THE BLOODM A RCH

LEAD WRITER
Erik Granström

LEAD ARTIST
Henrik Rosenborg

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Christian Granath

MAPS & GRAPHICS

Niklas Brandt

LAYOUT & PREPRESS

Dan Algstrand

EDITORS
Tomas Härenstam, Nils Karlén

PROOFREADING EVENT MANAGER

Brandon Bowling Anna Westerling

TR ANSL ATION STREAMING

Niklas Lundmark Doug Shute

PR MANAGER CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Boel Bermann Daniel Lehto, Jenny Lehto

ISBN PRINT

978-91-89143-66-1 Standart Impressa UAB

© 2022 Fria Ligan AB

 CONTENTS
THE ARRIVAL KEY PLAYERS 70
OF THE SEVEN 4 Selligar Horne of Havenmark 70
Poansa Moulter 76
INTRODUCTION8 Colonel Grudenstaal 79
Overview  10 Fiena Fromelei 82
The Seventh 85
THE LAY OF THE LAND 13 Vinhelm Kaal 89
Nature in the Bloodmarch 15 Konana91
Kin & Gods 16 Vaerefor van Reiben 93
Regions23 The Dreamstress 96
Octomadria –
MAGIC27 The Eighth Mother 99
Magma Song 28
Mentalism31 BESTIARY101
Oneiromancy34 Smolderer102
Magnetism36 Bloodbeech103
Drugs & Potions 38 Prune104
Wingsteed105
JOURNEYS IN Fraege106
THE BLOODMARCH 40 Grave Lily 108
New Terrain Types 40 Kton and Fire Wyrm 110
Mecha112
THE LEGACY OF HORN 52 Salamander115
Background52 Sarcoptes116
The Phases of the Campaign 53 Forest Star 118
Adventure Sites 59 Slime Snail 121
Slithernet122
ARTIFACTS60 Sporewalker123
The Goblet Staff of Have 63 Hoverfrog124
The Helm of Horn 64 Pearlyveine125
Sella’s Dragonboot 65 Typical NPCs 126
Glasstooth66
The Arrows of the Fire Wyrm 67 RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 130
The Stonechest of Horn 68
Witherbeam69

contents
TAREGYLL148 WATCH OF
Background148 THE SISTERS 207
Getting Here 149 Background207
Legend150 Getting Here 208
Locations150 Legend210
Events159 Locations211
Events220
ASHENSTEAD162
Background162 TRIBOLIA OF
Getting Here 163 THE KOGLER 221
Legend164 Background221
Locations165 Getting Here 222
Events172 Legend222
Locations222
SALTERSTAY174 Events231
Background174
Getting here 175 AGNOSTICA232
Legend175 Background232
Locations175 Getting Here 233
Events182 Legend233
Locations233
OXENGELDER185 The Showdown 240
Background185
Getting Here 186 AFTERMATH241
Legend187 The Situation After the Finale 241
Locations188 Post-­finale Events 242
Events192
LEGENDS243
BANN GUELDER 197
Background197
Getting Here 198
Legend198
Locations199
Events204

contents
 THE ARRIVAL
OF THE SEVEN

A dense fog cloaks the sea, as if the world has not yet come into
being. The emptiness extends indefinitely towards the east
from whence the humans once sailed to Ravenland, guided
by the Raven God with a snake in its talons. Twelve hundred
years later no one remembers what is out there, but now a
rhythm forms in the haze. The silhouettes of seven tall fig­
ures in black emerge from the void, rowing a sloop through the
fog, their oars rising and falling as one at a steady pace. They
show no sign of urgency, nor fatigue, despite the length of their
voyage. Each stroke is performed with purpose.

T
he oarsman on the second bench on the wading ashore – still without a word. They do
port side has an injured elbow that clicks not tie up the boat that carried them, but let
every time he pulls the oar to his chest. it drift at the mercy of the sea, as they walk
A human would find the noise intolerable after inland towards a stone circle erected on a coast-
only a few hours, but for the oarsmen it sets the line hill by an extinct noble house in memory
pace, like the drops of a water metronome. They of something long forgotten. Their bodies are
row in silence. No one has spoken for weeks, as shrouded in black robes. Their faces are hidden,
there is no need – they all know where they are some by bone plates tied together with leather
going and what they must do. straps, another behind a wooden mask, and a
The rocky coast of Ravenland looms in the third by woven osiers.
night. The oarsmen pay it no heed and main-
tain their pace until their sloop crashes into
the rocks. Everyone drops their oars in unison,
not even bothering to pull them onto the deck, Sigmyn Talleman blows into his hands to keep
before sliding into the waist-­high waves and them warm while he waits by the stone circle,

chapter 1
scowling into the wind, taking regular swigs of Sigmyn, who since the early hours of the night
liquor from a hip flask and swearing just loud has had enough of silence. “My friend and I
enough for his employer to hear him. There have long traveled this land, its villages and
is nothing to do but wait. The halfling seeks strongholds, in daytime and at night. We can
sympathy from Gerdimer Black, perched on help, but we will need to know more than your
one of the stones with some dead grass under associate has disclosed. Are you from Alderland?”
his buttocks. The goblin chatters his teeth and The tallest of the strangers puts his hands
studies the stars in search of bad omens, per- to his throat under the wooden mask, as if
haps praying to the moon goddess. The two of to make sure that he can still speak after the
them are lovers, and for their mutual affection voyage. When he does, the voice is deep and
they have been banished from their villages, strangely gurgling. Mussels may have nested
yet they have never looked back with sadness, in his throat while at sea.
regret, or even anger. The third man present – “We are the Seven from beyond the seas.
their employer – claims to be a halfling as well, Where is our stolen eighth mother?”
but covers his face for religious reasons which “The seven what?” sneers Sigmyn, annoyed
makes his origins difficult to place. He speaks that there are in fact eight of them, not seven,
in a peculiar manner, but it matters little to if one includes the halfman who hired them.
Sigmyn, since the man paid the two merchants “The seven sons of the seventh son, perhaps,
handsomely just to meet some foreigners on as the tale goes?”
the shore at night. “Yes,” says the man with the wooden mask.
“The seven of the seventh mother.”
While Sigmyn Talleman tries to come up
with a sufficiently acid-­tongued insult, one of
The oarsmen march silently up the hill, wet the strangers opens a casket. The box appears to
robes flapping around their legs. They stop be all they brought with them on their voyage.
before the little ones, towering over them, at The gold inside gleams brightly at the halfling
which point the employer walks up to the new- and clogs up his mind with thoughts of riches.
comers, bows, and quietly steps aside. Sigmyn Meanwhile, one of the oarsmen points at the
Talleman does not scare easily, but the mute goblin standing a bit farther away. The motion
strangers make him uncomfortable. He does makes his elbow click
not have the good-­natured disposition typical “It is not one, but two.”
of his kin. Life has left him hardened, inside The strangers all turn to Gerdimer Black.
and out, with no patience for nonsense and “He is my partner and tracker, and it is me
foolery. Gerdimer Black grows more watchful you should be talking to,” says Sigmyn irritably.
as well and jumps down from the stone, ready “So someone has taken your mother? Slavers I
for whatever may come. presume? Those dregs are multiplying like lice
“I’m told that you have come to Raven- in straw beds ever since the Blood Mist lifted.
land in search of a missing loved one,” begins No problem though, since you carry so much

the arrival of the seven

gold for her ransom. Leave it to us – though Talleman does not notice the smaller stranger
we need to know more in order to buy her free- until he is startled by a stab in his side.
dom. What does she look like, little mommy? “Run Gerdimer! Into the dark!”
Like her sons perhaps?” he grins. Like frightened rabbits the two merchants
The oarsman with the wooden mask shifts run off into the night without any masked
his eyes back to the halfling. strangers in pursuit.
“Where is the eighth mother, she who Gerdimer Black leads the way with his night
was taken?” vision and plows through the autumn cobwebs
Talleman glares back and spits at the mono- along the ground, opting for speed over stealth.
lith beside him. Has the stranger blinked even Only when they reach the forest will they go
once behind that mask? Who are these lunatics? silent and disappear. So angry and upset is the
Human sectarians, if his merchant instincts goblin that at first he does not even notice that
still serve him. You never know with those Sigmyn has fallen behind, which makes him
people. Had it not been for all that gold, the curse and head back. Carefully retracing his
halfling would already have gestured for Gerdi- steps, Gerdimer finds several of the strangers
mer to vanish into the night. crouched over his fallen partner, incapacitated
“The parts smell like one,” says one of the by the poisonous stab that almost instantly
strangers. Then the short-­statured employer paralyzed his muscles. One of the oarsmen is
steps forward and bows before he speaks. kneeling by the halfling’s side. He has put his
“None of the parts know anything about gloves and bone mask aside, but the hood droops
the mother,” the man explains to the masked over his face. The stranger sticks two fingers up
newcomers. Talleman’s nose, and as he pulls back his hand,
“It has masked its own thoughts,” replies the the hairs on Gerdimer’s back bristle – the fin-
man in the wooden mask. “The moonstone in gers have come loose from the body. The goblin
its chest will know. Let us question the stone.” cannot help whimpering when he sees them
“Moonstones? Do you also believe the fairy- slide of their own accord into his friend’s nasal
tales about Eor casting us into the world in cavity. As the stranger turns towards him, the
jealousy of the elves and getting us split into goblin screams at the top of his lungs and flees
two? In that case you would be better off seeing across the moor as fast as his legs can carry
a village priest who shares your views. Those him, for the stranger’s face belongs to neither
babbling loons are getting together to seek the human nor halfling, nor any other creature in
mythical moonstones in the Ashen Vale. Only the creation, but consists of a crawling mass of
death awaits them there, nothing more.” muscles slithering amongst one another.
“Reach into the moonstone in its chest!” The figures in black watch as blood starts
says the man in the wooden mask and the others pouring out of one, then two, and then all the
move closer. halfling’s orifices during the probe of his insides.
Gold or no gold – enough is enough. Afterwards the fingers do not leave through
But with his attention fixed on the tall folk, an existing exit, but simply burst through the

chapter 1
skin to be reunited with the body from whence
they came. The remains of Sigmyn Talleman
are still shaking, but it is unclear whether he
is conscious or even alive. The strangers do not
care either way.
“There is no moonstone.”
They all look around for the goblin who
disappeared into the night. Maybe they can
still sense him.
“Did we eat any thoughts about the
eighth mother?”
“There was no such thought, but it spoke
true about clerics seeking moonstones in the
Ashen Vale. It is my belief that the thieves
dissolved into two to push away any
memory of their theft.”
“Let us track them down and
remind them of their treachery!”
Without another word the oars­
men start to make their way inland,
leaving the halfling’s corpse
twitching in the stone circle.

the arrival of the seven

 INTRODUCTION

The prophet Fangler’s third eye opened in his forehead.

“Hear the god’s call! Wyrm shall be reborn in the Bloodmarch,
but the pendulum of time has been stolen!” shouted Fangler in
a shrill voice. “Retrieve the pendulum for the sake of our god!”
Ginmyn put down his beer and glanced at the Ad Vipera
­officer sitting beside him. “Should we take him now?”
“No.”
Ginmyn made the sign of Lemniscate across his chest.
“Surely you don’t believe that blasphemy about the god’s
rebirth in the Bloodmarch?”
“Lilies often grow out of dung. The prophet’s message
is of interest to the shedder Poansa, Do you question her?”
The officer bared a sharpened corner tooth.
Ginmyn put the tankard to his mouth to drown any
­further questions.

T
he Bloodmarch is Ravenland’s neighbor During the wars between King Algarod of
to the west, known for its barren plains Alderland and his renegade sorcerer Zygofer
and proud riders who worship the holy three hundred years ago, a horde of demons
volcano known as Horn. In Ravenland the coun- were summoned that slaughtered the Alder-
try is often referred to as the Ashen Vale, which lander armies in Ravenland. After losing control
is really just the eastern region. The only known of the demons, the sorcerer sent them to ravage
passageway between the countries is through the neighboring country of the Bloodmarch
Shadowgate Pass in the Thynde Range. while he himself desperately tried to block the

chapter 2
portals he had opened between the worlds. In Perhaps there is good soil to farm for those who
the legends this event is often referred to as can claim and defend a piece of land? Perhaps
the Demon Flood. the country’s treasures lie scattered among the
Zygofer managed to close the gates and many bones of the dead, there for the taking for who-
demons perished as the link to their own worlds ever gets there first?
was severed. Others remained – some in Raven- The village of Taregyll was founded almost
land, others in the Bloodmarch. Afraid that the immediately on the slopes just beyond Shad-
demons he had lured to the Bloodmarch would owgate Pass in the east part of the Ashen Vale.
one day return, the sorcerer made a deal with a Shacks were built and occupied. Adventurers,
demon prince to close Shadowgate Pass by per- mercenaries, treasure hunters, missionaries,
verting the very laws of nature in the area. The merchants, and refugees all come here from
pass has been blocked ever since, and few there- Ravenland. Taregyll is really nothing more than
fore know what has been going on in the neigh- a lawless backwater with a few simple shacks
boring country for the last three hundred years. built around a couple of inns. Aslenes from
However, during the battles of Vond a few the east have also come to Taregyll. Some weep
years ago (see Raven’s Purge) Shadowgate Pass with joy that the pass has opened to the world,
opened once more. No one knows why – per- while others warn strangers not to come here,
haps the demons guarding it died or found a way especially as a demonic plague haunts the entire
home to their own world. In any event, adven- region, where the woods are blood red and alive
turers and settlers are now gathering on the and awaiting their prey. Some Aslenes wish to
border of the Bloodmarch, enthralled with curi- barter with the newcomers or pay warriors to
osity after three centuries of separate existence. cleanse certain areas and take back the land
How much of the horse people’s country they once lost. There are rumors that the horse
survived the ravages of the demon horde? Is clans are uniting again under a strong leader
there nothing left but desolate wasteland, or farther inland to drive the demons from the
have its villages been rebuilt? Who lives there? Bloodmarch once and for all.

RAVEN’S PURGE
This book is chronologically set after the campaign Raven’s Purge which took place
in Ravenland. Some of the events described here began there, but it is not nec-
essary to have played Raven’s Purge before the campaign Legacy of Horn which is
included in this book. If the gaming group intends to play Raven’s Purge at some
point, it would be best to do so before embarking on The Bloodmarch.

introduction
 adventurers go searching for a set of holy weap-
OVERVIEW ons. The campaign can be played in a variety of
The Bloodmarch is a campaign module for the ways, each with a different focus. The adven-
Forbidden Lands roleplaying game. Here you turers can ally with or support either of the key
will find descriptions of the Bloodmarch region players, oppose them, or simply ignore them.
and its peoples, creatures, and terrain. Key play- The campaign brings the adventurers to various
ers are introduced along with their disagree- parts of the Bloodmarch and can be interspersed
ments and respective interests. with side quests if so desired.
Some of this is presented in the accom-
panying campaign Legacy of Horn where the
 THE JOURNEY to decide the reason for their journey to the
TO THE BLOODMARCH Bloodmarch. Here are some suggestions that
“Go west, young man, and grow with the land!” can easily be combined:

– From Ferrale Mutra’s speech to the banished PLUNDERERS: The player characters have
Alderlanders, before they were lowered from the heard that the country west of Ravenland has
bulwark of the Iron Lock. just been opened to outsiders. There will no
doubt be treasures to collect if they get there
The player characters will likely begin their early. If they do not wish to keep all the plunder
adventure as Ravenlanders or Alderlanders themselves, they can always find less scrupulous
who have come to Taregyll in the Ashen Vale merchants as well as a fence’s guild in Taregyll.
through Shadowgate Pass. You may choose These people will buy anything from equipment
another starting point, but you and the play- to jewelry and magical artifacts, and can even
ers must then explain who their characters are place orders on behalf of interested parties.
and how they ended up there. You are also free
SETTLERS: After the tumultuous events of
Raven’s Purge, many people just want a quiet place
to settle down, build a village, and farm the land.
Perhaps they go looking for it in the Bloodmarch, FROM THE BITTER REACH?
where vast areas are said to be deserted and the Some claim to have traveled
soil is fertilized with the volcanic ashes of Horn. under the mountains from the
Bitter Reach to the Bloodmarch,
RETUR NING CLA NSFOLK: Quards and using an old dwarf settlement
Galdanes, two horse clans originally from the called Järnhem northeast of the
Bloodmarch, fled to Ravenland before the Blood Bloodmarch. The tunnels are
Mist made all travel impossible three centuries supposedly connected to Belde-
ago. Many of them dream of returning to their rand and offer underground pas-
homeland now that it has been opened. The sage to the Bloodmarch from
player characters could lead a scouting party the icy Winding Ways of the
or an entire community to the west. Bitter Reach as well as from the
misty mountains of Ravenland.
ELVEN AGENTS: The elves of Ravenland Whether these stories are true
worry about their Aslene kinsfolk, the red elves, or not is highly unclear as most
whom the elders of the Stillmist say are in the dwarves will not say a word on
grip of a collective madness that makes them the matter.
do the demons’ bidding and dwell in the scarlet,
misgrown forests of the Bloodmarch.

ORC AMBASSADORS: It is said that the orcs of Before we continue it should be noted that the
the Bloodmarch were never subdued, and an orc first five chapters of this book can be read by
ambassador from someone like Emperor Hroka players and Gamemasters alike, while the texts,
of the Urhur clan could be sent to seek contact illustrations, and maps in chapter 6 onward are
and form an alliance with them. for the Gamemaster’s eyes only.

12

chapter 2
 THE LAY
OF THE LAND

“The plains of the Bloodmarch once blossomed so abundantly

that hot days would see rivers of nectar flow through the
vales. The mountains yielded ore so pure that shards of
unforged iron could be used for axes. Of course, this was
before the Demon Flood. Ever since the sorcerer Zygofer had
his demonic hordes lay waste to the country ten generations
before us, the land has been dead and deserted, apart from
the twisted nightmares that now roam its plains and forests.
Yet there should be much treasure to find for those brave
enough to face their fears. Some say the demons no longer
howl with hunger as they used to and that the clans are
riding once more to drive the abominations out.”

T
he Bloodmarch is located on the same are also areas resting on white limestone. These
parallel as Ravenland and its climate is lie outside the horse people’s territory, since
similar, only hotter and drier since it is they believe that the volcano god Horn is not
farther away from the sea. The central plains present there.
have volcanic soil and are rich with dark sand The Bloodmarch is surrounded by moun-
mixed with fertile ash. tains with only a few passes. Tall and strange
Before the Demon Flood there were many rock formations are a common sight, especially
villages along the outskirts of these plains, in the east. All the rivers draining the moun-
often located close to one another to better tains are said to converge in the south, where
defend against plundering horse clans. There they are swallowed by the earth.

13

the lay of the land

 Closer up the trees are blood red and malicious,
NATURE IN THE with flowers that glow in strange colors and appear

BLOODMARCH to be watching strangers by turning their heads

towards them. Some say that the air in the Crim-
son Forests is laden with the flowers’ fumes, as
CRIMSON FORESTS imperceptible as they are poisonous.
The main feature that distinguishes the Blood- The vegetation is said to have a mind and will
march’s natural environment from that of its of its own. It harbors predatory creatures that
neighboring countries is that the vegetation are neither plant nor beast. People living near
in certain areas has been tainted by demonic these places say that visitors are changed after
influences. Such places are commonly known spending time in a Crimson Forest – a malady
as Crimson Forests. they carry with them, if they manage to leave
From a distance the forest looks as if a moun- the area at all. Red elves are the only kin in the
tain of entrails has been poured over the landscape. Bloodmarch that live in the Crimson Forests.
 FIRELANDS
Firelands are another geographical feature of the KIN & GODS
Bloodmarch. Here the magma flows so close to This section describes the kin inhabiting the
the surface that it burns bare feet. In some places Bloodmarch and the gods they worship.
the magma even sees daylight. Entire landscapes
can be ablaze, while boiling water erupts into
the sky. There is not much life in the Firelands, THE HORSE CLANS
but since it is considered sacred by the priests of Most humans in the Bloodmarch belong to one
Horn a couple of temples have been built where of the five horse clans that each have claimed one
the earth’s crust is thick enough. of the country’s central plains. Being nomads,
the clans have no problem with friendly outsid-
ers visiting their land and taking what they need
ASHLANDS to survive, but anything of economic value such
Ashlands are barren black deserts of volcanic ash. as permanent settlements and trading caravans
Traveling through the Ashlands is dangerous since requires the approval of the respective chieftains
there is nothing to eat or drink. During droughts and a tribute equivalent to one-­tenth of the value.
the wind carries so much ash that it impairs one’s The five horse clans are named after the five
vision. Furthermore, the particles can be toxic dormant volcanos of the Bloodmarch, which are
to inhale. Rain turns the ash into black mud. A thought to be the sons of the volcano god Horn.
light rain is ideal for travel since it binds the dust These clans are called Houns, Sabirians, Caberi-
while the ground remains firm. Ash merchants ans, Galdanes, and Quards. The clans believe that
and mineral collectors are often encamped nearby, they are born from the volcano god Horn, who
only scouring the Ashlands for commodities when gave them their land and the astra to drive out
the weather permits. Humans can sometimes dis- the indigenous people called Vasnians. A more
appear without a trace in the Ashlands, and some historical analysis suggests that the horsefolk
say the ashes are crawling with hidden predators. arrived more than a thousand years ago from the
Drawn Lands in the west, expelled the Vasnians,
and adopted the god Horn as their principal deity,
FOOD AND WATER likely influenced by the dwarves of Eldhem. The
Travelers may have difficulty finding food and water clans strongly disapprove of the latter description.
in the hotter, more arid parts of the Bloodmarch
and should replenish their supplies whenever pos- HOUNS: Sella the Liberator who once liber-
sible. In the new terrain types, Ashlands and Fire- ated the Bloodmarch and organized the horse-
lands, food and water are scarce and what little water folk into clans is thought to have belonged to
they contain is undrinkable (page 41). People the Houns, which makes the clan in question
who value their health and sanity should never think of themselves as more special than the
drink or eat anything from the Crimson Forests, others. There are few of them left, as their clan
though alchemists and obscure thinkers see these was decimated during the Demon Flood and
raw materials as opportunities rather than threats. their territory is largely dominated by Crimson

16

chapter 3
Forest. They maintain a good relationship with Kanender the Mad managed to break through
the horned dwarves of Firestead. the enemy and escape through Shadowgate Pass
The young Houn chieftain is called Selligar into Ravenland, where many Galdanes remained.
Horne of Havenmark and is trying to unite Now that their homeland has opened, many have
the clans. returned to be reunited with the small number
of survivors who are still scraping by back home.
SABIRIANS: The Sabirians were warned in The leader of the Galdanes in Ravenland
advance of the Demon Flood and had time is Kormella Mira of Moldena, a descendant of
to prepare, though they believe that they are Kanender the Mad. Her lineage gives her prestige
stronger, more virile, and more capable than among her own people, but the Aslene Galdanes
the Houns and that they therefore dominate by regard Kanender as a traitor. However, Kormella
right. The Sabirians have formed a loose alli- is known as one of the finest horse warriors there
ance with the Caberians with many marriages is, hard as stone toward friends and enemies alike.
between the clans. Sabirians think that they are She hates demons and followers of Rust, but seeks
the best riders and have the best horses, includ- closer relations with the Quards to counter the
ing the legendary winged steeds. alliance between the Sabirians and Caberians.
The Sabirians’ chieftain is Mommodar the Trandesso Haveman is the leader of the
Gnawer, an aged and cunning warrior. Mom- Aslene Galdanes. He is an unimaginative tra-
modar disapproves of Selligar Horne’s claim to ditionalist who cares more about his own and
leadership over the clans and considers himself his people’s pride than about preparing them
a better alternative. for a changing future.

CABERIANS: The Caberians have traditionally QUARDS: The Quards have long waged war on
been at war with the Alderlanders, who every so the indigenous Vasnians and never really recov-
often would attack through Gander’s Pass before it ered from the devastation of the Demon Flood.
was blocked by the Demon Flood. The Caberians Quards are often distrustful and mostly want to
value traditional masculinity. Weapon smithing, be left alone. Groups of Quards have returned
combat training, and the skaldic arts are central to the homeland since Shadowgate Pass was
to their way of life. Typical Caberians are easily reopened, but their Aslene brothers and sisters
offended and quick to challenge someone to a duel. think that dishonorable practices like farm-
The Caberian chieftain is Merdekai, a scarred ing have made them soft. Loyal to their own
and imposing horse warrior in his mid-­forties. kind, the Quards have nevertheless allowed the
Merdekai supports Mommodar the Gnawer’s returnees to stay in the Crimson Forest by the
claim as leader of all the clans. lake Greyne, but will not help them cleanse the
area of demonic plague.
GALDANES: The Galdanes were hit first by the The Quards’ chieftain is called Jorgundos Ash,
Demon Flood as their territory shares a border a quiet man regarded as a just and attentive leader,
with Ravenland. Totally unprepared, the clan though he is notoriously difficult to convince of
was slaughtered in droves before the legendary anything he does not already know or believe.

17

the lay of the land

 HORN AND HAVE for Sella the Liberator. Clan legends
state that Horn gave them his astra
for the war with the Vasnians, but the
dwarves simply thought it was safest to
have others test their new and powerful
weapons, which were expected to have
At the start of the game, Horn is the serious side effects. Most of the dwarven
only active volcano in the Bloodmarch. technology that forged Horn’s Astra was
The country’s horse clans and dwarves lost during the demon invasion.
worship the volcano as their god and The priests believe that Horn in
father. Myth has it that Horn gave the recent centuries has brought demons
clans their horses at the time of Sella and other ills upon the Bloodmarch
the Liberator and later helped them free because the horse clans did not get
the land from Vasnian hordes. Some- along after the liberation. Now he puts
times Horn erupts with fiery rage, but their faith and strength to the test one
for the most part he sends out clouds of last time to see if they can unite and
fertile ash which allow grass and herbs drive out their common enemies. Sel-
to thrive in the Bloodmarch. His sons ligar Horne of Havemark has accepted
are the five dormant volcanoes that lent the challenge with the support of Liko-
their names to the horse clans. Most lapis, high priest of Horn at Ashenstead
of the Bloodmarch rests on volcanic on Mount Faltenvil.
ground, save for a few smaller areas Have, “the Blue Goddess,”, is the
around Oxengelder which the power of horse clans’ fire goddess and wife of
Horn cannot reach. As GM you are free Horn. She ignites the inner fire in people,
to place the adventure site Oxengelder whether it be rage, love, or a burning
anywhere on the map. The hexagon passion for one’s work. To “have” is to
with Oxengelder and all land within two be filled with Have’s passion, and to “be
hexagons of it have a limestone base. having” is to carry a child, a dream, or an
To the horse clans, Horn is the god of ability. Have is therefore the goddess
power, construction, and creation, while of war, love, and fertility, but also the
Have has become a goddess of fire and source of learning and creativity.
fertility. The center for worshiping both Devotees of Have are sworn enemies
deities is the temple of Ashenstead on of all demons, particularly the demonic
Mount Faltenvil, an adventure site you red vegetation that threatens the land
may place anywhere on the plains. in the name of the god Rubor. The Pyro-
Despite their differences, the horse lytes are a cult of demon hunters within
clans get on well with the dwarven fol- the Church of Have. Their order produces
lowers of Horn. As a matter of fact, it was holy fire and blue tar, both of which
the dwarves who first encouraged them increase damage to demons. Both can
to worship Horn and forged Horn’s Astra be picked up at the Temple of Have.

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chapter 3
 VASNIANS in an unspoiled environment. Most of the ref-
The Bloodmarch’s indigenous population are ugees worship the gods Raven or Wyrm.
called Vasnians, named after the region of
Vasnia in the north, which they still inhabit ALDERLANDERS: Rumor has it that Rust
in great numbers. Vasnians could be found all Churches in both Ravenland and Alderland are
over the Bloodmarch before the horse people keeping an eye on the newly opened Bloodmarch,
arrived from The Drawn Lands in the west. and that they have sent scouts on reconnaissance
Vasnians are said to have a bit of orc blood in missions for a future invasion. The Congrega-
their veins, and they live in close contact with the tion of the Serpent in Alderland is also said to
region’s orcs and wolfkin. The horse clans assert have sent troops to the Bloodmarch – some say
that the Bloodmarch was given to them by Horn in search of a savior.
and that Vasnians were the weed that had to be
removed. Vasnians, on the other hand, maintain
that the clans stole the Bloodmarch from them. ELVES
Vasnians are physically strong and sturdy. RED ELVES: The elves of the Bloodmarch are
They have no written language and cherish the known as red elves, due to their more or less
oral tradition, which has led the clans to look red skin, hair, and clothes. Everyone else looks
down on them as a lesser people. But Vasnians at them with suspicion. The prevailing belief,
see themselves as part of nature, interconnected even among elves from Ravenland, is that they
with all living things, rather than individuals. were driven mad by the demonic plague. The
Like the orcs they worship the goddess Volitia. red elves apparently want nothing to do with
Many Vasnians dream of reclaiming their land, anyone else, and keep to themselves in the slimy
including the prominent leader Konana. gloom of the Crimson Forests.
They seem to be utterly loyal to their leader,
Vaerefor van Reiben, who dreams of a completely
RAVENLANDERS demonified world in the name of the god Rubor.
AND ALDERLANDERS Red elves are said to believe that red is the only
Besides the horse clans and Vasnians there are natural color, while all other colors were created
humans of more mixed descent in the Bloodmarch. by the evil god Kolor in mockery of creation.
Most of them make their living as farmers in forti- Red elves often ride on the backs of strange
fied villages at the edge of forests, on plains and hills. creatures from the Crimson Forest, mainly sar-
coptes and slimeshells. There are humans who
SETTLERS: In recent years, settlers have been have joined the red elves’ cause and are serving
pouring in from Ravenland, trying to survive as as their agents beyond the Crimson Forests.
best they can under threat from various demons,
plundering riders, or “adventurers” scourging RAVENLANDER ELVES: Apart from red elves,
the land. Some settlers are religious refugees one may also encounter regular elves from Raven-
who have fled their homes to escape persecution land in the Bloodmarch – visitors who are often

19

the lay of the land

sent to locate, investigate, and perhaps remedy what dwarves view him as the malleable aspect of
has happened in the Bloodmarch, retrieve some the stone god Huge.
missing object, or root out some unnatural being. Aslene priests of Horn have developed a spe-
cial form of Stone Singing called Magma Sing-
HALF ELVES: Half elves are rare in the Blood- ing, which allows them to mold buildings. The
march and the ones encountered there usually come Aslene dwarves abolished their clan system as
from Ravenland. The region’s red elves appear not clan wars made it possible for demons to invade
to breed with humans, but there may be exceptions. Firestead as well.

MOON ELVES: Moon elves are so rare that

some even doubt their existence, but many swear ORCS
that there really are moon elves hiding in cer- Volitia, Volitia, mother of all
tain parts of the Bloodmarch. Moon elves are Heed your loyal servant’s call
said to be humanoid creatures with pale, bluish For the might you our kind gave
skin and white hair. Whether they really are I will make your foe my slave
related to elves is a matter of dispute. According
to myth, they are cursed by the god Wyrm and – Orcish lullaby
carry a moonstone in their chest rather than
the ruby of other elves. Moon elves are skilled Unlike their brethren in Ravenland, the orcs
in illusory magic and vanish without a trace of the Bloodmarch were never enslaved by elves
as soon as anyone catches a glimpse of them. or dwarves. They believe themselves to be the
oldest and most primordial kin in the world,
molded from the first soil by the creator god
DWARVES Clay. The orcs worship their goddess Volitia and
The dwarves of the Bloodmarch are based in Fire- male orcs are expected to complete her creation
stead, where they through isolation have managed and purpose, called Étosh.
to defend their only city, Helya, from the demonic The Aslene orcs move around in small
plague. Aslene dwarves have a horn jutting from family units and make their living hunting,
their forehead and call themselves Caprids. Kulli is gathering, and plundering. They hold regular
their derogatory word for hornless dwarves, whom assemblies where representatives of each group
they consider weak degenerates. Other hornless make pacts and mete out justice. The female
creatures such as humans and elves are lumped orcs’ position is as strong as it is in Ravenland.
together under the name baas kulli – lesser kulli. Orcs tend to live in peace with both Vasnians
In return, hornless dwarves often imply that the and the region’s wolfkin.
Caprids have horns because their ancestors were On the one hand, the Aslene orcs despise
so ugly they had to mate with goats. their relatives in Ravenland for allowing them-
Caprids worship the volcano Horn. The selves to be subjugated by dwarves and elves, and
god Horn is also called Warm Huge since the even worse, trying to emulate them. Aslene orcs

20

chapter 3
believe that an orc simply is, and does not need They have common enemies in the plain-­
to become anything. Anything new will only dwelling humans, as well as dwarves and elves.
dilute the old ideals and the message of Voli- The only real negotiations between the countries’
tia. On the other hand, the leaders understand orcs are handled by females, since the males
the power of unity within their kin, not least have a tendency to mock and start killing each
because the orcs in Ravenland far outnumber other. The Sisterhood of Viraga in Ravenland
the ones in the Bloodmarch. has representatives in Vasnia.

VOLITIA AND ÉTOSH creatures and celebrate victories; males

The all-mother Volitia is a pantheistic fight for rank and hunts are arranged
forest goddess who ordered the cre- where ecstatic females hunt down prey
ator Klei (the orcs’ name for Clay) to which are torn apart while still alive and
create the world simply because she finally devoured. There are no religious
could and wanted to. The purpose of buildings or scriptures since the orcs
the living is to, like Klei, fulfill their roles of the Bloodmarch despise all writing.
according to Volitia’s intentions which The Sisterhood of Viraga has no pres-
is evident in nature. ence in the Bloodmarch, but the female
The orcs think they are closer to the orcs wield as much power as they do in
all-mother than anyone else and that Ravenland.
their primary duty is to reflect her in Étosh is not a god, but a term for
the world – through desire and capac- Volitia’s will, intention, and creation.
ity. The desire is for pride, authenticity, Males are supposed to embody Étosh
procreation, power, and independence, through manly deeds, such as war, song,
while capacity is the ability to over- competition, procreation, and dom-
come challenges and dominate weaker ination. They see themselves as the
kin. Desire is mainly considered a female all-mother’s tools and their accomplish-
virtue and capacity a male one, but they ments are what matters. A good male is
are intertwined into a whole. capable, commanding, strong-willed, and
The religion’s practice is simple, produces strong offspring. Worthiness
with orally preserved rituals, trials, before Volitia is often displayed through
and sacrifices, where old trees, glades, religious symbols of varying complexity.
and rock formations are often used as It is possible to ritually challenge others
alters. At the cult sites they sacrifice for ownership of such symbols.

21

the lay of the land

 WOLFKIN
There have been wolfkin in the Bloodmarch for
a very long time. They are more confident than
their fellow kinsfolk in Ravenland, and nobody
sees them as the spawn of demons. It is instead
said that the wolfkin of the Bloodmarch were
created long ago by the Nightwalker Guard
for a specific purpose now forgotten,
though it is supposedly hidden in
their noses. Wolfkin in the Blood-
march often mingle with orcs
and will sometimes pro-
duce offspring with
one another, known
as grargs.

GRARGS: Grargs are bulkier, more

aggressive, and more animalistic than
ordinary wolfkin. They also have tusks
which make them look like wild boar
on two legs. Grargs often move around
the dwellings without living in them,
because they are temperamental, ster-
ile, and unable to form packs, but they
can participate in hunts and battles
alongside their relatives on both sides.
The wolfkin keep them on a tight leash
and do not hesitate to kill grargs who
pose a threat to their young. In major
battles the orcs will sometimes arm
grargs with heavy knuckledusters and
other crude weapons, drug them into
a frenzy, and use them as vanguards
on the battlefield where they advance
like flesh-­tearing windmills.

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chapter 3
 THE NIGHTWALKER GUARD the [Ranghöge], the wolfkin strive to
become one with him under his leader-
ship. To find one’s place in the herd and
live one’s life accordingly is usually how
wolfkin define the meaning of life.
Worshipers of the Nightwalker
The Nightwalker, who in the Blood- often accept the moon goddess Eor
march is commonly known as the as the god’s helper, his eyes, and
Nightwalker Guard or simply Guard, sometimes his wife. The shadowy mist
watches from the transitions of life. His creatures known as umbras which can
two faces peer into this world as well sometimes be glimpsed at dusk and
as the next. In other words, he exists dawn are believed to be sent by Guard
between day and night, life and death, to report on what they see and hear.
sleep and wakefulness. The god also has his own cult in the
Wolfkin in the Bloodmarch refer Bloodmarch – the Order of Egression,
to the Nightwalker as the [Ranghöge] who in the name of Guard bring peace
and see him as the protector of night- to the dead so that they can move on
time creatures. Rather than praying to from this life.

HALFLINGS AND GOBLINS

There are few native halflings in the Blood- REGIONS
march, though small groups of them are
rumored to dwell in secluded valleys. They ASHENVALE
are very shy, but also much more sympathetic The eastern plain of the Bloodmarch is called
towards each other than in Ravenland. Perhaps Ashenvale and was traditionally home to the
it is true that moon elves and wolfkin before the Galdane horse clan. This part of the Blood-
Demon Flood would hunt and kill these two kin, march was hit hardest and without warning by
who never again trusted anyone but each other. the Demon Flood in the year 875 AS, where-
The halflings and goblins encountered in the upon the Galdanes who did not make it to
Bloodmarch come almost exclusively from Raven- Ravenland were virtually wiped out, at least
land. They are pilgrims in search of the moon- in their human form. The clan has recovered
stones that some say were torn from their chests somewhat in recent years, but is still weak and
when their kin was split into halflings and goblins. few in number.

23

the lay of the land

 Contrary to what some people believe, the
region is not named the Ashenvale after the dev-
astation, but because its soil consists of grayish
EOR black volcanic ashes from the volcano Horn.
Halflings and goblins worship This ash is highly fertile as long as it is irrigated.
the moon goddess Eor and think Many Ravenlanders mistakenly believe that the
of her as their mother. Other entire Bloodmarch is called the Ashenvale, since
kin generally dislike the moon, they do not know about its more remote areas.
which they perceive as false and
scheming. In Ravenland mythol-
ogy, Eor was jealous when the THE BLACK
Red Wanderer of the sky cast The Black north of the Ashen Vale is even
rubies into the world and cre- blacker with Horn’s volcanic ashes. It also
ated the elves. She therefore has cliffs of obsidian – black volcanic glass –
sent down her own moonstones a traditional material for temples, sculptures,
from which the nocturnal moon weapons, jewelry, and talismans throughout
elves were born. the Bloodmarch. The rocky black landscape is
But at the time of the Shift, streaked with porous white cinder, which creates
when the Raven God divided a strange contrast throughout the entire region.
the land, the moon elves tried The Black and Vasnia in the north first
to trick him. As punishment he belonged to the country’s indigenous people,
tore the moonstones form their Vasnians, and later to the Quard horse clan. The
chests and split their kin into Quards were at constant war with the Galdane
halflings and goblins. The moon- and Houn clans from Havemark. Six centuries
stones were allegedly hidden in ago, a large group of Quards emigrated to Raven-
the Bloodmarch. land. The descendants of those who stayed behind,
In the Bloodmarch, Eor is only who were also decimated by demons, still portray
worshiped by halflings and gob- them as weaklings and traitors in their stories.
lins from the outside world. They
revere salt as holy dust fallen
from the moon. It can penetrate VASNIA
anything and be ritually purified Vasnia is a more mountainous and less accessible
into a powder so holy that it region dominated by the Bloodmarch’s indige-
preserves food from rot. nous people, the Vasnians. There are plenty of
orcs and wolfkin as well. The horse clans will
usually not enter Vasnia unless they are many
and well-­armed, since they are not viewed favor-
ably there. There are rumors about a few heavily

24

chapter 3
fortified villages built around ore deposits, but a foothold in Firestead as well. But the country
otherwise Vasnia consists almost entirely of is still relatively unscathed by the demons’ rav-
wilderness. The Quards maintain a nominal ages, partly because there is not much to destroy.
claim on Vasnia, but in practice they have no The dwarves are relentlessly hunting down all
control over the region. hateful miscreations and digging lava ditches
through the use of magma singing.

HAVENMARK
Havenmark is named after the volcano god’s wife, THE WAILING
Have. The region was once lush and beautiful The wind-­swept plain of The Wailing is named
with verdant hills and woods where elves and after the goddess Wail. Here, like in the even
humans lived in peace with each other. Now the stormier Kreysel, the Sabirian horse clan once
land is badly tainted with demon plague and the rode on their winged steeds. The eastern part of
very center of the unnatural vegetation’s spread. The Wailing is often called the Forest of Stone
Most who are not red elves stay away from there. because of its numerous ravines and pillar-­like
The Houn clan that once ruled Havenmark cliffs. It is believed that the horses who roamed
is all but extinct and its few surviving members this area before the humans arrived developed
tend to avoid both humans and other kin, but wings so they would be able to move through
have nevertheless been energized by their strong the immense landscape and escape predators.
young leader Selligar Horne. The consensus in The Sabirians are now as divided as the other
the Bloodmarch is that Alderland somehow horse clans in the Bloodmarch.
contributed to the Houn’s downfall through
betrayal. But then again, malicious rumors
about the Alderlanders spread like weed in the KREYSEL
Bloodmarch. The plain narrows toward the west into the
Screaming Land of Kreysel. Here the west wind
howls so strongly and fiercely that few creatures
FIRESTEAD can survive for long. The enduring plants are
A river of lava known as Burn flows westward thick and grow along the ground, while animals
from the volcano Horn until it crashes down in the region have developed turtle-­like legs so
into the wide gorge called Scorne Gorge. The as not to get swept away. The wind grew stronger
dwarven realm north of Burn is called Firestead during the Demon Flood, likely enhanced by
and coped fairly well with the Demon Flood, magical means as the sorcerers of The Drawn
since the dwarves during the worst attacks man- Lands beyond Kreysel closed the passage to pro-
aged to hold [Grinagap], the only natural bridge tect themselves. Anyone who travels west will
over the lava river. However, as civil war broke eventually be stopped by the raging hurricane
out between two dwarven clans, the Tarkins near the boundaries of The Drawn Lands. No
joined forces with demons who thereby gained one knows what lies beyond.

25

the lay of the land

 STRILLING VARINA
Strilling mainly consists of arid shrublands The southwest corner of the Bloodmarch is hill-
where carnivorous dread raptors prey on wild ier than the plains up north. The landscape grad-
horses and whatever else they can find. The ually rises into a highland towards the [rand-
regions of Strilling and Druma traditionally bergen] in the southeast. It is a beautiful place,
belonged to the Caberian horse clan, a militant but nevertheless avoided by the horse clans who
warrior clan where young children were taught think it lies beyond the domains of the volcano
to fight on horseback before they could walk. In god Horn. Furthermore, the region is ill-­suited
fact, it is said that Caberian warriors cannot for riding as stones will often come loose under
walk even as adults because they rarely leave the horses’ hooves and cause them to stumble.
their saddles, which has left them so bowlegged
that they can only waddle along like ducks, to
the amusement of others. HADRUMA
The highland of Hadruma rises towards Gan-
der’s Pass in the southeast. It has been a devas-
DRUMA tated area for as long as anyone can remember,
Druma could have been a pleasant, undu- populated exclusively by vultures and wild dogs.
lating land with lush forests, if not for the On its barren slopes lie the bones and armor
constant battles between the Bloodmarch parts of countless generations, withered and
and Alderland that were fought there. At trampled by subsequent armies.
the time of the wars there were a number of The Gander, a special guild of mages honored
fortifications in the area – not only walls, by both sides, watched over the pass for as long as it
palisades, and forts, but specially prepared was open, but never favored either side in the wars.
plains, cleared and hardened to facilitate cav- The eight wisest of the Gander climbed up the
alry charges. Ever since the route to Alder- gigantic pillars that lined the pass and stayed there
land was closed during the Demon Flood, for the rest of their lives, at the end of which they
the region has fallen into relative obscurity hurled themselves to the ground below. Anyone
and a certain calm has settled there in recent who wanted could climb the eight pillars, known
centuries. Unfortunately, this calm is not as [Gåsbenen], to seek advice and prophecies.
only suitable to farmers, but also to demons During the Demon Flood, the sides of Gan-
trying to establish themselves in the world der’s Pass collapsed into several of the pillars and
of humans. the pass has been blocked ever since. No one knows
whether the collapse was caused by an earthquake
or if the Gander triggered it themselves.

26

chapter 3
 MAGIC

Lancer Ergenman woke with a whimper, sweaty on his

bed of straw. He pinched the twigs to regain the sensation in
his fingers
“Now do you recognize the power of the goddess Oneira?”
asked Bretella with a smile that was less than friendly.
“Everyone has nightmares,” answered the warrior sourly.
“That doesn’t mean I believe in dream ghosts!”
The woman eyed him. Suddenly she ripped off the man’s
right hand and took a bite out of it, and from the wound
poured not blood, but wine.
“Beware, blasphemer, and choose your words carefully if
you ever want to wake again, for you are still in the dream
realm of Oneira.”

A
ll spells from the Player’s Handbook in the start of the game, but must find masters
the base game are found in the Blood- willing to teach them.
march as well. In addition, there are Furthermore, there are local orders and
three new schools of magic: Magma Song as cults that can cast spells from already exist-
practiced by the country’s priests of Horn, Men- ing magical traditions. These are the Order
talism as practiced by the moon elves of the of Egression (Blood Magic), the Pyrolytes (Ele-
Bloodmarch, and Oneiromancy as it is taught mental Magic and Healing), and Ad Vipera
by the followers of the Dreamstress (page 96). (Shapeshifting). The Order of the Ironbrows from
Adventurers who were not born in the Blood- Alderland also has magnetic abilities similar
march cannot know these magical traditions at to magic.

27

magic
 IGNITE
MAGMA SONG ✥ R ANK: 1
Magma Song is a sub-­tradition of Stone Song, ✥ R ANGE: Near
dedicated to the volcano god Horn in the Blood- ✥ DUR ATION: Immediate
march. Magma singers can control lava, fire, ✥ INGREDIENT: Fire
and hot water. Dwarven priests of Horn can
learn both Stone Song and Magma Song, but By manipulating the element of fire, you can
must increase their ranks in the sub-­traditions cause an inanimate object to suddenly burst
separately. Magma singers of other kin usually into flames. If the spell is used on a carried
do not know Stone Song. object, its bearer must drop the object or suffer
Magma singers believe in the memory and one point of damage to Strength. If used on
potential of matter. They turn stone into lava clothes or armor, the wearer suffers an attack
by awakening its memory of what it once was, with a number of base dice equal to double the
rather than by adding energy. That is why Power Level (Weapon Damage 1, non-­t ypical).
Magma Song does not work on limestone or The victim catches fire and keeps taking one
sandstone, which were never magma. Likewise, point of damage per round until the fire is put
water can be turned into steam by making it out with a successful MOVE roll. Armor does
realize and fulfill its potential. Understanding not protect against this spell.
and empathy are central in the lives of magma
singers. Poetry is therefore highly valued by
these priests.

MAGMA SONG
SPELL RANK
Ignite 1
Fire’s Friend 1
Mold Stone 1
Fire Memory 2
Water Memory 2
Steam Flight 2
Magma Cascade 3
Firewall 3
Summon Fire Wyrm 3

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chapter 4
 FIRE’S FRIEND MOLD STONE
✥ R ANK: 1 ✥ R ANK: 1
✥ R ANGE: Personal ✥ R ANGE: Short
✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level ✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level
✥ INGREDIENT: A pinch of sulfur ✥ INGREDIENT: Liquid lava or metal

For the duration of the spell, you become You can make hot, liquid stone or metal shape
immune to all forms of fire, including dragon itself and solidify in any rough-­cut form you
fire and lava. For each Power Level another want. Up to one cubic meter of material can
person in your vicinity can become fire’s friend be shaped per Power Level. The molded mass
too. However, the spell does not protect equip- remembers and retains the desired shape when
ment or clothes. it cools and becomes solid. More precise shapes
require a CRAFTING roll and molding weapons
requires the SMITH talent. You can use this
spell to form ten balls of stone for the spell
Magma Cascade.
 FIRE MEMORY STEAM FLIGHT
✥ R ANK: 2 ✥ R ANK: 2
✥ R ANGE: Near ✥ R ANGE: Personal
✥ DUR ATION: Immediate ✥ DUR ATION: One round per Power Level
✥ INGREDIENT: A fistful of sand thrown and two liters of water
at the stone ✥ INGREDIENT: A container of water
­carried in one’s arms
You can instantly melt stone into lava. Up to a
cubic meter of stone can be melted per Power You can make steam shoot out of a carried water
Level. Fire Memory only affects stone that container with such force that you are lifted off
was once lava – not marble or other kinds of the ground, either rising vertically one meter
limestone. per round or flying horizontally one zone per
round until the effect wears off or the water
runs out. If aimed at a living creature within
WATER MEMORY ARM’S LENGTH range, the steam inflicts one
✥ R ANK: 2 point of damage to Strength per round.
✥ R ANGE: Short
✥ DUR ATION: Immediate
✥ INGREDIENT: Some form of smoke or MAGMA CASCADE
steam in your vicinity ✥ R ANK: 3
✥ R ANGE: Short
You can make water instantly go from ice to cold ✥ DUR ATION: Immediate
water to warm water to steam or vice versa, one ✥ INGREDIENT: A fist-­sized stone
step per Power Level. The spell can affect up
to two liters of water per Power Level. A con- You can make a fist-­sized chunk of volcanic rock
tainer whose liquid is vaporized explodes and explode in a cascade of magma that burns anyone
inflicts one point of damage per Power Level standing too close and sets fire to combustible
to Strength on everyone within ARM’S LENGTH objects. The stone can explode in the desired
range. Water that is instantly frozen can shat- location with a successful MARKSMANSHIP roll;
ter a lock or container and cause opponents to otherwise the explosion takes place within NEAR
slip unless they succeed with a MOVE roll. The range of the location in question. Alternatively,
water inside living creatures cannot be affected. you can make a suitable stone on the ground
Bonus: You can heat or cool the beverage explode in a magma cascade just as the target
in your cup to a suitable drinking tempera- walks by, without making a skill roll. Everyone
ture without spending Willpower Points or roll- within ARM’S LENGTH range of the explosion
ing dice. Furthermore, you are not negatively suffers one point of damage to Strength per
affected by changes in weather temperature. Power Level.

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chapter 4
 FIREWALL ✥ INGREDIENT: A spear stuck into the
✥ R ANK: 3 ground and broken
✥ R ANGE: Short
✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level You can summon a fire wyrm (page 111) from
✥ INGREDIENT: Pulverized coal beneath the earth as long as you are standing
on volcanic ground. The fire wyrm arrives in
You cause a one-­meter-­thick horizontal or ver- one turn and attacks everything in sight, except
tical firewall to burst out of a volcanic rock. the person who summoned it. The fire wyrm
The flames stretch one meter from the rock cannot burst through solid rock, but can hurl up
per Power Level and cover up to three meters to half its body onto the rock in order to attack.
in width per Power Level. Anyone who tries
to pass through the wall suffers one point of
damage to Strength per Power Level.

MENTALISM
SUMMON FIRE WYRM The moon elves of Anoma beyond the seas were
✥ R ANK: 3 masters of mentalism, a magical tradition that
✥ R ANGE: Can be summoned within affects the perception, memory, and will of
Short–Long range intelligent creatures. They stole the Eight
✥ DUR ATION: Attack by a fire wyrm. Mother from the worm people and fled, first to
The Power Level determines the size of Ravenland and then onwards to Aslene. Modern
the wyrm. moon elves have lost much of this knowledge,
but are still excellent manipulators.

MENTALISM
SPELL RANK MENTAL STRENGTH
Mental Strength 1 ✥ R ANK: 1

Wordplay 1 ✥ R ANGE: Near

Traceless 1 ✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level

Confusion 2
You can make one allied person or creature per
Amnesia 2
Power Level immune to all damage to Wits and
Truth Sense 2
Empathy, as well as all fear attacks. When tar-
False Shape 3 geted by magical attacks against these attributes,
Fata Morgana 3 the person can make an INSIGHT roll (not an
Geas 3 action) with a positive modification equal to
the Power Level to resist the attack. The roll
cannot be pushed.

31

magic
 WORDPLAY suffering a critical injury) and incapable of
✥ R ANK: 1 rational thought. The victim must make an
✥ R ANGE: Near INSIGHT roll (not an action) with a negative
✥ DUR ATION: Permanent modification equal to the Power Level to resist
the spell. The roll cannot be pushed. Once the
You can make one person per Power Level rein- spell wears off the person recovers one point
terpret what is said by using an ambiguous or of Wits per round.
homonymous word – i.e. a word or phrase that
sounds the same but means something else.
Example: “So you will give me this animal?” AMNESIA
when you are negotiating to buy a ewe, after ✥ R ANK: 2
which the farmer gives you the animal for free. ✥ R ANGE: Short
✥ DUR ATION: Permanent

TRACELESS You can make one intelligent person per Power

✥ R ANK: 1 Level forget what happened during the previ-
✥ R ANGE: Personal ous turn. The victim must make an INSIGHT
✥ DUR ATION: One hour per Power Level roll (not an action) with a negative modifica-
tion equal to the Power Level to resist the spell.
Any trace of you and one other person or crea- The roll cannot be pushed. An affected person
ture per Power Level is completely altered for is not changed in any other way, but must reas-
the duration of the spell. You do not become sess the situation.
invisible, but your appearance, voice, body lan-
guage, scent, and other personal traits change
so that even a trained bloodhound immediately TRUTH SENSE
loses your trail. You cannot control how others ✥ R ANK: 2
perceive you – that is randomized or decided ✥ R ANGE: Near
by the GM. ✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level
✥ INGREDIENT: A nut

CONFUSION The spell lets you tell if someone is lying, see

✥ R ANK: 2 through illusions, and understand what some-
✥ R ANGE: Short thing hidden or distorted really is. For each
✥ DUR ATION: One round per Power Level Power Level the GM reveals something signif-
icant about the thing’s true nature.
You can briefly reduce another person’s Wits
to zero, which renders them Broken (without

32

chapter 4
 FALSE SHAPE the caster must concentrate on it and cannot
✥ R ANK: 3 perform any other actions. More complex illu-
✥ R ANGE: Personal sions require a higher Power Level. A motion-
✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level less illusion of a wall requires Power Level 1,
✥ INGREDIENT: A living pupa which but creating a convincing illusion of a person
is eaten running around the corner of a house might
require Power Level 3. The GM determines the
You can change your own appearance, voice, Power Level required based on the description
and smell into those of another living creature of the illusion.
between half and double your original size. You
do not acquire the creature’s attributes or lan-
guage, even if it seems that way to others – it GEAS
is only an illusion. Everyone who sees you can ✥ R ANK: 3
make an INSIGHT roll to understand that it is ✥ R ANGE: Near
an illusion. Each additional Power Level adds ✥ DUR ATION: Until the action is per-
–1 to the INSIGHT roll. A person within ARM’S formed or one day per Power Level
LENGTH range who touches you immediately ✥ INGREDIENT: An item from the
realizes that it is an illusion. creature

Geas forces a creature to perform an action

FATA MORGANA of your choosing. The creature must be able
✥ R ANK: 3 to understand you for the spell to work. The
✥ R ANGE: Short spell can make the creature perform almost
✥ DUR ATION: One round per Power Level any action, but you cannot force it to commit
✥ INGREDIENT: A mirror or polished suicide or act in a way that leads to its death.
piece of metal The victim must make an INSIGHT roll (not an
action) with a negative modification equal to the
You can create an illusion and control it with Power Level. On failure the creature remains
your mind. The illusion looks and acts accord- enchanted until the action is carried out, no
ing to your will, but is completely immaterial, matter how long it takes. If the action proves
has no scent, and leaves no trace. Everyone who impossible to carry out, the spell is canceled
sees the illusion can make an INSIGHT roll to after one day per Power Level.
understand that it is an illusion. Each addi-
tional Power Level adds –1 to the roll. Anyone
who touches the illusion immediately sees
through it. In order to maintain the illusion,

33

magic
 ONEIROMANCY ONEIROMANCY
Oneiromancy is also known as dream magic. SPELL RANK
The tradition is taught by the Aslene prophet Premonition 1
called the Dreamstress. The Dreamstress is Nightmares 1
a key player in the campaign Legacy of Horn Restorative Sleep 1
(page 96). Oneiromancers usually perform
Dream Visit 2
their magic while dreaming or in a trance, but
Mara 2
a few spells that affects the sleep of others can
Lullaby 2
be cast while awake.
An oneiromancer who has put themselves
Dream Travel 3
into a magical sleep wakes up without the Will- Sand Sleep 3
power Points spent. Prophetic Dreams 3

PREMONITION
✥ R ANK: 1 You can affect the sleep of one or multiple
✥ R ANGE: Personal living creatures by injecting nightmares into
✥ DUR ATION: The day after a night’s sleep their minds. The victims suffer damage to
Wits equal to the Power Level. A victim that
Once per Power Level, you can make a skill has its Wits reduced to zero suffers a critical
roll for an action and only once you have seen fear injury. For every two additional Power
the outcome of that action decide whether you Levels another victim is affected. The night-
actually went through with it or chose not to, mares also render the creature SLEEPLESS
since you knew beforehand that it would turn for the next day. The spell has no effect on
out badly. With Power Level 2 and higher, pre- monsters.
monitions can also apply to your allies’ skill
rolls, but it only works if they have slept next
to you. You do not have to reveal the outcome, RESTORATIVE SLEEP
and the person in question decides whether or ✥ R ANK: 1
not the action is performed. Premonitioned rolls ✥ R ANGE: Personal
cannot be pushed or re-­rolled after backing out. ✥ DUR ATION: The day after a night’s sleep

After a night of restorative dreams you can

NIGHTMARES increase one attribute or skill level per Power
✥ R ANK: 2 Level by one step for the rest of the day.
✥ R ANGE: Near
✥ DUR ATION: Immediate

34

chapter 4
 DREAM VISIT LULLABY
✥ R ANK: 2 ✥ R ANK: 2
✥ R ANGE: Unlimited ✥ R ANGE: Short
✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level ✥ DUR ATION: Takes effect in one turn.
Sleep lasts a Quarter Day unless the
In your sleep you can travel to any place that sleeper is woken up.
you have previously visited, invisibly watching
and hearing what is going on there. An addi- You sing a quiet lullaby that makes humanoid
tional Power Level allows you to appear before creatures within range fall into a deep slumber
and communicate with people in that place, but unless they succeed with an INSIGHT roll (not
not act physically. an action) with a negative modification equal
to the Power Level. The sleepers can be woken
up, but will stay asleep if left alone. The lul-
MARA laby also affects allies unless they somehow
✥ R ANK: 2 plug their ears.
✥ R ANGE: Personal
✥ DUR ATION: One Quarter Day
DREAM TRAVEL
You can summon a mara and force it to haunt ✥ R ANK: 3
a victim. For attributes and attacks, see Mara ✥ R ANGE: Unlimited
in the adventure site Oxengelder (page 194). ✥ DUR ATION: Travel after a Quarter
You decide what form the mara should take, as Day’s sleep
long as it is not bigger than a human. But the
figure is always twisted and terrifying, and a In your sleep, you can travel to any previously
summoned mara always shares some features visited location. You bring with you any items
with the oneiromancer who conjured it. When on your person, but no animals or bulky bag-
summoning it, the sorcerer slips into a dream gage. Each additional Power Level allows you
where the victim is visualized for the mara, who to bring another sleeping creature with you on
immediately goes after them. The sorcerer must your journey, but only to places that you have
have a clear mental image of the victim for the personally visited. You are transported after a
mara to understand who it is supposed to haunt. Quarter Day’s sleep and wake up fully rested at
The mara does everything in its power to attack your destination.
its victim, and everything it sees the sorcerer can
see as well, as long as they remain in the dream.
After completing its task, the mara disappears
back into the shadows. The sorcerer may choose
to wake from the dream at any time, but can
never resume contact with the mara.

35

magic
 SAND SLEEP You can conjure or repair a non-­magical item
✥ R ANK: 3 of moderate value during a night of prophetic
✥ R ANGE: Near dreams. You can also recreate someone’s lost
✥ DUR ATION: Immediate, sleep lasts a body part, heal a condition, or even bring some-
Quarter Day one back from the dead, but only if you have
✥ INGREDIENT: A handful of fine sand not slept since the death or injury occurred.

By throwing a handful of sand around your-

self, you render all living, warm-­blooded crea-
tures of human size or smaller within NEAR
range unconscious. Resisting the spell requires MAGNETISM
a successful INSIGHT roll (not an action) with a Magnetism is a form of iron-­based magic devel-
negative modification equal to the Power Level. oped within the Rust Church’s warrior cult the
Only you can wake them up while the spell is Ironbrows (page 81). It is typically not taught
in effect. The spell also affects nearby allies. to anyone outside of the order.

PROPHETIC DREAMS PATH OF IRON

✥ R ANK: 3 ✥ R ANK: 1
✥ R ANGE: Near ✥ R ANGE: Near
✥ DUR ATION: Permanent after a Quarter ✥ DUR ATION: One Quarter Day per
Day’s sleep Power Level
✥ INGREDIENT: Bone from a dead
creature You can trace a person carrying iron items up
to one day after the person passed by, since
the weak magnetism of the metal affects the
ground where the individual has walked. Each
MAGNETISM item leaves a unique trace. The trace cannot be
SPELL RANK followed in water.
Path of Iron 1
Iron Will 1
IRON WILL
Stanch Blood 1
✥ R ANK: 1
Attract 2
✥ R ANGE: Near
Repel 2
✥ DUR ATION: One turn
Bloodshock 3

You can manipulate objects that contain metal;

locking or unlocking shackles, unlocking

36

chapter 4
doors without a key, make someone’s sword REPEL
temporarily stick in its sheath or shield, and ✥ R ANK: 2
so on – provided that the components contain ✥ R ANGE: Arm’s Length
metal. At Power Level 1 you can open or lock ✥ DUR ATION: One turn per Power Level
simple locks and manipulate light items. At
Power Level 2 you can manipulate normal-­ You can make a metal armor anti-­magnetic so
sized items, and Power Level 3 allows you that it repels weapons containing metal, includ-
to manipulate large, heav y items. The GM ing arrows with metal arrowheads. A negative
determines which Power Level is required modification equal to the Power Level is added
for heavy items. to all attacks with metal weapons.

STANCH BLOOD BLOODSHOCK

✥ R ANK: 1 ✥ R ANK: 3
✥ R ANGE: Arm’s Length ✥ R ANGE: Near
✥ DUR ATION: Immediate ✥ DUR ATION: One Quarter Day

You can stanch a bleeding wound by manipulat- You can manipulate an enemy’s blood so that
ing the iron levels in the blood, automatically the victim immediately loses consciousness.
saving the life of a person who has sustained a Resisting the spell requires a successful Wits
fatal critical injury. roll (not an action) with a negative modification
equal to the Power Level. The victim cannot
be woken, but wakes up by themselves once the
ATTRACT magic wears off. You can also use the Power
✥ R ANK: 2 Level to affect multiple victims at once – every
✥ R ANGE: Short two steps of increased Power Level causes the
✥ DUR ATION: One round spell to affect an additional victim.
For example, Power Level 3 can affect two
You can magnetize an enemy in metal armor so victims and Power Level 5 three victims.
that it becomes easier to hit with metal weap-
ons and suffers increased damage from such
attacks. The spell adds a number of bonus dice
equal to the Power Level to all attacks with
metal weapons made against the enemy. You can
also use the Power Level to make the effect last
longer – each additional Power Level increases
the duration by one round.

37

magic
 OTHER PROPERTIES:
DRUGS & POTIONS ✥ Makes Horn’s Astra glow briefly if they
This section describes a number of drugs and are smeared with Blue Tar.
potions found in the Bloodmarch. ✥ Can be used to claim ownership of Horn’s
Astra (see the potion Blue Blood).
✥ Can be used to fuel the mechanical horse
BLUE TAR Witherbeam.
Blue Tar is produced by stripping the bark from ✥ Can locally kill demonic vegetation and
the holy blue pines of Have and tapping them for neutralize spore tissue on the ground.
sap. The sap is boiled into a thick, bluish-­black
liquid that has healing and cleansing properties,
but is harmful to demons. Boiling blue tar takes
time and requires a large stationary facility.
At the temple of Ashenstead on Mount BLUE BLOOD
Falten­v il burns the sacred blue flame of the Blue Blood is a mixture of Blue
goddess Have. If a torch or lantern is lit inside Tar and one’s own blood in equal
the temple, its flame also turns blue and holy proportion. The fluid is used for
and can be brought from there. All priests of ritual purposes only. For exam-
Have can move such holy fire to some other ple, it is needed in order to claim
combustible material and thus keep it burning, ownership of one of Horn’s Astra.
but they cannot spread the holy fire into mul- See the introduction of the cam-
tiple flames. For example, if five torches are lit paign Legacy of Horn.
with holy fire, only one of the six flames will
turn blue and holy – the priest decides which
one, and in the absence of a priest it is decided
at random. REPLENISHMENT: Blue Tar can be purchased
or obtained in several places in the Bloodmarch.
DAMAGE TO DEMONS: ✥ The temple and adventure site Ashenstead
✥ Blue Tar grants +1 damage against ✥ The adventure site Taregyll, as long as the
all demons village still exists
✥ Combining Blue Tar with holy fire grants ✥ The Pyrolytes if they are friendly
another +1 damage, for a total of +2. with the PC
✥ Evianda at the temple in the adventure
HEALING PROPERTIES: site Salterstay
✥ Halts Crimson Plague which one can ✥ The elf Cavaldo in the adventure site
contract in Crimson Forests. Watch of the S
­ isters
✥ Cures Crimson Plague if the Blue Tar is ✥ The Kogler in the adventure site Tribolia
first heated on holy fire. of the Kogler

38

chapter 4
✥ The merchant Kresos in the adventure grow along a trail of Crimson Ooze, which
site Bann Guelder allows it to spread. Anyone who ingests the fluid
✥ The ­Inglourious Butchars (random contracts Crimson Sickness (see the Journeys
encounter, page 141) section). An elven ruby placed in Crimson Ooze
✥ The druid The Shrike (random encounter, (for example inside the giant snail Kasabatoda)
page 138) will grow into a red elf.
✥ The Guardian Temple (random encounter,
page 147)
DENSE WATER
Dense Water is condensed water produced by the
LYCOPODIUM POWDER dwarven druids of Aslene. It looks like ordinary
Lycopodium Powder is stored in a pouch water, but lasts much longer both for drinking
(TINY item). and other uses. The resource die for water is only
lowered on result 1. Dense Water is also a pow-
WEAPON: Lycopodium Powder can be used erful cleaning agent said to wash away vermin,
against demons and blown at a demon within mange, tattoos, and even disfiguring scars and
ARM’S LENGTH range. The attack is rolled with unfortunate facial features. The water has there-
MIGHT. It has base damage 1 and cannot be fore become much sought after in Alderland.
parried or dodged. If the attack inflicts damage, In the campaign Legacy of Horn, Dense
the demon starts burning and suffers one point Water is used to wash away the ownership of
of damage per round until the fire is put out. Horn’s Astra. It is also used as brake fluid in
Putting out the fire requires a successful MOVE the mechanical horse Witherbeam.
roll (fast action in combat). The production process is secret and must be
supervised by a master. Among the ingredients
HEALING: Burning Lycopodium Powder in a are a live kidney and water run during certain
wound caused by demonic plague gives it a D12 astrological alignments.
artifact die for HEALING . However, burning
the wound is so painful that the adventurer REPLENISHMENT: Dense Water can be
must succeed with an ENDURANCE roll to resist purchased or obtained in several places in the
passing out. On failure the adventurer is uncon- Blood­march.
scious for a Quarter Day. ✥ The Kogler in the adventure site Tribolia
of the Kogler
✥ The adventure site Ashenstead
CRIMSON OOZE ✥ Kresos in the adventure site Bann Guelder
Crimson Ooze is a viscous, red fluid found all ✥ Master Menasse (the random encounter
over the Crimson Forests. Some of it is pro- Dense Water, page 134)
duced by slime snails, but it also flows through ✥ The Guardian Temple (random encounter,
the veins of the Veinpearls. Crimson Forest can page 147)

39

magic
 JOURNEYS IN
THE BLOODMARCH

The dew bound the ash on the ground, just as the guide had said it would.
Now dried by the heat of day, the dust puffed up with every step until no
one could see their feet. They headed towards the volcano Quard in the
north, but soon a wind stirred everything around them into gray. The
dust soured in their throats like stale beer. They decided to wait it out in
their tents, since no one knew where they were going. As they sat there,
the laughter of small voices reached them from the haze, and Bodvar
who was once a slave swore he smelled the scent of hunger in the wind.
Everyone drew their swords, though it gave them little courage.

A
slene, known to many as the Bloodmarch, terrain types: Ashlands, Firelands, and Crim-
is drier than Ravenland, with barren cen- son Forest. When the adventurers LEAD THE
tral plains where sharp grass and shrubs WAY, FORAGE , or MAKE CAMP in these areas
are defiantly holding on in the wind. It has no and suffer a mishap, a roll is made on the spe-
swamps or marshes, though there are plenty of cial tables further on in this chapter.
streams and rivers flowing to the plains from
the mountains. The soil is often dark with vol- HUNT: If the player characters HUNT in the
canic ash and fertile as long as there is water. Bloodmarch, use the rules in the Player’s Hand­
book but roll for the type of animal on the table
on page 51. Use the regular mishap table
from the Player’s Handbook. Animals in a Crim-
NEW TERRAIN son Forest are often twisted versions of the

TYPES ones in Ravenland, and their appearance and

behavior can be harder to predict.
The Bloodmarch has forests, plains, hills,
and high mountains, but also three unique

40

chapter 5
 NEW TERRAIN TYPES
TYPE MOVEMENT FORAGE HUNT
Active volcano Blocks movement, — —
but the crater is reachable
Ashlands Open terrain — —
Firelands Difficult terrain −2 —
Crimson Forest Difficult terrain +1 +1

ASHLANDS
The black ashlands are desert-­like plains of vol-
canic ash where nothing grows. In this terrain
type there is nothing to hunt, nor any edible THE MAP
plants to forage. The only water available is in The large map of the Bloodmarch
the form of poisonous, dead pools (Potency (sold separately, and available
D6+3). It is not advisable to make camp in ash- for free download on the Free
lands. No healing or recovery of attributes can League website) is divided into
take place in this hazardous environment. hexagons. As with the map
of Ravenland, one hexagon is
roughly 10 kilometers across.
FIRELANDS The two maps can be placed side
In firelands, the magma flows so close to the by side so that their edges line
surface that the ground burns under one’s feet. up at the top.
There are no edible animals to hunt. It is possi-
ble to forage for heat-­resistant algae and certain
edible roots, but it is hard and rarely reward-
ing work. Water is found in geysers and boiling CRIMSON FOREST
springs, but it is undrinkable (Potency D6+1). The most peculiar terrain type is the crimson
Making camp in firelands counts as sleeping forest – blood-­red demon jungles tangled like
on bare ground, albeit in sweltering heat rather spilled entrails in a strange landscape where
than freezing cold. The adventurers must make grotesque hybrids of animals and plants roam
a SURVIVAL roll to get any sleep at all, and wake in search of prey.
up THIRSTY. In crimson forests it is not hard to find
Hiking through firelands requires a success- things that seem edible, but whoever eats or
ful SURVIVAL roll every Quarter Day in order drinks anything off the land must succeed with
not to suffer 1 point of damage to Strength an ENDURANCE roll not to contract Crimson
from the hot ground. Sickness.

41

journeys in the bloodmarch

CRIMSON SICKNESS: Adventurers who enter roll not to drop one step on the table while
a crimson forest risk contracting Crimson Sick- retaining all previous symptoms. However, the
ness. The GM rolls D3 on the table below for penalties to Empathy do not stack.
each infected adventurer to determine the initial The Crimson Sickness can be halted by
symptoms. The symptoms appear after a Quar- drinking Blue Tar (page 38) every day and
ter Day. Each subsequent morning an infected cured completely if the Blue Tar has been heated
adventurer must succeed with an ENDURANCE on the holy fire of Have.

CRIMSON SICKNESS
PENALTY TO
D3 SYMPTOM EMPATHY EFFECT
1 Bloodshot eyes. –1 The victim’s vision is affected so that the
world looks more red.
2 Blood streaks from ves- –1 The victim feels nauseous at the sight of
sels in the skin of the colors that do not contain red.
neck and torso.
3 Red, pulsating blood –1 The victim cannot see blood without
vessels on all limbs. wanting to lick it up.
4 Red hand with a will of –1 The victim must attack creatures that
its own. do not have anything red on them
(including blood).
5 Growths on the body. –2 Small, fleshy growths protrude under the
victim’s skin.
6 Deformation of the face –2 The victim’s face is twisted almost
and hands. beyond recognition. The hands become
crooked like talons and all SLEIGHT OF
HAND rolls have a –2 modification.

7 Tentacles on the back –2 A handful of tentacles grow out of the

and hips. victim’s body. The tentacles attack items
or creatures within ARM’S LENGTH range
of you that do not have anything red on
them.
8 Boils and red slime –2 Anyone who touches the person’s
oozing from the skin and bare skin gets infected with Crimson
orifices. Sickness.
9 The body explodes or — The person dies. Their remains are
dissolves. soaked up by the ground and start
spreading crimson forest at that spot.

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chapter 5
 LEADING THE WAY MISHAPS IN ASHLANDS
D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–12 Unstable The road ahead is blocked. The ground is unstable and riddled
ground with deep sinkholes. You must spend this Quarter Day trying
to find another route before you can leave the hexagon.
13–21 Misstep The pathfinder takes a bad step and sustains a critical injury
– see result 25–26 on the Blunt Force table (page 197 in the
Player’s Handbook).
22–26 Ash hole What you thought was solid ground turns out to be tightly
packed ash as it gives way beneath your feet. Everyone must
make a MOVE roll – those who fail suffer an attack with four
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt trauma).
31–33 Ash wind A could of ash swirls up and burns your eyes. All adventurers
must succeed with a SURVIVAL roll or be temporarily blinded.
Blinded adventurers act as in total darkness for the next
Quarter Day (see page 112 in the Player’s Handbook).
34–36 Poisonous The sky turns pitch black. Your eyes start to sting, and every
ash wind breath is like inhaling fire. All adventurers must succeed with a
SURVIVAL roll or be temporarily blinded. The ash also burns in
your lungs as a lethal poison with Potency 6 (see page 113 in
the Player’s Handbook).
41–45 Sudden The sky opens in a deluge of rain that turns the ashes into mud.
downpour The distance you cover this Quarter Day is decreased by one
hexagon. In difficult terrain you cannot travel at all. In addition,
your equipment is covered with wet ashes, which lowers morale
so that all of you suffer 1 point of damage to Empathy.
46–52 Ash storm You see a dark wall of ash coming towards you, and you are
caught in a dust storm. You must make camp to wait out the
storm, thereby losing your movement this Quarter Day.
53–56 Stray The stench of sulfur penetrates your nostrils, whereupon you
smolderers are attacked by D6 ravenous smolderers (page 102).
61–63 Wounded Further ahead a massive creature is crawling on top of the ashen
kton ground. It slithers swiftly towards you in pursuit of prey. But the
Kton is wounded and only has half its Strength (page 111).
64–66 Sinkhole An underground gas pocket near the adventurers explodes in
a cloud of dust. Everyone must succeed with a SURVIVAL roll
or suffer one point of damage to Strength. If anyone is car-
rying a torch or lantern, the gas flares up and inflicts 1 point
of damage to STRENGTH (cannot be dodged or parried) on
everyone within NEAR range, but at the same time it elimi-
nates the risk of inhaling the gas.

43

journeys in the bloodmarch

 LEADING THE WAY MISHAPS IN FIRELANDS
D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–12 Unstable The ground is unstable and the risk of stepping through it
ground is high. Anyone who does not succeed with a SURVIVAL roll
steps into hot soil and suffers 1 point of damage to Strength
from the extreme heat, unless they are wearing thick boots.
13–16 Lava Piled up lava or gashes of lava in the earth force you to find
obstruc- an easier way forward. Everyone must succeed with a MOVE
tions or MIGHT roll in order to continue. Those who fail suffer one
point of damage to Strength and must make another attempt.
Those who succeed can help the one who did not. You must
spend this Quarter Day trying to find another route before
you can leave the hexagon.
21–23 Geyser Boiling water bursts up from several geysers around you. The
storm steam burns your skin and all adventurers suffer an attack
with four Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical).
24–26 Downpour Rain clouds fill the sky and the rain that falls is heated by the
hot ground. Soon the air is thick with steam. The heat makes it
difficult to breathe and almost impossible to see. The distance
you cover this Quarter Day is decreased by one hexagon. In
difficult terrain you cannot travel at all. In addition, all adven-
turers suffer 1 point of damage to Empathy from the foggy
gloom.
31–34 Poisonous Sulfurous fumes creep out of the cracks in the ground and
fumes give off a pungent smell. The fumes are a lethal poison with
Potency 4 (page 113 in the Player’s Handbook).
35–36 Acid You have walked right into an acid swamp. The ground bub-
swamp bles and reeks, and everyone must make a MOVE roll to get
out of it unscathed. Anyone who fails suffers an attack with
four Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1.
41–43 Lava river The ground bubbles and burns as a river of lava slowly flows
past. It cannot be crossed. You must spend this Quarter Day
trying to find another route before you can leave the hexagon.
44–46 Geyser A sudden eruption of boiling water bursts out of the ground
where the pathfinder places their foot. The pathfinder must
succeed with a MOVE roll or suffer an attack with eight Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical).

44

chapter 5
 D66 MISHAP EFFECT
51–53 Fireflies A swarm of fireflies attacks. The fireflies have Strength 4,
Movement 1, and follow the rules for swarms.
54–56 Lava Creatures the size of halflings rise from the lava, speaking in
gnomes an unintelligible tongue. Their lava-­soaked bodies stagger
forward with their arms outstretched towards you. Some stop
and crack as they are cooled by the wind, but a group equal
in number to the adventurers still remains. The lava creatures
have Strength 3, MELEE 1, and Armor Rating 2. Their attacks
have Weapon Damage 2.
61–63 The Strange lava-­covered rocks burst from the ground, and as
ground soon as you notice them the ground collapses under the feet
collapses of the pathfinder, who falls into one of the cracks. A failed
MOVE roll results in a random critical injury (blunt force).

64–66 Earth- The ground starts shaking before it suddenly collapses. All
quake adventurers must succeed with a MOVE roll or fall into a lava
fissure – failure results in an attack with four Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force), plus one additional point of
damage per round until a MOVE roll succeeds.

LEADING THE WAY MISHAPS IN CRIMSON FOREST

D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–14 Acid The ground is soggy. You have walked straight into a swamp. It
swamp bubbles and stinks, and everyone must succeed with a MOVE
roll to get out of the swamp, or suffer an attack with four Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 1.
15–16 Itching Something sharp prickles your skin from time to time. The
seeds plants in the area seem to be firing needle-­sharp seeds that
penetrate your skin and start to itch. Everyone must succeed
with a SURVIVAL roll to resist the urge to scratch their eyes
and skin. Failure means that the adventurer cannot sleep this
Quarter Day or the next, as the itchy seeds are still stuck in
the clothes and skin.
21–22 Shrieking The plants in the area let out a sudden shriek, and all adven-
plants turers suffer a fear attack with four Base Dice.

45

journeys in the bloodmarch

 D66 MISHAP EFFECT
23–25 Sound-­ The sound of your footsteps attracts the plants around you.
seeking Each of you must succeed with a STEALTH roll to avoid their
plants twigs and branches, or suffer an attack with five Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (stab wound) as they dig into your skin.
26–32 Spiderweb The area is covered in cobwebs and difficult to navigate. The
pathfinder must succeed with a SURVIVAL roll not to get lost
and remain in the hexagon this Quarter Day.
33–36 Slithering The roots begin to wrap themselves around your feet. Every-
roots one must succeed with a MOVE or MIGHT roll in order to
continue. Anyone who fails suffers one point of damage to
Strength and must make another attempt. Those who suc-
ceeded can help those who did not. You must spend this
Quarter Day trying to find another route before you can leave
the hexagon.
41–44 Hallucina- The air is full of spores from the plants’ flowers. You are all
tions affected by a hallucinogenic poison with Potency 5 (see page
114 in the Player’s Handbook).
45–52 Poisonous The flowers of the trees open their petals and release a
flowers strange fluid. You are all affected by a poison with Potency 6.
Full effect means that the adventurer contracts Crimson Sick-
ness (page 42).
53–56 Strangling The trees come alive and swing their red vines at you. Every-
trees one must succeed with a MOVE or MIGHT roll to avoid getting
caught. Failure results in an attack with six Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical) and the adventurer is stuck in
the tree. Each subsequent round the victim suffers one point
of damage to Strength. Everyone who succeeded with their
roll can try to help the adventurer break free with a MIGHT
roll. An adventurer who is Broken by the attack is released by
the tree, but has now contracted Crimson Sickness.
61–63 Obstruct- The entire area is completely overgrown, and before you is
ing plants a wall of red mucus threads that seems impossible to break
through. You must spend this Quarter Day trying to find
another route before you can leave the hexagon.
64–66 Corrosive The forest is dense and the damp twigs of the trees rub
sap against you as you pass. You all suffer an attack with six Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical).

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chapter 5
 FORAGING MISHAPS IN FIRELANDS
D6 MISHAP EFFECT
1 Scorched The ground is so hot that it scorches your fingers. The hand is
useless until the burns heal, which takes D3 days.
2 Water Hiding beneath the meager roots is a pocket of scalding water.
fissure You suffer one point of damage to Strength and must make
a MOVE roll – on failure you sustain the critical injury Slashed
Eye (–2 to MARKSMANSHIP and SCOUTING for 2D6 days).
3 Fire larvae You find one unit of VEGETABLES in the form of seemingly
edible roots. But the roots are infested with fire larvae.
Anyone who eats them is affected by a hallucinogenic poison
(Potency 3).
4 Scorching The ground groans and cracks under your feet. The heat rising
ground from the cracks is unbearable. You must make a MOVE roll not
to cause any larger cracks and fall through them. On failure
you break through the ground and suffer an attack with six
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical).
5 Poisonous Sulfurous fumes seep from the cracks in the ground and bring
fumes with them a pungent smell. The fumes are a lethal poison with
Potency 4.
6 Broken Your clothes are ruined. The hot ground cracks your shoes or
equipment burns your cloak. The clothes can be mended with a successful
CRAFTING roll.

FORAGING MISHAPS IN CRIMSON FOREST

D6 MISHAP EFFECT
1 Growth You prick yourself on something while foraging for food. The
skin immediately swells up into an abscess full of liquid. After
a while the abscess bursts and a strange red growth is now
part of your hand. Removing the growth requires a successful
HEALING roll.

2 Parasites You find some seemingly edible plants which turn out to be
infested with parasites that burrow into your skin, inflicting
one point of damage to Empathy.

47

journeys in the bloodmarch

 D6 MISHAP EFFECT
3 Hunger The area has an extra-­thick mist of spores in the air. You are
suddenly overtaken by a great hunger and become HUNGRY.
This hunger can only be satisfied by eating plants from the
crimson forest.
4 Poisonous It prickles and stings as you scour the ground for potentially
roots edible roots. You find one unit of VEGETABLES in the form of
roots, but anyone who eats them is affected by a hallucino-
genic poison (Potency 3).
5 Poisonous You find some juicy and delicious-­looking plants, but when
herbs you taste to see if they are edible a searing pain immediately
assaults your mouth. The plant produces a lethal poison
(Potency 3).
6 Broken Your clothes are ruined. The sharp plants rupture your shoes
equipment or rip your cloak. The clothes can be mended with a successful
CRAFTING roll.

MAKING CAMP MISHAPS IN ASHLANDS

D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–13 Spoiled Your food has gone bad because of the poisonous ash in the
food air. Everyone in the group must reduce their resource die for
FOOD by one step.

14–21 Ash storm A powerful ash storm blows in and reduces visibility to zero.
It is impossible to SLEEP without a tent, nor is it possible to
SCOUT during this Quarter Day.

22–24 Mud You wake up soaked and must make an ENDURANCE roll not
to become COLD:
25–31 Lost A random adventurer has lost an item. The GM decides what it
possession is and whether it can be found.
32–33 Hole in Acid has burned through an adventurer’s satchel, which
satchel means that this individual can only take with them items car-
ried on their person. The bag can be repaired with a successful
CRAFTING roll.

34–36 Bad The campsite is poorly located and very uncomfortable to

campsite SLEEP in. No one in the group gets any sleep at all in this place.

41–43 The fire The firewood is wet and your campfire goes out. Everyone in
goes out the group must make an ENDURANCE roll not to become COLD.

48

chapter 5
 D66 MISHAP EFFECT
44–46 Fire Suddenly the campfire spreads to your tents, sleeping skins,
outbreak and other equipment. Each adventurer suffers an attack with
five Base Dice (Weapon Damage 1) and must make a MOVE roll
to save their equipment. Failure means that one item (the GM
decides which one) is destroyed.
51–53 Sinkhole The ground was not as solid as you thought – during the night
your entire camp falls into a sinkhole. Everyone must make a
MOVE roll – those who fail suffer an attack with four Base Dice
and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force).
54–61 Acid rain The sky opens in a deluge of rain mixed with acid. All adventur-
ers must succeed with an ENDURANCE roll or suffer 1 point of
damage to Strength.
62–64 Smolderers A group of smolderers, equal in number to the adventurers,
attack have spotted the camp and attack in the night.
65–66 Dead kton The putrid stench of a dead kton (page 110) suddenly sweeps
in during the night. The stench is so foul that you must all suc-
ceed with an ENDURANCE roll or suffer an attack with five Base
Dice (Weapon Damage 1) that causes damage to Empathy.

MAKING CAMP MISHAPS IN FIRELANDS

D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–13 Spoiled Your food has gone bad because of the heat. Everyone in the
food group must reduce their resource die for FOOD by one step.
14–16 Evap- The water you brought with you has evaporated in the heat.
orated Everyone in the group must reduce their resource die for
water WATER by one step.

21–23 Scorching The ground is so hot that is like sleeping in a sauna. Everyone
ground must succeed with a SURVIVAL roll to get any sleep during
this Quarter Day.
24–26 Bad The campsite is poorly located and very uncomfortable to
campsite SLEEP in. No one in the group gets any sleep at all in this place.

31–33 Severe All adventurers must drink an extra unit of WATER to avoid
thirst becoming THIRSTY.
34–36 Broken One item belonging to a random adventurer is broken – the
equipment GM decides which one. The item can be repaired with a suc-
cessful CRAFTING roll.

49

journeys in the bloodmarch

 D66 MISHAP EFFECT
41–43 Fire Suddenly the campfire spreads to your tents, sleeping skins,
outbreak and other equipment. Each adventurer suffers an attack with
five Base Dice (Weapon Damage 1) and must make a MOVE roll
to save their equipment. Failure means that one item (the GM
decides which one) is destroyed.
44–46 Geyser At irregular intervals, a geyser showers the camp with scalding
water. It is impossible to REST or SLEEP during this Quarter Day.
51–54 Lava You wake up to find that the ground is moving. Lava has seeped
up from the ground and you must immediately move the camp.
It is impossible to REST or SLEEP during this Quarter Day.
55–61 Fireflies A swarm of fireflies attacks. The fireflies have Strength 4,
Movement 1, and follow the rules for swarms.
62–64 Lost A random adventurer has lost an item. The GM decides what it
possession is and whether it can be found.
65–66 Lava Creatures the size of halflings rise from the lava, speaking in
gnomes an unintelligible tongue. Their lava-­soaked bodies stagger
forward with their arms outstretched towards you. Some stop
and crack as they are cooled by the wind, but a group equal
in number to the adventurers still remains. The lava creatures
have Strength 3, MELEE 1, and Armor Rating 2. Their attacks
have Weapon Damage 2.

MAKING CAMP MISHAPS IN CRIMSON FOREST

D66 MISHAP EFFECT
11–14 Spoiled Your food has gone bad or been infested with insects. Everyone in
food the group must reduce their resource die for FOOD by one step.
15–22 Poisoned Your water has been contaminated by spores from the plants
water around your camp. It is no longer drinkable and everyone in the
group must reduce their resource die for WATER by one step.
23–26 Plants Something is moving in the forest. The fleshy vines of the
attack trees slither towards the camp and D6+1 thorny vines attack!
The vines have Strength 3 and MELEE 1. Their attacks have
Weapon Damage 1 and cause stab wounds.
31–34 Twisted During the Quarter Day a random item in the camp has been
possession twisted by Crimson Sickness. The item is utterly deformed and
covered with strange spores. The item can no longer be used.

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chapter 5
 D66 MISHAP EFFECT
35–36 Audible The trees make strange noises that sound increasingly like
thoughts voices. It sounds like they are having a conversation, and
eventually you can understand them. Your thoughts are
spoken by the trees. Whatever you are thinking is said out
loud. It is impossible to SLEEP or REST during this Quarter Day,
as the trees are constantly speaking your thoughts.
41–42 Memories A memory of a previous event resurfaces. Out of the forest walk
resurface a number of twisted red plants whose shapes resemble some-
thing from the memory. The event makes it impossible to SLEEP.
43–46 Thieving Red vines quickly spread throughout the camp and cover
vines most of it. In the morning it takes a successful MIGHT roll to
yank loose all the equipment. Even if it succeeds, one item is
missing (the GM decides which one), stolen by the vines.
51–53 Spore The plants move in the wind and the colors of their flowers
sacks seem unusually lustrous. Only after making camp do you
notice the slimy spore sacks crawling on the ground (see
Sporewalker on page 123).
54–56 Red elves While making camp you notice movement in the forest.
A group of red elves (page 129) approaches. A successful
STEALTH roll is required to avoid detection.

61–62 Slime Slime snails have left trails of red slime at the campsite. They
snails may return, if the GM wants them to.
63–66 Spores Just as you finish making camp, the trees around you suddenly emit
every- great clouds of spores. Everyone must succeed with an ENDUR
where ANCE roll to avoid contracting Crimson Sickness (page 42).

HUNTING IN THE BLOODMARCH

D6 ANIMAL DIFFICULTY REQUIREMENT MEAT RAW MATERIALS
1 Rodent +1 Weapon or trap 1 —
2 Hover frog* 0 Weapon 1 —
3 Badger +1 Weapon or trap 2 1 unit of pelts
4 Young grave lily* −1** Weapon or trap 2 2 units of vegetables
5 Wild boar −1** Weapon Strength/2 2 units of pelts
6 Deer 0 Weapon 5 3 units of pelts and
antlers
* Rules for this creature are found in chapter 9.
** The creature attacks if the hunt fails.
 THE LEGACY OF HORN

“In the beginning, Horn awoke, and his lava flowed hot over
the land of Have so that she bore him five sons: Gald, Quard,
Houner, Sabira, and Cabera. They coveted the Bloodmarch,
where the Vasnians roamed. The sons chose Sella, eldest son
of Houner, to lead the clans. And so Horn gave unto Sella
five astra, legendary weapons that granted him the ability to
take the god’s form on the battlefield. Then, from deep within,
Horn spewed horses with manes of flame and gave them unto
the clans, for the land was vast.
Once the Vasnians had been banished, Sella entrusted each
clan with one of Horn’s Astra. He then cast himself into the
fire of Horn, for the feebleness of age was upon him.”

W
elcome to the Game­master’s section once bestowed upon Sella, the first leader of
of this book. Players should read no the Aslene horse clans. These weapons allowed
further! Legacy of Horn is a campaign Sella to conquer Aslene and defeat its indigenous
set in Aslene, the land west of Ravenland that people, known as the Vasnians.
many know as the Bloodmarch. When the fighting was over, the Astra
were divided between the country’s five horse
clans to prevent internal strife. This gesture
of peace did not work as intended, as the clans
BACKGROUND have been fighting each other ever since. When
Horn’s Astra are the five holy weapons that, the sorcerer Zygofer sent an army of demons
according to legend, the volcano god Horn into the Bloodmarch three hundred years ago,

52

chapter 6
everything fell apart and nobody knows what ✥ Vinhelm Kaal, sent by the moon elves at
happened to the five Astra. the hidden temple Agnostica.
The campaign is about who will find Horn’s ✥ Konana, leader of the Vasnians, Aslene’s
Astra. For the horsefolk, whoever possesses the indigenous people. The Goblet Staff of
weapons would be the obvious leader of all clans. Have, one of Horn’s Astra, is under
For the Vasnians, they would help reclaim the Konana’s control in Vasnia.
land they once lost. In the Alderlander capital ✥ Vaerefor van Reiben, leader of the demon-­
of Brodelmarg, the Prophet Fangler preaches tainted red elves.
about the god Wyrm’s imminent rebirth in the ✥ The Dreamstress, a prophetic demon with
Bloodmarch, and so groups of holy seekers are her own goals.
making the journey to Aslene, either to find the ✥ Octomadria, the Eighth Mother, at least
god and bring him home – or to kill this being according to the Seventh.
before it grows too powerful. Locating and free-
ing (or killing) the god would likely require More information on these individuals can be
one or more of Horn’s Astra. The demons still found in the Key Players chapter. The items
lingering in the Bloodmarch have their own that make up Horn’s Astra are described in the
reasons for seeking the Astra, as do the myste- next chapter.
rious moon elves.
The adventurers can play their own part in
this power struggle, ally themselves with one of
the other key players, or go their own way – in
which case parts of the campaign will serve as THE PHASES
a backdrop for their own adventures in Aslene. OF THE CAMPAIGN
Those competing for power are: The campaign Legacy of Horn plays out in seven
✥ Selligar Horne, self-­appointed leader of phases, each beginning with certain events. If
the horse clans. the adventurers themselves do not initiate the
✥ The Shedder Poansa, agent of Ad Vipera phases, they will be triggered anyway by the
and representative of the Congregation of actions of other key players.
the Serpent in Alderland. Possesses one of Should the adventurers ignore the campaign
Horn’s Astra: the dagger Glasstooth. and just go around plundering the Bloodmarch,
✥ Colonel Grudensteel, leader of the Iron- the campaign will progress without them and
brows and representative of the Rust become a backdrop for their escapades.
Church in Alderland. The seven phases are outlined below. Listed
✥ Fiena Fromelei, leader of the Penites, under each phase are external events that may
seeks to reunite the halflings and goblins. occur during the phase. As the GM you may adjust
✥ The Seventh, a strange worm people from these events as you please, depending on how they
the continent Anoma. fit into the developments of the campaign.

53

the legacy of horn

 CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
1. ARRIVAL IN THE BLOODMARCH: The adventurers arrive at the adventure site Taregyll.
2. THE SEARCH FOR HORN’S ASTRA: Adventurers and key players search and fight for
Horn’s Astra. As the weapons are found and claimed, four of Aslene’s five dor-
mant volcanoes – the Sons of Horn – will awake.
3. THE HUNT FOR THE EIGHTH MOTHER: Adventurers and key players search and
fight for Octomadria – the Eighth Mother. The Congregation of the Serpent
and the Rust Church both believe that this creature is Wyrm reborn – a
blessing to the former, a threat to the latter. The moon elves have hidden the
Eighth Mother at their temple Agnostica, the adventure site where the final
showdown of the campaign will likely take place. At the start of the game, only
the moon elves know about Agnostica.
4. TIME IS REBORN: The temple Agnostica exists apart from the world and only
returns once a certain number of Horn’s Astra have been collected and the Met-
rochrone restarted. The Metrochrone is a large clock found at the adventure site
Sisters’ Wake. The Metrochrone can only be restarted once the adventurers have
retrieved its stolen parts from the adventure site Tribolia of the Kogler or crafted
spare parts with the help of the Dreamstress from the adventure site Oxengelder.
5. THE RETURN OF AGNOSTICA: The temple Agnostica emerges when the Metro-
chrone has been restarted and four of the five sons of Horn have awakened.
Agnostica appears in one of the hexagons surrounding the still dormant volcano.
6. THE FINAL SHOWDOWN: The adventurers and at least one key player explore the
temple Agnostica, and the fight between them decides the fate of Octomadria
and the Bloodmarch itself.
7. AFTERMATH: When the dust has settled, one or some of the key players will
be more powerful than the others. The adventurers can experience – or hear
about – the consequences of the final showdown.

PHASE 1:
conflicts of the Bloodmarch. They also learn
ARRIVAL IN that the demons who have plagued the land for
THE BLOODMARCH three hundred years have lately grown stronger
This phase begins when the adventurers arrive and that the leader of the red elves, Vaerefor van
in Aslene. Reiben, seeks their help to conquer Aslene in
the name of the red god Rubor.
At this phase the adventurers arrive at the The horse clans seek to unite under a
village of Taregyll in eastern Aslene. They common leader to combat the demons, but
are briefed on the kin, history, and political their efforts are hampered by internal strife.

54

chapter 6
The adventurers hear the legend of Horn’s Astra
– the mighty weapons of Sella the Liberator
that were lost and must now be found. They THE SONS OF HORN AWAKEN
find out that Horn’s Astra are kept at Ashen- The Sons of Horn is the name of five
stead, the main temple of Horn and Have in volcanoes in the Bloodmarch. They are
Aslene. They also learn that the goddess Have’s dormant at the start of the campaign.
Blue Tar is a known weapon against demons, as Horn itself is a low-­activity volcano.
is her holy fire. Key players can be introduced, The first time someone binds one
either personally or through their agents – see of Horn’s Astra to themselves (page
the section on events in Taregyll. 61) a Son of Horn awakens. In other
You can let the adventurers begin the game words, the eruptions indicate how
in some other location, perhaps as native many of the Astra have been found.
Aslenes, but must then make the necessary When four Astra have been found and
adjustments. bound to someone at least once, the
temple Agnostica appears (page 232).
All Sons of Horn follow the same
PHASE 2:
pattern when they erupt. The eruption
THE SEARCH FOR starts with rumbles and tremors in
HORN’S ASTRA the ground for a Quarter Day. Then
This phase begins when the players have visited the volcano explodes, spewing copious
two adventure sites. amounts of ash, fire, and gas. The roar
of the explosion is heard throughout
The players have been told that they must collect the Bloodmarch. After erupting the
Horn’s Astra in order to save the Bloodmarch. volcano enters a high-­activity stage.
They might visit Ashenstead and learn how the The effects of the explosion are:
Astra are related to each other and that they can ✥ A pyroclastic avalanche of thousand-­
be identified, activated, and owned by coating degree ash, gas, stone, and lava
them with Blue Blood. flows down the slope and utterly
The players see some of the country’s devastates a random adjacent
five dormant volcanoes – the Sons of Horn – hexagon that is not high mountains.
become active when their corresponding astra Everyone in that area is wiped out,
are awakened (page 61). They also realize that but the GM can give the adventurers
others are also seeking the Astra, and might a chance to escape. The hexagon
find them, which awakens the volcanoes. then turns into firelands.
The phase ends with someone finding and ✥ In a Quarter Day a second adjacent
claiming ownership of three related astra. Note hexagon that is not high moun-
that this person does not have to be a player tains will be flooded by lava and
character. turn into firelands.

55

the legacy of horn

 ✥ In a day’s time, two hexagons in a
random direction will be turned to
ashlands by a meter-­thick ash rain.
✥ The column of smoke can be seen
from ten hexagons away. THE PROPHET FANGLER

REDUCED VISIBILITY: As more volcanoes

become active, visibility will be
reduced in the entire Bloodmarch
– sunsets will become redder and the
daylight increasingly dull. The red elves
will take this as a sign that the coming
of their god Rubor is near.

PHASE 3:

THE HUNT FOR

THE EIGHTH MOTHER
This phase begins when someone owns three of
Horn’s Astra.

The adventurers have probably already heard

of the Eighth Mother, perhaps from Gruden-
steel, Poansa, Fiena Fromelei, or the Sev-
enth, who are all seeking the creature for
different reasons.
During the third phase of the campaign,
Fiena Fromelei finds a moonstone and is turned,
along with a goblin, into a moon elf. She then
regains the memory of the moon elves stealing
the Eighth Mother, and understands what
is at stake (see The Ancient History of the
World). This can happen in the adventurers’
presence or somewhere else.
Fiena remembers the temple
Agnostica and realizes that she
must find and collect all missing
moonstones in the Bloodmarch and

56

chapter 6
bring them to the temple in order to save it – how to find the temple Agnostica. The Prophet
and perhaps the entire world – from the worm Fangler is constantly repeating that Wyrm will
people who call themselves the Seventh. But be born tomorrow, but tomorrow will not come,
she does not know where the temple is. for the clock is frozen and time with it. Someone
The Seventh learn that a moon elf has recalls that there is a huge and ancient clock at
appeared in the Bloodmarch and want to ques- the temple known as the Watch of the Sisters,
tion this person about the theft. No one knows but where is the temple?

THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE WORLD

What is humankind to the Seventh? A started multiplying again. The druids
mockery and a grievous disgrace. Such knew that a new generation had been
shall the Seventh also be to the god born and that the mass death and
Meat: a mockery and a grievous disgrace. rebirth were the worm people’s way
to evolve.
Many weeks’ sailing east of Ravenland After a couple of lifetimes the
lies the mysterious continent Anoma. humans lapsed into idleness, as the
Today it is all but forgotten, but long worms became more adept at perform-
ago humans and other kin lived there ing their heavy labor. After only four gen-
in prosperity. During an expedition erations the worms learned to organize
to distant marshlands, the country’s to a worrying extent. The animals could
druids found a kind of leech that gather in large colonies by filling out the
showed signs of primitive intelligence. skeletons of the animals they ate, and so
Separately these leeches behaved like they grew in strength and intellect.
simple ringed worms, but as a group After the worms devoured a farmer
they were able to use tools, understand and were seen walking around with
commands, and build burrows. his skeleton, the druids could see
The druids brought the animals that it had gone too far and decided
home and started breeding them. They to exterminate the worms. A war was
soon noticed that the worms could be fought, and the humans lost. Now the
taught to perform simple tasks. Strong, worms became their masters rather
durable, and tireless, they were forced than the other way around. By the fifth
to do menial work for the humans. It generation the worms understood the
went well, but when the animals grew concepts of mythology and culture. The
into the thousands, all but a handful Fifth called their unborn god Meat – the
suddenly died – of disease, the humans Crawling Land. They themselves are the
thought. However, the surviving worms preliminary stages of Meat, whom they
were stronger and more intelligent believe will be born from the twelfth
than their predecessors and soon generation of worm people. The worms
 PHASE 4:
beyond time and space, and that it cannot return
TIME IS REBORN to the Bloodmarch until the great clock – the
This phase begins when the adventurers arrive at Metrochrone – has been restarted. They recount
the Watch of the Sisters. how the dwarf Kogler murdered them and stole
important parts of the clock to create his own
The dead priestesses at the Watch of the Sis- mechanical world, Tribolia, as he is fed up with
ters explain who they are, that Agnostica exists living creatures

call this event the Becoming and that is the sea. The Seventh sent a fleet of
their ultimate goal. enslaved humans in pursuit, but the
Beyond the Becoming there will be moon elves twisted their memories
only Meat, and all living things will be with magic and made them think that
part of her. She is omniscient, omnipo- they were following their raven god to
tent, and crawlingly omnipresent. The a promised land. So the humans arrived,
sixth generation learned to control twelve centuries ago, in a land they
humans and animals by placing leeches called Ravenland after the raven god.
on them. The seventh generation of The moon elves knew that the worm
worms even enslaved the country’s people would come for them sooner or
moon elves, a strange kin who mastered later. Unable to kill Octomadria, they
the magic art of mentalism. The Seventh hid her away at their secret temple
gave the moon elves a favored status Agnostica which they moved beyond the
in return for their help in magically con- world. Since this could not be done per-
trolling the will and memories of other manently and they were in a hurry, they
kin. As a reward they were promised linked the temple’s absence to a clock
a place on Meat’s surface rather than that was already in the Bloodmarch: the
becoming her entrails like other crea- giant clock at the House of Winds.
tures, in a future where the worm is Since moon elves inherit their ances-
everything and everything is the worm. tors’ memories, they decided to split
However, when the eighth gener- themselves into two ignorant kin – hal-
ation was about to be born, the moon flings and goblins – while waiting for
elves decided that enough was enough. the worm people to go extinct. In the
They prayed to the moon goddess Eor process they tore the moonstones from
who sent a giant raven to their aid. Once their chests and hid them in Agnostica.
most of the Seventh had died off as part Now the Seventh have learned from
of the generational shift, the giant raven their vision that the thieves are in the
stole Octomadria – the Eighth Mother Bloodmarch and that the Eighth Mother
who would birth the next generation. is alive. They have assembled into seven
The moon elves fled Anoma on their worm creatures on a mission to find and
ships and followed the raven across awaken the mother.
 PHASE 5:
The players receive hints of what might happen
THE RETURN OF AGNOSTICA in future campaigns. The road to Alderland –
This phase begins when the Metrochrone has been Gander’s Pass – is opened.
restarted and four Sons of Horn have awoken.

Once someone has claimed ownership of four

Astra, four sons of Horn will have awoken. And as
soon as the Metrochrone is restarted the temple ADVENTURE
Agnostica emerges in one of the six hexagons sur- SITES
rounding the last dormant Son of Horn (you can
choose or randomize where the temple appears). In Forbidden Lands, adventure sites play a major
At the same time the Cauldron of Flow is also role in the player characters’ exploits. That is as
activated (page 242). Even if someone owns all true in the Bloodmarch as it is in Ravenland
five of the Astra, one Son of Horn will remain and the Bitter Reach.
dormant – the one where Agnostica emerges. The Later chapters of this book describe eight
volcano that does not awaken is the one whose pre-made adventure sites that all have some con-
Astra was the last to be claimed. nection to the campaign Legacy of Horn. These
During this phase a race to the temple can be placed at various locations in Aslene as
Agnostica begins. The temple can be removed described in Chapter 8 of the Game­master’s
from the world by activating its altar of time. Guide. But there is one difference – the map
of Aslene only has one type of adventure site:
SETTLEMENT.
PHASE 6:
You decide which SETTLEMENT will repre-
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN sent which adventure site. If you have access
This phase begins when the adventurers reach to the separate map pack for The Bloodmarch,
Agnostica at the same time as at least one key player. you can use the included stickers to mark the
adventure sites on the map as the adventur-
The final battle for the temple Agnostica and ers learn their locations. However, note that
the awakening of the Eighth Mother. Tare­g yll already has an established place on the
map, since it is presumed to be the adventurers’
starting point.
PHASE 7:
AFTERMATH OTHER ADVENTURE SITES: If you need
This phase begins when the final battle has additional adventure sites other than those
been fought. described in this book, you can create them
using the tables in Chapter 8 of the Game­
This epilogue summarizes the situation in the master’s Guide, and adjust them to the people
Bloodmarch and what is likely to happen next. and nature of Aslene.

59

the legacy of horn

 ARTIFACTS

When Sella the Liberator rose anew out of the magma, he was bearing
Horn’s Astra and his companions kneeled before him, for it seemed to them
that the chieftain emerged stronger and aged in wisdom from the fires of
the underworld. His head was crowned by the Helm of Horn, which spoke
with the Stonechest of Horn around his torso and Sella’s Dragonboot on
his foot. On his belt hung the dagger Glasstooth and in his quiver slithered
the three Arrows of the Fire Wyrm. But in his hand the chieftain held the
Goblet Staff of Have with an all-­giving grail at its end. It was said that
possessing all the Astra allowed Sella to wield the divine power of Horn.

A
t the heart of the campaign Legacy of and commerce with the Bloodmarch’s indigenous
Horn is the search for the five artifacts population, the Vasnians. But the proud Sella was
known collectively as Horn’s Astra, a set offended by some incident during the meeting
of powerful magical items said to be hiding in and let the peace efforts collapse into open war.
the Bloodmarch. The goddesses were so furious that they
Legend says that the god Horn gave his Astra rejected their legates and blocked the road back
to the hero Sella to help him conquer the Blood- to the Drawn Lands with an everlasting hur-
march for the horse clans, which he succeeded in ricane that rages to this day. Now godless, the
doing. After the wars each of the five clans took horse clans turned to the volcano god Horn,
one of Horn’s Astra into their care. Sella thought encouraged by the dwarves of Firestead.
this would preserve the unity between them, but The dwarves gave Sella the mechanical horse
the peace crumbled almost immediately. Witherbeam as well as a set of powerful weapons
What really happened was that the goddesses they did not dare test themselves – Horn’s Astra
Flow and Wail had sent Sella and his riders from – and from this situation the myth arose. The
the Drawn Lands west of Aslene to seek peace dwarves’ plan was to let the horse clans drive the

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chapter 7
Vasnians from the mining districts of Nuggler’s BINDING THE ASTRA
Harrow, but instead Sella began a war of exter- Each Astra can be bound to a person by smearing
mination, which to the dwarves has become an the item with Blue Blood – an equal mixture of
historical embarrassment they do not want to Blue Tar (page 38) and one’s own blood. Being
be associated with. The true story is recorded in bound to an Astra enhances the powers it confers,
the Book of Winds which can be found at the but also accelerates the person’s aging. The person
adventure site Watch of the Sisters (page 207). remains bound to the Astra until they die or the
For the past three centuries, when demons item is washed with Dense Water (page 39).
have ravaged the Bloodmarch, much has been Only then can the Astra be bound to a new master.
destroyed. Four of the five Astra are missing and
only clan Cabera in Strilling are said to still have THE VOLCANOES: The first time an Astra is
their Astra, the dagger Glasstooth, in their posses- bound to a person it awakens one of the volca-
sion (although it is in fact a forgery). But now new noes known as the Sons of Horn. Read more
winds are blowing and several key players have for on page 55.
various reasons started looking for Horn’s Astra.
Each of the five Astra has a Horn rune
engraved into it. The Astra are surrounded by RELATIONS BETWEEN
an aura of faint blue light while they have a THE ASTRA
rightful owner, but will also glow for a brief Each of Horn’s five Astra is related to two
moment if they are coated with Blue Tar, which others, as shown by the pentagram in Sella’s
is a way of identifying them. In parentheses are fresco (page 62). The fresco can be found at
the clan and volcano traditionally associated two adventure sites: Ashenstead and Tribolia of
with each item. the Kogler. The horse people of Aslene some-
✥ The Helm of Horns (Houns, Houner) times carry copies of the fresco as a religious
✥ Sella’s Dragonboot (Sabirians, Sabira) symbol, but the copies are not always accurate.
✥ The Dagger Glasstooth (Caberians,
Cabera)
✥ The Goblet Staff of Have (Quards, Quard) THE POWERS OF THE ASTRA
✥ The Arrows of the Fire Wyrm (Galdanes, Each of Horn’s Astra has three levels of mag-
Gald) ical powers.
✥ LEVEL 1 can be used by anyone, without
In addition, there is the Stonechest of Horn, a being bound to the Astra.
breastplate that can be summoned once a single ✥ LEVEL 2 can only be used by someone
person owns four of the Astra. See the section bound to the Astra when at least one
Relations Between the Astra below. related Astra is within NEAR range.
The information required in order to make ✥ LEVEL 3 can only be used by someone
full use of Horn’s Astra will become available to bound to the Astra as well as two of its
the adventurer over the course of the campaign. related Astra.

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artifacts
 THE HELM OF HORN

THE ARROWS
OF THE FIRE
GLASSTOOTH/ WYRM
SERPENT’S
BANE

THE GOBLET
STAFF OF HAVE

SELLA’S
DR AGONBOOT

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chapter 7
 THE STONECHEST OF HORN their choosing by one step, to a minimum of 1.
Should all five Astra be bound to the same person, A player who owns any of Horn’s Astra should
the Stonechest of Horn – a powerful armor – will receive warnings about the rapid aging, for exam-
materialize around the person’s torso. ple in the form of sudden wrinkles or hair loss.
If four Astra are bound to the same person, The rapid aging ceases when the owner loses
the Stonechest of Horn can be summoned or relinquishes ownership of one or more of
through a ritual known to the Horn priests at Horn’s Astra. In other words, it is possible to
Ashenstead or in Firestead. During the ritual carry Astra inactive and only assume ownership
the fifth and missing Astra will be summoned by smearing them with Blue Blood when heroic
and bound to the person. deeds are called for.
If the bearer of the Stonechest dies, the
armor dissolves into mist and cannot be sum-
moned again. The Stonechest of Horn can only
be summoned once in a generation.
THE GOBLET
ACCELERATED AGING
STAFF OF HAVE
A person bound to one or more of Horn’s Astra It is said that Horn with his kiss gave Sella the Lib­
ages faster than normal. Their aging accelerates erator the gift of speech in order that the clans would
to ten times its normal rate per total number follow their chieftain’s commands without question,
of bound Astra multiplied by the maximum as if they came from the god himself. Then Horn’s
level for bound Astra. This means that people wife, Have, presented the hero with her goblet staff
bound to a single Astra will age ten months in so that he whose lips had touched the divine would
one month. A person bound to all five Astra never have to drink anything but the noblest of bev­
ages 150 times faster than normal (10 × 5 × 3), erages. For anything poured into the goblet turns into
i.e. three years in just one week. exquisite wine and empowering nectar.
According to legend, Sella liberated the Blood-
march in three month and aged 36 years in that The Goblet Staff of Have is the Astra tradi-
time. When the work was finished he threw him- tionally belonging to the Quards, linked to the
self into the volcano Horn because he had grown volcano Quard. When the staff is bound to a
so old. This was not a big deal for him, since person, Quard awakens.
Aslene horse warriors consider dying of old age
a shameful way to go. A glorious warrior should
fall in battle, preferably in a heroic fashion. SUGGESTED LOCATION
The key player Vaerefor van Reiben once owned
EFFECT: If the accelerated aging makes a player the Goblet Staff of Have, before it fell into the
character go from young to adult, or from adult hands of the Vasnians during a war long ago. The
to old (page 31 in the Player’s Handbook), the staff can be found in a chieftain’s hall in Vasnia,
player must permanently reduce an attribute of mounted on the wall as a prize of war. Konana

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artifacts
is aware of this and is willing to
barter with it. She knows its worth THE HELM
and that Vaerefor desires it. Other OF HORN
Vasnians refuse to part with the
staff, so a replica will be required The archers marveled at the hal­
in the event of a trade. fling’s ability to evade every arrow
they fired, but eventually they grew
exasperated, for the game had dented
EFFECTS their pride. Urse sensed deceit – some
✥ LEVEL 1: In one turn, one dose said fox blood flowed through his veins.
of liquid poured into the staff ’s He wondered why the helmet’s moon­
goblet turns into a liquid or stone glowed a fiery red, but when the
beverage of the bearer’s choice – halfling took it off to look, Urse fired
except for magical liquids or poi- another arrow that pierced the creature
sons, Blue Tar, or Dense Water. from shoulder to shoulder.
✥ LEVEL 2: In one turn, one dose
of liquid turns into any drug, acid, The Helm of Horns is the Astra tra-
or poison the bearer desires. The ditionally belonging to the Houns,
staff can also create Blue Tar or linked to the volcano Houner. When
Dense Water. the helmet is bound to a person, Houner
✥ LEVEL 3: Once per Quarter Day, awakens. The helmet is made for a
one dose of liquid can be turned human, but can be adjusted to fit other
into any other liquid or into a kin at the risk of looking a bit silly.
dose of Goblet Tonic that heals
all injuries (even critical ones),
cures all poisons and diseases, SUGGESTED LOCATION
and can even resurrect a recently The Helm of Horn is missing and can
deceased person. be placed at any of the campaign’s adven-
ture sites. The helmet has a moonstone
embedded in its forehead. This allows
DRAWBACKS Fiena Fromelei (page 82) to sense in
Every time the staff ’s magic is used at which direction it is located, although
level 2 or 3, a D6 is rolled. Rolling a l she does not know that the stone sits
means that the hexagon where the user is in one of Horn’s Astra. Removing the
currently positioned turns into Crimson moonstone stops the helmet from work-
Forest. The transformation takes one week ing as an Astra, though it retains its magic
and first manifests itself in the form of spider at level 1. Reinserting a moonstone into the
veins spreading from an underground source. helmet restores its function.

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chapter 7
 SELLA’S
DRAGONBOOT
We couldn’t believe our eyes when the rascal ran
off across the rooftops without slipping or stumbling
despite the pouring rain, with the stolen goods tied
around his neck. On reaching the fishing huts he
leapt like a cat from post to post, but finally we
had him cornered against the water with no way
of escape. But was he arrested, you think? Oh no,
right in front of our lowered lances he scuttled
across the water’s surface as if it were solid ground.
A bowshot from the shore there was a boat waiting
for him, which soon sailed off in the night. On the
beach we found a right boot of dragon skin.

Sella’s Dragonboot is the Astra traditionally

belonging to the Sabirians, linked to the vol-
cano Sabira. When the boot is bound to a person,
Sabira awakens. Sella’s Dragonboot is a left boot
EFFECTS but magically summons a matching right boot
✥ LEVEL 1: The wearer can see in the dark. for its wearer.
The helmet has Armor Rating 3.
✥ LEVEL 2: The owner’s Wits is increased
by 1 while wearing the helmet.
✥ LEVEL 3: The helmet provides full pro-
tection against all non-­magical ranged
attacks. It also protects against fear
attacks and makes the wearer immune to
MANIPULATION.

DRAWBACKS
Ranged attacks diverted from the wearer instead
hit another creature within NEAR range. The
wearer’s hair turns completely white over the
course of a week.

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artifacts
 SUGGESTED LOCATION
The Dragonboot is missing and could be found GLASSTOOTH
at any of the adventure sites or with the trav- Glass seems transparent because only half of its being
eling jester Pottus Tynk who thinks it suits exists where you think it does. The rest of it sweeps
his stage costume. See the random event Last through the ether in search of sun dust like swallows
Night of the Jesters (page 142). Pottus does hunting mosquitoes in summer. The same is true of
not know that the boot is magical, though it the dagger Glasstooth, also known as Souldrinker. I
helps him maintain balance on stage. have personally seen the weapon in three difference
locations. Transient and ephemeral, the dagger
preys on souls, but when one of its shapes has taken
EFFECTS a life, the parts come together to carve the name of
✥ LEVEL 1: Gives the wearer perfect bal- Sella the Liberator at site of the kill.
ance which, for example, allows them to
effortlessly walk a tightrope. The wearer Glasstooth is the Astra traditionally belonging
does not have to make MOVE rolls to keep to the Caberians, linked to the volcano Cabera.
their balance and cannot be knocked over. When the dagger is bound to a person, Cabera
✥ LEVEL 2: Allows the wearer to walk awakens.
on water and lava without suffering
damage or plunging through the
surface. SUGGESTED LOCATION
✥ LEVEL 3: Allows the wearer to At the start of the game, Poansa Moulter
leap to anything within SHORT (page 76) or the elf Mahogany of the
range (fast action) and land with Inglourious Butchars (random event,
perfect balance. The wearer can see page 141) could be in possession
also summon an earthquake of the dagger. The one who does not
around themselves by stomping have the actual dagger carries a replica
the ground. Everyone within instead. The person with the real dagger
NEAR range must then make a does not know that it is one of Horn’s
MOVE roll not to fall over. Astra and has not claimed ownership
of the weapon. Poansa and Mahogany
both believe that they are carrying
DRAWBACKS the profoundly cursed dagger Ser-
The boot’s power stems from pent’s Bane, which allegedly has
the principle of universal bal- the power to “kill sunlight, shadow,
ance, which is why all allies within and the soul itself ”. Meanwhile, the
SHORT range get –1 to all Agility-­based Caberians in Strilling claim that they
skills while level 2 or 3 of the boot’s are in possession of Glasstooth, but their
magic is activated. revered dagger is a replica. The Caberian
Elders know this, but are keeping it to

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chapter 7
themselves because the weapon is crucial for the the traitors’ assault. He nocked an arrow to his bow
clan members’ self-­esteem. and fired at a distance of thirty paces. The arrow
split into two, then four, then eight, then another
eight. And so the attackers fell before the hero’s feet
EFFECTS and only the dust of their final ride could reach him.
✥ LEVEL 1: Double damage and counts as a
magical weapon. The Arrows of the Fire Wyrm are the Astra tra-
✥ LEVEL 2: Also inflicts double damage ditionally belonging to the Galdanes, linked to
on creatures normally resistant to phys- the volcano Gald. When the arrows are bound
ical violence, such as the key players to a person, Gald awakens.
Octomadria and the Seventh.
✥ LEVEL 3: Each hit automatically
inflicts a critical injury, in addition SUGGESTED LOCATION
to normal damage. Armor has The Arrows of the Fire Wyrm could be
no effect. Against Octomadria found in three different places. Collecting
its attacks are always fatal, but all three arrows summons their quiver
then again she has to die eight and only then do they constitute one of
times before she can be ban- Horn’s Astra. Other arrows placed in
ished (page 100). this quiver will crumble into ashes. The
adventurers may already have one or more
of the Arrows of the Fire Wyrm from the
DRAWBACKS campaign Raven’s Purge. One could be
Glasstooth is a jealous dagger that reduces down in the magma with the demon Kra-
the Weapon Bonus of all non-­magical sylla. The demon was hit with the arrow,
bladed weapons within SHORT range by one. fired by the adventurers or someone else,
In other words, affected weapons have a and dragged into the magma by the fire
reduced chance to hit and break more easily. wyrm Erinya. He would gladly barter with
it. See the random event The Penitent in
the Magma (page 135). Additional arrows
can be found at any adventure sites.

THE ARROWS OF
THE FIRE WYRM EFFECTS
✥ LEVEL 1: The arrow gives the user
Stories tell how the Vasnians gave the name­ a D8 Artifact Die when fired from a
less rider and his companions a bushel of bow, and returns to its owner after
gold to slay Sella the Liberator while three rounds (to the quiver if it
he was praying to Horn alone in the exists, otherwise on the ground
wilds. But the hero was unfazed by in front of the archer).

67

artifacts
✥ LEVEL 2: All three arrows can be fired The Stonechest of Horn is an ornate breastplate
simultaneously at the same target. It is that can be summoned once someone owns four
rolled as a single attack with 3D8 Arti- of Horn’s Astra and emerges automatically if
fact Dice. The arrows return to the quiver someone owns all five. The Stonechest arranges
after three rounds. itself to fit the owner and remains even after
✥ LEVEL 3: All three arrows can be fired the person loses their Astra. The Stonechest
simultaneously at three different targets dissolves upon the death of its owner.
as a single action. Roll separately for each
target, with a D8 Artifact Die to each
roll. The arrows reemerge in the quiver EFFECT
after three rounds. The Stonechest of Horn has Armor Rating 8
and counts as a light item.

DRAWBACKS
The arrow that was buried in Krasylla
(page 136) attracts the fire w yrm
Erinya, who thinks its owner is the
demon. Roll D6 every Quarter Hour
that the bearer spends in firelands –
one l means that the fire wyrm attacks.
The bearer can avoid the attack by firing
Krasylla’s arrow, in which case the fire
wyrm goes after it.

THE STONECHEST
OF HORN
But lord Horn told Sella to go and liberate
the land, and the god dressed his champion
in the breastplate of the mountains so the
swords of his foes would hit not flesh, but solid
stone. And the villains’ blades shattered against
the stone, as did their courage. And the rocks of
Horn filled their hearts and minds until they stood
helpless before their deaths.

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chapter 7
 While Witherbeam is active, the horse can
WITHERBEAM be extended to carry up to three riders by insert-
Sella the Liberator rode his steed Witherbeam like ing a couple of side pieces under the edge of
a storm wind across the battlefield, where the Vas­ the saddle on both sides while squeezing the
nians fell like wheat before the scythe. It was said horse on. This is no simple mechanism, but
that the horse was bred in the Drawn Lands, as the Kogler and or some other mechanically
two desert winds slipped through the hair gap of gifted individual can understand it.
Vanna and were squeezed so tightly that their air Witherbeam automatically gives its rider
became red. In the end Witherbeam fell, but the the talents Path of the Plains and Path of the
dwarves flayed him and filled out his skin with a Knight, both at rank 1. If the rider already has
mechanical body, powered by Blue Tar and water, these talents, the rank increases by 1 on Wither­
and returned the animal for Sella to ride. However, beam’s back, up to a maximum of 3.
to keep the spirits of the machinery alive a living Witherbeam counts as a Combat Trained
human must be sacrificed under each full moon. Horse but has Strength 8, Agility 4, and Move-
ment 3.

SUGGESTED LOCATION DRAWBACKS

Witherbeam stands on the cliff by the Guardian If it runs out of Blue Tar, Witherbeam stops
Temple, a field temple dedicated to Horn and and remains motionless until it is refueled with
Have, from which he overlooks the plain. Blue Tar. If it runs out of Dense Water
See the random encounter The Guardian it is no longer possible to brake, and
Temple (page 147). Witherbeam keeps running until
it runs out of Blue Tar as well.

EFFECT
Witherbeam is steered like an ordi-
nary horse, with reins, legs, and
other aids. The horse is fueled with
Blue Tar which is poured through
the nose after the bigger horn has been
unscrewed. The horse brakes if Dense Water
is poured through the nose after unscrewing
the smaller horn.
Refueling is done by sacrificing Resource
Dice of the respective liquid. The same number
of Resource Dice are then transferred to
Wither­beam. Every Quarter Day that the horse
is used a roll is made for each liquid.

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artifacts
 KEY PLAYERS

“Only fools break ground alone in the wilderness,” said Colo­

nel Grudenstaal. He sized up the woman under heavy eyelids
lined with rust-­colored tattoos. “Bandits wish to steal the cattle
while the farmer sows his seed. Wise are the farmers who work
together, for their strength is doubled and their eyes many.”
“So are you looking for a wife, hand, or slave for your new
farm?” replied Poansa Moulter with a steady gaze. “Our
churches are still bitter adversaries.”
“Have we not been slaves long enough, you and I, albeit
under different masters?” answered the colonel and won the
woman’s slowly growing smile.

SELLIGAR HORNE
S
everal key players in Legacy of Horn
want to get their hands on one or more OF HAVENMARK
of Horn’s Astra, an ancient set of magi-
cal weapons said to have belonged to Sella the Selligar Horne of Havenmark (the byname Horne
Liberator (known among the Vasnians as Sella he added himself) is a handsome, charismatic, and
the Butcher). The key players all have their own skilled horseback warrior. He is the leader of the
intentions, but will likely form alliances with respected but decimated Houns and commander
each other over the course of the campaign of the Horn Riders – a growing group of more
if it benefits them. Several of the key players or less fanatical horse warriors from all clans.
behave discreetly and prefer not to reveal their Selligar rides around to strengthen the alliance
true identities or agendas to strangers. At the between the horse clans and generate interest in
same time, many of them need all the help his cause – to reunite and retake the Bloodmarch
they can get. using Horn’s Astra. Selligar claims to be a direct

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chapter 8
descendant of Sella the Liberator, the legendary ancestor Sumber Greatheel alone took responsi-
figure who conquered the Bloodmarch for the bility for the clan and led a small force to hold off
horse clans back when the world was young. It is the demons and give the rest of the tribe enough
an accepted and highly respected lineage. time to kill each other. Sumber’s warriors were
But there are some who question his claims, supposedly slain to the last man, but his pregnant
since the Hours are said to have destroyed each wife Ismaela managed to escape.
other to the last man in a ritual combat during No one knows what really happened three
the Demon Flood three hundred years ago, to centuries ago, but it remains a sensitive issue.
avoid the disgrace of falling in battle against
them – which seemed to be the only
alternative. This would make Selligar
either a false heir or a descendant of
one of the cowards who fled the
honorable internal slaughter.
However, Selligar him-
self maintains that his

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key players
Selligar has killed several doubters in single LEGEND
combat. But most of the horse clans still accept It is said that the Houns’ chieftain, Selligar Horne
him, realizing that no one else will be able to of Havenmark, emerged from his mother’s womb
unite them. They are running out of time as a capable rider. He mounted the nearest horse, and
more and more foreigners cross their borders. with the umbilical cord fluttering in the wind, he
Mommodar and Merdekai, leaders of clans immediately rode off to inspect his domains. Only
Sabira and Quard, would prefer Selligar to go afterwards did he return to her breast. The father
away so that they could lead the united clans was never again allowed near his wife, for the boy
themselves. However, it is unlikely that either was jealous and believed that further offspring
of them would willingly submit to the other. If could only be inferior to himself. He was strong
Selligar dies, he can be replaced with these two, from birth and slew his first challengers in combat
or with their children Stiltellos and Gerbera (see before he had grown his fourth tooth. Now he rides
the adventure site Ashenstead on page 162). across the plains as a proud youth, like his ancestor
Sella the Liberator before him, intent on gathering
the clans so that all foreign malice can be driven
from the Bloodmarch. The seers say that Selligar
is destined to rule Ravenland and Alderland as
THE HORN RIDERS well. He means to open the Galder Gorge to Alder­
The Horn Riders is a group of land, and lifted one of the giant pillars with his
Aslene horse warriors who have bare arms just to prove himself worthy of such a
pledged allegiance to the unifi- task. But the time for doing so has not yet come.
cation of the clans and the lib-
eration of the Bloodmarch. They
are more loyal to their vision and APPEARANCE
their brethren than to their own Selligar is a tall and handsome rider in his for-
clan, which is not looked upon ties, with thick chestnut hair that flows dramat-
kindly by more traditional clans- ically in the wind as he rides forth (in battle
folk – even though the dream of a he braids his hair like any other Aslene rider).
united country predates the clan Selligar is lavishly dressed in silver-­plated chain-
structure, which the Horn Riders mail worn under a tunic made of brightly col-
are quick to point out. The leaders ored silk triangles, adored with bronze and gold.
of the Sabirians and Caberians Sewn on to the tunic are lemon yellow strips
even consider the Horn Riders a of cloth, which are supposed to flutter behind
threat and would not shed a tear him to create an illusion of fire when he rides.
if Selligar Horne disappeared and Selligar Horn is loud, hot-­tempered, and
his booming, seductive voice was enjoys luxury and combat as much as the sound
never heard again. of his own voice. He is popular with women
and has a number of children spread all over

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chapter 8
the country. He claims to be looking for his fluent in all five clan dialects but cannot shut
future consort, “the lovely Totilla”, but no one up in any of them.
knows if she exists or if anyone would even be
good enough. His adjutants are used to breaking
up fights that their leader gets himself into, as MEETING SELLIGAR HORNE
well as playing down and glossing over his ill-­ Selligar is active from the start of the game and
considered statements, challenges, and promises. resides in Havenmark, but is often visiting the
other clans along with a personal guard of twenty
riders. He never shows up discreetly but prefers to
OVERT GOALS have his arrival announced by bards and heralds.
Selligar Horne truly believes that he is Horn’s
chosen one, Sella’s heir, and the destined liberator
of the Bloodmarch. His goal is to collect Horn’s RELATIONS
Astra, wear the holy items, and lead the clans to Selligar may exchange favors with all the other
drive all demons and other undesirables from the key players, but would not willingly hand over
land. He tolerates foreigners as long as they are Horn’s Astra to them.
respectful and do not come from Alderland. Alder-
landers are his sworn enemies, and he intends THE DREAMSTRESS: Selligar Horne is loosely
to wreak vengeance upon his arch enemy once allied with the Dreamstress who will help him
the liberation has been achieved. In Aslene eyes, unite the clans and find Horn’s Astra.
Alderland was responsible for the demon flood
that devastated the country. If Selligar gets his POANSA AND GRUDENSTAAL: Selligar has
hands on one of Horn’s Astra, he will never part never met Poansa or Grudenstaal, but would
with the artifact, believing that it is his by right. immediately consider them enemies if he
Since his efforts to unify the clans are progress- learned that they are from Alderland. That
ing rather slowly, Selligar has been fraternizing being said, he could quickly change his mind
with the Dreamstress in Oxengelder as a backup and work with them if he knew that they wish
plan. The Dreamstress has promised to dream the to rebel against Alderland and lead an attack on
liberation of Aslene into existence, provided that the country from Aslene.
she can assemble a large enough group of com-
petent dreamers. For her part, the Dreamstress SELLIGAR HORNE
hopes to obtain Horn’s Astra through Selligar. STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 5, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3
SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 3, Move 3,
Animal Handling 3, Manipulation 3
SECRET GOALS TALENTS: Adaptive, Path of the Companion
Selligar has no secret goals. In fact, he finds it 2, Horseback Fighter 3
difficult not to immediately talk about what- GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather
ever pops into his head. They say that he is armor, riding horse

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key players
KEY PLAYER DESCRIPTION OVERT GOAL
Selligar Chieftain of the Houns, seeking Uniting the horse clans, finding Horn’s
Horne of to unite the Aslene horse clans. Astra, and using the holy weapons to
Havenmark Commands the Horn Riders. drive all outsiders from the Bloodmarch.
Poansa High-­ranking member of Ad Finding the reborn god Wyrm in the
Moulter Vipera, a sect within the Con- Bloodmarch and bringing him back to
gregation of the Serpent in Alderland.
Alderland.
Grudenstaal Leader of the Ironbrows, the Finding and killing the reborn Wyrm in
Alderlander Rust Church’s inqui- the Bloodmarch.
sition force in the Bloodmarch.
Fiena Ravenlander halfling and leader Finding the moonstones once embedded
Fromelei of the Penite pilgrims. Worships in the chests of halflings and goblins, to
the moon goddess Eor. unite their kin.
The Seventh Worm creatures on a pilgrimage Retrieving the “Eighth Mother” who was
from the continent of Anoma stolen more than a thousand years ago,
beyond the eastern seas. and having her birth a new generation of
worm people.
Vinhelm Kaal Moon elf at Agnostica, the Keeping Agnostica, the Eighth Mother,
secret moon temple in the and the moonstones away from all who
Bloodmarch. seek them.
Konana Half-­orc and clan leader of the Liberating the Vasnia region for her
Vasnians, the Bloodmarch’s people, or buying its freedom by selling
indigenous inhabitants. Horn’s Astra to the horse clans.
Vaerefor Leader of the Aslene red elves, Using the red elves to expand Reiben’s
van Reiben “Prophet of the Red Wanderer.” borders across the Bloodmarch and claim
Lives in Reiben. lordship over the land.
The Dream­ Giant prophetess and magic Gathering and training enough dreamers
stress teacher in Oxengelder. Master to dream the liberation of the Blood-
of Oneiromancy. march into reality.
Octomadria The Eighth Mother. Seizing power over the Bloodmarch and
the rest of the world after realizing who
she is.

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LOCATION COMMENT
Resides in Havenmark, but moves —
around the plains of the Bloodmarch
to preach unity.
Stays as a guest with the Dream- Wyrm cannot be found without a couple of Horn’s
stress in Oxengelder, but travels Astra
around a lot.

Loosely allied with the Caberians in Wyrm cannot be found without a couple of Horn’s
Strilling where he is based. Often Astra. Grudenstaal seeks alliances that serve his
travels throughout the Bloodmarch. interests.
Is on a seeking pilgrimage in the Crudehack is actually trying to sabotage the
Bloodmarch along with goblins led endeavor since the goblins do not want to be
by the wolf rider Crudehack. united with the halflings.
Traveling through the Bloodmarch, The Seventh sometimes count as one creature,
all together or divided into groups. sometimes as seven or more. The Eighth Mother
cannot be found without a couple of Horn’s Astra.

Based in Agnostica, but travels —

around to eradicate memory traces
of the temple.
Based in Vasnia, but is traveling in Worships the dragons of the mountains and may
search of Horn’s Astra. form an alliance with one of them, such as the
dragon mother Scarne from Raven’s Purge.
Anywhere near Reiben. Poses as a red elf, but is actually a demon.

Lives in Oxengelder, but can visit Is actually a homesick demon.

other places in the Bloodmarch
through her dreams.
First appears in the temple Exists in seven stages. Octomadria can only be
Agnostica towards the end of the killed with the dagger Glasstooth and must be
campaign. killed eight times, but just one point of damage
from this weapon is enough to kill her.

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key players
 as “the Rust-­Rot Scandal,” where four local
POANSA MOULTER noblemen secretly collaborated with the Rust
The Wyrm priestess Poansa started out as a Church and were later executed by snakebite,
dancer and spy in the Alderlander capital of Poansa was ordained to priesthood and quickly
Brodelmarg. After uncovering what is known rose through the ranks of the Congregation of
the Serpent. Now, only ten years later, she is
one of the most senior officers of Ad Vipera –
the sect serving as the Church’s secret police.
She was the first to be interested in the Prophet
Fangler’s speech about the god Wyrm’s rebirth
in the Bloodmarch. She is currently leading a
secret task force of sixty agents sent to Aslene
to find, protect, and bring the god back to
Brodelmarg.

LEGEND
You might think that Poansa is called “moulter”
because of her flaking skin. Not so. It’s because she
leaves empty shells of people in her wake. The shells
are not her own, but the remains of those she has
devoured along the way. One of them was Grene­
mer Treba, count of Strula until that venomous
woman seduced him and found his secret Rust
Altar. Once imprisoned he demanded, as a noble­
man, to be executed by iron – for religious reasons
that would become clear later – and appealed to
Ad Vipera on the matter. He was surprised to
find Poansa in one of the council seats. But the
Moulter granted his wish and had him exe­
cuted by iron as requested: they pounded iron
nails through his body until the screams died down
and the blood stopped flowing.

APPEARANCE
Poansa Moulter is roughly 35 years old,
thin and agile, pale, with a rather ordi-
nary appearance and short, dark hair. The

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inside of her mouth is completely blackened to
indicate that she is part of the Sisterhood of
the Black Mamba. When she speaks, her teeth
with the sharpened canines look bright white AD VIPERA
against the darkness within. She wears strict, Ad Vipera is the Congregation
gray clothes of minimalist style and quality. of the Serpent’s secret police in
Her voice is calm and composed, and she is an Alderland. The name is actually an
excellent singer. Poansa’s movements are bal- abbreviation of the organization’s
anced and smooth. maxim “Ad vipera, ad versa,” which
translates roughly to “those who
oppose the serpent are our oppo-
OVERT GOALS nents.” Due to the inflamed politi-
Poansa is sent to the Bloodmarch by the psy- cal situation that has left Alderland
chopomp Vivírula to find, protect, and bring on the brink of civil war, Ad Vipera
the reborn god Wyrm back to the Congregation has a strong position in the coun-
of the Serpent in the Alderlander capital of try and is free to do what it wants,
Brodelmarg. She is accompanied and guided by particularly in southern Alderland
the Prophet Fangler. They do not know whether and the capital city of Brodelmarg.
Wyrm is reborn in the form of a snake, a human, Their primary enemy is the Rust
or something else, so they are not sure what Church in northern Alderland.
to look for. However, Fangler’s mentalist spell Now that things are stirring
TRUE SIGHT is always active as a prophetic ability. in the Bloodmarch, the Con-
gregation of the Serpent has
become interested in the coun-
SECRET GOALS try. When the Prophet Fangler
If Wyrm turns out to have a form or tempera- had a vision of Wyrm waiting to
ment that could harm the Congregation of the be reborn in Aslene they sent a
Serpent, or falls into the wrong hands, Poansa strong force of Ad Vipera agents
has orders to kill him discreetly. To this end she across the mountains to locate
carries a powerfully cursed obsidian dagger sup- the god, eliminate any threats,
posedly able to “kill sunlight, shadows, and the and find allies in the country.
soul itself.” This dagger is either Glastooth (one
of Horn’s Astra, page 66) without Poansa
realizing it, or a replica. Poansa mistakenly
believes that the dagger can only be used once, “the true snake god” in opposition to Alderland
so she keeps it hidden until the right moment. and with her as the god’s supreme priestess. In
If Poansa gets hold of Wyrm – that is, the that case she is open to alliances which will be
Eighth Mother – she might keep her for herself needed against the powerful enemies she would
and create a power base in the Bloodmarch with immediately make in her homeland.

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key players
 MEETING POANSA oneiromancy. Communication with the Dream-
Poansa and her subordinates are already in Aslene. stress is mostly handled by her double, who is
They crossed Gander’s Pass on secret paths from also called Poansa and like the original belongs
Alderland and continued to Oxengelder, where to the Sisterhood of the Black Mamba.
Poansa met with the Dreamstress as an ambas-
sador of Alderland. She usually has a double rep- GRUDENSTAAL: If she decides to steal Wyrm
resenting her in Oxengelder, while she herself for herself, Poansa may form an unholy alli-
coordinates smaller groups secretly searching ance with Colonel Grudenstaal where the two
for Wyrm in the Bloodmarch. of them become a couple and found a new sect
Poansa is sweeping the country from south that competes with their previous employers.
to north. The adventurers may run into one
of her spies before they even leave Taregyll, VINHELM: If Poansa realizes what is really
but their first encounter with Poansa herself going on, she may join forces with Vinhelm
will not take place north of the Wailing. She Kaal and the other moon elves in the final
is often accompanied by the Prophet Fangler stages of the campaign to hide the temple
who believes that he can locate Wyrm if he gets Agnostica forever. Then everything remains
close enough to the god’s new form. Poansa the same and the rumor of Wyrm’s rebirth
travels discreetly in a small group posing as a was false, which might suit the Congregation
land surveyor in search of suitable locations for of the Serpent.
settlements in Aslene, equipped with basic sur-
veying instruments and the knowledge required POANSA
for such a mission. STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 5, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
Poansa Moulter is mainly looking for infor- SKILLS: Melee 3, Stealth 3, Move 2, Marks-
mation and is therefore open to conversations manship 2, Lore 2, Insight 3, Manipulation 3
and collaboration with anyone she meets. If she TALENTS: Adaptive, Path of Poison 3, Sharp
suspects someone of withholding information Tongue 2
or items of interest, she will try to have that GEAR: Dagger, short sword, short bow,
person taken away and interrogated in private. leather armor
IMMUNE TO POISON: Like all members of the
Sisterhood of the Black Mamba, Poansa is
RELATIONS immune to poison.
Poansa can accept help from anyone who offers SHED SKIN: Poansa can shapeshift into a
black mamba with Strength 1, Agility 7,
it, but never loses sight of her own priorities
Movement 2. In snake form she can move
and is only loyal to them.
out of ARM’S LENGTH range without the
enemy getting to attack. In close combat
THE DR EA MSTR ESS: Poansa Moulter is she has a bite with a lethal or sleeping
loosely allied with the Dreamstress, who she poison (Potency 8) – an attack she can
hopes will be able to locate Wyrm through also use in human form.

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 COLONEL GRUDENSTAAL
Grudenstaal is colonel of the Ironbrows, an inquisitorial order of war-
riors within the Rust Church in Alderland, headquar-
tered in Raskalma. Grudenstaal has for many years
conducted purges of heretics in northern Alderland
and sent many of them over the edge of the Iron
Lock to live in exile in Ravenland. Through his
agents the colonel has gained a good understand-
ing of recent developments in Ravenland.
After an indiscreet affair with Moilera of
Kantamar, ducal consort and niece of Bretien
the Procreator who was anointed king by the
Rust Church in Alderland, Grudenstaal was
left in the political cold. He has therefore
been sent away to Aslene to investigate the
rumors about the god Wyrm having been
reborn there, as foretold by the Prophet Fan-
gler. Grudenstaal was forced to accept the
assignment, but he is bitter and feels that
the Rust Church has betrayed him after
many years of loyal service.
Once Grudenstaal and his troop of
eighty men had entered the Bloodmarch
on secret paths near Gander’s Pass, the
colonel made the bold move of openly
seeking out the Caberians in Strilling,
the most militant horse clan in Aslene,
who spearheaded the conflict with Alder-
land as its mortal enemies.
The risk of immediate slaughter
loomed when the clan realized who their
guests were, but Grudenstaal’s voice did
not waver as he explained to Chieftain
Merdekai that the long-­standing peace
had softened the warriors on both sides of
Gander’s Pass. That was why he had come
to the Bloodmarch – to find out whether the

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key players
pass could be cleared so the traditional, character-­ The colonel is a man of quick and bold action.
building wars could be resumed. He turned to the He never takes his eyes off his goals, both overt
Caberians thinking that they would understand and covert, and can make important decisions
his intentions better than anyone. in an instant. He despises fear and thinks it is
When the initial astonishment had settled, better to live and die gloriously with one’s head
a truce was signed to clear the battlefields of held high than to crawl through a life of doubt.
Hadruma for future bloodshed. Under the cover
of this military endeavor, Grudenstaal and his
men are looking for the reincarnation of Wyrm. OVERT GOALS
Grudenstaal claims that he has come to the
Bloodmarch to open Gander’s Pass and prepare
LEGEND the ground for new character-­building wars
Oh yes, I’ve met Colonel Grudenstaal, the man between Alderland and the horse clans. This is
they call the fist of the Ironbrows. A ruthless man what the Caberians believe and want to achieve.
to be sure, like when Holy Frensia was promised If presented with proof that Grudenstaal has been
by the king – the old man feared the reprisal of the lying, they could very well attack the Ironbrows.
gods, you see – that she would never be exiled to
Ravenland, and Grudenstaal kept the monarch’s
word by personally kicking the seer over the edge SECRET GOALS
of the precipice. But the man is more than just a The Rust Church in Alderland has sent Gruden-
hard heart. He listens to everybody and does not staal to the Bloodmarch to find the reborn
hesitate to change his mind if he likes your advice. Wyrm and kill the god before the Congregation
He is certainly proud, so much so that he always goes of the Serpent gets hold of him. Grudenstaal
his own way, and nobody knows what he might do. has heard rumors that Wyrm can be found with
I suppose that’s why the powers that be in Alder­ the help of Horn’s Astra. He also understands
land had him sent off to the Bloodmarch. how much these old weapons mean to the horse
clans and could use them to buy their loyalty
for a war against Alderland.
APPEARANCE
Grudenstaal is in his mid-­forties, tall and mus-
cular, completely hairless, with the symbols of MEETING GRUDENSTAAL
Rust and Heme tattooed around his head. He After getting settled, the Ironbrows dispatch
wears iron mail every day without exception – groups of seekers operating from Strilling.
not just for protection, but as a religious uniform Grudenstaal is particularly keen to make
whose weight is meant to strengthen the body contact with the dwarves of Firestead whom
and mind of its wearer. Over the armor he wears he thinks could melt the obstacles blocking
a simple grayish-­yellow robe. That way he does Gander’s Pass into lava. Grudenstaal travels
not attract as much attention, while at the same with groups of his own men, but rarely visits
time making little effort to conceal himself. the country’s villages and taverns himself

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– people of interest are instead brought to in Ravenland. His only moral principle is to
his camp, as guests or prisoners. advance his own interests.

COLONEL GRUDENSTAAL
RELATIONS STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3
Grudenstaal keeps an open mind towards all SKILLS: Might 3, Melee 3, Animal Handling 2
the other key players, viewing them solely as TALENTS: Adaptive, Magnetism 2, Execu-
potential opportunities or threats to his own tioner 2, Defender 1, Horseback Fighter 3,
interests. He judges creatures by their ability Sword Fighter 2
and could not care less about their sex or race. GEAR: Broadsword, large shield, pike, chain-
As a result there are several unexpected associ- mail, war horse
ates that he has recruited in the Bloodmarch. LANCER: Grudenstaal can wield his pike
with one hand while on horseback.
POANSA: Grudenstaal knows that Poansa of
Ad Vipera has also come to the Bloodmarch in
search of Wyrm. He used to have a mole inside
Ad Vipera, but that agent was executed after
being exposed by the Prophet Fangler’s magic. THE IRONBROWS
Poansa has in turn learned about Grudenstaal’s The Ironbrows is an order of warriors
secret plans through her spies. with the Rust Church in Alderland.
Their traditional function has been
VINHELM: Towards the end of the campaign, to hunt down, capture, interrogate,
if Grudenstaal has realized the true nature of and punish heretics, as well as bru-
the situation, he might join forces with Vin- tally suppressing uprisings. When
helm and the other moon elves to hide the they learned about the prophecy of
temple Agnostica forever. In that case every- Wyrm’s rebirth in the Bloodmarch,
thing stays the same and the rumor of Wyrm’s the Rust Church sent a troop of
rebirth turns out to be false, which might suit Ironbrows to find and destroy the
the Rust Church. god before the Congregation of the
Serpent can get their hands on him.
THE RUST CHURCH: Feeling wronged and The Ironbrows are proud and ruth-
betrayed by the Rust Church, Grudenstaal less in nature, but realize that diplo-
might turn against them if the opportunity macy is needed in Aslene and are
arises and try to establish his own power base trying to secure allies for the future,
in the Bloodmarch. He knows that many Alder- so they can be patient and even
landers would join him. To this end he could somewhat friendly with strangers
basically contact and ally himself with any great whom they deem it useful.
power in Aslene, including Vaerefor van Reiben,
Poansa, Vasnia, the Seventh, or the Rust Church

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key players
 FIENA
FROMELEI THE PENITES
According to legend, halflings and goblins were The Penites is a cult of penitent
once moon elves, with a moonstone in their halflings from Ravenland. They wor-
chest in the same way that elves have a ruby for ship the moon goddess Eor and
a heart. They tried to trick the raven god (or the strive to reunite the goblins and
snake god – the myths are unclear on this point) halflings, while at the same time
and as punishment the god tore the moonstone atoning for the historical sin that
from their chest and split their kin into hal- according to legend divided their
flings and goblins. The moonstones were sup- kin in the first place. The Penites
posedly left somewhere in the Bloodmarch. believe that goblins and halflings
A few months ago, the Ravenlander moon were once “wholelings” – a noble
maiden and halfling Fiena Fromelei had a night- kin of tall, nocturnal creatures who
time vision telling her that the time had come to carried moonstones in their chests.
find the lost moonstones and unite the two kin. Egged on by the moon, they
Since then she can hear the moonstones calling supposedly tried to steal the sun
from Aslene on moonlit nights and is therefore from the sky god Raven in order to
leading an expedition for the Penites, a cult cen- plunge the world into eternal night,
tered around the inherited guilt of the halflings. but the theft failed. The raven god
More precisely, she can sense the direction and tore the moonstones from the
distance to all moonstones while the moon is up. wholelings’ chests, splitting them
She is escorted by a bodyguard of goblin wolf into halflings and goblins, and
riders led by Crudehack, as well as three hired hurled the stones over the moun-
wolfkin warriors from Ravenland. tains into the Bloodmarch.
The Penites seek forgiveness
for their kin’s original sin through
LEGEND penance, which may consist of
They say that one of the Penites’ powerful moon anything from building temples
priestesses from Belifar has been sent to the Blood­ and caring for the sick and poor to
march to finally eradicate the sin that the cult attri­ brutal self-­flagellation in the sun.
butes to halflings and the goddess Eor. The priestess
will seek forgiveness for some wrong committed
by her kin at the time of the Shift, and will do so
at the secret temple of the moon elves, although no accomplish this is anyone’s guess. Personally, I’ve
one has ever seen it. Come to think of it, no one has barely even seen a halfling. Perhaps it’s all made
even seen a moon elf, have they? So how she will up? Might as well forget the whole thing!

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 APPEARANCE a moon elf herself (page 127). Vinhelm will
Fiena Fromelei is a young, doll-­like halfling immediately detect the presence and direction
woman with curly red hair. She wears flax-­ of a new moon elf in the Bloodmarch and hurry
blue pilgrim’s attire with a simple silver band over there. As a moon elf Fiena can, like Salunia,
around her forehead. When she becomes a moon still sense the direction to other lost moonstones.
elf, Fiena assumes the features of that kin but
retains her red hair.
SECRET GOALS
Fiena has no secret goals. Once she becomes a
OVERT GOALS moon elf, she will know the history of the moon
Fiena’s only objective is to find the moonstones. elves and how to summon the temple Agnostica.
She can always sense the direction to the stones
in Aslene, including the one in Vinhelm’s chest,
and makes her way towards the nearest one. How-
ever, she cannot sense the moonstones inside
Agnostica until she obtains one of the lost
stones at which point
she transforms into
 RELATIONS
VINHELM: Vinhelm has heard that a group of
halflings and goblins has come to the Bloodmarch
OTHER MOONSTONES to find the moonstones, and is keen to see them
In the Bloodmarch there are two lost fail. But he does not know where the group or the
moonstones resting in the locations lost moonstone are. As soon as Fiena or Salunia
where their bearers once fell. A third turns into a moon elf, he will sense their pres-
stone is embedded in the missing ence and rush over there before the Seventh get to
Helm of Horn, one of his Astra, which them. He then wants her help in finding the rest
nobody knows. A fourth sits inside of the lost moonstones, so that he can take them
Vinhelm. You can place the stones and the new moon elf into hiding at Agnostica.
anywhere you like, randomly or
deliberately, but not too close to THE SEVENTH: The Seventh know that a
Shadowgate Pass. The remaining 36 group of halfling priests are on their way to the
moonstones are found in the temple Bloodmarch in search of the moonstones, and
Agnostica, seven of them inside the are pursuing them. The worm people are not
chests of living moon elves, exclud- interested in the group itself, but only to get hold
ing Vinhelm. of a moon elf through whom they can find the
temple Agnostica where the Eighth Mother is
said to be held. One of Fiena’s wolfkin warriors
has been taken over by a worm hiding in the fur
on the back of its neck, capable of calling the Sev-
MEETING FIENA enth. They know where the warrior is at all times.
Fiena Fromelei och hennes sällskap rör sig bara
nattetid när månen är uppe, mer eller mindre GRUDENSTAAL AND POANSA: In an emer-
i rät linje från Mistrapasset mot den närmaste gency, Fiena can seek refuge with Grudenstaal
månstenen som drar månjungfrun till sig. När or Poansa if she knows that they too are search-
den första stenen återfunnits vill Fiena i stället ing for Agnostica. In that case she may offer
hitta templet Agnostica för att föra Blodslandets them “Wyrm reborn” in exchange for protection
månstenar i säkerhet undan De sjunde. as well as the moonstones.
Om äventyrarna möter Fiena Fromeleis säll-
skap kommer de förmodligen bara att märka de FIENA FROMELEI
tre ravländska vargfolkskrigarna och i andra hand STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 4, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
de vargridande svartalferna. Sällskapet vill vara SKILLS: Endurance 2, Survival 2, Insight 3,
ifred, men är samtidigt intresserade av användbar Healing 3, Animal Handling 2
information om landet och vad som ligger i deras TALENTS: Hard to Catch, Path of Sight 3,
väg. Om äventyrarna har en av månstenarna så Fast Footwork 1
kommer Fiena att söka upp dem för att försöka GEAR: Staff, leather armor
byta till sig stenen, alternativt stjäla den.

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 THE SEVENTH
The Seventh are worm creatures – the remains of the
people who were once masters of humankind on the
continent of Anoma beyond the sea, east of Raven-
land. Each creature consists of roughly one hundred,
foot-­long, flesh-­colored worms gathered in a colony
around the skeleton of some creature they devoured.
Seven worm creatures have recently arrived in
Aslene. They are the last of the seventh generation
of worms, hence “the Seventh.” You can read more
about their background on page 4. Separately
the worms are no smarter than animals, but
together they become both intelligent and strong.

MEAT
“May his flesh awaken in your flesh!”

The worm people worship Meat, a

god they believe is resting inside
all living things, waiting to be born.
Meat will emerge along with the
twelfth generation of worms, at
which time everything living will
be gathered inside the god’s body.
According to the Seventh, individu-
als and kin are only passing phases
of development, just as their own
figures consist of individual worms
who are worthless on their own. For
the worm people their search for
the Eighth Mother is a search for the
meaning of life itself. The next gen-
eration on the path to Meat – the
Eighth – can only be birthed by her.

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key players
 LEGEND had been reborn in Aslene, they headed west to
I’ve been told that a handful of stern-­looking priests worship the god in his new form and pronounce
recently arrived in Ravenland from beyond the their final judgment on humanity. If you cross their
seas, having made the same journey as the humans path with an impure mind, beware.
who first landed on our shores. The priests are on
a mission from the snake god to make sure that the
humans honor the god properly. Apparently no one APPEARANCE
can endure the sight of their faces, which is why The assembled form of the worm creatures
they’re all wearing masks. roughly takes the shape of the skeleton they
The priests are said to be carrying strong shack­ use. In human form they look like a human
les on their belts, with orders to once more enslave corroded by fleshsoot, so they wear clothing
the humans if they have not proven worthy of the that fully covers their bodies and face masks
freedom they received as a test from the god. They in order to blend in. In animal form they do
leave the skeletons of the tried and rejected in their not care about their appearance and look like a
wake, but cannot die themselves. When these terri­ skinned version of the animal or monster whose
ble judges heard of Fangler’s prophecy, that Wyrm skeleton they inhabit.

THE SEVENTH’S FORMS

At the start of the game, the Seventh act in seven collectives of one hundred demonic
worms each, gathered around seven human skeletons. They can split into smaller
groups or merge around larger skeletons if the opportunity arises and it serves their
purposes. See the table below. The Seventh count as monsters and all forms use the
same monster attacks. The forms have different attribute values depending on the size
of the skeleton and the number of worms it contains.
#WORMS FORM STRENGTH AGILITY WITS ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE
10 Cat 2 5 1 Claw 1 Slash
50 Wolf 4 4 3 Bite 1 Slash
100 Human 8 3 5 Weapon Varies Varies
350 Horse 16* 2 6 Kick 1 Blunt
700 Giant 32* 1 7 Tree trunk 2 Blunt
* Attacks with twelve Base Dice.
IMMORTAL: The Seventh exist in multiple worlds at once and are virtually immortal as
long as Octomadria (page 99) is alive. Until the Eighth Mother is eliminated, they
can only be defeated temporarily. Even if seemingly obliterated, the Seventh regener-
ate in D6 days.

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chapter 8
 The colony can switch to a new skeleton if The Seventh have collective thoughts so
one of their worms finds its way to the back of that they all immediately know what one of
a sleeping creature’s neck and paralyzes it. Then them knows. If they manage to take over a
the colony devours the victim and replaces its creature by placing a worm on the back of its
soft tissue with themselves. The process takes neck, everyone immediately learns what the
one day. Discarded skeletons are stripped so clean victim knows, but the worms lack a fundamen-
that they almost look carved. For example, the tal understanding of other creatures and can
colony can take over a wolf in order to run fast, therefore misinterpret information or overlook
or a large bird or fish in order to fly or swim. important details.

THE SEVENTH’S MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 ATTACK
1 GATHER STRENGTH! The Seventh gather themselves and draw power from their
otherworldly origin, thereby recovering D6 Strength.
2 WEAPON ATTACK! The Seventh perform a weapon attack in their basic form. For
damage and type, see the table on the previous page.
3 PSYCHIC SHOCKWAVE! The Seventh send out a psychic shockwave, which is a fear
attack with nine Base Dice that targets everyone within NEAR range.
4 PARALYZING WORM BITE! The Seventh throw some of their worms at everyone
within NEAR range, and unless the victims succeed with a MOVE roll (not an
action), a worm attaches itself to their skin. Victims affected by the worm’s mucus
lose all their actions in the next combat round, but can still function normally in
the current round. Then the worm falls off and the victim can act as usual.
5 CONTROLLING WORM BITE! The Seventh throw some of their worms at everyone
within NEAR range, and unless the victims succeed with a MOVE roll (not an
action), several worms attach themselves to their skin. Victims affected by the
worms’ mucus fall under the power of the Seventh, who control their every
action until the victims succeed with an INSIGHT roll. Victims can make an
INSIGHT roll once per round, on the Seventh’s turn. The roll cannot be pushed.
Through this attack the Seventh also learn everything the creature knows
about the Bloodmarch, the key players, and Horn’s Astra. If the same victim is
hit by this attack a second time, the effect is the same as result 6.
6 TAKE OVER SKELETON! A swarm of worms hit a victim, who suffers an attack with
eight Base Dice and damage 1. The victim’s armor is reduced by half (rounded
down) as the worms wriggle under it. If the victim takes damage from the attack,
they automatically sustain a critical injury (stab wound). Each subsequent round
the Seventh automatically perform an attack on the victim, on the Seventh’s
initiative. The attacks continue until the Seventh are defeated or the victim dies.
In the latter case, the Seventh can choose to take over the victim’s skeleton.

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 The Seventh have no emotions and no con- MEETING THE SEVENTH
cept of good and evil. They are entirely practical The Seventh arrive in Aslene from Ravenland
creatures and will do anything to further the through Shadowgate Pass around the same
dominance and prosperity of their kind, includ- time as the adventurers, and then go looking
ing forming alliances. Furthermore, they are for moon elves and by extension the Eighth
highly resistant to physical violence as well as Mother. The adventurers could encounter these
magic and need neither sleep nor rest. unpleasant creatures early in the campaign, but
any alliances or confrontations should be dealt
with at a later stage.
OVERT GOALS Among humans, the Seventh pretend to
The Seventh have no overt goals per se. They be ill with skin rot and claim to have come
see no reason to talk about their intentions – to Aslene in search of a demon prince whom
they simply get on with it. They are not secre- they heard would be able to cure them. They
tive, just quiet about their activities. are interested in receiving information and
assistance, and can help their allies in return.

SECRET GOALS
The Seventh want to find the Eighth Mother THE SEVENTH AND
and through her spawn an eighth generation of OTHER KEY PLAYERS
worms. They themselves will die in the process, The worm people have no moral or emotional
which does not bother them. If they fail their barriers and can forge and break alliances if it
kind will eventually go extinct anyway. furthers their cause. Once they understand that
They know that moon elves inherit the others are looking for Horn’s Astra, they might
memories of their kin and want to get hold try to find them as well and later use them
of one in order to find out where the Eighth as a bargaining chip. They soon realize that
Mother is hidden. The worm creatures’ ultimate others are seeking the Eighth Mother under the
goal is to reach generation twelve and thereby name “Wyrm Reborn,” and they will happily
give shape to their god Meat. This, they believe, play along to gain the seekers’ trust.
is end of history and the meaning of everything.
If the Seventh get their hands on the Eighth VAEREFOR: Vaerefor van Reiben might con-
Mother, they will produce the Eighth and later vince the Seventh that the sticky vegetation
try to conquer Aslene, Alderland, and Ravenland of the crimson forest is a precursor to the god
by enslaving humans and other kin. They may Meat and form an alliance with them. Both
form alliances with others, but always consider sides look after their own interests and will
themselves superior to everyone else. break the alliance when it is beneficial to do so.

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 LEGEND
VINHELM None. Vinhelm is largely unknown and wants

KAAL to remain that way.

The moon elf Vinhelm was a brilliant but reck-

less young mentalist at the hidden moon temple APPEARANCE
of Agnostica. His talents were encouraged by If one manages to catch sight of him, Vin-
the elders until he started experimenting with helm looks like a bald and somewhat chubby
narcotic mushrooms as a way of discovering fourteen-­year-­old boy with mottled gray skin.
new spells and insights. The skin reflects light, so he avoids all light
During a fateful dream session a few months sources and wraps himself in covering garments.
ago, Vinhelm made contact with three unknown The reflection does not really go away even when
consciousnesses and accidentally let them know how he casts VISAGE .
Agnostica hides the moonstones and the Eighth
Mother, whom some interpret as Wyrm Reborn.
Unbeknownst to Vinhelm, these conscious-
nesses belong to the Prophet Fangler from Alder-
land, the moon maiden Fiena Fromelei from
Ravenland, and worst of all – the Seventh from
beyond the seas, the same worm creatures from
whom the moon elves stole the Eighth Mother
and fled twelve hundred years ago.
The seven elder moon elves were both furious
and devastated when they learned what had hap-
pened, as their entire lives since the escape had been
focused on staying hidden. They blocked parts of
Vinhelm’s memory and cast him into the world
to make things right. All knowledge of Agnostica,
the moonstones, and the Eighth Mother must
be eradicated!
Vinhelm has been traveling the Bloodmarch
ever since, accompanied by the thief Orehanne
and the druid Sisella, in an attempt to salvage the
situation. He is friends with the Dreamstress and
has, as the genius his is, quickly learned the art of
oneiromancy. Moon elves normally inherit their
ancestors’ memories, but since some of these have
been blocked, Vinhelm feels a bit empty and lost.

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 OVERT GOALS and items on that altar. He can only return to
Vinhelm is highly secretive in all things and Agnostica if he has at least three moonstones
prefers not to talk about his plans or goals at all. (including his own).
Vinhelm wields powerful magic in the
form of mentalism and oneiromancy. The
SECRET GOALS adventurers will likely notice his presence
Vinhelm’s objective is to keep the temple Agnos- without seeing him or quite understanding
tica hidden at all cost, and preferably erase any what is happening. Someone might think that
clues and all knowledge about the temple, the they met a stranger, but have no memory of
moonstones, and the Eighth Mother. If this it whatsoever. The adventurers might start
is not possible, he will try to lead all seekers to think each other’s thoughts as they relax,
astray. As a last resort he will use violence, most or see a glowing moon face that immediately
likely by proxy. vanishes without a trace.
Once Fiena Fromelei becomes a moon elf,
Vinhelm will seek her out and with her help
try to locate the rest of the lost moonstones. RELATIONS
He then intends to bring her, himself, and The moon elves hoped that the worm people
the moonstones safely to Agnostica, before had died out over the past 1200 years, and expe-
letting the temple vanish forever. rience a collective shock when they realize that
the Seventh have come to the Bloodmarch to
hunt them down.
MEETING VINHELM The moon elves’ first priority is to keep
At the start of the game, Vinhelm and his away from everyone else, but if the Seventh are
companions are traveling the Bloodmarch closing in on them, they are willing to collab-
to identify and eliminate people interested orate with other powers as a last resort. They
in Agnostica, moonstones, and the Eighth have not been able to kill the Eighth Mother,
Mother (or Wyrm Reborn). They have built a but their hope is rekindled if they learn about
fake temple as a trap. Poansa’s magical dagger.
They can be encountered anywhere and are
keen to get people to talk. Vinhelm knows every VINHELM KAAL
language spoken in Aslene and can appear in STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
virtually any guise he chooses by casting the SKILLS: Melee 3, Move 2, Lore 3, Insight 3,
VISAGE spell. Through Agnostica he has access Manipulation 3
to endless amounts of gold. He can commu- TALENTS: Inner Peace, Mentalism 3, Sword
nicate with the mother temple by raising an Fighter 2, Oneiromancy 2
altar under the moon and exchange information GEAR: Broadsword, large shield, chainmail

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 KONANA
When the horse clans first rode into Aslene
from the west, the land was dominated by the
Vasnians, a human people with some orc blood
in their veins. Bloody battles were fought for
many years until the Vasnians fled to the out-
skirts of the country which were of no inter-
est to the clans. There they remain to this day,
dreaming of reclaiming their homeland.
When the demons poured into Aslene
through Shadowgate Pass three hundred
years ago, the Vasnians were overjoyed
to see the horse clans slaughtered by
monsters. However, it soon became
clear that the demons did not dis-
criminate between human peoples,
but attacked anyone they could get
their hands on. The Vasnians were
once again forced to take refuge in the
mountains, where they watched with
horror the depredations of the invaders.
Now something has happened. The
demons are growing fewer and new outsid-
ers are entering the country. At the same time
a capable leader has emerged named Konana.
She has heard that various powers are seeking
the same hateful weapons that the horse clans
once used to drive her people from their homes.
Realizing that Horn’s Astra comes with great
power, Konana wants them for herself.
The orcs and Vasnians of Aslene believe that
their people were the country’s original inhab-
itants. They do not think of orcs and humans
as different kin, but see “orcishness” as a sign
of possessing honorable qualities. Konana is
regarded as the embodiment of those ideals
combined with human cunning and agility.
She is therefore held in high esteem.

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 LEGEND who have accidentally blown in from the Drawn
Konana is the salt of the mountains. The blood Lands in the west. Stranded in Aslene, they are
of the country flows through her veins with the now looking for work. In reality they are seek-
power of the ancients. She is the coming of spring ing Horn’s Astra. They know nothing about the
after a bitter winter, the ray of sunlight that cuts Drawn Lands and make things up when necessary.
like a sharp blade through the fleeing darkness of
the storm. In her I put my trust, for she will lead
the Vasnians back to our stolen plains, break the legs RELATIONS
of the horses, and cave in the skulls of their riders. Konana can collaborate with anyone she thinks
could be useful in the restoration of Vasnia,
including the Seventh. However, she is reluc-
APPEARANCE tant to hand over Horn’s Astra and would rather
Konana is a tall and heavy-­set woman with keep them as a trump card. Konana will never
short ash-­blonde hair, dressed in simple but work with the horse clans or their allies – too
effective soldier’s attire. She knows how to use much blood has been spilled between them for
a sword and shield, and also carries a crossbow that to be an option.
on her back. She is almost a full-­blooded orc
and accepted as one by the Aslene orcs based KONANA
on her scent, but she can just as well pass for STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
a human among humans, though her canines SKILLS: Might 3, Endurance 3, Melee 3,
are just a little too long and sharp. Crafting 1, Move 2, Manipulation 3
TALENTS: Unbreakable, Path of the Shield 3,
Sword Fighter 2
OVERT GOALS GEAR: Broadsword, light crossbow, large
Officially, Konana presents herself as a profes- shield, studded leather armor
sional warrior without scruples, willing to take
on missions for the highest bidder.

SECRET GOALS THE SECRET PATHS OF VASNIA

Konana is secretly trying to find Horn’s Astra Konana knows secret paths in
and bring them to Vasnia. She is also looking northern Aslene – one that cuts
for a group of orcs from Ravenland – it is the through the mountains between
Urhur clan who has sent an envoy to propose an Vasnia and the Pitwolds, and one
alliance. The collaboration is hampered by the that goes from the Pitwolds to
fact that Aslene orcs traditionally despise their Firestead. The terrain along these
fellow kin in Ravenland ever since they allowed paths is mountainous, and if
themselves to be enslaved by elves and dwarves. she tells allied player characters
about them, they can take short-
cuts through these otherwise
MEETING KONANA impassable hexes.
Konana is based in Vasnia in northern Aslene. She
and her closest adjutants are posing as mercenaries

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 ago. Vaerefor does not long to get back to his
VAEREFOR homeworld Harachne and would quite like

VAN REIBEN living in Aslene if there were not so many colors.

In the lush jungles of Harachne everything
Vaerefor appears in the guise of an elven druid, is red, and Vaerefor’s plan is to rule Aslene and
but is really one of the immortal demon princes its neighboring countries, while rearranging
left behind in Aslene when Zygofer them to his taste. For many human generations
sealed his nexus 300 years he has been cultivating and adjusting plants
from Harachne so they can finally grow and
branch out in the human world as
well. Now he is spreading them
over larger and larger areas.
Vaerefor has tricked the
elves of Aslene into believing
that he is a prophet of the Red
Wanderer, the star from which the
elves once fell into the world in the
form of rubies. Now the elves think that
the demonic red vegetation is primor-
dial and must be spread throughout the
world under Vaerefor’s leadership. Vaer-
efor claims that the Red Wanderer is
synonymous with the god Rubor.

LEGEND
I once saw the lord of the red elves with
my own eyes. He stood on top of a giant
slug that crawled its way through the pass
where cousin Welia and I were picking
bird’s eggs on the mountainside. Vaere­
for van Reiben they call him, and that
face of his might as well be made
of bark. They say he lives among
the growths of the crimson for­
ests – the ones that have gotten
bigger lately, as you’ve prob­
ably heard. I believe he has
something to do with it!

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 RUBOR AND KOLOR
Rubor is another name for the red world is called Polychromia, and it is
wanderer of the sky – the origin of the task of the red elves to turn it back
elvenkind. In Aslene the demon prince into Monochromia. Until this task is
Vaerefor van Reiben has created a reli- completed Rubor will wander restlessly
gion around Rubor, the red god. Rubor’s across the sky, but once the whole
counter-­force, Kolor, stands for evil and world has turned crimson and Kolor has
is represented by all colors other than been defeated, the red god will descend
red (white and black do not count as onto the earth and live among his true
colors in this context). believers in everlasting love, joy, and
Vaerefor presents himself as an harmony.
ancient elf and claims to be Rubor’s Until that day, hate, duty, and
prophet on earth. The elves of Aslene cleansing will reign, with the red elves
have allowed themselves to be duped of Aslene as the god’s instruments. The
and follow him blindly. According to red elves are suspicious of everyone
Vaerefor, the sky god Rubor sowed the else, especially those who add other
earth with red seeds to cover the world colors than red to the world. Such crea-
in crimson forest where he could rest in tures are the evil henchmen of Kolor,
between his wanderings. whose worldly manifestation is the
But Kolor, the evil colorer, tainted rainbow. Red elves are sworn enemies
his creation and twisted it into one of the goddess Have with her blue tar
of multiple colors. The multicolored and blue fire.

APPEARANCE have chosen this appearance because he serves

Vaerefor has assumed the form of a lanky elf of all living things on behalf of the Red Wanderer.
indeterminate age, with red skin and eyes. He is Vaerefor has even formed a ruby in his chest,
often in an excellent mood and likes to throat-­ modeled after the elven ones.
sing to a strange, serpentine dance which he is Vaerefor van Reiben dresses in luxuri-
happy to perform in front of others. ous but practical garments and often wears
His skin is furrowed and his hair consists red glasses to avoid the risk of seeing other
of grass, leaves, and vines, which could mean colors, as they make him nauseous, particu-
that Vaerefor is part plant. He himself claims to larly outside the crimson forests. His servants

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always carry spray bottles with red paint so The adventurers are unlikely to encounter
that they will quickly be able to cover other Vaerefor outside the demonic vegetation. To
offensive colors. find the demon, they will probably need elves
to take them to him. However, he does show
up in the adventure site Salterstay.
OVERT GOALS
Vaerefor’s stated objective is to cover Aslene and
eventually the entire world in demonic red veg- RELATIONS
etation according to the Red Wanderer’s divine Vaerefor can form alliances with other key play-
plan. Nature, in its present condition, has been ers as long as they accept him as their superior
corrupted by Kolor, the evil colorer. All colors and support his plans to spread the forests of
other than red must be suppressed and erased. Rubor throughout the world as the god has
Only when the world deserves it will the sun- mandated. He also realizes that he needs troops
light shine clear and red once more. in order to conquer larger territories such as
Ravenland and Alderland. If anyone accepts
this, he is happy to help them in return. But
SECRET GOALS he steers clear of the horse clans, knowing that
In reality, Vaerefor just wants to rule a world an alliance with them would never last.
that is pleasant to him; a red world covered in Vaerefor is friends with the Dreamstress.
vegetation from Harachne. He is an aesthete Vaerefor can convince the Seventh that the
through and through. He would like to get his Crimson Forest is a precursor to the god Meat
hands on one of Horn’s Astra – the one called and thus form an alliance with them.
the Goblet of Blood (the Goblet Staff of Have)
– as it would help him achieve his goals. VAEREFOR VAN REIBEN
STRENGTH 9, AGILITY 5, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5
SKILLS : Insight 4, Manipulation 4
MEETING VAEREFOR
REGENERATION: Recovers D3 Strength per
Vaerefor is often found in areas with crimson round.
forests, lands which the red elves collectively SYMBIOTIC: Vaerefor’s home is the giant
refer to as Reiben. He can leave the demonic snail Kasabatoda with a castle on its back.
vegetation in an emergency, but not without The two of them are really a single creature
disgust and only if it is absolutely necessary. who has placed its intelligence in Vaerefor.
If Vaerefor dies, he can be re-­created by
If he needs to contact anyone, Vaerefor usu-
having the ruby inside him pass through the
ally sends elves as messengers. It is said that he giant snail. Should this be impossible, the
spends most of his time in the living, moving snail will assume Vaerefor’s face, huge and
castle of Kasabatoda. Now and then he visits twisted, and run amok to devour all living
the Dreamstress in Oxengelder who dreams her things in the world and turn them into crim-
friend to and from her temple.
son forest through its digestive system.

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key players
 sits cross-­legged or lies on her side to sleep and
THE dream. She always has her eyes half-­closed and

DREAMSTRESS her lips curved in a serene little smile. The

Dreamstress’ skin is bronze, as is the hair on
The Dreamstress is giant demon of philosoph- her head which would reach her waist if she did
ical disposition who founded oneiromancy – not arrange it in such an elaborate style. Her
dream magic. She has built a beautiful temple massive body is wrapped in multicolored fab-
with a dream tower in Oxengelder where pupils rics with glittering metal ornaments and gems
of different kin come to learn oneiromancy. The given to her by her visitors.
Dreamstress’ temple is one of the most peaceful
and revered sites in Aslene – perhaps the one
place its people are truly proud of. OVERT GOALS
The Dreamstress has no real enemies. She The Dreamstress says she wants to help people
does not act or take sides in political issues, understand themselves and take control of
but treats everyone she meets with kindness, their thoughts and dreams by visualizing
speaking to them and offering advice based on them. She claims that dreams are the soil
their own goals. She has a reputation for being from which reality grows and that nothing
completely trustworthy and never betraying a becomes real without first being dreamed.
confidence. The world, as she sees it, is simply the sleep-
ing vision of the Worlddreamer. Life itself
is made up of aspirational dreams and the
LEGEND results that come from them.
Your dog ran away, eh? Well then, you should see
the Dreamstress in Oxengelder who knows where
everything is and where everyone’s gone. There, in SECRET GOALS
the limestone region just below the mountains, she The Dreamstress came to Aslene during the
runs a school for dreamers. They say the Dream­ Demon Flood, and all she really wants is to
stress is a giant, bigger than a house but milder get back to her homeworld Eoni. She wants
than cream, teaching the so-­inclined how to galder to gather and train the dreamers required
dream, so that the dreams inform them about the to dream this into reality. While teaching
world and can even alter things that displease them she plants insidious psychic messages
them. But me, I prefer a good night’s sleep and to that will give her complete control over them
leave the world as it is. when the time comes to collectively dream
her away forever.
The Dreamstress hopes to use her contacts
APPEARANCE to obtain one or more of Horn’s Astra. She
The Dreamstress looks human but is fifteen will then dissolve them and charge her dream
meters tall standing up, though she usually tower with their power when the day comes to

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 97

key players
dream herself away. Perhaps the Dreamstress’ MONSTER ATTACKS
escape from the world turns out to be a dream. D6 ATTACK
As a backup plan she would be willing to rule 1 CRUSHING BLOW! The Dreamstress
this world with Vaerefor and spend her time swings her fist at an unfortunate
dreaming beauty into existence. adventurer. Roll for the attack with
twelve Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 1 (blunt force). If hit, the
victim is hurled to the ground and
MEETING
rendered prone.
THE DREAMSTRESS
2 NIGHTMARE ATTACK! The Dreamstress
The adventurers can visit the Dreamstress in unleashes nightmares upon all
Oxengelder, but she could also show up in a adventures within NEAR range. Roll a
random encounter when she has dreamed herself fear attack with eight Base Dice.
to somewhere else in Aslene. She then invites 3 STOMP ATTACK! The Dreamstress tries
interested adventurers to her temple to teach to stomp two adventurers within
NEAR range. Roll for the attacks with
them oneiromancy.
ten Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1
(blunt force). Everyone hit by the attack
is knocked down and rendered prone.
RELATIONS
4 SWEEPING BLOW! The Dreamstress
Several key players have been in contact with swings her arms at all adventurers
the Dreamstress and she treats them all with within NEAR range. Roll for the attack
equal kindness, but does not take sides one way with nine Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 2. Everyone hit by the attack
or the other.
is knocked to the ground and ren-
Only Vaerefor van Reiben knows about the dered prone.
Dreamstress’ true plans. They are friends and
5 THROW! The Dreamstress has had
have no quarrel with each other. The Dream- enough of an adventurer within
stress can sometimes dream Vaerefor to and NEAR range and tries to throw them
from her temple, in which case she dresser her- away. Roll for the attack with eleven
self entirely in red to honor her guest. Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. If
hit, the victim is thrown to SHORT
range and lands prone.
THE DREAMSTRESS
6 WHIRL ATTACK! The Dreamstress tries
STRENGTH 50, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
to stomp and smash the adventurers
MOVEMENT: 1 with her feet and fists in a frenzy of swift
ARMOR RATING: 4 blows. Everyone within NEAR range
suffers an attack with ten Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). Anyone
hit by the attack is knocked prone.

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 killed the moment they come into contact
OCTOMADRIA – with any of Horn’s Astra.

THE EIGHTH Octomadria’s final form appears as a twelve-­

meter-­long snake that ends in a women’s torso
MOTHER and head with regal posture. She is completely
naked, but demands to be dressed in elegant
Octomadria – the Eighth Mother – is the clothes. If no one has any clothes for her, she
would-­be queen of the Seventh, the worm people shuts her eyes and projects exotic garments and
from Anoma, and was supposed to birth the jewelry worthy of an empress or goddess.
eighth generation of worm creatures on their
way to becoming the god Meat. How the Eighth
Mother fits into the final stage of the campaign OVERT GOALS
becomes clear at the adventure site Agnostica. The Eighth Mother’s six intermediate forms
all have a burning desire to know who they are.
They have no memory and are stressed, fright-
LEGEND ened, and aggressive.
Did you hear the rumor that Wyrm will be reborn In her final form, Octomadria views herself
in Aslene? The Prophet Fangler in Alderland, that as an obvious goddess. She does not consider
fellow with the all-­seeing third eye, supposedly had herself a leader, since everything and everyone
a clear-­cut vision from the gods. Mark my words, around her is unworthy of divine leadership,
this will only bring calamity upon us. They say the and wants to be worshiped the way she deserves.
Congregation of the Serpent has already sent troops She will enter whatever alliance seems like the
to Aslene to receive their god and that Bretien the quickest route to this exalted position. She will
Procreator is mobilizing a defense in Kantamar. happily let someone else govern the country as
Calamity, I say, and calamity there will be! It’s best long as she is treated as a supreme being, with
when things return to normal and all that’s turned all that entails.
upside down is the soil under the farmer’s plow.

SECRET GOALS
APPEARANCE Octomadria has no secret goals. As a god she has
The Eighth Mother’s first form resembles a no reason to lie, pretend, or manipulate, since
three-­meter-­long snake with the upper body that would imply that others are her equals.
of a small child. Her six subsequent forms
appear in turn as twisted women with sim-
ilar features, of the following kin: human, MEETING OCTOMADRIA
dwarf, orc, goblin, wolfkin, and moon elf. Octomadria does not appear until the final stage
Each form that dies is replaced by the next. of the campaign, when the adventurers open her
All forms have the same stats, and they are chamber in the moon elves’ temple Agnostica.

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key players
 D6 ATTACK
Only after going through her first seven forms
3 POISON SHOWER! Octomadria showers
does she become aware of who she is and enter
everyone within NEAR range with
her final form. If the encounter plays out peace- poison. Roll an attack with eight Base
fully, Octomadria will go through her different Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (non-­
forms over the course of a day and reach her typical) against each victim. Victims
final form without bloodshed. damaged by the attack also suffer
the effect of a paralyzing poison with
Octomadria must be killed eight times – one
Potency 5. Any of Octomadria’s sum-
for each form. The final form of Octomadria
moned forms who are within range of
can only be harmed by the dagger Glasstooth the attack are killed instantly.
(page 66). 4 TAIL ATTACK! Octomadria uses her tail
to whip an enemy within NEAR range.
OCTOMADRIA’S FIRST FORMS Roll for the attack with twelve Base
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3 Dice and Damage 1 (blunt force). Any
creatures smaller than her who are hit
SKILLS: Melee 3, Insight 3, Manipulation 3
by the attack are hurled to an adjacent
zone, space permitting, and land prone.
OCTOMADRIA’S FINAL FORM
5 LETHAL EMBRACE! Octomadria wraps
STRENGTH 30, AGILITY 5, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 herself around a victim and tries to
SKILLS: Insight 4 crush them. Roll for the attack with
MOVEMENT: 2 ten Base Dice – the effectiveness of
armor is reduced by half, exception
ARMOR RATING: 3 (scales)
for the Stonechest of Horn which
provides full protection. If the attack
THE FINAL FORM’S MONSTER ATTACKS
inflicts damage, the victim remains
D6 ATTACK in Octomadria’s grip and the attack
1 SUMMON FORMS! Octomadria sum- is automatically repeated in the next
mons her first seven forms who round on Octomadria’s initiative. A
move towards an enemy within NEAR victim Broken by this attack is crushed
range and attack from ARM’S LENGTH to death. The attack continues until
range. Her forms can only exist one either the victim or Octomadria
at a time, each emerging when the is dead. While the attack is active,
previous form is defeated. Repeating Octomadria can also perform an
this monster attack while a form attack with six Base Dice, Damage 1, at
still exists summons a new creature an enemy within ARM’S LENGTH range.
which contains the slain forms from 6 DIVINE JUDGMENT! Octomadria
the previous summoning. invokes her status as a god and con-
2 WHIRLING BLADES! Octomadria grows demns an enemy within SHORT range
eight arms, each holding a sword. to death. This person must succeed
She attacks all enemies within with a roll for their best attribute or
NEAR range with nine Base Dice and disintegrate into a pile of dust. The
Damage 2 (slash wound). Roll one victim may add one D6 to the roll for
attack for each enemy. each of Horn’s Astra they carry.

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 BESTIARY

“Does this blood trail never end?” asked the little peddler, not
because he was afraid of blood, but because inexhaustibility
irritated his business sense as a matter of principle.
“That is not blood we’re following, but the feces of a giant snail”
answered the hunter. “You may be stepping in the dog it fed on.
Now stop blathering and keep moving! We’re getting close.”
No sooner had they stopped than a long, fat larva came
crawling along the red trail they were following.
“Hurry up! The pearlyveine has awakened and its tenta­
cles are coming for us! Soon the crimson forest will flourish
around us!”

T
his chapter describes a large number of make use of such abilities. Other creatures
beasts and other creatures found in the attack as usual, and their attacks can be both
Bloodmarch. The rules for monsters parried and dodged.
presented in chapter 5 of the Game­m aster’s The chapter concludes with a summary of
Guide apply unless stated otherwise. However, typical NPCs the adventurers might encoun-
only the beasts with listed monster attacks ter on their travels.

BEASTS OF THE BLOODMARCH

D66 CREATURE D66 CREATURE D66 CREATURE
11–13 Smolderer 31–33 Grave Lily 52–54 Forest Star
14–16 Bloodbeech 34–36 Kton/Fire Wyrm 55–56 Slime Snail
21–22 Prune 41–42 Mecha 61–62 Slithernet
23–24 Wingsteed 43–45 Salamander 63–64 Sporewalker
25–26 Fraege 46–51 Sarcoptes 65–66 Hoverfrog
 SMOLDERER
Smolderers are small, dark gray, humanoid crea- ends. The smolderers are believed to be intelligent,
tures with glowing eyes who have thus far only and the wheezing laughter one sometimes hears
been found in ashlands. Their warm bodies give when they show up is most likely their language.
off faint wisps of smoke and smell of sulfur, but The fact of the matter is that smolderers are
are still cold to the touch, since they draw heat not at all related to the other kin of the Forbid-
from their surroundings. den Lands, but sprung from the depths of the
Some scholars claim that they are related earth instead. They live off heat and may attack
to whiners, which others dismiss as unfounded all warm-­blooded creatures to suck up their body
speculation. The two creatures heat – not because they need it, since the heat of
are indeed of similar size the earth is quite sufficient, but living warmth
and shape, but that is is clearly considered a delicacy among their kind.
where the similarity Smolderers tend to attack in great hordes,
often riding on the backs of ktones (page 110). If
they take damage, they disappear into the ashland
and do not return. A
killed smolderer dis-
integrates into ashes.

SMOLDERER
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 1, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 3, Move 2, Scouting 3
MOVEMENT: 1
GEAR: Short spear
SULFURIC ODOR: Smolderers reek of sulfur,
which makes them unpleasant to be
around. An adventurer who finishes their
turn within ARM’S LENGTH range of a
smolderer suffers an attack with three
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. The
attack deals damage to Empathy.
DRAW HEAT: Whenever smolderers succeed
with an unarmed melee attack, they can
(in addition to inflicting damage) drain
their victims’ body heat and thereby
render them COLD

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 BLOODBEECH
In the outskirts
of the Crim-
son Forest grow
the bloodbeeches
– large red trees
with beautiful
white flowers. But
their beauty is decep-
tive. When their flowers
detect the presence of
warm-­blooded crea-
tures, they flap their
petals so that they come
off and fly down to attack
and draw blood. Each
flower requires a few drops of
blood to sustain their seed pro-
duction. The bloodbeech seems
to be aware of how many flow-
ers it has lost and only sends a
suitable amount of them. That
way the same tree can attack
again if more creatures approach.

BLOODBEECH
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 12
MOVEMENT: —
FLOWER ATTACK: Hot-­blooded
creatures who come within
NEAR range are attacked
once per round, each by a
separate flower. Roll for the
attack with four Base Dice
and Weapon Damage 1 (stab
wound). The attack can nei-
ther be dodged nor parried.

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PRUNE
Prunes are red elves whom the priests of Ashen-
stead have sought to “reform” through ana-
tomical procedures and the pumping of blue
tar into their bodies. The results are
scrawny, blue-­black creatures who
wander around doing what they are
told. Prunes have varying levels of
consciousness, but whatever con-
sciousness they have left is filled with
hatred towards their creators and the
world in general.
Some prunes have escaped or been released,
probably to mock or intimidate the red elves,
and can therefore be found in the Blood-
march near Ashenstead. Elves from Raven-
land are hunting them to cut out the rubies
still embedded in their chests and thereby
recreate the original elves in the Stillmist
in Ravenland.

PRUNE
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 1, EMPATHY 1
MOVEMENT: 1
SKILLS: Scouting 1
ARMOR RATING: —
EXPLOSIVE: Prunes explode on contact
with fire. The prune is consumed by the
flames and detonates in a cascade of
burning blue tar. Roll for the attack with
eight Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2
against all creatures within NEAR range.

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 WINGSTEED
On rare occasions a horse in the Wailing and offspring were all born wingless. Mommodar
Kreysel, almost always a gray one, is born is considered too old and fat to ride the horse,
with wings. The Sabirians value these horses and some believe that Barganos should be left
immensely and view them as gifts from the in more suitable hands.
goddess Wail, sent as atonement for betraying
the horse clans when they needed her the most
during Sella’s military campaign.
The Sabirian wingsteeds can take flight
upwind with a few powerful wingbeats, but oth-
erwise they ride the winds like eagles and rely
on updrafts to gain altitude. They cannot carry
out precise maneuvers or fight in the air, and
will fall if they stop moving. Their
ability to fly is therefore mainly
used for exhibitions, delivering
messages, and as transportation
over obstacles on the ground.
They move as well on the
ground as any other horse.
The most famous of the
twenty wingsteeds currently
found in the Bloodmarch is
the stallion Barganos, owned by
the Sabirian chieftain Mommodar
the Gnawer. Mommodar has tried to
breed more wingsteeds, but Barganos’

WINGSTEED
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4
MOVEMENT: 2 (can fly)
SKILLS: Move 2, Scouting 3
KICK: Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force)

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FRAEGE

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Fraeges are heat-­stealing ice demons who always absorbing heat and will also split into two
attack the warmest target around – first lamps, once they reach a certain size.
torches, and campfires, then warm bodies. They
tend to hide in dense vegetation, but their cold FRAEGE
can be felt even a few meters away. ATTRIBUTES:
Some scholars claim that fraeges are STRENGTH 10, AGILITY
demon-­t ainted smolderers, and both creatures SKILLS: Scouting 3
do feed on heat, but fraeges are much bigger MOVEMENT: 1
and more dangerous and sink their teeth ARMOR RATING: 2
into victims to drain their warmth. They
GROW: A fraege that increases its Strength
can freeze and paralyze limbs with their grip to 14 splits into two. The new fraeges
and quickly kill a human with their embrace. both have Strength 7.
Furthermore, they grow in strength after

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1 PARALYZE! The fraege grabs a victim within ARM’S LENGTH range. Roll for the
attack with seven Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical). A victim who
takes damage from the attack becomes temporarily paralyzed and loses their
next fast and slow action.
2 CHILLING BITE! The fraege reaches for an adventurer within ARM’S LENGTH
range and bites their arm. The victim suffers an attack with six Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (stab wound). If hit, the victim becomes COLD and drops
any item held in that hand.
3 MIGHTY BLOW! The fraege shows its true strength and rises tall! A cold wind
sweeps out from the demon as it swings its arms and strikes with full force.
Roll for the attack with eleven Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force).
4 ICY EMBRACE! The fraege wraps its arms around an adventurer in an attack with
eight Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). Each point of damage
inflicted, if any, increases the fraege’s Strength by 1. If hit, the victim also
becomes grappled and COLD.
5 KICK! The fraege aims a kick at an adventurer. Roll for the attack with nine Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (blunt force). If hit, the adventurer is knocked down.
6 DRAW HEAT! An aura of cold spreads as the fraege drains the heat from all
warm-­blooded creatures and open fires within NEAR range. All affected victims
become COLD and all fires are extinguished. The fraege’s Strength increases by
1 for each affected fire and victim.

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 GRAVE LILY
The Crimson Forests of the Bloodmarch are
not only home to carnivorous beasts, but also
to predatory plants. One of the more
dangerous varieties is the Grave
Lily, which some believe to be a
cross between plant and insect.
The Grave Lily feeds on animals
it catches and dissolves in the
corrosive liquid produced in its
flower-­cups.

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 The Grave Lily can move around on four If attacked, the Grave Lily defends itself
insect-­like legs, but usually stands completely with its tentacles and sharp claws. It can also
still, sometimes in clusters, waiting for prey with spew its digestive acid at the attacker.
its tentacles raised. When something comes near,
the Grave Lily catches its prey with the tentacles GRAVE LILY
whose thorns secrete a paralyzing poison. Once ATTRIBUTES:
the prey stops struggling, the flower pushes it STRENGTH 10, AGILITY 4
into its flower-­cups using the hand-­like claws. SKILLS: Scouting 3
The thorns can also be pulled back and forth MOVEMENT: 2
against each other, which means that creatures ARMOR RATING: 4
that are too big can be sawed into smaller pieces.

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1 SPEW ACID! The grave lily’s flowers shoot digestive acid at two victims within
NEAR range. Roll for the attack with six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­
typical) against each of them. The attack can be PARRIED with a shield. The
acid corrodes the victim’s armor, which means that damage blocked by the
armor decreases its Armor Rating by the same amount.
2 PARALYZE! The grave lily slashes an adventurer within NEAR range with its long
tentacles. Roll for the attack with seven Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2
(slash wound). A victim who takes damage from the attack is also afflicted with
a paralyzing poison with Potency 7. The attack can be PARRIED.
3 SKEWER! The insectoid plant rears up on its two hind legs and skewers two
adventurers within NEAR range as it drops back down. Roll an attack with six
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (stab wound) against each target.
4 SAW! The grave lily scratches a victim with its thorns in an attack with nine
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound). A victim who is broken by the
attack automatically sustains the critical injury Severed Arm or Severed Leg
(same chance for each).
5 HOLD! The tentacles wrap themselves around a victim within NEAR range. Roll
for the attack with eight Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (stab wound). If hit,
the victim is grappled and afflicted with a paralyzing poison with Potency 7.
6 DEFENSE! The grave lily swings its tentacles back and forth to defend itself
against the attackers. Roll an attack with six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1
(slash wound) against everyone within ARM’S LENGTH range.

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 KTON AND FIRE WYRM
Aslene fire wyrms are closely related to abyss this stage they mainly feed on fiery minerals.
worms. The smaller ones, called ktones, are They are only dangerous to surface-­dwelling crea-
particularly ravenous. They are mainly found tures who go near an open lava fissure or when
in ashlands where they can move very fast when summoned by magma singers.
hunting prey. If the wind is right, their charac- Really old fire wyrms, like the legendary
teristic odor of acetone can be noticed from afar. Erinya, can grow much bigger and are even
As ktones get bigger, they are called fire stronger and more heavily armored.
wyrms and dig themselves down to the magma Ktones and fire wyrms share the same
beneath the volcanic plains, where monster attacks, but otherwise
they can grow to immense sizes. they have different stats.
Fire wyrms rarely go
above ground, since at

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 KTON ARMOR RATING: 10
ATTRIBUTES: EXPOSED MOUTH: Attacks aimed at the fire
STRENGTH 14, AGILITY 2 wyrm’s mouth get a −2 penalty, but on the
MOVEMENT: 1 (2 in ashlands) other hand this part of the creature’s body
is completely unprotected.
ARMOR RATING: 4
AURA: A fire wyrm emits extreme heat. On
FIRE WYRM the fire wyrm’s turn, everyone within ARM’S
LENGTH range suffers an attack with three
ATTRIBUTES: Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­­
STRENGTH 18, AGILITY 2 typical). The attacked cannot be dodged nor
MOVEMENT: 1 parried and armor does not protect against it.

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1 IMMENSE BITE! With a great bellow, the beast throws itself at an adventurer and
snaps its jaws. Roll for the attack with eight Base Dice (ten for fire wyrms) and
Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound). If successful, the beast grabs and shakes the
adventurer before they are thrown to NEAR range and land prone.
2 UNDERGROUND ROAR! The beast lets out a deafening roar and all adventurers
within NEAR range suffer a fear attack with four Base Dice (six for fire wyrms).
3 DARKENED SKY! The beast rears up and darkens the sky with its tremendous
mass. It then drops back down to crush all adventurers within ARM’S LENGTH
range. Each adventurer must make a MOVE roll to evade the beast (not an
action). Anyone who fails suffers an attack (blunt force) with ten Base Dice
(twelve for fire wyrms).
4 THREAT FROM BELOW! The giant beast digs itself into the ground and disappears.
A few seconds later you feel the ground starting to shake and then give way under
your feet! Everyone within NEAR range must make a MOVE roll (not an action) not
to fall into the beast’s mouth, which inflicts one point of damage to Strength per
round (three points for fire wyrms). The victim can keep attacking the wyrm from
within, where it lacks armor. If the victim inflicts at least four points of damage
with a single attack, the adventurer cuts their way out of the wyrm.
5 SWEEPING ATTACK! The beast uses its long body to make a sweeping attack
against all adventurers within NEAR range. Roll for the attack with six Base
Dice (eight for fire wyrms) and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). Everyone hit by
the attack is knocked down.
6 COLLAPSING GROUND! The beast burrows down into the earth and its sheer
weight causes the ground to collapse around the adventurers. Everyone within
NEAR range falls 2D6 meters into a sinkhole.

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 MECHA
The dwarven mastersmiths of Firestead con- Mechas resemble dwarves in size and pro-
structed mechas to perform heavy tasks that portion, but are purely mechanical – built of
did not require more than simple instructions. bronze, steel, leather, and other materials,
Some mechas are still in working order in Tri- optical crystals for eyes and hydraulic mecha-
bolia, and probably in other parts of Firestead nisms for muscles. The spring that drives them
as well. must be wound up every twelve hours with a
key or some other tool that fits into the hole
in the back.
The mechas can be equipped with weapons
and instructed to use them, but the ones
in Tribolia have nothing but hand drills
and fists to fight with, should they be
ordered to. Only dwarven master-
smiths like Kogler can give them
instructions, since doing so requires
precise tinkering with the mecha-
nisms hidden behind the hatch
in the mecha’s back.

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 MECHA MECHANICAL: Mechas only take half
ATTRIBUTES: damage from fire and cold, as their metal
STRENGTH 9, AGILITY 2 bodies protects them from the elements.
MOVEMENT: 1 Their artificial eyes can see in the dark and
are not affected by complete darkness.
SKILLS: Scouting 2
DILAPIDATED: The mechas are old and worn-­
ARMOR RATING: 8 out. Even with the functional ones, there is
GEAR: Standard equipment for mechas a risk that all the grime and dirt have taken
are drills (Weapon Damage 2, stab wound) a toll on the machinery. Roll D6 each time
and fists (Weapon Damage 1, blunt force). a mecha is about to act. Rolling a l means
Some mechas have been equipped with that something goes wrong – roll on the
weapons such as swords and axes. Malfunction table to see what happens.

MALFUNCTION
D6 EVENT
1–2 OVERLOAD! The mecha’s hydraulic system is overloaded and starts pumping
faster than the mecha can handle. All attacks performed this round are rolled
with double the number of dice. This also harms the mecha, which immedi-
ately after the attack suffers the same amount of damage as the victim.
3–4 SPARKS! Metal hits metal with a grinding screech. Sparks fly in every direction
and risk setting fire to the surroundings.
5 BROKEN! The mecha stops in its tracks. An arm or leg is jammed for D3
rounds, which decreases all monster attacks by two Base Dice.
6 EXPLOSION! The mecha begins to creak and squeak. Its sheet-­metal curves and the
hydraulic pumps spew oil all over the place before the mecha suddenly explodes.
Sharp pieces of metal whiz through the air. Roll an attack with seven Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (stab wound) against all creatures within NEAR range.

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1–2 PUMMEL! The mecha swings its arms at all adventurers within ARM’S LENGTH
range. Roll for the attacks with six Base Dice each and Weapon Damage as
per the mecha’s weapon. The attacks can be parried.
3–4 WEAPON ATTACK! An arm shoots out with tremendous force towards an unfortu-
nate adventurer within ARM’S LENGTH range. Roll for the attack with ten Base
Dice and Weapon Damage as per the mecha’s weapon. The attack can be parried.
5–6 IRON GRIP! The mecha grabs an adventurer within ARM’S LENGTH range and
tries to crush the victim with its mechanical fists. Roll for the attack with
nine Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). If it succeeds, the victim
is grappled. The mecha can keep fighting as usual with its other arm and
moves unencumbered despite the weight of the adventurer.

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 SALAMANDER
Aslene saurians are only found in firelands and methods is to have a few fast runners drive the
occasionally on the plains, as they are heat-­ prey towards other salamanders burrowed in the
loving creatures. They are called salamanders ground, who jump up as the victim gets tired
and resemble the saurians of Ravenland, but and comes close.
are cold-­blooded, faster, and weaker. A salamander nest can hold up to 60 individu-
Salamanders can only use simple tools, but als and consists of stacked branches, stones, bones
have their own language of primitive sounds. from various prey, and more or less anything that
They like to hunt in packs and love hot-­blooded can be used as building material. It is not unusual
flesh, though they cannot chew it and must for salamanders to occupy abandoned buildings.
leave it to rot in the ground before they can They often have scouts and hunters lurking in
rip it to shreds. One of their common hunting the ground a short distance from their nests.

SALAMANDER
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 4, WITS 1, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Endurance 1, Melee 2, Scouting 2,
Survival 3
TALENTS: —
ARMOR RATING: 3 (scales)
CLAW ATTACK: Weapon Damage 2 (slash
wound)

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SARCOPTES

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Red elves often use sarcoptes, commonly known SARCOPTES
as “fleshrippers” or “armormites”, as draft ani- ATTRIBUTES:
mals as well as in combat. Sarcoptes are large, STRENGTH 26, AGILITY 4
almost spherical, eight-­legged arachnids. In MOVEMENT: 2
combat they can bite, scratch with their front SKILLS: Scouting 3
legs, squirt acid at their opponents, or try to ARMOR RATING: 3
crush them under their weight.
The red elves only ride the largest animals, NYMPH
which can weigh more than five tonnes and are ATTRIBUTES:
often decorated with intricate patterns of crim- STRENGTH 14, AGILITY 5
son slime, but they are usually accompanied by MOVEMENT: 2
several smaller sarcoptes with voracious appe- SKILLS: Scouting 3
tites. The smallest ones, called nymphs, only ARMOR RATING: 2
have six legs and cannot squirt acid. They still
weight several hundred kilos.

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1–2 ACID SPIT! The sarcoptes spits a jet of acid at a victim within NEAR range. Roll
for the attack with six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (non-­typical). The
attack can be PARRIED with a shield. The acid corrodes the victim’s armor,
which means that damage blocked by the armor decreases its Armor Rating
by the same amount.
3–4 SCRATCH! The sarcoptes uses its massive claws to scratch two victims within
NEAR range. Roll an attack with eight Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1
(slash wound) against each of them.
5 BITE! The sarcoptes tries to bite an adventurer with its sharp mandibles. Roll
for the attack with ten Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound).
6 CRUSH! The sarcoptes tries to crush an adventurer within ARM’S LENGTH
range with its massive body. Roll for the attack with 14 Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 2 (blunt force). If hit, the victim is trapped underneath the
sarcoptes and must make a MOVE roll to escape. The victim suffers an addi-
tional point of damage each round until they break free.

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 FOREST STAR
In the Crimson Forests of the Bloodmarch These heads act together, but are independent
dwell many bloodthirsty creatures. One of the of each other, which means that the creature
most dangerous ones is the forest star – a huge, counts as five monsters in combat.
five-­a rmed monstrosity that sweeps between Some forest stars are covered in snake scales,
the trees at great speed in the hunt for prey. others in fur. Forest stars can cross the plains
At the end of each arm is a head with fangs. at night and temporarily leave the Crimson
Forest to hunt, but only hunt in forested ter-
rain where they can move around more easily.
Large forest stars hunt alone or in pairs, while
the smaller ones can appear in packs.
THE HEADS OF THE FOREST STAR: The forest FOREST STAR
star has five heads, each with its own Strength ATTRIBUTES:
value. The forest star has as many attacks as it has STRENGTH 8 (per head), AGILITY 4
heads. Draw an initiative cards for each head at MOVEMENT: 2
the beginning of combat. A head whose Strength ARMOR RATING: 5
is reduced to zero is severed or crushed.

MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1 ACID SPIT! The head spits acid against an adventurer within NEAR range. Roll for
the attack with seven Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1.
2 BITE! The head bites the nearest adventurer with its sharp teeth. Roll for the
attack with six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound).
3 SCREAM! The head lets out a terrifying scream. All adventurers within NEAR
range suffer a fear attack with five Base Dice.
4 GRIP! One of the forest star’s arms wraps itself around an adventurer within
NEAR range in an attempt to crush them. Roll for the attack with seven Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). If hit, the adventurer is grappled by
the arm which continues to crush the adventurer in the next round.
5 LASHING ARM! The arm lashes at an adventurer within NEAR range. Roll for the
attack with six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (stab wound).
6 RIP APART! Two of the forest star’s heads try to bite hold of an adventurer
within ARM’S LENGTH. Roll for the attack with seven Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 1 (slash wound). If hit, the adventurer is grappled. On the next head’s
initiative (this replaces the head’s own attack) the beast tries to rip its victim
apart – make an opposed roll for the beast’s Strength against the victim’s
Strength. If the beast wins, the victim dies instantly.

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 SLIME SNAIL
Vaerefor van Reiben’s wandering fortress Kasa- SLIME SNAIL
batoda is a giant slime snail, but the adventur- ATTRIBUTES:
ers may also encounter smaller versions of the STRENGTH 15, AGILITY 3
animal in packs near crimson forests. Slime MOVEMENT: 1
snails devour all organic matter in their path SKILLS: Scouting 2
without chewing, including living creatures, ARMOR RATING: 9 (shell)
and turn it into a trail of red slime which in
SLIME STRING: A slime snail can shoot
turn spreads crimson forest. strings of slime at a victim within NEAR
Since they are not technically predators, range. Roll for the attack with eight Base
the slime snails move slowly without stalking Dice. If hit, the victim is GRAPPLED. The
their prey, but will shoot strings of slime at slime strings have Strength 6. If the victim
is still trapped on the slime snail’s next
something moving around in front of them
turn, the beast pulls them into its mouth
and try to drag it into their big mouths. and swallows them, inflicting one point
Their shells and the rubbery bodies make of damage to Strength until the victim
slime snails highly resistant to physical escapes by killing the snail from within. An
violence. adventurer who is broken inside a slime
snail dies instantly.

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 SLITHERNET
The Slithernet is a terrestrial, carnivorous plant them in time, it is possible to make the leaves
whose large leaves have turned into thick nets snap shut by poking them with a long stick or
which lie hidden among leaves and twigs on something similar.
the ground. When someone steps into the net,
the leaves snap shut like a mouse trap so that SLITHERNET
the prey is held down on the ground. ATTRIBUTES:
Sharp shoots immediately sprout through STRENGTH 12, AGILITY 1
the mesh of leaves from the plant’s ground SKILLS: Scouting 5
tissue. The shoots pierce and kill the victim ARMOR RATING: 3 (only bladed weapons can
within a day or two, after which it is left to rot damage the net)
until the plant can suck up the juices. NET ATTACK: The slithernet attacks all
The slithernet’s leaves can be cut off and victims that come into NEAR range. A
used as a durable net or rope. If one detects person with a knife or sword can cut
themselves loose with a successful MOVE
roll, but is otherwise restrained so tightly
that they cannot move their arms. The
net can also be cut from the outside.
A victim trapped in the net suffers one
point of damage to Strength each Quar-
ter Day, and dies if broken.
SPOREWALKER
Sporewalkers look like skinny, red humans
with vague facial features. In their arms they
carry dripping bundles of spore substances out
of swamps and thickets to spread the crimson
forest. After putting down their burden, they
lie down and decay to nourish the vegetation.
Sporewalkers cannot be regarded as monsters,
since they neither attack nor defend themselves.
They are easily killed, but always keep coming.

SPOREWALKER
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2
SKILLS: Scouting 1
ARMOR RATING: 1
SPORES: One in six sporewalkers ( l on
a D6) explodes upon taking damage,
spreading crimson slime and body parts
around itself. Roll an attack with five Base
Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (non-­typical)
against everyone within NEAR range. The
attack can be PARRIED with a shield, but
not dodged. Anyone hit by the attack risks
contracting Crimson Sickness (page 42).

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 HOVERFROG
The birds of the Bloodmarch risk being caught holding six broken hoverfrog antennae in each
and eaten by hoverfrogs, a predatory amphib- hand, or twelve tucked inside their clothes,
ian that cannot fly, but hover, lifted into the can float off the ground. Unbroken antennae
air by the antennae on its back which seem to can be stored for about a month after being
suspend the law of gravity. The hoverfrog is harvested from the hoverfrogs, and then they
left hanging in the air, where it slowly paddles stop working. 2D6 antennae can be harvested
its way forward with its webbed claws, catching from each hoverfrog.
birds by shooting out its sticky tongue whenever
one comes close enough. HOVERFROG
The animal is no threat to humans and ATTRIBUTES:
similar kin, but hunted by them for the anten- STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 5
nae on its back which allow them to float in SKILLS: Scouting 5
the air. In order to suspend the law of gravity, MOVEMENT: 2 (hover)
the antennae must be broken in half, after ARMOR RATING: 1
which the effect lasts a Quarter Day. A human

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 PEARLYVEINE
Many view each unbroken patch of crimson These pearlyveines are often hard to find,
forest as a single living creature. Few know for since they are invariably located in the densest
certain, but it is true that interconnected veins possible vegetation, preferably in some crevice
of viscous red slime are spreading on the ground or underneath a fallen tree trunk. Some believe
in mature crimson forests, and that these veins them to be intelligent, and red elves worship
converge into a glistening white structure that them as the root galls of Rubor from which
resembles a large pearl or eyeball with neither the god’s body will one day grow.
retina nor pupil. It has been suggested that pearlyveines can
direct other creatures in the crimson forest, open
and close passages to lead intruders astray or
into traps or give their adherents clear
passage, but no one knows for sure.
The red elves believe that Vaerefor
van Reiben is the first aggregate of
root galls that have formed
the god’s prophet.

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 TYPICAL NPCS
This section describes a number of typical NPCs
TALENTS: —
in the Bloodmarch.
GEAR: Broadsword, shield, chainmail, riding
horse

AGENT OF AD VIPERA SOLDIER

Ad Vipera’s agents in the Bloodmarch are led by STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
Poansa Moulter, and some are traveling with SKILLS: Endurance 2, Melee 2, Marksman-
her. Ad Vipera has also enlisted soldiers with ship 2, Move 1
stats like Alderlander Soldiers, as well as local TALENTS: —
pathfinders with stats like Hunters or Clan GEAR: Broadsword, throwing spear, shield,
Riders. The stats below are for Ad Vipera’s elite chainmail
agents – the Sisterhood of the Black Mamba. .

AGENT OF AD VIPERA EGRESSOR

STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 Egressors are members of a necromantic cult
SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Move 2, Marks- dedicated to the practical handling of the restless
manship 2, Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 2 dead, whom they often refer to as their “clients”.
TALENTS: Path of Poison 2 Egressors are usually accompanied by a couple
GEAR: Dagger, shortsword, short bow, of these walking dead whose interests they serve,
leather armor as well as a couple of miscreants (now undead)
IMMUNITY: All Sisters of the Black Mamba who are serving the Egressor as punishment for
are immune to all poisons. their crimes. The miscreants fight to protect the
Egressor, but the clients do not – it is the Egres-
sor who serves them, not the other way around.
ALDERLANDER SOLDIER
The Rust Church and the Congregation of the EGRESSOR
Serpent have both sent forces to the Blood- STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
march under the respective command of Colonel SKILLS: Slight of Hand 2, Lore 3, Insight 2,
Grudenstaal and Poansa Moulter. Manipulation 2
TALENTS: Death Magic 2
OFFICER FEARLESS: Egressors do not roll on the fear
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 table when dealing with undead.
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 1, Insight 2, TRUEHEARING: Egressors can automatically
Manipulation 2 determine whether someone is telling the
truth in matters concerning their clients.

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 GRARG CLAN RIDER
In the Vasnia region, orcs, humans, and wolfkin The riders of the Aslene clans all have their own
co-­exist in relative harmony. Crossbreeds are views of the world, their place in it, and of other kin
not uncommon and the indigenous Vasnians – but they generally share the same stats and gear.
have traces of orc blood in their veins. Crosses
between orcs and wolfkin are called grargs. CLAN RIDER
Grargs are more heavy-­set and animalistic STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
than ordinary wolfkin, equipped with tusks SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Move 2,
and feared in battle. They can only speak and Animal Handling 2
understand a small number of words. TALENTS: Horseback Fighter
Only male grargs are born. The females GEAR: Broadsword, short bow, leather
probably die at birth, and the males are born armor, riding horse
sterile. This means that grargs do not form
their own kin, but are kept as warriors, prefer-
ably a bit apart from more civilized folk because MOON ELF
of their unpredictable temper. Moon elves are found in several parts of the
Bloodmarch. They have the same stats, but not
GRARG always the same goals.
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 2, WITS 1, EMPATHY 1
SKILLS: Might 2, Endurance 2, Melee 2, MOON ELF
Survival 2 STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
GEAR: Spiked knuckleduster (Weapon SKILLS: Melee 2, Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipu-
Damage 1, blunt force) lation 2
TALENTS: Mentalism 2
GEAR: Broadsword, chainmail
CLAN CHIEFTAIN
The horse clans’ chieftains are all experienced
riders as well as leaders. SETTLER
The Ravenlander (and occasional Alderlander) set-
CLAN CHIEFTAIN tlers present in the Bloodmarch have settled down
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 in areas that resemble the ones they left behind;
SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 3, Move 2, places where they feel at home and their old skills
Animal Handling 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 2 are useful. Most Aslenes lead a nomadic existence
TALENTS: Path of the Companion 2, Horse- on horseback, but some have put down roots in a
back Fighter village or on a farm, often alongside settlers from
GEAR: Broadsword, short bow, leather Ravenland. There they have largely adopted the
armor, riding horse settlers’ lifestyles and learned their skills.

SETTLER
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Endurance 1, Crafting 2
GEAR: Knife or wooden club

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 ONEIROMANCER IRONBROW
Dream mages are trained at Oxengelder and The Ironbrows are Colonel Grudenstaal’s per-
spend most of their time there, when they sonal guard and elite army unit. The Colonel
are not traveling on the Dreamstress’ behalf. also commands Alderlander soldiers as part of
Most of the oneiromancers are novices, led by his mission in the Bloodmarch. The stats below
a master. The renegades who call themselves are for his elite forces, the Ironbrows.
the Daydreamers use the same kind of magic,
but in a waking state, which puts great strain IRONBROW
on their bodies and minds. STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Might 2, Melee 3, Animal Handling 2
MASTER TALENTS: Magnetism 1, Horseback Fighter
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
GEAR: Broadsword, shield, lance, chainmail,
SKILLS: Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 3 war horse
TALENTS: Oneiromancy 3 MAGNETISM: The Ironbrows wield their own
GEAR: Staff simpler form of magic called Magnetism.
See chapter 4 (page 36).

NOVICE
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 PENITE

SKILLS: Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 2 The Penites are deeply religious halflings and

TALENTS: Oneiromancy 1 goblins who travel with Fiena Fromelei in pur-

suit of the sacred unification of the two kin.
GEAR: Dagger
The stats below are for halflings and goblins,
who complement each other well in terms of
DAYDREAMER skills and temperament.
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
SKILLS: Lore 2, Survival 1, Insight 3, Manip- PENITE, HALFLING DRUID
ulation 2 STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
TALENTS: Oneiromancy 2 SKILLS: Endurance 2, Survival 2, Insight 2,
GEAR: Shortsword, leather armor Healing 2, Animal Handling 2
TALENTS: Path of Healing or Sight 2
GEAR: Staff, leather armor

PENITE, GOBLIN PEDDLER

STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 4
SKILLS: Crafting 2, Slight of Hand 2, Scout-
ing 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 2
TALENTS: Path of Gold 2
GEAR: Knife, short bow, leather armor

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 RAIDER RED ELF
Many Ravenlanders, as well as Alderlanders and Red elves are transformed ordinary elves living
Aslenes, are pursuing a career as raiders, seeking in the crimson forests of Alsene, which they
quick riches through grave robbing, fraud, or call Reiben. They sometimes leave their for-
good old-­fashioned thievery. Some mercenaries ests for various reasons, always in groups. They
also have a background as raiders, or at least are fanatical followers of the god Rubor – the
share their attitude and skills. principle of the color red and enemy of all other
colors, which are considered the miscreations
RAIDER of the evil god Kolor. They revere Vaerefor van
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3 Reiben as Rubor’s prophet and their leader. Red
SKILLS: Melee 1, Marksmanship 2, Survival 1, elves are sensitive (and sometimes addicted) to
Manipulation 1 concentrated salt, which for them has the effect
GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather of a hallucinogenic poison with Potency 6. An
armor ordinary elven ruby – with or without flesh
attached to it – that passes through a slime
snail’s insides becomes a red elf.
PYROLYTE
Pyrolytes are fanatical, fire-­worshiping priests RED ELF
of Have who banish demons through the use of STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
magma song, blue tar, and lyco­podium powder. SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Marksmanship 3,
Move 2
PYROLYTE GEAR: Short bow, shortsword, leather
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 armor
SKILLS: Endurance 2, Melee 2, Insight 2,
Healing 2
TALENTS: Magma Song 2
VASNIAN

GEAR: Warhammer, shield, chainmail, blue Humans with orc blood in their veins. They
tar, lycopodium powder were once the indigenous population of Aslene,
before the horse clans arrived from the west and
drove the Vasnians to the northern regions of
the country.

VASNIAN
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Might 2, Endurance 2, Melee 3,
Crafting 1, Move 2
GEAR: Battle axe, shield, studded leather
armor

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 RANDOM
ENCOUNTERS

Silence overcame them, for the horse that the jackals pursued
was fleshless. Only its skeleton was bolting forth.
“D’ya think them beasties ate the brute on the go?” asked
Trudiner, whom the others found a bit odd. Yet no one was laughing.
“This is sorcery and deception,” answered the thin Meneila.
“Ready your weapons! Point them at the animals, you meathead,
not me!”

T
his chapter contains 27 new random around their feet, the heat from the lava cool-
encounters to inflict upon the adven- ing beneath the basalt surface of the firelands,
turers during their excursions in the or the winds playing wildly in the tall grass on
Bloodmarch. Roll on the table on page 132 the endless plains.
instead of the one in the Gamemaster’s Guide.
TERR AIN TYPES: All

0 NO ENCOUNTER
1 THE PORCE-
The wind is your company as you journey across LAIN DANCERS
the vast landscape. Some hills can be glimpsed in
the distance, and beyond them loom the high peaks A large man in black is sitting by a campfire, seem­
of the mountains. Is it clouds gathering over there, ingly in casual conversation with two glistening
or is it a smoldering volcano? skeletons crouched on their heels. Other skeletons of
both animals and humanoid creatures are moving
No encounter takes place, but you should take around them in some sort of tranquil dance. They
the opportunity to describe the landscape to raise one leg and remain standing for a few sec­
the players – the dust of the ashlands swirling onds before they continue, making gestures and

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clacking their jaws, twisting or bending their backs TERR AIN TYPES: All
to the side, and straightening up again, before
scratching their bony fingers across their chests DRAUG
with a rattling sound. The dancing skeletons are STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
remarkably shiny, as if cleaned and lacquered. A SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 3, Insight 4, Manipu-
living dwarf woman is tending to some cooking lation 2
pots. A bit further away from the fire is a black, TALENTS: Death Magic 3
covered wagon hitched to the skeleton of an ox. GEAR: Dagger
MECHANICAL HEART: Draug has a second,
Draug of the White is a necromancer and member mechanical heart in his chest, constructed
of the Egressors. He has taken it upon himself by a dwarven blacksmith named Kormald.
to follow the Seventh and resurrect the skeletons It repairs his body and brings him back to
they leave in their wake, with the intention of life one turn after his death. Crushing the
heart kills him.
gathering a rattling army large enough to wreak
vengeance upon the flesh-eaters.
The shiny skeletons have all been picked clean
by the Seventh and glazed by the worms’ juices. MILDELLA
If Draug gets the impression that the player char- Mildella was Kormald’s wife. She offered to
acters are enemies of the Seventh, he is happy to serve Draug during her five-year mourning
tell them where the worm people came from and period following the death of her husband
other things they need to know. Draug knows a on the condition that he would put the late
great deal about the Seventh, since the porcelain Kormald to rest, as he had turned into a death
skeletons provide him with the details. knight after dismantling a cursed item. Draug
The player characters can encounter Draug managed to lift the curse, and as a reward the
of the White multiple times during the game, mastersmith crafted the mechanical heart
and the number of skeletons increases by D6 before withdrawing into the family crypt.
for each phase of the campaign. Mildella knows the Kogler in Tribolia, should
it come up, and can tell the player characters
where to find Tribolia.

MILDELLA
DRAUG’S SKELETONS STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
All Draug’s skeletons have been SKILLS: Might 2, Melee 2, Insight 2, Marks-
polished by the Seventh, and manship 2
their stats are found on page 122 TALENTS: —
in the Gamemaster’s Guide. GEAR: Warhammer, crossbow, studded
leather armor

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 RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN THE BLOODMARCH
CRIMSON ASH- FIRE-
D66 PLAINS FOREST FOREST HILLS MOUNTAINS LANDS LANDS
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
32 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 4 0 0 1 0 0 0
34 5 1 0 2 0 0 0
35 6 3 0 4 0 0 0
36 7 4 0 5 0 0 0
41 9 5 0 6 0 0 0
42 10 7 0 7 0 0 0
43 11 9 0 9 0 0 0
44 13 10 0 10 0 0 0
45 14 11 0 11 0 0 0
46 15 12 0 13 0 0 0
51 16 13 0 14 0 0 0
52 17 14 0 15 0 0 0
53 18 15 1 16 0 0 0
54 19 16 3 18 1 1 0
55 20 18 9 20 9 2 0
56 21 19 11 21 11 7 0
61 22 20 14 22 14 8 1
62 23 21 18 23 18 16 8
63 24 23 20 24 20 20 16
64 25 24 21 25 24 24 20
65 26 25 24 26 26 25 21
66 27 26 26 27 27 27 24

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 2 THE ­RUNAWAY 3 COLDWOOD
BRIDE
You reach a small wood whose chilly temperature is
A screaming cloud of dust approaches across the as welcome as it is inexplicable, with the possibility
plains. Closer up you see a human being dragged of finding water. The trees are a darker shade of
by a large horse, stuck in one of the stirrups. The green than those one usually sees in the Bloodmarch,
dragged person curses the animal in surprisingly and the type of tree is unfamiliar. Moving closer,
creative language. you notice the temperature dropping and silence
spreading, as an oppressive stillness settles around
In order to help the fallen rider, the player char- you. In the distance you hear a dragging sound, like
acters must first stop and deal with the highly the bridal train of the dead, from something that
agitated horse which is kicking and biting. seems to be moving among the trees
The unfortunate individual turns out to be
an Aslene woman of the Galdane clan named A successful LORE roll reveals that the trees are
Kromabella. If the adventurers save her, she direglooms, said to hold the souls of creatures
cries a little and explains that she is to be “mar- who died unhappy in love. The horse clans believe
ried” to one of the Sons of Horn, meaning that that such woods are haunted and best avoided. The
she will be sacrificed to the nearest active vol- trees are also commonly known as “coldpines”.
cano. If none of them have been activated yet, An adventurer who makes a successful SUR­
she will be thrown into a lava fissure near the VIVAL roll can instead have heard that good water

volcano. The “bride” would very much like to can often be found deeper in such coldwoods and
be rescued by the adventurers, and preferably that the talk of dead souls is mere superstition
dropped off somewhere safe. spread by druids when they want to be left alone.
If the adventurers gain her trust, Kroma- The fact of the matter is that direglooms are
bella turns out to be well-informed about the not linked to the dead at all, but simply have
clans’ activities as she travels extensively and is the ability to lower the temperature inside their
welcome anywhere (except among the Galdanes) trunk and branches, which causes condensation
with her filthy songs. to trickle down to their roots and keep them
watered. Indeed, there is usually a freshwater
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Ashlands, Hills lake at the center of such woods.
Unfortunately, caution is warranted in this
KROMABELLA particular case, since the woods have become
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 home to two fur-covered forest stars (page 118).
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Move 2, They have come to the woods to enjoy the cooler
Manipulation 5, Animal Handling 2 environment and feed on deer, humans, and other
TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2 creatures drawn to the water. It is them clamber-
GEAR: Leather armor ing between the trees that sounds like a bridal train.

TERR AIN TYPES: Forest, Crimson Forest

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random encounters
 DWARVEN GUARD
4 DENSE WATER STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Might 4, Endurance 2, Melee 3,
A group of eight horned dwarves have made Scouting 2, Survival 2
camp by a stream where they have set up strange TALENTS: —
mechanical equipment of wood, leather, and brass. GEAR: Two-handed axe, plate armor, closed
A paddle wheel placed in the stream is tipping helmet
a set of one-meter-long brass rods back and forth.
Some of the dwarves reach for their weapons as you
approach, but an older dwarf calms them down
and calls his greetings.
5 THE
­SLITHERING
The dwarves have come from Firestead, led by
Master Menasse. They are making dense water HORROR
from the stream, which contains just the right
mixture of rain from the south, fallen from In the distance you notice what looks like a haystack
a sky dominated by the wandering star called moving slowly, surrounded by screaming humans.
the Eye of Dew. Closer up you see a shapeless red mass of tentacles,
Master Menasse has a problem: he needs a eyes, hands, and sharp outgrowths slithering across
fresh kidney, taken directly from a living creature, the plains. The humans seem to be a handful of
to filter an important component of his dense peasants armed with pitchforks, cudgels, and sharp
water. The guests would not happen to have a sticks, trying to drive the creature in some indeter­
kidney to spare? Otherwise they could help him minate direction.
catch a living beast no smaller than a wolf, in
which case he would be very grateful and provide If the adventurers move closer, the peasants cry
them with dense water (see the Drugs and Potions for help. The red mass is a spore ball from the
section). A living whiner would also work. nearest crimson forest. Spore balls are creatures
that crawl off and explode twelve kilometers or
TERR AIN TYPES: Forest, Plains, Hills so away from the forest, thereby spreading the
demonic vegetation. The peasants are trying to
MENASSE push the ball towards a deep ravine nearby to
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 1, WITS 4, EMPATHY 2 get rid of it before it bursts. Shielding it from
SKILLS: Crafting 3, Healing 2 sunlight will delay the process.

TALENTS: — If the spore ball explodes, everyone within

NEAR range suffers an attack with five Base Dice
GEAR: Menasse’s horns are so curved that
they arch out in front of his face. He has and Weapon Damage 1. Anyone hit by the attack
developed a set of optics and instruments risks contracting Crimson Sickness (page 42).
that can be attach to them in order to The ball’s parts are spread across the area and
keep his hands free. start to settle into the earth. The hex where the

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spore ball exploded turns into crimson forest going on in the area. If the player characters reveal
after one moth. The event may be repeated. that they are carrying one or more of Horn’s Astra,
she becomes very interested. Otherwise she is
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills more interested in seemingly trivial details than
in major events, such as the color of some flowers
or the squirrels sniffing the air before they leave.
She welcomes them to Oxengelder (page 185)
6 SLAVERS if they should ever pass that way, and can point
them in the direction of the adventure site.
From a distance you see a handful of Aslene riders The Dreamstress says that she often travels
out on the plain. They seem to have noticed you as in other people’s dreams to have a look around.
well, and they are coming for you If the adventurers attack her or point out that
this is not a dream, everything fades away and
The slavers come from a different horse clan they wake up in the same place as they did that
than the one controlling this territory. In a morning. Everything that happened since they
drunken rage they killed a couple of local clan last slept turns out to have been a dream.
members and must now pay restitution, which When the adventurers begin their day anew,
means that they must deliver five slaves to the everything that happened last time repeats itself,
local chieftain who is holding a couple of their but the adventurers may act differently this time
friends hostage. The slavers (twice as many as and any die rolls are rerolled. The Dreamstress
the adventurers) are desperate and might attack does not appear this time, but the encounter
the adventurers to capture them, but they are may be repeated at a later stage.
also ashamed and open to other solutions.
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills, Ash­
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Hills lands

7 THE 8 THE ­PENITENT

DREAMSTRESS IN THE MAGMA
In the distance you see a remarkably pointy hill – it A voice is calling to the adventurers (possibly in their
is shaped like a large pastry. As the hill begins to dreams) as they pass an open lava flow and asks
move, you realize that it is alive for their help. The lava rises and forms a vaguely
human-like figure that introduces itself as Krasylla.
Adventurers who move closer will encounter the
key player known as the Dreamstress (page 96), The creature is actually the demon Krasylla
who greets them warmly, tells them about her- whom the adventurers may already have met
self and oneiromancy, and wants to know what is in Ravenland during Raven’s Purge. In that

135

random encounters
case the demon might recognize them or make KRASYLLA AS A HORN PRIEST
references to events that took place back then. STRENGTH 8, AGILITY 2, WITS 6, EMPATHY 3
K rasylla describes how he was dragged SKILLS: Lore 3, Insight 3, Manipulation 3
into the magma as punishment for his
involvement in the Demon Flood. Now he
has atoned for his sin, but remains unjustly
imprisoned in this torturous heat. If the
9 THE DEAD
adventurers help him escape, the demon FOAL
offers them his sworn friendship and one of
Horn’s Astra in return. Up ahead you see a scrawny animal, perhaps a deer,
In order to leave the magma that burns him wandering around alone and afraid. It is behaving
unceasingly, Krasylla must take over the fresh strangely and seems lost. Now and then it raises its
body of a Horn priest. The priest must be killed head and lets out a hoarse, pitiful cry, and then seems
at the edge of the lava for this to succeed. It to listen for a response. You soon notice a group of
would actually work just as well with any body, jackals prowling nearby, probably eyeing the animal
but Krasylla knows that the fire wyrm Erinya as their next meal. Then you realize that the lone
would not touch an ordained Horn priest and animal is the undead skeleton of a horse, probably the
would therefore prefer one of those. remains of a foal. And the jackals are drawing near.
Krasylla can offer them the Arrow of the
Fire Wyrm with which he was branded in Adventurers who move even closer will have
Raven’s Purge (or later, when the adventur- to fight the jackals, which outnumber them by
ers were not around). If the player characters two. The jackals will flee once three of them
accept the offer, the demon will probably wait have been slain. The skeleton foal is agitated
until he is free until he tells them that his and unruly, but once it calms down it seems to
fire arrow is only one of the three they need. trust the adventurers and follows them around.
Once he is free, Krasylla heads to the adventure Later in the day, an extravagant black car-
site Oxengelder and its limestone plains where riage emerges from a cloud of dust. It is heading
Horn cannot reach him. Krasylla’s Arrow of straight for the foal, rather than the adventur-
the Fire Wyrm could attract Erinya, if the ers. Closer up they see that the carriage is pulled
GM so desires. by two adult horse skeletons. The carriage stops
Krasylla will then help the Dreamstress and the skeletons immediately collapse into a
return to her homeworld Eoni. He might heap of bones through their harnesses. The
choose to go with her or, as an honest peni- foal whinnies happily as it runs over there and
tent, or enter an alliance with Selligar Horne collapses into the same heap.
of Havenmark to liberate the Bloodmarch and Out of the carriage steps Mortilla (page 177)
thus atone for his crimes against the country. whom the adventurers may already have met, or
might see again, in the adventure site Salterstay.
TERR AIN TYPES: Ashlands, Firelands She explains how worried she has been ever since

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little Clatterhoof went missing, and wants to These humans are pyrolytes (page 129) – fanat-
reward the adventurers for taking care of the foal. ical, fire-worshiping priests of Have who are har-
The person she likes most (i.e. the one with the vesting lycopodium powder from the giant trees
highest Empathy) receives what looks like a fishing of the grove. The woman on the rock is called
lure with a hook, enamel plates, and colored feath- Picteca and is not a prisoner at all, but another
ers. She explains that hanging it on the ribs of an pyrolyte who is having ritual burns inflicted
undead creature will make it obey the person who upon her by her colleagues. The leather straps
put it there as long as the hook remains in place. are there to hold her still during the procedure.
Mortilla has a keen interest in exciting and If the adventurers intervene, Picteca will weep
spectacular deaths and questions the adventur- with rage, not knowing whether she will be able
ers to find out whether they have something to muster enough courage for another burning.
promising coming up on that front. If so, she One resource die of blue tar can be purchased
could accompany them for a while; otherwise from the pyrolytes, who can also provide assis-
she is on the way to watch the last specimens tance in combating demons.
of an endangered lizard die.
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson
Forest, Hills, Mountains

JACKAL 11 GLORY
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3 STEALERS
SKILLS: Melee 1, Scouting 5
MOVEMENT: 2 PIn the distance you see a group of Vasnians (or horned
dwarves, depending on the location) who have made
ATTACK: Bite, Weapon Damage 1 (slash
wound) camp and are roasting pieces of dread raptor over a fire.
They seem to be in high spirits as they help themselves to
the fermented beverages in their waterskins. You are
welcome to share their camp and meal, since there is
10 FIRE HARVEST more meat than they can possibly eat or even carry home.

There are fires raging at the edge of a grove with The group is in an excellent mood and has no
tall, slightly strange-looking trees. Humans are desire to fight unless one provokes them in
climbing the trees and seem to be harvesting some­ some way. If the adventurers join them, they
thing into their satchels. Lying on a flat rock is start explaining how last week they encountered
a naked woman tied up with leather straps in a some other wanderers who had lived through
supine position. Some other people are torturing amazing adventures. As they recount the story,
the poor woman with torches and red-hot irons. the adventurers soon realize that the exploits
She writhes in agony, but does not make a sound. being described are their own, albeit embellished

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with fantastic details. Someone has clearly taken off limbs, hammering nails into them, and
credit for their feats. setting them on fire.
The event can be repeated with others who If it fits the story, the key player Fiena Fro-
have heard similar stories of other people’s melei (page 82) could have visited the Shrikes
heroic deeds that were actually performed by and found refuge there. If any of the adventurers
the adventurers. The people taking credit for is a halfling or goblin, the Shrikes could invite
the adventurers’ acts can be any of the minor them to rest at a safe haven in the forest as long
characters they will encounter in later adventure as they behave themselves.
sites. As long as the glory-stealers are allowed to
continue, the adventurers cannot – for better or TERR AIN TYPES: Forest
worse – increase their Reputation since others
are taking credit for everything they do. Con- SHRIKE
fronting and defeating the glory-stealers imme- STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
diately raises their Reputation score by one step. SKILLS: Melee 1, Crafting 2, Move 1, Marks-
manship 1, Stealth 2, Marksmanship 1,
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson Insight 2, Manipulation 2
Forest, Hills, Mountains TALENTS: Path of Healing or Sight 2
GEAR: Shortsword or short spear, sling,
leather armor, D6 copper coins
MIXED KIN: Shrikes can be either halflings or
12 THE SHRIKE goblins and have the matching kin talent.

While you are out gathering firewood, a halfling

suddenly appears from the vegetation, wearing
clothes that look like they have grown to his skin.
13 ­W HINER’S
He begs you to spare the living trees and only pick NEST
dead sticks for the fire.
Two huge dread raptors are pecking at what seems to
The halfling is a member of the Shrikes, a be an overgrown termite nest. Squeaky screams and
group of reclusive druids who have taken it upon curses are heard from the nest. Small creatures come
themselves to preserve the forests of Aslene. jumping out of holes in the ground and throw little
The druid will not openly attack the strangers darts at the great birds, without harming them at
even if they offend him, but he and his rather all. The dread raptors lunge at them. Whenever they
numerous group of like-minded halflings and catch one, they slam their prey unconscious against the
goblins will make their lives difficult as long ground, throw it into the air, and swallow it whole.
as they are in the same forest area. Militant
members might even seek revenge by treating The raptors (page 23 of Book of Beasts) are trying
wrongdoers as they treated the trees: cutting to peck their way into some whiners’ burrows

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in order to eat them. There is no escape for the in Oxengelder. They know what they are, but
whiners down there, and their friends can do want nothing more than to be real and often
little to stop the attackers. The adventurer can ponder their own existence and how it could
choose to engage the birds or walk away. Either become reality.
way there is a risk that the birds will notice them Meanwhile, they are doing everything they
and come for them instead. can to blend in among real creatures and learn
If the dread raptors are defeated, the whin- from them. They can tell stories about the mar-
ers will leave something of value outside their velous Drawn Lands, answer questions, and
burrows (after conferring with each other for a explain where to find various places and items,
few hours). But they are afraid to speak with or but it is all made up – they barely know any-
show themselves to tall folk unless they make thing at all. While they cannot read minds, they
camp in the area, prove themselves harmless, can read other people’s desires and simply give
or leave food for the whiners, thereby gaining everyone what they want.
their trust. The food they serve is delicious, but provides
no nourishment as it is not real. Their informa-
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills tion seems accurate, and occasionally it might
be, but only by coincidence. It is all fabricated
WHINER and adjusted to please the person asking about it.
STRENGTH 1, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2 They might even offer to teach the adventurers
SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 3, Move 3 oneiromancy, and the lessons seem serious, but

TALENTS: — nobody learns anything.

If attacked, the couple appear to sustain a
GEAR: Short spear
critical injury, since that is what the attacker
desires, but they soon return to normal.
If the adventurers sleep in the creatures’
14 SWEET presence, they will at some point during the

DREAMS night have one of their dreams stolen by the

illusions – not out of malice, but to become
You see a man and a woman cooking food by a camp­ more real.
fire. Next to them is a wagon to which a tail-wag­ Later in the campaign, Noema and Noesis
ging little dog is tied. The beautiful couple intro­ will seek out the Dreamstress in Oxengelder
duce themselves as Noesius and Noema and invite where they can be encountered a second time.
you to share their meal, which smells wonderful. The Dreamstress will help them become real
They claim to be oneiromancer merchants from the as she feels a bit guilty for their dilemma. In
Drawn Lands, and are curious about your dreams. return, Noema and Noesis will be loyal to her.

Noesis and Noema look real, but are in fact TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson
permanent illusions created during experiments Forest, Hills, Mountains

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 THE MASS GR AVE: Adventurers who follow
15 FOR DECAY the stench to a sandy spot east of the village
will find a hastily filled-in mass grave con-
You come across a seemingly peaceful little settle­ taining the remains of the murdered villag-
ment of twenty houses surrounded by a palisade. ers. There the adventurers must fight a pack
Soon you notice that its people are unusually quiet of wild dogs digging in the earth. There is
and going about their business with downcast eyes. also mad old lady crawling around naked and
Furthermore, they are all wearing hoods and gloves screaming. The woman is utterly insane and
or have their faces and bare skin painted red. Before has a worm from the Seventh in her right
you even step through the gate, a couple of men block armpit, which makes the wild dogs afraid of
your path and bid you welcome, before asking you to her. The Seventh (page 85) will know what
either cover your skin or paint it red. For this purpose happens to the old woman and what is said
they keep a large bucket of red slime close at hand. A in her presence.
faint but foul smell of death comes drifting from the
east. To the west of the village runs a stream, lined TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills
by tall trees entwined with vines.

The village of Redhurst is being watched by

Vaerefor van Reiben’s red elves. Each night there
16 RESURRECTION
is a risk (a roll of 1 or 2 on D6) of red elves (twice
as many as the adventurers) arriving to make In the middle of nowhere you encounter ten horned
sure that everyone follows the rules and that no dwarves gathered around a square rock. Lying
other color than red can be seen. More red elves on the rock is another dwarf. Some of the others
are fetched if they find anything inappropriate. are brushing flies off her face. A dwarf who has
The red elves gave Redhurst to a group of clearly been keeping watch asks you to be quiet and
starving refugees from Ravenland a few months not disrupt the ritual.
ago so that the pepper harvest could continue.
The previous inhabitants were all slaughtered. The woman on the rock is dead. She was a
The pepper vines are winding their way up the highborn horned dwarf from Firestead named
trees around the village. Morgena van Lodeglaas. If the adventurers
In order to keep their new guests in line, move closer, they will learn that Morgena
the red elves claim that the previous inhabi- was very wealthy and left specific instructions
tants were killed because they violated the rules in her will that the funeral mass should be
of Rubor which they had sworn to obey, but it performed in this exact location on this par-
was really about avenging the death of some red ticular altar.
elves who were killed near the village. The stone altar bears ancient inscriptions,
In any event, the villagers are terrified, but and above Morgena’s head is a carved-out depres-
had no choice but to obey the red elves’ rules as sion the size of a soup bowl. Once the singing is
the only alternative was starvation. over, a black obsidian orb is brought out from

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a gilded box. The orb is placed in the hands of chasing a herd of wild horses, fights two of their
the deceased, and the two Horn priests present stallions, gets beaten up, and remains standing a
resume their chant. The corpse is not entirely bit further away, stamping impatiently and graz­
fresh, as indicated by the smell and flies. An ing in anger.
elegant young dwarf discretely asks to speak
with the adventurers. He introduces himself as The flying horse (page 105) is Barganos,
Morgenbard van Lodeglaas, Morgena’s nephew. owned by the Sabirian chieftain Mommodar
Morgenbard claims to have learned that the the Gnawer. Barganos escaped after catching
ritual is not a funeral mass at all, but meant the scent of a mare in heat among the wild
to bring Morgena back to life. The rock is a herd. Used to being served a meal every eve-
time altar and the orb is the magical artifact ning, he is now tired and hungry. He allows
required to activate the altar if placed correctly himself to be caught after rearing a few times
in the depression. Morgenbard sees no need to mark his rank.
whatsoever to resurrect his aunt, who was a Eight Sabirian riders are tracking Barganos
stingy old hag when she was alive. In return to bring him home. They will not be understand-
for the adventurers’ help, he offers them the ing if someone else tries to claim him. Even if
orb as well as payment in gold. the adventurers manage to keep the animal, most
Next time this random event occurs, the members of the horse clans will know whose
adventurers encounter a group of horned horse it is when they see it.
dwarves who are out to kill them, since Mor-
genbard does not want any living witnesses. TERR AIN TYPES: Plains

TERRAIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills, Ashlands,

Firelands
18 THE
HORNED DWARF ­INGLOURIOUS
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 2, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3
SKILLS: Might 3, Melee 3, Crafting 2
BUTCHARS
TALENTS: —
The first time: In the distance you see carrion
GEAR: Battleaxe, large shield, chainmail,
closed helmet birds feasting on bloodied corpses. If you move
closer, the birds reluctantly take flight with angry
squawks. A gruesome sight meets your eyes: the
heads of five red elves are impaled on spikes with
17 THE FLYING their maimed bodies lying nearby. A healer can

HORSE see that the bodies have been cut open and robbed
of their elven rubies. On a stone among the bodies,
You see a white, riderless wingsteed glide across the someone has written in wax: “The Inglourious
sky and land a bit further away, where it starts Butchars”.

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random encounters
The second time: You see ten creatures sitting by a Olive, Ash, and Amboyna. They are accompanied
campfire, hands bloody, playing a board game. They by Minia, a learned elven druid from Ravenland,
are laughing and feasting and do not seem entirely and Gaunt, a semi-intelligent prune whom the
sober, although two of them are standing apart from Butchars use to scare and torture their victims
the others. Three red elf heads on spikes can be seen a before killing them. Only Minia can tell whether
bit further away from the fire. Every now and then the an elven ruby is real – that is, whether it can be
group raise their glasses at them. The red elves’ bodies turned into an ordinary elf in the Stillmist – or
lie discarded in some bushes. Carrion birds are cawing whether the ruby was created by Vaerefor with
angrily around the feast, as if telling the living to leave. the Goblet Staff of Have.

The group calls itself “the Inglourious Butchars” – TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson
a signature they leave wherever they carry out their Forest, Hills, Mountains
bloody work. The Inglourious Butchars are hunting
red elves to kill them and cut out their rubies. If INGLOURIOUS BUTCHAR
the elves are seen as potential recruits, their rubies STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
are brought to the masters in the Stillmist for recy- SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Marksmanship
cling. The others are sold for money to humiliate 3, Move 2
their former owners. With a few exceptions, the GEAR: Short bow, shortsword, leather
group’s members are themselves former red elves armor
who have been restored – but too quickly, which
caused certain defects in their bodies and minds.
Minia, an ordinary elf who has decided to accom-
pany the group, says that the Butchars’ rubies were
19 LAST NIGHT OF
so furious that they hastened the regrowth of the THE JESTERS
flesh so that they could immediately return to the
Bloodmarch and take revenge. You hear music and hooting coming from a horse-
The Butchars drug themselves with salt to drawn wagon where a troupe of jesters has made
cope with their shame and pain. They hate the camp. The jesters are performing, but their audi­
crimson forest, the red elves, and above all, Vaer- ence of a dozen soldiers in field clothes do not seem
efor van Reiben. The leader of the Butchars, who very amused. An officer gets up and starts ranting
calls himself Mahogany, has a special knife saved that the blasphemers must be punished. The soldiers
for Vaerefor. The dagger is called Glasstooth and respond by chanting “Funnier! Funnier!” The jest­
could be one of Horn’s Astra – unless you have ers are crying, but try their best to entertain them.
given that dagger to the key player Poansa. In Some soldiers start throwing stones at the performers.
that case Mahogany’s dagger is a replica.
There are ten former red elves among the Closer up you notice that the soldiers are wear-
Butchars, all with wood-related names: Mahog- ing Alderlander clothes and, judging by the
any, Birch, Burl, Merbau, Wenge, Jatoba, Katalox, religious symbols they wear, seem to worship

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either Wyrm or Rust (depending on what best ALDERLANDER SOLDIER
suits the game). Two Aslene riders are sitting STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
by a campfire a bit further away. They are path- SKILLS: Endurance 2, Melee 2, Marksman-
finders – one hired by the soldiers and one (who ship 2, Move 1
also serves as a bodyguard) by the jesters. They TALENTS: —
welcome the adventurers and explain that the GEAR: Broadsword, throwing spear, shield,
whole thing is an unfortunate affair. The jesters chainmail, riding horse
were careless enough to make fun of the Alder-
landers’ god. The troupe has come to the Blood- ASLENE RIDER
march to spread joy. Their leader, Pottus Tynk, STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
has an almost religious faith in laughter as a SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Move 2,
cathartic salvation and creator of friendships. Animal Handling 2
The officer, Mengendorm of Trella, disap- TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2
proves of the ruckus and wants the player charac- GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather
ters to beat up the meanest of the soldiers so the armor, riding horse
others stop harassing the performers. The officer
can lead the adventurer to their commander –
either Colonel Grudenstaal (Rust Church) or
Poansa Moulter (Congregation of the Serpent).
20 YOUR
If they help the jesters, Pottus Tynk will be THOUGHTS
most grateful. He does not have any money, but
can offer the adventurers his left shoe, which OR MINE?
allows its wearer to maintain perfect balance
in any situation, even on a slack rope. This is The members of the group start to notice that they
Sella’s Dragonboot (page 65), one of Horn’s are inexplicably saying things their comrades often
Astra, though Pottus does not know it. He has say, or even thinking their thoughts or taking on
had a matching right shoe made, which obvi- their habits. Someone might suddenly find himself
ously is not made of dragon leather. somewhere without remembering how he got there.

TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest It is the moon elf and key player Vinhelm Kaal
(page 89) who is moving in the area to deter-
MENGENDORM mine whether the adventurers are of interest,
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 what they might know about the temple Agnos-
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 1, Insight 2, tica, and whether they have found any moon-
Manipulation 2, Animal Handling 1 stones. The powerful mentalism radiating from
TALENTS: Sword Fighter 2, Sixth Sense 2 the moon elf is affecting the group’s thoughts.
GEAR: Broadsword, shield, chainmail, riding Depending on what they know, do, and own,
horse Vinhelm will either leave them alone, follow

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random encounters
them for a while, or make himself known. The mission to find Wyrm Reborn before the Congre-
event can be repeated. The moon elf will be more gation of the Serpent does, but he knows noth-
inclined to interact with them in the later stages ing about the rebellion Grudenstaal is planning.
of the game, as he realizes that time is running He refuses to leave the iron idol and will remain
short for Agnostica’s return to the world. At that there as a hermit, but will gladly accept gifts.
point he needs the adventurers’ help.
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson
TERR AIN TYPES: All Forest, Hills, Firelands

21 RUST 22 THE SHIELD

WALL
From a distance you see what looks like a large rock
shaped like the upper body of a human. Someone From a ridge you see two groups of Aslene riders
has made camp next to the rock and a thin column mocking each other on the plain and challenging
of smoke rises from a fire. each other to battle by making pirouettes, rearing
their horses, and shaking their weapons in the air.
The rock is in fact a three-meter-tall iron After a particularly gross insult, one side lowers
statue – the head and torso of the god Rust as their lances and starts rushing at their malign­
depicted on page 39 in the Gamemaster’s Guide. ers. Just as they are about to clash, something
The only person there is a hermit named Suder- unexpected happens: the attackers charge full-tilt
man. Whenever someone comes near, he opens a into a rock face that was not there a moment ago.
door in the statue and locks himself in. He has a Their lances shatter, as probably do their bones and
spear that he can thrust through various cracks everything else in great turmoil. The opponents
in the statue, but it is not a very effective defense. are nowhere to be seen, but you can hear laughter
If someone manages to speak with Suder- coming from somewhere further away. The riders
man, for example by offering him some food, he have heard it too and are looking in your direction.
says that he is a rust priest from Alderland and
part of Colonel Grudenstaal’s expedition in the It is Vinhelm Kaal (page 89) who has sum-
Bloodmarch. The damned Ironbrows got tired of moned a Fata Morgana (page 33) that tricked
carrying the holy likeness of Rust, put the god the riders. One of the horse warriors spotted
down, and walked away, in spite of Suderman him before the mentalist had a chance to dis-
cursing them and invoking Rust’s punishment appear and mentioned seeing what looked like
on them. The worst of them is Colonel Gruden- a fat little pig on two legs – a description Vin-
staal himself who is a believer in name only. helm Kaal could not leave unpunished.
Suderman can tell the adventurers about the Vinhelm will slip away again if possible. A
Ironbrows and the Colonel (page 79), and their couple of horse warriors are badly injured and

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not even the moon elf finds it very funny. Now stone. She is called Gronena and turns out to
the offended and embarrassed horse warriors be a Vasnian. She and Svolder were in love and
are looking for someone to blame and notice ran away together many years ago, but as he
the player characters. defended them from wolves the tragic mishap
occurred.
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Hills
FREEING SVOLDER: Svolder can be freed
ASLENE RIDER by tapping his wand against the stone, which
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 causes it to crumble. That is precisely what he
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, Move 2, is trying to say, but in order to understand him
Animal Handling 2 one must sit in front of the stone for three
TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2 whole days and be proficient in either lip read-
GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather ing or sign language.
armor, riding horse Gronena keeps the wand buried near her
cottage not far from the stone. The fact is that
she figured out how to free Svolder fifteen years
ago, but does not want to do it since she has
23 THE DWARF grown old while he has remained young inside

IN THE STONE the stone.

Gronena cannot stand the thought of him
You happen to come upon a monolith and notice that leaving her, which is why she lets him stay there
the veining of the stone resembles a human crea­ while telling herself that she is a good and faith-
ture looking out with its hands pressed against the ful woman. If he is freed, Svolder will yell at and
surface. At the foot of the stone there are some half- maybe even kill Gronena before leaving the area.
wilted flowers next to a tankard of ale in which
two slugs have drowned. It might be a tombstone. TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills

There is no grave, but imprisoned inside the

stone itself is the dwarf Svolder, a stone singer
who suffered a magical mishap long ago. Adven-
24 ASHSTORM
turers who look at the stone the next day will
find that he has moved a bit, but he moves so A tremendous ashstorm hits the country and
slowly that it is barely noticeable. remains for D3 days. The visibility is reduced to
NEAR range (same zone). If the player characters
THE OLD LADY: If the adventurers stay where try to travel during the storm, their direction
they are, an old human woman will arrive is decided at random.
within a Quarter Day with new flowers and
perhaps a herb-filled pipe that she places by the TERR AIN TYPES: All

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random encounters
 25 THE CONTEST 26 THE RED
RENEGADE
A crowd of riders has dismounted and gathered in a
circle. A knowledgeable person can tell that they are A red elf is fleeing on foot, and you can see a dozen
Galdanes. Perhaps they are holding council? Moving others in pursuit a few hundred meters behind her.
closer, you hear a woman singing in the middle of As you get closer you see that the red elf is bloody.
the circle, accompanied by someone playing the lyre. She waves at you and screams for help.

Two people lay claim to leadership of the Gal- The seemingly exhausted red elf calls herself
danes. One is Kormella Mira of Moldena from Rubilla. She claims to be a former redrunner
Ravenland, descendant of Kanender the Mad from Ravenland who was captured and turned
who, during the Demon Flood three hundred into a red elf by Vaerefor van Reiben. For some
years ago, cut through the invading hordes and reason she herself does not understand, she was
led his followers east through Shadowgate Pass. able to retain her memories and has been col-
The other is Trandesso Havaman who was born lecting the rubies of former friends who would
in the Bloodmarch. Now the two of them wish also be turned. She carries them in a belt with
to challenge each other for the title of chief- compartments.
tain. They compete in horseback riding, single She has been looking for a group of elves
combat, and now musical performance, cheered from Ravenland who call themselves the Inglou-
on by their respective supporters. rious Butchars, but the pursuing red elves
caught up with her. She begs the adventurers
IMPARTIAL JUDGES: If the group spots the to help her escape or, should that be impossible,
adventurers, the strangers are asked to judge the make sure that the elven rubies are somehow
contest in an impartial manner. Regardless of brought to the Butchars or directly to the Still-
your decision, the losing side will question the mist so that her friends can be restored.
judges’ competence, suitability, appearance, and
intelligence, and remember this affront to justice. RUBILLA SAVED: If the adventurers manage
The winners, on the other hand, will praise to escape the pursuers with Rubilla, she is very
the adventurers’ excellent taste in music and grateful and can tell them more about Vaerefor,
want to make friends with them. In the eve- the crimson forest, and the red elves. After a
ning everyone feasts on roasted game meat and week or two she leaves them under some pretext
fermented horse milk. The losers still hold a or other, but would preferably have them take
grudge and might challenge the adventurers or over responsibility for the fate of the rubies.
serve their revenge cold at a later time.
THE PURSUERS: If the pursuers catch up to
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Hills, Ash- the adventurers, they demand that Rubilla be
lands handed over to them. They do not seem to know

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chapter 10
about the rubies she carries, and Rubilla whis-
pers for her saviors to take the precious stones
27 THE ­GUARDIAN
to safety and hand her over. TEMPLE
If they surrender her, Rubilla will be taken
to the nearest crimson forest under the pretext In the distance you see a cliff shaped like a 15-meter-
that Vaerefor wants to examine why she kept high ramp rising into the sky. At the top of the cliff
her memories. If combat ensues, the red elves is a statue of a horse that gazes out over the plains.
will retreat fairly quickly even if they seem to At the foot of the cliff are a few small buildings, and
be the stronger party. beyond them some blue woods. Around the cliff and
In that case Rubilla suggests that the adven- the temple runs a path that appears not to go any­
turers let them go, claiming that the enemy is where, but forms a loop. Some humans on foot and
uncomfortable outside the crimson forest and horseback can be seen nearby, as well as some yurts.
therefore disinclined to fight. If the adventurers
hunt them down, the red elves reluctantly allow This is the Guardian Temple of the Aslene riders,
themselves to be killed for the cause. dedicated to horses and horsemanship. Youths
from different clans often come here to learn
THE TRUTH: The whole thing is an act to and compete in horsemanship, and not least to
smuggle a set of prepared elven rubies to the court each other and have some fun.
Stillmist. There the rubies will grow into mur- As a rule, there are about ten riders nearby,
derous freaks meant to kill the elven elders. The two of them experienced warriors and honor
plan was devised by Vaerefor himself. guards. Inside the small temple is a priest of
The rubies look just like real elven rubies, Have named Valliman and his wife, the Horn
albeit of fairly low quality. If they are brought priestess Insinera. In addition to the temple
to the Kogler in Tribolia, he cannot use them itself there is a smithy and a simple market-
to craft new Astra and can immediately tell place for exchanging goods in the area. There is
that they are fake. A peddler can also see that also the Motherpine, an ancient blue pine that
the rubies are of low quality. exudes high-quality blue tar which is collected
by the priests. The adventurers can barter for
TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Forest, Crimson blue tar at the temple, but it requires a signif-
Forest, Hills, Mountains icant donation or favor.
The horse on the cliff is believed to be an old
RED ELF statue of Sella the Liberator’s horse, Wither­beam.
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 It is painted and in very good condition. With-
SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Marksmanship 3, erbeam is actually a fully functioning mechani-
Move 2 cal horse. See the Artifacts chapter (page 69).
GEAR: Short bow, shortsword, leather
armor TERR AIN TYPES: Plains, Hills, Mountains,
Ashlands

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random encounters
 TAREGYLL

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

You follow the brook upstream through a ravine whose a hilltop at the far end of the valley you see some
sides rise steeper and steeper from the surrounding buildings of stone next to a large fire. People of dif­
moor. The brook flows restlessly, its water so steam­ ferent origins are going about their daily lives in the
ing hot that veils of mist fill the ravine. Tall, blue village, shamelessly sizing you up as they walk past.
pine trees line the road, and many of their trunks
are smeared with tar. Soon you come upon the living
dead – some of them sitting slumped on rocks and tree
stumps, others leaning against a black building that
seems to be their home while they wait for the grave. BACKGROUND
You proceed in silence, and soon the ravine opens The village of Taregyll is designed to be the play-
into a long valley between the wooded ridges. Rows ers’ introduction to Aslene, with good opportu-
of houses emerge from the mist, some of them new nities to highlight some of the main conflicts
and sloppily constructed, others built from ancient in the country.
timber. The sounds of singing, hammering, and Taregyll is situated on the slopes west of
the slaughter of animals reach your ears. Even Shadowgate Pass which once connected Raven-
here among the living, the stench of tar and sulfur land and Aslene. The original village, Gully,
is omnipresent. The mist clears as you arrive and was for a long time a remote temple site where
allows you to gaze beyond the wooden shacks. On restless dead were laid to rest in the lava vents. A

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temple to the fire goddess Have has stood here countries, for much is scarce in Aslene, while
since time immemorial, with priests tending the craving for excitement, land, and owner-
the kilns and the tar distillery in which the less treasures is great in Ravenland. The native
sacred tar of Have is produced from the local population mainly consists of decent, religious
blue pines. mountain farmers and foresters who often dis-
Since the reopening of Shadowgate Pass, approve of the foreign rabble coming and going
members of all the different kin have been show- in their village.
ing up unexpectedly in the village – foreigners
with unusual accents and tidings so strange
that nothing surprises the locals anymore. All
newcomers seem curious about the Bloodmarch
and what it has to offer them. GETTING HERE
Two executioners’ guilds have smelled a The player characters will likely reach Taregyll
business opportunity and started selling pro- from Ravenland through Shadowgate Pass. They
tection services. Taregyll has quickly become could also be native Aslenes, but in that case
an almost lawless place of trade between the they will probably start the game closer to home.

THE ORDER OF EGRESSION If the restless dead has been wronged in

In Aslene as well as in Ravenland, it is any way, the necromancer might exact
not uncommon for deceased individuals revenge in their client’s name.
to linger on as restless dead. The Order In addition to their “clients,” Egres-
of Egression is a loose gathering of sors often keep a retinue of undead
necromancers, called Egressors, whose who serve them as penance for their
primary purpose is to help creatures sins. People in Aslene generally believe
pass from life to death. that whoever kills or obstructs an
In the villages they visit, the Egres- Egressor will answer to the Nightwalker
sors are respected and feared in equal after their death.
measure. They often spend their nights The Order of Egression serves the
conversing with the restless dead in Nightwalker, but also honors the moon
funeral grounds. They might also raise goddess Eor and Wyrm, whom they call
the actual dead if they sense unfinished “Eating Wyrm.” He is represented by the
business. These conversations often maggots feasting on the flesh of the
result in the dead coming to rest, but dead, and Egressors carry such mag-
sometimes the Egressor realizes that gots with them to be ritually sprinkled
certain matters must first be concluded. on the dead they put to rest.

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SHADOWGATE PASS: Shadowgate Pass is a coniferous forests of spruce and gray-­blue pines,
desolate mountain pass between Ravenland and whose trunks have been smeared with tar to ward
Aslene. The route was impassible only a few off demons. The village is located at high altitude
years ago, since the geometry itself was dis- in a fairly cool climate. The entire settlement
torted, but during the Battle of Vond the pass smells of tar and sulfur, and is often shrouded
lost its power and whatever guarded it disap- in rain or fog. The locals are often completely or
peared. All that remains are creeping remnants partially smeared with blue tar to protect against
of strange vegetation and odd little brooks flow- disease or possession. The tar is generally viewed
ing between bare rocks and persistent, sighing as a universal remedy and does actually grant
veils of mist. It is impossible to heal or sleep Armor Rating 2 against fear attacks and magic.
in the pass, which takes a Quarter Day to cross.

1. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD

Undead humans with empty stares are sitting or
standing within a fenced area around a tarred
LEGEND log house. Runes have been painted in tar on their
It is said that Taregyll beyond Shadowgate Pass exposed body parts. Living loved ones are helping
is the last stop of the dead, where demon-­tainted them and performing chores while shedding silent
wretches come from all over Aslene to find peace tears. Someone is playing a mournful tune on a
in the lava. Some even say that the burning fissures large bronze horn.
are pathways between life and death.
Visitors who have returned across the pass Dead humans from all over Ashenvale are
claim that this is all nonsense meant to keep for­ brought to Taregyll to be lowered into the lava
eigners away from the riches that lie abandoned further up the mountain or be taken to the
and ripe for the picking in the devastated western Silent Tower at the Temple of Have (#14). The
regions of Aslene. House of the Dead is the first stop.
The red forests in those parts are scary alright, The place is run by Kurmena, a necroman-
but mostly for demons and other unnatural filth, cer belonging to the Order of Egression (page
which makes it a good place for adventurers to 149). She speaks with the restless dead, clear-
prepare for expeditions into the unknown. ing up uncertainties about their lives and pre-
paring them for death. The tar symbols on the
dead are notes written directly on the clients’
bodies to keep track of them and their stories
– a common practice among Egressors.
LOCATIONS Relatives of the deceased traditionally help Kur-
In addition to the settlements on the map, the mena with cooking, cleaning, and the like. People
area is home to a few farms with meager crops come and go in silence. Inside the house are com-
and sheep. Taregyll is surrounded by sparse partments that look more like shelves than beds,

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where the dead are stacked. Kurmena and Eisendor EISENDOR
live in the small residential part of the building. The big, bald man Eisendor is Kurmena’s assis-
Once a handful of living dead are ready, they tant and most resembles a sad dog with his
are brought in solemn procession to the lava sagging cheeks and red-­rimmed eyes. He seems
vents and pushed into them, followed by a few burdened by memories and torn between var-
confused words from the Horn priest Strunde. ious duties. Eisendor dresses like a monk in
Guests accompany the procession playing ket- black linen under which tattoos of Rust Church
tledrums and horns or singing laments. If the symbols can be glimpsed.
guests cannot play, it is usually handled by Cap-
tain Brock and Hergella of Madam Munna’s Inn.
2. THE TEMPLE OF HORN
KURMENA AND THE LAVA VENT
Kurmena is a stout, middle-­aged woman in An old and worn-­down chapel is situated danger­
rough and practical clothes that smell of death. ously close to a couple of lava vents at the top of a
She has wispy blonde hair and does not seem to hill. A stone ramp stretches over the lava. The hill
care much about her looks. Kurmena is calm is bare and windy, with no vegetation other than
and gentle in her work. At most she might some heather and struggling shrubs.
express indignation with a twitch in her eyebrow.
Since Horn priests are required to build
KURMENA temples wherever lava sees daylight, a small
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3 chapel of stone has dutifully been raised next
SKILLS: Sleight of Hand 2, Move 1, Lore 3, to the lava vents. No Horn priest would will-
Insight 2, Manipulation 2 ingly serve in this godforsaken spot, but the
TALENTS: Death Magic 2 horned dwarf Strunde has been transferred
FEARLESS: Egressors are immune to fear there as an alternative to being exiled in dis-
attacks from undead. graced. The ramp over the lava can be low-
TRUE HEARING: Egressors can automatically ered with a lever if the dead standing there
tell whether someone is telling the truth should get cold feet and can then be winched
in matters relating to their clients, with- back up again.
out making an INSIGHT roll.
SACRED MISSION: While on a sacred mission, STRUNDE THE HORN PRIEST
Egressors grow stronger and temporarily
Strunde has broken his left horn, which is a
gain the FAST FOOTWORK talent (rank 3).
source of unbearable shame for horned dwarves.
Their conviction also makes them less vul-
nerable to magic and all forms of manipu- Chunks of curly copper hair cover most of his
lation. The Power Level of all magic cast at body and he is missing several teeth. Strunde
Egressors is reduced by D3, and all attempts copes with the shame by drinking. When drunk
at MANIPULATION get a –2 penalty. he laughs, performs his duties paradoxically,
GEAR: Staff, SIMPLE find. and gets on people’s nerves. On rare occasions

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of sobriety he trembles, hallucinates, and drags given the chance to atone for their transgres-
himself through life. sions by paying fines to the guilds or performing
services that someone else is willing to pay for.
STRUNDE
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3 CAPTAIN BROCK

SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipu- Captain Brock is from Ravenland and careful to
lation 2 dress as a smart-­looking officer. He trims his
TALENTS: Magma Song 1 hair and beard every day and dyes it with black
GEAR: Warhammer, SIMPLE find pomade that makes it gleam like his leather armor
with silver buckles. It is unclear which side Brock
fought on in Ravenland, and some say he deserted,
3. THE EXECUTIONERS’ GUILD but nobody dares to speak openly about it.
OF THE IRONCLAD
Outside a dilapidated old merchant house some CAPTAIN BROCK
spectacular soldiers are posing in a kind of grotesque STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
parade armor made of shiny black leather, metal SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 1, Insight 2,
plates, and oversized shoulder pieces. With pomp­ Manipulation 2
ous faces, they are eying everyone who walks past. GEAR: Broadsword, shield, chainmail

Taregyll’s two executioners’ guilds serve as the

village’s law enforcement and judicial authorities. 4. TRADER’S HOLD
Guests and permanent establishments in the vil- There are some surprisingly well-­stocked shops
lage usually pay one of the guilds for protection. in the area west of the steaming brook that runs
Those who do not must fend for themselves. through the village.
The guilds insult and shake fists at each other,
but are actually working together under the secret The shops are called Trader’s Hold and have
leadership of Captain Brock. Brock wants two flourished in recent years as adventurers and
competing guilds to create some trouble and inse- settlers started coming in. The merchants at
curity, which is good for business. All permanent Trader’s Hold have all come from other parts
residents know this, but no one talks about it. The of the world and can provide most of the wares
guilds always join forces against external threats. listed in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook.
The soldiers are mercenaries or troublemak-
ers and are often replaced. Their equipment is CORIANDER’S GENER AL STORE: Offers a
mostly for show. It is not uncommon for caravan wide variety of equipment.
guards escorting travelers in the Bloodmarch to
do some work for the guilds between assignments, BARTELLA BOLM’S STUFFERY: Sells fresh,
which makes this a good place to ask for a guide. salted, and dried food, beverages, and healing
People who commit crimes in Taregyll are often herbs of varying quality.

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WELAND’S SMITHY: Weland the dwarf crafts ✥ CREATURES: Madam Munna and her
weapons as well as everyday tools which, while useful, daughters Sutia and Hergella, as well as a
are not very remarkable. He also makes bogus jew- few tenants.
elry without much success. Unlike Aslene dwarves,
Weland has no horns, but comes from the Meroman-
nian clan in Ravenland. He supplies the Horn priest 6. FATHER’S POCKET
Strunde with liquor and in return he is allowed to Between the shops and the stables stand the ruins of
use the lava outside the temple in his work, which an old stone fortress that has been renovated and
more serious Horn priests would hardly allow. repurposed into a storage facility. The ground floor
has half a dozen vaults with locked double doors.
PINDELLO’S DY EHOUSE: Weaves, dyes, At one edge of the building is a small wooden annex
and sews, working in textiles as well as leather. where the midnight oil burns late into the night.
Pindello comes from the refined Varina in the
south and exaggerates his native accent. The The fortress of Father’s Pocket once guarded
dyeing is performed with colorants, alum, and the village’s western entrance, but was later
ox bile by the warm stream of Galme. razed by Galdanes. Frisikos Pyrra of Vivend
bought it cheap when he arrived in Taregyll and
turned it into a warehouse. It is possible to rent
5. MADAM MUNNA’S INN a secure space in the building where many of
Below a chalk-­white slope stands a well-­kept log the merchants keep their stock. Frisikos is also
house. The gaps in the log walls are caulked with the village banker and pawnbroker, and serves
moss, the roof shingles beautifully installed, and the as bookkeeper and scribe whenever important
paved spot outside the doors is well swept. A middle-­ documents are to be drawn up.
aged woman with a pointy nose is standing by the
door, eyeing everyone who passes by. She mumbles a ✥ CREATURES: Frisikos Pyrra.
prayer and fiddles with a couple of religious symbols.

Madam Munna is a religious widow who rents 7. THE STABLES

out rooms and other accommodations. Her labor AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE
force is made up of two browbeaten daughters In the western end of the village, just before the
who both dream of running away, but keep a close narrow passage onto the moors, is a shapeless struc­
watch on each other so as not to get left behind. ture made up of interconnected stables and barns.
Munna is picky when it comes to her guests. She From here comes the constant noise of various ani­
has a special fondness for priests and other god-­ mals, mixed with death cries of slaughter. The
fearing people. It does not matter which god they smell of livestock, manure, and blood fills the air.
worship, as long as they are true believers. The Near the village’s western ridgeline is a meadow
rooms are clean and the food is good. Revelry is with paddocks and pens where cows, partridges,
forbidden and no alcohol is served. pigs, horses, and sheep are kept.

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The old farmer Traberos buys and sells animals,
for both slaughter and utility. Here the adven-
turers can purchase horses or stable the ones they
already have. But they will have to be careful, as
the butcher Oxnesa has a feeble mind and some-
times has trouble distinguishing one animal
from the other, or even a cow from a horse.

15
✥ CREATURES: The butcher Oxnesa and
the old farmer Traberos and his farmhands.

8. THE TAREGYLL FENCES’ GUILD

In front of a stone house with barred windows hangs a
gilded boot. No one knows why, since it is no cobbler’s
shop. The door is locked and does not open until the
owner has had a look at the visitor through a hatch.

The Taregyll Fences’ Guild will buy anything, no

questions asked, particularly valuables, curiosi-
ties, and artifacts. The head of the guild, Antmar 10
Stickyfingers, is always looking for information
and desired items for prominent customers and
can serve as an intermediary for various key players.
Every few months Stickyfingers sends a 7
secret caravan of goods to collectors in Alder-
land. The caravans are led by the hunter and
sorcerer Finezza via the Alder Road, the mine
of Hode, and the Galder Gorge.

ANTMAR STICKYFINGERS
Antmar Stickyfingers is a rat-­like, middle-­aged man
with a pointy nose, sand-­colored mustache, and
greasy combed-­back hair. He dresses well but not
ostentatiously, talks fast, thinks quickly, and con-
stantly shifts his eyes to take in everything of inter-
est. Stickyfingers gives the immediate impression of
being a bootlicking salesman, but it soon becomes

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 16
17

14

13 12
2

9 11
7 6

8
4

1
3

TAREGYLL
apparent that he gets straight to the point and is has been propped against the tower so that the
not afraid to speak his mind. He is who he is – a depicted person appears to be kneeling. Fog flows
fence – and does not pretend otherwise. like breath from the ravine.

ANTMAR STICKYFINGERS Only the southern tower, the Tower of Horn, is

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 still in use. Someone from the executioners’ guilds
SKILLS: Sleight of Hand 2, Lore 1, Insight 3, keeps watch in the night, partly looking for move-
Manipulation 4 ment on the western moors, partly to detect any
GEAR: Dagger, VALUABLE find fires in the village. In case of danger, the watchman
sounds the alarm on a hanging bronze cylinder.

9. MEAGER MODLER’S TAVERN

The sound of laughter and revelry cascades from 11. THE SHACKS
an old log building in the village square. Inside, AND THE TABULA SLOPE
people are dancing rhythmically to the screech of A row of sloppily assembled shacks and bunk­
local musicians. The fast host stands howling on houses has been built below the white limestone
the stage with his tamed animals or moves among slope that makes up the southeastern wall of the
the guests, slapping backs and telling crude jokes ravine. During daytime this area bustles with life
as various expeditions are being prepared. Strang­
Taregyll only has a single, fairly large tavern ers of all kinds mingle with local craftsmen and
where wild times are had most evenings. Some inquisitive children.
competitors have tried to open other establish-
ments, but vanished without a trace, in some It is possible to rent a shack owned by various
cases after their homes burned down. The tav- people in the village: Madam Munna, Antmar
ern’s proprietor, Modler, used to be an animal Stickyfingers, Meager Modler, and the Mer-
tamer and jester in Ravenland, which is why he chants. The standard is atrocious with cold
likes to perform in the evenings with his danc- drafts, dirt floors, and flea-­infested straw
ing bear and goat. He is happy to hire visiting benches to sleep on. The prices are kept up by
bards and storytellers. Bartella Bolm manages the competition and correspond to those listed
the kitchen in the evenings and Modler brews in the Player’s Handbook (page 180).
his own beer, which is drinkable but not very
tasty. The furniture is as crude as the walls.
12. JAGRA’S
EXECUTIONERS’ GUILD
10. THE TOWERS Outside the well-­timbered house at the north end
OF HAVE AND HORN of the village is a small arena with wooden benches.
Two crumbling watchtowers flank the ravine lead­
ing into the village. A statue once stood by the north Soldiers often spar here during the day and in
tower. Its legs have broken off, but what remains the evenings bloodless fencing and wrestling

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matches are arranged, with people placing bets on manageable sizes. The flour is always dark from
the winner. Visitors are welcome to participate. the charcoal mixed into it, which is considered
Jagra’s Executioners’ Guild is the second law a local specialty. Behind the mill is a path up
enforcement organization in the village and offi- the mountain to the temple of Have.
cially competes with the Ironclad. The establish-
ment is run by the heavily scarred war veteran ✥ CREATURES: Miller Tarbeman and his
Jagra of the Galdane rider clan, but everyone farmhands.
knows that she really works for Captain Brock.
She introduces herself as a fencing teacher.
The guards of Jagra’s guild all wear an ugly 14. THE FIRE TEMPLE OF HAVE
little tin brooch with a sword over a shield as badges The great bonfire on the mountain burns with blue
of affiliation. They use their own equipment, which flames that cast their cold light on the masonry
is less spectacular than the Ironclad uniforms. temple buildings where a few priests scurry qui­
etly between their duties. The priests of Have
✥ CREATURES: Jagra, 6–8 soldiers. seem troubled and the looks they give you are more
anxious than welcoming.
JAGRA
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 The blue flames are fetched directly from the
SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 3, Move 2, holy fire constantly raging in the temple of
Animal Handling 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 1 Ashenstead on Mount Faltenvil, many days’
TALENTS: Path of the Companion 2, Horse- journey from here. Taregyll’s temple of Have has
back Fighter 2, Sword Fighter 2 stood there since time immemorial to oversee
GEAR: Broadsword, short bow, leather armor the production of the sacred blue tar that the
local pines give off when kilned. The temple was
SOLDIER completely destroyed during the first wave of
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 the Demon Flood, but the place was reclaimed
SKILLS: Endurance 2, Melee 2, Marksman- as the blue tar turned out to be a potent weapon
ship 2, Move 1 against demons.
GEAR: Broadsword, throwing spear, large
shield, chainmail ✥ CREATURES: Second Keeper Ansika,
the priests Fursik, Dilak, and Anscha,
and the Houn warriors Karnikos and
13. THE COAL MILL Berhelma.
The village mill straddles the stream of Galme,
which turns its creaking water wheel throughout
the day. Flocks of birds are constantly swarming in 15. THE SILENT TOWER
the steam around the area in search of spillage. A A thirty-­meter-­wide brick cylinder crowned by a
miller throws a stone at the birds and runs around wooden palisade dominates the mountaintop. The
with his cane. only entrance is locked with chains and a sturdy
padlock. The foul stench of death surrounds the
Depending on the day, the mill grinds grain, tower and carrion birds circle ceaselessly up above.
nuts, or dried bulrush roots into flour, but Moving closer, you can hear faint groans and fleshy
also charcoaled logs which are broken into thuds coming from inside.

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On the tables of the Silent Tower, dead bodies D6 MONSTER ATTACK
have since ancient times been exposed to birds 2 ABSORB FLESH! The demonic mass
until only the skeletons remain, but no corpses are grows around an adventurer within
received there anymore. When the First Keeper ARM’S LENGTH in an attempt to absorb
the victim. Roll for the attack with
of the temple, Gest, became demon-­tainted, he
eight Base Dice and Weapon damage
had himself locked up in the tower, and now the 1 (blunt force). If hit, the adventurer is
growing demonic mass threatens to burst its walls. grappled and trapped in the demonic
mass and takes one point of damage to
✥ CREATURES: The demonic mass Gest, STRENGTH each turn until the adven-

sometimes one of the priests of Have.

turer breaks free. Gest has STRENGTH
10 during attempts to break free.
3 EXPLODING GROWTH! Gest’s pulsat-
THE DEMONIC MASS GEST
ing skin swells into growths which
Horntemplets tidigare förstehållare Gest drab-
immediately explode in a cascade of
bades i samband med exorcism själv av obotlig flesh and blood. All adventurers within
demonsmitta. Hans kropp började svälla och NEAR range suffer an attack with nine
vanformas och på hans egen uppmaning låstes Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. The
han in Tystnadens torn där han sedan växt och attack deals damage to EMPATHY
rather than STRENGTH, and armor
tappat all mänsklig form och tanke.
does not protect against it.
4 DESTROY WEAPON! The mass grows and
GEST
forms a hammer-­like arm that strikes at
STRENGTH 20, AGILITY 2 an adventurer within NEAR range. Roll
SKILLS: Scouting 3 for the attack with seven Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). If the
ARMOR RATING: 8 (demon skin)
attack inflicts damage, the adventurer is
FOUL: Gest’s shape and stench are so foul disarmed. The hammer arm absorbs the
that everyone within ARM’S LENGTH must weapon and crushes it into pieces.
succeed with an ENDURANCE roll at the
5 PUPPET! Human shapes form in the
start of their initiative (not an action) or get
demonic mass, dangling from strings
a –1 penalty to all actions on their next turn.
like puppets. D3+1 shapes are formed
WEAKNESS: Holy fire causes Gest to and sent to attack the adventurers. The
retreat. shapes cannot move further than ARM’S
MONSTER: In combat Gest counts as a mon- LENGTH from Gest. The puppets have
ster (see page 73 in the Gamemaster’s Guide). STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 1, MELEE 1, and
punch for Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force).
6 FLESH BOMB! Two orbs the size of human
MONSTER ATTACKS
heads shoot out in a sticky cascade
D6 MONSTER ATTACK from the demonic mass and land near
1 TENTACLE LASH! Half a dozen tentacles two different adventurers. The orbs
shoot out from the demonic mass grow and explode as they are squashed
and hit D3 adventurers within NEAR by the connective tissue. Adventurers
range. Roll an attack with six Base within ARM’S LENGTH of an orb suffer
Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt an attack with eight Base Dice and
force) against each target. The attack Weapon Damage 2 (stab wound), while
can be parried. Victims damaged by everyone within NEAR range suffers an
the attack are knocked down. attack with six Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 1 (stab wound).

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 16. TAR DISTILLERIES grabs them. A seemingly restless dead (page 122
Smoke drifts steadily through the pine trees, around in the Gamemaster’s Guide) tries to say some-
charcoal kilns and brick tar pots. The smell is pungent thing, but fails to utter an intelligible word.
and causes the unaccustomed to cough. Logs are sorted by The creature seems afraid and is very persistent.
tar yield in different stacks and new logs are constantly Finally he manages to say “help.”
being added from sledges pulled by massive work horses. With the relevant knowledge, the adventurer
Some thirty men and women live and work at the kilns. realizes that the hand is not cold with undeath,
A primitive rope bridge is strung across the ravine. but rather with fever. The rust priests have
drugged an Alderlander Wyrm priest serving
Here charcoal is kilned and blue tar boiled. In the under Poansa Moulter and hidden him among
final years before they are felled, the blue pines the living dead to be taken away and interrogated
around Taregyll are treated to yield more tar. at a later time. The adventurers must choose
whether to help the poor man, ignore him, or
return him to Eisendor.
17. THE STREAM OF GALME
The stream that runs through Taregyll is steaming
hot and reeks of sulfur. Red fire fish are sometimes ROCKSLIDE
seen shimmering in the water and flare up as they A major rockslide is suddenly triggered as the lime-
jump into the air. stone is separated from the ground of the Tabula
Slope. Several houses are brought down with
The Stream of Galme springs from the under- it. Any adventurers inside the houses or at the
ground a couple of hundred meters north of the bottom of the slope must succeed at a MOVE roll
village. Its water is undrinkable but used for a or suffer an attack with six Base Dice (blunt force).
variety of other purposes, such as cooking, dyeing Witnesses to the event later claim to have
textiles, and washing laundry. The fire fish in the seen the dwarven priest Strunde at the top of
stream are delicious, but devoted to Horn and the slope before the rockslide, and it is soon
protected from fishing by law. They can only live concluded that the dwarf must have triggered
in hot water. It is impossible to wade through the the rockslide on purpose through magma sing-
water without taking damage, which is why simple ing. An angry mob gathers outside the temple
bridges have been constructed over the stream. of Horn to lynch Strunde. The dwarf senses
danger and tries to hide. With a successful
LORE roll, the adventurers realize that magma
song does not even work on limestone.

EVENTS
Here are a number of events that might occur THE WRATH OF RUBOR
in Taregyll. A group of red elves (page 129) attacks Taregyll
to burn down this temple of evil dedicated to the
impure manifestations of Kolor, the multicolored
BACK FROM THE DEAD god. Unless they are stopped, the elves will rout
One of the adventurers is startled by a hand that the guards before setting fire to anything that will
suddenly reaches out from a dark corner and burn – including the blue pines around the village.

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taregyll
 A captured red elf will ramble about the prophet the protection of Jagra’s Executioners’ Guild.
Vaerefor in holy Reiben and spew religious nonsense But Sutia does not trust Brock since he asked
about the god Rubor and his enemy Kolor. These both her and her late mother to marry him.
fanatics are insensitive to pain and impervious to There is a rumor in the village that Madam
reason, and would gladly become martyrs. Munna was planning to open a high-­quality
This event can occur multiple times, each time tavern at her inn called “the Finehouse,” which
with a larger force of red elves, and could eventu- would not go down very well with Meager Modler.
ally result in a large-­scale assault on the village. Another rumor suggests that Antmar Stickyfin-
gers wants to take over the lucrative inn business
in the village by both overt and covert means.
ELF AGAINST ELF The truth is that Bartella Bolm is sick of
A battle involving elves breaks out near Tare- Meager Modler and wants to open her own
gyll and the adventurers. It is a clash between establishment. She knows that the innkeeper
red elves are redrunners, where the latter weep would sabotage her plans and is trying to get rid
while fighting because they are so upset by the of him by framing him for the murder.
fanaticism of their fellow elves.
Redrunner patrols are positioned near Tare­
gyll to capture red elves, either alive or by cut- THE VASNIANS’ DEAD
ting out their rubies and bringing them back A large group of Vasnians (page 19) arrives
to the Stillmist where the scholars can analyze from the north, escorted by three hired orc war-
what has happened. This time the hunted red riors. A necromancer of the Order of Egression
elf received reinforcements and fighting ensued. has told them that a restless dead chieftain will
The redrunners have spoken with the priests not come to rest until he is placed in the Silent
of Have, but not with anyone else in the village. Tower like in the olden days. The Vasnians are
They might collaborate with villagers if it suits very persistent.
their own purposes, but do not really care about The priests of Have refuse to see them or
the fate of the village. open the tower, and the atmosphere becomes
increasingly hostile. Finally the delegation
decides to take matters into their own hands and
MURDER, MADAM! breaks into the tower. They might try to enlist
The player characters find Madam Munna mur- the player characters as additional muscle. If you
dered; she is hanging by her feet with her torso want, Konana (page 91) could be their leader.
in the boiling hot Stream of Galda from one of If the situation turns violent and the Vas-
the washing jetties outside Pindello’s Dyehouse. nians lose or are thrown out, they might return
There are a pair of thin and well-­worn leather later on with a larger force to take revenge. If the
gloves not far from the corpse. Her daughter Vasnians manage to break into the Silent Tower,
Sutia asks the adventurers to catch the killer. the priests’ secret about the demon-­tainted First
Captain Brock is also summoned to investi- Keeper will be revealed. See the event “The
gate the matter since Madam Munna was under Flowing First Keeper.”

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 A MEETING OF RUSTY LINKS wait until he is blind drunk, and take him to the
A mysterious group of quiet strangers who show lava vents. There Krasylla introduces himself (see
clear signs of being Rust worshipers gathers in random event #8 on page 135), but realizes
the village and rents one of the houses below the that Strunde’s body is not good enough for him,
Tabula Slope which they then fortify and secure since the dwarf is not properly ordained. The
with guards. Then a couple of covered wagons demon wants another Horn priest.
arrive, whose passengers discreetly enter the house.
The Rust Churches of Ravenland and Alder-
land have convened in Taregyll to negotiate an THE FLOWING FIRST KEEPER
alliance and make plans for the future. Colo- The adventurers are passing near the Silent Tower
nel Grudenstaal is there, preferably along with when one of the doors flings open and demonic
some prominent Rust worshiper from Raven- tissue comes flowing out! Villagers and Horn
land whom the adventurers have previously priests hurry there to fight the demonic mass
encountered and perhaps thought to be dead. and force it back into the tower. Finally the Horn
priest Strunde comes running with a lantern of
holy fire and manages to push the demon back
DEMON CATCH inside – at the cost of the lantern going out.
Three demons, chained and smeared with blue Now the Horn priests have no holy fire
tar, are brought into the village under heavy in Taregyll, and Second Keeper Ansi must
guard by a group of Galdane riders, to be sacri- urgently send someone to Ashenstead temple
ficed to Horn in the lava vents the next day. The on Mount Faltenvil to fetch holy fire in a spe-
demons are cursing and shouting obscenities. cial lantern, which she hands to the adventur-
One of them can read minds, in a primitive ers if they accept the mission. The lantern is
sort of way, and reveals embarrassing secrets actually very useful to adventurers as its holy
about the spectators. The same demon offers fire turns blue tar into an even stronger weapon
the adventurers important information if they against demons (page 38). The adventurers
help him escape, and can give them a small may decide to keep it, but would then leave the
sample. Choose some suitable clues it can give priests of Taregyll to their fate.
the adventurers in return for their help. It Unless something is done (whenever you
might be allied with Vaerefor van Reiben or deem appropriate), the demonic mass Gest will
know that Krasylla is alive in the magma and cause the Silent Tower to burst. At that point
yearning to be free. The demons will be kept the demon weighs several tons and is completely
at Father’s Pocket for the night. shapeless, but will continue to grow by absorb-
ing animals and other organic life that comes
close enough. After a week or two of freedom
THE PENITENT IN THE MAGMA it will slide down into the village like a disgust-
One of the adventurers dreams of a creature down ing avalanche of flesh and gradually occupy the
in the magma. The creature tells the adventurer entire valley. The demonic mass can be stopped
to buy some liquor for the Horn priest Strunde, if the adventurers return with holy fire in time.

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 ASHENSTEAD

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

Your eyes rejoice at the sight of a distant mountain with its tent camps and pastures. When the
that breaks the monotony of the Aslene plains. It adventurers first arrive, the village is full of
rises like a massive anvil, crowned by its flat top visiting Aslenes – mainly Sabirians and Quards
and with its horn pointing east. Only when you – who have come to attend the wedding of their
get closer do you realize how high and virtually chieftains’ children.
impregnable the mountain really is, and yet there Faltenvil is the holy mountain of the horse
is a climbing route winding its way to the top from clans, a place of unity and the center of their
the village at its base. Lots of people and horses seem worship of Horn and Have, as well as a center
to be moving about the village. of Aslene learning. Here burns the original holy
fire of Have and blue tar is purified to the high-
est quality. Violence is forbidden both on the
mountain and in the village, which also applies
to people heading there on religious errands with
BACKGROUND their weapons tucked away in their knapsacks.
Ashenstead is situated on Faltenvil, a mountain Each month a market is held in the vil-
whose silhouette abruptly breaks up the sur- lage at the foot of the mountain, where horses
rounding plains. Below is the village of Dunfalt and other valuable goods are bought and sold.

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 THE PYROLYTES burn wounds – that is, the resulting
The Pyrolytes are warrior priests within contractions, discolorations, and
the Church of Have, sworn to purge ridges. They alter the scars by having
all unworldly elements from existence pearls and silver thread embedded in
with their holy fire, especially demons. the wound.
Pyrolytes are often unreasonable fanat- Such scars are seen as living maps
ics and pyromaniacs with a tendency of the future and studied carefully by
to set things on fire without second Pyrolyte scholars. Famous scars are
thought. They view fire as the cure for flayed from the body after the bearer’s
all ills, including diseases, delusions, and death, framed, and put on display in
toxins in food and water. the Pyrolyte temple as guidance and
Many Pyrolytes have disfiguring inspiration for future generations. Nat-
scars from self-­inflicted burns, since urally, the burn and its healing process
they think they can predict and influ- must be endured without betraying the
ence the future by reading and shap- slightest emotion to be considered a
ing the hypertrophic scars from deep valid document.

Councils and negotiations, as well as duels and dead, as getting them up on the mountain is
weddings, are traditionally held on the faces – difficult, and often dangerous, work.
the mountain’s three plateaus. Strangers are
welcome as Faltenvil is a mountain of peace,
but they better keep a low profile.
All ordained priests at the temple are mar-
ried couples where one spouse worships Horn GETTING HERE
and the other Have, but these roles are not The adventurers can either come upon Mount
gender specific. Novices are paired up by the Faltenvil by accident on their travels through
high priests as they take their vows. the Aslene plains or go there deliberately, for
In hopeless situations it is considered hon- example to seek knowledge and advice at the
orable to choose death by throwing oneself off temple, fetch holy fire, or attend a council. They
the mountain, and to place one’s dead on the might also encounter and accompany one of
mountain’s plateaus to be eaten by the birds. the horse clans’ wedding processions on their
Other solutions are often sought for the restless way to Faltenvil.

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 could even look at the mountain. But once Ungule
LEGEND returned underground and the mountain cooled,
When Horn wished to forge the holy Astra as the horse clans built the temple of Ashenstead on its
weapons for Sella the Liberator to use against the summit so the priests could watch over the country
Vasnian hordes, the volcano god raised Mount Fal­ and safeguard its unity. So arduous was Ungule’s
tenvil like an anvil from the plains and summoned work that his hands were blistered and bloodied,
his blacksmith Ungule from deep beneath the earth. and his blue blood remained on the plains. Horn’s
On the face of Faltenvil the Astra were forged, but wife, Have, gathered the blood in a bucket and
so great was the heat of the smoldering blacksmith used it to water her garden so that it would not
that none other than Horn himself could assist go to waste, and from it grew the blue pines of the
him, and so bright was the forge’s light that no one Bloodmarch, whose sap becomes holy blue tar.

4 5
6

ASHENSTEAD
 2. VERGA’S SLOPE
LOCATIONS The trail winds its way up the steep slope of Mount
Described below are the most important sites Faltenvil through the haze of low clouds.
around Ashenstead.
The mountain trail leading up to Faltenvil’s
plateaus is called Verga’s Slope after a Sabirian
1. DUNFALT VILLAGE chieftain who was forced to crawl like a dog
At the foot of the mountain is a village with a few all the way to the top to placate the gods after
stone buildings and a small number of permanent breaking an oath. After this ordeal, Verga sup-
residents. You see tents and yurts pitched around posedly had the more difficult stretches rein-
the village. Lots of riders are moving about and the forced and leveled.
place seems to be decorated for festivities. The vil­ The hike is roughly five kilometers with a
lage is surrounded by pastures full of grazing horses. total ascent of 800 meters. Completing it in
a Quarter Day requires a successful ENDUR
The village has every horse-­related facility one ANCE roll, otherwise it takes two Quarter Days.
could wish for, such as blacksmiths, veterinar- Horses cannot make it at all, except for the
ians and butchers (often the same person), sta- Sabirian wingsteeds.
bles, and feeding barns. There is also a well, a Closer to the top the trail runs through
general store, and the Horn’s Hammer inn a ravine which at night, or in case of danger,
which is run by the wealthy Morvandos Mormer is blocked by log gates that can be quickly
from the clan in whose territory the mountain hoisted open or shut. On the other side, the
is located. Most of the guests are riders from trail branches off to the forested plateaus.
clans Sabira and Quard, as well as temple nov-
ices and pilgrims. Each clan has its own tent
camp outside the village. Rough games, drink- 3. THE COUNCIL FACE
ing bouts, and riding competitions are always A completely flat and almost polished-­looking
going on among them. Strangers are tolerated, surface where negotiations and councils are held
but better watch their tongue. Jesters, musicians, between groups from the horse clans.
and traders are also found among the more or
less festive clan riders. This is the lowest of the three plateaus known
as the faces. It is customary for visitors to enter
the Council Face naked before the gods – that is,
without weapons or other types of gear. Caberi-
ans tend to remove their clothes as well and sit
fully naked on the windswept rock, shivering
but stoic. Duels to the death are sometimes
fought on the Council Face, in which case the
high priest grants an exemption to weapons ban.

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 4. THE HORN FACE skin is lined and tanned like old leather under
The wedge-­shaped plateau points to the east, cov­ a mop of dark hair, and his bright eyes are as
ered in bushes, herbs, and windswept trees. In the sharp as a sword. The leader of the powerful and
middle of the plateau is a ten-­meter-­high step pyra­ warlike Caberian clan is used to taking what he
mid of stone with an open pavilion at the top. A few wants and does not back down from anyone. On
wooden shacks have been built near the pyramid. the contrary, he likes to provoke people.

The Horn Face is not named after the volcano MERDEKAI

god Horn, but is so called because it represents the STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
horn of an anvil. On the plateau are some simple SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 3, Move 2,
shacks where pilgrims and other guests spend the Animal Handling 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 3
night, but normally there is no food or service TALENTS: Path of the Companion 3, Horse-
available. The entire platform is now decorated back Fighter 3
for the upcoming wedding and people are kind GEAR: Broadsword, short bow, leather
and generous with their supplies, even to strangers. armor, riding horse

HIGH PRIEST LIK LAUDOS SILTELLOS, SON OF MERDEK AI

The fair-­haired and fair-­bearded high priest Siltellos, son of Merdekai, is a weak and curly-­
Liklaudos seems quite content with his life at haired young man who is utterly oppressed by
Ashenstead. Mild-­tempered and diplomatically his dominant father and therefore barely has the
inclined, he is used to mediating between the courage to look other people in the eye. At the
hotheaded horse clans. He is an easy man to same time he knows what is required of him
like, although he talks a bit too much and too and does his best to appear strong, which gives
preachily about life. Liklaudos wears a simple, a conflicting and nervous impression.
light-­colored cowl painted with the symbols of
Horn in the national colors. His wife is Pruno- SILTELLOS
filia, a priestess of Have. STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 1, Marksmanship 1, Move 1,
LIKLAUDOS Animal Handling 1
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5 TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 1
SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 3, Insight 2, Manipu- GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather
lation 2 armor, riding horse
TALENTS: Magma Song 3
GEAR: Warhammer, SIMPLE find MOMMODAR THE RODENT
Mommodar, chieftain of the Sabirians, was
MERDEK AI once a powerful warrior, but has now grown
Merdekai is chieftain of the Caberians and old and fat. He is still considered one of the
scarred by countless battles and hardships. His clan’s shrewdest minds, hence his nickname:

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the Rodent. Mommodar is a stout man and The ancient tower is built on a cliff overhanging
usually gives a genial, somewhat grandfatherly a chasm hundreds of meters deep. According to
impression, but his calculating gaze is always legend, the priest Kardenas watched Sella’s deci-
there beneath the surface, and Mommodar sive battle against the Vasnians from the tower.
never loses his cool or composure. From there he also saw the demon horde pour
into the Bloodmarch from Shadowgate Pass three
MOMMODAR hundred years ago. Melgir, high priestess of Have,
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3 often comes here to sing hymns from the tower.
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 3, Move 2,
Animal Handling 2, Insight 4, Manipulation 4 MELGIR SKYLARK

TALENTS: Path of the Companion 3, Horse- High Priestess Melgir Skylark is a singer as well
back Fighter 3 as a skilled rider, even though she has yet to
GEAR: Longsword, leather armor, riding reach the age of thirty. As a priestess she is a
horse highly valued advisor and quickly gains people’s
trust through her intelligence and perceptiveness.
GERBER A Melgir is married to the Horn priest Tordenost.
Mommodar’s daughter Gerbera is considered
a dark beauty, which she herself does not want
to hear about. On the contrary, she lives for 6. THE STRIKE FACE
her horses and dresses like a man to escape the On the largest plateau of the mountain you are met
expectations of being a decorative flower. by a vile stench of dead bodies, and flocks of carrion
birds are cawing angrily from the bare, northern
GERBERA part of the plateau where a few sheds can be seen.
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 To the west, beyond a small pool of water, rises the
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 1, Move 2, highest face of the mountain with the temple com­
Animal Handling 2 plex and a blue fire.
TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2
GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather In the northern part of the Strike Face, corpses
armor, riding horse are being eaten by the carrion birds constantly
squawking and squabbling in the area. The
bodies are stored and prepared in the sheds. A
5. KARDENAS’ WATCH short, rotund priest is running around chasing
On the edge of the Horn Face’s eastern tip a tower all the birds with red feathers, as they are not
balances over the abyss. A lovely female voice is deemed worthy of the feast. In contrast, the rest
heard from the top of the tower, singing so loudly of the face is very beautiful with creeping trees
that it reaches the ground on the leeward side of and bushes and flourishing flowers, berries, and
the mountain. fruits. The gnawed-­up skeletons are pulverized
and used as fertilizer for the plants.

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 7. THE FIRE FACE 9. STABLES
Out of the western part of the Strike Face rises You hear animal sounds coming from a stable inside
another plateau with the temple complex and a the temple gate and smell a strange animal scent.
beautiful blue fire. Besides the priests, there are a
few slender human-­like creatures on the plateau. Inside the stable are a handful of mountain
There seems to be a masonry pool further down on gnus – large climbing goats – which are used to
the south side of the plateau. transport goods up the mountain. They cannot
be ridden. There are also three donkeys pull-
Perched on the Fire Face is the temple Ashenstead ing mills and such. These were carried here as
– the nation’s center for worship of Horn and Have. foals and cannot be brought down from the
Blue tar is hauled here to be purified and made more mountain.
potent at the temple. This is also where the holy
blue fire of Have burns, which is ritually brought ✥ CREATURES: Mountain gnus, donkeys,
from here to temples of Have all over Aslene. Three chickens, and geese.
vazuls – specially initiated priestesses of Have – are
responsible for keeping the fire burning.
10. LABORATORY
BLAUDER OF HAVE To the left of the temple gate is a building from
Blauder of Have and other prunes look like the which unpleasant wails and acrid odors seep out.
blue-­black remains of a human corpse left to The entrances are guarded by a couple of strange
dry in the sun for a month or two. The flesh human-­like creatures. They are tall and wiry with
on the emaciated body is drawn tightly over its dark blue skin and almost no facial features at all.
bones, and the creature has glossy orbs of obsid-
ian for eyes. He is surrounded by the smell of The alchemist Mongelo lives and works at the
turpentine. For stats, see page 104. laboratory. He supervises the purification of
blue tar and conducts experiments, including
the transformation of captured red elves into
8. THE TEMPLE GATE prunes. Only he and the Horn priest Tordenost
A three-­meter-­high wall surrounds the temple area. are allowed access, except for the temporary
Standing on either side of the double gate are blue assistants who are sometimes called in.
marble statues of Horn and Have. Inside the gate The northern part of the building has three
are grass and some free-­range chickens and geese. cells, one of which holds a captured red elf in poor
condition. The southern part is the laboratory
The wall is not for defense, since it is assumed itself, with vials and containers of glass and copper.
that no foe will be able to reach this far up On a shelf are jars of blue tar of various qualities.
the mountain. All buildings are made of stone The alchemist sleeps on a simple cot standing in a
with roofs of straw or wood. At night the gate corner. Outside, standing by the southern wall, is
is closed and, like during the day, guarded by a large copper still that steams and splutters. This
an honor guard from one of the horse clans. is where Mongelo is refining blue tar.

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 THE ALCHEMIST MONGELO MONGELO
Mongelo lives for alchemy and could not care STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
less about his appearance. His curly hair is SKILLS: Crafting 2, Sleight of Hand 1, Lore 3,
therefore a constant mess and his teeth are cor- Healing 2
roded by the sweet roots that give him energy TALENTS: Poisoner 2, Alchemist 2 (see Book
during long nights of work. Mongelo wears a of Beasts)
black cowl, pockmarked and blemished by sparks GEAR: Dagger, SIMPLE find, leather pouch
and acids from his art. of sweet roots

17

13

18 16
19 15
20
11
21 14

12

22
10
8
 THE HORN PRIEST TORDENOST Prayer and worship are held in temple hall every
The Horn priest Tordenost has short dark hair, a morning and afternoon, with participants seated
beard, and a gaze so intense that it is said to burn on cushions on the floor. There is a horned dwarf
with the fire of Horn when he gets angry. He is very lying on his stomach in front of the altar, day
devoted to his magma singing and likes to practice and night, when he is not kissing visitors’ feet.
it openly to impress those around him. Tordenost To the left is a staircase leading up to the vazul
is married to High Priestess Melgir Skylark. quarters where no man who is not a priest may
enter. The red and yellow paintings turn out
TORDENOST to be burn scars flayed from the skin of dead
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 pyrolytes.
SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 4, Insight 2, Manipu-
lation 2 ✥ CREATURES: Novices, a horse warrior

TALENTS: Magma Song 3 from any clan.

GEAR: Warhammer, SIMPLE find

13. VAZUL QUARTERS

11. KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM Upstairs is the residence of three women who do
The pleasant fragrance of meat stew comes seep­ not speak to strangers. A novice comes running to
ing from this building with a fuming smoke hole, admonish anyone who goes near the staircase. They
mixing with the other smells of the temple court­ explain that the vazuls are tending the sacred fire
yard. Outside is a bloodstained chopping block. on the roof of the temple and must not be disturbed.
Herbs have been hung to dry under the roof.
The vazuls are three holy women who devote
This is the temple’s kitchen. There is a table with their entire lives to the sacred fire of Have.
enough space for a few people, but the novices Allowing the fire to go out would cost them
usually grab a bowl of food and go somewhere their lives. They live in celibacy and speak only
else to eat. The temple chef, Master Kolme, is to the priests. On the roof outside their quarters,
most interested in his work and likes to swap above the temple gate, the blue flames of the
recipes as well as ingredients and favors. sacred fire burn on logs of golden oak. Golden
oak is a wood that burns for a very long time
and is completely consumed by the flames.
12. TEMPLE HALL
You enter a comfortably warm temple hall with ✥ CREATURES: The nameless vazuls.
wooden pillars and bast cushions on the floor for visi­
tors to sit on. The walls are covered with ornaments
as well as horse skins and weapons. Abstract paintings 14. TEMPLE GARDEN
in red and yellow are hung here and there. Muffled In the middle of the temple is a beautiful pond
singing is heard from some praying novices. A horse with blue carps. It is lined with well-­trimmed
warrior seeks spiritual guidance by one of the walls. bushes and herbs.

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The temple garden is managed by Chef Kolme their toes as revenge for disturbing them. The far
who grows his spices here. The fish may only be wall of the room is adorned with a cracked and
eaten during the New Year’s meal. Priests and crumbled fresco. It depicts a rider on horseback.
novices often sit on the garden benches in prayer
or quiet conversation. It is a peaceful place. The library contains educational literature, reli-
gious observations and instructions, historical
accounts, studies of nature, and some poetry.
15. STORE ROOM The fresco depicts Sella the Liberator
A space with tools and barrels of blue tar. equipped with Horn’s Astra, the weapons he
received from Horn to free the country. For
A couple of gliding suits are also stored here. more information, see page 62.
These allow messengers to throw themselves The four most senior priests know all the
off the mountain and get a quick start on their legends about the Astra, except the cost of using
journey. When necessary, a gliding suit can also them. They all agree that Aslene must be united
be used to quickly flee the temple. under Selligar Horne of Havenmark to drive off
the forces threatening the country. To accomplish
this, the Astra must be found and handed to
16. WASH HOUSE Selligar, for together they become an invincible
By the stream beyond the wash house some logs have weapon that turns their bearer into a divine being.
been set up where the temple residents relieve them­ If the adventurers seem worthy of their trust,
selves into the water below. the priests also explain that the Astra can be iden-
tified and claimed by smearing them with blue tar.
The wash house gets its water upstream of the logs.
PRUNOFILIA
Prunofilia, priestess of Have, is a thin woman
17. THE NOVICES’ HALL with long dark hair that almost covers her large,
An oblong wooden annex that is reached by a stair­ piercing eyes. She seems reluctant to open her
case in the garden. tight-­lipped mouth, whether for food or con-
versation. She is deeply religious and goes about
This is the novices’ dormitory, where guests can her duties with downcast eyes. Prunofilia wears
also be accommodated if extra space is needed. a kimono-­like robe of silk embroidered with
greenery – passed down from her predecessor.
She is married to High Priest Liklaudos.
18. LIBRARY
The somewhat cluttered room smells of mold, sweat, PRUNOFILIA
and ink. Its walls are covered in shelves filled with STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5
scrolls and tomes. A group of novices are standing SKILLS: Lore 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 2
by some lecterns, copying or studying various texts, TALENTS: Magma Song 2
while tiny book scorpions scurry about and pinch
GEAR: Staff, PRECIOUS find

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 19. BED CHAMBER 22. POOL
A modest room with a large double bed. In a corner A stairway leads from the temple garden down
stands a locked bookcase. The door is locked during the rock to a ledge whose edges have been built up
the day. into a pool. The pool is full of blue-­black tar. There
are novices singing songs and stirring with large
This is where Melgir Skylark and Tordenost spatulas. A crevice leads into a cave with more
sleep. The bookcase contains the apocryphal tubs of blue tar.
scriptures of Horn which only Liklaudos and
Melgir may read. Hanging over the bed are the The pool is where the blue tar from the kilns in
symbol of Have crafted in silver and a framed the forests is prepared and sanctified. The puri-
piece of human skin with an impressive burn fied tar is then poured into barrels or refined
scar – a gift from a nameless pilgrim. further at Master Mongelo’s laboratory. The
priests believe that the process must take place
up in the clear air at the temple. Beyond the
20. DORMITORY pool is a precipice of great depth.
AND MEETING ROOM
Behind the door is a table with eight high chairs. ✥ CREATURES: Novices and possibly the
In the back of the room are some beds and a couple alchemist Mongelo.
of desks.

This is where the priests sleep. The large wall

inside the door is painted with a general map
of central Aslene. There is a stove to keep the EVENTS
priests warm during the winter season. Described below are some events that might
occur at Ashenstead.

21. BED CHAMBER

A beautiful room with window shutters facing THE BOOK OF WINDS
south. There is a large double bed and shelves The priestess and librarian Prunofilia timidly
with texts, as well as a small meeting table with approaches the adventurers. Since she never
two chairs. leaves the temple herself, Prunofilia asks the
guests to retrieve the Book of Winds which
This is where Liklaudos and Prunofilia sleep. is said to be found at the Watch of the Sisters
The room also serves as the temple’s adminis- (page 207), an ancient temple to the goddess
trative office, and there is often a scribe sitting Wail. Old writings describe the Book of Winds
here during the day. Above the bed hangs the as the oldest book in Aslene, dating back to the
symbol of Horn in hammered silver. time when the horse clans first came to be. The

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book defines their mission and explains why they already have? They will be given a good
the route to the Drawn Lands is blocked by a horse or gold for their trouble.
fierce hurricane. The adventurers will be richly The gift is a splendidly woven cloak, folded
rewarded if they find the Book of Winds and and wrapped in golden rope held together by
bring it to Ashenstead. Prunofilia can point out what Mommodar claims to be the Sabirian seal.
the approximate location of the Watch of the A simpler fabric shields it from dust and dirt.
Sisters on their map. The cloak is in fact poisoned and intended to
kill Selligar, since neither Sabirians nor Caberi-
ans wish to unite under that upstart. A person
THE SLIME SEEKER versed in clan customs (LORE roll) knows that
The alchemist Mongelo could use some red there is no such tradition of giving gifts and
matrix, the red slime in which the crimson that the Sabirians have no seal.
forest grows, for analysis. He asks the adventur-
ers to bring him some in a container he hands
them. If they would also bring back one of the FIREBRANDS
slime-­producing snails, he would be beyond One night after their arrival, the adventurers
grateful. In return he offers them his knowl- hear muffled screams coming from the vazul
edge, as a teacher or practitioner. quarters and can see shadows chasing each other
The container Mongelo gives them seems up there. It is the prune Blauder who has decided
always to be cold inside and is in fact a very to attack along with a number of other prunes.
useful vessel for cooling beverages. They are on their way to the sacred fire on the
roof of the temple and are about to strangle
the novice and the vazuls trying to stop them.
THE GIFTED CLOAK Blauder’s plan is to push the burning golden
The Sabirian chieftain Mommodar tried to logs into the pool of blue tar on the southern
invite Selligar Horne of Havenmark to his side of the temple. That would start a great
daughter’s wedding, but sadly the messengers fire that could easily spread and cause explo-
could not find him since Selligar is always on sions. The temple would lose their stores of blue
the move. Now the chieftain asks if the adven- tar and the sacred fire would go out. It takes a
turers would be so kind as to deliver a gift to couple of months to fetch new fire, which must
Selligar, as is tradition, since they travel around be lit on the volcano Horn, and just as long to
so much anyway and will no doubt encounter transport a batch of blue tar to the temple from
the Houn chieftain sooner or later. Perhaps Taregyll or some other place.

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 SALTERSTAY

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

Traveling through the Bloodmarch, you notice a of a giant rainbow through rune singing. Vaer-
strange sight in the distance. After a heavy rain the efor is on his way there with his moving castle
end of a vibrant rainbow shoots up from an area of Kasabatoda to paint the rainbow completely red
mixed crimson forest, but instead of arching across with the creature’s slime, thinking that doing so
the sky as one would expect, it writhes like a tortured will permanently damage the other colors so that
serpent with its free end flailing among the clouds. all rainbows in the sky will be red from then on.
There is a village nearby and some mine adits can The captured rainbow has come to the atten-
be seen in the mountainside. Between the village tion of the Order of Egression who believe that
and the rainbow runs a stream that flows into a lake. it is a bridge by which dead souls can cross over
to the underworld and that it must therefore be
preserved. A group of drakewyrms are equally
upset, since they view the rainbow as their
god Tincturus who must be saved. Moreover,
BACKGROUND rumors of a treasure at the end of the rain-
Vaerefor van Reiben presents himself as the bow are attracting all manner of scum to the
prophet and leader of the Aslene red elves, but area. The red elves and their sarcoptes guard
is really a demon seeking to paint the whole world the place against intruders while awaiting their
red. Now his loyal red elves have trapped one end master’s arrival.

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 1. THE CAPTURED RAINBOW
GETTING HERE A large number of red elves are moving in the
The player characters could come upon Salter- sparse woods where the rainbow touches the
stay by accident or meet someone who is headed ground, and you see some of them riding on bloated
there after hearing about the captured rainbow. eight-­legged beasts. Strangely enough, the rainbow
It might be Egressors, Zhozhach’s drakewyrms, splits into six distinct color bands nearest to the
the dye thief Arjebee, the hedoness Mortilla, or ground. Each luminous band seems to end in some
robbers. The robbers can imply that a treasure, kind of pulsing, blood-­red tree stump whose roots
or even one of Horn’s Astra, can be found at tether the color to the ground. Three captured
the end of the rainbow. elves from Ravenland are bound to a demonic
tree by living vines. One of them notices you and
shouts something inaudible. The red elves spot you
as well and wave for you to scram to the other side
of the stream. One of their archers puts an arrow
LEGEND to their bow.
It is said that the nameless sky goddess is too proud
to take any notice of the ground below. And yet she The six demonic stumps form a hexagon and
wants to see it beautiful to emphasize her own tether the six color bands to the ground. The
beauty. To put some color on the canvass of the colors into which the rainbow has been split are
world she created the rainbow Tincturus, whose red, yellow, turquoise, green, blue, and violet.
colors are released with the rain to paint the flow­ The tethers break if hit by a solid object of their
ers, trees, and rocks in splendid hues. Tincturus respective complementary color (red–turquoise,
thrives in the sky, so the sky goddess had to lure blue–yellow, green–violet).
the great painter down by hiding treasures in the The red elves can restore a severed band
earth which the rainbow is searching for like a in one Quarter Day through uninterrupted
truffle pig. One who acts quickly might get there rune singing. Severing all six of them frees
first to claim the treasure, but would be compet­ the rainbow, which vanishes into the sky and
ing with drakewyrms and must beware of their slowly fades away. You may want to give the
ravenous greed. players a clue by having a salt-­d rugged red elf
fire a red arrow at the turquoise band which
then breaks. The other red elves yell at the
archer and collectively start rune singing to
reattach the band.
LOCATIONS
Described below are the most important sites ✥ CREATURES: At any given time there
around Salterstay. are fifty red elves and a few sarcoptes in
the area.

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 SALTERSTAY

6
5

1
2
3
 2. TORGENWALD’S FARM with age. Curiously, all the graves are open and
Several farms on the east side of the stream have seem to have been dug up from underneath.
been hastily abandoned with food still on the
tables and window shutters flapping in the The burial mound was used before the Demon
wind. Some other farms are burned down Flood and was there when the current inhab-
and still smoldering. Only one seems to still itants of Salterstay village arrived only a few
be inhabited. A couple of dozen sheep are years ago. It is not their ancestors who are
grazing around the farmhouses where a peas­ buried here, but old chieftains and warriors
ant family is hurrying about their chores. from the nearest horse clan. The villagers
Parked outside the house is a strange, have avoided the mound ever since Morti-
extravagant carriage with a large pile lla showed up and started raising the dead
of white bones between its shafts. to keep her company. Mortilla laughs and
dances with the dead as if mingling with aris-
The farm is home to the sheep tocracy. The undead clack their jaws or play
farmer Torgenwald, his wife Fnella, their mummified tendons to produce some
and their three children aged eight form of music.
to twelve. They hardly dare to look at
each other. The question is whom they ✥ CREATURES: The hedoness M
­ ortilla
fear the most: the red elves or the and D6 undead, including Chieftain
hedoness Mortilla who has Haudaros.
made their cottage her bed
chamber and now demands THE HEDONESS MORTILLA
to be fed and pampered. The The hedoness Mortilla claims to be a goddess
family would much rather be of death who stumbled into Aslene during the
in Salterstay village with the Demon Flood three centuries ago. By her own
others, but since Mortilla kindly account, she and her sisters were so efficient
but firmly has ordered them to stay, they that they stripped an entire continent of life
dare not leave the farm. back in their home world and were banished
for it by the gods who created it.
❖ CREATURES: The sheep farmers Tor- Mortilla has accepted her fate and is quite
genwald and Fnella and their children. happy in the Bloodmarch. The creator gods
left her without the tools of her trade, but she
had grown tired of all the killing anyway. Now
3. THE ELDERHILL BURIAL SITE she spends her time as a noble lady of indeter-
A burial mound rises beside the southern road. At minate lineage whose greatest pleasure is to
the top of the mound is a crumbling temple ruin travel around and witness unusual and beautiful
and some standing stones, a few of which have deaths. That is why she has come to Salterstay
fallen over. Their ancient inscriptions have faded – to watch the rainbow die.

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 Mortilla looks like a woman in her forties HAUDAROS
with curly dark hair and exquisite but strange-­ Haudaros is a long dead chieftain of the horse
looking clothes. She is usually in a cheerful clan that controls the area. He was buried in
mood and enjoys poetry, music, and good com- the Elderhill along with twenty relatives and
pany, but above all she loves to watch creatures his closest warriors, but they were all raised
die in interesting ways. Mortilla travels in an from the dead by Mortilla to keep her company
elegant carriage drawn by two skeletal horses. when she arrived. They are not pleased with this
When they are not pulling the carriage, the and would much rather rest in peace. Whenever
animals collapse into a heap of bones between Mortilla is occupied with other things, the
the shafts. undead are sitting lethargically on the burial
Mortilla is near immortal and made of mound or wandering aimlessly in search of long-­
a rubbery substance that is soft to the touch, gone places and people.
but extremely durable, which causes swords to Haudaros was tall in life and wears the
simply bounce off her. Magic does not take full remnants of his chainmail and helmet, but
effect on her either. She has no weapons, but his sword has rusted into the scabbard. He is
is almost unimaginably strong. gray, broken, and moldy, with a slightly skew
Mortilla wears a silver necklace with Lapis back as a result of a collapse inside the burial
Lazuli, stones that can be used to dissolve the mound. The chieftain speaks in a hoarse, drawl-
red color band of the rainbow, and a brooch ing voice that often cracks, but only Mortilla or
with a violet amethyst that can dissolve the an Egressor can understand him. If Haudaros
green color band. dies, his undead companions also collapse into
piles of bones.
MORTILLA
STRENGTH 12, AGILITY 4, WITS 8, EMPATHY 5 HAUDAROS
SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 5, Insight 3, Manipu- STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 2
lation 3 SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 2, Move 1,
TALENTS: Death Magic 5 Scouting 3
SOFT SUBSTANCE: Due to her rubbery sub- ATTACKS: Haudaros can fight with his
stance, arrows and POINTED weapons sword in its scabbard, but such attacks
can never cause more than one point of only inflict half damage (blunt force),
damage with a single attack. rounded up.
MAGIC RESILIENCE: The Power Level of any LINGERING CONSCIOUSNESS: Haudaros can
spell cast at Mortilla is automatically communicate with Egressors and Mortilla,
decreased by D6 but cannot be broken by damage to WITS.
GEAR: Opulent clothes, PRECIOUS find, BONY: Arrows and POINTED weapons
silver necklace with Lapis Lazuli and can never cause more than one point of
brooch with violet amethyst. damage with a single attack.
GEAR: Rusty broadsword in a scabbard,
broken chainmail, broken open helmet.

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 4. THE BRIDGE managing the nets, tackles, and boats without
OVER THE SEINDEL venturing out on the water. The sheep farm-
A crude log bridge stretches across the gently flowing ers have driven their flocks into the village,
stream known as the Seindel, right by the collapsed whose streets are now slippery with sheep dung.
span of an old stone bridge. A couple of red elves During daytime they herd their animals in the
stand guard on the east side. meager, hilly pastures west of the village, care-
ful not to stray too far from home.
The red elves have driven everyone in Salterstay
to the west side of the bridge to keep them away VILLAGE HEADMAN TURENFORT
from the rainbow and told them to stay there The middle-­aged Headman Turenfort is inde-
without explaining why. However, they need the cision personified; a large body around a tiny
bridge intact in order to cross the stream when soul. He is a portly man, dressed in official garb
necessary. Since no one dares argue with them, which he has dyed red to please the red elves
there are only two guards on the bridge, but and a soiled Alderlander wig that he acquired
they have birch bark horns with which to sound from the merchant Kresos in exchange for a
the alarm. The stream flows into Lake Suna. ridiculous amount of salt. He wears the wig
backwards simply because he does not know
any better. Turenfort has a habit of wringing
5. SALTERSTAY VILLAGE his hands and rolling his bulging eyes whenever
Beyond a simple log palisade is a village of about decisions need to be made, and does whatever
twenty houses on a hill. The humble but sturdy houses he can to compromise and procrastinate.
are made of fresh logs – clearly a settler community.
Ruins of stone suggest that there was a village here TURENFORT
long before the current one. The village is beautifully STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
situated on the shore of a lake, where you can see SKILLS: Crafting 1, Manipulation 2
jetties with small fishing boats and a larger barge. GEAR: Knife, leather pouch of salt

The people of Salterstay are settlers from Harga in

Ravenland. The village is made up of fifty adults MINING CHIEF TALULLIA
with children and animals. They have recolonized Talullia is a tough mining chief in her thir-
the area which even before the Demon Flood was ties. She has a firm hand, but is always in a
a salt mine and fishing village. Now they are dis- good mood – even when swinging her pickaxe
tressed and frightened by the captured rainbow or scolding some slacker or troublemaker. She
on the other side of the stream and the aggres- usually wears her ash blonde hair down, but
sive red elves who drove them from the east side. pulls it into a bun while underground. Her body
The village has no inn, but there is an is broad and muscular like that of an ox. Talul-
assembly hall where miners sit around and get lia’s greatest passion is gambling, and if anyone
drunk on wine from the temple ridge. The fish- asks for a favor, she proposes that they settle
ermen spend their days down at the harbor, the matter with a game of chance.

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 TALULLIA reluctantly granted their request in exchange
STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 for one third of the profits, since the mine is
SKILLS: Melee 1, Crafting 3, Insight 1, situated in their territory. The horse folk them-
Manipulation 2 selves have no interest in mining and are obliged
TALENTS: Builder 1, Sharp Tongue 1 to avoid salt, which the Church of Have regards
GEAR: Pickaxe and knife as an evil mineral from the moon.
The priests were indeed opposed to the idea,
DYE MERCHANT ARJEBEE but Headman Turenfort convinced them that
Arjebee is an aesthete from Alderland who has the land of Have would be cleansed by remov-
come to collect the pure dyes of Aslene and bring ing the salt from the area. They explained that
them back to the weaving mills in his home- the salt was to be transported in sealed barrels
land. He is a handsome man in his forties with to be sold in Ravenland and Alderland. The
artfully styled hair and a well-­trimmed beard. church finally agreed, on the condition that
Arjebee stays clear of red elves, who view him the villagers would help renovate the temple
as a henchman of the evil god Kolor. there so the priest could supervise the process
and seal each barrel with the seal of Have so it
ARJEBEE cannot be sold in Aslene.
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 The priestess Evianda has two barrels of
SKILLS: Melee 1, Crafting 1, Sleight of blue tar at the temple, but no holy fire. Arrow-
Hand 2, Insight 1, Manipulation 2 heads dipped in blue tar can sever the yellow
TALENTS: Sharp Tongue 1 color band of the rainbow. The winemaker
GEAR: A beautiful dagger, brushes, Karmenere uses yellow sulfur crystals to sul-
cosmetics furize his wine. These can be used to detach
the blue color band.

6. THE TEMPLE RIDGE THE PRIESTESS EVIANDA

On the ridge along the east bank of the stream is The silver-­haired Have priestess Evianda does
a simple wooden temple built over ruins of white her best to maintain civilization in this remote
stone. The wood is blue, painted with the sacred location. She is fastidious about her appearance
blue tar of Have. There is also a vineyard with and apparel, and strictly observes the formali-
plantations on the southern and eastern slopes of ties of social etiquette and religion. Her great-
the ridge. Small quantities of stone are quarried est joy is arranging suppers with wine from
from a marble cliff that juts out from the sandy Karmenere’s vineyard and inviting guests of
ridge. At night there is a fire burning. adequate sophistication. Underneath the strict
facade is a good heart.
The settlers contacted the nearest horse clan for
permission to re-­open the salt mine. The clan

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 EVIANDA MONSTER ATTACKS
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5 D6 ATTACK
SKILLS: Lore 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 2, 1 BITE ATTACK! The beast targets
Healing 2 the adventurer with the highest
STRENGTH and bites them with sharp
TALENTS: Magma Song 2
teeth. Roll for the attack with nine
GEAR: Fine clothes, staff, PRECIOUS find Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2
(slash wound).
ZHOZHACH
2 ICY ROAR! The glittercrawler lets out a
Zhozhach is a drakewyrm and glittercrawler – terrifying roar that affects all adven-
the drakewyrms’ designation for those favored turers within NEAR range. Roll for a
by the rainbow god Tincturus. He arrived in fear attack with five Base Dice.
Salterstay with eight of his kind, but two were 3 CLAW ATTACK! The beast swipes its
killed when the group attacked the red elves claws at two adventurers within
NEAR range. Roll for the attacks with
guarding the rainbow, so a total of seven slightly
eight Base Dice and Weapon Damage
scruffy-­looking drakewyrms have now settled
2 (slash wound) each.
near the temple of Have. Zhozhach’s status is
4 ACID ATTACK! The glittercrawler
displayed by his metal collar which glitters in
spews a cloud of corrosive acid at
the six colors of the rainbow. The collar can all adventurers within NEAR range.
serve as a clue about which colors complement Roll for the attack with six Base Dice
each other. Zhozhach and his group have slith- and Weapon Damage 1. Anyone hit
ered their way to Salterstay after hearing about by the attack suffers one additional
point of damage per round for
their god Tincturus being captured by red elves.
D3 rounds.
They intend to free him, but do not know how
5 TAIL ATTACK! The glittercrawler uses
to go about it now that their frontal assault has
its long body to make a sweeping
been repelled. attack against all adventurers within
NEAR range. Roll for the attacks with
ZHOZHACH six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1
STRENGTH 16, AGILITY 5, WITS 5, EMPATHY 2 (blunt force). Anyone hit by the attack
is also thrown to the ground.
SKILLS: Scouting 3, Move 2
6 TEARING ATTACK! This weapon attack
MOVEMENT: 2
is performed by two glittercrawlers
ARMOR RATING: 8 and consumes both of their turns
DRAWN TO GLITTER: If the glittercrawler in the round. They attack an adven-
spots anyone wearing or holding any- turer and try to tear their victim
thing that glitters (such as polished apart. Roll for the attack with ten
armor or a hand-­held mirror), it will Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1.
immediately attack that person. If this An adventurer who is Broken by the
person leaves combat, the glittercrawler attack dies immediately as their
will pursue. body is ripped in two.

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 7. THE SALT MINE THE ELF IN THE MINE
Three mine adits can be seen in the mountainside The Ravenlander elf Zender approaches the
west of the valley. There is an open-­pit mine next adventurers. He has been hiding in the salt
to the adits, as well as a couple of sheds. In front mine ever since his three companions were cap-
of the mine are five carts on wooden rails that tured by red elves. He asks them to help free
lead down to the harbor. There seems to be no his friends and can in return tell them about
work going on. the red elves’ madness and about Vaerefor and
Kasabatoda perverting everything they touch,
The mining operation has been suspended which has caused concern among the elves of
since the red elves captured the rainbow on Ravenland.
the other side of the stream. The five carts Zender knows that elves who pass through
are full of salt and covered with oil-­soaked Kasabatoda turn into red elves, but not that
cloth. Tools and simple beds are available in the demon and his giant snail are on their
the sheds. The adits are only twenty meters way to Salterstay. Zender has a pouch with six
deep, and inside the mountain they grow into rubies cut from the chests of red elves, which
caves with ladders and landings. The walls he intends to see restored in the Stillmist. In
sparkle with salt. an emergency, he can reluctantly swap them
for his freed companions. The rubies can be
used to dissolve the turquoise color band of
8. THE NORTHERN ROAD the rainbow.
The northern route to Salterstay runs through a Zender also explains that his group has been
beautiful ravine between the mountain in the west shooting red elves with arrows dipped in salt, a
and the temple ridge as it approaches the village. substance that disorients them. Zender carries
The road itself is very simple with two wheel ruts. a green jade dagger, just because it is beautiful.
The muddier sections have been reinforced with Its green blade can be used to dissolve the violet
gravel or chipped bark. color band of the rainbow.

If Vaerefor van Reiben shows up, he will arrive

this way on the giant snail Kasabatoda. SALT JUNKIES
The adventurers are contacted by some red elves
who ask if they can get them some good salt
from the mine – “the strong stuff from deep
within the mountain.” In return the red elves
EVENTS can help them get closer to the rainbow. They
Here are some events that might occur in can tell the adventurers more about the red
Salterstay. elves and sarcoptes, and that Vaerefor is on his
way with Kasabatoda to decolorize the rainbow,

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 THE ROBBERS
Nika and her fellow robbers have come for the
treasure at the end of the rainbow, but realize
SALT AND RED ELVES that they are not strong enough to confront
Common salt has a narcotic the red elves on their own. They would like the
effect on red elves. They become adventurers to join them, and preferably sacrifice
intoxicated, start to hallucinate, themselves in battle against the red elves while
and get addicted. A red elf hit by Nika and her crew do the robbing. Nika’s eyes
a salt-­coated arrow suffers the widen as she explains that the treasure is whatever
effects of a hallucinogenic poison one desires the most – that is how the rainbow
with Potency 6. Vaerefor and works – and that this is a unique opportunity,
other red elf leaders are there- since it is so rare for anyone to reach the end of
fore wary of concentrated salt the rainbow before it disappears. Nika has bought
and throw it into the water to several color powders from Arjebee and plans to
dissolve it. cause chaos by spreading them around the rain-
bow. Everyone knows that red elves cannot stand
other colors than red. The hard part is getting
close enough. Nika gladly recounts the legend
of the sky goddess and the rainbow Tincturus.
but they do not know when he will arrive. They In reality, there is no treasure.
can laughingly describe how they accidentally
broke the rainbow’s turquoise color band with a
red arrow and got into trouble with their leader TO HAVE OR NOT TO HAVE
Varchenna. The adventurers see a group of salt-­drugged red
elves (twice as many as the player characters)
crossing the bridge and attacking the white
THE DYE MERCHANT temple. One of them is riding a sarcopte. If the
The dye merchant Arjebee approaches the adven- temple is burned down or the priestess killed,
turers with a proposition: he will pay them sixty riders from the relevant horse clan will
handsomely to sneak up to the rainbow and arrive in Salterstay a week later. They will ques-
suck some pure rainbow light into his special tion people about what happened and likely burn
leather bellows. Arjebee can answer any ques- down the village as punishment for not coming
tions they might have about complementary to the temple’s aid. The clan riders might be
colors and things of that nature. willing to help the adventurers attack the red
elves. Otherwise they are not very keen on fight-
ing the elves and just perform a mock charge
before riding off.

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 DEATH AT LAST K ASABATODA ARRIVES
The undead chieftain Haudaros contacts the The giant snail Kasabatoda will arrive in Sal-
adventurers, but it is hard to understand what terstay a few days after the adventurers, along
he says or wants as the sounds he produces with Vaerefor, 40 red elves, and five sarcoptes.
are scratchy and strange and his movements They follow the road from the north and pass
jerky. The Egressors Nuntoonia and Dyren- between the mountain and the temple ridge,
gaard are in the village and can serve as inter- before crawling across the stream by the bridge
preters. The hedoness Mortilla understands and finally reaching the rainbow. The adven-
him as well, but cannot help them as she is turers can slow the giant snail down by turn-
the problem. ing over the salt-­filled carts outside the mine
After speaking to the chieftain, the Egres- just as it passes by. Kasabatoda will then flee in
sors explain that he resents the hedoness for panic into Lake Suna and remain in the water
raising him from the dead and that he wants for several days to rehydrate.
to die once and for all. In return for the adven- Upon reaching its destination, Kasabatoda
turers’ help, he will assist them with a specific will position itself to spray red paint at the
task. Killing Haudaros is fairly easy, but keeping rainbow through its rear end. The demonic
it secret from Mortilla is not – and if she finds red stumps will then creep further up the
out about it, she will try to stop them. Once it color bands, join together, and continue up
is done, she will be visibly displeased but resign the rainbow. Once the red color has devoured
herself to the passage of time. the entire rainbow it dissolves, and from that
If the adventurers helped Haudaros die, day forward every rainbow in the Bloodmarch
twelve ghosts on horseback will emerge from will be all red. During this process Vaerefor
the Elderhill and try to achieve whatever the will deliver rousing speeches to his followers,
adventurers asked of Haudaros. The adventur- but also to the villagers to let them know
ers cannot communicate with the ghosts other that they are all welcome in his new red world.
than through the Egressors. The ghosts will Vaerefor can be convinced to spare the rain-
dissolve after completing their task. bow in exchange for the Goblet Staff of Have.

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 OXENGELDER

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

You see people draped in light coming in and out of

a pillared hall whose roof forms a marble plaza BACKGROUND
where beautiful youths in light veils dance to the The gigantic Dreamstress (page 96) came to
tunes of flutes. Next to the pillared hall is a pavil­ the Bloodmarch during the Demon Flood three
ion surrounded by greenery. Water from a natural hundred years ago from her homeworld Eoni.
basin flows down to the marble plaza. The gar­ She is therefore classified as a demon, but has
dens are well kept, and there are people talking or always seemed like a peaceful creature. She is
sleeping under its trees. Others are meditating in also regarded as a prophet of the goddess Oneira.
a circle. Beyond the marble plaza rises a conical According to the Dreamstress, Oneira is the
tower. People are walking up the spiral ramp of sleeping goddess of existence and the world is
the tower while others are already asleep on the her dream in which we all live. Through onei-
landings. Next to the tower is a bejeweled hill that romancy her followers can participate in the
suddenly changes position; it must be some kind of goddess’ visions to understand and influence
huge, living creature. the world. The Dreamstress acts as a spiritual
mentor to those wishing to learn oneiromancy,
the art of observing, understanding, and influ-
encing existence through disciplined dreaming
(page 34).

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 KEY PLAYERS IN OXENGELDER ✥ POANSA MOULTER or her doppel-
Several key players and their retinues ganger is often in Oxengelder to
could come to Oxengelder. If they seek help in locating the reborn
happen to visit at the same time, they god Wyrm.
might form alliances, exchange infor- ✥ COLONEL GRUDENSTAAL wants to
mation, or become enemies. Since the locate the reborn Wyrm and obtain
Dreamstress wants some of Horn’s information about the Bloodmarch.
Astra for herself, she will try to trick the ✥ VAEREFOR is in Oxengelder as the
key players (and the adventurers) into Dreamstress’ confidant. He comes
handing them over under any pretext and goes alone through the Dream-
she can think of. stress’ dreams, but has no other
✥ SELLIGAR HORNE wants the Dream- business there.
stress to dream up unity between ✥ FIENA FROMELEI could be in
the horse clans and locate Horn’s Oxengelder to consult the Dream-
Astra (which she claims she could, stress about her disturbing night-
but does not dare to). mares and seek help in locating the
moonstones in Aslene.

The effect increases with the number of as the horse clans had purged it of Vasnians.
people who simultaneously share the same dream, The Dreamstress’ peace reigns in Oxengelder –
so the Dreamstress accepts anyone as her appren- people of all kin come here to trade and learn
tice to gather as large a following as possible. what is going on in the world.
Together they will dream up a perfect world.
The Dreamstress helps visitors change
things they do not like. For example, she
might restore a lost hand, resurrect the dead,
and uncover secrets in her dreams. What she GETTING HERE
cannot see are things created by other divinities, The adventurers can be drawn to Oxengelder
such as Horn’s Astra. Her secret plan is to get in various ways:
as many people as possible to simultaneously ✥ They hear rumors, perhaps from a wan-
dream of her homeworld Eoni so that she can dering oneiromancer, of a master teach-
go back there and never return. ing dream magic – a magic discipline
Oxengelder was once a Vasnian place of sac- they have never come across before.
rifice named after the white bulls whose blood ✥ They are told that the Dreamstress can
were ritually spilt in the limestone basins to alter reality – restoring lost limbs, raising
please the allmother Volitia. The place was the dead, resurrecting the dead, finding
deserted when the Dreamstress settled there, lost things or people, etcetera.

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✥ They encounter a key player who is their
way to seek the Dreamstress’ counsel. LEGEND
✥ If the adventurers have already teamed Have you heard of Oxengelder – the paradise of
up with any of the key players, they dreams? It’s said that all the country’s peace and
could be sent as legates to Oxengelder to beauty took refuge in Oxengelder as the Demon
negotiate with representatives of another Flood raged into Aslene. There the gentle giantess
key player. welcomes anyone of pure heart and open mind to
✥ They are stalked by a mara (see page 194 study oneiromancy, the art of dreaming up a won­
or the Book of Beasts) and have trouble get- derful life! Would you rather dance than fight?
ting rid of it. Rather love than hate? Would you give life a second
chance? Then let the dream come true! If you go to
Oxengelder, be sure to wear flowers in your hair,
for it pleases the Dreamstress.

HELP FROM
THE DREAMSTRESS
Lots of people ask for the
Dreamstress’ help, and so can ASPIRING DREAMERS
the adventurers. The consulta- Interested adventurers can
tion usually involves the Dream- apply to study Oneiromancy at
stress and the required number Oxengelder. The usual require-
of oneiromancers sitting down ments for learning skills and
and dreaming in the Sky Tower spells apply. The school does not
for a reasonable price. The accept anyone with Wits higher
Dreamstress can among other than 3 or Empathy lower than 3,
things restore a severed limb but criteria are kept secret and
or bring a dead person back to applicants are only told that
life – but only does the latter they have failed the entrance
in exchange for an Astra. The test and been deemed unsuit-
Dreamstress can also locate any able to study oneiromancy. How-
place, item, or person, except ever, adventurers with access to
for Horn’s Astra (although she one of Horn’s Astra are automat-
says that she can). She can ically accepted.
also advise people on how to
advance their plans.

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 ONEIROMANCER
LOCATIONS STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
Described below are the most important sites SKILLS: Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 2
in Oxengelder. TALENTS: Oneiromancy 2
GEAR: Dagger

1. THE SCHOOL GATES

A wide stairway leads up to the entrance through
an ornate pavilion. Below the stairs is a strange, 2. THE PILLARED HALL
music-­playing fountain. There is light radiating Within the walls, the ornamented stairway con­
from the watery cascades in varying colors and tinues up to a vast pillared hall with lots of people
intensity. The water from the fountain flows in moving about. The marble pillars are six meters
a small stream down the slope. The area is sur­ high and tilted in different directions. Small water­
rounded by a three-­meter-­high limestone wall with falls are flowing from the ceiling. Behind the outer
the severed heads of animals displayed at its top.

At night the building’s gates are closed to keep

wild animals away, but only guarded by two pike-
men. The guards live in the pavilion, which also
houses the school’s laundry and storage room.

THE REVERIE: Not far from the fountain 8

is a simple inn called the Reverie. It consists
of a single space with a dining room at one 9
end and a dormitory at the other. Most of the
guests are poor people who have come to seek
the Dreamstress’ counsel.

✥ CREATURES: Five lightly armed guards

and a few oneiromancers are stationed at
the gates.

GUARD 3

STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2

SKILLS: Might 2, Endurance 1, Melee 3,
Marksmanship 2, Survival 2, Insight 1
TALENTS: Threatening 1
GEAR: Pike or short sword, studded leather
armor, open helmet, 2D6 copper coins,
SIMPLE find

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 row of pillars you see another pillared hall dimly ✥ CREATURES: D6 oneiromancers with
lit by braziers. The air is thick with incense, and D6 apprentices each.
the hall is as quiet as it is dim. A large number of
simple wooden benches for the students have been ONEIROMANCER
arranged in groups of six around a divan. STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
SKILLS: Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 3
This is where most of the learning takes place in TALENTS: Oneiromancy 3
the form of meditation, lectures, and dreaming
GEAR: Staff
exercises. Some student groups are asleep while
the oneiromancer walks among them. Other
groups are sitting and listening or meditat- APPRENTICE
ing. It is considered rude to enter the pillared STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
hall or otherwise disrupt a lesson. Translucent SKILLS: Lore 2, Insight 2, Manipulation 2
creatures and items often emerge around the TALENTS: Oneiromancy 1
sleeping apprentices – manifestations of their
GEAR: Dagger
dreaming exercises.

OXENGELDER

7
6

1
 3. THE GARDEN OF NOVICES The Horn of Abundance is constantly filled
A lush parkland with two pavilions. Youngsters up with delicacies that are both tasty and nutri-
are dancing, playing, smoking, and laughing. Older tious and make up a large part of the school’s
individuals are sitting on the grass or at tables, finer cuisine. The horn itself is not magical and
watching the youths with patience or disapproval. the delicacies are derived from dreams.
A wagon is pulled through the paths of the park
by a white ox. ✥ CREATURES: Headmistress Pirimena,
Coloratura Dreamer Ketre Meskalma
The Garden of Novices is occupied by new-
comers and guests. The latter are expected to PIRIMENA
make a small donation in exchange for food and The school’s greatest oneiromancer and head-
accommodation. The pavilions are open-­plan mistress is Pirimena, a half-­elf from Raven-
with dormitories. There is little to no privacy land who has quickly risen in status. Pirimena
at the school, except in the pavilions in the takes the utmost care to perform her duties
Garden of Masters. to perfection and has no other interests than
oneiromancy and running the school. She is
✥ CREATURES: About twenty novices. unswervingly loyal to the Dreamstress and
would come up with excuses for anything bad
the giantess might do.
4. THE GARDEN OF MASTERS
En park med promenadstigar där ett fåtal personer PIRIMENA
rör sig genom grönskan som är mycket underlig med STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
vandrande träd, buskar med speglar som blad och SKILLS: Lore 4, Insight 3, Manipulation 3
bär i form av små hästar. Ett par kvinnor knyter TALENTS: Oneiromancy 3 (can cast spells at
drömfångare vid ett bord. Invid trapporna upp mot Power Level 5)
Pelarskolan står ett stort bronshorn monterat med GEAR: Dagger, beautiful clothes, PRECIOUS
öppningen nedåt. Frukter har fallit ur hornet och find
en pöl av honung runnit fram. Korgar med godsa­
ker står i närheten. K ETRE MESK ALMA
Ketre Meskalma is the school’s foremost colora-
This park is for senior oneiromancers and more tura dreamer, an oneiromancer specialized in the
distinguished visitors. The strange plants are minutiae of dreams – the details that make dream
created from dreams as master tests or simply creations believable and unique and therefore pow-
for the fun of it. Only the best creations are erful. She spends most of her time sleeping, sitting
kept and often replaced as new ones are con- under a lily maple from where she visits other
stantly being added. They dissolve into air if people’s dreams to correct and embellish them.
taken outside the school grounds. This makes her an important teacher at the school.

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 KETRE MESKALMA The Council Circle is where the Dreamstress
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 receive guests and clients, seated in the paved
SKILLS: Lore 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 3 center of the circle. Ordinary people come

TALENTS: Oneiromancy 3 (can cast spells at here every morning to ask questions and seek
Power Level 4) advice, while more distinguished guests are
GEAR: Dagger welcome to attend council meetings in the
afternoons. During council sessions, all unau-
thorized people are expected to stay away from
5. THE MASTERS’ PAVILION the Garden of Masters and keep out of ear-
Two marble pavilions with closed doors at the far shot. At night the Dreamstress often sleeps
end of the park. in the circle.

The pavilion closest to the Pillar School is ✥ CREATURES: The Dreamstress

reserved for senior oneiromancers, while dis- (page 96).
tinguished guests are housed in the other one
which has three separate suites and a meeting
hall. Each room in the guests’ pavilion has a 7. THE MARBLE PLAZA
dreamcatcher which records everything that is Wide stairways on both sides lead up to a large
said and seen so the Dreamstress and her clos- marble roof where oneiromancers are sitting deep
est disciples will immediately find out about it. in meditation while youngsters play some form
of ball game with a living ball that screams and
✥ CREATURES: Poansa Moulter’s doppel­ laughs as they kick it around. Trees and shrubs have
ganger (page 78). Poansa appears to been planted in the semicircular wall facing the
spend most of her time in the pavilion, Sky Tower. Water from the limestone basins flows
but usually it is in fact her double. in shallow channels across the marble plaza and
plunges in beautiful cascades over the edge into the
streams of the parks below.
6. THE COUNCIL CIRCLE
The far end of the Garden of Masters holds a cir­ The roof of the Pillar School serves as a marble
cular lawn with a paved center. On the far side of plaza that often bustles with life. On sunny
the circle is a horseshoe-­shaped roof over a number days the Dreamstress herself sometimes sits
of seats. here, smiling as she watches her adepts rever-
ently bringing out mouthwatering delights and
Daytime: A huge, heavily jeweled creature is sit­ dreamed-­up creations. The meditating individ-
ting with her eyes closed in the middle of the circle, uals are often nudged by their more energetic
surrounded by supplicants who listen devotedly to peers, but are not angered by this, as ignoring
every word that rumbles from the creature’s lips. disturbances is part of their training. Various
exercises in sleep gymnastics are underway – for
Nighttime: A huge creature is lying curled up like example, two teachers are quickly throwing a
a small hill in the middle of the circle. Her abun­ ball back and forth to train their apprentices’
dant jewelry rustles softly with each deep breath. rapid eye movements.

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oxengelder
 8. THE SKY TOWER KALEMES
Rising above the Marble Plaza is a 30-meter-­ STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
high brick tower with a spiral ramp and land­ SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 1, Move 2,
ings. There are people walking up the ramp or Animal Handling 2, Lore 1, Insight 2,
sleeping on the landings. Manipulation 2
TALENTS: Oneiromancy 2, Horseback
The Sky Tower is built to focus the efforts of Fighter 1
the most skilled oneiromancers. The Dream- GEAR: Dagger
stress herself sometimes takes her place on the
highest landing at the top of the tower, which
she reaches by using the coils of the spiral ramp
as a ladder.
EVENTS
✥ CREATURES: D6 oneiromancers and Here are a number of events that might occur
twice as many apprentices. in Oxengelder.

9. THE LIMESTONE BASINS THE IMPOSTOR

From the top of the mountain slopes behind the A junior oneiromancer named Maroosa
dream school, clear water flows through a system approaches the adventurers. She dares not talk
of limestone basins whose shimmering blue light to anyone from Oxengelder, but whispers that
give the entire mountainside a dreamlike quality. Poansa Moulter (location #5) is not who she
says she is – that a duplicate is impersonating
The water continues down to the parks through her. What if no one at the school is real and
the channels of the marble plaza and into the all existence is a cruel fiction? Maroosa is right,
gurgling streams near the pavilions. since Poansa really is a doppelganger. Pirimena
and the Dreamstress are already aware of this
✥ CREATURES: Kalemes. and have no problem with it.

K ALEMES
Kalemes of the Caberian horse clan is a penni- THE CONTRACT
less novice tasked with cleaning the limestone The key player Grudenstaal (page 79) is here
basins. He and his friend Trommel have both as the Dreamstress’ guest and seeks out the
cut ties with their clan and made significant adventurers to request that they murder the
progress as oneiromancers. But they are child- Sabirian Chieftain Mommodar and the Cabe-
ish and unruly and have taken to defiling the rian Chieftain Merdekai, since they in turn are
Horn of Abundance. planning to murder Selligar Horne, chieftain
of the Houns, who is needed to unite the horse

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clans. As payment the adventurers can ask for weeds from a garden. She might even brutally
just about anything in his power to give. They murder Kalemes in front of witnesses and seem
will also have all the help they need, but discre- almost surprised if it upsets anyone.
tion is of the utmost importance. Grudenstaal
would likely be killed if suspicion fell on him.
The chieftains might also attack the school if LOST IN SLEEP
the plan is exposed. Pirimena seeks out the adventurers. Ketre
Meskalma has disappeared into her dreams and
seems unable to find her way out. The headmis-
FILTH tress needs someone to bring her back. Unfortu-
All of Oxengelder is outraged that the Horn of nately that person cannot be an oneiromancer,
Abundance by the stairs of the Marble Plaza as Ketre would assume them to be co-­dreamers
in recent days has been soiled with blood and which would only disorient her further.
other unclean substances, which meant that If the adventurers accept the mission, Piri-
lots of fruits and other delicious treats had to mena asks them to sit down by Ketre’s side.
be thrown away. The Dreamstress thinks that She hands each of them a goblet of drugs that
the soiling was caused by unsound dreams and will help them stabilize the dreaming state.
urges everyone to be vigilant of their sleep- She then explains that the dream will show
ing visions. them a mirror which can make the dream-
A few days later Trommel of Kesla, a junior ing Ketre remember reality if she looks into
dreamer, is found dead in one of the limestone it. Part of Pirimena’s consciousness will go
basins (location #9). His neck has been broken with them in the form of a dream hamster,
with such force that the head was almost torn but it must not be too conscious, as it might
off and the vertebrae ruptured his skin. disrupt the mission.
Pirimena wants to hush up the whole affair Once asleep, the adventurers find them-
and asks the adventurers to discreetly investigate selves in Ketre’s dream in a random part of an
what happened. They might notice that a junior adventure site they have previously visited. But
oneiromancer and basin cleaner named Kalemes the place and its colors are inverted – a mirror
is very upset and packing up to leave. He could image of reality. Ketre’s dreaming self can be
later be found dead in the same way or approach found where the adventure site’s strongest enemy
the adventurers before he leaves to explain how was located and looks just like them, but has
he and his friend Trommel dreamed filth into Ketre’s mind and is not hostile.
the Horn of Abundance, but only as a joke. The dreaming adventurers have their usual
It turns out that the Dreamstress herself gear, a handheld mirror, and a hamster, but the
killed Trommel, and possibly Kalemes as well, latter seems unable to do anything but squeak
by snapping their necks. The demon simply and point. Along the way they are attacked three
deemed them useless, a stain that had to be times by a mara. Any adventurer who is killed or
wiped out. To her it is no different than pulling Broken immediately wakes up in the pavilion at

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oxengelder
Oxengelder, broken with Wits 0. It is impossible MONSTER ATTACKS
to head back into the dream. If all adventur- D6 ATTACK
ers are neutralized, the mission has failed and 1 RIDE OF THE MARA! The mara straddles
Ketre is lost forever. its victim’s chest and starts riding
When Ketre is found, she does not want to them with violent movements that
cause the person’s chest to com-
look in the mirror and splits into three versions.
press. Roll for the attack with eight
Each duplicate runs off in a separate direction. Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1
The adventurers must find and show the mirror (blunt force). If the attack inflicts
to all three versions, after which the mission is damage, the sleeper may make a Wits
completed and everyone wakes up. The adven- roll with a +1 bonus for each round
turers cannot wake up by themselves before
they have been assaulted by the
mara. On success the victim wakes up
the mission is completed or all of them have
feeling an immense weight pressing
been neutralized. Pirimena can wake them, down on their chest, and the mara’s
but chooses not to, knowing that Ketre’s life attack ceases – until the next time
depends on their success. the adventurer falls asleep.
2 SCREAM OF THE MARA! The deformed
MARA face becomes twisted with rage and
STRENGTH 12, AGILITY 3, WITS 2
the mara lets out a hateful scream
that pierces deep into the soul of the
MOVEMENT: 1 sleeping adventurer, who suffers a fear
ARMOR RATING: None. Maras are immaterial attack with eight Base Dice. A suc-
beings and can only be hurt by magic and cessful attack leaves the victim COLD.
magic weapons. Takes half damage from 3 KISS OF THE MARA! The mara leans
fire. over the victim’s face and presses
DREAM ATTACK: The mara attacks by her shriveled lips against the sleep-
manifesting itself in a nightmare and er’s mouth. The adventurer is filled
straddling the sleeper’s chest. It rides, with swirling dream dust from the
scratches, screams, and performs other deepest, darkest maelstrom of night-
types of monster attacks (see below). The mares. The victim must succeed with
mara only attacks one person at a time, a WITS roll or suffer the effects of a
but switches target if forced to or if the lethal poison with Potency 7.
victim is Broken. An adventurer attacked 4 BITE OF THE MARA! The mara opens
by a mara cannot be woken or wake up on her drooling jaws and bares her
their own. However, other adventurers can razor-­sharp fangs, aiming a bite at
attack the mara through its shadow in the the sleeper’s neck. Roll for the attack
physical world: a terrifying silhouette of its with nine Base Dice and Weapon
demonic dream form, frenetically assault- Damage 2 (slash wound). The
ing the sleeping victim. Adventurers in the wounds are physical and can also be
same room as the victim can make a WITS seen in the waking world. The victim
roll once per round. On success they wake automatically wakes up if the attack
up and realize that something is attacking succeeds.
their friend.

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 D6 ATTACK behind the attack – a group of evil dropouts led
5 DREAM CLAWS! The malevolent crea- by Marika Moonfriend who previously studied
ture slams her long, twisted arms oneiromancy at the dream school. A reward is
against the sides of the sleeper’s head. put out for the capture of Marika, dead or alive.
A wave of terror and flashing pain
Headmistress Pirimena paints the Day-
washes over the victim as the mara’s
dream claws tear deep into their con- dreamers as a dangerous group that attack their
sciousness. The victim suffers a fear former colleagues at Oxengelder and get their
attack with ten Base Dice. If the attack food and other necessities by extorting people
succeeds, the victim automatically in the area with nightmares. The people at
wakes up unable to do anything but Oxengelder whisper that Marika Moonfriend
scream hysterically for D10 rounds.
has gone mad and that those who opposed her
6 CLAWS OF THE MARA! The mara sinks
were tortured to death through sleep depriva-
her black claws into the sleeper’s
tion, illusory violence, and nightmares.
chest. The pain is excruciating as the
evil creature starts digging its way
towards the victim’s heart. Roll for MARIK A MOONFRIEND
the attack with ten Base Dice and Through her daydreams, Marika has realized
Weapon Damage 2 (stab wound). that the Dreamstress has a hidden agenda.
The wound is physical and no armor
Marika does not know what it is, but she intends
will protect against the attack. If the
victim is Broken, the heart is torn out to find out and save all the dreamers from…
of their body. The wound can only well, whatever fate awaits them. Marika is tor-
be healed with HEALING HANDS and mented by her own daydreaming and some of
other forms of healing magic. the accusations leveled at her are actually true.

MARIKA MOONFRIEND
THE SHADOW LEGION STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
One night Oxengelder is attacked by a foe as SKILLS: Melee 1, Lore 2, Survival 2, Insight 3,
expected as it is strange. All creatures at the Manipulation 2
school, including the adventurers, but not TALENTS: Oneiromancy 3, Fearless 1
the Dreamstress or the senior oneiromancers, GEAR: Short sword, leather armor
are suddenly and simultaneously faced with
a twisted copy of themselves that tries to
kill them. EXPULSION OF BLASPHEMERS
The copies have the same stats and gear as Troops from the Sabirian and Caberian horse
the originals, but dissolve into thin air once clans attack Oxengelder, a blasphemous place that
any of their attributes reaches 0. About half is not of volcanic origin. This event only occurs
of all NPCs at the school are killed, except the if the horse clans find out that Selligar has hired
Dreamstress and the senior oneiromancers. the Dreamstress or that Poansa or Grudenstaal
When the dust settles, the Dreamstress and has put out a contract on their chieftains’ heads,
Pirimena explain that the Daydreamers were or if they are otherwise provoked.

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oxengelder
 THE DAYDREAMERS with a risk of collapse, insanity, and
The Daydreamers are a cult of rene- even death.
gades from the Dreamstress’ school The Daydreamers practice the
in Oxengelder. Their leader is Marika same oneiromancy as their colleagues
Moonfriend, a gifted oneiromancer in Oxengelder, but focus on the spells
who also uses her magic while Nightmares, Dream Travel, and Pro-
awake, as daydreams. Daydream- phetic Dreams. They cast these spells
ing is dangerous and always comes collectively, which enhances the magic.

THE DREAMSTRESS’ JOURNEY ✥ If Vaerefor was present during the ritual,

The Dreamstress’ goal is to dream herself back he bursts out laughing, mocks the partic-
to her homeworld Eoni. To achieve this, she ipants, and explains what the Dreamstress
must perform a travel ritual in a single dream has done before he too fades away and
session that requires a large number of oneiro- returns to his crimson forest.
mancers and preferably a couple of Horn’s Astra. ✥ The previous owners of the Astra are furi-
The Dreamstress will try to get hold of the ous and take it out on the oneiromancers,
required Astra by asking others to look for them demanding compensation or instituting a
and convincing the owners to lend her the arti- massacre.
facts “just for the ritual.” But she will not take ✥ Pirimena stubbornly believes in the
them by force. The Dreamstress will claim to Dreamstress’ return and continues to run
need these Astra to fulfill the owners’ wishes the school as an academy, now with the
during a ritual, for example to locate additional goal of dreaming the Dreamstress back to
Astra or whatever else their goal may be. Adven- the world.
turers can participate in the travel ritual if they ✥ The Vasnians take the Dreamstress’ disap-
have learned that magic at the school. pearance as a sign that the goddess Volitia
The ritual will succeed unless the adven- has banished the blasphemer and that they
turers disrupt it. First the used Astra dissolve, must take back their holy sites. After a week
then the Dreamstress herself fades away from they attack Oxengelder in great numbers.
the world. The participating oneiromancers
will slowly wake up and wonder what hap- To stop the ritual, the adventurers must dis-
pened. The Dreamstress has abandoned them, turb many of the dreamers or steal the Astra
never to return. The used Astra are consumed from the Dreamstress’ hands. If the Dream-
and gone. stress thereby fails to dream herself back to
Note that the travel ritual can destroy one Eoni, she will leave Oxengelder and join Vaerefor
or several Astra forever and thus have a major to dominate Aslene together. If that happens
impact on the campaign. The consequences the Dreamstress no longer smiles, nor helps
may include: anyone else.

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 A N N GUELDER
B

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

You approach a settlement by a strange freestanding

rock. The mountain seems to consist of two entirely BACKGROUND
separate mountains that link together in the middle Bann Guelder is a traditional Aslene burial
of the plain, locked in a constant struggle. Judging mound inhabited by Galdanes or Houns (choose
by the garbage heaps, the overgrazed paddocks, and which one it is depending on where you place
the wooden shacks, the area has long been home to the adventure site). The rock formation itself
horse folk. This is unusual as Aslene riders tend is spectacular – red sandstone with patches of
to be more nomadic. There seems to be little going darker volcanic rock, like a forest of standing
on in the village, but a couple of people are having stones or the hackles of a wolf.
an argument. As soon as they see you, however, Most horse folk are constantly moving
they stop talking and go back to work as if nothing through their clan’s territory, but at Bann
had happened. One of them angrily starts picking Guelder a family group called the Sons of
the hooves of their horse while the other weaves a Nesos with roughly a hundred members has
wicker basket. been encamped for almost two years. Others see
this as both incomprehensible and weak. The
Elderguard with its graying riders are supposed
to be the only permanent inhabitants.

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bann guelder
 The mound is named after the edible guelder left hand has been cut off. The stump
rose growing in the area. Its white flowers and is dressed, but has not yet healed and is
red berries light up the Lushday and Fall- still bleeding. The man has also had his
turn months. tongue cut out. On his body the adven-
The great secret of Bann Guelder is that turers find a piece of unwrought gold
the inhabitants a few years ago discovered an equivalent to five gold coins. The Elder
immense gold deposit inside the burial mound chopped off his hand and cut out his
as new passageways were being dug. The mound tongue for stealing a gold nugget from
holds tons of pure metallic gold, and its people the burial mound. After a few days he
have since been gripped by discord and greed. managed to steal a horse and escape, but
Some want to leave the gold in the ground this was as far as he got.
for their ancestors to guard; others want to ✥ The adventurers encounter the merchant
mine it and use it to increase the power of their Kresos and his two bodyguards. Kresos
clan. Still others believe that having more pos- is happy to do business, but anyone inter-
sessions than can be loaded onto a horse has a ested in his wares will find that they are
corrupting effect on people. sold at five times the normal price. He
The issue is by no means settled when the refuses to haggle and would rather save
adventurers arrive at Bann Guelder, where the his goods for Bann Guelder, which is
atmosphere is tense and forced as everyone does where he is headed. There people are
their best to appear normal and keep the secret not afraid to pay up – and in pure gold,
from strangers. no less!

GETTING HERE LEGEND

The adventurers can find their way to Bann It’s shameful how the Sons of Nesos have softened
Guelder by chance or otherwise: and settled down like common peasants around the
✥ The adventurers come upon a dying man. ancestral tombs in Bann Guelder. Their buried
He is dressed like a horse warrior from forefathers must be writhing with shame at their
the local clan, lying on the ground with delicate offspring. And Nesos himself has returned
crows squawking nearby. The only thing from the grave, they say, probably to drive the young
keeping the birds away is the man’s horse, folk from the village and into battle as befits the
which grazes by his side. He dies shortly sons of Horn. They’ve grown fat, red-­buttocked
after being found and just has time to from a day’s ride but with plenty of coin, wherever
mumble unintelligibly and point in the those came from – not from honest plunder, that’s
direction of Bann Guelder. Adventurers for sure. My brother-­in-­law sold ‘em a couple of hogs
who examine the body will find that his and was paid in pure gold, would you believe it?

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 MESKELLA
LOCATIONS STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 5, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
Described below are the most important places SKILLS: Melee 3, Marksmanship 2, Move 2,
in Bann Guelder. Animal Handling 3
TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2
GEAR: Broadsword, short bow, leather
1. THE SONS OF NESOS’ YURTS armor, riding horse
There are plots of crops near the yurts and small
sheds have been built from planks and sticks. Horses VERDEGAS
walk around in a nearby paddock. Two wagons Verdegas is a cautious and indecisive person. He
are parked here as well – one belonging to a ped­ fears his cousins as much as he fears Elder Korlo
dler and the other seemingly of dwarven make, and does not know how to handle the situation.
guarded by two stern-­looking dwarf warriors. A He can mainly be used to deliver messages to
troll is sleeping a bit further away, tethered to the the chieftain.
ground with a thick chain. The troll is also guarded
by dwarves. VERDEGAS
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
✥ CREATURES: There are about a hundred SKILLS: Melee 1, Marksmanship 1, Move 2,
people in the settlement, half of whom Animal Handling 1
can fight. There are roughly as many TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 1
horses as there are people. GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather
armor, riding horse
MERGONELLA AND MESK ELLA
These two tall and hot-­tempered clan warriors K RESOS
are twin sisters. They know about the gold Kresos is a Quard merchant who travels around
deposit and are trying to convince the Sons with his wagon and recently has made good busi-
of Nesos to take it and use it to strengthen ness at Bann Guelder. He has figured out that
the clan in these troubled times. They have the Sons of Nesos are hiding a great treasure
called their cousin Verdegas to Bann Guelder in the tombs of the mound, but assumes that
for support. it consists of gold coins, jewelry or hammered
gold nuggets. He has therefore assembled a band
MERGONELLA of thugs who are planning a raid on the place.
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 5, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 See the event “Brushfire”.
SKILLS: Melee 2, Marksmanship 3, Move 2, The adventurers can buy things from Kresos,
Animal Handling 2 but the prices are five times higher than normal
TALENTS: Horseback Fighter 2 and not open to discussion. He only sells goods
GEAR: Short spear, short bow, leather that are otherwise unavailable at Bann Guelder.
armor, riding horse Kresos has two bodyguards.

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 KRESOS PRINCE MERDENVIL
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 Prince Merdenvil is a highly educated and
SKILLS: Lore 1, Insight 2, Manipulation 3 charming dwarf prince from Firestead. He has

TALENTS: Incorruptible 2, Sharp Tongue 1, gotten wind of the gold in Bann Guelder and
Sixth Sense 1 wants to bring it home to Firestead – something
GEAR: Dagger (Weapon Damage 2), leather that would raise his status enough to claim
armor, several beautiful rings, 2D6 silver, lordship over the region. Merdenvil poses as a
PRECIOUS find botanist in order to move freely and look for
the gold. He claims to look forward to ”bota-
BODYGUARD nizing” the area around Bann Guelder to cata-
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 log the local species of guelder rose. Merdenvil
SKILLS: Might 2, Melee 2, Marksmanship 2, has no intention of stealing the treasure, but
Move 1, Survival 2, Healing 2 mainly wants to see the gold and appraise its
TALENTS: Shield Fighter 2, Steady Feet 1, value before making an offer for it.
Axe Fighter 1 Merdenvil lives in a dwarf-­made carriage
GEAR: Battle axe, large shield, short bow, pulled by a large troll set up with parasols for
studded leather armor, studded leather cap the sun. The carriage is guarded by six heavily

A NN GUELDER
B

3
1 2

1
armored dwarf warriors. The “botanist” spends men are moving among the buildings. The log house
his days poking in bushes and climbing the by the yurts is simpler and seems to be a smithy,
mountain along with two of the guards. judging by the anvil, forge, and water buckets out­
side. Smoke rises from the chimney.
MERDENVIL
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 The old men of the Elderguard occupy the
SKILLS: Lore 4, Insight 3, Manipulation 5 decorated houses whose interiors are painted

TALENTS: Lucky 2, Wanderer 1, Herbalist 1 with glorious scenes from their clan and family
history. The volcano Horn and its five sons
GEAR: Dagger, leather armor, SIMPLE find
in a circle are included in the motifs. One of
the houses serves as a meeting hall as well as a
DWARF WARRIOR school where the men tell children what they
STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 need to know about life. The other house is
SKILLS: Endurance 2, Melee 2, Marksman- where the Elderguard eat and sleep.
ship 2, Move 1 The smithy focuses on weapons and horse
TALENTS: Executioner 1, Defender 1 equipment, but also produces everyday items like
GEAR: Warhammer or flail, large shield, simple locks and fittings, as well as horseshoes.
chainmail, open helmet
✥ CREATURES: About ten older Aslene
warriors – some in good health, others
2. THE HALLS on the verge of death. Ten children in
OF THE ELDERMEN one of the houses.
Closest to the mound are some log houses whose
facades display lots of carvings, trophies, and col­ ELDERMAN KORLO
ored metal plates clinking in the wind. Some older Korlo is the commander of the Elderguard, a
scarred and weathered fighter with skin like
tanned leather. Despite his age, Korlo is a tall
and imposing man who is not easily ignored.
He is often chewing on betel roots which grow
on the mountain. He is serious and dutiful and
has piercing, scrutinizing eyes.

KORLO
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 1, Crafting 1, Marksmanship
1, Survival 1, Healing 2
GEAR: Knife

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 BLACKSMITH ELDENGRUL around the prisoner. Legion is then seen as a
Eldengrul is a dwarven blacksmith from Fire- representation of various creatures that have
stead and still has good relations with his home- harmed the clan, and people even believe that
land. The country’s dwarves and horse clans get they are temporarily turning him into these
along well in general and have been allies ever creatures through certain rites. During these
since the Demon Flood. The dwarf is extremely torture gatherings, the Elders tell stories from
sturdy, almost square-­shaped, with a consider- the time of the Demon Flood as well as other
able belly due to his fondness for replenishing legends. The shackles have been forged onto
sweat with beer. It is possible to make him talk Legion and cannot be opened.
by getting him drunk.
✥ CREATURES: D6 villagers torturing
ELDENGRUL the demon.
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
SKILLS: Melee 1, Crafting 3, Insight 1, LEGION THE DEMON
Manipulation 3 Legion looks like a flayed, constantly bleeding
TALENTS: Smith 2 human strung up in shackles over a fire behind
GEAR: Simple smithing tools, leather apron the Elders’ houses. The creature actually con-
(Armor Rating 1) sists of several demons who could not care less
about the torture, but are there to study human-
kind on behalf of their kind who are planning to
3. THE DEMONIC PRISONER infiltrate the country eventually. Legion often
Unfamiliar groans, whimpers, and screams are says strange things to provoke the humans and
heard from behind the Elders’ houses. You see what takes note of their response.
looks like a human body, flayed but still alive, shack­
led to a wooden rack in a cross-­like position. There LEGION
is a fire burning under the creature and some chil­ STRENGTH 12, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 3
dren are laughing, throwing stones, and poking it SKILLS: Melee 2, Move 3, Scouting 2, Lore 1,
with sticks. Insight 2, Manipulation 5
ARMOR RATING: 2 (demon skin)
The captured and tortured creature is an SEVERAL IN ONE: Legion consists of multi-
immortal demon named Legion. The Sons of ple demons and can split into four if need
Nesos have kept him prisoner for generations, be. In combat each demon draws an ini-
torturing him as revenge for the Demon Flood tiative card and acts independently of the
others. Legion’s Strength is freely distrib-
that devastated the Bloodmarch three centu-
uted between the demons.
ries ago. Children and mean people in general
ATTACKS: Claws, six Base Dice and Weapon
go there to give him a whack when they have
Damage 2 (slash wound). Bite, eight Base
nothing better to do, while the evening tor- Dice and Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound).
ture is more ritualistic with people gathered

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 4. ENTRANCE TO BETSOM
THE BURIAL CAVES Betsom is a seventy-­year-­old Aslene blood mage.
There is a path leading up to a natural cave in He haunts the mountain at night to keep nosy
the mountain. Two older men are guarding the people away. All the villagers know he is not
entrance. dead, but are forbidden to talk about it. Betsom
is tired of the loneliness of the mountain,
The guards will not let anyone through except although as a blood mage he has no problem
members of the Elderguard and people attend- being around the dead. Korlo usually visits him
ing funerals. Inside is a branched cave several every day to cheer him up, as the two of them
hundred meters long. The alcoves and side are old friends.
rooms are littered with dried up corpses, and
the smell is less than pleasant. In a cave cham- BETSOM
ber lives a blood mage named Betsom. STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
At the end of the caves is the gold deposit in SKILLS: Stealth 2, Insight 1, Manipulation 3
the form of a solid, gleaming slab of gold that TALENTS: Blood Magic 3
continues down into the mountain. There are
GEAR: Ragged clothes
axes and pickaxes nearby which have been used
to break off pieces of it, but progress is slow –
enough for D6 gold coins can be extracted per
turn with a successful MIGHT roll. The extent 6. THE SECRET CLEFT
of the deposit cannot be determined, but there En naturlig spricka leder ner i berget där de två
must be tons of pure gold. bergstyperna förenas. Man tycks ha försökt dölja
den med grenar och pinnar.

5. THE GHOSTLY CLEARING Sprickan har försetts med trappsteg och stegar.
A shimmering blue creature is dancing on the Via den kommer man ner i grottan ungefär
mountain at night, in a clearing surrounded by femtio meter från guldskatten.
natural monoliths. Its wails echo through the night.

Climbing the mountain is difficult unless you 7. FALLBROOK

know the paths. A botanically inclined indi- A brook falls from the mountain to the village below
vidual can find shimmering trails of phosleaf and continues onto the plains.
juice on the rocks. And sure enough, the herb
grows not far from here. The water is drinkable, but does not taste very
good and dries up during droughts. It is mostly
✥ CREATURES: Betsom pretending to be used to water the horses.
a ghost.

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 around to torture him. He has simply com-
EVENTS pleted his studies. Everyone within NEAR range
Here are a number of events that might occur is hit by slime and becomes possessed unless
in Bann Guelder. they make a successful Empathy roll. Roll on
the table on the next page.
Those who have shown him sympathy or
THE WHEELBARROW kindness are unaffected. The only way of freeing
A woman walks off with a wheelbarrow full of tur- the possessed is to have a blood mage cast BIND
nips from the garden and returns with it empty. DEMON, which cures them all. A blood mage
The adventurers find the turnips in a ditch where with access to blue tar gets +1 on their roll, and
the woman has dumped them. No one wants to eat +2 if the blue tar burns with holy fire. Possessed
turnips anymore – they are only grown for show. individuals suffer from a random effect as set
out in the following table.

EXPENSIVE HABITS
The adventurers notice the villagers eating unusu- BRUSHFIRE
ally good food that is not available in the region One night the alarm is sounded and people start
and drinking wines from Alderland and Raven- yelling fire. When they wake up, the adventurers
land. A few expensive items can be seen, but the see that the plain is on fire a kilometer or so
owners quickly hide them if they attract attention. away. The wind is blowing in the direction of
the village. The Aslenes grab their so-­called bea-
vertails of horse leather and run off to put out
THE MASTER OF DEATH the flames. The adventurers are clearly expected
Wailing and hooting can be heard from the to help avert this calamity and the villagers
mound at night. Luminous figures appear and will not take kindly to those who refuse. The
disappear at the top of the mountain. Elder firefighting lasts one Quarter Day.
Korlo and his men tell bloodcurdling stories Once most people have left the village to
about curious people who went up there and put out the fire, eight riders of the Quard clan
were found the next day with their hearts torn led by the merchant Kresos (page 199) attack
out and unspeakable terror on their faces. Some the burial mound from the opposite direction.
say that the blood mage Betsom has returned as They kill two of the elderly guards and enter the
a master of death. He died last year and still con- tombs in search of the golden treasure, which
sumes raw meat left for him in the burial cave. Kresos believes to be hidden in the catacombs.
The raiders have horses and Kresos’ wagon
to transport the gold. They intend to strike
I AM LEGION swiftly, take what they can, and hurry off to
The captive demon suddenly explodes in red get a head start. After finding and marveling
slime when a group of villagers have gathered at the treasure they manage to hew negligible

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 POSSESSED BY LEGION
D8 EFFECT
1 An itchy rash covers the victim’s body. Max Agility is reduced to 1 during the
possession.
2 The victim’s body feels like wobbly jelly. Max Strength is reduced to 1 during
the possession.
3 The victim suddenly thirsts for blood and must succeed with an INSIGHT roll to
resist the urge to taste an open wound for one round.
4 The victim cannot attack demons or people possessed by demons.
5 The victim randomly switches languages while talking, even to languages they
did not know before the possession. Understanding what the person is saying
requires a successful LORE roll.
6 The victim starts to vomit what seems to be their own bloody bowels, but is in
fact crawling spore tissue from the crimson forest. It immediately burrows into
the ground and will eventually develop into new crimson forest. The possessed
vomits for a Quarter Day before recovering.
7 The victim starts swearing, spitting, hurling insults, and babbling out the
secrets of other possessed individuals nearby.
8 The possessed loses their mind, thrashing and screaming like a trapped animal.
Max Strength is increased to 5. The victim can make an INSIGHT roll each
round. On success, the possession is lifted.

quantities of gold from the glistening moun- compensation, of course. Their real reason for
tain, before realizing that they have to leave. being here is to make sure that no one else gets
The raiders are mad at Kresos for putting their hands on the treasure.
them in danger without reward, but also stunned
by the enormous treasure inside the mound.
Now the secret of the golden treasure is out, THE CABERIANS ARRIVE
which might trigger additional events (see below). A troop of Caberians arrive for the same reason.
Colonel Grudenstaal (page 79) wishes to form
an alliance with those involved. He can get
THE SABIRIANS ARRIVE them capable troops from Alderland in exchange
A band of Sabirians show up to “help” their for some of the gold, so that their alliance can
weaker neighbors guard the gold – for reasonable seize power from Selligar Horne.

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 THE PRINCE’S PROPOSITION
Prince Merdenvil reveals his true identity and
offers to have his dwarves take the gold away to
Firestead before it becomes the downfall of the GOLD INFLATION
Sons of Nesos. In return he can put a host of If the gold is mined and put into
dwarven warriors at the clan’s disposal for one circulation, the gold market will
year and help the clan achieve whatever goals quickly become saturated and
they may have. inflation will skyrocket. A gold
He does not specify exactly what kind of coin is soon worth no more than
downfall he predicts, but explains with a laugh a copper coin in the hex on the
that the Sons of Nesos can always wait and see map where the gold spreads and
for themselves. The dwarves do not intend to a silver coin in adjacent hexes.
ever spend the gold, but only use it to deco- Vast fortunes plummet in value,
rate their underground halls. Merdenvil him- people stop farming their land
self wants to be remembered as the prince who and running their workshops
inherited a city of stone, but left behind a city of since they “can just buy the
gold. He has a caravan of sturdy wagons waiting food instead of working.” Goods
only a day’s march away. become scarce and prices rise.
Soon lots of people will starve
and the ruined rich will furi-
THE VASNIANS RETURN ously look for the culprits who
A band of Vasnians and armored orcs arrive, “removed the damn gold from the
led by Konana (page 91). The Vasnians tomb.” If the dwarves of Firestead
believe that the gold belongs to them, since take the gold away, no such infla-
the land was stolen from their ancestors and tion occurs.
Bann Guelder was a sacred place for their people.
The Vasnians realize that they are in no position
to negotiate, but Grudenstaal or Poansa might
include them in an alliance.

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 WATCH OF
THE SISTERS

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

The crimson jungle lies before you like living entrails, gods to seek a union with the local population –
its trunks and vines resembling slithering bowels and the Vasnians – so that their peoples could trade
tendons. Two weathered statues of women stare with one another. Instead, the riders started a
blankly over your heads, as if struggling to believe war of expulsion and extermination because their
that they have finally found a way out of the jungle. proud chieftain Sella felt slighted at the meeting.
Wail was so enraged by Sella’s arrogance
that she whipped up hurricanes on the plains
between the two countries so that no one has
since been able to return to the Drawn Lands
BACKGROUND from Aslene. The proud Sella responded by
The Watch of the Sisters is the name of a very renouncing his old goddesses and, encouraged
old temple in the Bloodmarch, dedicated to by the Aslene dwarves, urging his brethren to
the divine sisters Wail and Flow – the respec- worship Horn, the largest volcano in the land.
tive goddesses of winds and flowing freshwater. Sella believed that Horn granted his riders
The forgotten story of the temple is that victory over the Vasnians through the Astra
horse folk from the Drawn Lands in the west which the dwarves had given him as gifts from
once rode into Aslene on a mission from the sister the god. He divided his people into five clans,

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named after the five volcanoes of Aslene, and moon elves’ temple Agnostica cannot return to the
gave each of them a part of the land to farm world until the Metrochrone has been reactivated.
as their own. Many battles were fought in the The Watch of the Sisters is completely embed-
years that followed, between the clans as well ded in very dense crimson forest, a slithering
as with Vasnians and Alderlanders from the jungle that emerged after the Demon Flood.
neighboring country in the southeast, which When the eccentric prince and composer Cavaldo
quickly became an archenemy. da Putenze arrived at the Watch of the Sisters a
The Watch of the Sisters was built on the couple of decades ago, the holy women took him
Guardian Mountain as a religious outpost in in since the winds had blown him there from
Aslene back when the two countries were to be their native Drawn Lands. Since then the demon
bound together in friendship. The temple still forest has continued to grow and the priestesses
stands, but is now used to keep watch on the curse have passed away. What no one knows is that
put on the horse clans by the goddesses. During Cavaldo’s music and passions are attracting the
the first century after the religious break, horned demonic vegetation and making it thrive.
dwarves were hired to build a monumental clock
in the shape of a bird, called the Metrochrone,
which measures the time until the curse is lifted.
When the Watch of the Sisters was built, the
moon elves, who fled the worm people on Anoma GETTING HERE
(page 57), had already split their kin into hal- There are several ways for the adventurers to
flings and goblins and built their temple Agnos- find the Watch of the Sisters, by chance or
tica. After a moon elf trueseer dreamed that the otherwise.
worm people would soon find their hideout, they ✥ The adventurers are contacted by Konana
wanted to remove Agnostica from the world to (page 91) after she finds out that the
conceal it further. It could be done, but only tem- Book of Winds, an old document kept
porarily. As measurers of time, the moon elves at the temple, proves that Aslene actu-
decided to use the Metrochrone at the Watch of ally belongs to the Vasnians. The book
the Sisters, since the clock was already in place. is so precious to them that Konana in
For more on Agnostica, see page 232. exchange can offer the adventurers the
When the player characters find the Watch of Goblet Staff of Have, which she keeps
the Sisters, the Metrochrone has stood still for a hidden, or something else of great value.
few years and the temple is deserted. A dwarven ✥ The adventurers encounter Vrendenholm,
engineer known as the Kogler, who had been in an Alderlander scholar who says he is
charge of maintaining the mechanism, is said to interested in the early history of Aslene
have poisoned the temple’s last three priestesses, and wants to hire them as an escort to
stolen part of the Metrochrone, and disappeared. the temple. He too seeks the Book of
The Kogler really did steal a part of the clock, but Winds. The scholar is part of Poansa’s
did not murder the priestesses. In any event, the expedition, but acts on his own initiative

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 since none of the Alderlander agents are VHEILOR THE BARD
interested in history. Vheilor really is a bard, but also a sorcerer of
✥ The adventurers encounter a bard name the Order of Egression. Through D’Irae he
Vheilor and his protégé D’Irae a few hexes has had vague visions of, and been spoken to,
from the temple. Vheilor claims to have by the unquiet spirits of the murdered Donna
heard rumors of Cavaldo’s musical genius Mardiena and Carafo. Vheilor has made it his
and seems obsessed with performing sacred duty to restore Cavaldo’s memory so
with him. Vheilor really is a bard, but is that he realizes and admits that he murdered
secretly also a necromancer of the Order his family. Only then will the dead find peace.
of Egression (page 149). Vheilor may then choose to kill Cavaldo him-
self and make him his undead servant, or leave
THE SCHOLAR VRENDENHOLM the prince to be consumed by the shame of his
Vrendenholm is who he claims to be – an Alder- crimes. Vheilor realizes that the death of the
lander historian trying to learn more about the forest spirit Margarita is a step towards bring-
early history of the Bloodmarch. The aim is to ing peace to the murdered, but the Egressor has
help the Alderlanders understand and take over no quarrel with the forest and believes that the
the country. He also seeks allies for his leader blame for its actions lies solely with Cavaldo.
Poansa (page 76).
VHEILOR
VRENDENHOLM STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4 SKILLS: Sleight of Hand 2, Move 1, Lore 2,
SKILLS: Lore 5, Insight 2, Manipulation 2 Insight 2, Manipulation 2, Performance 3
GEAR: Staff, quill and ink, sheets of paper TALENTS: Death Magic 2
for making notes. FEARLESS: Egressors are immune to fear
attacks from undead.
D’IR AE TRUE HEARING: Egressors can automatically
D’Irae is a 14-year-­old girl, seemingly mute, tell whether someone is telling the truth
with a shaved head and her face painted white in matters relating to their clients, with-
in mourning. She is actually Cavaldo’s daughter out making an INSIGHT roll.
Dhiria, who wants to find her mother and sib- SACRED MISSION: While on a sacred mis-
sion, Egressors grow stronger and tem-
lings and take revenge on her father with Vhei-
porarily gain the FAST FOOTWORK talent
lor’s help.
(rank 3). Their conviction also makes them
less vulnerable to magic and all forms of
D’IRAE manipulation. The Power Level of all magic
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 cast at Egressors is reduced by D3, and
all attempts at MANIPULATION get a −2
SKILLS: Sleight of Hand 1, Scouting 2,
penalty.
Insight 1
GEAR: Instrument, dagger, VALUABLE find
GEAR: Knife

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 goddesses’ creations, Horn was furious and brought
LEGEND forth the horse clans from his fire to banish the ingrates.
It is said that Aslene was once a barren desert, until He took Have as his wife and gave her fire to rule as
the sister goddesses Wail and Flow sent their servant her wedding gift. Soon their five volcanic sons sprung
Have to make the land lush and green through the up from the ground, and Horn gave each of them a
goddesses’ warm winds and flowing freshwater. horse clan as their personal guard.
The magma god Horn stayed below ground at the But the goddesses Wail and Flow felt that Horn
time, but as roots started to pierce down into his under­ had seduced their servant and taken both her and
ground domain, he grew curious and burst through the land out of their hands. In anger they raised an
the surface as a volcano. Horn was amazed at how the impenetrable forest around their temple. From then
Bloodmarch had flourished. He delighted in the bird­ on, they wanted nothing to do with Aslene anymore.
song and the dance of the butterflies, and was struck
with love for Have. But when he learned that the Vas­ (Note that the legend of the Watch of the Sis-
nians had usurped the land without appreciating the ters is told from the horse clans’ perspective.)

THE FOREST SPIRIT MARGARITA When Margarita begins to material-

The forest spirit Margarita is the collec- ize, which could occur as soon as music
tive subconscious of the local crimson starts playing, the nearby jungle takes
forest. She was born out of Cavaldo’s the form of living creatures and motifs
music, lives off it, and inspires him as his from the music. The temperature rises
most devoted listener. Only to the tunes as well. Shapes resembling Cavaldo’s
of heartfelt music does her conscious- family might appear, not knowing where
ness focus into intelligence and manifest they are, but begging to be freed from
itself in the form of a talking fruit that their life of captivity.
can communicate telepathically. If Margarita is killed, the jungle will
In this concentrated form she can be turn into ordinary crimson forest, grow
killed with any weapon if blue tar (page sparser, and fade away in some places.
38) is first thrown at her, which pre- Margarita has the stats of a ghost
vents her consciousness from once again (see the Gamemaster’s Guide, page 94).
dispersing. Normally Margarita exists Each unit of blue tar thrown at her
throughout the jungle like a demanding, binds Margarita to her concentrated
capricious, pleasure-­seeking force that form for one round, after which she
communicates emotionally with Cavaldo once again disperses her consciousness
as well as with other musicians in the throughout the jungle.
forest who catch her attention.

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 precisely by the dwarves long ago. But red vines
LOCATIONS and hanging branches are imposing themselves
The Watch of the Sisters is nestled in the from the sides so that the adventurers are some-
embrace of a lonely mountain, on a slope sur- times forced to crawl or push their way forward.
rounded on three sides by high cliffs which After only twenty meters they can no longer see
form a wide ravine. It has in recent years been the sky and must press forward as if through the
filled with dense crimson forest. The forest has bowels of a huge, living body. Anyone with an
a primitive consciousness who calls itself Mar- animal must succeed with an ANIMAL HAN
garita – “the Pearl.” Prince Cavaldo has settled DLING roll for the animal not to panic, run off
in the Watch of the Hermit, a smaller temple into the vegetation, and be lost forever.
belonging to the Watch of the Sisters. After a few hundred meters the vegetation sud-
denly closes behind and in front of the adventurers.
Their presence has triggered peristaltic movements
1. THE STONE SISTERS in the forest which cause the passage to contract
Two corroded stone women twice the height of and expand in waves rolling into the forest. The
a human are standing with their backs to the adventurers can move with the waves or wait and
dense crimson forest behind them. A few vines advance between them. In the latter case they are
are twined around their legs. One of the statues is gently squeezed through the walls. It is unpleasant
holding an urn and the other a fan. and scary, but does not cause any damage.

On closer examination, the adventurers notice

tears constantly and inexplicably streaming 3. THE WATCH OF THE HERMIT
down the cheeks of one of the statues – the After a kilometer or two of uphill walking, you reach
one of Flow holding an urn. Faint breathing is a clearing by a lake. The red vines are kept up by an
heard from the other one, which depicts Wail. ancient dead tree leaning over an ornate little step
pyramid with a house at the top. Exquisite music
is heard from the house. The vegetation around it
2. THE WAY IN seems to take almost humanoid form. Some human-­
Beyond the female statues is an old, paved path like creatures are moving around the house.
that leads through the swelling crimson vegetation.
The path is lined by crumbling animal sculptures The creatures by the house are red elves led by the
on stone bases. Some of them have fallen over and elven healer Protelas. The red elves regard Cavaldo
remnants of a rusty iron chain runs between the as a holy man, whose music causes Reiben – the
bases. The passage looks narrow, but not so much red elves’ name for the crimson forest – to flour-
that you cannot get through. ish. They provide him with supplies and will
defend him and themselves against attack.
The crimson forest has not taken hold in the gaps The house itself is in great disarray, full of
between the paving stones which were laid very acquired or home-­made musical instruments

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and pieces of parchments with red scribbles. just started to take hold, and soon he was com-
There are also strange pointed objects, seashells, posing frantically, inspired by the tribulations
pieces of wood, metal objects, and other things of exile. Donna Mardiena was less enthusias-
over which Cavaldo has pulled yarn back and tic as she missed life at the palace back home.
forth in different colors and patterns. This is Soon the crimson forest flourished around
Cavaldo’s sheet music. the Watch of the Hermit, but Cavaldo refused
The red elves live in huts around the clear- to see how his music nourished and attracted the
ing, like yellow-­red abscesses that seems to have demonic vegetation, even after it started speaking
grown from the vegetation itself. Protelas lives to him and twisting his mind. In a fit of madness
in a tree cave in the large, hollow, dead tree. he murdered both Carafo and Donna Mardiena.
The prince grew increasingly melancholic and his
✥ CREATURES: Cavaldo, Protelas, red music increasingly emotional, which caused the
elves (two more than the adventurers). forest to grow even further. One of the children
went missing after being punished and when
RED ELF another one vanished as well, a dismayed guest
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 left with the youngest girl, Dhiria.
SKILLS: Melee 2, Stealth 2, Marksmanship Eight years later she has returned incog-
3, Move 2 nito as D’Irae, along with the necromancer
GEAR: Short bow, short sword, leather Vheilor, to find or avenge her family. Cavaldo
armor mourns his family profoundly, and has been
driven deeper and deeper into madness by the
PRINCE CAVALDO OF PUTENZE jungle’s consciousness Margarita. He does not
Cavaldo is Duke of Putenze in the Drawn Lands realize that it was he who killed his loved ones,
west of the Bloodmarch, and a gifted composer but thinks it was the deceitful Carafo’s doing.
to boot. When Cavaldo was told that true musi-
cians must endure hardships to reach the height PRINCE CAVALDO
of their art, he headed out in an airship with his STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
valet Carafo, his wife Donna Mardiena, and their SKILLS: Melee 2, Move 1, Scouting 2, Lore 3,
three children. Unfortunately they flew too close Insight 1, Performance 3
to the windswept, forbidden plain towards Aslene GEAR: Lute, dagger, VALUABLE find
and were sucked into the hurricanes.
By some miracle they all survived. Their
ship crashed near the Watch of the Sisters,
where the priestesses took the stranded trav-
elers in, curious about the situation in their
common homeland. Cavaldo was allowed to stay
in the temple pavilion called the Watch of the
Hermit, around which the crimson forest had

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 WATCH OF
THE SISTERS

9
10

6
7

4
5

1
 PROTELAS side of the lake, you see a high mountain with a
Protelas is no red elf, but an ordinary elf from temple near the top. You cannot find any natural
Ravenland, and yet he commands the red elves paths through the forest, but notice a narrow gap
at the Watch of the Hermit. He claims that between the vegetation and the wall which leads
he is still not worthy of becoming one with to the temple.
the forest and that he wants to understand it
better before taking that step. That way he has One way of reaching the temple on the Guard-
avoided assimilation. Because he is a skilled ian Mountain is through the temple grounds.
healer and an eloquent speaker, the red elves
have accepted this postponement. But now THE WALKWAY: Beyond the stairs is a paved
there are rumors that Vaerefor himself is on walkway between two walls, but it is completely
his way to the Watch of the Sisters with his clogged with crimson forest. During the day
giant snail Kasabatoda, and the red elves are the adventurers can push through between
talking about Protelas finally becoming one the wall and the vegetation, but after just ten
of them. meters it becomes impossible. At night the
Time is running out for Protelas, who is forest contracts, allowing the player characters
actually an agent sent by the elves of Ravenland to crawl 50 meters to a ledge by a red pond.
to identify the crimson forest’s weaknesses. He However, a sarcopte (page 116) stalks the
has noted Cavaldo’s relationship with Margar- passageway at night.
ita and suspects that the spirit might be a key
to the entire forest. Protelas keeps a unit of THE POND: The fountain has overflowed and
blue tar hidden in his Aesculapian Staff – a covered the round park in red water all the
healing staff with a carved snake coiled around way to the stairs. The adventurers must swim
it – and thinks that the tar can kill the forest roughly 30 meters underwater, but the water
spirit, but lacks the musical ability to lure her is crisscrossed with slimy strings and mem-
out or communicate with her. Protelas can branes which sometimes have to be cut down.
confide in the adventurers if he has reason Performing a maneuver underwater, such as
to trust them, and together devise a plan to swimming, requires a successful MOVE roll.
kill the forest. Each round the adventurer must also succeed
with an ENDURANCE roll not to drown. On
PROTELAS failure the adventurer starts drowning and suf-
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3 fers 1 point of damage to Strength per round.
SKILLS: Melee 2, Move 2, Lore 1, Manipula- Beyond the pond is the bottom of a stairway.
tion 2, Healing 3
GEAR: Aesculapian Staff (like an ordinary THE SLIMY STAIRWAY: The top end of the
staff), SIMPLE find stairway is blocked by jungle, but one can get past
the vegetation by climbing a dead tree. However,
there is thick slime oozing down the tree trunk,
4. THE TEMPLE GROUNDS which makes it difficult for the adventurers to
Beyond the area surrounding the Watch of the climb and gives them –2 on all MOVE rolls. Once
Hermit, the crimson forest is denser than it was at the top they find twenty or so white balls, half
on the way there. Through the mist on the other a meter in diameter, embedded in slime. These

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are slime snail (page 121) eggs laid by a rela- for MOVE and ENDURANCE as per above. The
tive of Kasabatoda. If the adventurers take an swimmer resurfaces in the lake below the temple.
egg with them, it will hatch a week later. The A high waterfall crashes down into the far end
snail can be tamed as a mount and reaches the of the lake.
size of an elephant after one year.
THE BOATHOUSE STAIRS: There is a collapsed
THE TEMPLE PORTAL: At the top of the boathouse by the lake. From there a narrow set
slimy stairway is a smaller overgrown passage- of stairs leads up to the temple through crimson
way that leads to the temple portal, which has forest. Anyone who goes ashore is immediately
been partially knocked over. Halfway through attacked by a slithernet (page 122). Halfway
the passageway, the adventurers suddenly feel a up the stairs, the chill of fraeges can be felt in
growing chill coming from the left as they are the vegetation to the right.
attacked by a number of Fraeges (page 106).
They are as many as the adventurers.
THROUGH THE AIR
A third way of getting to the
5. THE RIVER temple is to fly and thus avoid
A river flows into the lake by the Watch of the the crimson forest completely.
Hermit. The river seems to be coming from the This is possible if the adventur-
waterfall high up on the Guardian Mountain. ers possess some sort of flying
The crimson forest forms a tunnel across the river ability. Traveling through the air,
where it runs closest to the lake. the adventurers are attacked by
a swarm of flowers from a blood-
Another way to get to the temple on the Guard- beech (page 103).
ian Mountain is to follow the sacred Abzellan
river, in which the demonic vegetation cannot
grow. There is a small rowboat on the lake by
the Watch of the Hermit, but it is full of water
and must be repaired (CRAFTING roll) since no 6. THE TEMPLE ON
one has used it for years. THE GUARDIAN MOUNTAIN
Up on the mountain above the crimson forest you
ABZELLAN RIVER: The vegetation is hang- reach an ancient, almost completely dilapidated
ing down towards the river, but there is enough temple of stone. It seems to have stood on some kind
space to pole or row the boat across. Hiding of stone slab which has cracked and left half the
among the plants above are D6 sporewalkers temple leaning down into a brick pond. The build­
(page 123) who drop bundles of spores on ings that once stood there have completely collapsed,
the adventurers. and a massive eight-­meter-­tall statue has fallen into
the pond. In front of the remaining pavilion stands
UNDERWATER TUNNEL: There is a thirty-­ a similar statue of a woman with a bird perched
meter-­long section where the river runs under- on her shoulder. The place seems abandoned. Doors
ground. The water is free from vegetation and have fallen off their hinges, buckets and other debris
the adventurers can swim with a successful roll litter the courtyard, and crops have decayed.

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The Watch of the Sisters is a thousand year old existence and relive the exact same day as the
temple dedicated to the goddesses Wail and Flow. one before. If destroyed, even by someone cast-
There dwell the last three of its priestesses – ing PURGE UNDEAD, they still return the next
Hina, Costolena, and Kremiled – unaware that day as if nothing happened. This is because
they are ghosts. Their skeletons rest in their they are no ordinary ghosts, but sustained by
respective bed chambers. Next to Costolena’s the grace of Wail and Flow because their watch
remains is a music box that still works (see the has not yet ended.
text box). Otherwise, the rooms are empty. The priestesses are kind to guests, but dis-
A group of Vasnians has come to the temple missive of Aslene horse warriors. They can
in search of the Book of Winds, thinking it will change their daily routine if there are visitors,
prove that the horse clans have no claim to the but do not remember any of it the next day.
land. The key player Konana could be among If the Book of Winds is taken from its crypt,
them. The group climbed down to the temple the ghosts of Hina, Costolena, and Kremiled
from higher up the mountain, and if the adven- will regain their memories and realize that they
turers befriend them, the Vasnians can help are dead. See the text box on page 219. Only
them leave that way to avoid the crimson forest. when the Metrochrone is reactivated and the
curse of the horse clan is lifted do the ghosts
✥ CREATURES: As many Vasnians as there disappear forever.
are player characters, and possibly the key The priestesses are ghosts as described on
player Konana (page 91). page 94 in the Gamemaster’s Guide.

HINA, COSTOLENA, AND K REMILED

The last priestesses at the Watch of the Sisters, 7. THE HOUSE OF WINDS
Hina, Costolena, and Kremiled, are ghosts but On a rock by a precipice near the temple is a single
do not know it. Once the Book of Winds has quadrangular pavilion of stone that is open in all
been retrieved, they regain their memories and directions. A ten-­meter-­long ramp extends from
think they were poisoned several years ago by each opening, and at the end of each ramp sits a
the Kogler. Vengeance must be taken! stone animal on its hind legs with its front legs
What really happened was that Hina acci- raised – a bear to the north, a frog to the east, a
dentally made a poisonous soup from mush- dragon to the south, and a bull to the west.
rooms she had picked in the forest, killing her
sisters and herself. The forest spirit Margarita A player character who succeeds with a LORE
knows this and is proud of having contributed roll knows that the animals represent the four
to their deaths, since the priestesses criticized winds in Wail’s mythology.
one of Cavaldo’s musical pieces. The pavilion’s interior is square. On the
The priestesses’ ghosts are dismayed that the floor is a locked metal hatch that cannot be
Metrochrone has stopped and want the Kogler opened by force. Inside each of the four openings
to repair it. Early each morning they fade into is a stone relief of a tree, so that the entrance

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goes through the trunk. Each tree has four
stone slabs shaped like leaves set into the wall,
decorated with four different symbols: a drop,
an oak leaf, a fly, and a flame. The following THE BOOK OF WINDS
verse is inscribed upon the pavilion’s ceiling: The Book of Winds is said to be
more than a thousand years old
Let the winds feed their children and has the power to lift the
Let the winds fill their begging hands curses of Wail and Flow so that
Let the blood of the living sate his paws the horse clans are forgiven and
May the burned bark of trees sate her claws the routes to Alderland and the
Let the oak leaves sate his hooves Drawn Lands are opened. The
Let the flies sate her feet book is only one half of “the Book
So we can read the writing of the wind of Winds and Water.” It is also
And let time have its course indestructible.
The Book of Winds begins
SOLUTION TO THE CIPHER: To open the with the true story of how
hatch in the floor, the correct stone slab in the the horse people were sent
tree in each direction must be pressed at the to Aslene, which could have
same time, which requires four people. The serious consequences if made
correct interpretation of the verse reveals which public (page 242). The older
slab should be pressed in the respective direction parts of the book make no
– that is, the opposite direction to the statue sense without the Book of
outside. The correct combination is: Water. That book is not even
✥ South – drop in Aslene, but might feature in
✥ West – fly future expansions.
✥ North – flame
✥ East – oak leaf

When the right combination of slabs is pressed tome. Along the walls lie six mummified corpses
simultaneously, the hatch in the middle of the of past priestesses in their alcoves. Animals have
pavilion is unlocked. It can then be swung open fed on the bodies and died from the embalming
on its axis so that someone can climb down into fluid, so there are carcasses of rats, raccoons, and
the crypt where the Book of Winds is found. snakes as well.

If the book is touched by anyone from the horse

8. THE BOOK’S CRYPT clans, or someone who intends to destroy it, a
A stone staircase leads down to a closed cham­ tupilaq (next page) awakes to defend it. The dead
ber. On a podium at its center rests an ancient animals are part of the tupilaq.

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 TUPILAQ D6 ATTACK
Tupilaqs are merged from parts of corpses and 4 ROAR OF ANGUISH! The grotesque crea-
carcasses that have been risen from the dead. ture contracts its body as if about to
pounce and lets out a cacophonous
roar of anguish from its human and
TUPILAQ
animal throats. Every orifice in the
ATTRIBUTES: revolting mass contributes to this sym-
STRENGTH 24, AGILITY 2, WITS 1 phony of horror, and all adventurers
MOVEMENT: 2 within NEAR range suffer a fear attack
ARMOR RATING: None, but takes half
with seven Base Dice.
damage from non-­magic weapons. 5 TACKLE ATTACK! The raging beast
lunges with full force at an adven-
turer within NEAR range. The repul-
MONSTER ATTACKS
sive mass of cadavers feels as heavy
D6 ATTACK
as lead, and the adventurer suffers
1 NECROTIC BITE! The abomination an attack with eight Base Dice and
opens its decaying jaws, baring Weapon Damage 1 (blunt force). If hit,
numerous half-­rotten tooth stumps, the victim is knocked down.
and bites one of the adventurers. Roll
6 DISSOLVING ATTACK! The tupilaq wraps
for the attack with five Base Dice and
one of the adventurers in an almost
Weapon Damage 1 (slash wound).
loving embrace and spews out a
If the attack inflicts damage, the
stinking, milky-white poison that
adventurer is also affected by a para-
soaks the victim from top to bottom.
lyzing poison with Potency 6.
Roll for the attack with seven Base
2 SCRATCH ATTACK! The tupilaq extends Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (blunt
its claws and springs furiously at an force). On success the adventurer
adventurer. Roll for the attack with is GRAPPLED (see the rules in the
six Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 Player’s Handbook.) Every round they
(slash wound). remain in the creature’s grip, the
3 DARKNESS ATTACK! The abomination adventurer is attacked with a lethal
produces a strange hum and lets out poison with Potency 6 (9 against a
an oily, magical darkness that settles designated target).
over the adventurers. All adventurers
within NEAR range must make an
INSIGHT roll (not an action). On fail-
ure they are blinded by the magical
darkness and have to fight with a –2
modification according to the rules in
the Player’s Handbook (page 112). The
effect lasts until the same point in
the next round’s initiative order.

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 temple’s last three priestesses met their unfor-
tunate demise a few years ago, the dwarf took
the clock’s waterwheel to his smithy, Tribolia
THE REALIZATION – see the adventure site Tribolia of the Kogler.
OF THE GHOSTS The temple Agnostica’s absence from the
When the Book of Winds leaves world is linked to the activity of the Metro-
its crypt, the ghosts of Hina, Cos- chrone, and the temple cannot return until
tolena, and Kremiled will regain the clock has been reactivated. The adventurers
their memories and realize that can restart the Metrochrone by retrieving the
they are dead. They claim that missing part from the Tribolia of the Kogler
the Kogler, the dwarf mechanic and installing it.
who previously looked after the
Metrochrone, murdered them and
stole some components so that 10. CAVALDO’S AIRSHIP
the giant clocked stopped, and On the mountain slope beyond the waterfall with
ask the adventurers to retrieve the giant clock lies the wreckage of a strange, open
the missing parts. The Kogler ship. Its rigging seems to have been made of thick nets,
should be somewhere in Firestead now rotten. There is a large propeller in the stern,
– see the adventure site Tribolia connected to an axis which runs along the entire hull.
of the Kogler. But as mentioned Around the ship grow what look like large sponges.
previously, the Kogler did in fact Sometimes pieces of them fall off, before rising into
not kill the priestesses. They just the sky and drifting away like gray clouds.
think he did.
The wreck of Cavaldo’s airship is found on the
mountain slope beyond the Metrochrone’s
waterfall. Around it a couple of flowering blood-
beeches (page 103) grow.
9. THE METROCHRONE The ship can be repaired with a successful
Beyond the temple is a huge mechanical clock CRAFTING roll and a Quarter Day’s work, includ-

mounted on the rock face, vaguely shaped like a ing the crank with the propeller by which the ship
stylized eagle. Water from one of the waterfalls is driven forward and steered. The gas-­producing
flows between its legs, where a waterwheel of the fungi that lifted the ship have taken root on the
overshot type clearly used to be. The wheel is miss­ slopes and can be collected. The net that kept
ing, as is its axis. them in place has rotted away, but a new one can
be made from the slithernets (page 122) grow-
The Metrochrone was built long ago by horned ing by the boathouse below the temple.
dwarves and most recently managed by the dwarf The ship can only be maneuvered in light or
mechanic known as the Kogler. When the no wind, but can drift in stronger winds. The

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fungi that lift the ship off the ground are grow- metal rods, whistles, strings, and bells. Branches,
ing and constantly producing a gas lighter than tentacles, and half-­formed, human-­like out-
air. For the aircraft to descend, the adventurers growths will soon start playing the instrument
must climb the net and release the fungi, which in a growing and never-­ending cacophony. Soon
then fly off in the wind (and are later replaced by the adventurers notice the forest growing and
new ones). The ship’s anchors were lost back in closing in around the clearing that surrounds
the Drawn Lands. the Watch of the Hermit. The music intensi-
fies and heat starts radiating from both the
instrument and the vegetation, which makes
it hard to get close.
Unless the adventurers intervene, some-
EVENTS one else will soon express concern about Mar-
Here are some events that might occur at the garita’s tunes and argue that the music might
Watch of the Sisters. escalate and spread crimson forest throughout
the country. The whole thing must be stopped.
On the other hand, the red elves are delighted
THE FURIOUS GIRL that things are finally happening. They will
One of the adventurers notices D’Irae speaking stop anyone trying to interfere. Unless some-
to Vheilor with restrained rage, even though thing is done, all hexes adjacent to the Watch of
she is supposed to be mute. “If you kill him, the Sisters will turn into crimson forest, after
it all ends here! I’m not sticking around for which the instrument will explode.
that,” responds Vheilor firmly, causing the
girl to hit herself in the face and run off in
tears. Vheilor looks around for witnesses and THE REDRUNNERS
can now be pressured into revealing his true A squad of elves from Ravenland, twice as many
reason for coming here. as the adventurers, arrive at the site. They have
come to fetch the healer Protelas, but also want
to wipe out all red elves in the area and bring
THE RED ORCHESTRA their rubies back to Ravenland to be restored.
Cavaldo has set up a large instrument in the The squad may include an old acquaintance
crimson forest – a table equipped with ringing from Raven’s Purge, such as Ulmaya or Alsurso.

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 TRIBOLIA OF
THE KOGLER

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

A curtain of water falls outside the mouth of the

cave. Inside is a sulfur-­smelling chamber lit by BACKGROUND
a river of lava flowing down from the volcanic In ancient times, Tribolia was one of the horned
crater on the other side of the cave. The floor is dwarves’ largest smithies, but they were forced
littered with debris. Three huge spheres of stone, to abandon it when it was invaded by demons
seemingly floating in mid-­air, are rotated against shortly after the Demon Flood almost 300 years
each other by gears driven by a paddle wheel in ago. The place has been taboo ever since.
the lava. What looks like a mechanical horse is The dwarf known as the Kogler has alone
standing nearby next to a crashed airship. The defied the great council’s prohibition and returned
cave’s ceiling seems to be made of shimmering metal to figure out how the smithy’s machines work
above the spheres. To the left, where the floor rises so that he can restart them. “The Kogler” is
towards the cave wall, human-­like creatures are not a name, but a professional title. The smithy
locked in combat. To the right, across the lava river, was named after the three floating stone spheres
is a large closed gate. rotating with gears inside the cave.
The Kogler has taken out some of the
smithy’s demons by using blue tar and reacti-
vating a group of mechas – mechanical, mind-
less, dwarf-­like creatures that were constructed

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in the heyday of the smithy and did much of dwarves have appointed a guardian of the smithy
the work. Other than that, he spends most of – the so-­called Kogler. The current Kogler was a
his time mapping the cave’s mechanical details. bit odd even before he was appointed, but the title
The Kogler traveled through the great really went to his head. He became obsessed with
gates of Tribolia in his airship. Unfortunately “claiming his domains” and sailed his airship into
this triggered an old security mechanism that the smithy against the council’s orders. The gate
brought down an iron-­bound stone wall in front slammed shut behind him and would not budge.
of the gate. The dwarven guards damaged the Since no one wanted to come for him, the Kogler had
airship’s envelope so that the light metal seeped to stay in his smithy and has probably died by now.
out and floated to the ceiling.
The Kogler can still come and go through
the same entrance as the adventurers, but he is
wanted in Firestead and therefore as suspicious
as he is discreet. LOCATIONS
Described below are the most important places
in Tribolia of the Kogler.

GETTING HERE 1. THE WATERFALL

Horned dwarves in the area know that a stream The stream gushes out of the rock into the lava river
on the mountainside above the now closed gate below, where it immediately vaporizes. You see the
of Tribolia used to flow into the smithy, but no remains of wooden chutes on the mountain, which
one has tried to get in because of the prohibi- were probably used to redirect the water.
tion. The adventurers can find the stream after
a bit of searching, follow the water, and find The rock reaches down to the valley floor and
the stairs leading down into the mist below the the trail continues across a couple of ravines
waterfall at location #1 on the map of Tribolia. via bridges of stone.

2. THE LAVA RIVER

A fiery river of lava falls from a volcanic crater
LEGEND near the cave’s ceiling on the opposite side of the
In the time of the clans, the grand smithy of Tribo­ valley. The river snakes its way through the cave
lia was the greatest mechanical wonder in Fire­ and is eventually swallowed by a circular chasm
stead. It was possibly rivaled by the fire fountains near the waterfall where you entered. All light in
of Mormender at one point, but those days came to the cave comes from the lava.
an end with the clan wars. Now Tribolia is said to
be abandoned and tainted by demons, so no dwarf A couple of arched stone bridges lead across
with any sense will go there. Since the clan wars, the the lava flows.

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 3. THE FLOOR OF THE SMITHY abandoned. The horse was meant to be a gift
You cross the cave floor through a landscape of waste to the horse clans to celebrate the friendship
heaps, stacks of rotten timber, hard coal and ash, between them and the horned dwarves of Fire-
cracked steamers of patinated copper, flywheels, stead, but Mekefalos could never be delivered.
trip hammers, treadwheels, wooden chutes, thick The Kogler has installed the flywheel from the
chains, carts, twisted metal beams, and more. Metrochrone at the Watch of the Sisters (page
Everything is decrepit with age, but not untidy. 219) inside the horse’s body. That is the part
The place seems carefully arranged with wide which must be returned to the Metrochrone in
streets between heaps and machines. order to activate it. The Kogler has got the horse
running again, only to discover that it is stuck
Some of the coals can still be lit, but the cave in hardened lava and would have to be pulled
is already warm from the lava. free with an amount of force he cannot muster.

MEK EFALOS
4. THE SMELTING CHANNELS A giant mechanical horse. A ladder on the inside
Three wide channels of stone and metal lead away of one of its front legs leads to a space inside the
from the lava river where it calms down below the horse’s chest. From there it is possible to climb
falls from the crater. The channels are equipped back through the torso between various levers
with floodgates and lined with tracks, with shovels and pistons all the way to the flywheel. One can
and a couple of minecarts on both sides. There are also climb forward to the horse’s head where
heavy metal chains lying along the sides of the channels. the machine is controlled through sturdy reins
and more levers and dials. The flywheel driving
The floodgates can be raised with two tread- the horse is stolen from the Metrochrone at the
wheel cranes, but the cordage is rotten and Watch of the Sisters (page 219). Understanding
breaks if anyone tries to use them. If the cord- how to operate the horse requires a successful
age is replaced, the cranes can be operated by CRAFTING or LORE roll.
two people walking inside each wheel, provided
that some solidified lava is first cleared from MEKEFALOS
the floodgates. If the floodgates are raised, the STRENGTH 32
channel is filled with hot lava. ARMOR RATING: 7 (steel)
MECHANICAL: Operating Mekefalos requires
a successful CRAFTING or LORE roll each
5. THE HORSE MEKEFALOS round. This counts as a slow action for
Next to the lava river, in front of the mechanism the driver. Only one adventurer can make
the roll, but others can help. If it succeeds,
that drives the three spheres, stands a huge mechan­
the horse can either move one zone or
ical horse. Someone has recently been working here,
perform an attack with 15 Base Dice and
judging by the fresh metal shavings, tools, and rolls Weapon Damage 2 (blunt force) against
of rope under the horse. There is a ladder on the a target within NEAR range. Whenever
inside of the horse’s front leg. Mekefalos takes damage (one point or
more), there is a risk that the horse will
stop working. Roll D6 – if the result is 1,
The horse called Mekefalos, “the Machine
the horse must be repaired with a suc-
Head,” was one of the last constructions to cessful CRAFTING roll.
be finished before the smithy was invaded and

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 TRIBOLIA OF
THE KOGLER

FREEING MEKEFALOS
The only way to free the mechan-
ical horse is to use Jormensul,
the axle driving the three stone
spheres (#8). This requires a thick
chain, which can luckily be found
along the nearby smelting chan-
nels. The chain must then be
6
attached to the horse. There are
plenty of strong iron beams lying
around, and one of them can be
passed through the horse’s jaw and
a link at one end of the chain. The
other end can easily be hooked
to one of Jormensul’s pegs, in
which case the chain will be wound
around the axle and stretched tight.
When the chain is fully
1
stretched, it yanks the horse so
forcefully that it almost noses
over, but the horse comes unstuck
and its legs start moving as the
chain pulls it forward. Mekefalos
can break the gate blocking the
smithy’s main entrance by kicking
with its hind legs. The horse can
also step over the lava river.

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 12

10
15 11
16
9

4
7
3 13
5 8

14

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 6. THE BLOOD SWAMP 8. JORMENSUL –
At the very back of the cave, where the floor rises, is THE WORLD AXLE
a swamp seemingly bubbling with blood. Rivulets A huge paddle wheel in the lava river causes a thick
of water trickle down the rock face into the swamp. iron axle to turn. The screw at the end of the axle
There appears to be a constant struggle between thin, drives the cogs on the lowest sphere, which in turn
crimson creatures emerging from the swamp and drives the other two. Strewn around the wheel are
dwarves fully clad in metal and armed with hand some metal sheets and other scrap.
drills. Some vegetation can be seen around the swamp
and its damp surroundings – fungi, lichen, moss, The dwarves called the axle Jormensul. Next to
demonic vines, shrubs, and the odd flower or two. the wheel is a simple shed with various shoes
and gloves on wooden shelves, including ther-
The swamp is alive and all that remains of mal insulated shoes with thick bast soles and
the smithy’s demonic elements. Sporewalkers iron shoes that can be used to walk on the
are constantly arising spontaneously from the spheres. There are also thermal insulated gloves
goo, before climbing up and trying to carry and gloves with long metal rods ending in hooks.
the spores away to be spread throughout the
cave. The Kogler’s mechas are fighting them by CLIMBING JORMENSUL: The adventurers
drilling into the creatures’ center and thereby can reach the spheres by climbing Jormensul.
killing them. The fighting takes place in near They must balance on the spokes of the paddle
silence and without emotion. wheel (MOVE roll where failure means falling)
to get to the axle, but better wear bast shoes as
✥ CREATURES: D6 sporewalkers (page the spokes are very hot (otherwise they suffer
123), D6 mechas (page 112). one point of damage to Strength). The drive
shaft itself has protrusions and handholds
which they can then climb (make a MOVE roll
7. THE GREAT GATE with +2). After that they must walk or crawl up
A wide, paved pathway leads up to a massive stone the thread of the screw until they get close to
gate that blocks the smithy’s main entrance. the Grotewola sphere and can catch one of its
loops using the gloves with the hooks as they
The stone gate slammed shut when the Kogler rotate past, so they can get up on the sphere
passed through it in his airship. Unfortunately itself (another MOVE roll).
it got stuck and has therefore not been used for
a long time. The adventurers can still get out
through the waterfall where they entered, but 9. THE GROTEWOLA SPHERE
the only way to leave with Mekefalos, the airship, Above the drive shaft spins the lowest and smallest
and the Metrochrone components is through of the stone spheres, seemingly floating in mid-­air,
the great gate. Opening the gate requires a kick circling a horizontal axis. The equator consists of
from a freed Mekefalos (page 223) or help from thick cogs that drive the sphere above. There are
the dwelvers in Blowdwell (#14). metal loops near the cogs.

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Grotewola has a core of solar tin, a metal that The entire upper part of Weldewola consists
becomes as light as air when heated. The cogged of a circular room that serves as the Kogler’s
belt contains iron which pulls Grotewola towards workshop and is full of junk. This is where
the Freiwola sphere’s magnetic cogs and keeps the adventurers find the Kogler, who is surly
it in place. An adventure with iron shoes can and rude and resents their intrusion. How-
stand and walk on the magnetic surface of the ever, he is not prone to violence and tries
sphere without falling off. Next to the cogged to talk and negotiate his way out of trouble,
belt are metal loops which the hook gloves can be well aware of what his expertise is worth. If
attached to. Without any of these aids, it takes a attacked, he defends himself with the help
successful MOVE roll with –2 to climb the sphere. of two mechas he keeps as assistants at the
smithy. The Kogler knows almost everything
about Tribolia and will gladly show off his
10. THE FREIWOLA SPHERE knowledge out of vanity. He has not figured
The middle sphere, which also seems to float in out how to free Mekefalos.
mid-­air, is bigger than the one below and has two
cogged belts – one offset against the bottom pole ✥ CREATURES: Two mechas and
where it meshes with the sphere below, and one the Kogler.
along the equator which meshes with the largest
sphere. This sphere rotates with the same speed as THE KOGLER OF TRIBOLIA
the bottom one, but around a more vertical axis. It Kogler is not a name, but the title of a dwar-
shimmers in beautiful metallic blue and consists ven master smith. The Kogler of Tribolia is a
of a smoother material than the others. grouchy, elderly dwarf mechanic and inventor,
who illegally trespassed into the forbidden dwar-
As with Grotewola, the metal shoes stick to the ven smithy of Tribolia to devote himself to his
sphere’s surface. It too has a core of solar tin craft. Like most Aslene dwarves, the Kogler is
which is heated by the friction and makes the horned, but his left one is prosthetic due to an
sphere almost weightless. Both of Freiwola’s accident. The left part of his face along with
cogged belts are magnetic, holding it in place the horn is made of brass, its eye a lens that
against the other spheres’ iron belts. The beau- sees in the dark, while doubling as telescope
tiful blue surface is thin and purely cosmetic. and loupe. His left arm is mechanical, which
is not immediately discernible since it is cov-
ered by a sleeve and glove. The master smith
11. THE WELDEWOLA SPHERE always dresses and sleeps in dirty and stinking
The largest sphere is kept up by a thick metal axle working clothes.
running between the floor and the ceiling. It spins The Kogler is unarmed, but in a pinch he
more slowly than the other two as its cogged belt has will defend himself using his tools and his very
more cogs. Near the axle, at the top of the sphere, powerful mechanical arm. As a person, the
there are door and window openings from which Kogler is headstrong, easily irritated, suspicious
lamplight spills out. Smoke rises from a chimney. and contemptuous of the slow-witted, which to

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 ATTACKS WITH THE MECHANICAL ARM
D6 ATTACK
1 GRIP! The Kogler takes firm grip on an
enemy. The victim suffers an attack
with six Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 1 (blunt force). If the attack
hits, the victim becomes GRAPPLED
and automatically suffers the critical
wound Broken Arm (blunt force 44–45).
Neither the Kogler nor the victim fall
to the ground. However, any weapons
held by the victim are dropped. The
Kogler can attack the grappled victim,
or other targets, with his other hand.
2 A FIST TO THE FACE! The mechanical arm
trembles when the Kogler clutches his
fist as hard as he can. With an incred-
ible force the arm shoots through
the air, attacking an enemy. Perform
an attack with eight Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 2 (blunt force). The
attack can be parried with a shield.
3 THROW SCRAP! The Kogler grabs a hold
of a large piece of scrap in the room and
throws it at an enemy at up to NEAR
distance. Perform an attack with seven
Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1 (the
object determines the type of damage).
The victim must pass a roll for MIGHT
or fall to the ground (no action). Now
stuck under the object, the victim must
him basically is everyone until proven otherwise. spend a short action to break free.
He is cunning and knows when to negotiate and 4 CRUSH WEAPON! The mechanical fist
when to dominate. He feels no loyalty to the firmly grips an enemy’s weapon,
dwarven community since it rejected him, but attempting to break it. Perform an
loves construction, machines and smart solu- attack with five Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 1. The attack deals damage to
tions with a passion.
the weapon instead of the enemy. The
attack can be parried.
THE KOGLER
5 SHOOT KNIVES! A handful of sharp
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3 blades shoot out from the arm
SKILLS: Melee 2, Crafting 5, Sleight of against D3 targets at up to NEAR dis-
Hand 2, Lore 3, Insight 2, Manipulation 2 tance. Each target suffers an attack
TALENTS: Firm grip 2, Smith 3
with five Base Dice and Weapon
Damage 2 (stab wound).
ARMOR RATING: 6
6 KNOCKOUT! With a surgical strike, the
MECHANICAL EYE: The Kogler can see at Kogler punches an enemy. Perform an
DISTANT range with incredible detail, see attack with six Base Dice and Weapon
in darkness, and through smoke and fog. Damage 2 (blunt force). If the attack deals
MECHANICAL ARM: The mechanical arm lets damage, the victim falls unconscious and
the Kogler perform monster attacks. See must make a STAMINA roll (no action) at
the adjacent table. the start of every turn to wake up.
 12. THE LIGHT METAL LAKE 14. BLOWDWELL
Directly above the three spheres, the ceiling seems Next to the lava river is a strange little house seem­
to be made of shimmering metal. Those taking a ingly filled with what looks like a large bladder
closer look can see that the surface is not solid, but whose translucent membranes bulge out of the doors
rather makes waves as the air moves in the cave and windows. At the back of the house is something
that resembles a large bellows with the nozzle shoved
The metal ceiling is not forged, but made of through a hole in the house. Moving closer, you see
accumulated light metal. It flows like mer- two pale little creatures pressing their noses against
cury, but is lighter than air. Most of it comes the membranes and waving to get your attention.
from the Kogler’s airship whose envelope was
damaged as he sailed it through the great gate The creatures’ names are Bydmer Dribblecliff and
of Tribolia, which caused the metal to leak Aramilia Crack, and they are dwelvers from the
out and rise to the ceiling. The adventurers depths of the earth. The adventurers may already
can climb up Weldewola’s axle and fetch light have encountered dwelvers in Stonegarden in
metal in buckets. Raven’s Purge and learned that they are the
underground ancestors of the dwarves.
The dwelvers’ voices cannot be heard and
13. THE AIRSHIP they gesture to the people outside by rhythmi-
Below the largest stone sphere lies what looks like a cally bringing their palms together – this is their
small, slightly damaged ship. The rigging appears way of telling the adventurers to increase the
to have consisted of a large leather bag fastened pressure in the house by pumping the bellows. If
with rope. The bag is ruptured and lies flaccid they do, they can hear the dwelvers’ voices and
next to the hull. Inside the ship is a longitudinal communicate through the membranes.
crankshaft that ends in a propeller. If the adventurers try to cut their way inside,
the dwelvers will be terrified and wave for them to
The Kogler’s airship landed gently and is stop, since the air would kill them (in a Quarter
in good condition, but cannot fly as all the Day). The membranes in the bladder overlap in
light metal has leaked out of the envelope certain places so that food can be sent in through a
and accumulated in the cave’s ceiling. The primitive airlock. The only way to get the dwelvers
Kogler cannot climb up and fetch the metal out is to fetch their suits, which are found in the
by himself and the mechas are too clumsy chapel (#15). See the box on the next page.
and stupid. If the leather envelope is repaired
(CR AFTING roll and a Quarter Day’s work), it BYDMER DRIBBLECLIFF
can be filled until the ship takes off again. It AND AR AMALIA CR ACK
is driven forward by hand-­cranked propellers The dwelvers Bydmer and Aramalia resemble
and steered with the rudder. However, the meter-­high fetuses, half-­formed and hairless, with
great gate must be opened before anyone can extremely pale skin that shimmers with moisture
fly outside. and facial features that do not seem entirely con-
stant, but float around over the bones of their faces.

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 THE DWELVERS’ STORY example, the dwelvers can help blow up
Adventurers who manage to speak with the gate, since they are proficient with
the dwelvers will learn that they were explosives – a technique they will not
trapped by the Kogler. They went up to share with surface creatures.
Tribolia in peace to see what was going on The dwelvers can also tell them
when they suddenly heard the smithy’s more about the Metrochrone – that
safety door close. They wore protective it is a narrative clock that brings forth
suits because they are vulnerable to the paradigm shifts in the world. It must be
gases in the smithy, but the suits were restarted for the dwelvers to proceed
punctured by the Kogler’s mechas. with certain projects in the under-
The dwelvers almost died, but ground. For this reason they support
managed to inflate their emergency the adventurers and advise them on
tent Blowdwell inside the cabin where how to repair the clock, but will not
they have been trapped ever since. The willingly go with them to the Watch of
Kogler took their suits, without which the Sisters.
they cannot leave Blowdwell. He gives The dwelvers have no sense of
them food, but experiments with what honor towards surface creatures and
they can and cannot eat and questions will slip down through some crack in
them. He has probably repaired their the mountain as soon as they think
suits and hidden them in case he ever they have shown enough gratitude.
needs to take them away. Their suits are as elastic as their bodies,
Adventurers who help the dwelvers which allows them to squeeze through
will be offered something in return. For cracks no wider than a hand.

BYDMER AND ARAMALIA depicting a human on horseback. The statue is

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 5, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3 missing its sword arm and is in pretty bad shape
SKILLS: Endurance 3, Crafting 3, Stealth 3, overall. The stairs that once led up to the chapel
Sleight of Hand 2, Move 3, Lore 2, Survival 3, have been removed.
Manipulation 2
Climbing up to the chapel is fairly easy
( MOVE + 2), but one can also use a ladder
15. THE CHAPEL found behind the ledge. This is a chapel of
On a rock ledge above the floor you see a small, friendship built in the time of Sella the Lib-
run-­down marble chapel with a statue outside erator, and he is the rider depicted by the

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statue. The statue was damaged during the elastic material, with some moss growing inside
war with the Lusitarians. them. A halfling may be able squeeze into them.
On the rock wall inside the chapel is an These are the dwelvers’ suits which they need in
exact copy of the Fresco of Sella, which the order to escape captivity in Tribolia.
adventures may have already seen at the temple
in Ashenstead and that depicts Sella the Libera-
tor with his Astra (page 62). This is actually 16. THE WHISTLE HOUSE
the original blueprint from which Horn’s Astra A loud whistling sound shrieks through the entire
were created in Tribolia long ago. cave. You trace the noise to a small building near
The horned dwarves created the artifacts the rock wall. There are four metal pipes of dif­
as an experiment and to get the horse clans on ferent lengths sticking out of it.
their side after they were cursed by the goddesses
Wail and Flow. They dared not wield the Astra The house acts as a four-­note steam whistle. Each
themselves due to the severe side effect of accel- note is sounded individually every three hours,
erated aging, but thought it more appropriate after which the cycle starts again. The process
to study the effect on the horse warriors who occurs automatically by means of water that
do not live very long anyway. flows down the rock wall, into the house and is
vaporized by the lava below. As the pressure rises
THE DWELVERS’ SUITS: In a cabinet in the in its tank, the whistle blows and the mechanism
chapel hang two small suits made of strangely switches pipes, and then the pressure starts build-
ing up again. The Kogler has divided the cave’s
mechas into four teams, each responding to a
separate note. The teams can be identified by
the paint he has smeared on their breastplates:
RECREATING ASTRA red, green, yellow, and white. When the whistle
The Kogler claims that he can use sounds, the working team goes to rest and wind
the fresco to recreate Astra that each other up while another team leaves the
have been destroyed or disap- whistle house and picks up where they left off.
peared from the world, on the
following conditions:
✥ He gets five living elven
rubies to work with for each
Astra that is to be recreated. EVENTS
✥ He gets 10 gold coins worth There are no special events at this adventure
of gold for each Astra that is site, other than interactions with the Kogler
to be recreated. and the dwelvers. However, if the adventurers
✥ He gets one week to com- come here late in the campaign, key players
plete the task. and their associates could arrive to grab the
Metrochrone components and restart the clock.

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 AGNOSTICA

TYPE OF ADVENTURE SITE: Settlement

You see a square, heavily weathered, forty-­meter-­ stole the Eighth Mother from the Seventh. But
high pyramid that looks like it has been there the temple’s name goes back further than that.
for thousands of years. Rocky ramps on all sides, Once it materializes, the temple seems
which probably used to be stairs, lead up to the suspended in mid-­air 70 meters above ground,
top where a rectangular, black monolith awaits. perpendicular to the ground with gardens and
Several armies and key players have already everything, hence “the Hanging Gardens of
arrived and set up camp around the place. People Agnostica,” which was considered one of great
seem to be looking for something at the top of the wonders of the age. There is no explanation as
ruin, digging among the stones and discussing to how the temple can stay in the air like this
with each other. – the whole thing is considered a perfect illu-
sion conjured by long dead mentalist masters.
In ancient times, Agnostica was actually a
constant source of discussion about what distin-
guishes reality from perception, illusion, and inter-
BACKGROUND pretation. It was precisely for that purpose that
Agnostica is the moon elves’ old temple in the temple was built, which explains the name.
Aslene. The name means “that which must Having fled to Ravenland and later to Aslene
not be known,” which is fitting since the moon with Octomadria 1200 years ago, the moon
elves have tried to stay hidden ever since they elves settled down with their kin in Agnostica,

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but quickly realized that the worm people, the
Seventh, would find them sooner or later. They LOCATIONS
could not get rid of Octomadria. Described below are the most important places
That is why the moon elves made the temple at Agnostica.
disappear from the world for a period of time
linked to the Metrochrone, the giant clock at
the Watch of the Sisters. The clock stopped 1. THE PYRAMID
when the Kogler in Tribolia stole essential parts You stand before a crumbling stone pyramid where
of it, and must be restarted for the temple to the remains of terraces and stairs are the only
return to the world. indications that it is a building and not just a
pile of rubble. At the top of the pyramid is a black
monolith.

The ruin is not yet real, but merely a projec-

GETTING HERE tion of what it will look like in a thousand
Agnostica does not materialize until four of years or so. To summon the present-­day pyra-
the volcanoes known as the Sons of Horn (page mid the time altar inside the monolith must
55) have awakened and the Metrochrone at be activated.
the Watch of the Sisters has been restarted. Then The monolith appears to be made of black
the temple emerges in one of the hexes around stone and cannot be moved, since it is imma-
the last dormant volcano in Aslene. Which vol- terial. The monolith is six meters high, four
cano it is depends on the order in which Horn’s meters wide, and one meter thick. It opens if
Astra are found and claimed, since each Astra is touched by one of Horn’s Astra with Level 3
connected to a certain horse clan and volcano. (page 61) or all four of the moonstones found
At first the temple pyramid only appears as it in Aslene (including those inside Vinhelm Kaal
will look in the distant future – as a crumbling and Fiena Fromelei).
ruin on the ground. This illusion is connected to The monolith opens to reveal a door that is
a time altar behind a black monolith at the top of three meters high and two meters wide. Behind
the ruin. For more information, see location #1. it is a square, windowless, black room with a
lone altar. If the Astra or the moonstones are
placed on the altar, the monolith turns into a
70-meter-­high pillar and the temple Agnostica
emerges along with the Dimension Knot (#2).
LEGEND
They say that the moon elves in the time before time The top of the tall pillar which a moment ago was a
built a temple with wondrous gardens that floated monolith holds what looks like a large knot of stone.
over Aslene. The temple could only be seen when Here and there are circular openings towards the
the moon was full and never appeared in the same center of the knot. What looks like a stone bridge
place twice, but was said to gleam like mother-­of-­ protrudes from one side of the knot towards a
pearl, so that all who saw it would sit spellbound temple building seemingly floating in the air, sev­
in the night until it vanished. The memory alone enty meters above ground and perpendicular to
is enough to bring tears to the driest of eyes, and yet the ground. An equally vertical garden is hanging
nobody can describe what they have seen. under the temple.

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 THE KEY PLAYERS AT AGNOSTICA they will take over a bird’s skeleton
Depending on how the game has devel- and fly up there.
oped, you decide which key players come ✥ VINHELM KAAL and Fiena Fromelei will
to Agnostica and when they arrive. Some work together once she becomes a
may have gotten there before the adven- moon elf and can access his memo-
turers. The constellations consist of at ries. They head for Agnostica to return
least two opposing armies. all the moonstones to the temple,
The first key players to arrive at activate its time altar, and make it
Agnostica only find the ruin of the temple disappear forever along with the
pyramid. No one understands what to do Eighth Mother.
or where they can find the Eighth Mother. ✥ KONANA and the Vasnians have no
The armies position themselves around interest of their own in the Eighth
the ruin, negotiate with each other, and Mother and are only here because an
decide to exchange ideas. You can use the ally wants to get hold of the creature
key players present for violent confronta- or stop someone else from doing so.
tions, negotiations, and diplomacy. ✥ VAEREFOR VAN REIBEN: If Vaerefor
✥ SELLIGAR HORNE has no personal inter- possesses the Goblet Staff of Have,
est in the Eighth Mother and is only he thinks he will be able to turn the
here because an ally wants to get hold Eighth Mother into a red elf, in which
of the creature or stop someone else case he would have a god on his side.
from doing so. Otherwise he could be here because
✥ POANSA MOULTER wants the Eighth an ally wants to get hold of the crea-
Mother whom she believes to be Wyrm ture or stop someone else from doing
Reborn. Poansa searches the ruin’s so. When Agnostica has materialized,
exterior and examines the monolith. If he can summon demonic vegetation
the adventurers cannot figure out how beneath the temple which grows until
to open the monolith (previous page), the red elves can climb up.
Poansa can do it instead. ✥ THE DREAMSTRESS will likely come to
✥ COLONEL GRUDENSTAAL wants to kill Agnostica as an ally of Vaerefor or
the Eighth Mother whom he believes someone else, without any personal
to be Wyrm Reborn. He too can figure interest in the Eighth Mother. When
out how to open the monolith. she arrives, the Dreamstress sits
✥ FIENA FROMELEI: If Fiena has not yet down to dream of the creature in the
gotten hold of a moonstone, she temple and realizes that it is pow-
senses their presence in Agnostica erful enough to dream her back to
and seeks them out. If Fiena already Eoni. She will then make this her top
has a moonstone, she can now turn priority and secretly seek new alli-
into a moon elf and get behind Vin- ances. This could become a key ele-
helm Kaal’s agenda. ment in thwarting the plans of Vaer-
✥ THE SEVENTH know that the Eighth efor or the Seventh, since the Eighth
Mother is kept at Agnostica and have Mother under the Dreamstress’ guid-
come to reclaim her. This is their only ance can dream them both away to
goal and their sole purpose in life. Eoni and thus disappear from Aslene
Once the floating temple appears, forever.
 2. THE PILLAR OF WRATH up like a spider (no roll required). The pillar is
The pillar seems to be made of black stone. It is designed as a safeguard against the Seventh,
smooth and glossy and there is nothing to climb. since they do not understand emotions and
therefore cannot climb the pillar.
The pillar cannot be climbed by level-­headed Play this by asking the players what mood
creatures. But an angry individual can grip their characters are in. Until their answer is angry
the metal with hands and feet and easily climb or irritated, they cannot get a grip on the pillar.

3
b

a e
c

YR AMID
THE P
 3. THE DIMENSION KNOT THE BIRD CAGES: There are two stylized bird
You reach a platform from which a spiral staircase cages at each of Portals A, C, and E; one on
leads into the stone knot’s interior. either side of the gateway. Inside each bird cage
is a carved wooden bird as well as an egg – the
There is only one winding staircase from the side facing the cage floor is of black obsidian,
platform through the knot and it leads out the other is of silvery metal that has spread to
at Portal A, where the first bird cage is found the ceiling, since it is light metal which floats
(see below). The adventurers can then move on upwards. All eggs are engraved with the rune
the upper side to one of the other portals and of Flow and can be picked up.
descend the stairs from there. Adventurers who Since Portals A, C, and E as well as their
move too far out must make a MOVE roll not to eggs each have their own “down,” the adven-
fall off the dimension knot, likely to their death. turers can pick up eggs that fall in six different
directions. One egg of each direction is required
ALTERED GR AVITY: Each time the adven- to activate the orb in the chapel (#10).
turers follow the stairs through the knot, from
Portal B to C and from Portal D to E, the
THE TEMPLE
gravity changes, so that the portal they come AGNOSTICA
out of feels like it is positioned horizontally. In
other words, the adventurers will feel as though
the staircase runs from the underside up to
the ground.
If the adventurers have done it right as
they reach Portal E, the Bridge of Joy (loca-
tion #6) and the temple with its gardens will
be positioned horizontally. The ground below
the temple will then seem like a horizontal wall.
If the visitors take any other route to the
temple, gravity will be normal and the floor
of the temple will be vertical. This means
6 7 8
that moving inside the temple requires
climbing (MOVE rolls where failure
results in falling).
5 9

4
10

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 4. THE BRIDGE OF JOY and immediately grow back after being picked
The stone bridge appears to be floating in mid-­air. from their branches. The fruits have different
The temple and its gardens await on the other side. flavors and some even taste of deliciously cooked
fish or meat.
Whether the player characters perceive the Fruits picked from a vertical garden feel
temple as vertical or horizontal depends on strange in one’s mouth as the bite wants to fall
which route they took through the Dimen- sideways rather than down to the stomach, and
sion Knot (#3). the victim gets a stomach ache after one turn,
The Bridge of Joy is another safeguard since the intestines have trouble digesting the
against the Seventh who do not understand strange food. Treat it as an attack that deals
emotions, and can only be crossed by people in damage to Strength, with seven Base Dice and
a joyful mood. Those who do not feel joy, or Weapon Damage 1.
lose their joy midway, will fall straight through Unlocked doors lead to the Hall of Serenity
the bridge as though it were made of sand. Play (#6), whose far end holds a bell tower.
this by asking the players what mood their char-
acters are in. Unless their answer is joyful or
happy, the bridge will not hold. 6. THE HALL OF SERENITY
If anyone falls from the bridge, the “down- The doors open into a large hall with long tables.
ward” direction returns to normal and the The far end of the hall is elevated with what looks
unfortunate person falls to the ground 80 like a high seat and table of honor. From the ceiling
meters further down. The person can be pulled hangs chandeliers and ten statues of warriors are
back up if they were secured with a rope. standing along the walls.

This hall is where the moon elves gathered for

5. THE HANGING GARDENS meals and assembly, but it is now empty. As
OF AGNOSTICA soon as anyone walks one third of the way into
After crossing the stone bridge you reach a beautiful the room, some of the statues (as many as the
floating garden full of fruit trees and flowers. In adventurers) come to life and start attacking all
the garden is an L-­shaped temple pavilion with a intruders. But if the adventurers stand still and
bell tower. There are no living creatures in sight do not defend themselves, the statues’ swords
except for some birds and bees. stop just before hitting their target, after which
they return to their posts.
At the end of the Bridge of Joy, the adventurers Adventurers who defend themselves must
reach an exquisite garden that is either horizon- instead fight them to the death. The hall can
tal or vertical depending on how they got there. be bypassed by climbing up the bell tower
Either way the garden behaves as if standing and taking the stairs down to the dais. This
on the ground, with singing fountains, birds, can be particularly convenient if the temple
and bees flying around the trees. In the garden is vertical.
stands the temple Agnostica.
The garden is lush with flowers and fruits ✥ CREATURES: Stone warriors, as many as
that can be eaten and gathered as provisions the adventurers.
 STONE WARRIOR 9. THE DORMITORY
STRENGTH 10, AGILITY 2 You enter a fifteen-­meter corridor with six doors
SKILLS: Scouting 1 on either side. The far end is a stone wall. Above

ARMOR RATING: 6 each door is a name. High up the far stone wall is
an inscription that reads: “She is in our names.”
ATTACKS: Slash, seven Base Dice and
Weapon Damage 2 (slash wound). Stab,
seven Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2 Starting from the entrance, the twelve names are:
(stab wound). Parry, five Base Dice.
STONE WEAPONS: The stone warriors cannot LEFT SIDE RIGHT SIDE
be disarmed, but their weapons can be dam- Iacolne Farber
aged. If the statues’ Strength is lower than Druer Mazurenda
the number of Base Dice for attack or parry,
Sisela Salunia
their current Strength rating is used instead.
Zentuner Snetom
Ocroende Totelema
Vinhelm Rumsander
7. THE VISIONARIUM
Beyond the dais you reach a small passageway with Behind the unlocked door to each alcove is the
windows on both sides and a door in the far wall. moon elf whose name is carved above the door.
They are all decomposed corpses, including Vin-
The windows of the Visionarium show moving helm and Salunia (Fiena).
scenes from other worlds, but they are only projec-
tions. Behind the glass is nothing but a stone wall. THE SOLUTION TO THE RIDDLE: By open-
ing the following five doors in the correct order,
the name Octomadria forms from the first
8. THE CHAPEL two letters of each name: Ocroende – Totelema
An empty, windowless chapel. There are rows of – Mazurenda – Druer – Iacolne. When this
benches on either side of the aisle. In front it hovers happens, another door emerges in the stone
what seems to be a meter-­wide marble orb. At the wall at the end of the corridor which leads to
back of the room is a closed door of stone. Octomadria’s chamber.

The door cannot be opened with physical force, ✥ CREATURES: The moment the door to
but only by activating the orb. It has six small, Octomadria’s chamber appears, the dead
round depressions, one on each side. Adventurers moon elves are restored to the prime of
who examine the orb more closely will find the their lives and confront the intruders.
symbol of Flow at the bottom of each depression. This does not apply to Vinhelm and Sal-
If the six bird eggs from the Dimension Knot unia (Fiena), who are instead replaced by
(#3) are placed in these depressions so that their their present-­day versions.
direction of fall is toward the orb’s center, the orb
is activated and the door to the Dormitory opens.

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 OCTOMADRIA

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 10. OCTOMADRIA’S CHAMBER if the weapons they wield are Horn’s Astra. They
Beyond the door at the end of the corridor is a win­ could also offer her the opportunity to take on
dowless chamber with a semicircular alcove. On the role of Wyrm, after which they intend to
the raised floor of the alcove stands a throne with gather believers and subjugate the heretics in
three empty seats on either side. Ravenland, Aslene, and Alderland, and seize
power over the three countries. Konana or
✥ CREATURES: The key player Octomadria Selligar Horne could be allied with Poansa or
(page 99). Grudenstaal, but they themselves have nothing
to offer Octomadria.

THE MOON ELVES

THE SHOWDOWN Together with the moon elves, Vinhelm Kaal
Agnostica is the intended location for the final and Fiena Fromelei (Salunia) do their best to
showdown of the campaign Legacy of Horn. keep Octomadria in Agnostica until the temple
Below is a summary of what certain key play- and the snake woman fade from existence once
ers might do during the finale. How it all plays more. If there is a risk of her falling into the
out will of course be largely determined by the hands of the Seventh, they immediately try
adventurers’ actions. to kill her.

THE SEVENTH VAEREFOR VAN REIBEN

If the Seventh encounter Octomadria’s earlier Vaerefor van Reiben can offer to make Octo­
forms, they immediately try to kill them to madria godmother of Reiben with the aim of
summon her final form. Faced with her final conquering Ravenland, Aslene, and Alderland.
form, they throw themselves at the creature to If the Dreamstress is allied with Vaerefor and
assimilate it and turn Octomadria into the god- hears of his plans, she will try to sabotage his
dess Meat with power over all living things. This alliance with the Eighth Mother. Alternatively,
appeals to Octomadria, but whether she actually the Dreamstress may already have realized that
agrees to mother the eighth generation of worm Octomadria has enough power to dream them
people depends on whether someone else can both to her home world Eoni and offers to
make her a better offer. If Octomadria refuses make the Eighth Mother goddess of all Eoni.
their request, the Seventh will simply lie down
to die as their lives no longer have any meaning.
AGNOSTICA FADES AWAY
D6 days after Octomadria’s chamber has been
POANSA AND GRUDENSTAAL opened, or whenever you see fit, the temple
Poansa and Grudenstaal may try to kill Agnostica will fade from the world forever, leav-
Octomadria at first sight, which is only possible ing just the ruin of the terraced pyramid behind.

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 AFTERMATH

T
his section describes what might happen in the wake
of Legacy of Horn. It is meant to offer guidance and
tips that you can use based on the choices and alli-
ances the players have made over the course of the game.

✥ Octomadria has either joined the dom-

THE SITUATION inant faction or vanished from the

AFTER THE FINALE world along with the Dreamstress or the

moon elves. If she remains in the world,
The campaign Legacy of Horn can of course Octomadria can pose as Wyrm Reborn or
end in any number of ways depending on the as the Eighth Mother.
players’ actions. A temporary and fragile peace ✥ At least four of Horn’s Astra have been
settles over Aslene as the winners consolidate found and claimed, but it turns out that
their power and establish contacts in Raven- the artifacts can only be used in emergen-
land. Here are some suggestions on what the cies, since each use comes at the cost of
situation could look like. accelerated aging.
✥ A key player or alliance, with or without ✥ The dominant faction in Aslene plans to
the adventurers, dominates Aslene. Their attack Alderland and seeks military allies
rival key players are neutralized, dead, in Ravenland. The winning faction from
subjugated, or gone from the world. Raven’s Purge would be an appropriate
✥ The moon elves have either disappeared partner. The attack on Alderland becomes
along with Agnostica and Octomadria or the start of a future expansion set in
chosen to stay because the threat of the Alderland.
Seventh no longer exists.

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 From that point on, anything in the
POST-­FINALE cauldron ages to destruction in a matter of

EVENTS moments. Living creatures die, decay, turn to

skeletons, and finally to dust that blows away.
Here are some events that can occur after the Stones crumble into dust and blow away. Iron
campaign finale. rusts, becomes dust, and blows away.
When the cauldron awakens, its water is
vaporized in a minute, which will cause extreme
GANDER’S PASS IS OPENED rainfall in the area during the week that follows.
After the conclusion of Legacy of Horn, Gander’s All that remains is an empty, hemispherical
Pass will be opened to Alderland as the begin- crater with a radius and depth of 500 meters.
ning of a future expansion set in the country On the ground in its center is what from
to the southeast. Exactly when this occurs does a distance looks like a building shaped like the
not matter, so in the meantime you can easily symbol of Flow. Anything that comes near it
keep playing in Aslene or elsewhere. is annihilated. An observant individual will
But before the opening of Gander’s Pass a recognize that the cauldron is a giant copy of
player character, or perhaps all of them, has a the depressions in the Altar of Flow.
dream where a woman leads them by the hand
to a door into a mountain. The path to the
door is lined by huge pillars of stone, and a THE BOOK OF WINDS
yellow-­eyed vulture caws from its perch on an BECOMES KNOWN
altar. The goddess Flow plucks the moon from The Book of Winds can be found at the Temple
the sky and places it on the altar, and then the of Winds (page 217), but its older parts cannot
door opens. Beyond it is a lush land with lots be understood without the Book of Water. The
of people. Books of Wind and Water will reappear in a
In the dream, Flow says: “This land I give future expansion, but for now it does not really
to you, if you can take it!” matter who gets their hand on the Book of
Winds, since it is currently as indestructible
as it is unusable.
THE CAULDRON OF FLOW If the book’s existence becomes publicly
The Cauldron of Flow is a circular, kilometer-­ known, it will strengthen the Vasnians’ cause
wide lake which can be placed in any hex on the and claim to Aslene. The horned dwarves of
map. The lake has no function until it awakens, Firestead in particular believe that a substan-
which it does as soon as the Metrochrone at the tial part of the country should be returned to
Watch of the Sisters is reactivated (page 219). the Vasnians.

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 SELLIGAR HORNE
OF HAVENMARK
It is said that the Houns’ chieftain, Selligar Horne of Havenmark, emerged
from his mother’s womb a capable rider. He mounted the nearest horse, and
with the umbilical cord fluttering in the wind, he immediately rode off to
inspect his domains. Only afterwards did he return to her breast. The father
was never again allowed near his wife, for the boy was jealous and believed
that further offspring could only be inferior to himself. He was strong from
birth and slew his first challengers in combat before he had grown his fourth
tooth. Now he rides across the plains as a proud youth, like his ancestor Sella the
Liberator before him, intent on gathering the clans so that all foreign malice
can be driven from the Bloodmarch. The seers say that Selligar is destined to
rule Ravenland and Alderland as well. He means to open the Galder Gorge
to Alderland, and lifted one of the giant pillars with his bare arms just to
prove himself worthy of such a task. But the time for doing so has not yet come.

COLONEL GRUDENSTAAL
Oh yes, I’ve met Colonel Grudenstaal, the man they call the fist of the Ironbrows.
A ruthless man to be sure, like when Holy Frensia was promised by the king –
the old man feared the reprisal of the gods, you see – that she would never be
exiled to Ravenland, and Grudenstaal kept the monarch’s word by personally
kicking the seer over the edge of the precipice. But the man is more than just a
hard heart. He listens to everybody and does not hesitate to change his mind if
he likes your advice. He is certainly proud, so much so that he always goes his
own way, and nobody knows what he might do. I suppose that’s why the powers
that be in Alderland had him sent off to the Bloodmarch.

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 POANSA MOULTER
You might think that Poansa is called “moulter” because of her flaking skin.
Not so. It’s because she leaves empty shells of people in her wake. The shells are
not her own, but the remains of those she has devoured along the way. One
of them was Grenemer Treba, count of Strula until that venomous woman
seduced him and found his secret Rust Altar. Once imprisoned he demanded,
as a nobleman, to be executed by iron – for religious reasons that would become
clear later – and appealed to Ad Vipera on the matter. He was surprised to
find Poansa in one of the council seats. But the Moulter granted his wish and
had him executed by iron as requested: they pounded iron nails through his
body until the screams died down and the blood stopped flowing.

FIENA FROMELEI
They say that one of the Penites’ powerful moon priestesses from Belifar has
been sent to the Bloodmarch to finally eradicate the sin that the cult attributes
to halflings and the goddess Eor. The priestess will seek forgiveness for some
wrong committed by her kin at the time of the Shift, and will do so at the secret
temple of the moon elves, although no one has ever seen it. Come to think of it,
no one has even seen a moon elf, have they? So how she will accomplish this is
anyone’s guess. Personally, I’ve barely even seen a halfling. Perhaps it’s all
made up? Might as well forget the whole thing!

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 KONANA
Konana is the salt of the mountains. The blood of the country flows through her
veins with the power of the ancients. She is the coming of spring after a bitter
winter, the ray of sunlight that cuts like a sharp blade through the fleeing dark­
ness of the storm. In her I put my trust, for she will lead the Vasnians back to our
stolen plains, break the legs of the horses, and cave in the skulls of their riders.

VAEREFOR VAN REIBEN

I once saw the lord of the red elves with my own eyes. He stood on top of a giant
slug that crawled its way through the pass where cousin Welia and I were pick­
ing bird’s eggs on the mountainside. Vaerefor van Reiben they call him, and that
face of his might as well be made of bark. They say he lives among the growths
of the crimson forests – the ones that have gotten bigger lately, as you’ve probably
heard. I believe he has something to do with it!

THE DREAMSTRESS
Your dog ran away, eh? Well then, you should see the Dreamstress in Oxengelder
who knows where everything is and where everyone’s gone. There, in the lime­
stone region just below the mountains, she runs a school for dreamers. They say
the Dreamstress is a giant, bigger than a house but milder than cream, teaching
the so-­inclined how to galder dream, so that the dreams inform them about the
world and can even alter things that displease them. But me, I prefer a good
night’s sleep and to leave the world as it is.
 THE SEVENTH
I’ve been told that a handful of stern-­looking priests recently arrived in Raven­
land from beyond the seas, having made the same journey as the humans who
first landed on our shores. The priests are on a mission from the snake god to
make sure that the humans honor the god properly. Apparently no one can
endure the sight of their faces, which is why they’re all wearing masks.
The priests are said to be carrying strong shackles on their belts, with orders
to once more enslave the humans if they have not proven worthy of the freedom
they received as a test from the god. They leave the skeletons of the tried and
rejected in their wake, but cannot die themselves. When these terrible judges
heard of Fangler’s prophecy, that Wyrm had been reborn in Aslene, they headed
west to worship the god in his new form and pronounce their final judgment
on humanity. If you cross their path with an impure mind, beware.

OCTOMADRIA –
THE EIGHTH MOTHER
Did you hear the rumor that Wyrm will be reborn in Aslene? The Prophet
Fangler in Alderland, that fellow with the all-­seeing third eye, supposedly had
a clear-­cut vision from the gods. Mark my words, this will only bring calam­
ity upon us. They say the Congregation of the Serpent has already sent troops
to Aslene to receive their god and that Bretien the Procreator is mobilizing
a defense in Kantamar. Calamity, I say, and calamity there will be! It’s best
when things return to normal and all that’s turned upside down is the soil
under the farmer’s plow.

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 TAREGYLL
It is said that Taregyll beyond Shadowgate Pass is the last stop of the dead, where
demon-­tainted wretches come from all over Aslene to find peace in the lava.
Some even say that the burning fissures are pathways between life and death.
Visitors who have returned across the pass claim that this is all nonsense
meant to keep foreigners away from the riches that lie abandoned and ripe for
the picking in the devastated western regions of Aslene.
The red forests in those parts are scary alright, but mostly for demons and
other unnatural filth, which makes it a good place for adventurers to prepare
for expeditions into the unknown.

ASHENSTEAD
When Horn wished to forge the holy Astra as weapons for Sella the Liberator
to use against the Vasnian hordes, the volcano god raised Mount Faltenvil like
an anvil from the plains and summoned his blacksmith Ungule from deep
beneath the earth. On the face of Faltenvil the Astra were forged, but so great
was the heat of the smoldering blacksmith that none other than Horn himself
could assist him, and so bright was the forge’s light that no one could even look
at the mountain. But once Ungule returned underground and the mountain
cooled, the horse clans built the temple of Ashenstead on its summit so the priests
could watch over the country and safeguard its unity. So arduous was Ungule’s
work that his hands were blistered and bloodied, and his blue blood remained
on the plains. Horn’s wife, Have, gathered the blood in a bucket and used it to
water her garden so that it would not go to waste, and from it grew the blue
pines of the Bloodmarch, whose sap becomes holy blue tar.

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 SALTERSTAY
It is said that the nameless sky goddess is too proud to take any notice of the
ground below. And yet she wants to see it beautiful to emphasize her own
beauty. To put some color on the canvass of the world she created the rainbow
Tincturus, whose colors are released with the rain to paint the flowers, trees,
and rocks in splendid hues. Tincturus thrives in the sky, so the sky goddess had
to lure the great painter down by hiding treasures in the earth which the rain­
bow is searching for like a truffle pig. One who acts quickly might get there first
to claim the treasure, but would be competing with drakewyrms and must
beware of their ravenous greed.

OXENGELDER
Have you heard of Oxengelder – the paradise of dreams? It’s said that all the
country’s peace and beauty took refuge in Oxengelder as the Demon Flood raged
into Aslene. There the gentle giantess welcomes anyone of pure heart and open
mind to study oneiromancy, the art of dreaming up a wonderful life! Would
you rather dance than fight? Rather love than hate? Would you give life a
second chance? Then let the dream come true! If you go to Oxengelder, be sure
to wear flowers in your hair, for it pleases the Dreamstress.

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 BANN GUELDER
It’s shameful how the Sons of Nesos have softened and settled down like common
peasants around the ancestral tombs in Bann Guelder. Their buried forefa­
thers must be writhing with shame at their delicate offspring. And Nesos
himself has returned from the grave, they say, probably to drive the young folk
from the village and into battle as befits the sons of Horn. They’ve grown fat,
red-­buttocked from a day’s ride but with plenty of coin, wherever those came
from – not from honest plunder, that’s for sure. My brother-­in-­law sold ‘em
a couple of hogs and was paid in pure gold, would you believe it?

TRIBOLIA OF THE KOGLER

In the time of the clans, the grand smithy of Tribolia was the greatest mechan­
ical wonder in Firestead. It was possibly rivaled by the fire fountains of Mor­
mender at one point, but those days came to an end with the clan wars. Now
Tribolia is said to be abandoned and tainted by demons, so no dwarf with any
sense will go there. Since the clan wars, the dwarves have appointed a guard­
ian of the smithy – the so-­called Kogler. The current Kogler was a bit odd
even before he was appointed, but the title really went to his head. He became
obsessed with “claiming his domains” and sailed his airship into the smithy
against the council’s orders. The gate slammed shut behind him and would
not budge. Since no one wanted to come for him, the Kogler had to stay in his
smithy and has probably died by now.

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 WATCH OF THE SISTERS
It is said that Aslene was once a barren desert, until the sister goddesses Wail
and Flow sent their servant Have to make the land lush and green through
the goddesses’ warm winds and flowing freshwater.
The magma god Horn stayed below ground at the time, but as roots started
to pierce down into his underground domain, he grew curious and burst
through the surface as a volcano. Horn was amazed at how the Bloodmarch
had flourished. He delighted in the birdsong and the dance of the butterflies,
and was struck with love for Have. But when he learned that the Vasnians
had usurped the land without appreciating the goddesses’ creations, Horn was
furious and brought forth the horse clans from his fire to banish the ingrates.
He took Have as his wife and gave her fire to rule as her wedding gift. Soon
their five volcanic sons sprung up from the ground, and Horn gave each of
them a horse clan as their personal guard.
But the goddesses Wail and Flow felt that Horn had seduced their servant
and taken both her and the land out of their hands. In anger they raised an
impenetrable forest around their temple. From then on, they wanted nothing
to do with Aslene anymore.

AGNOSTICA
They say that the moon elves in the time before time built a temple with won­
drous gardens that floated over Aslene. The temple could only be seen when
the moon was full and never appeared in the same place twice, but was said
to gleam like mother-­of-­pearl, so that all who saw it would sit spellbound in
the night until it vanished. The memory alone is enough to bring tears to the
driest of eyes, and yet nobody can describe what they have seen.

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 ALDERLAND
It is rumored that civil war threatens Alderland beyond the Iron Lock, and
that there are now two kings in the land.
The Algarian dynasty, having been weakened ever since the death of king
Algarod during the fourth Algarian wars, has returned to power, supported
by the Sigalian guild of magicians and the Wyrm Church under the psycho­
pomp Vivírula. She has succeeded Vipera and assumed his role as head of Ad
Vipera, the church’s fanatical secret police.
King Alginor the Mild, a descendant of Algarod, is seen as a puppet of
his allies. The Algarians rule the capital Brodelmarg and the surrounding
southern region. It is rumored that the Sigalian guild intends to protect the
capital by performing large scale human sacrifices on prisoners in order to
raise a magical barrier.
Against the Algarians stands the Rust Church, in support of the Kantamar
dynasty. Bretien the Born has been crowned king. The Kantamarians and the
Rust Church dominate the sea. They control the north part of Alderland from
Raskalma in the mining district.

DAVURA
The expanse of wetland south of Alderland is called Davura. When the
Alderlanders received their land from the Raven God, the indigenous pop­
ulation known as the Boringers were expelled to Davura, where they built
settlements in the swamps and made contact with the natives, reptilian kin
of which little is known. Whether the Boringers are completely human is also
unclear. Merchants who have traveled the area say that the Boringers dream
of reconquering Alderland, led by the crocodile god A-Xanna. This god is said
to be one of a handful of named colossi in the region – primeval creatures who
inhabited the wetlands long before humans and Saurians showed up. Sodetar
the Hermit claims that the primeval creatures regularly gather at large stone
pillars in ruins rising from the swamps, waiting for the “Exudator” to be reborn.
 THE DRAWN LANDS
The Drawn Lands west of Aslene are said to get their name from the days of
King Hilemod the Wise. As the king grew old, his four sons started a fierce
war in competition for the juicy parts of his legacy. After years of battle, the
ducal sons finally asked their father to settle the dispute, but did not respect his
decision and declared war on each other once more. At that point Hilemod
had his sons imprisoned, drawn and quartered. He buried one part of each
son in each quarter of the kingdom to satisfy their greed, and then left the king­
dom to his only daughter Momesia, who turned out to be a just and competent
ruler. It is said that the Drawn Lands have been ruled by a queen ever since.
Long ago the Aslene horse clans roamed the Drawn Lands, pillaging the
wealthy merchant cities and raiding their caravans, but for the last three
hundred years the land has been impenetrable from the east, for the route
was closed by magical means when the demons invaded Aslene in the year
875 after the Shift. Since that day, anyone traveling west towards the Drawn
Lands across the Wailing has been met by ever-stronger winds that soon make
it impossible to continue.
In ancient times the land was called Hâ. The art of raising the dead is said
to have originated there. Stories tell of great ruined cities and entire kingdoms
of walking dead who still rule the Drawn Lands’ vast desert plains with the
old cities Modrawynd and Hâvila, where the dead watch over treasures and
secrets they will never willingly share with the living.

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 THE SPARSE
The vast archipelago east of Ravenland is called the Sparse, especially by people
on the continent. The various inhabitants of the Sparse have always defended
their independence from others, which means that little is known for certain
about the sea dwellers. The bigger islands of Vorenda and Hamaland with
their fringe of skerries traditionally vie for dominance of the outer seas with­
out really being interested in expanding their domains. Beyond them lie the
independent principalities of the Black Islands, the Hammer Islands (called
the Aes in the local language), the Clan Pearls, the Grumblers, and the Blood
Skerries. Less accessible are Neetma of the Dark Sea as well as the Yonder
Shells and the Tooth Reefs, beyond which the sea is said to drop into the abyss.
In addition, rumors speak of living and drifting islands woven of seaweed by
the semi-intelligent crabler kins.
The inhabitants of the Sparse include humans as well as gray elves and
various water-breathing scale kins. There are also numerous beasts, the larg­
est of which are said to swallow entire ships whole, only to spit them out years
later with an undead crew. Equally feared are the Hammer Island pirates
who are always hunting for slaves for their tin and copper mines. Even while
avoiding these dangers, unwary sailors sometimes get caught in the living
streams controlled by the Black Islands’ necromancers, never to be seen again.
Most inhabitants of the Sparse worship the goddess Meera, said to rule
over winds and weather at sea. She is rumored to dwell in a floating crystal
palace somewhere in the Vile Stretches, where the water’s surface is said not
to be flat, but twisted into hills and ravines among which only the most expe­
rienced sailors dare venture. Legend has it that Meera occasionally visits the
underwater cities of certain scale kin tribes in person.

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 IRONSTEAD
Dwarves speak reluctantly of Ironstead, an underground dwarf realm which
can supposedly be reached from Belderand in Ravenland, as well as from
the Bitter Reach and Aslene for those who know where to find the entrances,
which are said to move around. Ironstead is believed to be located in the inter­
mediate rock layers, somewhere between the surface and the deep structures of
the Dwelvers, but flying creatures have told of open, circular vales among ice-
laden mountains, vales whose domes immediately closed upon discovery. The
dwarves of Ironstead are said to worship the goddess Tekne, wife of Huge and
the mother of smithing, crafts, and invention. According to legend, the main
temple of Tekne is located in faraway Polestead, where her priests grease the
rotation axle of the world itself.
Whiteglint, the southwestern region of Ironstead, is famous for its wrought
crystal. Rumor has it that the dwarven masters of Whiteglint have sought to
create artificial life by imitating elven nature, where flesh and minerals grow
into life around a crystal. Rebellious creatures from failed experiments have
laid waste to an entire region in Ironstead, known as Skrena, where rampant
rocks have since grown like cancer in the mountain. Some believe that the
dwarves of Whiteglint are planning to send armies of artificial warriors to
drive all humans from Ravenland and its neighboring countries.

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 TREUWEN
Farther south, the swamps of Davura give way to the jungles of Treuwen,
which become increasingly difficult to pass through where steep mountains rise
high, cleft by deep ravines whose walls are home to hanging elven cities. The
boundary is said to be fluid and imperceptible. Rumor has it that the plants
in Treuwen’s forests are intelligent and their lives so intertwined that the iron
oaks of Mahemma shake with fury whenever a flower is picked from Loroa’s
meadows. Few humans have made more than a short stop in Treuwen. It is
said that all who linger too long in the jungle will carry it with them forever.
A few druids claim that they can move through the humid jungles in har­
mony with the living land. The same druids advise others to negotiate and
sacrifice before harvesting the jungle’s potent healing herbs, unless they want
to incur the collective wrath of nature.

ANOMA
No one really knows what lies beyond the great seas east of Ravenland, but leg­
ends tell of the continent Anoma from whence the humans sailed west twelve
hundred years ago, guided by the Raven god. None of the country’s written
or pictorial documents remain, barely even any legends, but myth has it that
the very bedrock of the land was devoured by a stone worm which forced the
humans to flee.
A couple of Rust Church inquisitors claim to have captured and interro­
gated a mysterious elf-like creature a few years ago. It babbled about an abyssal
menace beyond the seas and secrets that must never come to light. The prisoner
begged to be killed with his memories, and the interrogators granted his wish,
albeit accidentally by overestimating the creature’s vitality. Those responsible
were punished with dismemberment.

255

legends
 INDEX
A Dense Water 39 The Helm of Horn Merdenvil, Prince Sand Sleep 36
Adventure Sites 59 D’Irae 209 64 200 Sarcoptes 116
Ad Vipera 77, 126 Draug 131 Hina 216 Mergonella 199 Sella’s Dragonboot 65
Agent of Ad Vipera The Drawn Lands 252 Horn 18 Meskella 199 Selligar Horne 70,
126 The Dreamstress 96, Horned Dwarf 141 The Metrochrone 219 186, 234, 243
Agnostica 232–240, 187, 191, 193, 196, The Horn Riders 72 Mildella 131 Settler 127
250 234, 245 The Horse Clans 16 Mold Stone 29 The Seventh 4–7, 85,
Alderland 251 Dream Travel 35 Houns 16 Mommodar the 234, 240, 246
Alderlanders 19 Dream Visit 35 Hoverfrog 124 Rodent 166 Shadowgate Pass 150
Alderlander Soldier Druma 26 Hunting 40, 51 Mongelo 169 Shrike 138
126, 143 Dunfalt 165 Moon Elf 127 Siltellos 166
Amnesia 32 Dwarf Warrior 201 I Moon Elves 20, 127, Slime Snail 121
The Ancient History Dwarves 20 Ignite 28 240 Slithernet 122
of the World 57 Inglourious Butchar Moonstones 84 Smolderer 102
Anoma 255 E 142 Mortilla 177–178 Soldier 157
Antmar Stickyfingers Egressor 126 Ironbrow 128 The Sons of Horn 55
154 Eisendor 151 The Ironbrows 81, N The Sparse 253
Apprentice 189 Eldengrul 202 128 Nightmares 34 Sporewalker 123
Aramalia Crack Elves 19 Ironstead 254 The Nightwalker Stanch Blood 37
229–230 Eor 24 Iron Will 36 Guard 23 Steam Flight 30
Arjebee 180 Étosh 21 The Stonechest of
The Arrows of the Evianda 180 J O Horn 63, 68
Fire Wyrm 67 Jackal 137 Octomadria 99, 240, Stone Warrior 238
Ashenstead 162–173, F Jagra 157 246 Strilling 26
247 False Shape 33 Oneiromancer 128, Strunde 151
Ashenvale 23 Fata Morgana 33 K 188, 189 Summon Fire Wyrm
Ashlands 16, 41, Fiena Fromelei 82, Kalemes 192 Oneiromancy 34 31
43, 48 186, 234, 244 Kasabatoda 95, 184 Orcs 20
Aslene Rider 143, 145 Firelands 16, 41, 44, Ketre Meskalma 190 The Order of T
Astra 61, 231 47, 49 The Kogler of Tribolia Egression 126, 149 Talullia 179–180
Attract 37 Fire Memory 30 227–228 Oxengelder 185–196, Taregyll 148–161, 247
Fire’s Friend 29 Kolor 94 248 Terrain Types 40
B Firestead 25 Konana 91, 206, 234, Tordenost 170
Bann Guelder 197– Firewall 31 245 P Traceless 32
206, 249 Fire Wyrm 110 Korlo 201 Path of Iron 36 Treuwen 255
Betsom 203 Foraging 47 Krasylla 68, 136, 161 Pearlyveine 125 Tribolia of the Kogler
The Bitter Reach 12 Forest Star 118 Kremiled 216 Penite 128 221–231, 249
The Black 24 Fraege 106 Kresos 199–200 The Penites 82, 128 Truth Sense 32
Blauder of Have 168 Fresco of Sella 62, 231 Kreysel 25 Pirimena 190 Tupilaq 218
Bloodbeech 103 Kromabella 133 Poansa Moulter 76, Turenfort 179
The Bloodmarch 11, G Kton 110 186, 191, 234, 240,
13–26, 40 Galdanes 17 Kurmena 151 244 V
Bloodshock 37 Gander’s Pass 242 Premonition 34 Vaerefor van Reiben
Blue Blood 38 Geas 33 L Prophetic Dreams 36 93, 184, 186, 234,
Blue Tar 38 Gerbera 167 Leading the Way 43 Protelas 214 240, 245
Bodyguard 200 Gest, The Demonic Legion 202, 204 Prune 104 Varina 26
The Book of Winds Mass 158 Liklaudos 166 Prunofilia 171 Vasnia 24
217, 242 Glasstooth 66 Lullaby 35 Pyrolyte 129 Vasnian 129
Brock, Captain 152 The Goblet Staff of Lycopodium Powder The Pyrolytes 129, 163 Vasnians 19, 129
Bydmer Dribblecliff Have 63 39 Verdegas 199
229–230 Goblins 23 Q Vheilor 209
Grarg 127 M Quards 17 Vinhelm Kaal 89, 234
C Grargs 22, 127 Magic 27–39 Volitia 21
Caberians 17 Grave Lily 108 Magma Cascade 30 R Vrendenholm 209
The Cauldron of Flow Grudenstaal, colonel Magma Song 28 Raider 129 The Wailing 25
59, 242 79 Magnetism 36 Random Encounters Watch of the Sisters
Cavaldo, Prince 212 Grudenstaal, Colonel Making Camp 48 130–147 207–220, 250
Clan Chieftain 127 161, 186, 192, 205, Mara 35, 194 Ravenlanders 19 Water Memory 30
Clan Rider 127 234, 240, 243 Margarita, The Forest Raven’s Purge 9 Whiner 139
Confusion 32 Guard 188 Spirit 210 Red Elf 129, 147, 212 Wingsteed 105
Costolena 216 The Guardian Temple Marika Moonfriend Red Elves 19, 129, 183 Witherbeam 69, 147
Crimson Forest 41, 69, 147 195 Repel 37 Wolfkin 22
45, 47, 50 Meat 85 Restorative Sleep 34 Wordplay 32
Crimson Forests 15 H Mecha 112 Rubor 94
Crimson Ooze 39 Hadruma 26 Mekefalos 223–224 Z
Crimson Sickness 42 Half Elves 20 Melgir Skylark 167 S Zhozhach 181
Halflings 23 Mengendorm 143 Sabirians 17
D Haudaros 178 Mentalism 31 Salamander 115
Davura 251 Have 18 Mental Strength 31 Salterstay 174–184,
The Daydreamers 196 Havenmark 25 Merdekai 166 248