Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder

Torrig Swordbreaker, chief of clan Bloodspear, looked around at his campsite. The tents were all set according to tradition, with the more important warriors' dwellings closer to Torrig's central tent.

Torrig turned to the grizzled old ork seer next to him. Speaking in the low, harsh tongue native to the ork scorcher tribes, the chief inquired, "So this is where the Passions have foretold, old one?"

"Yes, my chief, this is the place," answered Urik Farteller. Urik had been the advisor to the past three chiefs. He was respected for his visions of the future, and the communications he had with the Passions.

Now would come the time of waiting. Torrig knew this would be the toughest time for his people. Orks were not a patient race, and Torrig had no idea how long it would be before the heroes described in Urik's prophecy would arrive. Heroes who would free his clan from the evil oppression of Nazrig Tog.

Of course Torrig knew that his clan would not be easy to convince. They would have a hard time believing that outsiders could help them with their problems. They would demand a test. A test that would prove the coming strangers were indeed the heroes foretold in the prophecy. Torrig did not look forward to what might happen if the heroes fail the test.

Plot Synopsis

The ork clan Bloodspear has been living under the oppression of Nazrig Tog, an ork nethermancer who has been serving the Horrors since the clan emerged from their kaer seventy years ago, kept alive through his foul bargain with these same Horrors.

Nazrig Tog has managed to bring several ork scorcher clans under his control, and is going to use them to sweep across Barsaive, causing as much destruction and anguish as possible, thereby feeding his Horror masters.

So far, Nazrig Tog has prevented any interaction between his clans and the normal population of Barsaive. The only language spoken or written by any of the clans is Orkish. He has made most of his followers paranoid and distrustful of outsiders.

Unknown to Nazrig Tog, an elder ork of clan Bloodspear named Urik Farteller has managed to discover that Nazrig is controlled by the Horrors and has managed to convince his clan chief Torrig Swordbreaker of this fact.

Urik has also had visions from Thystonius showing the arrival of heroes, strangers from strange lands. Thystonius has told the old ork seer that these heroes would come to a certain place at a certain time, and that they would be the ones who would free clan Bloodspear from Nazrig's control.

When Urik shared these visions with Torrig Swordbreaker, the chief had his clan move their encampment to the place foretold in Urik's prophecy. He is now waiting for the time when the heroes will arrive.

When the characters arrive at the place foretold by Urik, at the time of the prophecy, they will be hailed as the heroes foretold by Thystonius. The original problem will be the difficulty of communicating, since the orks only speak their native tongue. The next problem will be convincing the ork scorchers that these are indeed the heroes who will free the clan from Nazrig's oppression.

Both Urik and Torrig will believe that the characters are the heroes foretold by the prophecy, but the average ork scorcher will have a hard time believing that a group of heroes from different races are the ones who will save their ork clan. The orks are proud, and will have a hard time accepting help from outsiders, not to mention non-ork outsiders. They will call for some sort of test to prove that the characters are the heroes they have been waiting for.

Torrig and Urik know that their clan will need this type of convincing. They know of a place in the mountains used as a lair by a gargoyle. The orks will take the characters up the mountain, give them directions to the lair, and send them on their way.

The characters will be expected to find the gargoyle, kill it, and bring back its horns. If they can do this, the clan will accept them as heroes. There will be a feast and party to celebrate the arrival of the heroes who will free them from Nazrig's oppression.

The day after the celebration, the orks will break camp and start moving south towards the mountains above the Mist Swamps. It will take three days to get to the mountains. On the third day the orks will be attacked by a flock of griffins looking for fresh horse flesh. The characters will have a chance to show their skill to the orks by helping drive away the creatures.

Once at the mountains, the orks will bring the characters through a hidden pass and into a protected valley where they usually live. Once there, they will set up camp, and rest for the night.

The following day Torrig and Urik will take the characters up into the mountains. The two orks will give the characters a map to the caves where Nazrig resides. They will tell the characters that the time of their destiny is at hand, explaining that it was prophesied that they would free clan Bloodspear from Nazrig Tog's domination.

It will then be up to the characters to find the caves and either defeat or drive off Nazrig Tog. Once they have done this, they can return to clan Bloodspear where they can offer aid against the remaining forces of Nazrig Tog, who are unaware of his downfall. Once that is done, they will receive a heroes welcome.

The Meeting Foretold

Overview

The characters will be brought to the camp of clan Bloodspear where the orks will regard them with suspicion. There will be challenges, games of strength and wits, and the characters will be expected to join in.

Setting the Stage

You see motion coming from around a hillside, and spot a group of mounted riders making their way towards you. You can hear the horses charging across the grassy plains, making a sound like thunder. Turning, you can see another group of riders coming from down river charging up towards you.

Behind the Scenes

The two groups of riders combine, surrounding you completely. You can tell that they are orks, wearing leathers and animal skins, carrying spears, swords, and other weapons. You figure there are close to thirty of them. Some of them continue to circle around you, yelling war cries and waving their weapons, but most sit quietly on their horses watching you.

Two of them ride up towards you, talking to each other as they come. They ride forward, arms outstretched, hands empty. One of them is tall and broad shouldered. He has his face painted in reds and whites, and a large axe hangs by his side. The other is old and grey, his face wrinkled with age. His leathers are painted with odd symbols and you see he has no weapons.

They stop around twenty feet away and seem to be waiting to see what you are going to do.

Let the characters decide what to do. Eventually one of them will probably decide to talk with the orks. Once they do, read the following:

The two orks seem confused. They answer back in a harsh, guttural language (Orkish). When you don't respond, they continue talking to you, using hand signals to point to you, then them, then the other riders, and then to the south.

At this point, anyone who has the Speak Languages talent with an empty slot still available can make a test with a target of 6. If successful, he will then understand and be able to speak Orkish. Once this happens, or is someone in the party already speaks Orkish, read the following:

You can now make out what the ork is saying. He is looking all of you over and saying, "You have come, just as Urik Farteller has prophesied. I am Torrig Swordbreaker, chief of clan Bloodspear. You will come with us to our camp now."

It is obvious that he expects you will accompany him to where their campsite is. You do not think he will just let you continue on your way.

They give the characters time to get ready, and will then take them to the ork campsite.

The orks take up positions to either side of your group and start to ride south. Upon occasion a scorcher will ride up closer, let out a war whoop and ride back to his friends. After about two hours of traveling, you see a campsite ahead of you. It almost seems to be a small town, with over twenty tents set up like spokes coming from a central hub where a group of three large tents are set. Ork women and children come out to see the returning warriors, looking at all of you with curiosity. Some seem excited, while others seem resentful.

The tents are made of animal skins, decorated with paint, bones, and feathers. Groups of riders break away and head for various areas of the camp and you are eventually led to the central area.

Younger orks come forward to take the horses to a central pen while the warriors dismount. Torrig Swordbreaker strides towards you, and you can see four guards following him at a respectful distance. A group of ork warriors are gathering, waiting to hear what their chief has to say.

"Welcome to clan Bloodspear. A tent will be set for you to stay. Tonight we will rest and discuss how you will accomplish the deeds that have been foretold."

Voices come from the crowd: "How do you know these are the heroes Urik spoke of?"

"They are not even orks, how can you expect them to help us?"

"They do not look capable of giving us aid."

Torrig waves his hand and the crowd grows quiet. "My people, I understand your fears and doubts. Nazrig is strong and powerful, and these people seem small. Still, they were in the place of prophecy at the time Thystonius spoke of. If they are the heroes foretold by Urik, we will be free of Nazrig forever. Can we afford to doubt the words of the Passions?"

"We need proof, great Torrig. Proof of their skill and talent. Proof that they are heroes," comes the crowd's reply.

"Then tomorrow you will have proof. Urik has seen the lair of a winged stone monster. We will send these heroes forth, and they will slay this creature. If they are strong enough to defeat the winged stone creature and bring back its horns, they will have proved themselves heroes."

The crowd murmurs amongst themselves, and seem to agree with Torrig. The ork chief then turns towards you. "Make yourselves comfortable. Food will be prepared and there is ale to drink. Tomorrow you will be put to the test to see if you are the heroes we were expecting. Until then, enjoy the hospitality of my clan."

The characters will be taken by Urik to the tent where they can stay. Once there, they can question the old ork as to what is going on.

He will tell them of Nazrig Tog, an ork nethermancer who now controls several ork clans through fear and magic. He has controlled these clans for over fifty years, keeping them separated from the rest of Barsaive. Soon, Nazrig will lead the clans on a raid across Barsaive, burning towns and slaughtering people, all in the name of Guul'pexiir, a powerful mage - warrior who no one has seen.

Torrig Swordbreaker wishes to live in peace with his people. He does not wish to follow Nazrig on this plan of war. Still, Nazrig is strong, and has many supporters. If Torrig tries to make a break from Nazrig, it will mean a war with the other ork clans.

At first it seemed that no matter what was done, clan Bloodspear would be at war. But Thystonius came to Urik and foretold the coming of heroes. These heroes would come from afar, and free clan Bloodspear from Nazrig's oppression. He told when and where the heroes would be, and Torrig took a raiding party to that spot. Once there, they found the characters.

Tomorrow, Urik warns, the characters will be taken to the mountainside where they will be given a map to the lair of the winged stone beast. They will be expected to return with the creature's horns to prove to the clan that they are the heroes Thystonius promised them. The winged stone creature is very strong and very tough to kill. Only true heroes could hope to return alive.

Once Urik has given these warnings, Torrig will enter.

"Greetings, heroes. Tomorrow comes a test to see if you are the heroes we were expecting. Tonight we will feast and drink. Come with me and enjoy our hospitality."

He leads you to the huge central tent where many of the clan's warriors are already seated on mats enjoying bowls of stew and drinking ale. Two orks are in the middle of the tent doing a sword dance to the beat of several large drums, and once they finish, two more take the floor and start to wrestle. Another group is downing mugs of ale, apparently engaged in some sort of drinking contest.

You are shown to a section of floor covered with furs near the raised area where Torrig goes to sit.

The characters can watch the ork entertainment. They can even get involved with the festivities. If someone chooses to join in the fun, use the following rules:

• For wrestling, roll initiative as normal. To grapple, a character needs a Good success on an Unarmed Combat test against their opponent's Physical Defense. Once a contestant gets a hold, he has to keep it for three full rounds. The contestant in the hold can try to break the hold by making a Unarmed Combat or Strength test against the result of the Grapple attack that initiated the hold. If the contestant manages to equal or exceed the original Grapple result, he breaks free and it starts over again.
• For drinking, after each drink, the character makes a Toughness (or Will) test with a target of 5. After four failures, the character falls over, too drunk to continue.
• For storytelling, a character must be able to speak Orkish. The target number is a 5. The better the success level, the better the story. Failing means the character told a boring story that did little to capture the attention of the ork audience.

Ork Scorcher

DEX: 13: 6/D10 STR: 15: 6/D10 TOU: 12: 5/D8  PER: 10: 5/D8 WIL: 9: 4/D6 CHA: 6: 3/D4
Initiative: 6/D10	Physical Defense: 7 (10)
Number of Attacks: 1	Spell Defense: 6
Attack: 11/D10+D8	Social Defense: 4
Damage: 11/D10+D8	Armor: 4
Number of Spells: 0	Mystic Armor: 0
Spellcasting: 0	Knockdown: 6/D10
Effect: 0	Recovery Tests: 2
Death Rating: 34	Combat Movement: 30
Wound Threshold: 9	Full Movement: 60
Unconsciousness Rating: 26	Legend Points: 100
Equipment: Hard leather armor, weapon, shield, second weapon
Loot: 3D6 silvers

The characters have a chance to make friends or enemies during the course of the evening. Any character who does well can make a Charisma test against the Social Defense of the character likely to be impressed. A Good success means the ork will become friendly with the character, and will consider the character someone of worth. Give any ork who the characters make friends with a name. It may be useful at a later date to know who one's friends are. Assign a name or roll from the following list:
 

D10	Name
1	Lorg
2	Kargan
3	Mogoth
4	Brakor
5	Jortan
6	Drunog
7	Borgan
8	Norrak
9	Oknar
10	Xurgan

Troubleshooting

If it looks as if the characters will not go with the orks, have the Torrig look confused and ask again if they are heroes. If they still refuse to go with the orks, Torrig and Urik will ride off, convinced that they were mistaken and these were not the heroes they were waiting for. The remaining orks will argue, and some of them will ride off after their two leaders while 10 will remain to attack the characters. As the orks are mounted, the only way to hit them is to win initiative and wait for the orks to attack. The orks will attack and ride by, turning their mounts to attack again the following round.

A Wing and a Prayer

Overview

The characters will then make their way up the mountain, confront the gargoyle, hopefully defeat it, and return with the horns. Once they return, a feast will be held in their honor.

Setting the Stage

"Wake up, my friends. The time has come for you to prove yourselves to the clan. To prove you are indeed the heroes Thystonius foretold."

The old ork gives you time to dress and prepare for the day. He leads you to the central tent where various ork women are serving a light meal to the gathered warriors. Torrig is seated on a fur covered stone watching everything intently. He sees you enter and waves you over.

"Be seated, my friends. Eat something. Today will be a difficult day for you. You will be brought to the mountain and sent to find the winged stone creature. You must defeat it and return with its horns to prove yourself to the clan".

You are brought food and ale, and even manage to enjoy the odd cheeses, and coarse breads you are served. After a half an hour, Torrig rises, claps his hands once, and orders the horses to be prepared.

Two hours later finds you at the foothills of a lone mountain rising from the plains. Torrig, Urik, and ten ork scorchers bring their mounts to a stop.

"Up in the mountain there is the lair of the creature. Beware, it is fast and dangerous. Its skin is as hard as stone and its claws can cut through metal with ease. When you defeat it, cut its horns from its head and return to here. We will wait for you for two days. If after two days you do not return, we will presume you are with the Passions and will return to our camp. I wish you luck."

When Torrig stops speaking, Urik steps forward. "Brave heroes, there is little I can say or do for you. Be brave and look to Thystonius, for he will be watching over you."

The orks stay seated on their horses while they watch you make your way up the mountain trail.

Behind the Scenes

It has been difficult going. The trail is worn and covered in loose rock. The air has gotten slightly thinner and you are beginning to get winded. Twice you have been forced from the trail, having to get past several fallen boulders.

You make your way around a bend in the trail and find a half devoured mountain goat covered with filth. The rocks and cliff face around the corpse have deep gouges, almost as if a strong creature left claw markings in the stone.

At this point the characters can start searching for the lair. Give them a Perception Test, target of 8, every half hour to spot the lair. The characters only get one test per half hour unless they split up. If they split up, give each group searching a Perception Test every half hour.

During this time, roll a Perception Test for the gargoyle every half hour with the target being the lowest Dex Step among the characters. If the gargoyle spots the characters before the characters find the lair, the gargoyle will swoop in to attack. If the characters find the lair before the gargoyle finds them, the characters can try to ambush the returning gargoyle in the early evening when they return.

Read the following if the gargoyle finds the characters before the characters find the lair:

A piercing cry splits the air as a large, grey creature dives out of the sky at your group.

Once the characters have defeat the gargoyle, they can remove the horns and make their way back down the mountain.

If the characters find the lair before the gargoyle finds them, read the following:

After searching for quite some time, you have found a cave mouth leading into the mountainside. Looking in, you can see the mouth opens into a vast cave. Your light catches the bleached white bones littering the floor. The cave must be fifty feet by sixty feet, with boulders and rocks scattered on the floor and deep claw marks on the walls and floor. Taking a quick look around, you realize it is empty.

The gargoyle will return at sundown. Until then, the characters have time to plan any surprise they wish. After they have made their plans, read the following:

With a flurry of wings, a large stone creature makes its way into the cave. It is carrying a mountain goat slung over his shoulder.

Give the characters a chance to surprise the gargoyle, and then start the fight.

Gargoyle

DEX: 8/2D6 STR: 18/D20+D12 TOU: 12/2D10  PER: 4/D6 WIL: 5/D8 CHA: 4/D6
Initiative: 6/D10	Physical Defense: 12
Number of Attacks: 2	Spell Defense: 9
Attack: 11/D10+D8	Social Defense: 11
Damage: 22/D20+D12+D6	Armor: 13
Number of Spells: 0	Mystic Armor: 6
Spellcasting: 0	Knockdown: 18
Effect: 0	Recovery Tests: 4
Death Rating: 55	Combat Movement: 25 (45)
Wound Threshold: 13	Full Movement: 50 (90)
Unconsciousness Rating: 48	Legend Points: 500
Equipment: None
Loot: Horns worth 5D6 x 10 silvers. They count as Legend Points.

Enchanted creatures made of elemental earth and stone, standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing an impressive 900 pounds. Despite their nasty dispositions, they usually only attack to defend their territory or other elemental earth. Sometimes Gargoyles will leave their prides and search for new territory. These Gargoyles are more aggressive and will sometimes look for a fight.

Once the characters have defeated the gargoyle, they can cut off the horns and either make their way back down the mountain in the fading light (not a good idea) or make camp in the cave, eat roast goat, and make their way back down in the morning.

Once the characters have made their way back to the orks, read the following:

You finally manage to return to the bottom of the mountain where the orks are waiting. One of the orks on watch lets out a cry as he sees you coming, and the others start to gather. Torrig and Urik walk out to greet you.

"Good to see you, brave ones. I hope you were successful," inquires Torrig?

Give the characters time to give the horns to Torrig and tell their tale. The orks will be impressed, and will start to believe that the characters are indeed the heroes they have been waiting for. If it is late in the day, they will make camp for the night, enjoying food and drink while listening to the story again and again. If it is early in the day, the camp will be packed up and the characters will be brought back to the main encampment.

Once back at the encampment, the orks will hail the characters as the heroes they were waiting for. A large feast will be held, and the celebration will last into the night. Allow the characters to participate in the festivities once more.

Troubleshooting

Heading South

Overview

Setting the Stage

At night the tents have been set up, but there has been none of the festivities of the first few evenings. The orks have eaten, socialized for a little while, and gone to sleep. Everyone seems interested in returning back to their homeland.

You know you must be getting close. Torrig has told you that they live in a valley somewhere in the mountain up ahead.

Suddenly, an ear piercing cry splits the air. You look up to see a flock of odd looking birds circling overhead. As they get closer, you realize that these birds must be the size of a horse. In fact, they aren't birds at all. They have the body of a lion, and the head, wings, and talons of a huge eagle. Two of the creatures start to dive towards your group, followed by a third and a fourth. 

Behind the Scenes

Griffins (2)

DEX: 5/D8 STR: 7/D12 TOU: 9/D8+D6  PER: 6/D10 WIL: 4/D6 CHA: 5/D8
Initiative: 7	Physical Defense: 8
Number of Attacks: 2	Spell Defense: 8
Attack: 8/2D6	Social Defense: 7
Damage: 12/2D10	Armor: 4
Number of Spells: 0	Mystic Armor: 1
Spellcasting: 0	Knockdown: 8/2D6
Effect: 0	Recovery Tests: 4
Death Rating: 50	Combat Movement: 29/60
Wound Threshold: 14	Full Movement: 57/120
Unconsciousness Rating: 43	Legend Points: 200
Equipment: None
Loot: Beak and feathers, 3D6 x 10 silver pieces, These items count as treasure worth Legend Points.

An attacking griffin swoops down on an opponent and strikes with its talons. Such a swooping attack does +3 steps of Damage, but limits the griffin to a single attack. After the swooping attack, the griffin lands and attacks with both talons.

Humanoids of average human size or smaller can use griffins as aerial mounts. Though difficult to train, tame griffins make excellent steeds.

Once the griffins are driven off, the orks will continue into the mountain pass.

It has been several hours since you entered the mountain pass. It was long and winding, but now a pleasant sight greets your eyes. A beautiful valley filled with lush green grass and tall leafy trees lies below you. You can make out campfires in the fading light, and with cries of joy, the ork horsemen charge towards the settlement below.

Soon you are in the thick of the tent city that houses clan Bloodspear. Women and children have lined the trail, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the heroes they have been waiting for.

Youths not ready for their first hunt come forward to take charge of the horses, and Torrig Swordbreaker waves for all of you to join him. He turns to the gathered clan and starts to speak.

"We have returned, my people. And with us are the heroes who were prophesied would free us from the evil of Nazrig. Behold the heroes, slayers of the winged stone monster and friends of our clan." With that he raises the horns of the gargoyle and the gathered orks cheer.

The orks will throw another huge celebration. There will be dancing, tale telling, wrestling, drinking, and a general good time held by all.

Troubleshooting

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Overview

Setting the Stage

Behind the Scenes

Ork Scorchers

DEX: 13: 6/D10 STR: 15: 6/D10 TOU: 12: 5/D8  PER: 10: 5/D8 WIL: 9: 4/D6 CHA: 6: 3/D4
Initiative: 6/D10	Physical Defense: 7 (10)
Number of Attacks: 1	Spell Defense: 6
Attack: 11/D10+D8	Social Defense: 4
Damage: 11/D10+D8	Armor: 4
Number of Spells: 0	Mystic Armor: 0
Spellcasting: 0	Knockdown: 6/D10
Effect: 0	Recovery Tests: 2
Death Rating: 34	Combat Movement: 30
Wound Threshold: 9	Full Movement: 60
Unconsciousness Rating: 26	Legend Points: 100
Equipment: Hard leather armor, weapon, shield, second weapon
Loot:3D6 silvers

These orks are loyal to Nazrig and believe that they will be well rewarded if they manage to kill the heroes.

Any character who is asleep will be attacked by surprise while on the ground, effectively lowering their Physical Defense by -6. Once the fight has started, orks loyal to Torrig will arrive in the fifth round of combat.

After the fight ends, Torrig will be brought to the characters. He will look over the bodies of the fallen and say:

"Nazrig has spies everywhere. He now will be aware that you have come and will try to stop you. He will send messages to the other clans and mobilize them against us."

"We have little time. You must gather your supplies and head out before Nazrig can strike again. I will send for Urik, and he will lead you into the mountains where you can find the caves Nazrig is using as his base. I will mobilize my riders and advance deeper into the valley. Hopefully this will draw Nazrig's attention away from you. He may think you are with my forces advancing towards him from the lower trail as you and Urik make your way through the mountains."

"I wish you the blessings of the Passions, may they smile on your efforts."

With that, the orks start to mobilize, breaking down the tents, getting the horses ready, and packing supplies. Urik comes to you, dressed for traveling.

"We will be supplied mounts to reach the mountain trail. Once there, we will have to turn them loose as there is no way for them to travel through the mountains. If we leave now, we should reach Nazrig's stronghold in two days."

With that, the characters can gather their supplies and head out. They will be supplied with the following items:

• 25 feet of rope
• 4 Healing Poultices (add +4 steps to Recovery tests)
• 1 Light Quartz Crystal
• 1 Week's trail rations per person

Trouobleshooting

The Heart of Evil

Overview

Setting the Stage

Urik Farteller has told you of his visions. He has seen the orks of the mountains sweep across the plains of Barsaive, killing and burning as they go. He has seen the dark cloud that follows them, the blackness of evil. There would be many deaths, and in the end, the evil did not care who died, ork or villager, farmer or townspeople. All the darkness wished for was the pain and suffering of the people. And in Urik's vision, he saw the combined ork horde pulling down the gates of Throal and all of the cities were on fire.

Now, you are all crouched down by some boulders as Urik points out the small side entrance to Nazrig Tog's stronghold. A single large guard stands by the entrance, keeping watch. You can tell by its bulk and size that it is an ogre.
 

Room#	Description
1	Side Entrance - As you watch, a second ogre comes out of the cave mouth and slaps the first on the back. They have a hearty laugh at some shared joke.  The ogres aren't expecting any trouble and will have to make a Perception Test against the lowest Dex Step among the characters or be surprised.  Ogres (2)  DEX: 7/D12 STR: 11/D10+D8 TOU: 9/D8+D6  PER: 4/D6 WIL: 5/D8 CHA: 3/D4 Initiative: 4/D6 Physical Defense: 7 Number of Attacks: 1 Spell Defense: 8 Attack: 12/2D10 Social Defense: 6 Damage: 16/D20+D8 Armor: 7 Number of Spells: 0 Mystic Armor: 1 Spellcasting: 0 Knockdown: 9/D8+D6 Effect: 0 Recovery Tests: 3 Death Rating: 50 Combat Movement: 35 Wound Threshold: 12 Full Movement: 70 Unconsciousness Rating: 45 Legend Points: 110 Equipment: Ogre club, chain mail Loot: 1D6 x 10 silver pieces per ogre Ogres stand 7 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 400 pounds. They can smell silver and other precious metals, and often dig makeshift mines to locate the ore.  Ogres wield magical clubs that add +5 steps to the user's Strength step. An ogre club not touched by an ogre for more than 25 hours becomes an ordinary hunk of wood.  Once the ogres have been defeated, the characters can continue inside.
2	Ogre Lair - A large cave lit by a sputtering fire is off to your left. You can see the piles of furs and skins that must be used as sleeping areas. The floor is littered with leaves and bones.  This is where the ogres from area 1 live. There is little of value, though if it is searched, a Perception Test, target of 6, will find a small canvas bag containing 54 silvers, 6 gold pieces, and a three inch piece of raw amber with a butterfly trapped inside worth 75 silvers.
3	Iron Gate - You see a large iron gate blocking off the entrance to a huge chamber filled with tables and benches. A large rusty lock and chain secures the gate against intruders. Apparently even Nazrig Tog did not completely trust the ogres.  The gate is securely locked, needing an 8 to open. It hasn't been unlocked in years and is quite rusty. The iron is quite strong, able to resist the ogres' attempts to get in.
4	Common Room - This vast chamber is lit by several torches mounted into the walls. The room is filled with large tables and benches, and a huge cooking fire smolders in the center of the room. It looks as if the place could seat over a hundred. There are several exits, one to the right and two on the far wall. Looking around, you realize that there is no one here.  Usually this room is brimming with orks, but Nazrig Tog has them mustered out in front of the cave network, ready for the advancing forces of clan Bloodspear.
5	Storeroom - This cave is filled with sacks, crates and barrels. It is obviously a storeroom, and looks as if it could feed the complex for weeks.  This is where the food is stored. There are enough supplies for the complex to survive a siege for two months. A well takes up the center of the floor.
6	Ork Captain's Room - A hanging piece of canvas blocks off the entrance to this cave. Looking past the curtain you see some sort of living quarters. A large bed is against the far wall, and the floor is covered with animal skins. A large armor rack stands empty in the corner and a rough wooden table and benches is against the left wall. There are pewter goblets and a huge wineskin strewn across the table.  There is a shortsword tucked under the pillows of the bed, and the trunk is locked (needing a 6 to open). The trunk contains extra clothes, a vial (Healing Potion), and a small iron box containing 60 silvers, and 10 gold.
7	Living Caves - This room is filled with sleeping pallets made from animal skins, all arranged around a central fire pit.  This chamber houses almost half of the orks that serve Nazrig Tog. At the moment they are either gathered out front near 17 or they are on the march towards the advancing forces of clan Bloodspear. There is nothing here of any value.
8	Living Caves - See room 7.
9	Central Chamber - This huge chamber is lit by a large central fire pit. But that is not the most impressive feature. What takes your breath away is the carved stone steps leading to a vaulted temple. The roof is held in place by six stone pillars Gathered at the steps are six orks in armor, carrying shields and swords. They seem to be escorting a tall ork dressed in embroidered robes and carrying a skull topped staff. One of the guards turns towards you and cries out something in Orkish.  The six guards are Nazrig Tog's personal guards, and the robed figure is Nazrig Tog himself. He will order his guards to defend the temple as he rushes back inside.  Ork Guards (6)  DEX: 14: 6/D10 STR: 15: 6/D10 TOU: 12: 5/D8  PER: 12: 5/D8 WIL: 9: 4/D6 CHA: 12: 5/D8 Initiative: 5/D8 Physical Defense: 8 (11) Number of Attacks: 1 Spell Defense: 7 Attack: 11/D10+D8 Social Defense: 7 Damage: 11/D10+D8 Armor: 5 Number of Spells: 0 Mystic Armor: 0 Spellcasting: 0 Knockdown: 6/D10 Effect: 0 Recovery Tests: 2 Death Rating: 34 Combat Movement: 32 Wound Threshold: 9 Full Movement: 65 Unconsciousness Rating: 26 Legend Points: 120 Equipment: Hard leather armor, weapon, shield, second weapon Loot: 3D6 silvers each These guards are fanatically loyal to Nazrig Tog and will fight to the death, giving no quarter and expecting none.  Once the characters have defeated the guards, they can pursue Nazrig Tog into the temple.
11	Outer Storeroom - Behind the hide curtain, you find another cave filled with barrels, casks, and weapons racks. Most of the racks are empty, but there are a few spears and swords still there.  The barrels contain oil, the casks contain ale, and the reason most of the weapons are missing because Nazrig Tog's forces are already gathered, with over half already on the march, and the other half gathered outside.
12	Outer Temple - The huge outer temple is carved out of the native rock. The pillars reach forty feet into the air, supporting the vaulted ceiling. A pair of iron bound wooden double doors is at the far end. They stand shut.  There is nothing of value here. The area is lit by light quartzes mounted into the pillars.  The door is guarded by a Pass Ward spell, set by Nazrig Tog to guard his private domain.  Pass Ward This ward is designed to ensure that no one would disturb Nazrig Tog's privacy. The trap will trigger once the characters have come within 10 feet. A voice will boom out, saying, "This is the private domain of Lord Nazrig Tog. Come no further or face his wrath." If the characters advance farther, a bolt of blackish magical energy will strike the characters. Detection Difficulty: Automatic Spell Defense: 13 Disarm Difficulty: 13 Trigger Condition: Approaching within ten feet. The ward then makes a Spellcasting test at step 12/2D10. Trap Initiative: 24 Trap Effect: Step 24 damage
13	Library - This door is locked (needing an 8 to open). Once you open the door, you see a large table surrounded by chairs, and shelves of books, though most of them are empty.  Most of the library was destroyed by Nazrig Tog who prefers that his people live in ignorance.
14	Magical Workshop - You see a room filled with tables containing bubbling pots and scraps of skin covered with various magical notes. A greyish fog starts to coalesce in the center of the room.  The greyish fog is forming into an Astral Horror, cast by Nazrig Tog. He is watching from room 15 and controlling the creature's actions from there.  Astral Horror  DEX: 7/D12 STR: 8/2D6 TOU: 10/D10+D6  PER: 7/D12 WIL: 9/D8+D6 CHA: 6/D10 Initiative: 9/D8+D6 Physical Defense: 12 Number of Attacks: 2 Spell Defense: 12 Attack: 9/D8+D6 Social Defense: 14 Damage: 11/D10+D8 Armor: 0 Number of Spells: 0 Mystic Armor: 6 Spellcasting: 0 Knockdown: 6/D10 Effect: 0 Recovery Tests: 3 Death Rating: 40 Combat Movement: 60 Wound Threshold: 11 Full Movement: 120 Unconsciousness Rating: 32 Legend Points: 200 Equipment: None Loot: None This is an Astral Horror summoned by Nethermancy.  Once the creature has been defeated, the characters can continue. Inside the lab are his notes for sweeping across the lands of Barsaive. There are also 2 Booster Potions and a virulent poison that will do step 5 damage every round for 10 rounds if ingested. The person is allowed a Toughness Test, target of 8, to fight the effects of the poison. The test can be made once per round, until it is successful or the poison runs its course.
15	Nazrig Tog's Bedroom - The door to this room seems securely bolted from the other side.  The bolt is in place and only the Lockpick Talent, Shatterlock spell, or breaking down the door. The door has a barrier rating of 9/30, and will take 12 points of Shatterlock damage to break the bolt. Lockpick Talent needs a 9 to open the bolt.  Once you managed to get past the door, you can see a large bedroom. It is the last thing you see as everything goes black.  This is where Nazrig Tog will make his stand. He will cast an Ethereal Darkness as soon as the door gives way. It will give the characters a -5 step modifier to any action requiring sight. It will last for 10 rounds or until it is Dispelled (needing a Spellcasting Test of 12 and Dispel target of 9.  He has already activated a Circle of Astral Protection and a Chilling Circle, raising his Mystic Armor to a 20 and causing a D6 mystic damage to anyone entering the room.  As soon as the room is dark, Nazrig will target the first fighter through the door with a Pain spell, immobilizing the target with pain and doing a D6 mystic damage per round for 8 rounds or until the target makes a Willpower Test with a target of 13. He will then continue to cast Pain spells until he has downed his opponents or he is defeated.  Nazrig Tog (Ork, Fifth Circle Nethermancer)  DEX: 14: 6/D10 STR: 13: 6/D10 TOU: 13: 6/D10  PER: 16: 7/12 WIL: 16: 7/D12 CHA: 16: 7/D12 Initiative: 6/D10 Physical Defense: 8 Number of Attacks: 1 Spell Defense: 9 Attack: 6/D10 Social Defense: 9 Damage: 8/2D6 Armor: 2 Number of Spells: 1 Mystic Armor: 2 (20) Spellcasting: 13/D12+D10 Knockdown: 6/D10 Effect: Willforce 12 Recovery Tests: 3 Death Rating: 55 Combat Movement: 38 Wound Threshold: 9 Full Movement: 75 Unconsciousness Rating: 42 Legend Points: 250 Equipment: Padded cloth armor, dagger Loot: Golden amulet with personal symbol worth 300 silvers and worth Legend Points. Nazrig Tog will fight to the death, knowing that his Horror mentor will bring him back as a Shadow.  Once Nazrig Tog has been defeated, or once the darkness has been dispelled, the room can be described. Read the following if Nazrig has been killed:  The crumpled form of Nazrig Tog lies in a bloody pool on the ground. A blackish smoke rises from the body, and a terrible laughing echoes in your ears. Eventually, the smoke disperses.  The room is magnificently furnished, with a large, plush bed, a wardrobe, desk, table with chairs, and trunk. There are furs being used as rugs, and odd symbols painted on the walls.  There is nothing special about the bed. The wardrobe has extra robes and boots. On an upper shelf (needing a Perception Test of 7 to see) is a small box containing an ebony handled sacrificial dagger (that does +2 extra steps of damage). The desk has papers written in magic (research for the sixth circle spell Bone Shatter) and letters of correspondence between Nazrig and someone named Guul'pexiir. The trunk is locked, needing an 8 to open. It contains 2 canvas bags (one with 500 silvers another with 100 gold), a small ivory box (worth 50 sp) containing 3 rubies (worth 150 sp each), and two vials (Healing Potions). Underneath it all is Nazrig Tog's Book of Nethermancy containing the following spells:  Circle 1: Bone Dance, Chilling Circle, Command Nightflyer, Detect Undead, Spirit Grip, Undead Struggle Circle 2: Bone Circle, Ethereal Darkness, Life Circle of One, Shield Mist Circle 3: Fog of Fear, Grave Messages, Pain Circle 4: Animate Skeleton, Spirit Servant, Viewpoint Circle 5: Astral Horror, Circle of Astral Protection, Pass Ward
16	Outer Guard Room - This cave has two tables with benches, and two large barrels.  This is the outer guardroom. It is currently vacant, as the orks have gathered outside of 17. On the bottom of one of the water barrels is a small oil sack containing 35 sp, and a single sapphire worth 100 sp.
17	Outer Main Entrance - You can see the daylight streaming in through the large entranceway. A single large ork wearing chain mail has his back turned towards you as he addresses the numerous orks gathered at the bottom of the steps in front of him. You can hear the murmur spread through the assembled orks as they see you emerge from the entrance. The ork in chain mail turns towards you, his hand dropping to his sword hilt. He steps back, looking you over.  At this point, Urik Farteller strides forward and starts to speak.  "Listen, my friends, listen well. Nazrig Tog is dead. Killed by my brave companions, the heroes foretold by Thystonius. Nazrig Tog was in league with the Horrors, and was doing their bidding. And through him, you too were serving the Horrors. Now you are free. Free to tell right from wrong."  The orks look on with hushed silence. Urik looks towards all of you and whispers, "Its time for one of you heroes to speak."  Allow the characters to elect a spokesman. He can either use Urik as a translator, or he can address the crowd directly if he can speak Orkish. Let the character roll a Charisma Test with a target of 5. Allow +2 steps for the following visual aids: showing the head of Nazrig Tog, showing Nazrig Tog's golden necklace, and showing the papers communicating with the Horror.  A Success will cause the orks to disperse peacefully. A Good Success will cause the crowd to cheer, and the characters can convince half of the crowd to come to the aid of clan Bloodspear. An Excellent Success will convince the whole crowd.

Troubleshooting

The Endgame

Overview

Setting the Stage

Still, Torrig's forces are outnumbered, and it looks as if it is only a matter of time before clan Bloodspear is no more. Urik charges his horse forward, yelling the clan's battle cry as he goes.

Behind the Scenes

During the battle, each character will have to decide whether to attack normally with no modifiers, to be aggressive, adding +3 steps to their Attack Step but adding +3 steps to their opponent's Attack Step, or to attack defensively, losing -3 to their Attack Step but causing their opponent to lose -3 to their Attack Test also.

Let the characters make an Attack Test or Spellcasting Test against a target of 7. A poor success means the character fought badly and gained no honor. An Average success means the character fought well, but did nothing of note. A Good success means the character fought well and many of the orks around him will remember him, gain 50 Legend Points. An Excellent success means the character fought with great courage and effect, and will be remembered by many as a hero of the battle, gain 100 Legend Points. An Extraordinary success means the character was a telling force in the battle, and will be remembered by all for his bravery and heroism, gain 200 Legend Points.

Then discover how well they survived. Roll an Ork Attack Test at step 11, with the character's Physical Defense as the target number. An Average success will have caused 1 wound and one wound's worth of damage. A Good success causes 2 wounds and the damage, an Excellent success causes 3 wounds and the damage, and an Extraordinary success will cause 4 wounds and the damage.

Once the characters have made their rolls, describe the battle:

The battle has raged for hours. Dead bodies of both orks and horses litter the field and there are pools of blood dotting the landscape. You are tired and sore, but the remaining survivors of Nazrig Tog's army have fled. Clan Bloodspear has survived, though a great many of the clan's warriors have met their end this day. A blood covered Torrig Swordbreaker has ridden up to all of you, Urik Farteller by his side.

"Well met, brave heroes. We have done well this day."

Have Torrig compliment those who fought well, describing the character's deeds.

"Today is a day that will become part of the legends spoken around the campfires, and your names will be remembered. Let us ride for our encampment where we can clean ourselves up and give a feast for the living. Come, my friends, this is a good day to be alive."

The orks will ride for the camp, and that night a feast will be held that makes the others seem like small picnics. Clan Bloodspear will allow the characters to stay with them as long as they like, after all, the characters have freed them from Nazrig Tog's oppression. Torrig will offer them clan tattoos, allowing other ork clans to recognize the characters as people who have done a great favor for an ork clan and have been adopted into it.

Troubleshooting

Legend Point Awards

A final award is having been made members of Clan Bloodspear and earning the friendship of Torrig Swordbreaker and Urik Farteller. They will also have been noticed by the Passion Thystonius, and it will be easier for a character to become a questor to that Passion at a later date.

Cast of Characters

Torrig Swordbreaker

Torrig Swordbeaker is the leader of Clan Bloodspear. He is a tough but open minded ork who's main concern is the welfare of his clan. He is brave but not foolish, and willing to die to save his clan and the lives of the other orks in the mountain valley they call home.

Urik Farteller

Urik Farteller is getting on in years. His body shows the ravages of age, but it has not stopped him yet.

He is a loyal follower of Thystonius and has been granted the power of prophecy. He was the first to realize that Nazrig Tog was in league with the Horrors and leading the orks down a path of destruction. A vision from Thystonius showed him the arrival of heroes from outside the clans, heroes who would save the orks from Nazrig Tog's domination. He convinced Torrig Swordbreaker of this, and the two of them have gone in quest of the heroes who would save the clans.