|
|
Working under the assumption that the Scourge has ended, the leaders of the character's kaer, Kaer Kalin, have decided that the time has come to open their doors to the outside world. In fact, the Scourge has indeed been finished for several years now, but the townspeople are in general not aware of this. In their minds, the characters are fodder being sacrificed on the slight chance that the Scourge is over sooner than expected.
Center Sextant On: Throal
Align: [xi] with: Kratas
Sight Along Point: [phi]
Follow: Floranuus at sunrise
Days Travel: 26 days walking (16 days riding)
The layout of the kaer is shown in the map of Kaer Kalin. The kaer was placed well beneath the ground, and the surrounding rock was strengthened with elemental earth to prevent entry attempts by digging, as well as to support the dome over the town. A great deal of time and energy went into the creation of the kaer, partially due to the inhabitants' eagerness to build a kaer that would survive the Scourge, and partially due to the Questors of Upandal that lived in the town during construction. There are rumors that Upandal himself was present during the construction, and helped the kaer to be created in a fraction of the time expected.
The kaer has a highly defensive layout, which allowed it to survive without lethal penetration during the Scourge. The first line of defense is called the Gate, which is an extremely well-camouflaged door that opens to the surface.
This door was made to resemble the rough, hilly landscape as much as possible, including real grass growing from its surface.
Within the Gate, the Entry Hall was intended to be the main deterrent for any Horrors attempting to enter the kaer. This room was outfitted with many elaborate and deadly traps. At the inner end of the Entry Hall stood the Entry Door, a heavily protected gateway through which anything intending to enter the kaer would be required to pass. The door was lined on both sides with orichalcum, and covered from top to bottom with magical wards and other runes.
Through the Entry Door lies the Stair, which consists of a series of circular stairways connected by rooms. Both the stairs and the rooms were filled with traps. There are a total of two rooms and three flights of stairs.
At the bottom of the Stair stands the Guard Door, which leads into the kaer itself. The Guard Door is a small door, barely eight feet in height, and was intended as the last line of defense against any invader. Like the Entry Door, it is heavily guarded with both orichalcum and runes.
The kaer itself is a stone dome filled with cramped dwellings for approximately 2500 inhabitants that spread radially outward from the central Great Hall. The Great Hall houses the administrative headquarters of the kaer, as well as the meeting hall, a shrine to Garlen, and the library. The living conditions in the kaer are more cramped than planned, due to the great influx of refugees before the kaer closed (see History of Kalin).
Time is kept within the kaer by a glowing crystal that moves across the dome in the same fashion that the sun moves in the outside world. This provides some peace of mind to the residents, as well as light.
The construction of the kaer took a relatively short time, and was paid for by the profits that the trading town of Kalin had saved up. Theran protections were also used, paid for from the deep coffers of the well-run town. The kaer itself was completed in TH 1013, at which time most of the town's permanent inhabitants moved in. The kaer remained open for many years after, however, allowing refugees from the surrounding countryside to crowd through its doors. During this time, the number of minor Horrors that were encountered increased, and one Horror was able to infiltrate the kaer unnoticed.
Late in the year 1025, a party of adventurers arrived at the Gate, claiming to be followed by a great Horror, intent on their destruction. Kalin's administrators needed little prompting to make the decision they had been planning on for some time now, and decided to close the doors to Kaer Kalin.
Two of the four adventurers later died from their wounds. Ri'Shayd, a powerful obsidiman, remained in the kaer until sacrificing himself many years later while trying to fend off a Horror. The other hero died of extreme old age.
The refugee Horror (TH 1140) spent many years hiding among the people of the kaer, living off their psychic energy. As one of its evil machinations, the Horror destroyed all records of the kaer's creation. Although this was unimportant to the kaer at the time, it would become important when they would need to rejoin the surface world, and required information concerning the traps that had been placed to guard the kaer. This information was also destroyed.
Although its treachery would not be discovered for many, many years, the activities of the Horror at this time resulted in its discovery and destruction.
In TH 1400, the kaer's lead elementalist noticed a drop in the magical integrity of the kaer. This drop did not result from the dome itself, but from out in the Stair area. In order to prevent widespread panic and to determine the cause of the drop, four adventurers were sent up the Stair to investigate. They never returned, and most of the kaer is still unaware of the circumstances of their disappearance. The group contained Tor'al, an elf who had been a youth during the construction of the kaer many years ago, and would therefore be able to lead the group through any traps they might encounter, the hero Ri'Shayd, and two other Adepts. After a protracted battle, the party succeeded in destroying the Horror that had broken into the Stair, but perished while doing so. They never returned to the kaer and nobody to this day knows of their heroic, but tragic, end.
Within several weeks of their disappearance, people started to wonder what happened to the missing adventurers. The leaders of the kaer at the time thought it would be best to blame their disappearance on an outside force. They explained that they believed something was living in the Stair and had caused the Heroes' disappearances, and that this terror needed to be destroyed. Dartin, a troll Warrior, and Jal'al, a human Archer, were sent up the Stair, this time with great fanfare, to destroy a Horror the kaerfolk assumed to be present. These two Adepts met with the Patient One, a Horror that had moved into the Stair following the death of the stronger Horror at Ri'Shayd's hands. They never returned, and the kaer prepared for the worst. The worst never came, however, and nobody, not even the town's leaders, are clear about what happened.
The kaer is called to a town meeting, where the town leader, Morael,
informs everyone of the freeze in magic, as well as their decision to open
the kaer in order to determine if the end of the Scourge is indeed here.
He then asks the characters if they wish to be involved. If the characters
agree, Morael informs everyone that preparations for rebuilding the town
will begin after the characters return safely, which they will hopefully
do within the next few days. Otherwise, the characters get to watch as
a group of their peers receive the honor, and open the kaer without them.
The meeting is adjourned among mixed feelings from the townspeople.
Others are eager to rejoin the world, but are uncertain of what life on the surface will be like. Many more experienced Adepts are jealous of the characters and their opportunity to be the first group to go to the surface. Many of the town, though, trust Torcher and Morael, and are excited about what they see as the dawning of a new age for their town. They assist in any way they know how.
This section is where the GM can make the adventure fit into the unique campaign. Many things can be done to make the characters excited to go, as well as to provide additional problems that the players can role-play through. For instance, if the characters have a nemesis, force their enemy to go along with them. If they have family, make their parents weep with the joy and apprehension of what's to come. Flesh this section out to make the characters both motivated and part of their own unique world.
Healing salves of any sort are also unavailable, and the characters will have to obtain them from the residents of the kaer, if any are for sale. The presence of magical equipment is left up to the GM, but should be limited to one, or at most two, items, and in most cases simply don't exist. The party should feel comfortable, not invincible.
The characters might also notice the apparent lack of some equipment in the room. Certain areas of the armory show signs of disturbance, including the existence of dust shadows suggesting where weapons might have once been. These dust shadows represent weapons that were taken by the secret party of adventurers that ascended the Stair 25 years ago. The Perception Test Difficulty Number for noticing the missing weapons is a 10. Morael doesn't mention the missing equipment, and will try to deflect any queries on its disappearance, using his formidable Social Defense of 12 if he needs to. Morael does not wish to send fear into the hearts of the young adventurers too early.
Upon arriving at the library in the center of town, the characters are met by a very nervous dwarf librarian. The librarian, named Dorak, attempts to deflect the topic at hand for much more mundane discussion, and needs to be reminded by Torcher as to what the group is there for. Then Dorak proceeds to show the group everything in the library except what they are looking for, the records of the kaer's construction.
At this time, Torcher proceeds to outline as much as he knows about the layout of the kaer beyond the Guard Door. The GM should decide how much Torcher knows and conveys, but he would most likely know the most general information, but nothing specific (or really helpful). For example, he might know the Stair consists of three circular stairs connected by rooms, all infested with traps, but not the precise location of any of the traps. Torcher also describes the trap in the Entry Hall, basically saying it's dangerous and hard to shut off, and warns them that they will need his assistance to pass through this trap. They will need to return and get Torcher to help them, and shouldn't go into the room alone.
Throughout the characters remaining time in the kaer, place little reminders
of the importance of the characters' contribution that they are about to
perform. The opening of the kaer is very important to the town's residents,
for obvious reasons. As the characters move through town, have the townsfolk
prepare for the opening according to their perceptions as to what the opening
will bring. Some will be trying to board up windows with what little wood
they have. Others will be packing their goods in sacks for the move outside.
Others will come up and congratulate the characters, promising them dinners
and other services if they succeed. A business-minded individual might
even offer them a large sum of silver, or something else that appeals to
them, for saving him prime real estate on the surface. The GM should work
at making the town come alive with activity, all in response to what the
characters are directly involved with.
After finding out about the missing records, there is little that the party can do. After letting them talk it over for a short period of time, Torcher tries to encourage them, stating that most of the traps are probably destroyed anyway, and the ones that are not are probably easily avoided. He reminds them of the two adventurers who went up the Stair 25 years ago and, although they never returned, must have dismantled some of the traps. The characters have little they can do except prepare to go up the Stair.
In front of the door stands Torcher and the rest of the mages. Upon the characters' arrival, Torcher begins the gestures that remove the wards from the Guard Door. After several minutes, all but one ward remains. Torcher turns to the party and tells them to prepare, then turns back to the door and removes the final ward. There is a soft sound of air releasing as the door pops open slightly, and the kaer is open.
A hush falls over the tense crowd as the characters advance through
the Guard Door into the room beyond. Torcher reminds the characters to
return before attempting to venture into the Entry Hall, and wishes them
luck as he closes the door behind them and begins to replace the wards.
The characters are in a room devoid of any light except their own torches.
In TH 1400, a greater Horror penetrated the Stair, resulting in the drop in magical energy that was noticed at the time. Ri'Shayd's party met this Horror in the second stairwell, and fought a retreating battle until Ri'Shayd slew the beast in the first room. Ri'Shayd, who had been kept alive by the power of his abilities, died soon after. With the Gate and Entry Door no longer functioning, another Horror, known as the Patient One, took up residence within the Stair.
Dartin and Jal'al, while attempting to discover the fate of Ri'Shayd's party, attempted to destroy the Patient One. Jal'al was petrified in a sneak attack by the creature, and Dartin, outclassed one-on-one with the Horror, was killed soon after in the battle that ensued. The Patient One has remained in the Stair, waiting for the day when the kaer would try to open its doors. Since most of the defenses of the kaer are missing, the Stair is exposed to further inhabitation by more mundane creatures as well.
Most of the traps in the Stair have been shut off or tripped, rendering
them harmless. The only exceptions to this are the traps detailed below.
There are five complete turns in each set of circular stairs. The Stair's
description will be done in terms of turn number, as measured from the
bottom of the Stair, with 15 turns total.
| Turn/Room | Description |
| Turn Two | The remains of the great obsidiman Hero, Ri'Shayd, are propped up against a wall, and the gaping wounds can still be seen on his body. Next to him lies his magical sword, Named Ri'Shayd's Blade (see Creatures and Treasures). |
| Turn Four | One of the steps here is a magical trigger for a ramp
trap. The first person to touch this step will cause all of the steps from
five steps above the trigger to the bottom of the Stair to flatten into
a slide. A piece of stone at the bottom juts upward, creating a sudden,
painful brake for the tumble downward. The characters need to make a successful
Dexterity Test against a Difficulty Number of 8 in order to keep from falling.
They can try again at every turn of the Stair, with a cumulative +2 penalty
to the Difficulty Number until they reach the bottom, where they suffer
Step 10 damage from the wall.
The Difficulty Number for the Perception Test to notice this trap is 9. The Disarm Difficulty for this trap is 10. |
| Room One | At the top of the first circular stair lies the body of the Horror. What remains are rotting and sagging lumps of flesh clinging to thick bones, some of which have been shattered by blows. The Horror had a long quadrupedal body with short, clawed limbs. Its head was human-like with an extended snout filled with protruding, razor-sharp teeth. What, if anything, this corpse is useful for should be determined by the GM. |
| Turn Six | The Archer in Ri'Shayd's party fell here. Most of his body was cleaved in two, and next to his remains lies his long bow. The GM should determine if this weapon is special in any way, and to flesh out this weapon to fit the needs of the group. |
| Turn Seven | Both the Thief and the ancient elven Elementalist from Ri'Shayd's party fell at this turn. One appears to have been thrown on top of the other against the outer wall, and beside them lies their shattered equipment. The only useful thing that is left is a Potion of Healing. |
| Turn Eight | A spear trap on the outer wall is located at this turn. This trap has not been triggered because it only extends halfway into the stair from the outside, so unless someone is on the outer half of the stair, it will not be triggered. The statistics for this trap are: Detection Difficulty: 9; Disarm Difficulty: 7; Trigger Condition: pressure plate; Trap Initiative: 6; Trap Effect: Damage of Step 8. |
| Room Two | The body of a dead gargoyle lies into this room. It appears
to have been charred when it died, and was actually mortally wounded by
the trap in the Entry Hall and managed to crawl down here before dying.
The gargoyle's horns are not worth Legend Points. Also, this room contains
a small flight (10) of krilworms that fly out to the surface to hunt at
night.
This room is also the site of the battle between the Patient One and Dartin and Jal'al. The remains of Dartin, once a powerful troll, are crushed against a wall, his equipment shattered. Jal'al is still alive, but petrified (see Creatures and Treasures), and is lying on the ground facing a wall where the Patient One set him. |
| Turn Fifteen | The top of the Stair opens up into a room, with the Entry
Door at the opposite end. A pair of shadowmants has braved the lightning
trap to take up residence in this room. They will defend their home against
the characters, assuming that they intend to harm them.
From this room, the destruction of the Entry Door is evident. It has burst inward, and pieces of it litter the room. Fortunes in rare orichalcum collect dust in heaps on the floor. The Entry Hall can be seen through the opening. |
Once the characters have ventured this far, they might need to rest and recuperate. Also, Torcher needs to help them turn off the trap in the Entry Hall. If the characters proceed, let them, but they will be reminded quickly of Torcher's words. The Patient One is wandering around the surface of Barsaive when the characters first venture up the Stair, and so they don't encounter the Horror. The GM should not let them know about the creature's presence, but they might be able to guess that it exists from the ambiguous clues left below. Namely, the heroes that disappeared strangely long ago were actually sent up the Stair and perished fighting a great Horror, which was found dead. Two more Adepts who followed are found helpless, one dead and the other petrified, even though the great Horror had been dead for weeks. Perceptive characters might notice this discrepancy and become suitably paranoid.
When the characters return to the kaer, allow them enough time to prepare for the fight with the Horror without clueing them in as to the Horror's presence. They should be able to guess something is awry, and if not, allow Torcher to put in his input after hearing the story (e.g. "I wonder why the Horror petrified the Archer, and nobody from the original group?" or "What could have petrified Jal'al, when you claim that the Horror was dead?"). Try to let the characters figure out something strange is up and to take precautions, but don't just hand the information to them.
The characters' next step is to ferret out the Patient One and destroy it. After the characters return to the kaer, the next time they venture forth, the Patient One will be waiting for them. The GM should pick a suitable place for the fight, preferably to provide maximum excitement for the players. If they were disgusted by the body of the dead Horror, fight the battle near its remains. If the Stair frightened them, have the battle take place on the treacherous footing of a flight of stairs. Make the battle exciting. The characters need to fight the Patient One before proceeding onto the next scenario. See Creatures and Treasures for a description of the Patient One and its tactics.
There are two difficulties associated with shutting off the lightning trap. The first is the lightning trap itself. All of the runes must be traced simultaneously for the trap to be disengaged. The runes take at least three rounds to trace, assuming no difficulties are encountered. Also, two of the runes are located next to the Entry Door, and the other two are located on the walls 80 feet down the hall. The trap fires randomly, with a 10% chance of firing in any given round. Every creature present in the room at this time suffers Step 10 damage.
The other problem associated with the trap is the presence of two lightning lizards that live in the Entry Hall. These lightning lizards are unaffected by the trap's effects. The lizards will not reveal themselves until the characters have moved into the room, hiding behind pillars until they have at least one character cut off from the Entry Door before attacking.
After the characters have successfully traced the runes, which only requires a character tracing each rune simultaneously, the trap ceases to function and the runes go dim. The characters can then proceed through the Gate and see the surface of Barsaive for the first time in their lives.
When Torcher and the characters step onto the surface, they notice a land completely unlike that described in the legends. The land is gray and devoid of life, and the sky is covered with clouds. Fit the description of the terrain to the placement of the kaer in Barsaive. As the characters stare in wonder at all of the space around them and Torcher weeps, grass can be spotted growing outward from the edges of the kaer's steps. By the time the characters have left the kaer for good, weeks in the future, the grass will have covered everything within miles. It is a sign of the end of the Scourge.
Clearing the Stair counts as a session goal, and clearing the kaer all the way to the surface counts as the adventure goal for the purpose of determining Legend Awards.
This adventure is divided up into two sessions for determining the distribution of Legend Points. The first session ends when the characters clean up the Stair, all the way up to, but not including, the Entry Hall. The Session Award for completing the first session is 75 Legend Points for each character. The second session involves clearing the Entry Hall and destroying the Patient One. This session award counts as the Adventure Award for the adventure, and is worth 200 Legend Points for each character.
The following chart shows the Legend Point Awards for defeating creatures
during the adventure. This chart assumes that the characters defeated all
of the opponents set up in the adventure. The GM should feel free to adjust
these awards to fit the specific campaign.
| Creature/Opponent Awards | |||||
| Number of Players | |||||
| Opponent | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Shadowmants | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Lightning Lizards | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Patient One | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Total | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 |
| Award per Character | 875 | 700 | 580 | 500 | 435 |
The following magical treasures were found during the adventure, and
are worth Legend Points for the characters. The long bow that belonged
to Ri'Shayd's companion is left for the GM to flesh out, and isn't included
in this analysis.
| Ri'Shayd's Blade | 150 for each character |
| Potion of Healing | 75 for each character |
The final Legend Point Awards are for exceptional role-playing and heroics.
The following are suggestions for awards that fit into this category.
| Finding out about previous excursions by members of the kaer up the Stair before the characters proceed up the Stair themselves | 75 Legend Points |
| Piecing together the history of the excursions up the Stair from clues discovered as the characters travel up the Stair | 75 Legend Points |
| Disabling the lightning trap in the Entry Hall without waiting for Torcher's help | 75 Legend Points |
| Volunteering to go to the far end of the Entry Hall to shut off the lightning trap | 75 Legend Points |
Rank 1 Cost: 200
Key Knowledge: The obsidiman Ri'Shayd used this sword from the
time he was a young warrior. It was a gift from his father, and was forged
from the Liferock itself. The wielder must discover the location of the
Liferock.
Effects: Ri'Shayd's blade is effectively a troll sword. It adds
+7 steps to the character's Strength step for Damage tests.
Rank 2 Cost: 300
Key Knowledge: The blade is very light, even though it is constructed
of stone, with hints of rubies running through its structure. Both an earth
elemental and an air elemental were necessary to make this blade both strong
and light. The wielder must discover the Name of one of the two elementals
that were involved.
Effect: Add +2 steps to the wielder's Initiative Step when wielding
the Blade.
Rank 3 Cost: 500
Key Knowledge: Ri'Shayd was a great warrior, often leading his
adventuring group into dangerous areas. The wielder must find out the Name
of the adventuring group Ri'Shayd traveled with before the Scourge.
Effect: Touching the hilt of the Blade gives the wielder an
uncanny sense of when something is about to occur. As such, the wielder
can not be surprised when touching the hilt of the sword. This ability
does not give the wielder enough time to warn companions, however, so they
can be surprised as usual.
Rank 4 Cost: 800
Key Knowledge: Ri'Shayd gave his life to protect Kaer Kalin
during the Scourge, defeating a Horror in a protracted battle. The wielder
must find out the Name of the Horror that killed Ri'Shayd.
Effect: Add +9 to the wielder's Strength step for Damage tests.
Also, add +2 to the wielder's Physical Defense. When fighting a Horror
or Horror constuct, these bonuses become +12 for Damage tests and +4 to
Physical Defense.
Rank 5 Cost: 1,300
Deed: The wielder must return to Ri'Shayd's Liferock, bearing
his remains if someone has not yet returned them. The wielder must then
offer to return the sword to Ri'Shayd's Brotherhood, who will only accept
the offer if they deem the wielder unworthy. This judgement is based on
the wielder's need for and use of the Blade. If the Brotherhood refuses
to accept the return of the Blade, deeming the character worthy of wielding
it, the wielder is awarded 2,000 Legend Points.
Effect: The wielder of the Blade can call on its power to use
an ability similar to the Earth Skin Talent (Earthdawn Companion p. 39)
once per day. The Effect dice for the use is Toughness + Rank of Thread
woven to the Blade. The result is added to both the Death and Unconsciousness
Rating of the character for 24 hours. This ability also adds +3 to the
character's Physical Armor Rating. It is not necessary to use a Recovery
Test for this ability. This ability can be used in addition to both Wood
Skin and the normal Earth Skin Talents. The stone-like appearance the character
takes on is similar to that of the Blade, and is much more pronounced than
seen in the normal use of the Earth Skin Talent. Most obsidimen will understand
this once they see the Blade, but it might cause confusion and possibly
discomfort among other Name-Givers.
| DEX: 7 STR: 18 TOU: 14
PER: 12 WIL: 13 CHA: 13 |
|
| Initiative: 7 | Physical Defense: 9 |
| Number of Attacks: 1 | Spell Defense: 7 |
| Attack: 10 | Social Defense: 16 |
| Damage: 22 | Armor: 18 |
| Number of Spells: 1 | Mystic Armor: 6 |
| Spellcasting: 10 | Knockdown: Immune |
| Effect: see below | Recovery Tests: 5 |
| Death Rating: 70 | Combat Movement: 27 |
| Wound Threshold: 18 | Full Movement: 54 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 60 | Legend Points: 3000 |
| Karma Points: 20 | Karma Step: 10 |
| Powers: Petrify 10 (see below), Spells, Terror 10 | |
| Spells: Earth Blend, Slow Metal Weapon | |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: The glowing red eyes of the Horror are actually rubies, cut into long slits. Each of the two rubies are worth 200 silver pieces worth Legend Points. | |
The Patient One is a large (10 feet tall) humanoid shaped creature with a body the consistency and appearance of stone. The Horror uses Earth Blend to hide against a stone wall and ambush the party. It then walks slowly into battle, attempting to crush anything in its path. The only exception to this destructive tendency is the Horror's Petrify Power. If the Horror decides to petrify an opponent, usually someone who has damaged it but the Horror has been unable to harm, and makes a successful grappling attack against that opponent, the Horror has grabbed the opponent and can then attempt to petrify the victim, making a Petrify Test against the victim's Spell Defense. If this succeeds, the victim is petrified and can take no actions until freed by the death of the Patient One. The Horror crumbles to dust when it is destroyed, and petrified characters return to life.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
