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Chaosium Digest Volume 14 Number 07
Chaosium Digest Volume 14, Number 7
Date: Sunday, May 5, 1996
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
Announcement: Glorantha Con IV (Andrew Joelson) MISC
The House of Dreams (Iain Rowan) ELRIC!
The Adventure of the Deceitful Faerie (Shannon Appel) PENDRAGON
Editor's Note:
Well, I'm getting started on the Chaosium Digest late tonight because
I just spent the whole evening playing Mythos. I had a few designed
decks, but everyone else had Starters, with a scant few Booster cards
mixed in. I was impressed by how well it worked: I only won a single
(Basic) game out of four. Of course, I'm sure my meticulously tuned
decks would have done much better in a Campaign game.
Though everything ran really cleanly, I got to thinking about having
more adventure cards which solely depended upon the more common
Starter cards. I'm going to try and write some Adventures that meet
this criteria for next week's digest. If anyone else would like to
contribute more new adventure cards (or anything else related to
Mythos), send them this way.
This week, scenerios for Elric! and Pendragon. If you've been thinking
about writing articles, especially for Nephilim and Call of Cthulhu,
which have been a bit quieter of late, again, email them in this
direction.
Shannon
NEW (FRENCH) RELEASES:
Thanks to Frederic Moll for information on French releases and
sightings. If you've got information on releases and sightings of
non-US products, send them in so they can be included in the Digest.
* Mythos - _Mythos Starters_ and _Expeditions of Miskatonic University
Boosters_ have reached French stores. The French edition cards
should also be out soon.
Current rumour says that Oriflam is still working on a revision of the
French Hawkmoon RPG for Summer, 1996, but there's no further
information at this time.
(FRENCH) MAGAZINE SIGHTINGS:
* Call of Cthulhu - "L'horloger, le voleur & la mort", a four page
modern scenario for CoC, Casus Belli #94 [May, 1996]; "1920s
Investigator Checklist", a one page play-aid, Casus Belli #94 [May,
1996]; "Modern Investigator Checklist", a one page play-aid, Casus
Belli #94 [May, 1996]
--------------------
From: joelsona@cpdmfg.cig.mot.com (Andrew Joelson)
Subject: Announcement: Glorantha Con IV
System: Misc
Public Service Announcement! Public Service Announcement!
>>-----> Glorantha Con IV <-----<<
When: Friday January 24th through Sunday January 26th, 1997
Where: Ramada Hotel O'Hare Complimentary shuttle service
6600 N Mannheim Rd from Chicago's O'Hare airport
Rosemont, Ill 60018
Phn 847-827-5131 $72/night (+tax); single/double
Fax 847-827-5220 $82/night (+tax); triple room
Membership: $40
Featured LARPs:
"The Coming of the White Bull" "The Broken Council"
(Argrath gathers the Tribes of Prax) (The Creation of Nysalor)
Guests of Honor: Greg Stafford & Sandy Peterson
Please send us you Smail/Email addresses, so that we can put you on
our mailing lists! (Our first flyer should be coming out in two weeks
or less)
Are you interested in Judging or Volunteering? Please let us know!
Andrew Joelson Scott Schneider
joelsona@cpdmfg.cig.mot.com SWhiteBull@aol.com
Orlanth-Cola is proud to be the official sponsor of Glorantha Con IV!
Orlanth-Cola, a real Windy City drink!
--------------------
From: ROWAN Iain <wm0iro@acresearch.sunderland.ac.uk>
Subject: The House of Dreams
System: Elric!
The House of Dreams
An encounter on the roads of the Young Kingdoms for Elric!
Introduction:
This is an encounter for a party of PCs of any number or proficiency.
It is one of a series of such encounters intended to be used to add
interest and atmosphere to otherwise uneventful journeys, and can be
set on a fairly empty country road anywhere throughout the Young
Kingdoms.
The Encounter:
The countryside through which the party is travelling is not regarded
as particularly wild or dangerous, but caution and the desire to make
good speed ensure that most travellers follow the narrow beaten earth
of the road. Off the road, the countryside is mostly rolling moorland,
with the occasional small copse of trees in the more sheltered dips.
The heather of the moor is a rich deep purple, broken up attractively
ever now and again by a yellow-berried tanglebush. The party may have
noticed the occasional white flash of a rabbit's tail disappearing
into the heather at their approach, and will probably have heard the
sweet yet sorrowful song of the moorgales, circling high above the
moor.
For the last few hours the sky has been clouding over, and without the
direct warmth of the sun the travellers can feel the chill of the
slight breeze. The clouds seem fairly high, however, and there is no
sign of any immediate rain. Within half an hour, however, this
situation has changed dramatically. Dark storm clouds are gathering,
and the slight breeze has turned into a gusty wind, with a chilling
edge to it. The PCs may notice any indigenous small wildlife taking
cover in their burrows or nests. In a matter of minutes the clouds
open, and an enormous downpour begins, the huge drops of rain being
caught up by the wind and thrown into the PCs faces, soaking them to
the skin in seconds.
One of the PCs notices what appears to be a light through a small
copse of trees up ahead. If the PCs investigate further they will find
a small wooden house, built in the prevailing style of the region,
which has a storm lantern burning brightly in one window. Before the
party can get any closer, they see a face appear briefly at the
window, and then dart away. After a few seconds, the door of the house
opens, and a small old man appears in the doorway, beckoning the party
in.
As the party enter the house the old man ushers them in hurriedly,
passing out rough woollen blankets which the PCs can use to dry off or
wrap around themselves for warmth. As the last PC enters, the old man
fastens the door against the torrential rain and howling wind and
turns to the party.
"Greetings travellers, I am Hulgar, and I welcome you to my humble
lodgings. You are welcome to stay until this foul storm has spent
its fury. Please, please, come through. There is a fire burning
and I have some wine mulling which will banish the cold".
Hulgar leads the PCs through to a room at the back of the house. A log
fire is roaring, and the PCs can smell the unmistakable and most
welcome scent of spices and wine. As the PCs come in, Hulgar busies
himself fetching mugs for the wine. He is a small old man, only just
over five foot tall, with a mostly bald head surrounded by a frame of
snow white hair.
Although obviously of some considerable age, he is nimble and deft in
his movements. The house is well furnished, although all the
furnishings are in a modest style. Groaning shelves at the end of the
back room hold a large quantity of books; more are scattered about on
any available surface. A casual scrutiny will reveal that they appear
to be a mixture of historical texts, philosophy, and herbal lore.
Hulgar will do his best to see that the PCs are comfortable, and is
generally the model of a hospitable and generous host. If any of the
PCs refuse the mulled wine (which really is just mulled wine) he will
offer them an alternative but then will not press them any further. He
will sit and make small talk with the PCs for a few minutes. If asked
about his trade, or what he is doing so far from the rest of humanity,
he will inform the party that he is a sage and scholar, and performs
his studies best when not surrounded by the clamour of mankind. Not,
he adds hurriedly, that he objects to the presence of his current
guests on such a foul and inclement day.
After a few minutes of this small talk, Hulgar will cross over to the
fire. He bows slightly to the PCs, pulls a pouch from his pocket, and
scatters its contents on the fire. The flames of the fire briefly turn
to blue, and then a soft, soporific smell, redolent of autumn bonfires
and the soft fruits which are gathered as a child, the smell of baking
bread and mulling wine, rolls its way around the room, and the PCs
sink slowly into the comforting arms of sleep. The referee should
allow no roll against this effect, and from the moment Hulgar tosses
the herbs onto the fire the PCs are effectively paralysed by a sweet
lassitude that does not so much stop them moving as remove all desire
to do so.
When the PCs awaken, they are lying in the heather just in front of a
copse of trees, wrapped in rough woollen blankets. It has obviously
been raining, as the blankets are damp, but the sky is now clear and
the late afternoon sun is warming on the skin. A large doe rabbit
watches the PCs warily from the edge of the copse. The players feel
weak and drained, but appear to be physically unharmed. All their
possessions remain with them. The road lies just on the other side of
the copse, but there is no sign of Hulgar, or indeed the house. When
the party's heads clear a bit they will realise that where they are
lying is where the house had appeared to be. The blankets that are
wrapped around them are ordinary in every way save that they have a
sweet warm smell that will linger for a few days (and ensure that
anyone who sleeps under the blanket will have the most restful night's
sleep that they have ever known). All the PCs will have lost all bar
one of their magic points; these will be regained at the usual rate.
If the PCs comment on their story when they reach the next village or
town along the road it will be meet with solemn nods and much
muttering.
Eventually the party will be approached by one of the respected elders
of the local community who will inform them that they have doubtless
encountered the House of Dreams and its owner. For over one hundred
years now, many travellers on the road in this region have found
themselves Hulgar's guest in the midst of a terrible storm, and have
experienced exactly the same as did the party of PCs. No-one has ever
been physically harmed in any way. There are many conflicting rumours
about Hulgar's origins. One is that he is a Champion of the balance,
engaged in powerful struggles with cosmic forces, who requires the use
of travellers' souls for one hour to perform his mysterious work.
Another rumour states that Hulgar is the revenant of a great sage and
scholar who was murdered in the night by a gang of travelling bandits,
who haunts the roads of the region, feeding on the strength of those
he finds, constantly looking for his enemies, not knowing that they
are long dead and buried.
Further possibilities:
Several further opportunities for adventure exist.
* The PCs might attempt to find out what it is that Hulgar is doing
that requires the use of so much spiritual power.
* They might hear a rumour that those who have slept in the House of
Dreams are marked in some way, and that when they eventually die,
their souls will pass to Hulgar for all eternity.
* Hulgar watches over those who have (however inadvertently) aided
him, and will appear once at an hour of great need to help them.
* The local authorities might regard those who have slept in the House
of Dreams as tainted and dangerous.
* A powerful sorcerer and agent of Chaos might hear about the party's
experience and wish to find out everything that they know which
might aid him or her in their quest to find Hulgar and steal the
dreamhouse from him.
Iain Rowan April 1996
--------------------
From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.org>
Subject: The Adventure of the Deceitful Faerie
System: Pendragon
This is another adventure from the Talgarth Campaign. Unlike the last
couple, however, I've pretty much totally genericized it, so that it
can be easily used in any campaign.
For those of you interested in the Talgarth context, following The
Adventure of the Worshiping Picts, the players began to plot what they
could do to gain power when the old dynasty fell. They finally decided
upon the strategy of wooing old King Brychan's granddaughters, Lassar,
Mor and Orlaith. As part of proving their worth, the players helped
Brychan resolve a peculiar problem in the land, near the magical lake,
Llyn Cwm Llwch.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE DECEITFUL FAIRIE
[Copyright 1996, Shannon Appel]
Time: Anytime shortly after Beltaine
Setting: A small peasant village near to wild valleys and lakes
Problem: Peasants complaining of a curse afflicting their village
Characters: Tad the Deceitful Faerie, numerous peasants
Secrets: Tad escaped from Faerieland last Beltaine
Solutions: Capture Tad and Resolve the Peasant's Problems
Glory: 30 for ending the problems, 20 for returning Tad home, 10 for
slaying a particularly mean bear.
The players are drawn to a small peasant village, near the edge of
civilization, due to rumors of a curse lying upon it. Perhaps the Lord
of the village specifically asks for the player's aid. Alternatively,
they might stumble upon it totally accidently.
INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS
When the players arrive at the village, they will indeed find that it
has been beset by a number of problems. Though they will not know it
yet, this is because Tad the Deceitful Faerie recently escaped from
the Other World, and has taken up residence in their village.
Predictably, he has been causing problems.
Every villager the players talk to will have a different complaint.
Random Peasant Complaint Table
1. My hen has been stolen.
2. My pig has been stolen.
3. My puppy has been stolen.
4. My cat has been stolen.
5. I hear strange sounds at night.
6. A devil whispers into my ear at night.
7. I hear a dead spirit wailing at night.
8. I keep hearing footsteps behind me.
9. My neighbors have started feuding with me.
10. Lies are being told about me.
11. Everyone is saying bad things behind my back.
12. Evil words spring forth from my mouth.
13. My wood-chopping axe is missing.
14. My spare shirt is missing.
15. Someone keeps stealing all my chopped wood.
16. My three-handled granduza, a family heirloom, has been stolen.
17. Another peasant gives me the evil eye.
18. I had a three-legged calf born.
19. My cow's milk has gone bad.
20. My wife and children have been killed (said peasant has never been
married and is quite mad).
[Note that 17-20 are peasant overreactions, and not Tad's fault.]
Tad's Tricks
While the players are going about their initial investigations, Tad
will play tricks on them.
Tad Random Trick Table
1-3 A random small animal disappears.
4-9 A random small item disappears.
10 A random animal seems to audibly threaten players.
11 A peasant seems to say something derogatory to a player.
12 A peasant seems to say something pleasant to a player.
13 Players hear strange sounds from an empty shack.
14 Players hear monstrous sounds (dragon, etc).
15 Strange sounds draw players somewhere dangerous (down a ravine,
into a patch of itchy plants, etc).
16 Rotten fruit gets thrown at players.
17 Big stone gets thrown at players.
18 Player's horse is spooked.
19 Player's squire is spooked.
20 Faraway laughter is heard.
Tad will also be playing tricks on the peasants, so the players might
meet terrified peasants, angry peasants, unconscious peasants and
feuding peasants.
ON THE TRAIL OF TAD
Hunting Tad
Whenever Tad is in visible range (which will be often when he is
playing tricks), players who try and scan for their assailant should
be allowed to make [Deceitful] rolls, as is noted in Tad's
description.
[Hunting] or other skills may also be used to examine places where Tad
has played his jokes. Unfortunately, Tad is a very agile little
fellow, often leaping from ground to roof to tree and back again, thus
such rolls should be at big minuses.
If the players figure out that a Faerie is behind the problems, a
[Faerie Lore] roll will tell them that Deceitful Faeries are often
attracted by lies. [Orate] rolls combined with [Deceitful] checks may
be used to attract a faerie in this way. Near the city, this will
attract Tad, while near the lake (see below) this will attract Ratat
the Redcap. This won't cause Tad to talk with the players or anything,
but it may encourage him to play tricks on them, or cause him to fall
into their traps.
Players may come up with other ingenious plans for locating Tad,
including covering him with flour, covering the ground with flour,
throwing nets, building traps and encircling him. Tad isn't exactly
the brightest thing to ever walk on two feet, so any of these plans
should have at least some chance of success.
When they've finally run Tad to ground, the players may very well kill
him. This will just make him mad, and when Tad returns at midnight,
he'll make the players his personal project.
Capturing Tad
Once the players have realized that killing Tad isn't much help,
they'll probably end up capturing him. Normal ropes or cloth bags
work, though superstitious peasants will say to use Iron. If the
players are [Cruel] enough to try and maim Tad, he'll fall over dead,
and be back at night. Clearly some permanent solution is needed.
If threatened (especially with Iron) Tad will eventually give up the
fact that he's from a nearby Lake, where a gate to the Other World
opens on Beltaine. This year, the powers of the portal were
particularly great, due to a Pictish ritual done on March 21, and as a
result the gate remained open, and Tad was able to escape. If taken
back home, the local ruler of the Faeries will gladly make sure that
Tad stays out of trouble.
Tracking Tad's Treasures
Players may also be interested in tracking down Tad's stolen
treasures.
All the missing animals are hidden away in a valley not too far away.
Things are a bit chaotic, as the dogs, cats, chickens and pigs are all
fighting, but aside from that, most of the animals are OK.
The missing items are hidden away in a cave which is unfortunately the
lair of a particularly mean bear. See Pendragon pg. 339 for the bear's
stats.
If forced, Tad will reveal the location of these items, or the players
may find it themselves through [Hunting].
TAKING TAD HOME
Getting Tad to His Island...
The last problem is taking Tad home. As he has noted, he comes from a
nearby Lake. There's an island upon it, but it's invisible. Players
who make [Deceitful] rolls can faintly make it out, while players who
crit [Deceitful] rolls can see it clearly.
A player will need to swim Tad out to the island. If someone who
hasn't seen the island attempts it, they will just end up back at
shore. Anyone who has seen it, even just faintly, will arrive on the
island if they make a successful [Swimming] roll. Such players can
also drag disbelievers along with them. A failed Swimming roll will
result in the player starting to drown.
When a player steps foot upon the island, he will disappear to his
friends' sight.
Time passes differently in the Other Side, and it will be at least a
week before the player returns, even if he turns right back around.
This may worry other players, and cause them to swim out to join their
friend.
...And the Encounters Therein
Players who arrive on the island will see a magnificent castle, as
great as any in Britain. A short man, finely dressed, strides forth
from it to greet the players. This is Ratat the Redcap, Ruler of this
Place. Ratat will be very pleased to see Tad returned, and will demand
that the players stay for a feast. Ratat is utterly Hospitable, and
will do absolutely nothing inimical to the players unless they go mad
and start killing his people or something. Nervous players brought up
on tales of evil faeries may not believe this though. Allow players to
roll [Faerie Lore] to learn some blatant lies about not eating faerie
food, not accepting faerie presents, etc. They're all false, though,
at least as far as Ratat's Realm is concerned. [Suspicious],
[Trusting] and [Hospitality] checks may all be applicable.
Use the Feast Table roll (Knights Adventurous pg. 114) abundently to
spice up this feast, but give all the events the air of strange
otherworldishness. You may also change things up with the following
table, to provide variety:
Faerie Feast Events Table:
1. Ratat offers to play a game of backgammon with a player, offering a
bet of a faerie backgammon board (.25L) versus some apparently
worthless item belonging to a player. [Gaming]
2. [Intrigue. Success = Tad is going to overthrow Ratat as King]. If
the player does nothing, he will get to see Tad play out a farcical
rebellion, invisibly wearing a suit of heavy armor, leading an army
of pigs, chickens, dogs and cats against Ratat. If the player warns
Ratat (or alternatively stops the farcical rebellion), he will be
awarded lavishly... with wildflowers. Strangely, they will not wilt
away, however.
3. Several faeries leap up for a [Swimming] race.
4. Two faeries begin playing out a farce as a player's parents. [Love
(family) / Forgiving or Modest]
5. A nearby faerie with [Sword 10] jumps upon a table and challenges a
random player to a fight for love, for no apparent reason.
6. A player's food begins talking to him.
When the feast is over and done, the players will slowly fall asleep.
When they awake, they will be upon the shore of the lake, and one full
week will have gone by. Tad is trapped back in his own realm (for
now), and the players will be able to report the problem abated.
NPCS
Tad the Deceitful Faerie
Tad is a small and stocky fellow, just two foot tall. He's usually
unseen to the eye, but if he actually makes himself visible, he
appears old and gruff, like an aged miner. Back in the faerie realm,
Tad sometimes wears a suit of platemail. Although he'll still be
invisible, his haunted-looking plate is not.
SIZ 3 Move 6 Major Wound 10
DEX 18 Dam 2d6 Unconscious 3
STR 8 Heal 4 Knock Down 3
CON 10 HP 13 Armor 0
Notable Traits: Deceitful 20
Combat Skills: Throw Rock 14, Throw Rotten Fruit 18
Other Skills: Play (Pipes) 15
Magical Skills: Audible Illusion 19, Make Disappear 19
AUDIBLE ILLUSION: Tad can create audible illusions up to 50 feet away
from him. These illusions can imitate human voices, animals and other
soft sounds (an arrow being fired, a door being closed, etc).
MAKE DISAPPEAR: Tad can make an object no bigger than a chicken or a
small pig invisible and inaudible for 1d6 minutes.
Tad is invisible to normal sight. A [Deceitful] roll will give a
player a general sense of where Tad is for one round, while a critical
[Deceitful] roll will allow a player to see Tad clearly for one round.
Tad's own clothes are also invisible, but items he pick up will not
be, though he can make them invisible with his power. Stratagems such
as covering Tad with flour will make him visible to normal sight.
Tad is a magical being, and if he is slain, he will be back at
midnight.
Ratat the Redcap
The ruler of the faerie kingdom that Tad comes from is Ratat the
Redcap. He is barely four and a half feet tall, small but not
diminuitive. His bearing is noble, and he appears young. Ratat wears a
bright red cap which is colored with blood.
SIZ 8 Move 3 Major Wound 12
DEX 15 Dam 4d6 Unconscious 5
STR 14 Heal 6 Knock Down 8
CON 12 HP 20 Armor 0
Notable Traits: Cruel 16, Honest 16
Notable Passions: Hospitality 16, Loyalty (Subjects) 20
Combat Skills: Dagger 16
Other Skills: Gaming 15, Hunting 15, Stewardship 20
--------------------
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