Act Three: Vingaard Horrors
Scene One: Marda's Vision
The scene, which details a key event on
the trip to Vingaard, occurs either
directly following Act One or after the
heroes have left Relgoth at the end of
Act Two.
Overview
While traveling toward Vingaard Keep,
Marda, the heroes' barbarian companion, seems gripped by a strange seizure.
This episode may teach the group
something about the spawning process.
Getting Started
The map on the back of this book
shows Vingaard's location. The
Knight's High Road, several leagues
north of Relgoth (or the heroes' camp)
offers the most direct route. Of course,
the group may wish to avoid commonly traveled roads, fearing Dark
Knight patrols.
First Impressions
Unless the Narrator wants to create
other events to further a subplot of his
own devising, the journey unfolds
uneventfully until the party is one day
from Vingaard. Just before it becomes
time to camp for the night, Marda
experiences some form of attack.
As another splendid sunset lights the
heavens of Krynn ablaze, Marda suddenly lets out a shriek and tumbles to
her knees. She scrambles across the dry
ground in apparent terror and panic,
entangling her thrashing legs in her
voluminous skirts. Finally she manages
to get to her feel, then dashes off, running full tilt across the countryside and
screaming hysterically.
The Story Continues
Presumably, one or more of the heroes
will pursue Marda, who has run over
the crest of a hill, collapsed, and curled
into a fetal position. She lies shivering
violently and sobbing softly, making no
response if anyone calls her name or
touches her. Heroes with a Spirit code
of "A" or "B" can sense the turmoil
within her. Even without casting a
spell, those practiced in the mentalism
or sensitivity can feel her terror as a
physical ache in their own bodies. It's as
though Marda exudes psychic pain.
A Citadel mystic may have once seen
a comrade help someone in a similar
state. Another hero might attempt to
assist Marda by using mentalism or sensitivity to see into her mind, find out what
has terrorized her, and calm her. In doing
so, however, the hero opens himself up to
an involuntary response from Marda's
latent mystic powers: As mentioned in
Act One, she is a powerful spiritualist,
but has no control over her abilities.
Marda's Story
In time, Marda regains her senses, but
remembers nothing of what set her off.
She had no idea she was conveying her
pain to anyone else, she moans.
At the heroes' urging, Marda tearfully reveals that when the Dark Knight
who abducted her brother imprisoned
her, draconians subjected her to a variety of tortures, claiming they wanted to
"harden" her. If she hadn't managed to
escape when she did, she'd have gone
insane, she says - she had begun seeing
and hearing things that weren't there.
Atmosphere
As this scene unfolds, the Narrator
should shift the mood from serenity to
confusion to terror to sympathy for
Marda's plight. The final act of Storm Over Krynn
will only get darker, and this scene sets the stage.
Actions
Pursuing Marda automatically succeeds, assuming the heroes chase her
immediately. If not, the Narrator may
call for an average Perception action
from those who attempt to track her.
Should a mystic wish to reach out
and touch her mind in an attempt to
soothe her or determine what is happening to her, the Narrator should
require a random draw. What happens
next depends on the aura of the card
drawn.
- White aura: Marda's uncontrolled
power of the heart has drawn the
hero into a vision of the events that
awoke these powers and continue to
disturb her. The hero experiences
the events recounted in "The
Vision," below, as though he has been
transported to that very time and
place. When the vision ends, he
finds himself lying on the ground,
surrounded by concerned friends.
- Red aura: The hero, locked in a fight
with Marda's subconscious will, sees
a vague impression of the vision
described below. (The Narrator
chooses what to reveal.) Then he feels
a stab of pain and falls unconscious
for a number of minutes equal to the
card's face value. He awakens disoriented, with terror filling his heart.
- Black aura: The hero brings Marda
back to consciousness but he could
gain no clue to the cause of her
seizure.
The Vision
The smells of fear, human sweat, and
rotting flesh assault the hero. He feels
the tight leather restraints keeping him
tied to a hard, wooden plank, and the
cold metal of the brace that prevents
him from turning his head.
The horrid fanged visage of a Sivak
draconian comes into view. "My lord
wants to see how this little beauty
affects you," it hisses. "You are not a
warrior, but perhaps we may harden
you in a different way."
A clawed hand comes into view. It
holds a writhing creature that looks like
an earthworm with tiny barbs all over
its body and a stinger on its tail. With
the other hand, the draconian forces
the hero's mouth open and drops the
creature in. Pain sears the hero as the
barbed worm slithers down his throat.
Then he tastes blood in his mouth...
Characters
Marda plays an active part in this scene,
although the elves from the Epilogue,
Scene One, may be along if the heroes
rescued them in Act Two.
Marda: Human adult female, reserved
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8A, Dx 9B, St 5C,
En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2
(dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power.
Outcome
The adventure continues in Scene Two.
Scene Two: Vingaard
About a day after the events of Scene
One, the heroes reach Vingaard.
Overview
This scene describes a pirate haven on
the Vingaard River, as well as meetings
with some potential allies there.
Getting Started
The "river pirate" role in Chapter One
of Cloak and Dagger offers insight into
the local character.
First Impressions
Most of Vingaard was destroyed in the
War of the Lance. When the Blue Dragonarmy withdrew, pirates claimed what
was left. From a small rise nearby,
heroes can get a look at this river town.
Not much remains of Vingaard's former glory: once grand neighborhoods
fallen to rubble, shadowed by the battered, fire-blacked hulk of Vingaard
Keep perched high on a hill. It looks
like new buildings have sprung up near
the docks on the shore of the Vingaard
River, but they are little more than
shacks. "I've heard this called a pirate
town," Marda says. "They live and die
on their boats, not on land."
The Story Continues
While in town, Marda hopes to find
Knight-Officer Nikoles, the Knight who
took her brother. Asking the right
people reveals that he and his talon
recently took passage upriver to their
camp, the Knight's Spur - with the lad
a slave among their prisoners. The sidebar on pages 34 and 35 explains how
the heroes come by this information.
The fiercely independent pirates
love to harass outsiders, be they dragon
minions or freedom fighters, by subjecting them to verbal abuse and challenges. However, if an outsider offers
witty retorts or bravely stands his
ground, the hostile facade melts and
the pirates welcome the newcomer.
Atmosphere
This port has the rough-and-tumble air
of a pirate town like those portrayed in
the movies Against All Flags, Cutthroat
Island, and Captain Blood.
Actions
An easy Presence (Spirit) action lets a hero
with a wealth score of 5 secure river passage for the party from a pirate captain.
Characters
Pirates' flamboyant personalities make
them brash, demonstrative folk but,
oddly, they dress in practical styles and
subdued colors. Ship and family
remain the most important things to
them - if a hero really wants to insult a
pirate, those are the prime targets.
Heroes may meet pirates, both men
and women, almost anywhere in town.
Typical crews consist of adult and teen-aged members of the same family, as
well as spouses of children who have yet
to secure a ship of their own. These
tight-knit groups follow their captain -
head of ship and family - in all things.
Ship's captain: Human adults, independent
demeanors, Adventurers. Co 6, Ph 7, In 7,
Es 6, Dmg +5 (sabre), Def -2 (leather).
Ship's crew: Human youths and adults,
loyal demeanors, Novices and Adventurers. Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 6, Dmg +5
(sabre), Def -2 (leather).
Marda: Human adultfemale, reserved
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag SA, Dx 9B, St 5c,
En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2
(dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power.
Outcome
When the heroes have secured passage
upriver, they continue with Scene Three.
Areas of Town
This sidebar, divided into sections that
correspond to the map on the previous
page, can help Narrators create the
heroes' visit to Vingaard based on
where they decide to go first.
Toll Station
Prior to the War of the Lance, those
using the Knight's High Road would
enter town at a small fort on the west
side of town. At this toll station, tax collectors would ask a fee from merchants
and travelers to maintain town coffers
and contribute to the Solamnic treasury. The river pirates have dispensed
with the practice, however, leaving the
toll station abandoned.
Vingaard Keep
South of the toll station lies the great
fortress called Vingaard Keep. It fell to
the Blue Dragonarmy during the War
of the Lance, early in the Blue Lady's
efforts to conquer Solamnia. While it
was an important strategic goal, some
said that taking the keep settled a personal score for the Highlord. Raderic
Tankreed, then lord of Vingaard,
reportedly surrendered the keep to the
Blue Lady without a fight, but she set it
ablaze nonetheless, tore down parts of
its walls, and hung Tankreed and his
immediate family along the Keep Road.
A secret group of Solamnic Knights
operates out of the mostly-ruined keep,
by the grace of the river pirates who
keep their presence secret from Side's
minions. These Knights watch
Nightlund's unnerving shadows across
the river for clues to explain the
increase in roving undead monsters,
which plagues travelers along the Vingaard today.
Sir Connor Heth, this group's Sword
Knight leader, dislikes the rambunctious pirates. If he thought he could do
so without incurring the wrath of the
Blue Dragon, he would attempt to drive
them from the ruins of Vingaard and
reclaim this former Solamnian river
port.
Sir Connor Heth: Human middle-aged
male, determined demeanor, Champion.
Co 7, Ph 8, In 5, Es 6 (36), Ding +8
(two-handed sword), Def -9
(plate/horse), also mysticism (healing).
Twenty Knights: Human adult males,
various demeanors, Adventurers. Co 7,
Ph 8, In 5, Es 6, Dmg +8 (two-handed
sword), Def -8 (plate/target).
Ruins of Vingaard
Most of the town that once stood at the
base of the Vingaard Keep was destroyed
during the War of the Lance. Here and
there in the section north of the toll station, archways and corner towers once
belonging to mansions still stand. But
for the most part, the stones - and even
some of the dead - lie where they fell
more than fifty years ago.
While the pirates initially spent a
good deal of time searching the ruins for
treasure overlooked by the dragonarmy
during the war, the lurking undead there
soon discouraged that practice. Hideous
creatures such as ghouls, wights, and
shadows still populate these ruins. The
promise of undiscovered treasure continues to lure enough adventurers here to
keep the creatures adequately fed without bothering the folk on the waterfront.
The pragmatic pirates even encourage
adventurers to explore the ruins. (Chapter Six of The Book of the Fifth Age further details undead creatures.)
Ghouls: Undead creatures. Co 5,
Ph 6, In 3, Es 6, Dmg +6, Def- 2, also paralyze.
Shadows: Undead creatures. Co 6,
Ph 10, In 3, Es 4, Dmg +3, Def -3,
also drain Strength.
Wights: Undead creatures. Co 6,
Ph 12, In 5, Es 7, Dmg +4, Def -2, also drain Presence.
Shanty Town
A collection of poorly constructed
houses built from rubble stands along
the river. Visitors who have seen Palanthas or Caergoth find this pirate town
laughable and pathetic.
Despite their haphazard appearance, most of the shanty-homes are
large and well-appointed within. Many
contain enough rooms and beds to play
host to several families, if need be.
Young pirate crew members patrol
the shanty town in groups of three,
guarding against the rare wandering
undead from the ruins or outsider
thieves who might try to take advantage of the pirates' hospitality by mugging citizens or robbing homes.
Heroes asking about a recent visit
from Knight-Officer Nikoles - or
merely Dark Knights with a load of
prisoners - are directed to the ferry
dock (see below).
The children of Vingaard who are
too young to serve aboard ship often
hang about the shanty town and waterfront (at right). They look ragged but
well fed and well loved: Every child in
Vingaard has an adult to care for him.
These children will subject heroes to
attempts at begging and stealing in an
effort to imitate their parents' treatment of outsiders.
Pirate children: Human children of
varied demeanor, Unknown and Rabble.
Co 8, Ph 4, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +1 (improvised weapons), Def 0 (common clothing).
Ferry Dock
One Vingaard mainstay that predates
even the nation of Solamnia is an
ancient waystation at the north end of
the shanty town, for passengers crossing the river via ferry. The local ferry
still provides one of the few ways for
wagons and riders to cross the river,
which measures one hundred yards
wide at this, one of its narrower points.
The operators of the ferry are an
odd pair: an elf and an aging gnome.
The gnome, Gnatch, is a surprisingly
skilled cook. Unfortunately, he's no
thinker gnome - the oven and stove he
built take up roughly half the space
inside the Ferry Dock Inn. Pirates come
to eat Gnatch's cooking and watch the
stove in action, hoping it'll blow up
while they are present. So far, the oven
has worked flawlessly.
The elf, Kalthanan, seems dour and
standoffish, even to other elves. Actually,
he is a loving father who raised his twin
daughters alone after his river pirate
wife died in childbirth. If he hears that
the heroes seek a group of Dark Knights
with prisoners, he directs them to his
daughters. They captain a small vessel,
Myrella's Heart - one of the few ships
that can get the heroes safely upriver to
the Dark Knight camp, the Knight's Spur.
Gnatch: Tinker gnome elder male,
innovative demeanor, Rabble. Co 7,
Ph 6, In 6, Es 4, Dmg +3 (wind-driven
club), Def 0 (common clothing).
Kalthanan: Qualinesti adult male, distant demeanor, Novice. Co 9, Ph 8, In 8,
Es 5, Dmg +4 (cutlass), Def -2 (leather).
The Waterfront
The waterfront remains the center of
life in Vingaard, although each year it
becomes less so. More and more, ships
set out looking for merchant vessels to
raid, only to return with their crews
transformed into ravenous, flesh-eating
undead creatures.
As the pirate clans attempt to formulate a course of action, they look
increasingly to the half-elf sisters,
Myrelana and Leana for leadership.
Their ship is one of the few that has
successfully fought the undead crews
north of Vingaard, whose numbers
continue to grow.
Not long ago, the sisters sailed ten
Dark Knights and their prisoners
(including Marda's brother) to a camp
on the edge of the swamp at the Maelgoth delta. The Knights were all hands
during the journey, the sisters recall. If
the heroes explain that the prisoners
included Marda's kidnapped brother,
Wilie, the two captains will be happy to
sail the party upriver to the Knight's
Spur free of charge - so long as the
heroes agree to help defend the ship
against possible attack.
Myrelana and Leana: Half-elf adult
females, capable demeanors, Adventurers. Co 9, Ph 8, In 8, Es 7 (49), Dmg +3
(short swords), Def -2 (leather), also
mysticism (mentalism for a continual
telepathic link with each other only).
Scene Three: Up the River
The heroes head up the Vingaard River
aboard Myrella's Heart, or another ship
of their choosing, for the three-day
journey to the Knight's Spur.
Overview
The lookout sights a ship captained by
an ally. As the ship draws closer, however, it becomes clear that the vessel is
now a ship of the dead, and the heroes
must battle for their very lives.
Getting Started
Although this scene is written assuming
the heroes are aboard Myrella's Heart, the Narrator can adjust it easily
to suit a ship with only one captain.
The map on the back of this book
shows the span of river between Maelgoth and Vingaard, where this scene
takes place.
First Impressions
The Narrator can improvise some
role-playing interaction between the
heroes and the crew members to fill
the first and second days of the trip, or
possibly introduce a subplot or two of
his own devising.
Initially, the journey up the Vingaard
just feels odd. Over the eastern side of
the river hangs a persistent twilight,
even when the sun is shining in a clear
sky. It's as if the shadow of some
immense creature has fallen over the
entire land across the river. And at
night, even under the silvery light of a
full moon, the Nightlund shore sinks
into an impenetrable darkness.
On the third day, the action begins,
when the watch lets out a cry of alarm.
As the heroes emerge on deck, the Narrator can read the following text aloud:
In the predawn gloom, the ship's two
captains consult with a couple crew
members on deck as another pirate
boat draws closer. One crew member
signals the other ship by raising and
lowering a lamp, and you can see the
other ship echo the signal.
"The Dragon's Fear returned the signal," Myrelana tells Leana. "The crew
must be alive and well."
As the ship draws closer, however,
you can make out the faces of the crew,
and it's clear they are no longer alive:
Horrid flesh peels from their bones,
and their lips are drawn back from
needle-sharp teeth. The sisters order
their ship brought around, but the
Dragon's Fear has drawn too close. It
looks like unclead pirates will board
Myrella's Heart in moments.
The Story Continues
The undead pirates outnumber the
crew of the Myrella's Heart and the
heroes two to one. If the heroes can't
react instantly, the creatures pour on
deck and begin the attack.
The Battle
When combat begins, each hero must
fight two undead pirates. During the
battle, it becomes clear that the creatures
paralyze their victims with their taloned
hands. As soon as one of them scores a
hit, the injured character or hero has
time for one more action before falling
to the ground, twitching. The undead
creature then throws the paralyzed hero
overboard, unless someone stops it.
Marda stands back from combat
and slings rocks at any undead pirates
attacking the heroes, a look of intense
concentration on her face. She defends
herself with her dagger as needed.
The twin captains of the ship fight
back to back, so well coordinated that
one might think they have one mind
split into two bodies. However, at the
height of the battle, Leana gets raked
across the face by the lethal claws.
Myrelana goes into a berserker rage in
defense of her sister, but unless a hero
comes to her aide, she too will fall.
Atmosphere
This scene starts out eerie but confusion and panic sets in with the attack of
the blood-chilling undead foes. The
Narrator should let his voice and gestures evoke the unnatural appearance
of the walking dead.
Actions
Heroes might try a number of actions
to prevent the undead pirates from
boarding, but in only one combat
minute they are overcome and must
attempt to defend themselves.
The ripping claws of the undead
pirates inject a paralytic poison into the
blood of their opponents. Once hit, the
victim has time for only one more
action before he collapses for a number
of minutes equal to his Endurance
score subtracted from twenty minutes.
Anyone who succeeds in an average
Perception action during the battle
notices that Leana is down and can
move to assist her.
Characters
On the first two days of the trip, Myrelana and Leana seem friendly, outgoing, and very interested in hearing
about the heroes' experiences dealing
with undead. Their crew members, the
captains' cousins, likewise act congenial, although they steer the conversation toward more conventional topics.
Pirates: Undead creatures. Co 5, Ph 5, In 3, Es 1, Dmg +2, Def -2, also poison claws.
Myrelana and Leana: Half-elf adult
females, capable demeanors, Adventurers.
Co 9, Ph 8, In 8, Es 7 (49), Dmg +3
(short swords), Def -2 (leather), also
mysticism (mentalism for a continual
telepathic link with each other only).
Four crew members: Human adults,
various demeanors, Novices. Co 6, Ph 5,
In 5, Es 6, Dmg +3 (short swords),
Def -2 (leather).
Marda: Human adult female, reserved
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8A, Dx 9B, St 5C,
En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2
(dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power.
Outcome
The battle's conclusion finds three crew
members dead. If the heroes managed
to save Leana, the twins agree to continue the journey to the Knight's Spur.
Additionally, the group will have
earned a pair of loyal allies emerging as
leaders among the river pirates.
If the heroes could not save Leana,
the surviving twin falls into a state of
catatonia. The last crew member is
unsure of the camp's location and
wants to turn back. The heroes can
demand to continue the trip, but will
have to walk the last leg, searching the
countryside for the Knight's Spur.
After defeating the undead pirates,
the heroes can board the Dragon's Fear,
but a search reveals no valuables.
- Going on with the trip to the camp takes the adventure to Scene Four.
-Turning back to Vingaard (against
Marda's strenuous protests) sends
the heroes back to Scene Two.
- Groups that did not meet Gilthanas
in Act Two find him held prisoner
with five other elves in the hold on
the undead pirate ship, as described
in the Epilogue, Scene One. (The
last surviving crew member suggests
searching the vessel, if no one else
does.)
Scene Four: The Valley of Lost Souls
This scene takes place roughly fifteen
hours after the undead pirates attacked
the heroes' ship.
Overview
Having left Myrella's Heart behind, the
heroes head for the Knight's Spur
camp. Wisps of mist drift across the
swampy ground as they come upon a
Dark Knight sentry post. While dealing
with the sentry, they realize that the
mist is actually made of human spirits
and from them, the heroes discover the
most tragic and horrifying aspect of
the spawning process.
Getting Started
The special abilities of the ghosts the
heroes meet here are described in the
Book of the Fifth Age, Chapter Six.
First Impressions
If both twins survived the river battle,
Myrella's Heart drops the heroes at the
edge of a dense swamp, and Leana
points them in the direction of the
Knight's Spur. If one or both of the sisters are dead, the heroes must wander
the swamp for the better part of a day
before finally finding the first sign of
the Dark Knights.
A sentry post stands at the edge of a
narrow valley. Beyond it lies a large
camp and a ring of standing stones.
The ridges along the valley have been
cleared ol vegetation, and you see signs
that someone is making an effort to
clear the valley as well.
Standing on a mound at the edge of
the valley are three sentries: a Dark
Knight, a goblin, and a misshapen
winged creature that bears a faint
resemblance to a Sivak draconian -
except that it has blue scales.
The Story Continues
If the heroes move carefully through
the swamp, they might be able to avoid
the sentries - the foes' vantage point
would allow them to spot the approach
of a large force or flying creature, not
prevent small groups like the party
from sneaking past. Unfortunately,
though, the sentries have an advantage.
The draconianlike creature is a blue
spawn with an exceptionally fine sense
of smell. Anyone who has seen a dragonspawn before recognizes it at once.
The heroes may decide to attack the
sentry post, but if they play it safe and
try to sneak past, the spawn may catch
their scent in the air (see "Actions"). In
that case, it sounds the alarm by sending a blast of lightning into the sky.
This warning alerts the eight Knights
and one other powerful guardian waiting in the camp: An important ritual is
about to start, and everyone knows that
if anything disrupts it, they will face the
wrath of Khellendros.
If questioned after a battle, the goblin sentry, named Nark, reveals that the
Knights in the camp are about to perform a ritual to create more spawn. He's
not sure what it entails, as the Knights
have never let him in the camp; they
ordered him to remain on the knoll,
and brought food and supplies out to
him and the other sentries. He saw
Marda's brother when he arrived and
thinks he is in the camp. This revelation
horrifies Marda, who insists the party
head there immediately. The heroes can
calm her somewhat, but she still wants
to rush into the camp.
As the heroes talk with the goblin
(or as they begin making their way
through the valley), the mists at their
feet rise and swirl around them. Several
strands pass through the dead or
unconscious Knight and spawn and
issue soft moans. At this point, it
should be clear that these are no ordinary patches of mist. In fact, one of the
group may find himself taken over by
the spirits (see "Actions").
"They stole my body," your companion
moans in a voice not his own. "The
Dark Ones forced the spirit of a monster into my body, then bound my
spirit to this place. I did horrible things
in my life, but I don't deserve this end.
No one deserves this. You must stop
them. They are about to deal this fate
to others. Stop them. Stop them!"
After so exhorting the group, the
spirit releases the hero.
The Battle
If the heroes attack the sentries, Nark
surrenders immediately and begs for
his life. The others fight to the death,
the Knight employing her sword while
the spawn hits the heroes with electromantic spells and his lightning breath.
Atmosphere
The swamp should exude despair,
inspiring a strange, undefinable sensation of dread in the heroes.
Actions
Should the heroes try to sneak past the
sentries, the Narrator can make a random draw from the Fate Deck. If the
card's aura is white or red, the heroes
pass without incident. However, a black
aura means the spawn smells them
coming and sounds the alarm.
When the mists begin to swirl up
around them, the heroes may attempt
an easy Perception action to determine
that the wisps of fog are moaning softly
and look vaguely humanoid in shape
(automatic success for heroes with
acute hearing or vision).
Moments after a hero makes this
realization, a spirit tries to enter one of
their bodies. One at a time, in order of
ascending Spirit score, the heroes must
attempt an average Spirit (Spirit) action,
opposed by the ghost. The first one to
fail becomes temporary taken over by
the spirit. (If they all succeed, the ghosts
seize control of Marda instead.) A
mishap means the hero gains the "shared
body" secret described in Chapter Three
of Cloak and Dagger. The spirit is either
that of a hard-bitten, violent mercenary
or a psychotic killer (Narrator's choice).
Heroes who can cast spiritualism
spells may lay the spirits to rest with
daunting Spirit actions. Each success lays
only one spirit to rest. Should a hero
embark upon this course, he soon finds
himself mobbed by well over one hundred displaced spirits who desperately
want release. They eventually get angry
in their impatience and attack the hero.
Characters
The following characters appear in this
scene, as do the six rescued elves:
Marda: Human adult female, reserved
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8A, Dx 9B, St 5C,
En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2
(dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power.
Countless displaced spirits: Ghosts. Co 5,
Ph 6, In 7, Es 8, Dmg N/A, Def N/A, also fear aura and drain Spirit.
Nark: A goblin. Co 4, Ph 3, In 4, Es 5, Dmg +3, Def -2, also missile weapons.
Dark Knight: Human adult female,
authoritative demeanor, Adventurer.
Co 7, Ph 8, In 7, Es 6, Dmg +8 (two-handed sword), Def -5 (plate mail), also
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Blue spawn: A hostile nonhuman. Co 8,
Ph 12, In 5 (25), Es 8, Dmg +10, Def -5,
also dragon breath, sorcery (electromancy), dissolves into an electrically
charged cloud at its death.
Outcome
The scene has two possible outcomes.
- Should the heroes go to the ritual, the adventure moves to Scene Five.
- Heroes who turn back can hike back
to Vingaard, then travel to Relgoth (if
they haven't been there), continuing
with Act Two. Those who have already
played that act go to Scene Two of
the Epilogue. In either case, Marda
refuses to leave her brother and heads
for the camp alone, if she must.
Scene Five: The Spawning Ground
This scene takes place at the Knight's
Spur, immediately after Scene Four.
Overview
In this scene, the heroes may witness
the beginning of a spawning ritual and
rescue Marda's brother.
Getting Started
The Rising Storm adventure in Heroes of
Steel offers a detailed description of the
transformation to spawn.
First Impressions
As the heroes sneak up to the Knight's
Spur camp, the Narrator should read
the following text aloud.
The place looks like what one might
expect from a Dark Knight camp: a
dozen identical tents lined up ill perfect
rows, each row with its own cooking area.
At the center of the camp sit several large
steel cages - large enough to hold man-sized prisoners. However, these cages
are presently empty. It looks virtually
deserted, but beyond it rises a circle of
standing stones. Several draconians and
Dark Knights stand at the edge of the circle, facing away from the camp. A strange
chanting drifts toward you on the breeze.
The Story Continues
If the spawn sounded the alarm in the
previous scene, the Dark Knights in the
standing stone circle are ready for
trouble. The heroes can either search the
camp or head straight for the ritual site.
If they split up, they can do both at once.
Although the tents all look similar
on the outside, ten of them are so neatly
arranged inside that one might wonder
whether anyone has used them. The
blankets on the cots are spread neatly,
the spare boots carefully positioned at the foot of the cots, and weapons and
other gear arranged in an orderly fashion. The other two tents look like mere
collections of clutter. The first ten
belong to the Dark Knights, of course,
and the other two to the draconians.
One Dark Knight tent holds
Marda's brother. (The Narrator can
make a random draw from the Fate
Deck to determine how many tents
they search before they reach his.) The
boy is chained hand and foot and is
polishing boots. Brother and sister are
elated to see each other and will converse excitedly in their own language as
soon as Marda has asked the heroes to
find a way to remove the chains.
The boy, Wilie, explains that
Knight-Officer Nikoles has kept him
like a slave and treated him like an animal. Marda immediately wants revenge
on the officer, but Wilie says that he
went with the other Knights and the
draconians to the spawning ritual by
the standing stones some time ago.
At this point, the heroes could
simply try to sneak away again, against
Marda's urging. If they have already
played Act Two, Wilie tells them that
another tent holds an old man also
kept as a slave and urges the group to
rescue him, too. The old man is
Raalumar Sageth, a scholar from Palanthas (see the "Characters" section). If
they have not yet played Act Two, Wilie
tells the heroes of a stronghold in the
city of Relgoth, where these spawning
subjects had been held captive until
their arrival here. Wilie saw the Bastion
of Darkness when he passed through
Relgoth with Nikoles and heard that
hundreds of prisoners were held there.
If the heroes manage to sneak away
from the camp, the Narrator can turn
to the "Outcome" section. However, the
heroes most likely will want to scout
out the ritual with Marda - a simple
task, if no one has sounded the alarm.
Before you is a chilling sight. At the center of the stone circle stands a group of
twenty bruised and battered men and
women in chains. Ringing them around
the edge of the circle, eight Dark
Knights repeat a foul chant, horrible to
hear. Four draconians stand motionless
as wispy arcs of energy reach from them
to each of the the prisoners. The
screaming captives writhe in pain.
At that moment, an enormous black
shape emerges from the shadows of the
swamp before the stone circle, its yellow
eyes glinting mcnacingly."More spawn
fodder," the dragon hisses, arcing its
long neck down to be level with the
heroes. "Khellendros will be pleased."
The Battle
If the heroes disrupt the ritual, the
black dragon attacks with an anguished
cry and a wide spray of its acid breath.
The Knights fight to subdue the heroes,
knowing they could serve as more
spawn, but the draconians are too
dazed to join the fight. If the heroes
have not yet played Act Two, the battle
ends with the heroes taken prisoner.
Atmosphere
To create a creepy mood, the Narrator
should focus his descriptions on the
swamp's spooky shadows, the eerie
chanting, and the sudden appearance of
the black dragon from the dark swamp.
Actions
If the alarm was sounded, the heroes
need to succeed at easy Dexterity (Perception) actions to sneak past the Dark
Knights and into the circle. In the event
thy haven't realized they are witnessing
the creation of dragonspawn, the party
leader can attempt a Perception or Reason action to figure it out.
Characters
The following characters appear in this
scene, in addition to the elves from the
Epilogue. The unfortunate prisoners
are wounded and very hungry.
Cauxillor: A young black dragon. Co 9,
Ph 30, In 8 (64), Es 8 (64), Dmg +12,
Def -8, also dragon breath, swallow whole,
dragonawe, sorcery (hydromancy, aeromancy, geomancy), mysticism (animism).
Twenty prisoners: Human adults of
varied demeanor, Unknowns. Co 6, Ph 5,
In 5, Es 5, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def 0
(common clothing).
Eight Dark Knights: Human adults of
varied demeanor, Adventurers. Co 7,
Ph 8, In 7, Es 6, Dmg +8 (two-handed
sword), Def -5 (plate mail).
Marda: Human adult female, reserved
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8A, Dx 9B, St 5C,
En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2
(dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power.
Wilie: Human young male, resourceful
demeanor, Rabble. Ag 5C, Dx 9B, St 3D,
En 8B, Re 7D, Pe 8B, Sp 3C, Pr 6C, Dmg +2
(sling), Def 0 (common clothing).
Four Baaz: Draconians, belligerent
demeanors, Novices. Co 8, Ph 6, In 6,
Es 7, Dmg +4, Def -3, also can glide,
turn to stone on their death.
Raalumar Sageth: Human elder male,
eccentric demeanor, Unknown. Co 4, Ph 4,
In 8, Es 7, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def 0 (common clothing).
Outcome
If heroes rescue Wilie and sneak away,
they escape the camp without incident.
- They can then go to free the prisoners in Relgoth, if they have not yet
done so, by continuing with Act Two.
- Assuming they have been to Relgoth
and also rescued the old man in this
scene, the story concludes with the
Epilogue, Scene Two, as Khellendros
arrives to perform the climax of the
spawning ritual.
Other heroes may attack the Knights,
giving a Narrator two different options:
- If the group has played Act Two, he
should let the battle run for several
exchanges, then turn to the Epilogue,
Scene Two while the fight rages.
- However, heroes who have not yet
been to Relgoth are taken captive
and regain consciousness in a prison
wagon approaching the Bastion of
Darkness (Act Two, Scene Three).