The Summoning
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Nature's Strength -2
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Lower Sanctity
Smoke is rising from the battered remains of #
Auheim. Cracks run through walls and streets. Roofs have collapsed. A sheet of white ash covers everything. At five points near the palisade, thickening fumes are billowing. Child-like creatures are roaming the streets dragging the corpses of their seeming parents to these points. Looking closer, one can discern low-burning pyres of dead bodies at the five tips of a huge pentagram.
These creatures are Doomchildren (M1 p.21, CER 38 ea.) that are summoning
The Master. They are working in groups of (N). Their knives are made of !
Abyssium (2,000 copper ea.). The effects of these weapons are those of !
Poisonmetal (TT p.33); count the number of injuries suffered and make the HT rolls after the combat.
When the pyres are discovered, begin the count down:
[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] - mark an additional field every ten minutes, unmark a field for each group of terminated Doomchildren. When all fields are cleared, the ritual has been aborted. When all fields are marked,
The Master will ascend.
When the second mark is filled, the earth starts to rumble. When the third mark is filled, hot gas streams forth from the cracks. When the fourth mark is filled, the sky darkens - sun, moon, stars are blotted out. When the fifth mark is filled, the earth wildly shakes, lava wells up from the cracks, and in the center of town
The Master ascends out of a sea of molten rock.
Alchemy 101
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Nature's Strength -1
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Higher Mana
In the cellars and catacombs of #
Auheim, Gnome alchemists have taken up shop. All silver ore mined is pre-processed above-ground and refined here. This latter process sheds !
Abyssium taint and, more importantly, raw !
Thaumarium that is then distilled into a liquid. Liquid !
Thaumarium can then be used as a Paut-equivalent potion or as fuel for alchemical casting items. Player characters can find (N) potions here.
As all Dwarven buildings have connected cellars (often by hidden/secret doors), characters can travel most of #
Holt-Lindeck underground. Under the villa of @
Merwild Dusk Of Amber, the town's vault (
Lockpicking-10) is located - about 2,000 coins of silver (40 pounds) are stored in this heavily fortified chamber. See
The Need for Blood for an easier method to get to the silver.
The Master
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Nature's Strength -1
@
Am'Urrhaz is the quintessential demon lord: 13 feet in height, massive, cloven hooves, red-black skin covered in flames, large bat wings, a greatsword wielded one-handed, and a flaming whip. All remaining Doomchildren (up to (N)) gather around him when he demands allegiance from everyone in town.
To convince anyone undecided, he will take escalating measures:
Poisoning people, Burning innocents, Tarnishing all silver, Spoil all food, Taint all life.
Pit Master (CER 98)
ST | 25 | HP | 25 | Speed | 7.00 |
DX | 13 | Will | 18 | Move | 7 |
IQ | 12 | Per | 12 | SM | +2 |
HT | 13 | FP | 13 | DR | 6 |
Greatsword (16): 2d+6 imp or 5d+3 cut. Reach 2, 3 or 1-3.
Flaming Whip (16): 5d-3(0.5) cr +2 fire. Reach 1-8*.
Claws (16): 2d+3 cut. Reach C, 1.
Trample (14): 2d+6 cr. Reach C-2.
Fangs (16): 2d+3 cut. Reach C, 1.
Traits: Callous; Combat Reflexes; Divine Curse (Treat holy water as acid; No DR vs. holy water; Blinded by Sunlight; No DR vs. Sunbeam); Doesn't Breathe; Doesn't Eat or Drink; Doesn't Sleep; Extra Attack 1; Flaming Skin (1d-1 burn to anyone touching or attacking it); Flight (Winged); Frightens Animals; High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Disease; Immunity to Poison; Indomitable; Infravision; Lifebane; Penetrating Voice; Sadism; Temperature Tolerance (Hot) 10; Unfazeable.
Skills: Brawling-16; Broadsword-16; Intimidation-18; Tactics-12; Whip-16.
Class: Demon.
Notes: Willing to negotiate! Truly evil. Abyssium Greatsword (47,700 copper) and Flaming Whip (15,540 copper).
The Hideout
This was @
Bausum's old hideout near #
Auheim. Now it is the home of a vanguard of the ^
Black Fang Orcs. They have extended the burrows under old tree roots to hold up to (4N) orcs. At any time, half of their number is out scouting while the other half stays in hiding, ready for what may come.
If their scouting party has warned them, they will know of the player characters and observe their movements.
If the meat cutters have warned them, they gathered their numbers and are ready to fight and protect their bridgehead.
If they survive long enough, they will report back the situation to the ^
Black Fang Tribe.
Of course, they are willing to negotiate if they can gain an advantage.
Eye of Hehl
At the place
The Master broke free, a cooling lava tube becomes visible. It leads down to a chamber where a solid orb of black !
Abyssium, a foot in diameter, rests on a pedestal of a now-solidified eruption of lava. It radiates the strong magic of the school of Knowledge.
The Hive
The ^
Kikimora's hive is located far underground south of #
Auheim. Its main entrance is hidden but less than half a mile from the main entrance of the silver mines. At least 100 insectoids populate it. Use the states of the Tomb Bug (M2 p.48) with these adjustments:
- Younglings use the stats of Hatchlings,
- Workers use the stats of Juveniles,
- Soldiers use the stats if Youn Adults,
- The Queen uses the stats of a full-grown Tomb Bug (IQ 8).
Their behavior is different, though: The queen lays eggs instead of incubating live victims. The others are not just about eating but follow the orders of The Hive. Groups of four to ten bugs have IQ+1, eleven to 30 bugs have IQ+2, 31 to 100 have IQ+3, and 101 or more have IQ+4.
The Hive is desperate. Their hunting grounds south of the #
Silver Peaks have been purged. They are about to leave for a new home and will devour everything on their way.
Entering the hive without an army means sure death. Clever characters could try to communicate and convince the Queen of a common enemy (the demons). A few cattle would make a good negotiation start.