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Your players must unravel the puzzle through action as much as cogitation, for once the story starts it gathers momentum toward the conclusion. Once the adventure begins the gamemaster should put gentle pressure to keep the adventure moving, not allowing the players much more time than enough to catch their breaths. The adventure is designed to throw the players a curve or two; you can enhance the effect by keeping time tight in order to keep the players a little off balance.
At a theme level you can play the adventure as a classic fairy tale with a twist: True love is eternal, and such a love twisted can cause eternal pain. The external problems (Whisper Pain's presence in Barsaive, Sir Gutarag's betrayal of Throal, the attempt on the live of Prince Neden) can all be solved by restoring the natural course of the love between Herita and Tansion. That one of the lover's is dead and the other undead is tricky... but these things are never easy, are they?
If any of your player-characters have romantic connections or difficulties,
you might want to think a moment about integrating that romance into this
story line. The troubles your PC has with his romance can mirror on a smaller
scale the problems between Tanison and Herita. As a true sub-plot these
difficulties should wrap up before the climax of the main plot, and the
resolution of the sub-plot should reflect the resolution of the main plot.
Perhaps one of the PC lovers is cursed in Kaxilreth's tower. Maybe the
wasting disease whcih killed the wizard is spiritual and requires the magic
of strong love (and a blood oath swearing fealty) to cure. Use your imagination
to adapt the story to better involve your group.
Props: The gamemaster needs four identical earrings for this
adventure. Also included are the 'death handouts' for the entrance to Kaxilreth's
Tower scene.
Whisper Pain drifted across Barsaive during the Scourge, causing small exquisite miseries rather than wholesale slaughter. As the magic of world began to ebb, the Horror began to formulate a plan which would let him stay in this world forever. It allied with Kaxilreth, a desperate magician seeking a cure for the disease which consumed him. Outwardly comforting the mage while secretly revelling in the taste of his agony, Whisper Pain engaged Kaxilreth in a plan to possess a being who was securely attached to this world through the threads of bloodlines, magic and responsibility. Noble houses offered the best range of choices. Sir Gutarag's misfortune landed him on Kaxilreth's island. Whisper Pain seized upon the opportunity, choosing Prince Neden as its target. The plan has moved inexorably forward, and nears completion.
The players were sitting in a finely appointed chamber in Bartertown, resting in overstuffed leather chairs placed beneath the painted gaze of long-dead dwarven merchants. The proffered wine is excellent and plentiful, and those little finger sandwiches are delicious if not filling. They are sitting here at the request of Lord Malban, a human who advises King Varulus III. As they are getting nervous over the quality of the service and the luxury of the surroundings (those dwarves know how to stage a last meal, that's for sure), Lord Malban enters the chambers, a tall man dressed in earth tones, a rich, red shirt over brown riding-breeches. His polished black boots match the slick, black hair capping his hawk-like feature. His gestures are deliberate, indicative of the depth of thought always going on behind those piercing eyes.
With him is Sir Gutarag, a dwarven champion who has served King Varulus for years. His body runs a little bit too much to fat these days, but a warrior would note with approval that Gutarag's cryustal chain armor is not ceremonial, and the off-color links use to expand the armor to its more generous size were chosen for their strength, not their appearance. Gutarag is brusque toward the party, but never to the point of being rude. The old soldier does not like the idea of involving non-dwarves into such an important matter so early in the situation. But Malban has convinced him.
Lord Malban tells them a danger to the throne exists, a danger to Crown Prince Neden. For 300 silver apiece (plus royal license for anything they happen to acquire) they are to go Kaxilreth Island to investigate the background to the threat, information about the mage Kaxilreth. The mage founded his island to live where death's grip was weak, and where few could invade his privacy. He hopes to permanently ward off a fatal disease. Kaxilreth succeeded only in dying an agonizing death, a death which took 18 years to claim him. Sir Gutarag knows this but he is not telling.
If your players have played Rescue! from Earthdawn Journal #2, Malban tells them they were chosen partly for their reputed expertise in travelling the Death's Sea.
Before they leave Lord Malban will take them aside and ask that they report directly back to him. He suspects that Kaxilreth may have allies in the palace. Whether or not the players trust the man is up to them.
During the night the air elementals rebel against the constant torment of the day and cause furious and unpredictable currents. Luckily they are landing during the day, when the updrafts are regular. After twisting and turning in the winds, the characters approach the island for a landing. Air sailing tests of 3 from everyone skids the boat down onto the rocks. Don't have air sailing? Bit tougher then: willpower test of 5 will do it. Remember that number of successes must equal the number of passengers to keep the boat on course. See page 96 of the basic rulebook. If one-half of the passengers succeed, the boat can land roughly. Fewer successes gets them caught in the vicious air currents and plunges them toward the lava. One-half success is needed for the boat to climb. Three-quarters or better success will allow the boat to climb up to the island and land during the same round. Landing conditions are tricky; any thing less than full success is a jarring landing. Players make a Strength test against (10 - air sailing successes). Failure throws the the character from the boat, taking 8 steps of damage on the volcanic rock. Physical armor reduces the damage taken.
The wings retract themselves when the characters land. The heat is stifling, the air clings to their lungs as if it were afraid to leave their bodies. The oblong rocky island has cliffs, 20 to 30 feet tall, but the fiery spray sometimes crashes over the lip of the cliff. The characters find themselves at the tunnel leading to Kaxilreth's tower.
Each trap can be avoided by speaking a phase of the moon, one per room, in this order: new moon, quarter moon, half moon, gibbous moon, full moon. Kaxilreth had an obsession with lunar phenomena, and he gave his real guests the passwords so they could enter his tower without being attacked. The players have almost no way of obtaining this information before they reach Tanison, but the tower was built to be used.
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Characters can still see the weight-sensitive gears and cogs which moved the earthen covers of each of the three pits. Each pit is 10 feet across and spans the full 10 feet of the trench. The gears have been spiked with the pit covers partially open. Characters can see the preternaturally sharp spikes (Always hit if a character falls, but attack test with 9 steps for the purposes of determining an armor defeating hit; damage test 13.) Makeshift bridges span the pits, built from no-longer needed furniture from the tower: slats and side pieces from a bed frame, drawers and back pieces from an armoire, and the extra sections from an expandable dining table. Wooden pegs join the pieces. The bridges are rickety, but will hold up to 400 pounds. Obsidimen will have a problem.
Magically aimed, armed and fired crossbows were hidden in niches in the walls. Now all six crossbows lie in a neat pile in the corner near the door, their bowstrings cut. The aiming ward is still active, the equivalent of mystic aim (rank four, step nine, not that it really matters). The circles appear on the characters but no missile is fired, although three of the bows release and re-cock with each triggering of the ward . Play the effect for as much creepiness as you can get away with.
The crossbows are fashioned from polished maple inlaid with onyx. The stones have been meticulously cracked by Tanison, and so are not worth much. The whole lot is worth perhaps 30 silver pieces. The bows are thread items attuned to the pattern of the island (which in turn was woven with Kaxilreth's pattern.) They are worth perhaps 250 silver to a mage interested in theoretical magic, but they have no practical value. For the theoretical mages among the players, the problem for using them is as follows: The island has threads connected to the weapons. The enchantment on the island powers the crossbows. Attaching a character's thread to the weapon severs the threads to the island; the weapon then has no power.
Detection runes line the door frame to this section, the ebony still polished and gleaming. The runes detect the passage of the namegiver races, and there is a rune for each of the main eight races. One round after passage fire runes flare in the our corners of the room. Ceiling nozzles hiss from the pressure of elemental air, but Tanison has removed the lamp oil which would otherwise fill the room with a flammable mist.
This oblong room is 15 yard long and a scant 5 yards wide. Tanison has been unable to affect the magic in this room. The entrance and exits start directly across from one another. However the exit moves ( the dirt and stone and tunnel shift to reform the entrance in a new location. The door has initiative step 7. If the door wins initiative a DEX test of 8 or better is needed to get through the door. If a character wins a DEX test of 6 gets you through. In either case, a WIL test of 6 will allow a character to overcome the magic of the door and stagger through. Failure to move through the door results in a magical push which acts as a difficulty 10 knockdown test. A character who fails the knockdown test is pushed back into the room.
The rest of the room has six moving sections of stone, three on each side of the wall. The stone sections are five yards wide fitting together at seams less than a knife blade thick. The sections move asynchronously, making their patterns impossible to follow. DEX tests of 5 or more cross the room without being hit by a section. Failure indicates being hit by a block for 8 steps of damage (armor applies); a botch means the blocks slammed the character between them for 16 steps of damage.
There are 13 entrance slots in the cupola surrounding the main gate. There are hand marker for the left hand beside each slot. There are runes above each marker. Each rune is scarred and scraped. Tanison defiled the runes the best he could, but they retain most of their magic. The hand markers will slide, shrink or stretch to match the size of the character. Each time a character touches a hand marker, they make a spellcasting test (PER default). On a nine or better, nothing happens; the door doesn't open either. The door will not open until the password is spoken while touching the hand marker or the spell is unleashed. Opening when the spell is unleashed is an effect of Tanison's tampering, not part of Kaxilreth's original design.
Once unleashed all characters make WIL tests. All but highest total dies to the spell (The spell opens portals to Death's domain, which conducts a battle similar to undead struggle, only the domain of Death can never die. Bummer.) Their spirits continue play, using skills and abilities on astral objects, but limited to PER, WIL, and CHA against physical objects or creatures. The dead spirits can recreate physical items they owned by making WIL tests. The target number is the step of the item, three if the item did not have a step number. So a broadsword could be created with a WIL test of 5. The objects only work in astral space, where their spirits currently linger. Normally the spirits are whisked away to the afterworld or Death's domain, but the spell has been disrupted by Tanison, and Death's grip is weak here on Death's Sea.
A spirit has the same death and unconsciousness rating, wound threshold and recovery stats as the physical character. If a spirit Ôdies', he or she loses her grip on astral space and takes the long fall to Death's domain.
Opening The Door: The door is disk-shaped, rolling in its slot
to resemble a waning moon as it opens.
Walls: The wall are elementally worked volcanic rock. They are impervious to physical attack for the purposes of this scenario. Given tools and a couple of hours you could dig through one of the inner walls. Unless noted walls resist astral passage (of the spirits) with a difficulty of 4. A WIL test of four or better is needed to pass through the walls. This difficulty applies to the astral lampreys as well as the player characters.
Windows: Made from heat-resistant crystal thicker than an ork's forearm. They are nearly as tough as the walls, having an armor value of 15, death rating of 25. An attack test of 20 or better is an armor defeating hit. Any attack test other than a botch hits the window.
Ventilation: Each room has an intake vent and an exhaust vent. These are magic portals which transport air, and only air, to the filtration room.
The rooms below have a listing for Physical Entrance and Astral Entrance. These list the difficulties and hazards for entering the rooms in body or spirit.
The anteroom has a portrait of Kaxilreth. He is a tall human, sallow skin, vague expression. He stands inside a gigantic brass contraption, an artist's brave attempt at rendering the planetarium mechanism without seeing it. Kaxilreth is wearing crisp orange robes with complicated loops in gold thread.
Across from the painting are a pair of brass cape racks. The floor is a orange and gold diamond-shaped tile mosaic. There are no windows in this room.
Neatly kept bedroom with a simple oak bed, night stand and an armoire that has been warped from the heat. Once the best a courtier could buy, Tanison's clothes are all thread-bare. The night stand lamp has a fire spell upon it, drawing energy from Death's Sea. The lamp ignites and brightens with the turn of a simple screw. The lamp is a magical curiosity worth 150 silver, counting as treasure. It is only useful in areas rich in elemental fire. There are no windows in this room.
Five storage bins cluster along the west wall, preparation counters abut the southwest, while a 60-gallon water tank stands in the southeast. A sink stands next to the water tank, a tap running from the tank to the sink. The drain leads out the east wall. Next to the sink is the oven. Two eastside-windows and four light crystal illuminate the kitchen. The northern end of the kitchen is a water-summoning circle centered around a five-gallon pot. Only Kaxilreth knew how to use the circle.
China, cutlery, cooking ware and serving dishes are stored in the cupboards along the east wall. The storage bins preserve food through cold and air magics. The bins still hold food, enough meat, fruit and flour to feed the party for weeks.
Polished gray-granite tile reflects the bright light from the eight crystals which illuminate this room. The dining room is the most cheerful room in the house, with potted palms in the northern corners standing sentry on either side of a terrarium. The dining table is a slab of marble held aloft by a sky lattice spell. Eight slender chairs with gold-silk cushions sit neatly under the table. The cushions are worth 25 silver apiece, but do NOT count as treasure.
One large stuffed chair with cracked leather uphostelry sits in the NW corner. Suspended on a brass chain above the chair is a light crystal. The bookshelves on the eastern wall hold nothing of great value. The books are common folk tales, collected works from obscure troubadours, and dozens of volumes of bad poetry written by Kaxilreth. Not all of the poetry deals with the moon -- just most of it.
Stairs in the southwest lead to the upper floor.
The mood of this room is set by the large curved window which caps the western end of the parlor. The red glow from the death's sea washes the colors from the room. Two low set couches abut to form an ÒLÓ shape near the center of the room. A bar and liquor cabinet occupy the northeast. Brandy and port are what Kaxilreth had left. The parlor floor was sunk about four feet lower than the rest of this level, short stairs connecting the parlor to the reading room. The windows start about 12 feet above the floor. An accordion-like curtain, similar to the top of a roll-top desk, may be pulled by a rod to cover the window. The windows of the parlor are not quite as strong as the other windows, having been stretch and molded to form the curve. They have a death rating of 20, armor rating 15, and require an attack test of 15 for an armor defeating hit.
Brass tubes and runes fill the room. The tubes model in miniature the way air circulates throughout the tower. Adjusting the flow in the model can increase or decrease the flow of air to any room.
Thirteen paintings crowd the walls, each a different painting of a night landscape featuring a full moon. The only identifiable landscapes are Sky Point and Travar. In each painting it is the moon that is the most vibrant, the most realistic. The rest of the painting exists to give the moon a context, something to shine upon. The paintings are well done, but averaging four feet high by six feet wide they are not particularly portable -- particularly as they are painted on wood rather than canvas. But if some thief ... er, art lover happens to make off with them they are worth (d12+d10) x 10 silver pennies apiece. That's an average of 130 silver apiece.
Canopied brass bed large enough for an ogre, let alone a human. Built in closets with brass rods (What is with this guy, anyway? Hasn't he heard of, oh, iron or gold or platinum or tin for Chorrolis sake? ) Kaxilreth has a variety of clothes; courtiers would envy his selection of vests, hose, shirts and shoes. Kaxilreth seems to have been the sort of magician who only wore robes for work. On the wall over the onyx night stand is an illusion -glass, a work of art which reflects an imaginary forest pool at which storm wolves stop to refresh themselves. In contrast with the other works of art in the tower, the pool is dappled with sunlight.
The privy squats in the northwest corner, white porcelain with brass fixtures. A curtain may be pulled for privacy. Three metal bath-basins suspend from rails in walls, additional support being given by rods hanging from the ceiling. The basins are porcelain lined with drains in the bottom, the pipes from which disappear into the floor. A single water tank with a flexible metal hose hangs along the south wall. Each basin has metal stair (yes, brass) and handrails to aid bathers getting in and out. One of the baths is copper, one silver, and one white gold. If the characters really want to go about disassembling a bath for the metal, the recover approximately 70 silver pieces worth of copper, 600 silver pieces of silver and 1,500 silver pieces worth of white gold. The metal is bonded to the porcelain, making removal difficult.
This would be a tedious process, claiming about 10% of a bath's worth each hour of work.
The researcher also discovers that a planetarium setting was very important to a related bit of research Kaxilreth was doing.
On a Good success (9+) the researcher also discovers that Kaxilreth had been modifying a life-magic spell to extend his own life. The modifications assume the spell is being cast in the Death's Sea, drawing upon the elemental power present in the sea, and Death's relative impotence in the area. Based on a spirit summoning spell, it could resurrect the player characters. Now all they need is thread weaving or PER tests and the following ingredients: elemental fire, elemental water, brass incense burners, myrrh, and a summoning circle formed from moonbeams. Piece of cake, right?
On an Excellent success (11+) the researcher also discovers oblique references to the Yrithsar, suggesting that the ritual be performed only when the characters are ready for a hasty exit from the tower.
A researcher who spends another 4 to 5 hours with the book and makes a PER test 5 could also discover the information of a Good success, but Yrithsar information still requires an excellent success.
The planetarium dominates the room, a collection of spanning bars, gears, models, circles, tracks, lenses and mirrors, loops, handles and chains. The planetarium is a working model of the solar system, although only six planets are present: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The model is geocentric, centered around the Earth in Ptolemaic fashion. The Moon is prominently display in its orbit around the earth. The Sun lies between the moon and the planets, while the constellations lie beyond the planets. Each planet, the moon and sun have two controls for motion (up-down, in a circle around the earth.)
Moving the planetarium is a tricky task for one person (DEX and PER tests of 11 each), less so for two are more (one makes a DEX test of 5, the other a PER test of 5). Tanison can provide the perception, but is a bit jerky in his undead form for the dexterity test. Spirits can provide perception if they can find a way to communicate with the physical world.
If the planetarium is set in accordance with Kaxilreth's notebook (see baths above), the walls will gradually lose tint, from black to smoky gray to clear. The lenses hum as light from the stars and planets strike them, and the gears move of their own accord as the enchantment adjusts itself. When all the lenses are in correct position all notes are in pitch. Moonlight reflects and then flares from the lenses, a flame which cools rather than warms. The lenses, mirrors and magic focus the moonlight upon the floor of the observatory, where it rises from the ground to form a summoning circle of pure moonlight.
A good success alerts Whisper Pain that something more interesting than astral lampreys is entering the room. It comes to investigate, arriving in a minute or so. Whisper Pain observes the characters in the hopes one will provide additional nourishing pain. This observation may include mental conversation to find out who these adventurers are, with perhaps a bit of taunting. Whisper Pain will not reveal who it is. It wants to annoy, not severely damage, taste the stress of the adventurers, not kill them. He stays far enough away in astral space to never appear as more than a ill-defined presence in the polluted murk.
Normal success tangles the character in the astral structure of the room. Step 6 damage before the character works himself free. Failure tangles the character in the room. Step 9 damage each round until she frees herself with a WIL test of 7 or better.
The room has a single bed with yellow sheet and blankets, and a simple pine dresser-drawer. They are scarcely noticeable for the scrawl on the walls, ceiling and floor. The scrawl is in different languages, different styles and sizes, and chaotic jumble of words etched in orange ink on black walls. The words are ranting doggerel such as, 'soft glowing tumescence of pain rises and breaks upon the soul, ragged breath hissing as waves, jagged gleaming edges of consciousness cuts the night, the time of dreams, slices so thin you read the wishes right through them, vain wishes, prayerful wishes, with no one to hear them except me.'
A PER test of 5 will find several references to 'Whisper Pain.'
A second PER test of 5 will find the phrase ' tried to sleep Sir, tried to sleep poor Gutarag, steaming sweat Sir, screaming sweat poor Gutarag, matted hair, sticky beard champion, ship's hull breached, crews' bones bleached, fallen softly, crying softly, with no one to hear him except me.' The phrase has been overwritten a number of times, indicating that it was an early scrawl.
The room feels as foul as it looks. No matter how hard your lungs work you can never seem to get enough air. The walls seem too close, the floor tickles. The only safe spot seems to be the bed. A place to sleep. A time for Whisper Pain.
The walls are scarred from some of Kaxilreth's more interesting experiments. The lab table in the northeast has a hole burned through it, and large divots were blown from the thick rock in the corner wall. The north end has the tables, with parchments diagrams hanging haphazardly from hooks in the wall. The eastern end is a scroll case containing the record of all of Kaxilreth's experiments (most of which failed.) Not the most exciting reading in the world.
Also against the south wall is a set of shelves with tools: metal tubes, glass beakers, brass incense burners, filters, corks, and the like.
Against the south wall stands two supply cabinets. One holds the more mundane supplies, charcoal, iron dust, sulfur (15 sp), mercury (50 sp), silver (25 sp), white gold (25 sp), foxglove (30 sp), cinnamon (15 sp), saffron (150 sp) and myrrh (75 sp).
The other is enchanted to safely hold more magical supplies. The cabinet is in need of replenishing, but there are still two Kelix's poultice (25 sp resale), one healing potion (175 resale), one jar elemental earth (300 sp, counts as treasure), one small sealed container elemental fire (500 sp, counts as treasure), one flask elemental water (300 sp, counts as treasure). The cabinets contain enough supplies to perform the life magic mentioned in Kaxilreth's notebook, and return the spirits of the player characters to their bodies.
Moving the planetarium is a tricky task for one person (DEX and PER tests of 11 each), less so for two are more (one makes a DEX test of 5, the other a PER test of 5). Tanison can provide the perception, but is a bit jerky in his undead form for the dexterity test. Spirits can provide perception if they can find a way to communicate with the physical world.
When set in accordance with Kaxilreth's notebook (see baths above) the walls will gradually lose tint, from black to smoky gray to clear. The lenses hum as light from the stars and planets strike them, and the gears move of their own accord as the enchantment adjusts itself. When all the lenses are in correct position all notes are in pitch. Moonlight reflects and then flares from the lenses, a flame which cools rather than warms. The lenses, mirrors and magic focus the moonlight upon the floor of the observatory, where it rises from the ground to form a summoning circle of pure moonlight.
The shrieks of the Yrithsar can be heard in the distance as soon as the fire is applied. They are getting closer.
The water is applied to the bottom of the summoning circle. A PER or thread weaving test of 5 and the water flows around the circle, contrary to the pull of gravity. As above invoker has five rounds (and five chances) to apply the fire, needing three successes to apply water around the whole circle. A good success counts as two success, and excellent or better success counts as three successes.
Once the water is applied pieces of the planetarium begin to pop and explode off the structure; mercury whizzes by the right ear of the invoker. The lenses vibrate and the chains rattle. The voices of the Yrithsar can be heard inside the metal of the planetarium itself.
The summoning circle fills with the image of a full moon. The triangle breaks apart into tendrils of smoke, one for each character given life. The smoke pours into the chests of the deceased. Each deceased must make a TOU test; on a four or better the character immediately regains consciousness. Otherwise they can make another TOU test in 3 rounds (or less if you are a really kind GM.) Right now however, the Yrithsar are breaking through.
On the first round after the ritual the planetarium begins to bend and the observatory wall begins to crack. Time to leave.
On the second round talons puncture one of the brass rails from the inside, and the walls bend and distort as though made from a thin rubber sheet. Now it's really time to leave.
On the third round...oops, too late. The Yrithsar break into the physical
world with a howl like an angry storm.
Passing through the elemental firestorm requires fast and accurate flying. Air sailing tests of 6 or WIL test of 8 are needed. The ship must be able to climb and maneuver toward a calm spot in the storm, which requires 3/4 success. Kindly GM's are advised to allow players to spend Karma, as long as they come up with a dramatic reason for how their characters are tapping their inner power. Yeah, sometimes I play fast and loose with the Karma rules, but anything that keeps the characters alive AND makes them spend legend points to do so is just fine with me.
Each round they spend in the firestorm subjects each character, and the ship, to possible damage. The firestorm 'attacks' with a spellcasting of 12 steps, and does 6 steps damage. Allow characters who are using shields or other forms of cover to add the cover to their mystic armor rating. The spell defense of the wingboat is 8; if the firestorm scores an armor defeating hit then fire burns through the hull. The size of the hole is proportional to the damage done, each point of damage burning out roughly one square foot. Seven points of damage is enough for a hole about three feet in diameter, just the right size to fall through. Fun, huh?
Once they make it through the storm, they have a nice 10 - 14 day voyage back to Throal. If the ship is undamaged its 10 days, if it is a battered hulk, make it 14. Choose a value in between if the ship is only partially damaged.
Now it's time to deal with the plans of that pesky Whisper Pain.
If Tanison is present or if they mention the enchantment and the earrings, Malban will wave them silent while considering things. Unless the players rudely interrupt his thought, Lord Malban decides to give the earrings to the player characters. He warns them that Sir Gutarag has shown a strong interest in this sort of jewelry. Lord Malban wants the business cleared up before the dance. Tanison suggests they try to save Herita right now. All they need to find is a setting like the one in which Tanison first made his promise.
Just like in the fairy tales (which are nothing more than distorted legends from the time of Earthdawn) all that Herita and Tanison need to break the curse on them is to kiss. Unfortunately Herita does not have a body... she needs one of the adventurers to loan her theirs. Herita can possess a body if the owner allows it (i.e. reduces her or his spell defense, p. 152 of the basic rulebook.) Herita can only possess a body which is wearing the earrings which house her spirit. The heroes have four earrings ... time to try them on.
But first .... Sir Gutarag (actually Whisper Pain) can sense the earrings once they leave Sir Malban's protected apartments. You bet he is interested in checking them out. He will meet them in the gardens in time for the big finale.
Whisper Pain will attack the characters trying on the earrings, trying to get them or at least knock them over into the city below. The characters' job is to handle Whisper Pain long enough for the Kiss to happen.
Once the right earrings are on a character, the Kiss starts. What, you think over five centuries of romantic frustration could be dissolved in a little one-round peck? Au contraire, mes amis... this is a kiss for the ages, a kiss of legend, a kiss of which ordinary lovers can only dream. No rules for the Kiss, but a couple of suggested special effects:
In life Herita was an expert rider and athlete, competing for her city in the royal festivals held throughout Barsaive. She was renown for her iron will and her fierce desire to compete. She had dark hair, flashing eyes, and troubadours crumpled pages of parchment in frustration at their inability to adequately describe her brilliant smile. Her noble position, joy of life and her love for Tanison made her a target for Whisper Pain, one of the intelligent Horrors who early in the Scourge managed to slip through to the physical world.
She and Tanison were separated during the appearance of the Horror. She persisted in her search for him, but heard rumors that Whisper Pain had killed and animated her lover. She instructed her sorcerers to find a way to free Tanison from the Horror's grasp, then embarked on a quest to discover a way to destroy Whisper Pain. Herita was consumed in the conflagration of the early Scourge, when the hordes of mindless Horrors first ravaged the land. Her spirit and life-force were protected and held by the earrings. She continued to exist, trapped in a prison. Her powers did not completely desert her, for her spirit managed to attract people to carry her and convey her to her eventual goal, Throal and the court magicians of the Dwarfen Kingdom. The earrings emanate a faint aura of power, but the wearer has strong feelings of confidence and well-being as long as his or her actions conform with Herita's wishes.
Goal: Escape her prison, reunite with Tanison, learn of the fate
of her people.
Goals: Rid himself of his disease, to prove his love to the vital
force of the moon and to wed her ... so he was a basket case with big dreams.
Now that he is singing the worm sonata it doesn't matter quite so much.
Lord Malban's sources told him that Sir Gutarag was searching for a set of earrings. Using his contracts with adventurers he obtained them first... two sets in fact. He has little chance of determining which set is genuine Ñ at least not without using Dwarfen specialists who might have ties to Sir Gutarag. Both seem magical, and both are thread items. Lord Malban decided to hang onto to both sets until he could at least determine what Sir Gutarag wanted with a set of ancient human earrings.
Goal: Prevent harm from coming to Prince Neden. Keep relations
between the Dwarfen Kingdom of Throal and the other races on an even keel.
At Whisper Pain's urging, Kaxilreth healed Sir Gutarag, making sure the healing took some time. After several attempts Whisper Pain managed to take possession of Sir Gutarag. The plan for possession of Prince Neden began then. Whisper Pain continued to hold possession on the hapless knight, but at a very deep and subconscious level. He molded Gutarag's desires and altered his memories. When the old dwarfen champion was deemed safe, Kaxilreth had elementals transport him to the edge of the death's sea, complete with a fabricated tale of an elemental kingdom in which Gutarag had spent the last few months. Gutarag wholeheartedly believes this version of events.
His experiences on the Death Sea expedition supposedly cured him of his adventuring appetite. In reality, Whisper Pain needed him to stay in Throal. Sir Gutarag eventually developed a keen interest in pre-scourge human jewelry, a quirky hobby no one begrudged him. But his obsessive interest in earrings from the vicinity of the lost city of Idis piqued at least one courtier's curiosity: Lord Malban.
Sir Gutarag appears the model of a retired dwarfen soldier, breast coat buttons still polished and boots that could blind you in the sun. Only his eyebrows, wild bushy unkempt tufts of hair on an otherwise perfectly groom face, indicate that he has loosened up at all. His manner is gruff by civil, and the mean-nothing diplomatic chit-chat which fills court conversations still sends a shiver up his stiff spine. He is completely unaware that he is a pawn of a Horror. Consciously he is still a loyal servant of King Varulus III.
Goal: Save Prince Neden from danger. Too bad Whisper Pain has
another idea.
Goal: Make it out of the Dance of the New Moon with a few conversations
with dull courtiers as possible.
The first stirrings of the Scourge sent tremors through Idis. Tanison sensed that Herita was imperiled and sought out a blood sorcerer. Tanison sacrificed a third of his life in order to provide the blood magic which pulses through the earrings.
Dreams haunt Tanison, convincing him the Whisper Pain never found Herita or her earrings. As long as Whisper Pain does not possess the earrings, it is possible the Herita may be released. With the emotional anchor to this world weakened, Whisper Pain would be forced back into the astral plane.
Tanison was gifted to Kaxilreth by Whisper Pain. Now that Kaxilreth is dead, Tanison is free for the first time in two dozen generations. Tanison wears well-preserved linens and silks of his troubadour past. The yellows and blues had faded, leaving them as faint counterpoint the browns of his jerkin. Tanison no longer has any of his Troubadour talents, although his songs are still strong and he has his knowledge. His pattern has been warped through all the years of Whisper Pain's manipulations. Perhaps time could restore the pattern. Perhaps not.
Tanison only knows that Whisper Pain's plan involve Prince Neden. He also suspects that the pain he (and he presumes) Herita feel over their lost love is an important part of the magic connecting Whisper Pain to this world. Should they be reunited, perhaps Whisper Pain would be forced back into his astral hole.
Goals: Learn if the player characters are trustworthy. If the
players seem at all trustworthy he will try to recruit them to aid him
in finding the earrings. He wants to reunite with his love, and release
Herita's spirit.
Whisper Pain is a Horror who planned to wreak most of its havoc after its less-imaginative brethren were forced from the world by the decline of magic. For Whisper Pain's favored form of suffering is best served in a peaceable and optimistic setting. Whisper Pain most enjoys the isolated, individual pain, the lone sufferer adrift amid a sea of contented neighbors.
The pain which lets you see the edge of madness without succumbing to its comforting psychoses.
But Whisper Pain's tethers to the world shall soon be insufficient to hold it to this world. The love of Tanison and Herita is still strong, but even it cannot withstand the full shift in magical energies which has occurred. The Horror must have more pain. It has chosen Prince Neden, another strong will target capable of much suffering, capable of becoming an empty soul presiding over a court over brimming with emotion. Kaxilreth was the first means to an end. Sir Gutarag is the next. With the ritual of possession in readiness, Whisper pain is waiting only for the new moon to take possession of the prince.
Goal: Possess Prince Neden. Secure the earrings to insure its
link to the world until the ritual of possession can be performed.
Attributes in form of Sir Gutarag
| DEX: 7 STR: 4 TOU: 9
PER: 13 WIL: 13 CHA: 10 |
|
| Initiative: 8 | Physical Defense: 8 |
| Number of Attacks: 2 | Spell Defense: 10 |
| Attack: 12 | Social Defense: 12 |
| Damage: 11 (ax) | Armor: 9 |
| Number of Spells: (2) | Mystic Armor: 6 |
| Spellcasting: 15 | Knockdown: 5 |
| Effect: See Below | Recovery Tests: 3 |
| Death Rating: 90 | Combat Movement: 32 |
| Wound Threshold: 10 | Full Movement: 65 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 78 | Legend Points: 1,300 |
| Karma Points: 15 | Karma Steps: 7 |
| Powers: Damage Shift 10, Horror Mark 15 | |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
Whisper Pain uses two combat spells in his current form:
Forked Lightning
Casting Difficulty: Target's Spell Defense
Weaving Difficulty: 10/na
Threads: 1
Range: 60 yards
Effect: Willforce+3
Duration: 1 round
Forked lightning strikes two separate characters. The target characters
may not be more than 20 yards apart. Roll only one spellcasting test comparing
it to the spell defense of each target.
Pervert Armor
Casting Difficulty: Target's Spell Defense
Weaving Difficulty: 10/na
Threads: 2
Range: 60 yards
Effect: Willforce +2
Duration: 10 rounds
Pervert armor reverses the armor rating of armor, increasing the amount
of damage from a blow. For example a successful pervert armor on ring mail
(armor rating 6) would increase by six points the amount of damage done
by a blow. Once the spell is successfully cast, make an effect test against
the armor rating of the target armor. Success means the armor is perverted
| DEX: 5 STR: 4 TOU: 4
PER: 7 WIL: 7 CHA: 2 |
|
| Initiative: 6 | Physical Defense: 7 |
| Number of Attacks: NA | Spell Defense: 9 |
| Attack: NA | Social Defense: 10 |
| Damage: NA | Armor: 3 |
| Number of Spells: 1 | Mystic Armor: 3 |
| Spellcasting: 10 | Knockdown: 4 |
| Effect: See Below | Recovery Tests: 1 |
| Death Rating: 25 | Combat Movement: 32 |
| Wound Threshold: 8 | Full Movement: 65 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 20 | Legend Points: 50 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
Astral lampreys are more often nuisances rather than mortal dangers unless nests are threatened. The lampreys mouth can slowly suck life from a person, but they usually detach after eating their fill. Roll spellcasting to attach. Armor defeating hit attaches the lamprey. They can bore through astral defenses, a glowing diamond collar whirling as a drill bit; armor-defeating hit represents successful drilling by the lamprey. Their hunger is d10; roll for hunger upon attachment. Damage when attached is d4-1; no damage is done otherwise. When damage total equals or exceeds hunger, the lamprey stops eating. Astral lampreys will circle the spirits of the dead characters, feeding upon those which do not move on to the afterworld.
If their young or their nests are threatened they will continue to drain life from their targets until the threat has been defeated, or they themselves are defeated. Astral lampreys usually travel in small schools of 4 to 10 lampreys.
Their legend points are low for their stats because they rarely fight
to the death, willing to look for other food if a meal becomes too feisty
to handle.
Yrithsar
| DEX: 7 STR: 6 TOU: 11
PER: 6 WIL: 8 CHA: 9 |
|
| Initiative: 7 | Physical Defense: 10 |
| Number of Attacks: 2 | Spell Defense: 9 |
| Attack: 9 | Social Defense: 11 |
| Damage: 12 | Armor: 8 |
| Number of Spells: (1) | Mystic Armor: 4 |
| Spellcasting: 8 | Knockdown: 7 |
| Effect: 10 | Recovery Tests: 2 |
| Death Rating: 50 | Combat Movement: 75 |
| Wound Threshold: 13 | Full Movement: 150 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 42 | Legend Points: 250 |
| Karma Points: 4 | Karma Steps: 7 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
Yrithsar prey upon those whom Death feels has cheated her. Death's exile has weakened her grasp upon the upper world. Yrithsar have been created to help Death reclaim her rightful role in the world. Resurrected characters are prime targets for Yrithsar, as they represent obscene rejection of Death's authority. They are often found around Death's Sea, for Death's grip is even weaker here than in other places of the world.
The legend points are high because of their gaze power and their high movement rate.
One yrithsar appears for each character who has been resurrected in
this adventure, fewer if the Gamemaster is feeling lenient or the characters
have really had a hard time of it so far.
Character Death
Please remain silent while reading this. You have died, but you are
still in the game as a spirit. Most of you will be spirits and there are
definitely things for spirits to do in the adventure. If the survivor can
find a means to resurrect you, then you may return to your body. Now lets
make your exit from this mortal coil a dramatic one. I will raise my hand.
When I drop it, give me your best death scream. Make the survivor really
nervous about being the only one left alive. Thanks for your role-playing.
The Vision
You feel a buzz on your fingertips. Your spine itches half a heartbeat
before a searing pain slowly rolls up your back, as if every hair were
transformed into a red-hot nail then pounded in at impossible speed by
a demonic blacksmith. Tears blur your vision as you stagger from the wall.
You blink. The wall wavers. You stand in a flowering garden colored in
the washed grays of the light before dawn. Bows of rose bushes are bent
into the shape of gazebo. A breath gives you the wet must of humus and
the cleanliness of air after a light rain. The fragrance of the flowers
hovers as a suggestion, a hint of beauty added to fresh air.
In the gazebo stands a young couple, he a tall angular human of nearly elfin appearance, she shorter and more athletically proportioned. He whispers to her, hands her two small points of light. She shakes her head in objection, he insists. She turns her head, placing one point of light upon right ear; her hand trembles as she places the second point on her left ear. He hugs her gently, she sniffles and snuggles closer. They kiss softly, holding the kiss as their passion grows. An image of a white rose floats over the vision of the lovers. The flower brightens as drops of red run from the stem, streaking the flower. The petals are a deep red when the kiss ends.
The vision wavers, the garden disappears as the lovers are thrown apart like flotsam on a storm-wracked sea. The rose trembles, twists, and you feel a sympathetic cracking from your wrists as the flower snaps free from the stem. Both the flower and the stem vanish, leaving you staring at the wall and the hand slot glowing above you.
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