Starting with the Introduction.
~~~~~
At the junction of the rivers Foxrun and Whiterock lies the sleepy town of Lome. It's seldom mentioned, except by travelers, for its soft-worded poets and honeyed carrots. Its most celebrated feature is having produced several famous Statesmen, who spent their childhoods there.
A messenger came from Lome on the edge of death. Without horse, having run the whole distance to the capital without stop. Before dying of exhaustion he told three listeners that by some sorcery every single person in Lome is dead, down to the very last. Their corpses were piled up in the town square - an eclipsing monument of terror 5000 souls high. Atop it sat a dead man, sword and crosier crossed upon his chest.
Scotmund Childless was one of those listeners. A political strategist, a fixer, and a captain, Scotmund grew up in Lome. He knows something important when he hears it. He's putting all of his plans on hold.
He'll need some help.
A short elf, tangled hair hidden under a grey hood. Whites of both eyes hemorrhaged over with blood. She says "It's fine... A manageable condition." She'll never say what that condition is. Her voice is worn silk brushing over the face.
When you meet her she will be playing a cello - something lugubrious and biting. She prefers to play and talk business.
She likes to watch people sleep and dream. She'll ask first, of course. She's not a monster.
Hung up on anciently outdated protocols. She'll frequently ask permission for things in which one typically does not need it. "It would enthrall me if I could breath in your presence."; "May I glance errantly at your shoes?"; "Pardon me if I recall a memory at this moment."
Her auguries were clear: a magic has been witnessed in Lome that hasn't ruled in a hundred generations. This magic must be hers, and hers alone. But Woe to her if she tries to obtain it by herself. She needs patsies.
Dyr's Plan
1. Get to Lome discreetly
2. Settle in to the most magically significant building available (a library, a church, a grand mausoleum)
3. Perform various auguries while the patsies investigate the town
4. Get the magic, don't share it
5. Wipe evidence of being here (burn down the town)
6. Get out
Over all, get the magic at all costs.
She comes with a host a six agile Destined from House Vandri - cutthroat elven "children" who have yet to prove themselves. Though they appear 10-12 years old by human years, they've seen 30-40 winters, and more than one War each. Their prepubescence offers them a magical protection unique to their people.
Dyr is a Level 5 Magic User.
Psychic Reflector - Immune to mind reading.
Betrayal Auguries - Can detect when betrayal is immediately imminent.
House Vandri Destined
AC As Chain+Shield (High Dex) HD 2 HP 11
1d6/1d6 Swords or Throwing Knives
Spells: Spider Climb, Darkness 1/day
Scarring Rebuke - Damaging a Destined provokes a Blood Curse. Affects you and everyone within earshot of the same race as you. Effect depends on highest Attribute:
Strength: Any damage done is copied back onto you
Dexterity: Age 10 years
Constitution: Allergic to all food and fermented food
Intelligence: Cannot remember any names
Wisdom: Cannot look upon an Elf (includes Destined)
Charisma: Everyone will treat you as an irresponsible child
The Blood Curse can be augured by any cleric. To cure it, the Destined who was wronged must forgive you and make an offering of blood worth at least 1HP on your behalf to appease the gods. Alternatively, a number of Remove Curses equal to the damage done.
Abla "Red", Captain of the Redbeard Company
Six foot, four inch, long-limbed, pipe to match her height. Perpetually surrounded in a haze when indoors. Freckles and Mensur scars. Looks noticeably older in the sunlight. Talks like an aristocrat-general.
Everyone in the Company calls her "Red", she'd prefer if you called her by her birth name: Abla. You need to earn the right to call her "Red". If you mess up someone will remind you.
She made her money capturing wealthy knights during battles and ransoming them back to their families. Took that money and made The Redbeard Company. This is also how she met her husband, an giant man with a big red beard, occasionally heard yelling incomprehensibly at people in a thick foreign accent.
She leads a company of 200 soldiers with banners of a Red Beard. They aren't salaried. Either they need work, or they need to make their own work. Abla is good at managing that.
She is a schmoozer through and through. When meeting with her, roll on the Have You Met... table below.
The Redbeard Company is headed to fill up the power vacuum in Lome. They're "hiring" freelancers. Abla wants to meet each one personally.
Rules of the Operation:
1. You aren't a part of the Redbeard Company.
2. Law enforcement is the Company's domain.
3. The Company gets a 25% cut of anything you loot.
4. Otherwise, the Company will leave you alone.
5. You tell Abla everything that's going on in Lome.
Abla's Plan
1. Set up camp on the outskirts of Lome
2. Send scouts to recon the town
3. Surround the town.
4. March in at the head of the Company
5. Loot the entire city. Take everything from the current squatters and looters. Burn the corpse pile.
6. Set up a base in the building where the most powerful person of the city lived or ruled.
7. Send the loot away. Leave a "peacekeeping" contingent behind to extort newcomers.
Abla "Red" is a level 6 Fighter.
Her Husband Arnold is a level 5 Fighter.
Duelist - +3 AC against one melee opponent.
Redbeard Company Mercenary
AC As Chain HD 2 HP 10
1d10 Poleaxe or Longbow
Have You Met...
A messenger came from Lome on the edge of death. Without horse, having run the whole distance to the capital without stop. Before dying of exhaustion he told three listeners that by some sorcery every single person in Lome is dead, down to the very last. Their corpses were piled up in the town square - an eclipsing monument of terror 5000 souls high. Atop it sat a dead man, sword and crosier crossed upon his chest.
Scotmund Childless was one of those listeners. A political strategist, a fixer, and a captain, Scotmund grew up in Lome. He knows something important when he hears it. He's putting all of his plans on hold.
He'll need some help.
~~~~~
There are three groups who got the messenger's word and are headed to Lome:
Scotmund Childless and his Soulsells,
Dyr Nightengale di Vandri and her Destined,
Abla "Red" and the Redbeard Company.
Each of them is a potential avenue to hook the party into Lome.
If they're in good with the State, then Scotmund is the contact.
If they hang out with weirdos and cultists, Byu will bring them in.
Otherwise, the Redbeard Company is hiring freelancers.
Scotmund Childless, Dog of the State
Oiled black hair. Smells of clover. Never smiles. His gambeson bears the Queen's colors - red and blue diamonds. Carries a very long rapier and a sword breaker.
They call him "The Third Fox", but never to his face. His loyalty to the Queen and the State is infamous - he hung he own brother for treason. Captain of the secret police.
He wants expendable assets to to use in Lome, but he'll never say that. He's keeping the details close to the chest, and has his own (correct) suspicions about the massacre.
Bring the player-characters to a secret meeting. He'll want to plan everything meticulously.
Scotmund's Plan:
1. Get to Lome discreetly.
2. Set up a base of operations somewhere secure and advantageous.
3. Find the cause of the massacre.
4. Assess potential threats, act accordingly.
5. Wait for reinforcements to establish order.
And overall, act opportunistically.
He comes with 5 skilled Soulsells: men who, by debt or misfortune, sold their souls to the Queen. They are incorruptible and utterly loyal to Scotmund. They wear smooth, featureless pale masks that, when studied closely, reflect the events that landed them in debt.
Scotmund is a Level 6 Specialist/Thief.
Sword Breaker - Missed melee attacks against him trigger save vs. Paralyzation or disarmament.
Pass Without Trace 2/day.
Soulsell
AC As Plate HD 4 HP 24
1d12 Greatsword/Crossbow
Evasion - Takes half damage from area attacks.
Mask of White Debt - Those who look upon their masks have a 1 in 6 chance of failing their next rest. Those with outstanding debts who look upon the masks Save vs. Magic or are paralyzed until the mask breaks line-of-sight.
Dyr Nightengale di Vandri, Wealthy OccultistScotmund Childless and his Soulsells,
Dyr Nightengale di Vandri and her Destined,
Abla "Red" and the Redbeard Company.
Each of them is a potential avenue to hook the party into Lome.
If they're in good with the State, then Scotmund is the contact.
If they hang out with weirdos and cultists, Byu will bring them in.
Otherwise, the Redbeard Company is hiring freelancers.
Scotmund Childless, Dog of the State
Oiled black hair. Smells of clover. Never smiles. His gambeson bears the Queen's colors - red and blue diamonds. Carries a very long rapier and a sword breaker.
They call him "The Third Fox", but never to his face. His loyalty to the Queen and the State is infamous - he hung he own brother for treason. Captain of the secret police.
He wants expendable assets to to use in Lome, but he'll never say that. He's keeping the details close to the chest, and has his own (correct) suspicions about the massacre.
Bring the player-characters to a secret meeting. He'll want to plan everything meticulously.
Scotmund's Plan:
1. Get to Lome discreetly.
2. Set up a base of operations somewhere secure and advantageous.
3. Find the cause of the massacre.
4. Assess potential threats, act accordingly.
5. Wait for reinforcements to establish order.
And overall, act opportunistically.
He comes with 5 skilled Soulsells: men who, by debt or misfortune, sold their souls to the Queen. They are incorruptible and utterly loyal to Scotmund. They wear smooth, featureless pale masks that, when studied closely, reflect the events that landed them in debt.
Scotmund is a Level 6 Specialist/Thief.
Sword Breaker - Missed melee attacks against him trigger save vs. Paralyzation or disarmament.
Pass Without Trace 2/day.
Soulsell
AC As Plate HD 4 HP 24
1d12 Greatsword/Crossbow
Evasion - Takes half damage from area attacks.
Mask of White Debt - Those who look upon their masks have a 1 in 6 chance of failing their next rest. Those with outstanding debts who look upon the masks Save vs. Magic or are paralyzed until the mask breaks line-of-sight.
~~~~~
A short elf, tangled hair hidden under a grey hood. Whites of both eyes hemorrhaged over with blood. She says "It's fine... A manageable condition." She'll never say what that condition is. Her voice is worn silk brushing over the face.
When you meet her she will be playing a cello - something lugubrious and biting. She prefers to play and talk business.
She likes to watch people sleep and dream. She'll ask first, of course. She's not a monster.
Hung up on anciently outdated protocols. She'll frequently ask permission for things in which one typically does not need it. "It would enthrall me if I could breath in your presence."; "May I glance errantly at your shoes?"; "Pardon me if I recall a memory at this moment."
Her auguries were clear: a magic has been witnessed in Lome that hasn't ruled in a hundred generations. This magic must be hers, and hers alone. But Woe to her if she tries to obtain it by herself. She needs patsies.
Dyr's Plan
1. Get to Lome discreetly
2. Settle in to the most magically significant building available (a library, a church, a grand mausoleum)
3. Perform various auguries while the patsies investigate the town
4. Get the magic, don't share it
5. Wipe evidence of being here (burn down the town)
6. Get out
Over all, get the magic at all costs.
She comes with a host a six agile Destined from House Vandri - cutthroat elven "children" who have yet to prove themselves. Though they appear 10-12 years old by human years, they've seen 30-40 winters, and more than one War each. Their prepubescence offers them a magical protection unique to their people.
Dyr is a Level 5 Magic User.
Psychic Reflector - Immune to mind reading.
Betrayal Auguries - Can detect when betrayal is immediately imminent.
House Vandri Destined
AC As Chain+Shield (High Dex) HD 2 HP 11
1d6/1d6 Swords or Throwing Knives
Spells: Spider Climb, Darkness 1/day
Scarring Rebuke - Damaging a Destined provokes a Blood Curse. Affects you and everyone within earshot of the same race as you. Effect depends on highest Attribute:
Strength: Any damage done is copied back onto you
Dexterity: Age 10 years
Constitution: Allergic to all food and fermented food
Intelligence: Cannot remember any names
Wisdom: Cannot look upon an Elf (includes Destined)
Charisma: Everyone will treat you as an irresponsible child
The Blood Curse can be augured by any cleric. To cure it, the Destined who was wronged must forgive you and make an offering of blood worth at least 1HP on your behalf to appease the gods. Alternatively, a number of Remove Curses equal to the damage done.
~~~~~
Abla "Red", Captain of the Redbeard Company
Six foot, four inch, long-limbed, pipe to match her height. Perpetually surrounded in a haze when indoors. Freckles and Mensur scars. Looks noticeably older in the sunlight. Talks like an aristocrat-general.
Everyone in the Company calls her "Red", she'd prefer if you called her by her birth name: Abla. You need to earn the right to call her "Red". If you mess up someone will remind you.
She made her money capturing wealthy knights during battles and ransoming them back to their families. Took that money and made The Redbeard Company. This is also how she met her husband, an giant man with a big red beard, occasionally heard yelling incomprehensibly at people in a thick foreign accent.
She leads a company of 200 soldiers with banners of a Red Beard. They aren't salaried. Either they need work, or they need to make their own work. Abla is good at managing that.
She is a schmoozer through and through. When meeting with her, roll on the Have You Met... table below.
The Redbeard Company is headed to fill up the power vacuum in Lome. They're "hiring" freelancers. Abla wants to meet each one personally.
Rules of the Operation:
1. You aren't a part of the Redbeard Company.
2. Law enforcement is the Company's domain.
3. The Company gets a 25% cut of anything you loot.
4. Otherwise, the Company will leave you alone.
5. You tell Abla everything that's going on in Lome.
Abla's Plan
1. Set up camp on the outskirts of Lome
2. Send scouts to recon the town
3. Surround the town.
4. March in at the head of the Company
5. Loot the entire city. Take everything from the current squatters and looters. Burn the corpse pile.
6. Set up a base in the building where the most powerful person of the city lived or ruled.
7. Send the loot away. Leave a "peacekeeping" contingent behind to extort newcomers.
Abla "Red" is a level 6 Fighter.
Her Husband Arnold is a level 5 Fighter.
Duelist - +3 AC against one melee opponent.
Redbeard Company Mercenary
AC As Chain HD 2 HP 10
1d10 Poleaxe or Longbow
Have You Met...
- Heironimous Bort? Apparently he invented a new kind of torture. What did you call it, Bort? Visceral Psychosomatic Autokinesis?
- My husband Arnold? Oh! That reminds me... Dear! Would you kindly take care of the hostages? Their families shortchanged us on the ransom.
- Sir Roland? Apparently he split a man and his horse clean in half at the Battle of No Ghost Land.
- Lord Ginax? He owns the largest butcherbird flock in the land, among other illustrious things. (To the Lord) Would you care for some more wine, Charles?
- This silly fellow? Caught him drinking in town during his guard shift. How many beatings is that worth do you think? Five?
- Ajax? I didn't think orcs got this big, but I guess they can still surprise me time to time.
- Our mutual friend here? (Someone previously encountered) Apparently he saw fit to taunt some of my men on the highway. Haven't decided what to make of them yet.
- The Earl of Yeomer? He tried to run me through at the Battle of his namesake. I'm not sure his family will ever be able to pay the interest on his ransom...
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