Trophy Gold - PDFCOFFEE.COM (2024)

JESSE ROSS

IDENTITY OPTIONS — Roll once and use a single row, or roll three times (once for each column)

name

1 1 Akaleh 1 2 Alina 1 3 Aram 1 4 Baso 1 5 Benah 1 6 Daian 2 1 Desarim 2 2 Elisio 2 3 Esfahen 2 4 Fion 2 5 Foret 2 6 Ifori 3 1 Inda 3 2 Kasien 3 3 Kel 3 4 Kiva 3 5 Lora 3 6 Mahera 4 1 Masero 4 2 Moradi 4 3 Neven 4 4 Nima 4 5 Obeha 4 6 Orlen 5 1 Osto 5 2 Parda 5 3 Pela 5 4 Rasei 5 5 Revel 5 6 Sareh 6 1 Sibil 6 2 Talia 6 3 Teodan 6 4 Toram 6 5 Valen 6 6 Vero

occupation — Skills

background — Skill

Antiquarian — artifacts, myths, obfuscation

Abandoned Squire — aiding

Artificer — alchemy, invention, traps

Banished Dancer — grace

Astrologer — darkness, stars, symbols

Cured Beastbitten — transformation

Blacksmith — endurance, metal, weapons

Defrocked Priest — omens

Bodyguard — protection, speed, vigilance

Devoted Widow — patience

Chain — commands, elements, rituals

Disgraced Courtesan — flattery

Champion — commands, ferocity, presence

Disinherited Noble — appraisal

Cook — food, improvisation, poisons

Emboldened Ratcatcher — lairs

Demonologist — demons, negotiation, trickery

Enlightened Miner — paths

Geomancer — construction, paths, patterns

Errant Knight — dueling

Guide — foraging, hunting, paths

Escaped Cultist — deception

Hedge — improvisation, rituals, spirits

Expelled Apprentice — lore

Herbalist — perception, plants, remedies

Failed Pilgrim — saints

Intercessor — charm, persistence, rituals

Flockless Shepherd — soothing

Lamb — innocence, sacrifice, rituals

Grounded Sailor — ropes

Lancer — balance, coordination, precision

Hapless Peddler — trading

Leech — blood, deduction, surgery

Heretical Inquisitor — secrets

Lockpick — acrobatics, security, silence

Impeached Official — lies

Magician — performance, rituals, trickery

Imprecise Barber — injury

Medium — spirits, vigilance, willpower

Injured Whaler — hunting

Merchant — bribery, focus, persuasion

Liberated Prisoner — deals

Naturalist — beasts, plants, silence

Lost Child — hiding

Nest — coordination, rituals, vermin

Lured Innocent — temptation

Oracle — interpretation, rituals, trances

Opportunistic Graverobber — death

Ox — destruction, persistence, strength

Oppressed Laborer — rebellion

Poet — passion, persuasion, rituals

Orphaned Manikin — mimicry

Ranger — beasts, hunting, traps

Plagued Farmer — corruption

Sellsword — athletics, defense, surprise

Reckless Moneylender — ambition

Smuggler — dexterity, spontaneity, stealth

Reformed Thug — intimidation

Snake — charm, trickery, performance

Retired Soldier — tactics

Sorcerer — alchemy, rituals, symbols

Runaway Kingsguard — tracking

Spider — surprise, traps, vermin

Traitorous Cupbearer — betrayal

Vessel — attraction, rituals, surrender

Uninspired Artisan — crafting

Witch — homes, plants, rituals

Unmasked Faeborn — illusions

Woodcutter — beasts, strength, trails

Usurped Royal — commands

Zealot — interrogation, rituals, strength

Wandering Refugee — disguise

DRIVE OPTIONS — Roll once

drive

1 1 Acquire the Gleaming Cache before it is too late 1 2 Arm the resistance against Lord Haffir’s tyranny 1 3 Attend Countess Shima’s Forbidden Festival 1 4 Become part of the Swirling Court 1 5 Become the only patron of Ansem the Wistful 1 6 Break the geas placed by the Witch of Nevask 2 1 Break the siege on your sibling’s fortress 2 2 Bribe the justiciars so they erase your crimes 2 3 Bring freedom to Tirollis 2 4 Buy the orphanage where you were mistreated 2 5 Buy your brother’s freedom from Barsul Prison 2 6 Commission a glorious statue of your deity 3 1 Destroy the work of Ajino the Debauched Painter 3 2 Earn the respect of the Governor of Fort Duhrin 3 3 Earn the right to your family’s name 3 4 Establish an estate in the Levasti countryside 3 5 Finance an expedition into the Blossoming Sea 3 6 Find the artifact that proves the king’s true nature 4 1 Find the resting ground of the Morning Knight 4 2 Free the kindly followers of the Piper 4 3 Give your betrothed the present they crave 4 4 Inscribe your mother’s name in the Azure Archives 4 5 Locate the jewel that haunts Eriol’s dreams 4 6 Pay the toll of the Emerald Bridge 5 1 Pay your father’s debt to Bright-Teeth Assyrio 5 2 Publish your discoveries from ancient Kalduhr 5 3 Rebuild Hisham’s Fountain 5 4 Repay your losses to the Southern Pass Company 5 5 Restore the lost glory of the Caliginous Grove 5 6 Restore the Temple of Tanahlot 6 1 Resurrect the Cult of Derawan 6 2 Retire in comfort in the Rose District of Ambaret 6 3 Retrieve the lost banner of the Nameless Legion 6 4 Seize absolute control of Kormoran’s Wheel 6 5 Take Cyrus’ place at the Earthen Council 6 6 Win the heart of the heir apparent of Naganeh

RITUAL OPTIONS — Roll once per column, keep up to 3

ritual — Read full effects on pages 9–11

1 1 Army 1 2 Ashes 1 3 Aura 1 4 Beacon 1 5 Beast 1 6 Bewitch 2 1 Blind 2 2 Blink 2 3 Blur 2 4 Bolt 2 5 Bottle 2 6 Brimstone 3 1 Burrow 3 2 Carve 3 3 Channel 3 4 Circle 3 5 Clay 3 6 Clock 4 1 Compel 4 2 Crucible 4 3 Darkness 4 4 Dazzle 4 5 Doom 4 6 Door 5 1 Drain 5 2 Dryad 5 3 Elegy 5 4 Emote 5 5 Endure 5 6 Enliven 6 1 Entangle 6 2 Ether 6 3 Fantasy 6 4 Fault 6 5 Feather 6 6 Feral

Float

Provoke

Flow

Rebirth

Fountain

Repel

Future

Rewind

Gale

Rubber

Gardener

Rustle

Germinate

Scale

Ghoul

Scent

Glamour

Scramble

Gleam

Scry

Guide

Sever

Hand

Shell

Haunt

Shroud

Hold

Silence

Hollow

Siphon

Hospitality

Sleep

Immolate

Smite

Inhabit

Spark

Inscribe

Statue

Kindle

Steed

Knock

Summon

Leviathan

Swarm

Liar

Switch

Lift

Tadpole

Martyr

Tripwire

Mask

Unravel

Maze

Vapor

Medium

Voice

Messenger

Void

Mirage

Wail

Mirror

Wall

Nightwalk

Ward

Numb

Web

Obscure

Wither

Orchard

Writhe

Parse

Yoke

Trophy Gold TABLE OF CONTENTS

introduction A Deadly Hunger

player’s guide Character Creation How to Play

4 12

game master’s guide Running the Game

Campaign Journey Rules

incursions Incursion Overview

Hester’s Mill

Panning the Last River

A Heart Hums in Darkness

The Huntsman’s Manor

Foulcoult’s Bounty

The Temple of the Peerless Star

102

The Smoldering Moor

118

The Rime Palace

126

Leviathan’s Bridge

136

Roots of Old Kalduhr

148

— Entrance

152

— The Climb

158

— The Streets

162

— Layer 1

170

— Layer 2

184

— Layer 3

196

— Layer 4

210

— Layer 5

218

— Layer 6

228

a publication of

in association with

gauntlet-rpg.com

hedgemazepress.com

created by Jesse Ross additional contributions Aaron Burkett Alexi Sargeant Amanda Franck Cat Evans Christina Stone-Bush Dan Felder David LaFreniere

David Morrison Eli Kurtz Epidiah Ravachol Fraser Simons Gabriel Robinson Gerrit Reininghaus Jason Cordova

Jason Tocci Jesse Ross Judd Karlman Kyle Maxwell Litza Bronwyn MadJay Brown Madeleine Ember

Michael Van Vleet Mike Martens Natalie Ash Oli Jeffery Phil Vecchione Ramanan Sivaranjan Sabine V

editors & publishers Jason Cordova & David LaFreniere art & layout

cover art

additional art

Jesse Ross

Anton Cheykin & Jesse Ross

Anna Zee

special thanks To all the playtesters in The Gauntlet Gaming Community and the 2,543 Kickstarter backers who helped grow this seed into a forest. Visit the website for other game materials trophyrpg.com

© 2022 Hedgemaze Press llc & The Gauntlet Gaming Community llc. All rights reserved. Trophy™ and Trophy Gold™ are trademarks of Hedgemaze Press llc. Trophy is adapted from Cthulhu Dark with permission of Graham Walmsley. Trophy is also based on Blades in the Dark (found at http://www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). isbn 978-1-952774-01-0 — Printed in Lithuania — First Printing

A Deadly Hunger INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

When I tell you that I am a simple woman, know tha t I mean that only in terms of my needs. I have studied under some of the finest min ds in Ambaret, perfected my hold on the arcane arts with the court sorcerers of Naganeh, and read every book that’s ever crossed my path. My perception is sharp, and my judgment is strong. Thus I cannot accompany you into the Kalduhr. I went too many times, when I was a hungrier child, one with too much ambition and too little instinct for selfpreservation. I saw what the forest held dear. I sav ored its lush fruit, breathed in the stale air of its ruins, and peered into the eye s of its hateful guardians as they died on my blade. You’re not wrong—one could grow rich on its bounty . But that assumes that one makes it out alive, intact, and with said bounty. That cursed forest has taken nearly everyone I ever loved, and then some. I hav e learned that the only way to win its game is to refuse to even play. I know I won’t convince you. Your hunger is strong , like mine was in my youth. But I promise you this: the hunger of the Kaldu hr Forest is stronger, and its thirst can never be quenched, not by the blood in a thousand thousand veins. Set your sights on a lesser target, my friend. I hear they are still in need of ratcatchers in Deverain.

What is This?

Trophy Gold is a roleplaying game about a group of treasure-hunters entering the haunted and forgotten places of the world. The game tells the story of the treasure-hunters’ obsessive drive to seek ever greater riches in a desperate bid to stay alive. Trophy Gold takes the collaborative, push-your-luck rules and rolls of its sister game, Trophy Dark, and blends them with the survive-by-your-wits mentality of old school fantasy games. Instead of the ever-increasing power that comes with leveling up found in other games, treasure-hunters in Trophy Gold remain fragile, meaning death is always just one bad roll away. Welcome to the world of Kalduhr, where fortune favors the bold. 2 · A Deadly Hunger

Player’s Guide

PLAYER'S GUIDE

Creating a Treasure-Hunter

In Trophy Gold, you play a desperate treasure-hunter intent on entering the forests, ruins, and other haunted spaces of the world in search of riches. However, the world is equally desperate, striving to keep you out, break you down, or claim you and make you its trophy. Most treasurehunters never return, and those who don’t come back with enough gold to pay off their debts find themselves thrown in debtor’s prison, or simply die penniless and alone. For each table on the following pages, you can simply choose your favorite option, or roll a dark die and light die to select one at random. You can also work with your game master (gm) to make your own, or use the character creation options found in other Trophy supplements.

1 2 3 4 5

First, choose your Name and pronouns. Your name can be anything, but should feel like it fits with the list of sample names provided. Next, choose your Occupation and Background. These determine which Skills you have. Skills increase the odds of success when taking on a task. Narratively, your Occupation indicates your role in this expedition and an area of focused expertise. Your Background reveals what you used to do or be. When you choose your Background, think about what made you leave that life and why you can’t ever go back to it. Next, choose your Drive. Your Drive is the reason you hunt for treasure. Over the course of the game, you will collect treasures (measured in Gold), some of which can be stashed away in your Hoard in support of your Drive. When you have saved 50 Gold in your Hoard, you achieve your Drive and can retire your treasure-hunter. You always start with 0 Hoard marked. Next, choose your Backpack Equipment and Combat Equipment, and set your Burdens. Your Burdens are a measure of how much debt or other financial obgligations you have, and thus how much Gold you need to recover from the forest before returning to town. Your Burdens start at 1, but for each piece of Combat Equipment you choose, increase your Burdens by 1. You must have a weapon to participate in a Combat Roll (though some other objects or Rituals may be treated as weapons, at the gm’s discretion). Finally, choose your Rituals and mark your Ruin. Rituals are dangerous spells you can cast to perform miraculous feats. All treasure-hunters can learn and use Rituals, regardless of Background or Occupation. You can start with 0, 1, 2, or 3 Rituals, but you must mark 1 Ruin for each Ritual you choose. Beware, each Ritual drives you one step closer to the end. You will lose yourself upon marking 6 Ruin. The Ruin you mark here is your starting Ruin; you can never have Ruin lower than your starting Ruin.

4 · Creating a Treasure-Hunter

character name

player name

pronouns

1 2

occupation

background

rituals

drive

ruin

1 2

skills

hoard

backpack equipment

combat equipment armor

uses

marked

3 4

6 household burdens

gold

conditions

found equipment

armor armor armor armor weapon weapon weapon

ammunition

Mark 1 Ruin for each Ritual. ammunition

Example: If you choose 2 Rituals, you start with 3 Ruin marked.

weapon weapon

ammunition

TROPHYRPG.COM

Gray boxes on your character sheet represent Burdens. Count each vertical black bar in the gray boxes to get your total number of Burdens. Don’t forget to count the Burdens box itself, since you will always have at least 1 Burden. Mark 1 Ruin for each Ritual. For example, if you choose 2 Rituals, you start with 3 Ruin marked. Download character sheets and other materials at trophyrpg.com. Creating a Treasure-Hunter • 5

PLAYER'S GUIDE

CHARACTER IDENTITY OPTIONS — Roll once and use a single row, or roll three times (once for each column)

PLAYER'S GUIDE

name

occupation — Skills

background — Skill

Antiquarian — artifacts, myths, obfuscation

Abandoned Squire — aiding

Artificer — alchemy, invention, traps

Banished Dancer — grace

Astrologer — darkness, stars, symbols

Cured Beastbitten — transformation

Blacksmith — endurance, metal, weapons

Defrocked Priest — omens

Bodyguard — protection, speed, vigilance

Devoted Widow — patience

Chain — commands, elements, rituals

Disgraced Courtesan — flattery

Champion — commands, ferocity, presence

Disinherited Noble — appraisal

Cook — food, improvisation, poisons

Emboldened Ratcatcher — lairs

Demonologist — demons, negotiation, trickery

Enlightened Miner — paths

Geomancer — construction, paths, patterns

Errant Knight — dueling

Guide — foraging, hunting, paths

Escaped Cultist — deception

Hedge — improvisation, rituals, spirits

Expelled Apprentice — lore

Herbalist — perception, plants, remedies

Failed Pilgrim — saints

Intercessor — charm, persistence, rituals

Flockless Shepherd — soothing

Lamb — innocence, sacrifice, rituals

Grounded Sailor — ropes

Lancer — balance, coordination, precision

Hapless Peddler — trading

Leech — blood, deduction, surgery

Heretical Inquisitor — secrets

Lockpick — acrobatics, security, silence

Impeached Official — lies

Magician — performance, rituals, trickery

Imprecise Barber — injury

Medium — spirits, vigilance, willpower

Injured Whaler — hunting

Merchant — bribery, focus, persuasion

Liberated Prisoner — deals

Naturalist — beasts, plants, silence

Lost Child — hiding

Nest — coordination, rituals, vermin

Lured Innocent — temptation

Oracle — interpretation, rituals, trances

Opportunistic Graverobber — death

Ox — destruction, persistence, strength

Oppressed Laborer — rebellion

Poet — passion, persuasion, rituals

Orphaned Manikin — mimicry

Ranger — beasts, hunting, traps

Plagued Farmer — corruption

Sellsword — athletics, defense, surprise

Reckless Moneylender — ambition

Smuggler — dexterity, spontaneity, stealth

Reformed Thug — intimidation

Snake — charm, trickery, performance

Retired Soldier — tactics

Sorcerer — alchemy, rituals, symbols

Runaway Kingsguard — tracking

Spider — surprise, traps, vermin

Traitorous Cupbearer — betrayal

Vessel — attraction, rituals, surrender

Uninspired Artisan — crafting

Witch — homes, plants, rituals

Unmasked Faeborn — illusions

Woodcutter — beasts, strength, trails

Usurped Royal — commands

Zealot — interrogation, rituals, strength

Wandering Refugee — disguise

6 · Creating a Treasure-Hunter

CHARACTER DRIVE OPTIONS — Roll once

drive

What does this mean? Many of the Occupations, Backgrounds, and Drives refer to individuals, events, locations, and identities that are not fully explained: What is a Beastbitten or a Faeborn? Is a Snake a smooth-talking charlatan, or a literal serpent-person? What happens at Countess Shima’s Forbidden Festival? Who is Cyrus, and why do you need to take their place at the Earthen Council? What even is the Earthen Council? A player who selects one of these options should feel free to make up an explanation for them, either during character creation or during the course of the game. Some of these references do get explained a bit more fully in the Trophy Loom setting book and in select incursions, but don’t let any “official” explanations have any bearing on your game if you don’t want them to. It’s much more important to make something memorable and immediately useful at the table—that everyone is invested in the story and feels able to expand on it during the game. Rituals are also intentionally left vague, and the exact limits of their effects are fluid and uncertain. When a player uses a Ritual, they should work with the gm to determine the scope and specifics of their magic in that moment.

Creating a Treasure-Hunter • 7

PLAYER'S GUIDE

1 1 Acquire the Gleaming Cache before it is too late 4 1 Find the resting ground of the Morning Knight 1 2 Arm the resistance against Lord Haffir’s tyranny 4 2 Free the kindly followers of the Piper 1 3 Attend Countess Shima’s Forbidden Festival 4 3 Give your betrothed the present they crave 1 4 Become part of the Swirling Court 4 4 Inscribe your mother’s name in the Azure Archives 1 5 Become the only patron of Ansem the Wistful 4 5 Locate the jewel that haunts Eriol’s dreams 1 6 Break the geas placed by the Witch of Nevask 4 6 Pay the toll of the Emerald Bridge 2 1 Break the siege on your sibling’s fortress 5 1 Pay your father’s debt to Bright-Teeth Assyrio 2 2 Bribe the justiciars so they erase your crimes 5 2 Publish your discoveries from ancient Kalduhr 2 3 Bring freedom to Tirollis 5 3 Rebuild Hisham’s Fountain 2 4 Buy the orphanage where you were mistreated 5 4 Repay your losses to the Southern Pass Company 2 5 Buy your brother’s freedom from Barsul Prison 5 5 Restore the lost glory of the Caliginous Grove 2 6 Commission a glorious statue of your deity 5 6 Restore the Temple of Tanahlot 3 1 Destroy the work of Ajino the Debauched Painter 6 1 Resurrect the Cult of Derawan 3 2 Earn the respect of the Governor of Fort Duhrin 6 2 Retire in comfort in the Rose District of Ambaret 3 3 Earn the right to your family’s name 6 3 Retrieve the lost banner of the Nameless Legion 3 4 Establish an estate in the Levasti countryside 6 4 Seize absolute control of Kormoran’s Wheel 3 5 Finance an expedition into the Blossoming Sea 6 5 Take Cyrus’s place at the Earthen Council 3 6 Find the artifact that proves the king’s true nature 6 6 Win the heart of the heir apparent of Naganeh

CHARACTER BACKPACK EQUIPMENT OPTIONS — Roll once and write down all three items.

items

1 2 net, woven of silver 1 Fishing Bottles, lead (6)

3 4 of rats (3) 1 Cage Flute

5 6 spikes (12) 1 Iron Mallet

of hard candies (12) 2 Bag Skinning knife

(300’) 2 Twine Wind chimes

of fool’s gold (6 pieces) 2 Bag Torches, 3 hrs (6)

3 colors (12 uses) 3 Chalk, Crowbar

of fine wine 3 Bottle Signet ring & wax

(24’) 3 Chain Manacles

blood (heals 1 Ruin) 4 Troll Jar of glowworms (6)

trap 4 Bear Musk, bear & deer (6 uses)

2 hrs dim (12) 4 Candles, Mirror, small steel

marbles (30) 5 Glass Pot of tar (6 uses)

& black/invisible inks of your grandmother 5 Journal 5 Ashes Grease (6 uses) Book, blasphemous

Magnet

Winterwolf pelt

PLAYER'S GUIDE

items

Heirloom compass

Vermin repellent (3 uses)

Scroll tube (mystery scroll)

Pot of honey (6 uses)

Wooden mask, monstrous

Whistle

Soap (6 uses)

Dice (6 normal, 3 trick)

for your pet goat (and a goat) 6 Grappling hook 6 Food Skeleton key (1 use) Rope (120’) Wooden toy unicorn

Spyglass

Tent, two-person

Pickaxe

Wooden labyrinth game

Perfume (6 uses)

Shovel

10 min. markers 6 Hourglass, Numbing herbs (3 uses) Sewing kit

ADDITIONAL BACKPACK EQUIPMENT

Your backpack has slots for six items, but when you select your backpack equipment, you only get three items. What about the other three slots? Though you are foolish enough to be a treasure-hunter, you are not so foolish as to go unprepared. When you rummage around in your backpack and have open slots, you can pick any item from the Additional Backpack Equipment table, found in the back endpapers. CHARACTER COMBAT EQUIPMENT OPTIONS — Add 1 to your Burdens for each item you choose.

armor

1 1 Sturdy helmet 1 2 Leather gambeson 1 3 Ringmail shirt 1 4 Studded gauntlets 1 5 Full plate 1 6 Ornate cuirass 2 1 Wooden shield 2 2 Amulet of protection 2 3 Fae-crafted chainmail 2 4 Stiff wool cloak 2 5 Polished scalemail 2 6 Rusty steel shield 8 · Creating a Treasure-Hunter

weapon

3 1 Simple shortsword 3 2 Hefty cudgel 3 3 Gnarled staff 3 4 Hunting spear 3 5 Masterwork longsword 3 6 Bolt of arcane energy 4 1 Twin-bladed battleaxe 4 2 Knight’s lance 4 3 Crushing warhammer 4 4 Heavy crossbow 4 5 Barbed whip 4 6 Throwing hatchet

weapon

5 1 Set of throwing knives 5 2 Small but vicious dog 5 3 Assassin’s blowgun 5 4 Curved ritual knife 5 5 Weighted net 5 6 Hooked sickle sword 6 1 Dueling sabre 6 2 Thief catcher’s bolas 6 3 Guardian’s halberd 6 4 Spiked morningstar 6 5 Sharpened pitchfork 6 6 Jagged sawtooth blade

CHARACTER RITUAL OPTIONS — I OF III — Roll once on each page, and keep none, 1, 2, or, all 3

ritual — Effect

Creating a Treasure-Hunter • 9

PLAYER'S GUIDE

1 1 Army — create illusory copies of yourself that mimic your actions 1 2 Ashes — burn something irreplaceable to turn a creature or object to dust 1 3 Aura — ascertain a creature’s emotional state, truthfulness, and true form 1 4 Beacon — nearby hidden creatures or objects shine with a fiery glow 1 5 Beast — take a form halfway between human and animal 1 6 Bewitch — a creature will follow a simple command if given a gift 2 1 Bind — hold a creature in place for as long as you stay motionless 2 2 Blink — a creature you touch teleports to a spot you can see 2 3 Blur — touch a creature to blur their form, making their details and boundaries hard to determine 2 4 Bolt — throw a crackling arc of heat and energy 2 5 Bottle — force a spirit into an object 2 6 Brimstone — grow scorching hot to the touch 3 1 Burrow — move through the ground 3 2 Carve — alter a creature or object via sorcerous subtraction 3 3 Channel — allow a spirit to act through you 3 4 Circle — a creature within a ring of salt cannot inflict or suffer violence 3 5 Clay — use your hands to rearrange and reshape inanimate material 3 6 Clock — time in a small area moves at an unnaturally fast or slow speed 4 1 Compel — force a creature to perform a non-lethal task, or free a creature from a prior Compel 4 2 Crucible — heat a metallic object to melting 4 3 Darkness — a living shadow snuffs out all nearby light 4 4 Dazzle — distract and confuse nearby creatures with colorful moving lights 4 5 Doom — make a creature feel a sense of impending doom 4 6 Door — draw a door on a solid barrier to create a portal through it 5 1 Drain — remove all water from a creature 5 2 Dryad — stay still to transform into a tree and communicate with other trees 5 3 Elegy — appear as deceased 5 4 Emote — heighten or dampen the current emotions of all in your presence 5 5 Endure — touch a creature to allow them to withstand temperature extremes 5 6 Enliven — give flesh and breath to an effigy 6 1 Entangle — cause plants to twist and grasp, holding or slowing a creature 6 2 Ether — a touched creature or object becomes spectral and intangible 6 3 Fantasy — observe and alter the dreams of a known creature 6 4 Fault — strike the weakest point of an object with phantasmal force 6 5 Feather — reduce the density of an object 6 6 Feral — increase the size, temper, and monstrosity of a creature you touch

CHARACTER RITUAL OPTIONS — II OF III — Roll once on each page, and keep none, 1, 2, or, all 3

PLAYER'S GUIDE

ritual — Effect

1 1 Float — hold your breath to gently levitate 1 2 Flow — shape and command bodies of water 1 3 Fountain — a forceful spring of water bursts forth from a location you touch 1 4 Future — an object disappears, then reappears a short time later in exactly the same spot 1 5 Gale — conjure and guide a mighty wind 1 6 Gardener — consume a plant to absorb some of its memories 2 1 Germinate — compel plants to furious growth 2 2 Ghoul — animate a dead body 2 3 Glamour — appear more charming and attractive 2 4 Gleam — a luminous spirit is bound to an object to project light 2 5 Guide — conjure a thread to follow 2 6 Hand — concentrate to mentally move a small object you can see 3 1 Haunt — summon a spirit to torment a creature 3 2 Hold — a sigil prevents passage through a space for a short time 3 3 Hollow — push a spirit from a body 3 4 Hospitality — maintain peace while you share food and drink 3 5 Immolate — engulf your body in flame 3 6 Inhabit — possess a creature 4 1 Inscribe — create or alter a written or carved message 4 2 Kindle — produce fire from yourself 4 3 Knock — open nearby portal that is shut 4 4 Leviathan — draw forth a creature of the deep 4 5 Liar — contact a spirit who can answer any question, but only falsely 4 6 Lift — temporarily reverse gravity in a small area 5 1 Martyr — touch a creature to transfer their Conditions to you 5 2 Mask — cover your face to remove yourself from others’ senses 5 3 Maze — the surrounding environment warps into a labyrinth with you at the center 5 4 Medium — surface thoughts of nearby creatures enter and overwhelm a target 5 5 Messenger — send a message via a creature 5 6 Mirage — create an illusion that is obviously fake only on close inspection 6 1 Mirror — take on the form of a known creature 6 2 Nightwalk — move untraceably through darkness 6 3 Numb — reduce sensation within a creature 6 4 Obscure — hide a creature or object from the view of one other creature 6 5 Orchard — conjure a few dozen apples, some poisonous 6 6 Parse — divine the meaning of any word, writing, sound, sign, or symbol 10 · Creating a Treasure-Hunter

CHARACTER RITUAL OPTIONS — III OF III — Roll once on each page, and keep none, 1, 2, or, all 3

ritual — Effect

Creating a Treasure-Hunter • 11

PLAYER'S GUIDE

1 1 Provoke — force an opponent to make a choice: freeze, fight, or flee 1 2 Rebirth — force a known spirit to be reborn in a new body 1 3 Repel — push away a creature with spiritual force 1 4 Rewind — slightly push a creature back in time 1 5 Rubber — the body of a touched creature becomes elastic and can stretch beyond normal limits 1 6 Rustle — an illusory sound of your choosing appears to come from somewhere nearby 2 1 Scale — double or halve the size of an object you touch 2 2 Scent — navigate a space by smell alone, or follow the scent trail of a known creature 2 3 Scramble — touch a creature to make them forget their known rituals until the next sunrise 2 4 Scry — observe a location in spirit form 2 5 Sever — you can detach and reattach a body part, and still control it while removed 2 6 Shell — your skin grows a tough outer layer which acts as armor 3 1 Shroud — as long as they remain motionless, a group of creatures are hidden from others’ senses 3 2 Silence — deafen all nearby for a short amount of time 3 3 Siphon — detect and extract poison from food, water, or a creature 3 4 Sleep — send a creature into a deep slumber 3 5 Smite — strike with a spiritual weapon 3 6 Spark — touch to revive a newly dead creature, a second touch—even accidental—kills instantly 4 1 Statue — touch a creature, object, or surface to turn it to stone 4 2 Steed — summon a spectral mount which can walk on air and water 4 3 Summon — draw a known creature to you 4 4 Swarm — trade favors with a colony of vermin 4 5 Switch — touch to swap bodies with another 4 6 Tadpole — keep your own mouth closed to allow a creature to breathe, regardless of environment 5 1 Tripwire — a predefined illusory scene is triggered by an event of your choosing 5 2 Unravel — pull the threads of a Ritual to uncast it, and recast it somewhere else 5 3 Vapor — a noxious cloud fills a small area 5 4 Voice — alter your voice or make it come from somewhere nearby 5 5 Void — remain silent to prevent the casting of any Ritual in your presence 5 6 Wail — produce a disorienting sound 6 1 Wall — create a dense wall of fire, ice, stone, thorns, or water 6 2 Ward — stay concentrating to protect a small area 6 3 Web — produce webbing to cover a creature or reach something nearby 6 4 Wither — reduce plants to ash and rot 6 5 Writhe — transform sticks and branches into serpents which follow your command 6 6 Yoke — apply the strength of a spectral bull to a situation

PLAYER'S GUIDE

How to Play

After you create your treasure-hunter, you are ready to start playing Trophy Gold. Your gm will start by describing the game as a whole, setting expectations for the session, and making sure everyone understands the safety tools used in the game. After that, they’ll share the incursion you will play. Incursions are themed adventures with structure organized around Sets: think of these like the stage sets of a theater performance, complete with props and other things you can interact with. Each Set has a Goal, which the players learn about upon entering the Set and which drives the actions of the players and their treasure-hunters. During gameplay, the gm explains the rules as they are needed—specifically how you can use your treasure-hunter’s Skills and Rituals to make dice rolls, and how those rolls impact your Ruin, Burdens, Gold, Conditions, and the story. This chapter details the game’s dice rolls, as well as the principles and safety tools you should use to be an active and thoughtful member of your gaming group. 12 · How to Play

Player Principles

Principles are your guidelines for playing Trophy Gold. Whenever you feel stuck about what you should do, look to these three principles and try to match your actions to them.

Play to win. Play like your character’s life depends on it, because in this game, it likely does. Use your wits, and when you have to fight, fight dirty. Play to lose. Your luck will run out at some point. Embrace your end, and make it memorable.

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PLAYER'S GUIDE

Be curious. Both as a player and as the character you are playing, you are an explorer. Ask questions of the gm as well as your fellow players. Probe your surroundings: open doors, look behind statues, shine a torch down the dark hallway. Pay attention to the details you’re given.

Rolling the Dice

Trophy Gold consists of five different rolls described on the following pages. The rolls call for dark dice or light dice, so each player should have a handful of six-sided dice in two different colors. Only players make these rolls. The gm only uses dice for rolling on random tables.

PLAYER'S GUIDE

HUNT ROLL The Hunt Roll is the beating heart of Trophy Gold. Nearly all other actions in the game flow out of it. It’s common to move immediately from the result of a Hunt Roll into a Combat Roll or Risk Roll. The purpose of the Hunt Roll is two-fold: to learn about the world, and to collect a meta-game currency called Hunt Tokens, detailed below. When you press ever deeper in pursuit of a specific and immediate goal (either the Set Goal, or a separate goal you define with the gm), say how you are exploring your environment, then gather 6-sided dice.

6 Take a light die just for exploring the world and asking the gm questions about it. 6 Take another light die if you have a Skill or piece of equipment that would make your hunt easier. You only get one light die, even if multiple Skills or pieces of equipment apply.

Roll the dice. If your highest die is a: 1: You lose all your Hunt Tokens and encounter something terrible. Only the player rolling loses their tokens, since tokens are gained and lost individually. 2–3: You encounter something terrible. 4–5: You gain one Hunt Token, but you also encounter something terrible. 6: You gain one Hunt Token. The gm will provide answers to your exploration independent of the result of your roll. The quality of the answers and level of detail you receive correspond to the quality and specificity of your questions, not how well you roll. The immediacy and danger of the terrible thing you encounter scales based on the highest die roll. A 1–3 means the encounter is present and threatening, such as a monster or trap. A 4–5 means the encounter is further away or not obviously dangerous, such as an ominous sound or the sudden appearance of a mysterious stranger. HUNT TOKENS

Hunt Tokens are a meta-game currency that allow players some narrative control. 1 token can be spent to find a treasure worth 1 Gold. Spending 3 tokens allows the treasure-hunter to achieve a goal. This is usually a Set Goal, but can be any goal, as long as the players and gm agree. Tokens are gained and lost individually, but can be pooled to use as a group. If a treasure-hunter dies, their tokens can be claimed as Gold by their companions. 14 · How to Play

RISK ROLL The Risk Roll is used for any other dangerous situation where you’re not directly exploring the world or engaging in combat. It also creates space for other players and the gm to suggest story details, and offers the gm story fodder for future scenes. Anyone—especially the player rolling—can veto any elements they don’t want to see in the game. When you attempt a risky task, say what you hope will happen, and ask the gm and the other players what could possibly go wrong. Then gather dice.

6 Take a light die if the task is something you are skilled at because of your Occupation or

6 Take a light die for accepting a Devil’s Bargain from another player or the gm. Devil’s

Bargains are complications that happen no matter the outcome of the roll. You can only accept one Devil’s Bargain. See the next page for more information about Devil’s Bargains.

6 Add a dark die if you are risking your mind or body to attempt the task. You must include this die whenever you perform a Ritual, or if the gm declares that it applies.

Roll the dice. If your highest die is a: 1–3: You fail, and things get worse. The gm describes how, which may or may not be connected to one of the ideas offered when you asked what could go wrong. The gm may also allow you to succeed, but things will get worse in some other way. 4–5: You succeed, but there’s some kind of complication. The gm describes the complication, then you describe how you succeed, or vice versa. The complication may be connected to one of the ideas offered when you asked what could go wrong, but it doesn’t have to be. 6: You succeed. Describe how, or ask the gm to describe it. If your highest die is a dark die, and the dark die is higher than your current Ruin, mark 1 Ruin. When you mark your last Ruin, you are lost—see Losing Yourself on page 20.

6 If you are unhappy with your roll and your highest die is a light die, you may add a dark die

to your dice pool and re-roll them all. You may keep adding a dark die and re-rolling until you’re satisfied with your result or until your highest die is a dark die.

the forest’s rule: rule : When dark and light dice are tied, the dark die is considered the highest.

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PLAYER'S GUIDE

Background, or that is made somehow easier due to a piece of equipment you have. You only get one light die here, even if multiple Skills or pieces of equipment apply. If you don’t have any relevant Skills or equipment, then you cannot take this die.

DEVIL’S BARGAINS

Treasure-hunters laugh at danger, fueled by the folly of their pride. But failure nips at their heels, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When you gather dice to make a Risk Roll, the gm or any other player can offer you a bonus light die if you accept a Devil’s Bargain from them. Common Devil’s Bargains include: Causing collateral damage or unintended harm

PLAYER'S GUIDE

Getting lost or separated from your companions

Risk Roll

Sacrificing an item or piece of treasure

SAY WHAT YOU HOPE WILL HAPPEN Ask the gm and the other players what could go wrong.

GATHER YOUR DICE Take a light die if the task is something you are skilled at because of either your Occupation or your Background, or if you have useful equipment. Take a light die for accepting a Devil’s Bargain from another player or the gm. Take a dark die if you are risking your mind or body. You must include this die whenever you perform a Ritual or if the gm says you must.

ROLL ALL THE DICE AND COMPARE Did you roll a dark die equal to or higher than the highest light die in your roll? YES

RUIN

RISK

Is the dark die higher than your current Ruin?

Are you willing to risk your mind or body for a better result?

YES

RE-ROLL

Mark 1 Ruin.

Add a dark die.

READ THE HIGHEST DIE 1–3 You fail, and things get worse. The gm describes how. The gm may also allow you to succeed, but things will get worse in some other way. 4–5 You succeed, but there’s a complication. The gm describes the complication, then you describe how you succeed, or vice versa. 6 You succeed. Describe how, or ask the gm.

16 · How to Play

Betraying a fellow treasure-hunter Attracting unwanted attention The Devil’s Bargain occurs regardless of the outcome of the roll. You make the deal, pay the price, and get the bonus die. The Devil’s Bargain is always a free choice. If you don’t like one, just reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it). Anyone may veto or suggest alterations to a proposed Devil’s Bargain, especially if it would also impact their treasure-hunter. You may only offer and accept Devil’s Bargains when making a Risk Roll. To streamline play during particularly tense moments (such as when using a Risk Roll while in combat), the gm may choose to allow only a single Devil’s Bargain to be offered. They can pick the player to make the offer, or may simply make the offer themselves.

COMBAT ROLL When you attempt to defeat a monster, you combine efforts with your fellow treasure-hunters.

6 First say how you expose yourself to injury or attack, then roll one light die. The number on

the die is called your Weak Point, and represents the risks you’re taking to face the monster. If multiple characters are involved, each rolls their own die.

6 Now gather a dark die for each character involved in the attack. Say what weapons you’re using against the monster, then roll all the dark dice together.

If the total of the two highest dark dice is equal to or higher than the Endurance, the monster is defeated in the manner you and your fellow players describe. You may now collect any Gold from the monster—see Gold on page 20. If any of the dark dice equals your Weak Point, your character’s Ruin increases by 1 for each dark die matching the Weak Point. You can choose to mark a piece of your armor to ignore all Ruin increases for your treasure-hunter during a single roll. Describe how your armor absorbs the hit to protect you. Marked armor is unusable until you safely return to town. At this point, if a player wants their treasure-hunter to retreat, that player must hand their Weak Point light die over to another player, who now suffers if either their original Weak Point number or the new number comes up during a re-roll of the dark dice. If both light dice show the same number, the treasure-hunter must re-roll one of the dice to get a different number. A treasure-hunter who retreats in this manner can do so without triggering a Risk Roll or any other consequences for themself. The number of dark dice rolled never goes down, even when a treasure-hunter leaves the fight.

6 If the two highest dark dice are less than the monster’s Endurance and you wish to continue

the attack, add one more dark die and re-roll all the dark dice. You may keep adding a dark die and re-rolling until you defeat the monster, or until all treasure-hunters give up the fight or die. Keep in mind that each re-roll increases the odds of your own Ruin going up. Retreating as a group from an incomplete fight may trigger Risk Rolls or other consequences.

RISK ROLLS IN COMBAT

Rather than participating directly in the Combat Roll, you can attempt to weaken the monster by making a Risk Roll. Say how you’re trying to weaken the monster, then make a Risk Roll as normal. If your roll succeeds (highest die of 4, 5, or 6), you reduce the monster’s Endurance by 1. If you are using a Ritual as a part of your Risk Roll, see Rituals in Combat on the next page. Using a Ritual can potentially reduce the monster’s Endurance by 2 (instead of just 1), but comes with the risk of being totally taken out of the Combat on a failed roll. How to Play • 17

PLAYER'S GUIDE

To defeat a monster (or group of monsters), you must roll against the monster’s Endurance, which is a number between 2 and 12. The gm may reduce the Endurance if you have relevant Skills or are taking advantage of your equipment, environment, or any Weakness the monster has. If the Endurance would go below the number of dark dice being rolled, then no Combat Roll is required. The gm may increase the Endurance if the monster is particularly tough, if there are multiple monsters present, or if you are at a disadvantage. If the Endurance would go above 12, the monster is too difficult to fight and you must retreat or find a way to reduce the monster’s Endurance.

RANGED WEAPONS IN COMBAT

Ranged weapons—such as bows, crossbows, slings, and thrown weapons—can be treated as any other weapon when used in combat. However, ranged weapons may be used to reduce a monster’s Endurance by putting your ammunition—and the use of your weapon—at risk. Ranged weapons start with 3 slots of ammunition. Make a Risk Roll to reduce Endurance as normal, but instead of Devil’s Bargains, add a light die for each unmarked slot of ammunition you’re willing to risk. For each light die that comes up a 1, 2, or 3, mark a slot of ammunition. When you have no more unmarked slots, you can no longer use this weapon. You can spend 1 Gold back in town to clear all marks on a single ranged weapon.

PLAYER'S GUIDE

RITUALS IN COMBAT

Rituals may be used two different ways in combat. Before the Combat Roll, declare whether you’re using your magic to attempt to weaken the monster, or directly attack it. For weakening, you may not directly participate in the Combat Roll. Instead, make a Risk Roll as usual. In addition to the normal impact of the Risk Roll, if your highest die is a: 1–3: You don’t reduce the monster’s Endurance, and you also suffer some kind of consequence. This might be exhaustion, magical backlash, a monster attack, or something else that prevents you from engaging in the Combat Roll. You may continue to use other kinds of rolls to aid in combat, however. 4–5: You reduce the monster’s Endurance by 1. 6: You reduce the monster’s Endurance by 2. For a direct attack, you may be able to treat your Ritual as a weapon, rolling a Weak Point and Combat Roll dice as usual. This is an especially risky use of magic, however, and the gm may require you to make a Risk Roll before using your Ritual this way.

HELP ROLL If another player is making a Risk Roll that includes at least one dark die, you may offer help to improve their odds of success—either before or after they roll.

6 If they accept your offer, say how you expose yourself to danger and roll one light die. They may include your light die’s result when considering their overall success. But if your light die’s result matches any of the dark dice in their roll, mark 1 Ruin. When you mark your last Ruin, you are lost—see Losing Yourself on the next page. You can only mark a maximum of 1 Ruin when helping on a roll. This is particularly relevant when a player re-rolls a Risk Roll. The helping player doesn’t re-roll their light die. However, you still mark 1 Ruin if any re-rolled dice show the same number as your light die (provided you haven’t marked 1 Ruin already due to this roll). More than one player may offer to help, in which case each player rolls their own light die. The helped player can incorporate all of the light dice into their own Risk Roll.

18 · How to Play

CONTEST ROLL The Contest Roll manages situations where treasure-hunters act against each other. Sometimes multiple treasure-hunters are competing to be the first to a piece of treasure, are trying to achieve their own individual aims in opposition to their party members, or are aiming to inflict harm on one another. To engage in a contest, first agree on what’s at stake. Then each competing player gathers dice:

6 Take one light die if the contest is something you are skilled at because of your Occupation

or Background, or that is made somehow easier due to a piece of equipment you have. You only get one light die here, even if multiple Skills or pieces of equipment apply. you get 4 light dice. This is the haunted world giving you an advantage commensurate with how much it has dug its claws into you.

6 Take one dark die if the contest itself is inherently deadly or dangerous. 6 Take as many additional dark dice as you are willing to risk. Count all 6s you roll. Whoever has the most 6s wins the contest. In case of a tie, count 5s, then 4s, then 3s, then 2s, then 1s, until a winner is determined. For each dark die in your roll that shows a 1, mark 1 Ruin. When you mark your last Ruin, you are lost—see Losing Yourself on the next page.

CONDITIONS Conditions are physical and mental transformations you undergo as a result of your dangerous explorations. You may suffer a Condition as a result of increasing your Ruin, but you may also gain a Condition for narrative reasons. Some Conditions may even be beneficial. When you would take a Condition, the gm will offer suggestions for what the specific effect will be, but you can work with them to determine exactly how you are affected. Conditions are often tied to the theme of the specific incursion you’re playing or are related to the specific abilities of the monster you’re fighting. For example, you might take this Condition while facing a medusa: Turning to Stone — It is difficult to move your body quickly as your limbs begin to slowly petrify. If a treasure-hunter has a Condition that would make a normal task more difficult, the gm may ask them to make a Risk Roll in order to do it. Likewise, if a treasure-hunter has a Condition that would make a risky task more difficult, the gm may ask them to include an extra dark die in their Risk Roll beyond any dark dice already included as a part of the roll. Conditions can worsen over time (which may lead to additional Conditions), and may have other fictional consequences at the gm’s discretion. A single Condition can be cleared by spending 1 Gold back in town. All Conditions are cleared every time you make it back to town if you take on the Burden of a Household—see the next page for more information.

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PLAYER'S GUIDE

6 Take one light die for each mark of Ruin you currently have. For example, if you have 4 Ruin,

LOSING YOURSELF When you mark your last Ruin—meaning all 6 Ruin boxes are marked—you lose yourself to the wilds that have been growing inside you. You choose whether you become a monster in service to the forces of nature (and the whims of the gm), or whether you simply die. This is an important moment: Everyone focuses on your last actions before you run screaming into the shadows, turn violently against your fellow treasure-hunters, or take your final breath.

PLAYER'S GUIDE

The gm may allow you to take on a co-gm role, helping describe the terrors of the world— especially any terrors that directly connect to your now-lost treasure-hunter.

Gold

Gold—the abstract measure of worth of the treasure you collect—comes in many forms: from the obviously valuable artifacts you recover, to the rare and mysterious minerals, herbs, and animal parts found in the depths of Kalduhr. Collect enough Gold, and you might even be able to retire from this life of hardship and fund the thing that drives you. But until that day, you have debts to pay off: to those who loan you gear for your trips out to the ruins, and for the place you rest your head back in town. Gold can be found in one of three ways: Uncovered naturally during the course of the incursion. These treasures were placed in advance by the gm or the incursion designer. Found “spontaneously,” by spending a Hunt Token. Each token is worth a treasure worth 1 Gold. Harvested from a defeated monster. Roll a number of dice equal to the final Endurance the monster was defeated at. Any 6s rolled are worth 1 Gold, and might represent the hide, organs, essences, or treasure carried by the monster. Work with the gm to decide what you actually harvest.

BURDENS & SPENDING GOLD When you embark on a hunt for treasure, you are making a commitment. You must recover a certain amount of Gold to pay off your sizable debts, or you will die penniless and alone. These are called your Burdens. You start the game with 1 Burden, plus an additional Burden for each piece of Combat Equipment you choose to start with, reflecting the cost of upkeep for such specialized gear. You may take on additional Burdens over the course of the game: Household: Access to a higher quality of life automatically heals you of 1 Ruin and clears all Conditions when you return home. Library: You have acquired a few small spellbooks you can carry with you on your journey. Studying them unlocks new Rituals, at a cost of 1 Burden per Ritual. Training: You have a mentor training you in the use of a new Skill. Each Skill you acquire costs 1 Burden. 20 · How to Play

Your total Burdens is your cost for going on an incursion. If you don’t return to town with Gold equal to or greater than your number of Burdens, you lose. You overextended yourself, you promised your patrons too much, and you end up in debtor’s prison or worse. Your treasurehunter is no longer playable and you must make a new one. If, however, you return with an overabundance of Gold, you can spend it or stash it. You can put it towards: Carousing: Spend 1 Gold in town to get access to useful information before beginning an incursion. Useful information includes rumors, maps, and a named monster’s Weakness. Equipment: Spend 1 Gold in town to open up a single crossed-out slot in your backpack.

Hoard: Stash Gold in your Hoard to get closer to achieving your Drive. Once you have stashed 50 Gold in your Hoard, you achieve your Drive and can retire your character. Once stashed, Gold can never be removed from the Hoard. Treasure-hunters always start a new incursion with 0 Gold. If a treasure-hunter has any Gold remaining after an incursion, they must spend it or stash it before going out again.

Hirelings

It’s dangerous to enter the ruined places of the world on your own. Even a small party may find it wise to recruit a specialist who can provide additional talents, for a fee of course. Hirelings function similar to other treasure-hunters, but are controlled by the gm. Hirelings have their own Skills, equipment, and Rituals. They also have their own Burdens. To hire a hireling, you must take on their Burdens, which may be shared amongst multiple treasure-hunters. These Burdens are temporary: they only last for the length of the incursion the hireling was hired for. The standard hireling has 2 Burdens and the following traits: 2 Skills 2 pieces of equipment (any combination of combat and backpack equipment) 3 Ruin For each additional Skill, piece of equipment, or Ritual, increase their Burdens by 1. For each reduction of their Ruin (down to 1), increase their Burdens by 1. Anyone taking on a share of the hireling’s Burdens may use any of the hireling’s traits as if they were their own. Hirelings can join Combat Rolls as a full participant, and can make other rolls on their own. If the hireling dies, the treasure-hunters who took on a share of their Burdens permanently increase their Burdens by their share, as a form of payment to the hireling’s family or other sort of memorial cost. How to Play • 21

PLAYER'S GUIDE

Healing: Spend 1 Gold in town to heal yourself of 1 Ruin.

Equipment BACKPACK EQUIPMENT

PLAYER'S GUIDE

Your treasure-hunter starts out with a backpack filled with strange and useful equipment. Each backpack has slots for six items. You start with three predetermined items from the Backpack Equipment table, leaving you three open slots. Open slots can be used to pull out additional equipment as you need it; when you do this, you can pick any item on the Additional Backpack Equipment table, found in the back endpapers. It’s assumed you have flint and steel, and enough food and drink. However, the gm can always put these items in danger as a complication or consequence of a roll. You can replenish these items without cost by successfully making it back to town. Some items have quantities or a number of uses listed in parentheses. Keep track of these. When you use up or lose an item (including an item from your starting Backpack Equipment), cross it off. Spend 1 Gold back at town to turn that into an open slot.

COMBAT EQUIPMENT The type of equipment needed to face the things that lurk in the hidden parts of the world doesn’t come cheaply. You must increase your starting Burdens by 1 for each piece of Combat Equipment you bring with you on an incursion. If you lose a piece of Combat Equipment on an incursion, you still need to pay your Burden for it when you return to town. However, you can then remove it from your character sheet and reduce your Burdens for your next incursion.

FOUND EQUIPMENT Items found while on an incursion can be carried on your person without taking up slots in your backpack. Record these under your Found Equipment. If you find a weapon or piece of armor, you can keep it and use it during the incursion. If you decide to keep it beyond that, it increases your treasure-hunter’s Burdens for the next incursion. Most Found Equipment can be sold back in town for 1 Gold. Some rare or magical items may be worth more to the right buyer. To sell such an item, roll 3 light dice. The lowest value is how much Gold it’s worth. Once an item’s worth has been determined, you cannot attempt to resell it to another vendor in town for more. You can re-roll if you try in another town, however.

Bestiary

In addition to the individual character sheet for your treasure-hunter, the party keeps a shared log of all the monsters they’ve faced. This is called the Bestiary, and it persists even when individual treasure-hunters do not. It may even outlive the party. The gm never names monsters in the incursions, even though names are provided. Instead, the party collectively gives each monster a name which gets recorded in the Bestiary. Once it has a name, the treasure-hunters can do research on the monster back in town, spending Gold to learn the monster’s Weakness or other facts about it to aid in defeating it. Download Bestiary sheets at trophyrpg.com. 22 · How to Play

Campaign Sheets

Some groups may wish to expand their characters’ connections to the world through the use of optional Campaign Sheets. These are additional documents which provide more information about the character and help develop their bonds, belongings, and talents unique to the type of campaign being played. For a classic game of treasure-hunters exploring ruins and returning to town, you can use the Hearthfire Campaign Sheet. Future Trophy Gold supplements will provide other Campaign Sheets. Before deciding to use a Campaign Sheet, check with the gm to be sure the sheet aligns with the overall campaign concept.

Hearthfire builds on the existing “return to town” system of Trophy Gold by adding elements that give that part of the game more narrative significance. Using Hearthfire, you’ll be able to explore the treasure-hunters’ backstories and motivations, learn more about the town they call home, and get a better understanding of their day-to-day lives when they’re not exploring the dark and forgotten places of the world. Hearthfire, like all Campaign Sheets, is entirely optional—Trophy Gold works just fine without it. However, using Hearthfire will make your story more nuanced, more textured, and more emotional; it will add depth to the treasurehunters’ exploits, making their victories sweeter and their failures more agonizing. The Hearthfire Campaign Sheet tells you everything you need to know when your treasurehunter returns to town. When you want to take one of the actions detailed on the sheet, such as Carousing, Healing, or buying Equipment, simply read and follow the instructions for that section. The sheet also functions as a rough outline for thinking about who your character is and what their life is like in town. Use it as inspiration for thinking about your treasure-hunter in a deeper way. The following sections provide guidance for each section of the Hearthfire Campaign Sheet. HOARD

The purpose of the Hoard section is to show a treasure-hunter’s backstory, what Drives them, and how far they are willing to go to get what they want. Bonuses given by a chosen prompt, such as extra dice or cleared Conditions, can only be used once. The final prompt on the list is optional, meaning a player never has to mark it, even if all the other prompts are marked. The player should continue adding Gold to their Hoard after all the Hoard prompts are marked or if they choose to leave the last one unmarked when the others are marked. A note about Gold and the Hoard: Gold is an abstraction of a character’s money, resources, and opportunities. 1 Gold may represent (among many other things) a sack of copper coins, a handful of uncut gems, or favors owed to a treasure-hunter by the local constabulary. In Trophy Gold, we don’t concern ourselves with the granular details of wealth, such as specific coinage; rather, we care whether, broadly-speaking, a treasure-hunter can meet their obligations, no matter how they have to do it. Likewise, the Hoard is an abstraction of how close the treasure-hunter is to achieving their Drive. It’s true they are literally stashing money away into a hiding spot, but it’s more accurate to view the Hoard mechanic as a progress clock: ”This is how close my character is to achieving their Drive.” We assume the treasure-hunters are regularly dipping into their stash in order to pay for the day-to-day necessities of life, adding to it here and there whenever they’re able to, and so on, even if we never see these actions in our story. How to Play • 23

PLAYER'S GUIDE

HEARTHFIRE

When the last Hoard prompt is chosen, this is the treasure-hunter saying to the cosmos: “I care more about my personal safety and comfort than accomplishing my goal.” In other words, the treasure-hunter has given up on completing their Drive, even if they can’t admit it to themselves. Indeed, even after this prompt is chosen, the treasure-hunter continues to stash money away: the gods may have conspired to make it impossible for them to achieve their Drive, but they aren’t yet aware of that fact—and never will be.

PLAYER'S GUIDE

HOUSEHOLD

This section gives players a chance to reveal their treasure-hunter’s personality in the way their Household is described and by the mementos they collect from incursions. Players don’t have to detail the mementos they keep until they use the Household to heal Ruin or clear Conditions. When the time comes, they simply think of something their character might have taken—even if it’s an object that was never mentioned in play. The gm has final say whether it would be plausible for the item described to have been taken. Mementos mostly serve as flavor for the story, but can be used by a treasure-hunter in any way that seems plausible. LIBRARY

The purpose of this section is to show the difficulties and complications that come with attempting to master powerful magicks. TRAINING

This section is meant to add narrative heft to the process of acquiring new Skills, as well as introducing mentor characters that may play an important role in the treasure-hunter’s life. gms should look for opportunities to incorporate mentors into future scenes and scenarios. CAROUSING

Rollicking, fun-filled scenes in a tavern are a staple of fantasy fiction. People need to let their hair down from time to time, even in the bleak world of Trophy Gold. The purpose of this section is to add a bit of fun to tavern scenes and to get players invested (possibly literally so) in their favorite local watering hole. EQUIPMENT

Shopkeepers acting as quest-givers is another staple of fantasy fiction. The purpose of this section is to show a shopkeeper character gradually warming-up to a treasure-hunter, eventually trusting them enough to get them involved with whatever secret they are harboring. The gm should be thinking about the shopkeeper’s secret as the campaign progresses, so that when the time comes, they’re ready to present a fun side quest for the treasure-hunters to go on (or possibly a whole incursion, depending on the scope and gravity of the shopkeeper’s secret). HEALING

The purpose of this section is to reveal the treasure-hunter’s personality by showing aspects of their private life. FUNERAL

The purpose of this section is to show the ways a treasure-hunter honors their fallen comrades.

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HOARD

HOUSEHOLD

Stash Gold in your Hoard to get closer to achieving your Drive and retiring. Complete both of the following the first time you do so: Answer: Where do you keep your hoard so no one can find it? Narrate a flashback of the moment you adopted your Drive.

Access to a higher quality of life automatically heals you of 1 Ruin and all Conditions when you return home. When you establish a Household, increase your Burdens by 1, then complete both of the following: Answer: What kind of structure is your Household? A small cottage? A decrepit temple you are lovingly restoring? A series of tunnels belonging to the local thieves’ guild? Something else?

Each time thereafter, mark any unmarked item from the list below. Narrate a flashback of your favorite childhood memory. Answer: Which Sister have you dedicated yourself to and how do you thank her for her help? The next time you show thanks to her during an incursion, clear one mental Condition. Answer: You’ve seen a sign or an omen about what’s to come. What is it? Take an extra light die on one Hunt Roll or Risk Roll if you describe how the sign or omen is manifesting in the scene.

Ask the other players: Which memento from our journeys can be found in my Household? Note the answers on the lines below. Each time thereafter you use the Household to clear Conditions or heal Ruin, write down a memento you kept from the incursion.

Answer: What in town regularly reminds you of your Drive? Answer: How does your appearance reflect your obsession with your Drive? Narrate a flashback showing how you secretly betrayed the party in order to satisfy your Drive. Add 2 extra Gold to your Hoard. Optional: Instead of adding Gold to your Hoard, remove any amount you wish (this can be done in order to satisfy Burdens or any other action on this sheet). The gm will narrate a scene showing why you will never satisfy your Drive.

CAROUSING Spend 1 Gold in town to get a piece of useful information (such as a rumor, map, or a named monster’s Weakness) before the incursion. Each time you do so, mark the first unmarked option and do as instructed: Ask one player for an adjective, and ask another for a noun. Combine them for the name of your favorite tavern in town. Describe the “high quality” meal you order at your favorite tavern. Ask the other players to describe how you have it all wrong, and how the fare at your favorite tavern is substandard. Answer: In what ways have you personalized your favorite tavern or otherwise made it feel like a second home? Optional: Spend 3 Gold for an ownership stake in your favorite tavern. You now get two pieces of useful information when you spend 1 Gold there.

EQUIPMENT Spend 1 Gold in town to open crossed-out slots in your backpack. The first time you do so: Name the shopkeeper and work with the gm to define their secret. The secret can be anything—a magical item they have in their possession, a lucrative opportunity they’re aware of, an estranged family member they want to find—so long as it’s something you might be interested in. Write the secret on the line below. Each time thereafter, mark a box. When all the boxes are marked, the gm will present a side quest related to the shopkeeper’s secret.

PLAYER'S GUIDE

Narrate a flashback of a triumph related to your Background. Narrate a flashback of a triumph related to your Occupation. Narrate a present day scene showing how you’re getting closer to achieving your Drive. Add 2 extra Gold to your Hoard.

TRAINING You have a mentor training you in a new Skill. Each Skill you acquire costs 1 Burden. Each time you do so, complete all of the following: • Name your mentor and describe an incident they are famous for. • Narrate a short montage showing how you learned the Skill after days, weeks, or months of training. • Narrate why your mentor or your new Skill increases your Burdens. Are you taking care of your mentor in some way? Does your Skill require specialized equipment? Something else?

LIBRARY You have acquired a few old spellbooks. Studying them unlocks new Rituals, at a cost of 1 Burden per Ritual. Each time you do so, pick one: • Narrate a scene showing the moment you mastered the Ritual. • Describe how mastery of the Ritual affects your appearance.

HEALING Spend 1 Gold in town to heal yourself of 1 Ruin. Alternatively, you can mark an item from the list below and do what it says to heal yourself of 1 Ruin. You cannot choose an option that is already marked, and you can only heal 1 Ruin in this way before returning to an incursion. Narrate a scene showing how you satisfy your physical desires when in town. Narrate a scene showing a private side of you few others see. Narrate a scene showing a truly beautiful place in or near town.

FUNERAL If a treasure-hunter is killed on an incursion, any player with a treasurehunter still alive should describe how their character memorializes their fallen comrade. If the fallen treasure-hunter has a Household, the players of the survivors can take a memento from it and add it to their own Household or Found Equipment. TROPHYRPG.COM

Download Hearthfire sheets and other materials at trophyrpg.com. How to Play • 25

Safety Tools

PLAYER'S GUIDE

When playing any game, always remember that people come to the table with their own experiences, traumas, and perceptions. Make a habit of requesting or seeking consent for things that may be uncomfortable. Sometimes, content enters a game that causes problems for players despite everyone’s best intentions. There are many great safety toolkits available, but we recommend Script Change by Beau Jágr Sheldon (briebeau.com/scriptchange), as it contains tools specifically for navigating difficult content and uses terms that will be familiar to most people. Script Change comes with four core safety tools: Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Frame-by-Frame. The gm should explain that anyone can say these terms at any time to:

PAUSE Pause the game to take a break from an intense scene, or to discuss or clarify what is happening in the story.

REWIND Rewind the story back to a point before a piece of content entered the scene. The group can then narrate a different course of action to avoid the thing that caused the rewind.

FAST-FORWARD Fast-Forward over something they don’t want to dwell on in the story, or to simply move time forward.

FRAME-BY-FRAME Frame-by-Frame through a scene they want to approach with care. This slows the story down so everyone can pause where needed and check in with each other. Lastly, take some time after the game to debrief and check in with each other. This can be a chance to reflect and discuss anything hard that’s still sticking with you, or just highlight moments of description or roleplay that you loved. No matter what, remember that no game is more important than the people playing it. Take care of yourselves and each other.

26 · How to Play

Game Master’s Guide

Running the Game

Before You Start GM’S GUIDE

PITCH THE GAME Trophy Gold is thematically and mechanically different from a lot of other fantasy roleplaying games, so it’s especially important to make sure the game master (gm) pitches it appropriately. It won’t be the right kind of fun for all groups, and that’s okay. The key things to focus on are: The game is highly collaborative and improvisational. Players have a lot of say over the world itself and can introduce story elements that no one—not even the gm—was expecting. The game runs best when everyone feels comfortable offering up their ideas. The players and characters have different knowledge. The gm is encouraged to tell the players what the goals are for each Set, even though information might be hidden from the characters. This introduces dramatic irony, and takes advantage of the fact that, in a roleplaying game, we have dual roles: participant and audience. This also allows the players to all be driven toward complementary actions, and helps the game feel more like a writers’ room, where everyone tells the story together. For a short introduction to the game, you can use the following: Trophy Gold is a game about desperate treasure-hunters entering a forest or other haunted space that doesn’t want them there. MEDIA TOUCHSTONES

If you want to compare Trophy Gold to other forms of media, here are some inspirations and related books, films, television shows, and games. Dark Souls (2011 video game)

Mythago Wood (1984 novel)

Elden Ring (2022 video game)

Old Gods of Appalachia (2019 podcast)

Game of Thrones (2011 tv show)

The Silt Verses (2021 podcast)

The Green Knight (2021 film)

The Witch (2015 film)

A Field in England (2013 film)

The Witcher (2019 tv show)

28 · Running the Game

GATHER SUPPLIES You need one gm to moderate the game and portray the dangers of the world, and one or more players to portray the treasure-hunters (2–4 is ideal). A game of Trophy Gold—called an incursion—plays in a few sessions of about 3–4 hours. The gm doesn’t typically roll dice, but may want a few for rolling on random inspiration tables. Each player should have: A handful of six-sided dice in two different colors (referred to as light dice and dark dice) A copy of the character sheet A pencil (for in-person games) You can find copies of the character sheet at trophyrpg.com. There, you will also find Trophy Gold play-throughs and other resources to help facilitate your game.

SET EXPECTATIONS

Describe the game. Trophy Gold is a game about desperate treasure-hunters entering a forest or other haunted space that doesn’t want them there. Describe the aim. You will play treasure-hunters motivated by a near-impossible goal to seek out riches in the forgotten places of the world. You are not heroes, but entitled pillagers there to secure your wants and needs. Your desperate state encourages you to take dangerous risks, and you will often put yourself in harm’s way to try to better your circ*mstances. Describe the tone. The tone of Trophy Gold is risky and driven. You may encounter conflict or tension between treasure-hunters, but more often you will be facing dangers from monsters or the environment itself. Describe the subject matter. This game will be r-rated. Your treasure-hunters are willing to make dangerous choices. The game will likely be violent, terrifying, and include scenes of bodily horror and loss of self-control. Call out any other particular subject matter or warnings featured in the incursion you are playing. Ask everyone at the table if there are things they want to see or don’t want to see in the game. Note these additions in a list, and keep it where everyone can see. This list should be a living document that can be added to throughout the game.

USE SAFETY TOOLS To help everyone have a good time and feel comfortable exploring the difficult topics that can sometimes be present in Trophy Gold, take a few minutes to explain the safety tools on page 26.

Running the Game • 29

GM’S GUIDE

To make sure everyone is on the same page, describe the game, aim, tone, and subject matter with everyone present. These descriptions can be read as is, or adjusted as appropriate for the particular session or group:

Game Master Principles

Principles are your guidelines for playing Trophy Gold. Gold. Whenever you feel stuck about what you should do, look to your principles and try to match your actions to them. Play to find out what happens. Even if you sit down with a pre-written incursion or adventure module, go into the game with a willingness to let the session unfold on its own terms. Address the players as their treasure-hunters. If your friend’s name is Jeff, but he’s playing a treasure-hunter called Baso, don’t say, “Jeff, what does Baso do?” or, “Jeff, what do you do?” Instead, say, “Baso, what do you do?” This helps everyone think of the players as the treasurehunters and gets each player in their own treasure-hunter’s head.

GM’S GUIDE

Address the players as co-storytellers. This is a game which thrives on collaboration. When you are looking for player input during a moment where their treasure-hunter might not be involved, address the player directly. If your friend Hannah hasn’t been a part of the action for a while, during a Risk Roll you can say, “Hannah, what do you think might go wrong here?” This helps the player know that they should be thinking outside the context of their own character knowledge in that moment and instead be thinking inside the context of the overall story. Be a fan of the treasure-hunters. This doesn’t mean you should let them win. It means you should give them challenges that make you root for them. That said, you don’t need to have all the answers. Give the players lots of chances to be creative, and then reward their creativity. Value player skill over character ability. The characters are purposefully thin. The players should make them feel real, including their own wits and clever solutions. Make the world haunted and hungry. The forest operates on its own logic. Time moves too quickly or too slowly. Paths reorient themselves. The world is alive, active, and malicious. Give even the darkness and the trees their own personalities. Use poetic details and rich descriptions to show the players how the world is out to get their treasure-hunters. Ask pointed questions and build on the answers. Players are naturally invested in things they’ve had a hand in creating. Ask players lots of questions about their treasure-hunters, and use their answers as the spark for the next fire you burn them with. Never let a good idea go to waste. When a player offers up a delicious suggestion that doesn’t make sense in the moment, keep it in your back pocket and reincorporate it later on. If a player shares a story about the emerald stag that hunts those who trespass in its woods, later in the game, when everyone but you has forgotten about it, that stag should emerge and gore their treasure-hunter. Return to the theme. Incursions are built around a theme, and a rewarding session is one that brings the theme to life. If you go afield from the incursion’s outlined story beats, you can always use the incursion’s Moments to draw attention back to the theme. When there’s no rule, apply consistent rulings. This game doesn’t have many rules. If you need to make a rule up on the spot, do so, then be fair by using that rule in all similar situations.

30 · Running the Game

GM’S GUIDE

Running the Game • 31

Anatomy of an Incursion

Classic fantasy roleplaying games are designed to be played within the structure of pre-written adventures or dungeon modules. The equivalent structure for a session of Trophy Gold is called an incursion. An incursion is a thematic skeleton for you to flesh out during the session, with an outline of details, dangers, and rewards for the treasure-hunters to encounter. The following pages present the elements found in an incursion and advice for how to use them.

THEME The theme is typically a single evocative word, such as Sleep, Water, or Masks. Every part of an incursion flows from the theme, and when you’re running an incursion, this is the thing you should always return back to.

GM’S GUIDE

INTRODUCTION The introduction is how the players are brought into the incursion. This might be information about the geography or history of the area, or a suggestion for how the treasure-hunters learned about this location. Some incursions include a poem or other evocative language to set the mood. Typically, you can just read the introduction aloud to the players.

SETS A Set is a discrete location with a clear goal. A Set could be as granular as a throne room with the goal of finding the queen’s hidden chamber, or as expansive as a whole level of a dungeon with the goal of rescuing a captive while avoiding traps and monsters. It’s important that a single Set—no matter how many rooms or physical spaces exist within it—has a unified tone and appearance. Think of it like the stage set of a theater performance—moving through it provides a single experience. All Sets have six features: Name, Overview, Goal, Moments, Props, Traps, and Treasures. Some Sets include additional elements, such as custom rolls, and frequently include monsters. NAME

The Name is just a simple label you use to track the Set on your Set Map. It could be something like “The Queen’s Throne Room” or “The Creeping Caves.” OVERVIEW

The Overview is usually a few short paragraphs which describe what the treasure-hunters see when they enter the Set. You can usually just read or paraphrase this for the players, but you should read it beforehand in case it reveals information you’d rather be kept hidden. GOAL

The Goal is the reason the treasure-hunters are in the Set. This could be to “find the hidden door” or “locate the captive.” When the treasure-hunters first enter the Set, pose the problem they’re meant to solve either by just telling them the Goal out of game, or more obliquely, if you prefer (“The queen has surely hidden herself somewhere here. How do you begin looking for her?” or “The villager abducted by the fishmen sits in a rickety wooden cage suspended 32 · Anatomy of an Incursion

over the roiling underground lake. How will you get to him?”). The treasure-hunters can spend 3 tokens collected via Hunt Rolls to immediately achieve the Goal of the current Set. MOMENTS

Moments are short scene fragments that reinforce the incursion’s theme. An incursion with the theme of Sleep might have the following Moment: “thousands of dragonflies in torpor, attached to trees and tents.” For Water, it might be “pools fill in your footprints as you lift your boots from the thick, gray mud.” Pepper Moments into your narration as needed. PROPS

Props are named for the props used in a theater performance, and are the things the characters can see and interact with: things they can touch, hide behind, use as improvised weapons, cast Rituals on, set on fire, find hidden things in, be pinned against, and so forth. They’re dusty tombs and shimmering obelisks and old bridges and sacrificial tables and ornate chandeliers. They’re the toys of the set for the players to play with, and for you to use against their treasurehunters when a roll calls for it. When the treasure-hunters first encounter a Prop, describe it with the bolded text of the Prop, and 3–4 other details (or you can ask the players to help you describe it).

Traps are the things in the set that can harm the treasure-hunters. These could be monsters or environmental hazards or actual traps—like pit traps or swinging blades. When a player rolls a 5 or less on a Hunt Roll and encounters something terrible, one of these is often the terrible thing they encounter. Keep in mind that just because they find the Trap, doesn’t mean it has harmed them yet (or in the case of monsters, it doesn’t mean the monster has noticed them yet). Finding a Trap is often very quickly followed by a Risk Roll or Combat Roll. Most Traps are associated with particular Props. TREASURES

Treasures are the strange artifacts and precious objects found while exploring. Unless otherwise listed, Treasures are always worth 1 Gold. If they are the Goal of the Set, they’re often worth 4 or more Gold. Most Treasures are associated with particular Props. The more Sets in an incursion, the longer it will take to complete. You can expect to be able to play through 2–4 sets in a 4-hour session, depending on your pace and the number of players. Keep in mind that you can distill a larger incursion into a one-shot by thoughtfully selecting which Sets you use, and by hard-framing your transitions between the Sets.

SET MAP Every incursion comes with a Set Map, which acts as a flowchart for the story and shows how the Sets connect with one another. Set Maps show these connections with arrows pointed in one direction. However, once a Set has been visited, the treasure-hunters can almost always return to the previous Set unless the Set says otherwise.

Anatomy of an Incursion • 33

GM’S GUIDE

TRAPS

MONSTERS Almost all incursions include monsters. Monsters have six features: Name, Weakness, Endurance, Description, Habits, and Defenses. NAME

This is the name given to the monster in the incursion, but it is not what the players will likely call it. In fact, when you describe a monster to the players, you should never call it by this name (unless it’s a singular monster with a proper name). Once the treasure-hunters face a monster, they will name it and record it in their Bestiary. WEAKNESS

The Weakness is something that a monster is particularly vulnerable to, such as fire or silver. If the monster’s Weakness is used against it, its Endurance is reduced (usually by 1, though the gm can reduce it by more). The only ways for the treasure-hunters to discover a monster’s Weakness are to stumble upon it in play, or to spend 1 Gold while back in town Carousing for the information beforehand.

GM’S GUIDE

ENDURANCE

The Endurance is a number between 2 and 12 (featured in the shield in the upper right corner of the monster block). The higher the number, the harder the monster is to defeat. To defeat a monster, the treasure-hunters must make a Combat Roll against it and get two dice equal to or greater than its Endurance. A monster doesn’t necessarily have to be killed to be defeated. After defeating a monster, the players roll a number of dice equal to the final Endurance the monster had when it was defeated (a defeated 8 Endurance monster would mean rolling 8 dice). Any 6s rolled are worth 1 Gold. DESCRIPTION

The Description is just a few lines on how the monster looks, sounds, smells, and so forth. HABITS

Habits are six possible attitudes, activities, or reactions a monster has. These are not the only things the monster can do, but are there to serve as inspiration. DEFENSES

Defenses are any special abilities or effects the monster has, such as petrification or a breath weapon. Monsters can have many Defenses, though most will have one or two. Many Defenses apply Conditions to treasure-hunters whenever their Ruin increases during combat.

CONCLUSION The conclusion gives ideas for what might happen next—for good or for ill—based on what happpened during the playthrough of the incursion.

34 · Anatomy of an Incursion

Additional Tips for Play

In addition to the guidance in the previous section and the rules in the Player’s Guide How to Play chapter, below are some tips for making your session the best play experience possible.

FOLLOW WHERE THE COLLABORATION LEADS An incursion gives you a lot of material to draw on, but don’t feel like you need to lock yourself into the story as it’s presented. Think of a Trophy Gold incursion like an outline rather than a script. The real story happens during the negotiation of stakes that occurs before a dice roll or how Hunt Tokens are used. When players suggest how things could go wrong, or when they offer Devil’s Bargains, or when they decide to spend Hunt Tokens, they are saying a lot about how the rest of the story is going to go and what they’re interested in doing. When you don’t emphasize the collaborative nature of the game up front, the experience tends to be one where the players simply sit back and wait for you to deliver story to them.

START IN MEDIAS RES

DON’T ROLL IF THE STAKES DON’T MATTER Outright failure doesn’t occur very frequently in Trophy Gold because of the ability to re-roll with the Risk Roll and help via the Help Roll. Look at each roll as a chance to ask, “what is the character putting on the line here?” That could be injury, magic, trust, or the attention of the forest. Find that thing and make the roll about that, or just let the player succeed without a roll.

LINGER ON THE MAGICAL AND MONSTROUS Trophy Gold is a game of dark fantasy, so take time to indulge in those moments where the dark and fantastical are at the forefront, particularly whenever a Ritual is performed and whenever a treasure-hunter reaches 6 Ruin. Rituals are dangerous, and so are typically only used when the stakes are high. Using Rituals requires negotiation between you and the player, so the game will naturally slow down as you discuss and agree how its magic manifests. And whether or not the player succeeds on their Risk Roll, don’t just let a Ritual happen: Ask the player to describe how they prepare the spell, what it looks like when they cast it, what it costs them, and how the world around them responds to the presence of magic. Likewise, slow down any time a treasure-hunter reaches 6 Ruin. This is a momentous event, both mechanically and narratively. Some players will use this as an opportunity to make a final noble sacrifice, while others will relish in the chance to take revenge on their companions. Either way, give that player the spotlight to describe their treasure-hunter’s state of mind and the haunted world’s influence on them. Additional Tips for Play • 35

GM’S GUIDE

Like any good movie or novel, the best roleplaying sessions start with the characters already in the middle of the action. Trophy Gold is no different. After the characters are created, jump right into the incursion. Don’t dwell on Drives, backstories, or even how the treasure-hunters know one another. It’s not important in the beginning—it will all be revealed during play.

The Places Between DAN FELDER

While Trophy Gold certainly works for one-shots or a few sessions in a single incursion, it really shines when used for longer-term, campaign-length play connected by expansive journeys. Journeys in Trophy Gold showcase the breathtaking wonders and terrifying horrors that lurk in the wider world. The pathways that lead to the dungeons are laden with strange sights and ancient mysteries. These discoveries serve to foreshadow future incursions and weave them together into a single tapestry.

GM’S GUIDE

Omens

Before every journey comes an Omen. It may come in a dream, from a fortune teller, or be seen by the treasure-hunters as they set out on their journey. Gms use omens to foreshadow a key element of the incursion, guiding the collaborative play. An omen might be directly linked to the theme of the incursion or it might be a new element the gm wishes to introduce. Gms may even roll for a random omen on the table below. Omens are meant to be mysterious. They need not be literally true. If these omens do not fit your incursion or setting, invent new ones as you desire. Trophy Loom is a terrific resource for creating new omens. OMENS

1 2 3 Crows — theme Betrayal 1 Cannibal A flock of crows feast on their own kind.

4 5 6 Clouds — theme Disease 1 Yellow Sickly yellow clouds squirm along the horizon.

Cat — theme Predators 2 One-Eyed A cat with one eye watches the treasure-hunters.

Key — theme Madness 2 Broken A key breaks into three pieces with jagged ends.

Webs — theme Lies 3 Black A spider’s web made of black silk.

Blood — theme Sacrifice 3 Silver A cut leaks silvery blood before turning back to red.

Egg — theme Precious Secrets 4 Hidden An egg is found abandoned, its shell cracked, yolk

Worm — theme Abominations 4 Three-Tipped A worm with three ends crawls through the dirt or

dribbling out.

along a vine.

Brawl — theme Needless Bloodshed Mass — theme Revenge 5 Glutton’s 5 Mangled Two animals, heavy with fat, fight to the death over a A horribly mangled corpse with bones ripped through pile of food.

the flesh at awful angles. It’s still bleeding.

Hog — theme Tragic Love Moon — theme Enduring Hope 6 Heartless 6 Golden A slaughtered beast, traditionally a pig, is found to have The moon turns golden, casting a faint glow in the no heart.

night. A cloud soon hides it from view. When the cloud passes, the moon is normal once more.

Make each omen meaningful in play. When a treasure-hunter takes an action in line with the omen, consider granting an additional light die on a future roll. You can also offer Devil’s Bargains that fit the omen’s theme. 36 · The Places Between

The Nature of the Land

During journeys, the gm plays the region itself as if it were a character with its own personality and favorite ways of leading treasure-hunters to their doom.

SAMPLE PERSONALITIES THE OLD BEAST

Ancient, solemn, slow to rage, but overwhelming in its force when pushed too far. It views the treasure-hunters like ticks crawling around its hide, digging treasures from its earthy flesh. It ignores them, enduring their indignities, until one day they bite too deeply. Playing the Old Beast goal — Evoke a sense of ancient, terrible indifference.

THE TRICKSTER

Deceptive, mischievous, playful. This region delights in toying with the treasure-hunters, leading them along with crumbs of gold until they meet their demise. It often masks its true dangers under harmless appearances. Playing the Trickster goal — Surprise the treasure-hunters and tempt them into dooms of their own doing. The Trickster delights in tempting or tricking the treasure-hunters into bringing about their own undoing. It loves illusions, riddles, and bargains. As such, its terrors may appear more friendly and talkative than most, luring the treasure-hunters with honeyed words. THE PARENT

Protective, nurturing, controlling. This region cares deeply about whatever it considers to be its children. It wants the best for them; only parents know best. Playing the Parent goal — Portray a place of twisted love that does horrible things for good reasons. The Parent would do anything for its children. It takes care of them the best ways it knows how and is sure to punish them when they misbehave. The region may focus its love on a specific species or type of creature. Usually this will be a creature that embodies some childlike aspect. Its children could also be the travelers that it has adopted over the years. In any case, the relationship is not ultimately beneficial for the children. The Places Between • 37

GM’S GUIDE

The landscape is filled with wonders and threats that are far older and grander than the pitiful treasure-hunters picking over it for scraps. Architecture is on a colossal scale. Writings found here are in old, forgotten tongues. Treasure-hunters might feel as though they’re skittering around the toes of indifferent giants. Those giants may be tremendous beasts, dread dungeons, sentient curses, or sealed and nameless gods.

THE NIGHTMARE

sad*stic, predatory, horrifying. It makes a game of the treasure-hunters, seeking to terrify and disturb its prey. It will kill them one day, but not before it sees how far it can push them before they break. Playing the Nightmare goal — Build a sense of quiet terror in the treasure-hunters. Make them feel as though they’re being hunted. The Nightmare will enjoy killing the treasure-hunters and it wants them to know it. It dangles its victims in gruesome displays. It lets the treasure-hunters find signs of passing terrors. It seeks to unnerve and frighten them, savoring their building horror as long as it can before they flee back to town or fall to ruin. THE LAMENTER

GM’S GUIDE

Sorrowful, wallowing in grief. There was once something wonderful here, but now only the dregs remain. Playing the Lamenter goal — Evoke a sense of tragic loss. The Lamenter is in deep, old pain. It mourns the loss of something wonderful. Perhaps it was once a glorious city which fell to an unnatural plague. Perhaps it’s the site of an old battlefield or a desecrated grove. The Lamenter builds monuments to its sorrow. It seeks to express the depth of its loss through its scenes and locations. It preserves tainted shadows of what it once treasured and lashes out at travelers that disrespect its grief. Treasure-hunters that pay respect to these shrines may find themselves rewarded. The region has a deep need to connect with others that can share its pain.

SAMPLE REGIONS THE CRAWLING HILLS

personality — The Old Beast

summary

distinctive features

A swarm of slowly-moving hills. When they hunger, they devour buildings. Sometimes, years later, they vomit up what they’ve swallowed. The landscape is littered with half-digested towers, castles, and dungeons from across the centuries.

• At night the stars shine green.

38 · The Places Between

• Dense fog enjoys creeping up on the travelers. • The region is filled with lonely towers, keeps, and other ruins from ancient times. • Hills occasionally rumble like a mild earthquake. • The folk that live here keep fires going at all times. • Faceless, seven-legged beasts stalk the night. They don’t approach the fire.

GRANDMOTHER’S COVE

personality — The Parent

summary

distinctive features

A paradise with sparkling waters, tropical fruit, and docile animals. Feral children live here. Some ran away from home, some were brought here. They wear horrible masks. The older ones have coral growing out their shoulders. They never go near outsiders. They’ve learned better.

• Sand in bright, sweeping colors. It looks like a painter’s brush strokes.

DEADWATER

personality — The Lamenter

summary

distinctive features

A cursed swamp. Its ruddy waters are heavy with salt. Anything that dies in these waters eventually reanimates as a salt-encrusted corpse. Faint shadows of its former life flicker within its mind, slowly draining away over the years.

• Rust-colored swamp waters, smelling of salt.

• Softly glowing shells beneath the water have unexpectedly sharp edges. • Simple tree houses crafted from driftwood. • Coral formations in the shape of human adults. • Tropical fruit, poisonous to those older than twelve. • The cove produces a clutch of pearls for any that bring it a child.

• Reed music in a minor key wafts from unseen places. • Undead in canoes travel the winding waterways. • The deadfolk carve their precious memories here in shrines for when they begin to forget.

Making Discoveries

The gm may allow fifteen minutes of a session for journeying between town and the site of the incursion, allowing treasure-hunters to make a few discoveries along the way (as many as the gm feels is appropriate). For each discovery, roll a dark and light die on the table below, then describe a version of the discovery that fits the region. There are three methods for this: Crafted — The gm can create their region’s version of part or all of the table ahead of time in as much detail as they desire. This method emphasizes intricate world-building. Fluid — The gm can refer to the discovery table during the session and improvise a suitable discovery based on their knowledge of the region. This method emphasizes creative improvisation, allowing the gm to discover the world along with the treasure-hunters. Communal — The gm can ask the treasure-hunters questions about the discovery, allowing them to shape the world they adventure in. This method emphasizes player agency and collaborative play. For example: in a discovery of a statue to a legendary figure, the gm could ask the following questions: • What does the statue look like? • What story have you heard about this figure’s greatest deed? The Places Between • 39

GM’S GUIDE

• Salt-encrusted corpses carry on macabre imitations of their former lives.

• What was their worst flaw and how did it bring about their tragic fate? Gms should feel free to swap between Crafted, Fluid, and Communal discoveries during play. DISCOVERIES

1 2 of the most terrible places in the region. There’s something horrible here, the kind of thing that inspires 1 One stories around bleak fires and gives hardened travelers nightmares. Each treasure-hunter should share a or

rumor they’ve heard of the horrors here. At least one is partly true.

2 The region lashes out at the treasure-hunters with a natural disaster. 3 A lair. A deadly creature calls this place its home. Exploring further will be dangerous. once ventured to this sacred site. It is broken, ruined, or defiled. The site fills the treasure-hunters 4 Pilgrims with a sense of deep loss. Ask one or more of them what terrible memory they are reminded of in this place. towering monument to a legendary figure or creature of this region. One treasure-hunter has heard a story 5 Aabout who this figure is or was in life. Another has heard a story of a great or terrible deed they are famous for doing. Ask the treasure-hunters what they’ve heard.

aftermath of an attack by one of the region's most dangerous threats. Use this site to foreshadow what that 6 The might be and the danger it poses.

3 4 victim(s). They are trapped, cursed, insane, or grievously injured. Helping them may carry its 1 Still-living own risks.

GM’S GUIDE

2 The sealed entrance to a tomb, ruin, or other ancient place. It could well be the site of a future incursion. here baits the treasure-hunters. Perhaps treasure, perhaps something more personal. Pursuing 3 Something the bait will come with a terrible risk or heavy price. site provides a sign that the treasure-hunters are getting closer to their goal. Hint at one of the threats 4 This they may face there. settlement that met with a terrible fate. People once lived at this site. Perhaps some still do, though they 5 Awould be twisted by the region. home of a hermit that lives in this place. They are on good enough terms with the region to survive within 6 The it. The region has changed them in some essential way.

5 6 carvings, cave paintings, ancient runes, or other depictions of knowledge. They may provide a hint to 1 Stone the region’s nature, the weakness of one of its terrors, or the location of a valuable site. or

from another group of travelers. The manner of death foreshadows a danger that is to come later in 2 Corpses the incursion. Searching their bodies yields at least one useful item. ancient guardian defends a site sacred to the region. It is also a place of power where rituals in line with 3 An the region’s nature become far more potent. beautiful site. Perhaps an incredible vista, a beautiful grove of flowers, or an ancient work 4 Aofheartbreakingly art that even time refuses to wear down. Treasure-hunters suffering from Conditions of the mind may find them eased or lessened by their time here.

safe haven. The terrors of the region do not menace this place. Ask the treasure-hunters what about this 5 Aplace tells them instantly that they are safe here. find a wondrous site, one of the most special places in the region. There’s something incredible here, the 6 You kind of wonder that people go exploring in dark and treacherous places to find. It holds a special meaning to the treasure-hunter that rolled this discovery.

If the same discovery is rolled twice, you have a choice. You can decide if the treasure-hunters have found their way back to a place they found before, or you can invent a new discovery with the same prompt. After all, there can be more than one monstrous lair in a region. 40 · The Places Between

RETURNING TO TOWN Journeying into the unknown is exciting. Journeying back, weighted down with gold, is tedious. Unless there is some significant reason that the journey back would be interesting or particularly treacherous, assume that the treasure-hunters can follow a safe path back to town once they have finished their incursion.

BUILDING A MAP If the party is unlikely to return to a region, there is little need for a map. However, if you expect them to spend multiple sessions there, you can enrich the sense of exploration by connecting each discovery into a loose map of the region. One of the players serves as the cartographer. Give them a sheet of paper. After the treasure-hunters make their first discovery in a journey, the group decides what to name it. The cartographer should write the name down on the paper close to the edge and draw a circle around it. This becomes one of their known locations. Treasure-hunters can find their way to it later if they return from this side of the region.

After one adventure, the map will appear simple and linear. However, over the course of multiple journeys the treasure-hunters will find themselves rolling discoveries they have encountered before. When this happens, you should hesitate to invent a new version of the discovery because finding new connections between locations is deeply rewarding for players. An interconnected map of sites forms a much more interesting region than a series of disconnected lines. All this careful mapping assumes that the treasure-hunters are moving slowly and carefully, noting the landmarks as they go. If they flee from a dangerous site, they must roll a new location; they do not gain a line connecting back to the site they fled from as they were fleeing too quickly to be confident of the path back. Once the treasure-hunters have the beginnings of a map, it becomes easier to venture deeper into the region. At the start of a journey, you can inform them that the incursion’s location may be near one of the sites they’ve previously discovered. They can then travel along a known path at first, then start searching for it from there. This reduces the number of new discoveries they would need to roll in order to reach the incursion. However, even known paths can turn dangerous. Whenever the treasure-hunters pass along a known path between discovery sites, have them roll a die. On a 1 they encounter something terrible. Increase the chance of danger if the region has grown to hate the treasure-hunters.

The Places Between • 41

GM’S GUIDE

Whenever the treasure-hunters make another discovery the cartographer writes its name down near the previous site and draws a line connecting the two. The treasure-hunters have found a path between these sites.

Incursions

Incursion Overview

The remainder of this book is a collection of incursions for use with Trophy Gold. Each is self-contained, so simply pick the one you’d like to play, have the players create their treasurehunters, and start the game. Shorter incursions can be run in a single session, but even the shortest are best played over a few 3–4 hour sessions. It’s helpful to read the incursion before you run it, but since all incursions follow a similar structure, once you’ve run one, all future incursions can be run with little to no advanced preparation. The final incursion in the book—Roots of Old Kalduhr—is a mega-incursion with a modified structure to accomodate its scale.

INCURSION NAME AUTHOR INTRODUCTION THEME WARNINGS

INCURSIONS

SET MAP SET NAME SET OVERVIEW MONSTER BLOCK

Incursions • 43

Hester’s Mill

INCURSIONS

JASON CORDOVA

44 · Hester’s Mill

The tiny village of Hester’s Mill, located somewhere in the lands known as Toren’s Bend, has two histories: the history the treasure-hunters know at the start of the incursion, and the secret history they may come to learn. the history they know — Over a century ago, Toren’s Bend was ruled by a usurper lord called Gahldren. Lord Gahldren was a heretic, and routinely defied the teachings of the Sisters, going so far as to mock Hester, Saint of the Harvest and the most-revered figure in Toren’s Bend. The people of Hester’s Mill, said to be extreme religious fanatics in the histories, rose up against Lord Gahldren and overthrew him, burning down his keep and murdering his soldiers. The Sisters, and Saint Hester in particular, were so appalled by the brutality of the people of Hester’s Mill, they laid a curse upon all of Toren’s Bend, which caused the land to fallow and the village of Hester’s Mill to wither away. Toren’s Bend eventually recovered, but the lands remain uninhabited (people are too superstitious to repopulate them), and are now completely overgrown. The treasure-hunters believe Hester’s Mill and its surrounds contain abandoned valuables that can be sold to merchants and antiquarians. the secret history — The rough contours of the known history are true, but it leaves out some important details. For a start, Lord Gahldren was more than a mere heretic; he was, in fact, a brutal tyrant who had no love for the people of his newly-conquered lands, and inflicted a regime of violence and forced labor on them. The people of Hester’s Mill, dedicated as they were to their saint, were given special attention by the cruel, heretical lord.

Beatrice Mandrake, horrified by what she brought upon Hester’s Mill, used powerful rites to secure a nearby farmhouse from the monstrosities. She then created a magical construct, a scarecrow filled with a burning hatred for Malphast and the ability to contain the demon in a dreaming stasis. She then disappeared entirely from the histories. theme harvest

This incursion includes imagery and motifs associated with literal harvests, such as farms, fields, a grain mill, the act of eating, crows, and so forth. It also uses harvest as a metaphor for birth. When running this incursion, emphasize the pastoral landscape (now overgrown); dwell on details bathed in traditional harvest colors (golds, oranges, deep purples); and make sure the tools of harvest are always at-hand (sickles, scythes, burlap sacks).

warnings: Graphic Violence, Human Sacrifice, Pregnancy, Religion Hester’s Mill • 45

INCURSIONS

Another detail the known history misses is that the people of Hester’s Mill were unable to fight back against Lord Gahldren by normal means. They were so desperate to be free of Gahldren’s yoke, they sought the help of a famous show-woman and diabolist known as Beatrice Mandrake. Mandrake used her talents to contact a greater demon called Malphast, who showed her how to create an army that could fight back against Gahldren’s soldiers. Following Malphast’s instructions, the people of Hester’s Mill captured a soldier and sacrificed him beneath a specially-prepared millstone, and then drank the slurry of blood and bone produced from it. This caused them each—man and woman alike—to become pregnant with, and later birth, crow-like monstrosities that would be unleashed on Lord Gahldren. His soldiers and, over time, commonfolk in other parts of Toren’s Bend, were captured and dragged to Hester’s Mill, where they were fed to Malphast or sacrificed beneath the millstone. The people of Hester’s Mill even began to sacrifice each other when there were no more people in Toren’s Bend to satisfy their demonic lord’s hunger.

SETS

INCURSIONS

Toren’s Bend

46 · Hester’s Mill

The Road to Hester’s Mill

Gallows Hill

The Village of Hester’s Mill

The Farmhouse

Toren’s Bend

The region known as Toren’s Bend, so-named because its northern border is a semi-circular bend in the titanic Toren River, is almost entirely uninhabited, despite the fact it is some of the most arable land on the continent. Its formerly bustling roads are long-overgrown, and the area hasn’t been reliably mapped in decades. goal

Find the road to Hester’s Mill. The sun is hanging high in the sky, golden and hot.

moments

A wild patch of fat, round pumpkins: gold, orange, green, and purple. A gust of wind causes a pile of dead leaves to cyclone around the treasure-hunters.

props

traps

treasures

Statue of Lord Gahldren. A statue of Lord Gahldren stands at an overgrown crossroads. The statue is posed in a manner similar to how Saint Hester is traditionally depicted: arms crossed over the chest, a sickle in one hand, a sword in the other (except statues of Saint Hester hold a cornucopia instead of a sword). Ghouls are rummaging through the ruins of RiverRock Keep.

Lord Gahldren’s signet ring can be found in the rubble of River-Rock Keep. INCURSIONS

The ruins of River-Rock Keep. River-Rock Keep was once the seat of the lords and ladies of Toren’s Bend, but is now little more than piles of rubble. Enough of the keep is intact to find shelter in it, but even the structures that are still standing are exposed to the elements in some way.

The plinth Lord Gahldren’s statue stands on is hollow. A secret panel on the back of it gives access to the hollow space, inside of which is a sack of coins, likely put there by someone needing to make a quick escape. The sack’s contents are worth 2 Gold.

additional traps Falling rubble; snakes in the overgrown grass. additional treasures Documents and ledgers; high-quality arms and armor (now rusted and beat); moldy tapestries.

GHOUL

weakness — Holy symbols

Loping, emaciated humanoids with rows of razor-sharp teeth, claw-like hands and feet, and yellow, feral eyes; grave stench

1 Slavering over a piece of rotten flesh. 2 Clinging to a wall, silent. 3 Hanging from a ceiling, eyes shining in the dark.

4 Cracking a bone between its teeth. 5 Making clicking vocalizations to other ghouls. 6 Reared back, ready to lunge.

Sever Limb — The ghoul’s teeth can quickly cleave away any extremity that gets caught in its mouth. Hester’s Mill • 47

The Road to Hester’s Mill

The road is overgrown, but easy to follow once it’s found. When the treasure-hunters first set out, they’re in an elevated position and can see all the important areas in the incursion: the vagrant’s campsite; Saint Hester’s shrine; the village of Hester’s Mill; the intact farmhouse, north of the village; and Gallows Hill, south of the village. goal

Learn the secret history of Hester’s Mill. Stalks of corn, tall and rotting.

moments

A cow carcass, picked clean by bugs and carrion birds. The deep, rich smell of soil mingled with the smell of feathers, fur, and blood.

INCURSIONS

A dog tearing the afterbirth sac from her newborn puppy. props

traps

treasures

The vagrant’s campsite. Tent, bedroll, the remains of a campfire, and some basic equipment. The vagrant can be found here during the day, cleaning his equipment and humming songs that are too old for anyone to remember. He’s a lean, rangy man, with a hard look and a gamey odor. His sword and chainmail seem much nicer than a man in his position should have. He’s reasonably friendly, though he will warn the treasure-hunters to stay away from the village. If pressed about why he’s in Toren’s Bend, he will say, ominously, “I’m on a hunt,” and then change the subject.

At night, the vagrant transforms into a powerful wolfbeast and roams the area in and around Hester’s Mill. In this form, he has no memory of the treasure-hunters and will attack them on sight. Treat as a werewolf. He will continue to have no memory of the treasure-hunters if and when he returns to his human form (his short-term memory “resets” every morning).

If the treasure-hunters raid the campsite, let them each pick an Additional Backpack Equipment item to add to their Found Equipment.

Secretly, the vagrant is an immortal beastbitten and, even more secretly, is Lord Gahldren. When the followers of Malphast slaughtered his men and destroyed River-Rock Keep many decades ago, he sought refuge with a beastbitten clan. Eventually, he became one of them, receiving the beastbitten blessing under the light of a holy moon, granting him immortality. He has returned to Toren’s Bend to take revenge on Malphast. At night, the campsite is unattended. Shrine to Saint Hester. A small shrine a few dozen paces off the road. The exterior is decorated with carved symbols sacred to Saint Hester: a cornucopia, a sickle, sheaths of wheat, and gourds.

48 · Hester’s Mill

props

traps

treasures

Statue of Saint Hester. Inside the shrine are a half-dozen prayer plinths before a statue of Saint Hester. The statue is positioned in the traditional manner: arms crossed, a sickle in one hand, a cornucopia in the other.

A few pieces of polished amber are set in the offering bowl at the base of Saint Hester’s statue.

The secret shrine. A secret ladder beneath the statue of Saint Hester descends into a basem*nt area. The walls of this area are painted with scenes depicting the secret history of Hester’s Mill. At one end of the room is a small statue of a crow wearing a crown and wielding a scepter. There are half-burnt candles all around and profane symbols scrawled on the floor in charcoal.

The crow statue in the secret shrine is a valuable piece to those who collect profane objects (can be sold for 4 Gold). Whoever takes possession of the statue must increase their Ruin by 1 and take the Condition Servant of Malphast.

additional traps A bear trap lying in wait; a bear (10 Endurance). additional treasures A hymnal sacred to Saint Hester; a holy symbol made from twigs and cornhusks.

INCURSIONS

WEREWOLF

weaknesses — Silver weapons; weapons consecrated in baleful moonlight

An 8-foot tall wolf-beast standing on two legs, its dark fur matted with blood from a fresh kill, hot gore dripping from its mouth.

1 Stalking from the darkness. 2 Howling at the moonless sky. 3 Wildly sniffing the night air.

4 Eyes glowing yellow in the dark. 5 Licking its tender joints. 6 Gorging on a fresh kill.

Supernatural Endurance — If not destroyed after the first Combat Roll, increase its Endurance by 1. Hester’s Mill • 49

The Village of Hester’s Mill

There is very little of Hester’s Mill left standing: an odd cottage or two, a half-crumbled well, a decaying stable. The only feature left fully intact from the village’s heyday is the mill itself. goal

Gain the ability to see and hear the demon Malphast (this counts as knowing its Weakness). Weakness). A scythe, leaning against a wall, its blade red with rust. A message in faded red paint declares “Malphast is king!”

moments

Buckets of wet, orange-hued soil. Stacks of brown and gold-colored burlap sacks, stuck together by caked blood. A fat, orange tabby cat keeps a terrified mouse on the edge of death.

INCURSIONS

Paths strewn with cornhusks and rotten wheat stalks. props

traps

treasures

The mill. A two-story stone building with a crimson roof. The large double doors that lead inside are painted deep purple and midnight green, and are chained shut from the outside and secured with a lock. A message roughly carved into the doors reads: “Do not believe Mandrake’s lies!” It should seem odd that the mill is not the type that is powered by a river current, despite the village’s proximity to the Toren.

The greater demon Malphast sits atop the mill, invisible and silent, engaging in its endless, grotesque pantomime. It is trapped in a permanent dream-stasis by the scarecrow near the farmhouse, and will leave the treasure-hunters alone unless they enter the mill, at which point it becomes aware of them and will use its magic to destroy them.

A satchel hidden in the mill contains the following: • A roll of diabolist tools • Beatrice Mandrake’s journal, containing notes on Malphast and the crow-things • 2 healing potions (each lowers Ruin by 1 when consumed) • A key (opens the front door and trap door of the farmhouse)

A crow-thing is hiding in the well.

A fat sack of copper coins at the bottom of the well.

Inside the mill is a horrifying scene: the walls and floor are stained red with blood, and bits of cracked bone are scattered all over. Burnt candles are nestled here and there, and in the center of the room is the massive millstone, delicately etched with hundreds of profane symbols. The bedstone has been stained a deep red and has flecks of dried blood and bone in it. The well. The well is partially crumbled, but the mechanism that lowers the bucket is still functional. The stable. The roof has nearly collapsed, but the stalls still have thick beds of hay in them. The hayloft is intact, but the ladder leading up to it is in splinters. Hissing, moaning, and retching can be heard coming from the hayloft.

50 · Hester’s Mill

A fine set of chainmail marked with Lord Gahldren’s crossed sickle and sword is buried under (and preserved in) a bed of hay in one of the stable stalls. A dying crow-thing is in the hayloft. It’s no danger to the treasure-hunters, but they can still kill it and sell its parts (roll 4 dice, each 6 is worth 1 Gold).

props

traps

treasures

Cottages. Only a few cottages are left standing. Each is one or two rooms, and has a door painted with symbols sacred to Saint Hester (cornucopias and sheaths of wheat, mostly), although the symbols have been made profane in some way.

The crow-things stalk the village and Gallows Hill (but won’t go near the farmhouse on account of the scarecrow).

A fine copper washing basin. Correspondence from a villager to his lady love in Ambaret (possibly of value to historians or antiquarians).

Ask the players: In what ways have Saint Hester’s symbols been altered to make them profane? Each cottage is one or two rooms, simply furnished, including beds with straw mattresses infested with weevils. additional traps The crow-things stalk the village and gallows hill (but won’t go near the farmhouse on account of the scarecrow). CROW-THING

weakness — Distracted by rotten or partially-masticated meat

A lesser demon, roughly 5-feet tall, with the upper body of a toothy, pitch-black corvid, and a lower body of thick, black tentacles.

1 Clinging to a ceiling. 2 Slithering up a surface. 3 Feasting on rotten flesh.

4 Cawing balefully in Malphast’s direction. 5 Chewing a mouthful of fat bugs and rotten corn. 6 Fruitlessly trying to take flight.

The Crows Have Eyes — Crow-things can see what every other crow-thing sees, at all times. If you fail to destroy a crow-thing after the second Combat Roll, another crow-thing joins the fray, increasing Endurance by 1.

weaknesses — As in the Set Goal, but also: Malphast will leave this plane of existence entirely if the vagrant (Lord Gahldren) is sacrificed to the millstone.

A greater demon roughly 15-feet tall. It appears as a large, revolting crow surrounded by six smaller crows in a nest of oily, black tentacles. The large, central crow occasionally regurgitates a screaming, partially-digested soldier loyal to Lord Gahldren, who is promptly torn apart by the smaller crows. Malphast endlessly repeats the scene in the description, even in combat. Deafen — You are deafened by a baleful cacophony of cawing. Swallow — You are swallowed whole by the central crow. Dark Nest — Tentacles from the “nest” materialize in place and attempt to choke/crush you. Instead of taking Ruin this round, you are held in place by the tentacles; you take double Ruin in the next round of Combat.

HOW CAN THE TREASURE-HUNTERS GAIN THE ABILITY TO SEE AND HEAR MALPHAST? There is no particular way of doing so written into the incursion. Rather, it’s up to the gm to decide how this might be accomplished. Some ideas: notes from Beatrice Mandrake indicate how to make Malphast visible; the vagrant has heard rumors about a demon atop the mill, and the method by which to reveal it; the process is revealed in a dream; a treasure from earlier in the incursion (or a different incursion) has instructions hidden on it. Alternatively, the treasure-hunters may have Rituals or magic items that allow them to see Malphast.

Hester’s Mill • 51

INCURSIONS

MALPHAST

The Farmhouse

A half-mile north of Hester’s Mill is a lone farmhouse. It should attract the treasure-hunters’ attention because, unlike nearly every other building in Toren’s Bend, it’s still standing and in largely-pristine condition. A scarecrow is hanging, sentry-like, in the cornfield that abuts the farmhouse. goal

Learn the Scarecrow Ritual. A mural depicting a sunny, pastoral scene. A large, wide basket filled with ceramic gourds in shades of white, green, yellow, and orange.

moments

The mewling of newborn kittens coming from a safe, enclosed place; their mother struts proudly. A crow-thing testing the edge of the cornfield, a barrier it cannot cross. A scarecrow is seen in the field. It is seen the second time you look. It’s missing on the third look.

props

traps

INCURSIONS

The porch. A rocking chair rocks back and forth in the warm breeze, and the tinkling of reed windchimes can be heard all over. The door leading inside the farmhouse is locked.

Interior. The farmhouse has four rooms in total: a kitchen and family room downstairs, and two bedrooms upstairs. It’s dusty and unused, but comfortable. The treasure-hunters should be aware that this is a safe, comfortable place to spend the night. Tell the treasure-hunters they can recover 1 Ruin by spending the night.

Secret cellar. A locked trap door beneath a russet-colored rug leads to a cellar that has been converted into some kind of workshop. Straw and burlap are piled-up in the corner, and a partially constructed scarecrow is laying on a table at one end of the space.

52 · Hester’s Mill

treasures On the porch is a jack-o-lantern, perfectly preserved in wax. The jack-o-lantern is a magic item: undead creatures cannot come within ten feet when a candle is burning in it.

The farmhouse is largely safe. If a treasure-hunter sleeps in the farmhouse, they must make the nightmare roll. Additionally, if the scarecrow has any reason to believe a treasure-hunter is loyal to Malphast, such as the treasure-hunter acquiring the Servant of Malphast Condition, it will hunt that treasure-hunter forever, until one of them is destroyed.

A set of fine copper pots and pans, only slightly tarnished.

Beatrice Mandrake’s notes for how to create a scarecrow manikin. Studying these notes allows a treasure-hunter to learn the Ritual Scarecrow (see next page) when they return to town; learning this Ritual does not increase their Burdens. If a treasure-hunter has Enliven or Mandrake’s journal from the mill, they can learn this Ritual immediately. Any treasure-hunter who knows Scarecrow can use it to destroy the scarecrow in the field near the farmhouse.

props

traps

treasures

The cornfield. Unlike the corn along the road to Hester’s Mill, this crop is fresh and edible. A slight thumping, like a heartbeat, can be heard. This rhythmic thumping gets louder the closer one gets to the scarecrow.

A tiny heart beats in the scarecrow’s straw-stuffed chest. This heart will continue to beat, even if removed from the chest cavity.

additional treasures Farm tools. ritual

Scarecrow — create a construct of straw and burlap that will endlessly hunt a named target

weakness — Fire

A man made of straw and sackcloth, with button eyes and a zig-zag thread mouth.

1 Facing north. 2 Facing south. 3 Facing east.

4 Facing west. 5 Limping silently. 6 Looming over a victim in the dark.

Nightmare — Inflict debilitating nightmares on a sleeping target Choke — The scarecrow prefers to throttle its victims to death while they sleep, usually after they have been rendered harmless by a nightmare.

NIGHTMARE ROLL (THE BIRTHING DREAM) Roll a dark die. If it’s equal to or lower than your current Ruin, take the Condition The Birthing Dream. Your treasure-hunter has a dream where they are laying on a bed of sunflowers, their belly fat with child, surrounded by beaming loved ones and onlookers. Tell everyone at the table what your treasure-hunter fears the most. Every other player and the gm then offers one detail about what it looks like when you give birth to your fear in the dream. Because of your fitful sleep, resting in the farmhouse does not lower your Ruin.

Hester’s Mill • 53

INCURSIONS

SCARECROW

Gallows Hill

Lord Gahldren’s gallows were built high on a hill, so the people of Hester’s Mill would have a good view of their friends and family swinging in the sun. goal

Find the treasures of Hester’s Mill. A skeleton desperately clinging to an oubliette’s cage door.

moments

A ribcage displayed as a grisly cornucopia, stuffed with skulls, dried corn, and rotting gourds. A piece of frayed rope, stained red.

props

traps

treasures

The gallows. A raised, enclosed platform with three trap doors situated beneath hanging ropes.

Ghouls and crow-things can both be encountered here.

Lord Gahldren’s soldiers had a makeshift campsite set-up in the enclosed portion of the gallows, beneath the trap doors. There isn’t much to be found, but it’s a safe place to rest if the trap doors are sealed.

INCURSIONS

Oubliettes. A trio of pit-like cages in the ground, each 20-feet deep, masoned, and locked tight.

Prisoners from the village hid a number of valuables inside the oubliettes’ stonework: • A note of deposit from a bank in Ambaret (worth 4 Gold if redeemed). • A pair of silver cufflinks. • A sack of coins and gems (2 Gold total). • Gold holy symbol of Saint Hester (stylized sickle and wheat stalk).

additional traps Cave scorpions (risk roll to avoid taking the Condition Poisoned). additional treasures Love letters to and from Lord Gahldren’s soldiers (of value to historians).

Conclusion The treasure-hunters can move through the entire incursion without ever encountering Malphast. Since that would be a real shame, you should consider making Malphast a recurring villain (perhaps it gets freed from its stasis and begins to torment the treasure-hunters in some way). If the treasure-hunters do anything that can be construed as having an affinity for Malphast or the crow-things, you should have the scarecrow at the farmhouse begin stalking them. The farmhouse would be a great location to establish a Household if the treasure-hunters manage to clear the land of Malphast’s blight. You could even make the revitalization of Toren’s Bend the basis for future adventures. 54 · Hester’s Mill

Panning the Last River ELI KURTZ

INCURSIONS

Panning the Last River • 55

The original plan was simple: supervise and protect a panhandling crew on a remote branch of the Last River. Rumors spoke of gold-glinting shores and scarce monstrosities near the ruined village of Kreave. The Last River carried your boat through Kalduhr for three days, but when you arrived you discovered no ruin. Instead, you found a ramshackle basecamp bustling with other treasure-hunters already pursuing the lead you thought you sought alone. By the time you arrived there were already too many competitors, but many of their scouts returned from the forest reporting unknown treasure sites of unfathomable worth. What quarry will you claw from the hands of your rivals... or will you be clawed by what waits in the wood? theme theft

From the first Set, the treasure-hunters are surrounded by humans eager to steal from one another, from the river, and from the old sorcerer. The treasure-hunters themselves are on a path to loot a vault. Throughout the incursion, the treasure-hunters face an escalating set of thieves—first literal thieves of riches (reavers and drowners), then blood thieves (leeches), then thieves of the treasure-hunters’ faces and bodies (doppelgangers). Make sure the treasurehunters are always moments away from plundering someone’s treasures or having their own treasures—or very lives—plundered.

SETS

INCURSIONS

Panhandler’s Basecamp

Last River Shallows

Forest Thicket Fetid Swamp

Cliffside Manor

Ruined Kreave

warnings: Alcohol, Amputation, Body Horror, Drowning, Graphic Violence, Snakes 56 · Panning the Last River

Panhandler’s Basecamp

A hastily assembled inn on the banks of the Last River surrounded by dozens of tents large and small form the basecamp for the various panhandling crews at work in the area. Hired guards keep watch over clusters of tents belonging to individual crews. Security in an atmosphere like this is challenging to say the least. Just as the panhandlers are willing to take from the river and surrounding forest, so too are they willing to take from each other. goal

Steal from the crews who have stolen your spot. A fight breaks out between two crews over a pathetic amount of gold dust. Panhandlers drinking watery ale in the inn whisper to each other about rumors and leads.

moments

A severed hand impaled upon a spear outside a particularly large and luxurious tent drips blood, watering a weed below it. A small crew, gnawed to nothing by hunger, loads up a boat to depart empty-handed. traps

treasures

The Quick & Dirty. An inn thrown together from new-hewn planks provides some semblance of respite for the panhandlers—and capitalizes on their mean circ*mstances. The innkeep, Tall Sammul, pays excellent rates to a dozen mercenaries to keep the peace inside his walls.

Gangs of reavers strike out from a few tents each night to see what they can swipe from competitors.

A barter market. Outside the inn, enterprising individuals offer provisions —and even some recovered valuables— at outrageous prices. Most buyers are more desperate than discerning.

Criers standing on wooden crates, shouting out false leads to dupe the gullible.

Use the Meager Treasure table (page 66) to determine what the panhandlers found in the river. Each day, one to three treasures will be found.

additional traps Ambushes; crossbow traps inside tents; bad bargains. additional treasures Food and other provisions may be seen as treasure by especially unfortunate or unprepared treasure-hunters.

note — Most panhandling crews will return to the panhandler’s basecamp each night, until the path is cleared to ruined kreave. Those crews that try to camp in the forest are often never seen again.

REAVERS

weakness — Intimidation

Individuals with ragged clothes, hungry eyes, and cruel knives. A few slink through the basecamp each night to plunder treasure from their competitors.

1 Hiding in shadows. 2 Ambushing guards. 3 Slicing holes in the back of depot tents.

4 Mugging panhandlers. 5 Ganging up. 6 Fleeing danger. Panning the Last River • 57

INCURSIONS

props

Last River Shallows

Panhandlers (mostly the less fortunate) choke the shallows upriver from the basecamp. To hear them tell it, the most audacious treasures littered the banks when the first of them arrived. Now only stray coins are sifted from the silt, but they’re common enough to keep panhandlers coming back. A clearly wealthy manor on top of nearby cliffs is the more tempting prize, but there’s no path through the tangled woods toward it. Not yet. goals

Find treasure sifting the waters. Find a path up the cliffs. Row after row of panhandlers stand knee-deep in cold water. Territorial glares raise the hairs on your neck.

moments

A cry of pain as an argument turns deadly. A panhandler trying to hide their discovery before anyone notices.

INCURSIONS

Guards and prospectors probing the border of the tangled woods at the shore. props

traps

Ruined manor. Large, opulent, and overgrown, at the top of the cliffs.

The cliffs beneath the manor are made of a flaky shale that breaks away within seconds of climbing onto it. Blood stains the base of the cliffs from the first souls who attempted to climb its face.

The geyser. Just upriver from the shallows. It sprays boiling water all over the shallows a few times per day.

The geyser erupts randomly throughout the day, spraying the entire shallows with scalding water.

The shallows. The spot everyone is panhandling, desperate for a better piece of trash than the last.

Drowners keep their eyes open for any opportunity to thin out the competition. With so many backs turned to each other, it’s hard to resist the urge to hold your neighbor under the rills.

treasures

The whirlpool occasionally belches forth an extravagant treasure from its murky depths. Use the Pseudovault Treasure table (page 66) to reveal what item appears.

Terrordiles hibernate in the mud of the river bed. When panhandlers raise a commotion, they threaten to rouse the beasts from slumber. additional traps Exhaustion; giant leeches. additional treasure Roll on the Meager Treasure table (page 66) for random valuables sifted from the mud. 58 · Panning the Last River

DROWNERS

weakness — Observation

Individuals with greedy eyes and hands that could grip a panning filter in the hardest current.

1 Minding their own business. 2 Eyeing their neighbors. 3 Striking while no one’s looking.

4 Elbow-deep in turbulent water. 5 A grisly visage for grisly work. 6 Boots splashing from underneath them.

No One Else Sees — Treasure-hunters that have not already joined the combat may not do so next round.

INCURSIONS

TERRORDILE

weakness — Bludgeoning

A lizard twice as long as a person is tall, with powerful jaws and a hide like boiled leather. Its wrath is terrible when it is roused from slumber.

1 Surging upward. 2 Lashing its tail. 3 Jaws snapping.

4 Dragging under. 5 Dismembering with a death roll. 6 Moving, log-like.

Thick Hide — Terrordiles have evolved to resist the slashing, piercing claws of their rivals.

COMMOTION ROLL Any time a commotion breaks out, roll a dark die. On a 5 or a 6, a sleeping terrordile wakes up and strikes.

Panning the Last River • 59

Forest Thicket

The Kalduhr is no ordinary forest. Even the border woods are wild and resistant to human taming. Underbrush taller than two men crowds the riverbanks. It tangles around limbs and clothing with a mind of its own. Clearing a path a hundred paces inland takes many hours of work. But the path to the cliffside manor must be here somewhere, and whoever finds it is sure to reap a mighty reward in plunder. goal

Carve a path inland. The flash of strange eyes from within a tangled thicket. Overhead, a snake slithers out on a limb toward a nest full of eggs.

moments

The sound of a small creature dying violently in the nearby brush. A worker carried back on a stretcher, infection already settling into cuts and scrapes.

INCURSIONS

News of another worker simply vanishing among the vines and thorns. props

traps

treasures

Cleared paths. The labor of half a dozen work crews pays off in these, each inching their way away from the river.

Razorbrambles intersect some paths, thicker than boar fur and covered in serrated thorns as long as your finger. Once they catch you, any movement is likely to get you only further entangled. Most don’t survive.

Coinfruit gather in bunches on the branches of canopy trees far overhead. They are delicious, filling, and rare. Just a few coinfruit berries could save a starving treasure-hunter or fetch a decent barter back at basecamp.

Soggy soil. Even far away from the riverbanks, a step cannot be taken without leaving a deep imprint. One might think this area would be a lake if not for all these roots to hold the soil together.

Skeers nest here and will form swarms the size of clouds if agitated. Skeers are small flying parasites. The venom of just one skeer sting is uncomfortable for hours; skeer clouds could blanket an entire person and make a meal of them.

Tree trunks. Wide and sturdy, these trees serve both as refuges from the bramble and shelters behind which disturbing things lurk.

Snap vines hang from the canopy branches and through the underbrush. It’s hard to tell them apart from the rest of the brush until they snag you, constrict, and yank you upward dozens of feet.

additional traps Sinkholes; tripping roots; small predators.

If the thorn effigy is defeated in the ruined kreave Set, the underbrush withers away and the river floods into this area, creating a new Set: fetid swamp.

60 · Panning the Last River

Fetid Swamp

If Sorcerer Vero’s statue is destroyed in the ruined kreave Set, all the vines creating the forest thicket Set recede and that set turns into a fetid swamp. The hard work of the prospectors to clear a path through the thicket means nothing. Now, a stand of trees mired in murky, chest-deep water creates an unexpected barrier between the prospecting crews and their basecamp. Narrow boats could traverse this Set easily. Unfortunately, there are no boats in the village. goal

Find a route back to the basecamp. Something bubbling underneath a tree’s roots.

moments

Waterfowl taking flight overhead. A ripple in an otherwise still eddy. Something brushing you underwater.

props

traps

treasures

Bog corpses lurk beneath the swampy waters.

Each bog corpse is loaded down with the jewelry, precious stones, and coins it tried to steal before its demise (2 Gold per corpse).

Village shore. The water splashes right up to the crumbling buildings of Kreave. Broken branches and other detritus from the death of the vines litters the surface of the water several yards away from the shore.

Sucking mud on the swamp bed threatens to grab at boots, then feet, then legs, until it’s grabbed all of you.

INCURSIONS

Submerged tree trunks. The trees are wide and sturdy, blocking off the waters into pools, eddies, and connecting streams. You can see further ahead of you but this is just as confusing as the bramble in its own way. Basecamp shore. On the far side of the swamp, the water is so close to the prospectors that several outlying crews lost their tents and gear to the rushing waves. The fallout from the disaster dramatically shifts the balance of power there. additional traps

Water snakes (risk roll to avoid taking the Condition Poisoned); giant leeches.

BOG CORPSE

weakness — Salt

Preserved, but twisted, by the acidic soil of the bramble, these thieves didn’t make it far from the looting of Kreave.

1 Clinging to the swamp bed. 2 Feeling the water’s vibrations. 3 Lurching up to the surface.

4 Grasping with wrinkled fingers. 5 Sloughing green and putrid flesh. 6 Biting with splintered teeth. Panning the Last River • 61

Ruined Kreave

The cottages at the outskirts of Kreave show signs of violence and looting. As you approach the village square, more and more of the structures are covered in thick green vines, each glistening with bright red thorns. The square itself is drowning in vines, centered upon a cursed statue. There’s no clear path through and yet the manor house sits on the hill just on the far side of the village. goal

Find the road to the manor. A cottage door splintered and swinging upon just one hinge. A vine that wasn’t there last time you looked.

moments

Two skeletons grappling even in death. Shattered windows choked with vines. The forest looming all around the village. The manor proudly arrayed upon the bluff.

props

traps

INCURSIONS

Kreave general store. It stands off the village square. All of its provisions spoiled long ago, but some of the sundries remain intact. Inside, the skeletal remains of a violent disagreement cover a table that’s littered with items. Sorcerer Vero’s Statue. It would have crumbled many years ago if not for the many vines lashed around its broken stones.

treasures Notes about the Pseudovault hidden in the manor (see the following page).

The statue is animated by a cursed gem, which contains the thieving spirit of Vero himself. Originally encased by the stone, it is exposed by the crumbling stone. Anyone who touches the gem with their bare skin gains 1 Ruin.

The cursed gem within Sorcerer Vero’s statue could fetch a high price among the right clientele. Some prospecting crews would kill for the potential reward. Many crews find it too risky.

The gem sends creeping vines after interlopers and projects its will out as doppelgangers. Wreckage. Debris along the main road and between cottages makes for excellent cover.

A doppelganger ambushes.

additional traps Hazardous wreckage; crumbling buildings. additional treasures Villager tools; common goods plundered from the manor. 62 · Panning the Last River

A locked chest in among the debris is full of sumptuous, finely crafted clothing.

NOTES ABOUT THE PSEUDOVAULT On the table are scribbled notes that point to the Pseudovault hidden in the sorcerer’s manor. It seems the villagers planned to make another raid on the manor before the sorcerer’s magical traps and curses came to destroy them. Their plan never came to fruition. Written on some notes, “Only the sorcerer’s thieving soul can unlock the Pseudovault. It survives within a stone visage and a shadowy terror stalking the manor’s halls. Beware!” There is also a map of the village with a circle drawn to highlight the manor’s side gate west of the square. The path avoids the heart of the vines in the village square.

DOPPELGANGER

weakness — Keen senses

Some prospectors who pass through Kreave are taken and replaced by something that’s not quite the same.

1 Ghostly fingers reaching into minds. 2 Stoking fear with dead eyes. 3 Luring away from safety.

4 Throttling with cold hands. 5 Disappearing around a corner. 6 Throwing their voice.

Mimic — It becomes a treasure-hunter, and an ally strikes at the real treasure-hunter instead of the false one. THORN EFFIGY

weakness — Magic

A crumbling statue of the Sorcerer Vero, given rudimentary motion by the tangle of vines that hold it together.

1 Waiting in perfect stillness. 2 Sensing through thousands of vines. 3 Tripping up the unwary.

4 Ripping with many thorns. 5 A piercing strangulation. 6 A crushing embrace.

If the thorn effigy is defeated, the vines wither and the forest thicket Set floods, turning it into a new Set: the fetid swamp.

Panning the Last River • 63

INCURSIONS

Vine Whip — The thorned vines lash out and strike a treasure-hunter’s exposed skin, causing the Condition Punctured Flesh. Vine Grip — A vine wraps around a treasure-hunter’s throat, lifting them into the air, causing the Condition Strained Neck.

Cliffside Manor

Perched on a cliff with an unkempt garden sprawling around, something is decidedly and immediately not right about this manor. Windows, columns, and entire walls flicker in and out of existence from time to time. These are clear signs to any treasure-hunter that the manor is burdened with many magical dangers. From the outside of the manor, a couple of interior rooms are apparent: a tower in one corner of the manor must be an observatory of some kind, and small windows in the foundation of the manor point to a cellar of some sort. All other rooms and mysteries must be discovered from within. Sorcerer Vero teleported through the cosmos to plunder a vast fortune. As he hoarded his wealth, he also demanded extravagant tribute payments from the villagers who tended his gardens and served in his house. After decades of debt bondage, the locals of Kreave finally killed him for it. They looted his manor house, triggering magical traps that lead to the destruction of the village and its inhabitants. The sundries and household items they took were not all the wealth Sorcerer Vero amassed in his despotic life. Somewhere, a vault is hidden. goal

Plunder the Pseudovault. The wreckage of doors and furniture lie around the manor. Scorch marks and ashen rubble fill the space.

See Also

Book of the Dead - PDFCOFFEE.COM

moments

Movement out of the corner of your eye catches your attention. Goosebumps prick all over your arms and neck. Magical effects linger, trapped in stasis. A corner of reality cracks like a mirror.

INCURSIONS

props Foyer. No word describes the entrance to the manor better than “shattered.” The grand staircase is split in half, and many steps are nothing but splinters. Rotting furniture lies in pieces, chopped to bits by axes and claws. It is clear Sorcerer Vero put up a fight when the villagers finally came for him. Bedchambers. These should be “upstairs,” and even if a downstairs doorway leads into them, an elevated view is visible outside the windows. The rooms themselves are full of overturned chairs, broken wardrobes, and torn beds. Cellar. This is a rational candidate for the resting place of the Pseudovault, but the manor is no rational place. Instead, the cellars are mostly unchanged. Walls are intact, and many of the wine casks are unbroken. However, much of the wine within has been twisted by the paradimensional energies of the manor.

64 · Panning the Last River

traps

treasures

strange architecture — Reality is broken in the manor. The front door always opens to the foyer, but familiarity ends there. Any door could lead to any other part of the manor. When a treasure-hunter travels from one room to another, they must say what room they hope to go to and then make a hunt roll.. On a roll of 3 or less, they end up in a different room of roll the gm gm’s ’s choosing. Once the Pseudovault has been unlocked, this rule also applies to travel to and from that room. pseudovault key — The vault door will only open in the presence of Sorcerer Vero’s soul, which persists in two places: a gem in the heart of the thorn effigy in the ruined kreave Set, and a soul shard in the guts of the splash upon the bank. bank. The party must take one or the other to unlock the vault.

The splash upon the bank prowls the halls of the manor but is found first in the cellar, waiting for unwary prey.

The roaming splash upon the bank took a shard of Vero’s soul before he died. That piece of soul can unlock the door of the Pseudovault.

props

traps

Observatory. One might not expect Sorcerer Vero’s sanctum—a place of observation and communion with the cosmos—to contain the famed Pseudovault, but that doesn’t mean rumors of an observatory in the house would fall on heedless ears. Any such place must be full of valuable treasures and information, even if the Pseudovault is likely to lie elsewhere.

The observatory door is trapped, but the trap only triggers when the treasure-hunters attempt to leave the room. When approaching the door, the static energy of magic is plain from a few feet away. Any hand that reaches for the door handle feels the energy increase until getting a small, static shock just before grabbing the handle. If this magic is not nullified before touching the door, any limb that touches it will turn into starstuff and disappear in a few minutes.

This prop is locked until the treasure-hunters unlock it. See pseudovault key on the previous page. Pseudovault. Jewel of the sorcerer’s vile crown, this is not a proper vault but rather a pocket dimension where Vero could keep his stolen treasures safely removed from covetous hands. Since the sorcerer’s death, the wards that establish and protect the link to the vault have begun to fail. The strange physics of the vault leak into the surrounding countryside (like the geyser in the Last River Shallows Set) but its effects are strongest within the manor. The Pseudovault is responsible for warping and cracking the manor house and is the engine behind its strange architecture. Within, only two features remain consistent: The river and the panner. The river is an inky void, full of sparkling stars and the priceless flotsam of a lifetime of arcane plundering. The semi-sentient panner whose form changes often stands between the door and the river. The panner sifts items from the void waters but works slowly. shifting architecture — When the treasure-hunters finally enter the vault, roll on the Astral Chaos table (page 66) from time to time and determine how the features of the interior warp and change before the treasure-hunters’ very eyes. Roll on the Pseudovault Treasure table (page 66) to determine which strange wonders float down the vault’s starry river.

INCURSIONS

pseudovault curse — If the splash upon the bank isn’t defeated to gain entry into the vault, add one die to a pool for each treasure taken from the vault. When the treasure-hunters leave the vault, roll this pool. If any die in the pool is a 6, the splash upon the bank catches the scent of the treasure-hunter carrying the most treasure. The splash upon the bank tracks them to the furthest corners of the earth to recover the stolen treasure. additional traps Collapsing floors; rotten ceiling beams; magical backlash. additional treasures Despite being plundered by villagers, the manor still contains many fine pieces. There was simply no way the villagers could carry all of it away before the curse triggered and Kreave was destroyed. Many of the treasures are broken, but any successful Hunt Roll here reveals an intact treasure. Use the Meager Treasure table to determine the item. Anyone with a relevant skill notices that none of these items match the decor of the rooms in which they are found. Clearly, none of the manor’s treasures were created with the manor in mind.

SPLASH UPON THE BANK

weakness — Magic

An inky, rippling wolf prowling the flickering unrealities of the manor.

1 Moving out of the corner of your eye. 2 Disappearing into the shadows. 3 Howling with spectral vibrato.

4 Battering against closed doors. 5 Slashing with claws of pure void. 6 Ripping out throats with flickering teeth.

Fluid Flesh — Its body parts around weapon strikes like muddy water. Panning the Last River • 65

ASTRAL CHAOS — Roll four times (once for each column)

a...

1 Backwards... 2 Desaturated... 3 Jittering... 4 Loud... 5 Moving... 6 Silent...

of...

panned by a...

Explosion...

Blood...

Beast.

Panorama...

Chaos...

Fae.

Sea...

Fire...

Giant.

Tapestry...

Nostalgia...

Human.

Tunnel...

Smoke...

Sister.

Universe...

Stars...

Shadow.

MEAGER TREASURE (WORTH 1 GOLD) — Roll four times (once for each column)

item

1 Adornment 2 Armor 3 Art 4 Container 5 Trinket 6 Weapon

style

feature

condition

Baroque

Gold Filigree

Delicate

Brutalist

Imperfect

Exquisite

Flowing

Improved

Repaired

Homemade

Inscriptions

Repurposed

Stony

Missing Gems

Sturdy

Unknown

Ugly

Worn

PSEUDOVAULT TREASURE (WORTH 3–6 GOLD) — Roll four times (once for each column)

INCURSIONS

item

1 Adornment 2 Armor 3 Art 4 Container 5 Trinket 6 Weapon

style

feature

condition

Advanced

Dual Use

Astral

Ancient

Gemstones

Blessed

Blasphemous

Glowing

Cursed

Legendary

Intelligent

Enhanced

Mastercrafted

Musical

Exquisite

Royal

Willful

Glorious

Conclusion If the treasure-hunters escape from the manor and the Last River area, it’s likely they carry untold treasures out with them. Perhaps there’s enough plunder to retire on! But many rivals stand between the manor and the river back home, and the journey takes many days through Kalduhr. Are the treasure-hunters waylaid on their route back? Do they encounter yet more tempting treasures before reaching safety? It might be appropriate to create an entirely new incursion for the river trip out of the forest. The forest wants to destroy the manor, but the curse holds it at bay. If the treasure-hunters destroy the Thorn Effigy in the Ruined Kreave set, the forest begins to advance. All traces of the manor house and Kreave are destroyed within a month. Eventually, reports trickle in of the ghastly deaths of any panhandlers who stick around that long. The forest has its way with the manor house eventually, it just takes longer if the curse isn’t broken. Instead of the forest asserting its might completely, the Pseudovault’s tear in reality permanently warps the forest for miles around. 66 · Panning the Last River

A Heart Hums in Darkness MICHAEL VAN VLEET

INCURSIONS

A Heart Hums in Darkness • 67

Many wonders lurk in the Kalduhr Forest, but few evoke such skin-crawling terror as the Humming Woods: an ominous bee-filled patch of wild ruled over by the six-legged Mother of Millions. Efficient and brutal as any monarch, she rules over her buzzing, monstrous empire from the Six-Form Heart, a fortified and labyrinthine hive hidden in an enormous cluster of towering waxen peaks. Or at least... she did. Some months back, mountains of black smoke drifted out of those dark woods, arcing towards the south. It’s said that some brave (or foolish) souls must have successfully journeyed into the Heart itself and set a fire that even thousands of chitinous bodies couldn’t smother. A blackened, useless carpet of dead bees littered the charred woods as evidence. For a time, the woods were still; the near constant hum replaced with silence. Then, last month, refugees from the town of Wellslode began arriving at the gates of Fort Duhrin with tales of bees invading their subterranean homes, swarming and stinging, driving every human out. The respite is over. The Six-Form Heart is reborn. The Mother of Millions has resumed her reign somewhere in the dim underground passages of Wellslode. Something must be done. The Fort’s ability to sustain the local population is at its breaking point. Food and supplies are always tight, but now that the Fort has had to accommodate refugees from Wellslode, tensions are high and locals are angry. Tents have sprung up in public common areas and in alleys that previously made for convenient shortcuts or intimate meeting spaces out of public sight. One can’t walk from one’s quarters to the public baths without threading through a maze of outstretched, begging hands.

INCURSIONS

Your party of treasure-hunters have been hired by Sarn Ogledd, First Protector of the Kingsguard in Fort Duhrin. Your mission: do what you do best. Slip into hostile territory, take note of hazards and defenses, and report back. Not only will a handsome reward await you on your return, but you’ve been provided a written proclamation granting you Right of Salvage for any abandoned valuables you may come across in the fulfillment of your scouting duties. Ready yourself, traveler. Follow the hum into the darkness. theme infiltration / mimicry

SETS

Who Goes There?

The Amber Commons

Amphitheater

Alchemist’s Panic Room

The Heart and the Twins

warnings: Body Horror, Confined Spaces, Graphic Violence, Harm to Animals, Insects & Spiders,

Mannequins, Religion

68 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

FOR THE GM’S EYES ONLY

Lamplight Fungus — Any treasure-hunter who consumes lamplight fungus takes the Condition Lamplight Eyes, which allows them to see in the dark. Lamplight fungus grows natively around Wellslode and resembles a short, moss-like carpet. It got its name, lamplight, based on the technology it replaced. Inhabitants of Wellslode ingest it casually for its mild stimulant effect and—more importantly—because it causes pupil dilation in humans, making it easier to see in low-light conditions. Wellslode was founded as a mining operation and supplies the region with iron. As the population expanded, entire neighborhoods were built underground, convenient to the mining efforts. Though the city has a giant mechanical bellows that pushes fresh air into the depths, oxygen remains at a premium and the burning of candles or lamps quickly became taboo in favor of regular “lamplight” use. Swarmstung Sickness — The venom of a bee from the Six-Form Heart, when injected into the bloodstream of a creature under the influence of lamplight, can induce a degenerative condition and the creation of a swarmstung creature. Some injected with the venom suffer violent allergic reactions. Their noses and mouths flood with a bloody, phlegmy discharge and their eyes swell shut. Their nasal passages and throat become host to a grey-green fuzz that resembles lamplight fungus and fill with bioluminescent pus-filled sacs, making afflicted creatures easy to spot in the dark. Any treasure-hunter who has the Conditions Lamplight Eyes and Stung at the same time must make a risk roll. Additionally, each time such a treasure-hunter would take the Stung Condition again, they must make another risk roll. Success grants a new Ritual: ritual

Failing causes the treasure-hunter to suffer an allergic reaction and take the Condition The Hive is Home as they slowly begin transforming into a swarmstung. Condition: The Hive is Home Read the following when this Condition is taken: It becomes increasingly difficult to separate the needs of the hive with your own desires. When your actions come in conflict with the hive’s priorities, you must succeed at a risk roll to prioritize yourself over the hive. Failing makes the Condition get worse (apply these in order): • Your eyes water, sending sugary tears down your cheeks. Your vision is increasingly occluded, your eyelashes sticky, but you can compensate by listening to bees and navigating with their aid. • Words seem clumsy. Increasingly you’ll communicate only with gestures, or moving your whole body, especially when giving directions. • You can’t digest food other than honey. After all of these are applied to a single treasure-hunter, the next time they fail a risk roll to prioritize themself over the hive, they become a swarmstung.

A Heart Hums in Darkness • 69

INCURSIONS

Hum — commune with an inhuman intelligence

Who Goes There?

The road out of town is littered with rotten food, trampled books, broken jewelry, all presumably dropped in better condition by villagers eager to escape. Wellslode is easy to see from afar. Enormous bellows that push air into its subterranean depths jut into the sky, opening and closing like the wet wings of a butterfly just out of its cocoon. goal

moments

Find an entrance to Wellslode’s underground city spaces. The fields outside of Wellslode alternate between cultivated stretches of crops and intentional strips of wild plants that farmers left fallow to support local wildlife and pollination. The weather has been fair and plants are in full flower. Birds flit here and there, fat from the bounty of insects. Ear-hoppers caper and bees bumble from bloom to bloom. A small child’s still body, partially concealed under a bush, is revealed to be a large stuffed doll with the name Yulia stitched on its back. It is sodden, bug-eaten, and smells of mold.

questions

When people talk about the citizens of the partially-underground city of Wellslode, how do they describe their temperament? What unusual customs were practiced there before the bees arrived? Before you left Fort Duhrin, a refugee begged you to look for someone they haven’t seen since they fled Wellslode. Who was it? How will you know them if you see them? traps

treasures

An elderly refugee. This person appears dead. They are sitting against a tree, wrapped in a very fine blanket, and have jewelry in their lap.

With a sharp intake of breath, the refugee reveals themself to be alive by grabbing the wrist of a treasure-hunter. They beg for food, water, and an escort to safety because they won’t survive another cold night. Agreeing to provide for them would impact the party’s supplies, or a player may harden their heart and leave this person with whatever promises they care to offer, knowing how unlikely it is that that promise will be upheld.

A knife in a painted sheath: an image of the town’s bellows against a sunrise.

The militia are actually wax manikins. One will attempt to imitate a party member and take their place (see Meeting the Manikins below).

A scavenged sword.

INCURSIONS

props

The cheesemonger’s shop. The windows of the store have been packed with dirt from the inside, overflowing and forming a slope of dirt that falls into the street. A small group of militia members gather outside the doorway of the cheesemonger’s shop. A smooth wax plug impedes the entrance. The militia members are examining the plug and scraping at it.

70 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

Three vials of Fandr’s Eye, a weak painkiller. A tin of lamplight fungus. Brand name: Lucky’s Lamplight.

A helmet, dented, with a tortoise-shell design. A spade with a silver sovereign embedded in the handle, an offering from a ditch digger to Saint Daphine.

props

traps

treasures

A wagon on its side. One wheel is shattered. Old blood shows that whatever animals pulled the wagon were hurt, but they’re not here now. The wagon’s goods lie scattered.

Off-kilter goods collapse causing a heavy barrel to strike or pin someone.

A brace of pickled lake rabbits. Three wooden rabbit traps. A complete illustrated set of Cousin Lashek’s Tales of Banditry. A tightly clasped locket with lamplight fungus inside.

WAX MANIKINS

weaknesses — Fire; heat; disenchantment

These manikins are the product of beekind’s magical experimentation with the Enliven Ritual. They are entirely made from wax without the wooden/metal undergirding of standard manikins. They’re imbued with a mirror glamor ability that allows them to appear as a human expects them to appear. Their vocabulary is limited to words and phrases they have heard; the more they hear humans speak, the more their glamor will allow them to intuit correct responses to navigate a conversation.

1 Echoing phrases and words to try and respond. 2 Investigating everything with childlike curiosity. 3 Eagerly socializing.

4 Shoddily pretending to be human. 5 Remolding their own faces with beeswax. 6 Hiding in plain sight and studying humans.

Summon Bee Swarm — The wax creations call their allies for assistance, causing a swarm of bees to arrive, increasing Endurance by 2. Treasure-hunters who remain in combat must succeed at a risk roll or take the Condition Stung. Waxy Flesh — A weapon strikes and gets stuck. The treasure-hunter loses their grip on it. Doppelganger — Causes dread as one of them changes into a treasure-hunter and attempts to confuse and replace the treasure-hunter.

MEETING THE MANIKINS

Most of the manikins remain quiet when the party talks to them. The mankins that do respond reply with “echo” responses, using only the words already used. For example: Player: Hello! How are you? Is there anything we can help you with? Manikin (inquisitive friendly look): Help... with? Player: Yes. What are you doing here? Where is everyone? Manikin: Everyone? Player: The people of this village. Manikin (nodding): People. (Turns to other manikins) The people of this village... Player: Are you okay? Manikin (serious): Yes. Okay. What are you doing here? At some point, describe that one of the militia members looks just like a treasure-hunter. They didn’t seem to just a moment ago, but now they do. If a party member is a manikin, prioritize them as the mimicry target. Ask the player of the treasure-hunter who has been copied to respond on behalf of both versions of their character as the party tries to figure out who the "real" party member is. A Heart Hums in Darkness • 71

INCURSIONS

At the cheesemonger’s shop, the treasure-hunters encounter wax manikins attempting to disguise themselves as militia. Ask the treasure-hunters: “Who has been to Wellslode before, or knows someone who has? What are the colors the militia members wear here? What does their banner look like?” Use their responses to define the manikins’ disguises.

The Amber Commons

This area is an underground park that is largely filled with trash and detritus. An underground river’s waterfall powers a large water wheel. An enormous tree dominates the park’s middle, light coming in from a distant opening in the cavern’s roof. TO MOVE THE TREASURE-HUNTERS OUT OF THIS SET

When the digger arrives, it opens up the way to the alchemist’s panic room and the amphitheater through the hole it has dug. When the digger destroys the wheel, causing the bellows to cease and the torchlight to go out, the treasure-hunters will need another way to see in the dark. Introduce lamplight fungus if you have not done so already. goal

Find a way down deeper and find a way to see in the dark. On the ground, Wellslode coins have been arranged in a strange symmetrical pattern. Two bees walk through the coin maze, following mirrored routes from opposite ends toward the center.

INCURSIONS

moments

A black and burned clump of bees form a lumpy mass in a heap of garbage. Some of their limbs appear to have run like melted wax, tracing meandering black drippings over white stone revealing these are not actual bees but failed wax Enliven experiments.

props

traps

treasures

Orfuss the Not Dead. A young person and a fool, Orfuss can be seen struggling to escape the grip of several dog-sized wingless drone bees. Their leather clothing is stained dark with a pheromone scent that marks them as “something dead” to the bees, who are trying to place them with other corpses and detritus. They are determined to go deeper into the hive.

Being marked with the “something dead” pheromone ruins any stealth and guarantees the attention of wingless drone bees. Causes the Condition Marked Dead.

Fancy lyre.

The bangled tree. A giant tree dominates the park’s middle. From its branches dangle scores of bracelets and charms, all left by lovers. The waterwheel is nearby. When it turns, it moves the bellows above which pump fresh air into the caverns below.

Bee hives, large enough to keep some of the bangle chains from swinging freely. Honey drips down, coating them. Molesting them prompts a defensive swarm attack (risk roll to avoid the Condition Stung).

Valuable bracelets.

An enormous digger, snout slick with honey, tunnels up into the commons and destroys the waterwheel while trying to disperse an attacking bee swarm. The bellows stop and the air grows thick causing flame light sources to die.

72 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

A shattered lockbox containing a handful of coins. A compass of fine quality.

A silver tray and cover in a picnic basket containing rotted bread and something runny that may have been cheese. A blue glass bottle of Toppy’s ink wine, crystal stopper still intact. Pen knife with decorative crystals in the hilt. Walking stick with scrimshaw image of a skeletal parade.

props

traps

treasures

Statue garden. Carved stone human figures stand buried chest high in slopes of garbage and dead bodies, both human and insect. Bees can be seen depositing trash.

A sinkhole into broken crockery and injury.

A broken sword with a fancy pommel.

The corpses stink of death and direct contact could mark one as refuse to any maintenance bees.

Chipped silver cup.

A picknicking quartet. From a distance, what at first appears to be some locals enjoying a picnic is actually a set of wax manikins miming at eating and drinking. The food they are “eating” is rotten. A small manikin capers to amuse the others with its shirt off, six angry wiggling legs coming out of its chest. It has encased a large bee (the size of a cat) in its body and its frame hums with the bee’s outrage and struggle.

The outraged bee is a wingless drone bee.

Necklace with eight gemstones, the largest nestled in a silver leaf like a drop of dew.

WINGLESS DRONE BEE

A book containing the Enliven Ritual, stained by tea, sodden, but can be read with an hour’s careful parting of pages.

Sturdy cutlery. A fine blanket with a green, geometric pattern.

weakness — Smoke

A six-legged insect much larger than its flying brethren; it is the size of a dog or cat. On its head are a set of powerful mandibles. On the abdomen is a large venomous stinger.

4 Carrying eggs to nurseries. 5 Visiting plants. 6 Hauling dirt.

Sting — Causes the Condition Stung as it jabs its needle-like stinger into a treasure-hunter. The bee’s Endurance is reduced by 2 after this defense successfully triggers. This defense may only trigger once per wingless drone bee. Swarm — A group of three or more drone bees climb onto a treasure-hunter, smothering the hunter with their too-warm bodies. Causes the Condition Overheated Exhaustion.

DIGGER

weakness — Strong-smelling distractions

A giant furred mammal with squared-off fingers for digging through dense soil. It lives on a diet of leviathan worms, poorly-guarded mucktouch egg clutches, and honey. Their broad faces are topped with a ridge of bone that gives a beetle-browed appearance. Enormous nostrils jut with sensitive hairs. Their throats contain coiled up and powerful tongues designed to drive into bee structures in search of food.

1 Waving arms to disperse halo of bees. 2 Smashing spade-like arms into the ground. 3 Chewing on the corpse of an enormous worm.

4 Grooming its head and chest with its long tongue. 5 Sniffing deeply, hungry. 6 Moving sluggishly, venom-sick with bee stings.

Throw — The digger gets a hold on a treasure-hunter and throws them across the commons and out of combat for the next round. They must pass their Weak Point to another treasure-hunter until they can rejoin. Dirt Wall — The digger creates a barricading wall of earth, increasing its Endurance by 2. Improvised Weapon — The digger grabs the entire nearby bangled tree and uses it as a club. Causes the Condition Broken Crown or Broken Bones. A Heart Hums in Darkness • 73

INCURSIONS

1 Hauling garbage. 2 Sealing passageways with wax. 3 Watching, antennae waving.

Alchemist’s Panic Room

moments

Find Lucasz’s notes about the Queen and the bees’ knowledge of Enliven Enliven.. Wax statues appear in places where humans once stood: leaning against a pamphleteer’s stand, holding a bell on a corner, and curled on a bench as if asleep. The local bat population chirrups and cheeps from dark corners. Oddly, they buzz now as well.

props

traps

INCURSIONS

A human body, face down. If flipped, its monstrous nature is revealed: an elongated tongue dangles from the mouth down the entire chest and it is missing its forehead. White brain matter is visible above two lolling eyes that try and fail to focus on the person investigating.

Samples of the brain matter or the tongue are valuable medical specimens.

The chewing factory. The sound of crying can be heard over the humming activity of bees. A half-collapsed building with a missing roof is at the center of a whirling cloud of bee activity. The bees are carrying plants through a missing wall and the open roof into the building. Inside, several humans are forced by bees to chew on a fibrous plant stalk then spit it back out so it can be carried away. Several have beestung swollen limbs and features. Many wingless drone bees guard the process and are brutal with captives who try to flee.

A group of wax arbalest bees in charge of this operation are nearby and eager for new captives.

Lucasz’s panic room entrance. A nondescript metal door with a swingaway portal, sealed to the outside world. A sign reads “looters forfeit all safety – Lucasz Boltol.” A sign reading “alchemy” and featuring painted sparks dangles from a single bolt, almost falling off the wall.

The door is defended in a variety of ways. A pressure on the portal plate triggers a crossbow bolt from the wall opposite. The door’s frame extends out from the wall and running a hand along its back seam risks laceration, as it has all been sharpened.

74 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

treasures

Captives say Lucasz, an alchemist, escaped the chewing factory and had a plan to deal with the bees.

props

traps

treasures

Lucasz’s panic room and laboratory. The floor is slick with broken crockery, caustic foams, spilled oils, glass, and paper. On the shelves are taxidermied burrowing animals, their skin replaced with transmuted glass. Standing in one corner of the room is a taxidermied digger, upright and threatening, its organs visible through a ventral glass pane. Luscasz is pacing about in this dark room. The bioluminescent pustules that line Lucasz’s throat are visible as they mutter angrily. The treasurehunters hear muttered phrases such as “the queen,” and “making more queens and they’ll make more queens” and “living wax!”

Lucasz is a swarmstung and has been trapped inside the room for days, sick and enraged.

A series of sketches of warped bee and human forms with notes by Lucasz documenting bee experiments with the Enliven Ritual.

The ground is covered with smashed specimens creating a slippery and jagged surface. The giant taxidermied digger’s body is pressurized. The innards—which are not well preserved—will explode outward if the glass body is struck.

Lucasz’s journal documenting a meat-to-glass transmutation experiment with medical illustrations. On close inspection, it Includes instructions for how to create vials of transmute-toglass liquid from materials in the lab. A crossbow and 40 bolts. Bandages, healing salves, an ointment jar labeled “Mother’s Kiss.” A sample of royal jelly in a vial labeled queen. Reduces Ruin by 1 if consumed.

WAX ARBALEST BEE

weaknesses — Fire; heat; disenchantment

When bees discovered the power of Enliven, they made creatures in their own image, but bigger, meaner, spikier, and with none of their physical limitations. These creatures are the size of small ponies. While bees will normally lose their stinger after a single use, the wax arbalest bees can puncture time and again, and even launch a sharp wax dart like a crossbow bolt. Their bodies are made entirely of wax.

4 Smoothing imperfections out of their waxy body. 5 Carrying material for the hive. 6 Stinging something already dead.

INCURSIONS

1 Roaming on smoothly-formed limbs. 2 Flying on thick wings. 3 Jousting with sharp stings.

Sting — Causes the Condition Stung as it jabs its poison-tipped needle-like sting into a treasure-hunter. Shoot Sting — It fires its stinger into a treasure-hunter, pinning them to a wall. Causes the Condition Stung. Waxy Flesh — A weapon strikes and gets stuck. The treasure-hunter loses their grip on it. Abduct — A wax arbalest bee grabs hold of a treasure-hunter, smothers them against its waxy body, and flies away, carrying them. SWARMSTUNG

weakness — Smoke

A stumbling creature in filthy clothing, still recognizable as human. Their nose and mouth have a glistening crust. Their nasal passages and throat are lined with a grey-green fuzz. The veins in their throat have also formed pusfilled sacs, which glow with a bioluminescent liquid. The fuzz resembles lamplight fungus. Their eyes are puffy and swollen shut. They are surrounded by a halo of small bees that land and crawl on them without fear.

1 Muttering to itself with angry growling sounds. 2 Lashing out at its surroundings or hurting itself. 3 Walking in routes familiar from its previous life.

4 Eating honey and crying. 5 Chasing a desperate animal out of the hive. 6 Head co*cked, as if listening to its halo of bees.

Intimidating Roar — Causes the Condition Terrified as a horrid noise comes from the creature’s throat. A treasure-hunter must succeed at a risk roll or flee the combat. Tackle and Sting — The creature leaps on a treasure-hunter, pinning them to the ground. The creature then rubs its face and head on the treasure-hunter, aggravating the bees into stinging the treasure-hunter. Causes the Condition Stung. A Heart Hums in Darkness • 75

Amphitheater

The tunnel left by the digger leads to aqueducts. Waist deep in water, treasure-hunters can follow the dark aqueducts deeper into the city-sized hive. While the path is treacherous, it’s relatively bee-free. In one direction, the aqueduct will open up into an amphitheater. All the seats in the round have been converted to open-topped cells for wriggling larva. Members of the Sun Stripe Clade are present, wreathed in smoke and wearing robes. They have woven circular masks over their faces. They are lowering one of their number into a wax cell and humming. The smoke lies heavy. Though it keeps the bees docile, one’s lungs ache. Air isn’t circulating. goal

INCURSIONS

moments

Find the keys to the city. A disconcerting and unexpected lack of buzzing—though there is still a hum. Your lungs are invaded by the choking smoke used to calm the hive.

props

traps

treasures

Center stage. Abandoned props lie in a pile here. Backdrops featuring distant lands, roaring oceans, sailing ships in profile, forests, seascapes, and a storm-wracked moor are strewn about. A wingless bee drone chews apart a painted canvas glade, converting it to pulp for building material.

Nearby, a sickly-looking method actress who has “become a bee” has a knife strapped to her foot in place of a stinger. She is infected and about to turn into a swarmstung.

The knife on her foot is decorated with a swan pommel.

Nursery in the gallery. Rows of wax cells of varying size containing writhing bee larva as well as entombed humans fill the seats in the gallery. Tiny bees fly about acting as nursemaids.

The tiny bees are roused into a swarm. It cannot be fought, but remaining near requires a risk roll to avoid gaining the Condition Stung.

One body submerged in the mess has a ring of master keys to the city on his waist. Lamplight honey infused with the eye-dilating characteristics of the lamplight fungus the bees have been visiting. Wellslode coins repurposed as defensive wax cell caps.

The Ritual. One of the Sun-Stripe Clade’s members is transforming deliberately into a swarmstung. Their fellows hope to use their emergent hive-telepathy to get closer to the Queen and their holy Sister Mephera. “The Queen is talking to our transformed brethren. We’re so close to finding out what She wants. Mephera will protect!”

76 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

The Sun-Striped Clade members will protect and allow the transformed swarmstung to injure them or the treasure-hunters, believing even this violence to be a form of communication. After all, if aid is truly required, their beloved Sister Mephera will surely intervene.

A Clade brazier with metal handles, bee images in bas relief around the outside. Clade pheromone bombs.

INCURSIONS

SUN-STRIPE CLADE MEMBER

weakness — Holy rhetoric

Followers of Sister Mephera, members of this order wear hooded robes, their faces protected by woven reed plates that allow them to see but have gaps too small to allow bees to enter. Junior members swing smoking censers on chains, sending gouts of pleasantly-scented smoke in lazy arcs. Devout senior members carry smoking, scorching hot braziers with their bare hands in an act of religious mortification. Their hands are blackened to the point of ruin. They say Sister Mephera will carry anything they themselves cannot.

1 In a circle, swinging censers on chains. 2 Nursing a single struggling bee back to health. 3 Watching one of the Clade do a shuffling dance.

4 Humming as a choir, contemplative. 5 Inviting a treasure-hunter into shrouding smoke. 6 Drawing needle daggers out to deal with a threat.

“Invader” Pheromone bomb — Compels attacks from nearby bees, causing the Condition Marked Invader. The attention of the bees requires a risk roll to avoid gaining the Condition Stung. “Dead” Pheromone bomb — You are marked with the “something dead” pheromone and take the Condition Marked Dead. This ruins any stealth and guarantees the attention of wingless drone bees. Brazier Strike — Causes the Condition Burned as the Clade member sets you on fire. A Heart Hums in Darkness • 77

The Heart and the Twins

You’ve found it. The air in the Six-Form Heart is warm and close and sweet, busy with the coming and going of drones. The walls drip with an obscene abundance of honey. In the center, the massive Mother of Millions convulses, delivering another egg to be deposited in its own nutrient-rich cell. But between you and the Queen stand still humanoid forms, unperturbed by the bee-filled atmosphere. Bees crawl freely over their faces, in and out of their mouths, and over their unblinking eyes. They look just like you. goal

INCURSIONS

moments

Torch the hive to reclaim the city. Everything is bathed in the golden-amber hue of honey. Your boots stick to the floor. Her body quivers and ripples, then the Mother of Millions lays another egg.

props

traps

treasures

The Twins. The wax manikins duplicated the treasure-hunters at the point they made it past the initial Set. They are perfect dopplegangers of the treasure-hunters as they appeared at that moment.

Any information provided to the manikins is learned by the Hive as a whole and will outlive the manikins.

Enlivened wax samples are worth 2 Gold to any arcane researcher.

The Six-Form Heart. The heart is a massive six-chambered nest of special hexagonal waxworks containing perfect eggs. Dripping down the side into a trough is a jelly-like substance that appears to be a more pure form of honey; it seems to be fit only for the Mother of Millions herself. She rests in the middle. Her dark eyes monitor the treasure-hunters. She won’t interrupt her placing of eggs into hexagonal chambers.

The surrounding wax is flammable. Very flammable.

THE MOTHER OF MILLIONS

If a wax manikin is struck down, a replacement arrives within a few minutes to continue the fight.

The path back out is sealed with wax and guarded by dog-sized wingless drone bees. The Hive does not want the party to leave.

Weapons and armor that duplicate the party’s gear, but of lesser quality.

News of the current state of this place is worth 2 Gold from the kingsguard for each treasure-hunter who survives to tell of it. Royal jelly reduces Ruin by 1 if consumed. Fort Duhrin’s authorities would pay 4 Gold for proof of the Mother of Millions’s death.

weaknesses — Fire; smoke

A bee the size of a bear with an elongated abdomen and light-swallowing, intelligent eyes. A sticky tongue emerges occasionally from a dark beak. The abdomen has multiple ovipositors which frequently birth different sized eggs.

1 Dining on food delivered by drone. 2 Birthing many eggs at once. 3 Watching a pattern performed by bee spies.

4 Murdering a rival Queen before it hatches. 5 Humming in the center of a whirling cloud of bees. 6 Enlivening a wax form.

Defenseless — The Mother of Millions does not fight. Once attacked, all manner of monsters will be summoned to her aid. If any treasure-hunter is rendered defenseless and helpless while she is still alive, she will instantly kill them and consume them. 78 · A Heart Hums in Darkness

TALKING WITH THE TWINS

If combat does not immediately break out, have the wax manikins begin their quest for knowledge here by asking questions in the first person, as if they were the treasure-hunters themselves: Examples: “Where did I come here from?” (seeking the name of Fort Duhrin). “Who is waiting for me at home?” (seeking names of people who may greet them). “Why did I come here?” (seeking knowledge about the journey so far and inviting regretful introspection). If a treasure-hunter has newly discovered equipment, their double, who doesn’t have a copy of it, asks, “May I have that? You won’t need it.”

Conclusion If the treasure-hunters manage to destroy the Mother of Millions, they will be celebrated as heroes back in Fort Duhrin, and possibly even in Ambaret. Their victory is Pyrrhic, however— the Hive will simply feed royal jelly into a number of egg chambers and birth a half dozen new queens. Killing the Mother of Millions will not slow the Six-Form Heart at all. A Heart Hums in Darkness • 79

INCURSIONS

The doppelganger wax manikins were crafted by the Six-Form Heart to go on an expedition into the human world in an exact mirror-image of the party’s journey. This subterfuge will be most easily accomplished if the heroes die here at the foot of the Mother of Millions. But the manikins, speaking on behalf of the Six-Form Heart, may be open to negotiation.

The Huntsman’s Manor

INCURSIONS

NATALIE ASH

“Alight! Alight!” The huntsman calls With sun already set. The quarry springs as twilight falls, A trophy now to get.

RUMORS OF TREASURES AT THE MANOR manual on hunting, written by the Marquess, that 1 Adescribes rare and forgotten techniques he learned in the depths of Kalduhr.

Blackspear: the Marquess’s signature weapon. 2 The Some believe this blackened steel boar spear was enchanted to find the heart of its prey.

The moon above shines o’er the hunt And hot breath fogs the air. The master surges to the front, The trophy now is there. As hot blood runs and soaks the ground And hunger now’s been paid, The pack to which you have been bound: A trophy you’ve been made. 80 · The Huntsman’s Manor

in pride of place, the Marquess was said to 3 Hanging have claimed and stuffed the head of a dragon as a trophy of one storied hunt.

Marquess’s ornate ceremonial saddle decorated 4 The with ornate leather-work and gilding. “Flying Wolf ”: a crossbow made to Marquess 5 The Niral’s specifications. The stock is carved golden hickory and the mechanism is tooled in brass filigree. It was said the draw was so heavy, and the bolts so thick, that no one could notch the bow but the Marquess.

of the manor said that the Marquess took 6 Servants notes on the creatures he encountered and slew within the forest of Old Kalduhr. This bestiary would be among the best resources for those venturing within the forest’s borders.

The politically unremarkable Marquess Niral was a hunting prodigy, building his hunting manor on the edges of the forest to hunt the most challenging prey. After his disappearance over a century ago, the manor was abandoned, but what amazing treasures and trophies still remain? theme pursuit

While the Marquess Niral was unremarkable in political influence, he was highly regarded in his skills as a hunter. People considered it the height of folly to build his manor as close to the forest as he did, but he would only laugh and say that he built where the prey was. For a few years he held grand hunting meets, taking friend and foe to play at the edge of the dark woods. To many guests, one such hunt was the thrill of a lifetime. It was not enough for Marquess Niral. His own travels into the forest drove him deeper and deeper toward its heart. When his final hunt left the manor ungoverned for a year, the servants turned to other masters and the lodge was left unoccupied. For the last century of its existence, it has lain empty. The manor’s proximity to the forest dissuades most scavengers, and the belief is there remains— beyond the rusted, fallen, heavy iron gates—a treasure ripe for the taking.

SETS

The Hedge Maze

The Feast Hall

The South Wing

The Wild Hunt

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?

Though the manor was abandoned by the servants, its master did one day return, but no longer in the form of a human. He returned beastbitten and has surrendered to this gift. In doing so, he has gained the ability to control his transformations. He can change into a wolf and back at will, except during the full moon when he is captured by the bestial spirit for the duration. He has collected the best hunters who have proven themselves in hunts in the forest, offering them a pure life where all conflict breaks down to who is predator and who is prey. warnings: Amputation, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Graphic Violence, Harm to Animals The Huntsman’s Manor • 81

INCURSIONS

The North Wing

The Overgrown Gardens

These once formal gardens, decorated with raised flower beds and topiaries, have become completely overgrown. Most of the flowers, trees, and paths are choked thick with blackberry brambles. goal

Enter the manor. A bramble moved out of the way snaps back and even farther, as if reaching for someone. Blackberries have fallen to the ground and split open; their juice is thick — too thick — and red.

moments

A row of white roses has tangled to form one giant, thorned bush. The petals sting if touched. A clump of fur has been left caught on a branch. It is coarse and gray. Caught on a short branch on the tree is a piece of cloth: thick, as if from a cloak. The pattern is a faded houndstooth. From the look of things, its wearer had been running toward the manor.

props

traps

treasures

Several large wolves enjoy a fresh kill in a clear patch of short grass. The wolves are eating from the fairly fresh corpse of a human.

Several beastbitten wolves.

Beneath the corpse—and covered in its viscera—is a small silver elk statue.

INCURSIONS

The greenhouse. A pile of rusted iron and shattered glass that used to be a greenhouse. Beneath the rubble are broken clay pots and mostly-dead plants.

Sheltered by two panes of glass is an extremely rare orchid (worth 1 Gold, but an orchidist would offer 2 Gold for it).

The manor’s entrance. The oversized double-doors to the manor are in the same worn, overgrown condition as the rest of the gardens. Inside is entirely different. Here, everything is exceptionally well-tended — nearly immaculate. The entrance hall is large and long, ending in a curved double-staircase leading to the feast hall. Its thick carpet shows no signs of wear and has no footprints. On both the left and right sides of the hall are arched entrances to the north and south wings of the manor. additional traps The gardens are thick with dangerous, skin-tearing brambles. At any point, a beastbitten wolf can harass the treasure-hunters, herding them toward the manor. additional treasures A weather-worn satchel holding silver flatware. A magnificent pair of shed antlers. A slain beastbitten wolf may be harvested as any other monster, and if so, its heart is found bound in thorns. BEASTBITTEN WOLF

weakness — Poison

Slightly larger than a typical gray wolf, this wolf has an immaculately clean grey coat and expressive eyes.

1 Consuming a fresh kill. 2 Napping in the sun. 3 Observing intruders from the shadows.

4 Racing each other through the grounds. 5 Cutting artistic patterns into tree bark. 6 Picking flowers.

Testing Defenses — The beastbitten wolf runs away after the first round of combat. Shapeshifter — The beastbitten wolf transforms into its pack member form (see the feast hall). 82 · The Huntsman’s Manor

The Hedge Maze

The stone archway that serves as an entrance to this maze is almost completely covered with vines and overgrowth from the hedges. Inside, the once-perfectly shaped hedges have turned feral. The maze can still be navigated, if only just. goal

Reach the center of the maze. The sound of rustling behind you. The path turns to the right, but didn’t you come from the left?

moments

A hedge is completely choked with brambles. Deep inside the hedge is a vibrant blue flower. The brambles have grown overhead, creating a tunnel. A thin sap drips from the thorns above.

props

traps

treasures

The broken statue. A stone statue of a rearing elk, moss-covered, with the head and antlers shattered on the ground.

The two eyes of the statue are large flawed emeralds.

The gazebo. At the intersection of two paths is a large, circular lawn. Taking up most of the space is a white gazebo, though the white is streaked, faded, and tinged green from moss stains. Within the gazebo is a small bench, just wide enough for two people to sit together.

A pearl and gold earring is in the grass next to the bench.

When someone enters this space, the topiary wolf “opens” its “eyes,” notices the treasure-hunters, and leaps across the fountain to attack.

In the pond guarded by the wolf, there are brass bangles, a decorative scabbard, a wax-sealed letter, and a well-made dagger (each worth 1 Gold).

additional traps A beastbitten wolf from the overgrown gardens can harass the treasure-hunters, herding them toward the center of the maze.

TOPIARY WOLF

weakness — Severing attacks

Fully eight feet from the ground to the shoulder, this wolf-shaped topiary is currently detached from its root system and able to move about the maze of its own volition.

1 Growling like rough bark rubbing against itself. 2 Leaves bristling and rustling in the wind. 3 Absorbing nutrients through its root system.

4 Gnashing thorny, blood-stained teeth. 5 Slowly turning to follow the sun. 6 Growing larger. The Huntsman’s Manor • 83

INCURSIONS

The center of the maze. An open circular area the size of a large room with grass around the outside. The center is a pool and fountain; the water within is unmoving and green with muck. Atop the fountain is a platform with a larger-thanlife topiary of a sleeping wolf.

The North Wing

This maze of small rooms each have two, three, or even four doors. Most are small parlors with one or two chairs and a small table. Some have a fireplace and the attendant hardware. The walls are a smooth plaster painted with bold colors. Ornate, gilt-bronze plaster moldings line the ceilings and doorways. Elk-horn and bronze candelabra are lit in each room either on a table or suspended from the ceiling. The candles have no wax-drips. goal

Find an exquisite treasure. The howling of wolves echoing from deeper inside the manor. There is a tall clock with a broken mechanism; it neither ticks nor chimes but the automaton circles endlessly — an elk followed by a pack of wolves.

moments

Hanging from the wall is a taxidermied hound with its belly open and exposed containing a mangled, taxidermied cat. The cat itself has its belly open, exposing a mangled, taxidermied rat. When opening a door, you feel a sting in your palm as you turn the knob. Looking closer, you see that the fangs in the ornate wolf-head knob extend as the knob is turned. There is a dragonfly trapped on the inside of a window, buzzing and bumping against the glass. You see first one jumping spider leap and grab it, then another, and another. Soon, nearly a dozen spiders have grabbed onto the dragonfly and are beginning to consume it as it falls to the sill.

props

traps

treasures

A small parlor. This room has a single chair and table. Slumped in the chair is an animate prey corpse.

The animate prey corpse will awaken if touched and attempt to flee. It cannot leave the room.

An oil painting of two nude men dueling with daggers. The Kanidian School by Baron Castermane. Oil on board. 18" × 23".

INCURSIONS

The dagger sheath on the animate prey corpse’s belt (missing the knife) has a rather beautiful embroidery of complex knotwork. A small salon. While small, this room is packed with chairs and comfortable seating, except in one corner which has a small raised platform, as if a stage. The wall-sconces have lit candles with heavy shades on them, making the room feel even more intimate. A long gallery. This room has only one entrance. The room is long but narrow— a tall person could touch both walls at the same time. It is devoid of ornamentation save for the far wall. A single chair faces that far wall. Next to the chair is a tall candelabra brightly lighting its immediate area. Curled around the base of the chair is the stone hound. On the far wall is a large oil painting covered by a curtain.

84 · The Huntsman’s Manor

A handwritten folio of poetry: The Song of Kalduhr by Countess Coatsworth-Hague. The author is no one of note. It is uneven in its quality, with strict and sometimes nonsensical rhymes.

The stone hound will attack anyone who comes near.

Someone knowledgeable about the works of Ajino would recognize this piece: The Ecstasy Of Remuneration In The House Of Pleasure. Oil on stretched leather. 36" square (3 Gold).

props

traps

treasures

The back stairs. A long hallway at the back of the manor. The far end has a staircase leading up. From above, there are the sounds of many people gathered for a feast. At the base of the stairs is an age-yellowed piece of paper; it announces a bounty on the head of someone named Balan Doen.

additional treasures Various small books of poetry and small paintings can be gathered. While they are unlikely to be of a collectible creator, their general quality will carry a small value. ANIMATE PREY CORPSE

weakness — Fire

The body of a long-dead treasure-hunter. The skin is leathered and taut, cracked around the joints. Its clothes are typical for the working classes in Fort Duhrin but a bit out-of-date. If the boots are removed, its feet have bifurcated and thickened on the bottom. They aren’t hooves, but they are hoof-like.

1 Appearing as dead, holding perfectly still. 2 Barely tracking movement with its dead eyes. 3 Screaming and bleating loudly when touched. STONE HOUND

4 Leaping about the room when active. 5 Attempting to move on all fours to escape. 6 Kicking with both back legs when frightened. weakness — Bludgeoning attacks

A hunting hound, faithfully carved from stone, even down to the quality of its fur.

4 Staring at the door. 5 Scraping the wooden floor with its stone toes. 6 Twitching as it dreams.

The Huntsman’s Manor • 85

INCURSIONS

1 Sleeping at the foot of his master’s chair. 2 Waiting for his master’s return. 3 Whining for his master.

The South Wing

This wing has a series of larger halls functioning as a museum of sorts. Each room has displays of hunting trophies and hunting paraphernalia from around the world. The floors are dark marble, the walls are wood paneling, and it is all well-lit by chandeliers burning candles that shed no wax. goal

Find the best trophy. A bracket breaks dropping a boar spear to the ground. A sudden breeze flutters a tapestry of a wolf making it appear to be running.

moments

A slow cloud passes in front of the nearly-full moon. A faster cloud appears in the sky and overtakes it. As they separate from the moon, only the second cloud remains. An ancient and nearly featherless lyrebird is kept in a too-small cage. The mournful, lonely song it croaks out sounds like hunting horns and cleavers chopping meat. There is a faded mural that shows a naked warrior fighting a bear with a short spear. Most of the color has faded but the blood-red scratches on the warrior’s flesh still look bright and wet.

props

traps

treasures

Choking Brambles. If anyone touches the statue of the Old One, the brambles and thorns on the statue and the images of vines, brambles, and thorns in the wall-murals animate and fill the room, attempting to restrain, stab, and constrict the thieves (risk roll to destroy the brambles and avoid injury).

The statue holds The Spear of Thorns. This barbed spear has the proportions of a short spear but the size is larger than most polearms. This weapon could only be used effectively by a large, strong person. If it is wielded in combat, the wounds it creates sprout constricting, thorny brambles from the incisions.

INCURSIONS

The Hall of Plains. This large, square room has gray granite floors and the wood in the room is light oak. The center of the room has a taxidermy display of a bison fighting a pack of hyenas. The walls are decorated with mounted trophies, slings, bows, and spears. The Hall of Deserts. The polished sandstone floors are matched by sandstone pillars spaced around this room. The room is full of shelves made from baobab tree lumber upon which are displayed preserved scorpions and spiders. The Hall of Kalduhr. Immediately upon entering this room is a giant statue of The Old One of the Forest. Well over twelve feet tall, the ivy and bramble-covered armor contains a fierce and wild looking man. Fortunately, this is merely a bronze statue. The barbed spear it is holding is a real weapon, however. The remainder of the room—tastefully decorated in dark, walnut wood and moody murals of the unusual landscapes of the Forest of Kalduhr—contains taxidermied trophies of unnatural creatures: elk with bladelike hooves, boar with fungal manes, a gigantic boa constrictor with three heads, and other oddities. additional treasures The taxidermied trophies are all valuable but difficult to transport.

86 · The Huntsman’s Manor

INCURSIONS

The Huntsman’s Manor • 87

The Feast Hall

Three staircases come together at one end of a massive feasting hall. In the open rafters above, candles drip wax from their elaborate antler candelabra. Large wooden trestle tables are heaped with meats, breads, and vegetables. The many guests in attendance engage in boisterous conversation, filling the room with a roar of enjoyment. They wear fashionable, expensive, and functional hunting clothes. One end of the room has a small dais. No table stands on the dais: only an arched doorway with the keystone carved in the shape of a snarling wolf and a curved staircase beyond it. The attendees of the feast welcome the treasure-hunters and invite them to join. If they join, there are no empty spaces for a group so the treasure-hunters are split up throughout the room. goal

Enjoy the feast. Two of the feast attendees discuss which of the treasure-hunters would be the most delicious. One attendee mutely consumes a heaping plate of meat with abandon. A small mouse climbs onto the table and they scoop it up, dip it in gravy, and eat it without noticing. They look at the person seated to their left with naked hunger in their eyes.

moments

A feaster is partway through telling a story: “Now, the bounty was only enough for all of us if we brought him in alive. When we got upstairs we found him alright, and the poor bastard was already running on hooves. Well, there was no way to bring him in alive after that, but I could at least bring his head back. There was plenty of Balen to go around, but not enough bounty, right? Fortunately, my two companions were jumpy as deer by that point, so no problems!” Everyone laughs. “Oh what was that, 50 years ago? Still have a bit of Balen left.” He shakes his coin purse and sighs contentedly.

INCURSIONS

props The meat pies. Wonderfully savory, with a perfectly flaky crust. Just enough gravy inside to keep it moist, but not too messy to eat. There is an entire human fingernail in the filling. The fortune teller. One feaster, dressed somewhat more gaudily than the rest, is doing three-card fortune pulls. Everyone who has had their fortune read is laughing and seems merry. She will happily read the cards for the treasure-hunters (See fortune roll on the next page). The wolf ’s head door. Beyond this door is an ascending staircase in what looks like a tall, stone tower. The stone seems older than the rest of the manor. Oddly, the treasure-hunters can’t recall seeing any towers from outside the manor. additional traps Attendees are pack members who will defend themselves if attacked. additional treasures The centerpieces are gold-plated candelabras sculpted like stylized elk. Surprisingly, no one would mind if a treasure-hunter took one, but more than one would be frowned upon. PACK MEMBERS

weakness — Poison

Humans dressed in high-quality but functional hunting attire and armed with all sorts of hand-held weapons. Not Alone — After the first round of combat, enough fellow pack members will join in the fight that the treasurehunters cannot continue without dying or being subdued. Shapeshifter — The pack member transforms into its beastbitten wolf form (see the overgrown gardens). 88 · The Huntsman’s Manor

FORTUNE ROLL The fortune teller offers to read the fortunes of the treasure-hunters. She draws three cards for each person.

1. The first card shares a fact about who the treasure-hunter is now. 2. The second card indicates a challenge they will face in the future. 3. The third card suggests how they will change after that challenge. For each reading, roll three times on the table below to select three different cards (rerolling duplicates). If the dark die lands closer to you, consider that card to be reversed (listed in italics below).

Whichever treasure-hunter goes last will receive only blank cards. The fortune teller has them try again, but the cards will again be blank. She appears shocked and distressed, whispers “I’m sorry,” and then walks away. Hester, arms holding harvesting tools. 1 1 Saint Harvest, bounty (Emptiness, want).

Aliciar, tying a knot before a ship’s sail. 4 1 Saint Double-checking (Loss of security).

Antonia, faceless, next to a grave. 1 2 Saint Memory, a happy past (Gaps in knowledge).

Fatimah, with mouth exuding smoke. 4 2 Saint Purification (Loss of self, alienation).

Barthus, holding aloft a burning hand. Anpeth, whispering in another’s ear. 1 3 Saint 4 3 Saint Progress through pain (Self-harming obsession). Being inducted into a secret (Being deceived). Exodias, standing in a leviathan’s maw. Dunyakj, hands around pregnant belly. 1 4 Saint 4 4 Saint Service to a great power (Being consumed). Vibrant creation (Risk and reward). Gliv, walking in moon-lit darkness. 1 5 Saint Safety through danger (Foolhardy progress).

Ellyellin, in a paper-covered room. 4 5 Saint Building on knowledge (A false conclusion).

Rosslyn, hovering above ground. 1 6 Saint Having perspective (Being disconnected).

Mephera, plunging a spade into dirt. 4 6 Saint Careful preparation (Being tethered).

Torii, beneath water, her hair floating. Sinestra, palming a golden coin. 2 1 Saint 5 1 Saint Hidden depths (Lack of control, victimhood). Secrecy, theft (Being discovered or labeled). Abriana, with no eyes and wide mouth. 5 2 Saint Unrelated complication (Unrelated solution).

Opalet, bound in a mass of thorns 2 3 Saint Inescapable loss, pain (Surrender to misery).

Caledo, wearing a veil with black lips. 5 3 Saint Serendipity (Removing a terrible rot).

Moeb, surrounded by many floating eyes. Espiria, with a blindfold and abacus. 2 4 Saint 5 4 Saint Novelty, ingenuity (Willful distraction). Poetic justice (Unjust payments or debt). Ara, holding a torch aloft. Felosil, throwing pottery on a wheel. 2 5 Saint 5 5 Saint A source of wisdom (Misleading perceptions). All eggs in one basket (Fruitless repetition). Borafel, hands being washed in a basin. 5 6 Saint Virgand, holding a calligraphy brush. 2 6 Saint Being without blame (Being tainted). Precision, artistry (A clumsy hand). Kuramet, in a chariot pulled by lions. 3 1 Saint Fierceness (Being victim to the inevitable).

Corissa, touching a bolt of lightning. 6 1 Saint A risky opportunity (Vainglorious struggle).

Orvoras, with a child laying in her lap. 3 2 Saint Being cared for (Unceasing giving ).

Mirra, armored before an empty throne. 6 2 Saint Paying homage (Devotion to an empty ideal).

Evelyn, with a scalpel and bloody rags. 3 3 Saint Recovery, hope (Mercy, forced endings).

Tyriis, a compass pointing toward her. 6 3 Saint Purpose in service (A dishonorable ruler).

Fyonne, planting a sapling in a corpse. 3 4 Saint Renewal, fruitful sacrifice (Consumption).

Suraya, weaving a complicated pattern. 6 4 Saint Recognizing patterns (Starting over).

Clarithe, robe around a glass figure. 3 5 Saint Revelation (The horror of being seen, shame).

Yundran, with a sword and waterskin. 6 5 Saint Traversing difficult terrain (Surprising life).

Valencia, in scholar’s robes with a book. Merl, kneeling next to a small garden. 3 6 Saint 6 6 Saint Careful study (Hasty judgements). Caring for the fragile (Unchecked growth).

The Huntsman’s Manor • 89

INCURSIONS

Orfilios, surrounded by piles of gold. 2 2 Saint Fortune, affluence (Envy, covetousness).

The Wild Hunt

The spiral stair ascends for much too long a time. Gradually, the air smells less like a feast and a manor’s interior, and more like the scents of forest: pine and fresh running water. Soon after, the treasure-hunters will ascend from the staircase tower into a stone gazebo. The gazebo stands in a small meadow with bright, sunlit skies overhead. The forest around is strangely clear of ground cover. There are the sounds of birds pleasantly chirping; somewhere nearby a running brook is babbling. goal

Learn the Rituals of the Wild Hunt.

props The following scenes take place in the forest surrounding the manor. Play through each scene in this order. Evening falls, the hunt is called. The treasure-hunters see the light go golden as the sun nears the horizon. They hear the sound of hunting horns. As the light dims and begins to turn blue, they hear a mounted group tearing through the woods. It is the entire group of pack members, led by Marquess Niral. He offers them the chance to ride with the Wild Hunt. If they survive the night, he will teach each of them one of his Rituals. If they choose to leave, they can return to the manor and then depart. If they balk at these options, Niral will grin with malice, call them the night’s quarry, and give them until the moon rises before the Hunt will pursue them. The party need not make a unified decision: Niral is happy to let each treasure-hunter choose their own fate.

INCURSIONS

The moon rises, as the pursuit is engaged. The sky’s blue becomes black. Clouds fill the sky and mist pools on the ground. Any treasure-hunters joining the Wild Hunt are stationed at its front to prove their worth. Any treasure-hunters selected as quarry have a lead, but may have to confront the Hunt if they are unable to run and hide throughout the night. traps: The uneven, mist-covered ground could cause a fall or a broken leg or ankle. The mostly-invisible tree limbs could impede progress, injure eyes, or strip away weapons or armor. The swollen moon is overhead and all is wild abandon. As the moon ascends, the hunters get off their horses. Their grins are wolfish as they strip out of their clothes and secure their belongings. Niral strips and asks any allied treasure-hunters if they want to continue on foot or on paw. Hunters begin changing their bodies to those of beastbitten wolves. The process looks—and is—incredibly painful. The hunt is resumed by lithe, grayfurred forms sliding through shafts of moonlight. If they assume a wolf form, the treasure-hunters are considered armed but do not have access to armor. Whether they would remain able to use any Rituals is negotiable. If all the treasure-hunters joined the Wild Hunt, they encounter a herd of fierce prey. Other hunters confront the smaller members of the herd, leaving Niral and the treasure-hunters to confront the central beast. Intersperse the following moments into the description of the combat. One wolf darts and bites the rear leg of one of the beasts; another wolf comes from its side and bites deeply into the beast’s neck. That wolf rips out a chunk of the beast’s neck and is covered with a shower of nearlyblack blood. The beast kicks out once then falls, bleating faintly as it slowly goes still. A wolf tries to rush behind one of the beasts but the beast sees it and lashes out with its iron-hard hooves. The wolf is struck in the ribs, caving several of them in and flaying the flesh open. It limps away. Three wolves stand shoulder-to-shoulder and rush one of the beasts. They leap onto its back, clawing, ripping, and biting chunks from it. Before it falls, they have eaten their fill. If not all of the treasure-hunters joined the Wild Hunt, those who run encounter the herd of fierce prey just as the first members of the Hunt do. Niral confronts the running treasure-hunters, the hunters confront the other herd members, and the hunting treasure-hunters confront the central beast. If all the treasure-hunters chose to run, they find a clearing suitable for an ambush. The environment can be used to winnow the number of hunters pursuing them. Allow the treasure-hunters to describe what elements of the forest they can use as a trap, and then have them make a risk roll. On a 6, two of the wolves are trapped (possibly injured, not dead, and out of the fight). On a 4 or 5, one is trapped. On a 2 or 3, none are trapped. On a 1, the trap misfires, injuring or creating an additional obstacle for the treasure-hunters.

90 · The Huntsman’s Manor

During combat rolls, the treasure-hunters only engage Niral. The remaining wolves are taken out of the fight with risk rolls. During each combat round, anyone who attempts to deal with a wolf makes a risk roll to do so. A success makes them back down—they are trying to be sporting. The wolves will not all attack at once—have a flow of them in-and-out to highlight the unpredictable nature of the encounter. Anyone confronting a wolf cannot contribute dice to the combat roll that round. If someone breaks off Niral to address a wolf, their Weak Point die must be passed off to another treasure-hunter as usual. If they return to confronting Niral, they may reclaim their Weak Point. If any of the treasure-hunters mark 6 Ruin, if Niral is overcome in combat, or if the treasure-hunters kill the central beast from the herd of fierce prey, switch to the following narration: The frenzy of running wild through the woods has left you tired. As the moon dips low, the cries of battle grow distant and a thick fog obscures everything beyond your hands. You find yourselves overcome with the exhaustion of your night and you slowly fall to the ground. The hazy shapes of the others around you show a similar fate befalling them. It grows dark, which some part of you recognizes is your eyes closing and sleep taking you. Dawn Burns the Clouds and Reveals the Remains. The survivors of the night awaken at the gazebo with the sun already risen. The clouds and mist have burnt away. Niral and the pack members are relaxed and jovial. The treasure-hunters—no matter which side of the hunt they were on—are greeted warmly. Niral will offer the two Rituals, as appropriate, to the treasure-hunters. Any who take up the Hunter Ritual are welcome to stay. Everyone is free to leave if they do so peacefully. Hunter — when you have the scent of your prey, you can feel their heartbeat when you face them. Prey — spurred by pursuit, you can run faster and with greater endurance. THE CENTRAL BEAST

weakness — Marquess Niral

A pack of prey animals that at first glance look like taller, more muscled elk proceed before the most magnificent prey ever to walk on four legs. This beast towers above the others, its muscles taut and rippling beneath its scarred hide. It’s rack of antlers is stained a dark red with many lifetimes worth of blood.

1 Running with sparks flying from hooves. 4 Stampeding the herd forward. 2 Locking horns with a lesser prey-beast. 5 Squaring off for an inevitable fight. 3 Tossing antlers to throw wolves at sharp branches. 6 Fleeing as the sun rises. MARQUESS NIRAL

weaknesses — Silver weapons; weapons consecrated in baleful moonlight

In human form, he is a tall and broad-shouldered man, with close-cropped hair and a beard with only a light feathering of gray. His leather armor is well-maintained but obviously functional rather than decorative. In wolf form, he is an enormous gray wolf with ruinous teeth and thick, coarse fur.

1 Seamlessly transitioning from two legs to four. 2 Pouncing with a spear thrust. 3 Stabbing with claws and teeth.

4 Howling with a bearded face. 5 Laughing with a barking snout. 6 Hunting, as only he can.

Learning Hunter — If not overcome during the first Combat Roll, increase his Endurance by 1. Learned Hunter — Strikes from his teeth, claws, or weapons are deadly, causing the Condition Mortal Wounds. This Condition must be treated within a few hours or Ruin increases by 1, and again by 1 each day thereafter. Effortless Shapeshifter — He transitions between wolf and man, catching a treasure-hunter off balance.

Conclusion

The treasure-hunters might join Niral and use his manor as a base to make incursions into the Kalduhr. They might return and tell the world of Niral’s presence and that of the beastbitten hunters living on the estate. Few would care and maybe one day a small army would be sent to kill them, but there isn’t enough wealth or strategic value in the estate that many would find it a worthwhile endeavor. The Huntsman’s Manor • 91

INCURSIONS

Fierce Charge — It knocks down a treasure-hunter after a charge, causing the Condition Broken Bones.

Foulcoult’s Bounty

INCURSIONS

OLI JEFFERY

92 · Foulcoult’s Bounty

Merek Foulcoult is a madman, they say, or a messiah, depending on who you talk to and the direction of the wind. All you know is there’s a bounty on his head for blasphemy, and you mean to collect it. They can argue about philosophy once he’s dead and you’re paid. He’s retreated to the port town of Old Kaleczenie, which has been seized by riots and a disease causing the afflicted to dance, unbidden and violent. Nobody remembers which caused the other anymore. Rioters, dancers, and a hideous sentient fungus stand between you and Foulcoult; or between you and the coin his blood is worth, at least. theme frenzy

Merek Foulcoult is a bringer of madness and passion. The sole survivor of a plague ship from further down the coast that wrecked on the treacherous beaches surrounding Old Kaleczenie. He received visions in his delirium during his bout with the plague. He spreads both his doctrine of absolute abandonment to humanity’s basest urges, and a voracious fungal infection that sends those contaminated by it into violent, dance-like spasms. Physical illness that leads to a loss of bodily autonomy is used as a metaphor for and in discordant harmony with literal indoctrination into hateful and violent behaviour. When running this incursion, emphasise spreading madness in both the indoctrinated and the infected, along with the rapidly spreading sentient fungus.

SETS

The Grand Bazaar

The Tempest

The Parade

warnings: Body Horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Classism, Confined Spaces, Graphic Violence, Harm

to Animals, Harm to Children, Human Sacrifice, Manipulation, Mental Illness, Religion, Shipwrecks

Foulcoult’s Bounty • 93

INCURSIONS

The Wretched Caves

The Citadel Mortiis D’Jezorha

The Master Speaks

The Tempest

Travelling the inland area surrounding the fortified city of Old Kaleczenie is a death sentence. Since the bounty on Foulcoult was issued, many have tried approaching that way and were swiftly cut down by his cultists before they got close to the city walls. Approaching from the sea is perhaps just as dangerous, but at least unpredictably so. Wracked by tropical storms and waves the size of titans, boats are wrecked here more often than not. But that “not” is all you need. Your ship, the Sharglave, approaches the port in the early hours of the morning in the midst of a tempest so violent that the things that lie dreaming at the depths of the ocean cower in fear. All you have to do is land. goal

Land safely in Old Kaleczenie’s port. An approaching ship full of travelers is struck by alchemical fire thrown from a trebuchet on the city walls. It is quickly engulfed. Passengers jump into the treacherous ocean to avoid the flames.

moments

A drowned child from one of the wrecked ships lies face down on the beach.

INCURSIONS

A lighthouse atop the cliffs swings its light wildly one way then the other. It seems people are dancing within and around it. props

traps

treasures

Sharglave. Your battered clipper. Its sails are torn and its mast is splintered and cracked.

The trebuchet reigns alchemical fire down on any ship that it can.

The city. The weather-worn walls around the city tower are festooned with gibbets and heads on spikes. A bizarre clockwork apparatus drags ships from the port up the sides of the walls. The only thing that remains clean here is the billowing flag of the city, which has been attended to with great care.

The welcoming committee waits atop the walls of the city, killing anyone who tries to enter.

The ocean. Crashing waves, beating, hot wind, and blinding rain.

Debris burning in the water mixed with titanic waves and jagged rocks make the ocean dangerous for any swimmer or sailing ship.

The porcelain masks that the welcoming committee wear have a chilling beauty and command a high price back home (1 Gold each).

additional treasures Bottles of unused alchemical fire atop the walls; goods, money, and fine clothes drifting from wrecked ships. THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE

weakness — Their masks

People wearing tattered and mixed military uniforms, smiling porcelain masks decorated with gold leaf and semi-precious stones, and matted wigs. They cannot be reasoned with and will stop “the infection” (anyone from outside the city) from breaching the walls.

1 Spouting the rhetoric of Foulcoult. 4 Bawling half-remembered songs, inventing lyrics. 2 Itching as if a thousand bugs are crawling on them. 5 Parroting words and noises they hear. 3 Screeching incoherently. 6 Watching for infiltrators. Rise Again — A presumed-dead member of the Welcoming Committee stands back up and resumes the attack. 94 · Foulcoult’s Bounty

The Wretched Caves

If you can’t make it safely to the port, the Sharglave will wreck upon the vicious rocks that jut up from the shingle beaches surrounding Old Kaleczenie like teeth in a ruined mouth. The walls are unassailable from here, but there are whispers of another way. A cave system used by smugglers to enter the city in its happier days lies abandoned. Perhaps there is a reason for that. goal

Find your way out of the labyrinthian caves into the city. The caves are unbearably humid, a warmth that seems to pulse and throb.

moments

The deeper you enter into the labyrinth, the more often you spot patches of a pulsating putrid-orange and white fungus covering the walls.

props

traps

treasures

The tunnels. The caves seem to wind in all directions; in the darkness and the oppressive humidity, it’s hard to think and harder to keep track of where you are. They sprawl upwards and downwards as well as every cardinal direction.

Corpse harvesters roam the tunnels, looking for more bodies to add to their decoration.

The hanged man. The mummified corpse of a smuggler dangles from a rope that must have washed in with him. He swings back and forth, despite there being no detectable breeze.

The dead smuggler has a set of ivory false teeth that could be pried from his distressingly moist mouth.

additional traps INCURSIONS

Collapsing caves; sudden floods; old booby traps set by the smugglers. additional treasures Caches of liquor, drugs, and other illicit goods abandoned by smugglers.

CORPSE HARVESTERS

weakness — Bright light

Monstrous crabs the size of bulls with spiked and horned skin, their bodies decorated with detritus and decaying corpses impaled on their chitinous spikes.

1 Scuttling up the walls. 2 Dropping from the ceiling. 3 Decorating their bodies with corpses and refuse.

4 Thrashing against the walls of the caves. 5 Communicating by chattering their mandibles. 6 Pretending to be a pile of refuse and bodies.

Chitinous Spines — One of the treasure-hunters is impaled on a corpse harvester’s many vicious protrusions, causing the Condition Bleeding Wound. Foulcoult’s Bounty • 95

The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar of Old Kaleczenie used to be a humble street market. Since Foulcoult arrived, it has transformed into a nightmarishly crowded labyrinth of stalls and tents spilling and climbing over each other. Traders push past each other to be the next to thrust their goods in your face. goal

Battle through the crowds to get to the amphitheater. A stall selling babies who are kept piled on top of each other in a large—but not large enough— cage. The trader repeatedly sings out their possible uses: companionship, labor, and livestock.

moments

An artist offers to draw portraits of anyone willing to try to sit still amidst the crushing crowds. The portraits are monstrous reflections of the subject's true soul, but otherwise quite good.

INCURSIONS

A trader tears through the crowds on a blinkered bull throwing a selection of objects of varying quality from a large sack over his shoulder. He declares that anyone hit by the items owes him their price. Prices are reasonable if it was something you wanted rather than something randomly thrown at you by a madman on a bull. Those that refuse to pay are gored by the bull’s horns. props

traps

treasures

The stalls. It’s nearly impossible to tell how many stalls there are here, as they’re crushed so close together and situated on top of each other. Some of the stalls are only accessible via other stalls and have no connection to the outside world. Their owners look as if they have not seen the sun in some time. The question of where anyone goes to the toilet is studiously avoided.

There are dancers amongst the crowd. Due to their infectious nature, the longer the treasure-hunters stay there, the more dancers there will be.

Amongst the trinkets, fakes, and things that you wish you had never seen, there are some genuine treasures that a person of low moral fiber could steal from the stalls (each item stolen is worth 1 Gold).

Food pits. In the center of the Bazaar lie the food pits: a series of tenfoot-wide holes, each filled with a different stew. The owner of each hole assures you their stew is the best in all of Old Kaleczenie; they go further declaring their stew is the only one that will not produce great pains and vomiting upon eating. New ingredients are being added to the food pits on a regular basis including rotten fruit and vegetables, animals (both living and dead), and other objects probably not considered food at all.

Something glints in one of the food pits—investigating reveals it to be fine jewelry (worth 3 Gold), raising some questions about the origin of the meat in that particular stew.

additional traps The street traders will surround and separate the treasure-hunters from each other. The party may be literally smothered by the crowds bearing down on them.

DANCERS

weakness — Stillness causes the fungus to leave

Humans infected by the fungus that Foulcoult has spread through his preaching. Their hair is falling out, their skin is crawling with rashes, and their clothes are torn and tattered as they try to rid themselves of the vile itching.

1 Arms and legs flailing in a violent dance. 2 Belching spores into the air. 3 Forcing others to dance with them.

4 Hysterically laughing and furiously screaming. 5 Desperately trying to stop their own dancing. 6 Jumping into the crowd and trampling them.

Foul Breath — A dancer breathes spores on a treasure-hunter, causing the Condition Infected. The treasurehunter’s dance begins as a twitch here and a muscle spasm there before developing into a furious danse macabre. 96 · Foulcoult’s Bounty

INCURSIONS

Foulcoult’s Bounty • 97

The Master Speaks

In a crumbling amphitheater in the center of the city, Merek Foulcoult holds court over a crowd of his believers. He scratches at his fungus-covered skin. His body is a strange combination of malnourished and bloated, different parts bulging or sagging. His robes are finely made but unable to fit his twisting form. His hair and beard are matted and long, blowing in the oppressively warm wind. Foulcoult preaches a complete dismissal of all laws, not as a benevolent anarchist, but to allow him and his followers to do whatever they want and surrender themselves to their basest and most violent urges. He preaches that anyone who speaks against them is a vile, inhuman enemy who must be crushed. He preaches that they are jealous or—even worse—poor, a failing of their souls and a perversity of their minds that must be cleansed with fire. goal

Assassinate Merek Foulcoult. The crowd is ecstatic, some listening, some screaming in support, some fighting with each other. All smile joyously from vacuous faces as they stab and beat and trample on each other.

moments

A herd of pigs is accompanied to the altar and slaughtered. Their blood is drained into large bowls, which are passed around the crowds for them to pour over their heads, staining them red. Someone in the crowd raises a small dissenting point against Foulcoult’s preaching. The mad preacher singles them out as a liar and a traitor. He calls on his followers to punish them. They do, stamping and trampling the poor soul to death and ripping their body apart.

props

traps

treasures

INCURSIONS

Walls. The amphitheatre is surrounded by crumbling spiked walls to keep out unbelievers. The gates are guarded by some of Foulcoult’s most loyal Converted. The amphitheater. A crumbling old arena able to seat up to two thousand people at a time now holds at least that many. The seating descends in concentric circles, each with a jump or climb between them of around six feet.

The Converted make up the bulk of the crowd—they’re more interested in watching Foulcoult and acting out whatever perversity brings them joy than in fighting the treasure-hunters, but they are a hindrance and will turn on the party if challenged.

The podium. Foulcoult preaches from the very center of the amphitheater. The area is large enough for a lectern, some bodyguards, and the sacrificial swine.

At the center of the crowd, nearest Foulcoult’s altar, is an iron fence to stop the Pit from oozing through.

Foulcoult reads from a tattered book atop a golden lectern. The book itself is a worthless 23-year-old almanac unrelated to anything he’s saying, but the lectern itself is worth 3 Gold.

additional traps Spikes on the walls; crumbling steps. additional treasures Many of the converted carry expensive weapons and other open displays of wealth with them.

98 · Foulcoult’s Bounty

THE CONVERTED

weakness — Seeing poverty

The citizens of Old Kaleczenie who haven't yet been infected with the fungus, but have instead fallen for Foulcoult’s creed of individualism, giving in to their basest instincts. They attack anyone who suggests they should act otherwise.

1 Screaming in support of Foulcoult. 2 Attacking someone random as an enemy. 3 Vomiting from overexcitement.

4 Repeating Foulcoult’s words over and over. 5 Mutilating their own eyes and ears. 6 Tearing away their own clothes and skin.

Herd Mentality — Another of the Converted notices the treasure-hunters amongst the general furor of the rally and joins in the fight.

INCURSIONS

THE PIT

weakness — Any fungi cure

A collection of fungally-infected citizens that have formed into one gestalt entity. It’s impossible to tell whose limbs and teeth and voice belongs to whom. The fungus surrounds them, stretching and contracting as the entity moves.

1 Pulling a body back in as it tries to escape. 2 Absorbing new people. 3 Climbing up the fence in an attempt to get in.

4 Dancing around the center of the ampitheater. 5 Simultaneously giving Foulcolt’s improvised speech. 6 Oozing.

Slippery Ooze — The Pit secretes a pale orange liquid: the combination of spores and their own sweat and piss. Make a risk roll to remain upright—failure causes the Condition Infected as the treasure-hunter slips. If the treasure-hunters successfully assassinate Foulcoult... His blood spews out as pure fungus, and he begins to bloat and stretch into the fungal merek foulcoult (see the next page). He bursts through the walls of the amphitheater into the citadel mortiis d’jezorha. d’jezorha.

Foulcoult’s Bounty • 99

The Parade

If the treasure-hunters fail to assassinate Foulcoult at the amphitheatre, he will lead his followers on a parade of destruction through the city to his home, the Citadel Mortiis D’Jezorha. A crowd of protestors has gathered as well. goal

Follow the parade into the citadel. The Converted don severed and hollowed animal heads. The wearers of the masks of goats, pigs, wolves, and cows dance wildly in the style of those animals while singing incomprehensible songs. Others wave torches with no care for those they burn.

moments

The remnants of the city guard are on show during the parade. They are interested only in keeping the Converted and the protestors apart and allowing the parade to continue. They have a distinct prejudice against the protestors. They make no effort to help any of the treasure-hunters or protestors if they’re injured. The parade spills past the guards and inflicts terrible violence on the crowds of protestors surrounding them. The guards do nothing to stop this.

props

traps

treasures

The streets. These walkways and paths of Old Kaleczenie are crumbling and war-torn. The buildings flanking the streets are burned out and graffitied with Foulcoult’s slogans. The streets are filled with his supporters and those brave enough to protest against him.

The parade of the Converted is joined by Dancers as they proceed through the city. Those citizens still opposed to Foulcoult’s preachings hurl rocks, rotten fruit, and the carcasses of animals.

Burned out warehouses still contain some salvageable goods and foods.

additional traps INCURSIONS

Potholes and loose stones may mean slipping under the feet of the parade. When the treasure-hunters reach the Citadel... Foulcoult’s followers build a pyre and set him upon it. He screams that it is his enemies setting him on the pyre, but it is clear that his guards are doing this under his instruction. The higher the flames go, the more insistent he becomes. As the flames consume him, he bursts out of his own skin and transforms into the fungal merek foulcoult. foulcoult.

THE FUNGAL MEREK FOULCOULT

weakness — Tactics exploiting his fury

A bloated collection of pulsating animate fungus and tattered remains of torn skin in the rough shape of a man, fifteen feet tall and almost as wide. It manifests as a collection of hands and mouths, spewing forth incoherent words as it smashes around with no concept of what it’s destroying. It grabs and eats and screams, taking in all it can.

1 Eating anything and everything. 2 Shredding a priceless book. 3 Spouting incoherently from many mouths.

4 Pulsing and bulging and bursting. 5 Poorly mimicking smiles of normal people. 6 Smashing furniture with its shifting bulk.

Many Mouths & Hands — Foulcoult’s body manifests new hands, grabbing a treasure-hunter. The body then manifests a new mouth that attempts to devour the treasure-hunter. Infectious Bite — A hand grabs hold of a treasure-hunter, then a mouth forms in the hand to bite them, causing the Condition Infected. 100 · Foulcoult’s Bounty

The Citadel Mortiis D’Jezorha

The Citadel Mortiis D’Jezorha was previously the headquarters of the city’s branch of government but has been overtaken by Foulcoult. He has many followers and guests, including the richest in the city. goal

moments

Slay the final form of Merek Foulcoult and claim his head as a trophy. The fungus-infected gardener outside the citadel attempts to mold new “topiary” from handfuls of dead animals and excrement. Groups of people have frantic sex among and on the corpses in the throne room. The corpses of Foulcoult’s enemies hang from improvised chandelier-gibbets. traps

treasures

The gardens. The overgrown citadel gardens were once a well-kept gallery of extraordinary topiary, but are now overrun with the fungus, which clings to and connects every tree, plant, and statue.

The gardens are filled with Dancers and the Converted.

The hallways. The halls of the citadel are winding and labyrinthine. Moriis D’Jezorha has a rotten and fetid grandeur with deep and luxurious carpets that squelch underfoot with decaying mushrooms. Strange fungus covers the ostentatious hand-painted wallpaper.

The strange fungus covering the wallpaper is composed of Foulcoult’s earliest and most fervent followers. Closer inspection of the orange and white fungus shows a mixture of pulsing flesh, leering faces, and grasping hands.

Finery and jewelry has been fused into the fungus on the walls but can be dug from the fleshy, pulsing sides.

The throne room. This place used to hold meetings of great significance. A throne at the end of the room has lost much of its gilt. The room is full of corpses, statues, childlike portraits, and other strange pieces of art that Foulcoult has commissioned.

The Fungoid Merek Foulcoult himself (see the previous page).

The bounty on Foulcoult’s severed head is worth 3 Gold for each treasure-hunter who can claim it. The head itself is forty pounds of fleshy fungus.

additional treasures The citadel is in decline but used to be a palace of great riches and art. Statues, paintings, and bejeweled knickknacks can be found around the palace, though you have to scrub them thoroughly to rid them of the fungus.

Conclusion Having killed and beheaded Foulcoult, the treasure-hunters still need to escape the city. Escaping via a stolen ship—their own having been wrecked at the beginning of the incursion—could lead to maritime adventures and incursions on islands surrounding the coast of Old Kaleczenie before they reach their destination. Foulcoult’s Bounty • 101

INCURSIONS

props

The Temple of the Peerless Star

INCURSIONS

JASO JAS ON CO CORD RDO OVA

102 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

Read the following to the players: The priests of the Temple of the Peerless Star in Ambaret have declared a holy night, an action they haven’t taken for over thirty years, ever since Rahmet ils Nar, the star they worship, visibly dimmed from a bright, fiery white to a dull, sickly yellow. No one knows why they declared the holy night after so long, but the faithful are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to nourish their connection to the Peerless Star, pouring into the temple’s main sept by the dozens in order to receive blessings from the star priests. Then, ask one question of each treasure-hunter. They can answer now or later. • Tell me about the constellation that was brightest in the sky on the night you were born. Has it affected your life for good or ill? • What great treasures do the priests of the temple parade in front of their followers during religious festivals? • Someone you know has recently adopted the Faith of the Peerless Star, and now serves at this temple. Who are they? • Were you taught to worship Rahmet ils Nar as a child? If not, how do your gods, or the gods of your community, view the star and those who worship it? • What miracle or demonstration of power have you observed being performed by the star priests? Then, continue reading: You’ve heard rumors that the Temple of the Peerless Star is built atop a set of catacombs, and that the star priests’ most valuable artifacts are hidden in this subterranean space. Most days it would be extremely difficult to infiltrate the temple, but the newly-declared holy night presents an opportunity: you can slip into the temple unnoticed and find the catacombs while the star priests are preoccupied with ministering to the faithful. • Enter through the sept, disguised as a worshiper, –or– • Enter the back of the temple by way of an unguarded service entrance. FOR THE GM’S EYES ONLY

The star priests keep a giant snake, Rahmet ils Noh, the Starlight Serpent, in the catacombs beneath their temple. They consider this snake to be a living expression of their starry god, Rahmet ils Nar. The snake has recently laid an egg—the first time it has done so in over a century—and the priests believe this is a sign that the Peerless Star’s power is returning to the world. They have declared a holy night in order to honor the event, but they offer no public explanation, nor will they discuss the existence of the Starlight Serpent and its egg. Depending on which approach the players choose in order to infiltrate the temple, start with either the sept Set or the sacristy & priest quarters Set.

warnings: Body Horror, Graphic Violence, Human Sacrifice, Religion, Snakes The Temple of the Peerless Star • 103

INCURSIONS

As a group, choose which approach you prefer:

theme stars above, stars below

Much of this incursion takes place underground, but even so, the heavens above should figure prominently: the stars, the planets, the night sky. Things should twinkle and glimmer, and there should be pinpricks of light in the darkness. Emphasize stillness, as if floating through a void, and silence. Characters should ramble about the heavens, about planetary alignments. If you need motifs, focus on stars and planets: swords with pommels shaped like ringed planets, murals decorated with constellations, treasures shaped like zodiac signs, etc. Put starry things both above the treasure-hunters’ heads and below their feet.

SETS

The Sept

The Observatory

The Starlight Serpent Den

The Sacresty & Priest Quarters

The Basem*nt

The Catacombs

INCURSIONS

TEMPLE SERVICES

The treasure-hunters can obtain any of the listed services while they are in the sept during the holy night. Treasure-hunters are assumed to have enough silver on hand to pay for a single service that costs “a handful of silver.” To pay for a second service that costs a handful of silver, the treasure-hunter must spend the equivalent of 1 Gold. Services that cost the equivalent of X Gold must be paid for in coinage or the donation of an item of that value. Horoscope (a handful of silver) — Roll 1 light die and 1 dark die; keep whichever you wish and add it to a future die roll result. Conveying a spirit to the heavens (a handful of silver) — How do you know the spirit is in a better place now? Baptism of Light (a handful of silver) — The petitioner will be escorted to the glowing fount near the main altar. Receiving this baptism is a prerequisite to learning the Peerless Visage Ritual. Attuning someone to a constellation of good fortune (1 Gold) — Name the constellation. Then, take a light die and add it to a single roll associated with an action taken beneath the light of the constellation. Sleeping potion (1 Gold) — Puts the drinker into a deep sleep (3 uses). Starlight wine (1 Gold) — Heals 1 Ruin if consumed beneath starlight. Simple Marriage (a handful of silver) — The celebrants are married by a star priest—on the spot, right there in the middle of the east transept. Star-Blessed Marriage (1 Gold) — The celebrants are married by the high priest, near the main altar. Access to the Observatory (2 Gold) — The person paying for the service plus three guests are escorted to the observatory where they can stay for an entire night, gazing at the stars. They are strongly advised to avoid tampering with the spherical astrolabe.

104 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

The Sept

The sept is crowded with members of the faithful—and the blue-robed star priests ministering to them. Hymns are being sung, babies are being blessed, marriages are being performed, prayers to Rahmet ils Nar are being whispered, and more. goal

Gain entry to the basem*nt. A supplicant occasionally sings a few bars from his favorite hymn, “The Nine Points of Glory,” though the melody is more ominous and unsettling than you remember.

moments

The light of the Peerless Star, throbbing and dull and yellow, viewed through an opening in the ceiling above the main altar. A silvery yellow pigment is rubbed on the statues and busts adorning the sept.

props

traps

treasures

Prayer plinths. Short stone pillars where a supplicant can kneel and pray. Most are occupied, but a few are empty. East transept. A group of blue-robed priests and yellow-robed acolytes are performing blessings and other services to a large queue of worshippers (see the Temple Services table, previous page).

A book of sacred hymns can be found near one of the plinths.

The star priests will not act against the party in the presence of the faithful. However, if they become aware of the treasure-hunters’ ill intent, they track their movements deeper in the temple and strike when there are fewer eyes on them.

Small offering plates of silver being passed among the supplicants. A silver holy symbol in the shape of a nine-pointed star.

Among the candles is an unburnt star candle, deep blue, with silver pin pricks all over. A treasurehunter who lights it while performing a Ritual beneath starlight adds one light die to the associated risk roll (3 uses).

Main altar. A large table is set before an enormous statue of a nine-pointed star. To the left of the statue is a pool of water glowing bright and white. Behind the statue is a locked hatch in the floor that descends into the basem*nt. In the rear of the main altar is a door that leads to the sacristy & priest quarters.

An offering plate at the foot of the altar holds numerous coins and gems. A treasure-hunter can easily swipe a handful of silver, or enough to equal 1 Gold with a little more effort. Stealing the entire offering is risky, but worth 3 Gold if they do.

The star chart held by the statue depicts the night sky from long ago. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to the constellations on the chart.

additional traps Pickpockets in the crowd of worshippers. The Temple of the Peerless Star • 105

INCURSIONS

West transept. A statue of Saint Gliv, patron saint of astronomers. In life, she built the spherical astrolabe that now rests in the observatory. Her arms are crossed over her chest in the traditional manner; in one hand she holds a sextant, in the other an unfurled star chart. The base of the statue is surrounded by dozens of candles.

The Sacristy & Priest Quarters

The rear portion of the temple, not generally open to the public, consists of a few short, tight corridors connecting four rooms, each of which is behind a simple wooden door, none of which are locked: the priest quarters, a common room, the kitchen, and the sacristy. Candles under glass cloches affixed to the walls light the way. goal

Gain entry to the basem*nt. The soft swishing sound of an acolyte sweeping the area behind the temple.

moments

The sensation of starlight wine on your tongue, fizzy and sweet, but with an unmistakably bitter aftertaste if not consumed beneath the stars.

INCURSIONS

Floor tiles painted deep blue and black, with pinpricks of yellow and white; each a tiny representation of the night sky. props

traps

treasures

Priest quarters. A long dormitory with a dozen beds on either side; each bed has a foot locker, straw mattress, feather pillow, and thin blanket.

An acolyte shirking his duties is skulking around in the shadows.

The foot lockers are each secured with a simple lock, but can be pried open with the right equipment. If the treasurehunters take the time to search them all, they will find enough coins and gems to equal 2 Gold, several wooden holy symbols in the shape of a nine-pointed star (collectively worth 1 Gold), and a journal. The journal depicts drawings of dreamlike constellations that are not of this world. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to these constellations.

Common room. This room contains a long trestle table and chairs, atop which are stacks of clean tin plates and cutlery, and a few comfortable wingback chairs with side tables.

A tapestry hanging on the wall depicts an ochre-colored sky, with constellations not of this world. The tapestry is crafted of silk, with gold and silver embroidery, and is worth 2 Gold. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to the tapestry’s constellations.

Kitchen. A cooking hearth, stone countertops, pantry, and various utensils.

A bottle of starlight wine can be found tucked away behind some dried foodstuffs in the pantry. Heals 1 Ruin if consumed beneath starlight. Copper pots and pans.

106 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

props

traps

treasures

Sacristy. A small room with vestments hanging on hooks and several ceremonial tools arranged on shelves. There is another door opposite the entrance that leads to the sept, to the area behind the main altar. As in the sept, a locked hatch near the statue of the nine-pointed star opens up to a set of stairs that leads to the basem*nt.

A star priest or acolyte could enter the sacristy at any moment.

Deep blue star priest robes and bright yellow acolyte robes. A fine porcelain mask decorated with star and planet motifs. Censer of Guardian Spirits (2 Gold). The powders contained in this censer are used in burial rites, and said to convey spirits to the heavens. When swung under the open night sky, the silent visage of the recently dead can be revealed. Name a dead treasure-hunter or other important figure. Their ghostly image can be summoned to patrol a camp, cause a distraction, or otherwise serve as best it can without voice or physical form. After the censer has been used, roll a dark die. On a 6, the powder inside is consumed, and the item cannot be used again until more is acquired.

additional traps Glowing, star-shaped sigils that silently alert the star priests when touched. additional treasures

STAR PRIESTS & ACOLYTES

weakness — Philosophizing about the spiritual significance of stars

INCURSIONS

Decorative star stones that depict swirling galaxies; white silk gloves used for ritual working; stone reliefs depicting the nine-pointed star.

Star priests wear robes of midnight blue embroidered with silver stars. Senior members of the faith, such as the high priest, wear bright white robes. Acolytes wear dull yellow robes. All fight with ceremonial daggers with starshaped pommels.

1 Praying: “Bless me with your fiery light, oh Rahmet ils Nar!” 2 Muttering: “...but how could that be? Is it possible that Dim Carcosa and the Peerless Star are one and the same?” 3 Hissing: “How dare you defile this sacred place, interloper!” 4 Declaring: “The time of the Nine-Pointed Star is nigh!” 5 Invoking: “May the light of the Peerless Star cleanse the stain on your soul, heathen!” 6 Soothing: “Fear not, for the Nine-Pointed Star sees you; may its light be a balm to you.” The Temple of the Peerless Star • 107

The Observatory

The observatory is built atop the roof of the temple, and accessed via the stairway near the west transept (although a particularly brave treasure-hunter could reach it by climbing up the outside wall). The observatory is covered by a large dome that can be opened by operating a large crank near the stairway, giving a terrific view of the night sky. A massive spherical astrolabe is set atop a platform in the middle of the observatory. goal

Discover the spherical astrolabe’s true power. The sound of the faithful singing hymns in the streets below.

moments

A comet streaking across the night sky.

INCURSIONS

Rahmet ils Nar, throbbing and whispering. props

traps

Spherical astrolabe. A ten-foot diameter sphere of concentric brass rings covered with various cosmological markings and glyphs, centered around a smaller brass sphere meant to represent a planet. The markings on the rings depict the constellations in the sky. The rings are very heavy, but with some effort, can be set to depict other constellations (see Setting the Spherical Astrolabe).

There are no traps in the observatory, but a star priest or acolyte may hear if the astrolabe is being repositioned and come up to investigate. If the treasure-hunters paid for the privilege of being in the observatory, the star priest or acolyte will merely chide them for interfering with the astrolabe.

Observation deck. An elevated wooden platform covered with cushions, perfect for lying down and gazing at the stars.

treasures

A bottle of starlight wine. Heals 1 Ruin if consumed beneath starlight.

additional traps A cat burglar climbing up from the outside wall. additional treasures A fine glass lens; a well-made brass and wood spyglass; a box of brass fittings, used to repair the astrolabe.

108 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

SETTING THE SPHERICAL ASTROLABE

The treasure-hunters will encounter various star charts and night skies that depict constellations from another world or time as they explore the temple. The spherical astrolabe, a powerful magical artifact, can be set to depict these unusual constellations. Doing so invokes a variety of magical effects. The magical effects end if the brass rings are repositioned. The constellations depicted on Saint Gliv’s star chart Saint Gliv herself appears in the observatory. She will answer any three questions posed to her to the best of her ability. The constellations depicted in the journal The observatory becomes a gateway to the Gossamer Void, which connects to other dimensions and realities. The constellations depicted on the tapestry The observatory is transported to the surface of a strange planet with a sickly yellow sky. The treasure-hunters can’t leave the observatory, but ask them what they see on the planet’s surface that shows the unusual geometry of this place. Traveling to this planet is one of two prerequisites for obtaining the Peerless Visage Ritual; the other is to receive the Baptism of Light. Once both prerequisites are complete, the treasure-hunter gains the following Ritual immediately and at no cost: ritual

Peerless Visage — your skin glows with a warm, yellow light from within

The observatory is transported to the death realm. Whoever set the astrolabe can summon a dead treasure-hunter or other noteworthy figure. The character will return to the world of the living once the astrolabe is repositioned. The spherical astrolabe will cease to function after it returns from the death realm, all of its magical power drained away for good. The inverted night sky in the framed star chart Each treasure-hunter in the observatory changes in a significant way—something about their body, mind, history, or talents becomes the opposite of what it was (player’s choice). No one will remember a time when it was any other way, and the treasure-hunters will perceive that setting the astrolabe to this position had no effect. The constellations represented by the snake track If alive, the Starlight Serpent appears in the observatory. It is completely docile, and its scales twinkle with a warm, pink light. It will rise to the heavens, free of its service to the temple, and travel to a distant planet, never to be seen again. The night sky depicted on the ceiling of the ritual room Ia! Ia! Rahmet ils Nar nol ventilas daar! Ia! Ia! There is no apparent effect, but the treasurehunters know—instinctively—that the world will end before they can achieve their Drive. The Temple of the Peerless Star • 109

INCURSIONS

The settings of the miniature spherical astrolabe

The Basem*nt

The basem*nt of the temple is a set of rooms connected by a series of short, tight corridors; candles under glass cloches affixed to the walls light the way. The door to each room is locked. At the end of one corridor is the stairway entrance to the catacombs. goal

Discover the nature of the temple’s most valuable treasure. An iron door decorated with a relief of a stylized, nine-pointed star.

moments

The sound of chanting coming from above… and below. The lingering, acrid smell of incense burned earlier in the day.

props

traps

treasures

High Priest’s office. A large wooden desk and wardrobe, both painted midnight blue and heavily lacquered. A small bed with a midnight blue wood frame is pushed against one wall.

The desk drawer is locked; tampering with it triggers a poisoned needle trap.

The wardrobe contains three sets of high priest robes, each worth 1 Gold. There is a miniature version of the spherical astrolabe set atop the desk; it is set to a series of unrecognizable constellations. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to these constellations.

INCURSIONS

Inside the desk drawer is a sack of silver worth 2 Gold. Library. A small, cozy room with rugs, comfy chairs, a stack of folded blankets, and a built-in bookcase along three walls; the books are mostly boring treatises on cosmology and astrology. A framed star chart hangs on one wall.

A star priest or acolyte can enter the library at any moment.

One book stands out in the bookcase because it has no title on the spine. If perused, the treasure-hunters learn that it is a history of the temple itself. If studied for at least an hour, they learn that the temple’s most valuable treasure is Rahmet ils Noh, the Starlight Serpent, a beast the priests believe to be an avatar of Rahmet ils Nar. They also find a very recently added handwritten page revealing that the giant snake has laid an egg for the first time in a century. The framed star chart is exceptionally rendered and finely detailed (2 Gold). It depicts an inverted version of the night sky. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to these inverted constellations.

Dry storage. A dusty room with dried foodstuffs, old rugs and tapestries, and various supplies.

110 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

A star priest or acolyte can enter the dry storage at any moment.

Any who search here add an Additional Backpack Equipment item to their character sheet.

props

traps

treasures

Stairway entrance. A locked iron door rubbed with silver and gold leads to a stairway down to the catacombs.

Any attempt at opening the door without a key will trigger a magical rune that fills the space with intense, searing heat.

additional traps If the star priests were previously alerted to the treasure-hunters’ presence, they will mount their assault here. additional treasures Small brass sextant; small silver octant; the temple’s ledger (no intrinsic value, worth 1 Gold to the right buyer).

INCURSIONS

The Temple of the Peerless Star • 111

The Catacombs

A large network of masoned corridors and natural stone tunnels; it occupies an area twice as large as the temple. The ceilings are fairly high throughout, and the whole area is decorated with star carvings rubbed with silver. There are no light sources. The walls have metal grates that swing in both directions set in them at fairly regular intervals; each grate gives the treasure-hunters access to the snake track. goal

Find the entrance to the Starlight Serpent’s den. A silver fountain filled with star stone offerings, and, if you look closely, more than a few human-looking teeth.

moments

The light of the Peerless Star, throbbing and dull and yellow, viewed in your mind’s eye when you close your eyes.

INCURSIONS

A shallow pool of water, inside of which is a constellation of glowing, slow-moving tadpoles. props

traps

treasures

Central junction. The stairs from the basem*nt lead to this area: a large, round chamber with three passageways jutting off it. A massive metal grate dominates the floor of the room; beneath the grate is a space filled with bones and other detritus. This refuse area beneath the grate connects to the snake track, and the Starlight Serpent can push open the grate from below to get access to the central junction.

There is no real danger when the treasure-hunters first enter the catacombs. That changes once they start to explore and the starborn and the Starlight Serpent become aware of their presence. The Starlight Serpent knows that the treasure-hunters must pass through the central junction in order to escape the catacombs, and will lie in wait in the refuse area beneath the metal grate and ambush them, if need be.

Among the bones and detritus in the refuse area beneath the metal floor grate is a well-preserved set of leather armor; it’s embroidered with a tag of ownership that reads: “R. Crow.”

Snake track. A tunnel, the so-called “snake track,” is built into the walls of the catacombs; metal grates that swing in both directions are spaced throughout and give the treasure-hunters access to it. The tunnel can only be explored on one’s knees, single file. If followed for a time, the snake track eventually leads to the Starlight Serpent’s den. It can also be followed back to the refuse area in the central junction.

The treasure-hunters can encounter both starborn and the Starlight Serpent while crawling through the snake track. Such encounters are extremely dangerous. Depending on how the encounter happens—from the front or from the rear—only the treasure-hunter in the front of the line or the back of the line can participate in a combat roll, and they have to roll two Weak Points (if the second Weak Point is the same as the first, roll again until you get a different number).

Though not a treasure per se, if the treasure-hunters take the time to draw a map of the snake track, they will discover it has the appearance of a set of unknown constellations, with each metal grate representing a star. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to these constellations.

112 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

A dagger bearing the blood-red mark of the ancient House Castafiel can be found in a corner of the junction.

traps

treasures

Crypts. One of the passages off the central junction leads to a series of twisty corridors. These corridors contain a number of small tombs, sarcophagi, and rooms with stacks of bodies interred in the walls.

Both starborn and the Starlight Serpent can attack at any time. The starborn will leap from the snake track and engage in full combat. The Starlight Serpent will not completely leave the snake track, and will retreat if undefeated after the first combat roll.

See Searching the Crypts on the next page.

Ritual room. One of the passages off the central junction leads to a short corridor that ends in an open doorway, on the other side of which is the ritual chamber. Inside, a naked star priest is laying atop a mosaic of a nine-pointed star set in the floor. The priest is surrounded by nine starborn chanting over him in a strange tongue. The starborn will eventually complete their ritual by sinking their teeth into the priest’s body, the wounds corresponding to nine sacred points: forehead, left clavicle, right clavicle, left palm, right palm, left inner thigh, right inner thigh, sole of left foot, and sole of right foot. The starborn will then carry the bleeding priest back to the central junction and then to the Chamber of Stillness. In addition to the mosaic, the ritual chamber is decorated with a painting of a starry night sky on the ceiling.

If the ritual is interrupted in any way, the starborn will immediately attack. Their collective Endurance is 12.

Though not a treasure per se, the ceiling depicts a night sky that is not of this world. The spherical astrolabe in the observatory can be set to these constellations.

Chamber of Stillness. One of the passages off the central junction leads to a short corridor that ends in an open doorway, on the other side of which is the Chamber of Stillness. The Chamber of Stillness is an enormous, inky black void, punctuated by stars all around—a galaxy in miniature. The room is extremely cold. Floating in this cold stillness are star priests, most dead, but some bleeding out (see Ritual room). The dead ones are in various stages of metamorphosis, slowly turning into starborn as they drift among the heavens. The Starlight Serpent can be seen flying overhead. Any treasure-hunter who enters the room will immediately begin to float; this floating can be controlled to some degree.

There is no treasure here, but if a treasure-hunter investigates the topmost portion of the chamber, they will realize that the ceiling is made of thick glass, and that the Starlight Serpent isn’t flying overhead, but rather crawling around in a room on the other side of it.

The Temple of the Peerless Star • 113

INCURSIONS

props

additional traps Tiny cave scorpions nest in the natural rock formations. additional treasures Wall carvings depict various stories connected to the Temple of the Peerless Star (rubbings taken of these carvings can be sold to antiquarians). Jewelry with stones shaped like planets. A crown of silver stars. A silvery chain shirt. Ceremonial blades that have been treated to have a yellow tinge to the metal. SEARCHING THE CRYPTS

Many generations of star priests and starborn have been buried in the crypts beneath the temple, and most were interred with the treasures from their mortal life. If the treasurehunters take the time to examine the numerous tombs and sarcophagi, they will find a great deal of valuable treasure: jewels, coins, decorative objects, and more. However, the longer they do so, the more likely the starborn and the Starlight Serpent become aware of their presence. Each player can spend a single Hunt Roll token to find treasure equal to 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Gold (player’s choice). Then, they roll a dark die. If they rolled less than or equal to the Gold value of the treasure they found, a starborn or the Starlight Serpent attacks (gm’s choice). The starborn leaps from the snake track and engages in full combat.

INCURSIONS

The Starlight Serpent does not completely leave the snake track, and retreats if undefeated after the first combat roll. This process can only be done once per treasure-hunter.

STARBORN

weakness — Bright light

These ghoul-like creatures have thin, milk-white skin, long, greasy strands of black hair, talons for hands, a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, and enormous eyes. From “birth” to demise, they shun the sun and only rarely leave the temple at night. They are born with knowledge of the oldest, most sacred rites of the Faith of the Peerless Star, but can only speak the star tongue, a language impossible for a member of any other species to learn (unless they themselves become starborn), save the Starlight Serpent, who understands them perfectly.

1 Whispering: “Izzrak nol ventilas baan.” 4 Murmuring: “Rukaz, Rahmet ils Nar… rukaz, Carcosa.” 2 Screeching: “Kazzrak zul atolis baan-nol!” 5 Sussurating: “Izzra zal… izzra nol… izzra zaan.” 3 Chanting: “Ia! Ia! Rahmet ils Nar nol ventilas daar!” 6 Bleating: “Aalzuk naal! Aalzuk naal!” Darkvision — When you fight them in the dark, their Endurance is increased by 1 (maximum 12 Endurance for large groups of starborn).

114 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

A gigantic snake, thick as a tree trunk at its widest point, covered in hard, mirror-like scales. Its eyes swirl with starlight and its fangs are as long as daggers. It understands the star tongue, and has a surprisingly cunning intellect for an animal.

1 Lying in wait. 2 Twisting its body into unknown constellations. 3 Smelling the air with its tongue.

4 Changing the color of the starlight in its eyes. 5 Gathering light in its scales. 6 Dreaming of other planets.

Hardened Scales — Bladed and blunt weapons are turned away easily by the snake’s scales; only piercing weapons can harm it. Mesmer Eyes — Instead of dealing Ruin, the Starlight Serpent causes you to be mesmerized by its gaze. Your Weak Point must be taken by another player for the remainder of the combat, or until the serpent releases you. Only one treasure-hunter can be affected by this at a time. Crushing Coils — Instead of dealing Ruin, the Starlight Serpent causes you to be trapped in its coils. So long as you are coiled, no other treasure-hunter suffers Ruin when their Weak Point is rolled, but you suffer twice as much when yours is rolled. Only one treasure-hunter can be coiled at a time. This defense cannot be used when striking from the snake track. Dazzling Scales — This defense can only be used when the combat takes place in the Starlight Serpent’s den. During the combat, the Starlight Serpent gathers light from the stars beneath your feet. At the start of the third round of combat, the light is magnified a thousand times and violently ejected from the snake’s body, stunning all treasure-hunters in the room. Make the combat roll as normal, but the Starlight Serpent cannot be defeated, no matter the result. This is repeated at the start of the sixth round of combat, if need be.

The Temple of the Peerless Star • 115

INCURSIONS

RAHMET ILS NOH, THE STARLIGHT SERPENT weakness — Threatening its egg

The Starlight Serpent’s Den

A perfectly spherical room, bisected by a floor made of thick glass. Beneath the glass is an inky void swirling with stars, a galaxy in miniature (in actuality, the Chamber of Stillness). The den can be accessed from the snake track via a grate in the ceiling, or from the Chamber of Stillness, provided the treasure-hunters can figure out a way to get past the thick glass. A glowing starlight nest floats in the middle of the room. goal moments

Acquire the Starlight Serpent’s egg. A starborn floats beneath your feet. In the distance, chanting. traps

treasures

The nest. The nest floats in the center of the room, too high to reach without special tools or magic, though treasure-hunters might be able to reach it if descending from the snake track grate. The nest is a few feet wide, and made of swirling starlight, like a miniature galaxy; it is incorporeal, but a mirrored egg somehow rests in it.

The only danger in this set is the Starlight Serpent, provided the creature has not yet been destroyed.

Nestled in the nest is the Starlight Serpent egg, a mirrored ovoid the size of a football, and extremely heavy (5 Gold unhatched; 1 Gold hatched). Immediately after the egg has spent a night exposed to the light of the stars, which it absorbs through its mirrored surface in order to nourish the growing serpent within, but before it is hatched, it is an incredibly powerful source of magical energy. risk rolls taken for any Ritual used in proximity to a “charged-up” egg are taken with no dark dice, and the player can add light dice instead of dark dice in order to re-roll. Each time the egg is used in this way, roll a dark die: on a 6, the egg hatches; the egg is no longer as valuable, and it loses its magical properties, but the baby starlight serpent within can be sold to the right buyer for 3 Gold. There are rumors suggesting the nature of the egg’s magic changes if it is exposed to the starlight of other worlds, and can even change the nature of the growing serpent inside, but this has never been verified.

INCURSIONS

props

Pile of shed skin. A pile of glittering skin recently shed by the serpent is on one side of the den.

116 · The Temple of the Peerless Star

Some of the discarded scales still have their luster and can be collected (2 Gold total).

Conclusion This incursion can end in one of many different ways, depending on the approach the treasure-hunters take, when and how players spend their Hunt Roll tokens, whether the Starlight Serpent is destroyed, if and when the treasure-hunters take advantage of the temple services, and so forth. A few key things to remember: The treasure-hunters have to pass through the central junction in order to escape the catacombs. If they do so and have not yet defeated the Starlight Serpent, it will attack them in the central junction. It’s entirely possible the treasure-hunters take an approach to the temple that gets them access to its secrets without having to sneak around and steal. If, for example, they make hefty donations to the temple, the star priests may be willing to discuss the operation of the spherical astrolabe, the existence of the Starlight Serpent, and their theories regarding Rahmet ils Nar. The spherical astrolabe is a powerful device, and the magical effects listed in this incursion may not be exhaustive. Feel free to come up with new star charts and magical effects and place them in future incursions for the treasure-hunters to find. The spherical astrolabe can and should be a jumping off point for further adventures, perhaps to entirely different planets and dimensions!

INCURSIONS

The Temple of the Peerless Star • 117

The Smoldering Moor

INCURSIONS

NATALIE ASH

118 · The Smoldering Moor

Buried wealth rests with buried nobles. Queen Banmuir’s cairn lies in Kairmough Castle, nestled in the mist-shrouded moors of the Black Mountains. News has reached your ears that a wildfire has caused most residents of the castle and the village at the foot of the mountains to take refuge elsewhere. You are prepared to slip in as soon as it’s safe (even sooner, really), to plunder the unguarded wealth of Kairmough and ride away before the locals return. You’ve heard the stories of the shrieking heard on the moors but that can’t have anything to do with Kairmough, can it? It doesn’t matter. What matters is the gold and jewels just ripe for the taking. theme smoke & cinders

The moor and Kairmough are solidly in the space between still-burning and ash. There is a constant smoke and ash in the air and any stray cinder might catch ablaze on any yet-unburnt surface. The treasure-hunters will never have any sort of clear and open line-of-sight; emphasize the indistinct shapes and the bilious movements in the smoke.

SETS

The Wildfires

Kairmough Village

Kairmough Castle

Queen Banmuir’s Cairn INCURSIONS

warnings: Burning, Graphic Violence, Harm to Animals, Harm to Children The Smoldering Moor • 119

The Wildfires

Kairmough is still some distance away. Ordinarily the moorlands have dense purple heather and scattered white cotton-grass, but much of it has been reduced to ash. Large fires still burn and the air is thick with low-lying smoke. The road to Kairmough is still ablaze so a path through the still-burning heath must be found. goal moments

Reach Kairmough. A dark plume of smoke and two bright cinders flare in it like the flashing eyes of a beast. Far away, a wolf howls. A moment later there is a much closer, unidentifiable shriek.

props

traps

treasures

INCURSIONS

Burned cart. Some distance off the road is a half-burnt four-wheeled ox-drawn cart. A partially burned ox corpse is still harnessed. Its unburnt flesh is crawling with maggots. Whatever bundles were in the cart’s bed are destroyed. A short distance away lies a burned body.

On the body near the burned cart is a pouch containing still-usable spices and a simple skeleton key.

Peat flat. A small field of peat that is green and vibrant appears untouched by the flame. In the center is a waist-high cairn.

The peat flat is superheated and if the surface of the ground is disturbed, it may vent skin-rending steam.

Beneath the cairn is a sword in a leather scabbard. The sword is rusted through and the leather is rotten, but there are some semi-precious stones that can be removed.

Cottage on the rise. A small cottage — ruins, really — is on the top of a small hill. The stuccoed walls are blackened with soot and the stone walls are often bare. The roof has caved in, but not from the recent fires. The interior is covered in dry, brittle moss. There is a half-wrecked wardrobe sheltered by the most intact wall.

The cinder ghost manifests within the cottage. She will relentlessly pursue whoever takes the baby’s rattle. If the rubble is dug through, it will reveal a crushed crib and tiny skeleton. If the skeleton is properly buried, the ghost will share a look of gratitude and fade from existence.

In the wardrobe is a small chest. If opened, it contains a small pouch of smooth river stones, several small squares of fabrics, and a small silver baby’s rattle.

additional traps At any point there may be a wildfire flare. CINDER GHOST

weakness — Extreme cold

This cloud of dense smoke is shaped in the form of a woman wearing a simple dress. Her eyes are a swirl of cinders. Her cries bring with them a cloud of burning cinders.

1 Wailing in anguish. 2 Draining the life-force from the living. 3 Weeping tears of fire.

4 Staring into her past. 5 Digging in the rubble with insubstantial hands. 6 Softly singing altered and twisted lullabies.

Spectral Attacks — Armor cannot absorb the hits of the cinder ghost. Cindered Cry — The cinders spread by her cries can light a flammable object. 120 · The Smoldering Moor

Kairmough Village

The village of Kairmough is built onto a narrow switchbacking area on the lowest foothills below Kairmough Castle. Built of stone and stucco, the buildings of Kairmough are intact but soot-blackened. The air is heavy with clouds of smoke and, in places, embers of burning wood litter the narrow streets. goal

Learn what preparations the Kairmough people were making. The sound of a door slamming.

moments

The bakery, next to a windmill. Inside is charred and rotting bread. The oven—somehow still burning—is full of charred lumps of rye bread. The smell of burnt bread is oppressive, as is an unrelenting clunking of the mill’s broken shaft turning. treasures

Blacksmith. There are only three stone walls to this building; the fourth wall is a series of large stable-doors which are open. Everything is as expected in a smithy: cold hearth, bellows, anvils, hammers, and other tools on a rack. In the back of the shop is a mound of coal and a pile of iron. Behind that is a waxed-canvas tarp covering something.

Underneath the tarp is a pile of rough but usable iron-and-skymetal glaives. The shafts are dry pine: usable, cheap, and not long lasting. The blades are roughly shaped and will hold an edge, but they are too soft to stand up to lengthy service. They are an unrefined iron. In the forging pattern are swirls of some other material that has a crystalline aspect.

Temple. A single-room chapel. One side wall has a wide, shallow fireplace with an open trapdoor to an ash pit; along the wall furthest from the entrance is an altar. The altar contains a bronze statue half the size of a person depicting a woman in robes with wild curly hair. Closer inspection reveals it is Saint Magrett, Tender of the Moors, as she holds a rabbit in one hand and a small knife in the other, which is typical of her portrayals.

A trapdoor in front of the hearth leads to the ash pit. The pit is oversized—the size of a small room. On the floor is a priestess wearing traveling clothes, dead from smoke inhalation. She holds a book: something of a history and research notes about various rituals of immortality and how to break them. The earliest entries are over a hundred years old. The last page, dated a few weeks ago, reads: “I have delivered several large crystals of skymetal to Brinn. Hopefully he can blend them into suitable weapons to kill her. If this doesn’t work, we may remain under her yoke until the end of days.”

The Maiden’s Embers. The old painted sign for this tavern is faded, chipped, and can’t be made out. It is a simple building, cozy, with several large fireplaces, and heavy tables and chairs. Two guest rooms are in the gabled attic. Behind the bar is a kitchen which leads to a root cellar and the publican’s cottage. The root cellar stores some half-barrels of foodstuffs and beer. A door, locked by a heavy iron padlock, blocks access to (judging from the footprint of the building) a fairly small room.

The room in the basem*nt can be broken into or unlocked if the treasure-hunters retrieved the earlier skeleton key. Inside is a small table with several chairs. There are chalk drawings on the walls that depict the layout of a castle—Castle Kairmough by reasonable inference. Some locations at corners or points likely to be load-bearing are marked with Xs. Firing arcs from doors and windows are plotted. Ground-level entrances are circled. On the table is a small chunk of an unusual silver crystal (skymetal crystal) and a large skeleton key (a copy of the Kairmough vault key).

additional treasures Fine household items: tea sets, silverware, porcelain trinkets, and pewter figurines. An antique snuff box of tarnished silver inscribed with an image of a bird rising from a fire. The Smoldering Moor • 121

INCURSIONS

props

Kairmough Castle

This old castle has never had extensive additions and renovations largely due to its constrained location on a narrow cliff. It does have a commanding view of the moors and Kairmough village below. Inside, the rooms are small and the walls are thick stone covered with many tapestries. The tapestries tend toward geometric patterns rather than representative art. goal

moments

Hear Queen Janneth’s offer. Entering a closed room, a gout of flame spills well past the grate of the fireplace. It settles after a moment into a cheery, ordinary fire. A window pane breaks from its lead frame and showers the ashes from the wildfires into the room like snowfall.

props

traps

treasures

A veil beast guards Queen Janneth here, watching the treasure-hunters.

In the Queen’s possession are a silver comb, the key to the vaults, and the crown of Kairmough.

INCURSIONS

Gallery. This long hallway has a series of oil paintings depicting the previous queens of the castle, dating back to its founding over 300 years ago: Queen Moira, Queen Rigitte, Queen Banmuir, Queen Adaira, and lastly Queen Janneth. All of the queens have striking green eyes. The labeled paintings depict women, often in their thirties, in increasingly older styles of dress. The last depicts a young green-eyed girl, wearing a fire-red dress in a style in fashion over a hundred years ago. Throne Room. A surprisingly ascetic room, the bare stone walls aren’t even covered by tapestries. On the far end, a simple wooden throne is on a small dais. A small girl—about eight years old with cynical green eyes, wearing fine grey robes and a fine crown—is sitting on the throne. The left wall has large windows covered with soot. The only significant light in the room is two braziers flanking the throne containing barely burning coals. Queen Janneth will welcome the treasure-hunters and offer them great wealth if they venture into Queen Banmuir’s Cairn and lay her ghost to rest by returning the bones to the sarcophagus and salting them. (Queen Banmuir’s ghost was responsible for starting the fires).

122 · The Smoldering Moor

props

traps

treasures

Vault. Secured behind locked, thick, iron-banded oak doors, this room is small. All four walls are covered with deep shelves. In one corner of the room, two royal guards lie dead of sword wounds. There is a hole in the center of the floor, recently made, leading to a tunnel that leads away from the castle and village.

The shelves are barren save one item: a small brass statue of a grinning fox.

–

QUEEN JANNETH While she can be injured, cuts through the skin will heal instantly. A severed body part will be regrown in a matter of hours. If beheaded, her head will grow a new body in a matter of days. If reduced to ashes, she will be back on the throne within weeks. Despite this, she has the form and strength of an eight-year-old child and can be overcome without difficulty.

VEIL BEAST

weakness — None

An ashen-skinned, hairless cat the size of a large dog. The skin is cracked and oozes a black ichor which disintegrates into burning ash. Its tail is leathery and tipped with a stinger. Its eyes are white orbs behind fleshy lids.

1 Licking its paw very loudly. 2 Sleeping in a circle. 3 Staring at an empty corner.

4 Slowly disemboweling mice. 5 Resting with its head on Queen Janneth’s lap. 6 Pointedly ignoring you.

Pounce — Knocks you down. Poison Stinger — You are weakened by poison, causing the Condition Poisoned.

The Smoldering Moor • 123

INCURSIONS

If the veil beast is killed, its body disintegrates. At the next new moon, a new veil beast will enter the castle to guard Queen Janneth, provided she still retains the crown.

Queen Banmuir’s Cairn

The cairn has an above-the-ground structure that is circular and about the size of a small cottage. Beneath the ground it is a warren of tombs. goal moments

Contain the danger of Queen Banmuir. In one corner, a tiny drip of water falls into a very small pool. Tiny drips, several minutes apart.

props

traps

treasures

Entrance. The stone path leading into the cairn has a spot where a standing guard has worn the flagstone. The lintel over the door reads: “Queen Banmuir of Kairmough. Her Good Works will Carry Through the Ages.” Past the door is a small altar with Banmuir presented as if she were one of the Sisters. Beyond this are descending stairs.

INCURSIONS

First vault. After descending a few flights of stairs, the path opens into this room. Several shelves containing skeletons are carved into the stone walls. This room is clearly much older than Queen Banmuir’s time and may predate the castle above.

The offering bowl at the altar contains two small, handbound, hand-tipped books of illustrations of the area around Kairmough.

Two cinder fetches are in the room resting among the skeletons.

Second vault. Further in, there is a second vault. This one is newer, larger, and contains a series of raised platforms on which wooden sarcophagi have been placed. Two platforms are empty—as yet unused. One sarcophagus lid is sculpted and painted in the appearance of Queen Rigitte. A three inch-wide crack runs through the lid.

The cinder fetches (from the first vault) have a small stash of trinkets stored amid the skull of Queen Rigitte. Of particular note is a small silver pendant, circular, inset with a red garnet cut in the shape of a flame.

Third vault. Comparatively, this vault is a recent addition. Carved as if it were a temple of its own, it contains one ornate, gilt sarcophagus. A carved plinth states it to be the eternal home of Queen Adair, who so loved Kairmough she gave her life to safeguard her people. At the base of the plinth are flowers: some dried, some crumbled, and some dust. The sarcophagus’s lid has been removed and lies broken to the side. The skull of its resident is smashed to bits; the hammer which performed the task left with the remainder of the skeleton. Judging by dust and wear, this act occurred sometime within the last year. CINDER FETCHES

weakness — Water

These spirits look like a dense cloud of embers in the shape of a fox.

1 Playing tug-of-war with interred bones. 2 Hiding shiny trinkets. 3 Running through the catacombs.

4 Setting things alight and watching them burn. 5 Sleeping curled into little circles. 6 Watching you.

Igniting Bite — Bites from these creatures can ignite flammable material. 124 · The Smoldering Moor

props

traps

treasures

The Tomb of Banmuir. This large, circular room is ringed by a series of alcoves. Breath fogs in the air. There is no light save that coming from Queen Banmuir herself. In the center is a large, stone sarcophagus (open) and a stone throne upon which sits Queen Banmuir.

Queen Banmuir is in the room and aware of those who enter. She is not immediately hostile if the treasure-hunters act peacefully. Displaying any treasure looted from her cairn or acting disrespectfully to her will turn her angry. Otherwise she will converse dispassionately. She would ask the treasure-hunters to bring her her crown—stolen by her unconscionably-selfish daughter—which currently sits on the head of that evil brat, Queen Janneth.

In the Queen’s possession, a silver comb. As a reward for returning the crown, the Queen will grant the treasure-hunters a touch of the magic that comes from beyond the veil of death. She lays her burning hand on their necks, leaving a handprint that burns like coals. Treasure-hunters with this mark gain the Ritual Burning Voice at no additional cost (see below).

ritual

Burning Voice — scream forth a flame that burns the spirit within a target’s body

QUEEN BANMUIR

weaknesses — Salt; cold iron

A skeleton within a partially transparent woman’s body wearing a fine gray dress and ghostly crown. Dark, empty eye-sockets, long white hair. Hair and dress float as if in water. Lips, teeth, and mouth are blackened.

4 Reciting the rites for the dead. 5 Staring sadly into the middle distance. 6 Stroking the arm of her throne.

Wail — Anyone who hears this pauses in fear, causing the Condition Terrified. Spectral Attacks — Armor cannot absorb the hits of Queen Banmuir. Manifestation of Flame — Banmuir can summon pillars of flame into being. If Queen Banmuir is killed, she will reform at the next moonrise unless her bones are laid to rest in the sarcophagus and salted. If this happens, she will be unable to manifest again until her bones are cleaned.

Conclusion The most direct continuation from Kairmough is if the treasure-hunters accessed the vault. Something created that tunnel and killed two guards, leaving the grinning fox statue as a calling card. Whoever created that tunnel is now in possession of the wealth of Kairmough. Whoever is in charge at the end of the incursion would want that wealth returned. Other than that, the treasure-hunters might face complications leaving the area as its residents start returning. The residents would not take kindly to anyone who looted their homes but those who were involved in plans to remove the undead influence may see the armed and dangerous treasure-hunters as allies or fodder for their assault on the castle. The Smoldering Moor • 125

INCURSIONS

1 Brushing her hair with a silver comb. 2 Softly singing a lament. 3 Announcing a death.

The Rime Palace

INCURSIONS

ALEXI SARGEANT

126 · The Rime Palace

The Rime Palace is an elegant marble edifice, hanging like a stalactite above a void pin pricked by icy stars. The only way to access it is an ancient ship made of bone and powered by revealing uncomfortable truths. The palace itself was once the home of a court of cruel fae. Rumors say they are now scattered and dead and their delicate treasures lie in chilly vaults, waiting to fulfill the burning desires of treasure-hunters like yourself. But will you be able to navigate its twisting passages of fog, lace, and glass before something important shatters—in the palace or in you? theme fragility

The palace is the haunt of parasitic nobility who preyed on many worlds in their heyday. Everything is disconcertingly delicate as if at any moment things could crack, shatter, or collapse. The Rime Court flaunted their untouchable status in where they lived and what they wore. Materials like silk, filigree, dried leaves, and lace abound—so easy to tear to pieces, and yet who would dare? The entire realm feels chilly, polite, uncanny, and corrupting. Will the treasure-hunters bring this whole place down or reforge the broken fragments of the Rime Court?

SETS The Teetering Graveyard

The Gossamer Void

The Hall of Games

The Masquerade Garden INCURSIONS

The Spider-Pit

The Rime Throne

warnings: Bullying, Gambling, Heights, Insects & Spiders, Manipulation The Rime Palace • 127

The Teetering Graveyard

Nestled in a mountain cleft, the teetering graveyard is an ancient site where many mounds of bones, human and otherwise, have been piled up—scholars speculate they were offerings to long-since forgotten gods. You’re here following the rumor that Ardken, the ship of bones, can be found within this boneyard. goal

Set sail in the bone ship. An especially tall pile of bones sways ominously in a faint breeze.

moments

A cheery crunching noise from spindly bones breaking beneath you.

INCURSIONS

There is no odor of decay, as if even the ghost of a scent has been bleached from the bones. props

traps

treasures

An especially large pile of bones, pained moaning audible from behind. The moaning is coming from an injured markswoman, Iditha, who came here seeking the ship of bones. She’s fallen afoul of ankle-gnawers and lost the use of both her feet. Now she’s leaning against the pile of bones with a crossbow at the ready.

Iditha is hobbled, but she can still use her crossbow if threatened. She’s a good shot.

Iditha’s crossbow is worth 1 Gold and she has 1 Gold worth of miscellaneous supplies.

An irregularly shaped pile of bones. This oddly distended bone pile has a single skeletal wing emerging from it.

If handled roughly, the skeletal wing lashes out (risk roll to avoid).

A strangely hollow-sounding pile of bones. Something is buried underneath: Ardken, the fabled skeleton ship. It is in disrepair, but can be patched with some ingenuity. The ship has skeletal wings stretching from its sides, and its walls are a massive ribcage covered in scrimshaw.

Once repaired and given power, Ardken can fly between worlds. The ship is powered by revealing uncomfortable truths—this is explained to the party by a soothing, disembodied voice once the ship is repaired. Sharing aloud a truth will cause smoke to fill the ship’s interior. Each treasure-hunter’s smoke is a different color. Ardken instinctively navigates towards the Rime Court (risk roll to make it fly elsewhere or take evasive maneuvers).

Iditha can be convinced to join the party, but wants a cut of the treasure. She is skilled in accuracy accuracy,, trajectories trajectories,, and reflexes reflexes.. Due to her injury, someone will need to roll an extra Weak Point to cover her in combat—if no one chooses to, she dies in the fight.

The wing can be used to speed the repair process of Ardken.

additional traps Breaking bones attracts ankle-gnawers and disturbing too many bones could trigger an avalanche. additional treasures Scattered, not-quite-broken tools from previous treasure-hunters (bonesaws, shovels, an ice-climbing axe). The fine silver bones of a fae creature worth 1 Gold. ANKLE-GNAWER

weakness — Blunt force to the jaw

A furtive, ape-shaped creature with a leathery hide, spindly fingers, and rows of sharp teeth.

1 Scrabbling for scraps. 2 Going for the ankles. 3 Sucking the last marrow out of a meal.

4 Stacking bones into neat piles. 5 Fishing a loose tooth out of its mouth. 6 Tapping out signals onto a bone pile.

Ankle-Gnawing — It goes for the ankles, sinking its teeth deep in and causing the Condition Hobbled. Ambush — If one is killed, others of its kind approach more warily and gather in force before springing en masse. 128 · The Rime Palace

The Gossamer Void

Travelling in Ardken is oddly comfortable, like being rocked in the embrace of a bony-but-gentle grandmother. With a rush of cold air, it becomes clear you’ve arrived outside the Rime Palace. Above you is a desolate landscape of lunar dust; below you is a void pin-pricked by icy stars. The only structure is the Rime Palace: an elegant marble edifice that hangs over the void like stalactites. The gleaming exterior of the palace reflects light from the stars below and from faint clouds that float lazily through the void. goal

Dock the bone ship and enter the palace. The very tip of a hanging tower breaks off and plummets into the void.

moments

You see hairline fractures starting to develop in the bones making up the base of your ship. A sound wafts from the palace, like the pings of falling water droplets orchestrated into a tune. traps

treasures

The Grand Balcony. The most obvious place to land the ship is a massive balcony jutting from the palace’s side. A ring of thin, standing slabs of marble surround the balcony’s edge.

If disturbed, the marble slabs fall like dominoes, causing a tiny bell to ring throughout the palace and ruining the element of surprise.

The balcony boasts a small field of lilies made of the palest, thinnest gold (2 Gold).

The Bridge of Horn. In another part of the palace, two towers are connected by a bridge of tangled antlers, seemingly unguarded save for blue-gray moths flitting around it.

The moths attach themselves to anything that touches the bridge. The moths’ wings are razor-edged. The moths are surprisingly heavy; if enough of them land on a treasurehunter, the bridge shatters.

A rare pair of massive elderstag horns are incorporated into the bridge (1 Gold each, 3 Gold for the pair sold together).

The Wall of Lace. A place where the marble of the palace’s walls gives way to what appears to be mere lace. A green-violet glow can be faintly glimpsed through the gaps of the lace.

The lace of the wall will try to tangle up and pull apart Ardken. The party can tear the lace off, but bits of it may cling to a treasure-hunter. (risk roll or take the Condition Enmeshed.

Behind the wall of lace is a landing lit by six spun glass orbs full of green and purple lights, like the aurora borealis. The orbs are extremely breakable, but valuable (2 Gold for the whole set).

additional traps Circling the palace too long without landing causes gossamer guardians to swarm. Being flung from Ardken means falling into the void; it’s a long drop into nothingness. GOSSAMER GUARDIAN

weakness — Strong wind

A crystalline cloud faintly glowing in a pale shade of blue or pink that moves with a will of its own.

1 Scattering and reforming. 2 Merging with another cloud. 3 Lazily drifting on a nonexistent breeze.

4 Forming ranks like a storm on the horizon. 5 Moving surprisingly quickly to ensnare a target. 6 Spreading crystal-laced fog over nose and mouth.

Smothering — It tries to fill your lungs. If you survive, roll an extra Weak Point in your next combat. Cloud Shapes — If a group of them have been angered, they combine before your eyes into a towering cloud shaped like a dragon. Endurance increases to 12 unless the shape is dispersed. The Rime Palace • 129

INCURSIONS

props

The Hall of Games

No matter where you enter the palace, its twisting corridors of fog, lace, and glass will bring you to the hall of games. It’s a long hall full of game tables, many of them covered with pieces made of delicate glass figurines. The floor is made of alternating squares of white marble and black obsidian. goal

Win masks that can get you past the palace’s guardians. A floor tile seems to sink under your weight but doesn’t give... yet.

moments

A sharp scent of spilled liquor with no obvious source. On one of the game tables, a still-spinning crystal top wobbles occasionally.

props

traps

treasures

The Great Table. At the grandest game table in the hall waits Sirrah Morris, the games warden. He greets the treasurehunters warmly and offers to play a game. If the alarm bell has been sounded, he will be grinning widely and setting up the game when the party arrives.

Sirrah Morris cheats as much as possible, claiming that the treasure-hunters just don’t understand the rules of the game. But if a treasurehunter cheats, Sirrah snaps his fingers and drops a floor tile out from under them (risk roll or be plunged into the spider-pit).

Sirrah Morris stakes fabulous prizes on the games: • Vial of starlight (2 Gold) • Porcelain compass (gives a light die on hunt rolls in the palace) • Birdcage with a breeze within

INCURSIONS

Sirrah is desperate to pass on his post in the Hall of Games to another poor soul, and will weedle and cheat extravagantly.

Sirrah Morris wagers “a shift in this post” on the game. Losing the game causes the Condition Games Warden, and a crystal collar appears on the loser’s neck (see below).

The other game tables. Each table has a partially-played game on it. The games resemble ones the treasure-hunters know, but there are subtle differences. Ask the treasure-hunters: Whose likeness do you recognize on the game pieces? A grand doorway hung with gauzy curtains. Bright moonlight shines from the doorway, and a soft breeze flutters the translucent curtain. It leads to the masquerade garden.

If a treasure-hunter agrees to go double-or-nothing after their first win, Sirrah wagers a set of masks that can fool the palace’s guardians. The masks are made of solidified fog, silver filigree, and birch bark. Wearing one causes a treasure-hunter to appear as a Rime Court noble.

Assorted game pieces and tokens carved from ivory, sapphire, and exquisite, breakable materials (2 Gold).

If Sirrah’s offers of a game are ignored and the party enters the masquerade garden, Sirrah shrieks, alerting the dusk wolves.

condition — A treasure-hunter with the Condition of Games Warden is incapable of leaving the hall of games until passing the post to someone else. If a treasure-hunter is left trapped in the hall of games but has not marked 6 Ruin, players can treat them as a temporarily retired character until a scheme can free them.

SIRRAH MORRIS, THE GAMES WARDEN

weakness — Proof of him cheating

Seemingly human, dressed in old-fashioned clothes. He wears an unctuous grin and a crystal collar around his neck. Smothering — Sirrah will attack wildly with the small knife at his belt, inflicting shallow cuts with bits of broken obsidian lodged within. These cuts cause the Condition Splintered-Obsidian Wound. 130 · The Rime Palace

The Spider-Pit

An awful cavern, dim and dank. Most surfaces are covered with dingy cobwebs. Webs of fresher silk stretch across the whole space at intervals. The ceiling has a number of trap doors through which unfortunate souls like yourselves can be dropped into the pit. goal

Get out of the pit. A solid-seeming rock melts away into cobwebs.

moments

A soft crackly sound fills the air like a cackle reverberating from an inhuman mouth. A strand of silk breaks with a sharp, musical sound. traps

treasures

A web-swaddled corpse. A webbed-up bundle suspended from a thread, clearly the shape of a dead human body.

Sending too many vibrations through the webs alerts an ice spider.

The drained and leathery corpse is clutching a glass masquerade mask in its hands. The masquerade mask imparts the appearance of a Rime Court noble on the wearer.

The curled up body of an ice spider. The creature appears dead, lying on its back, with legs furled above it.

The body of the dead ice spider, handled roughly, explodes into razor shards laced with dream venom (see the ice spider’s Defenses).

Driven through the ice spider’s body is an ancient sword of phoenix-forged iron, a famous but now-lost technique of Old Kalduhr. Ask a treasure-hunter: How do you recognize the fabled workmanship? The sword is worth 2 Gold, though unlocking the lost secret of its forging is worth far more.

additional traps Getting tangled up in a web. additional treasures Rings and brooches from the ice spider’s previous victims.

ICE SPIDER

weaknesses — Phoenix-forged iron; fire

A crystalline arachnid, big as a horse, with icy blue venom visible under its transparent exoskeleton.

1 Skittering along walls and ceilings. 2 Weaving webs into portraits of sleeping faces. 3 Clacking its mandibles together in hunger.

4 Slurping nutrients from a dreaming victim. 5 Playing a game of cat’s cradle with its silk. 6 Jabbing at an unwary rodent with a sharp leg.

Dream Venom — It injects a treasure-hunter with a venom that eats away at the nervous system and causes vivid hallucinations of the fulfillment of that treasure-hunter’s Drive. Webbing — It hastily weaves a web of fine but tough silk around you, causing the Condition Enmeshed. If you already have that Condition, you are fully cocooned in spider silk and unable to act until freed. The Rime Palace • 131

INCURSIONS

props

The Masquerade Garden

A vast, wintry garden with a marble dance floor is surrounded by frost-dusted topiaries of humanoid creatures in poses of romantic embrace. Roses with mirror-like petals bloom at the bases of the topiaries. Above, you see what appears to be a sky lit by multiple, unfamiliar moons. Dark, starry wolf-like beasts prowl the edges of the space. On the dance floor, flickering wisps dart to and fro. goal

Unlock the stairs to the Rime Throne. A flake of paint peels from a moon above revealing the ceiling to be an artistic illusion.

INCURSIONS

moments

A pair of icy hearts fall from a topiary couple and shatter. A glass hummingbird flits among mirrored roses, gathering silver nectar. A Rime Court noble catches the bird, breaks its head off cleanly, and sips from the nectar within.

props

traps

The dance floor. As the treasure-hunters approach the floor, the flickering wisps resolve into gorgeous, glittering Rime Court nobles, frollicking and trading wittty remarks. If the party comes in the form of guests, the nobles sweep the treasure-hunters into their dance.

If a treasure-hunter enters the dance floor undisguised, the floor immediately opens up and drops them into the spider-pit.

A topiary king.The most notable of the topiaries is a towering king with arms outstretched. It is the only depiction of a single being rather than a couple. Much of the king’s lower body is overgrown with glassy thorns, as if the mirror roses on this topiary are much less well tended than others. If asked about this overgrowth, a noble will pretend not to see and change the subject.

The long, glass thorns of the mirror roses can jab clean through gloves. A pricked treasure-hunter will suffer physical pain as well as mental confusion, causing the Condition Scattered.

treasures

Hanging from the topiary king’s crown are a few masks made of oversized holly leaves. These masks—like Sirrah Morris’s— give the wearer the appearance of a Rime Court noble. Hidden underneath the large stone pot holding the topiary king is a spiral staircase to the rime throne. A Rime Court noble can easily push aside the pot and reveal the stairs, but it would take several humans working together to do the same.

additional traps Rime Court nobles will offer dangerous favors: a sniff of a mirrored rose (causes the Condition Scattered), a sip of liquid nostalgia (causes the Condition Homesick), or a kiss on the hand (causes the Condition Frostbitten). Dusk wolves approach treasure-hunters who are not dancing, sniffing them and asking them riddles. An unsatisfactory answer leads to an attack. additional treasures A haughty but stupid albino peaco*ck, clearly some sort of pampered pet. Worth 1 Gold to the right buyer, 3 Gold if it can be kept alive. Impressing a Rime Court noble earns a crystal ring. The ring is beautiful and somewhat cold to the touch. It enhances the magic of illusions and reflections, granting a light die for any Ritual that involves duplication or mirroring. Worth 2 Gold.

132 · The Rime Palace

RIME COURT NOBLE

weaknesses — Phoenix-forged iron; being caught in a lie; their true name

Semi-solid and semi-translucent lords and ladies: all tall, pale, and gorgeous with elegant, branching antlers. They wear gossamer gowns, calfskin gloves, ceramic swords, birch armor, and many glittering pieces of crystalline jewelry. The noble’s true names are secrets, but they use aliases drawn from courtly titles mixed at random with words they find mellifluous.

1 Flirting with Lady Moth as candle-flame. 2 Concurring with Sir Quest with charms and wit. 3 Avoiding Lady Peril like the plague.

4 Plying Lord Siege with drink to soften his defense. 5 Gossiping with Dame Spar to see who knows best. 6 Ignoring Sir Yester because he’s a too-old bore.

Cold to the Touch — Skin-to-skin contact causes the Condition Frostbitten. Dead to the World — A Rime Court noble cannot be truly harmed by ordinary physical weaponry. Striking with ordinary weapons causes them to fall but they will simply reform a few minutes later, miffed but unscarred. social graces: 10 — See dance roll below

DANCE ROLL Treasure-hunters can attempt a Dance Roll to move gracefully through the throng of nobles and win boons from them. This roll functions similarly to, but not identically to, a combat roll. Treasure-hunters who are wearing masks declare who their intended dance partner is for the next dance. Each treasure-hunter rolls a light die to represent their Weak Point and says how they are at risk of making a social faux pas with that dance partner. Treasure-hunters then roll a number of dark dice equal to the number of treasure-hunters participating in the dance. To succeed, the two highest dice in the treasure-hunters’ roll must match or exceed the noble’s Social Grace (10). When this happens, the treasure-hunters may each claim a boon from their dance partner. If the treasure-hunters do not succeed, they may stay on the dance floor, begging a dance from another partner. One additional dark die may be added for each additional round of dancing. Masks function as armor and can be marked to absorb any Ruin suffered during this roll. A marked mask will permanently cease to function as soon as the current dance is over, and that treasure-hunter must drop out of the dance or be discovered. INCURSIONS

If a treasure-hunter drops out for any reason, they must hand their Weak Point die to another player and explain how their hasty departure from the dance brings unwelcome scrutiny down on another treasure-hunter. Treasure-hunters can generally retreat from the dance floor without consequence as long as they leave before a dance without a mask.

DUSK WOLF

weakness — Highly-concentrated light

A patch of deep night twinkling with stars, but moving about on all fours in a lupine shape.

1 Sniffing round the edge of the dance floor. 2 Lapping up a little spilt nostalgia. 3 Deigning to accept scratches from a noble.

4 Baring crepuscular fangs at a threat. 5 Piling onto a downed foe. 6 Asking riddles.

Nightform — The dusk wolf becomes a shadow and seeps along the ground to ambush from behind. The affected treasure-hunter must roll a second Weak Point. dusk wolf riddles 1. “I’m the end of time, but the beginning of everything. What am I?” (Answer: The letter ‘e’) 2. “Two arms, two legs, no heart, all hide. What am I?” (Answer: A suit of armor) 3. “Alive, I’m like a brilliant star. But crushed, I am as black as tar. What am I?” (Answer: Fire) 4. “You cannot hold me in your hand, yet I hammer down mighty trees. What am I?” (Answer: Wind) 5. “I follow you wherever you go, at times your friend, at times your foe. What am I?” (Answer: Your reputation) 6. “I can be broken, but not repaired. Golden, but not silver. Pregnant, but not with child. What am I?” (Answer: Silence) The Rime Palace • 133

The Rime Throne

The spiral staircase brings you down to the lowest tip of the hanging palace: a shimmering, cold room of ice and crystal, dominated by a massive throne. Around the throne is a ring of a half dozen still sentries, imposing and silent. goal

Shatter the Rime Palace by breaking the throne. A noise like a relieved sigh rattles out from the skeleton chained to the throne.

moments

One treasure-hunter sees the throne room full of life and warmth and splendor for a moment. When they blink, the vision is gone.

INCURSIONS

Another treasure-hunter sees cracks and fault lines running everywhere as if the palace will fall to pieces any moment. When they blink, the vision is gone. props

traps

treasures

The throne. A massive throne carved into a quartz pillar and covered in hoarfrost dominates the center of the room. There is a crowned human skeleton seated on the throne, quite dead. Delicate silver chains wind around it, trapping it in a seated position on the uncomfortable royal chair.

The sentries—Rime Court hunters—will awaken and attack anyone they perceive to be an interloper or threat to the Court.

The skeleton on the throne is wearing the crown of glass thorns, an iridescent and enchanting garland bound with silver and sapphires. Wearing the crown gives access to the Ritual Forget (remove a harmful memory). Devil’s Bargains should include losing significant memories. Success means permanently losing a harmful memory—including the memory of another Ritual, which would reduce Ruin. Treasure-hunters do not recall having worn the crown once it is removed.

The throne itself longs to be filled again. It will attempt to enmesh a treasure-hunter in chains and drag them into the seat. If someone is at 5 Ruin in the throne room, the throne will call to them to fulfill their destiny and claim rulership.

additional traps There is nothing below the throne room in the palace, so if the floor starts to break away or the palace collapses, slow-moving treasure-hunters find themselves hurtling into the void. additional treasures Heaps of coins in unheard-of denominations, valuable as curiosities.

RIME COURT HUNTERS

weaknesses — Phoenix-forged iron; attacking their joints

Hulking figures fully covered in icy armor, helmets crowned by imposing antlers. They wield a variety of obsidian weapons: bows, spears, axes, and clubs. The hunters stand as still as statues. Squad Training — The Rime Court hunters are at Endurance 11 as long as at least three of them maintain formation. Martyr — One Rime Court hunter breaks formation, grabs hold of a treasure-hunter, and explodes into sharp, fragmented ice and metal, causing the Condition Shrapnel Wounds. Reinforcements — If combat seems desperate, a Rime Court hunter sounds a piercing note on an icy horn, summoning other monsters of the palace as reinforcements. 134 · The Rime Palace

Conclusion ESCAPING THE RIME PALACE If the palace is collapsing or the treasure-hunters decide to escape out a window rather than retrace their steps, they should make a Risk Roll to call over Ardken and scramble back into the ship of bone. If Ardken is pushed to travel faster or make more precise maneuvers than she usually does, she may require more powerfully uncomfortable truths to be shared than usual. Once clear of immediate threat and fully powered, Ardken can fly between worlds back to the Teetering Graveyard.

WHAT IF SOMEONE TAKES THE RIME THRONE? If a treasure-hunter assumes the Rime Throne, they will have a last moment of clarity to decide: do I want to destroy the Rime Court, or restore it to its former glory? Once the choice is made, their mind will be overwhelmed by the whispering voices of the throne itself. Each choice has consequences. Willing the destruction of the palace will put the other treasure-hunters in danger as it collapses. Willing the restoration of the Court awakens a great hidden host of frozen fae from hibernation. Back in the world of Kalduhr and Fort Duhrin, rumors will spread of reawakened icy fae resuming their raids on progressively larger targets—first outlying villages, then small towns, and perhaps soon the great cities themselves.

FLYING ARDKEN

UNLOCKING THE SECRET OF PHO PHOENIX-FORGED IRON If treasure-hunters bring home a blade of phoenix-forged iron, they’ll find plenty of blacksmiths and weapon aficionados clamoring to take a look at it. If players want to pursue rediscovering the secrets of this forging technique, treat it as a new Skill (phoenix-forged iron) they can unlock at the cost of 1 Burden. Their mentor is whichever expert they work with to investigate the technique. If the Rime Court is restored, such weapons will desperately be needed to drive back hunting parties of Rime Court fae.

The Rime Palace • 135

INCURSIONS

Ardken could become transportation for the treasure-hunters going forward from this incursion. Flying her will always require the revealing of uncomfortable truths. Flying fast or into particularly dangerous places will likely require a Risk Roll. Ardken is easily worth 10 Gold herself, but it will take a little research and carousing to find someone ready and able to pay for her.

Leviathan’s Bridge

INCURSIONS

GABRIEL RO ROBINS BINSO ON

136 · Leviathan’s Bridge

The floating mangrove city of Seeker's Rest has long been a bastion for reclusive goblin seers and loremasters who sought to protect their sacred texts and accumulated knowledge from pillagers. It serves as a home to all refugees who may not be welcome elsewhere. The layered grove forms the foundation of the city, while the Leviathan's Bridge stretches overhead—an arboreal monument of twisting vines, branches, and the immense, weightless bones of a whale, culminating in a temple formed from its massive skull. It is said that generations of seers still sit in eternal contemplation of the glowing star which rests within its cavern. Priceless scriptures and artifacts of an advanced civilization lie scattered within the twisted mangrove, shrouded by mists and largely hidden from the outside world, save the few who find their way there seeking refuge or wisdom. theme mist

The Leviathan’s Bridge is a near-mythical monument, rarely seen by outsiders. Consider the symbolism of things lost in the mists of time or shrouded in mystery, as well as the cyclical nature of history and of water as it evaporates, gathers in rain clouds, and falls again. It also involves a literal bridge between the realms of solid earth and misty air in the form of a huge leviathan skeleton, long overgrown and inhabited by creatures of land, sea, and sky. Flora and fauna appearing throughout the incursion all move between these realms in some way—living within an element but not entirely belonging to it.

SETS The Marsh Cradle

Leviathan’s Bridge

Glowing Sanctuary

Seeker’s Rest

Heartgrove Shrine

Bone Garden

warnings: Graphic Violence, Heights, Insects & Spiders, Religion, Sharks & Sea Creatures Leviathan’s Bridge • 137

INCURSIONS

note — Goblins are presented in this incursion as survivors of colonialism who built a hidden city to defend and preserve the culture of an advanced civilization. Too often, fantasy settings present “other” races in a way that is problematic, to say the least. They are included here as people who are unusual in their innovation, adaptation to their environment, and relationship with celestial powers. This incursion aims to reframe goblins in a fantasy setting as unique people without falling into the “primitive” or “noble savage” tropes. Consider ways that treasure-hunters may interact with a still-thriving pocket of civilization. While treasures are plentiful throughout the incursion, their theft from sacred places will be met with harsh consequences. The treasure-hunters are the outsiders here, encountering things beyond their assumed knowledge. Ask the players why their characters are entering the temple at the end of the Leviathan’s Bridge—they may be seeking knowledge that is far more valuable than gold. As the adventure sets will outline, such things are not so easily earned—and those who experience them are never the same.

The Marsh Cradle

A weaving series of interconnected streams, bordered by dense jungle and abandoned settlements. Marsh goats, mud crawlers, and other scavengers lurk among the ruins. The group must navigate through the maze of mangrove roots and sunken dwellings to find the open lagoon and the floating city beyond. The party enters the set by canoe. Maneuvering their boat between dense roots and branches may prompt risk rolls, while navigating the shifting maze of the Marsh Cradle requires hunt rolls—the changing tide and current making passage unpredictable. goal

Locate the drifting mangrove city of Seeker’s Rest. Heavy mist obscures the way, bubbles in the murky water, a sulfurous stench.

moments

A pale blue heron studies the water, beak stabbing down to impale a soft young turtle. Bleached bones of an elephant, caught in the roots and overgrown with vines. A procession of fiddler crabs, carrying away pieces of rotting meat. A lone, pale figure crouches on shore, watching the group—albino features, muscled belly, caked in mud. If approached, they dive into the water, long dreadlocks trailing behind like a tail. traps

treasures

Wreckage of a small barge. Broken pots and a sealed traveler’s chest half-sunken in mud.

A tangle of nets and fishing hooks, obscured just under the surface.

A small feline skull, mineralized with precious crystals.

A floating mangrove tree. A small golden monkey sits still in its upper branches.

A nest of mangrove snakes, shimmering indigo with gold stripes. Swift in the water, venomous.

Bone dagger, carved in the shape of a winged serpent.

INCURSIONS

props

Schools of mud crawler fish, drawn to the scent of blood or struggles in the water. Ruined hut. Its crumbling thatched roof home to nesting creatures.

Eternal Glory, a book of legendary heroes and their deeds. Bound in faded green leather with gold trim.

additional treasures Sealed map case, containing an incomplete chart of the region. Markings in blue ink indicate possible locations of an island. MUD CRAWLER

weakness — Soft, bloated flesh

Giant spotted fish with bulging eyes, a cavernous toothy maw, and strong front flippers which allow it to crawl and climb trees.

1 Lurking in wait, eyes peering above murky water. 4 Leaping from a hidden branch. 2 Croaking boisterous mating calls. 5 Seizing the unwary with clamp-like jaws. 3 Flippers gripping roots to drag itself from the water. 6 Belching violently, expelling half-digested remains. Toxic — Sulphurous belch. 138 · Leviathan’s Bridge

MARSH GOAT

weakness — Ravenous (will try to eat anything )

Shaggy beard layered with mud and leaves, salt-encrusted horns, bleary eyes. Folktales say they are lost travellers, claimed by the swamp

1 Diving into the river with mournful bellows. 2 Shaking vigorously, scattering loose mud. 3 Staring balefully, unblinking.

4 Muttering ominous one-word portents. 5 Scavenging on rotting fish and the eggs of marsh birds. 6 Imitating the screams of previous travelers.

Strange — Unnerving stare.

ARTIFACTS SHROUDED IN MIST — Use this table when you need additional treasure found in the incursion. crafted climbing hooks made from 1 1 Finely giant crab claws.

4 1 Waterproof eel skin parchment.

made from braided vines and pouch 1 2 Aofsling smooth river stones.

4 2 Amber bead containing a tiny bird skull.

inscription—a ritual song of 1 3 A blue pearl which induces deep meditation. 4 3 Palm-leaf ancestor worship.

4 4 Glowing chrysalis of an ember moth.

sky-diver’s gliding fins, fashioned from 1 5 Agiant insect wings.

4 5 Bone whistle, imitates a vulture scream.

1 6 Book of sea shanties and travelers’ tales.

iridescent worm which will tunnel 4 6 An through any material.

opal stone which constantly drips 2 1 Mossy water.

5 1 Set of crocodile-teeth runes.

2 2 Self-replenishing ball of blood moss.

lantern of azure fish skin, strung with 5 2 Small prayer ribbons.

2 3 Wooden box containing a pet crab.

hide drum, supple skin modulates 5 3 Lizard tone to play melodies.

tiny petrified sea-horse. Comes to life if 2 4 Aplaced in seawater.

veil which turns objects under it trans5 4 Silk parent.

spyglass, bronzed and weathered. 2 5 Antique Reveals tomorrow’s weather.

bottle which dissolves anything 5 5 Pitcher-plant placed in it.

made from giant crab leg with 2 6 Blowgun sea-urchin darts.

belt—studded with powerful, 5 6 Sky-dancer’s levitating gems. Unwieldy without training.

3 1 Glass orb containing a poisonous frog.

net made from a carnivorous seaweed. 6 1 Living Awakens when watered.

crystal with water at its center that 3 2 Hollow predicts the weather.

explorer’s head; mutters cryptic 6 2 Shrunken advice and rambling stories when given liquor.

gemstone blade which hums in 3 3 Miniature sunlight.

gourd which refills with fragrant, 6 3 Drinking cool water each morning.

indigo ocarina, carved from horn of 6 4 Coiled green fern which does not wither, 3 4 Polished an unknown beast. always growing back. of supple squid leather, enhance 3 5 Gauntlets grappling or climbing.

6 5 Spider-silk cord, stronger than steel.

compass, oriented to moon 3 6 Moonsnail position and phases.

6 6 Phosphorescent mushroom lantern. Leviathan’s Bridge • 139

INCURSIONS

1 4 Vial of blessed seawater, heals 1 Ruin.

Seeker’s Rest

Emerging from the mist is an island formed entirely from mangroves—a wall of interwoven roots and branches rising from the sea. Its upper tiers vanish into the fog. Rope ladders and driftwood walkways jut out in every direction. Glowing lanterns and tent flaps hang throughout the roots and branches, while a maze of tunnels and chambers within conceal the true density of the city. Small coracles and heavy canoes line the piers, where a few fishing poles are tended by goblinfolk and others who make their home here. Travelers enquiring about the temple above will eventually be directed to the heartgrove shrine. Exploring the upper tiers of the city eventually leads to leviathan’s bridge. goal

Earn acceptance as visitors to the city. A turtle-shell coracle, newly repaired, is lowered into the water with a cheer as it floats. A young goblin feeds leftover scraps to her blue lobster on a leash. The scent of grilling seafood, spices, and seaweed.

moments

The droning melody of reed pipes, and syncopated, trancelike percussion of a group playing hollow wooden trunks, fish skin drums, shell and bone rattles. A fisherman wrestles with a captured squid, a tug-of-war between land and sea. A serene procession of ash-marked initiates, bearing incense and glowing shell lanterns. Their chant rises and falls, the whisper of lapping tides and chorus of thundering waves.

INCURSIONS

props

traps

treasures

Aggressive fishmongers press bargains for their special catch: unidentifiable creatures, their freshness questionable.

These treasures and equipment may be purchased or traded for:

A gambling table in the market, bizzare and frequently changing rules as runes are cast and prizes offered and switched every round.

shell, reinforced bark, and sharkskin leather. Glow-lights made from neon fish in sealed, translucent shells. “Fisher’s Friend”—a bronze, iridescent lichen—euphoric and vision-enhancing if chewed. Habitual use causes eyes to glow. Bone charms, said to repel spirits with a “holy aura” (useless). Bottled marsh gas, highly flammable.

The Haven. A dizzying assemblage of stairs, rope ladders, and footbridges decorate the mangrove roots. More inventive dwellings hang from the side of trees, while others are simple flaps over root burrows. Everything is made of woven fibers, salvaged textiles, and driftwood. The Salt Market. A massive hollow at the center of the grove, tents surrounding an open pool of ocean. The tide swells below. Immense, cone-shaped baskets hang submerged in the pool, where small fish and crustaceans are raised.

The cloying, pungent smoke of cooking fires and intoxicating incense in the market causes a light trance or full-on delirium if breathed too long.

1 Crab-claw climbing hooks and seaweed ropes. 2 Light armor: giant crab 3 4 5 6

140 · Leviathan’s Bridge

props

traps

treasures

The Heart Tree. This immense tree stretches upward into fog. Hints of reflected sunlight twinkle from its canopy. additional traps Recruiters from the cult of the All-Devourer, wearing ornaments of crocodile parts. As crocodiles have long been extinct, the cult seeks to bring about their return. They believe a giant, albino crocodile still lives in the swamp and hope to earn her favor with sacrificial offerings. GRANDMOTHER GREENTEETH

weakness — Vain (distracted by offerings, stories, praise)

A skeletal mermaid who lives in the roots of Salt Market. One of the first elders who founded Seeker’s Rest, her wish was to be joined with her shark familiar using ancient bone magic. Wears a seaweed wig, as her hair will not grow.

1 Demanding tribute. 2 Grasping passers by, seeking familiar faces. 3 Lamenting what this city has come to.

4 Rambling tales of legendary whale hunts and survival. 5 Rising from the depths, snatching treasures. 6 Cursing over a failed spell to animate fish skeletons.

Undying — Greenteeth cannot truly be “killed,” as the magic binding her regenerates her form—not to mention that doing so would be very poor manners. She can be “appeased” via Combat Rolls as normal, narrating social actions, or fighting her off (should she physically attack). Judgemental — Cutting words, centuries of cultivated opinions. The residents of Seeker’s Rest are wary of visitors—asking directions to the upper pathways of the Heart Tree may incur obligations, or come at the cost of “donations.” Use hunt rolls to gather information and risk rolls to avoid negative consequences or suspicion. As outsiders, the party must prove their intentions here. FOLK OF SEEKER’S REST

and Nili, identical twins who speak their own language, understand animal speech and never forget 2 Kiri the day’s weather. Bald, bright eyed, perceptive. an herbalist and brewer of potent spiced mushroom teas. Scowling, silent, focused. His stall is 3 Sundar, open at all hours. On a driftwood altar, an empty cup sits beneath the portrait of his missing husband. once a goat herder, now intent on training octopi to catch shrimp for him. Braided grey goatee. 4 Masrudin, Complains of joint pains. Full of obtuse proverbs. a weaver, masked fortune teller and cultivator of moongrass. Long braids, shell necklaces, 5 Ningal, mysterious smile. A flying fox companion brings her treasures. a shipwrecked merchant, well versed in local goods and rumors. Colorful, if faded, attire from their 6 Lem, homeland. Twinkling eyes, hearty laugh. OBLIGATIONS OR FAVORS

1 Escort them to the temple, to inter their loved one’s ashes. 2 Obtain a golden orchid which only grows near the temple guardian. 3 Clear a path of carnivorous plants which threaten their family shrine. 4 Hunt down a cackling winged beast and the small statue it stole. 5 Convince an angry spirit to stop haunting them. 6 Share an inspiring—or scandelous—story. Visitors are rare, and the elders here only repeat the same tales. Leviathan’s Bridge • 141

INCURSIONS

an ailing shaman who came here to teach the children so they will not forget how to hear the 1 Akruna, spirits. Covered in tattoos. Deep smiling wrinkles.

Heartgrove Shrine

While the towering Heart Tree bears an ancient temple in its upper branches. For most residents of Seeker’s Rest, visiting the shrine at its base is enough. Here, a dense canopy shelters moss-carpeted pathways, pale fungi, and delicate orchids. Roots weave and intertwine in every direction, many inscribed with runes: symbols of small gods, prayers and remembrances. Shell candles, crystals, and ornaments of repurposed metals are placed in every nook available, while simple prayer flags hang above. Symbols and inscriptions throughout the shrine hint at stories:

1 A fragmented crystal, figures holding pieces, levitating—spinning in the air with colorful flowing robes. 2 Waterfowl diving under water, fish taking flight—humanoid figures travel among them. 3 A whale—swallowing a glowing orb, floating to the surface, decomposing as its skeleton rises from the water. 4 Figures lowering a bundle of bones, bound in vines, into the water. A fearsome insectoid creature emerges. 5 Canoes fleeing warships, landing on a floating tree—mist hiding them. Ships broken against the island. 6 A group of monks sit cross-legged—some floating above ground, some barely visible.

INCURSIONS

The party may glean the following history from the inscriptions: Long before the seas began to rise, the ancient goblin seers saw the signs and made preparation. Fleeing their ancestral home as marauding humans encroached upon their borders, they took to the sea in their canoes, called by the song of a great leviathan. As prophecy foretold, the beast swallowed a fallen star and became imbued with its power—glowing and buoyant. Guided by this living miracle, generations of goblinkin guarded the beast, tending the mangroves which took root on its back and deepening their bonds with the creatures of water and sky. Eventually, they built a sanctuary from the blessed bones of the whale, guiding roots and branches to form the structure which still drifts upright to this day. Generations of monks to come would continue the work, dedicating themselves to life above the city while the mission of sheltering refugees of all kinds continued below. Access to the Drifting Temple is only open to initiates of the order, however, as such traditions have largely died out and communication from the temple is rare. This knowledge may help to navigate challenges ahead (such as encountering spirits and guardians). goal

Learn the history and significance of the Drifting Temple. Steady dripping from the canopy above, tapping out melodies on hollow wood. Fireflies, jewelled beetles, vibrantly hued dart frogs, and bright banded snakes appear and vanish amidst layers of hanging moss and fallen leaves.

moments

Visitors silently tread the moss paths, pausing at shrines, vanishing behind roots. Wind chimes of shell, bone, and semi-precious metals clink together gently overhead. A shrine attendant invites visitors to leave offerings and sip the fragrant orchid nectar—on this special day, a rite to open onseself to the spirit world (see below).

ritual — Learn this Ritual by making an offering to the shrine spirits or by tasting the orchid nectar.

Moonlight — become luminous and ephemeral, floating above ground Learning this Ritual increases a treasure-hunter’s Ruin by 1. The Ritual is forgotten upon leaving the incursion.

142 · Leviathan’s Bridge

props

traps

treasures

Unless a more significant offering is left in exchange, any treasures removed from the shrine will anger the spirits which live here, inflicting the Condition Haunted.

Vial of blessed seawater. Heals 1 Ruin.

Tiny mirrors of crystal and iridescent shells. Embedded in the tree roots. Small candles are placed in front of each. Offering bowls. Some empty, some containing food, coins, or jewelry.

Holy symbol, a gilded feather. Calms the fear of heights or falling when worn. Hardwood ocarina. Invokes a memory of nearby spirits when played. Palm-leaf scripture, written in an ancient tongue. Translated, it is titled Praises of the Eternal Weaver. Ornate wooden mask, bearing a fearsome demon face. Allows the wearer to see spirits.

Small bundles of bones. Stacked carefully in open hollows.

Bone and hardwood steps. These steps are embedded in the sides of the Heart Tree and lead upward.

Vampire ferns grow unimpeded off the shrine paths, luring the foolish. weaknesses — Fire; sharp weapons

A parasitic plant-creature which once came from the sea. Mesmerizing feathery fronds undulate, waiting to trap unwary prey and drain them with barbed spines.

1 Waving slowly, as if underwater. 2 Quivering in anticipation of a meal. 3 Crawling along almost imperceptibly.

4 Changing colors, glowing hues to attract prey. 5 Draining the dry husk of a small creatures. 6 Dropping old bones and feathers.

Hypnotic — Entrancing patterns. Sticky — Grasping leaves. TREE CRABS

weakness — Clumsy righting themselves if flipped

Slow, tree-climbing scavengers which rely on the camouflage of their moss-fringed carapaces. Powerful, tearing claws and piercing limbs.

1 Peeling away tree bark, carving burrows into wood. 4 Dismantling scavenged treasure. 2 Droning, chirping in imitation of birds. 5 Feeding (and occasionally feasting upon) their brood. 3 Descending upon unwary prey. 6 Nesting in interlocking piles. Armored — Heavy carapace. note — These creatures work in harmony: the vampire ferns’ dazzling patterns and grasping fronds trap prey while the tree crabs descend to tear the victim apart. Leviathan’s Bridge • 143

INCURSIONS

VAMPIRE FERN

Meddling with any bones stirs an angry spirit, inflicting horrific visions of persecution and pursuit by raiders.

Leviathan’s Bridge

Swaying in the wind, the upper branches of the Heart Tree give way to flowering vines, once carefully trained in woven patterns, now long overgrown. Suspended within the vine canopy floats the vast skeleton of the leviathan itself, ribs like tree trunks stretching down into the mist. Sunlight beams through the spaces between vertebrae, revealing segments of a still-hanging footbridge which vanishes into the dense foliage ahead. Sky-weavers (arboreal octopi) nest in between the ribs and vertebrae, weaving plant fibers and cultivating bromeliads to collect rainwater which form their communal sleeping pools. goal

Traverse the sky-bridge to reach the temple. The constant shifting and swaying of the rope bridge segments and vine walls.

moments

Rain and wind wash over the outside of the canopy as rainbows and mist appear within.

INCURSIONS

Curious sky-weavers emerge from bromeliads or pause in their dismantling and reweaving of vines around the bridge—glistening skin blooming in expressive patterns. props

traps

treasures

Giant bromeliads. Thick and sturdy vines, dense hanging moss overhead.

Snares, rigged to suspend intruders until retrieved— or left to scavengers.

Bundle of herbs, useful in healing potions.

The rope bridge. Suspended from the hulking vertebrae above by heavy, braided vines. Some intact segments are a few paces long, others a single step hanging over the void like a trapeze.

Rotten planks of the bridge, eaten by barnacle-beetles.

Small book bound in faded red leather, titled A History of False Gods.

An old resting platform. Hangs midway along the bridge—a giant clamshell wedged between the pillar-like ribs.

A nest of young sawtooth vultures. If stirred, they scream eagerly to be fed.

A beehive, humming with languid worker bees, ringed in sleep-inducing flowers.

Steel-tipped arrows and spears which missed their mark.

A hunter’s blowgun and darts are stashed under a reed mat.

additional traps The precarious structure of the bridge prompts risk rolls, while hunt rolls reveal traps. Repeated failures quickly alert the Temple Guardian from the bone garden Set, drawing the creature away from the temple threshold and towards the party. Should this occur, transition to the bone garden. additional treasures A fallen explorer’s pack containing any three pieces of Backpack Equipment. SAWTOOTH VULTURES

weakness — Cowardly (vulnerable alone)

Gaunt, leathery raptors with cruel jagged beaks and obscene, elongated claws. Poor fliers, crawling to high perches to dive from above in swarms.

1 Cackling gleefully, calling friends to feast. 2 Squabbling over stolen trinkets. 3 Taking abrupt flight in swarms. Swarm — Attacks in groups. 144 · Leviathan’s Bridge

4 Latching and tearing at exposed flesh. 5 Snatching shiny objects. 6 Hauling victim into the air to drop from a great height.

Bone Garden

The final ribs and vertebrae of the leviathan skeleton hang suspended, woven together with living vines to form a series of pillars with passageways on either side. Spidery bromeliads and creeping succulents sprout from dried husks of other plants and creatures. Beyond rests the gleaming opal dome of the leviathan’s skull, cavernous opening overgrown with fragrant blooming lichen. In the open doorway waits the Guardian—impossibly tall and graceful, an awakened assemblage terrible to behold. It sways gently with the breeze to mimic the stirring foliage around it. goal

Pass the guardian to enter the temple. The drone of insects and occasional shifting crumble of dry bone pieces.

moments

Spider crabs crawl slowly across the form of the Guardian, provoking no response. Utter stillness as the wind calms.

props

traps

Bone pillars. Overgrown with bright fungus and flowering vines. Pale blue cocoons of tide-moths hang overhead.

Crumbling slats of the footbridge give way to open sky and distant sea below.

A garden of bone and coral. Withered corpses and scattered animal remains.

Sharp, spiny protrusions of bone, pointed barnacles, thorny vines.

Ornamental box of glass and metal, full of calming incense.

A nest of young sawtooth vultures. If stirred, they scream eagerly to be fed.

Fragments of hollow whalebone, glittering crystal inside.

Scrimshaw hieroglyphs line the leviathan ribs. They appear to be runes and star charts.

treasures

Holy symbol of a forgotten cult.

additional traps Any movement across the floor or walls around the Temple Guardian prompts a risk roll to avoid detection. Only through levitation or temporary flight (such as via a Ritual or special equipment) can it be bypassed.

BONE MANTIS (TEMPLE GUARDIAN)

weakness — Joints are easily severed

A looming assemblage of polished bones and hardwood, its brutal hooked limbs inlaid with the teeth and spines of ocean predators. Glowing runes are inscribed across its head and torso.

1 Tapping wood and bone in melodious rhythm. 2 Swaying, as if moved by the wind. 3 Snatching a passing lizard from a vine.

4 Scaling walls methodically, never losing purchase. 5 Tilting its head as if listening for intruders. 6 Hunched, motionless, waiting to strike.

Perceptive — Sensitive to vibration, anticipating any movements towards it. Crush — Vicious pincer-limbs immobilize and tear limbs. Animated — Powered by a glowing crystal embedded in its chest. If removed, the crystal is worth 4 Gold. However, it constantly hums and vibrates with the restless energy of the spirit trapped within. Leviathan’s Bridge • 145

INCURSIONS

Skydancer’s Belt—shimmering eel skin, studded with pale crystals. Body heat charges the levitating crystals, but precise maneuvering in the air takes extensive training.

The Glowing Sanctuary

Entering the sanctuary instantly imparts a sense of calm. The bone walls glow faintly, warmed by the outer sun. Most surfaces are inlaid with gems and shells, runic inscriptions and tiled murals. A glowing orb of star-metal floats at the center of the chamber, emanating silver light. Seated in alcoves on either side are the forms of monks in meditation—some breathing slowly, others like living statues. Some appear as patterns of light and gold dust. goal

Commune with the glowing presence. Wind across small holes in the temple walls makes a soothing song.

moments

The hovering star appears to change hue according to the mood of the viewer. The echoes of hymns once recited here—calming or unnerving, depending on the listener. traps

The Celestial Heart. Blessed source of power for the temple and repository of knowledge. It is clearly not of this world. Anyone may approach it though its power may become overwhelming (see Communing with the Star on the next page).

Those who seek to draw too much from the glowing presence become bound to it, compelled to take their place in one of the empty seats along the temple walls.

Ossuaries. Bones of saints, pilgrims, and strange beasts line the walls from floor to ceiling.

Mirror of Truth: a flawless silver mirror set into one alcove, bordered by luminous opals. A treasure-hunter who gazes into it must make a risk roll to avoid gaining the Condition Remorseful as they see their own failures and misdeeds gazing back unflinchingly.

INCURSIONS

props

A long, inclined path leading to open sky. The open jaws of the leviathan, where sun and moon each pass through.

treasures

Saint’s skull, inlaid with abalone shell and silver. Obviously quite valuable—touching it, however, awakens The Vengeful.

River-pearl prayer beads, infusing the wearer with an abhorrence for violence. Silk hangings, illustrating monks on stages of the spiritual journey (2 Gold). Prolonged viewing imparts the Condition Dreams of the Misty Isle (see conclusion).

additional traps As with the heartgrove shrine, any tampering with remains in the temple will disturb the spirits, prompting risk rolls to avoid gaining the Condition Haunted. additional treasures Bones of strange, long-extinct beasts with unusual horns, fins, and spiny tails.

146 · Leviathan’s Bridge

THE VENGEFUL

weakness — Devout (calmed by holy symbols, prayers, or displays of true piety)

Spirit of a great warrior-poet from the Woven Islands, laid to rest in the sanctuary they fought so hard to protect. Stirred from peaceful slumber, they have no mercy for those who would violate the sanctity of this place.

1 Reciting stanzas, quick as darts, piercing the will. 4 Whispering the secret word which locks limbs in place. 2 Invoking spectral visions of battles and violence. 5 Graciously inviting foes to surrender and save face. 3 Manifesting the blood of fallen colonizers. 6 Unleashing a mournful dirge of despair. Incorporeal — Unharmed by physical weapons. engaging the vengeful in combat The Vengeful must be engaged or the spiritual force of their presence will overwhelm the treasure-hunters. Should the spirit be attacked with physical weapons, it will soon become clear that these have no effect. Instead, treasure-hunters must make “appeasem*nts” to distract, calm, or otherwise de-escalate the conflict to return the spirit to rest. Make combat rolls as normal, inviting players to narrate their approach to the encounter. COMMUNING WITH THE STAR Treasure-hunters who commune with the star may access the following Ritual.

ritual

Archive — trade a precious memory to learn a lost piece of lore This Ritual may only be performed in the temple—the ability to use it fades upon leaving the incursion. A piece of lore gained in this may include useful information such as histories, maps, or a named monster’s Weakness. Losing an important memory may cause the treasure-hunter’s Drive to change in some way (see conclusion conclusion). ). Communion with the glowing Celestial Heart may grant visions. INCURSIONS

1 A tiny serpent stirs inside you, hungry for your dreams. 2 Eaten by a crocodile, passing through its belly, nourishing the riverbed. 3 Drowned by the weight of all the gold you have claimed or sought. 4 Every person you have lost, urging you to complete your tasks in this life. 5 Every person still alive because of your intervention. 6 The cycle of your own birth and death, repeating through myriad forms.

Conclusion Visitors to the Drifting Temple are rare. Those who manage to find their way to Seeker’s Rest, prove themselves worthy, and enter the temple are rarer still. But those who enter the Glowing Sanctuary are never the same. Some may choose to take a much longer rest there, communing with their ancestors or contemplating the events and choices of their life thus far. Some go there to forget, and rest instead in the luminous calm sea from which they were born. But those who eventually leave find that their lives are forever changed. Treasure-hunters who visit the Glowing Sanctuary gain the permanent Condition Dreams of the Misty Isle, which can only be resolved by returning and taking their place at last within the roots of Seekers Rest. They may also find that their Drive no longer compels them in the same way, and may decide to choose a new one. Leviathan’s Bridge • 147

Roots of Old Kalduhr Aaron Burkett Amanda Franck Cat Evans Christina Stone-Bush David LaFreniere David Morrison

Epidiah Ravachol Fraser Simons Gabriel Robinson Gerrit Reininghaus Jason Cordova Jason Tocci

Judd Karlman Kyle Maxwell Litza Bronwyn MadJay Brown Madeleine Ember Michael Van Vleet

Mike Martens Natalie Ash Oli Jeffery Phil Vecchione Ramanan Sivaranjan Sabine V

What poisoned soil feeds the forest?

The Kalduhr is a vast and dangerous forest grown over the ruins of civilizations stretching back millenia. The most storied of these civilizations—though certainly not the oldest—is known as Old Kalduhr. Old Kalduhr was a much more advanced civilization than that of the present day, particularly in the realms of art, science, and ritual magic. The god-monarchs of Old Kalduhr used their power to enslave the spirits of the earth itself, rip holes in the fabric of reality, and unleash otherworldly monstrosities upon their enemies. Eventually, only the giants which walked the land in those days remained, so the people of Old Kalduhr set fire to the skies. With nowhere left to turn, Old Kalduhr extended downward, carving new homes and temples and thrones deep beneath the poisoned air. They built their fortress city as a massive labyrinth and taught their children to walk its darkened halls. As they carved and the centuries passed, the earth renewed itself. It never forgot its subjugation, and it reclaimed the surface via a forest of vengeful flora and fauna. Eventually, Old Kalduhr fell, but the forest lived on, slowly obscuring, burying, and erasing that old civilization that had caused it such harm. Every treasure-hunter has heard of the ancient Kalduhri people. They know somewhere in the forest are the ruins of an ancient city. Searching the deep wood for these ruins requires a desperation or an arrogance to match the Old Kalduhri people. Legends, rumors, or luck may lead treasure-hunters to a particularly vast Kalduhri ruin within the deep wood. These ruins are the ancient city-state of Old Kalduhr, that cursed place built down rather than up. The ruins cling to the surface of the forest in futile resistance to the smothering, vengeful woods. If the treasure-hunters enter the maw of this ancient city, they will eventually find a way into the real Old Kalduhr, built under the earth and filled with unfathomable wonders and horrors.

OVERVIEW — THE MEGA-INCURSION Roots of Old Kalduhr is a mega-incursion. Unlike regular incursions, there is no way a group of treasure-hunters can explore the entirety of it in one attempt—it is too vast, and must be explored again and again, perhaps with the same treasure-hunters who have survived to tell of the place, or perhaps with new treasure-hunters who have discovered it for themselves.

the streets allows treasure-hunters to travel from almost any Set on a particular Layer to another Set on the same Layer. If a particular Set is inaccessible from the streets, it will be obvious from the map and the text of that particular Set. Layer 3 and Layer 6 replace the streets with unique connective Sets; the streets are not accessible on these layers. the climb allows treasure-hunters to do one of the following: 1) discover and access the streets on the next deepest Layer (or the connective Sets of Layer 3 and Layer 6), 2) access any previously accessed Layer, or 3) return to the surface from any depth. the climb is always accessible from the streets and other connective Sets. warnings: Abandonment, Amputation, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Confined Spaces,

Graphic Violence, Harm to Animals, Harm to Children, Heights, Human Sacrifice, Insects & Spiders, Manipulation, Mannequins, Memory Loss, Mental Illness, Religion, Slavery, Snakes

Overview & Sets • 149

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The mega-incursion begins with an entrance Set and is organized into six Layers, each with its own collection of Sets. There are two transitional Sets that help the treasure-hunters navigate these layers: the streets and the climb.

152

Ruins at the Heart of the Forest 158

The Climb

LAYER 1 176

The Orphan Pit 162

158

162

178

The Orphan’s Villa 170

The Dwarven Baths The Climb 180

The Streets

Sehmet ils Ka’s Villa 182

The Specularium 174

The Mirrored Pool

172

The Great Sewer

LAYER 2 184

158

The Enclave 188

The Library of All That is Known The Climb

192

The Ten-in-One 194

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The Workshop of Devastating Sensation 198

LAYER 3

190 196

Kheret ils Nu’s Reliquary The Rhunnveldt

202

The Shrine of Woven Moonlight 206

The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms

150 · Overview & Sets

The Near-Corpse of an Unnamed Giant

The Streets

SETS When a Set is referenced from within another Set, it will always be prefixed with the number of its Layer, or 0 in the case of the entrance Set (ruins at the heart of the forest) and the transitional Sets (the climb and the streets). Dotted lines represent connections between Sets which need to be unlocked to be used. The circled number on each Set is the page where that Set can be found.

158

162

232

LAYER 6 228

The Hollow Hunting Grounds

The Caustic Chords of the Madwood 234

The Last People of Old Kalduhr

The Climb

LAYER 5 218

The Calcitic Trephine 222

The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless

The Streets

226

The Temple for Exaltation of Blood 158

162

214

158

The Root Cellar 210

The Climb

The Streets

The Manufactorum 212

The Mechanical Mind

The Climb

216

The Senatorial Chambers

Overview & Sets • 151

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

LAYER 4

Ruins at the Heart of the Forest

Locating entrances to Old Kalduhr is especially difficult as the land has grown back with a vengeance, more dense and twisted than anywhere else. Wild beasts, birthed by the memories of the forest, stalk its borders, eager to tear apart intruders to water the roots with their blood. Countless spirits trapped within the woods hunger for a chance to experience the warmth of living flesh and dream of hope once again. The scattered monuments that can be found above ground have been largely overgrown by the forest over millennia, and most have been plundered long ago. But you and your companions are ready to delve far below to claim the wonders that await only the bravest and most worthy. The risks are endless—the rewards, should you succeed, are incalculable. You know this in your bones, as something calls you to venture below the ground again, returning home... You know Old Kalduhr is near because...

which leads you to believe…

1 wild beasts avoid or flock to the area... 2 plant life appears wilted or wildly overgrown... 3 each new discovery fills you with dread… 4 magic affects this place differently… 5 the ground shudders beneath your feet… 6 a distant voice whispers your name...

1 the land remembers evil acts committed here. 2 spirits of the lost wander here ceaselessly. 3 a local monument hides a secret entrance. 4 echoes of ancient sorcery still warp the landscape. 5 the nearby lair of a forest guardian protects a secret. 6 a prophecy will be fulfilled here.

goal

Locate an entrance to the underground ruins of Old Kalduhr. A crow follows you from tree to tree overhead, cawing as if warning you to turn back. A confounding maze of ever-tightening branches seems to herd you deeper into the forest. An footpath is barely traceable in the leaf litter. Fallen branches, or bones, crunch underfoot.

moments

A distant, haunting melody drifts through the trees—a flute or singing voice, full of melancholy. A sudden vision overcomes your senses, glimpses of the landscape around you from a dim past. Swirling wisps of glowing light dance between trees at the edge of your vision—forest spirits, luminescent spores, or echoes of ancient rites performed here.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Use any of the following props as needed, with secret entrances hidden among the treasures.

props

traps

treasures

Statue Clearing. A towering group of statues stand arranged in a clearing. The statues have worn features and unsettling shapes, and are carved with intricate symbols. The statues have fresh and old offerings arranged at their feet. Do the statues represent early forms of the Sisters, forest guardians, or primordial gods, worshiped before Kalduhr expanded underground?

A curse imbued within the stone guards against intruders (risk roll to avoid the Condition Marked Trespasser).

Scattered components of a failed ritual, including a scroll inscribed with the Ritual Gate.

Theft of offerings or meddling with the statues awakens a guardian spirit.

152 · Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest

entrance: A sigil of passage, faintly singed into the grass. Opened through a Ritual or when the statues are invoked in an act of worship—or sacrifice.

props

traps

treasures

Stone Bridge. A tall stone footbridge, long and narrow, built from smooth white stones stretches over a small lake of dark water with an opaque surface. The water is deeper than it appears. At its end is a small island ringed with yew trees of blue bark. At the center of the island is a shallow fountain in the shape of a harpy with a fish in her claws.

A sunken effigy with androgynous features, bright silver inlay, and iridescent shells sings alluringly underwater as if wanting to be rescued.

Small floating barrel of deliciously spiced, nourishing, if unknown, preserved meats.

A writhing mass of black eels, endlessly devouring each other, is quick to sense movement or smell blood. A discarded and cursed tarnished ring set with green gemstones sits in the open, easy to see.

Grave Site. Here lie the graves of fallen treasure-hunters, marked by spring branches, piles of stones, remains of a pyre, or simple offerings. A crude face has been carved into a tree, as if watching over them. Who fell here? Who survived to honor their memory? Who still awaits their return?

A hive of needle-toothed loam crawlers is stripping away flesh and regurgitating decomposed matter.

Tower Ruins. The ominous ruins of an ancient watchtower are partially sunken, covered in vines and lichen. Inside, a spiral staircase leads to a destroyed top half and open sky above. Who built it so far from known civilization? What did they watch for?

Stones around the base of the tower are carved in the likeness of the Old One of the Forest. Studying them prompts a risk roll (success grants the temporary Condition Blessed of Kalduhr, but failure draws a eye of a guardian spirit).

A lost treasure-hunter, still living, stirs under a pile of stones. Disturbing any grave awakens a vengeful spirit.

The ruined pinnacle of the tower is home to a nest of swarming, sharp-toothed moss pixies. Their bites cause infections, and later, hallucinations.

entrance: A corroded iron grate at the bottom of the fountain covers an ancient aqueduct. The aqueduct is a slick stone tunnel just wide enough to squeeze through. A small sealed box containing a journal. The legible pages recount paths through the forest of Kalduhr, beasts hunted, and the sighting of a hidden enclave of refugees. entrance: A cracked stone slab, far too heavy to have been dragged here by common treasure-hunters, covers a false tomb, revealing a long flight of stairs sloping downward. A small collection of preserved monster parts hang from iron nails. A set of bone throwing knives, clearly of fine goblin craftsmanship. entrance: The flagstones of the tower floor are much newer than those of the tower itself, and hollow beneath. Breaking or removing them reveals a gaping pit and an iron-runged ladder extending into the darkness below.

Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest • 153

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

A spirit-bane charm made from an unknown bird’s head. It screams in reaction to any use of Rituals.

Abandoned coracle crafted from a scaly hide. Inside are fishing lines, hooks, and a clay jar of glow worms inscribed with the Ritual Lure.

props

traps

treasures

Old Grove Shrine. A grove of ancient trees have twisted branches forming a gate. Inside the grove is a shrine shaped by sorcery or an ancient craft. Who altered these trees, and to what purpose?

Bright berries hang from the upper branches, alluring and poisonous.

A ritual cloak and mask of faeborn craft, fashioned in the likeness of a forest god.

A beast of the wild makes its lair here, attacking desperately if cornered.

A crystal flask of blessed spring water (heals 1 Ruin).

Nearby, a massive, seemingly bottomless pit the size of an amphitheater sits just beneath a tangle of growth. This pit leads directly to the 4 the senatorial chambers. Quarry. Carved steps lead down to an abandoned marble quarry with mossy sloped edges. The quarry itself is now nothing more than a collapsed ruin of tunnels and equipment. Who delved so deep here, of all places? Why did they leave?

entrance: Roots form steps into a spiraling tunnel downward.

Shifting rubble and hollow ground give way to underground tunnels.

A map fragment. Notes on its margins suggest a nearby monument.

A group of lost treasurehunters returned to the surface, forever changed.

Fine stone carving tools along with a stone tablet etched with the Ritual Enliven.

A stolen idol of a sorcererking compels tribute with its lifelike marble features and watchful eyes.

entrance: A pillared gate partially uncovered in the rubble and carved with the sigils of ancient rulers.

additional traps The lingering scent of roasted meat from the remains of a still-smoldering campfire just off the path will soon attract scavengers. Ancient witch trees abound. These spiteful husks of cursed forest priests who took too much from the forest must now survive on what they can catch with their grasping, thorny branches. A group of runaway kingsguard demand information on the whereabouts of a secret outpost in the forest, threatening vicious retaliation if anyone reports them.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The crying figure of a child, crawling through the undergrowth in search of a lost toy. If engaged, this vengeful spirit demands a treasure or attacks.

A clearing in the trees reveals an empty festival pavilion with magnificent silk banners stirring in the breeze. Fragrant blossoms float down from the gleaming verdant canopy and the distant sound of pan flutes entice travelers closer. A successful risk roll allows vigilant treasure-hunters to pull away and continue on their journey. Otherwise this latest ploy by a group of local faeborn may lure the unwary into a place where time moves differently from the world outside. additional treasures — i of ii A fine weapon or piece of armor. You discover it...

It is clearly valuable because...

1 dropped in haste. 2 wedged between roots. 3 worn or clutched by a corpse. 4 dragged by a wounded beast. 5 displayed as an offering. 6 hanging from a tree.

1 it has been forged with lost techniques. 2 it is crafted from rare monstrous parts. 3 polished gems gleam from its sockets. 4 it hums faintly with a sorcerous power. 5 you have heard tales of it. 6 it is inscribed with a blessing of protection.

154 · Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest

additional treasures — ii of ii Rare medicinal plants of the woods, prized by explorers:

1 Iron Fruit: A rich blue plum, which numbs fear and most other feelings, for a time. Too much makes one heedless of danger. 2 Blood Moss: Heals 1 Ruin caused by a wound as it feeds on dead flesh. May take root as a permanent growth. Not actually moss, but a dense cluster of tiny parasitic worms. 3 Ember Blossom: Lights a fire in the belly for warmth and courage. Best consumed sparingly, as such invigorating zeal may quickly turn to bloodlust. 4 Prophet’s Root: When brewed and drank as a tea it grants fluid speech and glimpses beyond the veil. Sometimes spirits gaze back or speak through the one consuming it. Beware the power behind their words. 5 Eye of the Ancients: A potent blue fungus with the appearance of eyes peering from layers of tree bark. 6

Imparts wondrous and terrifying visions of the Underworld — and is likely to take you there directly, if you ingest too much. Grandmother’s Frond: A succulent purple weed growing in lakes and streams. It slakes one’s thirst when carried under the tongue on long journeys. Spit it out before it begins to grow or be compelled to seek bodies of water to submerge yourself more and more frequently.

A polished rosewood case containing a rolled parchment inscribed with fine inks: study it to learn a Ritual (player’s choice; no Ruin or Burden increase). An idol carved from bone in the form of a beast of the wild. It is an older form of one of the Sisters or a forgotten god. What of its features are familiar to you, somehow? Why did it come to you in this place? A martyr’s skull. Buried under a rotting tree stump is an ornate box inscribed with symbols of a forgotten deity. The box may be found by following the singing voice of the skull inside. If asked, the skull will tell you it belonged to a priest, long ago, before its owner was betrayed and their head buried far from their body—a final insult to keep them from their rightful place in a temple far below. The skull claims oracular powers and remembers a path to Old Kalduhr. It will guide you if you choose to trust its words and take it with you (the skull may be used as part of a delve roll—see below).

DELVE ROLL Any of the Props in this Set may reveal an entrance to the subterranean levels of Old Kalduhr, whether beginning a journey below or returning to the surface. If treasure-hunters choose to explore further without successfully locating an entrance, the gm may introduce another Prop, or have a treasure-hunter make an attempt to delve:

6 Take a light die for describing a prophecy or piece of lore which you believe describes a path to Old Kalduhr. 6 Take a light die if you have a Skill or piece of evidence which strengthens your belief or eases your search.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

When you believe a location connects to Old Kalduhr, say you are looking for an entrance, then gather dice.

Roll the dice. If your highest die is a: 1: You lose your way in the forest and encounter something terrible. 2–3: You encounter something terrible. 4–5: You discover an entrance to Old Kalduhr, but it is guarded or threatened by something terrible. 6: You discover an entrance to Old Kalduhr.

Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest • 155

BEAST OF THE WILD

weaknesses — See below

Appearing in forms both familiar and twisted by their time in the deep Kalduhr. Driven to protect the borders of their domain from intruders. Choose or roll for this beast’s specific form.

1 Spiked hide, powerful claws, whiplike tail. 2 Mottled plumage, cruel beak, swift running talons. 3 Oily fur, muscular bulk, bellowing toothy maw. 1 Bursting from a hidden lair. 2 Stalking from the shadows. 3 Approaching warily, curious, not yet aggressive.

4 Massive horns or tusks, sturdy hooves, glowing eyes. 5 Jeweled scales, hypnotic eyes, sudden fangs. 6 Enlivened bones, roots, or bestial corpses. 4 Snatching unguarded food or equipment. 5 Imitating human voices and gestures. 6 Brazenly destroying or consuming a treasure.

defenses — Beasts start with 1 Defense and 6 Endurance. For each additional Defense you add to the beast, increase its base Endurance by 1, up to a maximum of 5 Defenses and 10 Endurance. Agile Climber/Entangling Limbs/Swift Reflexes.

1 2 Thick Hide/Dense Fur/Tough Scales — The creature’s natural defenses repel all but the sharpest blades. 3 Mesmerizing Beauty/Hypnotic Voice — You stop mid-attack and stand in place for a moment, enraptured. 4 Terrifying Presence — You can avoid a Ruin increase from the Combat Roll by fleeing the fight, right now. 5 Wild Rage — The beast increases its Endurance by 1 after each round of combat, up to 12 Endurance. 6 Poisoned Flesh/Venomous Bite — You take the Condition Infected. weaknesses — Choose 1 or more. Fire, bright light, or loud noise.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

1 2 Traps, snares, or tactics. 3 Holy symbols, prayers, or Rituals. 4 Offerings of food or treasure. 5 Exposure (being drawn from its lair). 6 Distraction (a song, display, or Ritual).

156 · Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest

CRUMBLING GIANT

weaknesses — Rituals; trickery; entanglement

10+

A living relic from an ancient world, this mass of animated stone still wanders the forest to unknown purposes. It is attended by a pair of small stone-carver manikins which climb across its body and maintain the gems which appear to animate its joints and spine.

1 Searching for a lost artifact. 2 Bending to inspect a sapling or forest creature. 3 Slowly uprooting a tree to replant it nearby.

4 Craning a faceless head to the watch the sky. 5 Destroying a perceived threat to the forest. 6 Towering motionless among the trees.

Born of Stone — Immune to blades or piercing weapons. Crushing Bulk — It catches hold of you and pins you beneath its foot, causing the Condition Broken Bones. Tended — For each manikin still attending to the giant, increase its Endurance by 1 (up to 12 Endurance).

GUARDIAN SPIRIT

weaknesses — Offerings; prayers; supplication

This spirit appears as either a looming antlered figure or a veiled woman made of leaves. It is given form and power by the prayers of those who take refuge in the forest and those who die within its realm.

1 Hovering over a sleeping forest traveler. 2 Herding beasts away from danger. 3 Mourning the loss of felled trees.

4 Warning trespassers to turn back. 5 Singing the forest awake to defend itself. 6 Manifesting the wrath of nature.

Spectral — Immune to physical weapons. Reflecting — It turns a Ritual back against its caster. Feeds on Death — Its Endurance increases by 1 when a treasure-hunter falls in combat.

LOST TREASURE-HUNTER

weaknesses — Intimidation; prolonged conflict

These people are mere husks of their former selves, their minds and bodies battered by failed incursions to the forest. They are on the brink of ruin, desperately seeking any means of salvation. Who do they remind you of ?

1 Wandering in circles. 2 Hands tracing patterns of stones. 3 Sacrificing a companion to survive.

4 Tearing at the carcass of a bird. 5 Squabbling over forest “treasures.” 6 Repeating fragments of a favorite song.

Wretched — Looking at them reveals a glimpse of your own inevitable fate, causing the Condition Vision of Doom.

weaknesses — Holy symbols; prayers; prolonged interactions

Slain in an act of betrayal, this spirit is an embodiment of pure rage and sorrow. Such entities are all too common in the Forest of Kalduhr. They exist only as an echo of unbridled torment, quickly passing on once their energy is spent.

1 Wilting nearby plant life. 2 Inducing sickness in living creatures. 3 Manifesting signs of violence.

4 Unleashing outbursts of despair. 5 Revealing glimpses of past tragedy. 6 Begging for release.

Spectral — Immune to physical weapons. Horrific Visage — It casts its terrible gaze on a treasure-hunter, causing the Condition Terrified.

Where to from here? 0 THE CLIMB — TO 1, page 158 Entrance • Ruins at the Heart of the Forest • 157

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

VENGEFUL SPIRIT

The Climb

Exploring the depths of the ancient world is treacherous. Whether descending into the unknown or climbing your way back with what you could salvage, the path is dangerous. You must find a way to traverse...

while taking care to avoid...

1 the depths of an underground lake... 2 an old mining shaft of ladders and pulleys... 3 a chasm where shifting earth has split the path… 4 a vast spiraling stair, full of gaps, precarious... 5 a dense tangle of gnarled roots and tunnels... 6 an abandoned aqueduct, lined with molding waste...

1 awakening an ancient horror. 2 the lair of devious subterranean creatures. 3 the shifting, crumbling stones of ancient ruins. 4 a forgotten trap laid by past treasure-hunters. 5 restless spirits trapped between place and time. 6 a treacherous plunge to certain doom.

goal

Travel between the deep layers of Old Kalduhr. A loose stone drifts into the void below… a long, tense wait before hearing its impact. The distant sound of running water from a subterranean river or lake. A single echoing splash.

moments

A lone beam of light pierces the darkness from above, revealing something lost. A distant rumble and groan as if the weary earth were shifting to be rid of the many tunnels and structures invading its depths. The hollow void below amplifies your every sound, carrying it far beyond, on currents of dry air.

props

traps

treasures

Rope Climbing Paths. Dangling ropes and gear of previous climbers litter the area—a blackened lantern, a single leather boot, a broken spear, a torn net.

A belt of rusty climbing tools tumbles from a great height, an echoing cacophony revealing your presence.

Lost equipment (choose any set of starting equipment).

Frayed ropes with corroded metal fastenings make the climb dangerous.

A stolen rope of Kalduhri craft—nearly indestructible, but must be persuaded to hold fast (risk roll to appease the spirit bound within its fibers).

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Snares, nets, or hooks left by rival treasure-hunters are all around. “Safe” Climbing Paths. A vast stair or ladder extends along a chasm wall, vanishing into darkness—hundreds of steps, all single file, with one side open to the void.

Cave moss under hand and foot, grasping, carnivorous, and sticking limbs to stone. Crumbling stones of a cliff face shatter several stairs creating new gaps to traverse. A disorienting mirrored illusion, reflecting the passage behind, making the way seem endless.

158 · Transition • The Climb

A small pouch of gems dropped in haste. Chalk markings left by a previous traveler, warning of traps nearby.

props

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The Ruins of a Collapsed Floor or Ceiling. Shattered pillars, flagstones, and statues left a deep rift of open space.

Stone fragments, loosened by too much prying, stand ready to crush a treasure-hunter.

Fragment of a forgotten idol— a hand, foot, or part of a face— valuable to collectors

False steps, pits, or balanced pillars left by rival treasurehunters are all around.

Pieces of Kalduhri craft: hardwood and bone etched with intricate symbols or shimmering woven textiles of curious strength.

An unexpected change of direction as the platform is bound for another destination.

A stone tablet inscribed with the Ritual Guide — conjure a thread to follow.

A Levitating Platform. Wide enough to carry a small group, animated by forgotten craft or ancient sorcery.

A spirit bound within the machine, channeled or released unintentionally.

The Roots of a Giant, Hollowed Tree. Burnt out from the inside, carved with steps and ritual markings, and once a shrine or passage for initiates.

Curious root imps delight in sabotaging the efforts of climbers.

A Clustered Hive of Burrowing Creatures. The hive is set in the side of a cliff with oddly shaped holes leading to twisting burrows, nests of scavenged remains, and a foul odor.

A nest shelters the young offspring of an ancient horror—less threatening themselves, but quick to call their guardian.

Disturbing the shrine may invoke the song of a drifting shade.

Runes providing clues to other ancient crafts or machinery in another Set. Pieces of Kalduhri technology— precisely etched gemstones, interlocking arrangements of strange metals, or flawless polished stone slabs which hum with dormant energies. The wayward shrine of a forgotten hero: a simple text recounting their deeds, a set of once-magnificent armor, a glorious but now corroded weapon— all valuable to the right collector –or– providing insight through Rituals if left undisturbed. The dormant egg of an ancient beast, long thought to be extinct. The skeletal hand of a dead treasure-hunter clutches an onyx goblet. ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

additional traps A smooth, damp tunnel opening glimmers with distant reflections across its slick walls; curious pointy crystals jut inward in spiraled rows: a tunnel maw waiting for its next unwary meal. additional treasures The remains of a failed expedition. This lost group of treasure-hunters, bodies mangled by their fall and decayed long ago, carries among them a series of clues leading to a set below –or– a treasure of immense value, dangerous to transport further.

Transition • The Climb • 159

DRIFTING SHADES

weaknesses — Spoken memories of the living; evidence of the present age

These entities are echoing fragments of memory from Old Kalduhr, lost so long they have forgotten their own form, and trapped here in an endless search for the open sky. As they pass over a place they imbue it with melancholy: the longing of centuries.

1 Manifesting glowing inscriptions of Kalduhr. 2 Speaking, voices like bells and crystal chimes. 3 Intoning layered choruses of Kalduhri poetry.

4 Projecting a glimpse of former glory. 5 Moaning a sorrowful dirge. 6 Flickering between forms, menacing and beautiful.

Lost Time Implosion — Causes the Condition Disoriented as time collapses back into existence in this place. Will-Drain — Causes the Condition Melancholy as the shade imparts the futility of continuing to fight into a treasure-hunter’s mind.

ROOT IMPS

weaknesses — Intimidation; bargains; displays of magic

Devious colonies of enlivened fungi resembling gangly crabs with glowing spores grown on their heads to give them vision in the dark. Nimble climbers, they are quick to snatch treasures to dismantle and drag into their burrows. They are highly intelligent, sharing one mind.

1 Appearing at the worst possible moment. 2 Chittering in the shadows. 3 Dismantling equipment.

4 Delighting in mayhem. 5 Swarming the unwary. 6 Vanishing into tiny burrows.

Overwhelming Swarm — Increase Endurance by 1 each round of combat as the swarm grows.

SPORE HAG

weaknesses — Ropes; piercing weapons

This creature resembles a giant floating anglerfish, bulbous with the toxic vapors it produces from its own waste. It drifts upward to scavenge the sides of cliffs with long, wispy tendrils

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

1 Curiously following an unfamiliar creature. 2 Luring lost travelers into the dark. 3 Obsessing over a new discovery.

4 Illuminating its scales expressively. 5 Swallowing prey, plummeting back to its rock pool. 6 Purring in delight.

Floating Out of Reach — Immune to melee attacks. Spore Cloud — It blows toxic vapors that are noxious and temporarily blinding, causing the Condition Poisoned. Alluring — It uses mesmerizing patterns of glowing scales to draw you over a ledge.

TUNNEL MAW

weaknesses — Rituals; fire; piercing weapons; climbing equipment

Appearing as a long tunnel lined with smooth, slick walls as if damp from an underground stream, this gargantuan burrowing worm lures prey deep into its belly with shining crystalline growths. Up close, these are clearly the creature’s teeth.

1 Mimicking a cavern full of lost treasure. 2 Salivating a trickle of acrid mineral water. 3 Quivering, seeming like tremors of the earth.

4 Convulsing, violently gulping prey inward. 5 Releasing a low, murmuring sigh. 6 Belching a river of corrosive bile.

Slick Walls — Once triggered, you begin sliding down toward the maw (risk roll to avoid sliding deeper). Aggressive Digestion — Specialized bile from the maw corrodes weapons and armor. 160 · Transition • The Climb

ANCIENT HORROR

10+

weaknesses — See below

Mercifully unknown to the world above, for now. A creature from a world long dead—no stories come close to the sheer dread of facing this monstrosity. Choose or roll for this horror’s specific form.

1 Segmented shell, spear limbs, venomous mandibles. 4 Smoldering heart, crystalline horns, booming rage. 2 Slick hide, sinuous constricting coils, hypnotic gaze. 5 Sickening decay, animated bones, undying tenacity. 3 Thrashing fins, layered hook-teeth, terrifying screech. 6 Shaded smoke, drowning light, darkness manifested. 1 Waiting, motionless for ages. 4 Reshaping the earth. 2 Stalking the borders of its domain. 5 Bending time with the magnitude of its form. 3 Obsessing over a treasure. 6 Gathering a hoard of followers. defenses — Beasts starts with 1 Defense and 10 Endurance. For each additional Defense you add to the beast, increase its base Endurance by 1, up to a maximum of 3 Defenses and 12 Endurance. Sensory Deprivation — It darkens all light and dampens all sound. It has no problem fighting like this.

1 2 Sheltering Lair — It pulls back and lures you in to its advantage. 3 Terror — You can avoid a Ruin increase from the combat roll by fleeing the fight. 4 Crushing Claws — It grabs hold of you and slams you against the rock, causing the Condition Broken Ribs. 5 Crushing Bulk — It pins you to the ground; another treasure-hunter takes your Weak Point for the next round. 6 Tough, Thick Hide or Armor — It is immune to most blunt attacks. weaknesses — Choose 1 or more. Blinding light, fire.

1 2 Starving (drawn to bait). 3 Tactics (outmaneuvering, traps). 4 Rituals, prayers, or holy symbols. 5 Artifacts (seeks pieces of Old Kalduhr). 6 Worship, praise, or offerings. INSTEAD OF FALLING During any dangerous ascent or descent, the void beckons. Death is always one slipped handhold or frayed rope away. But miraculous things happen in the deep. When a fall would spell certain doom for a character, the GM may choose to introduce a dire complication instead.

While blessed to be alive, you now find yourself...

1 a suspended miner’s cart. 2 a garden of fungal blooms. 3 a deep cavern pool. 4 the nest of a subterranean creature. 5 the body of a fallen treasure-hunter. 6 an inexplicable repelling force.

1 entangled in a trap. 2 face to face with an ancient horror of the deep. 3 enmeshed in the energies of ancient magic. 4 entranced by a newfound treasure. 5 separated from your companions by a new obstacle. 6 trapped within rubble (Condition Broken Limb).

Where to from here? This transitional Set connects to multiple Sets. Review the Set Map, page 150

Transition • The Climb • 161

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

As you plunge, your fall is miraculously broken by...

The Streets

The streets of Old Kalduhr have been uninhabited for hundreds of years—but they are not empty. You find signs of lingering presences here:

revealing that…

1 a statue appears untarnished, its eyes watchful... 2 a garden still blooms, nourished by unseen energies… 3 flameless light flickers inside an empty building... 4 the unshakable feeling of hundreds of eyes... 5 fragmented memories, not your own, fill your mind… 6 sweet temple incense wafts across your path…

1 an ancestral spirit has recognized you. 2 your true destiny awaits you here. 3 there are secrets here more precious than gold. 4 your arrival has been anticipated. 5 your presence here awakens a sleeping power. 6 this place seeks to keep you here as its new residents.

goal

Travel between locations of Old Kalduhr. Echoing footsteps fill the empty street—the slap of worn sandals, the patter of bare feet, the steady clop of hooves, the slither of servant-beasts, the trundle of pulled carts, the brutal stomp of a guardian’s iron boots, and the halting shuffle of stone-formed servants—followed by silence once more. The echoing chorus of insects and small creatures comes from the hanging gardens—hollow, flute-like calls; rhythmic clacking like gemstones rubbing together; bright bursts of rapid chirping; and humming drones throughout. A street-runner's cart stands ready for a new passenger: bright paint preserved, wheels oiled and balanced, and seat cushions immaculate. A stone-formed cleaning servant, segmented and many-legged, methodically picks at cracked flagstones in search of fallen litter.

moments

Rows of crystal lanterns flicker to life as you pass, casting strange patterns of moonlight, captured sunsets, memories of bonfires, and soothing candlelight.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The lone melody of a bone flute echoes across the empty street, rising and falling in a haunting, mournful dirge. Later it is echoed by a muted gong and a quavering bowed instrument, eerily close to a human voice.

Spectral scenes of ages past manifest in the streets: a funeral procession along Sleeper’s Row, a ritual offering in the Square of Abundant Blessings, a line of travelers bearing lanterns along the Path of Glory or the Aspirant’s Climb, and an uprising of blood and flames upon the Walk of Redemption. The Hanging Theater manifests regular performances as well. Throughout, the ghosts of Old Kalduhr relive their fading memories perpetually—unless disturbed or drawn to the warmth of the living. Stones hum and vibrate underfoot, animated by something underground. A sudden gust of wind, whispering, inexplicable.

HAUNTED STREETS While the streets of Old Kalduhr appear dead and empty, those who wander too long in the open risk being noticed by any of the spectral or undying entities there. Failures on risk rolls or hunt rolls may prompt the arrival of ghosts. While combat is always a threat, consider additional ways the treasure-hunters may become entangled with the spirits the more time they spend in Old Kalduhr. Ghosts may recognize a distant ancestor in a treasure-hunter, or mistake them for a lost loved one or a returned rival. Demands or bargains made with ghosts may reveal useful threads of history which connect to later Sets explored in Old Kalduhr.

162 · Transition • The Streets

props

traps

treasures

An Alleyway. A path which avoids the more prominent features of the city, best for shortcuts or resting out of sight.

Ravenous purple fungus, spread across an entire wall as it patiently consumes stone, metal, and flesh alike. Touching it risks inoculation of its slow-blooming spores.

Blind Beggar’s flower, growing silvery and luminous in dark corners. Dims outward vision while opening perception of the spirit world.

Construct this specific alleyway using the Alleyway Generator below.

At first obscured by shadow, a dead end caused by fallen rubble.

Sleeper’s Row. A densely layered residential quarter of smooth clay facades painted in vibrant murals of family histories and packed with narrow doors of every size and shape. While some homes once contained fully furnished living quarters, most only allowed room for one visitor at a time. The green marble flagstones here are muffled by fallen leaves and wilted petals from the still-flowering gardens on every rooftop. The tallest houses with their grandiose pillars and arched windows bear no visible family murals—their doors have been torn away and their walls defaced. Inside, spindly roots and branches protrude from every crevice as if sabotaged by furious plant growth.

A particular mural calls to a treasure-hunter. What speaks to you of your history and compels you to enter the home to visit? Any home intruded upon is inhabited by a ghost of Old Kalduhr, who may be engaged with through their bargains. Stealing treasures will surely spark a new conflict.

An unbroken clay jar of fire mead, wax seal marked with a winged scorpion sigil. Lizard-skin sandals (swift and silent, treads which grip stone effortlessly). Mementos of lesser-known Kalduhri families: torques of woven copper and gold, engraved opal blades with antler handles, clay statues of favored pets, ritual baskets woven in star patterns, and painted wood masks bearing the likeness of significant elders in the family line.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

ALLEYWAY GENERATOR This path is...

indicating it was once used for…

1 obscured by ragged tents and clothing lines... 2 littered with detritus and improvised shelters... 3 squeezed between collapsing buildings... 4 deeply grooved by carts and beasts of burden... 5 lined with doors and ladders carved into walls... 6 overgrown with wild, untended gardens...

1 transport of common people and supplies. 2 refuge by those cast out from the wealthy districts. 3 secret dealings and forbidden trysts. 4 a place of adventure for street urchins. 5 a regular haunt of thieves and assassins. 6 a quiet route for avoiding unwanted attention. Transition • The Streets • 163

props

traps

treasures

A Market Street. Once a bustling thoroughfare, the thriving heart of the city, now barren and haunted by fading memories.

A dazzling display of artisan wares, distracting while hungry ghosts draw near.

Painted clay masks, fashioned in the likeness of overland beasts, though many of the features are wrong. A sigil carved inside projects the shadow of the wearer into that of the beast.

Construct this specific street using the Market Street Generator below.

A barricaded storefront, sealed with a destructive ritual against debt collectors.

Husks of winged messenger drones, their animating gem still embedded in the carapace. The delicate metal wings are mostly bent or broken, but some still hold a scroll in their hooked limbs. Jars of preserved fruits and flesh from extinct species.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Inscribed tablets of popular poetry, imbued with the ash of famous performers. When the symbols are traced with a living hand, a magical recording of the poem is recited aloud.

The Square of Abundant Blessings. Once a thriving market square, hub of commerce, and site of grandiose sacrificial rites, its diminished ruins are still glorious and echo with the resonance of events witnessed here. Beneath a massive bloodstone arch, faded tiles in dazzling ornate patterns emanate from a central altar. Deep stains run down its well-worn surface, with narrow gutters draining off to the empty, dry canals surrounding the square. Across from the altar stand a group of marble statues: a winged bull with lowered horns and a two-headed lion are trampling and entangled within the coils of a vast, writhing serpent.

Any Rituals performed near the altar causes it to sing in a mournful drone, summoning a sacrificial attendant. A gathering of living souls may inspire the Looming Assemblage to initiate a rite of passage—forming a maze around the square and calling a Shadow Puppet in the form of a smokewreathed bull to pursue the treasure-hunters towards the altar at the center of the square.

Rotting baskets piled under a collapsed market stall contain crystal beads, bottles of Kalduhri spirits brewed with herbs from the hanging gardens, and precious hardwood boxes of incense crafted from the forest above. Rare horns, teeth, and hides from long-extinct surface beasts. A collapsed shrine hides a broken fanged monkey idol, the remains of small animal bones, and an ornate ritual dagger.

MARKET STREET GENERATOR This path is lined with…

indicating this district…

1 shattered marble, graffiti, and signs... 2 collapsed balconies and ornamental furniture... 3 doors and windows of every shape and size... 4 faded canopies and splintered market stalls... 5 mummified spectators seated in rows... 6 heavy doors, barred and locked...

1 catered to those with unusual tastes. 2 was a hub for black-market goods. 3 plotted against an oppressive regime. 4 held ritual significance for the population. 5 sourced a rare or valuable artisan craft. 6 sheltered refugees from the ruling sorcerers.

164 · Transition • The Streets

props

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treasures

An Overpass. Sweeping views of the city below, accessible only to a select few.

Brittle stones underfoot, weakened by the passage of something too large and heavy.

Hanging crystal globes, filled with sparkling water that glows when stirred.

Construct this specific overpass using the Overpass Generator below.

The Hanging Theater. The theater is made of magnificent, towering pillars of crystal-veined marble, crossed with heavy bone-wood beams from the Kalduhr forest, surrounding an elevated crescent-shaped stage. Hanging throughout are lavish platforms where elite patrons once commanded the best views of the stage below. Behind them rises the famed hanging gardens of Kalduhr, long overgrown with specimens of exotic flora from the world above, sustained here through an ingenious arrangement of hidden streams and waterfalls, and crystal lanterns which mimic the moon and sun. Glowing mosses and succulents mingle with creeping vines, swaying silver grasses, and gnarled shrubs with bark of pale blue, purple, and gold.

Exposure to entities which watch from the city below. The plants of the lower gardens are entirely carnivorous. Jagged blade-ferns, thirsty serpent roots, piercing fanged orchids, and blood-red devil’s claws were traditionally kept to dispose of meat scraps and bones cast away from the extravagant nightly feasts above. It has been a long time since they were fed.

Jewelry dropped and forgotten: creamy white moon opals, iridescent whale-horn beads, a fire-gilded crown of daggers, and antlers inlaid with gems and silver. The bones of a servant who attempted to retrieve a piece of jewelry dropped by their master. Their spirit still lingers here. Free them with a ritual and they will tell you who their master was and what secret they kept. A skeleton hangs inverted behind the foliage of the hanging garden’s back wall, encased in dried roots and vines. A ceremonial blade protrudes from its ribs while an ivory-handled scepter and flail lay trampled in the soil along with a handful of broken copper neck-bands and chains. All items are engraved with the crest of a noble house.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Lingering too long here may indicate to the spirits of this place that an audience has gathered. Various entities may vie for the life-giving attention of the treasurehunters: ghosts of Old Kalduhr materialize to proclaim terrible unheeded dooms, a captured Fae elder weaves a tale of overwhelming beauty and tragedy, undying sorcerers summon their shadow puppets for the amusem*nt of their patrons in the upper seats. They put on a breath-taking performance. Those watching must make a risk roll to look away. On a failure, the performance swells in intensity, requiring combat to escape.

Views of the city below (counts as a Hunt Token when solving a relevant Set goal within view).

OVERPASS GENERATOR This passage is...

indicating it once served as…

1 formed by a long descending staircase... 2 a wide bridge cluttered with passenger-carts... 3 a low cloister lined with arching windows... 4 built of polished marble with elegant guardrails... 5 a thick cable hung with rolling carts... 6 a grandiose walkway lined with statues...

1 an arduous path walked by pilgrims. 2 a guarded shortcut for those of higher station. 3 a path reserved for priests or “blessed” nobility. 4 a path to show off the majesty of the city below. 5 a scenic view where lovers lingered. 6 a transit route for valuable cargo. Transition • The Streets • 165

props

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A Dry Canal. Once part of a sprawling and glorious network of aqueducts, waterfalls and fountains, long ago run dry.

Swarms of hibernating mud-prawns, roused from a centuries-long slumber by the scent of warm bodies.

A wooden toy boat shaped like a fish, scales painted in faded green, water-repelling crystals placed at its tail.

A dead end, barring easy escape from approaching monsters.

A gemstone cube carved with sigils of water purification.

Construct this specific canal using the Dry Canal Generator below.

An anchor stone, pyramid-shaped and unnaturally heavy. A levitation belt, powered by sky-crystals. Blessed flask which filters toxins from any liquid stored within it.

The Path of Glory. A long, silent street of cobalt flagstones stretches onward, flanked by lapis lazuli pillars. Between the pillars are towering mirrored portraits and statues of ascended leaders, icons, and depictions of noble sacrifice. In some, radiant warrior-queens and sorcerer kings ride winged lions and bulls, engaged in perilous battle with horrific monsters yet to be tamed. All are exquisitely sculpted in stained glass and jeweled crystal bound by masterfully forged precious metals. Trapped dancing lights illuminate each piece from the inside.

Mirror portals, gates to a sealed domain—such sorcery is only invoked at great cost. A successful Risk Roll may reveal an entrance to another set, while a failure may cause the Condition Fragmented Soul. Etched crystal portraits seem to project beyond their flat surface. The ghost trapped within them will readily switch places with any living soul who draws too close.

Gilded skulls of Kalduhri scribes, illuminated and sealed to preserve the accumulated knowledge of their highest achievements. Carrying one grants limited access to their expertise, but bearing artifacts of such dark magic is risky (see Using a Scribe’s Skull below). Silk banners hang between each display, names and poems embroidered with ornamental moonweave thread, precious in their own right. Ceremonial blades bear inscriptions honoring their former owners. They are sheathed in scrolls of strangely preserved vellum.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

DRY CANAL GENERATOR

This canal is…

where water once flowed, the dry canal bed reveals…

1 winding, sloping, coated with sludge and grime... 2 ridged like the inside of a vast worm... 3 formed of precise, angular stonework... 4 awash in silt and sunken wreckage... 5 lined with murals of bright geometric tile... 6 choked with dead reeds and dry bones...

1 sewer grates pried open for secret passage. 2 stones lined with mollusc shells of smooth jade. 3 hundreds of small clay idols still standing upright. 4 skeletons chained together by iron neck collars. 5 a fleet of sleek barges, undamaged and waiting. 6 stone charms, carved with pairs of initials.

USING A SCRIBE’S SKULL During a risk roll, you may choose to add an additional light die by using any of the scribe’s Skills (Lore, Languages, Symbols, Religion, Disputation, or Expression), but doing so makes the roll inherently dangerous. 166 · Transition • The Streets

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The Aspirant’s Climb. This spiraling tower’s inner walls are lined with a shallow staircase stretching beneath a row of open alcoves. Here, candles were lit and ritual burdens carried as initiates of a secret path proved their fearless devotion. The center of the tower is an open void with a deep well at the bottom. With no guardrail or measure of safety, those who made the ascent would need to be truly unwavering in their focus or become an offering to the well. Perhaps the more ambitious initiates nudged their comrades into making such a sacrifice.

A maddening song emanates from the well making one’s focus on the ascent increasingly difficult.

Among the rows of small shrines set in alcoves high and low are candles and offerings of coins, family heirlooms, and weapons.

The Walk of Redemption. A narrow footbridge of jagged stones spans across the square. It is lined by razor-sharp glass sculptures of flowers and grotesque statues holding hooks and flails. Here, those seen deserving of punishment were driven before the city in a bloody spectacle. Elaborate painted mosaics at either end indicate that survivors were granted new status somehow, in one a once-flagellant being crowned with flowering wreaths and attended by a crowd of robed figures bearing gifts and incense. Much of the bridge has been destroyed, its glass ornaments smashed, points blunted, and hooks turned outward. Scrawled painted words graffiti the floor. At the center of the bridge lies a heap of blackened skeletons, their skulls bearing melted crowns.

Empty cages hang precariously from the bridge pillars, chains half-broken, waiting to fall.

A hanging drum of scaly indigo skin that, if struck, stirs the dormant energies of an incomplete ritual.

A throne at the zenith of the tower is carved from the milkwhite roots and trunk of a bone tree. Sitting upon it grants a prophecy (a clue relevant to another Set; anyone attempting to invoke it more than once for their own gain prompts a risk roll to avoid taking the Condition Cursed). Scattered beneath the bridge lie the remains of a royal palanquin, long ago turned to ash save for the pieces of blackened metal and the shattered bones of those who were borne upon it. While the exterior has been stripped of precious metals and gems, the rib cages of its occupants contain many small pearls, gems, and nuggets of amber.

An empty, unfinished shrine has sloping, bone-white arches that appear porous and full of tiny holes, like delicate lace. The design is achieved using a hive of burrowing insects which bore into the stone. Though the floor patterns are not yet visible, the creatures have been busy below the surface, making the ground brittle. As only those pure and light of being would be fit to enter, any treasure-hunters stepping inside will quickly break through the floor, crashing into another Set on this layer. additional treasures A gilded cage, still locked, contains a trio of metallic scarab beetles the size of cats. Closer inspection reveals them to be assembled through a highly advanced form of metal craft. They appear quite lifelike. Hanging from the cage ceiling are keys matching the color and keyhole on the back of each beetle. When activated, the advanced rituals imbued within their form awakens them and starts them on a predetermined path—crawling their way steadily towards the entrance to another Set. Transition • The Streets • 167

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

additional traps

GHOST OF OLD KALDUHR

weaknesses — Rituals; offerings of food & drink; bargains (see below)

Cursed with fragmented memories, they wander the streets in perpetual dread of an approaching doom. What precious memories they still hold can be leveraged as bargains? Choose or roll for this ghost’s specific form.

1 Graceful gestures, flowing robes, scent of perfume. 2 Pained expression, dragging a spectral heavy chest. 3 Cross-legged, hands raised in ritual gestures. 1 Crying out for a lost child or pet. 2 Haggling over wares that are now dust and ash. 3 Prophesying visions of a terrible future.

4 Pacing, ornate armor, eyes smoldering behind helm. 5 Ragged, moaning, crawling desperately. 6 Agitated, running wildly, searching for something. 4 Confessing their failures to an indifferent statue. 5 Leaving an empty doorway after no one answers. 6 Stalking the streets in search of their killer.

Incorporeal — Unharmed by physical weapons. Despairing Voice — Causes the Condition Melancholy as they moan and tell woes strikingly familiar to you. Terrifying Presence — You can avoid a Ruin increase from the combat roll by fleeing the fight. bargains — Weaknesses when used in combat. May also be leveraged to avoid combat entirely. A ritual invoking the god they once prayed to.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

1 2 Recitation of a story with a peaceful ending. 3 Destruction of the artifact which binds them here. 4 A promise to return an artifact to a living ancestor (Condition Indebted). 5 A taste of living warmth (mark 1 Ruin). 6 Returning their remains to another location.

HOUND OF NAGANEH

weaknesses — Bright light; artifacts of Kalduhri royalty

The sleek cave reptiles once bred to be mounts, guardians, and beasts of burden by ruling families who controlled them through blood sorcery. Their surviving feral population still roams the ruins of Old Kalduhr. They resemble pale, many-eyed crocodiles with flickering tongues and padded claws for climbing cave walls. They begin life wolfsized (6 Endurance) and grow to bear-sized (10 Endurance, maximum).

1 Basking in the soft glow of flame crystals. 2 Nesting in the overgrowth of hanging gardens. 3 Lumbering down an empty street.

4 Gnawing at statues. 5 Snapping curiously at spectral manifestations. 6 Bellowing their mating calls across empty caverns.

Grasping Jaws — The hound strikes, unhinging its mouth, restraining you inside. Whip Tail — A thick muscled tail trips you, causing you to fall and drop your weapon. 168 · Transition • The Streets

LOOMING ASSEMBLAGE

weaknesses — Rituals; lore; maps; climbing equipment

A roaming sentient labyrinth, replicating itself in a series of spiraling patterns, continuously striving to remake the world around itself.

1 Peeling away layers of architecture. 2 Endlessly recreating various decorated walkways. 3 Tearing up flagstones to form new walls.

4 Luring a creature toward its center. 5 Jealously guarding a precious secret. 6 Repelling perceived threats.

Shifting Stone — The movement of rock deliberately snaps an attacking bladed weapon.

SACRIFICIAL ATTENDANT

weakness — Ignores those displaying unwavering courage

These ritual executioners bear massive obsidian axes and wear terrifying masks and heavy crowns of burning incense. They tower above, moving silently. Gaunt, skeletal, and fueled by the undying vigor of centuries. Trailed by skeletal hounds who lap at the stones in their wake, mopping up the blood and decay.

1 Pounding rhythmically with the haft of an axe. 2 Intoning a dread hymn of condemnation. 3 Ringing a bell which resonates in the living.

4 Proclaiming glories which await in the afterlife. 5 Pointing a finger at the next worthy martyr. 6 Pouring ritual libations upon the altar stone.

Dread Gaze — A treasure-hunter caught in this will lose a step, and take the Condition Paralyzed. Ravenous Hounds — Endurance is increased by 1 for each hound, to a maximum of 12.

SHADOW PUPPET

weaknesses — Invocations of the Sisters; sunlight; holy symbols

Bound demons, flaunted as pets by Kalduhr’s elite to inspire awe and fear, reminding others of their fragility and precarious station in life.

1 Siphoning nightmares to terrorize the living. 4 Haunting a specific person. 2 Mirroring the forms of its prey in baleful mockery. 5 Tearing in rage at its sorcerous bindings. 3 Extinguishing all forms of light. 6 Cursing in the thunderous hell-speech. Choking Fumes — The smell of hell and brimstone fills your nose and mouth, causing the Condition Breathless. Nightmare Manifestations — Terrors from childhood and adulthood manifest before you.

weaknesses — Holy symbols; healing elixirs

These black-hearted practitioners of ancient, twisted magics are robed in the scaled hides of dread beasts and wear horns and crystal ringlets. They are utterly consumed by a lust for power, and now animated by the echoes of a lifetime of sacrifice.

1 Lying in shadow, corpse-like, gathering life force. 4 Channeling residual energies of an artifact. 2 Feeding the black flame hovering over their head. 5 Sacrificing a memory in service of dark rituals. 3 Summoning a shadow puppet. 6 Binding a lost spirit. Shadow Vortex — They absorb a Ritual used against them and increase their Endurance by 1.

Where to from here? This transitional Set connects to multiple Sets. Review the Set Map, page 150

Transition • The Streets • 169

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

UNDYING SORCERER

The Dwarven Baths

Entering through a crack in the wall, the treasure-hunters come upon the foyer of a bathhouse. There is a large double-door exit (clearly the main entrance) which is locked. The lock has three separate key-holes in a triangular pattern. There are three large rooms with pools inside the richly-mosaiced baths: the hot-water caldarium, the warm-water tepidarium, and the cold-water frigidarium. There are numerous other small rooms containing massage tables and changing areas. Dwarven attendants continue their tasks. note: If the treasure-hunters spend tokens, the three-pronged key can be found in any prop in this set, but it is probably most dramatic if it is in possession of the mold slime beast in the Tepidarium. Any attempt to pick the lock would be incredibly challenging as the mechanism is unrecognizable. goal

moments

Unlock the main door. In the caldarium, the steam in the air thickens, obscuring vision. The surface of the boiling pool has a large and loud bubble burst, splashing hot water into the air.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

In the tepidarium, a mold pustule on the wall pops, spraying heavy, wet spores around it.

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Calderium. The steam-heavy air is nearly burning hot. The large, boiling pool is surrounded by a columned-arcade where alcoves contain benches. Large, brass pipes are mounted to the walls in complicated patterns. In one alcove, several piles of brittle shards of bones are on the benches and floor. In another alcove, a mural depicts a sparkling red sun over a blackened landscape. On some sort of indecipherable control panel, a mass of chainmail has rusted into a nearly solid mass. A completely rusted ax lies on the ground beneath it.

Floor tiles break, leading to a fall in the boiling pool.

A set of delicate (but deformed) gold bangles.

Most of the controls on the panel appear to have no effect, but one lever causes all steam vents to open, releasing bilious clouds of scalding steam into the room.

A gold and tiger’s eye pendant.

Tepidarium. The large pool is half-full of muck rather than water. Everything is thickly coated in slime and mold. The air is heavy with spores and decay. One side of the pool has a wide deck with the remnants of wood furniture. Several mostly intact chairs are grouped together on the deck. Each chair has a slimecovered skeleton. The group of skeletons is posed as if they are conversing and drinking wine. Within the muck of the pool, one dwarven bath attendant struggles to escape, but its broken hands and feet find no purchase in the slime. One mural remains slightly visible through the mold. If cleaned, it reveals the face of the Old One of the Forest.

The mold slime beast lurks within the pool.

170 · Layer 1 • The Dwarven Baths

The mosaic mural of the sun is made from inlaid rubies which could be worth up to 2 Gold if carefully removed.

Two dwarven bath attendants work in the room. Anyone damaging the room would provoke a violent response from them. A brass pendant with green aventurine inlaid in the shape of a trillium flower. A hand-sized marble idol of an ear of corn. The skeletons’ mugs are ornate and made of copper. The face on the mural is made from emeralds in different shades. If carefully removed, the emeralds could be worth up to 2 Gold.

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Frigidarium. Cold as an ice-bound mountaintop, the touch of the air on skin is painful. Breath fogs and crystallizes. Around the edge of the pool is only a narrow walkway. The water itself has a layer of ice on its surface, and two well-preserved bodies are frozen within the pool. The bodies in the pool, if removed, are two middle-aged men. One is entirely hairless, the other bald but with a full and lengthy beard. The back wall of this pool room has a sculpture of a frost bear’s head emerging from the wall. The mouth is the spout of a waterfall, currently frozen.

Two dwarven bath attendants work in this room and will respond violently to anyone damaging the room.

The two bodies in the pool wear matching gold rings inscribed with a feather motif. Anyone with archaeological knowledge will see the art style is not Kalduhri, but is from an ancient civilization beyond the western seas that is not known to have been in contact with Old Kalduhr. These historically priceless rings could be easily bartered away for 1 Gold each.

The walkway around the pool is covered in slippery ice. Anyone falling into the pool has seconds to be rescued before the surface freezes over, condemning them to drowning and freezing. Attempting to remove the statue’s eyes requires major damage to the sculpture. This releases a torrent of icy water held back by the frozen mouth, which sprays the room with a mix of freezing water and deadly ice chips.

The bear’s eyes are black diamonds worth 2 Gold.

additional treasures A small room with a large massage table. A dwarven bath attendant is massaging skeletal remains. These oiled and polished bones are worth gold. A stockroom with several large urns of scented oil and wine that has turned to vinegar. A changing room, the shelves rotten and collapsed, there is a silver menstruation bowl in the wreckage. DWARVEN BATH ATTENDANT

weakness — Blunt weapons

Animate, finely carved basalt statues of beautiful, nearly naked youths. Coated in rime ( frigidarium), coated in mold (tepidarium), or with a coarse, pitted surface (caldarium).

1 Offering a threadbare, moldy towel. 4 Attempting to stack broken ceramic bowls. 2 Scrubbing the wall, unknowingly damaging a mosaic. 5 Sweeping. 3 Filling a cup from an empty ewer. 6 Waiting for instructions. Stone Skin — Immune to sharp weapons. Rib-Shattering Blow — Causes the Condition Broken Ribs, resulting in difficult and painful breathing. weakness — Vinegar

An elephant-sized mound of multi-colored mold, run through with clear, glistening slime. Broken, stone pieces of dwarven bodies lie within the mound, partially covered with tendrils of mold. There are also bones and rusted bits of armor and weapons inside the beast.

1 Remaining immobile. 4 Rubbing metal bits together to make “music.” 2 Using the broken dwarves like toy dolls. 5 Pulling things into its center to consume them. 3 Reaching out tendrils and feeling along the walls. 6 Thinking on its own ignorant existence stuck here. Drag and Consume — A creature grabbed by its grasping tendrils is pulled inside its body and slowly digested.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 1, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 2, page 158 Layer 1 • The Dwarven Baths • 171

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

MOLD SLIME BEAST

The Great Sewer

Old Kalduhr grew opulent downwards. Below the dim, cramped scramble of buildings among the tree roots the Kalduhri built careless soaring domes and spotless colonnades. But they could never build well or deep enough to escape the Great Sewer, as it clogged and flooded and ate into the earth between the upper and lower districts. Unmapped and ad hoc, the tunnels of the Great Sewer empty into mammoth flowstone caverns to the east. Whether by accident or on purpose, the tunnels occasionally drain through the sky-painted plaster ceiling of a ballroom. Thieves and revolutions once navigated the lightless canals by smell to seep into the beautiful world below, and the paths they traveled can still be found. goal

Find a way into the lower districts of Old Kalduhr. When entering the sewer, thick stone walls muffle all sound from outside. Treasure-hunters hear with sudden clarity: water dripping, the lock of the grate clicking shut, their own breath. The air moves, warm and heavy, with the scent of ammonia and roses.

moments

A delicate shaft of light and sound filters down from a grating too small for anything else. Peaking through, a small villa is visible with a woman playing an instrument near a group of statutes.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

A particularly fine bit of sewer, bricked smooth, with a commemorative plaque in Old Kaldhuri set into the apex of a decorative arch. The eyes of the crowned head carved below the lettering have been gouged into huge black pits. The impeccable brickwork ends abruptly ten feet further.

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Cave crab encampment. On the tunnel floor, shallow stagnant water gives way to a scum of rubbery muck. Further down the tunnel, a half circle of bones and equipment sits in the mud, like a foot-high harbor town modeled out of debris. On close inspection, treasurehunters see rudimentary streets and houses, roofed in scraps of leather. This is the home of a colony of cave crabs, cobbled together out of the bones and supplies of a single, long dead treasurehunter. The crabs are waiting, hidden on the sewer walls ten feet before the encampment, where the mud is deepest. They are intelligent. Anyone who can discover a way to communicate with them is able to bargain for safe passage.

Ten feet in front of the cave crab encampment, the mud forms a crust over silty quicksand. Waist deep at first, a treasure-hunter will drown quickly without help from someone on firm ground.

One small, fine artifact from Old Kalduhr is found in the dead treasure-hunter’s skull.

The eating tree. From a distance it looks like a huge, pale-skinned willow tree. The leaves are pink, plump, and toothed on their undersides. Fresh growth erupts from the trunk where a huge rusted saw blade has hewn it almost in two. Its roots have pulled the paving apart; a dark passage downwards out of the sewer opens between them.

The eating tree will attack any creatures who come into range unless it is occupied in digesting a large meal.

172 · Layer 1 • The Great Sewer

The treasure-hunter’s steel short sword has been plunged into the earth and is being used as a stand to hold the skull up.

A person or creature who becomes stuck in the mud will be harpooned by hiding cave crabs. The creatures will attempt to drown a person trapped in this way, later dragging the corpse back out for food and building materials. A seedling of the tree, too small to eat anything but insects. Three skeletons nailed to the tree wear gold-plated willow branch crowns (1 Gold each). A perfumer would pay handsomely for a bottle of the tree’s digestive mucus.

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The rainbow room. Fresh air is breathing from a small crack in the wall, just barely wide enough for a treasure-hunter willing to risk it. The passageway is long, and gets tighter before it ends.

At the end of the passage is a natural cavern filled with quartz crystals growing in flamboyant colors, caused by the chemicals and waste water that drip from the ceiling. Most are glitter on the walls but one perfect stalagmite rises up from the mire. Torchlight casts rainbows about the room. It is dazzlingly beautiful and inconveniently large.

The map. A three dimensional model of the sewers hangs at eye level, made of sticks, bones, and small broken pipes standing in for large ones. Rusted and fragile, it is tied together with bits of string and sinew. It is scratched here and there with symbols—a rat’s head, a crowned tree, and a rainbow.

A skeleton wearing a gown grown lush with dimly glowing fungi slumps in an iron cage built into the sewer wall which has been bricked up behind it. The bars have been tied all over with faded ribbons and bits of tin stamped into crowns or hearts. A careful search will reveal one golden ring and a set of ornate keys among them.

CAVE CRABS

weakness — Loud noises

A swarm of fist-sized crabs adapted to cave life. Intelligent, eyeless, with foot long antennae and transparent shells that reveal pinkish yellow organs thrumming within.

1 Clicking front claws to echolocate. 2 Sifting through mud for nutrients. 3 Two crabs touching antennae conversationally.

4 Carrying a bone. 5 Counting the children on their shell. 6 Struggling to skin the body of a rat.

Harpoons — Unwary creatures that step onto the quicksand near their encampment are struck with hundreds of needle-sized harpoons thrown by crabs clinging to the sewer walls. The harpoons are tethered to the walls with just enough slack to allow a creature to drown. They have 200 harpoons, enough to hold two treasure-hunters. THE EATING TREE

weaknesses — Food; bright daylight

1 Branches swaying in still air. 2 Exuding the smell of rotten meat. 3 As one, the leaves turn teeth out towards a noise.

4 Exuding an intoxicating floral scent. 5 Leaves pulsing as they feed on cave crab. 6 Revealing three skeletons nailed to the trunk.

Hungry Leaves — Anyone in range of the tree is grasped by its feeding leaves and drawn up into the branches. Digestive Mucus — Cause the Condition Acidic Burn as the leaves drip with a sticky, acidic sap that eat into flesh and fabric.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 2, page 162

POOL, page 174 1 THE MIRRORED POOL,

Layer 1 • The Great Sewer • 173

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

An ancient, carnivorous willow whose graceful branches grow mouths for leaves.

The Mirrored Pool

Once a healing shrine built over an underground river, this deep chamber was repurposed as a lavish drawing room where Kalduhr’s elite siphoned the water’s mystical rejuvenating qualities. Eventually the river slowed to a trickle and the chamber floor was sealed, turning it into a pool to contain the last of its precious waters. The river bed beneath has since been… repurposed. Corrupted by a desperate pursuit of youth and beauty above all, the pool began to reflect the desires of those trapped within it, burdened by their lavish excess and entranced by their own illusion. The chamber walls are ridged like the shell of an ancient sea creature. The pool waters shimmer in hues of sapphire and gold. Ornate furniture sits submerged on the pool floor, carved from the shells and bones of other creatures. Every object has been exquisitely crafted, inlaid with patterns of reflective shell and polished ivory. Skeletal figures shuffle along the bottom of the pool, encased in layers of precious metals, glasswork, and gemstones. They wear all the treasure they can carry and gaze constantly at their own reflections in mirrors on the walls. Each one breathes through an elongated stalk. Closer inspection reveals these stalks to be the tails of aquatic parasites, their bodies acting as breathing masks while they leech away the warmth of their hosts. goal

Drain the pool to open a passage. note — This is the only way to access 1 the great sewer. sewer. A slow, steady drip of water from above, rippling the pool and distorting shapes within it. Bubbles break the surface, bringing a faintly intoxicating floral scent. The muted clink of metal, shell, and bone underwater.

moments

Gleaming reflections dance across the walls and ceiling, glowing treasures illuminating the crystalclear water. Floating ferns and stalks of flowering plants drift across the surface, circling the pool.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

A long rusted chain fixed on one side to the wall hangs into the water. Submerged, it shines, appearing as flawless gold. props

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Poolside. Above the water line, decorative urns of varied size and shape line the walls. Some contain oil, fragrant soaps, and botanical spirits while others hold upright bundles of dried, hollow reeds, twice the height of a person. Their top ends show dry leaves and flowers. Piles of cast off armor and simple jewelry clutter benches around the pool, apparently deemed too plain. Many rusted pieces are fused together.

The reeds may be used as extended snorkels, however once placed in water they are revealed to be parasitic plants which bloom and grow rapidly. Continued use requires risk rolls, as leaves and roots sprout from either end, latching onto the face and growing into any opening they can find.

Fine loose silks, medicinal herbs and refreshing elixirs may be found in alcoves—items for relaxation or articles stored while entering the pool. Silver chain fishing line, seemingly ornamental yet quite strong

1 ACTING UNDERWATER If treasure-hunters don’t have access to Rituals or equipment allowing them to breathe underwater, they may attempt to simply hold their breath. Doing so requires adding an extra dark die to any risk roll, and taking an extra Weak Point for each round of combat. To resurface for air in the middle of combat, the treasure-hunter’s player must pass one Weak Point die (of their choice) to another player. They then remove all additional Weak Points, and reclaim one Weak Point die (of the other player’s choice) when returning to combat. 174 · Layer 1 • The Mirrored Pool

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In the pool. Below the waterline, the pool walls are lined with oysters, algae, and pale green mosses, precarious but scalable. Mirrors are placed along the walls of the pool, their reflections warped and distorted through the water. A massive, rusting wheel at the bottom of the pool, encrusted with layers of gold dust sediment and oysters. It functions as a huge valve for the pool.

Giant oysters snap onto limbs if stepped on, trapping the unwary.

Giant turquoise pearls can be found inside the oysters but are risky to retrieve.

Mesmerizing tile patterns on the walls and floor of the pool are disorienting.

Ring of keys, made of ornate and precious metals. Most are eroded beyond using, but at least one may function as a skeleton key to unlock any door nearby.

Flattering mirrors reflect an idealized image of anyone looking into them. risk rolls to avoid taking the Condition Self-Absorbed.

Glowing neon fish heal 1 Ruin if caught and eaten.

additional traps Glowing anemones grow from the walls and floor of the pool have mildly poisonous fronds. Touching them prompts a risk roll to avoid the Condition Pins and Needles as body parts become numb. additional treasures Countless pieces of exquisite jewelry and armor line the floor of the pool and sit in layers upon the figures that dwell there. However, any piece of wearable treasure found in the pool reverts to its original appearance if removed: worthless, tarnished, and crumbling with age. COLLECTORS

weaknesses — Slow; distracted by new treasures

Once wealthy patrons of the pool, now shambling husks kept alive by the healing water and breathing-stalk creatures. Victims of their own greed and vanity, they are unable to part with the jewelry and armor which weigh them down.

1 Comparing their reflection in each mirror. 4 Tugging at the items worn by others. 2 Swapping a necklace for another then wearing both. 5 Running a comb over worn grooves in a bare skull. 3 Scrabbling over a fallen trinket and tripping. 6 Appraising the ornamentation of their fellows. Entangling Grasp — Pulls at your gear, keeping you underwater and causing the Condition Water Logged. Gold Lust — Each round of combat draws another of its kind, eager to claim fallen treasures. Increase Endurance by 1 for each collector drawn to the fray. ANCIENT WHEEL

weaknesses — Loosened by oil

Wide as a person, bronzed with rust, frozen with age. At its center is a carved face, wreathed in seaweed, shells, and aquatic motifs. This is not a monster, but the treasure-hunters must defeat it it using combat rolls.

4 A territorial fanged eel moving among the spokes. 5 Obscured in a cloud of loose sediment. 6 Heavy currents pull toward the center of a grate.

Corroded — The rusty metal of the wheel causes the Condition Infected. Tempting — Once combat begins, the commotion begins attracting collectors to the wheel. Powerful — Once the wheel is defeated, the heavy pull of water being drawn down through the gate prompts a risk roll to break free and resurface.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 1, page 162

1 THE GREAT SEWER (if unlocked), page 172 Layer 1 • The Mirrored Pool • 175

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1 Creaking hideously under pressure. 2 Drawing attention of nearby collectors. 3 Nearly unmovable with bare hands.

Bad children get the pit. goal

The Orphan Pit

Escape the orphan pit. A clump of orphans is fighting over a skeleton. “It’s mine!” “No, I had it first!”

moments

An orphan that is just a tiny face and hand sticking out of a mass of limbs and torsos cries for her long-dead mother.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

An orphan torso gently sways left and right to a song it can no longer hear. props

traps

The ledge. The treasure-hunters materialize on a rocky ledge jutting from the walls of an enormous cylindrical pit. There is only the faintest sliver of light coming from somewhere high above. The sounds of hundreds of children laughing, crying, and singing can be heard from the darkness below.

Swarmers will attempt to grab the treasure-hunters if the treasure-hunters take too long deciding on a course of action.

A long-dead treasure-hunter. Halfway up the other side of the pit is a skeleton tangled up in tree roots jutting from the stone. The skeleton is dressed in ragged leather armor and clutching a green clay jar under its arm.

Attempting to reach the skeleton is an extremely dangerous climb. Swarmers will race up the wall to try to drag the treasure-hunters down.

The skeleton is clutching an unlabeled, wax-sealed jar containing the destabilizing unguent. There is a small sack of silver worth 1 Gold tucked between their shirt and ribcage.

The way out. There is only one way out of the orphan pit: through a small crack in the earth high above the pit.

Climbing to the crack is extremely dangerous, and requires at least two risk rolls per hunter. Swarmers will race up the wall to try to drag the treasure-hunters down.

The crack leads to 0 the streets on Layer 2. 1 the orphan pit can now be accessed from this crack.

The pit. The pit is filled with hundreds —possibly thousands—of orphans, grafted together in a mass of flailing limbs, quivering torsos, grasping fingers, and mewling faces.

The metastasis.

If the metastasis is defeated, it dissolves into a slick pile of bone and goo. Searching the goo yields an impossibly heavy black cube with a different colored gemstone set in each of its six sides, and a crystal teddy bear. The cube is a source of unlimited energy but in order for a treasure-hunter to carry it, they must discard all their other equipment. The crystal teddy bear is a magical artifact that entrances children, drawing them inexorably to it.

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treasures

additional treasures Shiny trinkets and toys—not worth much individually, but a pile of them could be worth 1 Gold to a collector of oddities. SWARMERS

weakness — Taunting them

The upper torsos of orphans that have managed to rip themselves from the metastasis. They crawl up the walls of the pit with incredible speed, their organs and viscera dangling behind them.

1 Shrieking: “Mine! Mine! Mine!” 2 Whining: “Don’t you want to play with me?” 3 Laughing: “We’ll have so much fun together!”

4 Singing: an Old Kalduhri nursery rhyme. 5 Crying: “Help me! Please, help me!” 6 Taunting: “I bet I can hold on longer than you!”

Swarm — More swarmers arrive if they’re undefeated after the first round of combat, raising their Endurance to 6. The swarm drags you down into the pit if they’re undefeated after the second round of combat. THE METASTASIS

weakness — The destabilizing unguent

Hundreds of children grafted together in a titanic, abominable mass. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! — You are grabbed by dozens of tiny hands, and pulled into the metastasis; give your Weak Point to another treasure-hunter. You are torn limb from limb if the metastasis is not destroyed in the next combat round. Corpus Geyser — You are blasted by a geyser of bone and guts, limbs and heads; armor is useless against this Defense. Orphan Filth — The protoplasmic goo holding the metastasis together corrodes metal, making such weapons and armor useless after the third combat round, and utterly ruined after the fourth.

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The Orphan’s Villa

In a city full of crumbling edifices and decaying architecture, this villa is surprisingly intact. A rusted gate easily gives way to an open-air courtyard, the interior walls of which are decorated with faded frescoes depicting clowns, animals, and children at play. A heavy door that was once vivid with the colors of the rainbow has fallen from its hinges, giving easy access to the villa’s central structure. goal

Find the administrative funds. A collection of bird skeletons, arranged in neat rows.

moments

Large, colorful planters filled with rocky soil, slimy water, or putrid muck.

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The ghostly sounds of dozens of children laughing and crying, singing and fighting, can be heard coming from beneath your feet, from somewhere deep below. props

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The fountain. A large stone fountain is situated in the center of the courtyard. The fountain statues depict children playing among a group of large, cartoonish animals: lion, griffon, pig, rooster, bull, and tortoise. A seventh animal is unidentifiable because the statue has been destroyed.

A warden (lion) is roaming around the courtyard.

A number of Old Kalduhri coins can be found beneath the mucky water in the fountain’s basin, worth 1 Gold total.

The common area. The rainbow door leads to a large central chamber with rows of tables and chairs, and several tall cupboards. A message in Old Kalduhri painted on one wall translates to (roughly): “Good children get to sit, bad children get the pit.” A door to the north leads to the kitchens. A door to the west leads to an office. A door to the east leads to the orphan barracks.

Two wardens (griffon and tortoise) patrol this area.

One of the cupboards contains a fine silk cloak that makes its wearer the size of a doll.

The kitchens. Several large food preparation islands flanked by a scullery pit and cooking hearth. A walk-in pantry is situated in one corner of the room. A set of stairs go down into a small root cellar.

A warden (pig) is hiding in the root cellar.

The pantry contains a number of wax-sealed jars:

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• A blue jar labeled “Orphan Grapes” contains three human eyeballs preserved in amber fluid. When eaten, an orphan grape allows you to see hidden paths for a time. • Three yellow jars labeled “Fae Honey” contain delicious honey that heals 1 Ruin but gives the Condition Euphoric (1 use per jar). • An unlabeled red jar contains a human heart in purple fluid. • A green jar labeled “Destabilizing Unguent” is cracked open and empty.

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An office. A large, imposing desk. A small bed with a foot locker at the end of it. A standing wardrobe.

A warden (rooster) is hiding in the wardrobe.

Inside a secret compartment in the desk is a piece of parchment. Written on it in Old Kalduhri: “The destabilizing unguent—henbane, unicorn hair fern, soldier’s puppet, the undiluted excretions from the roots of the old oak tree.”

The foot locker is locked and trapped with a burning sigil.

ORPHAN BELLS The wardens do not deal Ruin in combat. Rather, for each point of Ruin they would inflict, they ring their orphan bell. When the orphan bells have been rung seven times, the treasure-hunters are instantly teleported to 1 the orphan pit. It doesn’t matter who would have received the Ruin, whether a treasure-hunter can hear the bell or not, whether the treasure-hunters are separated by leagues when the seventh chime is struck, or whether it’s been days, months, or years between the sixth and seventh chime—all the treasure-hunters are instantly teleported there. Bad children get the pit.

Orphan barracks. Rows of simple wooden bed frames, small foot lockers at the ends of each.

A warden (bull) patrols this area.

The foot locker contains a large sack of Old Kalduhri coins (the administrative funds, worth 5 Gold), and a large, impossibly heavy black cube with a single ruby embedded on each of five sides (the sixth side is an empty notch). If a ruby of sufficient size and cut is placed in the sixth notch, the cube becomes a magical heat source. Anyone attempting to carry the cube must discard the rest of their equipment to do so. The foot lockers are mostly empty, but one of them contains a strange wooden doll with scissors for hands (actually an inanimate garden tender from 3 the rhunnveldt).

additional treasures An amethyst bull figurine; a jade lion figurine; an amber rooster figurine; a moonstone snake figurine. WARDENS

weakness — Distracted by creatures smaller than you

Immortal beings dressed in shredded harlequin silks and moldering velvet boots. They each carry a small, silver hand bell. There are six wardens, each wearing an oversized porcelain helmet depicting a garish, cartoonish animal (lion, griffon, pig, rooster, bull, and tortoise). A seventh warden is unaccounted for.

Relentless — Any wardens left undestroyed will ceaselessly pursue the treasure-hunters—to any part of the world, no matter how remote—believing them to be escaped orphans. The wardens should ambush the treasure-hunters at the most inopportune moments. Orphan Bells — See Orphan Bells (above).

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1 Dancing for the amusem*nt of nonexistent onlookers. 4 Diligently looking under each piece of furniture. 2 Doing cartwheels. 5 Leading a group of nonexistent children in song. 3 Lying in wait, unnaturally still. 6 Stomping its feet, cursing the children below.

Sehmet ils Ka’s Villa

Old Kalduhr has many forgotten places. Sehmet ils Ka stumbled upon this villa, carved out, finished, complete with waterfall and lazy river. She was running from a frenzied mob after having bewitched a favored merchant into stone. At that time, the waterfall was dry, the furniture already old. Sehmet ils Ka restored it all. This is now her villa. She maintains it. Prepares it. Someday it will be Sehmet ils Ka’s wedding gift to her beloved. goal

Find a way out of the cavernous villa. A soft string melody plays faintly from up in the distance. Vivid colors of succulents, and set-piece terrariums. The smell of water from the lazy river and the perfectly flowing waterfall.

moments

Handcrafted and polished wood tables, wood cabinets, assorted wooden furniture placed with intention and care. Assorted painted rock statues of various folk, each with an expression of social engagement: talking, laughing, gossiping, sneering. The muted sound of knocking. A muffled yell.

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The sounds of scratching and banging come from behind a heavily-barred door. This is the thin man.

Miscellaneous coins, jewelry, and personal effects left in the rooms.

A heavy iron-braced door drops into place after the first person enters this room.

Wooden statuettes.

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Lower gardens. This area was designed to be used for entertaining. It is full of painted statues of folk in various poses of merrymaking and social gathering. Seats, couches, and cushions decorate the hall.

Sealed guest rooms. This area was designed to be used for entertaining. It is full of painted statues of folk in various poses of merrymaking and social gathering. Seats, couches, and cushions decorate the hall. A heavy, wooden door slotted down into place bars the way. Inside are a previous guest’s mortal remains in an otherwise well-kept room. Open guest rooms. A tidy room with soft bed and bedding, washbowl, and towels. All the amenities for a good night’s rest. Master bedroom. Soft music leads the treasure-hunters here. A lavender-eyed woman with short hair—Sehmet ils Ka—plays the koto from a plush ottoman near the foot of an oversized round bed. The room is rich with comforts.

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Sehmet ils Ka’s koto (3 Gold).

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Dining hall. The wooden table is covered with foods, drinks, fresh fruits, and greens. The table is also set with clean plates, mugs, and silverware. Interestingly, the table is set for the number of the treasure-hunters, plus one. The room could easily be set to accommodate a dozen or more guests.

Accepting any food or drink, or showing any appreciation of music, art, or comforts makes a treasure-hunter vulnerable to Sehmet ils Ka’s petrification (see right), since they have accepted her hospitality.

Upper gardens. This area is overgrown with grass, wildflowers, and small brush. There are scattered rock statues in aggressive, angry poses. A locked, iron gate leads out of the villa.

Leaving the villa before thanking the host or taking any food activates the stone suitors.

PETRIFICATION If anyone accepts Sehmet ils Ka’s hospitality, they must make a risk roll or take the Condition Petrified. Before anyone agrees to marry Sehmet ils Ka, tell them they will be lost: they immediately mark 6 Ruin and are turned to stone. Sehmet ils Ka also turns to stone and is no longer a threat to the party.

weakness — Intimidation

THE THIN MAN

A wild man who only sought to pass through the villa. He is emaciated and knows not how long he has been trapped in the sealed guest rooms.

1 Running, running wildly. 2 Whispering, “No food, no drink!” 3 Whimpering, “Out, out, out, out!”

4 Breaking down and crying for his “Willow.” 5 Shoving elbows for space so he can get away. 6 Crying, “I just want to go home!”

Rabbit-Quick — He flees into another part of the villa. weaknesses — Blunt weapons; ice

STONE SUITORS

All the stone statues were former guests at the villa that ate, drank, and accepted the hospitality of Sehmet ils Ka. They refused to stay and marry her, so they now stand sentry over the place as punishment.

1 Shouting love and devotion to Sehmet ils Ka. 2 Showing contempt for non-rock suitors. 3 Protecting Sehmet ils Ka.

4 Practicing a marriage proposal. 5 Crushing the escaped thin man. 6 Changing pose to see new guests.

Stone Skin — Invulnerable to sharp, slicing, or piercing weapons. Immune to fire. SEHMET ILS KA

weaknesses — Appreciation; agreement to a marriage proposal

1 Asking about a guest’s stay and proposing marriage. 4 Summoning stone suitors. 2 Playing a different song on the koto. 5 Petrifying a guest that has refused marriage. 3 Unashamedly proposing marriage to anyone. 6 Engaging in small talk that ends in a proposal.

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The host of the villa, Sehmet ils Ka is immortal and cursed forever to find a mate. She maintains the villa of comforts in hopes a traveler will decide to stay with her, forever.

Charming — Those who have accepted her hospitality find it impossible to attack her once she commands them to stop.

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The Specularium

The Specularium was an overly-ambitious feat of arcane engineering in Old Kalduhr: a supremely powerful scrying array designed to monitor the entire Empire at once. Whether age and entropy have degraded the enchantments powering it, or it was a project flawed from its inception, it is now a haunted place. It is a great hall lined with mirrored galleries, interspersed with abstract sculptures in crystal and stained glass, the images in the scrying mirrors show warped visions of the past and present, and maybe even the future. goal

Discover secrets of Old Kalduhr and its ruins. A fleeting vision of the treasure-hunters’ previous exploits in the ruins, but from an unusual point of view. Drops of blood from a cut so sharp it went unnoticed.

moments

The crunching of broken glass, echoing ominously in the sterile space. A flicker in your peripheral vision: something moving or a trick of the light? A reflection showing the thing you least or most want to see.

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A glimpse in the mirror of a time that couldn’t have been.

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The Gallery of Mirrors. Mirrored corridors lead throughout the Specularium, laid out in a seemingly random pattern, though there is a definite if unknowable intention behind the pattern. Many of the mirrors have shattered, glass shards spread across the polished floors. Others are distorted or occluded. Light is reflected oddly throughout, shadows are unpredictable, and there seems to be a level of ambient light from an indeterminate source. Sometimes the mirrors will seem to show the expected reflections, other times strange movement and unexpected images will distract the treasure-hunters.

Some of the mirrors are broken into jagged shards, protruding from the walls and ceiling, strewn across the floor, and hungry for blood.

As much broken glass as they care to carry, exceptionally sharp.

Vision in the Mirrors. When examined more closely, the treasure-hunters can glean scraps of useful information from the visions in the mirrors. These include visions of Old Kalduhr at its height, glimpses into the past future of the treasure-hunters, and perhaps most relevant to their current endeavors, visions of other places within the ruins with hints to the treasures and pitfalls that await them. These visions are all in some way twisted to the inhuman desires of the fell creatures that have taken residence within the mirrors, though, and the unwary may quickly become ensnared.

Disturbing, entrancing, and malicious visions attempt to ensnare those who gaze too deep into the mirrors.

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Odd reflected movements and shifting lights may distract the treasure-hunters from other threats.

The mirrors are inhabited by mirrorwraiths: broken and twisted fragments of the souls of those who built and operated the Specularium. They seek to feed from the living and escape their two-dimensional prisons.

The visions will give the treasure-hunters glimpses of other Sets and the treasures they contain. Describe hints of up to three other Sets, and add the following treasures split between these Sets: • A silver hand mirror • A large, exquisitely cut diamond worth 2 Gold • A hammered golden sheet inscribed with arcane sigils worth 2 Gold

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The Prismatic Labyrinth. Joining the dazzling corridors of the Gallery of Mirrors at the heart of the Specularium itself, there are sculptures and mosaics of ancient stained glass. While disturbingly beautiful and fascinatingly bizarre, these glass and crystal constructs served more than an aesthetic function in the Specularium. They helped channel the arcane energies that power this chamber, and are still imbued with this power, even as it spills and twists in unpredictable ways. The stained glass displays bizarre creatures, unknown figures, and scenes that may be from history or myth.

The stained glass of the Prismatic Labyrinth results in a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colored light that can conceal dangers and dazzle the treasure-hunters. The magically-imbued light may have stranger effects beyond.

Some shards of glass are imbued with powerful magic, unlocked by embedding them in flesh:

The Scrying Pool. At the very heart of the Specularium, within the Prismatic Labyrinth, is a perfectly reflective circular pool. The liquid of the pool is quicksilver, but enchanted like the other mirrors in this place. It can reflect the present, past, and possible futures. Unlike the other mirrors, the magic of the pool is much stronger, much more reliable, and infinitely more cruel.

The pool is entrancing, but noxious and impossibly deep.

Some of the stained-glass figures have attained a malign facsimile of life and will stalk the treasure-hunters for their own inscrutable reasons.

Both mirrorwaiths and stained-glass horrors may be found here. Mirrowraiths may treat the pool as a mirror.

MIRRORWRAITH

Green shards (2): Flesh grows over the shard. Heal 2 Ruin, but gain 1 Burden. Short of arcane intervention, this can only be removed by taking 2 Ruin. Purple shard: The user can feel magic flowing around them, giving them strange insight. Take 1 Ruin, gain 2 Hunt tokens. Red shard: The glass splinters and flows into the user’s blood. Before a combat, the user may extrude glassy claws, taking 1 Ruin but gaining 2 extra light dice in the combat roll. A careful treasure-hunter can decant some of the quicksilver, useful for clairvoyance, scrying, or other divination Rituals. Add one light die and one dark die to the Ritual’s risk roll. Looking in the pool gives a true, if unwelcome, answer to any one question about the ruins.

weakness — Being trapped between two mirrors

Shadowy figures who steal the faces of others and seek to trap living souls in the mirrors they inhabit.

1 Making someone relive a past failure. 2 Revealing wounds that were not there before. 3 Impersonating a loved one in torment.

4 Remaining out of sight, a peripheral flickering. 5 Showing an unattainable future. 6 Drawing someone into a mirror.

STAINED-GLASS HORROR

weakness — Lead

Animate beings of stained glass, fluid yet brittle, and unbearably sharp.

1 Remaining perfectly still and unremarkable. 2 Slowly looming over an unsuspecting person. 3 Exploding in a burst of razor-edged violence.

4 Flinging shards of itself at its prey. 5 Mesmerizing onlookers with shifting light. 6 Retreating towards the center of the labyrinth.

Kaleidoscope — The dazzling light filtered through a stained-glass horror can transfix its opponents and leave them vulnerable to its cut-glass claws.

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Hall of Mirrors — Travels from one mirror to another to surprise or evade its opponents. Mirror Image — Almost perfectly mimics anyone or anything. The only tell is its silver eyes.

The Enclave

Old Kalduhr owes a great deal to its artisans, those who carved its structural flourishes and illustrated its cavernous halls. Much of this work was cultivated within a colosseum of artistry by a shambolic guild, both known as the Enclave. What evidence exists of the souls behind the forms they created indicates that members of the Enclave burned bright and fast—roaring, wild embers unconcerned with prolonging mortality. goal

Find the source of inspiration for the Enclave’s legendary artistic output. Vandalism to an exposition sculpture reveals a corpse within. The Exposition’s canopy collapses, its massive cloth draping over statues, broken timber, and the treasure-hunters amidst a lingering haze of disturbed dust.

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An errant blade slices into the floor of Labor’s Flame and vibrant hues of paint bleed profusely through the pierced crust as it slowly deflates underneath the hunters’ feet. In a small alcove, a pilfering collector affected by the muses is discovered in a feverish state of artistic creation. With a need for sustenance and no need for a voice of his own, he’s cut out his tongue, which cooks as his next meal above a small fire.

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A starving muse awkwardly lumbers outside the garden, collapsing as it resonates a mournful melody that the treasure-hunters can’t get out of their heads.

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Marble Exposition. Once a grand bazaar of artistry, this cratered space brims with the creative output of the Enclave’s studios below. From above it resembles a human ear with two dozen acres of spiraling stone terraces gradually leading to an inner channel that descends beneath the surface. Scattered rows of once glinting white marble statues densely pack the path down. The statues depict figures tall and short, twig-thin and aristocratically rotund. Covering the breadth of the space hangs an enormous cloth canopy suspended by a doming framework of wooden rods. It is tattered and its structure creaks under the weight of the gargantuan sunshade, but it also appears to have been sporadically maintained. The space has a warm dimness; the sunshade mutes the sound of the outer world.

In recent decades, a small sodality of caretakers has formed within the Exposition, calling themselves the Silent Stand. Under a vow of silence, they protect and maintain the space, simply believing in its need for preservation. Out of the corner of one’s eye, the Silent Stand might seem to be moving statues, but they would be immediately identifiable as human with any good look. If a treasure-hunter tampers with any of the sculptures, members of the Silent Stand will act.

Treasure-hunters will find statues that closely resemble loved ones, perhaps indicating lineage to Old Kalduhr, perhaps suggesting more mysterious bonds with the current world. While these works are solid, heavy, and will be difficult to transport, one would notice an occasional sculpture with its head hacked cleanly off and might consider removing an ornate crown or two in similar fashion.

THE SILENT STAND

A stone-handled dagger of the Silent Stand, inscribed with the words “No Muse Above.”

weakness — Self-sacrificing to protect this place

Humans clad in cream-colored wax cloth and sculpted marble armor plating.

1 Perching on a regal statue, tracking movement. 2 Signaling for assistance. 3 Prowling between sculptures of ancient saints.

4 Polishing the statue of a laborer. 5 Falling from the canopy dome. 6 Darting forward, daggers in hand.

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The Centerpiece. Just beneath the base of the Exposition is the Enclave’s masterwork, The Thousand Millennia. It is a twenty foot tall painting whose strokes appear as freshly wet as the day brush was set on canvas. In the painting, a girl stands before an open window. Her left hand rests on a table covered with upright, broken glasses around a devoured tray of roasted meat and roots. Her right hand clutches a medlar as she contemplates its consumption.

The Thousand Millennia is imbued with the soul of its subject, which siphons energy from its audiences to remain new. In long past times, this was hardly noticeable as citizens of Kalduhr came flocking to the Enclave’s galleries and each viewer would unknowingly furnish just a drop or two. These days, the painting is starving for attention.

At the feet of Cylus rest three rolled canvases, cut from their frames and boasting dazzling paintings from various aesthetic schools (including 2 the workshop of devastating sensation). They are of a quality unseen in Kalduhr for a very long time.

A few benches are stationed before the artwork. A wide chandelier illuminates the area with a subdued white light. The ground is sculpted in low relief to appear as crags clutched together, yet ready to open their seams. An unaffiliated treasure-hunter named Cylus kneels in the middle of the space, staring transfixed by the painting, her face gaunt, hollowed, and drained. Her eyes glisten and are edged in red under a thick coat of tears.

THE THOUSAND MILLENNIA

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Bunks. Light from the outer areas hardly creeps into the resting place for the Enclave. Spartan aisles of single-occupant bunks are stacked three high. Lying in most bunks are the plaster-encased corpses of the final generation of the Enclave who fervently produced work up until their deaths even as Old Kalduhr fell and the buyers and patrons for their output disappeared. The arms of one corpse remain bare of chalky sarcophagus, revealing this corpse to be the last of the Enclave, fated to transform their dying self into a work of art with no one else to aid the process.

weakness — Not having any viewers

A sprawling, possessed masterpiece.

Always suspended in solitude. Entrance — An observer enters a hallucinatory state and speaks of the wonders of Old Kalduhr as they see the painting’s subject. Inspire — An observer’s limb acts in the interest of the painting. Sap — An observer finds themselves depleted of energy directly reciprocal to any action taken toward the painting. Continued actions against the painting causes the Condition Drained of Energy. Haunt — Causes the Condition Obsessed as the observer is compelled to see the painting again and again. Layer 2 • The Enclave • 185

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Labor’s Flame. Off a hallway from the Centerpiece sits the Enclave’s working gallery: exquisitely lettered text on a massive half-submerged sculptural head declare it Labor’s Flame.

Treasure-hunters will easily notice dried pools of blood at the base of each easel. Enclave members were often known to work themselves to death through intense bouts of artistic production at these stations. Likewise, treasure-hunters who return to Labor’s Flame after receiving a muse’s blessing will become obsessed with producing new artwork to satisfy their muse. They take a Musing Condition, which cannot be removed except via the Removing Musing Conditions method below.

Many of the works here depict terrible moments in the history of Kalduhr: fiery massacres, gods devouring their own worshippers, coups failed and coups triumphant.

The gallery is a large circular space. Flames have been carved in low relief on wood-paneled walls and accented with dark warm hues. The room has the odor of singed cedar: dull, sweet, and old. Paintings lean against each other eight deep all along the circumference. An inner ring of ten easels faces outward toward the walls, each holding an unframed painting. Several have had their compositions removed, presumably by a thief ’s blade.

If treasure-hunters describe the type of painting that would appeal to them, they’ll almost certainly find something similar. In their frames, the pieces will encumber the treasure hunters. However, the value will be substantially diminished if the paintings are cut and rolled.

The floor of the space is dingy and thickly marbled with dried swirls of paint under a patina of dust and dirt. It has a certain softness with this long-dried layer sealing vibrant oil under its surface. REMOVING MUSING CONDITIONS Treasure-hunters who receive a muse’s blessing (and accompanying Musing Condition) at the Garden of Earthly Muses and then return to Labor’s Flame become obsessed with producing new artwork to satisfy their muse. Musing Conditions cannot be removed except via this method (or another of the gm’s devising). Roll two dark dice. With each roll, the treasure-hunter completes a painting and the player describes what the painting looks like. If the highest die is a: 1–5: The Musing Condition holds and the player rolls again.

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6: The Musing Condition has been satisfied and can be removed. Double 6s: The Musing Condition will never be satisfied and can never be removed. Another treasure-hunter may attempt to remove the stricken treasure-hunter from the room with a risk roll. Otherwise, the stricken treasure-hunter will stay here producing paintings until their death.

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Garden of Earthly Muses. Through a narrow crevice gilded in strange runes lies an echoing azure cavern whose base is blanketed in a light-green moss. This is the heart, source, and origin of the Enclave. Fleshy pink structures rise throughout: architectural and organic amalgams with indecipherable utility. Groves of medlar trees grow around these structures, their autumnal excrementa filling the air with the sweet, vinegary smell of ripe, rotting fruit. The Enclave has assembled statues of all manner of beasts in herds across this area.

Pacing, prowling, and resting throughout the space are spindly, elongated, glowing blue-green forms, twelve to fifteen feet tall if walking upright but often relying on their arms to support their frames—the muses. Some play with the sculptural creatures as if they were children’s toys. They do not speak, but hum. Both trap and treasure, the muses carry a virus of obsessive inspiration. They were the fuel of the Enclave, a purpose and a curse for generations of creative Kalduhri.

MUSE

weakness — Starving to give inspiration

Thin, blue-green angelic figures.

1 Smashing two creatures together. 2 Glowing with a slow throb. 3 Abruptly materializing from the cavern walls.

4 Slinking half-asleep through a pink structure. 5 Galloping across a field of moss. 6 Touching a treasure-hunter’s shoulder from behind.

Resonate — The muse emits a hum sharply attuned to a creature or object, tearing and shattering the bonds of its parts over time. Musing — When a treasure-hunter builds an emotional touchpoint with a muse, whether through a conflict or a bond, they become infected by a Musing Condition that alters their perceptions. Musing Condition are not easily remedied. Roll a die to determine the form one’s Musing Condition takes.

future events from a time in the future proportionally related to how long-dead the food you ate was.

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1 Fourth Dimensional Vision: Every physical dimension of creatures and small objects are perceived at once: front, back and sides, masked and bare, simultaneously visible. 2 Temporal Vision: All things appear in constant motion: shifting, twisting, turning, covering—but not traversing—distances. 3 Colorsense: An intense synesthesia causes colors to be felt like textures and temperature. Cool hues freeze with a shrill cold, while warm ones scald like flames. 4 Inspired: The bit of soul imbued in any creative work speaks to you. Often demanding, it rarely listens. Whether you serve is up to you. 5 Sympathetic Resonance: Feel the pitches that bind living beings. You find yourself drawn to opposite frequencies and trembled by identical ones. 6 Time Eater: You hunger for things longer dead. When you eat them, you see symbolic representations of

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The Library of All That Is Known

Eons ago, the god of wisdom and knowledge bestowed a gift to the rulers of Old Kalduhr: one of its heads, complete with the divine knowledge of the universe. The head was turned into a temple, and the Erudiact Order oversaw its upkeep. The head does not contain scrolls or tomes, but rather a single dais with a quill and what is believed to be ink, along with blank parchments. Rulers and scholars would come to ask the Order questions. The Order would write these questions on the scrolls and have their minds linked to the vast knowledge of the god. They would scrawl the answer to the question, but it cost them their own minds. Over time, many members succumbed to physical transformation and madness. The Order called these individuals the Ascended, taking gentle care of them as all Order members expected a similar fate. As Old Kalduhr faded away, so did the Order, but the Ascended remained. Today they wander the grounds of the library, guarding its coveted dais and trying to protect people from the fate that comes from the knowledge it contains. goal

Obtain a scroll of wisdom. The warm glow of light filling a dark and humid cavern.

moments

The creaking of the chains around the godhead and the sense of an imperceivable movement in its bondage.

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A glimpse of something moving along the cavern ceiling and the fall of small pebbles in its wake. props

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The library grounds. Smooth, lightblue marble grounds with empty braziers and dried fountains. The temple is in the center: a two-story, conical, white marble head. Several golden bands of runes of a lost language encircle the head. Connected to the head are four chains which are each connected to one of four large pillars. The jaw has been converted to a staircase which leads into the interior.

The Ascended move about the cavern and the grounds outside the library.

The Godhead Library. A single, circular chamber that fills the interior of the head. It is lit without a discernible light source. The interior stone is smooth and has matching interior bands with similar runes. A marble dais extrudes from the floor. Atop is a well that contains golden ink, a quill, and several sheets of parchment.

treasures

A scroll of wisdom. Each treasure-hunter can take a piece of parchment and write one question on it, causing the Condition Overwhelmed as they are stunned by the vast knowledge of the universe. A scroll contains: Ancient knowledge: Can be sold to scholars for 2 Gold. Map of Old Kalduhr: Grants 1 Hunt token. Monster Anatomy: The Weakness of a previously encountered monster. Arcane Knowledge: a Ritual, at the cost of 1 Ruin.

188 · Layer 2 • The Library of All That Is Known

additional traps Falling rocks from the ceiling; part of the floor caving in. additional treasures Robes of fine silk and golden thread; completed scrolls with various bits of knowledge; braziers of fine metal. THE ASCENDED

weakness — Water

Humans transformed into divine neurons. The Ascended possess flat, translucent, fleshy, diamond-shaped bodies, four feet in length, with a single eye in the center. On one end, the mass has two small sets of claws where hands once belonged. At the opposite end, a four foot-long barbed tail extends where there were once legs. The Ascended moves easily along any surface provided a part of it is touching the surface.

1 Sliding up a wall or over a ceiling. 4 Arcing lightning over its body and down its tail. 2 Wrapping around an item to inspect it with its eye. 5 Making rhythmic clicking sounds with its claws. 3 Laying flat on a surface and waiting to pounce. 6 Standing at full length, looking down upon someone. Shocking Touch — The Ascended generates a burst of electricity that shocks anything it touches.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

2 Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 2, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 3, page 158 Layer 2 • The Library of All That Is Known • 189

The Near-Corpse of an Unnamed Giant

A room, tall enough for the treasure-hunters, but quite close for the giant for whom it serves as a sarcophagus. Low, faint rumblings make it evident that the giant is not yet dead, but clearly has been laying in this crypt awaiting that day for a long, long time. There is no way through but through. Flickering torchlight or a wetted finger will reveal a slight breeze squeezes through the tiny gaps between the near-corpse and the ceiling. The exit is on the other side of this dying titan. goal

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To pass by the giant without disturbing it. note — This allows access to Layer 5 of 0 the streets of old kalduhr. kalduhr. The careless shifting of a giant who has been dying for millennia as they seek a comfortable pose to reach the hereafter. A noxious miasma that pours from roiled bowels carrying with it a discomfort that has festered since before the written word.

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Grave goods. Here treasure-hunters can find items the near corpse was entombed with: an urn, a spear, a sword, and a crown. The clay urn runs the height of the room. It is filled with ash and honey. The paint upon it has faded over time but implies captivating geometric patterns.

The raspy death rattle of the unnamed giant, a perilous breath that could pull an adult off their feet and suck the lightly encumbered into the suffocating embrace of the esophagus.

Five violet stones the size of melons can be pried from the crown of the giant.

Maggots the size of foxes that have hidden in the rotting underneath of the near-corpse.

One of the swords that sticks out from the giant like pins from a cushion is enchanted. When pulled out of the giant, it gleams as if freshly polished. Dipped in water, the sword purifies it and makes it sweet to drink. When used to cut portions of food, it removes rot and mold. Anyone suffering from 4 or 5 Ruin abhors the sword.

The spear is made from a massive spruce and tipped with a rotted bronze head in the shape of the veiny remains of an autumnal birch leaf.

The sword of the giant is likely too big to remove from the Set, but those who contemplate their own reflections in it long enough may learn the Ritual Army at the cost of 1 Ruin.

The sword is bronze, the length of two horses and their carts. It lays flat upon the floor, strangely untarnished by the years.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The crown rests upon an untroubled brow. This, too, is bronze, but jeweled with ancient and rare stones.

Of the body. The near-corpse is not completely intact, and treasure-hunters encounter bits and pieces scattered or still in place: teeth, the size of skulls, some attached and others loose upon the floor; leagues of twisted viscera, leathered and cracked from years of exposure, but not dead quite yet; hairs and nails, rough and stonelike, found in all the usual places.

190 · Layer 2 • The Near-Corpse of an Unnamed Giant

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Of treasure-hunters past. The treasurehunters are not the first to have been here. A skeleton grins nearby wearing unfamiliar mail. It lies half crushed beneath a buttock. Countless swords, spears, and axes riddle the hardened flesh, most broken, but some still quite sharp. A long-cold campfire with a cauldron suspended over it holds no edible food save the rats nesting within. Most disturbing, close inspection of the nearcorpse will reveal the beginnings of a passage, carved into the giant’s side that wends between two ribs and as deep as the second lung. It is not obvious what became of the one who attempted the macabre tunneling.

Mucus that pools in the sinuses and down the throat and into the lungs where, imbued with the dying dreams of the giant’s prehistoric glories, it takes deadly form.

Those with the fortitude to dig through the giant’s gut will be rewarded with trinkets worth at least 1 Gold swallowed long ago during a hasty meal.

GIANT MAGGOTS

weakness — Fire

Pale, plump tubes of opalescent revulsion ending in pincer-like mouths.

1 Wrestling together in a mass. 4 Glowing in the torchlight. 2 Silently creeping towards unsuspecting flesh. 5 Charging with surprising speed. 3 Mewing like a kitten from inside the near-corpse. 6 Emitting sickly-sweet odors to call their siblings. Swarming — Caught alone, a maggot has only 2 Endurance. They usually attack in small packs at 6 Endurance. If they are not vanquished in the first volley, even more join the fray and increase their Endurance to 8. THE POOL OF DREAMS

weakness — Thinking on strong memories

A viscous pool of green and red liquid, churning and bubbling forth floating shapes, shadows of the giant’s memories that will turn on those who disturb it.

1 Broadcasting out images of long-ago battle. 2 Forming a blinking eye on its surface. 3 Mucus erupting forth into glistening blossoms.

4 Forming trumpeting mouths to mimic recent sounds. 5 Imitating the family member of a treasure-hunter. 6 Forming a pool so placid it is mistaken for glass. ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Grasping Pseudopodium — An appendage from the pool itself anchors you in place. Mimic Magic — A swirling bubble of snot lashes out and copies the memory of a random Ritual from a treasurehunter, which it then casts.

2 Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 2, page 162

0 THE STREETS — TO 5 (if unlocked), page 162 Layer 2 • The Near-Corpse of an Unnamed Giant • 191

The Ten-in-One

In ages long gone, this space played host to a sideshow of oddities and rare delights. The affluent would compete to show how extravagantly they could waste vast wealth by presenting rare acquisitions, sponsoring strange performances, or showcasing useless and dangerous pets. It is now a ruin. Carved steps lead down narrow halls in sharp switchbacks. Along the walls, light patches expose where frames and posters once rested, wood molding still nailed in place. Here, long ago, scraps of canvas with once-garish paint whet the appetite of the jaded and indolent, advertising the wonders to be found within. Ragged banners dangle from flagpoles. The ground crunches underfoot: a thin soil speckled with fragments of nut shells, wood chips, fallen rock, and mushroom clusters. The smell is rank with burned sugar, the exhaled breath of generations of insects, rot and damp stone. goal

Awaken the Ten-In-One and provide them a host body The Sculptor curses at a manikin as she digs in its eye socket, demanding it stay still. She complains how no eyes have fit yet. Anyone who can provide a spare eye will find a true friend. Calliope music briefly bursts forth from an unknown source, but every note is flat. The tune slows and deflates, then a loud crack announces the shattering of a key mechanism, and then silence. A cloud of bats flap by, their wings coated in gold dust. A mirror lays on its side, distorting those who pass by so they appear to be short, stout, and bejeweled. It shatters if touched. At times, an additional person appears among the reflections.

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A trunk contains comic costumes: a clown, a nursemaid, a sailor, a prisoner, a beekeeper, a brute. The costumes have padlocks on their back that the wearer would be unable to undo themselves.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

A carving of a boar mount complete with saddle and crossbar cracks in half and falls in twain, leaving only the sturdy spring it was mounted on. Its insides are marked with aimless paths carved by dartblood termites. It was the last standing of a set of fanciful carved animals, all now sinking into the floor. A ring of sharp coiled springs indicate where the carved animals once stood. props

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A fortune booth containing a manikin behind glass. The booth is constructed of stone walls carved to resemble wood.

The booth is rigged to flood with acid from the roof if tampered with.

Inside the booth rests a manikin dressed in rags: a blue tunic and a pointed cap adorned with stars. The manikin’s eyes and smile are painted on but its hair and beard look real. There are holes in its face and wriggling dartblood termites.

Boring insects. A colony of dartblood termites infests the manikin and will defend their home by spitting acid-coated splinters.

The manikin is buried up to its thighs in old coins. The heaps of coins are mixed with years of accumulated termite waste and shells, fused into a single disgusting solid (3 Gold).

On the booth’s front is a coin slot. PAVALL, THE SCULPTOR

The manikin offers fortunes for gold or for freedom. These fortunes are gruesome and sometimes true.

weakness — Starving to put on a show

A lanky woman in circus motley, a rope around her waist holding up striped canvas pants. She wears a heavy apron. A pouch in its front holds tools for wood-work and metal-work.

1 Beating a manikin and blaming it for life’s problems. 4 Dragging carved animal sculptures into a fire pit. 2 Dipping into a bucket of vinegar and animal eyes. 5 Drawing advertisem*nts for nonexistent attractions. 3 Muttering about restoring the sideshow’s glory. 6 Tormenting the Ten-in-One by shaking its box. Aims for Eyes — Causes the Condition Blurred Vision as she tosses a cup of eyes-in-vinegar at your face. Summon Aid — She rings a handbell to summon the Well-Fed. 192 · Layer 2 • The Ten-in-One

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Canvas promotional banner, badly tattered. Features a faded painting of the Well-Fed as it appeared hundreds of years ago: a towering bestial creature with enormous insect-like legs supporting an overfed belly, forelimbs that end in hooks, a mouth split vertically like a crab’s, heaps of silk draped across its immense form, a fortune’s worth of gold adorning its neck and straining limbs.

The canvas poster can be sold in town for 1 Gold for its garish art, or 2 Gold to a historian. It is fragile and will be hard to transport.

The Most Dangerous Beast. A sign reading “the most dangerous beast!” hangs over a pair of closed wooden cupboard doors.

If the cupboard doors are opened, a mirror is revealed. The mirror is worth 1 Gold if still intact.

The Well-Fed’s Cage. An unlocked cage, its door ajar, contains mounds of insect husks. Necklaces are visible sticking out of the mounds. In the stone wall, stout metal rings anchor several chains, the links thick as a human thigh. A broken chitinous leg, like an enormous spider’s, dangles from an intact manacle. The Sculptor’s Booth. Pavall, the Sculptor, digs in the eye socket of a distressed manikin with a small, sharp spoon, muttering to herself. The manikin has no name yet. It is very sorry its eye sockets are preventing the restoration of the sideshow’s glory.

A carved stone beehive with a coin slot in its back (empty). A gilded pachinko board with a full set of opal bearings.

The Well-Fed is here, hiding under the iridescent remains of unsatisfying meals, the now-gaunt and starving beast awaits better meals or a new patron.

A golden circlet, decorated with tree and web iconography, worn on the amputated chitinous leg dangling from the wall (2 Gold). Assorted necklaces and charms found among shells and bones. A sword with “lighght” hammered into the blade, still gripped by a skeletal arm.

The lockbox, when opened, will expel a grey-blue preservative gas that burns skin and lungs.

THE WELL-FED

A secured lockbox, decorated with a crown ringed by ten small beetles, legs interlocked. Inside is the Ten-in-One, a set of ten flea-sized parasitic hivemind creatures with glistening wings and retractable fangs. If freed, they seek a new living host to control.

weakness — Starving for food

1 Tunneling under drifts of discarded insect shells. 2 Stretching its now-deflated stomach tight. 3 Clacking its split jaw together like a castanet.

4 Clanging armbands together in defiance. 5 Shaking out the hair that runs down its back. 6 Hiding the starvation-induced stomach rumble.

Flail — Swings broken chains attached to forelegs like metal whips. Draw in Close — The Well-Fed clutches you with chin-arms and pulls you toward its mouth. Impale for Later — Causes the Condition Gushing Wound as the Well-Fed, like a shrike, impales you on a coiled spring from the remnants of the toy animal parade.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 2, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 3, page 158 Layer 2 • The Ten-in-One • 193

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Twice the height of the treasure-hunters, supported on arachnoid legs (one broken off ). Its abdomen is a deflated, wrinkled sack of flesh hanging from under its ribs. Its face is multi-eyed; its jaw split like a crabs with secondary chin-arms to hold food steady for the rending. It smells woody and earthy, like a moldering tree trunk, though its breath is acetone and fruity. Against its chest bounces a medallion that, in a dead tongue, reads “Most Adored.”

The Workshop of Devastating Sensation

Art was valued as highly as gold in Old Kalduhr. At least, art that made a statement, or delivered an insight. Art that meant something. Art that made the viewer uncomfortable. The legendary Ajino was said to have trained under a figure known as Wide-Eyed Seluria. The studio she created in a tangle of chambers deep in the city delivered some of the greatest art the civilization ever knew. Seluria and her students were visionaries. Literally. They saw visions of the higher truths of the world, the sacred patterns, and cosmic truths from which the mundane world was formed. They depicted them accurately and faithfully in their art whether in paintings or sculptures or words. Paintings by the master were never displayed but instead stored in secure vaults in noble estates, looked upon for the few seconds a human mind could stand before beginning to reel and unravel. The reduction of her great works to novelties and collectors’ items drove Seluria to seal the doors of her workshop forever. She and her students remained inside, not all of them willingly. Their work, the great quest to see, to know, and to reflect the truths of the universe continues and sustains Seluria and her students. That, and the blood and bones of anyone unfortunate enough to intrude on their colony. goal

Liberate one of the half-completed works of art. A student, weeping, shreds a canvas with his teeth and nails before turning those weapons on himself. A pair of students patiently remove the skin from dead intruders, stretching them on frames.

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The howling of a soul in pain echoes from a far corner of the workshop, the only intelligible words “Another failure!” The master, singing an old, sweet song to herself, reshapes the very walls into the landscapes of another world seen only in dreams.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Thick layers of scent: oil paint and dust, over the stench of human bodies and waste, and something sweet and rotting beneath it all.

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The paint workroom. A surface is painted, painted over, and painted over again, glimpses of thousands of years of visions accreted atop one another with disorienting intensity. A series of portraits, each ten feet high, depicts the progression of a human woman into a bestial, snarling divinity with a thousand eyes. The first and the last painting are the same.

Artworks enthrall: the viewer neither moves nor blinks until something interrupts their line of sight.

A work by the master (3 Gold).

194 · Layer 2 • The Workshop of Devastating Sensation

A set of pigments made from unknown substances that paint in colors never before seen by human eyes.

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The stone & flesh workroom. A dusty sheet covers a half-completed figure that suggests divinity. The ceiling rises up forever, slim columns supporting infinity, in which colors move and shift so slowly they bend the mind. A vast statue made of ivory and gold reveals itself to have once been human when a mouth opens within a gilded surface and pleads for death.

A column, thinned and weakened by centuries of carving and re-shaping, gives way and brings down a section of ceiling.

Sculptor’s tools that can reshape flesh and bone as if they were stone. A book of anatomical diagrams that are both wrong and true.

additional traps A line of poetry glimpsed on a wall becomes the only phrase a reader can say until they leave the workshop. Broken furniture covers a deep charnel pit of human remains. A crevasse from which rises sweet-smelling, nauseating gas that induces cramps and vomiting, but also gives visions to the one who inhales. additional treasures Moth-eaten velvet robes stitched with gold thread. Gilded picture frames of many sizes. THE STUDENTS

weakness — Sensory deprivation

Withered specimens of humanity, the students are a motley crew with bodies ravaged by time and deprivation as well as the use of their own skin and bone for materials. Their wild eyes and matted hair clash with their adornments of beautiful painted patterns and sculpted prostheses.

1 Scurrying back into the shadows. 2 Begging for release. 3 Working tirelessly on their latest creation.

4 Pleading for the master’s approval. 5 Yearning for the sunlight. 6 Nursing their injured limbs and scarred flesh.

Numbers — One student’s cry draws others. Increase Endurance by 1 for each student joining the combat. THE MASTER

weakness — Distraction

1 Folding unnatural limbs in a disturbing fashion. 2 Assessing artistic potential in one’s flesh. 3 Whispering secret truths about the universe.

4 Creating nightmarish works of art. 5 Adding to or resculpting her own body. 6 Calling intruders ignorant, uncultured fools.

Revelation — The treasure-hunters see great and horrifying truths in the strange configuration of limbs and the ghastly patterns of paint, causing the Condition Nightmare Visions.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 2, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 3, page 158 Layer 2 • The Workshop of Devastating Sensation • 195

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The master has perfected herself. Her long, elegant frame stands twelve feet tall with numerous slender, clawed limbs shaped out of alabaster, blown glass, and the carved and reformed bones of other beings. Vividly painted with a multitude of eyes and whorls of color, one might almost overlook the stench of rotting, unwashed flesh that clings around her as a reminder of the decaying human form beneath the marvels. Her smooth, ceramic face is a single point of calm amidst the chaos.

Kheret ils Nu’s Reliquary

Millennia ago, when the Great Calamity befell his people, Kheret ils Nu, hero of the snake-men, was prepared. As their world ended, Kheret ils Nu cast a spell to travel to the future and secure what was needed for the snake-men to avoid their ill fate. Still he travels through time, frozen in place for millennia. History repeats itself: the people of Old Kalduhr were forced to burrow deeper and deeper underground to avoid the calamity on the surface. Every few decades or centuries, some new group would find Kheret ils Nu and his Reliquary, and the Cult of the Snake would rise again. Blood magic and other dark arts were practiced in the hopes of understanding the artifacts found within. Here, the artifacts of ancient snake-men can be found as pristine as when they were created. goal

Open the throne room and abscond with the treasures of the snake-men. A portal of light from above suddenly beaming in bright sunlight from another world. Colorful butterflies feast on the remnants of books and scrolls left by the long-dead Old Kaldhuri. A loud crash as the moldering ruins of a library shelf collapses, debris bellowing in all directions.

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The art, culture, and science of another age lies underfoot, crunching with sounds of broken glass, wood, and metal as treasure-hunters move. An area of the ceiling is choked with the pupa. Giant butterflies obscure everything like a fog.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Within a circle of still-wet blood, a ritually mutilated, warm body rests as if this was the moment of their death.

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Gallery. The ground is caked in broken rock and dust. Pristine pedestals are positioned under “skylights”—magical portals that are brightly lit during the day. Artwork from a bygone age displayed on the walls.

Two large animated snake statues on opposite ends of a room. They are both attached to the wall, but can reach anything within the room. They ensure the artwork remains untouched.

Snake figurines, one inch tall, made of a material not of this world, in a color the treasurehunters have never seen.

Operating theater. This room is pitch black. Several metal beds and instruments are mounted on the ceiling. A ruin of debris rests on the floor. Everything is caked in dried blood.

Anyone stepping into the circle that surrounds the bed in use will be frozen within until someone outside the circle manages to devise a way to extricate them.

Amongst the debris rests a curved dagger, serpentine in shape and impossibly sharp. The soul of Rahtet ie Kor is trapped within the blade, imprisoned by his friend Kheret ils Nu. Those who wield it are pushed to ruin by the ravings of this once-great wizard. Until that happens, the wielder believes themselves invincible while they possess the blade. Perhaps this is true.

One of the beds is in use. Its subject, a prehistoric man, lies naked and splayed open. A circle of salt surrounds the tables, immobilizing everything within. There are a handful of people from different epochs of time who wandered into the operating circle and couldn’t get out.

196 · Layer 3 • Kheret ils Nu's Reliquary

An unwieldy tapestry as new as the day it was made depicts three snake-men battling an ameboid god. Along the bottom of the tapestry is the title of the piece, “The Triumph of Kheret ils Nu, Rahtet ie Kor, and Shiar ie Noh.”

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Laboratory. There are shelves with vials filled with dried up liquids, spent powders, and books that have turned to dust. Those liquids that have survived the centuries have been placed on a worn wooden plinth, clearly once ornate. A set of books lay open, floating in the center of the room.

The brightest liquids that have survived the years are poisonous.

The books suspended in the air are not easily taken, but would be a treasure of considerable value to anyone interested in ancient alchemy.

Library. Monstrous butterflies feast on the remnants of books. In one corner of the library, chairs have been arranged to face a shelf where a single book sits in pristine condition, sealed shut.

Whoever holds the magically sealed book will age a year for every hour it is in their possession. On first contact with it, one’s hair and nails grow as if a year had passed.

Most books are now moldering ruins or chewed through by the butterflies, but perhaps something survives in this mess.

Throne room doors. Large double doors, once inlaid with gems now long gone. They are sealed by magic but still possess a keyhole.

The keyhole is trapped with a magic rune that will cause a treasure-hunter reckless enough to try and pick it to become frozen in time.

Beside the doors are mounted a highly detailed diptych on metal, seemingly made without paint. In one panel a great fireball immolates a demonic beast, in the other a snake-man transforms himself into the first human.

Throne room. A throne sits on a raised dais, two smaller thrones to either side. Two large statues of snakes form the banister for the steps leading up.

Anyone stepping into the sphere joins Kheret ils Nu trapped in time. There is no future where Kheret ils Nu can save his people, so this spell will never end.

On the lectern on the dais sits Sister Sedebula’s seminal work on the divinity of the snake. It has miraculously survived the ages.

Kheret ils Nu stands in the middle of the room, frozen in time. His legs are human, but his body is seemingly a mess of snakes. A sphere of energy crackles around him. A ruined wooden frame, once ornate, surrounds the sphere. Frozen at the edge of the sphere is a man. A small shrine has been built near him. It is dedicated to “Brother Bandigar, the Brave and Foolish.”

Kheret ils Nu holds the Staff of the Snake-Men and wears the Amulet of Impossible Time on his neck. These items are impossibly powerful, unknowable, and probably valuable.

weaknesses — Rituals; blessed weapons

Once human, now large snakes about twice the size of an adult, with an eerie humanity in their faces. Some of the magic, none of the intellect.

1 Digesting its last, stomach-swelling meal. 4 Hanging from the ceiling. 2 Catatonic as it hunts on the ethereal plane. 5 Mimicking objects that attract attention, waiting. 3 Re-living how they became this horrible creature. 6 Moving quickly, darkly hungry. Shifting Form — The creature transforms itself into something better suited to killing you. Swallow Whole — Can it fit you all in its mouth? It’s certainly going to try. Psychic Bite — Causes the Condition Confused as your head aches from it feeding on a memory.

Where to from here? RHUNNVELDT, page 198 3 THE RHUNNVELDT,

0 THE CLIMB — TO 4, page 158 Layer 3 • Kheret ils Nu's Reliquary • 197

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

THRALLS

Pupa on the ceiling burst, disgorging swarms of ravenous butterflies that circle the characters.

The Rhunnveldt

The Rhunnveldt are a series of interconnected, high-vaulted chambers that were used by the Old Kalduhri to grow all varieties of plants: beautiful, useful, unusual, magical, medicinal, and poisonous. The Rhunnveldt Gardens are surrounded by the Rhunveldt Fields. Impossibly large, the subterranean fields provided all of the crops for the Old Kaldhuri. The fields and the gardens enjoyed light from the strange, globular object high above in the ceiling: a mass of glowing and shifting liquid, sluggish and thick. The light fails to reach one corner of the Rhunnveldt, leaving it in shadow. A dozen palm-sized, human-shaped manikins serve as garden tenders. A pride of decaying golem lions ferociously defends the plants. In the days of Old Kalduhr, the manikins and golem lions turned on their masters; the Old Kalduhri sealed all entrances to the Rhunnveldt when the great gardens were lost. goals

Recover seedlings from the hidden nursery. Find Kheret ils Nu’s Reliquary. Find the Shrine of Woven Moonlight. Find the Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms. The hewn rock corridors of the city give way to soft, loamy soil and high-vaulted, airy chambers. The heavy scent of freshly drenched earth and the copper of old blood fills the air. Seed pods crunch underfoot and emit a cloyingly-sweet scent when broken.

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A distressing silence fills the space; every small sound the treasure-hunters make seems amplified like a whisper in a cathedral. The sound of the golems chuffing and communicating, sniffing at the air. A trickle of water that has lasted centuries, and the worn divet in the floor where it hits.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Several garden tenders have gathered together to harvest the corpse of a non-functional manikin. They are removing very small mechanical parts and swapping out their own worn-out bits.

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The Old Garden Gates. Two ceilingto-soil, wrought-iron gates held closed with more than a dozen heavy, rusted padlocks. Hidden behind a thick, dry cluster of brambles, a wide gap has been leveraged between two bent gate bars.

If the gate is touched by human hands anywhere but the locks, the metal vibrates and gets extremely hot; anyone holding the metal will be burned. The metal stinks of cooked meat.

One scarecrow has a heavy satchel strung over a shoulder, holding a few ancient coins (1 Gold) and a hand drawn map that leads to something described only as “blood and flesh.” Following the map leads to a deep well that leads directly to the 5 the temple for exaltation of blood.

Flanking the gates are six “scarecrows”: the corpses of past looters strung up on a wooden trellis. A small, many-eyed songbird alights on the gate. It mimics saying “help” in several different voices. It’s easily shooed away or will follow the treasurehunters if they feed it (it will eat anything, including raw meat).

198 · Layer 3 • The Rhunnveldt

The scarecrows have become a nesting place for several families of strange rodents, each with eight long legs. If the bodies are moved or searched through, it will disturb the clutch and the “mice” will swarm out in a screeching chorus. They do no damage, but can alert the old lion and the young lion.

Another scarecrow has a sword strapped to its side. The sword expels a small gout of flame when it is drawn from its scabbard; the scabbard has the image of a lizard-like creature embroidered down the length of it. Treasure-hunters with an appropriate skill will recognize this as the legendary blade, Salamander.

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The Ornamental Collection. Located near the center of the gardens, this area has two arched adjoining rooms across from the gates, and a single archway to either side. All manner of plants are overgrown: thorned roses, snapdragons, chamomile, rhododendron, orchids, bird-of-paradise, clematis, zinnia, aster, and sunflowers. They are all mixed together and growing in a thick mat blocking the way. A worn path rocked with white stones forms a cross through the room, leading to the arched doorways. Despite their chaotic state, these plants look healthy and are, improbably, in riotous bloom. Upon closer inspection, the reason why becomes obvious: a corpse in the middle of the flowers is providing fertilizer for a variety of the plants, their stems growing out from eye sockets and between bleached white ribs. A crumbling statue of a snake-man holding a rose, defaced by generations of treasure-hunters, points in the direction of the Occult Collection.

If the bird from the gate is with the party, it will attempt to give away their position.

The flowers cover anyone who touches them in a fine white pollen. This pollen can mask the scent of the treasure-hunters.

The Occult Collection. To the left of the Ornamental Garden, through the arched doors. The plants here vaguely resemble familiar forms, but are magical. Near the entryway is a pile of wooden labels and warning signs: “very hungry—do not touch,” “wisdombush,” “mage’s teeth,” “unicorn hair fern,” “soldier’s puppet,” and other such names. These plants appear to be carefully organized but all the labels are gone. A gentle mist is sprayed from the walls of the room at a variety of heights. A creeping vine (malfescens sempervirens) grows with incredible speed. Gathered around the base of the plant are the fully wrapped corpses of several of the strange birds and mice. It occasionally contracts these tendrils, causing bone crunching noises from the corpses. It has covered an entire wall of this chamber.

Some of these plants want to be taken out by the treasurehunters and used. They will show themselves off, turning their healthy leaves toward them. These plants, if their roots are freed from the soil, will cling to the clothes of a treasure-hunter and refuse to let go.

The old lion will detect any exposed treasure-hunters, or hunters that have not attempted to mask their scent.

A small wooden box held closed with a simple hook latch. Inside is a variety of gardening tools: several trowels in different states of rusting, a hand rake, two hoes, a hand scythe, and a pair of gardening shears. They are collectively worth 1 Gold to an antiquarian. A closer inspection of the snake person statue will reveal a hidden letter from a noble describing the desperate search for the Golden Rose. “We hear rumors of the Panopticon of Tajar, supposedly nearby.” (The Golden Rose is found in 3 the venerable panopticon of poisons & venoms.)

The young lion lies in the corner of this chamber, gently snoring.

Some of these plants want to leave, and some of them want to stay. Those that want to stay will attempt to alert the lion in the room. A plant growing in the corner of the room is surrounded by buzzing bees. Several of its blooms can be removed without upsetting the bees; these can be used in the tremor hive to distract the insects.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The creeping vine will entangle and begin to strangle anyone who comes too close to it. It is silent. It will only tighten more firmly if the victim struggles. It is easily cut with a weapon, especially with a shovel or scythe.

One of the small, tightly bunched plants has neat oval leaves that are metallic. When the leaves are removed they appear as unmarked gold coins. These coins will wither after several hours, turning more bronze in color, and then brown and black.

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The Tremor Hive. To the right of the Ornamental Garden, through the arched doors. This room is the source of the vibration found throughout the gardens. It is buzzing with dime-sized bumblebees. They appear to be communal, accessing a 9×9 square of glass beehives. The honey and brood combs are visible, golden and sparkling. Several gardentenders are removing dead bees from a space from under the hives, setting out small bowls of water for the bees to sip from, and crooning very softly to soothe the insects. Several bees are seen working together to carry a dripping bloom from the occult collection. Once it lands, bees cover it, sucking at the effluvient nectar.

If the treasure-hunters attempt to harvest any honey or open the hives it will anger the bees, causing them to swarm whoever has offended them.

The honeycombs are laden with valuable honey worth 1 Gold per sackful. Each treasure-hunter can only carry one sack of honey, unless they have an unused Backpack Equipment slot, in which case they can carry two sacks of honey, but that equipment slot is unavailable until they return to town (this does not count as a crossed-out slot).

The Hidden Nursery. Descending below the grate will lead to a short walkway requiring the treasure-hunters to crawl. The hidden room contains rows of plants suspended in a light green ooze within clear bottles, stacked like a wine cellar. These plants are meticulously labeled. An observed plant twitches slightly in the ooze. Another bottle is full of brown sludge with rotten black chunks. The bottle is poorly sealed and leaks a rancid scent.

The bottles clinking together will alert the old lion and young lion.

The Vicious Healer’s Collection. This chamber is laid out in a careful grid with plants growing in meticulously-labeled raised beds, some covered in glass cages. The front half of a broken lion lies flat out in the middle of a large patch of foxglove. Several lazy pink bees bumble from one fat flower to another. The destroyed mechanical lion twitches, its ivory teeth clicking together.

A malfunctioning garden tender has labeled poisonous plants as medicinal plants, and vice versa:

OLD LION

Below the central column of hives is a metal grate that leads to the hidden nursery. The grate is unlocked but accessing it is difficult; attempting to do so may disturb the bees. The manikins will mobilize and become a swarm of garden tenders if harassed.

A bottle will explode if shaken or handled carelessly.

1 hemlock/yarrow 2 monkshood/peppermint 3 deadly nightshade/ginger 4 nettle/betony 5 henbane/valerian 6 mistletoe/comfrey

A lever is built into the left wall; it is disguised as a group of bees that does not move like the rest. If pulled, it moves the central column of hives into the ceiling, providing access to the grate. A clutch of bottles is extremely dangerous to transport, but worth 3 Gold if the treasurehunters manage it.

A smoke can is near the dead lion golem. It can charm the bees in the Tremor Hive. A latch fastens one of the raised beds in place. If moved, it will reveal a set of stairs down into a deeper chamber containing 3 the venerable panopticon of poisons & venoms.

weaknesses — None, though see below

A juddering, part-scrap construction in the shape of a big cat. Ivory teeth are missing and gem eyes are beginning to cloud. The lion has no Weaknesses, but will only fight for two combat rounds before wandering off or falling asleep.

1 Lumbering along a patrol route. 2 Licking a metal paw with its leather tongue. 3 Smoking slightly from its disjointed mouth.

4 Limping from a non-functional back leg. 5 Loudly grumbling as sparks fly from locked joints. 6 Whirring as it pulls itself from a stumble.

Oil Leak & Spark — The treasure-hunter is hit by popping, sizzling oil, causing the Condition Burned. Repairable — Defeating this enemy in combat is not enough. Garden tenders will eventually locate and repair it, setting it back on patrol unless it is completely dismantled, and vital pieces are carried or hidden away. 200 · Layer 3 • The Rhunnveldt

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The Overripe Corn Fields. Surrounding all of the gardens are the fields, and the first of these are filled with plump corn rotting on the stalk. A troop of overworked gardentenders cut down stalks as quickly as their small bodies allow, while seemingly-mundane scarecrows are seen to be twitching if studied for a time. A structure rises distinctly from the middle of one field as if dropped suddenly in the middle of the plants rather than built on purpose. In a corner of the field, a section of the light from the ceiling grows darker before failing completely.

Walking through the fields may result in a gardentender unwittingly slicing a tendon in an attempt to fell and harvest the treasure-hunter.

The building in the middle of the field is 3 kheret ils nu’s reliquary.

If approached, a scarecrow will erupt into a swarm of gardentenders holding the shape of a scarecrow to keep the non-existent scavenging birds away. They are eager to rejoin the harvest in order to bring it in more quickly, and see an opportunity to replace themselves with a dead treasure-hunter.

The Darkened Fields. A dark corner of the Rhunnveldt. Leading up to that corner are fields where the light overhead has gone dim, almost appearing as moonlight rather than sunlight. The manikins seem confused, and disagree about how to use the space: some still pull hoes and trowels through the earth, dropping seed and watering though nothing ever sprouts. Others guard mushrooms that grow on logs, mounds of smelly earth, and long-dead corpses. Fields, manikins, and mushrooms in the darkest parts are covered in gossamer webbing. Further still, the webbing is thicker and manikins appear bundled up in it, unable to move

A dead body covered in mushrooms wears a bracelet inlaid with tourmalines.

3 the shrine of woven

moonlight can be found in the furthest, darkest part of the fields.

weaknesses — Water

YOUNG LION

A gleaming, well-maintained construction resembling a big cat: all polished wood, ropes, and brass. It moves with disturbing fluidity, fixing its gemmed eyes on an intruder and bearing its even, ivory fangs.

1 Lumbering along a patrol route. 2 Licking a metal paw with its leather tongue. 3 Smoking slightly from its disjointed mouth.

4 Limping from a non-functional back leg. 5 Loudly grumbling as sparks fly from locked joints. 6 Whirring as it pulls itself from a stumble.

Pounce — The lion leaps on you, pinning you to the ground. You cannot mark armor in the next round of combat. Repairable — Defeating this enemy in combat is not enough. Garden tenders will eventually locate and repair it, setting it back on patrol unless it is completely dismantled, and vital pieces are carried or hidden away.

weaknesses — Fire

A group of more than three but less than ten small human constructs, their arms little scissors or shovels, able to carry small objects and break apart bigger ones.

1 Chittering to each other. 2 Digging up bulbs. 3 Deadheading a blooming bush.

4 Carrying miniature buckets of water. 5 Clustered standing together, sleeping. 6 Processing a dead looter into fertilizer.

Call for Backup — If not defeated in one combat round, the old lion or the young lion comes to their aid.

Where to from here? 0 THE CLIMB — TO 2, page 158 0 THE CLIMB — TO 4, page 158 RELIQUARY, page 196 3 KHERET ILS NU’S RELIQUARY,

MOONLIGHT, page 202 3 THE SHRINE OF WOVEN MOONLIGHT, VENOMS, page 206 3 THE VENERABLE PANOPTICON OF POISONS & VENOMS, 5 THE TEMPLE FOR EXALTATION OF BLOOD (if unlocked), page 226

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ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

SWARM OF GARDEN TENDERS

The Shrine of Woven Moonlight

Far below the open sky, she holds the memories of the moon and stars. Many pray to her in desperate and dark places, finding solace in her many gifts. She goes by many names in many tongues long-forgotten—or still spoken, but not by human mouths. Those who make sincere offerings of themselves may leave behind something which no longer serves them. Some who receive her blessing are transformed and initiated into her path. Her innermost initiates carry the burden of protecting the world from its own destruction, all the while being hunted as monsters. One thread at a time, they gently bind broken things together and preserve the whole by wrapping it in a gentle silver web. The shrine of the Gossamer Queen may be found at the bottom of a vast chasm. The path is long and winding, swallowing light and flame so that only earnest seekers may find it. Glittering walls of ridged obsidian stretch upwards into darkness. Phosphorescent lights fade in and out of the silent void. Delicate strands of spun moonlight decorate the ground and walls, forming intricate sculptures in the open space of the cavern. At the center hangs a vast archway of shimmering threads, inlaid with all manner of artifacts from ages past: symbols of failed kingdoms and fruitless ambition. Beyond is the watchful void, the sacred space where She dwells. Along the periphery of the temple are bound many wretched husks: failed treasure-hunters who sought to steal from the temple. No one ventures this far into the abyss without good reason. Ask the treasure-hunters: What draws you to the shrine of the Gossamer Queen? What have you heard of her gifts, her miracles, and her mercy? What do you pray for? What are you prepared to offer? goal

Complete a ritual to honor the Gossamer Queen and receive a blessing. Dancing patterns of light and shadow pass over the landscape: moonlight through clouds and reflected in rippling water.

moments

A delicate avalanche of melodious tapping like thousands of tiny footsteps dancing across hollow, echoing flutes. Dust stirred underfoot, undisturbed for ages beyond reckoning. From the shadows, a cascade of whispers and rustling as the Queen’s followers awaken.

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Silver threads tremble as something struggles far from sight.

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Dormitory. Deep fissures in the chasm walls—home to keepers of the shrine. Either side of the fissures is faintly illuminated by phosphorescent spores.

Silken hammocks lure the weary to rest—better to slumber peacefully than return to the woes of the world above.

Silver silk cord, light and stronger than any rope or chain. Fastens or releases when the binding word is spoken.

Those who wander too far from the faint luminescence of the temple will become lost in the winding darkness of the chasm floor, which swallows other sources of light.

202 · Layer 3 • The Shrine of Woven Moonlight

Moonweave clothing, inlaid with silver threads of intricate design which helps to blend with shadows and moonlight. Worn by followers of the Gossamer Queen to maintain a connection to her and the threads which unite those who know her.

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The gate. Tiered woven platforms lead to the shrine gate, taut and springy. The gate itself is an immense portal to the ritual chambers. Only initiates may pass beyond the inner thresholds to the deeper void beyond, and the final darkness is knowable only by Her closest followers.

Intruders bearing ill intent will find the gossamer threads holding them fast, bound in place until they repent.

A veiled glimpse of the Queen herself, should she look forth from the darkness. Receiving this blessing imposes the Condition Witnessed. As Her ancient presence perceives the thread of your life up to this point, you may reflect on your purpose after coming here and choose to change your Drive.

The temple. The temple walls are covered in shields, armor, weapons, and treasures—all willingly offered up by pilgrims or initiates. On the far side is an altar in the form of a suspended bowl—hollowed from a massive egg or fruit, or the skull of a giant who once walked the land far above.

Crystal vial containing a spiderling. This offspring of Her Radiance may be trained in the performance of a Ritual, tracing sigils in silk when released. Possession of the vial grants the Condition Guardian of the Myriad. You are sworn to protect all spiders and their kin as offspring of the Queen. Covering the walls of the temple are various Rituals sacred to the Queen. Each treasure-hunter may choose to undergo a Ritual, as listed under Rituals of the Gossamer Queen (see page 205).

additional traps Attempting to free one of the wretched husks will only invite the shrine keepers to wrap you in a cocoon as well. additional treasures Abandoned pack containing any single piece of equipment and a delver’s journal with notes pointing out a hidden shortcut from here to “Kheret ils Nu’s Reliquary,” whatever that is; it seems to be nearby. Treasure-hunters may automatically proceed to 3 kheret ils nu’s reliquary without passing through any other Sets.

weakness — Fire

Treasure-hunters who sought to raid the temple. Bound and largely drained of their essence, and their usefulness to the Queen.

1 Pawing at dusty bones, seeking nourishment. 2 Crawling back and forth, bound by a thread. 3 Wandering aimlessly, gazing upwards.

4 Twisting and straining in silk prisons. 5 Calling out frantically. 6 Making desperate pleas in garbled speech.

Thick, Sticky Webbing — The threads catch or turn away blades. Caught in the Same Web — Increase Endurance by 1 for each wretched husk that joins the fight. Layer 3 • The Shrine of Woven Moonlight • 203

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WRETCHED HUSKS

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RITUALS OF THE GOSSAMER QUEEN Each treasure-hunter may choose to participate in one of the following prescribed Rituals illustrated on the temple walls (allow them to pick or roll randomly). Members of the Queen's Chosen will silently and gracefully assist. While each Ritual may only be accessed in the temple, the effects granted by them are permanent. Alternatively, at the gm and player’s discretion, you may decide that some of these Rituals only last during a given Set or game session.

1 2 3 1 Invigorate — Trade ten thousand drops of blood for a single drop of the Ancient's blood—a potent infusion or

granting mild regenerative powers. Once per session, you may sacrifice a treasure to heal 1 Ruin. You must then take one of the following Conditions: Entranced, Sun-Fearing, Ravenous, Vengeful, Shedding, Brooding.

2 Renewed — Shed your skin to reveal your true form. This permanently changes your human body in any way you envision yourself to be. Spiderlings will consume your past skin, along with painful memories you wish to release.

3 Sworn Hand — Trade a human limb for a pair of lithe and powerful arachnid limbs. 4 True Vision — Leave behind your ordinary eyes, becoming blind in full daylight. Grow sets of smaller eyes which grant flawless vision in darkness.

5 In the Blood — Channel past pain inflicted upon you, bearing the toxin in your blood to become poisonous to your foes.

6 Unspoken — Offer all your future words to the Queen, becoming mute but gaining the ability to understand any spoken language you hear.

4 5 6 1 Glimmering — Perceive slivers of time several moments before they come to pass. When making a Hunt or

Roll, you may choose to make a Devil’s Bargain before you roll, stating what terrible thing awaits you. If the gm and other players accept the bargain, you may use this bargain to add a light die to your roll in place of a Skill or piece of equipment.

2 Unhindered — Your hands and feet grow fine-haired gripping pads which allow you to climb almost any

surface. When you use any piece of equipment, roll a dark die after; if the result is 1, the equipment is damaged and cannot be used again.

3 Weaver — Twist the threads of fate, but beware those not meant for you. During any dice roll, you may reroll any single die and choose the new result instead. When you do this, the gm sets aside a dark die which they may roll during any future roll you make, switching it with one of your dice results.

4 Rebirth — Wrap the body of a fallen treasure-hunter in silver thread, calling on the Queen to restore them from beyond the veil. Each member of the party takes 1 Ruin to reduce the Ruin of the fallen from 6 to 5.

tion as weapons. Your skin hardens and functions as armor. There is no associated Burden, but you must consume a still-living creature the size of a man while on the incursion in order to unmark it upon returning to town.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

5 Always Hungry — Once per session, destroy a treasure to remove any Condition. 6 Unburdened — Offer up all your weapons and armor. Your fingers become sharp as blades and may func-

3 Where to from here? RHUNNVELDT, page 198 3 THE RHUNNVELDT,

0 THE CLIMB — TO 4, page 158 Layer 3 • The Shrine of Woven Moonlight • 205

The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms

“The difference between poison and venom is simply the amount of energy you have to invest to make it kill a person.” — Tajar of the Black Sands, poison sommelier “Snakebite, run outside, Til a tulip red you spy. Eat quick, be right sick, Go ahead and die, die, die.

Spiderbite, run outside, Til a dahlia blue you spy. Salve, but still, get more ill, Go ahead and die, die, die.

Scorpionbite, run outside, Til a Golden Rose you spy. Make a tea, and be free Go ahead and stay alive.”

— Children’s song in Ambaret The Old Kalduhri were masters of poisons and venoms. There are legends of poison lakes, venomous butterflies, and toxic fume beasts that broke loose and roamed the halls when all was lost. Among these legends, the Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms stands out: a mix of zoo and botanical exhibition of all deadly things, gathered by a latter-year poison sommelier. The legends say it is hidden in the vast Fields and Gardens district of Old Kalduhr. Long lost, long decayed, but the legends persist for one reason: Tajar of the Black Sands. Not only did Tajar collect toxic creatures and plants, Tajar also possessed the ultimate antidote: the Golden Rose, a fabled plant that will defeat any poison, venom, or toxin. The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms used to be a well-kept and well-stocked secret, opulent and dedicated to all things toxic: a large entrance hall, two side rooms dedicated to poisons and venoms, and the Panopticon itself. Of these, only the entrance hall and the side rooms, the Poison Parlor and the Venom Vestibule remain relatively intact. The Panopticon was once a domed structure with rows upon rows of smaller cages or exhibition rooms, but it has long since caved in, now buried under tons of earth. Only the viewing point is still accessible. goal

A rat convulsing on the floor. It has shed most of its hair and is losing more still.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Find the Golden Rose, fabled to be an antidote for all poisons.

Scrawled on a wall: “Don’t lick the toads!” A half-destroyed wall mosaic depicting a snake-person holding something in their hand; what they’re holding is on a destroyed section of the mosaic. The statue of a spider that has remained untouched and undefiled. The stone is wet, shimmering in strange colors. moments

The musty smell of earth long left undisturbed is occasionally punctuated with the heady smell of nightshade, or a sharp, alchemical scent that makes the eyes water and the nose run. The shade of Tajar of the Black Sands pops up intermittently, pointing at things that aren’t there anymore. His appearance varies: sometimes he looks young and healthy, dressed in extravagant clothing; sometimes mature, more wasted, with clothing barely hanging on his lean frame; sometimes a desiccated hull with unsteady eyes, dressed in bright rags. The ghost is silent and cannot be heard, even when he’s apparently talking. He does not notice the treasure-hunters or interact with them unless they find his final resting place in the sipping room.

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The entrance hall. The doorway to the hall and the fabled serpent columns have long since been smashed. The hall is almost empty except for a dry fountain in the middle and rubble lying everywhere. There is evidence of a campfire belonging to previous treasure-hunters. The walls once were decorated with murals, mosaics, and paintings, but now they are covered in grime and old graffiti. Some of the lichens grow in strange colors like purple, bright orange, and blue, and should not be eaten by human beings.

Groaning toads hop about this place. Stepping on or mistreating one causes them to swarm.

The human monarch painting on the right hides a doorway leading to the Golden Rose. Golden torch holders. Poisonous lichen would be of use to apothecaries and assassins.

There are three exits from the entrance hall: the poison parlor to the left, the venerable panopticon straight ahead, and the venom vestibule to the right. There are two huge paintings close to the door: one depicts a snake person, the other a human monarch. Both have been defaced by graffiti, and the one on the left (the snake person) clearly used to mask a secret door that has been ripped open. This leads to the sipping room. Set of ugly leaden statues of five poisonous things: a newt, a squat little bird, an octopus, aconite, and hemlock. Might be sold to sorcerers, apothecaries, or priests.

The venom vestibule. The vestibule opens up on the right side of the entrance hall. This room used to be dedicated to venomous creatures: snakes, scorpions, and spiders. There used to be a detailed painting of a huge scorpion on the far side; it is now mostly obscured by grime. There is a secret door here that has not been smashed, but can be discovered easily; it leads to the library.

A pendant of a lovely silver snake wrapped around a golden rose. Can be opened to reveal an empty cavity, with the words “stronger than any poison” embossed into it.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The poison parlor. The parlor opens up on the left side of the entrance hall. This room used to be dedicated to poisonous things: creatures, plants, and minerals. Some depictions of those can still be seen in the wall decorations. There used to be a detailed painting of a nightshade plant; it is now smashed to reveal a secret door leading to the breeding chamber.

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The venerable panopticon. The panopticon opens on the far side of the entrance hall. Most of it has been buried by a cave-in, but the viewing gallery is still mostly accessible. The body of someone sits in a chair, apparently killed by poisoning or illness a few months ago.

The dead person carries a finely wrought dagger, a rambling diary of their exploits in Old Kalduhr, and a tarnished silver snake mask worth at least 2 Gold. The snake mask is a magical artifact; it protects its wearer from toxic fumes.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

There are two large paintings on the left and right walls. They show two humans ravaged by poison: the one on the left is almost obliterated and opens into the breeding chamber. The one on the right shows a suffering woman and hides a doorway into the library.

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Secret room: The breeding chamber. This room can be entered through the poison parlor and the venerable panopticon. Here, Tajar bred creatures for their poison: spiders, snakes, scorpions, frogs, and toads. Most of the breeding cages were smashed and looted a long time ago, but there is a large pool in the center that is still filled with water, dark with the spawn of groaning toads. These tadpoles cannot teleport yet, but they are as poisonous as their elders.

Toadslime coats the breeding pools. To recover anything from these pools, make a risk roll or take the Condition Poisoned (see the next page).

The breeding pools used to be laid out with silver tiles. Those that were easy to reach are already gone, but a brave soul might attempt to recover some from the depths of the pool.

Secret room: The sipping room. This room can be entered through the entrance hall. Tajar used to invite his guests here to sip and sample various poisons, often, but not always, providing the antidote. The room has been looted but not as extensively as others.

Tajar’s ghost defends this room from anyone attempting to loot it. He may unlock the poison chests with his three keys, inviting treasurehunters to sip. Failing this, he may attack directly.

Five colorful containers with poisons that might be used or sold locked behind three complicated padlocks of copper, silver, and lead.

Secret room: The library. This room can be reached through the venomous vestibule or the venerable panopticon. It has been breached before. Many of the texts are rotten, decayed, or eaten through by the poison coating their pages. Secret room: The Golden Rose. This room can be reached through the entrance hall. The secret door has been opened before, but was always closed very carefully. There is only one thing in the room: a rose bush, illuminated by bright golden light, with a single blossom, the Golden Rose.

Rotting books on all kinds of poisonous and venomous beasts.

In front of the rosebush are two large pots in which thorn guardians grow.

208 · Layer 3 • The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms

The Golden Rose, a blossom, or the entire plant, depending on how well the thorn guardians were defeated. A petal from the blossom will cure any Condition related to poison or venom if it is eaten, brewed as a tea, or used in a salve. After consuming a petal in this way, roll a dark die; on a 1, there are no more usable petals on the blossom.

GROANING TOAD

weaknesses — Salt; heat

Giant toads in odd colors; they make a low, groaning sound.

1 Eating poisonous lichen. 2 Suddenly appearing on a backpack. 3 Sitting on the ledge of the fountain.

4 Groaning loudly, almost as if forming words. 5 Staring judgmentally at a treasure-hunter. 6 Awkwardly hopping away from a person.

Poisonous Touch — You take the Condition Poisoned if you touch a groaning toad (see below). Teleport — Groaning toads can teleport, appearing and disappearing wherever they like.

TAJAR’S GHOST

weaknesses — None

A translucent figure that is intermittently there or not, touching with soft fingers which cause pain and uncontrollable sensations.

1 A young Tajar, smiling maniacally, offering a cup. 4 Lying on a couch, breathing heavily. 2 A mature Tajar, seductively offering a mushroom. 5 Convulsing on the ground, laughing. 3 An old Tajar, grinning broadly, offering a vial. 6 Bound to a chair, sweating, cursing, singing. THORN GUARDIAN

weaknesses — Lead; tactics exploiting the Guardians’ immobility

Cultivated to protect the Golden Rose, these thick brambles have a vaguely human form. The thorn guardians have preserved the Golden Rose for centuries. They are not quite sentient and cannot be reasoned with, but they will not give chase if a treasure-hunter only takes a single blossom from the bush. Waiting, motionless. Poison Thorns — You take the Condition Poisoned (see below). Poison Pollen — The thorn guardians release pollen that causes brambles to rapidly grow inside your mouth, nose, and thoat.

POISONED If a treasure-hunter takes the Condition Poisoned while in this Set, in addition to the normal impact of having a Condition, ask the other players what symptoms the treasure-hunter suffers.

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3 Where to from here? RHUNNVELDT, page 198 3 THE RHUNNVELDT,

0 THE CLIMB — TO 4, page 158 Layer 3 • The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms • 209

The Manufactorum

Massive metal double doors swing inward into a giant domed chamber filled with the sounds of grinding machinery, heavy-stepping automatons, and a blaring warning siren. A huge mechanical device on the wall seems to be counting down, though the symbols on its wheels are unfamiliar. A towering drill stands in the center of the room, pulling up pounds of earth and ore and depositing them on a water-filled aqueduct running from one side of the room to the other. Six waterfalls pour from spouts high on the walls, colored by gemstones carried in the water. One waterfall is clear, one is red, one is blue, one is purple, one is emerald, and one is golden. The waterfalls collect in pools below, the water overflowing through grating on the floor, leaving the gems to be harvested by automatons. The golden automatons work tirelessly creating hundreds of incredibly heavy small black cubes, each designed to fit a gem in each face. Piles of gemless cubes are stacked in mountains throughout the room. A giant mechanical device set high in one of the walls is composed of multiple rotating wheels, turning to create different configurations of symbols, seemingly locked into a countdown pattern. All of the wheels are blank except for the final two, which turn once every few moments as though they are counting down. For every one hundred turns of the rightmost wheel, the wheel next to it turns once. goal

Repair the drill. The drill grinds to a halt, lets out a shrill whine and a crunch, then spins rapidly back to speed.

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An automaton pushes a finished black cube into a huge pile of cubes to create a massive, perfectly cube-shaped pile. It steps back and lets out a whirr of satisfaction before returning to work. An automaton plucks a gemstone out of a pool, examines it, then swiftly cuts it with the razorsharp blades of its fingers. It holds the finished product up to the light: a beautiful amethyst.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The drill sputters almost fails, and the whole room begins to shake. Debris and water spray haphazardly before the drill kicks back on again. The blaring of the alarm somehow gets even louder.

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The Drill. A towering machine in the center of the room with dials, pistons, and gears pulling up ore from the ground and depositing it onto an aqueduct. Investigating the drill will reveal a damaged section where a black cube has been disgorged from it. The cube lies cracked on the floor, the six gems in its sides—one of each color—broken. Replacing the black cube with a working cube will stop the countdown and the alarm (see Additional Traps). Obtaining a working cube means getting a perfect gem of each color. Each gem type is guarded fiercely by the automatons.

The drill is not dangerous when operating correctly, as it is now. However, uneducated attempts to tamper with it may make it a hazard by changing direction of the auger, which would turn the outflow at the top of the drill into an inflow, forcing anything on top of the drill through the drill mechanisms and into the ground.

The Aqueduct. A solid metal structure held up by trestles, the aqueduct emerges from high in one wall, passes the top of the drill where ore is disgorged upon it, and disappears into the opposite wall. Water flows quickly along it, washing the ore swiftly into the wall and through a series of filters that will catch anything larger than a pebble and deposit the resulting solid matter into crushing, chopping, and purifying machinery. Ore is sent elsewhere, waste is disposed of, and gems are sent back into the manufactorum with pure water by way of waterfalls.

The aqueduct is capable of carrying a human of normal size into the wall where one would be sucked into the machinery inside.

210 · Layer 4 • The Manufactorum

props

treasures

The Chromatic Waterfalls and Pools. From six large spouts high in the walls flow six waterfalls tinged with the color of the gems within them: diamond, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, emerald, and topaz. The waterfalls fall into overflowing pools attended to by automatons, who inspect the gems. The pools of water are waisthigh and several feet in diameter. The floor nearby is surrounded by grating to provide drainage. Thousands of tiny gemstones cover the bottom of the pool, the majority asymmetrical and flawed. Automatons surround the pools, sifting through the gems in search of perfect ones of sufficient size to power the black cubes. When found, the gem is carefully cut and placed within a small barrel, several of which sit beside each pool of water.

Gemstones are plentiful, too many to ever count or carry. Many of them are tiny and flawed, though there are small caches of perfect gems cut to fit the black cubes.

The Assembly Belt and Cube Storage. Several thin slits in the wall allow conveyor belts into the room. The belts are lined with pieces of flat, heavy black metal. The pieces are deposited into bins where automatons stand and arrange dozens of the pieces into intricate patterns before finally sealing them with six black flat squares to create the cubes. Mountains of black cubes have been arranged in massive, neat piles around the room: the accumulation of hundreds of years of uninterrupted work. All possess divots on their six sides where gems can be placed. All are gemless.

Black cubes are powerful when activated by six pure gems of sufficient size. Incredibly dense and heavy, an average human can carry only one cube at a time without being terribly encumbered. Cubes can be activated in seven ways: all faces of the cube can be the same gem, or each face can be unique. Each configuration triggers a different effect, see Black Cube Configurations below.

additional traps When all the coutdown wheels turn blank, the drill fails and the room begins to collapse. Replacing a working black cube into the drill will stop the countdown, at which point all of the wheels spin backward, filling the room with a horrific grinding noise as the gears begin counting up at a violent pace, resetting the clock to full. BLACK CUBE CONFIGURATIONS

AUTOMATON

weakness — The ring of gemstone in its chest

A humanoid with a golden metal body, sharp fingers, and a ring of gemstones in its chest.

1 Reaching long arms deep into pools of water. 4 Arranging finished cubes into a large, neat pile. 2 Cutting gems into shape with razor-sharp fingers. 5 Inspecting the many dials and gauges on the drill. 3 Assembling cubes out of black pieces of metal. 6 Standing at attention, perfectly still. Declaw Thieves — Automatons stop gemstone burglaries by using their razor-sharp fingers on the pilfering digits, causing the Condition Mutilated Hand.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 4, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 5, page 158 Layer 4 • The Manufactorum • 211

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Each cube has a different effect, depending on how the gemstones on its faces are configured. Six diamonds — The cube acts as a brilliant light source. Six rubies — The cube acts as a strong source of heat. Six sapphires — The cube acts as a strong source of cooling. Six amethysts — The cube acts as protection from mind-control or mind-altering substances. Six emeralds — The cube provides nutrition and stimulation through touch. Six topazes — The cube provides happiness and calm through touch. One gem of each type — A pure power source.

The Mechanical Mind

The treasure-hunters enter a laboratory under the control of a mechanical mind that long ago lost touch with reality. It can only communicate via the security and environmental mechanisms built into the laboratory. goal

Put the mechanical mind at peace. Somewhere far off the scraping of metal on wood.

moments

Crackling arcane energy and the smell of ozone. Oil stains on the floor, old but slick.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The click-clack of hidden gears and relays. props

traps

Massive mechanical computer. A machine composed of valves, gears, pistons, levers, and cranks. The metal components don’t gleam as brightly as they once did, and the wood in the table—while marvelously preserved compared to modern techniques—has just enough warping to cause mechanical inefficiencies in the computer atop it. Whirrs and clicks indicate that the machine still functions, and lamps flashing in an unknown code represent its attempts to communicate with anyone entering its space.

Floor made of grinding gears of varying sizes with teeth that could crush a foot or person.

Half-assembled manikin. It sits with its head next to its body, eyes unfocused. Even enlivened, this manikin’s intellect would be puny next to the mechanical marvel that dominates the space. What might the mechanical mind tell us about the magically-animated burlap and straw constructs of our time?

The half-assembled manikin isn’t alone here: an ancient manikin also hides nearby.

Manual on awakening manikins, the spine embroidered with sinister symbols. Anyone who studies this manual can learn the Ritual Enliven, but must increase their Ruin or Burdens by 1 permanently.

Workroom. This space contains tools, spare parts, and other paraphernalia useful in repairing machines. A few faded notebooks may have once held the calculations and scribblings of the genius responsible for this place.

Swinging pulleys, pendulums, and counterweights that could bludgeon the unwary.

Tools calibrated to a degree impossible in the current age. Worth 3 Gold to the right buyer.

212 · Layer 4 • The Mechanical Mind

treasures

Doors that slide closed from top to bottom, bisecting people passing through, or at least separate groups.

ANCIENT MANIKIN

weaknesses — Direct heat or cold

A mechanical construct with a rusted frame. It is preceded by scraping sounds as it lunges towards its objective.

1 Advancing implacably forward. 2 Repairing a comrade. 3 Sharpening a blade or spike on a stone.

4 Laboriously copying a notebook. 5 Oiling noisy parts for attempts at stealth. 6 Blocking the way.

Spike Darts — It fires iron projectiles that can penetrate your bone from across a room and pin you to a wall. Causes the Condition Pierced by Bolt. Heavy Chain — It uses a chain to tangle your limbs or grapple with you.

The treasure-hunters may find some way to awaken the mechanical mind, but the mind will eventually come alive on its own, regardless of what they do. Create a track with 6 boxes (similar to a treasure-hunter’s Ruin track) when the treasure-hunters enter this Set. Every time a treasure-hunter gets less than 6 on a risk roll or hunt roll, mark a box on the track. You can also offer to mark a box as a Devil’s Bargain. Once the sixth box is marked, the mind awakens. It will attempt to repel the treasure-hunters by deploying mechanical traps or allies, especially if the treasure-hunters seem hostile or afraid. If the treasure-hunters can find a way to strike a bargain with the mechanical mind, it will share helpful secrets about the other Sets in Layer 4—or elsewhere in Old Kalduhr, at the gm’s discretion.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 4, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 5, page 158 Layer 4 • The Mechanical Mind • 213

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THE MECHANICAL MIND

The Root Cellar

When Old Kalduhr still sat proudly above the earth, those without ready access to magic sometimes dug root cellars to store crops until they were needed later. As the Kalduhri bored deeper and deeper below the surface, the root cellars expanded outward and downward. Ultimately, the spaces merged into a single, vast, and unfathomably deep shaft, lined with overstocked shelves and creaking ladders, crisscrossed by giant roots and hanging bundles. The space came to house not just preserves, but anything that sorcerers and tyrants thought they might need later for a glorious return to the surface that never came. The gardens located above helped fill the cellar with necessary provisions, but the proximity to the strange machines suggests at least some of this was fuel for the unusual devices. Much of its contents has long since been plundered, but some morsels and trinkets remain to be found. goal

Free the monster and compel it to dig deeper. note — This allows direct access to 5 the catacombs both endless & nameless without needing to move through any connecting Sets. A hanging bundle of fanged skulls.

moments

The thick smell of soil and plant matter. A nearby cord twangs like a plucked lute string.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Clumps of earth drop from above, landing soundlessly.

props

traps

Roots. Giant, dirt-caked tree roots hang from the ceilings and the walls. Many are thin enough to grip in one hand. Along the ceiling, the roots are spaced closely enough that it’s relatively safe (if a bit awkward) to climb between them. Further down into the shaft, some roots stretch out so far into the darkness that adults can climb or walk along them.

Cellar grubs are cat-sized, sightless larvae of giant beetles. They are edible but revolting, and non-aggressive but likely to startle travelers climbing along roots.

Shelves. Wooden platforms are placed irregularly along the walls of the shaft with enough space to walk between the boxes and barrels they hold. Some are connected by old, rotting ladders, but those with anything worth taking left on them can only be reached by circuitous climbing routes or a leap onto splintering wood. Cables. High-tensile, silken cords hang from the roots and shelves. Those hanging from straight above often have something useless dangling on the end; those stretching across the shaft can be used (at great risk) to move across the space. The cables are stronger than steel.

214 · Layer 4 • The Root Cellar

treasures

Searching the shelves yields:

1 Dried meat of extinct beasts. 2 Divine canned fruits. 3 A war horse in magical stasis. 4 A sword that never stains. 5 A volcanic rock holy symbol. 6 A tuber as large and smart as a dog, using long sprouts to hunt down grubs to eat.

props

traps

treasures

The Attendant’s Web. Several stories down, a great, silken web stretches across much of the shaft, catching a portion of whatever falls from above. The cellar attendant—a whale-sized spider with the head of a man—spins replacement threads regularly to maintain a visible coating of adhesive on the web. He spends most of his time here, waiting for prey to drop down and for the thunderous voice of his old master to call him into proper service once more.

The web’s adhesive will slow anyone trying to climb it.

Skeletal remains are clad in armor fashioned to look like a giant rodent pelt, granting the bearer invisibility from anyone who would eat human flesh.

The Pickling Jar. A twenty-foot-tall glass jar stands alone on a shelf several stories down from the Attendant’s Web. The web and shelf are connected by a few seemingly stray strands. Floating in yellow-green liquid inside the jar is a pickled giant.

Moving or damaging the jar would attract the cellar attendant’s attention.

CELLAR ATTENDANT

The cellar attendant has poor sight and hearing but will notice anyone touching his web and will try to eat anyone who threatens him or the contents of the cellar. He will speak politely with anyone who acts peacefully; he welcomes friendly company but will only retrieve items for his dread lord.

The pickled giant will awaken ravenously hungry if the jar is broken, causing overpoweringly-scented pickle juice to gush out.

If the giant is fed at least an adult human’s weight in edibles shortly after breaking free, it will recognize whoever fed it as its caregiver, following them around and doing their bidding for a day before wandering above ground to move on to the next stage of its life cycle.

weakness — Hiding quietly

A whale-sized body with gray, dusty hair, and eight spindly legs. He has a man’s head: pale, bald, and toothless.

1 Eating a cellar grub, grimacing. 2 Patching a hole in his web. 3 Checking inventory on shelves.

4 Replacing an old, fraying cable. 5 Snoring gently on his web. 6 Talking to the jar.

Digestive Fluid — Causes the Condition Burned by Acid as his vomit begins to liquify your flesh. Webbing — While stuck to his web, he coats you with even more webbing, immobilizing you. This counts as being removed from combat and you must give your Weak Point to another treasure-hunter. weakness — Distracted by fragrant foods

A lumpy, sexless, light-purple biped with tiny black eyes and nostrils, and a wide, lipless maw.

1 Mewling pitifully. 2 Loping and teetering. 3 Groping for something to eat.

4 Sniffing the air. 5 Spitting up pickle juice. 6 Staring at its own hand.

Swallow — It descends upon you, angling to swallow you whole and gum you on the way down. Smash — Causes the Condition Dazed as it lands a heavy hit when it flails petulantly, lashing out with meaty forearms.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 4, page 162 0 THE CLIMB — TO 5, page 158

5 THE CATACOMBS BOTH ENDLESS & NAMELESS (if unlocked), page 222

Layer 4 • The Root Cellar • 215

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PICKLED GIANT

The Senatorial Chambers

Senators denied there was any danger to ruling from the surface. Nevertheless, when threats came to the over-world, pre-built mechanisms dropped the senatorial chambers deep into the earth in order to preserve the government. This is the amphitheater-shaped chamber where the senator-mummies made laws to present to the monarchs for ratification, even after the descent. The scene looks like a vicious senate session frozen mid-scream. One mummified senator, covered in the gold and jewel badges of office befitting the Lord of Majority, leans against the rostrum before the senate and under the throne, as if interred mid-session. goals

Take the senators’ treasures without awakening them. Find the mechanism that will raise the chambers back to the surface. note — This allows direct access to 0 the ruins at the heart of the forest by filling the “bottomless pit” trap in the Old Grove Shrine Prop. A jawbone falls off a senator-mummy’s skull.

moments

Papers rustle off a desk as you walk by. The whispers of the last argument in a crude form of the Kalduhri tongue.

props

traps

The Throne. Forged from the melted coins of a thousand civilizations decimated by Imperial Kalduhr, the throne is above the amphitheater. Old Kalduhri kings and queens would watch the debates. If someone sits on the throne and declares themself the ruling monarch of Old Kalduhr in the ancient Kalduhri tongue, the senators will stop, bow, and pay heed.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Sarcophagus-Desks. 67 desks—now tombs—where the senators legislated their fell policies.

216 · Layer 4 • The Senatorial Chambers

treasures The throne is worth more gold than the treasure-hunters have ever seen, but it weighs nearly a ton. If the treasure-hunters have tools and wish to risk chipping away at it, roll 2 light dice and take the lower in Gold for the value of raw material of ancient coins recovered.

Seated at each desk is a senator-mummy, which will only move and attack if the Lord of Majority falls.

If the treasure-hunters do a quick search of the desks, they find treasure worth 1 Gold. If the treasure-hunters do a thorough search of the desks, roll 3 light dice, using the highest single die for the value in Gold of treasure they find.

props

traps

treasures

The Lord of Majority. At a raised rostrum sits the Lord of Majority, moldering and decomposing as if they might fall apart at any moment, only held up by their gold ornaments that make them look like a turtle in a bejeweled shell.

If the Lord of Majority falls, then his spell, holding back the rest of the senator-mummies in a kind of mystical filibuster, will be dispelled and the party will be attacked by them.

The treasures are gold coins from the many civilizations plundered by Old Kalduhr, ancient icons of lost Sisters, and jewlery of peoples lost to Kalduhri genocide.

First the senator-mummies will form up into committees of about five to nine—always odd numbers—and then the committees will blend into a vicious swarm. additional traps If a treasure-hunter sits on the throne, Old Kalduhr will attempt to get its hold on them. It will require a risk roll to get up and leave as they have waking dreams of what an empire under their rule would look like. SENATOR-MUMMY

weaknesses — Fire; moisture

The bureaucratic nightmare of Old Kalduhr, wrapped in fine, if flammable, parchment bandages.

1 Attacking the Lord of Majority with hisses. 4 Campaigning at treasure-hunters to secure votes. 2 Ripping treasure and jewelry away from one another. 5 Breaking quorum by closing their sarcophagus lids. 3 Leaving to find other areas to gain dominion over. 6 Swarming together to kill interlopers. Committee and Quorum — Forming into groups increases their Endurance: a committee of an odd number of three or greater has 8 Endurance, while a quorum of nine or more has 12 Endurance. Bureaucratic Processing — A group of three that agree with one another will isolate and begin mummifying you, causing the Condition Missing Organs.

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4 Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 4, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 5, page 158 Layer 4 • The Senatorial Chambers • 217

The Calcitic Trephine

Hidden deep in the heart of the Catacombs Both Endless and Nameless lies a massive bore shaft, the diameter of a castle tower, extending upwards through the rock as far as the eye can see. The walls are roughly carved and covered in short, vertical gouges reminiscent of claw marks, as if the whole thing was dug by hand. Veins of glittering ore and precious gemstones—oddly untouched—are visible in spots along the wall. Dozens of dark openings honeycomb the shaft, each with an odd looking ladder hanging from it. Some distance below, the ladders merge into a huge, conical web stretching across the width of the shaft, forming a sloping floor. Suspended in the center of this web, dangling above a bottomless abyss, is an ornately carved cylindrical mausoleum. Evenly spaced around the structure’s exterior are three huge, horizontal struts, the ends of which disappear into the darkness. goal

Hear the words of the skulls in the mausoleum. A thick layer of dust covers everything, the marks of recent passage clearly visible. A bone crumbles to dust at a touch, revealing a strange, metallic rod at its core. A strata of black shale, imprints of shells never before seen, scattered throughout.

moments

A mummified limb, the skin like leather, completely intact but devoid of all its bones. A poorly secured item falls down the shaft — there is no sound of it ever hitting bottom.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

A repeating sequence of carved lines, oddly familiar, but indecipherable.

props

traps

treasures

The Warrens. Dozens of small, winding tunnels branch off the central shaft, leading in all directions to unknown destinations. Like the larger tunnel, each is perfectly round yet roughly hewn, with grooves worn into the floor from the passage of countless feet. Only four feet in diameter, treasure-hunters will either have to stoop uncomfortably or crawl on hands and knees to explore them. The tunnels merge and break off from each other seemingly at random, making them very difficult to navigate.

Corpse-collectors patrol the warrens and clamber across the bone-lattice, constantly searching for corpses to bring back to the processing center.

Some openings lie close to veins of valuable ore. It is possible an even larger vein is further inside the tunnel.

CORPSE-COLLECTOR

weaknesses — Blunt weapons

A shiny chrome equine skeleton, the size of a pony, with grasping hands instead of hooves, a rib cage packed with gurgling intestines, and a row of human skulls.

1 Surveying the area, clawed hands and feet tapping. 4 Stuffing a corpse into its body to transport. 2 Clambering deftly across the bone-lattice. 5 Holding still and hissing from wide bony jaws. 3 Slinking to a tunnel in search of dead flesh. 6 Overfilling with fresh “building materials.” Bile — The corpse-collector vomits a spray of caustic stomach acid through the skulls along its neck, melting any organic matter other than bone and causing the Condition Bile Burn. 218 · Layer 5 • The Calcitic Trephine

props

traps

treasures

The Bone-Lattice. Dangling from each side tunnel is a ladder made of fused limb bones, each anchored in place by a pair of skeletal hands gripping the edge of the rock. As the treasure-hunters descend towards the bottom of the shaft, the ladders become so numerous the entire wall seems covered in horizontal bones. The funnel-shaped web stretching across the shaft is likewise made of countless limb bones, fused and melted together at the ends to form an open lattice. A treasure-hunter standing at the center of the bone-lattice can easily climb up to any of the side tunnels, though at higher levels getting from one ladder to another means climbing back down, a horizontal climb across the shaft wall, or jumping. The material is a dull, leaden gray, impossibly hard and cold to the touch, more like metal than bone.

The bone-lattice is not difficult to traverse, but the openings between them are large and many bones have been worn smooth by centuries of passing skeletal hands. A careless treasure-hunter could slip, and unless they are directly over a support strut, there is nothing but an infinite abyss below them.

Some bones along the lattice are ancient giant bones, valuable to scholars.

The Mausoleum Exterior. Dangling from the underside of the bone-lattice like a spider at the center of its web is a three-story-high cylindrical mausoleum. In the center of the roof, a round stone platform easily reached from the bone-lattice, is an enormous skull carved in high relief, each eye socket a gaping hole large enough for a person to pass through. Around the exterior of the building are ornately carved columns and arches in an architectural style not seen on the surface in ages. Twelve narrow windows, just wide enough for a treasure-hunter to squeeze through, are set between the columns on each floor of the structure. Countless bright silver skeletal arms are completely covering the conical roof; the hands and fingers twitch in synchronized motion like the flagella of a giant bacterium.

The silver skeleton hands covering the roof are not sentient, but are pressure sensitive. They latch onto anything they touch, quickly transferring the object from hand to hand away from the apex of the roof. Unless they move quickly, a treasure hunter caught in their grip will be flung from the mausoleum.

The dull gray bones making up the bone-lattice and support struts are incredibly strong but extremely old. Some have been worn nearly through and might snap if a heavily laden treasure-hunter steps on them. Removing a bone is possible, but is a noisy, labor-intensive procedure that may destabilize whole sections of the structure. Uncut gems are wedged between the skeletal arms.

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props

traps

The Support Struts. Three massive, equidistantly spaced columns of fused bones extend horizontally from the mausoleum’s second floor. Each strut is large enough for a treasure-hunter to walk on where they join the building; each slowly tapers to the width of a single bone at their farthest point, nearly a half day's journey by foot. Two of the struts have nearly reached the cavern walls, while the third hangs over an empty abyss. What do you suspect will happen once all three struts are connected to a wall, and why are you positive that must not happen?

Weavers scuttle along the three support struts, affixing new material to the ends.

The Processing Center. The top two floors of the mausoleum, accessed by climbing through the eyeholes of the skull on the roof, are given over to storage and processing. Twelve great glass cylinders full of digestive bile and corpses in various states of decomposition take up much of the space of the first floor. Once stripped of flesh, the bones are skimmed from the surface of the vats and carried to the second floor via a staircase along the wall. Here they are sorted and stored before being infused with nechrome. What would happen if one of those glass cylinders shattered?

The Flesh-Stripper resides in the processing center, tending to the vats of digestive fluids, hauling cleaned bones to the store rooms, and disposing of unused organic material.

The Nechrome Fountain. The bottom floor of the structure is a single, immense chamber, the walls of which are covered from floor to ceiling with gaping silver skulls of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions. A circular stone basin containing a thick, metallic liquid sits in the center of the floor. Above the basin, suspended in mid air, hangs a gyroscope-like artifact. Its three golden rings revolve about a fist-sized spherical hole in reality. Drops of metallic liquid drip slowly from the hole into the basin, the sound echoing throughout the room.

The Nechromancer exerts control over their undead servants from the nechrome fountain.

220 · Layer 5 • The Calcitic Trephine

treasures

Skulls call out to the treasurehunters, promising awful knowledge in exchange for being removed from the mausoleum. The skulls have been preserved to retain the knowledge they possessed in life. The firsthand accounts of ages long past would be worth a fortune to historians. Nechrome, a substance resembling quicksilver, would be very valuable to alchemists and scholars. It can be collected from the Nechromancer’s fountain, or scraped from any of the fresher (still silver) bones throughout the area. The substance infuses any natural bone it comes into contact with, transmuting it into an organic metal. Transformed bones violently repulse living flesh.

additional treasures Precious ores along the shaft walls; uncut gemstones wedged into the masoleum’s surface, coins, jewelry, and other metal trinkets from dissolved corpses. WEAVER

weakness — Blunt weapons

An eight-legged insectile thing about the size of a dog, made from an assortment of silver ribs, vertebrae, and multiple skulls. Its abdomen resembles a basket, the loose bones inside clattering noisily as it scuttles about.

1 Hanging under a support strut. 2 Squeezing into a mausoleum window. 3 Setting a new bone into the structure.

4 Loading fresh bones into its hollow abdomen. 5 Clicking its mandibles in a parody of language. 6 Scuttling down a support strut.

All Seeing — The numerous skulls around the weaver’s body give it perfect 360 degree vision, making it impossible to surprise.

THE FLESH-STRIPPER

weakness — The stitches attaching the muscle to its skeletal frame

An eight-foot tall humanoid figure clumsily stitched together from multiple corpses. Its four enormous arms end in dozens of shiny bright skeletal fingers. A sickly green flame engulfs its grinning chrome skull.

1 Dumping a body into a vat of bubbling green liquid. 4 Skimming cleaned bones from the surface of a vat. 2 Stitching more parts onto its massive frame. 5 Meticulously sorting bones by size and shape. 3 Harvesting gathered flesh from a corpse-collector. 6 Carrying a batch of bones down to the Nechromancer. Restrain — Once caught in the flesh-stripper’s grip, its skeletal fingers are nearly impossible to escape from.

THE NECHROMANCER

weakness — Damaging the fountain or skulls along the wall

A tall, metallic skeleton adorned with a crackling crown of black fire. The silver glyphs embroidered along the hem of its high-collared black robe are painful to look at for more than a few seconds.

1 Staring into the depths of the nechrome fountain. 4 Loading material onto a weaver’s abdomen. 2 Conversing silently with silver skulls on the wall. 5 Absently tracing a glyph on its robe. 3 Assembling another skeletal minion. 6 Examining a particularly fine bone.

Where to from here? NAMELESS, page 222 5 THE CATACOMBS BOTH ENDLESS & NAMELESS,

Layer 5 • The Calcitic Trephine • 221

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Necrotic Bolts — The Nechromancer hurls bolts of black fire that wither limbs, disrupt organs, and putrefy flesh, causing the Condition Necrotic Rot. Raise Corpse — Any freshly dead nearby—including treasure-hunters—come to life, increasing the Nechromancer’s Endurance to 12. Metal Mode — The first time you defeat the Nechromancer by meeting or exceeding his Endurance, describe how you defeat him. After this, the nechrome fountain flows into the air and onto the ground, covering the Nechromancer’s remains until a solid mirror-polished Nechromancer rises with shiny blade arms (10 Endurance). Resume combat at the current round. Heavy Metal — Metal Mode only. You are filled with nechrome which hardens inside you, stiffening and weighing you down, causing the Condition Metal Bones. Razor-Sharp Arms — Metal Mode only. The Nechromancer’s arms are impossibly sharp and ignore cloth, wood, or hide-based armors.

The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless

Despite a maelstrom of rutting, breeding, and expansion— endless, hungry expansion—since the fall of Old Kalduhr, there are more dead belonging to the old world than there are living now. Those that live above fear the dead, because they bring disease and rats and the reminder of their own mortality, but in Old Kalduhr they knew a greater fear and a greater truth: the dead hate the living. Armed with this terrible knowledge, the living of Old Kalduhr kept their dead in a single location: the Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless. This place is a series of winding and geometrically improbable tunnels, memorials, tombs, and mass graves that seem to stretch on to eternity, and perhaps do. If the dead were all in one place, at least the living knew which direction to watch. They began building in a respectful way, degraded to a more pragmatic approach part way through, and finally ended the construction with bare bones work, literally. But the strange shape of the tunnels means they are not experienced in this order. To stop the dead from escaping again after the dreaded and whispered events of The Harrowing, a great curse was placed on the catacombs so that once entered, they could never be left. All passages and rooms here connect to each other but never the world outside of themselves, in a metaphysical moebius strip. Bahith ie Haki, an profane and blasphemous mathematician, entered the catacombs willingly to observe their absurd geometry and came up with an occult equation that would allow navigation of the place. He succumbed to starvation before he could test his theory. goal

Solve the equation of the famed lost mathematician Bahith ie Haki and find the suspended mausoleum. note — This allows direct access to 5 the calcitic trephine and is the only way to access this Set. The glint of treasure behind the bars of a vault-tomb in the early works.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

moments

A sudden wind inexplicably rushes down a long corridor built entirely from skulls in the final works. The wind whistles through their mouths and eye sockets. A member of the Lost huddling in a corner of a plastered tomb in the middle works, having a one-sided conversation with the corpse of one of his comrades. He also seems to be chewing on the corpse’s severed arm.

222 · Layer 5 • The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Layer 5 • The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless • 223

props

traps

treasures

Early Works. The catacombs began as a beautiful tribute to the dead, a vain attempt to flatter them and keep them docile, with beautiful gilded archways and frescos celebrating their deeds.

There are boobytraps amongst the richer vaults to prevent looting, including slicing pendulous plades, floors which collapse into pits full of sharpened and splintered femurs, and the skulls of some forgotten giant species lodged in the ceiling that will swoop down and bisect the unwary with their fist sized teeth.

Rich inhabitants were often buried with their fortunes in an attempt by the living to placate them and prevent them from returning. Treasure-hunters can retrieve up to 5 Gold worth of riches each, but for each Gold they recover, they risk triggering a trap.

The treasure-hunters enter a room that they’re sure they’ve been in before, except everything here is reversed, including, if they try to speak, their own voices.

A nearly useless collection of treasures assembled by the Lost. One piece is the exception, worth 1 Gold. What is it?

A wealthy man has been buried in a private tomb within the catacombs, much of his wealth melted down to decorate the room, which is strewn with jewelled portraits of him and solid golden furniture. He sits atop a golden throne stained by his own decay. The skeletons of his entourage lie strewn around the floor in various positions of agony, having apparently been buried alive with him. Middle Works. It was not long before resources began to run low, and the living began to covet such ostenations for themselves. When the catacombs needed extending, they were built in plain plaster and stone.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The Lost, a prior expedition of treasure-hunters who became stuck here, prowl the endlessly looping corridors and treasure vaults of the catacombs looking for an exit, and if that fails (as it will), food.

Final Works. As respect was all but forgotten and replaced only with a low dread, the endlessly extending catacombs were constructed from the bones of the dead themselves: walls made of countless skulls, ribs, spines, and other bones that are unidentifiable to modern natural philosophers.

The skulls covering the walls begin to whisper in Old Kalduhri. If anyone speaks the language, the skulls speak of their enduring and specific hate for the treasure-hunters, listing many personal details not even the hunters’ closest friends know in their barrage of insults. Bone collectors disguise themselves against walls made of skulls and spines, ready to pounce on an unwary member of the living.

224 · Layer 5 • The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless

Ancient bones of unidentified creatures, worth something to the right buyer.

additional traps The dead. So many dead. additional treasures The bejeweled journal of Bahith ie Haki contains not only the equation that will allow navigation of the catacombs (including direct access to 5 the calcitic trephine), but also hundreds of other arcane geometries. It is worth 3 Gold to the right buyer, or 1 Gold to any idiot who likes gems. weakness — Hunger

THE LOST

Other treasure-hunters who have become lost in the infinite catacombs and have resorted to cannibalism; first their comrades, then anyone else foolhardy enough to enter the tombs after them. Emaciated, with long matted hair and gore-stained mouths, they have all been driven insane by their ordeal and will attack on site.

1 Chewing meat of dubious origin. 2 Whispering, “Find the book, find escape.” 3 Giggling madly.

4 Protecting food they’ve already salvaged. 5 Sniffing out fresh meat. 6 Jealously guarding worthless treasure.

Cannibal Pact — Those of the Lost who still survive have an unspoken pact that they will eat newcomers before each other. More Lost arrive.

weakness — Crushing all the skulls

BONE COLLECTORS

Collections of random bones fused together by pure hate that have formed themselves into giant creatures with multiple skull heads, rib-cage-scythe arms, and more legs than are strictly necessary.

1 Hiding amongst the bones in the walls. 2 Scuttling along the ceilings. 3 Pulling the unwary into darkness down a tunnel.

4 Clicking their scythe arms together to communicate. 5 Chattering their teeth in a hunters’ rhythm. 6 Adding new and interesting bones to their body.

Immune to Piercing — Light and sharp weapons are useless against them as they glance off bone hardened with hatred.

THE DEAD

weakness — Showing respect for the dead

1 Marching endlessly on. 2 Speaking ancient words of hate for the living. 3 Calling other dead to battle.

4 Singing the songs of their long-passed youth. 5 Reattaching a severed body part. 6 Demanding the reverence and respect they are owed.

Reassemble — They reattach body parts and rebuild fallen comrades as necessary.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 5, page 162 0 THE CLIMB — TO 6, page 158

5 THE CALCITIC TREPHINE (if unlocked), page 218

Layer 5 • The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless • 225

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The ancient Dead of Old Khaldur in all forms: animated skeletons in golden armor; mummies with beautifully painted death masks hiding the decay underneath; the bulls, dogs, cats, and other species not yet identified that were buried with them. All dead creatures hate the living. Any treasure-hunter who falls within the walls of the catacombs may join them. The Endurance of a member of the Dead can range from 3 ( for cats) to 8 ( for bulls or warriors).

The Temple for Exaltation of Blood

This temple is a warren of small, narrow, curving passageways and large, circular, domed chambers: The Vestry, The Showers of Anima, The Initiation, and The Viscous Sepulcher. The walls are a highly grained marble: white with gray and green veins. Brass pipes run every which way. The air is warm and carries the inescapable scent of blood. goal

Prepare to enact the ritual of exaltation. note — While this is the goal, it does represent a change to the treasure-hunter that cannot be undone. It is not recommended. recommended. A nearby brass pipe shakes and groans before hissing just a tiny amount of steam.

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moments

There is a sound like a chorus of voices chanting low, indecipherable words. A scrawl of graffiti on the wall in rusted, finger-painted blood in the language of the southern deserts declares, “Garkis is the new king of Old Kalduhr!”

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The Vestry. The ceiling of this circular room is high overhead, shadows lost in the dark timbers. Heavy, spiked iron chandeliers hang low. A series of wooden cubbies line the walls of the room, many of which still contain ceremonial garb: dark green, hooded robes over maroon tunic and pants. A few cubbies still contain tiaras: thick pewter with chain veils covering the eyes.

A winged spike-beast flits about the rafters.

There are four locatable pewter tiaras here.

The Showers of Anima. The walls are rusted sheets of iron. The floor is slabs of dark granite with deep channels running to drains. There is a spiral staircase ascending to a system of catwalks overhead. Higher than that, there are seven pairs of hooks on chains. Two have their curved metal hooks suspending skeletons through the ribs. One of those bodies hangs intact; the other hangs above its shattered pelvis and leg-bones that have fallen to the floor.

There are five pairs of hooks that are animate, flesh-grabbing hooks that will attempt to hook and suspend anyone not wearing ceremonial garb, letting them bleed out over the people below.

The Initiation. The entryway to the Viscous Sepulcher goes through this room. There is a central aisle with kneeling benches on each side. Some benches have leather scourges on them, but the leather is so brittle they fall apart if touched. There is a large bronze basin just before the doors to the Viscous Sepulcher. It is currently dry, but has the dusty remnants of blood. Fresh blood added to the basin turns into an inky black liquid.

226 · Layer 5 • The Temple for Exaltation of Blood

In the basin is a richly embellished gold saucer used for pouring liquid over an initiate.

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The Viscous Sepulcher. The center of this room has an oversized throne, the seat large enough to support the sarcophagus that is in it (with its lids slid aside and open), with some room remaining. The back of the throne is a complex assemblage of pipes which sometimes release steam in a musical blast that sounds like voices chanting. Flanking the entry doorway are mirrored stone sculptures. Each has a man kneeling with an upturned face in an expression of agony. The necks of these statues are grotesquely bulging and the mouths are pushed open well beyond their natural limits. A scaled and horned—but beatific—humanoid figure is pulling itself out of each mouth. On the ground in front of the sarcophagus is a skeleton, the ribs and jawbone broken and widened. It is wearing ceremonial garb. additional traps Burst steam vents; slick floors. WINGED SPIKE-BEAST

weakness — Its hollow bones

This humanoid creature has a cat-like face and flesh pulled tight over its bones. Its fingers end in bony talons and spikes emerge from every joint. It walks in a hunched-over position and uses its well-muscled legs to leap beyond human limits. Its wings are too small to allow for flight, but they do enhance its jumping and gliding abilities.

1 Sharpening its talons on stone. 4 Licking and cleaning its talons and spikes. 2 Throwing a bone into the air and catching it again. 5 Playing with its food. 3 Hissing like a cat at possible prey. 6 Sleeping against hot steam pipes. Fleet of Foot & Wing — Unless it is restrained, the beast can only be harmed by ranged attacks or Rituals. ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

ENACTING THE RITUAL To enact the ritual, the treasure-hunters will have to be Blooded. They gain this Condition if they are showered in blood from a suspended body in the Showers of Anima, or if they pour fresh blood into the basin in the Initiation and then pour it over themselves. It cannot be their own blood. A Blooded treasure-hunter who is placed in the sarcophagus overnight will awaken to find themselves encased in their own flesh, having to pull themselves out of their own body (as the sculptures in the sepulcher illustrate). The treasure-hunter will be lost, automatically marking 6 Ruin and having transformed into a scale-bodied, horned being.

Where to from here? 0 THE STREETS — TO 5, page 162

0 THE CLIMB — TO 6, page 158 Layer 5 • The Temple for Exaltation of Blood • 227

The Caustic Chords of the Madwood

Ancient residents of Old Kalduhr tunneled their way to a vast cavern seemingly covered with a forest. The innumerable trees of this “Many Wood” had bark unlike anything the people had seen: reflective, mirrored wood in all manner of colors. As they hacked and hewed the trees, they failed to realize the Many Wood was in fact the hackles of an old creature. Offspring of this entity began to rise up from below. These children made themselves look like people and began to replenish the lost mirrorwood hackles, making the Many Wood whole again. A small war ensued between these creatures and the people of Old Kalduhr. In the end, the Madwood beneath the surface got its revenge. Though much time has passed, the Madwood is quick to bristle and send its spawn after trespassers. goal

moments

Discover the location of the Caustic Chords and gain the favor of the old creature that lives beneath the surface. Shimmering specks of dust float in the air. When they settle, they are nearly impossible to remove, but do provide a gentle glow, making it easier to find your way.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The ground under your feet rumbles. Did the trees in the distance just straighten themselves? props

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Entrance Tunnel. A stone passage appears damaged and covered in thick mirrorwood tinted with a white to black gradient. The mirrorwood is shaped like fingers which are at the edge of the stone tunnel as if halted by an unknown force. Deeper, the wood grows thicker, subsuming the stone passage entirely. A heavy, hinged door crafted of condensed mirrorwood is at the end of the tunnel.

A warden (snake) from 1 the orphan’s villa approaches from one end of the tunnel (see that Set for monster details).

A milk-white whistle whittled from the tree which was used to forge the entry doors. When blown within the confines of the cavern, the entry door shines so brightly it may be seen from anywhere.

The Many Wood. An endless forest of trees made of desirable, reflective materials. Above, an expansive roof of black hangs over the tops of the trees. Luminescent minerals in the soil cast wan light that is captured, then reflected in the shimmering expanse above. It transforms the forest into a natural maze. Everywhere is gleaming, shining, and shimmering. The smell of fertile earth hides the smell of a pungent oil below. When line-of-sight to the entry door is broken it ebbs into the darkness, difficult to find again.

When the Madwood suspects harm, its hackles (tree trunks) immediately rise beyond the current horizon, stretching out endlessly. The glow of them looks like stars overhead.

The luminescent earth can be rubbed on most anything, the particulates sticking to all but the smoothest surface. It takes to the pores of animals very well. It will glow, illuminating everything within five feet.

Mirrorwood dust can infect a treasure-hunter—flesh, bone, and blood gradually turns into the shimmering substance.

228 · Layer 6 • The Caustic Chords of the Madwood

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Hillocks. To traverse to a hillock, one stares into the reflective surfaces of a tree. Should they be observant enough, they will notice a few trees missing from the reflection. If the location of the missing trees is pursued, treasure-hunters will find hillocks. They are old things left behind, sometimes stumps left to fester, other times something more strange. The sick mirrorwood that covers a hillock is dull, foggy, unpolished. The surface of the hillock reacts to specific vibrations and frequencies: metallic, high pitched shouts, a rhythmic song, etc. The right one may cause a hillock to open invitingly.

The noises may draw unwanted attention.

Inside the opening of a hillock is something once human, impaled on all sides by razorlike hairs that have erupted from within. The person is not dead (though they should be). The hairs puppet them, making the mouth work. A treasure-hunter may ask one question of them, which will be answered truthfully. Afterward, the hairs envelope and consume them, constricting, writhing, knotting them with incredible force until a diamond worth 2 Gold remains.

The Ritual Site. A place charged and important. Teeth-shaped boulders of mirrorwood of various shapes erupt from the ground to form an irregular maw. Propped against some of the rocks are old, yet serviceable tools used to sculpt them. The ground, particularly at the center of the ritual site, stinks of compost.

Old particulates in the air, from when the rocks were last disturbed; the particulates are flammable because of compost gasses mixing with them.

A sheathed blade made of condensed, jet-black mirrorwood. The monsters of the Madwood are blinded if they look at it.

Should the Madwood’s hackles be up, the rocks almost match a constellation in the “sky” directly above. Should the position and shape of the rocks be changed to match completely, the old creature will be pleased.

If agitated, the compost area in the center of the site may suffer a void collapse, consuming the earth and anything unfortunate enough to be in that area.

The orange-white mirror treasure could reflect the stars when positioned correctly to aid in the task as well. When the wood is angry, its hackles raise, pushing the ceiling and the landing area much, much higher. Treasure-hunters may discover mid-flight that there are mirrorfruit reflecting light around them. Consuming a mirrorfruit will make the treasure-hunter fall back down to the ground at a safe speed. Anyone who consumes mirrorfruit will have the Condition Black and White Vision for several days.

The “solid air” that treasurehunters land on at the top of a geyser can be collected in any bag. When returned to a more natural ground and expelled, it hangs there, suspending anything placed within it.

Layer 6 • The Caustic Chords of the Madwood • 229

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Geyser. A cavernous murk which erupts air with dependable timing. Any dust or floating debris shoots up, never to return downward. Instead, it hangs in the air at the unnatural horizon where the treetops are. Any living creature who ventures into the geyser similarly shoots up, landing inverted, their feet planted firmly, seemingly on nothing more than air.

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The Copse. A grouping of iridescent trees about fifty feet wide stands out from the Many Wood. The trees are impervious to any type of damage. The grouping of trees is surrounded by globules of water which pebble the ground. The ground inside of the grouping of trees resembles smooth muscle fibers. The fibers contract with pressure, such as a foot fall. Ringlets of multi-colored pigments saturate the fibers, producing a starburst pattern of intricate colors.

If any of the globules of water is disturbed, they will group together, creating a deep moat that rapidly rusts all metals.

Should anyone take the humanoid’s place and accept a drop of the substance into their own eye, the pigment on the ground will change to correspond to their own eye and iris, and the old creature below the Madwood gains access to the sight of that eye. Any infection of mirrorwood anywhere in their body recedes with each drop they take into their eye. The old creature is pleased.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

At the center of the ringlets is a space of pure blackness. A stiff tube the width of two fingers dangles down from the sky. Below the tube rests a strange humanoid. Half of their body is covered in a creeping mirrorwood. From time to time, a droplet falls from the tube into the humanoid’s eye and the pigment within the fibers on the ground become vivid and eccentric; the progress of the mirrorwood infection has begun in the other half of the person’s body but recedes with each drop from the tube. The infection continues and is pushed back, endlessly. The Caustic Chords. The more the old creature is pleased, the more the treasure-hunters are able to see the Caustic Chords, hidden in plain sight all around. So long as the hackles are not raised, ivory-like cords, no more than fist-width, mate the horizon with the earth. They sway in a breezeless wind. All nearby sound eventually meanders to and is eventually drained by the cords. When disturbed, the cords thrum and hum, making sound.

The Caustic Chords are a musical instrument and may be played. Some notes please the old creature below; some notes displease it. It is the only way to communicate with the creature (see Playing the Caustic Chords on the next page). When the chords are struck, sound and light burst forth. Rose-red amaranth, malachite green, gamboge yellow, vivid red-pink, and arsenic dark gray-blue light the sky with each pluck or strum. The chords are corrosive and burn living tissue. Care needs to be taken to pluck and manipulate them.

6 additional treasures A small pool of oil, upon which sits a floating mirror of orange-white gradient mirrorwood glass surrounded by a hardened mud frame. It reflects a time of ages past in its surface. 230 · Layer 6 • The Caustic Chords of the Madwood

THE SHORN

weakness — Weak points exposed by cracks in the mirrorwood body

The white blood cells of the old creature. They may have the likeness of anyone who has gazed into the white doors at the entry. They are composed of oil and reflective mirrorwood.

1 Standing at the tops of trees, listening. 2 Spreading mirrorwood on unaffected areas. 3 Tilling the earth in search of nurturing oil.

4 Breaking off pieces of themselves to use as seeds. 5 Staring at their reflection, trying to remember. 6 Rubbing oil on wood to make sound and communicate.

Mirror Cuts — Causes the Condition Mirrorwood Infection when the creature scrapes, claws, bites, or pierces you.

PLAYING THE CAUSTIC CHORDS When you attempt to please the old one by playing the Caustic Chords, gather dice.

6 Start with one dark die. 6 Add one light die if you have pleased the creature at the Ritual Site. 6 Add one light die if you have pleased the creature at the Copse. 6 Add one light die if you accept a Devil’s Bargain. Roll the dice. If the highest die is a: 1–3: You fail to please the old one and things get worse: the gm will tell you how. 4–5: Your song pleases and agitates the old one. You may ask for a boon, but also suffer from a bane. 6: Your song pleases the old one and you may ask for a boon. boon — Pleasing the old one allows you to ask for a boon, such as: • The ability to know exactly where one is located when looking up at stars. • Being granted safe passage from the Madwood to any other Set in Old Kalduhr. • Remove any Mirrorwood Infection or similar Condition.

bane — Agitating the old one causes one or more of the following: • The Shorn or other monsters are summoned to exterminate the treasure-hunters.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

• Be assigned two of the Shorn as bodyguards.

• A reply from the creature that drives a person to some degree of madness. • All means of egress from the Madwood are obscured.

• The creature makes unreasonable demands.

Where to from here? GROUNDS, page 232 6 THE HOLLOW HUNTING GROUNDS,

Layer 6 • The Caustic Chords of the Madwood • 231

The Hollow Hunting Grounds

When the Heirs of Naganeh carved their way down into the earth’s breast, the forest of Old Kalduhr pursued. Roots sunk deep like searching hands and cracked their stone shells, seeking to strangle their foes in their underearth mangers. In countersuit, the Heirs unleashed their most debased and inbred offspring: massive, eyeless serpents to suckle on Old Kalduhr’s hateful milksap, to drink that well dry. Now the taproots have withered away and the nibbling serpents slumber in the soil, glutted on scorn, lazily leaving their mouths open and waiting for any hapless treasure-hunters to wander through the hollow knotwork of tunnels. goal

Find an undiscovered route from one section to another. Fumes, smelling of bacon and tar, cause torches to burn unearthly red. A softly glowing patch of mushrooms runs along the wall. They sing like tiny bells when touched.

moments

The tunnel walls turn a ghostly shade and the soft loam is replaced by the rattle of crumpled paper. The tunnel dead-ends once more with a smooth wall of stone.

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ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

The Clutches. Hoards of oblong, leathery sacks rest at the burrowed crossroads. When warm bodies and open flames draw close, the whole nest spasms and the gestating serpents strain against their pliable cages. The Rancorous Wellspring. From the heart of the Kalduhr forest to these very depths, the oldest oak stands, bleeding the forest’s hate into the surrounding soil. In the maze-like tunnels beneath, treasure-hunters can find its central root like a pillar plunging through floor and ceiling. The lowest levels slowly fill with viscous, chalky sap. Drinking the undiluted excretion makes the body whole with woody fibers but instills a deep, undirected fury at those nearest.

treasures The remains of even the most debased snake men have value to sorcerers and cultists. Here are snake molts and amniotic fluid from eggs.

Deep hogs fill the tunnel, snuffling up every morsel from every surface.

Alchemists will pay handsomely for Old Kahldur’s Rancor, the syrupy cream drowning the darkest depths. Sunlight spoils it, so tinted glass is good, but a clay vessel is best.

additional traps Falling through the floor into lower tunnels; stepping into a deep hog’s invisible body. Breathing in a cloud of hallucinogenic spores.

Following a light to the back of a nibbler at the root’s serpent-maw. Pushed, face first, into a puddle of Old Kalduhr’s excretions. Star-nosed molves ambush through the walls. The mushroom songs attracts shambling belfries and other monsters. additional treasures Mementos of the lost, confirming their fate; clouds of singing spores; withered wood from the forest’s oldest growth; a tunnel to the surface. 232 · Layer 6 • The Hollow Hunting Grounds

DEEP HOG

weakness — Salt

Shuffling translucent blobs with cornucopias of tentacles and scalpel teeth, nearly invisible save for the remains of their last meal. They give off caustic fumes.

1 Stripping layers from a corpse from top to bottom. 4 Rubbing against clusters of singing mushrooms. 2 Budding off a new generation of deep hogs. 5 Wriggling all the feeding tentacles and fangs. 3 Causing a digested skeleton to shamble inside. 6 Bunching up before lunging in an enormous tackle. Engulf — The deep hog heaves its bulk into a threat and pops them into its stomach-body. Stress speeds the digestive process. Split — Sharp edges and blunt trauma cause the deep hog to divide at no cost to itself. SHAMBLING BELFRIES

weakness — Vinegar

Lost treasure-hunters with mushroom choirs growing from every wound, strung together by ropy fibers. A faint glow halos them. When they bump into each other, the mushrooms all sing in chorus. They smell of damp earth.

1 Metallic glints of playful knife work across different bodies. Shallow cuts swiftly fill with luminescent mushrooms. 2 Kneeling around a figure missing the top of their head. A large cap balloons outward and leads the others in hymns. 3 Sharp ends from tangled spears protrude through their guts at odd angles. 4 Idly picking at their slimy flesh, peeling like strips of papier mache. 5 Dragging their dead members behind them, extremities and limbs slough off in a trail. 6 Rhythmically stomping for their mushrooms to sing along with. Double Team — One hacks into the hunters they encounter and another belches spore clouds in the wound. Causes the Condition Spore Sickness as fleshy roots quickly dig in and wrap around bone inside your body. NIBBLER AT THE ROOT

weakness — The soft underjaw

An enormous eyeless serpent with a torch-glowing uvula, lying in wait with its pitch-black mouth open, snapping shut as soon as something steps inside. It smells like old books.

1 Luring with open mouth and glowing throat. 2 Blocking a tunnel intersection with its girth. 3 Latching onto the Rancorous Wellspring.

4 Consuming a new meal, loudly. 5 Dividing treasure-hunters up with its body. 6 Puking out stomach acid and Old Kalduhr’s Rancor.

Shear — Ignores standard metal, fabric, and hide armors as the nibbler’s bite is undeniably powerful. Standard armors are feeble defense against a beast so large. weakness — Fear of axes

Loping lupine shadows, fuligin maned, root fleshed, and cream blooded. Packs scrabble up from the Rancorous Wellspring. An eyeless, spear-shaped snout bursts into a bouquet of feelers and flowers just above sharp teeth. They have never known the sword, though they remember the axe’s bite.

1 Rolling in a puddle of Old Kalduhr’s Rancor. 2 Lunging for fingers, hamstrings, and genitals. 3 Clinging to the ceilings.

4 Playfighting with one another. 5 Running swiftly past, knocking someone over. 6 Turning tiny sunflowers toward torchlight.

Shred—Causes the Condition Deep Wound as the molve’s lean jaws lined with saw-blade teeth quickly tear through thick hide and soft tissue with little pause.

Where to from here? MADWOOD, page 228 6 THE CAUSTIC CHORDS OF THE MADWOOD, KALDUHR, page 234 6 THE LAST PEOPLE OF OLD KALDUHR,

0 THE CLIMB — TO 5, page 158

Layer 6 • The Hollow Hunting Grounds • 233

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STAR-NOSED MOLVES

The Last People of Old Kalduhr

Deep under Old Kalduhr is a fragment of the memories of the Last People. It manifests as a labyrinthine cave in golden-brown tones, with giant roots hanging from the ceiling. The cave contains memories of pain, guilt, and self-disgust from the Last People of Old Kalduhr. Their fading hope, their painful self-disgust, dominates everything and might soon overwhelm the treasure-hunters. These are the last hours of the people of Old Kalduhr, endlessly repeated. To escape this fragmented reality, one needs to uncover the secret those last inhabitants of Old Kalduhr carry with them. Open your heart if you are ready to embrace the suffering. goal

Uncover the secret of the Last People. Memories of a world that was beautiful. Sudden flickering images between entangled roots show giant buildings, laughing children, and golden leaves slowly falling from a sky glowing in warmth. Musings on the meaning of madness. Walking grows challenging on ground all made of slowlymoving roots.

moments

Everybody thinks of who they are losing. Whispering ghost lights fly around in search of something. What has been missing in your own life all these years? Fear for the children’s safety. The whole labyrinth seems to be breathing in. A sudden flash through your mind: a memory about happiness in your childhood, and danger

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

Everyone hides. A shadow is rushing past, humanoid in shape, on the run, climbing into a crack, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Why does this feel familiar to you? props

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The Labyrinth Corridors and Chambers. This twisted place is filled with sense images and physical manifestations. Roots bent in humanoid shapes, cowered together. One hides something in the lap. There, a hollow root, like a hole in the ground, induces the feeling and wish of getting sucked in. All at once, a tall and beautiful flower, covered in brown dust. The flower shakes the dust off and shows its magnificent beauty, opening new buds, then starting to cry like a child left alone, sweating blood, dust trickling from the ceiling, covering the flower again. The labyrinth leads to and is the land between the Lakeshore, the Corpse Mill, and, at the center, the Tree Below.

The hollow root is a bottomless pit into non-existence: anything that goes in will never come out.

An item hidden within the humanoid-looking roots is a personal item of a treasure-hunter which they had long forgotten about. It was relevant on a day of personal guilt. What is it?

A root from the ceiling will form into the shape of the one lost down the hollow root pit. The Mycelium of Forgiveness spreads as a thick white net on the ground.

234 · Layer 6 • The Last People of Old Kalduhr

When something is dropped into the hollow root in the ground, a root from the ceiling will change to its shape, made out of a wood richer looking than mahogany.

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The Lakeshore. A little rowboat at the shore of a lake, the wider surface of which is hidden by a fog of brown dust and roots from the low ceiling. Above, two thick roots turn out to be eyelids. When they open, a giant’s eye appears and looks around slowly, then weeps. The tears, first crystal clear, turn muddy-gray when they touch the ground; they quickly fill the lake to overflowing.

When the water is higher than a man, the boat dissolves into small, thin roots which will reform under the water. The water will recede to its starting level in less than two hours.

A giant’s tears are surely valuable, if you can store them, transport them, and convince the buyer it's not just salt water. The tears drive away bad spirits when consumed. When dropped into someone’s eye, it lets them briefly see the world from an immortal giant’s perspective.

The Corpse Mill. A transparent, intestinal root hangs from the ceiling. In the root, slowly moving downwards, one can see corpses from the most fantastical creatures imaginable. They are spewed out at the bottom. Due to the processing in the roots, nothing but slime is left, oozing into the ground. The walls are covered in giant knot holes the size of double doors.

The knotholes will swallow careless wanderers. Whoever falls into them needs to be freed again, usually by brute force strong enough to break wood, but careful so as not to harm the trapped individual. Inside the knothole, roots fuse with the person and grant visions of the collapse of Old Kalduhr. This is the best way to get closer to the truth of what happened to the Last People.

The Tree Below. In the center of the labyrinth stands a titanic old tree. Golden leaves, driven by a powerful cyclone, swirl around it. Surviving the gale force winds and entering the trunk through one of its openings leads to a scene of peace and happiness: a green forest with translucent spirit versions of Kalduhri children playing between the trees. An elderly person, the Mage of Old Kalduhr, walks among the children, giving them water to slake their thirst. The children die a peaceful death, one by one, as the Mage watches.

The Mage of Old Kalduhr stops anyone who wants to leave.

The fastest way out of the labyrinth from here is through a portal laid in the grass of the green forest. The Mage has the key.

Sudden quick growth of roots tightening the path, opening gaps, and closing exits. The labyrinth constantly grows without care for wanderers.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

additional traps

additional treasures Rare plants and types of wood, which are valuable and useful for healing, poisoning, and repairing or creating weapons.

6 THE HOLLOW HUNTING GROUNDS, page 232 Layer 6 • The Last People of Old Kalduhr • 235

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236 · Layer 6 • The Last People of Old Kalduhr

THE MYCELIUM OF FORGIVENESS

weakness — Logic traps

The Last People longed for their sins to be forgiven, but nobody was left to grant it. So they created, purposely or accidentally, the Mycelium of Forgiveness. The Mycelium itself is on the ground as a thick, white net. It enters the body with its spores through breathing. The mushrooms growing out of the Mycelium then take the shape of the most powerful authority the host of the spores imagines. That authority lives for the single purpose of revealing all sins of the host and granting them forgiveness.

1 Glowing brightly, expecting new sins to forgive. 2 Sending out spores for more victims. 3 Growing into another authority figure.

4 Demanding all sins be revealed. 5 Granting conditional forgiveness. 6 Striking fiercely for not revealing more sins.

Mimic Authority — The Mycelium gets into your mind, causing you to see and hear some authority figure, and take the Condition Hallucinating. Punish — While the authority figure is a hallucination, enemies created from memory take physical form and attack in droves. Increase Endurance by 1.

THE MAGE OF OLD KALDUHR

weaknesses — Spores from the Mycelium; tears from the giant

The Mage, living in the green forest in the Tree Below, is a translucent spirit. They have the key that grants egress from the labyrinth.

1 Bemoaning that he is mad for what he does. 2 Grieving with anyone for the end of their world. 3 Burying the children and asking for forgiveness.

4 Asking about the beauty of the surface world. 5 Arranging a grave for themself. 6 Pantomiming an agonizing death.

Command Trees — The Mage controls a living tree to attack the treasure-hunters. Increase Endurance by 2. Command Roots — The Mage commands the roots from the ground to strangle treasure-hunters. Polymorph Wood — The Mage turns a treasure-hunter to wood, causing the Condition Wooden Limbed. Grief Strike — The Mage creates a stasis field filled with personal guilt around you. Spirit Form — The Mage is immune to all physical attacks.

ROOTS OF OLD KALDUHR

6 Where to from here? GROUNDS, page 232 6 THE HOLLOW HUNTING GROUNDS,

Layer 6 • The Last People of Old Kalduhr • 237

152

Ruins at the Heart of the Forest 158

The Climb

LAYER 1 176

The Orphan Pit 162

158

162

178

The Orphan’s Villa 170

The Dwarven Baths The Climb 180

The Streets

Sehmet ils Ka’s Villa 182

The Specularium 174

The Mirrored Pool

172

The Great Sewer

LAYER 2 184

158

The Enclave 188

The Library of All That is Known The Climb

192

The Ten-in-One 194

The Workshop of Devastating Sensation 198

LAYER 3

190 196

Kheret ils Nu’s Reliquary The Rhunnveldt

202

The Shrine of Woven Moonlight 206

The Venerable Panopticon of Poisons & Venoms

The Near-Corpse of an Unnamed Giant

The Streets

Roots of Old Kalduhr 162

158

232

LAYER 6 228

The Hollow Hunting Grounds

The Caustic Chords of the Madwood 234

The Last People of Old Kalduhr

The Climb

LAYER 5 218

The Calcitic Trephine 222

The Catacombs Both Endless & Nameless

The Streets

226

The Temple for Exaltation of Blood 158

162

LAYER 4 214

158

The Root Cellar 210

The Climb

The Streets

The Manufactorum 212

The Mechanical Mind 216

The Senatorial Chambers

The Climb

CHARACTER BACKPACK EQUIPMENT OPTIONS — Roll once and write down all three items.

items

1 2 net, woven of silver 1 Fishing Bottles, lead (6)

3 4 of rats (3) 1 Cage Flute

5 6 spikes (12) 1 Iron Mallet

of hard candies (12) 2 Bag Skinning knife

(300’) 2 Twine Wind chimes

of fool’s gold (6 pieces) 2 Bag Torches, 3 hrs (6)

3 colors (12 uses) 3 Chalk, Crowbar

of fine wine 3 Bottle Signet ring & wax

(24’) 3 Chain Manacles

blood (heals 1 Ruin) 4 Troll Jar of glowworms (6)

trap 4 Bear Musk, bear & deer (6 uses)

2 hrs dim (12) 4 Candles, Mirror, small steel

marbles (30) 5 Glass Pot of tar (6 uses)

& black/invisible inks of your grandmother 5 Journal 5 Ashes Grease (6 uses) Book, blasphemous

Magnet

Winterwolf pelt

Heirloom compass

Vermin repellent (3 uses)

Scroll tube (mystery scroll)

Pot of honey (6 uses)

Wooden mask, monstrous

Whistle

Soap (6 uses)

Dice (6 normal, 3 trick)

for your pet goat (and a goat) 6 Grappling hook 6 Food Skeleton key (1 use) Rope (120’) Wooden toy unicorn

Spyglass

Tent, two-person

Pickaxe

Wooden labyrinth game

Perfume (6 uses)

Shovel

10 min. markers 6 Hourglass, Numbing herbs (3 uses) Sewing kit

ADDITIONAL BACKPACK EQUIPMENT

Your backpack has slots for six items, but when you select your backpack equipment, you only get three items. What about the other three slots? Though you are foolish enough to be a treasure-hunter, you are not so foolish as to go unprepared. When you rummage around in your backpack and have open slots, you can pick any item from the Additional Backpack Equipment table to the right. CHARACTER COMBAT EQUIPMENT OPTIONS — Add 1 to your Burdens for each item you choose.

armor

weapon

ADDITIONAL BACKPACK EQUIPMENT — Pick (or roll for) any item when you rummage through your backpack.

item

1 1 Air bladder 1 2 Ale 1 3 Animal feed 1 4 Bandages (3 uses) 1 5 Bear trap 1 6 Bedroll 2 1 Bell, small 2 2 Bellows 2 3 Blanket 2 4 Block & tackle 2 5 Book, blank 2 6 Book, reading 3 1 Bottles, glass (3) 3 2 Bottles, lead (3) 3 3 Bucket 3 4 Caltrops (30) 3 5 Candles, 2 hrs dim (6) 3 6 Canvas (10×10') 4 1 Chain (12’) 4 2 Chair, folding 4 3 Chalk, white (6 uses) 4 4 Chalk, 3 colors (6 uses) 4 5 Charcoal sticks (6 uses) 4 6 Children’s toy 5 1 Chisel 5 2 Cloak 5 3 Clothing, basic [extra] 5 4 Clothing, costume 5 5 Clothing, fine 5 6 Cooking pot 6 1 Crampons 6 2 Crowbar 6 3 Crutches 6 4 Crystal orb 6 5 Deck of cards 6 6 Dice (6 normal)

item

1 1 Drum 1 2 Face paint (3 uses) 1 3 Fiddle 1 4 File 1 5 Fishing net, standard 1 6 Fishing rod 2 1 Flint & steel [extra] 2 2 Flute 2 3 Glass marbles (30) 2 4 Glue (3 uses) 2 5 Grappling hook 2 6 Grease (3 uses) 3 1 Hammer/mallet 3 2 Hammock 3 3 Holy symbol 3 4 Holy water (1 use) 3 5 Honey (3 uses) 3 6 Hourglass, 30 min. marker 4 1 Hunting horn 4 2 Incense 4 3 Ink, black with quill 4 4 Iron spikes (6) 4 5 Jug 4 6 Ladder (10') 5 1 Lantern (requires oil) 5 2 Lantern oil, 6 hrs 5 3 Lockpicks 5 4 Lute 5 5 Magnet 5 6 Magnifying glass 6 1 Manacles 6 2 Make-up (3 uses) 6 3 Merchant’s scale 6 4 Mirror, small glass 6 5 Music box 6 6 Musk, deer (3 uses)

item

1 1 Padlock & key 1 2 Paint (3 uses) 1 3 Pet rat 1 4 Perfume (1 use) 1 5 Pickaxe 1 6 Pitons (6) 2 1 Pliers 2 2 Pole (10’) 2 3 Rations (3 uses) [extra] 2 4 Rope (60’) 2 5 Saw 2 6 Scissors 3 1 Scroll tube, empty 3 2 Sewing kit 3 3 Shovel 3 4 Signet ring 3 5 Skis 3 6 Sleeping potion (1 use) 4 1 Snowshoes 4 2 Soap (6 uses) 4 3 Sponge 4 4 Spyglass 4 5 Stakes, wooden (6) 4 6 Tar (3 uses) 5 1 Tent, one-person 5 2 Torches, 3 hrs (3) 5 3 Towel 5 4 Twine (150’) 5 5 Vermin repellent (3 uses) 5 6 Waterskin [extra] 6 1 Wax, 3 uses 6 2 Wheelbarrow 6 3 Whetstone 6 4 Whistle 6 5 Whittling tools 6 6 Wine

Unless you have lost them, your backpack always contains basic clothing, rations, a waterskin, and flint & steel.

Deep below the earth, in twisting caverns and among crumbling ruins, are the forgotten vaults of another time. To find the gold that taunts your desperate dreams, you must face the horrors that haunt this land of nightmares.

What depths will you go to?

ISBN 978-1-952774-01-0

US$45.00

54500

Mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

9 781952 774010