2

Table of Contents
Common Tavern Fare by Gavin Norman3

Psychedelic Compounds by Gavin Norman5

The High Wold by Gavin Norman18

Lankshorn and Surrounds by Gavin Norman19

People and Places of Lankshorn by Gavin Norman25

Monsters of the High Wold by Gavin Norman35

All articles copyright 2016, the author(s) noted above.

Covers and title page copyright 2016 Greg Gorgonmilk.

Illustrations on pages 17, 36, 38, 44 copyright 2016, Anxious P.

Illustrations on pages 21, 34 copyright 2016, Nico Maioli.

Labyrinth LordTM is copyright 2007-2011, Daniel Proctor. Laby-

rinth LordTM and Advanced Labyrinth LordTM are trademarks of
Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the Labyrinth
LordTM Trademark License 1.2, available at:
www.goblinoidgames.com

1
Wormskin—Issue Two
This issue focuses on a specific corner of the monster haunted forest called
Dolmenwood: the region which lies to the south of Lake Longmere and to the
west of the River Hameth, known to men since ancient days as the High Wold.
The character of this region is divulged, along with game-ready descriptions
of the contents (and monstrous denizens) of a cluster of seven hexes on the
campaign map (see Wormskin issue one)—those around the village of Lank-
shorn, on the verge of the forest.

Material in Wormskin is designed for use with B/X, Labyrinth Lord, and other
old-school adventure games.

A note on treasures: Monster hoards are listed with the B/X treasure type (a
letter code from A-V) followed by the equivalent Labyrinth Lord hoard class
(a Roman numeral, from I-XXII). A descriptor is also listed for some hoards;
these hoard variants will be discussed in a future issue of Wormskin.

Contributors

Greg Gorgonmilk [cover & graphics] Gavin Norman [words & layout]

gorgonmilk.blogspot.com the-city-of-iron.blogspot.com

Greg started playing D&D (Mentzer Gavin recently escaped from the
Red Box) at the age of 12 and no one dungeons of Lord Malbleat and has
has seen him since. begun to wean himself off adder-
corn.

Nicolò Maioli [illustrations] Anxious P [illustrations]

satanisjoy.tumblr.com cuticlechewerswellpissers.blogspot.
com
Nicolò is just a simple guy with an
appetite for pizza and fine crafted Eat the Heart.
beer, and an unsettling sympathy for
the Devil.

2
Common Tavern Fare
At the end of a hard day's adventuring, what band of wandering ne'er-do-
wells does not relish the return to the comforts of home­—even if "home" be
the weatherbeaten, rustic hospitality of temporary lodgings beneath the eaves
of Dolmenwood. For, even in the tangled depths of the wood, inns, taverns,
and public houses may still be found.

When adventurers pay visit to such an establishment, the referee may wish to
summarise the ensuing events with a simple statement that the night passes in
safety, setting the characters back such-and-such an amount of coin. At other
times, the referee may prefer to play out some of the opportunities presented
by a public gathering place: chance meetings, bartering and conniving, tavern
brawls, aquiring the services of hirelings, and so on. The following table may
serve, in such situations, to add flavour to the proceedings by detailing the
culinary offerings provided by the guest-houses of Dolmenwood.

As with all of the d30 "generator" tables in Wormskin, the table can be used
in two ways. A quick roll of 1d30 generates a meal by reading across the col-
umns. Alternatively, a separate d30 roll may be made on each column, for a
greater range of possible combinations. Each meal costs 1d6sp per serving.

3
Common Tavern Fare (1d6sp)
d30 Main Form With
1 Amethyst orb (mushroom) Roast Larks’ tongues
2 Artichoke Soup Lard dumplings
3 Bishop’s hard (cheese) Pudding Ale gravy
4 Blackbird Braised Pickled onion
5 Boar chop Baked Buckwheat grits
6 Bogswine sausage Boiled Buttery mash
7 Butter beans Aged Minty peas
8 Chestnut Broth Blood pudding
9 Chicken wing Pickled Bubble & squeak
10 Eel Sandwich Mallow and butterbur
11 Giant puffball mushroom Marinated Blackberry jam
12 Goat’s tongue Spit-roast String beans
13 Hameth sprat Pastie Parsnips and burdock
14 Hen’s eggs Smoked Garlic butter
15 Lamb’s kidney Sugared Button mushrooms
16 Loch trout Breaded Apple sauce
17 Mutton Dried Cinnamon sauce
18 Pike head Stuffed Boiled nettles
19 Pork shank Crumble Beech nuts
20 Pumpkin Grilled Roast tatties
21 Rabbit Battered Vinegared oak leaves
22 Red cabbage Jellied Mugwort greens
23 Rosy apple Fry-up Ewe’s milk
24 Ruddy chad (cheese) Steamed Codswallop
25 Snails Fermented Whipped cream
26 Sparrow brain Pie Congealed pork dripping
27 Squirrel heart Gruel Pickled eggs
28 Stag rump Stew Fried leek
29 Stankton blue (cheese) Roll Forest shoots
30 Turkey giblets Porridge Custard

4
Psychedelic Compounds
The glades, soils, roots, and waters of Dolmenwood are infused with magical
energies of many different origins. Fairy roads and ley lines, sacred groves
and standing stones, abandoned chapels and abbeys, wizard-warped domin-
ions—all lend their unique supernatural character to the wood. (That is even
before one considers the chaotic strangeness leaked into the land by the beast
Atanuwe1, in recent centuries.)

All of these factors combined, Dolmenwood is a weird place. It is not sur-

prising, therefore, that the plants and animals which grow and breed there,
steeped in this abnormality, are eminently suited for use in concoctions of al-
chemy, potion-craft, witchery, and mind-alteration. Indeed, many practition-
ers of esoteric chemistry are attracted to the region for precisely this reason,
locating their laboratories and workshops within the forest’s bounds for easy
access to the bounty of unusual ingredients which grow there.

One result of this is the profusion of mind-altering substances which are dis-
tilled in Dolmenwood and its immediate surrounds. Some were invented by
design while others were originally the result of accidents—magical or al-
chemical experiments gone awry, but producing some interesting compound
as an unexpected result. This article presents a table detailing some of the
most commonly found psychoactive compounds in Dolmenwood. The table
may be used in two ways:
• As a single-roll, d30 table, with each numbered row describing a well-
known (and perhaps infamous) compound. This is the usual (and quick-
est) way of using the table.
• As a multiple-roll psychedelics generator, allowing the creation of unique,
new compounds by rolling once in each column, ignoring the first (“slang
name”).

1 A petty trickster deity in nine-legged unicorn-form, squatting in Dolmenwood and

leaking its psychic sludge into the roots of the forest. The origins of Atanuwe are obscure and
its name and identity are known to few mortals, though its influence is felt (whether con-
sciously or not) by all who step foot into the wood. The beast and its doings in the wood are of
great interest to those who concern themselves with arcane matters—the secretive Drune and
the sorceress Ygraine, for example.
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Identification
As psychedelic compounds are not naturally occurring, the likelihood is that
PCs will come across them either in the possession of intelligent foes or in the
hands of a vendor (see Buying and Selling). In the latter case, the identity and
effects of the substance will most likely be well known (if, perhaps, somewhat
exaggerated). On the other hand, when a compound is encountered with-
out the guidance of one who knows its effects and procedure for ingestion,
players must recourse to identification by the description of the substance’s
tangible properties, which the referee should provide in a neutral, hint-free
manner. In this way, the players may come, in time, to recognise certain sub-
stances merely by their appearance.

It is generally assumed that no player character classes have innate knowl-

edge of psychedelics enough to have a chance of automatically identifying un-
known substances. Should this form part of a specific character’s background
(e.g. a PC alchemist or botanist specialising in mind-altering substances), the
referee may grant a 2 in 6 or 3 in 6 chance of success at recognising such
compounds.

Consumption
Unless otherwise noted in a compound’s description, the effects will kick in
one turn after consumption and last for 1d4 hours. When dealing with an
unknown substance, an identification is usually required, though players may
wish to experiment. Each compound has a specific and idiosyncratic proce-
dure for use; without knowing this, it is unlikely that pure experiment will
yield much result. The referee must rule here as to whether PCs’ experiments
activate the substance’s psychedelic properties and to what degree.

Buying Psychedelics
The availability of psychedelics varies from village to village. In some loca-
tions—Castle Brackenwold, for example—they are frowned upon as immor-
al, while in others—the port of Dreg, for instance—they are a part of everyday
life. Unless specifically stated in a village’s descriptive text, there is generally a
2 in 6 chance of PCs being able to locate a local vendor of psychedelics. This
will typically be an apothecary, herbalist, local hedge wizard, or travelling
pedlar.
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Selling Psychedelics
When attempting to sell psychoactive compounds, two general approaches
are available to player characters:
• Peddling: Players may simply announce, in a public location, that they
have such and such a substance for sale. Varying degrees of subtlety are,
of course, applicable—ranging from brazen hawking to furtive rumour.
The referee should determine, based on the approach used and the pre-
vailing social situation, whether any interested buyers emerge. A process
of haggling will likely ensue, but PCs can, in principle, sell items for their
full price, in this manner—drugs are treated as trade goods, with no in-
herent depreciation in price for being “second hand”.
• Selling to a vendor: Professional sellers of mind-altering compounds are
usually a more reliable way to off-load unwanted substances. If such a
person can be located, they will usually be willing to buy good quality
(that is, readily identifiable and unadulterated) psychedelics for up to
80% of their market value. (The exact price may be determined by a reac-
tion roll. The table presented in Wormskin issue 1 for use in selling fungi
may be used, for example.)

Manufacturing Psychedelic Compounds

Players may become interested in the origins of psychoactive compounds and
their processes of manufacturing, hoping to be able to profit by gathering and
selling the required ingredients. As these substances are derived from ingre-
dients which, for the most part, are to be found uniquely in Dolmenwood,
this can lead to many interesting opportunities for exploration and adventure
in the forest.

The origins of the thirty most common psychedelics are as follows:

1. Ambrosia: The sap of the midnight pines which grow primarily in the
hexes around Droun Loch (0407) can be extracted and compressed, un-
der the weight of granite blocks, to produce this drug.
2. Angel dust: Many types of unicorn exist in Dolmenwood. The horns of
all but the corrupted atacorns have the qualities required to produce this
psychedelic effect, when ground.
3. Azoth: The crystals originate in the caves around Fog Lake in hex 1207.

7
4. Black clover: The common name is a complete misnomer: the leaves are
those of the adder’s ivy, a poisonous, climbing vine with milk-white leaves
and berries. Only when the leaves are dried and crumbled do they turn
black. The vine grows about the site of betrayals and is most prolific in
hex 1404, in the glades around the reputed site of the martyrdom of St
Abthius1.
5. Celestial: Vertebrae of the ghost crows which lurk in the grounds of the
ruined abbey of St Clewd (hex 0906).
6. Clarky cat: On certain nights of the year, the constellation known as Yurl,
the catlord, produces an emanation which can be perceived and gathered
by those who have mastered certain esoteric procedures.
7. Cobbers: The sap of the thick-trunked, succulent shrub known as fe-
nob, gathered upon a new moon’s night and allowed to ferment for a full
month in chalices of amethyst.
8. Crake: Certain types of lunatic, when imprisoned for prolonged peri-
ods, may be “milked” for their chaotic psychic emanations. This requires
advanced knowledge of astral alchemy and the use of a golden helm in
which the emanations must be distilled.
9. Drake: The mashed flesh of a root thing (see Wormskin issue 1), ferment-
ed with nag’s urine.
10. Ear slime: The trout of Lake Longmere exhibit the tendency to develop
pendulous sacs, in the shape of human hands, on their bellies. When
sliced open, this precious pink goo oozes out.
11. Ectoplasm: Forest toads have a tendency to come into contact with fair-
ies2. The skins of toads which dwell exclusively within fairy glades possess
the qualities required to produce a psychedelic effect.
12. Ether lily: The petals of the miniature, yellow lilies which bloom in the
upper reaches of the River Hameth in late summer.

1 St Abthius was killed by a fairy prince (variously referred to as Prince Mallowheart

and Prince Seven-Past-Noon) who tricked him into attending a ball, under the pretence of an
opportunity to preach the psalms before the fey host. In fact, the hapless saint was intended
rather as an entertaining demonstration of the art of man-carving.
2 Some speculate that this is due to the proclivity, possessed by both species in equal
measure, for resting atop colourful, large-capped mushrooms (i.e. toadstools).
8
13. Formula: While the name (most likely deliberately) implies an alchemi-
cal origin, this substance is actually necromantic in origin: it is distilled
from the hyperactive adrenal glands of ghouls.
14. Frisk: This substance is actually the seminal fluid of the night-boars3
which frequent the hexes around the village of Odd (hex 1403). In their
breeding season in the springtime, the stuff can be found dripping from
rocks and tree trunks around Stirge Isle (hex 1304), where they come to
court.
15. Funky froth: Scum which is skimmed off the top of the simmering al-
chemical healing formula known as Orgon’s scintillating philtre. The stuff
partially crystallises when dried.
16. Grobbage: Eggs harvested from the nests of blue forest hornets, before
the grub has begun to develop. Hornets of this kind are known to nest
primarily in the Valley of Wise Beasts.
17. Hag tears: Extracted through a narrow hole, bored through the skull and
(carefully) into the tissue of the brain, the tears of the human pineal gland
may be enticed to flow by the induction of a deep trace-state via music of
drum and bagpipe.
18. Hydra: The congealed grains of the pollen of the purple ha’penny bush
which grows profusely around the banks of Lake Longmere. The bushes
flower and pollinate in late spring.
19. Lethe: Distilled from the still-pulsating brain of one who has bathed in
the Lethean Well (hex 0209).
20. Mister Tickle: This substance is produced from an adroitly balanced mix-
ture of crushed whole pink, azure, and mauve sprites captured in their
breeding season—high summer—when Dolmenwood is awash with the
pests.
21. Muddle: The spores of a cultivated variety of the mottlecap mushroom
(see Wormskin issue one). Muddle-manufacturers are a secretive bunch,
rumoured to operate subterranean facilities concealed in Dolmenwood.

3 A species of giant, gelatinous grazers which spend most of their time browsing the
delicate petals of the holbab trees in the near-astral. They seldom venture into the physical
world, but seem to have a liking for the region around Odd. The reason for this attraction is not
known.
9
22. Puck: The wing-dust of the golden featherwing
minimite, a type of moth-sized fairy which flits
in great numbers among the upper twigs of the
trees around Hag’s Addle. The small size of the
fairies, in addition to their nasty bite, makes
harvesting the dust very laborious.
23. Sage toe: The last residue which remains after
the creation of an alchemical homunculus by
a process of incinerating the brains of a care-
fully selected mixture of species (typical reci-
pes specify a mix of newt, adder, and human).
24. Saint grapes: The wild-bletted fruits of the hoarth-holly, which grows
around the borders of the Fever Marsh, in northern Dolmenwood.
25. Shloop: Smoke-dried shoots of the mushroom known as hobble-whim,
which emerge from bog soil in deepest winter.
26. Spangle maker: The furled tips of the bronze-coloured ferns which grow
along the banks of the Hameth close to the port of Dreg.
27. Spore (aka jive dust): This mould may be found on stone cellar floors
beneath casks of aging wine.
28. Triple-sod: The hairy, black, star-formed seed pods of the arsinone violet
which grows atop sandstone cliffs in the western reaches of Dolmenwood.
29. Tweak: Blood harvested from the severed hands of executed murderers.
30. Witch dust: This powder may be scraped from the surface of the stones
of the witching ring (also known as the “summerstones”). Its origin is un-
known, but it regrows via some supernatural process, forming like rime
on the stones at night.
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Psychedelic Compounds
d30 Slang name Substance Procedure for use
1 Ambrosia Black, resinous block Chewed

2 Angel dust Ground unicorn horn Moistened with wine,

bound to the forehead
3 Azoth Transparent crystals Cast into a raging fire

4 Black clover Dried leaves Fed to an animal whose

urine is subsequently
consumed
5 Celestial Ground bone Steeped in spirits

6 Clarky cat Cosmic dust Rubbed into raw skin

(abraded with sand
paper)

7 Cobbers Collected sap Dissolved in acid, the

fumes inhaled
8 Crake Psychic residue Mixed into hot water in
which one must bathe
9 Drake Fermented root mash Smoked in a pipe

10 Ear slime Pink jelly Dissolved in fragrant oil

which is then dripped
into the ear

11
Primary effect (value per dose) Side-effect
Gain awareness of the consciousness of Warps the probabilistic fabric of
the universe and all things in it, including the universe. In a disadvantageous
inanimate objects. (25gp) way. Major bad juju. Save versus
spells or suffer disadvantage on all
rolls (roll twice and keep the lowest
result) for the following day.
Massive ego expansion. Feels amazing. Eyes take on an unnatural hue.
Godlike. (80gp) Intensifies with continued use.
Full out of body experience. The soul may Ability to empathise with others is
drift where it will. 2 in 6 chance of being dulled for 1d4 days.
attacked by an astral monster. (20gp)
Communication channels with non-sen- Psychic receptiveness enhanced.
tients forged. (45gp) -4 penalty to resist psionic attack.
Plagued with telepathic babble.
Dream of otherworldly paradise. Save vs Stomach cramps.
spells or become obsessed with the quix-
otic quest of finding this obscure realm.
(20gp)
Psychic blur. Can read others’ thoughts Site of ingestion swells, blisters, and
(within 10’) but cannot prevent own welts.
thoughts from also flowing outwards.
(50gp)
Overcome with sentimentality. (5gp) Pounding headache.

Time dilation. The effects last only 1 turn Unable to sleep for 1d6 days.
but feel like 1d6 hours. (15gp)
Violent psychosis. The more depraved the Wrecks the adrenal system. Save vs
better. (6gp) poison or lose one point of CON.
Can be recovered at a rate of one
point per month of abstinence.
Shifting fractal patterns overlay normal Grinding teeth, psychotic gurning.
perception. Can stare for hours at walls.
(11gp)

12
 d30 Slang name Substance Procedure for use

11 Ectoplasm Toad skin Rolled with pipeweed

and smoked

12 Ether lily Delicate petals Slow-burned over char-

coal

13 Formula Adrenal fluid Inserted anally

14 Frisk Luminescent paste Snorted through a tube

15 Funky froth Fine, crystalline grit Simmered to produce a

brew

16 Grobbage Insect eggs Baked into cakes, scones,

or wafers

17 Hag tears Pineal tears Placed under the tongue

18 Hydra Congealed pollen grains Ground with salt and

snuffed

19 Lethe Neural extract Vaporised

20 Mister Tickle Crushed sprites Distilled and dripped

onto the eyeball

13
Primary effect (value per dose) Side-effect

Gain partial awareness of a border plane Lose the ability to see anything that
(shadows, ethereal, faerie, etc). (15gp) is not green.

Enter a trance of cosmic communion. Sound amplified to painful levels.

Make a Wisdom check. Failure indicates
a hellish experience causing long term
trauma (roll on the insanity table). Suc-
cess indicates insightful communication
with higher beings. (50gp)

Body hyper-awareness. Can go both Rather moreish. Save vs poison or

ways. (6gp) do anything to use the drug again
the next day.

Cannot lie. Can detect lies of others (50% Constant, insatiable sexual arousal.
effective). (40gp)

Cannot distinguish good from evil. All Leaves purple stains.

acts take on a ravenous intensity. (3gp)

Totally disoriented but loving it. (5gp) 1 in 6 chance of permanent addic-

tion.

Sound intensely enhanced. (8gp) 1 in 6 chance of a physical depend-

ency. When in effect, the character
must use the drug every day or
suffer -2 to all attacks and saves.

Pain receptors disabled. All damage Preliminary vomiting.

reduced by 1, but the referee should track
the character’s hit point total in secret.
(10gp)

Intense introspection and questioning of Fly into a violent rage at the drop
life motives. (9gp) of a hat.

Potent aphrodisiac. Mind filled with vi- Accelerated pulse.

sions both erotic and gruesome. (8gp)

14
 d30 Slang name Substance Procedure for use

21 Muddle Cultivated mould Heated between two hot

spores blades

22 Puck Fairy wing dust Rubbed into the gums

23 Sage toe Alchemical ash Bound between the toes

24 Saint grapes Dodgy looking berries Bandaged around

scalded skin

25 Shloop Dried mushrooms Steeped in noxious sol-

vent, fumes inhaled

26 Spangle maker Fern fronds Mixed with food

27 Spore (or jive Virulent mould spores Coated onto fine needles
dust) which are jabbed into
the skin

28 Triple-sod Pulverised seeds and Washed down with

seed pods liquor

29 Tweak Coagulated blood Placed over boiling wa-

ter, the steam is inhaled

30 Witch dust White powder Absorbed into a grease

which is applied to the
genitals

15
Primary effect (value per dose) Side-effect

Blurring of self and other. Interior voice Intense paranoia. Trust no one.
goes public. (7gp)

Warm, glowing, oceanic coma. (4gp) Obsessively evangelise this

wonderful compound to all and
sundry.

Hyper accelerated information uptake. Unable to think or speak straight.

(50gp)

Universal love followed by deep, bitter Emaciates the body with prolonged
depression. (18gp) use.

Every touch is orgasmic. (12gp) Opens the mind to malign psychic

forces. 1 in 4 chance of becoming
host to a trans-dimensional entity.
Once possessed, save vs spells each
day or come partially under the
invader’s control.

The sensation of limbs floating discon- Involuntary shouting and moan-

nected from the body. The whole uni- ing.
verse is at peace. (10gp)

Groggy and blissed out. (10gp) Can’t stop dancing.

Beautiful geometric visuals. (9gp) Sentiment reversed. That which

is normally beloved perceived as
hateful, and vice versa.

Gain a hallucinatory third hand which Breath smells like fairy dust.
can act remotely (up to 10’ away). Per Highly erotic to fey beings.
action, there is a 50% chance of the hand
being purely imaginary. (15gp)

Massive tracers. (3gp) Maniacal laughing fits.

16
 “A morning dose of triple-sod and an ectoplasm-laced cigarillo really does set
17
one up admirably for a long day on the road."­
Rigsby O'Callahoon—psychedelic voyager
The High Wold
The corner of Dolmenwood that lies to the south of Lake Longmere and
the west of the River Hameth is part of a larger region—known as the High
Wold—that extends south of the forest for some further forty leagues. This
area of wild, rolling hills and rustic meadows has been long inhabited; the
folk who now dwell there regard themselves, indeed, as the original and true
inhabitants of Dolmenwood. Despite this independent spirit, the High Wold
has been officially, since several centuries, an annex of the Duchy of Bracken-
wold, being now regarded as a barony under the Duke’s dominion.

Some facts about the region:

• High-Hankle, the largest settlement of the High Wold and its seat of ad-
ministrative power, lies to the south of Dolmenwood, beyond the bounds
of the campaign hex map. The Baron Hogwarsh is renowned for his lax
attitude to the law, being more interested (it is said) in wine and debauch-
ery than in the maintenance of order. The barony has thus become some-
what wild in recent years: bandits and highwaymen ply their trade with
increasing boldness, pedlars and charlatans bring brews and herbs of
questionable morality to market, and the hand of the Drune of Dolmen-
wood claws ever southwards.
• The largest settlement of the region of the High Wold which falls within
the Dolmenwood hex map is Lankshorn (hex 0710), a village-cum-mar-
ket town which lies within bowshot of the forest’s southern edge. Some of
the most prominent people and places of Lankshorn, as well as the char-
acter of the surrounding hexes, are described in the following section.
• The High Wold has an unusual political structure, whereby the land and
titles of the goatman aristocracy, who have their estates within the for-
est’s bounds, are respected by the humans of the region. The roots of this
relationship are now lost in antiquity, but it is peculiar to this region—
goatmen are hunted as vermin in other parts of the forest. In the High
Wold, intermarriage between aristocratic goatmen and humans is a re-
spectable tradition which is still practiced to the modern day. The folk of
the High Wold are, however, not so naive as to think that their traditions
are understood and accepted by those from outside the region: strangers
will seldom hear more than rumours.

18
Lankshorn and Surrounds
0609 — The Trothstone and the Owl Cave
An old path leads north-west into the forest from the western road out of
Lankshorn. Those who follow the path about a mile into the tangled wood
come upon a pine glade dominated by a dark stone plinth and a pair of guard-
ian monoliths of ancient construction. The plinth is known to locals as the
Trothstone, and it is traditionally here that the wedding of human woman and
goat lord must take place (see The High Wold).

Those who venture beyond the Trothstone into the deep wood come within
the territory of a group of witch-owls who make their lair in a stalactite-hung
cave. At the rear of the cave stands a 5’ high statue of roughly humanoid form,
rimed with a sparkling crust of mineral deposits. Chipping away the outer
coating reveals an effigy of Saint Nanya which was stolen from a neighbour-
ing kingdom some centuries ago and hidden in this cave by its thieves (a band
of delinquent friars). It is of great value (5,000gp), if identified and returned
to its church of origin.

0610 — Lankston Pool

Under the eaves of the wood lies a region of marshland centred around a
large, murky pool. A dilapidated, moss-covered sign bearing the inscription
“Lankston” stands close to the south edge of the pool, indicating the former
site of the town of that name, which is now wholly submerged in the sludge
of the pool and the surrounding bog1. The only hint of this, apart from the
signpost, is a slime-covered stone spire rising out of the murk at the centre
of the pool. This is the steeple of the submerged church. Adventurers with a
penchant for aquatic exploration may be able to extract small trinkets from
the sunken town, although most of the objects possessed of old by the inhab-
itants of Lankston are now reduced to sludge. The eerily throbbing left hand
of Saint Howarth the Accursed lies, perfectly preserved, in the reliquary of
the sunken church.
1 The miserable fate of this town was brought about by the presence of the relic of
the now-accursed Saint Howarth, whose fall from grace caused an immediate reversal in the
miracles associated with him.

19
Lankston pool is shunned by local folk, being regarded as haunted—and, in
this respect, the locals are very much correct. The inhabitants of the town ex-
ist in a deathless state, lying in a dreamless sleep amongst the reeds and slime
of the pool. At night, strange fires flicker over the waters and the bog zombies
emerge, shambling through the woods in search of the living. Victims are
dragged into the bog, increasing the “population” of the submerged town.

0709 — The Road to Lake Longmere

A light, airy wood of rolling hills, becoming more rugged and tangled to the
north, where rocky cliffs and steep slopes dominate.

The Swart Gibbet

At one point, the road between Lankshorn and Lake Longmere passes by a
wide, sandy clearing at the base of a pock-marked cliff. Crevices and small
caves can be seen at the base of the cliff; these show no sign of use or habita-
tion by either man or beast. On the eastern side of the clearing, opposite the
cliff, hangs a rusty gibbet, housing a blackened skeleton. At night the skeleton
is wreathed in a sickly green hellfire.

The Manse of Lord Malbleat

Situated in the far northwest of the hex, the manse of the goatlord Malbleat
sits atop a rocky peak. It is an ancient building of tall wooden wings and steep
gables, surrounded with a forbidding stone wall and guard towers. Some ten
goatmen dwell here (3 longhorns, including Lord Malbleat, and seven short-
horns), along with several dozen addercorn thralls, who are kept in pens in
the gardens at the rear of the manor.

Lord Malbleat has seven wives—two goatwomen and five humans (the latter
kept charmed or imprisoned). The numerous, moronic, half-breed offspring
of his human wives have free rein of the manse, and are dressed in comical
costumes and tormented by the master and the other goatmen of the house-
hold.

Among his extensive library of books on the subjects of philosophy, theology,

poetry and foreign languages, Lord Malbleat keeps a tome, bound in man-
leather, which contains the trapped soul of a necromancer. One who gains a
familiarity with the tome’s contents can command the spirit, allowing a geas
spell to be cast once per week.
20
Lord Malbleat: A mature, longhorn, goatman aristocrat of noble, philosophi-
cal air. He is tall (almost 7’), graceful, slender, and has black fur with a silver
nose. Malbleat is renowned for his love of poetry, his elegance in the ball-
room, and his love of taking human brides. He is a sadist, and delights in the
debasing of humans. Lord Malbleat is the half-brother of the more powerful
Lord Ramius (hex 0410), whom he envies and connives against.

21
0710 — The Village of Lankshorn
A large settlement of well-kept, stone-
The Lankshorn Look
built houses, clustered around a tall-
steepled church and a cobbled mar- The partial inbreeding, since gen-
ket square. At the rear of the village, erations, of Lankshorn folk with
a slope rises towards Dolmenwood, goatmen produces the occasional
which looms ominously, a reminder odd mutation:
of Lankshorn’s position on the verge 1. Goatee beard (also some-
of the wild. A low hill is prominent- times found on old women).
ly visible, just before the eaves of the
wood, upon which a ring of tall stones 2. Goat eyes (sometimes a sin-
stands. gle eye only).
3. Goat’s hoof in place of a foot.
Located, as it is, on the verge of the
4. Goat’s hoof in place of a
forest, Lankshorn comes into close
hand.
contact with the goatmen who dwell
there. The folk of the village regard the 5. Small nubs on the forehead.
goat-nobility with fear and respect (in 6. Rudimentary tail ending in a
the same manner as they view the hu- tuft of coarse hair.
man nobles who rule over them from
High-Hankle and Castle Bracken-
wold). It is not uncommon for goatlords and their lackeys to descend upon
the village at night, demanding impromptu taxes, lodging, feast, or the com-
pany of maidens.

Three roads meet in Lankshorn:

• The old north road, now little used, that leads past the standing stones
and on to Lake Longmere in the heart of the wood.
• The south road winds through rustic farmland toward High-Hankle.
• The east-west road, known as the Ditchway. The western route is disused,
passing by the haunted Lankston Pool (hex 0610), but the eastern road is
frequented by much trade, leading to the port-town Dreg on the banks of
the Hameth (hex 1110).
The locations and inhabitants of Lankshorn which are of most interest to
wandering adventurers are described in detail later in this issue.

22
0711 — King Pusskin’s Road
A well-used byroad winds northwards through the hills and farmland of this
hex, heading towards the village of Lankshorn (hex 0710). At one point, close
to the eaves of Dolmenwood, a gloomy shrine stands by the roadside beneath
a weather-beaten wooden roof. Inside can be found an old lacquered portrait
of a fluffy pussy cat wearing a plush crown, bearing the inscription

“King Pusskin’s Road—travellers upon the road must leave trib-

ute in the form of milk or mice.”
Beneath the portrait, a small table houses an array of mouse skeletons and
chipped china saucers (also enamelled with images of the regal cat). Although
travellers often scoff at the shrine, dismissing it as rustic nonsense, the power
of King Pusskin is very real. Anyone passing along the road without leav-
ing a fitting tribute in the shrine
will suffer one of the following
afflictions upon awakening the
following morning:
1. Feverish dreams of being
trapped in the claws of
giant cats.
2. A dead mouse discov-
ered on the pillow.
3. Cat-scratches on hands
and arms.
4. An item of clothing
shredded by cat claws.
5. Coughs up furballs.
6. Attacked by any dogs
encountered this day.

23
0809 — The Ditchway
Pleasant, mixed deciduous woodland, becoming denser to the north. The
well-trodden and signposted path between Lankshorn and Dreg, known lo-
cally as “the Ditchway”, makes its winding way through a broad channel with
sandy banks on either side.

The sandy soil around the road and in the forest to the north is riddled with
thin, red worms. At dusk they rise to the surface and writhe across the mould
and leaves in great multitudes. As night takes hold, ever larger worms emerge
from the soil and slither through the undergrowth in search of prey. Humans
and their mounts are well within the appetite of these mature nightworms.

0810 — King’s Mounds

In the decrepit old woodland close to the north of the hex lies a series of long,
low mounds, clearly of human construction. These are burial mounds, hous-
ing the remains of ancient warrior-chieftains. The mounds are now home to
two-dozen barrowbogeys—led by one named Thrattlewhit—who make their
quarters among the tombs of the dead and the dusty passages which extend
beyond, into the near reaches of the Otherwold1.

The barrow lairs contain the bogeys’ treasures—buried in jugs and urns in the
sandy soil—including a wide-bladed, antique longsword engraved with seven
runes whose meaning is no longer commonly understood. The runes spell the
name Alfhame and bear an enchantment granting its wielder a +1 bonus to
hit in combat (+3 vs undead) and a degree of protection from energy drain,
allowing a saving throw versus death to avoid the loss of levels. The sword is
psychically tainted by the fate of its original owner, who was made drunken
and assassinated by a treacherous rival: anyone who possesses the sword takes
on an intoxicated and suspicious air.

Thrattlewhit: The chief bogey wears a curiously large brass basin on his shoul-
ders. Thrattlewhit is of mercurial spirit, but is constant in one feature: his love
of the Braithmaid Pollith (see hex 0910), upon whom he spies at night. He
would give anything for her hand in marriage. In battle, he bears the sword
Alfhame, which he brandishes two-handed.

1 The term Otherwold (note the spelling) refers to the fairy lands and spectral domin-
ions which lie parallel to the Wood which mortals perceive in their waking lives.
24
People and Places of Lankshorn
The Hornstoat’s Rest Inn
Situated on the market square, opposite the church, the village inn is a high-
gabled, wooden building of overhanging eaves and many-hued, lacquered
panels. Above the wide, rounded front door hangs the sign—depicting a white
stoat with prominent red horns1 reclining on a luxurious purple couch—and
the skull of a goat.
Reveal the Liminal
Inside, the common room is cramped Level: 1st
and, of an evening, packed, with high Duration: 6 turns
stools crammed against the walls and a Range: Touch
cluster of three small tables in the cen-
The sensory boundaries of the
tre. In the late evenings, the tables are
subject of this spell are loosened,
pushed together and used as an impro-
opening the sensorium to nor-
vised stage for dances or musical per-
mally inaccessible or subcon-
formances. The following facilities are
scious perceptions of borderline
provided:
realms. This includes the ability
• Lodging for 3sp a night in a private to perceive ethereal and astral
room or 15cp in a common room. creatures lurking close to the
• Stabling for 5sp a night (including border with the material world,
fodder). but also reveals creatures of fairy
origin who are normally invis-
• Meals of common quality (see ible to mortal eyes. At the ref-
Common Tavern Fare). eree's discretion, the borders of
• Local ales and ciders for 1sp a pint. other planes or dimensions may
• The inn also has a couple of bot- also be revealed by this spell.
tles of the infamous spirit green as-
pintheon, imported from the brew-
masters of Prigwort (hex 1105), at the cost of 5sp a glass (10gp for a whole
a bottle). Upon consuming a glass of this spirit, a character must make
a CON check. Failure indicates that the character has succumbed to the
spirit’s odd effects, incurring complete drunkenness and the effects of the
magic-user spell reveal the liminal.

1 The hornstoat is a fairy creature of local legend which is said to live in the hearts of
great oak trees and mock the foolish behaviour of humans as they toil and labour.
25
Proprietor
The inn is owned and run by Margerie Stallowmade, her twelve-year-old
daughter Willow (who is notable for having a goat’s hoof in place of her left
hand) and three of her five sons. (The remaining two sons died in a pointless
war, a decade ago, along with her husband.)

Margerie Stallowmade: A woman of some sixty years, with twinkling eyes, a

broad grin, copper hoops in her ears, and a figure plump with decades of pie-
eating. She presents herself to strangers as a harmless bumpkin, but is known
to have a keen ear and a sharp memory. Since the death of her husband, Mar-
gerie has taken to wandering deeper into the Wood and is fascinated by its
strange secrets. She is acquainted with the fairy Thrattlewhit (see hex 0810),
with whom she shares foraged blackberries and silly stories of comings and
goings in Lankshorn.

26
Rumours (d16)
One of the following rumours may be heard of an evening, in the inn’s com-
mon room. Each is denoted as T (true), t (partially true with elements of
falsehood or miscomprehension), f (false with elements of truth), F (false).
1. (t) The gibbet hanging in 0709 is haunted by the ghost of the infamous
highwayman Red Heinrick. The phantom attacks any who linger there in
the dark hours. The location of Heinrick’s hoard of stolen gold was never
discovered.
2. (T) The sludge-rimmed pool along the western road contains the rem-
nants of the accursed town of Lankston (see 0610).
3. (t) The mounds in the woods to the south-east are haunted by a rabble
of fairies. Their chief is a bowl-headed scamp known as Thraggletwist,
whose lecherous advances towards young ladies cause some consterna-
tion to travellers along the Ditchway.
4. (T) The King’s Mounds, which lie in the woods to the south-east, were
originally built by the folk of the ancient King Hoarth, who would inter
honoured warriors in woodland graves.
5. (t) His Lordship has been organising clandestine shipments of food and
supplies to be delivered to an isolated hut in the forest to the north-east.
Rumour says that they are destined for his mistress and second family,
whom he keeps hidden away.
6. (f) The secluded people of Prigwort, who dwell deep in the wood, are said
to consort freely, and in a most intimate manner, with fairies.
7. (f) The lord secretly keeps a strange prisoner in his attic.
8. (T) If you travel south along the road, be sure to take a tribute of milk or
mice for King Pusskin (see 0711).
9. (T) Crying the name of Shub’s Nanna (Leeleeglablea—see hex 0911) on a
moonlit night will summon the crone to whisk away an unwanted child.
In return, her servants will leave thirteen silver pieces on the doorstep of
the house of the one who summoned her.
10. (t) The bladesmith, Jorye, has fairy blood and practices a fey smith-craft
taught to him by his grandfather.

27
11. (F) The “servants of the wood” (a euphemism used by rural folk to refer
to the Drune2, whose name they fear to speak) lurk under the eaves of
the wood on moonlit nights, watching the merrymakers in the inn with
loathing. They plot to turn the roots of the trees against the town and
replace Lord Barrathwaite with their own dark hierophant.
12. (F) The stones behind the village were once the site of a great summoning
gone awry, whereby a black unicorn spirit was allowed to escape from its
prison in hell3. The beast has lurked in the heart of the wood ever since,
spreading evil and discord.
13. (T) The goat-lord Malbleat, whose manor lies in the forest to the north,
possesses a tome of black magic which he uses to enslave the minds of
any who cross him.
14. (t) The great stone slab which lies in the woods to the west of Lankshorn,
known as the Trothstone, is a site at which mortals may marry beings of
other stock, including fairies.
15. (t) A statue of the obscure Saint Nanya was taken by a company of friars
into the forest to the west and lost, some centuries ago.
16. (F) The galleon of the mad Duke Pole (the great-grandfather of the cur-
rent Duke of Brackenwold), which he sailed up the Hameth and into Lake
Longmere, lies sunken in the mud at the south of the lake, close to Wight
Falls. The Duke’s fabled planetary clock was aboard the galleon when it
was sunk, though lake-beasts have most likely made off with it by now.

2 The Drune are a proto-druidic brotherhood of ascetic pagans / occultists who see
themselves as "curators" of Dolmenwood. They are primarily interested in using the power of
the wood for their own ends and have monopolised the major ley lines which run through the
forest, as well as many of the standing stones and sacred groves. The people of Dolmenwood,
for the most part, know very little of the Drune, but regard them with great fear. (The Drune
will be discussed in detail in a future issue of Wormskin.)
3 This legend among the folk of Lankshorn is entirely unfounded in fact, being likely
inspired by the sickly presence of Atanuwe, whose influence in these southerly regions is but
faintly perceptible.
28
Jorye the Bladesmith
The local blacksmith earns his daily living shoeing horses, mending pots, and
forging farm tools: the meat and bread of a rural smith. His passion, however,
is the forging of artisan blades—here in the rustic northern corner of the
High Wold can be found a bladesmith of quality seldom found even in towns
of great renown. All of his blades carry his hallmark, which may be recog-
nised by one knowledgeable in fine weapon-craft. The bladesmith offers the
following services:
• Standard blades: Finely crafted steel blades may be purchased at 25%
above the normal price.
• Iron blades: A small number of iron daggers are also kept in stock at all
times, for a cost of 4gp. (People fear the fairies of the wood and keep such
weapons at hand as a deterrent.)
• Silvering: Silvered daggers and swords may be purchased at ten times the
cost of a plain, steel blade. (Only silvered daggers and shortswords are
kept commonly in stock.)
• Custom engraving: Commissioned blades may be engraved with pat-
terns, script, or runes, as the patron wishes. This typically doubles the
basic cost. The bladesmith’s work is detailed and beautiful.
• Moon-forging: A highly specialised craft of obscure origin, now practiced
by very few. A properly trained smith who forges blades by the light of
the full moon can cause them to be imbued with minor enchantments.
Moon-forging takes much preparation and is only performed to special
order, costing 200gp or more, depending on the specific enchantment.
• Foe-binding: The bladesmith is privy to a second craft of fairy origin: that
of binding a new-forged blade to smite a particular foe. This requires a
piece of the flesh, blood, or hair of the target, which is folded into the
surface of the blade. A blade thus created will inflict +1 damage against
the specific foe. Such blades are only made to order, and only for the most
trusted customers. The cost of the blade is increased by 200gp.

29
Concealed in a back room (which is secretly warded by a fairy rune of pa-
ralysis), the bladesmith has the following swords, for sale to the discerning
customer:
• A long, silvered dagger engraved with the name Haxallya and a series of
fine moon-runes along the blade. The runes grant the wielder +1 to-hit
an opponent who has already wounded him. 100gp.
• A shortsword with a gold-threaded hilt and wavy blood-grooves, named
Lamaë. A small rune on the pommel grants a +1 bonus to hit a foe who
flees in melee. 250gp.
• An exquisitely crafted longsword, engraved with fine oak leaf motifs and
the name Orydnae. Speaking the weapon’s name causes it to emit moon-
light (equivalent to a torch) for one hour. It must then be recharged by
bathing it in moonlight for a night. 400gp.
Jorye Whilpston-Puddingfoot: A man in his late forties, with black, slicked-
back hair and odd-looking, wide apart eyes. His speech is quiet, confident,
waxes easily lyrical, and carries a lilting quality which fascinates listeners and
fills their minds with glimpses of glittering caverns. Jorye’s grandfather was
raised by Lankshorn folk, but was sired by a wandering fairy.

The Man of Gold Apothecary

A squat, stone building with a wooden, two-storey tower lies in a narrow al-
leyway at the rear of the inn, cramped between a fishmonger's and a butchery.
The sign of a smiling, golden sun announces the name and function of this
store.

The store has been in the Maldwort family for three generations (the current
proprietor being Sydewich Maldwort) and has an excellent reputation for the
quality of its herbs (which are carefully air-dried in the tower above the shop).
Sydewich has, in recent times, begun to expand the store's selection, branch-
ing out into stocking exotic herbs and compounds of psychedelic effect and
dubious morality. It is said that he makes regular trips to the port of Dreg to
acquire these compounds (and doubtless to also take advantage of that town's
other ill-reputed services).

...continued overleaf

30
The following items, of particular interest to adventurers, are for sale:
• Psychedelic fungi: 1d3 random types (see Wormskin issue one). Standard
prices.
• Psychedelic compounds: 1d3 random types. 25% above standard price.
• Memory dust: Imported from the far east, there is only a 20% chance of
the apothecary stocking this infamous and highly sought-after substance.
It is a fine, pearlescent dust, renowned for its ability to expand the human
mind's capacity for the arcane energies required by spell memorization.
Taken as a snuff, the dust gives a magic-user the ability to memorize a
single extra spell (of any level castable). The dust is highly addictive: after
every usage, a WIS check must be made. If the check fails, the character
will do everything he or she can to use the dust again in the next ses-
sion. A roll of 20 indicates that the character's tolerance for the dust has
increased and from now on must consume twice the quantity to achieve
the same effect. 50gp per dose.
• Alchemical tonic: Brewed in-house, this clear, fizzing liquid may be used
to rouse the unconscious or to grant an additional save against paralysis.
25gp per vial.
• Amber nectar: A thick, honeyed liquid, decanted into 1” spherical jars.
Consuming a dose heals 1d4 hit points and brings on a heady euphoria
lasting for a few minutes. A save versus poison must also be made, with
failure incurring a deep, dream-filled sleep, lasting for 1d6 turns. 25gp
per jar.
• Orgon’s scintillating philtre: This iridescent spirit must be stored in crys-
tal to retain its unusual properties. Drinking a dose heals 1d6 hit points.
The substance is volatile, however, and does not mix well with other po-
tions: mixing it (including with previous doses of the philtre) incurs a
save versus poison, with failure indicating that the potion was vomited
up, wasting it. 100gp.
Sydewich Maldwort: A sycophantic bachelor in his late thirties, with a fash-
ionable moustache and long, blond hair tied in plaits. Sydewich is in love with
the wife of the keeper of the Spawning Salmon tavern in Dreg and plans to sell
the apothecary and elope with her.

31
The Lord’s Manor
A tall, lime-white manor stands to the south of the village, beside a shallow
lake ringed with storm-wracked elms. The lord of Lankshorn, Clewyd Bar-
rathwaite4 (“His Lordship”), dwells here with his wife Almerie and their four
children. Several informers and rumour-mongers in the village report to the
lord of anything untoward.

Lord Barrathwaite harbours in his manor a young half-goat boy who stumbled
out of the wood some months ago. Like most of his kind, the boy is a half-wit,
but responds to the name “Billy” and evidences a great fear at the mention of
Lord Malbleat. This fact, in conjunction with certain physical characteristics
of the boy, lead the lord to believe that this half-breed is his own grandson.
The lord has enlisted the aid of the vivimancer Merridwyn Scymes (hex 0808)
to discover a means of curing the goat-boy’s mental deficiencies.

Clewyd Barrathwaite: A man of around 50 years, brusque in manner, secure

in his power over the village and the respect of its inhabitants. Physically, he is
tall and thickset, with densely curled auburn hair on his head, face and chest.
He wears the silver boar’s head medallion hereditary to his station. Clewyd
respects the aristocratic line of the goat lords but hates Lord Malbleat (hex
0709), knowing of his cruelty. The lord's eldest daughter, Bronwyn, was mar-
ried to the goat lord a decade ago—a decision which he now bitterly regrets.

Standing Stones
Looming above the village, visible against the sky, above the eaves of the for-
est, a ring of ancient, moss-covered stones stands upon a hill. A detect magic
spell will reveal a latent magic about the stones of significant power but long
dormant. One under the effects of a reveal the liminal spell who observes the
stones will perceive a curious swirling of the ether, in pinkish and orange
hues, above the stones, ascending into the sky. The villagers shun the stones,
believing them to be associated with witchcraft and devil-summoning.

4 The Barrathwaite coat of arms is a red boar, stuck with seven golden spears, atop a
white harp.
32
The Church of Saint Pastery
Amid the bustle of the centre, located directly on the market square, stands
the village church: an antique, stone building with an strikingly pointy steeple
and a riot of carvings of battling gargoyles and angels. The church is curated
by Father Dobey, who lives in the vicarage, outside the village.

Saint Pastery is the patron of butchers and well-borers and is famed for hav-
ing cured Good-Prince Wallobringe (of a little-known southern kingdom)
during a plague epidemic by blessing the hands of all butchers and cow-herds
within a ten mile radius.

The Vicarage and Graveyard

To the east of the village proper, a track leads southward from the Ditchway,
winding through a sheep-grazed pasture to a small, thatched cottage which
serves as the vicarage. The vicar, Father Dobey, lives here along with a maid-
servant named Mabble.

To the rear of the cottage lies the village’s graveyard, bounded by imposing,
ivy-clad walls. Outsiders may note the presence of carven goat-heads atop
many of the gravestones.

The Church of the One True God

The dominant religion of the High Wold is the Church of the One True
God, a sect which was once widespread throughout all of Dolmenwood,
but which has now largely fallen into dereliction. Most villages within the
eaves of the forest still maintain a church, but the profusion of wayside
shrines and chapels which once saw regular worship now stand—for the
most part—in ruins.

Despite having One True God, daily worship focuses rather on the legions
of saints and angels which litter the myths and scriptures of the church.
This religion is left deliberately vague, allowing it to act as a placeholder
for whatever evangelistic, monotheistic sect exists in the referee’s campaign.
In semi-historical campaigns, the real-world Catholic church is an easy
match. (The saints of the church will be discussed in detail in a future issue
of Wormskin.)
33
Father Eggwin Dobey: The vicar of Lankshorn is a scrawny, bespectacled,
stooped man of advanced years with wispy pate and wavering voice. Despite
the doddering impression Father Dobey makes, he has a sharp and conniving
mind. He schemes to maintain the status quo of political power in the region,
acting as a loyal servant of Lord Malbleat (hex 0709), whom he has married
to several human women at the Trothstone (hex 0609). Indeed, Father Do-
bey wears a silver crucifix of value clearly beyond the usual means of a rural
priest—a gift from his goat-lord patron.

34
Monsters of the High Wold
Barrowbogey (plague fairy, pot-head)
HD: 3 Number Appearing: 1-4: abroad (1d4),
AC: 6 5-7: lair (3d6), 8: lair (empty)
Attacks: 2 × 1d4 (bramble darts, scratch- Alignment: C
ing) Intelligence: Sharp-witted
Move: 120’ (40’) Size: S (3' tall)
Morale: 8 XP: 65
Possessions: Darts, trinkets (fairy)
Hoard: B/XXI (fairy), 4d20 pots or jugs

Waif-like fairies with repulsively wrinkled brown skin. They carry pots or jugs
upon their shoulders in place of heads and speak with a tinny voice which
seems to emanate from within the vessel. Barroybogeys make their homes
in mounds and small hills in wild areas, usually riddled with narrow tun-
nels extending into the fairy realms of the Otherwold. They seldom come
into contact with humans, but occasionally creep into villages to steal earth-
enware vessels (they do not produce their own, but stockpile whatever they
can pilfer) or pies, which they cherish. If a barrowbogey dies, its pot shatters
instantaneously to dust.

Special Abilities Traits

Curse: Once per day, a barrowbogey 1. Stack of 1d4+2 pots,
can pronounce a curse upon a dwell- precariously balanced on
ing, causing all within its confines to shoulders.
save versus poison or suffer a sickness 2. Cheeky, grinning face
of boils and warts. It is said that the painted on head-pot.
only cure for this malaise is a porridge 3. Teapot-head. Pours and
cooked in the pot stolen from the shoul- drinks cups of tea.
ders of the fairy who caused it.
4. Croaks like a frog.
Weaknesses 5. Also wears pots on feet and
hands, like shoes and mit-
Susceptibility to cold iron: Like all fair-
tens.
ies, barrowbogeys suffer double damage
from iron weapons. 6. Hops on all fours, leaps,
and tumbles.

35
Encounters
1. Arguing over who has the
right to the largest slice of a
freshly baked blackberry pie
which lays on the ground
between them.
2. Attacking a washerwoman
by a small stream, attempt-
ing to steal her cauldron.
The woman fights back with
a broom.
3. Groping around as if
blinded, pots tumbled into
a nearby ditch. (It is likely
that the bogeys got into this
state due to the mischief of
some other being, who may
be nearby.)
4. Spying on a maiden bathing
in a pool.

Lairs
1. An ancient warren-home, delved and shared by an unlikely consortium
of foxes, moles, and rabbits over many centuries. The barrowbogeys live
at the heart of the warren-hill and act as advisors to the animals.
2. Tiled passages delved into the side of a muddy, root-riddled bank. The
bogeys spend much of their time excavating the ruins of an ancient vil-
lage close by, providing them with an excellent supply of antique pots.
3. A lonely barrow, clearly of human construction. There is a 40% chance
that the warrior buried in the mound is now undead (a wight). (Bar-
rowbogeys cohabitate, on occasion, with undead. The two parties tend to
simply ignore each other.)
4. A tunnel-bored mound of earth and stone excavated in old times from a
nearby mine. The barrowbogeys’ treasure is likely in the form of ores and
nuggets from the mine.

36
Bog Zombie
HD: 2 Number Appearing: 1-5: abroad 1d6,
AC: 8 6-8: lair (5d6)
Attacks: 1 × 1d6 (thumping / throttling) Alignment: N(E)
Move: 90’ (30’) Intelligence: Mindless
Morale: 10 Size: M
XP: 29
Possessions: Trinkets (neglected)
Hoard: C/XX (neglected)

Sodden corpses of those hapless mortals who have died, accursed, in the bogs
and swamps of the forest. Inhabited by the spirits of marsh-fires, they rise at
night to wreak death and jealous vengeance upon the living.

Special Abilities
Throttle: Upon a successful hit with a damage roll of 4 or greater, a bog zom-
bie clasps its hands around the throat of the victim, attempting to strangle it.
The victim thence suffers 1d6 hit points’ automatic damage per round, until
the zombie is killed. A victim killed in this way will be dragged into the bog
and will rise the following night as a bog zombie.

Encounters Traits
1. Dragging a freshly suffocated 1. Headless.
(though perhaps not quite dead) 2. Draped with dank pondweed.
trapper into a bog.
3. Covered with crabs and bog-
2. Laying in wait in a muddy ditch snails.
beside a road.
4. Flesh rotted away, almost skel-
3. Fleeing from a solitary friar who etal.
is stuck up to his waist in quick-
sand. His holy symbol, clutched 5. Eyes burning with a flickering
in his quaking hand, has re- green light.
pelled the monsters, for now. 6. Swollen and leech-ridden.
4. Fighting over the corpses of
two woodsmen, who are be-
ing mindlessly torn limb from
limb by two opposing gangs of
zombies.

37
Lairs
1. The half-submerged ruin of a wooden shack.
2. The waterlogged shrine of a long-forgotten saint, now defiled by necro-
mancy. The zombies spend much of their time in prayer around the un-
holy altar, worshipping the decapitated head of a lord which rests there.
3. A prison cell, long sealed and now largely submerged. The zombies have
been trapped within for many centuries.
4. Ritualistic bog-graves. The zombies are the victims of tribal sacrifices,
buried in the marsh in order to appease ancient, heathen deities.

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Goatman, Woldish
The goatmen of the High Wold are a race of Wild Goatmen
evil humanoids with the fur, heads, horns, In the northern and east-
legs, and hooves of goats. Their wiry fur ern reaches of Dolmen-
ranges in colour from black to grey to white, wood, another subspecies
with dark brown or lustrous silver being seen of goatman is found. These
occasionally. Goatmen are tall and slender, are wild and chaotic, large-
commonly surpassing 6 feet in height. ly living as bandits and
Equal to humans in wit and cunning, they robbers. Many serve or are
speak the common tongue (after a bleating enslaved by Atanuwe nine-
fashion) and their own language, the tongue legs, the nag-lord. This
of goats, which can also be understood by subspecies will be treated
normal goats and sheep. The goatmen of the in more detail in a future
High Wold have a hierarchical, aristocratic issue of Wormskin.
society, living for the most part in isolated
manor houses in the tangle of the forest.

Humans are, in the eyes of goatmen, a soulless animal species, to be freely

used to their own ends. Human slaves are common among the aristocracy of
the Woldish goatmen, who maintain stables of magically befuddled people
(addercorn thralls), which they breed and trade amongst themselves. This,
combined with the preeminence of cruelty and sadism in the goatman psy-
chology, makes this race feared and often reviled by humankind.

Two types of Woldish goatman are discussed: the ruling class (longhorns)
and the serving class (shorthorns). Shorthorns have no lairs of their own,
always living together with longhorns.

Longhorn
HD: 5 Number Appearing: 1-2: abroad (1d4),
AC: 8 (unarmoured) / 6 (man-leather 3-5: abroad (1d4 + 2d4 shorthorns),
armour) / 3 (engraved plate) 6-8: lair (1d10 + 3d6 shorthorns)
Attacks: 1 × 1d8 (butt) or by weapon Alignment: L(E)
(longsword) / gaze Intelligence: Scheming
Move: 120’ (40’) Size: M (6-7' tall)
Morale: 9 XP: 350
Possessions: Trinkets (noble), T/V
Hoard: E/XVIII (noble)
39
The goatman elite, consisting of sadistic nobles and knights, have fully-de-
veloped, spiralled horns of up to 2’ in length. These horns can be used as
formidable weapons in melee. Like humans, longhorn goatmen breed horses,
which they often ride or set to draw carriages.

Special Abilities
Gaze: The gaze of a longhorn goatman carries the supernatural power to
charm victims into obeisance. A goatman may use this ability on each spe-
cific target once per day, incurring a save versus spells. Those who fail the save
come under the goatman’s sway and are unable to harm him or her (either
directly or indirectly) until the sunrise of the following day.
Traits Encounters
1. Forward-pointing horns. 1. A goat-lord in a horse-drawn car-
(This is regarded, among riage, accompanied by goatlady
goatmen, as an especially nobles, on their way to a ball.
noble characteristic.) 2. Knights and their knaves charging
2. Deep red eyes. on horseback through the under-
3. A golden or silver tooth. growth in pursuit of a group of
fleeing addercorn thralls.
4. Accompanied by a strange
pet: a monkey, human 3. Emissaries bringing news from one
midget, or fanged sheep. goat-lord to another.
5. Wears a monocle. 4. A household fleeing a fire that is
consuming their dwelling, clutch-
6. Long, beautifully groomed, ing what few valuables they could
lustrous fur. carry.
Lairs
1. A small, stone keep atop a low hill, walled with a palisade of wood and
thorny creepers.
2. A gentile villa set among a walled garden where herbs and vines are cul-
tivated by enslaved humans.
3. An area of fenced-in woodland, used for hunting. The goatmen dwell in
a wood-gabled hunting lodge at the corner of their land, beside a well-
stocked stable.
4. A rambling manor house set among exquisitely tended gardens, mazes,
and follies.

40
Shorthorn
HD: 2 Number Appearing: 1d8 abroad, no lair
AC: 8 (unarmoured) / 6 (man-leather Alignment: L(E)
armour) Intelligence: Grudging
Attacks: 1 × 1d6 (butt) or by weapon Size: M (5-6' tall)
(spear, shortsword) XP: 20
Move: 120’ (40’) Possessions: Trinkets, Q/II
Morale: 8 Hoard: None

Members of the goatman serving class fill the roles of household servants,
cooks, messengers, groundskeepers, man-herders, hunters, and guards.
When equipped to fight, shorthorns wield long, gnarly spears or antique
shortswords, and wear armour of man-leather. They have small nub-horns,
no longer than an inch, atop their heads. Their butt attack is thus not particu-
larly to be feared, although their thick, bony skull can still deliver a blow of
some force.

Traits
1. Wears an eye patch.
2. Protruding fangs.
3. Fur and eyes of midnight black.
4. Wooden leg.
5. Three-horned.
6. Large, misshapen skull with odd lumps.
Encounters
1. Sitting wounded and forlorn by the wayside, crouched atop a stump.
These are the survivors of a larger band; their companions were brutally
slain by passing knights.
2. Crashing wildly through the undergrowth, dragging two human women
along with them, in rusty chains.
3. Ringed around an enraged boar, tormenting it with spears and flaming
brands.
4. Hiding in bracken, spying on a goatman knight, a servant of a rival aris-
tocrat.

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Goatman Thrall (Addercorn Thrall)
HD: 1 Number Appearing: 1d6, no lair
AC: 9 Alignment: N
Attacks: 1 (damage by weapon) Intelligence: Befuddled
Move: 120’ (40’) Size: M
Morale: 6 XP: 10
Possessions: Trinkets
Hoard: None

Feeble-minded humans who live as slaves (either captive or bred) of the goat-
lords of the High Wold. Their diet is supplemented with a plant known as
addercorn1, which causes a listlessness of behaviour, a suppression of the will,
and a confusion of the mind. Thus, addercorn thralls remain compliant to the
whims of their goat masters.

Thralls are kept by goatmen purely as pets or mockeries; they are put to no
practical work. They are sometimes displayed and traded among goat-nobles.
The goatmen choose to “groom” some of their human slaves with brushes
of wisp-weed (an abrasive and caustic marsh herb), causing their body hair
to wither and drop out. The skins of the naked thralls are then flayed and
tanned by the goatmen, who arrogantly decorate themselves with belts, chok-
ers, gloves, and waistcoats of man-skin.
Encounters Traits
1. A pregnant woman creeps through the 1. Frothing at the
undergrowth, clearly deranged, bleating mouth.
like a goat. 2. Unconscious bab-
2. Dazed among the wreckage of a crashed bling and outbursts.
carriage. Their goat masters lying dead, the 3. “Groomed”: utterly
addercorn thralls know not what to do. hairless.
3. Running through the wood in chains, 4. Wide-eyed and excit-
dragged along by their rescuer—a normal able.
human. Goatmen are likely on their trail.
5. Dressed in mock
4. Leashed and tied to a tree. Yelping and finery.
fornicating like beasts.
6. One-handed.

1 The origin of addercorn is a mystery to human sages. It has never been found grow-
ing in any environment, wild or cultivated. Some theorise that it is of fairy origin. A human
who has eaten a diet including addercorn will regain their mental faculties in 1d6 months.
42
Nightworm
HD: 3 Number Appearing: 2d6 abroad, no lair
AC: 8 Alignment: N
Attacks: 1 × 1d6 (bite) Intelligence: Wormlike
Move: 90’ (30’) Size: M (5-10' long)
Morale: 9 XP: 80
Possessions: None
Hoard: None

Long, thin, eyeless, red worms with rubbery, ribbed bodies and tooth-filled
maws. Nightworms burrow into mud and sludge to sleep during the day,
emerging at night to hunt warm-blooded prey.

Special Abilities
Constriction: Nightworms are able, upon a successful bite attack, to wrap
themselves around their victim. The victim may make a saving throw ver-
sus paralysis to avoid being enwrapped. If the save fails, the worm begins to
exude a powerful acid which inflicts 1d4 damage per round. This damage is
first applied to armour, reducing its effectiveness until it is completely eroded,
at which point the acid begins to eat into the flesh of the victim. Note that,
when entangling prey, the worm is also able to make a bite attack as normal
each round.

Regeneration: Nightworms regenerate 2hp per round. Severed portions may

reconnect.

Traits
1. Covered in writhing tentacles.
2. Odd, light-pink hue, organs visible through skin.
3. Three long, black tongues dart in and out of mouth.
4. Slug-like antennae.
5. Needle-like spines around mouth (+1 damage from bite attacks).
6. Two-headed; each head may attack once per round. (XP: 95)

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Encounters
1. A seething mass of nightworms drags a lone horse into a slimy bog. The
poor beast is saddled and bridled, but its rider is nowhere to be seen. If the
saddlebags are retrieved, interesting trinkets may be discovered within.
2. Engulfing a wizard who clutches a gnarled staff of purple wood and fran-
tically repeats a magic word. (The staff was supposed to have the power of
worm-binding, but appears to be cursed, discharged, or defective.)
3. Slithering, spiral-fashion, up a tree trunk, pursuing two hapless adventur-
ers who misjudged the agility of nightworms.
4. Gathered around a foetid pond, heads raised, swaying, in the air, as if
hypnotised. Floating above the pond, a vague form of swirling, scarlet
mist can be espied.

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Witch-Owl
HD: 2 Number Appearing: 1-6: abroad (1d6),
AC: 5 7: lair (2d6), 8: lair (1d4 + 1d4 shad-
Attacks: 2 × 1d4 (claws) / screech / gaze ows)
Move: 180’ (60’)—flying Alignment: N(E)
Morale: 8 Intelligence: Inscrutable
Size: S (3’ wingspan)
XP: 47
Possessions: None
Hoard: L/XI (eerie)

Tall, milky-white owls with violet eyes and uncannily rotating heads, these
beings go abroad at dusk to hunt. Rather than the flesh of rodents and lesser
birds, witch-owls feed on the psychic bodies of the sentients upon which they
prey. The sighting of a witch-owl in flight—even in the distance—is regarded
by woodland folk as an ill omen of great portent.

Special Abilities
Gaze: A mortal who meets the gaze of a witch-owl at close range (within 30’)
must save versus spells. Failure indicates that the victim falls into a trance
wherein awareness of the waking world fades, the soul instead entering an
eerie dream-world where the witch-owls are masters. In this vision, the vic-
tim is a mouse lost in a haunted wood, hunted and eventually torn to shreds
by owls under the gaze of the moon. The vision lasts for but a single round
of real time, though perceptually several minutes appear to have passed. The
aftereffects are, however, permanent: part of the victim's psyche is consumed.
Roll on this table to determine what is lost:
1. All memories of own parents. 6. 1d4 points of WIS. A character
2. Ability to love. whose wisdom is utterly drained,
in this way, becomes a shadow
3. Desire to eat.
(as the monster) in the thrall of
4. A significant goal, driving force, the witch-owls. Such wretches
or dream. are sent abroad to trick living
5. Knowledge of own name. men and women to venture into
the domain of the witch-owls.
Even if reminded of lost memories by others, the victim can never truly recall
what has been consumed by a witch-owl. Only powerful magic (wish, restora-
tion) can reclaim the consumed mind-form.
45
Screech: The alarm call of the witch-owl, which may be uttered once per day,
has the effect of paralysing mortals within earshot who fail a saving throw.
The paralysis lasts for 1d6 minutes.

Traits
1. Cyclops.
2. Feathers shimmer with moonlight (even when the moon is obscured).
3. Human mouth, is able to speak.
4. Haloed with eerie, purple light.
5. Silver antlers.
6. Wingtip feathers made of silver. (Such feathers are highly valued by
witches for use in magic spells.)
Encounters
1. Perched atop a decaying signpost, heads turned away. If any mortals
make an approach, the owls’ heads swivel around, bringing their gaze
upon the victims.
2. Fluttering around the shuttered windows of a small cottage, attempting to
scare the inhabitants into allowing them entry.
3. Standing atop a dolmen, fixated by the crystal pendulum of a drune or
witch. Any sound will break the enchantment.
4. Gathered in solemn council on the needle-littered floor of a pine-glade.
Several shadows lurk among the trees. There appear to be at least two fac-
tions among the owls and a heated disagreement may be perceived in the
tone of their hoots.
Lairs
1. The ruins of an old church steeple, standing alone among a maze of briars
and wild roses.
2. A series of alcoves built into the shaft of an old well. Anyone looking
down the shaft must save versus spells or be compelled to climb within.
3. A forest cave which exudes an unnatural and terrifying darkness. Even
plants lean away, trying to escape the influence of this accursed grotto.
4. An ivy-clad mausoleum—the resting place of a witch—standing amid the
ruins of a graveyard. The door to the crypt is slightly ajar. There is a 33%
chance that the woman interred here is now undead (perhaps a banshee
or vampire).
46
47