Chaosium Digest Volume 23, Number 5
Date: Sunday, February 22, 1998
Number: 2 of 2

Contents:

Le Selva de los Lobos, Part Two		(Erick-Noel Bouchard)	FRENCH NEPHILIM

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From: Erick-Noel Bouchard <samedi@colba.net>
Subject: Le Selva de los Lobos, Part Two
System: Nephilim

THIRD SONG: THE INTRIGUE

Facing Sebastien the carpenter should be very useful for the
adventurers, as he holds precious informations about the plot going
on. Looking rather strange, Sebastien keeps looking nervously all
around, like a would-be conspirator, and talks with a low and
melodramatic voice. Behind his rather rude and gruff attitude, the
carpenter is a very talkative man who loves nothing better than to
tell folk tales about the village's people and strangers, especially
if this seems to give him some sort of importance. If the adventurers
behave properly with him, he shall confess to them his doubts about
the nature of Pietro's wounds, inviting the heroes to meet him outside
so as to not awake the still-sleeping man at arms:

"Strange claws this hellish thing had, for they pierced and bludgeoned
as well as they slashed. If thou ask me, this Garou [1] certainly
wanders about with a sword or an axe, striking people before shredding
them with its damned teeth. I would not be surprised that this
hellservant of a hunchback would be mingled with such. Do not wander
in the forest without silver-tipped arrows, for it is the unwary that
strikes the Garou!"

The villagers shall come back to the village for the evening
meal. Santo-Felician has no hostellery (few travellers stop by) but
Juan Francesco, the miller, shall offer the roof of his barn an the
evening meal for a few coppers. When the men shall get together in the
temple after the meal, the adventurers should get the chance to learn
more about the Werewolf Hunt. The townsfolk have been conned by
Pietro's well-crafted story:

"Before yesterday, when darkness came, a strange and slim man passed
by the village, refusing to respond to our calls. We were wondering
what a man of good faith could do outside at such an hour, but he
stubbornly fled towards the forest. When the moon raised high and full
in the sky, he turned again into a foul beast and slayed the two poor
axemen, Thibeault and Jouard. It hides from us, men at arms of baron
Olivier, and knows we shall take its life if it is found. Our lord
shall not tolerate that this village be victimised by the minions of
Darkness, and he has promised a reward of thirty crowns to the man who
would bring back to him the werewolf's head."

Many villagers, their naive imagination fertilised by the conman's
story, shall claim to have heard the strange howlings of wolves at
nightfall, one of them going as far as pretending that a rooster with
the voice of a toad roared in his yard at midnight the day before.

Nobody will suspect the adventurers of the lumberjacks' deaths unless
they behave strangely or did not mention their discovery of the
bodies. The townsfolk are nervous and shall be quick to accuse them of
witchcraft, however, if they should tell a tell different to that of
the baron's men at arms.

{ 1 Garou: a werewolf (in French) }

At the Miller's House

Juan Francesco's barn is a humble but dry spot for the night. The
meal, a few oatmeal biscuits and garlic, has been prepared by the
miller's daughter, Ana Isabella. The miller makes his own (awful) beer
and feels great pride for it, although it is not very popular with the
villagers. He shall be flattered and joyful if complimented on its
repugnant taste. 

Francesco lost his wife a few years ago and now lives with his only
child, Ana Isabella. As bright and beautiful as a spring flower, she
has sweat pinkish skin and long blond hair, the same color as the
miller's straw. A fact he shall not neglect to mention, thinking his
daughter is the source of his luck and fortune. She is the richest
girl of the village, wearing a bright blue ribbon [2] to tie her
hair. Although proud of her, the miller is very hash and stern towards
her. He does not allow her to date boys from the village as he intends
to marry her to a rich merchant or a noble knight. He feels very
saddened that baron Olivier does not wish to marry, and wonders if the
adventurers would know of a rich and powerful man searching a
beautiful wife. At these words, Ana Isabella shall turn white and stay
quiet for the rest of the evening. Should her father ever learn of her
liaison with Nicolas, the gravedigger's son, a catastrophe would
surely result!

When preparing for the night in the miller's barn, the character with
the highest Initiative score shall hear Ana Isabella and Nicolas
exchange tender words and kisses in the woods behind the barn,
desperate about their parent's cruelty. If he goes outside to spy on
them, he shall hear the beauty tell her lover about the men at arm's
plot, which she overheard shortly after Jouard's dissapearance:

"I heard two of the baron's men, the two tall ones, near the entry of
the woods as I was running to you, my beloved. They were saying
strange things about their hunting of a heretic named Corbin the
Lucky, who fled in the Selba de los Lobos. Would he be the werewolf?
They talked about a battle in the forest and noisy witnesses. The
soldiers said they wanted to slay the man for he followed Law, but
must not all men follow it? Slaying someone for that surely is not
good! If I talk to Father about this, he shall punish me, but it would
be a great sin to allow someone being unjustly slain. What should I
do?"

Should the adventurers seek out the lovers, the girl shall flee in the
woods while the boy shall fight to protect her escape. If attacked,
both shall yell and the village's population shall be awakened and
come to their aid. If interrogated (now or later) about the men at
arms, Ana shall confess that a hermit, Simon le Bossu, haunts the
woods and that he is surely not as evil as the townsfolk believe, for
she has seen him carry a small child on his breast. Surely this man
knows where to find the werewolf, but he is both feared and hated by
the villagers and shall surely not come to their aid. The carpenter,
that old fool, told everybody he saw Simon crossing the woods on the
back of a giant toad with horns, but he is very fond on stories fueled
by his rampant imagination. Ana Isabella would surely not recommend a
trip in the woods, however, because they are infested with hungry
wolves. ("And please do not forget, there is a Garou on rampage.")

{ 2 In the middle ages, blue was a very difficult color to obtain and
was the mark of great wealth, hence "blue blood". }

FOURTH SONG: IN THE FOREST

The adventurers should already have noted that something is amiss in
this werewolf hunt. If not, then either the Keeper should give more
clues, or the players should play something easier, like dancing
ropes. If they decide to search the forest the next day, it should not
appear especially notable for about half of the village's men
(including the gravedigger's son, Nicolas) are searching the woods for
the beast. Pietro, still at the village, told them that the werewolf
cannot change shape by day and is already wounded by their swords -
which, ironically, are not made of silver, a fact that intelligent
heroes should notice.

The forest is dark and profound, but beautiful in her own way, with
swirling greens, dancing mists and strange and vaporous sounds.
Strange foggy faces, reminding those of imps and witches, form
themselves out of the mists in the darker regions of the forest, where
the Small Folk are said to live. The adventurers might encounter a few
pack of wolves, which shall flee unless they clearly have an edge over
the adventurers. They shall roam and wait, however, for the heroes to
pause, and will wait for any chance they might have for a snack.

Competent trackers should eventually stumble upon two set of tracks;
those of two running humans, one very tall and heavy, the other light
and small, and those of a pack of wolves accompanied by light
human-like tracks.

The first series of tracks is fairly easy to follow, leading to a
clearing in the woods where their has visibly been a fight. Many
bushes have been broken and adorned with bright green clothing shards;
apparently, a man of large size had been pursuing a women with a long
dress and forced upon her the evilest of all crimes. A careful
observer shall find a blue ribbon bathing in the mud, and the traces
of a broadsword... The baron's cruel men at arms having been having
their way with the village's women, in particular beautiful Ana
Isabella.

After threatening Ana Isabella with death were she to ever speak of
what happened, Beck told the girl that the baron would surely punish
both her lover and her father for her resistance. Terrified, the poor
soul took refuge in the barn and sank into a deep catatonic state,
refusing to talk or even to react to her own environment. Ignorant of
the situation, Nicolas shall suspect the adventurers of having cast a
spell upon his beloved. After all, they are the last ones to have
slept in the barn, and who knows what sorcery the outsiders might
bear? Impulsive and desperate, he shall pursue them and try to slay
them with his axe. Fortunately, Nicolas is not a trained fighter and
disarming him should not be a problem. If captured, he shall fall into
tears and confess the reasons for his anger, cursing the gods for the
evil that fell upon his lover.

The second series of tracks lead to Simon's cave, well-hidden between
pine trees and a majestic oak. Momo, the hunchback's bear friend,
watches the entry and scares away the unwary, although never venturing
much more than a few feet from the cave's entry unless he is severely
wounded, in which case he might succomb to Frenzy and fight to the
death. If attacked by arrows, the bear shall retreat inside the cave,
where Simon and the recuperating Corbin shall be ready for them. 

If approached politely, the hermit shall listen to the adventurers'
tale, although he visibly thinks too much people are invading his
privacy nowadays. If asked about the werewolf, the shall point out
that the only evil creatures wandering about his forest are men, and
that these supernatural stories are nothing but old women's lies. He
shall not reveal the presence of Corbin, unless this name is
mentioned, and then he shall ask why the adventurers want to meet the
man. In all cases, he shall demand that visitors leave all their
weapons outside. ("My bear does not like visitors which seem too heavy
for his taste.")

Simon the Hunchback

This hunchback is gifted in the ways of the woods and, despite his bad
reputation as a follower of Darkness, has a pure and noble heart, a
fact that he maintains hidden behind his gruff attitude. He owns
little more than his staff and a pork-skin pouch containing eight
sous.

Corbin is lying upon a bed of leaves, his wounds enveloped with
strange herbs kown only by the hermit. He is fully conscious, but
capable of little movement. He already told his whole story to the
hermit, and would surely tell it again to the adventurers should they
seem honest. He claims he must transmit a very important message to
the Order of Holy Trinity, refusing to reveal its contents even under
threats of death. Despite his strength of will, he is but human. He
shall resist torture, and the parchment is written in coded language.
Near the end of the conversation, a young child (Alexis, the hermit's
adopted son) shall run into the cave yelling: "Father, Father, the
evil men are coming!" The men at arms have finally discovered Simon's
hideout by following the adventurers' trails. They have now decided to
slay the adventurers ("Heretics! Followers of Darkness!"), the hermit,
and the "werewolf".

The group shall have very little time to make decisions, as the
villagers are already on their tails. Either they associate with the
townsfolk and capture (or slay!) Corbin, the hunchback, and the bear,
or they ally with them and try to flee as best as they can. If they
wish to remain neutral, Simon shall remind them that the villagers
think of them as collaborators. Maitre Etienne's caravan is still far
away, but seems the only hope of survival for all. The tollguard
watching over the bridge over the Malingre river is known by the
adventurers and is perhaps a friend of them; if they could just get to
the bridge before their pursuers, maybe they could convince the guard
to raise the bridge and prevent the men at arms from slaying them.
This is also what the men at arms think, so the first to get to the
bridge shall complete this adventure.

Simon knows the woods like his own pocket, and the adventurers shall
not become lost or disoriented as long as they keep up with him. The
only problem is Corbin, who can barely move and is certainly not able
to stand a fight. He could be carried by the bear if a harness can be
found (or built!), but time is something the adventurers are short
on...

FIFTH SONG: THE HUNT

Managing the hunt is something the Keeper should take into
consideration, as it is the climax of this story and determines the
survival of both Corbin and the adventurers. The roads to the east
lead to the lands of baron de Rosecouronne, and it is very certain
that they shall offer help to the men at arms in slaying the
adventurers. The northern road leads to Risible, and the southernmost
leads directly to the baron's caslte. Simon knows that, and certifies
that the bridge is their only hope. Besides, the men at arms have dogs
and an overlong trek troughout the woods would give them an advantage.

Eighteen men pursue the adventurers, sixteen of them being simple
villagers (travelling by militias of four), the last two being Beck
and Emmanuel and their dogs. Although the villagers are by no means
trained fighters, they are familiar with the forest and armed with
forks, axes, and bows. A direct confrontation could easily lead to the
deaths of Corbin and Alexis, a fact the players should keep in mind.
All pursuers communicate with hunting horns and direct themselves
towards the roads, the bridge, and the cave. The men at arms and their
dogs can certainly follow the tracks of the adventurers. A bear is not
something very concealable, you know.

Keeping a tense pace and deciding the course of action is the Keeper's
tasks, who must decide how he (or she) chooses to resolve the hunt. It
can be a simple matter of die rolls, a climatic run with randomly
assigned attacks from the townsfolk, or a purely narrative description
of the hunt. I encourage Keepers to be creative on this and to reward
player involvement and ingeniosity. Winning a fight with enraged
peasants could surely give a good boost of adrenaline while a fight
with the trained soldiers shall probably result in a bloodbath.

It is also up to the Keeper to decide whether convincing the bridge
guard (named Guerond) to lower the portcullis is easy or difficult,
depending on how they managed the hunt. If a thrilling flight ended at
the gates, then it should be easy; if action was missing, have a few
peasants break in as they negotiate with the guard, before having the
guard make up his mind.

Emmanuel

This brooding man, although taciturn in the extreme, has a remarkable
afinity with animals. Of average height but massive and wiry, he has
icy blue eyes which contrast with the dark tone of his skin. His long
and fine hair is platinium blond, and gives him a pretty strange
look. Apparently deprived of any normal human emotion, he can slay
with cold blood and seems utterly unfazeable. Nevertheless, he feels a
deep fear towards the Baron, a fact he hides from his companions. He
prefers the company of animals better than his fellow men. Emmanuel is
very enduring and a though combattant, well-versed in the arts of
war. He is not very bright, especially regarding to social situations,
but is far from being an idiot.

Beck

Beck is a very hateful man and loves nothing better than to exert his
might over the weak. Large and brutal, he is rumoured to have ogre
ancestry, his stature (over seven feet tall) attesting this. He wears
a devilish short beard and shaved black hair, looking a little like a
modern "skinhead". His only eye (he lost the other to a vengeful
victim) is dark and round, like that of a goldfish. A most impressive
sight is his pudgy fingers, as large and as greasy as sausages. He
comes from a western province of the Empire, but fled to Rosecouronne
when famine struck his village. Skilled in all matters of combat,
especially the crudest ones, Beck will certainly prefer fighting a
weak opponent rather than facing defeat. Although arrogant and proud,
he has no dignity to speak of and will flee rather than die.

This poor fellow really has no quality to compensate his flaws, aside
from feeling pain and guilt for this pathetic creature that he
is. Ugly and not very bright, he was persecuted as a child and now
feels the world owes him a vengeancee In fact, he despises and hates
himself more than can be seen, and surely will feel (a bit) relieved
when the final blow from an avenger shall free his tormented soul.

Pietro de la Francia

His fight with the lumberjacks wounded Pietro, who is no longer able
to stand a fight. He remains at the village during the hunt, and
prepares to warn his sire of the "betrayal". The most intelligent of
the threesome, he has been named seargent of the guards by baron
Olivier and feels very proud of this. Of slim built, he looks like the
stereotypical "thief", with a dirty and triangular black beard and
dark shaggy hair which make him look like an unkept (and slightly
crazy) crow.

SIXTH SONG: THE HUNT'S CONCLUSION

The hunt shall be over when Corbin and Simon are beyond the river
Malingre or when they are slain. The villagers shall abandon the hunt
when they realise their prey to be beyond their grasp, but the men at
arms (especially Beck) shall burst with anger and menace the
adventurers with "a far worse future to come"...

The messenger shall be welcomed to the caravan by Maitre Etienne
himself, who apparently seems to know Corbin and be an acquaintance of
his. In fact, both are members of the same Nephilim society... a fact
that shall be reveiled later, in "The Convent of Shadows". Although
Dame Claudine might make a few statements about their uncompleted
errands, she will find in her heart the generosity to forgive
them. Maitre Etienne might even think of raising their salary!

What of Corbin and his message? His plans uncovered, baron Olivier de
Rosecouronne now has personnal reasons to want the adventurers' heads,
and will prepare for them. In fact, as the adventurers shall soon
learn, they have not seen the last of their nemesis.

To be coninued...

Copyright Erick-Noel Bouchard Copyright 1996. All rights reserved in
all languages.

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