Chaosium Digest Volume 12, Number 5 Date: Monday, December 4, 1995 Number: 2 of 2 Contents: The Restless Dead, Part Two (Shannon Appel) ELRIC! -------------------- From: Shannon Appel Subject: The Restless Dead, Part Two System: Elric! [continued from V12.4] Searching the Inn The PCs may decide to search various areas of the inn. This should be a very risky undertaking. Hide or Move Quietly rolls will almost definitely be needed. Even if they are successful, there is still between a 5% and 25% chance that one of the NPCs will return at an inopportune time (depending on when exactly the PCs do their investigations). KLAREN and NEVA share the main bedroom. Klaren owns nothing of particular interest, other than 12 small bits of Dark Root, each naturally grown into the approximate form of a person. They are displayed along the sill of the room's single window. Neva has a set of love letters from a full score of admirerers hidden in the bottom of her jewelry case. In addition one of her perfume bottles actually contains Strychnine (POT 20 poison). Depending on where exactly the PCs say they are looking, Search rolls will reveal any of the above. If the PCs are actually going through Neva's perfume, a Potions roll will reveal the poison for what it is. FRAGO lives in one of the inn's private rooms. It is all around quite messy. The only thing of interest is Frago's grimoire which contains full information on all the spells and runes he knows (in a tiny Pan Tangian script). The grimoire is stashed under Frago's bed, and has a Rune of Invisibility (TBG pg. 12-13) inscribed onto the cover. A critical Search roll is needed to actually find the book. THE CELLAR is the heart of the mystery. Concealed quite well behind one of the barrels is a secret door leading to Frago's private laboratory (Critical search needed to find it, unless the PCs manage to spy someone else actually enter). The door has carved upon it a Rune of Alarm (TBG pg. 10). If anyone but Frago touches the door, it will get set off, and Frago will immediatelly come running, leading to the Finale (below). The laboratory is quite spacious, easily the size of the outer cellar itself. It is likely that it was carved from the Earth at the same time the rest of the inn was built. Klaren does not know about it, and Frago only found it by accident, when he was playing in the cellar one day as a child. In Frago's laboratory are the results of his experiments: 2 ghouls, 5 skeletons and 4 zombies. Various pieces of bodies lie about as well, including eyes, fingers, etc. None of these are large enough to animate. A good amount of vivisecting equipment lies in the room as well. Note that there is a 28% chance that Frago will be in his laboratory shortly after everyone has gone to bed, on any night. THE INN'S REAR YARD is also of note, for that's where the Dark Root Tree is. 13 men are buried below it. 12 of them are the victim of Klaren's True Brew spell. The 13th is Narl, who was buried here by Frago when his experiments were complete. If PCs dig up the yard, they have a 25% chance of digging up a body for every hour spent digging. Note that there is a 20% chance that Klaren visits the Tree any night. Searching the Town There are two main places that the PCs may investigate in the town. THE CEMETARY is a fairly small place. There are only a few hundred graves. If the players Search the graveyard, they will find that there are nearly a half-dozen graves that have been recently dug up. If the PCs dig up those grave themselves, they will find them to be entirely empty. Note that there is a 5% chance that Frago visits the cemetary any night. ARTLE BRIGHTSPEAR'S HOUSE might be investigated because of the fact that Neva occasionally visits it. If confronted, Artle will admit that he's Neva's lover, but he definitely won't let the PCs in to search his house without a fight. If they do search it, they will find nothing of note other than a few love letters from Neva, included one which alludes to them "being free after Klaren's passing". Finale During the adventure, the PCs may find the dark secrets of either Neva or Klaren, confront them, and bring them to justice. Although these should be played out with full enthusiasm, neither of these events will free them from the ghost. For that to happen, an inevitable confrontation with Frago Lackwit must occur. This can occur in one of two ways: (1) the PCs find Frago's secret lair, accidently set off the Alarm and bring him running -or- (2) the PCs harry Frago enough that he finally breaks down, shouting "You have found me Out! I slew the damned beggar, and he taught me much as he died! But, you will tell no one of this, for you are dead men!", before running down to his laboratory on his own. As soon as he reaches his laboratory, Frago will shout out for his creations to destroy the PCs. If able, he will stay back from the conflict himself. When things seem bad, Frago will cast his Army of the Dead spell, waking all 13 corpses which lie beneath the Dark Root Tree. A final orgy of destruction should occur before Frago is finally slain, and all the undead put down. When all has become quiet, the air will lightly shimmer, and Narl's ghost will appear, a dim smile upon wrecked face. Pointed down towards Frago's body, he will say "He is the one that did this to me, as part of his wretched experiments", and pointing towards his own body, one of the creatures that rampaged through the inn, he will say "and that is what remains of me. Bury it well, and I will go on." And he will. APPENDIX 1: THE NPCS Klaren Brewmaster Age 48, Owner of the Dark Root Inn Klaren is a man that is looking into the face of his own mortality. Fat and balding, drained of life by long years of practicing the dark arts of Chaos, Klaren realizes that it will not be long before he goes to join his shadowy patrons. However, Klaren does not totally regret his choices, for his oaths to Chaos have brought reknown to his inn and to his family, and he is sure that that reknown will outlive him. Though Klaren occasionally exchanges wry comments with his best known patrons, for the most part, he is dour and grim. Most people don't really seem to mind though. After all, they come to the Dark Root for the ale, not for the company. If anyone brings accusations against Klaren, he will do anything to see those accusations quieted. He'll try and work within the law intially, asking the local guards to cart off anyone causing him trouble. For most cases, this should prove sufficient, for Klaren is a well-respected member of the community. If it is not, however, Klaren will resort to threats, bribery and even murder to protect his family's name, for that is all he has left. Klaren's Secret: Every Mid-Winter's night, Klaren encants the True Brew spell over a fresh corpse, and buries it under his Dark Root tree. This is what causes his ale to be so great. Chaos 41, Balance 7, Law 13 STR 10 CON 5 SIZ 12 INT 13 POW 17 DEX 9 APP 9 HP 9 Damage Bonus: none Weapons: Brawl 71%, damage 1d3 Club 59%, damage 1d6 or 1d8 Wrestle 88%, damage sp. Armor: none Spells: Guile of Cran Liret (1-4) [TBG pg. 34], True Brew (2) [see below], Ward (3) [Elric! pg. 83] Skills: Art (Tell Story) 58%, Bargain 84%, Craft (Brewer) 118%, Craft (Cook) 47%, Fast Talk 97%, Listen 81%, Scent/Taste 65% +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | NEW SPELL: True Brew (2) | | | | When this spell is cast upon a corpse (which must be no more than 8 | | days old), it enchants the corpse with certain alchemical | | properties. When the corpse is buried thereafter, the essence of the | | deceased's soul will slowly seep out into the soil. Any nearby | | trees will suck up this essence, through their roots, imbuing them | | with some of the essence of the deceased themselves. After a | | sufficient period (usually about a year), bits of these roots may be | | used to make a superb ale, definitely the best in the land. The | | effects of this spell last until the shortest day of the year, at | | which time the spell must be cast again, with a fresh corpse. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Neva Raveneye Age 36, Klaren's Wife, Cook at the Dark Root When she was young, Neva had great dreams of the power and wealth that would in time come to one possessing her guile and beauty. But, as she approached maturity, those dreams were shattered. She was married off to a innkeeper. Though he was already well-off, and his reknown spreading, still she was forced to descend into a drudgery of cooking, cleaning and child-rearing. As Chaos has drained Klaren's vitality, Neva has begun to look upon him with contempt. For years, she has taken other lovers, and waited for him to pass into other realms. Now, her impatience has grown, causing her to plot Klaren's death with her current lover, Artle Brightspear, a local soldier. When the time is right, Neva will poison Klaren, freeing herself. When the PCs interact with Neva, they will find that her mature beauty masks a dark soul. She is petty, spiteful and cruel. If the PCs try and make small talk with Neva, she will at first be abrupt, and later plain rude. In the face of unwelcome advances, she has been known to get one of her suitors (and there are many) to beat the harasser to within an inch of his life. If the players begin to investigate Neva, she will do whatever she can to make sure that her plans are not made public knowledge, be it by betrayal, seduction or murder. Neva's Secret: Neva has a secret lover, whom she meets with every few nights. In addition, she plots to murder her husband. Chaos 17, Balance 2, Law 1 STR 11 CON 12 SIZ 11 INT 17 POW 13 DEX 11 APP 18 HP 12 Damage Bonus: none Weapons: Dagger 88%, damage 1d4+2 Armor: none Spells: Ignorance From Sloratar (1-3) [TBG pg. 34], Visage of Arioch (1-3) [Elric! pg. 83] Skills: Conceal Object 51%, Craft (Cook) 97%, Craft (Courtesan) 74%, Fast Talk 81%, Insight 60%, Listen 89%, Scent/Taste 88%, Young Kingdoms 21% Frago Lackwit Age 20, Son of Klaren and Neva, Necromancer Frago would probably have grown up to be a perfectly sane and healthy young man if it were not for his father's dark predilictions. One mid-winter's night, when Frago was still a boy, Klaren took him out to Dark Root tree, and introduced him to the dark arts of necromancy that were at the heart of the family business. Frago was impressed, but he wanted more. As time passed, he began to consider his father's use of the arts of necromancy sophmoric, and he became determined to use the necromantic arts to their fullest potential. His opportunity came when a Pan Tangian necromancer stopped at the Inn one night. Frago's first act of murder left him with a tome full of mysteries. Although he still considers himself a student, Frago has learned the dark arts well. Many people consider Frago stupid. He is actually quite intelligent, able to understand the most intricate of incantations, but he has all the common sense of a Vilmirian fruit fly. Thus, his reputation. Frago is also often a bit slow to answer questions or become aware of things. This is primarily because he is constantly deep in thought, examining beautiful equations of magic in his mind. Frago has a tendency to panic. When the PCs get too close to his secrets, he'll do so, exposing himself for all to see, when he calls up hordes of undead to slay his oppressors. This will likely be the finale of the adventure. Frago's Secret: He's a necromancer. In addition, he has a secret necromantic laboratory under the Inn. Recently, he had one of his zombies kidnap Narl (a local beggar), and used him in his experiments. When Narl finally expired, Frago buried him beneath the Dark Root tree. Chaos 52, Balance 5, Law 7 STR 11 CON 9 SIZ 11 INT 18 POW 18 DEX 7 APP 8 HP 10 Damage Bonus: none Weapons: Dagger 37%, 1d4+2 Armor: none Items: Brazier of Power (18 mp)* Runes: Rune of Alarm (3) [TBG pg. 10], Rune of Invisibility (varies) [TBG pg. 12-13] Spells: Animate Limb (2) [TBG pg. 20], Animate Skeleton (varies + 1 POW) [TBG pg. 20], Army of the Dead (variable) [TBG pg. 20], Brazier of Power* (4) [Elric! pg. 77], Necrology (4) [TBG pg. 21-22], Raise Zombie (varies + 1 POW) [TBG pg. 22], Speak with the Dead (2) [TBG pg. 22], Spirit Bind (8) [TBG pg. 22], Summon Ghoul (varies + 1 POW) [TBG pg. 22], True Brew [see above] * Although this spell notes that the Magic Points are available "when summoning", Frago can actually call upon them at any time, and usually will do so when casting "variable" spells. Skills: Art (Torture) 21%, Conceal Object 52%, Craft (Bone) 38%, Craft (Skin) 41%, Hide 76%, Listen 43%, Scribe 43%, Unknown Kingdoms 10%, Young Kingdoms 21% Followers: Frago currently has these undead followers: 2 embodied ghouls [TBG pg 27-28], 5 skeletons [TBG pg 29] and 4 zombies [TBG pg 29]. See TBG for rules regarding these creatures. Specific stats are below. Strategy: When engaged in combat, Frago will try and have his constructs do all the work. He might help out by animating hacked off limbs, but is pretty worthless beyond that. When at wit's end, Frago will cast Army of the Dead. This will cause the 13 bodies which lay below the Dark Root Tree to rise, raising hell all about the inn. Embodied Ghouls #1 #2 STR 10 10 CON 11 9 SIZ 13 13 INT 7 8 POW 16 23 DEX 16 5 HP 12 11 Damage Bonus: +0 Armor: none, but immune to major wounds, functional until at 0 HP Weapons: Bite 40%, damage 1d8 Wrestle 30%, damage special CON drain 1D3/round, automatic with touch Skills: Appear Hungry 70%, Drool 30%, Search 50% Skeletons #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 STR 15 14 15 16 20 SIZ 16 17 15 19 17 DEX 10 14 14 7 10 HP 16 17 15 19 17 Damage Bonus: +1d4 Armor: None, but weapons do not impale or do critical damage Weapons: Broadsword 40%, damage 1d8+1+db Skills: Leer 50% Zombies #1 #2 #3 #4 STR 22 18 23 26 CON 21 21 16 27 SIZ 10 12 6 9 DEX 8 9 6 6 HP 16 17 11 18 Damage Bonus: +1d4 Armor: none, but impaling weapons do only one point of damage, and other do half rolled damage + spell damage Weapons: Large Club 20%, damage 1d8+db Skills: Lurch 99% Army of the Dead (13 raised corpses) HP 1d8 each Armor: none, but impaling weapons do only one point of damage, and other do half rolled damage + spell damage Weapons: (roll randomly) 1: Brawl 25%, damage 1d3 2: Butcher Knife 25%, damage 1d6 3: Claw 25%, damage 1d4+1 4: Fire Iron 25%, damage 1d8+1 5: Kindling Axe 15%, damage 1d6+1 6: Small Club 25%, damage 1d6 Narl's Ghost Narl was a beggar who Frago stole away, and then experimented on, until he died. His ghost has remained, but is not entirely sane. Narl's ghost will not be able to leave the Young Kingdoms until Frago is slain, and Narl's body is given an appropriate burial, but Narl doesn't have it together enough to know this. He simply has a sense of being always drawn in the direction that the Dark Root Inn lies, and also a sense that he lost something there (his body, as it happens), and that he must find it. When Narl appears at the end of the adventure, he will be a horrible sight. All of the marks of Frago's cruel vivisecting tools will lie upon him, even in death. INT 4 POW 14 Town Guards #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 STR 12 12 10 13 15 16 12 13 CON 15 9 14 17 12 9 16 12 SIZ 10 17 10 14 18 17 16 13 INT 15 12 10 8 11 13 10 14 POW 15 3 8 10 13 5 12 6 DEX 11 12 12 12 11 11 13 7 APP 18 10 5 8 16 8 13 13 HP 13 13 12 16 15 13 16 13 (#1 is Artle Brightspear, Neva's lover) Damage Bonus: +1d4 Armor: Leather & Rings (1d6+1) Weapons: Long Spear 55%, damage 1d10+1+db Dirk 50%, damage 1d4+2+db Skills: Drink 70%, Gamble 60% APPENDIX 2: FUTURE ADVENTURES Below are a few ideas for future adventures spawning from this one. * Narl was actually Nadsokorian plant, who reported directly back to the Beggar-King. When the King hears of Narl's disappearance, and the strange things that happened afterwards, he may decide that he wants to talk with the PCs. * The Pan Tangians are very jealous of the knowledge. If the PCs end up with Frago's book, they mind find that Pan Tangians are trying to hunt it down. Alternatively, they may accidentally show it to the wrong people, and thus draw down the wrath of the Pan Tangians in that way. * If Neva or Klaren survived, either of them might plot against the people that slew their son. -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's Games. In no way should it be considered representative of the views or beliefs of Chaosium Inc. To submit an article, subscribe or unsubscribe, mail to: appel@erzo.org. The old digests are archived on ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the directory /pub/chaosium, and may be retrieved via FTP.