mark” (the Sihedron
the western shore about three miles north of Turtleback Ferry, and from there heads all the way up to the impressive Thassilonian ruin known as Skull’s Crossing. This is an immense stone dam that holds back the waters of the Storval Deep. A side road branches o about three miles before the dam, and a crooked wooden sign pointing up the trail proclaims “Fort Rannick.”
FIREPELTT THE STRANGE FIREPEL As the party crosses over the old wooden
Rune) were often rewarded with additional bridge, have them make Notice rolls to hear gambling chips and other perks, and were a yowl of pain in the woods nearby, as if a told only a select few regular patrons had large cat were wounded. been chosen chosen for the honor. If the travelers don’t investigate at once, The villager admits he was coy about the they soon hear barking dogs approaching taoo because his wife would be furious from deeper in the woods. Moments later the accompanied nied by a low voice singing if she found out he’d been gambling. He barks are accompa defensively points out he’s not the only one an o-key song about eating kiens. in town with the mark. If the party still avoids investigating but In fact, of Turtleba Turtleback ck Ferry’s population of remain behind to listen, the barking of the 430 citizens, 210 secretly bear the mark. This dogs soon grows excited and the sounds of is far more than anyone in town suspects, combat between dogs, a large cat, and ogrekin ignore.. since Lucrecia told them all to keep their becomes impossible to ignore taoos a secret. Investigations into the fate of Lady Lucrecia are destined to hit dead ends for now; everyone in town suspects she died in the re
If the group still ignores the sounds and continue north, let them. They’ll reach Fort Rannick as detailed in Retaking Rannick , but without forewarning and aid from the
9
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS surviving Black Arrow rangers kept at the Graul homestead, they might nd themselves in over their heads. The wounded animal noise comes from Kibb, a firepelt cougar and the animal companion of Jakardros. Jakardros is one of the rangers who survived the ogre assault on Fort Rannick only to become the captive of a particularly foul and brutal band of ogrekin known as the Grauls. Kibb managed to escape and has spent the last three weeks eluding the Grauls (who’ve been desp desperate erately ly aemp aempting ting to recap recapture ture the repelt ever since) while trying to nd someone whom he can lead back to the homestead to save his master. So far, none of the hunters Kibb has encountered realized the repelt was trying to get them to help, and now, the poor mountain lion has fallen prey to one of the Graul traps. His foot stuck in a bear trap, Kibb knows it’s only a maer of time before the Grauls’ best hunter, a lumbering half-ogre named Rukus, nds him and kills him. Kibb grows excited if he sees humansized creatures approaching, enough so he advances, only to tug painfully at the iron bear trap around his back leg. A Survival roll informs a hero that the repelt is well trained and likely a druid or ranger’s animal companion. Anyone who can speak with animals can learn the whole grim truth about what’s going on (see Aftermath, Aftermath, below). below). Kibb doesn't aack anyone who doesn't aack him rst. A Strength roll at –2 (or a Thievery roll) is enough to spring the trap and free the repelt couger. The sound of Rukus and his hounds broadcasts the ogrekin’s arriva arrivall two rounds in advance, giving the rescuers plenty of time to set up an ambush if they desire. Eight hounds arrive first, howling and barking barkin g as they aempt aemp t to surr surround ound and attack Kibb or any other creatures they encounter. Rukus, a strapping young ogrekin with a wide mouth and one huge misshapen nger for a right hand, barrels into the clearing one round later with his remaining hounds. Once he sees the strangers, he roars in anger: “I’s huntin’ kiy cat! No concern o’ you’s less you’s wanna be hunted too!”
10
P Rukus Graul: See Graul: See below. Kibb: See See below. P Kibb: • Graul Hounds (10+1 per hero): hero): See
below.
P RUKUS GRAUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin Fighter) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 7 or 8 (Spear); Toughness: (Spear); Toughness: 9 9 (1) Clueless, Fearful Hindrances: Clueless, Hindrances: Edges: Brave, Edges: Brave, Combat Reexes, Fighter, No Mercy, Trademark Weapon Weapon (Spear (Spear)) Gear: Spear (Str+d8 AP 1, Accurate), Belt of physical might (Strength), favorite blanket (ray, ea-infested and decorated with sevseveral Black Arrows insignias) Special Abilities:
Hardy, Low Light (Ogrekin): Vision, Size(Ogrekin): 1. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh. Class Abilities (Fighter): (Fighter): Martial Flexibility. Ogrekin Deformities: Rukus Deformities: Rukus is particularly mean-looking and gains a free reroll on Intimidation rolls, but has a deformed right hand that imparts a –1 penalty on aack rolls with two-handed weapons (this hand cannot wield weapons on its own). Common. Languages: Common. Languages: Ancestry
TACTICS Rukus uses Martial Flexibility to get Block if the heroes gang up on him early in the ght. Otherwise he uses it to take an oensive Edge, such as Frenzy. Rukus ees back to the Graul homestead if reduced to one Wound or if all but four of his dogs are slain, crying and blubbering loudly the entire way.
GRAUL HOUNDS Type: Neutral Animal (Graul Hound) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6,
Strength d6, Vigor d6 Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d6, Notice d10, Skills: Athletics Stealth d8 Pace: 4; Parry: 5; 5; Toughness: Toughness: 4 4
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW
Edges: Alertness Edges: Alertness Special Abilities: Bite: Str+d4. Size -1: The -1: The heads of these canines come to an average human’s waist, and they weigh about 60 pounds. Pack Tactics: Graul Tactics: Graul hounds add their Gang Up bonus to damage rolls. Speed: Speed: d10 d10 running die.
Shalelu is with the party, she automatically recognizes them. If Kibb survives, the repelt frantically tries to communicate with the party. If they cannot speak with animals, a Survival roll reveals the cat is very concerned about someone or something and wants the party to follow him. Kibb nibbles at their cloaks, tugging them toward a poorly maintained trail that leads deeper into Kreegwood. If Rukus ed the P KIBB bale, tracking him along the trail is a simple maer, and even if both Rukus and Kibb K ibb died, Type: Neutral Animal (Firepelt Cougar) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A (A), ), Spirit d8, a successful Survival roll reveals the partially overgrown path. Following it for a half-mile Strength d8, Vigor d8 Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d6, IntimidaSkills: Intimida- leads to the Graul homestead. tion d6, Notice d6, Stealth d8, Survival d6 Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Toughness: 6 6 Frenzy Edges: Frenzy Edges: Special Abilities: This is where the Pathnders get their rst Bite/Claw: Bite/Claw: Str+d6. Str+d6. horro r. The Grauls are Low Light Vision: Vision: A large cat ignores taste of ogrish hillbilly horror. notorious in Kreegwood as one of the more penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination. half-ogre families. Pounce: A large cat pounces on its prey to disgusting and aggressive half-ogre Not only do the ogrekin have the grit to best bring their mass and claws to bear. If it makes a Wild Aack, it adds +4 to its live less than half a mile from “man-land,” but they do so with ease. They snatch lone damage instead of +2. hunters and trappers with such quiet skill that they have yet to be discovered by the AFTERMATH locals of Turtleback Ferry as the primary If Rukus is taken alive, he barks savagely and reason their folk periodically go missing. refuses to give any information but his name. If the party can shift his aitude to Friendly, Rukus launches into a long-winded, stuering disclosure of his family’s captives back at the “farmstead”
THE GRA GRAUL UL FAR FARM M
Rukus likes patches and symbols a lot, and he brags about how “Mammy” sewed the insignias of dead captives to his favorite blan bl anke ket. t. Ru Ruku kuss pr prou oudl dly y shows o the ray, stained thing if asked, since he never leaves home without it tucked into the back of his belt. Five patches bearing the Black Arrow crest are sewn sewn onto the bla blanket nket— — in some cases, the patches are bloodstained. If Rukus is dead, theapatches can be reco recognize gnized d with succ successf essful ul Common Knowledge roll. If
RUKUS GRAUL
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
THE GRAUL HOMESTEAD GROUND FLOOR FLOOR
A7
A6
UPPER FLOOR FLOOR
A5 A3 2
A9
1
A8
1
A10
A4
A2
A1
N BASEMENT
A15
A11
2
THE GRAUL FARM
A14 A13
A12
BARN
A16
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS
12
UP
DOWN
A17
1 INCH = 90 FEET
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW The Grauls dwell on a sickly farm in a clearing in the forest. The woods around their land are decorated with several hanging cornhusk-and-leather humanoid-shaped fetishes meant to ward off intruders. An investigation investigati on of any of these fetishes reveals they’re they’ re stued with what appears to be a mix of dirt and human hair. A tangled eld of corn and other diseased plants grows in the eastern section of their land, while to the north slump two sagging buildings: a barn and a farmhouse farmhouse.. Both have had their windows boarded over, and moss and fungus grow heavy on the shaded sides of the decrepit structures. The Grauls are ruled by a notorious female ogrekin known only as “Mammy” Graul, an accomplished cannibal, necrophile, and vile wizard. Grotesquely obese, Mammy Graul rarely moves beyond the walls of her reeking bedroom, leing her boys see to her needs— needs — all of them.
The ogrekin stalks the perimeter of the farmstead day and night, constantly on the lookout for intruders and working to scare crows and other animals away from his pride and joy: the corneld. Crowfood automatically notices the heroes’ approach unless they take pains to be stealthy. If he sees intruders, he moves inside and alerts the family. If caught o guard, Crowfood lets out a bellow and engages the trespassers. The sounds of bale alerts the ogrekin within the buildings, but they prefer to wait for intruders to come to them rather than confront them in the open—especially since the home is so riddled with cruel traps. Crowfood: See See below. P Crowfood:
P CROWFOOD Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin Fighter/ Rogue)
She’s birthed dozens of strong ogrekin sons Aributes: Agility d8,d10 Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Aributes: Strength Agility d12, Vigor over the decades, and though her childbearing Skills: Athletics d8, Common KnowlSkills: Knowl days are now behind her, she still enjoys edge d4, Fighting d8, Notice d6, visits from her sons and the occasional ogre Persuasion d4, Stealth d8, Survival d4, ThievThiev from the highlands.Mammy’s long had an ery d6 obsessive crush on Jaagrath Kreeg, in fact. Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (3) When her boys caught several of the rangers Hindrances: Ugly Hindrances: Ugly (Major) Outsider (Minor) who ed the massacre at Fort Rannick, she Edges: Extraction, Edges: Extraction, Fighter, Frenzy, Mighty saw a chance to get herself further into the Blow, Rogue, Quick good graces of the powerful ogre. Gear: Ogre hook (Str+d10, AP 3, Accurate), She’s not sure how best to approach thick leather armor (+2), ring of sustenance, Jaagrath, though, and in the meantime has 2x potion of major healing , taered rags and been running out of captives as th they ey slowly tunic succumb to the hungers and tortures of her Special Abilities: sons. She’s promised herself she’ she’ll ll gure out Ancestry (Ogrekin): (Ogrekin): Hardy, Low Light what to do with them before they’re all dead, Vision, Size 1. but time is running short. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh. While most of the Grauls prefer to spend their time indoors, either in the farmhouse or the barn, two of them prefer the outdoors. One of these two is Rukus, but if he survived his previous encounter with the heroes, If Crowfood sees his brother with the he’s already retreated to his room in the party, he instead moves himself to farmhouse (area A6) to nurse his wounds. surprise them with an ambush. The second is an eight-foot-tall son Mammy If he can distract the adventurers, Graul calls “Old Crowfood.” Crowfood’s
FAMILY FIRST
grotesquely deformed head resembles a giant pumpkin on the right side—a huge puy mass of tumors and overgrown bone giving his head a lopsided look.
Rukus aemptswho to ee once more. The more Grauls flee combat, the more Mammy will have at her side when she is encountered!
13
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Abilities (Fighter): (Fighter): Martial Flexibility. Class Abilities (Rogue): Armor (Rogue): Armor Restriction (Light), Sneak Aack. Ogrekin Deformities: Crowfood Deformities: Crowfood has a +2 bonus on V Vigor igor rolls and heals twice as fa fast st from rest. Rending: Rending: Anyone Anyone Shaken or Wounded by an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger
Class
A host of ants march happily away here and there on the porch, many the size of a grown man’s thumbnail. A moth the size of a shovel s hovel head clings to the porch ceiling, watching the party with alien eyes, but it allows them to pass unmolested. The scent of bad meat, urine, sweat, and decay wafts now and then from between the cracks in the boarded-up windows.
creature begins bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn’t suer a Wound, but must make a Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: Yes, at –2; Thievery Check: Y Check: Yes es Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the Trigger: Concealed among the hanging bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll bone-chimes are four sharpened bone spurs mounted on a hinged rack. The rack is rigged also stops the bleeding. to swing down at anyone who touches the Languages: Common. Languages: Common. front door of the farmhouse. TACTICS Four bone spikes cover a large area, dealing Crowfood bellows and yells as he ghts. He 3d6 damage to the that touched focuses his aacks on the larget foe, using This aack can beone Evaded, thoughthe it door. only Wild Aack on every strike. reduce the damage to 2d6. The trap must be Crowfood ees to area A16 if reduced to manually reset after every use. one Wound. The Grauls never use this entrance, preferring to come and go via the side door that opens into area A4.
DOOR SPIKE DOOR SPIKE
A1 FARMHOUSE PORCH
This moss-encrusted, decaying farmhouse slumps drunkenly at the edge of the damp forest clearing. Rickety steps crawl up to a porch covered by a huge eave held aloft by thick pillars of pine. These timbers are decorated with crude carvings of manticores impaling children with their tail spikes and women being ripped apart by wolves. The carvings look like a child’s work, but the subject maer grows more grueso gruesome me and depra depraved ved from one depiction to the next. An unse unsettl ttling ingly ly lar large ge roc rockin kingg cha chair ir of lashed wood and bone sways erratically in the breeze at the far end of the porch under a vast menagerie of wind chimes composed of decidedly humanoid bones. The house’s windows have all been boarded up with thick timbers, though it’s unclear whether this was done to keep intruders out or imprison whatever things make their home within.
14
FLOOR SAW FLOOR SAW Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: No; No; Thiev Thievery Check: No Trigger: Several rusty saw blades are housed between the cracks of the porch’s oorboards. The trap activates mere seconds after the door spike swings down. These blades hit all creatures in area A1, dealing 2d6 damage to their legs. An Evasion roll can be made to avoid taking damage as the heroes leap o the porch.
A2 FAMILY ROOM A ma ng y b ea rs ki n r ug l i e s be f or e a tremendous hearth set into the wall, its pained visage still snarl snarling ing at whate whatever ver cruel hunter took its life. A huge couch haphaza haphazardly rdly upholst upholstered ered in animal hide and human esh, replete with a
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW collection of talons, monstrous hairy spider’s legs, fox heads, and human hands and feet, sits to the west.
PIT TRAP PIT TRAP Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: Yes, at –2; es Thievery Check: Y Check: Yes Trigger: The sofa is part of a hidden pit p it trap. Anyone coming within six feet of the sofa is in danger of falling through a hole in the oor into a chute lined with sharpened stakes coated in spider venom. The sofa is axed to the oor via several sturdy timbers. It does not follow falling victims into area A14 below. All characters adjacent to or on the sofa must make an Evasion roll or fall 10 feet onto numerous spikes coated in poison. Failure means they take a Wound and must make a Vigor roll at –2 or suffer the effects of Mild Poison.
A3 DINING ROOM This dark room stinks of putrefying esh. Eight wood wooden en chai chairs rs with grinni grinning ng bleached skulls crowning their backs circle a monstrous four-foot-high oak dining table covered with a crude tablecloth of crinkly human leather. The centerpiece of the dining table—a rotting human head, its stringy red hair thankfully draped over its mutilated face— serves as a gathering place for a host of buzzing, bloated ies.
SCYTHE TRAPS SCYTHE TRAPS Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: Yes, at –2; Thievery Check: Y Check: Yes, es, at –2 Trigger: Scythes aached to coils of tightly bound rope can be set to cut into anyone stepping through any of the three doors into this room. Anyone triggering the trap takes 2d8 damage to their head from swinging blades. This can be Evaded.
Hidden switches on the doors (Notice –4 or Thievery –2 to nd if looking) allow the ogrekin to disable the traps before they come into the room. If they hear combat outside, they make sure all three scythe traps are ready to go.
A4 KITCHEN This musty chamber smells of blood and week-old meat, and is thick with clouds of fat, greasy ies. Thumb-si Thumb-sized zed cockro cockroaches aches dance along the walls, oor, and ceiling. A thick butcher’s block sits under three cruellooking cleavers that hang on a rack above. Bloodstained smocks of thick leather, one still dripping fresh gore, hang on bone-spur hooks by the door. A cr croc ocke kery ry pl plat atte terr of se sever vered ed fi fing nger erss and toes sits on a rickety old table next to a dried sinew basket overflowing with hacked-o hands and feet, all sporting stubs of congealed blood where their digits once were. A family of lucky rats gorge on the red stumps. The smell in this room is horric. Anyone (apart from one of the Grauls) who enters must make a Vigor roll or take Fatigue as they spend several minutes wretching and emptying the contents of their stomach. The door to the north opens into a narrow stairwell that leads down into the farmhouses basement.
TREASURE Despite their filthy
condition, the three cleavers are exceedingly well made and function as masterwork handaxes.
A5 PLAYPEN This room is strewn with “toys,” some of carved wood or bone, while others appear to be lile more than partial animal carcasses. Old bloodstains mark the walls; some resemble crude, childlike paintings and feature fea ture imag images es of dis dismemb membered ered hor horses ses,, a ridiculous grinning horned devil tossing children off a cliff, and a big lake with a black reptilian monster sprouting tentacles from its ba back. ck.
15
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
MORE MOUTHS TO FEED If the party makes its way inside without alerting the Grauls, Lucky and Maulgro are in this room. If the family is alerted to the intruders, Lucky and Maulgro make themselves scarce. They show up in one of the other encounters in this house, backing up Mammy or Hucker, aacking the heroes from behind. If the encounters in the farmhouse are too easy after adding Lucky and Maulgro, use their stat blocks to add additional non-Wild CArd “cousins” to the ght. Bookshelves rest against the wall, but instead of tomes they hold skulls of all shapes and sizes.
P Lucky and Maulgro Graul: See below.
P LUCKY AND MAULGRO GRAUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Survival d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 9 9 (1) Edges: — Edges: — Gear: Spear (Str+d8) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogrekin): (Ogrekin): Hardy, Low Light Vision, Size 1. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh. Ogrekin Deformities: Lucky Deformities: Lucky gains a +2 to Athletics thanks to his double-jointed limbs, and has no disadvantageous deformities. Maulgro has an oversized maw and stunted legs, reducing his Pace to 3.
Common. Languages: Common. This “playpen” is where the two youngest Languages: Graul boys spend their time. Both are fullgrown, yet of all the Grauls they act the most like spoiled children, and rarely stray from This lthy bedroom contains lile more than this chamber to other parts of the farmhouse. a lumpy maress heaped with twigs, mud, Maulgro Graul is a hairless and pale and hopefully lile else, though the stink of bloated thing with malformed, stumpy legs sewage in the room indicates otherwise. and a wide mouth lled with ragged teeth. Dozens of humanoid fetishes crafted of Maulgro keeps his skull collection in this bits of leather, straw, corn husks, twigs, and room; he says he wants to be a Kreeg one bones hang from cords throughout the room. day and dance the skull-jig when Mammy captures a priest-man and forces him to x This room belongs to Rukus—it’s to here Maulgro’s dead legs. cowardly ogrekin retreats if he survives Mammy has no intention of doing so, the his earlier encounter with the Pathnders. as she finds the crippled boy’s awkward Cornered here, Rukus has lile choice but to crawling amusing. ght, and if he does, he ghts bravely. Maulgro’s younger brother Lucky is here as well. Lucky’s limbs bend in strange and TREASURE unnerving ways, but he’s blessed not to have Most of the fetishes hanging from the ceiling any other hideous deformity and almost are worthless, but a Notice roll reveals one of looks human. Mammy doesn’t like Lucky as them incorporates several nger bones, one much as Maulgro and often neglects to even of which still wears a jade ring worth 300 gp. change the youngster’s clothes for days. The hapless fool reeks of his own waste as a result of neglect from Mammy. He often This small chamber is used now and then steals Maulgro’s favorite to to play keepaway, mocking the slowerskulls ogrekin tears by to store refuse and other remnants from the dancing the skull-jig his brother will never various antics the Grauls get up to. Among the refuse are the tiny bones of every girl dance himself. child Mammy has birthed.
A6 RUKUS’S ROOM
A7 STORAGE
16
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW This grisly scene is a testament to the abundance of menfolk in the Graul family. Mammy doesn’t like female competition.
A8 MAMMY’S ROOM The cloying stink of this room is nearly overwhelming. Buckets of lth are stacked against the walls, fat ravenous ies lazily circling their rims. The room is dominated by an immense bed, its ray sheets stained beyond hope. A huge easel sits next to the bed with a pale pa lette tte of var vario ious us sh shad ades es of bro brown wn and an d red paint. The sources of these morbid pi pigm gmen ents ts—s —seve evera rall cr crus ushe hedd orga or gans ns and an d ragged stumps of esh—sit in receptacles next to the easel. A set of brushes made with human hair jut from a broke broken n skull by the easel, easel, while a comb made from a human mandible sits on a small oak bedside a table nearby, its teeth cloed with thick strands of greasy black hair. The bodies of three horribly deformed men dressed in ragged nery are propped up in huge open coffins against the far wall, their mouths sewn tightly shut with lengths of hair.
cheek and a hunched back, his head split spli t by a ranger’s axe. Hadge’s deformities are hard to determine exactly. exact ly. He was trampled to death by a charging charging warhorse warhorse and is now lile more than a shambling eshy bag of broken bones and mashed features that ops about when ordered to aack. P Mammy Graul: See below.
Kunkel: See Ogrekin • Benk, Hadge, and Kunkel: See Zombies, page 18. 18.
P MAMMY GRAUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin Wizard) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d4, Common Knowled Knowledge ge d6, Fighting d4, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Occult d8, Persuasion d6, Spellcasting d10 Pace: 1; Parry: 4; 4; Toughness: Toughness: 14 14 (3) Hindrances: Mean Hindrances: Mean (Major), Obese, Ruthless
Edges: Alertness, Favored Powers (Wizard), Edges: Alertness, Nerves of Steel, Wizard Gear: Masterwork sta (Str+d4, AP 1), potion of major healing , wand of bolt bolt (11 (11 charges; Damage; Spellcasting), wand of lower Vigor Vigor (15 charges; Spellcasting).
This hellish room belongs to Mammy Graul, an incredibly corpulent monster with stringy hair and bald patches. Her obesity makes it dicult for her to move far, and she’s been more or less conned to this reeking chamber for several years. She wears a huge red curtain as a shroud, and her bed creaks out in anguish as she shifts her massive form. Mammy is also by three of her dead sons— sons — Benk, Kunkel, and Hadge. Black Arrow rangers killed them all over the course of the last couple years, but Mammy “saved” them by casting zombie on their remains, zombie and now the three serve her tirelessly. Benk has a useless third leg on his left hip and a pin head—three old arrows still protrude from his chest. Kunkel has an extra nose jutting from his right
MAMMY GRAUL
17
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Powers: Blind , bolt ,, dispel , y Powers: , y , illusion , lower , lower trait , protection , protection , shrink , sloth , telekineses , tele port. Power Points: 20. port. Points: 20. Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogrekin): (Ogrekin): Hardy, Low Light Vision, Size 3. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh. Class Abilities (Wizard): (Wizard): Arcane Background (Wizard), Arcane Bond (Familiar—Toad), Armor Interference (Any), School (Necromancy; Abjuration, Enchantment), Spellbooks Ogrekin Deformities: Deformities: Mammy Graul’s thick layers of blubber grants her +3 Toughness, but her severe obesity also reduces her Pace to 1 and imparts a –2 penalty on all Agility rolls. Languages: Abyssal, Languages: Abyssal, Common, Giant, Necril.
OGREKIN ZOMBIE Type: Evil Undead (Zombie)
d6,d8Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Aributes: Aributes: Agility Strength Agility d12, Vigor Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d8, IntimidaSkills: Intimidation d6, Notice d4 Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 11 11 (2) Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d4. Str+d4. Fearless: Fearless: Zombies Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation. Size 1: Ogrekin 1: Ogrekin stand around eight feet tall and weigh over 400 lbs. Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe; immune to disease and poison; ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Weakness (Head): (Head): Called Shots to a zombie’s head do the usual +4 damage.
TACTICS
profanity-laced shrieks against her boys ll any surviving Grauls with fear. Mammy Graul sends her three zombies to engage the invaders while she remains on her bed in the northwest corner of the room and casts spells. If reduced to one Wound, she casts teleport teleport and and retreats to area A16 to secure the aid of any surviving Grauls. She leads them back to the farmhouse to aack the intruders, this time ghting to the death.
A9 BEDROOM This room is filled with large, filthy beds. Human skulls with antlers xed to them are mounted on the bedposts and headboards. Against the west wall sits a large cedar chest. This is where most of the Graul boys sleep when they aren’t bedding down in the barn. The chest is one of the boys’ favorite toys. Though not locked, its lid sticks and must be wrenched open.
HAND CHOPPER HAND CHOPPER Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: No; No; Thiev Thievery Check: Yes, at –4 Trigger: Opening the chest triggers no traps and reveals a sack of coins within. However, the coins sit on a pressure trigger set to release a cleverly concealed war razor housed within the wall of the chest. As soon as the sack is
lifted, the blade snaps with tremendous force. The blade is lacedout with poison. The boys enjoy daring each other to “beat the blade,” but not quite as much as telling prisoners they’ll be let free if they can get the chest open and steal the coins. The war razor does 2d6 damage to the arm of whoever removes the bag of coins. Anyone Shaken or Wounded must make a Vigor roll against a Mild Poison.
As soon as she hears trouble outside, Mammy Graul casts pro protect tection ion on herself and her children (Included in their proles). If she realizes someone’s about to enter her room, TREASURE she casts y and illusion , creatin creating g a mirror The sack of coins contains a mix of 121 cp, 110 image of herself. and 23fingers—trophies gp, along with 17 from mostly skeletal If the adventurers confront Mammy sp, severed the hand Graul here, she’s more enraged at her boys chopper trap collected and stored here by for allowing the heroes to get this far than the ogres. she is at the heroes themselves, and her
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PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW responsible of the Grauls. His gift for trapmaking and knack for building furniture keeps the farmhouse defended and relatively Tables strewn with beakers, glass vials, old comfortable. tin cans, rope, animal traps, bits of twisted He has lile patience for his brother-sons, metal, spikes, bones, and all manner of junk though, and if he hears traps sprung above lier this area. In one corner sits some old or the sounds of combat, he makes a note furniture and ot other her ke keepsakes. epsakes. that he’ll need to reset the traps later. Hucker moves to the store room (A13) and prepares This area is the workshop of Hucker Graul, for an aack. the eldest of Mammy’s boys and the Hucker shues with a pronounced limp mastermind behind the devious traps that lace this building. Hucker himself lives in a from an old injury suered when one of his own traps backred on him, a wound he room in the basement (area A12) A12).. bears with misplace misplaced d pride. TREASURE Hair grows lopsided from the right side of Five asks of acid are stored under one of the his head and face rather than atop his brow, tables. With d10 minutes of scrounging, three and a vestigial twin capable of grunting and full sets of thieves’ tools can be scavenged gasping protrudes from the back of his neck. from the gear. Hucker’s best friends are two overgrown donkey rats he named Chuckles and Drooler. They eagerly defend their master, chewing intruders to pieces.
A10 ATTIC
A11 SKIN-SHUCKING ROOM
This dark, recessed corner of the basement smells of rot and old blood. Piles of gorespattered skin lie heaped on the floor. A horrid rubbery face robbed of its supporting skull and muscle rests on top, its toothless mouth agape and empty eyes revealing only the layer of tan ayed skin resting beneath. Much of the furniture in the farmhouse above is upholstered in human leather or decorated with human bones. This grim room is where Hucker Graul prepares skins and bones for just such purposes. purposes. The face on the pile of skin once belonged to one of the Black Arrow rangers—Hucker hasn’t decided what to do with it yet.
A12 HUCKER’S LAIR This low-ceilinged room features a oor of hard-packed earth stained in many places by blood and mold. A lumpy maress lies heaped against the west wall, and what appear to be several half-nished chairs made of esh and bone lie against the eastern wall.
P Hucker Graul: See below. • Chuckles, Drooler: See Drooler: See below. • Donkey Rat Brood (1 per hero): hero): See
Chuckles and Drooler.
P HUCKER GRAUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin Barbarian) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Persuasion d6,
Stealth d8 Pace: 8; Parry: 8; 8; Toughness: Toughness: 12 12 (4) Hindrances: Ugly Hindrances: Ugly (Major) Outsider (Minor) Edges: Barbarian, Frenzy, Trademark Edges: Weapon (ogre hook) Gear: Ogre hook (Str+d10, AP 2), hide armor (+3, Aegis), potion of major healing , collection of severed noses in wax-seal wax-sealed ed tin, 235 gp Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogrekin): (Ogrekin): Hardy, Low Light Vision, Size 1. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh.
Hucker Graul creeps around here in the dark below the farmhouse. As the eldest of Mammy’s sons, Hucker is also the most
Class Abilities (Barbarian): (Barbarian): Restriction (Medium), Fast, Rage. Armor Ogrekin Deformities: Hucker has a Deformities: deformed vestigial twin growing from the
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS back of his neck, granting him +2 to Spirit rolls. His malformed jaw gives him a speech s peech impediment and a –1 penalty on any skill roll that relies on speech. Rending: Rending: Anyone Anyone Shaken or Wounded by an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger creature begins bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn’t suer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding. Languages: Common. Languages: Common.
CHUCKLES AND DROOLER Type: Neutral Animal (Donkey Rat) Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4 (A), Attributes:
Spirit Athletics d8, Strength Vigor d8, d10 Notice d6, Skills: Skills: Athletics d8, d8, Fighting Stealth d8 Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 5 5 Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Bite: Str+d6, AP 2. Low Light Vision: Vision: Donkey rats ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination. Resilient: Resilient: Donkey Donkey rats can take one Wound before they’ they’re re Incapa Incapacitated. citated. Size –2: Donkey –2: Donkey rats grow up to two feet long and weigh up to 25 lbs.
TACTICS Hucker aempts to lure any aackers into his brother Muck’s room (A14). Releasing the terrifying plant creature, Hucker ducks into the room, leaving his brother to take the brunt of the intruder's aacks. Several donkey rats focus their attacks on the same target each round, preferring smaller foes over larger ones.
A13 STOREROOM It’s dicult to gauge the exact dimensions of this cluered room, thickly packed with old crates, broken farm equipment, and furniture.. furniture
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Most of the things the Grauls break eventually end up stacked here. Hucker periodically sifts through the junk for raw materials for his projects, but currently there’s lile of value in here. If Hucker has been alerted to the intruders he and his donkey rats are found in this room, ready to ght and lure enemies into the Tendriculos Pit.
TENDRICULOS CULOS PIT A14 TENDRI This damp, steamy room reeks of rotting vegetable matter. Pools of mud and stagnant water dot the mossy oor, and the walls are caked with thick swaths of puy fungus and m mold. old. This mossy, vine-covered section of the basement baseme nt is home to one of the least fortuna fortunate te of the Grauls. Ironically, Muck Graul used to be one of the handsomest of Mammy’s boys, but after he caught and tortured a nymph princess for days on end, she spat a foul curse upon him with her dying breath. Muck began a slow, painful transformation, his flesh showing strange greenish sores and moss growing from his orifices. His limbs grew spongy and insubstantial until he collapsed into a shuddering mass of plant maer. Mammy consigned him to the basement to keep him from “mussing up the house.” Muck grew larger day after day, nurtured by his brothers even as they ridiculed him for his h is new hideous appearance. Muck Graul is now a massive carnivoro carnivorous us plant—a tendriculos. He barely remembers his life before, and though he recognizes the Grauls as allies, he aacks anyone else he sees.. P Muck Graul: See below.
P MUCK GRAUL Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Fighting Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d8 Pace: 5; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: 12 (2) Toughness: 12 Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Armor +2: Dense +2: Dense bark.
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW
Bite: Str+d6, AP 2.
Regeneration: Tendriculos may Regeneration: aempt a natural healing roll every round, even if Incapacitated, unless their Wounds were caused by re or ame or they’re put to the torch afterward. Immunity: Acid. Plant: ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination; immune to Paral Paralysis, ysis, poison,
Fast
puppet, slumber , Stunned; doesn't slee sleep. p. Size 3: Tendriculos 3: Tendriculos grow up to 20 feet tall and weigh around 3,500 lbs. Swallow Whole: Anyone Whole: Anyone hit by a tentacle aack must make an Evasion roll or be Swallowed Whole. The victim suers one Wound at the end of her turn from the crushing gullet and acidic bile. Causing a Wound to the body of the tendriculos allows the consumed to escape through an opening, though the cut itself seals up shortly after. Tentacles (2): (2): Str+d6. Str+d6.
to her companions. Otherwise she remains silent for now and hopes the weapon’s presence doesn’t indicate Jakardros is already dead.
A16 KENNEL The barn houses several mounds of molding hay, grain stores, and even a large but crude still. Two catwalks rise up along the walls, leading to doors near the ceiling in the east wall. Lower, a pair of massive doors, boarded over with thick timbers, allows ground access to the room beyond. Several dingy kennels are built into the walls under the catwalks. If any of Rukus’ hounds survived the initial encounter with the heroes, they’ve been kenneled here. The boarded-up door to area A17 is clogged on the far side by thick webs. Wrenching it open is nearly impossible,
A15 THE GRAUL FORTUNE
requiring a Strength roll at –4. Each failure allows those on the other side a round to prepare an ambush. A large large chest sits against the wall of tthis his lowThe still functions, but the liquid it produces ceilinged chamber. is nauseating—the Graul boys have never cleaned the thing, and the ingredients they TREASURE use to brew the stu are suspect at best. While the Grauls have used most of the loot A character who drinks from the still must taken from their victims over the years to pay make a Vigor roll. Failure means they are tribute to the Kreegs, they’ve kept hold of a Paralyzed, as if by a Paralyzing Poison (See Poison (See fair amount of treasure for themselves. This Pathnder for Savage Worlds). Worlds). loot is kept here, in an unlocked chest. The keys for the manacles in the cages in Within lies an agate-studded gold ring A17 hang on a bent nail by the main entrance. worth 50 gp, a necklace of emeralds and Three of the younger Grauls (Jeppo, silver worth 350 gp, a pair of small leather Hograth, and Sugar) spend most of their gloves studded with pearls (gloves of time here, drinking away their days and swimming and climbing), a large sack lled periodically inicting unimaginable tortures with assorted coins (210 gp, 452 sp, and 108 on any captives kept in area A17. cp), and a ruby-inlaid red dragon-scale cloak Hograth is the eldest of the three, a hulking clasp worth 600 gp. brute with a vestigial arm growing from his In addition, all of the equipment belonging left elbow and a no-necked, dented head. to the three captured Black Arrows in area A17 Jeppo Graul is a big, handsome boy towering can be found here, including an elven-made over his brothers. Sugar is the shortest of the longbow with the (Accurate and Elemental Grauls, standing barely more than ve feet (electricity)) enchantments. If Shalelu is tall, with crooked stumpy legs and constantly with the party, her eyes widen upon seeing twitching skin. this weapon—it belongs to Jakardros, her These Graul boys take their charge of stepfather. tending to the Black Arrow prisoners in area If she’s already confessed her relationship A17 very seriously and ignore any sounds with the ranger, she reveals the bow’s owner
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS of combat elsewhere on the property unless Mammy Graul comes to recruit their aid. P Hograth, Jeppo, and Sugar Graul: See Graul: See
below.
P HOGRATH, JEPPO, AND SUGAR GRAUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogrekin)
Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Aributes: Agility Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Survival d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8; Toughness: 9 9 (1) Mean (Minor (Minor ) Hindrances: Mean Hindrances: Edges: Brave, Edges: Brave, Frenzy, No Mercy Gear: Spear (Str+d8) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogrekin): (Ogrekin): Hardy, Low Light Vision, Size 1. Armor +1: Hardened +1: Hardened esh.
bloody—are empty, but three in the southeast corner imprison emaciated men. Anyone who falls into the thick webs below takes no falling damage but does immediately become Entangl Entangled ed in the webs of the ogre spider that dwells below. One of the Grauls’ prides and joys, the immense arachnid that dwells in this room is also one of their worst-behaved pets. The Grauls call the spider “Biggin’,” and most of them have been bien by it before. Still, the spider’s too mindless to bother trying to get to anything locked in the two cages in the upstairs corners of the room. As long as the Grauls keep the thing fairly well fed, making sure to throw a deer, gnome, or other sizable creature into the web before venturing in to check the cages, Biggin’ leaves those in the cages or moving around on the catwalk alone. Of course, the heroes aren’t likely to know this.
The immense spider scurries up out of Hograth Ogrekin Deformities (Hograth): has a vestigial arm that(Hograth): Hograth grants him a +1 on grapple rolls, but has a deformed head (and (an d its web to aack if no oering of food has corresponding weak mind) that imparts a been thrown into its web within a minute of someone entering the room. One round after –1 on Spirit rolls. Ogrekin Deformities (Jeppo): (Jeppo): Jeppo’s Biggin emerges, he's followed by his giant overlarge, milky eyes grant him a +1 on spider horde. All three of the humans locked in the Notice rolls but are also sensitive to light (He is Vulnerable as long as he is exposed southeast cage are unconscious—they are the last three surviving Black Arrow rangers to bright lights). Ogrekin Deformities (Sugar): (Sugar): Sugar is from Fort Rannick. particularly jumpy and prone to bodily Spider: See below. P Ogre Spider: See twitches—a manifestation of a fast • Giant Spiders (3+1 per hero): See hero): See below. metabolism that grants him a +1 on Vigor See page 25. 25. rolls, though his stunted legs reduces him Sovark: See P Jakardros Sovark: P Vale Temros: See Temros: See page 26. 26. to Pace 5. P Kaven Windstrike: See Windstrike: See page 28. 28. Common. Languages: Common. Languages:
A17 PRISON The majority of this large, stuy chamber is covered in lthy webs, forming a funnel that dips down into the ground. A catwalk runs around the rim of the room near the ceiling, twenty feet above the ground. In the northeast and southeast corners, the catwalk expands into a twelve-foot-square platform that’s fenced in by wooden beams, forming cages. The walls within each cage are hung with iron manacles. Most of the manacles—while
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P BIGGIN Type: Neutral Vermin (Ogre Spider) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d4 Pace: 8; Parry: 8; 8; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 Edges: — Edges: —
Special Abilities: Bite: Str+d6, AP 2. Darkvision: Darkvision: Ironbriar Ironbriar ignores penalties for Illumination up to 10”.
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW
(–2): The spider’s bite contains a (–2): Lethal poison. Size 4 (Large): Ogre (Large): Ogre spiders can grow to be as large as an elephant, and have one extra Wound. Swat: Swat: Ogre Ogre spiders ignore up to 4 points of Scale penalties when aacking Unstoppable: Unstoppable: Biggin cannot suer more than one Wound from a single aack (after
Poison
Soak rolls are made). Walker: An ogre spider can move on vertical surfaces at full Pace. It’s too large and heavy to walk on inverted surfaces.
Wall
GIANT SPIDER Type: Neutral Vermin Vermin (Giant Spider Spider)) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Toughness: 4 4 Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Bite: Str+d4. Darkvision: Darkvision: Ironbriar Ironbriar ignores penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Poison (−2): Mild (−2): Mild poison. Size −1: These −1: These spiders are dog-sized. Wall Walker: The creatures move at their full Pace on walls and ceilings. Webbing: Webbing: The The spiders can cast webs from their thorax that are the size of Small Blast Templates. This is a Shooting roll with a Range of 6″. A hit means the victim is Entangled, or Bound with a raise (see Bound & Entangled in the core rulebook).
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED When the Pathfinders put an end to the horrors of the Graul farm, they are awarded with their eighth Advance. They are now Veteran Rank! Ran k!
LAST OF THE BLACK ARROWS The Orderand of insular Black Arrows has decades, been a secretive order for since its founding by Zarnath Rannick. Traditionally a wandering order of hunters
LUCKY GUESS It’s possible the heroes will check the barn rst rst,, discoverin disc overing g the capt captives ives before dealing with the Graul family. If this happens, the captives request the rescuers take care of the rest of thesuer. cannibal family, lest more innocents If the adventurers choose to ignore the farm, award them their advancement anyway, though the Grauls may aempt to hunt the party down at a later time. and rangers dedicated to patrolling the Storval Rise, the Black Arrows saw it as their duty to prevent incursions of giants from the plateau into Varisia. When Magnimar oered the order a fort in the shadow of Hook Mountain, Zarnath accepted graciously but died in a battle against the Kreeg ogres before it was completed. His men named the keep after him, and ever since, Fort Rannick has been instrumental in keeping the ogres, trolls, and other giants of the region from spreading too far into the lowlands. During the 45 years they’ve been stationed at the fort, the Black Arrows have inducted new members often—typically petty criminals given a choice between severe punishment or a lifetime sworn to manning the walls of the fort and patrolling the perilous heights of Hook Mountain. Conditions at Fort Rannick swiftly made honest men out of most of these criminals, forcing them to engage in a vicious regimen of training that stripped away all sense of their life prior to joining the order. The task of keeping the horrors of the Hook at bay is a grueling one and requires a level of discipline unaainable by many soldiers. The Black Arrows have a reputation for dealing with trouble among the ranks of the order in their own way—coldly and eciently. Those who disobey commands are ogged nearly to death before being exiled to the south.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Those who betray the order are mercilessly executed. Their justice is swift, their reputation erce; it wasn’t until three weeks Jakardros lost his eye to a close call with an ago that the Black Arrows nally met their ogre hook a decade ago. For many years he match—and then only due to treachery was second-in-command of Fort Rannick from within. under Commander Bayden. Of the dozens who once composed the Jakardros fears the w worst, orst, ffor or he knows the Order of the Black Arrow, only three survive commander would sooner die than surrender today, and they are in bad shape. The only reason this group escaped the slaughter at the to thearrived Kreegs. After histo patrol was delayed, they back home nd the fort under fort was because they were on a long-range Kreeg control. patrol during the massacre. He lost a third of his unit in an aempt to Their leader, a weathered old ranger whose retake the fort, and when they were forced worn face is as hard as leather, is named to ee south into Kreegwood, the remainder Jakardros. Jakardr os. He and two of his men (Kave (Kaven n and were easy targets for the Grauls. Jakardros Vale) are all that remain of their patrol. carries the loss of Fort Rannick heavily and The statistics provided for these three feels it was his fault the ogres were able present them in full health with all of their to take it. gear. When the heroes rescue them, all Had he been a bit more prompt returning three are Incapacitated and wear only from his patrol, he would have been back in their underclothes. Their gear lies heaped time to help defend the place. But he wasn’t, in area A15. and now a 45-year tradition is dead. When Jakardros was younger and before he joined the Black Arrows, he spent a few years as an adventurer. His group eventually ended up in the region around the Mierani Forest, where they helped a small village of elves defeat a group of murderous eercaps led by a green dragon. Jakardros’ Jakard ros’ss adventuring advent uring companion compa nionss all perished in the ght, giving their lives for the elven community of Crying Leaf. Jakardros was nursed back to health by an elven priestess of Desna there, and the two of them
JAKARDROS JAKARDR OS SOVARK
fell in love. Jakardros Jakar dros wou would ld have lived the rest of his life in Crying Leaf had not his lover, Seanthia, herself perished when the village was aacked by the resurrected dragon three years later. With Jakardros’s aid, the town defeated the dragon again, but Jakardros was too broken-hearted to remain. He gathered his belongings and, within minutes of the dragon’s death, left Crying Leaf behind him, abandoning the sorrowful task of aending to Seanthia’s funeral to his stepdaughter. His heart hardened, he JAKARDROS JAKARDROS SOVARK
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eventually heard of thehoping Black service Arrowstoand applied for membership, the order would help him bury his broken heart.
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW To a certain extent, his plan worked. But now that Fort Rannick is lost, his old melancholy has returned—the loss of the fort wakening similar memories of Seanthia’s death. He bierly regrets abandoning Crying Leaf, and between wishing he’d died in either the second dragon aack or in the more recent ogre aack, his mood has grown increasingly dark— almo almost st suicidal suicidal.. Unfortunately for Jakardros, his life is about to grow even more complex, for his stepdaughter is none other than Shalelu Andosana.
P JAKARDROS SOVARK Type: Good Humanoid (Human Ranger) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d8,
Survival d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 6 or 7 (bow); Toughness: (bow); Toughness: 8 8 (3) Hindrances: Obligation Hindrances: Obligation (Major), One Eye Edges: Beast Edges: Beast Master (2), Rapid Fire, Ranger, Trademark Weapon (Bow) Gear: Composite bow (Range 12/24/48, Damage Str+d6, AP 2, RoF 2, Accurate, Elemental (electric)) with 20 arrows, masmasterwork long sword (Str+d8, AP 1), studded leather (+3, Aegis) Special Abilities: Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Ranger): Armor Restriction (Medium), Favored Enemy (Dragons, Humanoid), Favored Terrain (Forrest), Wilderness Wilderne ss Stride. Languages: Aklo, Languages: Aklo, Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Shoanti, Sylvan, Varisian.
VALE TEMROS
Once he’s reconciled with Shalelu, though, his outlook shifts dramatically. He devotes his life to protecting the elven ranger, doting on her as if she were his own daughter. He’ll ght to theo death to protect her, but otherwise breaks combat and retreats if reduced to one Wound so he can stay alive to defend Shalelu in the future.
TACTICS
VALE TEMROS
Jakardros’s strength lies in his archery. He trusts (and depends) on his allies and his animal companion, Kibb, to hold o foes in melee while he provides ranged support. Yet when his allies are in desperate need, he won’t hesitate to lay down his bow and join them in melee. Jakardros Jakard ros has lile conc concern ern for his own safety, and is actively looking for a foe that can nish him o. He ghts to the death as a result.
Vale is a dark-skinned man with piercing gray eyes. His towering height of 6–1/2 feet and his muscular build consigned him to the warrior warrior’s ’s path at an early age. Despite his stature, Vale is a quiet and withdrawn man whose passion for life only awakens during the heat of bale. Vale was born into the Order of the Black Arrow; both his parents were members, as were his two younger brothers. All of them are now dead, slain either years ago (in the
25
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS He has a knack for seeking out subtle case of his parents) or weeks ago (in the case of his brothers) by various Kreeg ogres. Vale’s Vale’s tactical advantages (higher ground, Gang oath of vengeance against the Kreegs has Up, cover, and the like) that serve him well. become the only thing holding him together together Vale prefers to ght with a baleaxe and over the past several days of torture and handaxe, and once an enemy is engaged, he mind-numbing horror at the Grauls’ hands. makes Wild Aacks unless he is taking too Vale seizes any opportunity to strike back at much damage. the ogres with grim satisfaction. If Vale is left on his own, the concept Apart from his prowess in bale, Vale had of retreat would never occur to him. He enthralled led with the bale that he a passing fancy for sieges and architecture, becomes so enthral well-being. and spent many of his o-hours in the fort loses track of his own well-being. talking with the resident architect, a nowdead man named Drannis. Apart from battl bat tle, e, di disc scus ussi sion onss ab abou outt no norma rmall lly y dr dry y topics like engineering and fortifications Kaven Windstrike, a handsome young are among the few activities that break Vale man with dark hair and emerald eyes, has out of his taciturn shell, making him excited traditionally been able to get what he and animated. wants out of life via his good looks and smooth tongue. He was a wayward youth born to harried P VALE TEMROS parents in Turtleback Ferry, and his antics Type: Good Humanoid (Human Fighter/ nally got him in over his head when he assaulted and robbed an old goatherd who Ranger) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, turned out to be a longtime family friend. Strength d10, Vigor d8 Infuriated, his father was all but ready to Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Skills: Athletics Skills: press charges and have the boy taken south Fighting d10, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, by the law to serv servee time in a jail in Ilsur Ilsurian, ian, but Science d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, SurSur his mother managed to temper that reaction. vival d8 Kaven was given a choice: be disowned and Pace: 6; Parry: 7 ; Toughness: Toughness: 9 9 (3) spend time in prison, or seek membership Hindrances: Impulsive, Hindrances: Impulsive, Obligation (Major) among the Black Arrows. Edges: Brave, Fighter, First Strike, Frenzy, Edges: His father always admired the order, and Ranger, Two–Weapon Fighting Gear: Baleaxe (Str+d8, AP 2, Accurate), hanhan- gured if they couldn’t shape Kaven into daxe (Str+d6, AP 1, Accurate), composite an upstanding man, no one could. Kaven, bow (Range 12/24/48, Damage Str+d6, AP balking at the thought of prison, chose the Black Arrows. 1) with 20 arrows, chainmail (+3) At rst, the disciplined lifestyle did Kaven Special Abilities: Class Abilities (Fighter): (Fighter): Martial good and he reformed into a respected and effective member of the order. However, Flexibility. Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Ranger): Armor Restriction when Lady Lucrecia opened Paradise’s pu blic a year ago, Kaven (Medium), Favored Enemy (Humanoid), gambling halls to the public Favored Terrain (Forrest), Wilderness and two other Black Arrows sneaked down to the barge one night to sample its oerings. Stride. It was enough to remind Kaven what Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Osiriani. he liked about the quick and exciting life TACTICS of gambling, high risk, and crime. Kaven Though Vale Vale pays lile aention to how much volunteered for the weekly southern patrol (a damage he takes during a ght, he certainly route most of the Black Arrows disliked due doesn’t ght recklessly. He approaches bale to its relatively boring route along the eastern with a wide-eyed excitement, viewing each shore of Clayboom Lake). ght as a puzzle to be solved with mind Rather than spending his nights in and steel. Turtleback Ferry or Pendaka, though, he
KAVEN WINDSTRIKE
26
PART ONE: IN THE HOOK’S SHADOW took to spending them at Paradise. Of course, Lucrecia recognized him as one of the Black Arrows and, knowing that having an ally on the inside might someday be a vital boon, she seduced him, charmed him, and made him her pet. As the months wore on, Kaven fell deeper and deeper into Lucrecia’s thrall, to an extent that she no longer needed to keep him charmed. He not only began to steal from his fellow rangers to fund his secret nights of debauchery on the Paradise, but in the end it was he who betrayed them at Lady Lucrecia’s request. Kaven gave her all the information about patrols and defenses she needed to ensure a swift and decisive strike on Fort Rannick, and then Kaven volunteered for the patrol that would keep him out of the fort when the assault came. He even engineered several delays during the patrol to ensure they would not return to the fort in time to provide aid in
but now that he’s wearing only rags, the others have noticed—they’ve simply had other things on their mind (like staying alive while remaining prisoners of the Grauls) and haven’t asked him about the taoo yet. Kaven knows the tattoo links him to Paradise, and thus to his true nature as a craven and a turncoat, and aempts to hide it from the rescuers as soon as he’s conscious. While he’s unconscious, it’s merely a Notice roll for the party to notice the taoo, but once he’s awake, the Notice roll is opposed by Kaven’s Stealth. If asked about the mark, Kaven claims he’s had it for years (a Healing or Science roll reveals the truth—the taoo is only a few months old), and that it represents his love of the stars. He doesn’t know about its true signicance, but does know that it’s a good idea to keep the heroes from nding out he’ h e’d d been spending a
the ght. What Kaven hadn’t counted on was being captured by the Grauls—Lucrecia had promised to ee the region with him once the aack was over, and he had planned on meeting her at a prearranged time in Turtleback Ferry. In fact, Lucrecia planned to murder him at that meeting, so even though he doesn’t realize it, being captured by the Grauls actually saved his miserable life. For the past several days, Kaven has feigned loyalty to the dwindling number of Black Arrows, caught between the horror of being found out by his comrades and the possibility of being the next one chosen for torture and dinner by the Grauls. When the heroes rescue the Black Arrows, Kaven pretends to be helpful during preparation for the assault on Fort Rannick but secretly keeps an eye eye out for a chance to nish his betrayal and escape to Turtleback Ferry so he can track down his lover, unaware of the fact that she’s already wrien him o as ogrekin food. Though neither of his h is fellow Black Arrows suspects Kaven of being the traitor, they have noticed the seven-pointed taoo the man bears on the inside of his left wrist. Kaven kept the taoo hidden as long as he could,
lot of time at Paradise.
KAVEN WINDSTRIKE
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
P KAVEN WINDSTRIKE Type: Neutral Humanoid (Human Ranger/ Rogue) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d10, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Survival d6, Thievery d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 7 ; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (5) Hindrances: Fearful, Hindrances: Fearful, Greedy, Secret (Major), Shamed (Minor) Edges: Extraction, Edges: Extraction, First Strike, Frenzy, Ranger, Rogue, Two–Weapon Fighting Gear: Rapier (Str+d4+1, AP 1, Damaging), masterwork dagger (Str+d4, AP 1), composcomposite bow (Range 12/24/48, Damage Str+d6, AP 1) with 20 arrows, leather jacket (+3, Aegis), ring of minor protection protection.. Special Abilities: Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Ranger): Armor Restriction
(Medium), Favored Enemy (Humanoid), Favored Terrain (Forrest), Wilderness Stride. Class Abilities (Rogue): Armor (Rogue): Armor Restriction (Light), Sneak Aack. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant, and Varisian
TACTICS Kaven is most comfortable wielding small and fast weapons like daggers, short swords, or rapiers. In bale, he seeks out wounded foes, leaving stronger enemies for his “allies” to handle. Kaven is a coward coward at but histoo worries worries— — that abandoning hisheart, “allies” soon would reveal the depths of his treachery— keep him in a ght longer than he might otherwise remain. If Wounded, he feigns death, hoping to seize a chance to escape once aentions are focused elsewhere. If this tactic fails, he gives in to his fear and makes a run for it. Kaven has already betrayed his allies once, and if he thinks betraying the rescuers might aid in his own survival, he won’t hesitate to do so again. If the opportunity presents itself, he’s not above taking a hostage— hostage — though he’ he’d d prefer to take someone smaller and weaker than
28
himself if possible, like a wizard or a gnome or a haling.
DISCOVERING THE TRAITOR As the heroes work with the Black Arrows to retake Fort Rannick, they nd more and more clues as to how the fort fell to the ogres. If Kaven thinks the interlopers may be on to him, he tries to slip away as soon as he can—if confronted, he resorts to combat if necessary to ght his way to safety. He knows the adventurers are powerful and that alone, he’s no match for them. He fights defensively as a result, constantly looking for a chance to escape into the wilds. Once the truth about Kaven’s treachery is known, Jakardros Jakard ros and Vale are eager to carry out swift justice in the Black Arrow fashion fashion— — execution via beheading. Assuming the rescuers comply, the rangers promise to award them Kaven’s gear in thanks for the aid in nding out the truth. If the characters fail to capture Kaven on learning the truth about him, Jakardros and Vale have a dicult time managing their priorities. Defeating the ogres remains the most important job, but the fact that one of their own was responsible for the situation is a fact neither Black Arrow can stomach for long. If Kaven manages to escape, stubborn pride and lingering adoration for Lucrecia prevent him from taking the smarter route of eeing the area. If the heroes haven’t yet encountered and defeated her, Kaven’s report to the lamia convinces her to retreat with him to the Hook Mountain clanhold, and they encounter both of them at Barl’s side later on. Kaven may even even show up in a subsequent chapter if you wish, having ed all the way to Jorgenst in search of a more powerful ally like Mokmurian himself!
CONVICTION AWARD CONVICTION AWARD If the Pathnders learn Kaven is the traitor and devote their time to helping the Black Arrows avenge their fallen comrades, award them Conviction.
PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK Fort For t Rann Rannick ick has fallen. A notorious clan of ogres known as the Kre Kreegs egs launched a devastating assault on the fort three weeks ago, an assault that left little doubt of treachery in the mind of the few survivors. Someone must mus t ha have ve gi given ven the K Kreegs reegs detailed iinformation nformation about the fort’s defenses — the assaul assault tw was as too perfect in its execution and timing for any other explanation to make sense. As a desperate attempt to retake the lost for fort t begins, will trea treachery chery strike yet a again? gain?
I
f the heroes make clear their intentions to try to retake Fort Rannick, all three Black Arrows pledge their assistance to the eort
This rugged, forlorn landscape ts well with the morose and grim aitude of its guardians, the Order of the Black Arrow.
(Kaven mustatmake a Persuasion roll to on Vale can provide the adventurers with a a brave face this point point— — if he fails, theput party detailed map of Fort Rannick (Handout 3–1 might be able to uncover his treachery early). on page 31), 31), so they can plan their invasion If the Pathnders don’t come up with the of the fort as they wish. The Black Arrows idea of retaking the fort on their own, Vale provide answers to any questions about eventually suggests the audacious plan. If the locations they have, including the presence Pathnderss contact Magnimar with the news, of the shocker lizards in area B37 (they’re Pathnder they’re asked, at the very least, to scout the unaware of the undead in area B15, though). region and gather intelligence about the ogres They don’t know where the ogres are now occupying the fort. located, or exactly how many ogres are still If they think they can retake the fort, Lord stationed within the fort. While the monsters Mayor Grobaras implies there could be a have the advantage of numbers, the heroes healthy reward for them. In any event, the have the advantage of surprise and superior news encourages Magnimar to organize a large force to travel to the region to provide aid, but unfortunately winter has other plans. Heavy winds, rains, and even snow all but prevent easy travel around central Varisia. As a result, it will be several weeks before reinforcements reinforceme nts arrive, and by then, Barl and the ogres will be on the move.
FORT RANNICK Fort Rannick is located at the northern end of a wide valley that runs along thelandscape southern edge of the mountains. This bleak stretches on for miles along the border between the mountai mountains ns and Kreegwood.
knowledge of thehave area.not The rangers are positive the ogres discovered the secret caverns or tunnels, yet.
INFIL INFILTRA TRATING TING THE FORT The heroes are free to explore any means of gaining access to the fort they wish. A few options (and likely suggestions from the Black Arrows or Shalelu if asked) include the following:
DEATH FROM ABOVE Anyone capable of ight can descend on the fort proper from above. Alternatively, if they y up to the eagle aerie (see area B5), B 5), they can approach the fort via the hidden ledge and tunnel from the north.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
THE SECRET TUNNELS
Fort Rannick was going to outgrow its original barrackss space, the wooden barrack barrackss (though These tunnels have not been used in decades. barrack They are infested in some places by shocker spacious and less dank than the quarters in lizards, but they might provide the perfect area B20 and B24) were abandoned after it means of inltrating the fort without alerting was pointed out they were deathtraps: If re the ogres. The tunnels can be entered via the were used during a siege, the barracks would go up like tinder and everyone inside would waterfall cave at area B12. burn to death. THE SLUICE GATE The ogres are not so observant or On the south wall of the fort (area B7), a sluice sluic e knowledgeable, and a good number of their gate opens to release refuse and sewage hulking brood make their quarters here. downhill into the creek. The heroes can Using re on the barracks would likely kill aempt to circumvent the gates of Rannick several of them and distract the others long by breaching this narrow narrow access instead, but enough for an infiltration elsewhere. A its proximity to the South Gate might be character who spends an hour observing the fort from afar can make a Bale or Science roll a problem. to realize this.
STEALTH
Ogres can see in the dark, so night is likely to LURE THE KREEGS OUT be a bigger problem than it is an advantage While Jaagrath is not stupid, the same can’t ogress in the fort. for the heroes. If the party consists of stealthy be said for most of the other ogre types, they might be able to inltrate the fort If something provokes them, they're likely undetected, especially if they use spells like invisibility or invisibility or illusion illusion to to mask their approach.
TRICKERY The ogres recognize the Sihedron Rune Run e as the mark of their new lord, Barl Breakbones. If the Pathnders march brazenly into the keep and act as if they belong there and openly display the rune, the ogres assume they are envoys sent by Barl to check up on them and quickly lead them into the keep interior to meet with “The Boss” (Jaagrath in area B29) or “The Lady” (Lucrecia in area B36). How they likely fame with thehandle ogres istheir left to them,short-lived as neither Jaagrath nor Lucrecia are foolish enough to fall for this ruse for long.
ATTACK PLANS
to send out a sizable force to aack (perhaps into an ambush). Additionall Additionally, y, a distraction in one area of the fort might draw the brunt of the ogres to tinvestigate tinvestigate,, leaving other key areas undefended.
SMOKE OUT! If the heroes ask about the creatures infesting the secret tunnels, the rangers conrm that a large number of shocker lizards dwell down there. They keep to themselves in the tunnels, mostly, but during their mating season when they grow more aggressive, the rangers use bierbark smoke to sic sicken ken and re repulse pulse them, keeping them from overrunning the castle. It takes a day and a Survival roll to harvest bierbark from the surrounding region, but if the heroes do so and stage the smoke at the right places, they could possibly drive the shocker lizards up into the keep and into the ogres’ midst, weakening them and allowing a greater chance to get at the leaders.
The following tidbits of information are available to the party based on skill rolls or asking the right questions of the Black Arrows. In the event that an aack plan goes wrong, the heroes should not discount the option of The slovenly ogres have turned this baleretreating, regrouping, and aacking again. worn but well-run fort into a charnel house of slaughter and drunken debauchery. THE NEW BARRACKS Area B10 is known as the “new barracks,” The Kreegs did their best to make their even though they were built 20 years ago. initial captives last, but recently, the last of Erected when the rangers grew concerned their living playthings perished and the ogres
FORT RANNICK FEATURES TURES R ANNICK GENERAL FEA
30
PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK HANDOUT 3–1
have been spreading out, searching outlying areas for new victims to torment and eat. Dozens of skulls and mangled corpses hang from trees near the fort, with gigantic rusty hooks spiing them like meat awaiting a butcher’s block. The stench of sweat, urine, blood,, and ogre blood ogre-musk musk befou befouls ls the air for hundreds of yards around the fort. Hulking deformed brutes of the Kreeg clan roam the walls of Rannick and lurk within, faing themselves on human esh, and slaking their thirst on the stores of whiskey ale, and dancing their macabre skull-jigs. In addition to the Kreeg leaders, there are a total of 36 ogres in Fort Rannick. Of these, 30 are typical ogres, but the remaining six are more powerful Wildcards. While these six have dierent names and personalities, their stats are presented below for ease of reference.
P OGRE CAPTAIN Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre Fighter)
d6,d10 Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Aributes: Aributes: Agility Strength Agility d10, Vigor Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Persuasion Persuasi on d6, Stealth d4
Pace: 7; Parry: 7 or 8 (ogre hook); Toughness: hook); Toughness: 12 (3) Edges: Fighter, Edges: Fighter, Frenzy, Sweep, Trademark Weapon (ogre hook) Gear: Ogre hook (Str+d10+1, AP 3, DamDam aging), thick hide armor (+3, Aegis), 2x javelins (Range 4/8/16, D Damage amage Str+d6) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, Size 2. Class Abilities (Fighter): (Fighter): Martial Flexibility. Rending: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by Rending: Anyone an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger creature begins bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn’t suer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding.
Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
TO AERIES OF
B15
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS
THE EAGLES
UP
DOWN
B5 S
B
D
F
1
H
B36 B14
B4
B1
B3 B2
B11
3
A
C
E
G
S
B6
B10
S
B8
B13
B7
N
B12 B9
B37
3
1 SQUARE = 24 FEET RAMPS
UP
DOWN
RANNICK FORT RANNICK (GROUND GROUND FLOOR)
FORT RANNICK RANNICK UNDERNEATH) (UNDERNEATH)
FORT RANNICK FORT RANNICK R ANNICK FORT RANNICK FIRST FLOOR) (FIRST
FORT RANNICK SECOND FLOOR) (SECOND
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS
UP UP
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET
DOWN
B22
B17
STAIRS
UP UP
B28
DOWN
B35 F
1
B23 B26 2
B21 2
B27
C
B34 B33
B29
B25
B20 B31
B24 B30
B20
B16 B18
B19 B11 B17
B17
B28 B32 B28
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK
B1 APPROACH Talons of lightning claw at the sky, ccasting asting pale light l ight on the mountai mountainside nside bbelow. elow. Th Thee lightning reveals a grim fortress of dark stone standing sentinel over the valley, huddled at the base of two sheer cli sides. Crumbling, fteen-foot-high walls ring the citadel, the stone pied and cratered from hurled boulders and ogre hooks. The fort’s craters, cracks, and scars are testament to its bale-weary history. A stone keep, a stubborn shadow against the mountainside, rises from behind the worn walls, a single tower juing up from its ramparts like an ugly broken tooth. Nearby, a rushing curtain of white water cascades down the mountainside into a large pool of water just outside the fo fort’s rt’s walls. It’s an Athletics (climbing) roll to scamper over the fort’s bits of rubble break free in 15-foot-high the process process,,wall; tumblin tumbling g noisily down the wall, imparting a –2 penalty on Stealth rolls made while climbing. The nameless creek that runs along the perimeter of the walls forms a natural moat 10 feet deep but relatively placid.
B2 EAST GATE A twenty-foot twenty-foot-tall -tall gatehouse surround surroundss two baered double doors that look as if they’ they’re re barely hanging on their hinges.
Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Skills: Athletics Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 10 10 (2) Hindrances: Mean Hindrances: Mean Edges: Frenzy Edges: Frenzy Gear: Heavy ail (Str+d8, ignores shields), thick hide vest (+2), javelin (Range 3/6/12, Damage Str+d6) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, Resilient, Size 2. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
B3 STABLE A large wooden building sits against the cli side here. The structure’s southern facade is open, revealing an empty stable. A proud herd of ne horses bred and kept by the Black Arrows was once stabled here. The brave animals detected trouble in the fort the night of the massacre and several smashed free of their stalls to rush to their masters’ aid, only to be massacred by the ogres.
B4 OLD GUARD POST This old guard post is falling apart. Most of the mortar has cracked or sloughed away, leaving stone to grind on stone. The structure is nearly thirty feet high.
The ogres don’t realize how close to a catastrophic collapse this building is. The The ogres smashed this gate on their assault, structure has Hardness 8. Any single aack but have since mounded up debris on the managing to deal damage to it collapses the other side to fortify it. Until the rubble is entire structure. cleared, these doors won’t open. Any creatures inside take 8d6 damage Since the Kreegs assume they’ve completely when it collapses. Any creatures within 20 blocked block ed this gate, only one ogre is poste posted d here, feet take 4d6 damage (this can be Evaded). busily scrubbing at a freshly claimed skull tto o Collapsing the building brings all of polish it to a ne sheen. He subtracts 1 from the ogres from areas B2, B6, B8, and B10 his Notice rolls as a result. running, leaving those areas unguarded for • Ogre: See below. 2d6 minutes. The ogres, not known for their powers of
OGRE
Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d8
observation, number here. have stationed five of their Four are unexceptional thugs, while the third is a sick, grunting thing with knees that
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS curing as the fires smolder. The smell is bend in reve reverse rse like a goat and a host of angry red pustules covering his face and hands. disturbingly disturbin gly avorful. This horror, Karly-Lop Kreeg, spends most of his time tormenting the other four ogres— ogres — Ogres love a good barbecue. The nine bodies all three of them subtract 2 from their Notice slow-roasting here were all Black Arrows captured alive—they didn’t last long once rolls as a result. they got into the ogres' hands. Kreeg: See ogre captain, page P Karly-Lop Kreeg: See Jaagrath put his best cook in charge of this 31 31.. project, a constantly wheezing and sweating, 33. obese ogre named Jolly Kreeg. (4): See page 33. • Ogres (4): See With tiny little hands and feet and a TREASURE grotesquely oversized oversized head and rear end, the Karly-Lop wears a necklace of shriveled ogre almost looks like a bulbous gourd. women’s hands about his neck, each adorned Jolly is curren currently tly making a big batch of with shiny copper rings. Of the rings, 21 are dough to bake up the remains he’s extracted worth 10 gp each, while the 22nd is actually a from the smoking corpses in a huge pie for ring of the ram (5 charges) though Karly-Lop Pappy Jaagrath. has no idea it is magical.
B5 COLLAPSED TUNNEL A huge pil pilee of rubb rubble le slump slumpss aga against inst the cli face here, almost completely blocking a cave entrance. The tunnel beyond winds up to a ledge that overlooks the fort, 120 feet up the cli face above. The ledge rises a further 450 feet to a tor that once served as the nesting ground for a group of giant eagles. The eagles swooped down to aid the fort in defense against the ogres, but all were slain. There’s enough room for a Size –2 or smaller creature to squeeze through the gap into the tunnel. A Size –1 creature can do the same by succeeding at an Athletics roll –2. Clearing away enough rubble to make room for a Size 1 or smaller creature takes 3d6 minutes of noisy work.
B6 COOK HOUSE This open-air structure contains several large racks for storing smoked meat. The ogres don’t seem to have taken good care of the place, for everything is in a jumbled, broken ruin now. Several dead bodies lie haphazardly on the damaged smokers, slowly (and ineciently)
34
P Jolly Kreeg: See Kreeg: See ogre captain, page 31. 31.
B7 DRAINAGE DITCH A vile pool of sewage sits at the base of a nook in the wall. The pool drains through a two foot-wide sluice to the creek beyond, but a body is lodged headrst inside it. The body is one of the rangers of Fort Rannick. The ogres never bothered to push him through the sluice. The channel is slick with reeking gore, algae, and waste. A Size –1 or smaller creature can clamber through it easily, but a Size 0 creature must succeed at an Athletics roll to do the same. Pushing aside the body wedged in the opening subtracts 2 from his Vigor roll against lth fever. A character who aempts to enter the fort via this route must make a Vigor roll to avoid catching lth fever (a Lethal disease that requires a roll once per hour).
B8 SOUTH GATE This twenty-foot-tall gatehouse is protected by an iron gate. The ogres left this entrance relatively undamaged since this is the one they use to come and go from the fort.
PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK The mechanism to lift the portcullis is The barracks were still called “new” by the located atop the defense platform directly older members of the order, though they west of the gate. It takes five rounds to were built 20 years ago. Constructed at a time raise the portcullis, but a Strength roll at –4 when no sensible architect resided among allows someone to lift it from the ground in the Black Arrows, the building is a deathtrap one round. should it ever catch on re. Since this gate is still functional, more ogres With the heavy rains, seing re to the are on guard here. Four stand on watch in barracks from outsid outsidee is a dicult task. A all—three ogres led by Minktuck Kreeg, an character who sneaks inside, or who clambers unfortunate brute who lost most of his lower under the building where all the extra lumber jaw in a ght many y years ears ago ago.. is stored, however, can light a fire with Minktuck keeps his ogres focused and relatively ease. aentive They are more alert than those at If the building burns, the ogres within other entry points. panic at the single tiny exit, ght over who’s supposed to escape first, and eventually P Minktuck Kreeg: See ogre captain, page cook inside. 31 31.. The secret door in the base of the cli wall (3): See page 33. 33. • Ogres (3): See behind behin d this building buildi ng can be found with a Notice roll at –2. Many of the ogres balked at sleeping in the main keep, opting instead to shack up
B9 POND
What once might havebecome been a an crystal-clear mountain lake has abattoir. Partially butchered and mutilated bodies— some human, some horse, some giant eagle—lie sprawled along the shore. A water waterfall fall plummets from the clis to the west into the pool, which keeps much of the water clean save for near the shores where the dead lie thick.
in thiswants nice unused Who to smell barrack food all (“No night man-stink! long while sleeping?”). The bulk of the raiding party’s ogres can be found here, sleeping, eating, or arguing—a dozen in all. • Ogres (12): See (12): See page 33. 33.
B11 ENTRANCE TO FORT RANNICK
The lake is the primary source of drinking water for the fort. The pool is 30 feet deep A single set of double doo doors rs allows en entrance trance at its center. A cursory examination of the to the central keep of Fort Rannick. The waterfall from afar (and a Notice roll at –2) doors are and madesavaged. of oak and have been brutally allows a character to see a cave behind baered Crude repairs have the cascade 10 feet above the water. It’s an been effected, but the doors still hang Athletics (climbing) roll to get up to it. somewhat askew. The ogres are unaware of this cave entrance, since they generally just drink right out of the The ogres did their best to repair these doors, stream when they’re thirsty. but until an actual carpenter works on them, they’ll remain in sad condition. They cannot be locked, but they don’t open easily—it takes several minutes to pry them open. The entrance leads to area B16. This wooden building seems to have been abandoned for some time. It’s in fairly poor repair and leans haphazardly against the cli
B10 NEW BARRACKS
B12 WA WATERFALL TERFALL CAVE
wall behind for support. short door. ight of wooden stepsitleads up to theAsingle The building sits on raised timbers over the uneven, sloping ground—excess lumber is stored haphazardly in the space below.
The oor of this cave is doed with puddles. Patches of pale moss and fungus grow in sheets on the wall, while to the north,
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS a six-foot-wide passageway angles up into darkness. A walkway walkwa y of sog soggy gy pla planks nks lea leads ds fro from m this opening southeast to a second opening curtained by cascades of falling water. Apart from the wooden walkway, the oor in this cave is slippery and awkward to navigate.
B13 SECRET ARMORY The floor, walls, and ceiling of this cool, damp cave are coated from oor to ceiling in soft, dark gray fungus. Several crates are stacked in a nook to the northwest. The cave was used by the Black Arrows to store weapons in the event of a prolonged siege. Unfortunately, the ogres’ assault on the keep came with such sudden force that none of them were able to reach the armory in time to make use of it. A passageway to the east leads to a secret door that opens out behind the new barracks. A side passage winds down under the central keep, connecting to area B37. Eight shocker lizards that wandered away from the larger colony in area B37 have come up here to look for more food. The creatures squeal in surprise when they see prey, hanging around only long enough to generate a lethal shock before they aempt to ee to the east and back to area B37. • Shocker Lizards (8): See (8): See below.
SHOCKER LIZARD
Electric Sense: Sense: Shocker lizards automatically detect any electrical discharges within 6” (12 yards), including bioelectrical impulses. Immunity: Electricity. Night Vision: Vision: Shocker lizards ignore all penalties for Illumination. Shock: Shock: As a limited action, a shocker lizard can deliver a nonlethal burst to an enemy within 1" (2 yards), dealing 2d4 electrical damage. Two or more shocker lizards within 4” (8 yards) of each other can deliver a lethal blast. Place a Medium Blast Template on any contributing lizard. All creatures under under any of the templates take take 2d6 electrical damage. Increase this damage by 1d6 for each addit additiona ionall cont contribut ributing ing lizard, up to a maximum of 12d6. Size –2 (Small): Shocker (Small): Shocker lizards grow to about three feet long, and weigh around 35 lbs.
TREASURE In addition to mundane weapons (including two dozen longswords, shortswords, daggers, and longbows), one of the crates contains an oilcloth wrapped around six arrows (Damaging, Elemental (electric)).
B14 RAVINE A deep dee p ra ravine vine stretches across this cavern, splitting the room in half. Geodes and veins of gliering minerals shimmer along the walls of the chasm, which drops away into the dark. A t we l ve - f o o t -w i d e w o o d e n b r i d g e spans the gulf.
Type: Neutral Magical Beast (Shocker Lizard) The gems gliering along the walls of the Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, chasm, while prey and shiny, s hiny, are relatively Strength d4, Vigor d6 worthless rock crystal. Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d6, Notice d8, They make the walls of the 40-foot-deep Stealth d10 chasm very slick and difficult to climb, Pace: 7; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Toughness: 4 4 (1) though—an Athletics (climbing) roll at –2 is Edges: — Edges: — required to scale the walls. Special Abilities: Armor +1: Rubbery +1: Rubbery hide. Bite: Str+1d4.
Anyone to a Electrical Aura: Aura: shocker lizard at the end ofadjacent its turn must make a Vigor roll or be Shaken by mild electrical shock (at –2 if wearing chain or plate mail).
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COLLAPSING BRIDGE. COLLAPSING BRIDGE.
Type: Mechanical; Notice Check: Yes; Yes; Thiev Thievery Check: No.
PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK Trigger: The bridge is in poor condition. Fenker was murdered by his brethren, and If more than one Size 0 creature aempts to his bier, surly soul rose from the dead a cross it at the same time, it collapses when week after he was interred (several days later they are in the 10-ft middle section of the span. the order decided to quit using the crypt). Anyone Anyo ne on the br bridge idge fa falls lls 40 fe feet et (4d6 + 4 He exists now as a spectre, bound to this damage) to the bottom, though they can crypt by the presence of his bones. He cannot aempt an Athletics roll at –2 to leap to the stray farther than the connes of the crypt, but anyone who dares intrude shall feel his closest side and grasp onto the ledge. wrath. Several ogrekin slain by Lorgus have risen from the dead and now serve him. TREASURE The skeleton of an unlucky haling thief lies P Lorgus Fenker: See Fenker: See below. at the boom of the ravine. His pack contains 18. • Ogrekin Zombies (6): See (6): See page 18. a broken ask, some prospecting tools, and a pouch with two large garnets, each worth 100 gp. His trusty mithral short sword P LORGUS FENKER (Damaging), is still sheathed at his side. Type: Evil Undead (Spectre) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d6, The walls of this fairly dry cavern contain Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d10, twenty seven-foot-wide, two-foot-high Persuasion Persuasio n d4, Stealth d12 niches, in each of which rests the ancient Pace: —; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: 5 Toughness: 5 body of a long-dead humano humanoid. id. Special Abilities: The skeletons bear ceremonial armor Claw: Claw: A A hit with this aack causes Energy and weapons. One of the bodies has been Drain (Vigor). A Vigor roll (at –2 with a pulled from its n niche iche and lies in a jumb jumble le on raise on the aack) resists this eect. the ground. Darkvision: Darkvision: Spectres Spectres ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. This is where the Black Arrows once interred Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 10. the remains of their brothers and sisters. The Infection: Infection: Anyone Anyone slain by a claw aack crypt lled far more quickly than the Black raises as a spectre 1d4 rounds later. Arrows anticipated, and rather than spend Invulnerability: Invulnerability: Spectres Spectres take no damage more time expanding the crypt, they began from non-magical aacks. sending o their fallen kin in elaborate pyres Resilient: Resilient: Spectres can take one Wound and then scaering the ashes. before they’ they’re re Incapaci Incapacitated. tated. The armor and weapons the bodies are Unnatural Aura: Aura: Animals, wild or buried with aare re ceremonial only. Ever thrifty, domesticated, can sense the unnatural the Black Arrows recycle their members’ presence of a spectre at a distance of 10 weapons after death. yards. They will not willingly get closer No Black Arrow has been buried in unless persuaded. As long as an animal is this crypt for nearly 30 years—which is within 10 yards of a spectre, it is Distracted. Distrac ted. unfortunate, since the last body they interred Weakness (Daylight): Spectres (Daylight): Spectres ee from has not rested peacefully. That individual direct sunlight. While exposed to it, they was a bitter, brutal man named Lorgus cannot aack and are Vulnerable. Fenker. His “accident” while on patrol was Languages: Languages: Common. Common. rightly suspected of being an arrangement made between the others in his group. Since the leaders of the order at the th e time felt his passing was for the best, there was lile What might once have been a wellinvestigation into the particulars of his fatal maintained entrance hall is now swathed fall from a ledge up on the Hook. in horror. Dried blood cakes the stone walls;
B15 CRYPT
B16 MAIN HALL
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS bits and pieces of armor, weaponry, and esh lier the oor; and ies cloud the air. Tapestries that once bore the insignia of the Black Arrows have been torn from the walls and now lie on the floor in shreds, coated with lth.
The grati, wrien in Giant, includes such phrases as: “Me Big-a-Big, You-Small-a-Small, I Eat Your Head!” and “You Never Think Me Write All Over with You Bloody Neck, I’m Holding You by Mig-a-Mug and Use You as Paint Brush! Har!” The happy painter of these verses is taking a The keep is old, its masonry baered by the break from his wo work rk to chew on the mangled, elements for hundreds of years. The walls body of his latest “paintbrush. “paintbrush.”” One of the are worn and chipped in many places and few literate Kreegs, Gragavan is an ogre who signicantly weakened weakened.. fancies himself something of a poet. Ceiling height in the main keep averages Shortly after taking the keep, Gragavan 12 feet— high enough that mo most st of the Kreegs found that one of the Black Arrows, a lanky within don’t need to stoop. mumbling simpleton named Peer, kept a diary of uerly inane “poetry” that proved even more puerile than his own. He's been using the man’s corpse as a calligraphy brush Each of these round rooms contains a ladder ever since. He laughs and hurls Peer at the that can be used to access a trap door in the heroes when he notices them, then draws his ceiling above (area B28). The ogres are too weapon and goes to bloody work. ungainly to navigate the ladders. P Gragavan Kreeg: See Kreeg: See ogre captain, page
B17 TOWERS
B18 WORKROOM The lathes, sawhorses, and other tools tool s in this workroom lie in scaered, shaered ruin on the oor. The walls are smeared with gore, g ore, in some places forming messy grati.
DANGER DANGEROUS OUS CORRIDORS While many ogres inside the fort are doing theirpulls own nearby thing, the sounds of combat ogres into the conict. Any ght started in B18, B19, B23, or B24, for example, pulls the ogres from each of the other areas. This means the rst round of combat may host a single Wild Card ogre. The next round however, may add another Wild Card and several Extras. Unless measures to be stealthy are taken, the fort will be a few large ghts instead of several small ones. If these fights feel too easy, add additional ogre reinforcements as necessary.
31. 31.
B19 ARMORY This large room is lled with several heavy wooden racks, all bristling with pikes, longswords, and quivers of barbed arrows. The wall where the door once was has been smashed in. Four ogres are at play here, trying on humansized suits of armor and helmets, guawing at each other’s “tiny man clothes” and then shuing about in them. The four have also started their own collection of heads mounted on the pikes. Every couple of days, Jaagrath stops by to examine the new additions, claiming the best of the skulls these four have gathered, much to their chagrin. If they hear bale in the keep, they run out, still bedecked in tiny clinging suits of armor and with silly miniscule helms balanced on their giant heads, to join the fray. The ogres suer a –1 penalty on all Agility based rolls and to their Parry while wearing wearing the awkward clothing. (4): See page 33. 33. • Ogres (4): See
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK and free of warts, warts, bonespurs, and gristl gristlee — far too prey for Jaagrath’s liking. Jaagrath shaved shaved o the entire right side of These rooms are where the Black Arrows quartered guests, trainees, and other visitors. Silas’ face, leaving a pulped ruin with skull The ogres have tossed all the rooms but showing through in places. Every week or so, haven’t bothered to go out of their way to Jaagrath “xes” his son’s face with his hook, keeping him looking “right.” ruin the furniture— furniture— yet. Silas was the rst over the wall on the night
B20 GUEST QUARTERS
B21 LIBRARY
of taking his own ogreinhook to the the massacre, necks of the sleeping rangers the barracks before the alar alarm mw was as raised. raised. A long table with benches to either either side sits Silas has a bit of a cruel artistic streak in opposite a bookshelf filled with dozens of him— him — his medium is death. The fat man, once books, most of which have been torn from the a cleric of Erastil who dwelt here, is his latest shelves, mangled, and then messily stued masterpiece. back in place. Silas changes the dead cleric’s pose two or The rangers used this room as a place to three times a day, often inviting other ogres keep important documents about their order, in so he can make them admire his work and atlases, bestiaries, and other books that held shower him with praise. their interest. Kreeg: See Ogre Captain, page 31. 31. P Silas Kreeg: See
B22 STOREROOM Crates, barrels, and a stack of rewood have been smashed apart and heaped in a tangled pile in the corner. corne r. A igh ightt of stair stairss lead leadss down to the west. Nothing of value remains in the ruined containers. The stairs double back on themselves after a landing before reaching area B36 below.
B23 INFIRMARY Once used to house the wounded and sick, this chamber is now a slice of blood-drenched nightmare. Hacked pieces of bodies lier the sick beds. The oor is slick with gore, gore , strewn with mangled organs and heaps of entrails. A dead dead fat man sits at one of th thee ope operating rating tables, arranged as if he were merrily spooning chunks of his own disembodied organs out of a brown bowl. His guts spill out of a large slash in his belly. One of Jaagrath’s sons, an unfortunately handsome ogrebody named Silas, resides here. Though Silas’s resembles his hulking father, his face was strangely symmetrical
B24 BARRACKS These barracks were once comfortable and well-appointed, but they are now lled with nothing but splintered bunks, torn bedding, and smashed tables and chairs. Four ogres squat and squabble here, constantly arguing over who gets to wear the hollowed-out horse head Grothrak made. Grothrak was murdered by his kinsfolk when he refused to share his “horsey-mask.” Five other ogres have since died in heated bales over over the “funny” horse head head.. If the heroes nd a way to exacerbate the argument (perhaps using stealth or magic to place the horse head into one ogre’s sack, or using magic to compel one to claim it for himself), the remaining ogres snatch up weapons and murder each other with relish. • Ogres (4): See (4): See page 33. 33.
B25 MESS HALL This ramshackle area is a mess of smashed tables, broken crockery, and rubble. No living thing stirs here.
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CLOSE QUARTERS
B29 CHAPEL
The 12 foot height of the ceilings allows most ogres to move around unimpeded. Doorways however can be a tight squee squeeze ze the more burl burly y ogre ogres. s. Due to his size, Jaagrath has a hard
The walls within this enormous chamber are mounted with dozens of trophy antlers, some taken from stags that must have stood as tall as dire bears. Most of the antlers are draped with bits of roen esh, strips of skin, or coils of viscera.
time maneuvering within fort, subtracting 1 on Athletics and the Fighting rolls when swinging his hook.
To the west, a marble altar has been heaped with the mangled remains of at least a halfdozen dead men and women. A crude image of what might be a three-eyed jackal has been painted in blood on the wall above the altar’s alcove.
Once where the rangers took their meals, this chamber is now just another demolished room.
B26 KITCHEN This kitchen is in total shambles, as if a cyclone had moved through the room, smashed every bit of furniture, bent every bit of silverware, and partially collapsed the stone replace. When they cook their food, the ogres prefer to use methods like those on display at the cook house (area B6). This room held their interest for a few hours, but now they’ve abandoned it.
B27 PANTRY All tha thatt rem remai ains ns in thi thiss room ro om is a hal halffsmashed crate and an untouched barrel.
This chapel, once dedicated to Erastil, was a place of worship for the Black Arrows—the antlers on the wall being trophies oered up to the god of the hunt. The shrine has been thoroughly thoroughly deled iin n every way by the ogres, and converted into a makeshift altar to Lamashtu. Jaagrath, the dread dread “pappy” of the Kreegs, responds to the sound of combat outside. He leaves the chapel with two ogres and engages any invaders. Otherwise, he quietly and calmly sits here, creating taxidermy terrors out of dead rangers, horses, bits of giant eagle, and far too many antlers. Jaagrath's “masterpieces” hang about the room on bloody hooks—men with eagle heads sewn to their bodies, a horse with a woman’s face where its own face once drooped, dead men with huge sets of antlers
juing from their bodies, and men with stags’ heads and hooves. The ogres raided this pantry early in their stay, Jaagrath Kreeg is “pappy” by blood but moving most of the food into the kitchen to sort. The barrel to the north contains pickled also by might. He stands easily 14 feet in fish—a delicacy whose smell the ogres height, and his arms are the size of the Mushfens’ largest boa constrictors. He simply can’t stomach. maintains dominance over the rest of his kin through sheer brutality. None dare disobey his commands.
B28 RAMPARTS
These stone platforms are shielded by crenelations spaced at even intervals, oering those behind them cover against archer re and a perfect killing angle on foes charging the keep below.
P Jaagrath Kreeg: See Kreeg: See below. (2): See page 33. 33. • Ogres (2): See
JAAGRATH TH KREEG P JAAGRA
Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre Barbarian) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12+2, Vigor d10
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK Skills: Athletics Skills: A thletics d6, Common Knowled Knowledge ge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Persuasion Persuasi on d8, Stealth d4 The walls of this room are decorated Pace: 9; 9; Parry: 8 or 9 (ogre hook); Toughness: hook); Toughness: with finely crafted longswords, stuffed 14 (3) animal heads, and a map of the Hook Hindrances: Mean, Hindrances: Mean, Ruthless Mountain environs. Edges: Barbarian, Block, Brawny, Fervor, Edges: A large l arge oak table surround surrounded ed bbyy sseveral everal First Strike, Frenzy (Imp), Quick, TradeTradechairs has been smashed to splinters, and mark Weapon (ogre hook) an immense bed has similarly been ruined. Gear: Ogre hook (Str+d10, AP 3, Accurate, An open open cabin cabinet et that that once contained several several Bane (Human)), tough hide armor (+3, boles of wine has been crushed, and broken Aegis), 2x potions of major healing , belt of boles and the faint scent of wine lingers minor physical might (Strength). around its ruins. Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, This is where the commander of the Black Size 4 (Large) +1 Wound. Class Abilities (Barbarian): (Barbarian): Armor Arrows, Lamatar, once resided. The current occupant is Jaagrath’s mistress and seer, a Restriction (Medium), Fast, Rage. Rending: Rending: Anyone Anyone Shaken or Wounded by sorcereress named Dorella. an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger The ogress is aended by one of her lovers, creature begins bleeding and must make a Harlock “Hookmaw” Kreeg. Hookmaw is Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of Jaagrath’s son and half-brother.
B30 COMMANDER’S QUARTERS
their nextvictim turn. Failure causes one Wound and the must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn’t suer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
Jaagrath tortur tortured ed the boy day and night when he was young. When he came of age, as a special rite of passage, papa pulled his teeth
TACTICS Ja J a a g r a t h is a bit overcondent. He focuses his aacks on humans, saving other races for “clean up.” If Jaagrath is reduced to one Wound, he ees to area B30 to recruit aid, drinking both of his potions as soon as he gets a chance. Once at area B30, Jaagrath ghts to the death.
AFTERMATH If the heroes defeat Jaagrath and use his head or ogre hook as a trophy to intimidate the ogres, they add +2 bonus to Intimidation rolls against the ogres of his clan. A raise on such a roll sends all nearby ogres into panic—they ee Fort Rannick immediately immediately.. Once two groups of ogres ee, word spreads and the remaining ogres ee as well.
JAAGRATH JAAGRA TH KREEG
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
and replaced them with a specially forged set of metal teeth strapped to his face by a tootight leather harness that squeezes his skull tortuously. Dorella Kreeg is Jaagrath’s daughter and wife. She is both feared and prized by her kin. The ogres believe she’s got the “touch o’ spirits,” granting her magic powers. Dorella had her head bashed in by one of her dozens of brothers when she was young. She “ain’t never been right” since, but the nearly fatal head wound seems to have granted her a powerful magical gift. If Dorella or Hookmaw hear any commotion outside, they exit their room and engage any enemies in sight. P Dorella Kreeg: See below. P Hookmaw Kreeg: See Kreeg: See ogre captain, page
31 31..
P DORELLA KREEG Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre Wizard)
Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility Strength d10, Vigor d8 Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, Skills: Athletics Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6,
Occult d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 5; 5; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (2) Mean, Ugly (Minor) Hindrances: Mean, Hindrances: Edges: Extraction, Edges: Extraction, Sorcerer, Soul Drain Powers: Blind , bolt ,, confusion , dispel ,, illusion , Powers: smite. Power Points: 25 protection , , puppet puppet ,, smite. Points: 25 Gear: Dagger (Str+d4), potion of major healing , wand of bolt bolt ( ; Lingering Damage; 15 charges; Spellcasting), amulet of major natural armor, headband of inspired spellcasting (grants boost Trait (Spellcasting while worn), already gured (Spellcasting into the Trait) Trait). Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, Size 2. Class Abilities (Sorcerer): (Sorcerer): Arcane Background (Sorcerer), Armor Interference (Any), Bloodline (Arcane, Familiar—R Familiar—Rat). at). Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
TACTICS Dorella casts protec casts protection tion as as soon as she suspects trouble’s come to the fort (Included in her prole); she includes any allies within range. While Hookmaw distracts the heroes, Dorella casts illusion , creating a mirror image of herself before using her spells against the
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK intruders, leing Hookmaw block access to her in melee. Dorella aempts to escape if reduced to one Wound, after casting blind blind o orr confusion confusion to to delay pursuit.
TREASURE Though the Kreegs have done a number on the contents of this room, they aren’t quite observant enough to have noticed the boom of the wine cabinet contained a hidden compartment. The compartment is partially smashed open from the top, so only a Notice roll is required to see it. The latch to open it is broken, so the thin slats of wood above it must be pried away to expose what’s hidden within: a at wooden coer, a pair of soft green leather boots, and and a tiny jew jewelry elry b box. ox. Coffer: The coffer holds dozens and Coffer: dozens of parchment sheets, all containing beautifully-wrien beautifullywrien love sonnets to someone named “Myriana,” who (if the sonnets are to be believed) is so beautiful the moon was “blinded when it spied her dancing on the tarn,” and who is “the truest grace to know Whitewillow’s soft embrace.” An Academics roll at –2 is enough to realize that “Whitewillow” is a section of the Shimmerglens said to be particularly close to one of the portals to the First World. Boots: The boots are a pair of boots of Boots: levitation. Jewelry Box: The Box: The jewelry box contains a
Ja kard Jaka rdro ross note no tess the th e comm co mman ande derr was on just such a walk the night the aack on Fort Rannick came, which further indicates treachery was involved. How would the ogres have known when to strike the fort unless one of the Black Arrows told them when their commander was leaving the fort for a night? Both Jakardros and Vale become hopeful upon learning of Lamatar’s affair, and cling to the possibility that their beloved commander may yet live and is only hiding out in Whitewillow. If the heroes don’t come up with the idea on their own, either of these men can eventually suggest a journey into the Shimmerglens to determine their leader’s fate. The results of this expedition are detailed in Part Four.
B31 TRIBUNAL Smashed chairschamber. and a ruined sit in this once-regal Alongtable the curved east wall hang taered remnants of several regional maps. Four ogres have hung three Black Arrow ranger corpses from the rafters and are in the process of bleeding them into grimy buckets. When they detect intruders, they kick aside the buckets and leap forward to aack. • Ogres (4): See (4): See page 33. 33.
B32 MAP ROOM
silveroflocket on a chain. the locket a lock silky golden hair.Inside An Occult roll atis–2 Wood and glass cases lie in ruins; the identies this as nymph hair. hundreds of sheaves of parchment within All three of these items are surprises to any are now spilled about, spaered in blood and of the surviving Black Arrows. None of them torn to shreds. knew Lamatar had a creative side, much less a poetic side, and only Kaven knew anything about him having a mistress (though he TREASURE denies knowing it as long as he can). This room contained dozens of maps If asked, both Vale and Jakardros agree of the Hook Mountain region and other Lamatar did in fact leave Fort Rannick for Varisian locales. two to three days at a time, once each month, Now only a few remain intact. One details on what he called his “communion walks”. several of the smugglers’ tunnels beneath Riddleport (worth 50 gp to a smuggler). These lone treks made through region, supposedly put him closer to thethe realm he Another details the rst few poisonous levels had been charged to guard. of Viperwall (worth 400 gp to an interested party). The last reveals the hidden paths
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS of Lurkwood’s interior (worth 700 gp to The ogres loved to play up here, smashing explorers set on investigating the mist- away at the bell with hammers and clubs day and night, until nally Jaagrath killed a few of shrouded woods). them to ensure an end to the racket. One lone ogre remains up here at all times to keep an eye out on the fort. Unfortunately This room was used to store miscellaneous for them, the watchtow watchtower's er's current occupant supplies and tools, but nothing of value is not focused on his job. If any adventurers remains now that the ogres are done with it. make their way up to him, he rings the bell, throwing Jaagrath into a frenzy. Then he leaves the room and starts making his way up to the tower, an audience of six additional This ight of stairs ascends to area B35 above. ogres follows him to watch the carnage.
B33 STOREROOM
B34 TOWER STAIRS STAIRS
B35 WATCHTOWER A cracked c racked bell hanging from a hhuge uge ooaken aken frame takes up m most ost of this this ch chamber’s amber’s upper half. The ringer has been removed and replaced with an upside-down dead ranger, a steel helm strapped tightly to his skull. A broken workta worktable ble and three chair chairss sit below, stained with the dead man’s blood.
• Ogre: See page 33. 33.
B36 LUCREC LUCRECIA’S IA’S RETREA RETREATT This simple room might have once been a jailer’s den, or perhaps even a torture chamber, but someone has gone through great pains ttoo re repurpose purpose it. The air now smells of sweet, exotic incense. Veils of multicolored silk hang from oor to ceiling throughout. The oor is strewn with luxuriant pillows. red throw rugs, and sheets. After abandoning her pleasure barge Paradise on Paradise on the evening of the assault on Fort Rannick, Lucrecia made her way north to the keep to seek temporary quarters here. Jaagrat Jaa grath h and his ogr ogres es recogn rec ognized ized the Sihedron medallion she wore and were quick to oer her lodging in the fort. Lucrecia Lucrec ia agreed, eager for protection while she s he waited
LUCRECIA
for the rains and coming ood to nish the work she'd begun in Turtleback Ferry. Lucrecia prefers to spend her time in her humanoid form: an aristocratic human woman with re-red hair and alabaster skin. Her face is pure elegance—high cheekbones, demure but lust-stirring green eyes, and perfectly shaped eyebrows to accent them. Her true form is similar from the waist up, while from the waist down she has the body of an emerald green snake. Lucrecia greets intruders with open arms and a smile—she has no confusion about the intruders being here to do her harm, but wants to oer them a chance to join her masters before she kills them—going so far as to say “Mokmurian would love to meet
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK you!” If the intruders rebu her, she shrugs coyly, assumes her true form, and aacks. If Kaven is still with the heroes, Lucrecia can’t resist twisting her dagger. When he reacts to her presence with obvious guilt and shock, she sweetly compliments him on a job well done— “These oash Kree Kreegs gs would have had quite a lot of trouble taking Rannick Rann ick without the lovely details you provided us. Well done, my love!” She hopes to see the adventurers tear the traitor apart—party strife does Lucrecia’s cold heart good.
Vision: Lamia matriarchs ignore Vision: penalties for Illumination. Shape Change: As Change: As a limited action, a lamia matriarch can change into any humanoid between Size –1 and 1 with a Spellcasting roll. Changing back also requires a roll. Size +3: +3: Lamia matriarchs are massive serpent like creatures that weigh 1000 lbs. Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Languages: Giant, Sylvan, Thassilonian.
Night
TACTICS
Lucrecia casts pro protec tectio tion n as soon as she becomes aware of trouble in the keep above (or in the shocker lizard caves in area B37). P Lucrecia: See below. She activates her Sihedron Rune for a Benny and casts invisibility invisibility on on herself. P LUCRECIA Lucrecia assumes her true form on the rst Type: Evil Monstrous Humanoid (Lamia round of combat, preferring to ght with her daggers or powerful bolt bolt aacks. aacks. She casts Matriarch Sorcerer) ally so she has backup in the ght. If Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d12, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, summon ally so faced with overwhelming odds or reduced to Strength d12, Vigor d10 thletics d12, Common Knowledge d6, Skills: Athletics Skills: A Fighting d8, Notice d8, Occult d10, PerPer suasion d8, Shooting d8, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d8 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7; Toughness: 13 13 (3) Edges: Ambidextrous, Edges: Ambidextrous, Arcane Background (Magic), Arcane Resistance, Frenzy, Nerves of Steel, Sorcerer, Two-Weapon Fighting Powers: Bolt , , dispel , , healing , invisibility , , proPowers: proteleport. Power tection , puppet , puppet ,, summon summon ally , teleport. Points: 20 Points: 20 Gear: Dagger (Str+d4, AP 1, Keen) mastermaster work dagger (Str+d4, AP 1), Sihedron
one Wound, she aempts to ee, recover, and then aack the heroes again in an area where she has more room to move around. Lucrecia aempts to ee using teleport teleport to go to the Hook Mountain clanhold if she fears she cannot win. If she escapes, she’ll be enc encoun ountere tered d at Barl Brea Breakbon kbones’ es’ side sid e in area D9.
medallion (see page 79), 79 ), wand of bolt bolt ( ; ; AP 2; 12 charges; Spellcasting), gold and pearl ring (worth 300 gp), silver necklace (worth 200 gp), scroll of Sihedron sacrices (see Treasure, below). Special Abilities: Armor +1: Serpent +1: Serpent hide Class Abilities (Sorcerer): (Sorcerer): Arcane Background (Sorcerer), Armor Interference (Any), Bloodline (Fey) Innate Powers: Minor Powers: Minor detect arcana , major (Charm, Spellcasting, Duration of empathy (Charm, empathy one week), minor sound. Magic Taoo: Taoo: Lucrecia used her ability to inscribe magical taoos on herself. The tattoo allows her to cast one spell as a limited free action.
taoo from her as “favorite customers of Paradise.” Kaven’s name is on this list with a circle around it. The list bears only this intriguing header: “Those who have agreed to grant their greed to the master’s need.”
TREASURE Lucrecia carries a single scroll in a small tube on which she has listed every citizen of Turtleback Ferry who received a Sihedron
B36A–B36B CELLS These grimy, blood-spaered cells are empty save some fetid straw mats and verminridden blankets. The cells were until recently occupied by captives and a few sorry, bedraggled rangers of the Black Arrows. Now they are empty, their former occupants dead and eaten.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL ORDS RUNELORDS If the heroes are having a particularly bad time retaki retaking ng the fort or are severely overmatched, you can place additional surviving Black Arrows in these cells, waiting for rescue. They need healing and gear, but once freed are eager to aid in retaking retakin g the fort.
B37 LIZARD WARRENS These dank caves of dirt and stone wind and bend dizzyingly, narrowing to as small as three feet wide at points. In places, claws of exposed tree roots hang from the ceiling.
that the heroes have defeated the ogres who claimed the keep. He sends a new group of rangers to occupy the fort, placing them under Jakardros’s command.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED Reclaiming Fort Rannick earns the Pathnders their ninth Advance.
WHAT NEXT?
Once the heroes reclaim the fort, where they go next is left up to them. If they decide These winding tunnels are the nesting ground to return to Magnimar to report on what for a large pack of shocker lizards that have happened in person, proceed with the events infested the place for decades. Introduced detailed in Tart three. Alternatively, you can secretly to the caves years ago by a Black use Jakardros and Vale to provide guidance if Arrow who had a soft spot for the cute lile they don’t take maers into their own hands things, the lizards took to the environs with and follow up on the clues they discovered in the fort. an unexpected tenacity. Based on what the adventurers have Since thataranger’s death, the lizards have learned and accomplished accomplish ed so far, the primary established fairly stable ecosystem, feeding options can be summarized as follows. happily on the grubs, cockroaches, and Note that the exact order in which the centipedes that scule around the caves. The Pathnders rs tackle the remaining three parts fact that their presence keeps these vermin Pathnde irrelevant ant— — they’ they’re re from infesting the keep above was enough of this chapter are largely irrelev (barely) for the rest of the Black Arrows to presented in the most likely order for them to occur, but there’s no reason the heroes can’t leave the lizards be. During shocker lizard mating season the tackle Barl and the ogres at the top of Hook rangers took care to light stacks of bierbark Mountain before they investigate Skull’s wood chips (the scent of which the lizards Crossing or the Shimmerglens. Lucrecia’s List of Names: This Names: This mysterious nd repugnant) to keep them from swarming list can lead players into wondering exactly up into the castle. why they’ve encountered so many instances The shocker lizards are relatively non- of villains carving or taooing the Sihedron aggressive as long as intruders move slowly through the warrens, don't aack, and don’t onto their victims, and can also compel them approach too close to any of the several egg to return to Turtleback Ferry to follow up on mounds. If any of these condition conditionss are broken, the strange symbols. The list can also reveal Kaven as a traitor, the lizards quickly rise to defend their home. if this revelation has not yet occurred. While • Shocker Lizards (12): See (12): See page 36. 36. there’s relatively little to learn from the taooed inhabitants of Turtleback Ferry, if RANNICK RECLAIMED the investigators head back to the village, you With the ogres slaughtered to the last or can immediately proceed with Part Three. driven back up the mountainside, the Searching for the Commander: Even Commander: Even if the heroes liberate Fort Rannick. Yet the Order Pathnde Pathnders rs don’t nd the clues in Lamatar’s of the Black Arrows remains dead. Vale and chambers in the fort, Jakardros and Vale are Jakardross alone canno Jakardro cannott carry the torch, as eager to nd out what happened to their much as they might wish to. They need help. commander. They can tell the heroes he’d Mayor Maelin Shreed is impressed when made one of his “communion walks” into he learns of the fate of the Black Arrows and the Shimmerglens the night of the raid. If the
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PART TWO: RETAKING RANNICK RANNICK
adventurers take the bait and head into the swamps, continue with Part Four. Exploring Hook Mountain: Whether Mountain: Whether out of curiosity or the heroes seek to strike at the Kreeg clanhold, if they wish to explore Hook Mountain, you can have them encounter a few wandering monsters before eventually discovering the clan’s cave near the peak— continue with Part Five.
REBUILDING RANNICK
Magnimar soon sends Fort Rannick a healthy fund to help rebuild, and this allows the Black Arrows to oer cash rewards of 2,500 gp per mission. Several examples are mentioned briey below: Fouled Waters: The Waters: The cascade at area B9 is the fort’s primary source of fresh water, so when the waters become polluted, the Black Arrows send the heroes up the mountainside to defeat the source—a green hag named Tevexia who’s allied with the Kreegs.
The remainder of Rise of the Runelords Runelords is With the Troll Troubles: Troubles: With destined to take the heroes even deeper into back, bac k, the tro trolls lls of seve several ral Kreegs nea nearby rbypushed tribes tri bes the wilds of Varisia, Varisia, and as such they won’t be grow more aggressive to ll the gap. The spending much time in the Hook Mountain Pathfinders must find their chieftain and region after this adventure. If they display an defeat him! interest in helping to rebuild Fort Rannick We Need a Mason!: The Mason!: The adventurers are and get it back on its feet, the Black Arrows asked to travel downriver to Ilsurian to pick could certainly use the help! up and escort a talented dwarve dwarven n stonemason Full details and rules for how to build and named Vrankus to Rannick. When they show maintain a castle are beyond the scope of this up, Vrankus has problems of his own own— — a local adventure,, but one thing you could do fairly gang of criminals has kidnapped his wife, adventure easily is simply assume the Black Arrows and until she’s rescued, he won’t leave town. handle that part of Fort Rannick’s recovery. In this case, as certain needs arise, the rangers can contact the Pathnders for aid, requesting them to undertake small side missions as necessary.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
PART THREE: DOWN COMES THE RAIN Winter rises, but before her cold brea breath th descends on the Hook Hook,, the skies darken like blood-muddied water, and ominous clouds writhe on the horizon, bringing the near-constant rain to new heights of torrential downpours. Storms go on for days without the sun so much as peeking from behind her cloudy veil, and the river riverss and lakes b begin egin to swell. Pure misery reigns reig ns as co cold ld and wet become the order of eve every ry da day y, and mud sseems eems to befoul ever eve ry square foot of the region... will this rain never end?
T
he unnatural rains are all part of the evil design Mokmurian’s minions have for the region. Barl Breakbones’ primary
Skull’s Crossing and didn’t take lightly to ogres coming to break down their home. As the ogres work at the dam, hammering
goal on Hook Mountain is to push the Kreeg ogres to forge weapons for the army gathering on the Storval Plateau, and then to personally lead the ogres up to join the army. The destruction of Fort Rannick was merely an idle diversion for the stone giant. Less of a diversion are the plans Lucrecia has for Turtleback Ferry. With the aid of a coven of annis hags allied with the Kreegs, Barl and Lucrecia hit upon the plan to mark as many of the residents of Turtleback Ferry for Karzoug’s runewell as possible. The next step in their plans, is to
at it with their picks and hooks, the rhythmic sounds sing through the massive stones of the dam and into the waters of the Storval Deep, where one of the lake’s most notorious denizens takes notice. This is the monster Black Magga, and on this day, she arrives arrives at the dam to investigate the strange sounds. Finding several ogres hacking away at the stone near the dam’s eastern side, she aacks, eager to taste these large, juicy-looking morsels. As she surges up onto the dam to do so, her bulk proves the nal straw and the ogre-
ood the village, killing hundreds and giving weakened section collapses. Black Magga, their runelord a sudden and unexpected several ogres, ogres, and hundreds of tons of stone boost of soul ener energy. gy. fall down along the face into int o the valley below, Barl engineered the flood by sending followed by a deluge of water. It doesn’t take a group of ogres to Skull’s Crossing, the long for the ood to reach Turtleback Ferry. immense dam that holds back the waters of the Storval Deep, with orders to begin weakening the structure. At the same time, the annis coven used their control weather ability to ensure constant rain in the region The timing of this chapter’s initial events so the waters near the Storval side of the dam are left to you to stage—the best time to have the ood hit Turtleback Ferry is just are properly swollen. The combination, Barl hopes, should soon before the heroes return to town for the rst
THE TUR TURTLE TLEBA BACK CK FLOO FLOODD
result in a catastrophic ood. Of course, two factors Barl wasn’t counting on were the heroes and a tribe of trolls who dwell in
time they hit nish Tarttime—even two, but you can have after the ood at any before the Pathnders are done clearing out Fort Rannick, if you wish.
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PAR ART T THREE: THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI AIN N If the adventurers don’t conveniently head treacherous—it’s an Athletics roll at –1 to back to Turtleback Ferry, you can have one navigate them. of the panicked villagers come to beg help of them. The man is a hunter named Bran Fered who risked the weather and possible ogre aack to ride up to Fort Rannick to, When the ash ood struck, Tillia Henkenson hopefully, nd the heroes and get their help in was instructing a class of young boys and evacuating the village before the oodwaters girls in the schoolhouse. As the oodwaters swallow it whole. poured into the front door of the riverfront There should be little time to prepare. building, Tillia and her class evacuated and Press upon the party that if they don't depart sought out one of the ferries for shelter. immediately, they stand little chance of Unfortunately they were then trapped by saving the citizens of Turtleback Ferry. the side of the general store by the rushing Unless the heroes can all y, they must water before they could reach safety on the hurry if they wish to use the road to reach shore. They have languished here for the past Turtleback Ferry, for the oodwaters of the several hours, watching the waters rise. rising Skull River will swamp it within hours. Unfortunately, the villagers are not the In fact, the ooding won’t reach the point only ones uprooted by the flood. A nest where the roads are washed away quite yet of 16-foot-long nightbelly boas, one of the (the damage Black Magga did to the dam more dangerous predators to ply the river, wasn’t quite that extensive), but it should was dislodged by the waters several miles spur the party on nonetheless. As long as they upstream and has been carried by the current make haste, they should reach Turtleback all the way to the village. Ferry in time to help. When they arrive on The children are being swept away. the scene, read them the following. Rescuing them is a group Dramatic Task that lasts three rounds and requires 12 Task The village of Turtleback Ferry is drowning. Tokens to complete. Each token gained The muddy, surging waters of the Skull rescues a child. River tear through the center of the Athletics rolls at –2 to ford tthe he raging waters community to ll Clayboom Lake with a are the main skill, but characters can use us e other terrible fury—many of the buildings that skills or powers as bets their particular once sat comfortably on the river’s banks are abilities. already ooding and in danger of collapsing The snakes rise from the water with a loud from the the ru rushing shing w water. ater. hiss and aack anyone aempting to keep A group of children and a woman woman huddle
SAVING THE SCHOOLCHILDREN
aboard one of the old turtleshell ferryboats, the tiny flood-bashed vessel lodged up against the general store and threatening to capsize at any moment. Beyond, the town’s church stands solid, its foundations already three feet deep in oodwaters. oodwat ers. Frantic movement is visible in the upstairs windows as townsfolk trapped inside rush about in a desperate aempt to save scriptures, comfort the sick, and pray for deliverance. The extent of the oodwaters is shown on the map of Turtleback Ferry in the Guide to Varisia Varisia book via the dotted line. The oodwaters themselves are swift and
them from what seemed an easy meal. Complications include debris rushing down the river or a strong current that threatens to carry a hero too far away to return in time to help the children. • Nightbelly Boas (3): See (3): See below
NIGHTBELL NIGHTBE LLYY BBOA OA Type: Neutral Animal (Constrictor Snake) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d6 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d10, Stealth d6 Pace: 4; Parry: 5; 5; Toughness: Toughness: 5 5 Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities:
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
Bite: Str.
Constrict: Constrict: +2 +2 to Athletics Athletics
and Strength rolls
made to grapple.
TACTICS The boas turn their aention to the heroes as soon as they move in, ignoring the schoolchildren.
CONVICTION AWARD CONVICTION AWARD If the Pathnders manage to rescue all of the schoolchildren and the schoolmarm, they gain Conviction.
BLACK MAGGA RISES Not long after the party rescues the schoolchildren, something more harrowing develops. Black Magga herself, damaged from her fall and furious at the sudden awkward turn of events, comes into town. awkward Give the heroes a Notice roll to perceive what at rst appears to be a huge black tree being swept downriver downriver on a collision course with the church. Moments before the “tree” hits, it submerges. A few moments later, the floodwaters surge violently, and with a thunderous roar, legendary Black Magga rises from the deluge. The sight of the immense monster—its primeval head rising as high as the church steeple—sends the villagers of Turtleback Ferry into a blind panic. No one even notices that the rains have stopped, and perhaps the ood waters are already beginning to slow.
For now, the spectacle of the lake monster seemingly preparing to destroy the church is all that maers. If left to her own devices, that is precisely what Black Magga does. She takes less than ve minutes to reduce the chapel to rubble, and when she’s done, nothing remains—the two dozen villagers who had sought shelter within are either crushed to death or eaten by the ravenous menace. It’s unlikely the heroes are much of a match for Black Magga. Fortunately for them, they need not slay her to drive her o. If engaged for a few rounds, she eventually dives back into Clayboom Lake (see her tactics below). P Black Magga: See page 78. 78.
TACTICS On the rst round of combat, Black Magga uses her breath of madness ability on any obvious targets. On the second round, she aacks, aempting to bite anyone who tried to harm her. On the third round, she repeats this tactic, adding in her tentacle aacks. Black Magga retreats on the fourth round of combat, dropping any foes she’s currently grappling and deciding that tangling with these unknown enemies is not currently in her best interest. Alternatively, she retreats if the heroes reduce her to one Wound before the fourth round. Abandoning Turtleback Ferry and the interlopers (for now), she surges downriver (possibly destroying a few minor buildings as she crashes by) and vanishes into the depths of Clayboom Lake.
AFTERMATH
IMPOSSIBLE ODDS The party has lile to no chance of killing Black Magga. Instead, this encounter should focus more on rescuing citizens from its wrath. The heroes can aack the massive creature to distract or try and harm it, but for the few rounds it’s in town, it should be obvious this is about minimizing damage and saving lives..
After Black Magga is forced to retreat, a cheer rises from the villagers who have gathered on the shores to watch. It takes only a moment longer for them to notice the oodwaters are receding. It should be obvious the villagers’ initial fear that Skull’s Crossing dam has burst has not been borne out, yet the sudden rush of water seems to indicate something dire has happened. Several townsfolk recognize Black Magga from local legend and can explain the monster
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PAR ART T THREE: AIN N THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI
was said to dwell in the Storval Deep, not in Skull River. All signs point north—something must have happened at Skull’s Crossing. When storms threatened to spill over the dam in the past, the structure’s oodgates opened automatically to release water pressure in a controlled ow. None in Turtleback Ferry know exactly how the mechanism for opening the oodgates works, as Skull’s Crossing has long been the den of a tribe of trolls known as the Skulltakers. Yet as long as anyone can remember, the oodgates have functioned without fault. If the floodgates are malfunctioning, someone needs to brave the wrath of the Skulltaker trolls to determine what, if anything, can be done to repair the ancient Thassilonian structure before a cataclysmic ood washes the entire region away. Turtleback Ferry is far from a rich village, but if the heroes can prevent a more deadly flood by opening the floodgates, Mayor Shreed promises promis es the heroes a reward of 1,000 gp. He can be talked up to as high as 2,000 gp with a successful Persuasion roll at –2.
SKULL’S CROSSING Skull’s Crossing was one of the nal—and perhaps most ambitious ambitious— — projects Rune Runelord lord Karzoug’s giants erected. Much of the stone used to craft the towering monuments scattered throughout Varisia was taken from an immense quarry in the heart of the Storval Plateau. It took centuries, but near the end, the quarry finally played out and all that remained was a vast canyon. Karzoug had lile use for or interest in the ugly scar, and so ordered the construction of Skull’s Crossing at its southern end to transform the quarry into the region’s largest lake. As with many of his projects that didn’t feature his own countenance, the dam incorporated one of Karzoug’s favorite design elements—the human skull. The colossal dam is decorated with thousands of them. Five immense skulls adorn the center of the dam’s face—ancient machinery built into the dam allowed the jaws of the skulls to be opened or closed to act as oodgates should the waters of the Storval Rise ever ow too high.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS The machinery still functions, but the source of power, a pair of pit ends imprisoned in life-draining life-draini ng magic circles, has faltered. If the heroes hope to save Turtleback Ferry, they must not only defeat the ogres bent on destroying the dam and the trolls who have claimed it as their lair—they must also nd a way to power the oodgates one more time, perhaps with the aid of a dying pit end who has powered Skull’s Crossing for 10,000 years.
C1 WESTERN SHORE Spanning the great breadth of the gorge is Skull’s Crossing. The massive wall of stone holds back the waters of the Storval Deep— but only just. Thousands of skulls have been carved into the dam’s face, with five larger ones decorating the middle length. The easternmost of these immense skulls is all but hidden by through a steadywhat flow appears of cascading water pouring to be a recent break in the dam. For now, the ancient dam seems to be holding its own against the Storval Deep, but unless these rains end soon, the recent ood looks to be but a minor precursor precursor to a fantastic disaster. The eastern slopes of the gorge are sheer and slick with rain. To the west is a narrow stone stairway, its edge decorated with hundreds of poles bearing the skulls of as many dierent creatures. The stairway winds up to a cave mouth near the western rim of the dam. The break in the dam was where Black Magga aacked the ogres and inadvertently nished the job they started. Since then, the ogres have relocated to the other side of the dam at area C6 to continue their work. The rain starts again not long after the adventurers adventure rs arrive here, but before it does, a Notice roll is enough for them to t o catch several lumbering shapes moving about on the dam’s upper reach.
C2 A THE STAIRWAY OF SKULLS STAIRWAY sevenseven-foot-wid foot-widee winding stairw stairway ay of stone climbs the cli face here, reaching a height of
nearly two hundred feet before ending at a cave mouth above. Hundreds of stakes line the edges of the stairway, many of them decorated with skulls—some animal, some humanoid, all marked with a strange skull-shaped rune on the brow. Anyone who speaks Giant recognizes the runes on the skulls as warnings—these are territory markers for the Skulltaker trolls who dwell in the region. The stairs themselves are sized for Size 2 creatures, and as such are considered Dicult Ground for Size 0 or smaller folk to ascend.
C3 ETTIN’S DOORSTEP The short passageway ends in a small alcove, but to the west, a fifteen-foot-high ledge provides access ttoo a larger cave beyond. It’s an Athletics Athletics roll to scramble up the ledge, since the surface is so crumbly. Worse, the crumbling pebbles impart a –2 on Stealth rolls. The ein Gorger and Chaw is likely to hear anyone trying to get into their home via this route.
C4 GORGER AND CHAW’S LAIR The air in this forty-foot-high cave is thankfully freshened by a brisk breeze whistling through from the north, yet the dozens of mostly eaten repelts, deer, and even a few humans heaped along the walls ll the the room with a stomach-t stomach-turning urning stink. The cave has long been the lair of a 15 foot tall ein named Gorger and Chaw. When the Skulltaker trolls moved into the region, they formed an alliance with the ein. As long as he left the dam to the trolls and served as a guard, protecting this approach to its heights from intruders, he was allowed to remain in the region. Gorger and Chaw saw no problem with this arrangement, arrangem ent, since there’s nothing to interest the ein up on the dam anyway. Ever since that time, its been regarded as an honorary member of the Skulltaker tribe.
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PAR ART T THREE: THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI AIN N
1 SQUARE = 30 FEET STAIRS UP DOWN
AREAS C7 -C12
C6
AREAS C2 -C5
N
SKULL’S CROSSING SKULL’S CROSSING
C1
WESTERN W ESTERN CAVES CAVES
SKUL SK SKULL’S ULL’S L’S WAT TCH CH
C7 C5
C8
C9
1
C3 C11
C2 C4
C12 C10
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS UP DOWN
AREAS REAS C7 -C12
AREAS C13 -C16
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS
DOWN
GRAZUUL’S DOMAIN SKULL’S CROSSING CROSSING SIDE VIEW
1
C14
C13
C16 1 SQUARE = 30 FEET
UP
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET STAIRS UP DOWN
C15
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
REINFORCEMENTS Gorger and Chaw is a tough ettin but not inv invinc incibl ible. e. Tha Thankf nkfull ully y the booming voice from its heads is loud enough to alert the ogres in C6, who come running to his side.
When the ogres arrived, Gorger and Chaw was initially inclined to kill them, but when the ogres oered the ein a hefty bribe of several delicious smoked humans, Gorger and Chaw decided to look the other way. Now, the ein is wracked with guilt about failing the Skulltaker tribe, and is afraid to head up to the dam to help the tribe ght the ogres for fear the trolls will smell his treachery. He sees the heroes’ arrival as an opportunity to prove his loyalty to the tribe, and aacks them on sight with the bale cry “YOU NO BRIBE ME! I SMASH YOU FOR SKULLTAKERS!” P Gorger and Chaw: See Chaw: See below.
P GORGER AND CHAW Type: Evil Humanoid (Ein) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d6 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Stealth d4, Survival d6 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7; Toughness: 14 14 (5) Edges: Ambidextrous Edges: Ambidextrous Two-Weapon Two-Weapon Fight Fighting ing Gear: 2x Heavy ail (Str+d8), animal pelt (+1), 2x javelin (Range 3/6/12, Damage Str+d6). Special Abilities: Armor +4: Leathery +4: Leathery Hide Ancestry (Giant): Low (Giant): Low Light Vision, Reach 1, Size 4 (+1 Wound), Swat, Sweep. Hardy: The creature doesn't suer a Wound from being Shaken twice.
TREASURE The ein keeps his treasure in a disorganized heap near a collection of sleeping furs in the northeastern cave. The loot consists of 693 gp; 1,240 sp; a velvet pouch containing six 100 gp pearls; a periapt
of health; and an ivory scroll tube inset with strips of jade (worth 300 gp) that contains a scroll of burst , , a scroll of stun , and a scroll of telekinesis.. telekinesis
C5 UPPER PASSAGE PASSAGE As with the one in area C3, the 15-foothigh ledge at the southern end requires an Athletics roll to scale. The stairs above lead up to the top of the dam.
C6 OGRE DEMOLITION CREW The upper walk of Skull’s Crossing is relatively clear of rubble, though a threeinch layer of water has pooled across much of its surface. Here and there, sections of the dam’s surface have crumbled away, though the damage appears relatively old. A tower of skull-shaped domes sits at the center of the dam’s walk. To the north surge the choppy waters of the Storval Deep, while to the south, the slope of the dam’s face drops away nearly three hundred feet to a muddy lake below. Anyone who walks along the dam’s edge must make an Athletics roll as the rock along the edges is particularly slippery with algae and water. A fall o the north side results in a short drop into the stormy water—fallers take no damage, but it’s an Athletics Athletics roll to stay st ay aoat. A fall o the south side is a rough tumble down the steeply sloped surface into the water almost almo st 30 3000 fe feet et be below low for for 110d6 0d6 + 1 0 da damage mage.. Sent by Barl Breakbones himself, the team of ogre demolitionists charged with weakening Skull’s Crossing originally numbered two dozen. After several ghts with the Skulltaker trolls and the disaster to the east when Black Magga aacked, however, the group is down to only six miserable, tired, and sick ogres led by a ghter named Malugus. Malugus. Jaagra Jaa grath’ th’ss third thi rd son son,, Malugu Mal uguss initia ini tially lly viewed the task of destroying Skull’s Crossing as a tremendous honor, but now he’s close to giving up on the entire thing and eeing east into the Wyvern Mountains. Malugus and his ogres have just recently reached this side of the dam after ghting
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PAR ART T THREE: THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI AIN N their way through area C7, and while he takes a nice long break siing on a block of stone in the rain, he has put his four remaining henchogres to work hammering their hooks against the stone. Malgus: See See ogre captain, page 31. 31. P Malgus: • Ogres (5): See (5): See page 33. 33.
sank to the boom, drowning before they regenerated regenerate d back to consciousness. All that remain now are four trolls. They’ve taken the time to hide among the fungus hanging down along the walls, and while they’re expecting ogres, they react to the heroes’ intrusion with the same anger and shrieking wrath.
C7–C12 SKUL SKULL’S L’S WA WATCH TCH The two northern sets of double doors that lead into this structure have been repeatedly smashed by the ogres, only to be hastily repaired by the Skulltaker trolls who dwell inside. The doors no longer open, and must be pushed down with to access area C7. The two sets of southern doors are intact and barred from the inside—they can be forced open. The “windows” into the structure are in fact the eye sockets of the skull-shaped facade; they’re six feet in diameter and 10 feet o the ground. Entry through any of these windows is perhaps the simplest way into Skull’s Watch.
(4): See below. • Trolls (4): See
TROLL TR OLL Type: Evil Humanoid (Troll) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d12, Vigor d12 Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, IntimidaSkills: Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6 Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (1) Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep Special Abilities: Ancestry (Giant): (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1,
Size 2, Swat.
Armor +1: Rubbery +1: Rubbery hide.
Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2.
C7 BATTLEFIELD Piles of rubble dominate this large room, along with bits of flesh, broken weapons, splashes of blood, and a few dead ogres that have been torn limb from limb. Wind and rain howl through circular openings to the north that look out over the Storval Deep, and puddles of water have collected on the oor. Thick sheets of ropy green fungus grow along the walls here, winding in through the windows and through numerous cracks in the domed ceiling thirty feet above; behind the fungal vines, the walls are decorated with hundreds of skull-shape skull-shapedd carvings. Though the trolls recovered quickly from the ogre attacks, several of them perished when the ogres hit on the idea of throwing trolls over the edge of the dam once they were beate n unc beaten unconsc onscious ious.. The trolls trol ls
MALUGUS KREEG
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Regeneration: Trolls Regeneration: Trolls may aempt a natural healing roll every round, even if Incapacitated, unless their Wounds were caused by re or acid or they’re put to the torch afterward. Victims Shaken or Wounded by a rending aack are bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn't suer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding. Very Resilient: Trolls Resilient: Trolls can take two Wounds before they’ they’re re Incapa Incapacitated. citated. Giant. Languages: Giant. Languages:
Fast
C8–C9 SKULLTAKER DENS The walls of this room are thick with green ropy fungus that hangs down over several windows, almost like curtains. Several large nests made of the stu cover the oor. These rooms were used by the Skulltakers as lairs, but now that so few remain, they’ve been all all but abandoned.
TREASURE A Notice roll at in area C9 reveals a loose stone near the base of the southern wall that hides a small cache of treasure one of the trolls hid from his kin. The cache consists of a cracked emerald worth 400 gp, a bent gold comb that looks like a behir (with its legs comprising the comb’s teeth) with tiny pearls for eyes worth 850 gp, and a pair of lacy pink gloves of swimming and climbing that were too small and eeminate for the troll to wear (but since they never grow dirty and always smell faintly of lilacs, the troll was strangely intrigued by them).
C10 OBSERVA OBSERVATION TION DECK Three round windows in this room look out over the southern view from Skull’s Crossing. Additional skull carvings decorate the walls, ceiling, and even the oor.
In the middle of the north wall stand massive stone double doors, their smooth surfaces smeared with graffiti written in dried blood. Though unlocked, the double doors are exceptionally heavy, and their hinges are old and griy. A Strength roll is required to open them. The graffiti, written by the trolls in Giant, reads: “BELOW DWELLS WET PAPA GRAZUUL! ALL HAIL WET PAPA PAP A GRAZUUL!” GRA ZUUL!” Beyond the doors, a ight of stone steps leads down into the darkness, descending 150 feet to area C13.
C11 STOREROOM This room is nearly clogged with thick coils of the strange, vinelike fungal growths, transformingg the chamber into a miniature transformin jungle that reeks of dam dampp mold and rrot. ot. Though all of this fungus is harmless, the thickness with which the stu grows in here may intrigue the heroes. The reason behind the thick growths is mundane—the trolls simply never used this room and never cleared the stu out.
C12 COLLAPSED ROOM The southeastern section of this ancient room has collapsed away, leaving a treacherouslooking gap in the wall overlooking the lake far below. below. Though the collapse looks dangerous, the room remains stable. This unocial entrance to Skull’s Watch could be used by ying characters to avoid encounters with the trolls to the north.
C13 OBSERVA OBSERVATION TION POOL This cold, damp room features a large pool in the oor, the edges of which are caked with pale yellow yel low sl slime ime and fungus. Th Thee surfac surfacee of the pool bears a similar lm. Additional carvings of skulls decorate deco rate the walls here. To
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PAR ART T THREE: THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI AIN N the south, an impressive mound of skulls— mostly from humanoids—lies heaped against the wall, where they partially block a large stone double door. The lm of algae on top of the pool of water is foul-smelling but harmless. The pool is 15 feet deep. Submerged tunnels connect the boom to the ones in area areass C14 and C15 C15.. The mound of hundreds of skulls to the south must be cleared away (a task that would take one person 10 minutes to accomplish) before the door to area C16 can be ope opened. ned. This room is the lair of the Skulltaker chieftain, an aquatic troll named Grazuul. Hardly more intelligent than an animal, Grazuul barely knows that the “dry ones” who live above above think of him as thei theirr lord lord— — all he knows is that he appreciates their regular oerings of skulls. Grazuul particularly enjoys the look and feel of freshly polished skull, is why he’sa lived most of his life deepwhich inside of Skull’s Crossing. One of his favorite pastimes, in fact, is to tear away the esh of his own face so he can feel the cool water rushing against the raw bone of his own skull before the esh regenerates back.
Regeneration: Trolls Regeneration: Trolls may aempt a natural healing roll every round, even if Incapacitated, unless their Wounds were caused by re or acid or they’re put to the torch afterward. Victims Shaken or Wounded by a rending aack are bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn't suer a Wound, but must mus t make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding. Weakness (Dry Land): Land): A scag troll only regenerates while it is in contact with a body of water. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
Fast
TACTICS Grazuul attempts to remain in the water throughout the entire combat so he can continue enjoying the effects of his fast regeneration.
P Grazuul: See below.
P GRAZUUL Type: Evil Humanoid (Scag Troll) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d12, Vigor d12 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6 Pace: 5; Parry: 8 or 9 (trident); Toughness: 11 ness: 11 (1) Edges: Block, Edges: Block, Frenzy, Trademark Weapon (trident) Gear: Adamantite trident (Str+d8, AP 1, Accurate, Vicious) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Giant): Night (Giant): Vision, Reach 1, Size 2, Swat,
Sweep. Armor +1: Rubbery +1: Rubbery
Aquatic: Aquatic: Pace Pace 7.
Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2.
hide. GRAZUUL
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS If facing characters wearing heavy armor, An examination of the skulls reveals the he clambers out of his pool to try to bull jaws of each can be pulled down like levers rush them into the water if the opportunity to reveal tubes leading into the wall. The scale presents itself. model radiates strong transmutation magic. Grazuul ghts to the death, condent his An Occult roll deduces the device devic e is used to regeneration regenerati on will save him if he’s defeated. If, control the damn’s oodgates, and the source on the other hand, the intruders use re or of its power seems to have waned to the point poin t acid against him, he abandons this area using where the device no longer functions. the underwater tunnel andof retreats to C15. There he takes advantage Skull Ripper, using the deadly ally to help eliminate the party.
C14 FLOOD CHAMBER ACCESS This narrow chamber is empty save for a long, ten-foot-wide pool. The pool in this room is 15 feet deep. A tunnel connects it to area C13. In the boom of the pool (just under the “C14” tag) is a secret door that a Notice roll can locate. It leads through a series of several doors that can only be opened one at a time, and eventually to the underwater channel leading to the Storval Deep. It was through this route that Grazuul came to these chambers years ago.
C15 FLOODGATE CONTROLS A pool of water sits aga against inst the wall to the west of this chamber, with a set of steps leading down into it along the pool’s east side. Opposite the steps is an alcove in which rises a fantastically detailed scale model of Skull’s Crossing. The ve skulls along its face seem to be actual human skulls skulls,, the bone polished to a gleaming sheen.
Once the infernal engines that power the dam in area C16 are recharged, the levers in the skulls automatically trigger and open the dam’s oodgates. A remnant of the ancient past lingers on in this room—a lumbering, scorpionlike construct called a skull ripper. After a frightening initial encounter with it, Grazuul has yet to return to this chamber. Beyond that one visit, no creature has tested the skull ripper’s power in thousands of years. Yet the construct has been been patient patient— — charged with guarding the oodgate controls, the monster has no intention of abandoning its post. It lurches to life as soon as anyone enters the room, and it ghts to the death. 78. P Skull Ripper: See Ripper: See page 78.
TACTICS The skull ripper obsesses over its ancient commands to guard the ood controls, and anyone who seems to be making a move toward those controls earns the full aention of the scorpionlike construct. It won’t fall for simple aempts to lure it from itthe room—if heroes aempt to engage at range fromthe area C13, the monster merely closes the doors or steps out of view, ready to start the ght again once the intruders return. The skull ripper ghts until it is destroyed.
This scale model of Skull’s Crossing once served to help regulate the th e water level on the TREASURE Storval Deep side of the dam. When the water A Notice roll alerts an adventurer to a longrose to within 30 feet of the top of the dam, forgoen pale lavender ellipsoid ioun stone the device would automatically open the ve (capable of absorbing up to six more Power Points) wedged in a crack in the model of oodgates to prevent a catastrophic failure. The floodgates were powered by the Skull’s Crossing. lifeforce of the in area C16, but two nowpit thatends one ofonce themtrapped is dead and the other is nearly so, not enough power remains to operate this fail-safe.
C16 INFERNAL ENGINES This narrow chamber ends at two curved alcoves, one to the east and one to the
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PAR ART T THREE: THR EE: DOWN DOWN COMES THE R AI AIN N
west. Each alcove is enclosed by a dull iron portcullis. A winch next to each provides a way to raise or lower the gates. Beyond each portcullis a circle of runes glow gl owss wi with th a fain fa intt oran or ange ge ligh li ghtt on th thee oor. Inside the ccircle ircle to th thee west is a pile of crimson ash, while inside the circle to the east is curled what appears to be a long-dead devil, its esh taut and dry on its bones.
54 years ago, one of the two pit ends died, and its body crumbled to crimson ash. Today, there is simply not enough life force remaining to power the oodgates, and unless this changes soon, the Storval Deep will rise above the dam’s level and ood the lands to the south. The “dead” pit fiend in the eastern magic circle is not actually dead—it can be recognized as a pit end with an Occult roll. These two magic circles are powerful prisons Once a powerful devil named Avaxial, the that once held the energy source for Skull’s pit end is almost completely drained. His Crossing’s oodgates—a pair of pit ends body now feeble, feeble, the devil has spent the last Karzoug captured. several decades in a comatose fugue, barely Whenever the floodgates needed to be able to move. opened, the magic circles drained life energy When the heroes enter this area, Avaxial and used it to power the immense gears rouses from his torpor to feebly reach for hidden deep within the dam that governed one of them, gasping in a raw whisper for the use of the oodgates. Over the last 10,000 freedom. As long as the pit end remains years, powerful storms caused the Storval trapped in the magic circle, he can use neither neith er Deep to rise to ood levels only 150 times. his supernatural abilities nor his spells, but he After most of those occurrences, the trapped can still communicate. pit ends recovered from the energy drain, He begs the party to dispel the magic of but as the years wore on, they began failing the circle that traps him, or barring that, to to shrug o the negative energy and grew destroy the runes so he may escape. The progressively weaker. circle is powerful and requires a raise on the When the last powerful storm wracked the dispel dispel aempt. aempt. region and triggered the dam’s ood controls If dispel dispel successfully aects it, the circle is only rendered nonmagical for 1d4
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS rounds—long enough for the pit end to and less destructive—the peril of the storms use its ability to teleport teleport to to ee to a distant is averted. sanctuary to begin the long process of Any Extra (including summoned creatures) recovering from his 10,000-year ordeal. that is drained in one of these circles is Destroying the circle is even more dicult, immediately reduced to ashes. If a creature for the runes themselves are set in a ring steps into the west circle before Avaxial of magical stones that must be physically is released from his own circle, this is the destroyed by weapons or magic to render demon’s fate. the circle inert (Hardness 18 or several hours of work). Wise adventurers instead take advantage of the pit end’s plight to learn how to open the oodgates. Avaxial tries to bargain with them, hoping to extract promises of release in exchange for what he knows, but he lacks the will and energy to press the deal too far. Over the millennia, the devil has gone somewhat insane. He knows nothing of Thassilon (as he was conjured into this trap from Hell) and remembers his captor only as a vague hatred and a name— Karzoug.
The moral repercussions of destroying destroyin g a pit end in this manner are left for philosophers to argue, but the act certainly fullls the greater good of saving Turtleback Ferry. No prole is given for Avaxial, as the devil is in no condition to ght or defend himself.
Avaxial does know he’s been used for the past age as an engine to power the oodgates—he can sense the shape of the dam around him and can feel the gates open. He knows the gates open automatically when the waters rise high enough, and can even feel those waters rising. He’s felt the circle tugging at the last shards of his spirit for days, if not weeks now, but knows that since his onetime companion succumbed over ve decades ago, there’s simply not enough life force left to activate the oodgates.
Turtleback Ferry, but the village is doomed to destruction when a surge of water washes down from the mountains. Note that once the oodgates open, they’ll close automatically when the water level is no longer a danger—this means that at some point in the future, further volunteers to fuel the oodgates during new storms will eventually be needed, but such a requirement is unlikely to be necessary during this campaign.
Skull’s Crossing requires only a single living creature in the west circle to trigger the oodgates. Both magic circles function as cages only for those they were designed to constrain— constrain — anyone else can step into and out of either with ease. As soon as a living creature is within each circle, the dam awakens with a rumble. The creature lowers its Vigor one die type as the oodgates in the dam grind open, releasing waters from the Storval Deep in a constrained torrent into the valley below. A Vigor roll is required at the end of the day to restore the reduced aribute, otherwise it is permanent (barring magical intervention). Back at Turtleback Ferry, the waters rise again, but this time the rise is more controlled
AFTERMATH If the heroes fail to open the oodgates and relieve the pressure building on Skull’s Crossing, the dam bursts 1d4 days later. This may be enough time to evacuate
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED
After the dramatic events of Skull Crossing, the Pathnders earn their tenth Advance.
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PART FOUR: THE HAUNTED HEART Though simply marching up Hook Mountain to confront the source of the ogre problem is alw alwa ays an option, wise (or simply curious) par parties ties firs first t look into the mystery of what happened to Fort Rannick’s commander. If they don’ don’t t hit up upon on this on their o own, wn, you can ha have ve JJakardr akardros os o or r Vale inform info rm the heroe heroess their commander went out on one o of f his “co “communion mmunion walks” the night of the ogre attack, and that he hasn’t been seen since. Investigating the Shimmerglens — the loca location tion of his walks — would be a good place to start to find out what happened to Commander Ba Bayden. yden.
T
he Shimmerglens have long been shrouded in mystery, for these trackless swamps are said to lie quite close to the
MYRIANA’S FATE
First World, particularly where they border Sanos Forest. Capricious and sometimes malicious creatures are known to harass travelers travele rs in this domain. The Wicker Walk between Sanos Forest and the hamlet of Bier Hollow was built expressly to oer travelers a way to cross through the swamps without annoying the area’s denizens. Stories still abound of nixies laying traps to confuse and bae travelers, of nymphs seducing men and women and leaving them besoed and lost in the marsh, aand nd of sprites
The Kreeg aack on Fort Rannick was not staged randomly. Operating on critical information provided by the traitor Kaven, the ogres chose the exact night Jakardros was leading many of the rangers on an extended patrol and the fortress’s commander was out on a so-called “communion walk.” In fact, Lamatar was visiting his lover, and in so doing, unknowingly doomed her. As the ogres led by Jaagrath Kreeg assaulted Fort Rannick, the lamia matriarch Lucrecia led a smaller group into the Shimmerglens under the cover of magic. As they approached
stealing supplies and replacing them with roen sh, poison mushrooms, or disturbing lile dolls made of clay and string. But now, a darker horror holds court in the heart of the riverside swam swampland. pland. A nymph named Myriana, the lover of Fort Rannick’s former commander, Lamatar Bayden, has been brutally brutally m murdered. urdered. Her ghost now haunts the swamps, and this entire domain has become polluted with her restless hate. The focus of this misplaced hate is upon those whom she once counted as her court.
Myriana’s domain, Lucrecia sacriced some of her ogres, sending them out to savage and destroy a dryad’s tree. Both Myriana and her lover Lamatar were quick to respond to this assault, only to discover the aack was an ambush. Even as they put down the ogres who had aacked the dryad, Lucrecia and the rest of her minions surrounded and overwhelmed them. Lamatar was captured and made to watch while Lucrecia let her ogres have their way with the nymph. It may have been a blessing that the ogres were too enraged by their losses in the ght to do anything but tear the nymph limb from limb, yet the sight was enough to drive Lamatar mad.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Lucrecia escorted Lamatar and the ogres back to the p peak eak of Hook Mo Mountain, untain, where they handed the broken man over to the three t hree annis hags for an even more horric fate, while here in the Shimmerglens a terrible rage rose from the remains of the nymph’s body. Her spirit, anguished and insane, became a ghost, and now her madness has twisted
If the party agrees to aid Yap, the pixie’s mood brightens considerably as hope returns. He wants to leave immediately, but agrees to wait for the heroes to prepare for the journey if they need to. Yap insists on accompanying the party throughout their adventures in the Shimmerglens, even promising them a
Whitewillow into a servants place of corruption. Many of her andgrowing minions have perished or become mad as well, but one loyal pixie, a normally chay fellow named Yap, avoided this fate by eeing int into o the Land of Big Folk in search of help.
reward (three doses of)pixie dust, see Yap's Special Arrows below if they let him come with them. Unfortunately, Yap is something of a liability. His manic aitude and desperate urge to reach Myriana and save her makes him an incessant chaerbox, but also to make poor tactical decisions. He may forget to turn invisible in combat, or use mind-aecting aacks against mindless foes. Despite this, he remains good-natured (if desperate), and keeping him alive until Myriana can be placated is a kindness.
A DESPERATE PLEA
If the heroes take it upon themselves to investigate the Shimmerglens, you can simply have them encounter Yap as one of their encounters in the swampland. But if they don’t seem interested in following up on what may have happened to the fort’s • Yap: See below. commander, you can have Yap track them down and beg them for help. YAP Yap looks like a typical pixie—a waishly thin humanoid with gossamer wings, large Type: Good Fey (Pixie) Aributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, expressive eyes, long pointed ears, and a Aributes: Agility Strength d4, Vigor d6 diminutive two-foot-tall stature. Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d8, His rumpled clothes and eyes puy from Fighting d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, ShootShootcrying indicate just how much things are out ing d8, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d10 of place for the poor creature. Once Yap has Pace: 5; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 7 7 (4) the strangers’ aention, he delivers his plea Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Arcane in a rapid, breathless speech, as if he’s afraid Resistance, Dodge at any moment the heroes will turn him away. Confusion , dispel ,, entangle , light , pro, proPowers: Powers: tection. tection. 15. Power Points: 15. Points: “My mistress, she is… ill. Very ill. Death Gear: Pixie bow (Range 8/16/32, Damage 2d4) would have been a kindness. The land with 20 arrows, pixie sword (Str+d4). sickens with her heart, and it cannot be Special Abilities: cleansed until her misery is purged. Armor +4: Enchanted +4: Enchanted skin. I cannot do this myself. Please, you must Fey: Fey: Ignore penalties for Dim and Dark help her! You are friends with her human Illumination; +4 damage from cold iron. lover, yes? He wouldn’t want her left like Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 12. this! I can take you to her—maybe you can Innate Powers: Minor Powers: Minor invisibility invisibility.. do something. Resilient: Resilient: Pixies can take one Wound I have tried everything to cure her forlorn before they’ they’re re Incapaci Incapacitated. tated. heart, but to no avail. She wails and moans Size –2 (Small): Pixies (Small): Pixies grow to just over in Whitewillow, and the trees and plants two feet tall and weigh around 30 lbs. and nixies and frogs and everything are Special Arrows: Pixies Arrows: Pixies can sprinkle pixie dying or worse! dust on their arrow, adding one of the I can take you there! Please!” following powers to the arrow: confusion,
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PART FOUR: THE HAUNTED HEART
mind wipe, slumber. slumber. Use Shooting to activate the power and hit the target. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Sylvan.
INTO THE SHI SHIMME MMERGL RGLENS ENS INTO THE The Shimmerglens themselves quickly grow tangled andof densely packededge— once one out of sight the swamp’s swamp’s the travels easiest way to get around is by rowboat, navigating via the narrow channels of water. This far from the mountains, the hag coven’s ability to control weather are far enough removed that the rains plaguing the northern areas are thankfully thankfully absent— all that remains is the subtle chill of winter’s approach.
WHITEWILLOW
SETTING THE MOOD With the exception of a possible ght against Myriana herself, none of the moody, disturbing encounters the heroes have along the way should be combats. combats. You can certainly add additional fights with wandering monsters if you wish, but by having the heroes encounter and interact with some or all of the strange manifestations of Whitewillow’s curse listed below, you can impress upon them that what haunts the swamp is not necessarily something that can be fought with weapons.
Twisted black trees rise wretchedly from chance for retaliation—and if your players shallow pools, seeming to have lurched from the land, their arthritic branches curled into are the type who might get frustrated by the nature of these encounters, you can simply miserable tortured claws. The sun scorns this omit the game eects caused by each, or even place, and a cold, dark mist looms within the just skip the encounters entirely and proceed canopy of bone-bare branches above. directly with the Heart of Sadness section. Evil murmurs ride an unnatural wind that ows forth from the glens, and shadows APPARITIONS OF DEATH dance in the dark mists within. Nothing but chill silence surrounds the The trees of the swampy region of heroes, though they occasionally glimpse tall, Whitewillow, once beautiful and mystic with dark-robed gures in their peripheral vision. drooping boughs of sparkling ivory leaves, The creatures’ enlarged skeletal claws extend have gone dark and twisted with Myriana’s from their outstretched arms as if reaching torment. Now they shift and move when toward prey. When they look, they see these they should not. Shadows play cruel tricks apparitions are nothing more than horribly t he trees weep on the sharpest eyes, and sanity-shredding twisted black trees. If aacked, the and seem to cackle in the wind. whispers cause even the canniest woodsman blood and to lose his way. Game Effect: Effect: Everyone must make a As Yap leads the heroes deeper into the Fear check as they feel the icy grip of death depths of Whitewillow, the degree of the reaching out towards them. corruption grows. Spiders, languid and fat with poison, hang from trees. Dying birds DEAD POOL twitch in the shallows. Slithering things with A natural pool of water created by runo from too many eyes squirt away through the t he water. the hulking dark trees stands in a clearing Whitewillow is about a mile in diameter, ahead of the party. The water looks clear and as the Pathnders march deeper and and refreshing enough, though a Survival deeper into Myriana’s madness, you can roll notes that no algae or larval insects dwell within, possibly indicating the water use some of encounters the following noncombat to mood-setting amplify the is poisoned. Game Eect: Anyone Eect: Anyone who gazes into the heroes’ fears. Keep in mind, though, not all players enjoy water too intently must make a Spirit roll. moody encounters that have little or no Failure indicates her own reection is normal,
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS but other party memb members ers appear reected aass decaying corpses. In addition, the other party members appear to be glaring hungrily at the hero gazing into the water, as if they are about to aack and devour her. The hero gains the Suspicious (Major) Hindrance for 48 hours.
GHOSTLY REVELS
songs contained in the book appear worthless unless a hero makes a Performance roll. The book and the wond wondrous rous musi musicc cont contained ained within are worth 5,000 gp to a collector, musician, or noble. When the explorers emerge from the ship, a white dog sits on deck watching them with milky blind eyes. The dog stares but does
All around the explorers, ghostly translucent forms emerge from the trees. Fey of all sorts— sorts — spectral satyrs, ghostly grigs, phantom nixies, and sprightly spirits oat gently from the swamp around the party, followed by a parade of phantom animals. These were once the proud denizens of Whitewillow, now polluted by their mistress’s unseled soul. The fey cavort and frolic as they march, eventually washing over the intruders. They caress, dance through, and embrace the strangers before passing on.
nothing else, eventually wandering oit into the swamp and leaving behind no trace was ever actually there. The source of this strange s trange event is a true mystery—whether the wreck is anything more than crystallized dreams or an actual phantasm of a real wreck is left for you to decide. In any event, if they return to the site of the mysterious derelict at a later date, they nd the ship has vanished without a trace, with only any sheet music they might salvage remaining as proof the wreck ever existed in the rst place.
The mustinsucceed at Game roll Eect: Eect: The a Spirit at –2 orheroes be caught a ghostly party’s parade, riveted by the otherworldly spectacle. Affected creatures suffer one Fatigue that cannot be removed for 24 hours as the unnatural chill of the spectral fey burns them. them. The ghostly fey and their undead animals ignore the party; the unfathomable business of the dead draws them elsewhere in short order.
time music is Game(Performance Eect: The rst Eect: played roll at –2),the all creatures within a 30-foot radius become so enraptured by the th e bea beaut uty y of the th e mu musi sicc they th ey gain ga in Conviction.
MYSTERIOUS DERELICT Deep in the swamp, the Pathnders suddenly come upon a derelict ship inexplicably located hundreds of miles from the Varisian shore. The vessel is badly worn and covered in thick dark green moss, but is completely intact and obviously of a seagoing model. The ship is deserted, but in his quarters belowdecks, the long-dead captain sits at a moldering darkwood harpsichord carved with demons baling angels. Still dressed in his roen uniform, he clutches in one hand nautical charts that seem completely alien even to the most well-traveled adventurer, and a silver goblet inlaid with opals worth 100 gp in the other. A book of sheet music bearing several lyrical masterpieces never before heard by any of the heroes sits on the harpsichord. The
WHISPERS OF REGRET The travelers come upon the mangled body of a beautiful dryad, half protruding from a tree whose limbs have been smashed from the trunk by massive clubs. If the heroes approach within 10 feet, they hear soft feminine whispers in their ears ears— — “She should not have fallen in love—her heart brought this upon us—why won’t she let us go?” Game Eect: Eect: Anyone who listens to the whispers is lled with regret, but also with an increased resolve to lift the curse that vexes the swamp. They add +1 to all Spirit rolls while in Whitewillow. If Myriana is defeated, the whispers ll the heroes with joy and life, ending the eect but immediately healing one Wound.
HEART OF SADNESS The tangled swamp gives way to a relatively large clearing, a calm pool of unnaturally still water ringed by twisted, decayed willow trees. Wind blows, but the trees do not sway. It's as if the very land has died.
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PART FOUR: THE HAUNTED HEART If he’s still with the heroes, Yap quails at the edge of the clearing. “We’re here… my lady waits for you within. I dare not go any closer…” he says before stepping back to cower behind a gnarled tree. Once soul-shakingly beautiful, the nymph princess Myriana is now a haggard, ghostly horror. Her disembodied arms oat at her sides, exposed bone sinew stretching toward her torso butand ever too far out of reach. Her lower torso fades away to smoke, savaged too cruelly by the ogres for even her insane ghost to retain. Her most terrifying feature is her eyes: wells of hellish horror, crying out silently in an agony beyond anything a mortal creature could ever know. They reduce those who try to hold her gaze to gibbering children. She is beauty undone, and torment incarnate. As the heroes enter her twisted glade, the ghostly nymph rises with a howl from the waters. Though shebeauty doesn’tis immediately aack, her blinding in full eect. In a shrieking, hate-lled voice, she accuses the intruders of failing Lamatar, of failing to protect Fort Rannick, and of allowing the Kreeg ogres to take him to their lair high on Hook Mountain. She allows the party a few minutes to state their case, and to explain why they have come to Whitewillow. If the heroes ask her what they can do to help, she simply bemoans the fact that her love Lamatar was taken by ogres and she was unable to save him. She knows hertto he is now but when she in tried oheart reinc reincarnate arnate h him, im,dead, fou foull magic prevented his soul from returning to his new body. She begs the heroes to nd his remains and return them to her—she needs not the entire body. A lock of hair or a single nger will do. If the Pathnders insist on the possibility that Lamatar can’t be reincarnated because he may still live, Myriana grows increasingly agitated—for if he still lived, he would surely have returned to her by now. Further insisting Lamatar is alive, mocking the ghost, or simply not agreeing to seek out the commander’s remains quickly spurs the undead nymph to aack. P Myriana: See below.
MYRIANA
P MYRIANA Type: Neutral Undead (Ghost Druid) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d10 Knowl Skills: Athletics d12, Common KnowlSkills: edge d6, Fighting d8, Focus d8, Healing d8, Notice d10, Persuasion d12, Stealth d6, SurSur-
vival d8 Pace: 5; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 6 6 Edges: Druid, Edges: Druid, Very Aractive Powers: Beast Powers: Beast friend friend , blast ,, bolt ,, detect detect arcana , damage eld damage eld , dispel ,, elemental elemental manipulation ,
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS entangle , , light , protection As long as her lover remains atop Hook , protection , puppet , puppet , , resurrection , Mountain as an undead monster, Myriana smite , summon summon ally ally . Power Points: 25 Points: 25 cannot be slain forever. She fights until Special Abilities: Blinding Beauty: As a limited action, a destroyed, then rejuvenates with the next nymph can force a humanoid within 24" sunset and sends Yap to gather the heroes looking directly at her to make a Vigor to her side once again—if she’s ignored, she roll or gain the Blind Hindrance. This can may turn her wrath against Turtleback Ferry. be cured usin using g healing healing with the Greater Healing Modier. Class Abilities (Druid): (Druid): Arcane AFTERMATH Background (Druid)), Armor Interference If the heroes defeat Myriana, she cries (Light), Nature Bond (Attuned), Sins, out, “Return my beloved to me! Return my Wilderness Wilderne ss Stride. commander to my heart, or I shall nd him Corrupting Gaze: The ghost lays her with my vines and my dark trees will eat terrifying gaze upon an enemy as an action, the land and churn your people to bone and causing 3d6 damage. This aack can be misery. Return Lamatar to my embrace!” Evaded. With that, her shade fades back into the Ethereal: Ghosts can become invisible and waters only to reform with the next seing immaterial at will and can only be harmed of the sun. by magical magical aa aacks. cks. If the adventurers are unsure how to locate Fear (–2): Ghosts (–2): Ghosts cause Fear checks at –2 Lamatar, Yap or possibly a contact the party when they let themselves be seen. has made can advise them on where to locate Fey: Ignore penalties for Dim and Dark the remaining ogres in the region. Fey: Illumination; +4 damage from cold iron. Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 12. Innate Powers: Major Powers: Major detect arcana, minor arcana, minor stun , minor teleport teleport (self). (self). Inspiration: Inspiration: A A nymph can choose to inspire If the Pathnders successfully put Myriana a single creature and serve as a muse. She to rest, award them Conviction. As she gives the creature a token (typically a lock of fades away forever, forever, she picks one individual her hair). As long as she favors this person, (preferring a bard or a character with he adds +1 to all Spirit and Performance the Aractive Edge) to gift with a lasting rolls. This eect lasts as long as the nymph inspiration. desires. This effect functions the same as the Rejuvenation: Even after it is “destroyed” Rejuvenation: Even inspirati on ability, save that a spirit will restore itself in 2d4 days. The standard nymph inspiration only way to permanently destroy a ghost it lasts as long as the hero lives (even returning is to set right whatever is preventing it if he dies and is later brought back to life). Not only does this effect bolster the from moving on. For Myriana this involves character’s Spirit rolls and Performance, it returning her love to her. Stunning glance: As glance: As an action, a nymph also aids him in negotiations with Myriana’s can Stun a creature within 5”. A Vigor roll older sister, the ice nymph Svevenka, in the nal book of Rise of the Runelords. Runelords. at –2 resists this eect.
CONVICTION AWARD CONVICTION AWARD
Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Sylvan.
TACTICS Though Myriana is undead, she was made so by despair, not hate. She would rather recruit the heroes than harm them. She prefers to use her stunning glance to defeat foes without causing lasting harm, but if pressed, uses her magic and corrupting gaze to get her point across.
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PART 5: HARROWING THE HOOK The great rains turn to driving snow as winter comes with a fury upon the Hook. Hook . Autumn is a forgotten dream as cutting wind lances through wool and lea l eather, ther, and trea treacherous cherous ice c cra rawls wls along al ong the mountainside. Life is cruel cruel and shor short t on the Hoo Hook k , mo more re no now w than ever as winter sinks her teeth into its i ts crags. And n near ear the t twisted wisted p peak eak of the notorious mountain, the forges of the Kreeg ogres ring out with renewed vigor—they have lost Fort Fort Rannick Rannick,, but their anger lives on!
R
eaching the base of Hook Mountain is the caverns themselves tend to have vaulted dicult enough, but the last few miles domelike ceilings up to 50 feet tall. include several frightening climbs and This nal retaliation against the ogres of hidden ogre scouts. The heroes must make a Hook Mountain is meant to be not only the Survivall (tracking) roll at –2, to follow hunting climax of this book, but also a turning point Surviva trails used by the Kreeg ogres and make the in the campaign. With the defeat of Barl climb to the hold in three hours. Failure (combined with the earlier defeat of the lamia means all the adventurers take Fatigue, while matriarch Lucrecia), the heroes nally start success gets them to the top safely. to learn of Karzoug and his imminent return. Snow falls for the duration of their trip and Finally, you’ll note the encounters here in the temperatures are cold. Consult Hazards the Hook Mountain Clanhold are relatively Pathnder for more information on tough—the Pathnders shouldn't balk at in Savage Pathnder for how the severe cold conditions aect the bringing along hel help. p. travelers.
MOUNTAIN AIN CLANHOLD CLANHOLD HOOK MOUNT As the heroes nally crest the last craggy
THEY’RE CALLED HEROES HEROES FOR A REASON
outcrop about a half-mile from Hook Mountain’s 10,000-foot-high peak, they nd a gaping cave belching forth foul black smoke. The cave entrance looks out over a wide ledge of windswept stone, while the chambers within are prowled by ogres aplenty, clutching their rusty hooks and constantly looking out for anyone foolish enough to encroach upon their den. The clanhold is a large cave. The Kreegs
The remainder of the Adventure Path depends increasingly upon the heroes being bein g self-m sel f-moti otivated vated to tak takee ste steps ps against Karzoug’s return. As such you should make sure they have the chance to learn about Mokmurian during this adventure adventure.. Whether or not they believe the stone giant to be the actual driving
have lived here for generations, and the t he walls and ceilings are thick with the soot of their res. The caves are roomy, even for ogres. Passageways average 25 feet high, while
force behind sudden increase in activity on the the Storval Pla Plateau teau is largely irrelevant at this time, though — they’ they’ll ll certainly learn the truth soon enough!
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HOOK MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN CLANHOLD N D1
D9 D2
D3 D4
D5
D6
D7 D8
1 SQUARE = 12 FEET STAIRS UP DOWN
TO THE MINES
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PART 5: HARROWING THE HOOK HOOK Shalelu and any surviving Black Arrows certainly come along to aid in this nal assault on the ogres of Hook Mountain. If the heroes retreat, the clanhold can replenish slain ogres at the rate of one Kreeg ogre and 1d3 typical ogres per day.
D1 ENTRANCE Constant urries of windborne snow and frost lash at a gaping hole in the side of Hook Mountain here. S Smoke moke pours pours forth from the cave entrance, only to be instantly dispersed by the wind.
incorporating the seven-pointed Sihedron Rune into the markings in many locations.
D3 THE RUNE-BOUND KING An enormous eno rmous statue stands here iin n fr frozen ozen vigil—a forty-foot-tall forty-foot-tall giant with black skin covered by ssures and cracks, like the bed of a dried river. He wears majestic armor, gilded and encruste encrustedd with with gems, and grips a towering glaive in his armored sts. The giant’s face is hidden by a ferocious full helm hel m forged into the sneering gr grimace imace of a fanged devil. Around the giant’s neck hangs a medallion—a seven-pointed star.
Two Kreeg ghters and several savage ogres stand guard at the mouth of the clanhold, This gigantic “statue” is in fact a preserved swathed in furs and leathers. Since news of body bo dy — th thee rema re main inss of th thee rune ru ne gian gi antt Rannick’s fall reached Barl’s ears, things thin gs have Gargadros, a onetime general in Karzoug’s been unplea unpleasant sant in the hold, and these usual usually ly army. In the chaos that followed the fall of easily distracted ogres keep a sharp lookout. Thassilon, Gargadros seized Hook Mountain and the surrounding environs as his own, ogre recently caught byAnother Barl, and thewas stone giant tore o sleeping the lazy becoming the rst of the line of Dread Kings. ogre’s legs and left him rolling in the snow The Kreegs’ previous leader, Grolki Kreeg, to bleed out. Worse, Barl animated him as claimed to be able to trace his h is heritage directly a zombie and turned him over to the three to this warlord, a fact of which he was most sisters for an eventual meal. proud. Draped around Gargadros’s neck is a These memories are enough to keep the Sihedron medallion, its magic the sole thing Kreegs on alert for at least another week. that’s preserved his esh for the millennia the Eager to prove to Barl that they can do a frozen corpse has stood here on display. simple job like guarding the entrance, these When Barl arrived and revealed his own two ogres don’t think to raise an alarm until Sihedron medallion, Grolki fell to his knees. one is dead. The rune was once his family’s mark, borne on their faces or arms in testament to their (2): See ogre captain, page eternal servitude to the archmage Karzoug. P Kreeg Ogres (2): See 31 31.. Grolki immediately swore allegiance to Barl hero): See page 70. 70. • Savage Ogres (2 per hero): See and oered no resistance when Barl executed him moments later. From that point on, the Kreegs belonged to Breakbones.
D2 BONES OF THE BEHEMOTH
At At the mouth of darkne darkness, ss, jagged spurs of bone protrude from the stone on either side of the cave entrance, each towering twenty feet in height—apparently the ribs of some monstrous behemoth.
TREASURE
The Sihedron medallion around Gargadros’s neck is for a Size 5 creature and weighs 20 pounds, but still functions after all these years. It is far too large to be worn by a normal sized creature, but can certainly be sold to a collector of ancient Thassilonian magic. The bones of a blue dragon (identiable as The instant this medallion is removed from such withstill an Occult roll) laid low entryway by Kreeg, Gargadros, the ancient giant crumbles to dust ancestors adorn the clanholds’ entryway, a testament to the ancient ogre overlords of and is gone; all that remains is his gargantuan Hook Mountain. The Kreegs have decorated masterwork plate armor, which weighs in at the bones with crude scrimshaw carvings, 400 pounds and is worth 4,950 gp.
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D4 THE BURNING PIT A de deep ep pi pitt he hewn wn fr from om ha hard rd st ston onee he here re descends into soot and darkness. The stale reek of decay wafts up from the depths below. The Kreegs formerly oered up sacrices to Lamashtu here, but now they burn the runemarked corpses of captives for their new liege-lord, Barl Breakbones. The heroes might think to clamber down the pit (Athletics roll) to search for Lamatar’s remains within, but all that waits for them 35 yards below is a swath of ash and shaered bone. Lamatar’s Lamatar’s body is not here here..
D5 CHOKEPOINT
Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
Rock
D6 THE CLANHOLD Fire and thick black smoke reign here, spewing from black pits in the bedrock where forge fire firess glow glow.. An Anvils vils loom throu throughout ghout this enormous cavern. The ring of steel on steel thunders here as giant hammers crash do down wn again and aagain gain on glowing half-forged blades and axe-heads. Once the Kreeg family den, this chamber was converted into a forge at Barl’s order. Many more ogres toil deep in the bowels of Hook Mountain, in cave mines hundreds of feet below.
A pair of Kreeg ogres and a dim-wied hill giant named Lunderbud guard the entryway here, under orders to raise an alarm if they ogres aretotoo distant and exhausted detect intruders. If they do so, they do their toThese be of any aid those in the caves above best to hold o intruders while the ogres in area D6 gather weapons and come to their aid when the heroes arrive, but could be used as reinforcements if they retreat from the in 1d4 rounds. clanhold and come back later. The denizens of areas D7–D9 do not join A work crew of 10 ogres slave away here, balee here bal here,, prefe preferrin rring g to face intru intruders ders in thei theirr lairs where they have stronger advantages. toiling endlessly at these forges to craft giant The hill giant himself is something of an blades and other weapons from the obstinate idiot—he thinks of himself as an ogre, but iron they’ve carved from the mountain’s the ogres, though smaller, enjoy tormenting innards. A single Kreeg taskmaster snarls, belches, belche s, guaws guaws,, and roars inces incessantl santly y as the dim-wied fool. the rank-and-le ogres toil away at the forges. forges . Lunderbud: See See below. P Lunderbud: The Kreeg orders the ogres to attack Ogres (2): See (2): See ogre captain, page P Kreeg 31 31..
P LUNDERBUD Type: Evil Humanoid (Hill Giant) Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Aributes: Agility Aributes: Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d6, Common KnowlSkills: Knowl edge d4, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Persuasion Persuasi on d4, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 13 13 (4) Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep (Imp) Gear: Maul (Str+d10, AP 2), hide armor (+2) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Giant): Low (Giant): Low Light Vision, Reach 1, Size 2. Armor +2: Leathery +2: Leathery Skin.
intruders, laughing as theythen stumble to their likely deaths. The Kreeg snatches up a red-hot blade and goes to work as well (dealing an additional 1d6 points of fire damage with each hit for the first three rounds of combat). P Kreeg Ogre: See ogre captain, page 31. 31. (10): See below. • Savage Ogres (10): See
SAVAGE OGRE Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6,
Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Skills: Athletics Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion Persuasio n d4, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (2)
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PART 5: HARROWING THE HOOK HOOK Hindrances: Mean Hindrances: Mean P BRISELDA, GRELTHAGA, AND LARASTINE Edges: Frenzy Edges: Frenzy Gear: Great ail (Str+d8, ignores shields), Type: Evil Monstrous Humanoid (Annis thick hide vest (+2), javelin (Range 3/6/12, Hag) Damage Str+d6). Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Special Abilities: Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, Skills: Skills: Athletics Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d8, Very Resilient, Size 2. Fighting d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, SpellSpellLanguages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
D7 CIRCLE OF THE SISTERS This foul-smelling cave is cluttered with an appalling amount of body parts, dead animals, spoiled food, and lth, but most hideous is what bubbles and cooks in a huge cauldron over a spuering re in a nook to the north. This cavern is the foul redoubt of the Sisters of the Hook—a coven of annis hags who have served allies and consorts to thelong Kreeg clan. as Now thatofGrolki is dead, the hags aren’t sure what to make of Barl, who appreciates their skills, if not their appearances. For now, they work with the stone giant, but suspect he doesn’t have their best interests in his heart. The sisters know all too well that they are short on allies. Kreeg lore holds that these three annis hags were once related to Princess Myriana before envy and jealousy polluted them and they engaged in monstrous acts and vile rites in
casting d10, Stealth d6 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 12 12 (4) Edges: Alertness Edges: Alertness Special Abilities: Armor +4: Cursed +4: Cursed skin. Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. Control Weather: This coven can concentrate for 10 minutes to summon and control any type of weather with appropriate eects (GM's call) within a two mile radius. Coven: Coven: When three hags of a coven are within 2” (4 yards) of each other, they gain the Coven Benets listed below. The coven gains access to the following powers, as well as Arcane Mastery, using Spellcasting d8: Arcane d8: Arcane protection, shape change (Baleful only) , curse, cur se, dis dispel pel,, divina div inatio tion, n, elemen ele mental tal manipulation, mind wipe, puppet, resurrection, scrying, zombie. Power Points: 15 Darkvision: Darkvision: Annis Annis hags ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10". Innate Powers: Major Powers: Major disguise (self). Size 1: 1: Annis hags stand 8 feet tall and weigh around 300 lbs. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant.
hopes of improving their beauty to outshine TACTICS their sister. All three hags are protected by arcane Briselda is a humpbacked hag with protection , cast as part of their coven abilities. oversized oversize d talons sprouting from her stumpy The hags are nearly ready to abandon the arms. Grelthaga is tall and thin, like a Kreegs, but if intruders confront them, they skeleton wrapped in ugly purple esh and a put up a ght for a few rounds, favoring sagging white robe. Larastine’s face is a mass their more powerful coven abilities like curse curse of pustules, warts the size of gold pieces, and (Turn to Stone) at the start of the ght before craters that weep ooze. She is squat and fat nishing things o with their melee aacks. with bulbous breasts that hang to her knees. The sisters see each other for the horrors they are, but in their madness, they see their own reections as pure loveline loveliness. ss. A shrine bearing the feral visage of a brutall brutallyy beautiful monstrous maiden with the head of P Briselda, Grelthaga, and Larastine: See Larastine: See a three-eyed jackal and the belly of a pregnant below. young woman leans against the far w wall. all.
D8 ABANDONED SHRINE
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS This was once the Kreegs’ well-tended shrine to Lamashtu, but now that Barl has arrived and their old leader Grolki is dead, no Kreeg has visited it recently. Instead, the twisted and vile remains of what was once the commander of Fort Rannick holds a lonely post as guardian here. Barl was quite pleased after he nished torturing with the onetime commander of Fort Rannick necromantic techniques he learned from his master Mokmurian. He gave Lamatar over to the three hags as a servant in reward for their aid in bringing the rains to the region, but the hags were worried the undead ranger was a spy sent by Barl to watch over them. They’ve ordered the powerful but pitiful creature into this chamber to serve as a guardian. Lamatar’s body is caked with ice; his left hand is now a claw made of icicles and his brow is decorated with a crown of the same. P Lamatar Bayden: See below.
Skills: Academics d6, Athletics Skills: Academics Athletics d d8, 8, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d10, Notice d10, Stealth d10, Survival d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 14 14 (6) Edges: Dodge, Edges: Dodge, Master Hunter, Ranger Gear: Composite bow (Range 12/24/48, Damage Str+d6, RoF 2, AP 2, Accurate, Elemental (cold)) with 20 arrows,mithiral chain shirt (+3). Special Abilities: Armor +3: Ice +3: Ice encrusted skin. Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Ranger): Armor Restriction (Medium), Favored Enemy (Humanoid), Favored Terrain (Forrest),Wilderness Stride. Claws: Claws: Str Str +d6, AP 2 (cold). Energy Drain: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by a wight’s wight’ s claws suers Energy Drain (Vigor). A Vigor roll (at –2 with a raise on the aack) resists this eect. Environmental Weakness: Fire. Weakness: Fire. Fearless: Fearless: Wights Wights are immune to Fear and
Type: Evil Undead (Frost Wight Ranger) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Infection: Infection: Anyone Anyone
slain by Lamatar raises as a wight a round later. Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe; immune to disease and poison; ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10".
P LAMA LAMATTAR BAY BAYDEN DEN
Intimidation.
Immunity: Cold.
TACTICS Lamatar retains no trace of his living personality, and follows the orders of his three mistresses without question. He ghts to the death.
D9 AS THE DREAD KINGS OF OLD This gigantic chamber extends into darkness to the east, sloping upward between two wide ledges on which loom statues with angular faces, stern brows, and strong jawlines. jawlin es. Above Above,, the ceiling opens to the slate gray sky above. The ramp leads up in tiers, nally coming coming to an end before aan n immen immense se stone throne. LAMATAR BAYDEN
Once the throne room for Grolki Kreeg, this open-air cleft in the lee of Hook Mountain’s summit has become the den of a stone giant
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named Barl Breakbones. He has taken to the role of overlord with excess, and delayed the gathering of weaponry for Mokmurian simply to extend his time here as king. Originally, Barl was aended by two stone giant bodyguards and some minions, but when one of the stone giants commented that perhaps Barl needed to step up his schedule and get this army of ogres back to Mokmurian, Barl had that one executed. The remaining stone giant guard has held his counsel to himself. When encountered, Barl sighs wearily before bef ore wavi waving ng an arm at his rem remain aining ing bodyguard (and Lucrecia, Lucrecia, if she ed earlier) and saying (in Giant), “Deal with these mites. They’ve caused enough problems for me.” P Barl Breakbones: See Breakbones: See below. Giant: See below. • Stone Giant: See • Savage Ogres (3): See (3): See page 70. 70.
P BARL BREAKBONES Type: Evil Humanoid (Stone Giant Wizard)
Aributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Aributes: Agility Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d10, Occult d8, SpellSpellcasting d10, Stealth d8, Surviva Survivall d4
Pace: 7; Parry: 7 or 8 (earth breaker); Toughness: 13 ness: 13 (3) Edges: Arcane Mastery, Articer, Favored Edges: Powers (Wizard), Sweep, Trademark Weapon (maul), Wizard Powers: Blast ,, blind , burst ,, detect Powers: detect arcana , , fear fear , y , lower lower trait ,, prot zombie. Power protecti ection on , zombie. Points: 15. Points: 15. Gear: Masterwork maul (Str+d10, AP 3), wand of lower Vigor (12 charges; SpellcastSpellcasting), headband of minor mental prowess (Smarts), Sihedron medallion (See page
79), 79), 650 gp in black onyx gems. Special Abilities: Ancestry (Giant): (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, Size 3, Swat. Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. Class Abilities (Wizard): (Wizard): Arcane Background (Wizard), Arcane Bond (Sihedron medallion), Armor Interference (Any), School (Necromancy; Abjuration & Enchantment), Spellbooks. Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Common, Giant. Languages: Common, Languages:
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS HANDOUT 3–2
STONE GIANT Type: Neutral Humanoid (Stone Giant) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d8 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 13 13 (3) Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep Gear: Maul (Str+d10, AP 2). Special Abilities: Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. Resilient: Resilient: Stone Stone giants can take one Wound before they’ they’re re Incapa Incapacitated. citated. Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Size 3: 12' 3: 12' tall. Common, Giant. Languages: Common, Languages:
TACTICS If Barl hears the sounds of combat nearby, he
Barl activates his Sihedron medallion on the rst round of combat. He prefers to let his bodyguard and ogre servants ght his ghts while he remains seated on his throne, casting spells. If the Pathnde Pathnders rs reach him in melee, he sighs heavily, lifts his maul, and responds in kind. If one of the player character characterss is killed, Barl gets a gleam in his eye and casts zombie zombie on on the body the rst chance he gets, more to see the anguish of the new zombie’s onetime allies than out of any real sense of tactics. Barl is no stranger to death, but does not want to die. If reduced to one Wound, he drops his weapon and begs for his life. He’s willing to reveal much of what Mokmurian has planned for the region if the intruders are willing to grant him mercy (see Concluding the Adventure, below).
TREASURE While Barl has shipped a fair amount of the Kreeg clan’s treasures to Jorgenst, some still
stations his stone giant bodyguard near the remains here, heaped behind his throne. The treasuree is worth 9,200 gp, entrance. Once that guard notices the heroes bulk of this stash of treasur approaching, he calls out to Barl, who casts y casts y and consists of various weapons, art objects, gems, trade goods, and other treasures and protection and protection if if he has the chance. weighing just over 300 pounds in all.
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PART 5: HARROWING THE HOOK HOOK
Mixed in with all of this treasure are a few magic items—most of them taken from defeated Black Arrows. These include 32 arrows, 12 arrows (Bane (giant)), a jacket of studded leather (Aegis, Fortication), a longsword (Str+d8, AP 1, Damaging), a composite longbow, a belt of minor physical might (Agility), a cloak of elvenkind, and a pair of minor bracers of armor.
AFTERMATH If the adventurers capture Barl Breakbones alive, it shouldn’t take much to convince the stone giant to talk. Barl’s eagerness to share lord Mokmurian, and how he is gathering an army of giants to march on Sandpoint, could be mistaken for pride in his master’s plot, when in fact Barl is simply desperate to please his captors so they’ll let him live. Barl can provide the heroes with the location of Jorgenst if they press; though he’s only been into the caverns below the fortress once and can’t recall the layout, he rememberss there being a particularly ancient remember library on the second level. If the heroes defeat Barl without giving him a chance to talk, they can learn of the imminent raid on Sandpoint from a missive wrien upon mammoth hide delivered via roc some days ago, but they miss out on the giant’s other insights into Jorgenst. This missive is reproduced as Handout 3–2.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED After the Harrowing of the Hook, the Pathnders earn their eleventh Advance.
CONCLUDING THE BOOK With the defeat of Barl Breakbones, the adventurers not only free the Kreegs from being enslaved and pressed into war but also prevent further assaults on the region. Now leaderless, the Kreeg clan is left vulnerable. Those who survive the heroes’ visit scaer into the wilds of Hook Mountain. The lucky ones nd new homes with other ogre tribes, but most fall prey to these same tribe tribess as there
is no love lost between them and the ruthless ogres of the Hook. If the Pathfinders defeat the undead Lamatar and return with his body (or a portion of it) to Myriana, the nymph is overjoyed and casts resurrection resurrection upon upon him. Normally, this spell would would not work on Lamatar— he’s been dead for longer than a week and his body and soul have been undeath. Ye Yet t such is Myriana’s love tainted that herby spirit infuses the sp ell spell with power—though it causes her ghostly form to fade away away— — and Lamatar is resto restored red to life in a new body. When he returns to life, Lamatar is at rst shamed by his failure to protect both Fort Rannick and his lover, but decides not to waste the new life she gave him. He becomes the new guardian of Whitewillow and does not return to civilization.
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APPENDIX: CREATURES AND ITEMS Varisia has a long tradition of llegends egends and tales of the numerous strange and frightening frig htening monsters tha that t dwell within its wil wilds. ds. In some c cases, ases, these monsters are little more than goblins, ogres, or trolls. Yet the llega egacy cy of Thassilon Thassil on has v visited isited u upon pon Varisia a additional dditional horro horrors. rs. In addi addition tion to new creatures, crea tures, the items listed on the following pa pages ges can be found in Rise of the Runelords. In order to preserve preserve their unique feel, y you ou sho should uld not all allo ow the heroes h eroes to purchase these items from stores.
NEW CREATURES
Magga is an immense creature indeed. Though she is effectively immortal until slain, she has spent many of the more than
10,000 years since she rst came to Varisia in deep hibernation. These slumbers could last for a dozen centuries or more at a time, and Black Magga is one of the favored servants are punctuated by relatively short periods of Lamashtu and an embodiment of the of activity that generally last for only a goddess’s reign over beasts, monsters, and few decades. madness. As an unholy auger of her will, These long periods of sleep have had Black Magga originally sought to confound the works of the civilized world, spread something of a debilitating eect on Black fear of monsters and the wilds, and direct Magga, for with each century of slumber, she Lamashtu’s lesser servants in acts of depravity grows weaker. She is now but a shadow of her original power. That she remains as powerful and bloodshed. as she is today speaks volumes to the terrible Black Magga arrived in the Storval Deep wrath she must have possessed back during not long after Karzoug ooded the immense the height of Thassilon, before the Earthfall quarry, and her presence in the th e newly formed changed everything everything.. lake brought much misery and dread to the Thassilonians who dwelt on the lake’s shores s hores or sailed its surface. Karzoug’s interest in the region waned Fisherfolk and woodsmen who have ventured quickly, and he never bothered to take steps near the Storval Deep have long told tales of against the monster, prompting many to a fell monster rising from the depths. Below whisper that the runelord made a bargain are a few commonly held but mistaken beliefs with Lamashtu to place the beast in the about Black Magga—though they may well Storval Deep, perhaps to hide some sort of have been true during the times of ancient great secret he had sunk beneath the waters. Thassilon, when she was at the height of In any event, it was said the goddess spoke her power. directly to Black Magga, and for many, the Bloodand Tongue: who have seen words of the monster were equal to the Magga lived Many can never speak of Black their commands of Lamashtu herself. experiences. Supposedly, when they aempt Bearing a head like a plesiosaur atop a to tell the tale, black blood wells from their thrashing mass of tentacles and eyes, Black throats and into their mouths, choking their
BLACK MAGGA
THE MYTH OF BLACK BLACK MAGGA
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APPENDIX: CREATUR CREATURES ES AND ITEMS words. Thus, far fewer claim to have seen Black Magga than actually have. God-Proof: Black Magga is older than God-Proof: many gods. Divine magic is said s aid to have lile eect whatsoever on her abominable form. Anyone who cuts Magga’s black heart from her vile chest and bathes in its putrescent blood will likewise become invulnerable to
and throughout history have risen to mete out her unholy wrath. Rare in the extreme— and despite what the fearful mortal races call them—these monstrosities seem to have no ability to reproduce, though some whisper that a select few are capable of biting o their own tongues to produce strange, wormlike spawn.
the power of the gods. Storm Bringer: Sightings Bringer: Sightings of Black Magga often herald powerful storms and hurricanes. It is said the beast summons these storms to pull victims into her watery domain, whereupon she captures them, consumes them, and transforms them into monstrous, vermicular horrors.
Mothers of Oblivion slink inshunning the darkest, deepest reaches of the world, the light of day as well as the gaze of insectlike mortals, who would gawk and abandon their pathetic minds at the merest glimpse of such unknowable horrors. The lightless depths of oceans and the oldest lakes serve as redoubts for these forsaken queens of madness.
MOTHERS OF OBLIVION Lesser versions of Black Magga are said to dwell in deep lakes in other parts of the world. Known as Mothers of Oblivion, these creatures have the same basic statistics as Black Magga but are only Size 6. Monstrous creatures of chaos and madness, the abominable Mothers of Oblivion are said to have been created by the goddess of monsters to serve as mouthpieces and leaders among her savage minions. Some esoteric texts—sacrilegious even to Lamashtu’s profane church—claim that the Mothers of Oblivion are actually sisters of Lamashtu, subjugated by the goddess, robbed of their divinity, and cast down to Golarion as her twisted servitors. Whatever their heritage, for uncounted centuries the Mothers of Oblivion have been among the favored servants of Lamashtu
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS From these depths, they sate themselves on sea creatures, the oerings of their servants, and the occasional unwary victim dragged screaming from the surface. They are careful to keep their presence secret from those of the world above. From the depths, Mothers of Oblivion form intricate hierarchies of servants and go-betweens, reaching their black tentacles through into the societies of amphibious intermediaries the demesnes of greater monstrosities and larger cities and civilizations alike.
P BLACK MAGGA This enormous creature’s serpentine neck supports a leering reptilian reptilian head— its body is a wriggling mass of tentacles. Type: Outsider (Evil) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength d12+10, Vigor d12+5
Athletics d8, Common Knowl KnowlSkills: Skills: edge d12, Fighting d12+2, Intimidation d12Notice d10, Occult d12, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d4, Survival d10 Pace: 5; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8; Toughness: 33 33 (12) Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Background (Magic),Arcane Resistance, Lucky, Sweep (Imp) Powers: Dispel, puppet. Powers: puppet. Power Points: 15. Points: 15. Special Abilities: Armor +12 (Heavy Armor): Infernal Armor): Infernal hide. Aquatic: Aquatic: Pace Pace 10. Bite: Str+d10, AP 4. Breath of Madness: Black Madness: Black Magga can exhale a cloud of foul-smelling, poisonous breath as a limited action once every minute. This is a Breath Weapon. All creatures in the area take 5d6 damage ignoring any armor, as they inhale smoke. Those in the cloud must also roll on the Fear table with a +2. This breath weapon cannot be used while underwater. Energy Drain: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by an aack suers Energy Drain (Vigor). A Vigor roll at –2 (–4 with a raise on the aack) resists this eect. Darkvision: Black Magga ignores penalties Darkvision: Black for Illumination up to 10".
Acid and Environmental Resistance: Environmenta Environmentall Resistance: Acid Weakness: Cold Weakness: Cold ironcold. and
magic weapons. Size 8 (Huge): (Huge): Black Magga 36-feet tall. This creature has two additional Wounds.
Swat: Swat: Black Black Magga ignores up to 4 points of
Scale penalties when aacking. Tentacles (4) (4):: Str+d8, Reach 4. Transdimensional Tentacles: Black Tentacles: Magga’s tentacles allow her to see into and inltrate the Ethereal Plane and the Plane of Shadow while she is on the Material Plane. She is not only aware of these planes and the creatures there, but can also shift her tentacles through these planes to aack their inhabitants. She can even phase her tentacles in and out of existence, eectively eectively reaching through walls and other solid barriers to aack foes on the other side. She can grapple foes with her tentacles normally, but cannot pull grappled foes or objects through planes as her tentacles shift between betwee n them. She has four tentacle actions per turn. Unstoppable: Unstoppable: Black Black Magga cannot suer more than one Wound from a single aack (after soak rolls are made).
Warp Dimensions: Black Magga’s presence Dimensions: Black
distorts the dimensions. Any creature that aempts to utilize a teleportation eect while within 100 yards of Black Magga must make a Spirit roll at –4 or it fails.
SKULL RIPPER Skull rippers were once guardians of the dead, the grim custodians of the great ossuaries of Thassilon. Though most skull rippers are discovered in ancient tombs and sepulchers, occasionally a geological upheaval or massive ood destroys a given catacomb or leaves a skull ripper stranded. In these cases, the construct emerges and ventures forth into the world above, harvesting skulls and causing widespread panic as it searches for a new tomb to guard.
P SKULL RIPPER This chiering, scorpion-shaped monstrosity appears to be made of a hideous mix of chitinous limbs and human skulls. Type: Construct (Neutral) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Notice d6, Skills: Stealth d8 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 15 15 (6)
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APPENDIX: CREATUR CREATURES ES AND ITEMS
MAGIC ITEMS
Edges: Arcane Resistance, Frenzy (Imp) Edges: Arcane Special Abilities: Armor +6: Corpse +6: Corpse armor. Behead: Skull ripper uses its specially SIHEDRON designed claws to decapitate foes. Instead MEDALLION of crushing an opponent, it can use us e its claws This medallion hangs on a to deal Str+3d6 damage to an Entangled leather cord, a silver disc enemy. If this damage is enough to inscribed with the Sihedron. Incapacitate the target, his head is torn from his body, which results in instant death for These medallions were given to favored agents of the runelords; the medallions most creatures. granted some minor benets to the wearers, Claws/Sting: Claws/Sting: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. runelo rds to use the Combat Grappler: Grappler: Skull Ripper uses but also allowed the runelords Fighting instead of Athletics when initiating wearer as proxies. a grapple. By concentrating on a scrying device Construct: Construct: +2 +2 to recover from being Shaken; (such as a runewell runewell), ), a runelord can sense ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; does the world through the Sihedron medallion not breathe or suer from disease or poison. wearer’s senses, and could speak through her Fear (–2): The (–2): The sight of a skull ripper shakes voice—provided the runelord knows of the people to their core. existence of the medallion and the fact that it Night Vision: Skull Vision: Skull rippers ignore penalties is being worn. for Illumination. Thus, Karzoug cannot use the medallion Poison (–1): Anyone (–1): Anyone damaged by a skull while it’s worn by Nualia in Book One, as ripper’s sting must save against a lethal she is unknown to him, but once the heroes poison. come to his aention later in the campaign, Size 2: Skull 2: Skull rippers are massive constructs that may well change. that tower over a man. While worn, a Sihedron medallion grants Swat: Swat: Skull Skull Ripper ignores up to 4 points of the wearer the ability to gain a Benny once Scale penalties when aacking. per session as a limited free action.
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INDEX EX IND
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