:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.: : Earth's Dreamlands : Info on: RPG's, :(313)558-5024 : area code : :RPGNet World HQ & Archive: Drugs, Industrial :(313)558-5517 : changes to : : 1000's of text files : music, Fiction, :InterNet : (810) after : : No Elite / No porn : HomeBrew Beer. :rpgnet@aol.com: Dec 1,1993 : :.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.: Chaosium Digest Volume 1, Number 11 Date: Monday, March 22, 1993 Number: 2 of 3 Contents: The Siege of Castle Pennith [Part II] (Fergal Somers) PENDRAGON -------------------- From: fergal somers Subject: The Siege of Castle Pennith [Part II : The Scenerio] System: Pendragon En Route to Castle Pennith It's late afternoon as the players travel through the forest towards Castle Pennith. The sky becomes quickly overcast and darkness begins to settle onto the forest as a ground fog sweeps in from the coast [Awareness - success this is not normal for this time of year]. The players should be advancing slowly on foot with torches lit [horsemanship rolls if not]. As you clear the trees you see the outline Castle Pennith guarding its clifftop perch against the turbulent stormclouds which rumble and spark at its single tower. The clang of steel on steel and windsnatched yells, draws your attention downwards to the beach at the base of the cliff, where scattered torches weave and join one another giving light to figures silhouetted against the night sky. The characters have arrived in the midst of the expected Saxon raid. A storm has quickly built-up and a strange thick fog, which has blown in off the sea, hides the raiders' numbers. However, from the players vantage point [successful Battle/Awareness] rolls will tell them that the battle is going against the invaders. In particular, Lord Pennith [Heraldry roll] has joined the fray, giving much-needed encouragement to his forces, whose spirit has been somewhat sapped by the devilish and portentous storm. Encourage the characters to join in what now looks like a rout, but as they chase adversaries, the fog becomes quickly thicker and the players lose their way. Saxons and knights pass-in and out of their vision as they search to find their way out of the fog. Climbing for higher ground, the characters come to a relative clearing where a number of saxons warriors, a strangely garbed individual (see stats for Gardeth) and a beautiful woman (see stats for Lady Rosaline) are hurrying along. Gardeth, realising the failure of the invasion, has managed to capture the Lady Rosaline to ensure his safe escape. When the players see them, the Lady Rosaline will turn around and plea for help. Gardeth will attempt to hold the Lady Rosaline hostage, but after the knights kill the saxon warriors he'll flee, to appear again later. cue battle: Stats for: 6 saxon warriors (bandit stats) SIZ 12 Move 3 Major Wound 12 DEX 10 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 6 STR 12 Heal - Knockdown 12 CON 12 HP 24 Armor 4/10 AP 8 Glory 3 Valorous Mod Notes: They will turn and flee once half their number are incapacitated. Armor score includes shield (+6). Skills: Axe 11, Spear 8 No player should be significantly injured in this battle. Each player knight should roll 3d6 to see who is the one to rescue Lady Rosaline, this knight also receives Amor(Rosaline) for this act. The Lady Rosaline is most grateful and asks the players to escort her to her father's castle, allowing the rescuing player to surrender his horse to her. Lady Rosaline will lead them through the portcullis where squires are busy making things normal again. Waiting at the main castle doors is the dwarf Walch (see stats). Lady Rosaline introduces the characters and asks is her father about. "No m'lady he's still abroad surveying the damage, left me in charge o' the castle he did. Shall I escort you to your room m'lady?" Walch will say. The lady Rosaline declines [Awareness rolls - success, she is ignoring the dwarf - critical, the dwarf disgusts and unsettles her]. After Lady Rosaline leaves, Walch will arrange squires to rub down the players horses making a show of ordering the squires about. Feast At Castle Pennith The battle is over and the players are honoured guests, seated at the high table, for their brave rescue of the Lady Rosaline. Lord Pennith is a good host and the usual feasting, intrigue and romance opportunities exist. Sir Ieuan's obvious saxon sentiments may be cause for argument with the knights of Castle Pennith who will have lost a number of comrades. Sword fights for love are preferable to mortal combat in this occasion. Seated also is Sir Alluen who has a tale to tell: 'Twas more than a pity you didn't manage to hold that black saxon dog. Never seen weather like it, strange smelling fog and a storm that built so fast out of a clear blue sky. Aye, behind curses and hexes, that's how these saxons do battle! We were held down at one point by an enormous saxon warrior. Three knights it took to best him and when we opened his helm, unholy vapours, as putrid as a charnel house, did spill forth. If the characters inquire further Alluen will become even more vague, except that he believes Gardeth to be guilty of the most heinous sorceries. What was left of the saxon warrior was burnt almost immediately. Later... The shouting and merriment stops abruptly as two wet bedraggled knights arrive in carrying a chained prisoner under the arms, feet dragging along the floor. The prisoner has obviously been beaten quite severely. They drop the prisoner roughly and stand to attention. Lord Pennith stands to command silence: What is meant by this intrusion? One of the knights replies: Sire, we found this one escaping in a boat, four or five saxons fought to give him time to flew, but we managed to hold him. We believe him to be their leader! With this, the other knight bends down to the kneeling chained figure. Gripping his hair he pulls the prisoner's face up to the light. Lady Rosaline faints. The prisoner is the sorcerer Gardeth. Sir Ieuan will recognise Gardeth (handout #1). Gardeth should be sullen and aloof not answering any charges laid against him, merely glowering hatefully at the assembled knights. Once all the fuss has died down, one of the two knights will ask Lord Pennith if he should kill the saxon right there and then. Lord Pennith decides that the player knights have each earned the right decide the prisoner's fate: life or death and will ask each of them in turn. If the majority is for death, then execution will be scheduled for the morning so as not to interrupt the festivities any longer. In any case, the prisoner will be chained to the wall and taunted all evening by the revellers. Lord Pennith will ask Sir Alluen to set out at once to Silchester to tell Duke Ulfius that not only had they quashed the invasion, but they have its leader as prisoner. Lord Pennith will then make light of the situation by asking Walch to jest for him. Walch eventually does so [Awareness - very grudgingly] and starts cartwheeling etc. Indulgence rolls all round and so forth. The player knights will sleep (pass out) in the main hall with the other knights. The wine has been tempered with a sleeping draught slipped in by some traitor in the castle. The Morning After The characters are wakened by the screams of women. Raising their groggy heads from the table, they notice swords have been driven into the wood beside their heads [Awareness roles will indicate that they have an unusually bad hangover]. The blades of the swords are covered in blood and the characters will also notice that these swords belong to them. Sitting-up the characters notice the scene of carnage and also that their clothes are covered in blood. Throats have been slit and limbs hacked-off and most importantly the prisoner Gardeth is gone. Similar scenes of death abound in the rest of the castle. The players will eventually encounter a force of villagers searching the castle. They are lead by Sir Alluen who has this day returned with an entourage of several other knights (enough to outnumber the players). Sir Alluen is obviously shaken by the events. The peasants are angry and the situation is incriminating. Let the players sweat for a while. Then, a shout from the castle leads all concerned to the private bedchamber of the Lady Rosaline. A dead maid lies with sword wounds to her back as if in flight. Above, daubed in an all to familiar substance, is a message in Latin (handout #2). This will let the players somewhat off the hook, however they still allowed this travesty to occur while they were supposed to be helping to defend the castle. It is now a matter of honor. Sir Alluen, decides for the players: Something devilish has taken place here, and I must confess I do not yet understand your relationship with this Saxon dog. However, since the hand of fate has irrevocably interwined your destinies with this Saxon devil, your path now lies clear. Let God be your judge, ride forth and do not return until you can place the head of Gardeth on the Castle spikes. This should leave the players with no option but to set out for Castle Cynric. Their honour is at stake, they're under some suspicion for being the only survivors and Lady Rosaline is being held captive. Four of the knights who accompanied Sir Alluen will also set off (along a different route) to fulfil this quest. Setting Out The players and, indeed, people from the area, will not know the exact whereabouts of Castle Cynric, though it is rumoured to exist in the Saxon held areas of Wessex. This area is densely forested, though there are few well-defined tracks that lead through it. If the characters take a less travelled route, the journey should be mostly uneventful. Impress upon the players that they are entering unfriendly or at least neutral territory, and, above all, territory they are unfamiliar with. Throw in a saxon scout or two (use stats for warriors above), which the characters must kill off before they report back to their compatriots [successful Hunting/Dex/Horsemanship rolls for pursuit] just to keep things moving along smoothly. A Meeting in the woods After a few hours travel [Awareness Rolls - success you feel the forest is too quiet], the players hear a dog howling to the left of the path. This is answered by another dog, howling off to the right. More howls occur, and the players will realise that a pack of dogs is hunting them. These are no ordinary dogs however; they are much larger than hunting hounds and their eyes glow an evil blood-red colour. Twelve dogs will suddenly cross the players' path from the left and attack [Horsemanship rolls - success you maintain control]. They will fight to the last dog, who will turn and flee to the right. While the players are inactive, more dogs will appear, but ignore the players, and race off to the right of the path and into the woods. A few yelps and screams will alert the players that something big is happening in the woods to the right. The woods are dense and the players are not able to ride through, so they must advance on foot. As they proceed dogs will periodically attack them. When the players arrive, they are overwhelmed by a sound of dogs baying. Before them is a clearing, ringed by standing stones. Inside the ring, wielding a sword is a bloody figure, his arm mangled. Circling him is a very large pack of evil-looking dogs [Awareness - success, They will not enter the stone circle]. The figure is taking wild swings at them, but for the most part the dogs are too fast. The players should make for the circle and then attack the dogs. The dogs will eventually realise their problem after a few casualties and leave, perhaps leaving one sentry. The players are now free to talk to Hobriu. Demon Dogs SIZ 14 Move 3 Major Wound 12 DEX 12 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 6 STR 10 Heal * Knockdown 14 CON 12 HP 26 Armour 2 AP - Glory to kill 30 Valorous Modifier -3 Skills: bite @15, Avoidance 14. The bloodied figure is Hobriu, a Jute who's running away from the saxons in Wessex, and is now making a mad dash for Kent. His entire party were attacked and killed by undead monsters, but Hobriu, through luck, worked out how to defeat them (staking them with hawthorn wood). Since then, these black dogs have been attacking him every night. If the players ask about the Castle Cymric, he will tell them it is but an hours ride due west. However he will refuse to accompany them. Each of the players should obtain a hawthorn stake (convenient bush nearby). Faeries If the players decide to sleep inside the ring of standing stones for protection, [Faerie Lore success - this may not be such a good idea] then at night, while they snooze, they will be bound by Gossamer cords and unable to move. Invisible hands pinch the characters awake. This continues to the accompaniment of tinkly laughter. Eventually, the faerie folk make themselves visible, chastising these rude travellers for barging in on their festivities without being invited. As the characters look around them, there is indeed a large feast taking place with exquisite pies and delights. If the characters are suitably apologetic then the faeries will offer to smooth over their upsets, if the players will join them for a bite to eat and drink. [Faerie Lore - this would be a mistake, never eat/drink faerie food for fear of becoming moon-struck]. The players must now make courteous excuses. If they raise the faeries' displeasure, then some michievous forfeit will be brought down upon them (a bout of itchiness, compulsion to dance etc). If they really upset the faeries, some physical deformity (like grossly enlarging a players nose etc.) will occur. Make of this as much as you wish. Lake Cynric It is again late evening as the players reach a largish lake, complete with moss-covered roots poking ominously out of the water. In the centre lies a ringfort crannog. At the edge of the shore, 100 yds down, a flat-bottomed boat waits. Standing in the boat is a cowled figure holding a pole. The boat is the only way (apart from swimming) across the lake. The boat is just about big enough to carry all the knights, but not their belongings and certainly not their horses. Once all the knights are in the boat then the boatsman begins poling slowly across the lake. The boatsman will not answer any questions put to him; and his face is always cowled. If the players remove his cowl then they will see a palish-green face. [In the unlikely event that a player has died at this stage then resurrect him as a sort of zombie boatsman. If not then Hobriu, Lord Pennith, Sir Alluen etc can be candidates if you like]. From the point of stepping into the boat there is no going back. If the players attempt to swim for shore have something pull at their legs and release only if they turn back to clamber into the boat. [Successful swimming roll, if failure, roll under (CON - ARMOUR pts) on d20 or lose d6 HP]. Castle AAAAARRGG (Cynric) The boat will pull up to the jetty (see map #2) and wait. There is nothing for the players to do but disembark and bang on the doors of the fort. After some time the heavy wooden-stake doors will be opened by Walch, the dwarf from Castle Pennith [and also the traitor who put a sleeping draught in the wine and freed Gardeth]. He will be suitably snide and mocking to the knights, saying how surprised he is that they ventured this far. He was sick and tired of being treated like some sort of pet, a curiosity to do tricks at the feet of that great oaf Lord Pennith. If the players try to do Walch any harm he will use his avoidance of 25 to get away. Either way the players will either be led or make their own way into the main hall, the door of which closes behind them. As you eyes become accustomed to the flickering light of the torches that hang from the tarred wooden supports, you notice the pagan runes and designs that have been drawn out upon the earthen floor. Straight in front of you, upon a raised dais, lies a simple wooden chair. Around the walls of the room stand four rusted metal cages. Now you can see clearly their purpose, for inside lie the twisted forms of what was once human, their bodies held fast by the stained metal spikes of the cage. [recognise rolls will reveal that the cadavers inside are those of the other four knights who attempted this quest]. [Valorous rolls - success the knight manages to contain his fear and revulsion, failure - the knight tries to flee, but the door is bolted from the outside and they are shut in.] Suddenly the tapestries behind the dais move and the Lady Rosaline emerges, her red hair capturing the orange fire of the torches. Her eyes are downcast to a steaming wooden bowl which she carries most carefully. Behind her stands the sorcerer Gardeth, he moves forward and sits down on the chair. "Now I have you all" Gardeth is not interested in the original deal; he wants them all. If the players threaten him he'll simply say something like: Piteous fools! Do you really think I would let you enter my domain if you could possibly be a threat to me. No, you shall die here, that much mercy I promise you. Gardeth weaves his fingers and a cold numbness enters your head. Your arms and legs begin to feel like lead and your swords drop to the floor and lie at your feet. The cold in your head becomes a searing whiteness etching away all thought, smoothing away all your cares Gardeth has immobilised the characters, [piety rolls will break this enchantment and hitting other players or attacking Gardeth will also break it. In the unlikely event that all characters fail the piety roll then fudge it by saying that the knight with Amor(Rosaline) sees her pain and is spurred to action, the enchantment broken by his inspired passion]. Breaking the enchantment will annoy Gardeth. If the players attempt to attack Gardeth, then he will touch Rosaline's forehead. Rosaline rises upright, lifts the steaming bowl to her lips and drinks full, yellow liquid spilling down her chin. She steps forward, arms out-stretched, and shouts in a strange language. Slowly the cadavers in the Iron maidens become animated and pull themselves off their spikes and attack the knights. Six Dead knights SIZ 14 Move 1 Major Wound 14 DEX 11 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 7 STR 11 Heal * Knockdown 14 CON 14 HP 28 Armour 10 AP -2 Glory to kill 80 Valorous Modifier -5 Notes: *Heal d4 HP per round. Can regenerate from negative HP. Can only be killed by staking them with Hawthorn and inflicting damage. * Once wounded a similar wound appears on Rosaline's body, but of course the players have to be watching Rosaline to notice this. Skills: Sword 15, No shield. A Bargain? This should be a pretty bad battle, with some casualties. Once defeated, the scene leaves Rosaline dead on the dais, with bloody wounds in identical places where the players have staked their dead opponents. Gardeth, who's carefully worked out revenge has just failed, will attempt to make a deal for his life: She is not dead, for nothing truly dies here within my domain. With power, even loved ones can be returned from beyond the veil of death. But with death, there is always a price. Swear a solemn oath on your honor to leave this place and never return, and I will breath new life back into her. If the players swear an oath, then Gardeth will be true to his word. He'll lift the wooden bowl and pour yellow liquid from it into Rosaline's mouth. Rosaline will awaken, but be unable to speak and remain in a state not much more than catatonic. If the players then try and break their oath, let them, but Rosaline will fight to attack them and each participating knight should lose 1-2 points of honor for breaking an oath. When the players return with Rosaline in a catatonic state and no prisoner, they will be welcomed, but their quest has failed. Rosaline, being heiress apparent to Castle Pennith, allows one of the players to claim the right to marry her and thus claim the castle. If the players refuse to bargain (more likely) then Gardeth will attempt to flee and the players will be free to kill or capture him. If killed, then the fort will slowly start subsiding into the swamp, roots pushing up through the earthen floor. Allow the players to make a rapid dash to the boat and escape. A shudder runs through the hall as the last breath escapes from the sorcerers lips. Torches fall to the floor, beams and matting collapse and catch fire; and strange roots rip the earth asunder, scattering the runes drawn therein. Water begins to seep upwards turning the ground to a thick black mud. On return the players are cleared of all suspicion, if they have a prisoner (or his head) and the body of Lady Rosaline is given a decent christian burial. The End NPCs Gardeth the Necromancer SIZ 10 Move 2 Major Wound 13 DEX 10 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6 STR 10 Heal - Knockdown 10 CON 13 HP 23 Armour 1 APP 10 Glory to Kill 200 Valorous Mod none Notes: Gardeth is a rogue saxon, owing allegiance to no one, except perhaps the dark forces he uses to gain his power. Ostracized by the clannish Saxon folk he claims to serve, he has banded together an army of warriors tempted by his power to give them life after death. He wages what he sees as a just war against the Britons, convinced of the superiority of his Saxon heritage. However, for the most part Saxons mainly fear his name and its association with devilish forces. Skills: necromancy, paralyse foe and anything else appropriate. Attack (staff) 12. Lady Rosaline, daughter of Lord Pennith SIZ 10 Move 2 Major Wound 15 DEX 13 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6 STR 10 Heal - Knockdown 10 CON 15 HP 25 Armour 2 AP 16 Glory 250 Valorous Mod none Notes: Lady Rosaline, only daughter of Lord Pennith is a stunning beauty. Her flowing red hair betrays her Celtic ancestry and quick temper. She has a quick wit to match her beauty. Being the only child of a lord, she has become outspoken and independent for a woman of her times; and stomachs fools rarely. Skills: First Aid 17, Dance 14, Courtesy 12. Walch the Dwarf SIZ 8 Move 2 Major Wound 15 DEX 14 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6 STR 9 Heal - Knockdown 8 CON 15 HP 23 Armour 4 AP 6 Glory to Kill 10 Valorous Mod none Notes: Walch is kept around more as a curiosity than as the administrator he feels he should be. Over the years he has harboured a strong resentment of Lord Pennith and a growing desire for Lady Rosaline. Skills: Avoidance 25, Industry 13, Awareness 16. Sir Alluen or any other knights you may need. SIZ 14 Move 3 Major Wound 14 DEX 11 Damage 5d6 Unconscious 7 STR 14 Heal 3 Knockdown 14 CON 14 HP 28 Armour 12/6 AP 11 Glory 2150 Sword Skill 18 Handout #1: Osric You remember now Gardeth, yes for years it was a name used to frighten young children. A name of legend. Gardeth the sorcerer, Gardeth of the faeries, Gardeth the dark one. Then, he became more than a story. Reports of devastating raids against the Britons threatened the authority by which Cedric governed the tribes. Then, after the stories of successful conquest, other rumours, initially suppressed in the excited news, began to surface; stories of terrible weapons, warriors from the netherworlds and unclean practices. Fearing a power struggle, Cedric had waged war on Gardeth and the sorcerer fled. Now apparently he had returned... Handout #2: (In Latin) You will learn to curse the day you had dared to judge me, for I will see your loved ones slaughtered, your homes overrun and your fields put to the torch; but before all of this, you will will scream and beg me for death, for I have a special fate reserved for you, Judging Knights. The Lady Rosaline and I await you in Castle Cynric. Such a sweet child, such a terrible waste. The bargain is simple, your lives for the Lady Rosaline's. Of course, if you are but the cowards you appear... Map #1 Castle Pennith and surrounds as you know it Map #2 Castle Cynric -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is a Discussion Forum for Chaosium Games which do not have another specific area for discussion. To submit an article, mail to: appel@erzo.berkeley.edu