WOCML001 – “The Goblin King”
The Chevalier de Landis is one of the Duke’s most honored knights, but his son is a source of great shame for him. Jesper de Landis was born with his mother’s delicately beautiful face, but also with her delicate frame and constitution. Consequently, the boy never excelled in the martial arts, although he enjoyed running and climbing. On the other hand, he was always prone to intelligence and learning, and studied ancient languages and texts even at an early age. His lack of interest in military matters has estranged him from his father, but Jesper nevertheless makes his regular appearances at the Duke’s court, where, despite his reputation as a weakling, he enjoys some popularity with the ladies. He has even ventured so far as to ingratiate himself with a local friar who is in charge of the ducal archives, and who now allows him access to books and scrolls. When he isn’t reading in the library, Jesper sometimes enjoys wandering about the moors and pastures around his father’s lands. In this way, he stumbled upon the ancient quarry in which he found the thing which changed his life forever.
In ancient times, the people of Caerdolan came across the Water to quarry stone from the granite fields near the Mainland coast. When Caerdolan fell, evil creatures moved in and inhabited the ancient quarry site. Many of these creatures were eventually exterminated by the brave warriors of the Faran, but some survived to hide themselves in dark holes, out of sight of the knights in bright steel that rode upon the land. Recently, however, they have taken to emerging in the dead of night and occasionally stealing into human farmsteads where they steal livestock.
On one of these occasions a goblin girl caught her foot in a steel trap, and while her companions were unable to remove the trap itself, they were able to pull the stake out and carry her back to their lair. Just as they were deciding whether or not to cut her foot off at the ankle, they heard the sound of one of the “big folk” tramping nearby. Abandoning the girl, they fled to their underground passages, leaving her to fend for herself, half hidden in the bracken. The sound they had heard was Jesper on one of his melancholy walks through the old quarry. In amazement, he came upon the goblin girl who, despite her tiny stature and wild appearance, was rather pretty. He assured her that he did not mean to hurt her, and released her from the trap, using whatever healing knowledge he had to tend to her wound. He even gave her some food and water that he had brought with him. Over the course of the next few days, a friendship of sorts was formed, and Jesper never failed to meet with his young goblin “princess” (for that is how he thought of her).
Meanwhile, the situation at home had become worse, culminating with the death of Jesper’s mother. The Chevalier became withdrawn, and resented his son worse than ever for being a disappointment and because in his face he constantly saw the visage of his beloved wife. Jesper was treated badly by his father, scolded constantly, and even beaten. Jesper came to hate his father, and even his own race. He conjured a plot to take vengeance upon the human race, and worst of all, upon his father. Returning to the goblin lair, he spoke to his beloved princess, telling her that the time had come for her people to return to their old ways, to the glory of battle and the blood lust that was their birthright. He stirred their ancient longings, and with the princess’ help, he was crowned king of the quarry. He secretly supplied them with steel weapons, and hatched out plans by which they would raid homesteads, steal property, and evade capture by the ducal guards and knights of O. For the last year, the goblins have thus worked in secrecy, with Jesper de Landis supplying them with information and supplies. Because of his station in the court, the Chevalier de Landis is in charge of the men assigned by the duke to find the cause of these night raids, but so far he is at a loss, and his failures have brought on rumors that the Chevalier has lost his prowess as a hunter and a warrior. This, of course, is exactly the revenge that Jesper wants, and all the better that it is the Chevalier’s “feeble” son’s wits that have left him powerless.
Lady Gwendolen and her associates, the warrior Roland, the Dwarven Maharan priest Dunbar Brasstwister, and the Rhua Shilo are approached by the Lady Marie, mother of Duke Piet of O. She is concerned about the situation over the beast that haunts the countryside. “My son has placed his trust in his man, the Chevalier de Landis, who we all know to be a man of integrity and courage, though he has suffered his most terrible blow with the recent death of his wife. I fear, however, that swords and horses may not be the best manner of learning the identity of this terrible criminal, and that still more children will become prey to the beast before the duke’s soldiers solve this mystery. Therefore, I ask that you take it upon yourselves, as my agents, to use what cunning you possess to find the cause of our affliction, and end it before more innocent blood is shed. Let those who are loyal first to the duke concern themselves with chivalry and honor, but let those whose loyalties are to life itself and humanity make the preservation of innocent lives their priority.” Lady Marie gives them license to investigate wherever they need to. Friar Bencovus is sent to accompany them.
Lady Marie’s agents then speak with a farmer named Canard and his wife, whose four year old daughter has gone missing, as well as a hunter who says that some of the traps he’s set near the Chevalier’s manor house have gone missing. Whatever has removed the traps leaves no tracks. After interviewing the Chevalier, they discover the existence of the ancient quarry and the caves therein, and exploring these, discover the goblin lair and the young scion of Landis dressed in the garb of a savage goblin king, and obviously dominated by the magic and wiles of what is obviously a beautiful but deadly goblin priestess. The goblin warriors and chieftains are ultimately defeated, but the priestess uses the powers of her dark goddess to escape in the form of a burrowing black serpent. Jesper is returned to his father in chains and disgrace, and the lost child is restored to her relieved family.
WOCML002 – “The Miraculous Child”
Lady Gwnedolen is summoned by the Bishop of O to his chambers where he and Lady Marie of O explain that she is to investigate a miraculous claim in the town of Navrait, about eighty leagues northeast of the Duchy of O, in the lands of the Ahamun. The local friar has reported that a woman of Navrait has given birth to a glowing child claimed to be an archon of Roski. Navrait is on the easternmost border of the Duchy of O, and its people ostensibly recognize the authority of the duke, but being Ahamun, their loyalties also lie with their local elders and chieftains, and their Roskianity is corrupted by their tenacious adherence to their ancestral pagan beliefs.
Arriving in the company of Friar Bencovus, Lady Gwendolen and her companions discover that the child is indeed an infant archon of Roski, and the local villagers have gathered around the house to pay homage, and to be healed of their wounds and cured of their illnesses by the child’s miraculous radiance.
While deciding what to do about the miraculous child, they uncover a plot by a local pagan cult intent on sacrificing the infant archon to their dark god. Once exposed, the members of the cult are arrested, confess under torture, and are summarily burned at the stake as heretics. Deciding that the child would be safer elsewhere, Bencovus sends a message to Korma requesting a papal envoy which eventually arrives in Navrait and takes the child and her parents to live in the luxury and security of the papal palace. Bencovus, Gwendolen, and her companions receive commendations from the paladin commander of the papal envoy, and Bencovus records the verified birth of the Archon of Navrais in the official records of the Church and the Duchy of O.
WOCML003 – “The Evil Countess”
Lady Marie asks Lady Gwendolen and Roland to escort her young niece, Analisa, to meet her bethrothed, the Count Armand of Morrain. Castle Morrain is located in a remote land south of the Duchy of O, in the mountains near Roland’s homeland of Dollum. Lady Analisa’s entourage includes her nurse maid Laverna, and two other servants. On the long journey, Lady Analisa shows disdain for the henchmen of O, including Roland, although she is strangely preoccupied with him for someone claiming to be so far above his station. She is in fact terrified of being married off to a provincial count she has never met, and spending the rest of her life in a cold and remote mountain castle.
On the last day of their journey, they are assaulted by bandits, but they rout them by killing several of them, and capturing a young boy in their company. The boy pleads for his life, and then warns them of the terrors of the castle ahead, telling them that the whole land about has been cursed with bad crops, sickness, and other misfortunes and all attributed to the witchcraft of the castle’s noble inhabitants.
Arriving at a local inn, they meet with frightened villagers who warn them of the evils of the castle, and refuse to go out after dark. Determined to discover the truth, and put an end to whatever curses the land, Lady Gwendolen leads her companions to the castle.
Countess Vera of Morrain is a handsome and elegant lady with a proud demeanor. She greets them graciously, and appears delighted to meet her future daughter-in-law. Seeing through the Countess’ veil of beauty and charm, Lady Gwendolen ultimately confronts the her with the charge of witchcraft, and the Countess drops all pretenses, ordering her minions to attack while she and her evil son steal Lady Analisa up to the tower chamber where she is to be violated in a dark marriage ceremony. Battling the undead servants and demons of the Countess, the champions of O break into the tower chamber, slay the young Count Armand, and are nearly destroyed by the sorceress Countess before they discover that the source of her power is the tall ornate mirror that she keeps in her chamber. They break the mirror, causing the Countess’ face and body to crack and bleed, and as she stumbles about screaming in agony, she is run through with a sword and thrown out the tower window to die on the flags below.
Saved from a horrific fate, Lady Analisa learns humility and respect for Lady Marie’s champions, and is escorted back to O. Meanwhile, the villagers of Morrain celebrate the end of the Countess’ accursed tyranny, and welcome the start of better times.
WOCML004 – “Elwood”
While enjoying the ale at the Golden Lion Inn, the adventurers are approached by a middle-aged halfling who is looking for a mercenary since neither the duchess nor the local church will offer any assistance. The halfling tells them that his name is Colfre, and that his homeland has been overrun by human ruffians led by a magic wielding warlord called Sha-Ku. Sha-Ku and his men abuse the Halflings, steal whatever they want, and even violate their women. Colfre tells them that he and the rest of his town will pay them a ransom if they help them drive off the invaders.
Colfre’s people live in a sheltered and mostly isolated valley in the Pranya Mountains. The town that Colfre is from, and the main town in the valley is called Elwood. They are mostly shepherds and farmers, though some of them are also craftsmen. Colfre is himself a lamp wright, and he sells his wares to traveling merchants who then sell them throughout the empire. Traveling to the halfling village of Elwood involves a ten day ride south and west of O, through the Pranya mountains. The most direct route takes them through the town of Dollum
A few miles up the road from Dollum stands the ruins of an ancient castle known as Caer Hannitz. The castle was once the fortress home of a Caerdolan ruler known as Lord Llachin, who once exacted a toll from travelers through the mountains, and who defended the pass. After his death, Llachin was cursed by the his emperor, and forced to haunt the castle that was once his home. The local populace make sacrifices to his restless spirit in the form of virgins who are selected by lottery. The tomb is located beneath the tower, which is the last remaining structure of the castle.
The tomb is located at the bottom of a narrow, steep staircase accessed by an opening covered by a thick slab of stone. The stone itself is carved with partially erased warding spells cast by previous attempts to keep the restless spirit from walking the earth. Only a single spell inscribed on the inner walls of the castle by some priest long ago keeps the evil spirit from roaming the earth and terrorizing the countryside. At the bottom of the stairs is a small landing with an archway leading to a large chamber containing six stone sarcophagi. These house the undead remains of Llachin’s most faithful knights. Along the walls are eight alcoves in which stand the undead mummified remains of eight bodyguards wielding maces. The floor is paved in flag stones, and the central stone triggers a spell that wakes the undead creatures in the room. Another triggering flag lies across the entrance to the next chamber, which is somewhat smaller and contains the large sarcophagus of the undead lord himself. Two ruby golems stand guard against the opposite wall. They will fight to the death unless attacked by one of the six magic swords of the undead knights or the sword that Llachin possesses. The sarcophagus is carved with a low relief sculpture of the undead lord, and has the molten remains of many candles as well as blood stains from the many ritual sacrifices that have been performed on the sarcophagus. The sarcophagus itself is a consecrated altar to Llachin as a kind of dark god.
On their way to the pass, the adventurers encounter a party of dwarves. They are friends of Dunbar’s, and greet him warmly, though they are suspicious, and particularly of Dunbar’s association with humans (particularly a paladin). The dwarves will also warn that the mountain pass is unsafe as they have seen and heard rumor of mountain orcs preying upon travelers. “We have, ourselves, only barely escaped with our lives, though some of them did not!” They also tells of other things in the mountains that they did not see, but only heard, and could not identify.
Colfre tells them that Halflings are very good at moving about stealthily while they are alone or in groups of other Halflings, and he neither saw nor heard orcs the first time he went through.
As they make their way through the deep cleft of the pass, they hear a terrible cry like the sound of a monstrous creature in agony. In fact, the sound is both distorted and amplified by the strange acoustic qualities of the canyon. They will suddenly find their visibility obscured by a dense fog or low cloud. If they search the mountain, they will eventually find a young giant who has been wounded in the leg. The giant is suspicious and nervous. He is a youth who looks to be no more than fifteen years old (he is in fact much older), and the wound in his leg is savage. If they win his trust, he explains that he was hunting cold drakes in the high peaks when he slipped and fell into a crevice of rock. The fall knocked him senseless, and when he awoke, there were orcs all around him. He fought them off, but not before their leader struck him a terrible blow on the calf with a pole axe. He managed to drive off the orcs, and even killed several of them, but he lost a lot of blood, and has become weakened by the wound. If they heal him, he will be very grateful and agrees to help them. He offers to help them get through the pass in return for their help, and tells them that he wishes to get his vengeance on the orc leader and perhaps drive the orc bandits out of the pass.
The young giant is a very good tracker, and tells them that he knows how to track the orcs. He tells them that they most likely have a cave nearby that they use as a lair. Tracking the orcs to the cave, they discover that the orc colony is considerably larger than they had first suspected. Killing all of the orcs will be difficult, but by killing their leader they end up defeating them.
Meanwhile, Shilo falls victim to a poisoned dart, and is captured by bandits, who intend to sacrifice him by placing him in a ritualistically carved wooden box and cutting off his hands. Their plans are foiled by Shilo’s companions, who claim to be worshippers of the goddess Istare.
Eventually, they bypass the town center of Dollum as Roland is uncomfortable and cryptically requests that they pass the town as quickly and inconspicuously as possible.
Arriving at Colfre’s village, they discover that it is a collection of neat houses and burrows bounded by earthen ramparts and dikes. The Halflings themselves live in mortal fear of Sha-Ku and his men. As it turns out, Sha-Ku is an evil wizard who appears to be at least part Orc, and his associates are Varanáa barbarians. Their chieftain is a vividly tattooed and brutal man named Llhade. They have captured the Halfling village, and have enslaved most of the younger and able-bodied males. The champions of O arrive under cover of night, and are secreted into Colfre’s burrow, where they are introduced to some of the village elders and Colfre’s wife Peony. The elders have hidden away the community’s greatest treasures; golden artifacts said to be gifts of the gods. The treasures include a butcher’s knife that produces endless slices from any meat that it cuts, a pair of golden knitting needles which knit woolen yarn into a golden mail harder than the strongest steel, and a lamp that, when lit and uncovered immobilizes any enemy. According to Colfre and the other elders, the lamp will only work if wielded by one courageous enough not to be daunted by the face of their enemies. With the support of Lady Gwendolen and her companions, and after his adventures with them, Colfre is boldened enough to use the lamp, allowing the champions of O to defeat Sha-Ku, Llhade and the Varanáa, as well as the slave traders that arrive later to carry off the Halflings.
In gratitude for their help, the Halflings re-supply the adventurers with delicious foods and wine from their stores, and make for them glistening chain mail shirts knitted with the enchantment of the golden knitting needles. The adventurers leave with the Halflings’ blessings and gifts, and with a newfound respect for Halflingkind.
WOCML005 – “Castle Verdant”
The adventurers are on the road accompanying Friar Bencovus and his entourage to the distant realm of Verdant, which lies south of O. Their duties are simple: escort Bencovus and the other priests to Verdant, and assist him in any way that he requires. Bencovus is to perform the wedding ceremony between Lady Orlana and the young count Edward of Verdant. They arrive at the castle with much pomp and pageantry, and the place is decorated festively with flowers and ribbons. There are many lords and ladies of the court present, as well as villagers and peasants looking forward to the wedding celebrations. As is the custom in these parts, gifts of food and drink have already begun to be distributed amongst the populace, which has made the even particularly popular.
Among the illustrious wedding hosts and guests are Count Ferdinand of Verdant, the groom’s father, the Countess Eugenia, their daughter Beatrice, and their son and heir and groom of the wedding ceremony, Edward. Friar Carollus, who has fallen out of favor with the Count for spreading an old story that stains the reputation of the family of Verdant, nevertheless is present as a wedding guest due to his position in the Church and the local parish. Also present are the bride, Lady Orlana, and her family and retinue of servants and henchmen, a chamber maid of Castle Verdant named Poppy, with whom (they soon discover) young Master Edward has been romantically involved for over a year, and a young commoner named Sebastian.
As the final preparations are being made for the wedding, Poppy screams from the courtyard, and all rush out to see that the bridegroom has been killed by a giant sword that has apparently fallen from the sky. The sword is made of black steel, and is too large for even the largest man to wield. It is during the confusion that Sebastian says: “That looks an awful lot like the sword belonging to the statue of Lord Geraint in the town square.” This enrages Count Ferdinand, he and orders that Sebastian be put in the dungeon.
Count Ferdinand flies into a rage, and announces that he must divorce Lady Eugenia and marry Lady Orlana so that she will give him sons. Lady Orlana disappears, and Count Ferdinand orders that she be found at once. It becomes quite obvious to everyone that the count has evil intentions. He begins to accuse Sebastian of using wizardry against him, and of the priests of the local temple of hiding Orlana from him. He then charges the adventurers and Friar Bencovus with finding the lady, and returning her to his charge.
Eventually, the champions of O find Orlana hiding in the catacombs of the castle; ancient ruins of a Caerdolan citadel upon which Castle Verdant was eventually built. She pleads with them not to return her to the castle, but rather to the nearest Roskian temple, where she would seek asylum. She explains to them that Ferdinand attempted to rape her and plans to marry her and arrange for Lady Eugenia’s death, should she refuse his demands for a divorce. She also tells them that the peasant boy Sebastian is to be executed in the morning on charges of murdering the count’s heir by wizardry. Talking to Friar Carollus, he will read to them the legend of the giant, and tells them that Lord Geraint was indeed the squire who felled the giant. He also tells them that the peasant boy, Sebastian, is innocent, and that Edward’s death was the result of the giant’s curse. If the rightful heir is not made lord of Verdant, the giant’s spirit will return and wreak havoc upon the land. He will then tell the story about how he lost the rightful heir.
THE LEGEND OF CASTLE VERDANT: Long ago, the lord of Verdant was out hunting with his hounds he spied a wondrous white hind with golden hooves. His dogs cornered the animal, but just as he was about to shoot it with his bow, it transformed before his very eyes into a beautiful maiden, who agreed to be his wife if he spared her life. The lord took her for a wife, and she bore him a fine son. On the birth of his third son, a terrible giant invaded the land, destroying farms and killing livestock and many people. Upon hearing of this, the lord gathered his knights and horses, and determined to slay the giant, but his bride begged of him that he leave off this mission, and that the giant be allowed to leave of his own accord. The lord refused his wife, and set off to do battle against the giant. They rode all day until they came to a place where the river ran deep at the bottom of a wide gorge, and only a narrow bridge offered any means to cross. The giant stood at the opposite bank, and challenged them to cross and meet him in single combat. Each of the lord’s knights took his turn, and each lost his life until finally only the lord and his squire remained. Furious, the lord announced that he would ride against the giant and do battle with him, but the squire begged of his lord that he be allowed to go in his stead. The lord agreed, but when the squire approached, the giant laughed and said to him: “thou art unworthy of receiving thy death by such a hand as mine. Be gone, mortal whelp, and trouble me no more.” The young squire stood his ground in the midst of the bridge, and spoke: “It may be so that I am unworthy, though lesser men have already been thus honored by thy hand, but t’is not thy violence that I would be honored with, but with knowledge of thy intentions. Why dost thou ravage our lands and terrorize our people?” “Thou art bold,” said the giant, “and hast earned an answer of me: to recover what is mine, which thy lord has taken to wife without leave.” “Then come and claim that which thou sayest is thine, for I am my lord’s very own son, and my mother is his wife.” With that the giant became furious, and rushed forward. The young squire leapt back, off the bridge and clung to the wall of the embankment just as the giant’s weight brought the bridge crashing down into the ravine to his ruin. The lord rushed to save his son and squire, but the boy clambered up the near bank even as his father came to him. Looking down into the ravine they saw only darkness, and then a voice called out from the darkness, saying: “O foolish, arrogant lord of mortal men. Thinkest thou that thou hast ruined me? It is thy own ruin that thou has wrought, for in thy heirs runs the blood of giants, and thy realm shall be ruled by my heirs as well as thine. No human lord shall ever rule this land again in peace, who has not the blood of giants running in his veins for my armor and my sword shall strike him down!” With that the giant breathed his last, and the lord and his son returned to the castle. Upon arriving, the lord found his lady weeping in her chamber. “For whom dost thou weep, lady?” he asked. “Thy son and husband have returned safely, though many others have perished.” “I weep in gladness for thee, my lord,” said she, “But also in mourning for the death of my father. For, on that day when thou bade me be thine wife, thou failed to ask of me my lineage, and I gave it not. My father was a giant lord, and so my son is heir to giants. With the growth of his first beard, his true nature shall be revealed. Only with the potion that I have brewed can he live as a man, and be as a lord among men.” And so it has been ever since, that the lords of Verdant have ruled in peace as lords of men, but the giant’s curse has never been forgotten, and it has been said that never a tyrant nor usurper has ever gained the throne of Verdant whose bloodline has not failed or whose life was not lost by the curse of the giant.
Friar Carollus tells recounts the legend to them, as well as his own story: “I was not always a priest. In my youth, I was a knight seeking fame and fortune in the world. I came to this land, and met a lady who was to me the most beautiful I had ever laid eyes upon. I knew at once that I loved her, and that she loved me. We were married secretly by a hermit friar who lived in a grotto by the sea, and lived a happy and simple life for some time until she bore me a fine son. Then she cried, and was very unhappy, and I was baffled that the birth of our son should make her so. She cursed the child, saying that it was a curse to have had a son rather than a daughter, for a son would one day bring calamity upon us and all the land. I did not understand her meaning, until she told me that she was the daughter of the rightful heir to Verdant, and that her father had been slain by the man who had usurped his throne. She had escaped into the wilds, and lived in hiding for years with a peasant family who had reared her in their cottage by the sea. She told me of the legend of Lord Geraint and the Giant, and of the curse placed upon the sons of Verdant. She begged me to take the child away and never return. The next morning I awoke to find that she had left, and had left our son in my care. I took the boy back to my own people, but I was shunned and outcast by them for having sired a child by an unknown woman, whom they said must have been a witch. I wandered with my son for some years, until one day we were captured by Southron pirates from the Drylands. In a slave market I was separated from my boy, and sent to work in the brick pits of El Fayum. For years I toiled under the desert sun, wondering what had become of my boy, and losing all hope until I was sold to a merchant of El Maloof, who was kind and who told me that a boy fitting my son’s description had been a slave in the palace of the Prince of that realm. I begged to be taken there, if only to see him with my own eyes, but alas, he told me that it was too late, and that a fleet of warships from Korma had attacked El Maloof and liberated many slaves. My son had been taken back to my own lands. I praised the Lord of All Light that my son had been saved, and my kindly master took pity on me, giving me my freedom, and a purse full of silver to buy passage to Korma or somewhere near my own lands. This I did, but no matter where I looked, I could find no sign nor hear any rumor of my son. And so I pledged myself to Roski and became one of his priests. I have been most devout, and have worked many miracles as his instrument on earth, and so I quickly gained rank within my order, until ironically, I was placed in charge of the temple at Verdant, the birthplace of my beloved wife and son. Now I fear that her premonitions were correct, for the curse of the giant seems to be at work, and a great calamity will befall us all unless my son – the rightful heir of Verdant – is restored to the throne!”
Meanwhile, whatever peace remained at Castle Verdant is disrupted by the appearance of a gigantic knight standing twenty feet tall and clad in black armor. The giant knight remains silent after slaying any of the warriors of Verdant that met his silent challenge.
The champions of O arrive just in time to halt Sebastian’s execution, confront the usurping Count Ferdinand, and restore the throne of Verdant to its rightful ruler. Sebastian tells his story, revealing that he is in fact Carollus’ lost son. Sebastian then marries Orlana before the court, and the Giant Knight vanishes.
WOCML006 – “The Spiders of Korma”
The adventurers have been summoned by Lady Marie and asked that they once again escort Friar Bencovus and her niece Lady Analisa, this time to Korma, where they are to be guests in the house of the Marquis of Onghas. Lady Analisa has been betrothed to the heir of Onghas, Sir Gregor of Onghas. The adventurers are brought in by the Bishop of O, who orders Lady Gwendolen to take charge of the expedition. The wedding party is to board a ship bound for Korma. The ship is a large galley of the kind used by merchants of the Mainlands, and not very fast.
On the second day of their voyage, while they are out in the open sea, a ship is suddenly spotted on the horizon. The ship is following them, and gaining on them, and they soon realize that it is a Northland dragon ship of great size. The captain tells them that there is little hope of outrunning her or out maneuvering her, and that they will most likely have to fight her with whatever means they have. A terrified Bencovus announces that such pirates would not dare attack a ship flying the Imperial colors, but this soon proves not to be the case.
The pirate captain is a recent terror of the seas named Erchenbold, who has raided many coastal towns, and whose ship is said to be unsinkable. Tied to the carven prow of the ship is a small figure, like a young elf with brown hair and apparently wearing a strange headgear with small black antlers, and a cloak of brown hide spotted white. The young elf looks scared and distraught. Using magic and skill, the champions of O board the pirate ship and cut the elf free, thereby dispelling the magic that protected the pirate ship. They set fire to the ship, and its captain flees by diving into the sea. The elf then tells them that his name is Chittal, and that he was held by the pirate captain as a luck charm. They insist on calling him “Lucky” and take him aboard their ship, where he apparently continues to live up to his name, as they complete their journey to Korma with fair weather and without further obstacles.
Eventually, their ship sails up the mouth of a broad river (The Aodha River) on either side of which they see many small villages, and castles and ancient ruins on the hills beyond. Seemingly endless fields of grain and sunflowers, and well-tended orchards cover the gently rolling hills and spread across the countryside as far as the eye can see. Several miles up river they suddenly see a great arch spanning the nearly the full width of the river, and so high that the tallest mast of the greatest ship would not come near to it. The arch is supported by massive columns whose foundations are deep in the riverbed, and has carved with images of gods and goddesses and great dragon shapes. At the very top of the arch is a golden statue of the young god Roski, dressed in a toga-like robe with a crown of spearheads and holding a great spear in his right hand. A similar statue of bronze nearly 100 feet tall, stands on a pedestal on a promontory of the protective harbor.
On a hill on the eastern bank of the river, visible from anywhere in the city, is a massive temple of white marble with a huge gilded dome and a colonnade of one hundred columns. Marble steps zigzag down to white marble palaces that look lesser only in comparison to the great temple itself. The road to the temple is made of white marble slabs inlayed at regular intervals with holy symbols to Roski in alternating pink and green marble. The road eventually becomes stepped as it reaches the steeper slopes of the hills, and at each landing there is a small plaza with statues of saints and holy knights bearing swords and shields. A marble trough runs down either side of the steps, periodically interrupted by a carven statue of a fantastic, aquatic beast whose mouth forms the opening through which the trough emerges. Cool, clear water runs through the trough and collects at a fountain in the main plaza below, and in several drinking fountains throughout. Inside the vast domed structure of the temple is a 100 foot tall life-like marble statue of Roski with gold leaf eyes and holding a golden spear. The statue is sculpted nude, but wears a massive robe of red and golden brocade silk.
A vast open space paved with huge slabs of polished granite of many colors, and laid out with sculpted fountains and statues of heroes, saints, and popes, the plaza is bounded on the north side by the Great Library, on the south by a palace housing the Ministry of the Interior, on the east by another palace housing the Ministry of Commerce, and on the west by another monumental building housing the Palace of the Guard. This is where the city guard is housed, and its dungeons serve as a local jail.
The main palace complex is dominated by a monumental building of white marble with a pitched roof of gilt bronze built on another hill across the river from the temple complex. The palace itself is restricted to the imperial guard and any guests of the emperor. The lower tiers of the palace complex are taken up by the Great Barracks of the Holy Knights of Roski, as well as the barracks for the Knights of Elohar and other paladin orders.
Delivering Bencovus, Analisa, and her entourage to the Onghas town castle, the champions of O decide to explore the capital city. Exploring the riverfront, they meet a beautiful red-haired woman captain of a ship called the Rogue Queen. She tells them that her name is Sirvati, and befriends Roland over drinks at a waterfront pub. Upon returning, they discover a flurry of activity and panic in the castle: Analisa has disappeared. Her nurse maid, Laverna, was found sleeping in a closet as if by enchantment, and neither saw nor heard anything. During their investigations they discover that a neighboring violin maker is in fact a wizard named Evrus. Breaking into his house, they steal some of his magic accoutrements, but they eventually realize that he is innocent of Analisa’s kidnapping. They manage to track the missing girl to a secret passage leading to a dark tunnel running under the streets of Korma and opening in a culvert on the riverbank.
They eventually track the kidnapper to an ancient necropolis outside the city near a town called Pithos. Most of the villagers are descended from Rhua, and upon seeing Shilo, a village wise woman tells him that he has been marked by some god or goddess that has claimed him for some purpose. She appears to be terrified, but they are just able to pry out of her that perhaps two gods have laid claim to Shilo and are battling for him. She will say no more, but it seems to them that she is concerned by what she has seen.
Exploring the necropolis, they discover that the tombs house the remains of the ancient Caerdolan rulers of Korma and their Faranxian officials. They locate a tomb with spider motifs and the Old Caerdolan glyphs for “Onghas” or “Spider.” Inside, they find Lady Analisa held prisoner by an evil warlock named Menehen, who is eventually revealed to be a Caerdolan Lich, and the ancestor of the Onghas family. Although they manage to rescue Analisa and return her to Castle Onghas, Menehen manages to escape. Despite their Caerdolan past, the Onghas family are counted among the Righteous, and Lady Gwendolen and Friar Bencovus are confident that Analisa has married well. Yet, they are uneasy by the escape of the evil Menehen.
WOCML007 – “The Quest”
The Pope makes a public announcement challenging any hero to undertake a dangerous quest to journey to the summit of Mount Hierat in search of an ancient relic: The Sun Lance. This is the most sacred of relics, the instrument by which the god that was man was martyred. The prize is a small fortune in gold as well as a papal indulgence. Along the way they will have to contend with Sirvati’s team and several others (not as honorable as she) who are competing for the prize. There are also Rhua outlaws who try to stop them along the way. Among the competitors are a team of Halflings traveling by night upon reindeer.
When the Caerdolan Empire conquered the prosperous city of Kuonra, the capital of the ancient Rhua kingdom, a few of its priests escaped into the wilds with some of their most sacred relics. One group of refugees, led by a high priest of Roski named Dothos, climbed the perilous slopes of the sacred mountain: Mount Hierat. At its summit they found a cave, in which they built a small shrine to house the temple objects that they were able to carry out of Kuonra. The refugees settled in small, semi-nomadic camps on the mountain’s slopes, climbing higher in the warm months, and descending during the winter freeze. They survived by hunting and gathering, and by cultivating wild edible plants in small garden plots. They became known as the Dolami by the Caerdolan warlords who hunted them, and by the people who came to rule Korma after the fall of Caerdolan. Hundreds of years later, after the historical Roski was martyred, his followers stole the lance upon which he was impaled, and carried it out of the city, taking it up into the mountain. There they met the Dolami and told them of their martyred hero Roski. The Dolami agreed to help, and together they began the rebellion that ultimately brought about the end of Caerdolan rule in Korma. Unfortunately, in the ensuing power struggle, the Dolami were driven out. They forbade the Kormanites from climbing to the summit of Mt. Hierat, and the shrine was shut out for a thousand years. Since then, the Church of Roski has spread its influence across the continent, and Korma has grown into a powerful, imperial capital. Believing that the shrine must be abandoned by now, Pope Naxo XXI hopes to recover the relic that was taken there one thousand years ago by the man who became the first pope: Saint Entrikin (Pope Entrikin I).
Along the road, the champions of O encounter a roving band of Rhua who warn them of Stroigos the Wolf Lord, a werewolf who lives in the mountainous wilderness. Stroigos and his worgs threaten every one of the competing teams, but Lady Gwendolen and her companions manage to defeat him by killing his worgs and destroying his physical body. His evil spirit escapes, and they sense that he may some day return to cause more harm.
Once they reach the heights near the mountain’s summit they struggle through a snow storm that threatens to bury them frozen or blow them off the mountain. They find the bodies of several other competitors slain by arrows or strangled with cables. Apparently, they were slain by the Dolami, dark-skinned tribal people who show signs of having Elvish ancestry.
Upon reaching the summit, they find that they are not the first to reach the Sun Shrine. The shrine is built on a ledge near the summit, and is decorated with stone carvings depicting strange, phallic-like objects. A circular opening in the cliff wall has been carved and painted to look like an eclipsed sun. This tunnel is forbidden to everyone, including the Dolami priests, and leads to the open platform that is the courtyard of the original shrine to Roski. The Dolami shamans have sacrificed several of Sirvati’s men to Roski, making burnt offerings of their hearts and blood to the sun. With their help Sirvati and her remaining men manage to escape the Dolami and join forces with Roland, Gwendolen, Dunbar, and Shilo.
Confronting the Dolami and displaying her Roskian holy symbols Gwendolen manages to distract them long enough for the others to enter the courtyard where four golden griffins stand guard. Once they step on the platform, each of them hears a voice speaking as if directly to him, and saying “Know that thou has set foot upon holy ground, and must now prove thyself worthy. Defeat the guardians, and thou shall receive the blessings of the lord of light!”
With that the four griffins come to life, and attack. The champions of O, along with Sirvati and her men, fight the griffins, which return to their places as golden statues when mortally wounded. Once they have passed the test they are free to enter the shrine. Beyond the griffins a door opens on a small temple façade cut out of the face of the mountain itself. A low relief carving depicting a sun rising or setting upon a horizon decorates the space above the lintel. Various archaic solar symbols are also carved on the posts and lintel. Within, a deep chamber of neatly cut stone work opens up. Its floors are level, and its walls clean and straight. Stone braziers with fragrant resinous fires warm and light the chamber on either side. At the far end, opposite the door, a large statue of Roski in the style of the ancient Rhua stands upon a dais flanked on either side by stone griffins supporting bronze braziers with glowing embers in them. A marble table, like an alter, stands before the statue and on it is a very old, patina-covered bronze spear head. A tall old man with long white hair and beard and wearing a white robe stands on the steps of the dais watching them, and then speaks:
“Welcome, Champions! I am Dothos, high priest of the temple of Roski of the great city of Kuonra. I congratulate you, for only a true champion of Roski can defeat the guardians, and you are the first to have made it this far since Entrikin himself brought forth the relic that is housed here. Tell me now why you have come here, and tell me what you can of my once great city, for the last rumor I have heard from the outside world was of a great uprising and a war against the evil witch lords that ruled our city, and that was well over a thousand years ago!”
“The relic was but housed here for a while, until it was time for it to return to its home. We of Kuonra worshipped many gods, and supreme among them the Lord of the Sun, who gives life and rules over all from the heavens. We did not believe that Roski would come down from heaven as a man and yet that is what Entrikin said had happened as a blessing to the faithful of Korma. Thus, it is to Korma that this relic belongs, and to Korma that it must return. Let all the faithful know that from this day forward, all will be welcome here to make pilgrimage to this shrine. Tell the priest of Korma that a miraculous sign shall show him that what you bring is the true relic that he seeks. Rest now, and then you may return to your city in peace.”
Before they can take the relic, one of Sirvati’s men throws a smoke bomb into the room, and attempts to take the relic. Several others attempt to hold off the champions of O, ignoring Sirvati’s orders to stand down, but they are ultimately defeated. The one who threw the smoke bomb is revealed to be the mysterious government agent that Roland refers to as Smoker. He bows to Sirvati, addressing her as “Princess” before escaping behind another cloud of choking smoke.
Taking their prize, the champions of O return to Korma and the Pope, who receives them with much pomp and ceremony. Just as the ancient priest Dothos described, the moment that the Pope receives the spearhead the wooden staff that he holds bursts forth with new green leaves as if it were a living tree, and all who are present take this to be a sign that it is the true relic that has been restored. The champions of O receive the reward, the papal indulgence, and the title of Holy Champions of Roski. In addition, Lady Gwendolen receives a Holy Avenger, the sacred weapon of the Knights of Roski.
WOCML008 – “The Artist”
Newly blessed by the Pope, and enjoying their new-found celebrity in Korma, the Champions of Roski return to their hosts at the Onghas town castle. They approach Evrus, who tells them that he may be able to help them locate Menehen “if only he had his magical implements back!” They manage to return the pilfered implements, and Evrus agrees to help them, but tells them that he knows of an evil wizard named Temprus who possesses a powerful scrying artifact with which Evrus would doubtless be able to locate Menehen, and who in any case, is up to no good.
Determined to investigate the claim, but unconvinced of Evrus’ good intentions, Lady Gwendolen agrees to learn more about this Temperus, and Evrus tells her that Temperus is a celebrated painter and master of a school of painting in the city. They decide to investigate the painter and the school.
Of Temprus, Evrus says, “He is a highly celebrated artist – a painter and sculptor – who has the favor of most of the nobility and clergy of Korma. He lives in a small palace owned, it is said, by a powerful patron, and runs a school where aspiring young artists from all over the realm earn their apprenticeship. He claims to be related in some vague and distant way to some Bosporan nobility. In any case, the man is a model citizen, but I believe that he has committed secret crimes – against the laws of man and nature – and that he rests precariously upon the favors he is owed, or the lords he has under his sway. For, should his true self be revealed to the powers that be, he would surely perish in the purifying flames!”
Visiting Temprus’ studio they see that he is indeed a master painter. One curious feature of Temprus’ paintings is that many of them depict a handsome young man with large, dark eyes and curly brown hair. The paintings depict him in various poses and wearing a variety of costumes representing different peoples and lands, depending on the theme of the painting. In one he is even depicted as the youthful god, Roski, naked except for his flowing, red and gold toga-like cloak, holding in one hand a golden spear, and in the other a golden chalice overflowing with what appears to be some kind of golden wine. Sunflowers are depicted growing on either side of him, and a close look reveals that honey bees have been depicted on the flowers (these are all iconic symbols of Roski). Despite the correctness of the iconography, the painting does not appear holy. In fact, the young god’s facial expression and bodily posture suggest a seductive sensuality that would be deemed and inappropriate for a depiction of such a sacred being.
Near the artist’s studio stands an inn called the Song Lark, owned by Lorenzo and Mabelle Larkin, who are devastated by the sudden disappearance of their son Laurentian. The inn caters primarily to art students, many of who live there paying rent for the duration of their tenure at the art school. One lean, dark-haired young man sits looking tragic and forlorn in a corner of the inn. He tells them that his name is Laszlo Kerac, a kinsman of the accursed Ferickje family, and until recently a student at the art school, and then tells them his story:
“Laurentian and I were best friends. We were students together under Master Temprus, and we both painted as well as posed. We each had our talents, however. I admit with no lack of humility that I was the better painter, but Laurentian had his own talents for which he had no equal. Despite my efforts, my work received only passing attention from our master, whereas Laurentian commanded his unending adulation! You have but to glance at the master’s works to see that Laurentian was his favorite model. But there was no jealousy in me for my friend. As I said, we were best friends, and I truly loved him like my brother. But we became estranged after a while, as more and more Laurentian took to spending long hours locked away in the master’s private studio. I tried to warn him that no good could come of this, that if nothing else, his reputation could be severely damaged by gossip and guesses. ‘Gossip is for the rich and noble, dear Laszlo,’ he said to me, ‘and so it is natural for you to worry for my reputation, but such as I cannot afford to give up gold or a coveted apprenticeship out of fear of wagging tongues!’ I begged him to stop, to come to his senses, but he didn’t listen. I even offered him a fortune in gold if he would leave the academy, and return with me to my homeland, but he was insulted by my offer. In the end, I believe he betrayed me, though I do not love him less for it. Master Temprus called me to his study, and berated me for my slovenly work habits, for which I had no defense, and I was cast out of the academy. I was packed and ready to catch a ship bound for Bospora with the next tide when the good innkeeper, Laurentian’s father, begged me to tell him what had happened to his son. He had failed to come home, and no one – not even Master Temprus – could tell him where he had gone. I decided to remain a while longer, while an investigation was undertaken by the city constabulary, but no sign of him has turned up as of yet, and under bribe a guard has admitted to me that the inquisitors have given up hope of ever finding him, and believe him to have run away or kidnapped by Southron slavers. I do not believe that he would have run away, and the only ship flying the banners of the Crescent Moon has been thoroughly searched to no avail. I have given Laurentian’s parents the portrait I made of him, which though small and unremarkable to most, was to me prized above all masterpieces. They are good people, and have been good to me. It is a gift that I hope will give them some solace, and the hope that someday their beloved son shall be restored to them.”
The Champions of Roski decide to enter the school and confront Temprus directly. He is evasive and obviously intimidated by their confidence and the Papal indulgence they are known to possess. He shows them his special gallery, wherein he has displayed luridly painted vistas of horrid exotic places seemingly from different worlds. Among them are paintings of nightmarish landscapes populated by monsters, forests of trees hung with demon serpents, and one of a desolate hill upon which sits a crumbling old house with evil eyes peering out of its windows. They realize that the paintings have magical properties, and looking too deeply into them might even transport them to the terrible places depicted in the paintings.
Realizing this, they also realize that the vivid painting of Laurentian as the god Roski might be more than it appears, and they attempt to force Temprus to restore the young man. Temprus attempts to fight them using his considerable magical talents, revealing that the paint brush he has in his hand is in fact a magic wand, and every effort they make to defeat him is in vain until they find a self-portrait that Temprus has painted, and in which they see all of the wounds that they have struck him inflicted on the painting instead of his body. Once they destroy the painting, Temprus screams and dies horribly, his body shriveling as if burned from within. With his death his magic is dispelled, and the Laurentian emerges out of the lurid painting of Roski, still draped in the costume that he wore to model.
The Champions of Roski return Laurentian to his family, and further exploring Temprus’ domain, find the scrying stone that Evrus told them about. However, examining the stone, Gwendolen realizes that rather than a scrying stone it forms a link to an arch devil named Azochiel. Gwendolen destroys the stone, breaking Azochiel’s connection to the mortal realm, and return to Evrus empty handed, but even more suspicious of the wizard. Meanwhile, Laszlo Kerac returns to his family in Bospora, still melancholy, but glad that his friend has been restored safely to his family. Before departing, he leaves them the gift of gold that he had promised.
WOCML009 – “A Wolf in Hallowed Places”
The adventurers are now noted celebrities in the capital city of Korma, and are now on an errand to the faraway kingdom of Brugansia in the north and east of the empire where they are to investigate rumors of trouble. Officials in the capital had received a message from the head of the local church requesting an inquest into allegations of witchcraft. An Inquisitor was dispatched, but has never been heard from since. A messenger and he also failed to return. That was six months ago. Because of their bravery and record of successes in difficult errands, His Holiness has agreed to send them to investigate.
The realm of Brugansia is in the north central region of the Mainlands, and for hundreds of years has formed a buffer zone protecting the heartland of the empire from the wild on its northern and eastern borders. The land is populated by an ancient people who call themselves the Brugman, whose ancestors settled there after wandering in the Great Forest in the deepest recesses of their ancient lore. The Brugman kings are descended in long line from a hero of legend known as Bracken the Giantslayer, who is said to have driven giants and other unruly folk out of the land and back to the wastes of Saanlia in the frozen north. Although fluent in the imperial common tongue and loyal to the Korman emperor and the Church of Roski, the Brugman also maintain their own language, unrelated to Faranxian, as well as their own native customs.
Setting sail from Korma, the Champions of Roski disembark at the port town of Senji in the Eastern Province (on the western edge of the realm of Bospora). The Senjians warn them that they have recently heard strange and frightening tales from travelers on the North Road, and among them rumors of witches and werewolves. The news that Inquisitors of the Church have disappeared is most unnerving to the locals, who nevertheless seem to have faith in Gwendolen and her companions. With the blessings and warnings of the Senjians, they set off on the North Road to the land of Brugansia.
Several days into their journey, they stop at a small village inn, only to discover that the widow who owns the inn has attempted to poison them. Confronting her, she admits to having poisoned the last group of Church Inquisitors to have stopped at her inn, and shows them where she has discarded their now rotting bodies. In the absence of a higher authority, Lady Gwendolen tries the murderess and in the name of the Church and Empire executes her with her sword before continuing on the road north.
Entering the Black Wood that marks the borders of Brugansia they run into a traveling band of Rhua who warn them that werewolves have been preying upon travelers on the road. Suspicious of the Rhua leader, Shilo all but accuses him of being a werewolf, which earns him the scorn of the entire tribe. Before long they are viciously attacked by two huge worgs, but manage to wound them, although they manage to escape. Tracking the words, they find one that has cast off an enchanted wolf hide he had worn revealing himself to be a handsome but battle-worn young man of princely demeanor. Lying naked and bleeding on the ground, the young man speak to them:
“Hear me, worthy and pious warriors, for the Fates have written that my time is over. My name is Emeric, son of Albern, prince of Brugansia and brother to the king. The rightful queen died giving birth to the rightful heir of this kingdom who is doubtless now dead, and the witch who sits at my brother’s side has ensorcelled him, and cursed this land. My brother and I were forced to wear the accursed wolf hame that you have cut from me. Only at the darkest time of the night, the hour before dawn may we remove the skins and be as men, but the exhaustion is such that we lie breathless and sleep in a cave until the next evening comes and we are once again compelled to don them. If you can find it in your hearts to be merciful, find my brother and save him. Do not slay him unless it is to save yourselves or any innocents that he may attempt to slay in his mad state, for his mind is not his own while wearing the wolf skin, though he was condemned to witness to the horrors that he commits. Destroying the accursed wargsark will break the curse, but to save him he must not be wearing it. Save him if he can be saved, and may the mercy of God be with us all.” With that he dies.
Tracking the other worg, they find the lair where the two accursed brothers had lived like animals. The younger prince lies wounded in the lair, and attempts to fight them, but he is too weak, and overcoming him, they succeed in destroying the enchanted wolfskin, thereby freeing him of his curse. He is horrified by the news of his brother’s death, and by wishes to help them restore his brother’s kingdom and free them from the curse. He must, however, remain hidden until the right moment since his presence would immediately alert the witch.
Emerging from the forest, they pass through tended fields and meet an old man tending to a garden. The old man greets them respectfully in the common tongue and offers to give them help and advice:
“If you must travel through this kingdom, know that it is cursed. It is perhaps best if you take another road, though perhaps there is some little thing that I can give to those brave enough to serve justice.” He pulls from the ground a strange, jet black leek and gives it to them. “Each of you must take a bite of this leek before speaking to the queen, for she is a witch who commands the forces of darkness, and this shall protect you to some extent from her magic. Do not take rash action against the queen, for her power is great. Bide your time, and seek help from the least of her servants, yet beware who you trust. Truth shall be revealed in the serpent’s heart. More than that I will not do, for only your wits and courage will avail you, and I am after all, merely an old man.” With that he vanishes in a ray of sunlight.
Before they can ponder what they have just seen, a troupe of armored knights comes thundering up to them on horseback, and blocks the road before them. The leader of the knights approaches and introduces himself:
“I am Vox, sent by the queen Sirpuhi to bring you back to the castle, by force if need be. Forgive me in this, for I am truly a noble knight of this land, compelled by black magic to obey the evil queen. I alone have been granted the power of speech so that I may announce the queen’s wishes, though my true name and lineage I am forbidden from speaking. Slay me if you will, for I fear that you too shall be enthralled. But if you will, follow me now to the castle, and meet whatever doom the Fates have woven for you.” Vox will then raise the visor of his helmet revealing the emptiness within.
Allowing themselves to be escorted by Vox, they ride to the royal castle of the Brugman king, guarded as it is by silent (and no doubt faceless) knights, and eventually stand before the king and queen. The king appears ancient and decrepit, although he is known to have been young and vital until recently. Possessed of a cold beauty, the queen is very tall, and sits proud and erect upon her throne. Near her throne sit two great black worgs like hounds at her command. Nearby, a very old Dwarf stands worn and bent by years of toil, and at a banquet table many elegantly dressed lords and ladies sit frozen as if made of stone.
The queen stands up suddenly, laughs wickedly and says to them:
“Foolish would-be heroes! You are too late! My reign over this land is now secured! Your presence here is of no consequence, though it would have been better for you never to have come. The Emperor and Pope sit far away in Korma, and there is nothing that they can do to dethrone me were they to come forth in person with all the armies of the empire. I rule supreme here, untouchable by the hand of weak godlings, for I am Sirpuhi of the Black Hand! The ancient race of the giants I name my lineage, who were here before the gods, and my hand grips the hearts and souls of all the people of Brugansia. Their souls are bound to mine. I will take them with me to the Pit even if one finds the power with which to slay me! Surrender yourselves to me now, and perhaps I shall spare you the agony of a slow death!”
The heroes manage to escape by fighting her faceless guards, who in any case, seem reluctant to fight. Before they are overcome, they are approached by the old Dwarf, who urges them to follow him into a secret passageway in the walls of the castle. The Dwarf then introduces himself and tells his story:
“My name is Nurvin of the ancient race of Dwarves that once roamed these lands. I would barter with you, heroes, for I see that at least one among you serves the great god Mahar! I will help you defeat the evil queen, but you must not doubt me and must do as I say. To falter is to fail. The queen speaks many lies, but in one thing she speaks a terrible truth. All of this land lies bound to her black soul, to which the gods of the underworld have laid claim. If she be slain, all of this land will be scoured by fire, and all the people dragged down to the pit with her unless her terrible spell is broken. There is one way for this to be accomplished, though it is perilous. Deep in the Black Wood there is a place of desolation and waste in the midst of which lies a mound. The mound is the burial place of the ancient king Bracken the Giant Slayer, for he once ruled this land and the Brugunsian kings are descended in unbroken lineage from him. The desolation is the work of the dragon called Niderus, who now guards the ancient hoard. Slay the Dragon, and recover the old king’s sword, for only by that blade, which was forged by the gods can Sirpuhi be slain and the curse broken. All I ask is for the dragon’s heart, that I may avenge the fathers of my fathers who were killed by the worm!”
After leading them out of the castle, Nurvin sets them on the right path: “Stay on this trail, and do not venture from it. About forty leagues from here you will begin to see the desolation of the dragon. There was once a fast-flowing stream flowing through a deep gorge near the place where the old king was buried, but who knows now what is there since the dragon settled there. Remember, kill the dragon and take what you need from his hoard, but the dragon’s heart is mine!”
As they approach the area described by the Dwarf they see that there is an area where the trees are dead or dying, and where the forest has been flooded and drowned. The only sound is that of falling water somewhere to the south of where they stand. About a hundred yards away stands a large mound of earth like an island in the midst of the choked, dark water. Exploring the sound of falling water they will see a mass of half-rotted logs and broken boulders and rubble piled up in what was once part of a gorge, forming a dam. Water trickles out through cracks in the dam, but it is only enough to pool a few inches deep in the stones that form the now mostly dry stream bed below. It is obvious that this was once the deep stream, but someone has dammed it in order to make the dark lake.
Before they get too close, they realize that the dragon is aware of them. From within the mound they hear its voice:
“Do not hide from me! I would rather talk than fight, and anyway, you have no weapon that can harm me. What’s this? I smell a Dwarf in your midst! Beware if it is Nurvin, for he is treacherous. No doubt he has promised you the reward that he has promised many other warriors before you! And now their bones lie rotting in the waters of the lake!”
With that a great black dragon flies out of the lair, and soars over their heads. The dragon spits caustic poisons at them, but eventually they bring it down out of the sky mortally wounded. With its dying breath, the dragon speaks again:
“I curse you, nameless and landless ones, honorless liars! It is a small matter. I will die with the satisfaction that the curse of this trove shall avenge me, for any who seek to keep the treasure perish by it!”
Before entering the submerged tomb, they destroy the log jam damming the stream, thereby releasing the waters and draining the lake. Inside the muddy tomb they pick their way over the dragon slime and examine the burial place and treasure hoard. The inside of the mound itself is constructed of strong-set rough-cut stones, and in the midst of a large chamber a stone sarcophagus rests with a carven image of a venerable warrior king bearing a sword. An inscription on the sarcophagus reads: Here lies Bracken Giant Slayer, King of the Bruga, Giver of Rings.
Among the rusted and ruined armor and carvings of horses are jars full of ancient gold, cases containing fragile scrolls of magic, and an ancient sword inlayed with golden images of mythological beasts and the rune of Mahar the Blacksmith of the Gods. Inside the sarcophagus they find the skeleton of the king dressed in rusted mail, and holding a large broadsword of plain design, apparently made of some crude metal that is nevertheless untouched by rust and decay. The only ornament on the sword is a small device in the form of a stylized eye wreathed in what appears to be the rays of the sun.
After recovering the sword, they cut out the dragon’s heart, and Nurvin comes out of hiding, greedily insisting that they keep their part of the bargain. He demands that the roast the heart and serve it to him for a meal, warning that the dragon’s blood is deadly poison unless it is cooked. Distrusting Nurvin, Shilo licks his fingers after having touched he dragon’s heart, and suddenly realizes that he can understand what the birds in a nearby tree are saying:
“Poor souls! They look worthy and brave! And some of them pious! If only they knew that the Dwarf Nurvin means to betray them with the powers he will gain from eating the dragon’s heart!”
“A taste of the dragon’s heart gives the power to fly and to breathe underwater, it gives great strength, and makes one’s skin nearly impenetrable to darts and arrows all for one day, but the power to speak with birds you now have until you die, unless you forget.”
Realizing that their speech is understood, the birds address them directly:
“Slayers of Niderus, know this also: the king’s heir lives! Twelve seasons ago, a servant woman carried a babe wrapped in princely cloth into the forest. There he has been raised by a woodsman and his wife. The rightful heir to Brugansia awaits the time when he may take his place on the throne!”
Confronted by the heroes, Nurvin attempts to escape, but cornered he cowers and spits at them:
“I curse you humans and your gods! For centuries my people have been dispossessed and living in exile because of the Bruga and their king! This treasure is rightfully mine as the last heir to the Dwarven kings of this land! The treasure is mine as is the dragon’s heart! False and oath-breakers I name you, and worst of all, this petty rune-scribe of Mahar who follows at the heels of Mahar’s enemies like a whipped cur!”
This last curse he directs at Dunbar, who attempts to console the old Dwarf. Concerned with the Dwarf’s words, Dunbar resolves to learn more about the history of the Dwarven people who once inhabited Brugansia.
Returning to the castle, the champions confront the evil queen Sirpuhi, who orders her ensorcelled knights and black worg pets to kill them. Vox pleads with them to kill him swiftly lest he harm them since he is unable to resist the queen’s witchcraft. Meanwhile, the sword they have recovered from Bracken’s tomb begins to hum loudly and to tremble in it’s scabbard. Once released, the sword flies out of the hand of the one wielding it, and humming with apparent battle lust buries the full length of its blade deep into the queen’s heart. Sirpuhi shrieks in agony and fury, and all of her spells suddenly come undone. Her worgs slain, the knights are released from their enchantment, and drop their weapons. The frozen lords and ladies at the banquet table are suddenly restored to life as Sirpuhi’s dying screams echo in the hall and she expires in a ball of oily black smoke.
Vox raises his hands up to the sky, and cries out:
“The Almighty be praised! The curse is lifted! Now I know I was Sir Brant of the King’s Meadow, but for six years I could neither speak nor remember my name for I was cursed to be the Voice of Evil. My thanks and praise to you, mighty heroes! Surely you shall be ranked among the kings of old!”
At that moment the king is also restored to his former vitality, and the spell of silence broken, rises from his throne and speaks:
“Indeed it is as Sir Brant says, friends! Much evil has befallen our kingdom that cannot be easily undone. Yet, a greater good is there in Sirpuhi’s destruction that goes beyond vengeance! Sirpuhi was but a single agent, a scout and emissary for an evil darkness that lies in wait in the East for a chance to destroy the light. I thought I was saving an innocent maiden from the darkness, but I only doomed my own family and my people by bringing a wolf into hallowed places. Alas, I will die without heir, and the kingdom of Brugansia shall fade and perish.”
The Champions of Roski reveal what they know of the king’s heir, and thanking them, he rewards them with gold and provisions, and asks them to carry a message to Korma, saying that peace has been restored in Brugansia, and the loyalty to the empire remains firm.
