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Chaosium Digest Volume 07 Number 04
Chaosium Digest Volume 7, Number 4
Date: Monday, August 15, 1994
Number: 2 of 2
Contents:
The Reluctant Bride, Part Two (Shannon Appel) PENDRAGON
Review: The Octagon of Chaos (Shannon Appel) STORMBRINGER
RuneQuest Con 2 Registration (Eric Rowe) MISC
--------------------
From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.berkeley.edu>
Subject: The Reluctant Bride, Part Two
System: Pendragon
[continued from V7.3]
THE QUEST OF THE CURSED GROVE
On a hill to the East of the Castle sits a grove of trees, some two
score in number. Although the grove is small, the dark, looming trees
seem nearly to grow together. A knight would have to fight to gain
entrance between the trees, and once within, he would be surounded by
darkness and gloom.
The Cursed Grove is a magical place, with close ties to Faerie.
Generations ago, when the first of the Rantelis came to Logres, he
came to this place, and arranged a deal with the fay folk. The fay
agreed to proect his land from the ravages of drought, plague and
pestilence. In exchange, the first Lord Rantelis swore that the Hill
of Trees would forever belong to the people of Faerie. Unfortunately,
the tradition has not been passed down. Even if the current Rantelis
knew of the legend behind the Cursed Grove, he would deem it
superstitious nonsense, and ignore it.
As the players travel towards the Cursed Grove, they shall meet once
more with the Unproven Knight, who is Lady Felicity in disguise. When
she sees the knights, she will greet them, and tell them of her recent
experiences: "Friends, if you go towards the Cursed Grove, I suggest
that you instead turn at once away. I have defeated the champion of
the Grove, and won my way through to the Prince of the Place. I spoke
with him, demanding that he raise the enchantment which terrorized the
peasants of the land. I was ready to cleave about me with my sword if
he refused, to hew the entire grove down to the ground. But, instead,
he showed me the mark of the House of Rantelis, and swore upon his
honor that the land had been granted to him generations ago by the
first Rantelis that came to this land. I saw that it would be unjust
to drive the fay prince from the land that was rightfully his, and so
I turned away, though it nearly broke my heart to do so. I will not
stand in your way, but I do again suggest you turn back at once, or
you will not be serving justice this day."
As stated, Lady Felicity will not stand in the way of the players if
they decide to continue on to the Cursed Grove. However, she will not
give them any aid, and nothing may be said to change her mind.
When the players arrive at the grove, they will see that it is just as
it was described to them: dark and gloomy. If players try to enter
the grove (a difficult task, doable only on foot) a fay knight shall
ride from around the grove, and challenge one of the knights. If the
players actually try and destroy the grove, a group of 6 frenzied
knights will appear, ready to fight the players to the death to save
their home.
Once inside the grove, the players will find that it is much larger
within than without. The entire place is dark and shadowy, and the
journey to the center of the grove may take hours or days. If the
gamemaster wishes to introduce additional dangers or the weird
distortions of fay, this is an excellent time to do so. Eventually,
the players will reach the center of the grove, where they will meet
Prince Effin, Lord of the Fay of the Hill. He will show a signet ring
bearing the sign of the House Rantelis, and swear that the land was
granted to him long ago.
This quest may be accomplished in two ways. If the players survive
the onslaught of the frenzied fay knights, they may stand just outside
the grove and destroy all of the trees that make it up. Once all
forty have been destroyed, the portal to the faerie realms shall be
forever gone. Alternatively, the players may try and find a way to
convince the faerie to move on to another place. They might try
trickery or offer promises to the faerie prince. They should beware
though, for faerie favors never come lightly. If given sufficient
incentive, the faeries will be willing to move on.
During this quest, the players may try and return to the Curent Lord
Rantelis, and confront him with the fay's tale. He will laugh, insist
that his ancestors never would have made such a promise, and demand
that the players complete the quest [Players should be granted Just or
Arbitrary rolsl depending on what they do during this Quest. Lady
Felicity has already earned a Just roll for her actions].
QUEST COMPLICATIONS: THE RIVALS
Unless the players are complete bumblers, the rivals will never be
true contenders for Felicity's hand. However, they will still offer
many complications for the questors. These complications may all be
played up for comedic value if you like.
For a start, the rivals will always be in the way, especially for the
latter two quests. The town of Angford and the Cursed Grove will both
be thick with knights trying to win the hand of Lady Felicity. The
rivals could inadvertantly lead the players upon many wild goose
chooses. When a knight yells "Snake!" in Angford, many knights will
quickly descend upon the spot, no doubt cutting innocent gopher
snakes, vines, and all other manner of serpentine objects to bits.
In addition, the rivals will constantly be making false claims of
quest completion. When the knights return to the Castle bearing the
Blessed Cup of Health and Home, they may very well have to queue up
behind a dozen other knights, each bearing some manner of drinking
implement that they claim is the quest object.
Finally, after the players succeed at the first of the quests, some of
the rivals will begin to grow surly, challenging, insulting and
threatening the players for no good reason. A small camp of
disgruntled suitors will appear outside the Castle, deriding all who
arrive or go forth.
If the players became good friends with any of the rivals during the
first day of this adventure, the gamemaster should play this up. Do
they help him if he is doing poorly? Perhaps let him share in the
glory? Will they reconsider the quests if they learn that their
friend was slain while trying to win the hand of Lady Felicity?
CONCLUSIONS
Finally, the Quests will be done, and all of the remaining rivals will
come before the Lord, to see the Lady Felicity given away. Unless the
players did very badly, or gave up on some of the quests entirely,
none of the rivals will have completed any of the quests. If one of
the players completed either two or three of the quests, he will be
named the victor. Else, if either two or three quests were completed
by Lady Felicity, the Unproven Knight, she is considered the victor.
It should be noted that the latter case is extremely unlikely.
Player Knight Victorious
As Lord Rantelis speaks, saying that the player has proved his valor
and bravery, thus winning the hand of his daughter, the Unproven
Knight will ride into the Courtyard. He bears a red favor upon his
chain shirt, and proudly proclaims that it is the favor of the Lady
Felicity, and none may claim her hand unless they first defeat him. A
silence will fall over the entire court, and the gamemaster should
take this time to intimidate the players a bit. Let them hear nearby
knights whispering that they heard that the Lady had a lover in
Camelot, and that a certain knight of the round table smiled upon the
Lady Felicity, and that they had heard that the white-shielded knight
was a demon with the lance. If the gamemaster can convince the player
that he is about to fight Lancelot or some other knight of the round
table, he has done his job well.
After thinking a bit, Lord Rantelis will say, "So be it! Until one
sayeth 'no more!'" The court will quickly move out to the jousting
grounds, to watch the challenge being fought.
The fight will probably be a short one, for the Lady Felicity is not
nearly as adept with Lance as with Sword. In addition, she lives
under the burden of chivalry. If the player is knocked from his
horse, the Lady Felicity will give him time to remount, so that he can
joust again.
If Lady Felicity does manage to win the fight, either by scoring a
stunning blow, or convincing her opponent that she is the better man,
she will take off her helmet, revealing her smiling face, and proclaim
"I have defeated all challengers. My freedom shall never be taken
from me." Continue as with 'Felicity Victorious' below.
It is more likely, though, that Lady Felicity will be knocked from her
horse. As she falls to the ground, her helmet will be knocked away,
and her flowing locks of brown hair revealed. "You have rightfully
defeated me," she will say, "and there is nothing more I may do. I
have tried my best to retain my freedom, but it is clear that I was
doomed to lose. It grieves me greatly, but you have won my hand in
marriage. I will not force my father to break his oath." Picking
herself up slowly, the Lady Felicity will walk back towards the
castle. A silence will sit across the battlefield.
The player has won the right to wed the Lady Felicity, and he may now
do so if his wishes. If the marriage occurs, the Lady will do her
best to please her husband, for it is the Just thing to do. She will
never be truly happy, though, and her husband will be aware of her
sadness, no matter how she hides it.
Instead, the player may decide to give up his right to Lady Felicity's
hand [give the player a check in Generous], perhaps even offering to
fight as her champion against all comers. Lady Felicity will be
filled with joy if this happens, but her father will barely be able to
control his fury. The court will be dismissed, all the knights sent
home.
Felicity Victorious
It is remotely possible that the Lady Felicity may emerge from the
trials victorious, either by accomplishing the quests (probably due to
the good hearts of the players), or defeating the victorious player in
combat. If this occurs, she will proudly reveal her true face,
proclaiming "I have defeated all challengers. My freedom shall never
be taken from me." Her father, barely controlling his anger, shall
immediately call the court to a close, and all knights shall be sent
home.
The Return of Felicity
Even if a player knight lost Felicity, by being defeated, or giving
her up when her true feelings were revealed, he has definitely not
seen the last of her. Very soon, the players will hear that she is
adventuring about Logres, now officialy a Knight of the Realm.
In addition, if a player knight especially impressed Felicity, either
by allowing her to win the contest of quests, despite her chivalrous
nature, or returning to her her freedom, even after winning her hand,
he will be hearing from her again, in the form of a letter. It speaks
of Felicity's respect for the chivalry of the knight, and asks if,
perhaps, he would still like to court her, despite the revelations of
her true nature. The letter warns, however, that she plans to never
give up her life of adventure and suggests that if the player has any
thoughts of changing that, he should give them up at once.
If the player knight does decide to court Lady Felicity, he will have
to again prove his chivalrous nature. If he can do so to her
satisfaction, she will grant him her hand. The Lord Rantelis, will,
of course, throw the greatest party that Logres has seen in years.
FUTURE STORY IDEAS
If a player knight does end up the new lord of Rantelis Castle, a good
number of story ideas become possible:
* Lord Argun, ruler of the fief to the west of the Rantelis Land, long
coveted Lady Felicity and the lands that a marriage to her would
grant. He shall not be pleased with Felicity's marriage, and shall do
his utmost to test the new lord. If the new lord seems weak, Lord
Argun may even invade, or, alternatively, try to destroy the new Lord
of Rantelis through political manipulations.
* If the marriage occurred after Lady Felicity declared her freedom
and won her knighthood, the player knight will constantly have her
safety to worry about. Ideally, one of the other players could take
Felicity as their permanent role. If that is not possible, Felicity
could instead be an NPC, constantly getting into trouble, and
extracting her husband from the same.
* The new Lord of Rantelis will find himself in dire straights if the
Blessed Cup of Health and Home is again stolen. No male child shall
ever be born to the Lord of the House, unless the Blessed Cup is also
in residence. If a player realizes this, he will clearly do his
utmost to recover it.
* The Quest of the Cursed Grove may have repercussions. If the fay
were driven off, they will surely try to return. Even if they left
nicely, after some agreement, there may be problems. Perhaps a new
group of less friendly fay will try and move into the hill. Or, the
old Fay of the Hill may return, either to do some mischief or collect
on some debt.
NPCS
The Lord Rantelis
The Lord Rantelis, a short, stout man, is forty-five years old, past
his prime. He hopes to find a good man to marry Felicity, so that the
family land may be passed on to one who is deserving.
Glory 3107
SIZ 9 Move 2 Major Wound 8
DEX 11 Dam 3D6 Unconscious 4
STR 8 Heal 2 Knock Down 9
CON 8 HP 17 Armor 10 (+shield)
APP 12
Combat Skills: Sword 18, Lance 19, Battle 17, Horsemanship 15
Significant Passions: Love (Family) 17, Hospitality 12
Horse: An old, gray charger, past its prime, Damage 5D6, Move 5,
CON 11.
The Lady Felicity
Felicity is a striking beauty. She is tall and slim, and has
beautiful, flowing light brown hair. Usually, Felicity is happy and
cheerful, a joy to be around. However, Felicity's upcoming marriage
sits upon her now, like a black cloud, and she is silent and morose.
She wishes to be a knight, not a housewife. When out erranting,
Felicity wears reinforced chain and a great helm and bears an entirely
white shield.
Glory 1031
SIZ 15 Move 3 Major Wound 15
DEX 16 Dam 5D6 Unconscious 8
STR 14 Heal 3 Knock Down 15
CON 15 HP 30 Armor 12 (+shield)
APP 24
Special Traits: Beautiful Voice
Combat Skills: Sword 21, Lance 16, Battle 12, Horsemanship 16
Significant Traits: Energetic 14, Generous 17, Just 18, Merciful 17, Modest 13,
Valorous 16, Deceitful 13
Significant Passions: Honor 16
Significant Skills: Awareness 14, Chirurgery 12, Courtesy 9, Dancing 11,
First Aid 12, Orate 17, Singing 22, Tourney 12
Horse: A beautiful white charger that refuses any other riders, Damage
6D6, Move 8, CON 12
Sir Dustus
Aged 53, Sir Dustus is a very old man. However, he is willing to
fight to the death if he believes that his family is at stake.
Glory 1748
SIZ 7 Move 2 Major Wound 4
DEX 8 Dam 2D6 Unconscious 3
STR 7 Heal 1 Knock Down 7
CON 4 HP 11 Armor 10 (+shield)
APP 6
Combat Skills: Sword 12, Lance 15, Battle 8, Horsemanship 13
Significant Passions: Love (Family) 19
Horse: A pathetic looking courser, dirty and bedragled, Damage 5D6,
Move 8, CON 12
The Cunning Wyrm
Although not one of the great drakes of legend, the cunning wyrm can
still be a plenty dangerous foe, capable of killing unwary knights.
Glory to Kill: 150
SIZ 20 Move 6 Major Wound 30
DEX 24 Dam 7D6 Unconscious 13
STR 18 Heal 5 Knock Down 20
CON 30 HP 50 Armor 12
APP 3
Combat Skills: Bite 18
Significat Traits: Cowardly 20
Horse: The Cunning Wyrm enjoys eating horses. cows too.
The Faerie Knights
The Faerie knights will fight to protect their home and drive
intruders away. If player knights try and destroy their grove, the
faerie knights will go berserk. All combat skills are increased by
+2, and the faerie knights ignore the effects of major wounds.
SIZ 18 Move 4 Major Wound 18
DEX 18 Dam 6D6 Unconscious 9
STR 18 Heal 4 Knock Down 18
CON 18 HP 36 Armor 14 (+shield)
APP 20
Combat Skills: Sword 20, Lance 20, Horsemanship 20
Significant Passions: Loyalty (Prince Effin) 20
Horse: The Faerie knights all ride unearthly looking gray horses which
shine with a strange vitality, Damage 7D6, Move 10, CON 13.
Effin, The Faerie Prince
Effin, the Prince of the Faeries of the Hill looks quite harmless, but
that is a facade. In truth, he is a fearsome bargainer, and a fierce
manipulator. Effin is somewhat stubborn, and will not be moved from
his ways unless he is convinced that it is in his best interests.
SIZ 11 Move 3 Major Wound 25
DEX 19 Dam 4D6 Unconscious 1
STR 12 Heal 12 Knock Down 11
CON 14 HP 25 Armor None
APP 24
Significant Trais: Energetic 14, Vengeful 14, Deceitful 12, Proud 13
Signficant Skills: Faerie Lore 30
Horse: Effin has no horse
--------------------
From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.berkeley.edu>
Subject: Review: The Octagon of Chaos
System: Stormbringer
A while ago, in V3.3 of the digest, I wrote some reviews on all of the
out of print Chaosium Stormbringer supplements. Since, I've picked up
one more old Stormbringer supplement, The Octagon of Chaos, published
by Theatre of the Mind (TOME).
In the mid eighties, TOME was doing supplements for a couple of
different Chaosium games. Besides The Octagon of Chaos, they also
published five Call of Cthulhu supplements. I've seen advertisements
for a second Stormbringer supplement, also, called Bloodlust!, but as
far as I know, it was never published.
The Octagon of Chaos (068612)
written by Tony Fiorito
Published by TOME, 1986
54 pages
The adventure of the Octagon of Chaos starts quite strongly. The
players are abruptly thrust into the time of Sadric the Eighty-Sixth.
It is twenty years before the birth of Elric, the White Wolf. Two
pages of text detail the time, including information on the various
Young Kingdoms, and the important personalities of the era.
The actual scenerio too, has a strong basis. It centers around the
Octagon of Chaos, an ancient Melnibone stronghold, just recently
abandoned by the Bright Empire. At the center of the stronghold is a
great statue of Mabelrode, container of forbidden secrets of the
ancient chaos god.
The adventure revolves around the search for the Octagon of Chaos and
the exploration of the ruins. To a large extent, it is a dungeon
crawl, in which the adventurers explore an ancient ruin inhabited by
monsters. Fortunately, there are several redeeming features. The
setup is interesting (if a bit arbitrary in places), and gives a good
sense of the Young Kingdoms. The exploration of the ruins is further
complicated by a group of Pan Tangians who also which to steal the
ancient secrets of the Melniboneans. Several pages of encounters are
given, that could be used in any Elric! or Stormbringer game.
Finally, the Octagon of Chaos is sufficiently well integrated into the
history of Melnibone that it can provide interesting knowledge of the
past rather than just another place to bash evil monsters.
To be honest, I'd be somewhat reluctant to run The Octagon of Chaos as
is. However, I do think that it's just chock full of good ideas which
can be used in a Stormbringer campaign. Especially useful is the
information on the era twenty years before the birth of Elric. If you
don't mind doing a bit of work, I'd say that The Octagon of Chaos is a
good buy.
Although originally written for the Second Edition of Stormbringer,
Elric! should still be fairly compatible with Elric! Some adversaries
should probably be given spells, but beyond that, little work would be
needed to convert the scenerio.
The Octagon of Chaos was originally published eight years ago, but I
have seen it in game stores within the last year. If you look around
a bit, it should not be too hard to pick up a copy.
--------------------
From: Eric Rowe <rowe@glorantha.berkeley.edu>
Subject: RuneQuest Con 2 Registration!
System: Misc
Here is the basic information needed to register for RQCon2. Please
read it thoroughly. Registration will not be accepted through e-mail.
You must copy the form at the end of this mailing and send it in. The
american distribution of Tales will also have copies of this form.
Please copy this lots and invite your friends.
Runequest Con 2
January 13-16, 1995
San Francisco Clarion Hotel
Guests of honor: Greg Stafford, Sandy Peterson, Ken Rolston and the
original authors of RQ, Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson and
Warren James
Live-Action Gloranthan Role-playing in The Broken Council and How the
West was One, as well as other special live-action role-playing
events.
Role Playing Events: Runequest, Ars-Magica, Skyrealms of Jorune, Call
of Cthulhu, Pendragon, Elric!, Nephilim and more.
Boardgames and Miniatures: Dragon Pass, Nomad Gods, Pantheons and
Miniatures.
Special Events: Trollball, Orlanthi Storytelling, Eat at Geo's,
Costumes, Auction and lots of seminars by our guests on RQ, Glorantha
and the other fine game worlds.
Our Feature events are the following two live-action games...
How the West was One: The year is 1625 and it is time for the Seventh
Ecclesiastical Council of Malkion at the University of Sog City. The
prophet Notslor has called this council to try and unite the
splintered factions of Malkionism. You play the part of an member of
the council hoping to prove your version of Malkionism, avoid civil
strife and further your own career, all while the gathering clouds
upon the horizon portend the growing evil of the nearby Kingdom of
War. Will the West be One? (9 hours, 68 players)
The Broken Council: Participate in the most important event of the
first age of Glorantha, the creation of Osentalka, the perfect god who
will herald the return of the Golden Age. From political infighting
to terrible battles, the fate of Glorantha rests in the hands of the
representatives to the Second Council in Dorastor. Players will be
the great figures of Glorantha's past as they struggle to shape the
future in the image of their personal beliefs. This is your chance to
help create a god. (7 hours, 46 players)
Important Note:
It is very important to pre-register for this convention. Space in
the two centerpiece live-actions is limited. Participation in the two
LARPs will be determined by a random drawing to be held on Sept. 15.
If there are still more spaces available afterwards, they will be
given on a first come basis. Even if you do not want to be in one of
the live-actions, after we get your registration we will send you the
Convention packet in two to three weeks. It contains information on
hotels, events, gamemastering, volunteering and a questionnaire. By
pre-registering you will be able to make sure we will be holding the
events and seminars you want to attend.
For more information or questions please contact us at...
RuneQuest Con 2 rqcon@erzo.berkeley.edu
2520 Hillegass Ave #101 (510) 649-8601 (Eric)
Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 649-7467 (Shannon)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RuneQuest Con 2 membership form.
Make your check or money order payable to Eric Rowe. Do not send cash.
___ Full Membership $30
___ One Day (Sat. or Sun.) Membership $15
___ Featured LARP $15. List which one here ___________________. If I do
not get into the LARP of my choice I would like to be in the
other _______[yes or no].
___ Total enclosed. Volunteers, gamemasters and those not getting into a
LARP will get refunds at the convention.
Mail this form to: RuneQuest Con 2, 2520 Hillegass Ave #101, Berkeley, CA 94704
Name:________________________________ Phone (_____) ______________
Address:______________________________ e-mail _____________________
City:___________________________State:______ Zip:__________________
--------------------
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