The Blade of Takshaka
The Blade of Takshaka An Adventure for Swords of Cydoria using Basic Role-Playing Written and Illustrated by Christian Conkle Proofread and Edited by Christa Cloninger
Contents
Introduction.......................................................................... 1 Premise................................................................................. 2 Chapter 1: The Messenger....................................................3 The Duke Makes an Offer...................................................... 3 The Briefing........................................................................... 5 Why Would Anyone Steal the Dagger?................................. 5 Possible Suspects?................................................................. 6 Who had Access to the Study?.............................................. 6 Could it have been an Inside Job?......................................... 6 The Chase.............................................................................. 7 The Aero-Chase..................................................................... 8 If Either Meena or Nord are Captured................................ 10 If They Get Away................................................................. 10 Chapter 2: Finding Marika..................................................11 Journey to the Under-City................................................... 11 Tower Harken...................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: The Under-City..................................................12 Four-thirty-one-bee............................................................. 12 The Boilers.......................................................................... 14 The Drainage Tunnels......................................................... 19 The Roshu Warren............................................................... 22 The Temple of Anaka........................................................... 26 Chapter 4: The Raid on Harken Tower.................................37 The Garanni Household...................................................... 37 The Count’s Penthouse Mansion......................................... 38 Chapter 5: Possible Outcomes............................................40 If the Blade is Returned in Time.......................................... 40 If the Blade is Late or not Returned at all........................... 40 If Hach Garanni is Killed in the Temple................................ 40 If there is a Raid on the Mansion........................................ 40 If the Cult is Exposed........................................................... 41 If Duke Rylar is Implicated................................................... 41 Selling Stolen Goods............................................................ 41 Double-Cross....................................................................... 41 Appendix A: The City of the Gods.......................................42 Geography of Norukar........................................................ 42 History of Norukar............................................................... 44 Politics of Norukar............................................................... 45 Technology of Norukar........................................................ 45 Appendix B: Other NPCs.....................................................47 Appendix C: New Monsters................................................49 Appendix D: New Artifacts.................................................52
Introduction
The Blade of Takshaka is a scenario for the Swords of Cydoria setting using the Basic Roleplaying rules. The scenario is intended for four to six heroic player characters. In order to play this scenario, a gamemaster requires Basic Roleplaying and Swords of Cydoria, both available from Chaosium, Inc.
Synopsis
The scenario starts with the theft of a valuable antique, the Blade of Takshaka, on the eve of its gift to a visiting foreign ambassador. The player characters are hired by a wealthy nobleman to retrieve the blade and return it before the ambassador returns to his homeland. Within this scenario, player characters can expect deep roleplaying investigation, thrilling aerial chases, and deep delves into the heart of an ancient city. There they will face a giant octopus, albino alligators, cunning rat-men, giant two-headed snakes, and treacherous nobility of Norukar!
Using This Scenario
Players should refrain from reading further. What follows is spoiler-filled information for the gamemaster on what this scenario entails and how best to use it. The scenario is split into five chapters followed by four appendices. Chapter 1: The Messenger takes place in the luxurious penthouse of Duke Rylar, an important nobleman in the Norukarian aristocracy. This chapter provides material to support an interview with the duke and his head of security, as well as detailed information regarding the duke’s household. Evidence uncovered during this interview should suggest an inside job committed by a member of the household staff. Any attempt to question the household staff leads immediately into a high speed chase scene as the head of security tries to flee with his paramour, whom he knows is responsible for the theft. The chase scene is resolved as a mini-game. Rules and guidelines are provided to help apply the Basic Roleplaying chase rules to help resolve this scene. Chapter 2: Finding Marika follows the player characters as they travel to Harken Tower and into the under-city to find the recipient of the stolen blade. Random encounters are provided to provide flavor to the otherwise uneventful journey. At their destination, they meet a loquacious cyberdroid overseer, presenting the gamemaster with plenty of opportunity to role-play using pre-generated dialogue. This chapter also provides in-dialogue exposition on the social system of Norukar and its under-city.
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Swords of Cydoria Chapter 3: The Under-City follows the player characters as they learn that Marika has been kidnapped. Malika left behind a trail of clues to follow that lead into the foundations of the city. Depending on the choices made by the players and outcomes of the player characters’ actions, they will either follow the kidnapper through a secret passage directly to his hideout in a secret temple, become trapped and lost and must find a way back to safety, or will take a perilous trip through tunnels and chambers filled with monsters and danger. Along the way they have an opportunity to encounter a warren of intelligent rats called roshu. Whether the encounter ends in cooperation or a bloodbath is up to the player characters. Ultimately, the player characters will either give up the investigation, returning to the surface in order to try a different strategy, or they will persevere and find the secret temple of the snake god. The temple is filled with cultists gathering to sacrifice Marika to their ophidian god. The scene provides guidance for gamemasters should the players choose to infiltrate disguised as cultists, perform a frontal assault against the front door, or infiltrate through a secret passage. The player characters have an opportunity to end the story here in a thrilling battle against evil cultists. In addition, a back-up plan is provided to gamemasters if the player characters are incapacitated or captured. Chapter 4 provides an alternative ending should the player characters fail to end the scenario in the temple. This chapter provides gamemasters with information to support an infiltration of a secure penthouse mansion to retrieve the blade. Whether the player characters use guile or violence is up to them. Chapter 5 presents several possible outcomes to this scenario, each with various permutations. All of the outcomes along with potential consequences are provided at the conclusion of the scenario. Appendix A includes a brief guide to the city of Norukar including its geography, history, and level of technology. This section provides context and background on the setting for the gamemaster and player alike. Appendix B details several non-player character personalities for use by the gamemaster to populate Norukar with informants, allies, places to hide, or somewhere to sell stolen goods. Appendix C lists statistics for all the new monsters listed in this scenario. Appendix D describes the Blade of Takshaka in terms of an artifact of the Sdara Vatra with a complete history and provenance and game statistics. Suggested character dialogue is provided throughout the scenario to help game masters role-play certain non-player characters.
Premise
This scenario is written to be generic enough to integrate into most of the established premises of Swords of Cydoria. In general, the player characters should be independent operatives willing to work for a member of the Cydorian aristocracy on a single short-term contract.
Artifact Hunters
The player characters are adventurers and treasure seekers reknowned for recovering lost relics. Duke Rylar is a collector of treasures and is aware of the player characters and their reputation. Perhaps the player characters have even worked for Duke Rylar in the past.
Flight of the Tonbo
The Tonbo, or whichever aero-ship the player characters serve, is in dock in Norukar waiting for a new cargo. The crew has a few days to relax and see the sights. Duke Rylar hires the factor Garralius to procure independent agents for this mission. Garralius recommends the player characters as ideal candidates.
The Great Game of Cydoria
The player characters are spies in the service of a noble house of Cydoria. If they are bonded to a liege lord, then that liege lord owes Duke Rylar a favor and grants him the use of his or her agents for this mission. If they are indepenent agents, then Duke Rylar hires them because they were recommended by Garralius.
The Heresy of Invention
Duke Rylar is an old friend of one of the techno-heretics of the player characters’ circle. The Duke is secretly sympathetic with the techno-heretic cause and has provided indirect assistance to the circle from behind the scenes. In addition to the payment offered to the player characters, the techno-heretic will be rewarded with a secret garage somewhere in Norukar from which to work.
Remember Demetria
The player characters are undercover rebels of the Demetrian Resistance whose last mission took them to Norukar. Garralius, who is secretly an agent of the Demetrian Intelligence Service, arranges the mission for the player characters. Before the messenger seeks out the player characters in Chapter 1, Garralius briefs the player characters on the mission. They are to pose as independent mercenaries hired to recover a stolen object. Their secret objective is to gather as much intelligence on the Duke and his penthouse as possible in preparation for a future mission.
Savage Frontier
The player characters were hired or assigned to escort dangerous prisoners from Arus to Norukar. That mission was uneventful and they have a few days before the next Aero-ship departs for Arus. Garralius learns of their reputation and recommends them to the Duke.
Inspiration
Several films provide useful visual context and inspiration for this scenario. Before running this scenario, gamemasters would be well served to view: Fritz Lang’s 1927 Metropolis, Bladerunner, Young Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the 2001 anime Metropolis, and Downton Abbey.
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The Blade of Takshaka
Chapter 1: The Messenger The player characters are in the city of Norukar and are in a position where they could use some temporary work. Perhaps they are actively seeking employment, calling upon contacts or simply spreading the word that they’re available. Perhaps they are relaxing in between regular jobs, relying on their reputation alone to bring work their way. In any case, their strategy pays off. A messenger seeks out the player characters with an offer of temporary employment. The messenger, dressed in the livery of a noble house, informs the player characters that they have been summoned to a private meeting with Duke Karn Rylar, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the City of Norukar. The Duke wishes to hire the player characters to investigate a theft, and is offering a substantial remuneration of 350 golden crowns (+25 wealth) each for the return of the stolen object. An aero-coach limousine is waiting outside to transport them to the duke’s penthouse apartment for additional details. The aero-coach is a luxury model and is richly appointed and fully stocked with the finest libations. Assuming the player characters board the limousine, they will be whisked upwards through the soaring towers and buzzing aero-traffic of Norukar. The journey takes only a few minutes as the craft passes through the upper-levels of the massive towers of Norukar before landing on a platform outside a four level penthouse mansion atop Tower Kolinor, one of the city’s more opulent towers. Another smaller aero-coach coupe is parked nearby. The player characters are met at the landing by a well-dressed Jinx, a butler and possibly a slave. They are escorted through an ornate entrance manned by two household guards wearing the livery of the duke. They are seated in a sumptuous office filled with curios and relics of bygone civilizations. The butler offers refreshment to anyone wishing one and attends to the needs of the player characters while they wait.
The Duke Makes an Offer
After a few moments, a nobleman enters the room and dismisses the Jinx. The nobleman is in his mid-fifties with a few wrinkles and salt-and-pepper hair. He is wearing a long jacket over a fine silk doublet. He is accompanied by a household guard, an officer with the rank of Major. The major is in his thirties, an obvious military veteran. “Thank you for coming. My name is Duke Karn Rylar. I am Chancellor of the Exchequer of the City-State of Norukar. This is Captain Nord, my head of household security. As you may have guessed, I am a collector of rare antiquities. Last night, one or more intruders entered into my penthouse and purloined an object from my collection, a sacrificial dagger that once belonged to Takshaka, the First Raga of the Kingdom of Ragana, who ruled southwest Markania five millennia ago. In its place, they left this forgery.” The duke presents an exotic knife of the finest quality with two thin blades like the fangs of a serpent. Strange curvilinear forms are carved into the sides of the blades. The knife’s hilt resembles a snake’s rattle. The pommel contains a polished ruby.
The duke allows any player character who so wishes to inspect the knife closely. “It may look authentic, but to the trained eye it is an obvious forgery.” He takes a drink of tea before continuing: “This theft comes at an inopportune time for me. I am in the middle of delicate negotiations with the ambassador of the Kingdom of Ragana, and I planned to present this dagger as a gift to the ambassador.” “Normally, I would put my own agents on this case, or contact the local constables. However, my own men are occupied on another, more pressing matter, and the local constabulary is under the control of the brother of my chief political rival, Count Orlo Garanni. I dare say they would offer me little real assistance on such a trivial matter, especially after the recent budgetary cutbacks, for which they largely hold me accountable.”
The Chancellor of Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the collection and management of the city’s taxes, tariffs, and duties. The office controls the finances and treasury of the Kingdom of Norukar and is considered one of the most powerful offices within the kingdom. The chancellor is the head of the office and answers directly to Queen Chador. The position of chancellor is equivalent to that of treasurer. Since the chancellor controls the purse-strings of the kingdom, his favor is considered extremely valuable, making him one of the most politically powerful individuals in Norukar.
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Swords of Cydoria Duke Rylar’s Curios If the characters inspect or ask about the curios, use the following table to generate random curios. Roll two six-sided dice. The first die represents the first digit, the second die represents the second digit. Describe the result to the player character or use them as the basis for future adventures or ideas for generating other such relics.
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First Die
Second Die
Result
1
1
Shrunken head of the Beast King of Haru
1
2
The tiara of queen Ylnor from the second Dynasty of Norukar
1
3
One of the clay tablets of Gloon, in which is inscribed the very first words ever written by man at the dawn of time
1
4
A talisman made of amber that contains a preserved human eye
1
5
A small vial of glittering dust, said to be the cremated remains of an angel-human hybrid
1
6
A jar of yellow liquid, perhaps the last urine of a condemned man before he was executed
2
1
A sword with a blade made of transparent ruby quartz
2
2
A necklace made of coins from a lost civilization
2
3
A small wind-up music box made of silver
2
4
The tail of a raccoon, approximately 10 feet long
2
5
A pith helmet with a hole in the side from a ballistic
2
6
A water-damaged sketchbook, its drawings barely visible
3
1
A vial of smoked glass, tightly stoppered and sealed in wax, a label on the side reads “POISON! DO NOT DIRECTLY OBSERVE!”
3
2
An intricately carved horn of some unknown beast
3
3
A single large reptile scale, roughly two hands in width
3
4
A small clay statuette of a cat-like animal with a human head
3
5
A sealed wooden box with a brass plate that reads: “The best friend I will ever have”
3
6
A strange glowing green rock under a glass covering
4
1
A carved wooden statue of a mythical creature that looks like a wooly munglor with no hair and a long trunk. Instead of curving rams horns, it possesses large tusks that protrude from the sides of its trunk.
4
2
A jade death-mask from Kallo
4
3
A mummified severed human hand with a gold ring
4
4
An intricate mechanical box made of strange iridescent metal
4
5
A large glass jar filled with yellowish swampy water and grass and a small living arthropod the length of a man’s little finger.
4
6
A collection of crystal shards in an old wooden box, the shards look like they would fit together if assembled thus
5
1
A metallic statue of a multi-armed deity from Sya
5
2
Several books of poetry by unknown poets
5
3
A hand-drawn map of western Markania set in a gold frame
5
4
A collection of rare butterflies pinned, mounted, and framed under glass
5
5
A shaman’s mask from Ossia
5
6
A silver hand-mirror that once belonged to Queen Chagra of Norukar
6
1
A brooch made of jet in the shape of the head of a fox
6
2
A black rectangle set into a square wafer of green plastic, the entire talisman is inlaid with an impossibly intricate network of gold lines
6
3
A fused lump of badly corroded iron and copper in the rough shape of a pipe valve
6
4
A metallic sphere that hovers in mid-air
6
5
An old brass telescope
6
6
An antique air-powered ballistic pistol mounted on a wood plaque engraved with the name, “Kar Jarrard”
The Blade of Takshaka “Therefore, I have sought the assistance of, shall we say, unconventional investigators, off the official records, who can be more discrete. Your services came highly recommended.” “I need you to recover the stolen artifact before the conclusion of negotiations in a week’s time. If you succeed, you will each be paid 350 golden crowns (+25 Wealth). If you fail, you will each be compensated 10 golden crowns (+5 Wealth) for your time.” He puts his tea down, opens a drawer in his desk, and removes some papers, then continues: “During your investigation, you will carry my personal commission. This will grant you the temporary authority to detain individuals for questioning, carry and use restricted weapons and equipment, and access normally forbidden locations. You will be operating under my authority and responsibility.” Provide details of the commission below to the player characters. “Now that you’ve heard my offer, will accept this mission?” Allow the player characters to discuss and/or negotiate if they wish. The Duke’s Commission The commission is an official document whereby Duke Rylar authorizes and attests that the player character is the agent operating under his personal instructions and responsibility. It is printed on vellum and carries the embossed seal of the Kingdom of Norukar. The commission grants the bearer the following privileges: 1. The bearer may carry restricted weapons, even those restricted under Vrildarian law, including ballistic sidearms and side-arms of Rhakadian manufacture both ranged and melee, anywhere within the city of Norukar. The bearer may use such weapons only for self-defense. The bearer must surrender weapons to constables of the Norukarian city guard if requested. The bearer must also surrender weapons wherever the Norukarian nobility or their personal guards would be likewise required. 2. The bearer may travel anywhere the Duke himself would be allowed to go. Generally, this includes all public areas restricted to members of the Norukarian aristocracy, including the mid-levels. It does not include military installations or zones restricted for security purposes. Nor does it include the personal property of other members of the Norukarian aristocracy. 3. The bearer may detain individuals for questioning up to twenty-four hours. So long as the detainee is not a slave, the bearer must provide a courier so that a message may be sent to anyone in Norukar the detainee chooses. No physical harm may come to any detainee of noble birth. If the detainee is a slave, the slave’s owners must be immediately notified of the detention. The owner of the slave must be compensated for any harm inflicted upon the slave.
If they decline the mission, the duke sighs and says: “That’s too bad. I was hoping I’d be able to employ your services, but I understand. I’ll have Greb transport you wherever you’d like to go. Here is a golden crown each for your trouble (+0 Wealth). I trust you’ll show discretion regarding our meeting. But before you go, can you recommend anyone else who might be up to the task?” If they accept the mission, the duke slaps his desk in excitement and exclaims: “Excellent! Captain Nord will be able to brief you on the details of the theft and answer any questions.”
The Briefing
Captain Nord, the large uniformed man in the Duke’s livery, clears his throat and begins: “We believe the blade was stolen by a master thief, perhaps a member of the Hidden Hand. The theft occurred sometime between midnight last night, when the duke was polishing the knife in preparation for its presentation as a gift, and dawn, when the duke re-entered his study and discovered the forgery.” “The thief was able to gain entry past the two guards posted at the front door, past an orix guardsman posted inside the penthouse, and into the locked study without breaking the door lock or alerting anyone in the penthouse. No windows or door locks were broken. In fact, I inspected all of the entrances this morning, as I do every morning, and all were properly locked from the inside.” “I immediately suspected the work of one of the staff-members. My men and I searched the rooms and personal effects of everyone in the staff household. We discovered no evidence of the theft.” “Therefore, I concluded that this must the work of a skilled master thief and suggested to the duke that we bring in outside expertise.”
Why Would Anyone Steal the Dagger?
If any of the player characters asks why anyone would steal the dagger, the duke will answer: “The dagger itself is valuable, but not priceless. There are many antique Raganan blades on the market. This particular blades was unique solely because of its original owner.” “Takshaka was a bloody tyrant that united many Daka clans into a powerful kingdom. It is said that he was chosen by Anaka, the Raganan god of serpents. Takshaka himself personally sacrificed one thousand ninety five Daka to Anaka with the stolen blade, one a day for three years, to commemorate his coronation. With his own hand he cut out their beating hearts before the throngs who came to marvel at his power.” “Ahem. So, other than its historical notoriety and current diplomatic importance, it has no special qualities. It is worth
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Swords of Cydoria maybe two thousand crowns on the black market. I, myself, only recently acquired it when I hired a team of artifact hunters to retrieve it from a ruined Haruvian fortress.”
Possible Suspects?
If any of the player characters ask the duke whom he might suspect, he will respond: “It might be thieves wishing to sell the item on the black market. However, they stole nothing else. One would think that common burglars would avail themselves of the wealth on display here. In addition, my household guards, the inaccessibility of the location of my home, and the impregnability of my outer doors would eliminate all but the most skilled thieves. The theft seemed terribly specific. It is possible that the artifact hunters that procured the blade for me may have informed others.”
Who had Access to the Study?
If asked who possesses a key to the study, Captain Nord responds: “Only the duke and myself!” The duke will then present his key. Captain Nord will pull forth a collection of keys on a chain. He searches for his key in order to present it as well. After fumbling for a moment in growing confusion, he eventually admits defeat: “That’s (pause) that’s very odd. I seem to have misplaced it! This is most peculiar. It is the only key I have misplaced!”
“No. No, I think that would be a waste of time. There is no point. I have already interviewed the slaves and searched their quarters. I have found no information pertinent to the theft!”
If asked about the missing key, Captain Nord will think about the answer, then suggest it is merely in his room. If his room is searched, the missing key will be sitting on his desk. Captain Nord will look visibly relieved but he now suspects his secret paramour, the slave Meena. He will not betray his suspicion and will make every effort to cover for Meena.
The duke will side with the major until one of the player characters makes a successful Persuade skill test. At which point the major agrees to round up the slaves for interrogation, but he insists on being present at each interview.
Even if not asked, Nord will at some point realize his key is missing and will immediately secretly suspect Meena and will begin to make plans to cover for her.
The duke’s household maintains a staff of twenty-four including Captain Nord. Most work during the day and sleep in dormitorystyle servants’ quarters downstairs from the penthouse at night.
Could it have been an Inside Job?
The only staff on duty last night was Sergeant Birk in the security office and Privates Nakal and Sandis guarding the main entrance from midnight to 6am. The rest of the staff was in their beds in the servants’ quarters downstairs. The slaves are locked in their rooms at midnight to prevent escape and were let out at 6am. There are only two sets of keys to the servants’ quarters, one stays in the security office and the other belongs to Klerm, the Jinx butler and head of the domestic staff. Klerm is responsible for securing the slaves’ quarters at night and opening them in the morning.
If anyone asks about the servants or slaves or the possibility of an inside theft, Captain Nord will look offended and respond: “As I said, that possibility occurred to me as well. All offduty household guards were immediately mustered and we conducted a thorough search of the rooms and persons of the entire staff, including the guards. We found no evidence of the knife whatsoever. I must reiterate, it must have been stolen by a master thief.” If the player characters suggest interviewing the household slaves, Captain Nord will consider the request. Player characters may attempt an Insight check. If any player character succeeds, they may be told that the major appears to be weighing his options, thinking ahead, anticipating moves; perhaps they detect the slightest glimmer of concern. Captain Nord responds:
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If the player characters insist on interrogating the household servants, Captain Nord will reluctantly agree and will offer to gather them into the servant’s hall downstairs where they can be detained while individuals are interviewed in his office. However the player characters choose to conduct the interviews, at some point early in the process, preferably during the first interview, Captain Nord will surreptitiously disappear with the Demetrian slave, Meena. Captain Nord and Meena will flee out the servants’ entrance. Allow each of the player characters to at-
The Blade of Takshaka tempt a Spot skill check. Any player character that succeeds spots Nord taking Meena by the arm as they hurry towards the servants’ entrance. If no player character succeeds at the Spot skill check, one of the slaves makes a comment loud enough for the player characters to hear: “Where are Nord and Meena going in such a hurry?”
The Chase
The player characters should be encouraged to give chase. Nord grabbed Meena by the wrist and whispered the following into her ear: “I know what you have done. You are going to be found out, and if you are interrogated, they will find out about us. Come with me, my darling. We must flee this place immediately!” He then takes her, hurriedly, through the kitchen, past the staff foyer, and up the stairs to the aero-coach landing as quickly as possible.
Captain Merrin Nord
Captain Merrin Nord is a Norukarian in his late thirties. Nord is a retired twelve year veteran of the Norukarian army. He is a bachelor who has always been shy and awkward around women. He is desperately in love with Meena and is willing to throw away his entire career to save her. STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 15 INT 16 POW 11 DEX 14 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: 7-point adaptive mesh and Cydorian light helmet Attacks: Cutlass (Saber) 55%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Plasma Pistol 55%, 2D10 + 2 (impaling) Fist 60%, 1D3 + db (crushing) Skills: Command 70%, Dodge 60%, Language (Cydorian) 70%, Language (Demetrian, Targan or Varzan) 60%, Listen 50%, Spot 80%, Status (Military) 75%, Swim 60%
Meena Ulaan
Meena Ulaan is a Demetrian war slave in her mid-thirties. She was taken prisoner at the end of the War of Unification. She has never been a particularly good servant and has been sold several times. She was purchased a year ago by House Rylar. Her affair with Captain Nord began just over seven months ago, her first romantic relationship since the death of her husband during the War of Unification twelve years ago. She truly loves Nord but is keenly aware of the need to keep their affair secret. Most Demetrian war slaves are granted leave to celebrate Brinna’s Feast Day. On that day, the slaves gather in great halls in the Under-City to share a feast and catch up with family members. During the last Brinna’s Feast Day, Meena’s sister Marika Ulaanconvinced her to steal the blade of Takshaka from her owner. Meena would never normally commit theft, but the promise of enough gold to buy her freedom overcame her inhibitions.
STR 10 CON 17 SIZ 12 INT 11 POW 15 DEX 15 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 14 Damage Bonus: None Armor: none Attacks: Fist 25%, 1D3 + db (crushing) Skills: Craft (Cleaning) 75%, Dodge 20%, Etiquette 60%, First Aid 30%, Hide 35%, Insight 45%, Listen 45%, Stealth 50% Floorplan of Downstairs and escape route
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Swords of Cydoria The Escape
At the landing, if there are no obvious pursuers, Nord will pause to kick the propeller of the aero-coach limousine three times in an attempt to damage or loosen it. He will then quickly board the aero-coach coupe and lift off. Before leaving, Meena shouts: “Wait! We have to go back to my room!” Nord will sternly replies: “There’s no time! We have to leave!” As they fly away, Meena looks back at the penthouse apartment and cries out: “No! Noooo!” Nord’s plan is to weave through the city buildings to break line of sight and evade pursuit. His goal is to head to a nearby bank where Nord will withdraw all of his savings. He will then go to a seedy part of Norukar near the docks and try to sell the coupe and purchase false identity papers. Afterwards, he and Meena will make their way to the Aero-ship terminal downtown and purchase a one-way ticket to one of the following cities: Totoris, Tibiris, Tagrum, Pyrnis, Zinj, Ramanam, Kaidan, Mancea, Matrax, or Lokmar; wherever you, as Gamemaster, wish them to go. Player characters might chase and catch Nord or Meena in the service hallway, the foyer, the stairs, or on the aero-coach landing (see “Chases, On Foot”, BRP page 215). Nord is unwilling to injure anyone, but will attempt to punch his way out if he has to. If Nord is able to damage the limousine’s propeller, if the player characters wish to continue the chase they must either replace the propeller using a spare from the nearby garage, requiring a successful Repair (Mechanical) skill check and 1d4+4 rounds or forego repairs and attempt to fly the damaged aero-coach with the broken propeller, all piloting skill checks will by Difficult and the Rated Speed of the aero-coach is reduced to 2. If none of the player characters have the Pilot: Aero-ship skill, Valen, the duke’s Zinjan aero-coach pilot, will gladly pilot for them.
The Aero-Chase, Round-by-Round
1. Nord accelerates 6 to speed 6 while the player characters accelerate 5 to speed 5. Nord moves one away 1 band on the range track. If Nord is at “Two Lengths” he moves to “Close”. If already at “Close” he moves to “In Sight”. 2. Nord accelerates 6 to speed 12 while the player characters accelerate 5 to speed 10. Nord moves one away 1 band on the range track. If Nord is at “Close” he moves to “In Sight”. If already at “In Sight” he moves to “Out of Sight”; if one of the player character succeeds at a Spot skill test, Nord is moved back to “In Sight”, otherwise Nord escapes. 3. Nord accelerates 2 to a top speed of 14 while the player characters accelerate 4 to a top speed of 14. The range between the two vehicles stabilizes at “In Sight”. 4. At this point, Nord will try to lose the player characters by maneuvering between the buildings or other aero-traffic. Make a contested skill check between Nord’s Pilot Aero-Ship skill and the same skill of the pilot of the player character’s aero-coach. Each pilot’s skill suffers a -10% modifier for flying at top speed. Nord, however, receives a +5% bonus for the handling of the coupe. Additional modifiers for vehicle damage may apply. If Nord succeeds and the player characters fail, Nord moves to “Out of Sight”; if one of the player character succeeds at a Spot skill test, Nord is moved back to “In Sight”, otherwise Nord escapes. If Nord succeeds and the player characters succeed, the range is maintained at “In Sight”. If Nord fails and the player characters succeed, the range is reduced one band to “Close”. If both parties fail, roll on the “Chase Trouble Table” below. 5. Nord will try again to lose his pursuers using the same tactic as in round 4 above. He will repeat this tactic until the player characters either catch up to him or he loses their pursuit. Chase Trouble Table D10
Result
1
Collision Imminent: The player character’s aero-coach is about to collide with either Nord or another random aerocoach. The pilot must succeed at an immediate Pilot:Aeroship skill check or the aero-coach takes 1D6 damage per level of Speed (see Ram/Collide, BRP page 216)
3
Drive Failure: one of the motors has failed and the aerocoach is decelerating. Refer to the Speed per propeller under the Rated Speed for the vehicle.
4-6
If choosing to play out the chase, be aware that Nord’s aero-coach coupe has better acceleration and is more maneuverable than the aero-coach limousine and that Nord and Meena might escape. Should they escape, consult the section below called “If They Get Away”.
Overshoot: The range between the player characters and Nord is increased by one.
7
Loss of Control: Lower the piot’s Pilot: Aero-Ship skill by -10% in the next round only.
8
Loss of Control: Lower the piot’s Pilot: Aero-Ship skill by -15% in the next round only., then roll again on this table with a -2 modifier.
Use the vehicle chase rules (see Chase Rules, BRP page 216-217) to determine Nord’s ability to escape. If Nord sabotaged the limousine, the starting range is “Close”. If Nord had to forego sabotage, the starting range is “Two Lengths”.
9
Severe Loss of Control: Lower the piot’s Pilot: Aero-Ship skill by -30% in the next round only., then roll again on this table with a -4 modifier.
10
Lift-Unit Failure: The aero-coach begins to lose altitude. See Lift-Unit Failure, Swords of Cydoria, page 69.
The Aero-Chase
If Captain Nord is able to escape in the aero-coach coupe, and the player characters choose to pursue, the gamemaster may choose to play out the actual chase or simply have the player character aero-coach catch up to Nord’s aero-coach for thrilling mid-air action with player characters jumping from aero-coach to aero-coach and fighting Nord hundreds of meters over the city streets below.
Chase rules
8
The Blade of Takshaka Aero-Coach Coupe
Mid-Air Combat
Use the following rules during any mid-air combat between aero-coaches.
Skill
Pilot (Aero-Ship)
Rated Speed
12 (3 per propeller)
Handling
+5%
ACC
+/- 6
MOV
150 (135 kph)
Armor
10/2
SIZ
45
HP
45
Crew
1
The player characters open the doors or roof of the limousine and leap through the air to land on Nord’s coupe. Wise player characters will attach a safety line between themselves and the limousine, but that is up to them. Jumping onto Nord’s coupe requires a successful Jump skill test. If they succeed, they have made it across and may attempt to climb over to a door on the subsequent round. If they failed, they hit the coupe but failed to grab hold and is sliding off the edge of the vehicle!
Passengers
1
Sliding Off the Edge
Cargo
8
Value
Expensive
Aero-Coach Limousine Skill
Pilot (Aero-Ship)
Rated Speed
12 (3 per propeller)
Handling
+0%
ACC
+/- 5
MOV
150 (135 kph)
Armor
14/2
SIZ
50
HP
50
Crew
1
Passengers
5
Cargo
24
Value
Expensive
Leaping from aero-coach to aero-coach
Allow anyone sliding off the edge to make an Agility roll. If they succeed, they have grabbed hold of an edge and are dangling beneath the coupe. They attempt to climb up to the door on a subsequent round. If they failed, the player character has let go and is falling!
Falling
Anyone falling to their doom may attempt a Luck roll. If they succeed, they have crashed onto a passing aero-vehicle such as another aero-coach, an aero-skiff, a transport, or an old barque. They take 2D6 damage from the fall. At this point, that player character’s only options are to try to commandeer the vehicle to rejoin the melee or give up and go wherever the vehicle takes them. If they failed, allow them to make an additional Luck roll on each subsequent round. If they succeed, they crash as above, but the damage is increased by +1D6 for every round fallen. Eventually, the player character will die either from the impact of crashing into a passing aero-vehicle or from hitting the ground.
Climbing
Climbing around and opening the door of Nord’s coupe requires a successful Climb skill test. A success means the door is thrown open and the player character may enter into melee with Nord. A failure simply means the character may try again on a subsequent round. A fumble indicates that the character has lost their grip and is sliding off the edge of the vehicle (see above).
9
Swords of Cydoria Shooting at the engines
The player characters may opt to try to shoot out Nord’s engines. Nord’s coupe has four propeller nacelles to provide thrust and maneuverability. Each nacelle is a cylinder about 50cm long and 15cm wide (SIZ 8) and has 2 points of armor and 10 hit points. Shooting a pod during a high-speed chase is a Difficult attack. Each nacelle destroyed reduces the Rated Speed of the vehicle by 3.
Forcing the other aero-coach to land or crash
The player characters may attempt to use the limousine to physically force Nord to land or crash. Attempting this requires the pilot of the limousine to make an opposed a Pilot Aero-Ship skill test against Nord’s skill. If the pilot of the limousine wins and Nord loses, Nord is forced to descend towards the street or a nearby rooftop. The pilot of the limousine must beat Nord in the contested roll four times to force Nord to land. Once at ground level, Nord will exit the coupe with Meena and make an escape attempt on foot.
Following the aero-coach passively
It is possible that the player characters may not try to stop Nord at all. Instead, they may try to follow Nord covertly, luring him into thinking that he has evaded pursuit. To accomplish this, the pilot of the limousine must keep Nord in sight while at the same time avoiding detection. This requires a contested skill check using Strategy, or a Difficult Idea roll, vs. Nord’s Spot skill. If any of the player characters succeed and Nord fails, they have convinced Nord that he has lost them. Nord reduces the speed of the coupe and proceeds as if he got away (see “If they Get Away” below). Otherwise, Nord continues to attempt evade pursuit.
If Either Meena or Nord are Captured
If either Meena or Captain Nord is captured, the other will immediately stop and surrender without a fight, begging for mercy.
Interrogating Nord
During any subsequent interrogation, Captain Nord will admit his crimes: “For the past several months, I have been having an affair with Meena. Fraternization between the security staff and the household staff is expressly forbidden. I realized earlier when my key to the study was missing that only Meena could have stolen it, and that she was likely the thief, though I didn’t want to believe it.” “I knew, then, that any interrogation of Meena would reveal our affair and possibly her crime, and that we would both be punished for it, with Meena’s being the more severe. The punishment for theft, of course, is amputation of the hand. I could not allow that, so I decided to help her flee.” “My plan was to take all my money, not a large amount you see, and we would head to another city under assumed names. It was not premeditated. I was making it up as I went along. I have no idea why she stole the blade. That was not important to me. I simply worried for her safety and our secret, and I didn’t want her to get hurt.”
10
Interrogating Meena
Meena will likewise admit her crimes: “Yes. I stole the key from Nord, and I used it to steal the knife from the study. I sold it to my sister Marika for a thousand gold pieces, enough to purchase my freedom. I didn’t tell Nord, I didn’t want him to know. I wanted to surprise him. Plus, he would disapprove and try to talk me out of it.” “My sister Marika Ulaan works in the Under-City. She’s assigned to maintain the boiler and steam distribution system under Tower Harken. She made me the offer during the last Brinna’s Feast day. She offered me a thousand gold pieces to steal the knife and bring it to her. I told her no, at first, but she was persistent. I eventually broke down and agreed to do it. I don’t know where she got the money, or why she wanted the knife. I asked her but she refused to tell me.” Anyway, I recently learned that I was to be sold to another household, that I’d be separated from Nord. I couldn’t take that. We are in love you see. We have been for several months. I figured, if I bought my freedom, we could be together, legally! So I stole the keys from Nord, I stole the knife, I replaced it with the fake, and I used the keys to sneak out of the building last night through the unguarded servants’ entrance. I took the knife to Marika and she paid me.” “Oh, I’m such a fool! And Nord is the bigger fool for trying to protect me! He should have just let me accept my punishment. Now both our lives are ruined!”
If They Get Away
If Meena and the major successfully manage to escape their pursuers, Nord follows through with his improvised plan. He makes a stop at a nearby bank and withdraws all of his savings. He will then takes the stolen aero-coach to a seedy part of Norukar near the docks, sells the coupe, and purchases false identity papers. The fugitives walk to the aero-ship terminal downtown and purchase two one-way aero-ship tickets to a remote city. If the player characters return to the penthouse and search Nord’s room, they find a secret diary containing poems about Nord’s love for Meena, but otherwise there is no evidence of the knife or anything else out of the ordinary. Likewise, a search of Meena’s room will find nothing out of the ordinary. A search of the scullery, however, will uncover an old wooden box containing a bag with one thousand gold pieces, Meena’s payment for stealing the knife, and a note: When you steal the knife , bring it to me . Meet me at the entrance to Sub-Level One beneath Tower Harken one hour before dawn . I will have your reward . -Marika
Further inquiries will indicate that Meena has a sister named Marika, a municipal war slave assigned to Boiler Room Two of Tower Harken.
The Blade of Takshaka
Chapter 2: Finding Marika Journey to the Under-City
The player characters have by now ascertained that the knife was stolen by Meena and sold to her sister Marika for one thousand gold pieces, making the exchange below Tower Harken. The player characters must journey from Tower Kolinor to Tower Harken, a direct distance of just over half of a kilometer. However, street traffic and sky-bridges increase the distance and travel time considerably. The Duke requires the use of his chauffeur and aero-coach for the day, so the player characters are forced to travel the three tower blocks - just about a half a kilometer, from Tower Kolinor to Tower Harken on foot. The player characters may choose to take the sky-bridges or they may descend to street level.
Journey via the Sky-Bridges
The many tower blocks of Norukar are connected via a network of sky-bridges located anywhere from fifty to two hundred meters above street level. Access to the sky-bridges is restricted to those with special passes. This includes the workers and inhabitants of the towers, members of the Octavium, members of the aristocracy, city officials, and others carrying an official pass or commission. The level where the sky-bridges connect to the towers is commonly referred to as the “Mid-Levels”. One can find luxury shops, theaters, parks, gardens, statues, and goods and services for the upper class at the mid-levels. The mid-levels are a colorful and tasteful blend of neon lights and marquees, giant moving holograms, murals and mosaics, fountains and water features, refined music played by groups of classical musicians, high fashion, and upper-class style. Powered lifts and escalators connect these mid-tier sections to street level. Constables of the city guard keep watch at checkpoints both at street level and at sky-bridge level to ensure no unauthorized access. The powered lifts and hidden passages used by the servants and slaves to connect between the upper levels, street level, and the sub-levels do stop some of the mid- levels, but access is restricted to only those servants on official business.
Journey at Street Level
The streets of Norukar are a jumble of pedestrians and electric carriages. The sidewalks are crammed with commerce. Barkers shout from doorways. Merchants announce their wares from tents, stalls, and store-fronts. Holographic projections of dancers flash like giant electric ghosts overhead. Busy people rudely push past the player characters on their way to important business elsewhere. The smell of exotic foods from Zinj, Saibra, and Meruta lingers in the air. Little can be seen of the sky far above. Electric lights flicker and buzz, providing additional illumination. The elevated mono-rail roars past every ten minutes. The journey involves multiple elevator transfers, known in Norukar as “powered lifts”, and several security checkpoints as they descend to street level. The gamemaster should roll a random encounter every 100 meters.
Norukar random encounters Roll once per block 1-5
Nothing unusual happens
6
A Jinx cutpurse attempts to steal from one of the player characters
7
A drunken aero-ship crewman mistakes one of the player characters for someone else and tries to start a fight
8
One of the player characters is almost hit by an electric carriage
9
The player characters are randomly stopped by the City Guard and are asked to present their papers, if any player characters are carrying restricted weapons or equipment, they will be asked to present the papers for those as well
10
It very suddenly begins to rain a heavy downpour
Tower Harken
Once at Tower Harken, the player characters can easily find their way to the entrance to the Under-City beneath the tower. Once there, however, they are stopped at a heavily guarded security gate manned by a human gate-warden wearing the livery of House Garanni and two cyberdroid slave overseers. The gate prohibits access into the hidden network of slave access passages within the tower. The gate-warden asks the player characters for their identity papers and their business. If the player characters explain their mission to find Marik, the gate-warden says, “Just a moment, let me check my inventory. Here is she is. Marika Ulaan, a Demetrian war-slave, assigned to the boiler maintenance in level three. She should be on duty. Normally I’d send a team to go retrieve her for you, but my post is undermanned today. Instead, I can assign Four-Thirty-OneBee here to escort you to her and you can retrieve her yourself.”
11
Swords of Cydoria
Four-Thirty-One-Bee
A blue cyberdroid named Four-Thirty-One-Bee, wearing the livery of House Garanni, escorts the player characters into the Under-City. The first leg of the journey includes a long ride on a large open industrial-size powered-lift platform. The lift platform descends on a framework of four girders down a long open shaft. The player characters can observe the levels around them as they pass through them. Four-Thirty-One-Bee is a friendly and loquacious cyberdroid with an encyclopedic knowledge of the Under-City and its history. He is proud of his knowledge and will speak at length on the subject, prattling on like a tour guide about every minutia of detail and bit of historical trivia as he leads the player characters to Marika: “Welcome to the Under-City! My name is Four-ThirtyOne-Bee. Allow me to give you a little tour as I escort you through our sector.” “As you may or may not be aware, the city of Norukar is built on the largest of an archipelago of small islands known as Mnatta. Each of the islands of the archipelago is riddled with hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and passages linking thousands of catacombs and chambers reaching deep underground. The subterranean chambers range in size from small rooms to massive dome-shaped galleries and cathedral-like vaults. The true extent of the passages is not known. We’ve only properly explored the corridors and chambers closest to the surface and some of the more accessible deep tunnels. There are some access points to tunnels that lead to even deeper complexes and larger chambers, far below the surface.” “The people of Norukar have put to use the chambers and corridors closest to the surface. The levels just below the streets, nearest the surface, are called the Transport SubLevels. They contain covered roadways used for freight and transport. There is also a network of underground monorails and pedestrian tunnels used by the slaves.” “The Habitat Sub-Levels contains living quarters for the hundreds of thousands of municipal slave-workers that belong to Queen Chador. The slave-workers maintain the city’s infrastructure. They operate the boilers and steam distribution system that heats all the towers, build and maintain the byzantine network of water and sewage pipes, and maintain the city’s electro-carriage street system, mono-rails, and the broadcast power network. The luckiest slaves get to work above-ground in the sun. Most never leave the access corridors of the towers. Many never even go above level one. “Most of the slaves are Demetrian civilians who surrendered after the War of Unification, or their children. Many are indentured as a result of debt or breach of contract. They sleep in large communal quarters and eat in dining halls. The discipline and obedience of the slaves is ensured by a veritable army of overseers like myself.
12
“Cyberdroids were recruited from Ohn because of the public perception that we serve the Aya. I assure you that this is purely superstition, but it serves our purposes. Also, it is widely believed that we do not empathize with the humans under our charge. This, too, is misconception. We cyberdroids are capable of the same range of empathy, or cruelty, as you humans. “The Facilities Sub-Levels are where the boilers and associated steam pipes are located. These giant machines are composed of massive pressure chambers heated by industrial elements powered by the city’s broadcast power system. The water is boiled into steam and distributed throughout the towers above. The boilers and distribution system require constant maintenance and are tended by an army of slave workers. “In the Pipes, one can find the city’s water distribution system, the water drainage system for the boilers, and the city’s sewage system. The Pipes are characterized by a maze of pipes of various sizes as well as massive pumping stations powered by broadcast energy. The system is prone to frequent bursting and ruptures. Runaway slaves often tap into these water pipes. The Pipes are sometimes frequented by mutant creatures who venture up from the deeper levels. “Humans rarely venture into the deeper sub-levels. They are largely unexplored and have limited points of access, so we keep them sealed off. The deep sub-levels are home to the rat-like Roshu as well as degenerate albino cannibals, smugglers, groups of runaway slaves desperately trying to survive in the dark, and gigantic mutated creatures called teraxes. Teraxes come in many shapes and sizes and may include man-sized albino spiders, monstrous man-eating crocodilians, giant jelly-blobs, humongous beetles and their nauseating larvae, great serpents, and may more. “Within the deepest sub-levels, one might also find an ancient intact chamber containing the artifacts and wonders of the Sdara Vatra.” Four-Thirty-One-Bee leads the player characters through a large armored iron door labeled “[STEAM DISTRIBUTION]” and down several flights of metal stairs into a large chamber lit by wan yellow light. The air is warm and humid. A complicated network of pipes crisscrosses the room. Some of the pipes emerge from the floor. Some connect to large cylindrical tanks. Others disappear into the ceiling. Many machines capped by glowing conical power receivers hum and crackle and smell of ozone. The sound of churning machinery, thumping pumps, buzzing power receivers, hissing steam, and people shouting is almost deafening as it echoes through the cavernous room. Communication at any volume less than a shout is difficult.
The Blade of Takshaka Kidnapped!
The player characters are led through a maze of elevated metal catwalks for several minutes. Four-Thirty-One-Bee finally stops and checks a clip-board, turns around and points to an unmanned post below: “That’s Marika’s post there. She does not appear to be present. Excuse me while I locate her. If she is not nearby, we may have an escaped slave, which I must report immediately. Please wait here until I return.” Four-Thirty-One-Bee goes off to search the area, leaving the player characters alone on the catwalk. A few meters away from the post, the player character can see the feet of someone lying unconscious under some pipes. The player characters may take nearby metal stairs or ladders to descend from the catwalk to the location of the unconscious subject. The feet belong to a male Demetrian war slave wearing the work coveralls of Tower Harken. He has lain here unconscious and dying since just after dawn. A patch on his worker’s coveralls identify him as Vander Yoog. A successful First Aid skill check will return the man to consciousness. His skin is swollen and black around the small knife wound on his shoulder. Black veins trace outward from the area. His eyes are glassy. His limbs shiver. He croaks out:
As his last act, the man points towards the slideng doors of a powered freight lift labeled “[BOILERS 1-4]”. He then dies from the poison. A successful Medicine skill check will identify the poison as that of the vipers of southern Markania. Four-Thirty-One-Bee soon returns, exclaiming that Marika cannot be found and that he must report her as an escaped slave. The player characters can easily convince him of the kidnapping. Four-Thirty-One-Bee can identify the man as Vander Yoog, a Demetrian war slave and friend of Marika. Marika brought Vander along as insurance in case something went wrong giving the blade to the cultists. Vander was a witness to Marika’s kidnapping and tried to stop them. He was stabbed by a cultist with a poisoned knife. Vander lies on the ground, dying. If the player characters examine the area, they will find a few loose red beads, like those on a necklace worn by Vander. The necklace is worn by worshippers of Brinna, the goddess of the Demetrians. As she was being captured, Marika tore her necklace from her neck and clutched it in her fist. She dropped a few beads at the scene and has left a trail of beads as she was carried off. Another bead can be found directly in front of the freight lift doors.
“Men in robes... masks... betrayed us! ...Took Marika... tried to stop them... stabbed me... poison! They took her.. there!”
13
Swords of Cydoria
14
The Blade of Takshaka
Chapter 3: The Under-City The Boilers Boilers 1-4 (1)
The player characters stand outside the large industrial springdriven sliding doors of powered freight lift labeled “[BOILERS 1-4]”. A single red bead from a Demetrian necklace is on the floor in front of the doors. Four-Thirty-One-Bee offers the following information: “The door leads to a powered lift that descends to the lowest boiler levels. It makes no other stops. There are no other access points between those boiler levels and the upper levels, though it does connect to the sewage and drainage system below.” “I must return to my station immediately to inform my superiors. They may organize a search party, but we are understaffed today. We may not be able to respond for several days. If you wish to pursue the kidnappers, you are free to do so. I may not follow you. Good luck.” The doors will not open and a red light glows above the button that summons the lift, indicating that the lift is not currently on their level. Pushing a button summons the lift. Twelve seconds (1 round) after pressing the button, the red light fades and a green light glows, the doors unlock and can be opened. The freight lift is an three meter square flat metal platform with no walls or ceiling connected to a framework of four metal rails in an deep shaft lined with cables and pipes. The lift descends 20 meters before coming to a rest at another set of sliding doors. The doors open to what appears to be a boiler room beyond. The room measures twenty-one meters by twenty-seven meters with a ten meter ceiling. The walls of the chamber are covered in pipes and pumps and valves and connections of all shapes and sizes. A few industrial lamps provide pale yellow light from high overhead. Four massive cylindical boiler tanks dominate the southeast three-quarters of this room. The boiler tanks contain water under intense heat and pressure. Steam hisses out of hidden recesses. Gauges, wheel-valves, and lever-valves can be seen everywhere. All surfaces that are not pipes filled with hot water are moist with condensation. Many noises, the hiss of escaping steam, the constant gurgle of flowing water, the clanking of the characters’ boots on metal grating, and the faraway thrumming of massive engines, combine to create an almost deafening cacophony of industrial sounds. The air in the chamber is warm and humid. A sliding lift-door labelled “[BOILERS CONTROL ROOM] [BOILERS 5-10]” is located in the west corner of the south wall. One of Marika’s red beads can be found on the floor in front of this door. Another sliding lift-door labelled “[BOILERS 11-13]” is located on the north corner of the east wall. There is no sign of Marika or her kidnappers. Six slaves wearing the work cover-alls of Tower Harken monitor gauges throughout the room, occasionally making an adjustment to a nearby wheel valve. They seem oblivious to the player characters as they enter.
Mind-Controlled Ambush
The six workers were also witnesses to Marika’s kidnapping. They were subdued by the cultists and the Hierophant, the leader of the cult, administered a mind-control potion on each of them. He has given them orders to misdirect anyone following them. If any player character asks any worker if they witnessed anything unusual this morning, the workers will stare silently for a moment, as if in a fugue, before smiling and answering that they saw a group of strangers exit through the door to the east, pointing in that direction for emphasis. If anyone tries to exit through the southern door, the nearest worker screams as if enraged. The scream sets off a chain reaction with the other workers, each entering a berserk frenzy. The workers then attack the player characters in a violent rage.
Six Mind-Controlled Workers
The workers are ordinary Demetrian slaves with no combat training. Their memories of the morning’s events have been blocked and can only be accessed via telepathy or some sort of potion. STR CON 1 13 14 2 14 14 3 14 14 4 16 16 5 11 14 6 12 11 Armor: None
SIZ INT POW DEX 12 11 15 15 10 17 10 11 13 13 14 13 13 15 13 11 15 12 12 8 14 13 16 12
APP HP DB 11 13 +1D4 13 12 none 14 14 +1D4 18 15 +1D4 8 15 +1D4 12 13 +1D4
Attacks: Pipe or Wrench 35%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Fist 50%, 1D3 + db (crushing) Head Butt 35%, 1D3 + db (crushing) Grapple 50% Skills: Dodge 35%, Gaming 30%, Hide 25%, Listen 35%, Sense 30%, Spot 35%, Stealth 25%, Throw 35%
Boiler Tanks
The four large vertical tanks in this room are filled with superheated water under intense pressure. If anyone fires a ranged weapon at a target standing in front of a tank, or makes a melee attack within melee range of a tank, and misses, the attacker must immediately make a Luck roll. A failure indicates that the miss has hit the tank. Roll damage for the attack, if the tank takes eight points of damage, it is ruptured. Immediately following a rupture, a jet of steam will spray ten feet into the room. Anyone within ten feet of the rupture, or anyone passing within ten feet of the rupture, must make an immediate Agility roll to avoid the steam or take 1D6 damage from scalding first-degree burns. Armor does not protect against this damage. The steam will continue to escape each round. On every subsequent round after the rupture, the tank has a twenty percent chance of exploding. If the tank explodes, everyone in the room must immediately make a Luck check. Failure indicates the character takes 4D6 damage from the shrapnel and scalding steam of the explosion, a success halves the damage.
15
Swords of Cydoria Steam Pipes
Many of the pipes covering the walls and tanks are likewise filled with scalding steam. Anyone who makes an attack against a target standing in front of a wall must immediately make an Easy Luck roll. A failure indicates that the miss has hit a hot pipe. Roll damage for the attack, if the pipe takes four points of damage, it is ruptured. Immediately following a rupture, a jet of steam will spray three meters into the room. Anyone within three meters of the rupture, or anyone passing within three meters of the rupture, must make an immediate Agility roll to avoid the steam or take 1D6 damage from scalding first-degree burns. Armor does not protect against this damage. The steam will continue to escape each round until shut off from a nearby valve. Unlike the tanks above, the pipes have no chance of exploding.
Boiler Control Room and Boilers 5-10 (2)
A freight lift connects this room with the boiler room to the north (1). The closed freight-lift doors are labelled “[BOILERS CONTROL ROOM] [BOILERS 5-10]”. The freight lift is currently lowered and will take 24 seconds (2 rounds) to ascend and descend. The doors open to a darkened room. The lamps have been disabled and cannot be activated. Even using artificial light or night vision, it is difficult to make out the dimensions of the room. The air is thick with a hot white fog caused by the intentional release of one of the steam reservoirs, and large tanks and banks of broadcast power receivers block the view of the far walls. This chamber is crowded and claustrophobic with pipes, pumps, and machinery. Vision in any direction is restricted to six meters. The player characters must make their way through the chamber using narrow walkways. The player characters will be forced to enter and explore this room, using their own light source, in order to locate the control room on the east wall or the exit in the southwest corner. If they are smart and/or lucky, they might find the hidden freight lift concealed by a movable bank of pumps, small tanks, and pipes in the southeast corner. Anyone searching this area will find one of Marika’s red beads on the floor, but no sign of the hidden door. Otherwise, they will only find the door in the west corner of the southern wall, concealed from view but not intentionally hidden. This heavy metal door is chained shut and dead-bolted. A sign on the door reads “WARNING! DO NOT ENTER! DANGER BEYOND! Sealed on the order of Gate-Warden Hendar”. Opening the door requires a successful Effort check to force it open or successful Fine Manipulation skill check to pick the locks. The passage beyond is a long straight stairway that leads to the storm drains. The air is cold and moist and the sound of flowing water echoes off the brick walls of the passage.
Three Cult Guardians
The Hierophant has assigned three temple guardians disguised as workers to guard the secret entrance to the temple. They will at first try to mis-direct any player characters through the south door. If any of the player characters appear to be close to finding the secret door, they draw their poisoned daggers and attack. If any of the guardians are captured, they will swallow a poisoned pill and commit suicide.
16
STR CON 1 11 17 2 15 12 3 12 9 Armor: None
SIZ INT POW DEX 12 15 12 17 12 15 13 16 17 14 14 15
APP HP DB 10 15 none 18 12 +1D4 13 13 +1D4
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 35%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 35%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Spear, Long 65%, 1D10 + 1 + db (impaling) Grapple 65% Skills: Brawl 45%, Disguise 35%, Dodge 40%, Grapple 65%, Hide 35%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Spot 45%
Control Room
The small room, measuring six meters by twelve meters, is located in the north corner of the east wall contains control panels that allow engineers to shut off water and heat going to the boilers. A wall of gauges show the current pressure and temperature of each boiler on this level. Banks of wheel-valves and lever-valves allow player characters to shut down any or all of the boilers. The valves and gauges are labeled with Norukarian and Malusian letters and numbers but the player characters have otherwise no idea which valve and gauge go to which boiler. For the reference and convenience of the Referee, each of the tanks have been labelled with a corresponding number on the referee’s map. A red light blinks over each of the dials labelled 16, 24, and 25 and the corresponding dial for each displays zero. If any other tanks have exploded, a red light will blink above that dial for that tank’s number and the dials for each will display zero for pressure and water level.
Concealed Cargo Lift
The group that kidnapped Marika fled to safety using a hidden freight lift in the southeast corner of this chamber. The doors to the freight lift are concealed behind a large bank of pipes, small tanks, and pumps which are set on a moveable platform allowing the bank to be rolled out away from the wall. Player characters will only discover this movable bank if they are searching for hidden doors and succeed at a Search skill test. A success indicates that the player character has discovered that the bank of machinery moves after 1-6 minutes of searching. The freight lift is currently at the bottom of a deep shaft and will arrive ninety seconds after pressing the button to summon it.
The Freight Lift Trap
A freight lift connects these two boiler rooms (1 and 3). The freight lift is elevated and can be boarded immediately from the northwest boiler room (1), a subtle clue that the group that kindapped Marika did not flee this direction. The freight lift has been sabotaged. As soon as the freight lift stops and the doors open, the player characters hear a loud pop and a series of bangs, followed by a loud rumble as several tons of concrete and steel plummet down the shaft. The player characters have only a few seconds (1 round) to exit the freight lift before it is crushed by the concrete. Anyone still inside the freight lift car must succeed at a Luck or Agility check or be killed or maimed (leaving them with 1D4 Hit Points). The shaft becomes blocked with tons of debris, trapping the player characters in this room and forcing them to find another exit.
The Blade of Takshaka Boilers 11-13 (3)
This chamber is initially dark. Activating the lighting controls near the entrance provides weak yellow illumination. It is difficult to see the far walls of this chamber because of the three large tanks it contains: two rectangular and one vertical cylinder. The chamber measures twenty-four meters by eighteen meters with a ten meter ceiling. The walls are covered in pipes and pumps. A metal door is located in the south corner of the east wall. A door in an alcove located in the south wall is chained shut and dead-bolted. There are placards on both doors that read:
WARNING! DO NOT ENTER! DANGER BEYOND! Sealed on the order of Gate-Warden Hendar
passage beyond leads down some stairs and turns a corner to the right, leading to storm drains. The sound of rushing water can be heard echoing through the darkness. Another door, closed, is near the east corner of the south wall. The closed door leads to an unlit passage, 8 meters long, that ends in another closed door.
Sewer Spiders
Four giant spiders lurk in ambush on the walls and ceiling. Make an Easy Hide skill check for each spider, opposed by a Difficult Spot skill check for each intended victim. If the spider succeeds and the victim fails, the spider automatically wins initiative and its first attack is Easy and the victim may not attempt to parry or dodge. If the spider succeeds and the victim succeeds, the spider automatically wins initiative and its first attack is still Easy but the victim may attempt to parry or dodge (see Ambushes, BRP page 213). If the Spider’s attempt to hide fails, roll initiative and attack normally. STR CON 1 10 9 2 8 5 3 9 5 4 7 12 Armor: None Move: 8
Each door is chained shut with a deadbolt. Opening the door requires a successful Effort check to force it open or successful Fine Manipulation skill check to pick the locks. The east door leads down a corridor, twenty-one meters long, that ends in a freight lift that connects to an abandoned store room (4). The south door leads fifteen meters down a set of stairs to a landing. At the landing, a corridor branches east and south. The east corridor leads down another set of stairs fifteen meters and connects to a catwalk that extends twenty-four meters over the pump room (5). The south corridor continues down a second set of stairs for 12m where it ends in another landing. At the second landing, the corridor turns east for 9m down another set of stairs, ending in an alcove that opens onto the north wall of a long corridor that runs east to west.
Storeroom (4)
The player characters may descend the darkened freight lift shaft from the boiler room (3) into this mysterious room. The room measures twenty-four meters by eighteen meters with a twenty meter ceiling. The room was once a storeroom but has since been invaded by denizens from farther below and was sealed off for safety. The lamps in this room no longer function. A large pile of bones and the mummified husks of bodies lie in a pile a meter deep in the middle of the floor. Some of the remains appear to be humanoid, some appear to be crocodilian, and many appear to be some kind of large rat. Each of the eight corners, the upper walls, and the entire ceiling of the room are covered in thick spider-webs. A door in the south corner of the east wall has been busted off its hinges from outside and lies on the floor nearby. A brick-walled
SIZ INT POW DEX HP DB 13 3 6 14 11 none 11 3 6 18 8 none 13 3 8 18 9 none 15 3 6 13 14 none Hit Points: 12
Damage Bonus: none
Armor: 2-point chitin Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D6 + db (impaling) + venom (POT equal to CON; see Poison, BRP page 229) Webbing 50%, no damage (see below) Skills: Climb 100%, Hide 75%, Sense Vibrations 60%, Stealth 80% Webbing: A giant sewer spider can attack with its bite and with its webbing in the same round at no penalty. It can only attack with its webbing once every 2 minutes (10 rounds). The spider can attack with its webbing to a range equal to the spider’s STR in meters. A webbing attack cannot be parried but it can be dodged. A victim hit with webbing must immediately make a Difficult Agility roll. Success indicates the victim has managed to keep one arm free and may use any item in that arm. Failure means the target has become completely immobilized to the ground, unable to move, attack, or perform any other action requiring free arms or legs. Escaping a spider’s webbing requires a successful Resistance roll using the victim’s STR vs. the strength of the spider’s webbing, equal to the spider’s CON. The webbing has a number of hit points equal to the spider’s CON and can be cut by anyone with a free arm and a cutting implement, though the cutting implement will become stuck in the webbing and rendered unusable after only one round. Flame will cause any webbing it touches to disintegrate but will do fire damage to anything trapped in the webbing. Spider Climb: The giant sewer sider is capable of clinging to and moving on any surface, wall, or ceiling without falling.
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Swords of Cydoria Pump Room (5)
A twenty-four meter long metal catwalk crosses twenty meters above four large industrial water pumps. The chamber below measures twenty-four meters square with a ceiling of twentyfour meters. The room is packed with machinery, large pipes, and tanks, leaving very little room to walk. Half of the south wall is connected to the west corner of the north wall of another large chamber to the southeast (6). Four cylindrical tanks stand vertically in this chamber surrounded by a network of pipes, valves, and gauges. The tanks do not appear to be boilers. Instead, they are part of a pumping mechanism that pumps water out of the boilers in other rooms and into the drainage system. One of the tanks has ruptured, its metal shards littering the floor. The ruptured tank emits a foul odor that permeates the room. The ruptured tank is occupied by a colony of carnivorous bats. The bats will be disturbed by any loud noises such as combat, weapons fire, or the collapse of the unstable stairs in the reservoirs room (7). If disturbed, they will swarm out of the tank and attack the source of the noise.
Carnivorous Bats
Carnivorous bats make their homes in dark chambers, caves, and sewers. They swarm about their prey like piranha, devouring the victim alive in hundreds of small bites. An individual carnivorous bat is not very threatening and can be easily dispatched. A swarm, however, is difficult to disperse and can be deadly. There are fifty bats in the colony. Treat the colony as five swarms of ten bats. Each swarm of ten bats occupies a 27 cubic meter area (essentially, a 3x3x3 meter cube). A single swarm can attack a single victim in a round but up to nine swarms can attack the same victim at a time. A single swarm attacks at 5%. Each additional swarm attacking the same target adds 5% to each of the attacks, so nine swarms attacking a single target make nine attack rolls at 45% each. Each attack that hits does 1D3 damage. Armor counts against each individual attack. A character can Dodge an attack from a single swarm of carnivorous bats but may not parry it. A successful attack against a swarm of bats, considered Difficult, will automatically kill a single bat and scatter the remainder of the swarm.
Reservoir (6)
This high-ceilinged chamber measures twenty-four meters square. The chamber contains a large deep pool of water. It is part of the boiler system’s elaborate network of drainage tunnels. The west half of the northern wall opens directly into a large pump room (5). A freight lift is located in the northern corner of the west wall. A twelve meter wide tunnel flows downhill a distance of forty-two meters before emptying into the sewage drainage tunnel (13). The water in the tunnel is two meters deep. The rusty iron bars of a portcullis separate the pipe from the chamber. The portcullis can be raised using a control panel in an alcove in the southern corner of the west wall. Anyone wishing to travel through the tunnel must first raise the portcullis. There is a one-meter ledge along the side of the tunnel that can be used for walking, requiring an Easy Agility check. The tunnel is connected to a flooded chamber inhabited by giant albino alligators (13).
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The metal stairs descending along from the entrance in the east corner of the north wall are poorly attached to the west wall. Similarly, the stairs along the southern wall are poorly attached. The bolts have long ago rusted and disintegrated. When any human-sized creature walks on the stairs, they begin to creak and move. Each round someone walks on the stairs, allow them to make Luck check. If the check fails, the entire stairs collapse with a loud bang, dumping the character into the water below. The loud noise will then summon the swarm of carnivorous bats from the pumping room (6) which will attack anyone in the joined chambers. The reservoir is twenty meters deep. The water level is currently six meters below the side of the reservoirs. The sides of the reservoir are made of smooth wet concrete with no foot or handholds. Anyone who falls into the reservoirs needs the assistance of someone above lowering a rope. Climbing without such aid requires a successful Impossible Climb skill check.
Boilers 22-30 (7)
The door to this room is labelled “[BOILERS 22-30]” and opens onto a large, dark, humid room of unknown dimension. Activating the switch next to the door provides a weak yellow light from the few working lamps high above, revealing a room measuring thirty meters by eighteen meters with a twenty meter ceiling. The floor is flooded in waist-deep water, neck-deep for deru and jinxes. Four large cylindrical tanks stand vertically along the east and west walls, two on each wall. Pipes, pumps, and valves cover nearly every inch of wall space. There are two short sets of stairs, one on the north wall by the entrance, one on the opposite wall by an open door that leads down a dark corridor. This chamber is another boiler room. It is warm and humid. The two tanks on the west wall radiate heat and emit a constant noise of thrumming. The two tanks on the east wall have ruptured, gaping holes blowing metal shards outward from the sides of the steel tanks.
Giant Jelly-Blob
Lurking under the surface of the water is a giant jelly-blob. It will attack anyone that enters the water. This jelly-blob was lured into the boiler by the warm water of the ruptured boiler, under which it rests, hoping to eat any prey that tries to cross through the room. As soon as any player character steps into the water, they immediately feel as if they just stepped into wet sucking mud. They have stepped into the jelly-blob. As a result, the jelly-blob attempts to rise up around the player character and pulls them down onto the floor and towards the center of the room, all the while enveloping, smothering, and dissolving the player character in acidic gelatin until they either die or escape. STR 26 CON 15 SIZ 79 INT 1 POW 6 DEX 3 Move: 2 Hit Points: 47 Damage Bonus: +6D6 Armor: None (see Acid Gelatin below) Attacks: Pseudopod 50%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Envelop (see below) Skills: Hide 85%, Sense Vibration 90%, Stealth 80%
The Blade of Takshaka Envelop: Enveloping a target requires the jelly-blob to allocate SIZ points to each intended target. A jelly-blob can attempt to envelop as many targets in a single round as it wants so long as it has SIZ to allocate towards the target. To envelop a target, the jelly-blob must succeed at an opposed check using the jelly-blob’s allocated SIZ vs. the target’s STR, SIZ, or DEX (target’s choice). If the jelly-blob wins, the target is completely enveloped. If the jelly-blob loses, the target is still free and can act normally. It is possible to move through a jelly-blob, but all such movement is halved. An enveloped target is immobilized and all their equipment will take 1D3 damage from the jelly-blob’s digestive acid until dead. In addition, the target is deprived of air and is subject to the rules on Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation (BRP page 128). An enveloped victim is normally unable to act. They may struggle to break free each additional combat round by attempting a resistance roll using STR vs the jelly-blob’s allocated SIZ. If an enveloped victim forgoes an escape attempt for a combat round, they may instead attempt a Luck roll. Success allows the victim two options: to have an arm free of the blob such that a friend could grab the victim to try to pull them out the following round; or to have an arm or hand free in order to perform an action. If they choose to have an arm free and a friend tries to help, substitute the friend’s STR for the victim’s STR on the resistance roll to escape. However, if they choose to perform an action, they may attack or use a piece of equipment such as throwing a rope or activating an electric field. Acidic Gelatin: The jelly-blob is composed entirely of a acidic gelatin. Divide the damage from all physical attacks made against it by half. Energy weapons do normal damage. Immunities: Jelly-blobs are immune to all psychic powers. Jellyblobs are immune to the following psychic powers—Aura Detection, Emotion Control, Empathy, Mind Blast, Mind Control, Sensitivity, Telepathy, or any other power or effect that affects the mind. Jelly-blobs are immune to the following Ta’oudh powers—Blind, Blinding Bolt, Calm, Disfigure, Disfiguring Bolt, Disrupt, Disrupting Bolt, Enrage, Healing Touch, Hypnotic Gaze, Immobilize, Immobilizing Bolt, Restore, Sense Presence, Stun, Stunning Bolt, or any other power that affects the mind or nervous system of a target.
Secret Freight Lift (8)
A powered freight lift is concealed by a moveable wall of machinery and pipes. The machinery is on rollers and can be moved aside to reveal the powered lift shaft. The lift has descended to the bottom of the shaft. Summoning the powered lift takes ninety seconds. The lift will descend for thirty seconds before stopping in the three meter wide freight corridor that leads to an abandoned boiler room (7) and an abandoned pump room(8). Ordering the lift to descend again causes it to continue to descend for another sixty seconds. The bottom of the shaft opens to a long corridor that leads south. Cult members use this concealed lift and passage when traveling to the Temple of Anaka.
The Drainage Tunnels
Secondary Drainage Tunnels
A network of interconnected six meter wide drainage tunnels carries waste water and sewage away from the upper levels. The effluence cascades down nine meter falls as it drains into a catch basin (12). Corridors allow maintenance access to the tunnels from the abandoned storeroom (5) and the reservoirs and pump rooms (6,7). The effluence in these tunnels is shallow, less than knee-deep, and flows at a leisurely two meters (one square) per round.
Collection Pool (9)
This brick-lined chamber measures eighteen meters square and has an eighteen meter tall arched ceiling. A pipe in the center of the ceiling pours additional effluent into a collection pool. Iron bars block the tunnels leading south and east. A similar chamber to the north trickles down an incline, creating a dribbling waterfall. A massive subterranean beast has died in this pool. Its submerged body is infested with kolops larvae. The larvae consider any other creature that enters this area a competitor for their food and will immediately attack anyone that enters the chamber.
Twelve Kolops Larvae
The larvae of giant kolops beetle are bloated corpulent creatures the size of a fat pig with a wriggling segmented worm-like body and grasping mouth pincers. They are capable of short surprising bursts of wriggling speed. These kolops larva dwell in the deeper strata but have ventured up looking for food. They are quite voracious and will quickly swarm any nearby food. They are blind and rely on their keen sense of smell. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX HP DB 1 6 11 15 1 3 13 13 none 2 5 10 14 1 6 8 12 none 3 7 11 8 1 6 7 10 none 4 7 12 13 1 2 13 13 none 5 10 9 14 1 4 11 12 none 6 6 9 15 1 5 6 12 none 7 5 13 18 1 1 14 16 none 8 4 10 8 1 3 11 9 -1D4 9 7 12 13 1 3 11 13 none 10 7 15 10 1 1 12 13 none 11 6 13 10 1 1 12 12 -1D4 12 7 12 15 1 6 6 14 none Move: 4 (14 in short bursts, once every ten minutes) Hit Points: 12 Damage Bonus: None Armor: None Attacks: Bite 30%, 1D6 + db (bleeding) Skills: Climb 70%, Dodge 30%, Sense 60%
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Swords of Cydoria Primary Drainage Tunnel (10)
This area can be reached via two brick-lined corridors: one leading down steps from the boiler control room (2) and the other down steps from the flooded boiler room (8). Both routes are dark and end in a thick rusted metal hatch. A sign on either door reads “[PRIMARY DRAINAGE ACCESS]”. The sound of rushing water like a river can be heard on the other side of the hatch. Opening either hatch allows access to a dark underground artificial river, part of the city’s industrial drainage system, a massive eighteen meter wide square tunnel. The walls of the tunnel are lined with bricks and the ceiling is arched. Waste water and sewage flows quickly from the west to the east before plunging twenty-four meters over a forty-five-degree flume. A one meter wide ledge is located two meters above water level on either side. The ledges are slippery and difficult to navigate. Any movement along a level section of ledge requires an Easy Agility check if moving at half-speed or a standard Agility check if moving at normal speed. Movement along the inclined ledge requires a Difficult Agility check if moving at half-speed and an Impossible Agility check is moving at normal speed. A failed check means the player character has slipped and fallen into the fast-moving effluence. Anyone caught in the flow will be swept with the current at thirty meters (ten squares) per round and washed over the falls into the catch basin below (12).
The Catch-Basin (11)
This massive dark chamber measures fifty-four meters by has a 60m vaulted ceiling. The entire chamber is a single large catchbasin. Hundreds of pipes drain effluent into a pool, dozens of meters deep. The liquid in the pool is dark and opaque. An awful stench permeates the entire chamber. The main line discharges a torrent of effluent from an eighteen meter wide square tunnel down a 45-degree incline in the north corner of the west wall. A barred outflow pipe, six meters wide, languidly exits the room in the southern corner of the west wall. Four larger tunnels pour effluent down trickling inclines along the north wall. A one meter ledge runs along the perimeter of the entire chamber. An exit connects to unexplored passages of the deeper strata in the north corner of the east wall. If the player characters explore the exit to the northeast, they will find a colony of escaped slaves barely surviving in the UnderCity. The escaped slaves will provide the player characters first aid and assistance. If the player characters wish to leave the Under-City, the slaves will escort them safely back to an upper levels where they can find access to the surface. If the player characters ask the slaves about the kidnapping, the slaves will tell the player characters that they have seen no kidnappers but that there is a secret temple to Anaka, the snake god, located behind a hatch down a tunnel to the southwest, but to beware the Roshu, for that same hatch leads to their warrens! The slaves will share their water, food, safety, and first aid to the player characters, but will not help them search for the knife or fight the cultists. The moment two or more player characters attempt to navigate the perimeter ledge around the chamber, the tentacles of a giant sewer octopus emerge from the depths and attempt to grab them. If grabbed, the hapless victims are dragged into the pool towards the bottom of the nine meter deep basin, where the sewer octopus attempts to devour them with its gnashing beak.
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Giant Sewer Octopus
The sewers beneath Norukar are populated with thousands of sewer octopi, most growing no larger than a man. They dwell in catch-basins and reservoirs where the water is relatively still, eating trash, human waste, and other fauna adapted to life in the sewers. Occasionally, a sewer octopus will grow to monstrous proportions. This particular specimen has a head the size of an elephant and tentacles the size of tree trunks, each able to stretch to a length of sixty meters. STR 37 CON 16 SIZ 37 INT 4 POW 12 DEX 24 Move: 4 (10 swimming) Hit Points: 27 Damage Bonus: +4D6 Armor: 2-point hide Attacks: Tentacle Lash 45%, 1D6 + tentacle db (crushing) Tentacle Grab 45%, special – see Tentacles below. Bite 45%, 1D10 + ½ db (impaling) + poison (see below) Skills: Hide 70%, Swim 100% Tentacles: A giant sewer octopus can make eight simultaneous attacks using its eight tentacles. It can either lash a target with its tentacles or attempt to grab a target to pull it underwater. When a giant sewer octopus grabs a target, it wraps its tentacle around the target’s legs and torso. A grabbed target must make an immediate Agility roll. Success means the character has an arm free and may choose to either escape the grab or attack the tentacle or octopus. Failure means the character’s arms are pinned and the character may not choose to attack, they may only attempt to escape. A character may attempt to escape as their action for that round. Escaping requires a successful opposed roll on the resistance table using the character’s STR vs. the combined STR for each of the octopus’ arms that has grabbed the character. For example, if the character has been grabbed by only one tentacle, the octopus’ STR is 15, 30 for two tentacles, 45 for three, etc. A successful roll results in the character breaking free of the octopus’ grip. Once grabbed, the octopus will try to move the character towards its beak where it will try to bite the head off its victim. An octopus can move a grabbed character nine meters (3 squares) per round. The octopus can make one bite attack per round in addition to its eight tentacle attacks. Optionally, an octopus can forego moving the victim in favor of squeezing the life out it. Instead of movement, the octopus makes an opposed roll on the resistance table using the tentacle’s STR vs. the victim’s SIZ. Success does 1D6 + tentacle db. Failure does no damage. A character can attack an individual tentacle in an attempt to sever it. Attacking a tentacle while grabbed is Difficult. Once a tentacle has taken 8 points of damage, it is severed. Poison: The bite of the giant sewer octopus has a POT equal to the CON of the octopus.
The Blade of Takshaka Sewage Drainage Tunnel (12)
Access Hatch (13)
The chamber beyond measures eighteen meters wide by sixty meters long with a six meter ceiling. Another portcullis blocks a six meter passage on the west wall. Indirect light can be seen beyond.. A twelve meter tunnel in the center of the north wall connects to the reservoir (6). A one meter ledge runs along the entire perimeter.
Two Cult Guardians
A portcullis of iron bars block a six meter wide by six meter long pipe that connects the catch-basin to this adjoining chamber. A nearby wheel raises and lowers the portcullis.
Bubbles occasionally rise from the depths of the filth. A one-meter wide ledge runs along the perimeter of the chamber. Moving faster than a careful walk requires an Agility test to avoid falling into the sewage that fills the chamber. Make a secret Spot skill check for each of the player characters. Any player character that succeeds notices movement in the water, something white submerging, leaving a gentle wake of ripples, etc. The north tunnel connects to the reservoirs room (6). The sewage in this tunnel is three meters deep.
Six Albino Sewer Alligators
The chamber beyond is inhabited by six albino sewer alligators. They were prevented from entering the catch-basin by the lowered portcullis. The albino sewer alligator is a blind crocodilian adapted to living in the lightless environs of the ancient tunnels and pipes below the city. They hunt by sense of smell and by sensing vibrations in the water. They attack anyone that enters the sewage for any reason. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX 1 29 25 33 3 11 9 2 26 19 28 3 12 5 3 26 14 27 3 13 9 4 27 25 27 3 13 7 5 31 22 25 3 8 7 6 23 21 27 3 9 7 Move: 8 (10 swimming) Hit Points: 22-23 Damage Bonus: +2D6
HP 29 24 21 26 24 24
DB +3D6 +2D6 +2D6 +2D6 +2D6 +2D6
Armor: 5-point scales Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D10 + db (bleeding) Skills: Hide 50%, Stealth 75% Violent Spin: If a sewer alligator successfully attacks a target, it has grabbed the target in its jaws. A grabbed target may attempt to escape as its action on the current or next turn. If the grabbed target succeeds at either an opposed STR or DEX test on the resistance table against the alligator’s STR, the target has escaped. On the following turn, if the target is still grabbed, the alligator will, as its action, violently spin in an attempt to rip off a chunk of flesh or the target’s limb. The violent spin automatically deals additional damage equal to the alligator’s damage bonus.
This chamber measures eighteen meters wide and stretches west into the darkness. A six meter passage on the east wall connects this chamber to the sewage drainage tunnel (12) to the east. There is an open metal hatch in the middle south wall, fortyeight meters from the southeast corner. Two robed figures stand inside the hatch, scanning the chamber with a hand-held electric torch. They are cult guards, posted here to keep an eye out for the player characters. The guards are bored, however, and are not really expecting the player characters to come this way. As a result, they can be easily surprised. The guards make Difficult Spot skill checks opposed by the Stealth skill checks made by the player characters. If the guards succeed and the player characters fail, the guards will close the hatch and retreat to warn the others at the entrance to the cult temple (21). If the hatch is closed, a Difficult Effort check or a Fine Manipulation skill test with lock picks is required to open it. There are no signs painted onto the hatch. STR CON SIZ INT POW 1 14 9 12 9 13 2 12 9 13 11 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Armor: None
DEX APP HP DB 10 14 11 +1D4 14 12 11 +1D4 Damage Bonus: +1D4
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 45%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 55%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 65% Skills: Disguise 35%, Dodge 40%, Grapple 65%, Hide 40%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 45%, Spot 50%
Corridors (14)
Past the hatch, a corridor extends south fifteen meters before it descends a twelve meter flight of stairs and turns left (east). A closed door is located in the east wall at the top of the stairs. Should the player characters choose to continue down the stairs instead of through the door, they will descend twelve meters to a landing, turn left (east), descend an additional twelve meters to another landing, turn right (south), and descend six more meters to a filthy metal door. A pungent smell of musk and urine permeates the bottom of the stairs. The metal door is unlocked and leads to the outer room of the Roshu Warrens (15). Should the player characters attempt to open the door at the top of the stairs, they find it locked. Opening the door requires either a key from one of the cultists, an Effort check, or a Fine Manipulation skill test with lock picks to open it. Once past the door, the player characters will find a set of stairs leading eighteen meters east and down to another door. This door is not locked. Beyond that door is a landing and two corridors, one to the left (north) and one straight (east). The north corridor is a very long passage that connect to the hidden powered lift (8). The east corridor descends thirty-six meters down another set of stairs to a six meter landing in front of a metal door, the entrance to temple of the snake god Anaka (21).
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Swords of Cydoria
The Roshu Warren
The so-called Deep Zone contains many chambers and corridors that are unexplored and unused by the surface dwellers. This suite of connected chambers has been claimed by a pack of roshu. Roshu are vile semi-aquatic rats of human-like intelligence that have developed a primitive sort of society amidst the physical foundations of the city of Norukar. Roshu are not actively hostile towards humans or other surface-dwellers, but they are opportunistic and have, on occasion, stolen human children to serve as slaves or food. Roshu have no language as humans understand it, but communicate using barking sounds, squeaks, growls, body language, and simple hand-signs. The roshu of this warren will at first try to turn any interlopers away through warning barks and threatening displays. If pressed, they will defend their warren to the death. If the player characters show that they wish to parley or trade, the roshu will warily indicate acceptance and will meet peaceably in the outer guard room. If any player characters ask about the cult, perhaps showing the poison daggers or the robes, the roshu traders will indicate understanding and will offer to lead the player characters through a secret tunnel to the heart of the cult temple, bypassing the guards, in exchange for barter.
Outer Room (15)
The metal door in the east corner of the north wall of this room is unlocked. Opening it unleashes a sickening smell, a combination of musk and urine. This room measures fifteen meters by eighteen meters with a forty meter vaulted ceiling. Torches burn near a thicker metal door in the western corner of the southern wall of the southern apse, the only other exit. The room is filled with filth, debris, blankets, trash, and junk. The door is designed to be opened in two halves, upper and lower. A 20cm by 20cm peephole is located about head height on a human. A sound like that of a busy city can be heard through the door. Although no distinct voices can be discerned, one can definitely make out a multitude of murmuring communication. A long string hangs suspended from the ceiling and leads through a small hole in the door. The door is a hatch made of thick armored metal. Nothing short of a battering ram or cutting torch will remove it. If the player characters pull the string, they hear a bell jingle on the other side of the door. The peep hole is opened and a spear pokes out threateningly. What appears to be a giant rat the size of a 30kg dog peers through the peep hole. It screeches and chitters and makes intimidating high-pitched barking noises. Anyone succeeding at an Insight skill test will recognized the behavior as a warning display, as if to say: “Keep out! Come no closer!” This room is the entrance to the roshu warren. A roshu sergeant named Slash-Face commands five roshu warriors, one roshu giant, and three hissers that are posted here at all times to frighten away intruders. The cultists of the snake god have taken a few unwary roshu to feed to their giant snake, so the roshu are wary of humans.
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Slash-Face, the Roshu Sergeant
Slash-Face is the leader of a pack of roshu warriors. He is an experienced survivor, a canny combatant, and a trusted battle leader. For more information on roshu, see page 50. STR 9 CON 11 SIZ 7 INT 15 POW 14 DEX 13 APP 4 Move: 10 Hit Points: 8 Damage Bonus: -1D4 Armor: 2-point hide and light helmet Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Short Spear 45%, 1D6 + 1 + db, warriors only Skills: Dodge 60%, Hide 50%, Fine Manipulation 40%, Listen 70%, Sense 95%, Sleight of Hand 60%, Stealth 65%, Swim 100% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
Five Roshu Warriors
For more information on roshu, see page 50. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP HP DB 1 5 7 9 12 7 9 8 8 -1D4 2 11 9 5 10 13 11 5 7 -1D4 3 9 4 7 12 14 10 8 6 -1D4 4 5 6 7 18 10 10 5 7 -1D4 5 8 6 9 11 8 8 6 8 none Move: 10 Armor: Usually none, though some Roshu warriors wear 2-point of hide or leather with a light helmet. Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Short Spear 35%, 1D6 + 1 + db, warriors only Short Sword 35%, 1D6 + 1 + db, warriors only
The Blade of Takshaka Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 40%, Fine Manipulation 40%, Listen 65%, Sense 95%, Sleight of Hand 50%, Stealth 40%, Swim 100% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
Roshu Giant
For more information on roshu giants, see page 50. STR 26 CON 21 SIZ 17 INT 7 POW 6 DEX 8 APP 4 Move: 10 Hit Points: 19 Damage Bonus: +2D6 Armor: Usually none, though some roshu giants wear 2-point of hide or leather with a light helmet. Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Grapple 65%, Skills: Dodge 40%, Listen 35%, Sense 30%, Spot 35%, Track 55% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
Three Hissers
For more information on hissers, see page XX. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX HP DB 1 18 12 7 2 9 15 10 +1D4 2 15 8 12 2 10 15 10 +1D4 3 19 9 8 2 7 17 9 +1D4 Move: 4 Armor: 4-point chitin Attacks: Bite 55%, 1D8 + db Acid Spit 40%, 1D6 + acid (see Acid Spit below) Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 80%, Stealth 60% Acid Spit: The hisser can spit an acidic attack up to 6m at a target once every ten minutes (1 turn). Any target hit with the acid spit attack will take an additional 1D3-1 damage per round (see Acid, BRP page 211).
Communicating with the Roshu
It is obvious the spear through the peep hole is meant to be nothing more than a threatening display. The roshu is incapable of actually making an attack through the hole. If the player characters back up a step, make a sign of friendship such as sheathing weapons and showing open palms, speak calmly, or make any attempt to communicate, etc., that player character may attempt a Charisma check. If all of the characters put away all their weapons, the check is Easy. If any of the player characters are threatening or intimidating in any way, the check is Difficult. A failed check will cause the roshu to pause and listen, curious but wary. One or more of the player characters may try again, this time using Bargain, Fast Talk, Perform, Persuade, or Psychotherapy skill test in turn until at least one succeeds or all fail. The same conditions for ease or difficulty as the Charisma check above apply to subsequent skill tests. If at least one player character succeeds, the peep hole is closed and the bottom half of the armored door is opened. A roshu warrior warily sticks his head out the open door. His face is marred by a long scar, a trophy of a battle from long-ago. The roshu warrior closes the door behind him and advances cautiously, hands outstretched to demonstrate friendship. He attempts to communicate using hand signs, drawing on the walls with charcoal, and body language. Once trust and attempts at communication have been established, it becomes easier to exchange simple concepts and ideas. Complicated concepts may require an Idea check to convey or an Insight skill test to understand, at the gamemaster’s discretion. In addition, each of the player characters may receive an immediate 1D6 percentiles in Language (Roshu).
What the Roshu Warrior has to Say
The roshu with a scar across his face will attempt to convey the following: “I called Slash-Face” “Roshu mean humans no harm.” “Roshu afraid of humans.” “Humans wear hoods take roshu.” “Humans wear hoods feed roshu to great big snake.” “Roshu fight. Defend home.” If the player characters ask about the humans that wear hoods, the roshu will respond: “Roshu know where humans wear hoods live.” “Many humans wear hoods fight. Many humans wear hoods defend home.” “Roshu know secret way to home humans wear hoods.” “Roshu show you secret way.” “Roshu want you kill many humans wear hoods.”
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Swords of Cydoria It should become clear that the roshu are offering to escort the player characters safely through their warren to a secret tunnel that leads to the temple of Anaka. The player characters are free to accept or decline. Should they accept, Slash-Face will open the entrance and lead the player characters to an audience with the queen of the warren.
As soon as Slash-Face enters the chamber with the player characters, the room becomes silent. Every beady eye and twitching whiskered nose is warily watching the human intruders. SlashFace pauses to attempt to allay their fears, after which the roshu slowly and cautiously return to their business, though more subdued than before.
Attacking the Door
A barred door is located in the center of the west wall of the main hall. The room is darkened and the cries of what sound like human children can be heard from within (17). Slash-Face will not pause to answer any queries regarding the room, he will instead motion the player characters to continue following him.
If the player characters attack the door, Slash-Face simply closes the peep hole. Small secret doors on the west wall, each less than a meter tall and wide, will slide open, releasing three hissers into the room. The secret doors lead to a cramped passage, barely big enough for the giant cockroaches.
Main Hall (16)
If the player characters chose to fight the roshu in the outer room, they find the entrance to the main hall, a thick steel door, barred and locked. No amount of effort short of a cutting torch can remove the door. If they accept Slash-Face’s offer of assistance, he will rap a secret series of knocks, some in response to knocks from the other side. The sounds of opening mechanical locks and the removal of a heavy bar precede the opening of both halves of the armored door. The sound of a hundred barking, chattering, squeaking roshu of all ages reverberates from the open door. A guard pokes his head out to check and is surprised by the humans, but SlashFace gestures his assurance. The inside guard opens the door to admit the strangers. The door opens onto the middle of the north wall of room measureing eighteen meters by twelve meters with a ten meter ceiling. The room is shadowy but lit by a few flickering torches. Junk is piled shoulder high in places and the player characters may find it difficult to navigate the barely defined path through the mounds of detritus. Five roshu warriors, each armed with a short sword and spear, stand guard here. They brandish their spears in warning but do not immediately attack. Three hissers, giant cockroaches the size of large dogs, scurry from beneath the refuse to stand in front of the rats. A roshu giant, three meters tall, sits resting on a bench in the corner. The giant is attached to two leashes held by the two warriors not holding hissers. The rats screech and chitter and make intimidating high-pitched barking noises. The giant cockroaches hiss menacingly. The rats issue commands to the hissers, who seem to heel at their orders. Slash-Face does what he can to allay their concerns. The southeast corner of the small room joins the northwest corner of a cavernous chamber, 36m by 30m. The chamber has a 60m vaulted ceiling like a cathedral. A 6m wide passage exits through the center of the south wall and connects to other parts of the warren. Barely visible through the piles of junk are two doors, one in the east corner of the north wall, the other in the north corner of the east wall. This is the main hall of the roshu warren. The floor resembles a junk yard. Small fires burn here and there. The racket produced by over a hundred large rats, hissers, and other strange animals is deafening. A few of the roshu keep feral human children on leashes, stroking them like pets.
24
Slash-Face leads the player characters to door in the east corner of the north wall of the main hall. He motions for the player characters to wait. He raps another secret knock on the door and it opens. This door leads to the audience hall of the roshu queen (18).
Slave Pens (17)
This squalid room measures eighteen meters square with a three meter ceiling. The room reeks of human urine, sweat, and feces and the floor is covered with rotting food. The roshu keep several young human children penned up in this darkened room. The children are mostly kept as pets but are occasionally eaten as food when other supplies run low or as delicacies served during special occasions or celebrations. The children are feral, raised by the roshu from infants. Some cry, some laugh, some bark and growl like animals. None are capable of communication. A barred and locked gate keep the children from escaping. The gate can be opened with a successful Effort roll or Fine Manipulation skill test using lock picks. If the player characters deviate from Slash-Face’s path to investigate the pens, several dozen roshu will glower menacingly and move to protect their “pets”. Slash-Face will attempt to re-group the player characters to continue to lead them to the secret passage. If asked about the children, he replies: “We catch little humans.” “Little humans pets.” “Starving roshu eat little humans rarely.” “Come. Follow.” It is entirely possible, if not probable, that the sight of human children kept in slavery by the roshu will create animosity among the player characters. The player characters may choose to forget the secret passage and immediately start a fight with the roshu to free the slaves. If the player characters begin fighting, most of the roshu will flee, leaving a core of two dozen roshu warriors. Fighting two dozen roshu warriors at once is foolhardy but do not discourage the player characters from any choice of action they wish to pursue. Alternatively, they may attempt to barter for the slaves, a tactic the roshu understand and will respond positively towards. The roshu will gladly trade the children for items of technology, especially weapons. Ultimately, the choice of how the player characters react is their decision.
The Blade of Takshaka Audience Chamber of the Queen of the Warren (18)
After passing two guards posted outside the door to the main hall (16), the player characters travel down a short corridor into a chamber measuring twenty-four meters by eighteen meters with a six meter ceiling supported by thick columns. The air in this room is hot and dry like it is heated by an oven. A scavenged boiler heating coil sits exposed in the center of the room connected to a nearby power receiver. The exposed coil provides dim red light and radiates dry electric heat. Tattered rugs and draperies hang from every wall. Knick-knacks, trinkets, and thingamabobs hang from the ceiling, filling the room with dangling bits. This is the audience chamber of the queen of the roshu warren. A large roshu female lies supine on a thick padded cushion on a raised dais along the eastern wall of this room. She wears a tattered silk cape and a necklace made of discarded gears and sprockets. She is larger than the males, almost human-sized. She is surrounded by a dozen well-armed roshu guards, two roshu giants, and another two-dozen suitors. Dozens of mewling hairless wrinkled roshu pups squirm around her, struggling for access to her teats. If the player characters enter escorted by the roshu sergeant Slash-Face, the following scene transpires. The roshu queen squeaks a protest at the intrusion. Slash-Face bows obsequiously and signs the following: “These humans kill humans wear hoods. Slash-Face show these humans secret door. These humans kill great big snake.” The roshu queen silently considers this for a moment, then nods. The roshu queen then speaks in thickly accented Norukarian: “I speak hyooman words. For why you want kill many hyoomans-wear-hoods?” Allow the player characters to answer and interact with the Roshu queen. She will answer questions and will provide information so long as the player characters are respectful and courteous. If the player characters are especially polite, the queen will show her pleasure by offering the player characters one of her pups as a gift, with the common expectation that it be eaten by the recipient. This response is not required and no offense will be taken should the player characters decline or refuse to eat the pup.
“You not show respect! You are rude and make bad words! You go now!” Whether the conversation was civil and productive or antagonistic ending in recrimination, the interchange ends and the player characters are dismissed. The queen waves one of her paws towards the east wall of the room. Several guards and suitors move out of the way. A large rug is pulled aside revealing a small metal hatch. Slash-Face opens the hatch and points to the tiny crawl-space beyond. The queen calls after them: “Way leads to hyoomans-wear-hoods! You kill dead many hyoomans-wear-hoods! You go! Slash-Face close hatch behind you!” The dusty concrete passage is barely a meter tall and unlit. Most player characters will be forced to crawl or hunch. The passage leads to a secret door in the cell containing the giant Mutoran Serpent (24).
Roshu Queen
The queen of the roshu is generally a non-combatant, preferring instead to let her guards defend her person. However, if cornered, she will fight with animal ferocity. STR 10 CON 17 SIZ 14 INT 13 POW 16 DEX 4 APP 2 Move: 4 Hit Points: 16 Damage Bonus: None Armor: None Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 40%, Fine Manipulation 40%, Listen 65%, Sense 95%, Sleight of Hand 50%, Stealth 40%, Swim 100% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
After a few minutes of polite interchange, she eventually makes an offer to the player characters. “I make offer this to you. You do kill great big snake. You make bring back head of great big snake. I make give you big gift treasure. All you carry. You make do this. I make give you big gift treasure. You agree. Slash-Fash show you secret way. You no agree. Shlash-Face take you back where from came.” If, at any point, the player characters are odious or show the queen disrespect, she barks her displeasure. Her guards immediately close in around her to protect her person. Slash-Face winces, knowing he will face punishment for presenting these interlopers to his queen. The queen shouts:
25
Swords of Cydoria Temple to Rash (19)
A door in the east corner of the north wall of the queen’s audience chamber (18) leads down a twelve meter corridor into a room measuring twenty-one meters by eighteen meters with a twenty meter vaulted ceiling. Oil lamps in each of the four corners provide dim illumination. Unlike the other rooms of the roshu warrens, this room is remarkably clean of debris and trash.
The Temple of Anaka
A giant stone statue of a rat sits on its haunches in the center of the north wall, one of its paws is raised as if in salute. The eyes of the status are made of two massive rubies, each the size of a man’s hand. The incisors are made of silver. Its entire body is covered in gleaming gold leaf. The total value of this statue is the equivalent to a reward of +50 temporary Wealth (see Swords of Cydoria, page 167).
The cult of Anaka, god of snakes, has established a secret temple in this section of the Under-City. The cult was outlawed in Norukar because it practices ritual human mutilation and sacrifice. Another reason for the ban is its popularity with the aristocracy. The rich and powerful are drawn to the cult because of its promise of even more wealth and influence, and members of the cult enjoy many of the kind of benefits reserved for influential secret societies. For this additional reason, Queen Chador views the cult as a challenge to her authority and has ordered that the punishment for membership in the cult be execution. The ban only served to push the cult deeper into hiding. In this instance, literally deeper. The cult, using the resources of its wealthy members, constructed this elaborate temple deep underground, including secret powered lifts that allow access from the surface.
This room contains an altar to the god Rash, the rat-god worshipped by the roshu. The roshu offer sacrifices of items stolen from the surface world which are then collected by the priests in the vault (19). The priests of Rash teach that one day the roshu shall inherit the surface world and that on that day all men will be their slaves.
The cult meets twice a month to pray and offer minor sacrifices to their ophidian god. The cult offers human sacrifices to a giant Mutoran serpent one a month on the full moon, with special sacrifices on equinoxes and solstices. During ceremonies, many cultists carry venomous snakes, draping them around their necks and arms.
An elderly roshu with long white fur serves as the high priest of this temple. He is assisted by seven acolytes and protected by four warrior guards, each controlling a hisser, at any given time. There are at least two guards watching the statue twenty-four hours a day. The acolytes and warriors will defend the statue of their god with their lives. A door in the west corner of the south wall leads to a 18m by 6m room where the roshu of the temple live and sleep.
Vault (20)
The door to this room is a hatch made of heavy iron. The room is locked. The key is kept in a secret hiding place and only the roshu queen and the high priest to the temple of Rash know its location. Opening the hatch requires an Impossible Effort check, a Difficult Fine Manipulation skill check using lock picks, or a cutting torch of some kind. Within this room the roshu queen keeps her most prized possessions. The room measures twentyone meters by twelve meters with a three meter ceiling. The room is piled with treasure, both actual and perceived. Some of the treasure consists of actual coinage, gold sovereigns, silvers quarters, copper pennies, etc. The room contains weapons, household items, Rhakadian technology, statues, jewelry, etc. The room also contains tacky junk, worthless trinkets, gaudy tchotchkes. The total wealth of this room is equivalent to a reward of +100 temporary Wealth (see Swords of Cydoria, page 167).
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Temple Guardians
There are a total of seventeen members of the cult who are trained for combat and serve as guardians within the temple. Most of the temple guardians are members of the Imperial military, the Norukarian city guard, or guardsmen of an influential household. Four are stationed in the guard room at the entrance (21). Four more are stationed in the antechamber (22). Two are stationed in the Masters’ Chamber (25). Two at the entrance to the hierophant’s quarters (26). Three at the entrance to the slave pens in the preparation room (27). Two roam the complex, moving from room to room. The temple guardians wear black leather armor over loose green silk pajamas, gauntlets of thick black leather, and a black helmet with a full face shield. The helmet resembles a snake’s head with fangs. Each carries a key that opens all of the locked doors associated with the temple except the masters’ chamber and the hierophant’s quarters. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP HP DB 1 12 15 11 13 18 11 17 13 none 2 13 13 11 14 14 9 13 12 none 3 11 13 13 13 13 13 12 13 none 4 15 14 16 13 15 14 13 15 +1D4 5 14 11 14 16 13 12 13 13 +1D4 6 15 18 15 9 17 14 13 17 +1D4 7 11 15 10 16 12 14 11 13 none 8 9 14 13 12 12 16 16 14 none 9 14 10 13 13 14 17 10 12 +1D4 10 14 15 13 16 12 15 12 14 +1D4 11 16 12 11 10 13 18 14 12 +1D4 12 13 14 14 17 17 10 13 14 +1D4 13 17 15 12 16 12 12 13 14 +1D4 14 13 12 13 11 16 8 12 13 +1D4 15 12 14 10 13 15 12 13 12 none 16 16 12 11 11 13 11 11 12 +1D4 17 9 13 11 12 10 9 14 12 none Armor: 3-point hard leather and Cydorian light helmet
The Blade of Takshaka Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 35%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 35%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Spear, Long 65%, 1D10 + 1 + db (impaling) Grapple 65%
Baron Palar Banwick Chief of aero-traffic policies and control STR 17 CON 8 SIZ 11 INT 11 POW 15 DEX 14 APP 14 Move: 10 Hit Points: 9 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None
Skills: Brawl 45%, Disguise 35%, Dodge 40%, Grapple 65%, Hide 35%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Spot 45%
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 30%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 60%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 45%
Typical Cult Acolytes
There are a total of forty-one acolytes in the cult of Anaka. Acolytes are low ranking members with little political influence yet could serve useful in the hierophant’s long-term plans. Cult acolytes wear hooded long green silken robes. They wear black hoods over their heads to conceal their faces. The identities of the acolytes are known only to the masters who initiate them into the cult. Each carries a key that opens all of the locked doors associated with the temple except the masters’ chamber and the hierophant’s quarters. STR 16 CON 16 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 10 DEX 15 APP 9 Move: 10 Armor: None
Hit Points: 14
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 35%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 35%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 65% Skills: Disguise 35%, Dodge 35%, Grapple 65%, Hide 30%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Spot 45%, Status 60%
Cult Masters
There are a total of eleven members of the cult of Anaka that possess the rank of “Master”. Cult Masters were once acolytes who have been awarded special benefits and powers within the order. Many of the cult masters are high ranking or particularly influential representatives of the Norukarian aristocracy. The identity of each master is known only to the hierophant and a select few other masters. Cult masters wear hooded long red silken robes. They wear black porcelain masks over their faces to conceal their identities. Each carries a key that opens all of the locked doors associated with the temple except the hierophant’s quarters. Count Orlo Garanni Leader of House Garanni, member of the camarilla of Queen Chador STR 12 CON 12 SIZ 16 INT 13 POW 10 DEX 12 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None
Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 30%, Disguise 35%, Dodge 25%, Etiquette 70%, Gaming 60%, Grapple 45%, Hide 30%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Literacy 60%, Pilot (Aeros-ship) 70%, Research 45%, Spot 45%, Status (Civilized Society) 86% Baron Nelo Cardith Member of the camarilla of Queen Chador STR 16 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 14 POW 9 DEX 15 APP 14 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 40%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 55%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Skills: Bargain 65%, Command 25%, Disguise 25%, Dodge 55%, Etiquette 80%, Gaming 55%, Hide 60%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 25%, Literacy 60%, Spot 50%, Status (Civilized Society) 85% Lord Trin Banollis Chief of appropriations for Norukar STR 11 CON 10 SIZ 15 INT 14 POW 10 DEX 17 APP 15 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 20%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 50%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Skills: Bargain 70%, Command 40%, Disguise 35%, Dodge 45%, Etiquette 65%, Gaming 50%, Hide 40%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Knowledge (Business) 80%, Literacy 90%, Spot 85%, Status (Civilized Society) 80% Lord Gido Garanni Political leader of the Norukarian City Guard STR 13 CON 17 SIZ 14 INT 11 POW 15 DEX 13 APP 16 Move: 10 Hit Points: 16 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 60%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 85%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 85%
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 25%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 45%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 65%
Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 50%, Etiquette 70%, Gaming 60%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Knowledge (Politics) 45%, Knowledge (History)35%, Literacy 50%, Literacy (Nazarian) 25%, Perform (Poetry) 55%, Status (Civilized Society) 90%
Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 60%, Disguise 35%, Dodge 45%, Etiquette 40%, Gaming 40%, Grapple 65%, Hide 20%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 15%, Knowledge (Business) 60%, Literacy 55%, Spot 55%, Status (Civilized Society) 80%
27
Swords of Cydoria Lord Pharon Annilo Ambassador to Kallo STR 9 CON 9 SIZ 13 INT 15 POW 13 DEX 16 APP 16 Move: 10 Hit Points: 12 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None
Captain Chon Dagroth Chief of household security for House Banollis STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 15 DEX 11 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 12 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None
Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 45%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 45%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding)
Attacks: Plasma Pistol 75%, 2D10 + 2 (impaling) Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 75%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 75%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 75%
Skills: Bargain 85%, Command 65%, Disguise 45%, Dodge 45%, Etiquette 90%, Hide 40%, Insight 60%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 25%, Language (Kalloan) 80%, Literacy 70%, Spot 45%, Status (Civilized Society) 78% Lord Kant Bannakez Influential businessman and investor STR 17 CON 15 SIZ 12 INT 12 POW 10 DEX 13 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 14 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 35%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 35%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Skills: Bargain 75%, Command 70%, Dodge 25%, Etiquette 70%, Gaming 60%, Hide 30%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Knowledge (Business) 80%, Literacy 60%, Spot 55%, Status (Civilized Society) 77% Lord Rorock Banollis Influential businessman and investor STR 13 CON 10 SIZ 14 INT 15 POW 13 DEX 16 APP 10 Move: 10 Hit Points: 12 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 20%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 20%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Skills: Bargain 75%, Command 70%, Dodge 25%, Etiquette 70%, Gaming 60%, Hide 30%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Knowledge (Business) 80%, Literacy 60%, Spot 55%, Status (Civilized Society) 77% General Yng Garanni Highest ranking officer in the Norukarian City Guard STR 18 CON 12 SIZ 13 INT 11 POW 13 DEX 12 APP 15 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Ballistic Pistol 60%, 1D8 + 1 (impaling) Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 65%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 65%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Jitte (Sai) 50%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Grapple 65% Skills: Command 80%, Dodge 60%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 25%, Knowledge (Law) 75%, Listen 65%, Ride 75%, Spot 80%, Status (Military) 90%, Swim 60%, Track 60%
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Skills: Brawl 60%, Climb 55%, Dodge 60%, First Aid 65%, Grapple 75%, Hide 35%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 20%, Listen 55%, Jump 35%, Spot 70%, Status (Military) 70%, Stealth 45%, Throw 40% Captain Ran Kisi Chief of household security for House Kisi STR 14 CON 18 SIZ 17 INT 11 POW 13 DEX 12 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 18 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Poisoned Kris (Dagger) 55%, 1D4 + db (impaling, POT 16 Cobra Venom –see BRP page 272) Scimitar 60%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Grapple 65% Skills: Brawl 60%, Climb 45%, Dodge 60%, First Aid 45%, Grapple 65%, Hide 45%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 20%, Listen 50%, Jump 30%, Spot 60%, Status (Military) 70%, Stealth 40%, Throw 30%
Cult Hierophant (Captain Hach Garanni)
The leader of the cult, known as the Hierophant, wears a long black hooded robe with green trim. He wears a form-fitting hood over his head and a white porcelain mask with the features of a serpent’s face to conceal his identity. The Hierophant is, in truth, Count Garanni’s distant cousin and captain of the household guard Hach Garanni. Hach is a Norukarian military veteran in his fifties. He spent much of his life travelling Markania, Ragana, and Kallo as a military officer. In his many journeys, he has learned much about ancient artifacts and their reputed powers. During his stay in Kallo, he was initiated into the cult of Anaka. It was also in Kallo that he learned the secrets of Psi-Magic. When he cashiered out of the military, he joined the family guard as Count Garanni’s personal bodyguard. He has used his secret powers of emotion and mind control of sway the decisions of the count. It would be fair to say that Hach is the one truly in control of House Garanni. Hach’s plan is to obtain the Blade of Takshaka and use its special properties to enhance his mental powers. He will then recruit newer more powerful members of the Norukarian aristocracy into his cult and one day rule the affairs of the entire city. STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 18 DEX 15 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 11 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Blade of Takshaka (Dagger) 40%, 1D4 + db (impaling) Scimitar 75%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding)
The Blade of Takshaka Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 50%, Disguise 40%, Dodge 40%, Etiquette 70%, Fast Talk 60%, Insight 75%, Knowledge (Artifacts) 75%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 80%, Perception 60%, Perform Ritual 60%, Persuade 80%, Sleight of Hand 40%, Status (Military) 75%, Status (Cult) 90%, Stealth 30%, Throwing 50% Psychic Powers: Emotion Control 75% (Range: 180m; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point cost: 1 power point per 3 INT to activate, 1 per full turn to keep active), Mind Blast 75% (Range: 18m; Duration: until target recovers; Power Point Cost: 1 power point per 3 POW affected), Mind Control 75% (Range 18m; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point Cost: 1 power point per 3 points of the target’s POW plus 1 power point per additional combat round), Mind Shield 75% (Range: self; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point Cost: 1 power point or more to activate)
Guard Room (21)
Both doors on the center of the west wall and in the east corner of the south wall are locked. Opening the door requires either a key from one of the cultists, an Effort check, or a Fine Manipulation skill test with lock picks to open it. Each door is equipped with a small one-way peephole so that someone inside the door can look out without being seen. If the player characters knock on either door, one of the temple guardians within will cautiously look through the peephole but will not open it unless coerced or otherwise convinced to do so. Both doors open to a small vestibule measuring three meters square. The walls of each vestibule are covered in black velvet curtains. A bench is placed in the center of the floor. A large bamboo box contains cloth sacks in which the cultists place their clothing and personal belongings. Each sack has a detachable numbered tag that matches a number printed on the sack. The doors of the vestibule are rigged to a pressure plate in the floor so that they are locked from the inside so long as someone is inside the vestibule. This allows cultists to change into their ceremonial robes before entering the complex without revealing their identities, and the cultists can view the hallway beyond through the peephole to ensure no one can see them when they exit. Whenever someone enters a vestibule, a small bell rings and a gauge near the guardian station displays the weight placed on the pressure plate. This allows the guardians to anticipate acolytes entering or to prepare for attack should more than one person enter the vestibule at a time. Passing through either vestibule, the player characters find themselves in the guard room. The room measures twelve meters square with a four meter vaulted ceiling. There is a large ornately carved door near the north corner of the east wall. The door is covered in bas relief of a stylized giant two-headed snake god emerging from the egg of the world and devouring tiny people. There are some chairs and a table along the north wall of this room. Two round gauges are located near the exit of each vestibule. Each gauge displays the weight applied to the pressure plate in each room. Four temple guardians stand watch outside the entrance to the temple. They expect acolytes to exit the vestibules one at a
time wearing robes and face masks, carrying the sacks containing their street clothes. The acolytes then give their sacks to the guards who place them in a storage room. The acolyte keeps their claim ticket to retrieve their garments later when they exit. The guards block the entrance as they wait for the password. Upon hearing the password, they open the entrance and hold the door for the acolyte as they pass. Anyone wearing the robes of a cultist and adhering to the routine outlined above must succeed at an Easy Disguise or Perform skill test. The skill test is Difficult for anyone not of standard adult human size or shape, or anyone who is apparently not human. A successful Fast Talk skill test adds +20% to the Disguise skill test. If the player character achieves a success, the temple guardians politely admit them through the entrance, holding the door for them as they pass. If the player character fails, the guardians will stop them and ask some questions. Should anyone wearing the robes of a cultist deviate from the expected routine, such as entering as a group or not depositing their bag, will be stopped and questioned. “Why did you not enter one at a time?” “Are you forgetting to deposit your belongings?” “Ahem. The password if you please.” The player characters may attempt a Difficult Fast Talk, Command, or Persuade skill test to bluff, intimidate, or convince the guard into letting them enter without a password. If they succeed, they are allowed to pass. If they fail, the player character has failed the questioning. The guards will immediately attack anyone who fails the questioning or anyone not wearing the robes of a cultist. Should combat occur at the guard post for any reason, three guardians will defend the entrance with their lives while the fourth retreats inside and closes the door on his comrades. The fourth guardian then runs to the temple to call for help.
Antechamber (22)
The ornate door in the guard room leads down long winding corridor to another door, closed but not locked. The door opens onto the north corner of the east wall of a long room measuring forty-eight meters by twelve meters. Several long rows of shelves line the six meter alcove in the north wall. The shelves support several dozen identical ritual goblets. Two six meter corridors connect the south wall to another larger chamber (23). The room is dark save for dim red electric lamps located on either side of the corridors leading to the temple. A stone basin is located under each red lamp. Each basin appears to be filled with an opaque yellowish liquid that smells like wine.
Frontal Assault
If the player characters attack, they are met by twelve guards and twenty acolytes, with twelve more hurrying from the temple (24). The guards and acolytes will immediately attack the intruders and will fight to the death to defend their blasphemous god. The hierophant along with three of the Masters (General Yng Garanni, Colonel Ran Kisi, and Colonel Chon Dagroth) will coordinate the defense from the far side of the pit (23) while the rest
29
Swords of Cydoria of the Masters file out the back, heading for their escape tunnel.
A Subtle Approach
If the player characters have entered covertly, then the player characters stumble across a ceremony about to begin! Red fire light flickers through the corridors from the adjoining temple. The voices of dozens of cultists can be heard chanting in low breathy susurration. Temple guards stand next to the basins by the corridor entrances. They will not suspect anyone wearing the robes of the cult, no Disguise skill check is necessary in the dim light, but will shout an alarm and immediately attack anyone not dressed in the robes or anyone who is apparently not a human. The guards expect cultists entering the temple to take a goblet from the apse, draw a draught from one of the basins, take a small sip from the cup, and carry the remainder into the temple for the ceremony. The basins are filled with the “Venom of Anaka”, a wine laced with a mild hallucinogen. Taking a sip is equivalent to consuming a poison with a POT of 6 (see Poisons, BRP page 229). However, instead of doing damage, a sip of the Venom of Anaka causes mild hallucinations and increases the character’s susceptibility to mind control. The victim must make an immediate check on the Resistance Table using their CON vs. the POT of the poison (6). Success means the character is aware of the mind-altering effects of the drug but suffer no penalty. Failure causes the character to temporarily lose 6 points POW. The resulting hallucinations incur a -20% penalty to all skill tests, including attack rolls and dodge and parry attempts. The venom also reduces the perception of pain, allowing those affected to act normally in spite of incapacitating damage. The subject ignores any effect that would ordinarily stun them. The subject may ignore the effects of minor, major, or fatal wounds. The subject does not fall unconscious as a result of damage and may continue acting normally at zero hit points or fewer for 1D4+1 rounds. If the player characters try to pass the guards without stopping to fill the goblets, the guards will cross spears in front of them, barring entrance. One of the guards will silently point to the goblets on the shelves on the far wall, then point at the basin. Once the player character has consumed the venom, or has at least convinced the guards they have done so using a successful Sleight of Hand or Perform skill test, they will be admitted to the temple.
Temple of Anaka (23)
Two wide corridors from the antechamber (22) lead into a cavernous room measuring forty-eight meters square with a thirty meter vaulted ceiling. An alcove measuring twelve meters by six meters connects the larger chamber with the corridors on the north wall. The floor of the room descends in five thirty centimeter terraces, beginning in the corridors. A large pit, twelve meters deep, occupies much of the southern half of the room. The statue of a massive snake head, twelve meters wide, emerges from the south wall and juts fifteen meters over the pit, its mouth open and large enough for several men to stand upright with plenty of head room. A bright red light glows from a passageway deep in the snake head’s throat. Its two eyes
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shine with crimson malevolence. A black door is located in both the east and west corners of the south wall. A third black door is located about a third of the way from the north corner of the west wall. One meter square metal grates cover two drains in the floor of the southwest and southeast corners of the pit. The drains leads to secret tunnels that exit outside the temple (29). The description of this room and its occupants depends on the manner and direction from which the player characters enter it: A frontal assault through the entrance, a covert approach through the antechamber, or a covert approach through the drain in the pit of the serpent.
Frontal Assault
If the player characters are charging in, they are met at the antechamber (22) by guards and acolytes. If the battle continues and spills into the temple area, the hierophant will never make an appearance. Instead, he will make an immediate escape through his secret passage in his chambers (26).
Covert Approach from the Antechamber
If the player characters enter covertly through the antechamber (22), either using stealth or disguised as cultists, they find a room filled with robed cultists and guards gathering for some sort of ritual. As long as the ritual is allowed to continue, the hierophant will soon make an appearance. He will give a speech, detailed below, present the blade of Takshaka, then perform a ritual human sacrifice. Afterwards, each of the cultists will partake of a hallucinogenic drug, then retire for a night of debauchery in private chambers. If the player characters make it this far without starting a fight, they’ll find it easy to navigate the temple with
The Blade of Takshaka everyone in a drug-induced stupor. They’ll find, however, that the hierophant long-ago escaped through his secret passage.
The Gathering
The attention of everyone in the room is towards the high priest and his attendants inside the mouth of the massive snake head. As long as the player characters move slowly (no more than MOV 2 per round), try to blend in, and are not immediately noticeable by their appearance or actions, they may go unnoticed. There are, at first glance, several dozen cultists partaking in the ritual. The exact number is eight guards, not counting the four in the antechamber (22), thirty-two acolytes, eleven Masters, and one high priest. The cultists are all holding their half-full goblets before them, chanting in unison some ancient alien mantra. The cultists gather around the large pit. Within the pit slithers a gargantuan two-headed snake, a legendary Mutoran Serpent from the swamps of Tyrranis. It glides smoothly around its enclosure. A shadow appears before the bright red lights in gaping maw of the snake’s head that emerges from the south wall. A tall man in black robes appears. The man wears a white porcelain mask over a black hood. He raises his hands to quiet the throng gathered around the pit.
The Speech
The hierophant of Anaka addresses the cult. “My brothers! My children! Tonight is the spring equinox! It represents a special day for our god, Anaka! It represents re-awakening, the emergence from the slumber of winter hibernation! Soon we, too, shall rise from our slumber. We shall rise up into the world above, ready to assert our will over the weak and the timid, to proclaim our dominance and authority!” He motions to one of two acolytes that stand behind him. The acolyte approaches, handing him something wrapped in pink leather. The hierophant unwraps the item and holds it aloft. It is the blade of Takshaka. “Tonight, my brothers and children, I present a special gift to our ophidian master! Tonight, I have acquired the fabled blade of the tyrant Takshaka! With this blade, I shall slay our enemies! With this blade I shall cow those that oppose us! With this blade I shall dominate the kingdom of Norukar!” The cultists silently hang on their master’s every word. “For you see, my brothers and children, this blade is no ordinary blade! Nor is it merely some antique heriloom! No! This blade is, in truth, an artifact of the Sdara Vatra, an artifact of great power to one such as I! With this blade I shall crush all our enemies!”
The Sacrifice
He once more motions to his assistants. They retreat to the rear of the snake head’s throat and return carrying a nude female at the end of a silver chain. She is Marika, who was captured by
the Hierophant to serve as a sacrifice. Marika has been rendered docile and compliant through the use of mind-control drugs. She shambles forth, offering no resistance. “This blade once sent one thousand ninety five Raganans to blessed Anaka! Tonight, I present one more offering to sanctify the blade! Anaka! Kali-mah! Kahneetah Makarana!” While holding the blade in one outstretched arm, he grabs the Marika’s forehead with his other hand. Suddenly, her senses return and she becomes fully aware of her surroundings and of the fate that is soon to befall her. Her face becomes alive with fear. She struggles to resist, but something, some mental force, paralyzes her body. She is unable to move. She emits a shrill earshattering scream. The acolytes and masters once more begin chanting, faster and louder with each repetition. The hierophant holds his pose, savoring the terror in the girl’s eyes, relishing the fervor of the chanting throng. He lets the chanting build, faster, louder, until it reaches a frenzied crescendo! Unless the player characters intervene, the hierophant then plunges the blade into the heart of the sacrifice, killing her instantly. The chanting immediately stops. The room is filled with an eerie ghostly silence. The body of the girl is allowed to drop, limply, into the pit where it is attacked by the two-headed Mutoran serpent. The hierophant turns triumphantly towards the congregation, bloody arms outstretched, and addresses them. “Hail Anaka! Lord of Serpents! May he grant your fondest darkest desires! Drink! Drink of his venom! Become one with Anaka! Through him, experience pleasure and pain!”
The Bacchanal
All of the congregants, with the exception of the hierophant and the guards, take a large drink of the “Venom of Anaka”, inducing a hallucinogenic stupor. They watch, dumbfounded, as the giant snake devours the sacrifice whole. When it is done, the guards lead the acolytes to their chamber (24) for a bacchanal. Likewise, the masters conduct themselves to their separate chamber (25) for their own, private, debauched celebration. The celebrations last throughout the night as each group partakes of wine, various narcotics and hallucinogens, rare fruits and confections, and bound pleasure slaves. After the conclusion of the ceremony, the hierophant adjourns to his private chamber. He changes out of his blood-stained ceremonial robes, and leaves through his secret exit. He proceeds to his luxury penthouse high atop Tower Harken, and retires for the evening. In the morning, he begins his plans to dominate Queen Chador and conquer all of Norukar.
Emerging Under the Grate
The player characters may enter the temple through the drain pipes as instructed by Slash-Face. Doing so causes them to emerge at the bottom of the Pit of the Serpent at about the time the cultists are gathering for the ritual (see “The Gathering” above). If the player characters hesitate, they can hear the entire speech through the performance of the sacrifice (see “The
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Swords of Cydoria
Speech” and “The Sacrifice” above). They have plenty of darkness at the bottom of the pit, as well as plenty of noise from above, to mask their entrance should they choose. However, they’ll be attacked by the two-headed Mutoran serpent that lives in the pit. If they are silent, they can kill the serpent without anyone noticing. Otherwise, if they interrupt the ceremony, they’ll face the wrath of the hierophant and his guards.
The Drain Pipes
If the player characters entered the temple compound through the secret drain pipe, they climb some metal rungs in a vertical pipe and arrive under a large metal grate. The sound of chanting echoes down through the pipe. On the other side of the grate is a large room (23). They appear to be at the bottom of a twelve meter deep pit. The pit measures thirty-six meters by thirty meters. Throngs of cultists in silk robes line the edge of the pit. The player characters had to climb the ladder in the pipe one at a time and only one player character may peer through the grate. Make a secret Spot skill check for that player character. On a success, inform the player character that none of the cultists appear to be paying any attention to the bottom of the shadowy pit and that several people could conceivably sneak out through the grate without being noticed. Make a secret Listen skill check for the same character. On a success, inform that character that, over the sound of the chanting from above, they hear the sound of a heavy mass sliding over stone or concrete, like the weight of a body being dragged over the ground. Finally, make a secret Sense
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skill check for that character. On a success, inform that player character that they detect an awful stench beyond the grate, like that of rotting meat or decaying bodies.
Emerging through the Grate
Should the player characters open the grate and try to use the shadows around them to sneak in, allow each to attempt a Stealth skill check opposed by a single Listen and a Hide skill check opposed by a single Spot skill check, each representing the entire distracted group above. If a player character fails both rolls and the cultists succeed at both rolls, one or more of the cultists has spotted that player character (but not the others). They immediately call out, “Intruders! Intruders in the pit!” If one or more of the player characters are spotted, the throng will gasp and murmur in concern. Guards will immediately run towards the edge of the pit brandishing spears and electric torches, prepared to attack anyone that tries to climb out. It is only when the guards shine their light into the dark pit that the player characters notice the giant two-headed Mutoran serpent that slithers out of the shadow of the far side of the pit towards them and attacks! If, however, the player characters go unnoticed, they are able to reach the edge of the pit unseen and unheard, concealed by shadow. Glancing about, they can find no ladder, no stairs, no way out of the pit in the nearly complete darkness. Red light filters
The Blade of Takshaka down from up above. They hear a heavy dragging noise followed by two deep throaty hisses as the giant two-headed Mutoran serpent slithers hungrily towards them and attacks!
The Two-Headed Mutoran Serpent
The legendary giant serpents of the Mutoran Marsh can actually be found throughout the coastal region of southern Cydoria. The largest are reported to grow twenty-five meters or more and measure at least a meter in diameter. They are deadly creatures capable of capsizing swamp boats and killing yaaxen that come to the water’s edge to drink. The Mutoran serpent is often employed by the cults of Anaka, the serpent god of the daka and the Galloans, as both a guardian and a subject of veneration. This particular serpent is a mutant. It has grown two heads and is capable of attacking with each. STR 58 CON 23 SIZ 58 INT 3 POW 8 DEX 16 Move: 10 Hit Points: 41 Damage Bonus: +6D6 Armor: 5-point scaly skin Attacks: Bite 65%, 1D6 + db (impaling), both heads are capable of biting independently Constrict 40%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Skills: Climb 85%, Dodge 60%, Hide 75%, Sense 75%, Stealth 90%, Swim 50%. Constriction: The two-headed Mutoran serpent can attack three times in a combat round, biting with both heads and then attempting construction five DEX ranks later. If the constriction attack hits, the target is wrapped in the serpent’s coils. The target can gasp but cannot yell or shout. Each round the constriction does damage to the victim’s total HP. Only rigid armor or chest armor (if armor by hit location is being used) reduces this damage. If a limb is free, a character can make Difficult attacks unless the character has another means of attack (GM’s discretion). A character can forego attacking and attempt to escape from constriction. Escaping from constriction requires a successful resistance roll using STR against the serpent’s STR. A character can attain partial escape by succeeding at a Difficult Agility roll. A partial escape frees a single arm or leg. The serpent will continue to constrict the victim until it is unconscious or dead, at which point it will release the victim and swallow it whole. If not already dead, the victim will then suffocate inside the serpent (see BRP page 219). The serpent can keep attacking with both its heads while continuing to constrict its prey.
Interrupting the Ceremony
If the player characters are noticed and they slay the two-headed Mutoran serpent, the hierophant will use his powers to hinder the player characters while his guards lower ladders into the pit and climb down to kill the infidels. The player characters are immediately set upon by twenty four guards and twenty acolytes. The hierophant shouts orders to capture the infidels alive, for they must be punished!
If Things Go Well for the Player Characters
It is likely that at some point the player characters will enter into battle with the cultists. The cult guards and acolytes are fanatical and will fight to the death. Their courage is bolstered by brainwashing, the long-term effects of prolonged psychic mind control, and mind-altering drugs. The masters, however, are less than suicidal in their commitment to their ophidian god. Their sense of self-preservation will prompt them to flee to safety at the beginning of any hostilities. The three brave masters that stay behind to help fight (General Yng Garanni, Colonel Ran Kisi, and Colonel Chon Dagroth) will also choose to flee once twothirds of the guards have been killed or incapacitated. The hierophant, however, will flee as soon as one attack is made against him or as soon as one quarter of the guards has been killed or incapacitated. The masters will flee through the exit in the west corner of the south wall. The hierophant retreats into the throat of the giant snake’s head. Both exits lead to a corridor that exits the temple complex to the south. The fleeing cult leaders will be forced to wait in line for a powered lift that takes them to the surface. Many will panic and will flee down side corridors to hide in the lower strata.
If Things Go Poorly for the Player Characters
Should the tide of any resulting battle turn against the player characters, the guards and acolytes will do what they can to prevent their escape. Any player character that is killed or incapacitated is, in fact, captured alive (see “Captured” below)
Acolytes’ chamber (24)
This room measures eighteen meters square. It contains several rows of wide low luxurious beds where acolytes may retire to enjoy hedonistic bacchanals after the completion of a ritual. The floor is piled with pillows and cushions. Bottles of wine and containers of powerful hallucinogens and narcotics are available on nearby tables. Pleasure slaves, both male and female, bound in animal cages, are rolled into the chamber. The slaves are released from their cages but kept on chain leashes held by guards. The guards are not allowed to partake of the celebration.
Masters’ chamber (25)
This locked room measures eighteen meters by thirty meters. It is reserved for the revels of the cult masters. It is richly appointed with cushions, pillows, low padded mattresses with satin sheets, lush velvet, etc. A door in the east corner of the north wall leads to a preparation room where the newest acolytes prepare meals and serve their masters. A corridor in the west corner of the north wall leads to two additional rooms: the hierophant’s chamber (26) and a storage room. Prior to the ceremony, the room is empty. After the conclusion of the ceremony, the masters return to this room and enjoy a bacchanal similar to those of the acolytes, but of higher quality (see 24 above).
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Swords of Cydoria The Hierophant’s Chamber (26)
Count Garanni, the secret hierophant of Anaka, keeps his vestments here along with a library of forbidden tomes, a desk with a ledger listing members of the cult, many high-ranking aristocrats. A blindfolded human female slave, frightened beyond all common sense, is kept bound and chained to a cushion in the corner. The room measures twelve meters square. A locked closet contains robes and a chest containing 100 gold coins (+25 Wealth), and some ancient books filled with lurid rites, illustrations, and blasphemous stories (+1D6% to Knowledge: Blasphemous Lore skill). One such book describes many historical relics that may, in fact, be artifacts of the Sdara Vatra (+1D6% to Knowledge: Artifacts). One such relic is the Blade of Takshaka, which is believed to contain a special stone set into the base of the blade that enhances one’s magical powers. Another book appears to be a journal with dated entries. Skimming through the journal reveals the following: •
A list of each of the masters of the cult of Anaka, along with notes describing the best strategies to employ to manipulate or control these individuals through threats or blackmail should they become enemies. Value if sold to the Hidden Hand: +25 Wealth
•
A complete list of Duke Rylar’s household staff with notes of family members. Meena’s name is underlined.
Kirt - jinx - valet Pitar – maid Klerm - jinx - butler Berry - Targan - head housekeeper Gann - Demetrian - footman - war slave Narm - Demetrian - footman - war slave Mirdrac - Targan - footman - debt slave Jirga - Targan - footman - debt slave Valen - Zinjan - aero-coachman Jinace - Demetrian - housekeeper - war slave Meena - Demetrian - housemaid - war slave Uncia - Iotian - cook Dancey - Demetrain - assistant cook - war slave
•
Notes on the daily routine of Duke Rylar, as if studying in preparation for an assassination.
•
A note dated six weeks ago celebrating the fact that Duke Rylar has obtained the legendary Blade of Takshaka, thought lost.
Glattis - Targan - kitchen maid - debt slave
•
Extensive notes on the Blade of Takshaka and its possible uses, including controlling the mind and actions of others.
Guards
•
In one entry, the writer describes in detail his plans to use the Blade of Takshaka to control the mind of Queen Chador of Norukar, and possibly the Emperor Viktor himself!
•
One entry, dated five weeks ago, lists the name and address of a weaponsmith named Hong Barum. A successful Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check will tell player characters that Hong is known for creating convincing replicas:
Olib - Demetrian - kitchen maid - war slave
Nord - Captain - Fornaxian Birk - Sergeant - orix Urik - Corporal - orix Guards Payamis - Guernan
Hong Barum
Rokur - orix
Weaponsmith
Willarch - orix
Tragoe Alley, Old Town
Yenka - orix Nakal – orix Sandis – Guernan •
A small entry dated three weeks ago that says: Orlo is beginning to resist my control Eliminate him?
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The Blade of Takshaka •
A note dated four weeks ago: Have found Meena’s sister, Marika Orlo purchased as instructed Marika agreed to talk sister into stealing blade in exchange for both their freedom. Truly a small price to pay
•
A note dated yesterday: What good fortune! Marika reports that Meena has agreed to steal the blade tonight! Just in time for the Sacrifice of the Vernal Equinox! Her timing is impeccable , proof that what has transpired must be the will of Anaka.
4. The hand-writing of Hach Garanni matches the hand-writing in the journal, a clue that Hach is the hierophant. 5. The link to House Garanni should provide player characters with a clue on where to go next in case the hierophant managed to escape the temple with the dagger. 6. The crumpled pass gives the player characters something from which to forge a false pass which can be used to gain covert entry into House Garanni. Make a secret Spot skill check for each character searching the room. A success finds a secret door concealed behind a tapestry on the north corner of the west wall. The door leads to a small passage that connects to a nondescript room with a drain in the floor (30).
Temple Guardians (27)
This room measures eighteen meters square. It is where the temple guardians train and rest. The room is filled with weapons, training and exercise equipment, and various decadent entertainments. The temple guardians are not permitted to share in the bacchanals of the acolytes and masters, so they are allowed to indulge in debauchery more often during other less holy days. Two doors are set in the south wall. The door in the east corner leads down a corridor to the sacrifice pens (29). The door in the west corner leads to the adjacent pleasure slaves (28). This room is typically empty during ceremonies but can be filled with ten to seventeen guardians during other periods.
•
A note with today’s date simply says: Steam Distribution Level by Lift to Boilers 1-4 6pm Marika would make a suitable sacrifice!
The remains of brown paper wrapping, like that of a delivered package, lies on the floor next to the desk. Inside the delivery paper, the players find a small plain wooden box. Within the box is what appears to be the blade of Takshaka! Except that this blade is a forgery: one of two commissioned by Hach Garanni. Several clues indicate a forgery: 1. There is an identical plain wooden box, open and empty, on the desk. 2. A card attached to the package indicates delivery from Hong Barum, Weaponsmith, Tragoe Alley. 3. An official pass lies crumpled nearby. The pass granted the Norukar Delivery Company access to the powered freight lift of Harken Tower to deliver a package to the penthouse mansion of House Garanni. The time and date indicates that the package was delivered several days ago. The pass is written and signed by Captain Hach Garanni, Chief of Security, House Garanni.
Pleasure Slaves (28)
The cult of Anaka keeps over a dozen slaves especially trained to provide decadent pleasure to their debauched masters. These slaves have been reduced to the state of well-trained animals by drugs, mind control, and brain-washing. They are mute and docile and obedient. They are kept chained to the walls but are allowed to sleep on comfortable beds. The guardians often make use of these slaves when ceremonies are not being conducted. A successful Psychoanalysis skill check will allow communications with one or more of the slaves. They will share what they know about the cult, including the true identities of the masters and the hierophant.
Sacrifice Pens (29)
This long room measures twelve meters by thirty-six meters and contains nearly twenty animal cages where humans, captured from the streets and slave quarters above, are kept penned while they await their ultimate fate. Only six victims are imprisoned here at the moment. The prisoners are kept naked in almost total darkness. The poor souls are not even allowed to relieve themselves outside of their pens. None of the sacrifices know who kidnapped them or why they were kidnapped, other than they know every few weeks one of their number is taken away and never returns. The hose from the preparation room is brought in twice a day to hose the room and its inhabitants down, washing everything down a drain in the center of the floor that connects to the larger drain beneath the serpent pit.
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Swords of Cydoria Preparation rooms
These two rooms measure six meters by eighteen meters. Each contains a tank of water, a pressure washer, a wardrobe, a wide table with wrist and arm restraints, and a small cabinet. The pressure washer is used to hose off the slaves and sacrifices before use. The wardrobes contain fine white garments for the slaves and sacrifices to wear. When the time comes, the sacrifice is hosed off then strapped to the table where they are meticulously cleaned and anointed with oils by acolytes. The cabinets contain several vials of narcotics used to drug the victim prior to the sacrifice. Once cleaned and prepared, the victim is dressed and escorted to their fates. Small drains in the floor connect to the larger drain beneath the serpent pit.
Captured!
Captured player characters return to consciousness several hours later, beaten, bruised, stabbed, and bleeding. They have been administered the Venom of Anaka, which dulls their sense of pain and renders them more compliant. They are awakened by a rude bucket of liquid, hopefully water, thrown on them. The player characters find themselves in a small cage in a long room with the other slaves and sacrifices (29). The room is lit by a single electric light by the door to the south. They are bereft of weapons and armor and all carried equipment. They hear the sound of other prisoners moaning and crying around them. A lone guard stands before them holding the empty bucket. He gloats: “Wake up! The master wants you conscious and afraid before he tortures you! He wants to feel your fear! He wants to taste your suffering! I will go tell him you are ready.” At that, he puts the bucket down and leaves the room. Soon afterwards, a metal drain on the floor is lifted and slid aside. Slash-Face, the roshu sergeant from the previous section, climbs out carrying a bundle behind him. Depending on the earlier actions of the player characters, the appearance of Slash-Face may be a welcome relief or a total surprise. He speaks to the player characters using signs and body language. “Silence.” “Slash-Face bring you weapons.” “Slash-Face help you escape.” Slash-Face opens the cages that imprison the player characters. He then disappears down the drain pipe in the floor, barely wider than a person’s leg. The bundle contains rusty short-swords, cleavers, and short-spears. The player characters have a second chance to escape. Just as they gear up with their new weapons, the guard returns, absent-mindedly muttering: “Well, it looks like you get an extra day. The master isn’t… WHAT?” The guard is alone. The ceremony is over and the other cultists have retired to their respective chambers and are currently lost in drug-induced stupors. The player characters find it easy to move
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through the complex unimpeded. There is a guard at each entrance to the preparation rooms, four guards in the antechamber (22), two guards at the entrance to the masters’ chamber (25), two guards at the entrance to the hierophant’s chamber (26), and two guards roaming the complex (1 in 6 chance of being in any given room other than the hierophant’s chamber at any given time).
The Drain Pipe (30)
This room meaures nine meters square with a nine meter ceiling. It appears at first glance to be empty save for two exits, one on the north wall and one on the south wall, a sloping floor leading to a large one meter square grate covering a drain, and a wide drain in the ceiling that extends into the darkness. The exit in the north wall leads to the temple guards (21). The exit on the south wall leads to other parts of the Under-City, as well as a secret powered lift to the surface. In truth, this room also contains two secret doors. One on the west wall leads through a one meter tall passage to a concealed hatch in the throne room of the roshu queen (18). A second secret door on the east wall leads through an identical tunnel to the private chambers of the high priest of the cult of Anaka (26). Both tunnels are used as escape routes. Both secret doors can only be opened from the inside of their respective tunnels. Noticing the secret doors when not looking for them requires a successful Impossible Spot skill test. Finding a secret door when looking for one requires a successful Difficult Spot skill test. The drain in the floor descends fifteen meters and connects via a horizontal pipe to another drain located in the floor of the pit containing the giant Mutoran serpent in the temple of Anaka.
The Blade of Takshaka
Chapter 4: The Raid on Harken Tower This chapter is optional and should only be used if the player characters failed to retrieve the blade in the prievious chapter. This chapter gives the player characters a second chance to retrieve the blade by infiltrating or assaulting the penthouse home of House Garanni. As gamemaster, you should make your players aware that mounting any kind of operation involving direct violence against a noble of the Norukarian aristocracy is fraught with repercussions. Though they may have evidence that Count Garanni is associated in some way with the outlawed cult of Anaka, the city guard is controlled by House Garanni and will not assist the player characters in any way. Should the player characters consult with Duke Rylar, he will believe them but will advise caution. Rylar is unable to take any direct action against Garanni without starting a war, which he is unwilling to do. He advises the player characters to infiltrate the penthouse covertly to retrieve the blade. The player characters now face a strategic decision: •
A covert infiltration of Count Garanni’s home, attempting to avoid detection.
•
An attempt to gain entry into the penthouse using some sort of ruse or disguise, perhaps pretending to be delivery personnel using the pass like the one left in the Hierophant’s chamber (26).
•
A tactical raid against the penthouse using swift brute force to eliminate or overwhelm Count Garanni’s house troops.
If the players don’t already know it, they will soon discover that although the count is a master in the cult of Anaka, he is not the hierophant. He did not arrange for the theft of the blade nor does he currently possess it. It was, in fact, Hach, his cousin and captain of the guard, who orchestrated the theft of the blade. Hach carries the blade on his person at all times, concealed beneath a cape.
The Garanni Household Count Orlo Garanni
Count Garanni is a Norukarian male in his early sixties and a widower. Count Garanni is a member of the Privy Council that advises Queen Chador on major decisions. He is an ambitious and ruthless politician with aspirations to become the chancellor of exchequer, giving him greater control over the finances of the kingdom. The count’s ambition has driven him to wage a war of indirect slander and destabilization of Duke Rylar and his reputation in an attempt to ruin the queen’s confidence in the duke and force him to resign. STR 12 CON 12 SIZ 16 INT 13 POW 10 DEX 12 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: 6-point Rhakadian adaptive mesh Attacks: Rhakadian Monofilament-Sword 85%, 3D12 (bleeding), reduce armor by ½
Rhakadian Plasma Pistol 55%, 2D10 + 2 (impaling) Target Shield 60%, 1D2 + db (knockback) Grapple 85%
Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 50%, Etiquette 70%, Gaming 60%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 35%, Knowledge (Politics) 45%, Knowledge (History)35%, Literacy 50%, Literacy (Nazarian) 25%, Perform (Poetry) 55%, Status (Civilized Society) 90%
Two Personal Guards
Count Garanni is accompanied by two personal guards at all times. They are prepared to lay down their lives in defense of their charge. Even at night, the two per Every noble family maintains a retinue of personal guards as bodyguards and household security. STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP HP DB 1 16 13 15 18 9 13 15 14 +1D4 2 17 13 14 12 13 15 11 14 +1D4 Move: 10 Armor: 9-point adaptive mesh and light helmet (Rhakadian) Attacks: Vibro-sword 60%, 2D6 + 3 + db (bleeding) Plasma Pistol 55%, 2D10 + 2 (impaling) Halberd 55%, 3D6 + db (bleeding) Skills: Brawl 50%, Climb 50%, Dodge 55%, First Aid 50%, Grapple 70%, Hide 35%, Listen 55%, Jump 35%, Spot 65%, Stealth 40%, Throw 40%
Captain Hach Garanni, Captain of the Guard
It was Hach that recruited his cousin Orlo into the cult. Though Orlo believes Hach to be nothing more than an anonymous acolyte, Hach is, in truth, the hierophant and high priest of the cult of Anaka in Norukar. Hach keeps this knowledge secret to everyone, even to the members of his cult, especially to his cousin Orlo. Since Orlo has no living heirs, Hach stands to inherit the title and household on Orlo’s death. More information about Hach’s history and position as hierophant is located on page 28 but are reproduced here for ease of use. STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 18 DEX 15 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 11 Damage Bonus: +1D4 Armor: None Attacks: Blade of Takshaka (Dagger) 40%, 1D4 + db (impaling) Vibro-sword 75%, 2D6 + 3 + db (bleeding) Plasma Pistol 65%, 2D10 + 2 (impaling) Scimitar 75%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Skills: Bargain 45%, Command 50%, Disguise 40%, Dodge 40%, Etiquette 70%, Fast Talk 60%, Insight 75%, Knowledge (Artifacts) 75%, Knowledge (Blasphemous Lore) 80%, Perception 60%, Perform Ritual 60%, Persuade 80%, Sleight
37
Swords of Cydoria of Hand 40%, Status (Military) 75%, Status (Cult) 90%, Stealth 30%, Throwing 50% Psychic Powers: Emotion Control 75% (Range: 180m; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point cost: 1 power point per 3 INT to activate, 1 per full turn to keep active), Mind Blast 75% (Range: 18m; Duration: until target recovers; Power Point Cost: 1 power point per 3 POW affected), Mind Control 75% (Range 18m; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point Cost: 1 power point per 3 points of the target’s POW plus 1 power point per additional combat round), Mind Shield 75% (Range: self; Duration: 1 full turn per power point spent; Power Point Cost: 1 power point or more to activate)
Sixteen Household guards
Household guards are essentially security guards that serve powerful households. House Garanni employs a total of sixteen household guards, eight are on duty serving a twelve-hour shift at any given time. Two guards are stationed at the main entrance, two patrol the house, and four are on reserve in the guards’ quarters. The guards answer to the captain of the guard, Hach Garanni. STR CON 1 15 12 2 14 13 3 12 16 4 17 13 5 16 12 6 12 12 7 8 11 8 14 12 9 16 12 10 12 14 11 15 13 12 14 13 13 14 13 14 13 12 15 12 11 16 13 14 Move: 10
SIZ INT POW DEX 10 14 16 12 13 15 12 13 12 11 10 13 9 15 12 12 10 13 16 13 12 14 13 12 12 14 13 17 11 8 12 14 15 9 13 17 17 12 13 13 14 9 11 10 9 17 13 14 11 13 8 15 13 15 10 17 11 14 10 13 14 10 12 16
APP HP DB 16 11 +1D4 10 13 +1D4 15 14 none 12 11 +1D4 14 11 +1D4 13 12 none 12 12 none 16 12 +1D4 14 14 +1D4 10 16 +1D4 14 14 +1D4 14 11 none 13 12 +1D4 16 13 +1D4 8 11 none 11 14 +1D4
Armor: 8-point chain and Cydorian light helmet Attacks: Sword, Broad 55%, 1D8 + 1 + db (bleeding) Plasma Rifle 40%, 2D10 + 4 (impaling) Skills: Brawl 45%, Climb 50%, Dodge 40%, First Aid 40%, Grapple 50%, Hide 35%, Listen 45%, Jump 35%, Spot 45%, Stealth 40%, Throw 40% Note: Veterans and Sergeants tend to have +10% to +20% to all skills.
Household staff
The Garanni household staff consists of of the count’s valet, a butler, a head housekeeper, two footmen, an aero-coachman, a housekeeper, four housemaids, a head cook, and an assistant cook. Most are on duty between 6am and midnight.
38
The Count’s Penthouse Mansion
The count lives in a three level luxury penthouse mansion atop Tower Harken slightly smaller than Duke Rylar’s. The mansion is divided into an upper level where the sleeping quarters are located, a main level where the ballroom, office, dining room, drawing room, and salon are located, and a servants’ level where the slaves and servants live and eat. A network of narrow corridors run between the walls so that the servants can enter and exit each room through small innocuous doors built to resemble portions of the wall. Three sets of stairs connect the servants’ level to the main level and four sets of stairs connect the main level to the upper level. Two guards stand watch outside the entrance at all times while two more patrol the house. Four additional guards stand in reserve in the guard room, occasionally walking the premises or relieving their colleagues for breaks.
Entering the Penthouse
Access to the penthouse can be gained via a powered lift whose entrance on the twentieth floor of Tower Harken is kept secure by two guards. Only invited guests, usually members of the Norukarian aristocracy, are allowed access to the powered lift, and then only with an official invitation or with the permission of the count himself. Servants may utilize a separate powered lift, similarly guarded, that stops in the first strata of the Under-City, the street level, the servant’s level, and the main level of the penthouse. Access to the servants’ level and main level is granted only to servants carrying a special key. Aero-coaches may land on a car-port large enough for two large vehicles or one pinnace. The roof of the mansion is shaped like a steep trapezoid capped by dozens of chimneys and vents, making it difficult to land an aero-vehicle. Hovering an aero-vehicle above the roof and rappelling down or crossing over a gang-plank requires a Piloting skill check to keep the vehicle steady in spite of the high winds at this altitude. In addition, the guards at the main entrance would be allowed a Listen skill check to hear the sound of the engines. Deliveries and maintenance staff may enter the penthouse via the servants’ powered lift. They must provide forged credentials, distract or incapacitate the guards, or otherwise intimidate, bluff, or convince their way past the guards with a successful Command, Fast Talk, or Persuade skill check.
Servants’ Level
The lower level of the Garanni mansion is devoted to the household servants and slaves. This floor is very utilitarian, with bare concrete floors, four meter ceilings, and plain electric illumination. The living quarters are kept strictly segregated into three sections: the household guards, the male servants, and the female servants and kitchen staff. The higher ranking servants, the valet, butler, maid, and head housekeeper, as well as the higher ranking officers of the guard are afforded their own room and office space while the lower ranking servants and guards share rooms with a fellow of equivalent rank or standing standing. Each of the rooms on the outside wall have small plain windows with breathtaking views of the city. A powered freight lift connects the kitchen to the lower levels and the street.
The Blade of Takshaka Main Level
The main level is where the count conducts his business and entertains guests. This level is lavishly decorated with marble floors, expensive rugs, and finely carved wall facades. The ceilings in each of the rooms reach a spacious height of eight meters with the salon soaring to twelve meters to accomodate a balcony from the upper level. Each room on the outer wall features panoramic windows featuring an exquisite view of the Norukarian skyline. Every square centimeter of the walls of the gallery hall is covered in framed paintings from throughout Cydoria. Most of the paintings are of long dead family members and are worth little. Illumination is provided by intricately designed electric wall lamps as well as chandeliers in the library, ballroom, and dining room, with that of the ballroom being especially ostentatious. The drawing room, library, ballroom, dining room, and tea room are used for parties and entertaining guests. The office and study are for the count’s private use and are kept locked at all times. The covered park is large enough to accomodate two aero-carriages. The terrace garden features a large fountain, several small trees, and benches for sitting. A powered passenger lift connects the foyer to the upper concourse in the tower below. A second powered lift
Count Garanni’s Study
Count Garanni’s study is filled with utilitarian books on history and finance In contrast to Duke Rylar’s study, Count Garanni’s study is conservative and somewhat boring. A painting of an unattractive woman hangs on one wall. Count Garanni keeps a small locked safe behind the painting. Unlocking the safe requires three successful Fine Manipulation skill checks, each check requireing a minute to perform. There is a 16 percent chance per minute that one of the household guards will check on the study and discover the player characters. Alternatively, the entire safe can be removed with a successful Difficult Effort ability check. The safe can then be carried a distance equal to half the character’s movement rate per round with a successful Effort ability check. Within the safe is a patent of nobility of House Garanni with the seal of the Queen, family jewels, bars of gold, deeds to property, and titles to aero-ships, worth a total of 2000 gold pieces (+100 Wealth total), but the Blade of Takashaka will not be found therein. Hach Garanni keeps the blade on his person at all times, drawing on its reservoir of power points (see Appendix D: New Artifacts, page 52).
Upper Level
The upper level of Count Garanni’s mansion is devoted to his personal private living space. The count resides in the master’s bedroom. The other five bedrooms are empty as the count has no immediate family. The rooms are often occupied by visiting guests. Each bedroom features a sweeping view of the city skyline. The count often enjoys morning breakfast on the veranda. The ceilings of this level vary between four and eight meters as some are vaulted. Illumination is provided by electric wall lamps.
39
Swords of Cydoria
Chapter 5: Possible Outcomes If the Blade is Returned in Time
If the Blade of Takshaka is returned to Duke Rylar in time for its presentation as a gift to the Ambassador from Ragana, the Duke will thank the player characters and pay them the agreed upon amount of 350 golden crowns (+25 Wealth) each.
Duke Rylar’s Assistance
As long as the player characters succeed in their mission, the Duke will provide additional assistance to the player characters. The duke will pay for any of the following expenses: 1. One-way aero-ship ticket. 2. One-way passage on a Fornaxian trading ship. 3. An inexpensive hiding place to lay low for a while. 4. A bribe to Sergeant Nimmus of the city guard to lower the priority of any investigation after a month has passed. Be aware, however, that the duke will not lie for the player characters. If questioned by the city guard, the duke will tell them the full truth of anything he knows about the actions and current whereabouts of the player characters.
If the Blade is Late or not Returned at all
In the event that the Blade of Takshaka is not returned to Duke Rylar in time for its presentation as a gift to Queen Chador, whether the player characters have retrieved the blade or not, the player characters have failed in their mission. The duke pays them 10 golden crowns (+5 Wealth) each for their trouble. The player characters may learn from heralds the next day that the trade talks failed and that the Raganan ambassador has returned home.
If Hach Garanni is Killed in the Temple
If the player characters killed the hierophant Hach Garanni during a raid on the temple of Anaka, the following outcomes are possible.
If any of the Masters Managed to Escape
In the event of Hach Garanni’s death, the surviving cult masters will cover up the existence of the temple. It will be announced that any master who died in the temple plummeted to their deaths in a tragic aero-coach accident. An investigation will quickly validate this report. However, the surviving masters will vow revenge. They will hire bounty hunters to locate and kill the player characters wherever they may be.
If any of the other Garannis Survive
If either Count Garanni, Lord Gido Garanni, or General Yng Garanni survive at the end of the scenario, then the full force of the city guard will be brought to bear to identify, locate, and arrest the player characters on false charges. Life for the player characters in Norukar could become very difficult.
40
If No Members of the Cult Survive
If the player characters killed all the members of the cult in the temple, several important figures in Norukarian politics are reported missing under mysterious circumstances. The coincidence is too great to be discounted and the inspectors of the city guard will launch a major investigation. It is up to the gamemaster if the investigation eventually leads to the temple and the truth. The roshu will ensure that little remains in the temple, leaving few clues to link the player characters to the scene.
If there is a Raid on the Mansion
If the player characters mount a raid on the mansion, covert or overt, it is possible that either the Count or Hach Garanni may become victims of violence.
If any Garanni is Killed in the Mansion
If the hierophant Hach Garanni is killed in a raid on the mansion, it will be reported that he died defending the count’s life during an assassination attempt orchestrated by Duke Rylar. If the count is killed, it will be likewise reported that he was assassinated by agents of Duke Rylar. A city guard investigation will quickly validate this report and any surviving masters will vow revenge and hire bounty hunters as above. Should Count Garanni, Lord Gido Garanni, or General Yng Garanni survive at the end of the scenario, the Norukarian city guard will be mobilized to identify and arrest the player characters as above. Depending on the amount of evidence they possess, the Count or any of his other kinsmen may challenge Duke Rylar to a duel in the queen’s court.
If the Contents of the Count’s Safe are Stolen
If the contents of the safe are stolen, the inspectors will treat the murder as a robbery. See “Selling Stolen Goods” below.
If both Garannis Survive
If at the end of the scenario the player characters have retrieved the Blade of Takshaka and both Count Garanni and his cousin Hach are alive, the following outcomes are possible.
If the Blade is Retrieved
Should the player characters retrieve the blade from the mansion without killing any Garannis but leave the contents of the count’s safe untouched, Hach Garanni will immediately suspect that Duke Rylar orchestrated the raid. Hach will not inform the count of the blade or its theft. Instead, he will tell the count that the duke has hired assassins to kill him. The count will then arrange the immediate counter-assassination of Duke Rylar on the following day. Depending on what evidence Hach may possess, the count may formally challenge the duke to a duel. In addition, bounty hunters will be hired to track down and kill the player characters. It is up to the gamemaster whether the bounty hunters ever discover the player characters’ identities. Future scenarios can be built upon the bounty hunters attacking the player characters
The Blade of Takshaka when they least expect it. In such an event, one or both of Count Garanni or Hach Garanni can become a nemesis of the player characters.
If the Contents of the Safe are Stolen
Should the player characters recover the blade during a raid on the mansion without killing any Garannis and also abscond with the contents of the count’s safe, Hach will convince the count of an assassination plot as above. In addition, Hach will summon the inspectors of the City Guard to investigate the theft as detailed above. See “Selling Stolen Goods” below.
If the Cult is Exposed
Exposing or threatening to expose either Hach or the count as members of the cult of Anaka will trump all other possible outcomes. If faced with exposure, the count will not accuse the duke of an assassination attempt and will not alert the city guard of any raid on the mansion or theft of his property. Should the player characters present evidence of Count Garanni’s involvement in the cult of Anaka to Duke Rylar, Rylar will use the information to expose Garanni’s activities as well as the membership of any other cult masters. The duke will deflect any subsequent investigations away from the player characters. The count, or anyone else implicated by the evidence, will even cooperate with Duke Rylar and hinder the investigation in exchange for suppressing the evidence of Garanni’s, or anyone else’s, involvement in the cult.
If Duke Rylar is Implicated
If the player characters somehow implicate Duke Rylar in either the theft of Garanni’s property or the murder of the count or any of his staff, Duke Rylar will disavow the player characters. Chador, the Queen of Norukar herself, will censure Duke Rylar. The Duke will lose his political positions and titles. He will be disgraced. He will not pay the player characters a single gold piece and will refuse to see them. He will, at such an end, cooperate fully with the inspectors of the Norukarian city guard to aid in the capture and prosecution of the player characters. As a final disgrace, the duke may be challenged to a duel by any surviving members of House Garanni.
battle the player characters may not win. This, of course, depends on whether the player characters possess any information that a surviving Count Garanni might find embarassing. He may, after all, simply wish for the whole affair to disappear. More likely, the deeds and titles might be involved in title fraud, where the player characters sell the items to an unsuspecting buyer as if they were the legal owner. Perpetrating such a scam would net the player characters +10 additional wealth per deed or title. As long as the count is not threatened with blackmail, he will alert the authorities as soon as he discovers he’s been robbed. The investigators of the city guard will spend the next 1-4 days shaking down local fences and known or suspected black market traders in an attempt to locate the stolen items and identify the thieves. If the player characters try to sell any stolen goods during this time, the inspectors may catch wind of it and trace the items back to them. Ask the player characters to attempt a Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check. A success allows the player characters anticipate the City Guard response. They may instead choose to wait to sell their loot or attempt to sell it in a different city.
Double-Cross
Selling the Blade of Takshaka
Should the player characters decide to try to sell the blade and skip town, they must find a buyer. The easiest strategy would be to utilize the services of a fence such as Valris (see Other NPCs, page xx) or hiring a factor like Garralius to arrange the services of a good fence. As a potential buyer, Duke Rylar will soon learn that the blade is available and will launch an independent investigation to locate and recover the blade. He will immediately suspect the player characters of a double-cross but will take no direct action until he has proof. It is up to the gamemaster if the duke ever learns the truth. Should he do so, he will put a bounty on the player characters.
ransoming the blade
The player characters may choose to attempt to ransom the blade back to the duke, or even to Hach. The duke is willing to pay +100 Wealth for the blade if it is returned before the deadline, otherwise, he will refuse the ransom. In either case, he will immediately notify the city guard and will place a bounty on the player characters.
Selling Stolen Goods
keep the blade
The player characters are presented with several opportunities to appropriate loot from their adversaries. The two most likely scenarios involve taking any items from Count Garanni’s safe or simply not returning the blade of Takshaka.
If they player characters simply choose to keep the blade for themselves, they are free to do so. They have failed in their mission (see above) but have gained possession of a powerful artifact (see Appendix B: the Blade of Takshaka, page XX).
Should the player characters rob the count of his valuables, they will possess a patent of nobility of House Garanni with the seal of the Queen, family jewels, bars of gold, deeds to two large parcels of property, and titles to two aero-ships.
The duke will launch an independent investigation to locate and recover the blade, hoping the thief will try to sell it on the black market (see Selling the Blade of Takshaka above) and may or may not discover the duplicity of the player characters at the gamemaster’s option. Should he do so, he will put a bounty on the player characters.
The patent of nobility would be worth +30 Wealth in ransom to Count Garanni or his next of kin or +10 Wealth to a master forger. The bars of gold are wroth +40 Wealth and would be the easiest to sell. The deeds and titles would allow the bearer to make a claim of legal ownership over various properties and vehicles, but doing so will immediately bring the wrath of any surviving members of House Garanni, not to mention a protracted legal
41
Swords of Cydoria
Appendix A: The City of the Gods
Geography of Norukar
The city of Norukar is built on an island in the archipelago of Mnatta off the eastern shore of the land of Targa. The island takes the shape of eight circular land-masses linked by narrow isthmuses and a common flat plain. Each land-mass is outlined by an almost perfect circular ridge surrounding a flat interior, like eight shallow craters. The ridges form natural walls around the each of the city’s eight neighborhoods. The ridges and the walls constructed atop them are therefore called “Ring-Walls”. The overall climate of the region is wind-swept and cold, with strong constant winds blowing ashore from the Great Ocean of Atarran. The island of Norukar was, at one point in history, covered in dense evergreen trees. The trees have long-since been cut down, leaving nothing but barren terrain covered by tall grass, boulders, and ancient ruins. The inhabitants of Norukar once sought shelter from the incessant winds in the circular ringwalls. Within the last generation, Queen Chador managed to procure an ancient machine to control the weather. This artifact of Sdara Vatran origin stilled the winds in the area surrounding the city. This has allowed increased aero-ship traffic to the city at the cost of higher humidity and blankets of mist and fog in the low-lying areas. The city is subdivided into eight walled neighborhoods called “Quarters”. Each quarter has its own history and character.
The Old Quarter
The Old Quarter, also called “Old Town” or “the Old City”, is home to the earliest buildings of Norukar. For many centuries, this neighborhood was Norukar. The Old Quarter contains hundreds of narrow twisting pedestrian streets and cramped, crumbling buildings. The architecture tends to be many centuries old with few reaching higher than ten levels. Within the Old Quarter, one can find most of the city’s small merchants, shops, and services. Hundreds of thousands of the city’s lower class freemen live in tenement houses. The many narrow streets and alleys of the old quarter also provide shelter to the city’s criminal class.
The Harbor
A section of the flat plain south of the Old Quarter’s ring-wall forms the city’s commercial waterfront facing the harbor. The waterfront is lined with docks and warehouses. Here one can find many shops and services that cater to maritime shipping. The criminal guild known as the Hidden Hand controls much of the illegal activity that happens in the harbor. The harbor is also home to the city’s arena, where sporting events, gladiatorial contests, and public executions are held daily.
The Xoog Quarter
The Xoog Quarter is a ghetto devoted to the city’s thousands of free Xoog inhabitants. The Xoog Quarter has its own independent Xoog mayor, administration, and constabulary. The Xoog Quarter is an exotic place of strange customs, spicy foods, intriguing aromas, and startling sounds.
42
The New Quarter
The New Quarter is entirely composed of skyscrapers built within the last two decades. It is a glittering display of architecture, power, light, and technology. Buildings reach hundreds of stories into the sky. A monorail wends its way through the canyon-like streets. The buildings are connected by a network of sky-bridges. Spotlights pierce the heavens and holograms dance through the air. Personal electro-vehicles zip around on wide boulevards wile aero-coaches fly from tower to tower. Hundreds of aero-ships converge on the massive new terminal, the tallest structure yet built by Cydorian man, carrying passengers and freight from across Markania. The Accademia Octavium, where new initiates into the brotherhood of the Octavium are trained in the secrets of science and engineering, is also located in the New Quarter.
The Towers
The Towers of the new Quarter are modern marvels of technology, engineering, and architecture. The Towers are skyscrapers built like vertical step pyramids. Many are reinforced by heavy flying buttresses. Most directions and addresses are given in relation to the name of a specific tower. For example, one might be told to look for a specific location on level twenty-two of “Tower Hune”. Towers vary in height. The smaller towers stand ten to twenty stories, medium-sized towers reach forty to fifty stories, and the tallest soar one hundred to one hundred and fifty stories into the sky. Each tower is connected to the others via sky-bridges on the twentieth, fortieth, and eightieth stories. The roots of the towers reach hundreds of meters below the streets of Norukar, into the under-levels of the ancient city. The under-levels are home to the slaves that maintain the building and its facilities. Tower facilities such as boilers, pumps, power receivers, etc. can be found in the lowest levels. The towers at street level are bustling bazaars filled with merchant tents, live animals, and itinerant traders. The first few levels after that are home to the city’s free servants, laborers, and skilled workers. The living conditions at these levels vary from tower to tower from rowdy, raucous places rife with crime to clean, quiet, communities with a strong rule of law. The twentieth level contains a commercial sector with retail shops, services, theaters, parks, etc. From the twentieth level one can travel to other buildings via the network of sky-bridges. Inhabitants from the lower levels are not allowed onto the twentieth floor or above without a passport. The towers from the twentieth to the fortieth levels are restricted to the upper class, wealthy merchants, business officers, and other well-to-do members of society. These levels are well patrolled by the city guard and feature many amenities. The levels are mixed-use, combining residential apartments, shops, and commercial offices. One can find additional shops and services on the fortieth level where the taller buildings connect via an additional layer of sky-bridges. Access to this level is even more restricted than the lower levels.
The Blade of Takshaka
43
Swords of Cydoria The Ruined Quarter (aka The Bone Trees)
An entire section of the city on the northern section of the island consists of ancient Nazarian ruins. One of the most interesting aspects of these ruins are the Bone Trees, strange white branching spires that protrude from the top of a small hill like stark metal pine trees with no needles. Some of the bone trees are dozens of meters tall. The bone trees are surrounded by a circle of Nazarian standing stones and menhirs and are considered a sacred place. The ruins are a known shadow zone (see Cydoria page 155) and are haunted by psychic ghosts. For this reason, the district has remained abandoned.
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is an entire district of the city put aside for the home of the monarch, presently Queen Chador, daughter of Charol. The palace is an ancient walled castle estate surrounded by a lush green woodland park and pond.
The Rhakadian Quarter
The Rhakadians have been given an entire island north of, but in sight of, Norukar. The island is home to thousands of Rhakadians living and working on Uruta. The island has been converted into a Rhakadian city complete with a spaceport capable of receiving and servicing the giant discus-shaped vessels capable of traversing the void of interplanetary space. Rhakadian buildings resemble towering metal cones covered in pipes, grilles, and exhaust stacks. Norukarians find the Rhakadian architecture visually unpleasant. Refined torium, zephyrium, and other resources are delivered via aero-ship and transferred to Rhakadian space-ships for transport elsewhere in the Rhakadian interplanetary empire. Access to the island is strictly controlled. Traffic to and from the island is monitored at all times and subject to interception and inspection by Norukarian the aero-navy. The higher levels, those above the fortieth, are reserved for the nobility and aristocracy of Norukar. These are the largest, most luxurious, most expensive residential apartments in all of Norukar. They are usually well-defended by household guards and maintained by dozens of domestic staff. On towers with flat roofs, one can find penthouse mansions. These spacious residences are the homes of the most powerful nobles of the Norukarian aristocracy.
The Industrial Quarter
The district known as the Industrial Quarter was once the location of the city’s stock yards, tanneries, smithies, and stone carvers. Today, it is the site of a Torium power plant and broadcast power generators as well as hundreds of large industrial factories producing steel, chemicals, and manufactured goods. Though individual components might be put together by slave-workers in long assembly lines, comprehensive knowledge of the methods of design and production are secrets that are strictly maintained by the Octavium. Industrial waste is dumped directly into the sea off the west shore of the island. Pollution and particulates belch forth from tall smoke-stacks which the prevailing winds carry west towards the mainland. Thales Tower, the largest tower in the Industrial quarter, belongs to the powerful Brotherhood of Lightning guild.
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History of Norukar City of the Sdara Vatra
It is well established that the city of Norukar pre-dates mankind. The islands of the Mnatta archipelago were once the site of an important city of the Sdara Vatra. The raised foundations and circular ridge-walls, as well as the mysterious Bone Trees, are all that remain above ground of what must have been magnificent cities. Below ground, one may find ample evidence of the Sdara Vatra. The raised circular foundations beneath the city are riddled with passages connecting thousands of subterranean chambers and galleries, some impossibly huge with ceilings supported by massive columns. The sub-levels, as they have become known, descend deep into Uruta. Some shafts have no known bottom. The sub-levels closest to the surface have been explored and colonized by the people of Norukar, using them for slave quarters, boiler rooms, and conduits for air ducts and steam, water, and sewage pipes. The deeper sub-levels remain untapped and unexplored. Since the fall of the Sdara Vatra, the city fell into ruin. Over thousands of years, mankind returned to the site, building layer upon layer of city over each successive civilization. The last major civilization to leave its mark were the Nazarians. It was the Nazarians that gave the island the name Norukar, though some evidence suggests that the name is much older, pre-dating even the Sdara Vatra. The Nazarian city fell over fifteen hundred years ago dur-
The Blade of Takshaka ing the War of Zorin. The ruins on the northern tip of the island remain as testament to that lost civilization. The modern city of Norukar was established by Targan sailors and colonists nearly a thousand years ago. It began as a sea-port, its harbor protected from the strong winds and rough seas of the Targan coast. The city was built along what is today the Old Quarter. The original walls were constructed soon afterwards. Over the next millennium, the city of Norukar became a center of trade, industry, and technological advancement. The Octavium Order perfected many modern construction and engineering principles, making it possible to build towers reaching ten, twenty, sometimes thirty stories into the sky. The relatively recent concept of assembly line mass-production allowed Norukar to become an economic power-house among the other City-States. Prior to contact with the Rhakadians, Norukar was the commercial, architectural, and technological center of Cydoria.
The Modern City
The city underwent a major period of growth following the arrival of the Rhakadians twenty years ago. Advanced alien building techniques were shared with the Octavium, allowing them to create taller buildings in half the time. New technologies created new industries and markets. The city quickly expanded. The New Quarter was built over the site of an older agricultural district. The Industrial Quarter was completely rebuilt to accommodate new manufacturing techniques and technologies.
Politics of Norukar
The city-state of Norukar is a hereditary monarchy ruled by Queen Chador. The title of Sovereign is passed to the oldest legitimate child, male or female, of the previous monarch. The queen herself makes key administrative court appointments. Such positions are typically awarded to ranking members of the nobility. Although administrative positions are hereditary, the queen reserves the right to revoke a position and award it to someone else. The queen is advised by a privy council of trusted friends. The privy council holds no actual official political powers. Instead, they wield indirect power through their influence on the queen’s decisions. Queen Chador is an attractive widow in her forties. All three of her previous husbands were assassinated. Queen Chador took bloody revenge against the powerful noble house she believed to be responsible in each case. Although Chador has many suitors among her court, she has her sights set on the bachelor Emperor Viktor of Vrildaria who has thus far spurned all of her amorous advances. Politics in Norukar is competitive and cutthroat, sometimes literally so. Assassination attempts between rivals are commonplace despite being outlawed. Norukarian politics is also traditionally corrupt. Officials use their position to extract gifts, payouts, and favors. Bribes are an effective way to sway an official’s opinion or to expedite or remove any bureaucratic impediments.
Technology of Norukar
Even before the coming of the aliens with their advanced electronic technology, the city of Norukar was renowned for its technical sophistication. Norukar was the first city to have towers built from steel-frame construction and the first city to have indoor plumbing connected to a city-wide sewer system. A generation ago, one would see horse-drawn carriages navigating the streets between twenty-story towers, a few primitive internal combustion engines, ballistic pistols powered by compressed air, complex clock-work mechanisms, and industrial automation driven by water wheels and wind turbines. Today, one is more likely to see aero-cars floating between massive towers half-akilometer high, street cars propelled by broadcast power, deadly plasma pistols and vibro-swords, and massive electric motors powering high-speed industrial machines.
Octavium
The design and maintenance of all technologies in the city of Norukar are overseen and controlled by the mysterious order known as the Octavium. The Octavium is one part monastic religious order, one part secret society, and one part trade guild association. Each of the eight brotherhoods of the Octavium oversees a different specialty. One brotherhood is responsible for heat distribution, another for plumbing, and another for ironwork and architectural construction. There are no towers built that were not designed by, whose construction was not overseen by, and that are not maintained by the Octavium. The Octavium is therefore an incredibly powerful political and social force in Norukar and across Cydoria. The Octavium Tower is one of the largest towers in Norukar, second only to the aero-ship terminal tower. Within the Octavium Tower, the organization initiates new members and trains them at the Accademia Octavium. Twenty years ago, a ninth brotherhood was created. The Brotherhood of Lightning specializes in electricity and electronics and has quickly become the most powerful guild in Cydoria. All electric motors, broadcast power transmitters and receivers, and electrically powered devices were designed by, purchased from, and maintained by the Brotherhood of Lightning. The Brotherhood of Lightning is nominally a part of the Octavium, but the new order is highly independent and is distrusted by the eight other traditional guilds. The Thales Tower, headquarters of the Brotherhood of Lightning, is located near the broadcast power transmitters in Norukar’s industrial quarter. Strict laws protect the monopoly of the Octavium and the Brotherhood of Lightning so a thriving black market of underground engineers and technicians known as techno-heretics exist as an alternative. Techno-heretics believe that to understand technology is to understand the mysteries of the universe. They reject the orthodoxy of the Octavium and strive to share technological innovation with the masses. Techno-heretics are considered rebels and criminals so many claim false affiliation with the Octavium in order to work more openly.
45
Swords of Cydoria Broadcast Power
By far the greatest of the Rhakadian technologies is that of broadcast power. In Norukar, torium reactors generate electricity which is radiated wirelessly throughout the city via massive conical transmission towers in the Industrial Quarter. No electric transmission wires are used. All one needs to power any electric device is a broadcast power receiver. The larger the receiver, the more electricity provided.
Powered Lifts
Powered lifts are a kind of elevator used in Norukarian towers. Instead of ascending and descending using steel cables and winches, Norukarian powered lifts use four small lift engines. Powered lifts operate like miniature aero-skiffs constrained to a shaft. The powered lifts are attached to a scaffold of four rails and safety brakes which halt the platform should the power receivers fail. The advantage of a powered lift over a cable-based elevator is that the height of the lift shaft need not be limited to the length and strength of the cable.
Aero-coaches
Aero-coaches are small personal aero-ships meant to transport anywhere from two to twenty people over short distances. They can be enclosed, covered by a glass canopy, or open like a convertible. They usually feature comfortable leather seats, wood paneling, and interior heating and air conditioning. Aero-coaches are expensive and private coaches remain the domain of the rich and powerful. Aero-coach taxis are available for hire on the landing platforms of most tower sky-bridge concourses.
Aero-ships
Aero-ships are aircraft that float through the sky using the antigravitational properties of zephyrium to provide lift and ducted fans for thrust, powered by rechargeable fuel cells. They skies above Norukar swarm with aero-ship traffic from all over the continent of Markania. Most aero-ships converge on the newly constructed aero-ship terminal tower, the largest building in Norukar and the dominant feature of the city’s skyline. While docked at the terminal, an aero-ship can recharge is fuel cells using broadcast power in two to twelve hours.
The Monorail Network
With the rapid expansion of the city, it soon became difficult to walk from one part of the city to the other in a practical amount of time, and few merchants and traders could afford aerocoaches or elecro-carrriages. So fifteen years ago, Queen Charol, Chador’s predecessor, ordered the construction of a monorail network to connect each of the various districts of the city. The monorails and cars are of Rhakadian design. They are long rounded cylinders of glass and steel suspended from an overhead track. There are, in actuality, three monorail networks: one blow ground and two above ground. The first above-ground network operates just above street-level, roughly ten to twenty meters off the ground, and is accessible from stairs that lead to terminal platforms. The second above-ground network is suspended below the sky-bridges. The sky-bridge mono-rails are reserved for the middle and upper classes. The sky-bridge mono-rails literally pass through the center of the towers. The below-ground system is located ten to twenty meters below the street-level and is used exclusively by the city’s slaves.
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Electro-carriages
The most common form of street transportation is the electrocarriage, tear-drop shaped wheeled vehicles propelled by an electric motor powered by broadcast energy. Electro-carriages are the vehicle of choice for the merchant class. The streets at ground-level are often too crowded with pedestrians and animal traffic for efficient electro-carriage traffic. Instead, most electrocarriages are found zipping from tower to tower on the skybridges.
Communication
Telecommunication based on the transmission of modulated frequencies, such as telephone or radio, is not a technology that exists on Uruta. The energy field known as the Oudh disrupts the wavelengths of any such transmission. Communication in Norukar is handled via couriers, generally young human or jinx slave runners who carry hand-written messages to their recipients. Couriers are available for hire on every street corner and in every public place. Couriers wear special uniforms and carry passes granting them limited access normally restricted public areas in order to deliver their messages. Remote communication between towers is possible using beams of electric light to transmit a code which is transcribed by observers. A network of signal lamps are set up across the city to transmit and propagate messages. Unknown to all but a few in the Brotherhood of Lightning is that a few buildings are also set up with an advanced fiber optic communication system from Malus. Such top secret systems allow instant communication throughout the tower and remotely to the military base and the spaceport via laser communication beams connected to optical computer systems. A network of laser relay towers have likewise been set up between Norukar, Vrildar, Tyrannis, and Guerna.
Computers
Advanced optical computers are manufactured on Malus and imported by the Rhakadians. Such computers range in size from small hand-held disks to large room-sized super-computers. At this time, only the Queen, the Brotherhood of Lightning, the Imperial military, the aero-ship terminal, and Rhakadian spaceport have access to super-computers. Smaller hand-held computers are used by city and imperial officials. Small computers connect to and synch with a parent computer each night to recharge and share data.
The Blade of Takshaka
Appendix B: Other NPCs
The following non-player characters do not play a direct role in this scenario. Instead, they may be used as informants or allies to the player characters that provide needed information or clues if the player characters get stuck or go off on a wild tangent. Use them to provide clues to get the player characters back on track. Game statistics are not provided for these NPCs as their intended purpose is to only provide information.
Valris
Zinjani Pawn Shop Owner and Fence Valris the Zinjani owns a seedy pawn shop in the Old City. Anyone who succeeds at a Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check knows that Valris is a fence who sells expensive stolen goods on the black market. Valris is a disgusting man. He oozes sleaze. He is overweight, balding, with a lazy eye. He often drools and slurs when he speaks in his thick Zinjani accent. He will constantly leer lasciviously at any female player characters, wiping his mouth and making crude offers of illicit romance. If the player characters question Valris about the Blade of Takshaka within twenty-four hours of the theft, Valris will point out that it is too soon to tell, and that any thief might simply have not had a chance to put it on the market yet, but that for a small fee (5 Wealth) he can send a courier to alert them if he hears anything. If they wait more than a day to question Valris, he will say that he has heard nothing that might indicate anyone wishing to sell the stolen blade or anything like it, and that if anyone were wishing to sell such a high-priced item, he would know about it. Valris’ answers should convince the player characters to either wait a few days or that no one is trying to fence the stolen blade.
Lord Andonnaro Tyrannisi Mob Boss
Lord Andonnaro is a short Tyrannisian with dark slickbacked hair, arched devil-like eyebrows, and a pencil-thin moustache. He wears expensively tailored suits and gaudy gold necklaces and rings. Lord Andonnaro maintains a calm educated demeanor but is highly sensitive and quick to temper. When faced with any perceived minor insult or slight, Lord Anonnaro’s body language quickly hardens as he fights to control himself. He will warn the offender that he will tolerate no further disrespect and that any further insights will place the offender in grave peril. A second infraction will drive Anonnaro into a violent rage.
Any player character that succeeds at a Difficult Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check will know that Andonnaro is the leader of the Norukarian Hidden Hand thieves’ guild and that the title of “Lord” is an unofficial honorific bestowed by that organization. Lord Andonnaro is a reclusive man. He will only make appointments with people he knows or with those who are vouched for by trusted advisors. Making an appointment with Lord Andonnaro requires a successful Status (Criminal Underworld) skill check. Player characters may spend points of Wealth for a one-time bonus to their Status skill. Lord Andonnaro will provide the same advice and information as Valris, and will suggest that the player characters might consider talking to Valris. If the player characters wish to hire the Hidden Hand to steal the blade from House Garanni, Lord Andonnaro will be happy to arrange the theft for the cost of 200 total Wealth, paid up-front. The theft has a 75% of success.
Laurentius
Guernan Mob Lieutenant Laurentius is a tall, thin, effete Guernan man with blonde hair and pale skin. He is a former captain in the Guernan army who was cashiered and exiled after being court martialed for corruption and cruelty. He was recruited into the Hidden Hand where his leadership and organizational skills have been put to good use. Laurentius is as heartless as he is fastidious. He shows absolutely no pity and his cruelty is enough to startle even jaded Hidden Hand thugs. Laurentius is obsessed with cleanliness and order. He spends hours each morning preparing for the day and hours at night getting ready for bed. Laurentius has risen to the rank of lieutenant in the Hidden Hand where he serves as a contract killer and assassin. Anyone who succeeds at a Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check knows that one can hire Laurentius to kill any target. He will assassinate one member of House Garanni for 300 total Wealth. The assassination happens “off-screen” and has a flat 75% chance of success.
47
Swords of Cydoria Sergeant Nimmus
Hong Barum
Sergeant Nimmus is a surly Norukarian investigator. He wears a long cloak over faded wrinkled unfashionable clothes. His face is a patchwork of scars, lines, and experience. Nimmus has seen it all and is not impressed. He is surly and cynical. Nimmus was a non-commissioned officer in the War of Unification and will open up to another veteran, especially if he believes they served in the same unit or theater of operations. Nimmus is corrupt. He is more than willing to take a bribe to look the other way, ignore a piece of evidence, or provide useful inside information.
Hong Barum is a Norukarian weaponsmith living in the Old City. He runs a forge and smithy in a back alley. He is known for producing fine weapons to the nobility made to exacting specifications. He is a polite man in his fifties, bald, with several missing teeth. He recently crafted two daggers in the Raganan style for Captain Hach Garrani. He will gladly answer any questions posed to him about the transaction.
Norukarian City Guard
Anyone who succeeds at a Knowledge (Streetwise) skill check knows that Nimmus is the man to go to for information, rumors, and gossip. Nimmus can provide player characters with the information that a secret cult of Anaka exists beneath the streets of Norukar and that they are well-funded, likely through the patronage of high-ranking nobility. Rumor also has it that Count Garanni is a member and patron of this cult. A bribe of 50 Wealth will get Nimmus to reveal that he was asked by Count Garanni to drop the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of several slaves, mostly young, some of them pleasure slaves, over the past year.
Garralius
Norukarian Factor Garralius is a good looking well-dressed Norukarian businessman. His hair is slicked back smooth and his goatee is kept trimmed and clean. His fingers are always freshly manicured. His tailored clothes are made of the finest materials. He is a cosmopolitan man of expensive tastes. Garralius is an intellectual with an advanced degree from the University of Vrildar. He is fond of quoting classical philosophers, famous leaders, and great writers. Garralius is a factor, a combination broker and agent. He arranges transactions. He introduces people. He finds what people need, whether objects or talent. If you want to buy something, he will find someone wishing to sell it. If you wish to hire someone, he will find the person offering those services. He only arranges transactions. He does not track down specific items or specific people, only items for sale or services offered. His services are expensive. He exacts a 30% fee on any transaction he arranges, minimum 60 Wealth.
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Norukarian Weaponsmith
Captain Garanni approached him five weeks ago with detailed drawings and instructions for the two daggers. He was paid for the work and hired a courier who delivered them to the Garanni mansion three days ago.
Four-Thirty-One-Bee Ohnan Overseer
Four-Thirty-One-Bee is a cyberdroid from the domed technocity of Ohn deep in the Icy Wastes of Sakata. After the end of the War of Unification, the Vrildarian Empire recruited thousands of Ohnan cyberdroids to serve as slave overseers. Many of Ohn’s lower classes responded to the call. Many of the overseers took to the occupation, showing malicious cruelty to their charges. Four-Thirty-One-Bee, however, uses a gentler approach. He prefers to use psychology and persuasion to achieve his ends. Four-thrity-one-bee likes to talk. If given a chance, he will recount stories of ancient Ohnan heroes and great battles fought between long-dead clans. He is also particularly knowledgeable about Norukarian geography and history and will gladly speak at length in response to any question posed to him. The cyberdroid is also remarkably knowledgeable about the workings of the Norukarian underworld. He will readily reveal what he knows about the Hidden Hand, the Norukarian black market, where and from whom one might score some illegal neuro-stims, the best street to take when travelling across town, et cetera.
The Blade of Takshaka
Appendix C: New Monsters Giant Sewer Spiders
Giant Jelly-Blobs
Monstrous Arachnids
These man-sized arachnids are the result of exposure to mutagenic compounds left over from the War of Zorin. Characteristic STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX Move: 8
Roll 1D6+6 3D6 2D6+6 3 2D6 3D6+6 Hit Points: 12
Average 9-10 10-11 13 3 7 16-17 Damage Bonus: none
Armor: 2-point chitin Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D6 + db (impaling) + venom (POT equal to CON; see Poison, BRP page 229) Webbing 50%, no damage (see below) Skills: Climb 100%, Hide 75%, Sense Vibrations 60%, Stealth 80% Webbing: A giant sewer spider can attack with its bite and with its webbing in the same round at no penalty. It can only attack with its webbing once every 2 minutes (10 rounds). The spider can attack with its webbing to a range equal to the spider’s STR in meters. A webbing attack cannot be parried but it can be dodged. A victim hit with webbing must immediately make a Difficult Agility roll. Success indicates the victim has managed to keep one arm free and may use any item in that arm. Failure means the target has become completely immobilized to the ground, unable to move, attack, or perform any other action requiring free arms or legs. Escaping a spider’s webbing requires a successful Resistance roll using the victim’s STR vs. the strength of the spider’s webbing, equal to the spider’s CON. The webbing has a number of hit points equal to the spider’s CON and can be cut by anyone with a free arm and a cutting implement, though the cutting implement will become stuck in the webbing and rendered unusable after only one round. Flame will cause any webbing it touches to disintegrate but will do fire damage to anything trapped in the webbing. Spider Climb: The giant sewer sider is capable of clinging to and moving on any surface, wall, or ceiling without falling.
A Jelly-blob is an amorphous gelatinous creature the size of an elephant. It is colorless and transparent, rendering it invisible in darkness or under water. Light tends to diffuse and refract through their bodies, making them visible when back-lit. In addition, their slimy membranes are reflective like the surface of a gelatin. Jelly-blobs ooze over any terrain and can squeeze through tiny cracks and fissures, but cannot otherwise change their mass or density. They may also form pseudopods to strike enemies or manipulate simple objects. The gelatin of a jelly-blob is highly acidic, and anyone or anything enveloped by a jellyblob will take acid damage in addition to asphyxiation damage. Jelly-blobs are not very intelligent, acting purely on stimulus and response. Characteristic STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX Move: 2
Roll 4D6+6 3D6 8D6+40 1 2D6 1D6 Hit Points: 44
Average 20 10-11 68 1 7 3-4 Damage Bonus: +2D6
Armor: None (see Acid Gelatin below) Attacks: Pseudopod 50%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Envelop (see below) Skills: Hide 85%, Sense Vibration 90%, Stealth 80% Envelop: Enveloping a target requires the jelly-blob to allocate SIZ points to each intended target. A jelly-blob can attempt to envelop as many targets in a single round as it wants so long as it has SIZ to allocate towards the target. To envelop a target, the jelly-blob must succeed at an opposed check using the jelly-blob’s allocated SIZ vs. the target’s STR, SIZ, or DEX (target’s choice). If the jelly-blob wins, the target is completely enveloped. If the jelly-blob loses, the target is still free and can act normally. It is possible to move through a jelly-blob, but all such movement is halved. An enveloped target is immobilized and all their equipment will take 1D3 damage from the jelly-blob’s digestive acid until dead. In addition, the target is deprived of air and is subject to the rules on Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation (BRP page 128). An enveloped victim is normally unable to act. They may struggle to break free each additional combat round by attempting a resistance roll using STR vs the jelly-blob’s allocated SIZ. If an enveloped victim forgoes an escape attempt for a combat round, they may instead attempt a Luck roll. Success allows the victim two options: to have an arm free of the blob such that a friend could grab the victim to try to pull them out the following round; or to have an arm or hand free in order to perform an action. If they choose to have an arm free and a friend tries to help, substitute the friend’s STR for the victim’s STR on the resistance roll to escape. However, if they choose to perform an action, they may attack or use a piece of equipment such as throwing a rope or activating an electric field.
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Swords of Cydoria Acid Gelatin: The jelly-blob is composed entirely of a gelatinous acid. Divide the damage from all physical attacks made against it by half. Energy weapons do normal damage.
Roshu Warriors
Immunities: Jelly-blobs are immune to all psychic powers. Jellyblobs are immune to the following psychic powers—Aura Detection, Emotion Control, Empathy, Mind Blast, Mind Control, Sensitivity, Telepathy, or any other power or effect that affects the mind. Jelly-blobs are immune to the following Ta’oudh powers—Blind, Blinding Bolt, Calm, Disfigure, Disfiguring Bolt, Disrupt, Disrupting Bolt, Enrage, Healing Touch, Hypnotic Gaze, Immobilize, Immobilizing Bolt, Restore, Sense Presence, Stun, Stunning Bolt, or any other power that affects the mind or nervous system of a target.
Characteristic STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP Move: 10
Albino Sewer Alligators
Armor: Usually none, though some Roshu warriors wear 2-point of hide or leather with a light helmet.
The Albino Sewer Alligator is a blind crocodilian adapted to living in the lightless environs of the ancient tunnels and pipes below the city. They hunt by sense of smell and by sensing vibrations in the water. They attack anyone that enters the sewage for any reason. Characteristic Roll Average STR 4D6+12 26 CON 3D6+8 18-19 SIZ 4D6+12 26 INT 3 3 POW 3D6 10-11 DEX 2D6 7 Move: 8 (10 swimming) Hit Points: 22-23 Damage Bonus: +2D6 Armor: 5-point scales Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D10 + db (bleeding) Skills: Hide 50%, Stealth 75% Violent Spin: If a Sewer Alligator successfully attacks a target, it has grabbed the target in its jaws. A grabbed target may attempt to escape as its action on the current or next turn. If the grabbed target succeeds at either an opposed STR or DEX test on the resistance table against the alligator’s STR, the target has escaped. On the following turn, if the target is still grabbed, the alligator will, as its action, violently spin in an attempt to rip off a chunk of flesh or the target’s limb. The violent spin automatically deals additional damage equal to the alligator’s damage bonus.
Roshu warriors are trained and armed for battle. They defend the warren and go on raiding parties to the upper strata. Roll 2D6 2D6 2D6 2D6+6 3D6 3D6 1D6+2 Hit Points: 7
Average 7 7 7 13 10-11 10-11 5-6 Damage Bonus: -1D4
Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Short Spear 35%, 1D6 + 1 + db, warriors only Short Sword 35%, 1D6 + 1 + db, warriors only Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 40%, Fine Manipulation 40%, Listen 65%, Sense 95%, Sleight of Hand 50%, Stealth 40%, Swim 100% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
Roshu Giants
Approximately one out of every twenty roshu is born with a mutation that causes gigantism. These specimens grow to a height of up to three meters. They are massive, brutish, and dumb. They are easily tamed and trained by roshu slave overseers and are put to work as laborers and shock troops. Characteristic STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP Move: 12
Roll Average 3D6+12 22-23 2D6+9 16 3D6+12 22-23 1D6+3 6 2D6 7 3D6 10-11 1D6+2 5-6 Hit Points: 19-20 Damage Bonus: +2D6
Armor: Usually none, though some roshu giants wear 2-point of hide or leather with a light helmet. Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Grapple 65%, Skills: Dodge 40%, Listen 35%, Sense 30%, Spot 35%, Track 55% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
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The Blade of Takshaka Roshu Queen
The queen of the roshu is generally a non-combatant, preferring instead to let her guards defend her person. However, if cornered, she will fight with animal ferocity. Characteristic Roll STR 2D6 CON 3D6 SIZ 3D6 INT 2D6+6 POW 3D6 DEX 2D6 APP 1D6+1 Move: 4 Hit Points: 8-9
Average 7 10-11 10-11 13 10-11 7 4-5 Damage Bonus: None
Armor: None Attacks: Bite 40%, 1D3 + db Claw 25%, 1D3 + db Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 40%, Fine Manipulation 40%, Listen 65%, Sense 95%, Sleight of Hand 50%, Stealth 40%, Swim 100% Diseased Bite: The bite of a Roshu harbors communicable diseases. Treat as the Disease Carrier minor mutation (BRP page 105) with a POT of 2D6 (rolled with each contact).
Hisser (Giant Cockroach)
The cockroaches of the Norukarian Under-City, known as Hissers, can reach up to a meter in length. The roshu have domesticated and trained these massive cockroaches to serve as watchdogs and attack beasts. Characteristic Roll STR 2D6+12 CON 3D6 SIZ 2D6+3 INT 2 POW 1D6+6 DEX 3D6+6 APP 1D6 Move: 4 Hit Points: 14-15
Average 19 10-11 10 2 9-10 16-17 3-4 Damage Bonus: none
Armor: 4-point chitin Attacks: Bite 55%, 1D8 + db Acid Spit 40%, 1D6 + acid (see Acid Spit below) Skills: Dodge 40%, Hide 80%, Stealth 60% Acid Spit: The hisser can spit an acidic attack up to 6m at a target once every ten minutes (1 turn). Any target hit with the acid spit attack will take an additional 1D3-1 damage per round (see Acid, BRP page 211).
The Two-Headed Mutoran Serpent
The legendary giant serpents of the Mutoran Marsh can actually be found throughout the coastal region of southern Cydoria. The largest are reported to grow twenty-five meters or more and measure at least a meter in diameter. They are deadly creatures capable of capsizing swamp boats and killing yaaxen that come to the water’s edge to drink. The Mutoran serpent is often employed by the cults of Anaka, the serpent god of the daka and the Galloans, as both a guardian and a subject of veneration. This particular serpent is a mutant. It has grown two heads and is capable of attacking with each. Characteristic Roll STR 8D6+32 CON 3D6+12 SIZ 6D6+35 INT 3 POW 3D6 DEX 3D6 Move: 6 (4 swimming) Damage Bonus: + 6D6
Average 60 22-23 56 3 10-11 10-11 Hit Points: 39
Armor: 5-point scaly skin Attacks: Bite 65%, 1D6 + db (impaling), both heads are capable of biting independently Constrict 40%, 1D6 + db (crushing) Skills: Climb 85%, Dodge 60%, Hide 75%, Sense 75%, Stealth 90%, Swim 50%. Constriction: The two-headed Mutoran serpent can attack three times in a combat round, biting with both heads and then attempting construction five DEX ranks later. If the constriction attack hits, the target is wrapped in the serpent’s coils. The target can gasp but cannot yell or shout. Each round the constriction does damage to the victim’s total HP. Only rigid armor or chest armor (if armor by hit location is being used) reduces this damage. If a limb is free, a character can make Difficult attacks unless the character has another means of attack (GM’s discretion). A character can forego attacking and attempt to escape from constriction. Escaping from constriction requires a successful resistance roll using STR against the serpent’s STR. A character can attain partial escape by succeeding at a Difficult Agility roll. A partial escape frees a single arm or leg. The serpent will continue to constrict the victim until it is unconscious or dead, at which point it will release the victim and swallow it whole. If not already dead, the victim will then suffocate inside the serpent (see BRP page 219). The serpent can keep attacking with both its heads while continuing to constrict its prey.
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Swords of Cydoria
Appendix D: New Artifacts The Blade of Takshaka Weapon
Skill
Dagger
Dagger
Base
Dmg
Attk
Special
Rng
Hands
HP
Parry
STR/ DEX
Mal
Value
SIZ/ Enc
SR
25
1D4+3+db
1
Impaling
Short
1H
18
Yes
4/4
-
Priceless
0.5
3
The artifact known as the blade of Takshaka is a twin-bladed knife made of polished Kurian iron, as such it is unbreakable and never needs sharpening. The blade is of superior quality, with two thin blades like the fangs of a serpent. Strange curvilinear forms are carved into the sides of the blades, the writing of the ancient Raganan culture. The knife’s hilt resembles a snake’s rattle. The pommel contains a polished ovoid ruby the size of a man’s thumb. Takshaka, the First Raga of Ragana, commissioned the blade’s manufacture over three thousand years ago. He wanted a symbol of his recent victory uniting the many Daka clans into a single kingdom. To commemerate his victory and his coronation, he personally sacrificed one thousand ninety five Daka to Anaka, the god of serpents, one a day for three years. Though Takshaka was a barbaric warlord, the kingdom he established flourished for centuries until it was invaded and overthrown by the Nazarian empire. The Nazarians sacked Ragana, killing the last of the Takshaka dynasty and confiscating the royal blade. After the fall of Ragana, the blade was kept in the treasure vault of a Nazarian noble. It was eventually given as a gift to the High Emperor. During the War of Zorin, xoog armies raided the imperial vaults and the blade was stolen by an Orix warlord. During the Time of Darkness, the blade changed hands between a succession of Orix warlords. Eventually, it was placed in a vault under a forbidding castle in the Dark Realm of Haru where is laid undisturbed for nearly a thousand years. A few months ago, Duke Rylar of Norukar commissioned a team of artifact hunters to explore the ruins of that castle. There they recovered the blade from a deep vault guarded by powerful Terats and Aya. The blade was delivered to Duke Rylar six weeks ago.
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A successful Knowledge (Anthropology, Art History, or Occult) or Research skill test will inform the player character that, among the many magical powers legend attributes to the blade, it was believed that anyone who bore the blade possessed the ability to turn invisible, control minds, kill with a touch, commune with demonic spirits, and even speak directly to Anaka. The reality is that, other than its superior quality and craftsmanship, the blade itself does not grant any powers, magical or otherwise. The ruby in the pommel, however, is an even older artifact of Sdara Vatran origin. The ovoid ruby is known to legend as the Eye of Anaka. It is a special type of psychic lens that amplifies the psychic powers of its bearer (see Psychic Abilities, BRP page 110). In order to activate the Eye of Anaka, one must first understand it and activate it (see Understanding Artifacts, Swords of Cydoria page 169). Activating the artifact will open up the secrets of the eye. The Eye of Anaka serves as a reservoir for power points. The Eye absorbs the power points of anyone it slays. The Eye can only hold the power points of one victim at a time. Any unused power points stored in the Eye are always lost and replaced by those of its most recent victim. In addition, the eye increases the effective skill rating of any existing psychic abilities by +10%. The duke is unaware of the blade’s psychic powers. His interest in the blade is purely antiquarian and as a suitable diplomatic gift to the kingdom of Ragana.
