101 The Piligrimage of Ctesia - ACT 1 - THE ESCAPE CRESCENT MOON In the first part of this adventure, Ctesia will gather a group of allies in order to escape from his family’s fortified estate, following a mystical call pointing him in the direction of the mountains to the northwest. This ACT of the story will see the PCs getting to know each other and accompanying Ctesia, Virgil and Solino in their bizarre escape. THREE MILL HOUSE Three Mill House is a famous countryside estate built by Primo Onofrio, the most renowned ancestor of the Barbadori family. The mansion sports several fortified layers and is located on an island at the center of the Rivargento river, functioning as a trade hub on the route beyond the borders of the Holy Kingdom. Around the main building, covering the entirety of the small island, are the dwellings of those who work at the mills and the small abodes of the servants; the north point, instead, is home to the imposing three mills that are the source of the Barbadori wealth. The only ways to access Three Mill House are via two bridges, also mentioned in the pages of the Forma Ubris, an ancient document describing the capital and all minor provinces in the Kingdom. In such documents, Three Mill House is described as Insula Barbadorum and accompanied by the motto ‘inter duos pontes’ (‘between two bridges’) due precisely to its peculiar location. The first bridge, the one connecting the island to the northern shore, is known as the Iron Bridge due to the chains holding the auxiliary water mills: along with the three main mills, there are several pairs of chained barges under the bridge’s arches; each pairing holds a water wheel between them which powers the grindstones set up in the barges. The first pairing is chained to the western shore of the bridge, with each following pairing chained to the previous one. This system has allowed the Barbadori family to further optimize the milling process. The second bridge, connecting the island to the eastern shore, is known as the Immaculate Bridge and is topped by a chimera-shaped marble statue of the Barbadori patron called the Quadrifronte. This road leading to Three Mill House, wider than the Iron Bridge, allows for two carriages to pass unencumbered, and its white travertine arches are what give it its name. The two bridges are the only access points by land to Insula Barbadorum. CTESIA: HIS POWERS AND AMBIGUITY During the adventure, Ctesia will experience the first steps in his hero’s journey. He will start as a weak creature, sad and limited by his illness. His words are as timid as those of a child living between sleep and waking worlds, and he will often drift into cryptic sentences and rambling musings. He will hold a range of feelings towards each of the PCs, but all will be sincere and benign. Moving away from his home will change him, radically. His body will gradually become stronger and more capable, his voice clearer and more heroic. Aware of these changes, Ctesia will interpret his pilgrimage as something he must complete to truly become himself and fulfil his destiny. He will be incredibly grateful to anyone showing him valor during the trials he is undertaking. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES During the course of the adventure, there will be suggestions for further exploration or hooks for the GM to deploy at their discretion. In some cases, these are just ideas that might expand the scope of the story or even become secondary quests, which we recommend developing to allow for a more immersive and intense experience for players of THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA.
102 The mission is as simple as it is dangerous: help the firstborn son of Brando Barbadori escape his gilded cage to chase his visions, even if the latter only vaguely point towards the mountains to the west. This is the only information Ctesia has, other than the certainty that his father will be furious and deploy the entirety of his forces to bring back his direct heir. The ill fate of anyone caught by them is all but certain, and yet the population is on Ctesia’s side. Is it not true that everyone believes him to be on par with the saints? This is the moment for all characters to introduce themselves, explaining their skills and their fears. It is also a perfect opportunity to hint at the various feelings that tie the characters to Ctesia. To start the first revelations to manifest, the GM can ask the group the following question: ‘What do the other characters see in your eyes when you look at Ctesia?’ This is only an impression, but it immediately places all players in the right mindset for the possible emotional impact of the story as it develops. The attic meeting should be considered as a light starting point to allow a group of characters (and players) who need to get to know each other better before delving into the action. It is also the moment when the group will plan, thanks to a layout proffered by Virgil of Brando Barbadori’s mansion, the various escape routes; the best plan, it turns out, will be not to travel as a group but several smaller ones, to reduce the chance of being spotted. CTESIA’S GUARD The beginning of this story expects all the characters to be tied to Ctesia in one way or another, and that they have known the kid for some time. It is, however, possible to arrange the adventure in such a way that it fits a pre-existing campaign, adding characters from the latter or from other adventures and settings. Along with Ctesia’s rising fame, there have also been growing rumors accusing him of faking his visions. There is reason to believe that a small number of detractors may be seeking to silence Quattrocorni, no matter the cost. Brando Barbadori himself may have heard these rumors and set a small guard to protect his son at all times. The characters, should you choose this option, may very well be said guards, wise counselors, or spies acquired for the mission. There is, however, a small service dock used to load and unload river barges. Next to it is a storage warehouse used to protect goods from bad weather and flooding from the Rivargento. The dock can only be reached by a long set of stairs carved into the rock and split in two at the center, constantly busy with workers carrying carts. The bridges and dock are lazily overseen by guards who have rarely had anything of note to report. Their captain, Libanio Teodoro Fortefonte, is a strong bull who fought several battles in his youth. The security of Three Mill House is Libanio’s retirement placement, an easy task which he still meets with zeal and discipline, including his subordinates who may not be skilled fighters but are nonetheless fiercely loyal to the Barbadori. Three Mill House is a vast and austere place. Fieldwork spills inside it and it is constantly buzzing with laborers, farmers, and land-holders. The main estate is spread across three storeys and sports a private garden and a private vegetable patch exclusive to its owners. Everything within the mansion is a reflection of the patriarch’s personality: sturdy, severe, demanding of respect. Several corners of the building reveal a loyal following of the precepts of the Church of Bones. CTESIA’S ENTOURAGE MEETS Everything will happen above the eastern wing of the main estate. The old attics have been left to disuse long before Brando Barbadori even started growing his beard. One of his ancestors had decided that he would spend his retirement up here and had a large stained glass window installed. Now, in the last light of day, the colored glass fills the room with iridescent reflections, despite the heavy dust, debris and tangible memories of a forgotten life. The attic can be reached via the hallway on the top floor or through one of the several secret passages once used by house servants. From his position against the window, Ctesia casts his gaze over those meeting up here, with melancholy gratitude. He’s the sole reason for this haphazard crew of conspirators to go against house rules; his tutor Virgil, to his side, starts speaking to them: ‘If you are here it is because master Ctesia trusts you and is ready to place his life into your hands. As you are aware, his wishes will be realized tonight. His fever is a sign of the divine and his dreams are a calling. We are not yet privy as to where they lead, but we do know it is beyond Three Mill House and its bridges… and we need you for this journey to happen.’
103 The Piligrimage of Ctesia CORRUPTING OR FACING THE GUARDS The guards will be sleepy, tired, and not expecting any threat. They trust the members of the group but also have specific orders regarding Ctesia. The kid could be in danger and will have to be accompanied to his rooms, notifying his father of the events: it is not safe for Ctesia to wander the mansion, especially at night, when staff cannot attend to him. The more the group is noticed, the more people will suspect that something is afoot. The guards can be ambushed, paid off or intimidated and will be terrified of their captain; if the players, however, will use convincing arguments or be particularly successful in their ability and skill checks, their road will be wide open. Of course, Ctesia’s presence will have to be kept secret during all of this, and no physical altercation is recommended within the mansion’s walls as it would raise the alarm and bring the entire garrison to converge upon the group, compromising the escape attempt. Thanks to their proximity as personal escort, the PCs will have spent so much time with the kid that they will have noticed something undoubtedly afoot with Ctesia’s visions. Betraying Brando Barbadori to aid the escape of his son will certainly displease the Lord of the Mills, but Ctesia’s heart seems in the right place and they cannot ignore the situation any longer. If the group were to avoid their task as personal escort, the kid will undoubtedly end up in trouble during his adventure. CTESIA’S ESCAPE The main characters will slink through the shadows in the hallways while the rest of the family is asleep in their chambers, as will most of the staff and servants. The mansion’s upper floors will be all but empty, though it will still be crucial to be as quiet as possible as everyone makes their way to the lower levels. There will be a few guards on the first floor, stretching their legs while they check on all entry points; the house is too big to be effectively guarded by being stationary. This phase of the game will have to be tense because of two specific reasons. The first is the presence of Libanio Teodoro Fortefonte, the captain of the guard, who never sleeps and spends all night combing the entire island. The second is the smaller number of the group compared to their current adversaries: if anyone were to raise the alarm while Ctesia is still in the building, the group would be done for, and someone will have to come up with a drastic solution to quickly resolve the situation. SEQUENCE – ESCAPE FROM THREE MILL HOUSE Duration Standard DC 16 (12 min) HP per action 4 (2 min) Success. The group reaches the next scene without alerting the guards. Failure. The group alerts the guards: all rolls with Sofronia have disadvantage and time for each is reduced. Complications: • a character’s brash actions catch the attention of someone on the outside • someone from the house staff comes across the group in their path • Libanio personally comes across the group in their path for some reason • Ctesia is afraid, feels unwell, and his coughing fits attracts someone’s attention
104 into the water and raise the alarm as a result. Follow the relevant sequence below. • The Immaculate Bridge. This is the main bridge, which means it’s also the most visible, as it is lit up with torches and braziers. Guards are only found at the main gate on the island side, but they are stationary. This bridge is the riskiest option and the one most likely to fail, but beyond the gate the road is long, clear and smoothly paved. As a route, this bridge can only be used by arranging a diversion, and even in that case the guards would still keep an eye on the gate as their orders are to never leave their post. The only window of opportunity is a routine change of the guard, which would still not leave the gate entirely unattended. Attacking the guards would result in sudden chaotic reactions, risking the alarm to spread across the island. The GM may ask for a group check (DC 18) for the skill that is most suitable to their plan. If the alarm has been raised by Sofronia, this check has disadvantage. On a success, the guards will not raise the alarm. • The dock. This is the route suggested by Solino, Virgil’s assistant. He openly admits to having contacts among some questionable people, who might be able to stealthily move two small boats or barges under the cover of the Immaculate Bridge, in order to remove the guard presence. This is the least expected escape route, especially as no one has ever attempted theft or intrusions via the river – making it the best option, especially given the presence of only four guards (Bravi stat block), lazing about at their posts. It is possible to surprise them, but it must be done within 2 combat rounds or the guards will figure out the characters’ plans and raise the alarm. If the alarm has been raised by Sofronia, opponents have advantage on their initiative rolls. SOFRONIA THE MAID ‘Blood of the Hoofed-Toe-Hissing-Tongue! What is happening here?!’ Sofronia has been Ctesia’s maid and has raised him alongside Virgil all these years. She watched over Ctesia during his worst fevers, in a way that many would call motherly. Coming across her in a hallway would be devastating to the plan. She loves Ctesia like a son and the idea of him leaving Three Mill House terrifies her, both for his health and because it would mean having to part ways with him. This could be the perfect opportunity to deploy Virgil and give space to Ctesia’s defenders. The group will have to convince the maid to help them, or at least not to raise the alarm. This character can be a powerful ally, but equally an insurmountable obstacle; she can be inserted at any point of the escape from the main building to make the situation even more tense or desperate. The characters will have to make a group Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 16). Some players, as long as it’s less than half of the total, can offer the GM to substitute another check instead of Persuasion by giving a good reason to do so; the GM is free to accept or reject this as they see fit. For example, a character may suggest making a Wisdom (Insight) check to better understand Sofronia’s feelings and suggest to the others the best way to convince her. On a success, Sofronia will not raise the alarm and the escape from here onwards will be much easier. WAYS OUT The layout of the island, the complexity of its buildings, and the distances to cross can be extremely varied. The entire settlement is dotted with small and large service yards, porches, entryways and secret passages historically used by house staff. As a result, it may seem that there are many ways to flee the island; in fact, there are only three: • The Iron Bridge. This is a service bridge, so may seem like the easiest access. The complications come from the fact that it connects the poorest area of the city and the shoreline often used by bandits and crooks. To keep out these unwelcome guests, the bridge features a heavy gate at each end and the number of guards is higher than elsewhere. It is possible to climb over a gate, lower down the mill chains and hop from boat to boat towards the opposite shore, but the difficulty is high and requires agility that Ctesia cannot perform due to his illness. The highest risk is that he might fall
105 The Piligrimage of Ctesia THE CROSSING AND CTESIA’S BLESSED Once the farmers’ houses are no more than pale shapes in the darkness behind them, the travelers will spot fires burning on the shore. Campfires, to be precise, which belong to the shelters and tents used by the Rossariva refugees, survivors of the infamous massacre that took place in the city only a few days’ walk away. The quietness and cover of the night that have accompanied the group this far now gives way to sad songs of inconsolable widows and widowers, preferring to sit around the fire and mourn their dead to being unable to sleep in their makeshift beds. The voices are deep and beautiful to the point of almost drowning out everything else, making it impossible to notice the boats as they pass by. At that very moment, Ctesia will stand up from inside his boat and will let his hooded cape fall off, which was covering his distinctive physical traits, almost as if he’d forgotten he was wearing it. His voice will suddenly join and harmonize with that of the campfire singers and it will be strong and moving, like the blessing of a benevolent harvest god. Many around the fire will seem to almost recognize it and will kiss their paws and bring them to their eyes. The Rossariva refugees know Ctesia; in fact, they adore him, because they owe their lives to his visions of the battle. Since then, Quattrocorni is seen as a blessed hero and savior of people: the divine resides in his miraculous actions and they would recognize his voice anywhere they heard it, despite Ctesia not ever appearing in public. Ctesia, on the other hand, will be almost ecstatically entranced. His eyes are rolled back and he is crying for the losses at Rossariva. His song is a marvel, reaching straight to the heart of those present, filling them with grief and emotion. THE RIVARGENTO RIVER Regardless of the route taken by the characters to escape, the only way to move away quickly and silently is along the placid Rivargento river, in the middle of which rises Three Mill House. It does admittedly run in the right direction for Ctesia’s plans, and the time of night will mean it will only be populated by small boats of merchants sleeping off their wine. This means there is a possibility for the group to be seen but they are unlikely to be spotted. Darkness envelops the few scattered houses around the island, and the waters could not be any more tranquil; the perfect setup for a quiet escape. Solino’s boats will make contact with the group close to the Insula Barbadorum or, if the group found an alternative escape route, in a quiet bay just beyond the tall reeds. They will then set off westwards, under the dim light of the starry night sky, as if the heavens themselves were trying to protect young Ctesia and favor his travels. The GM is tasked with paying attention to the lunar cycle – the end of the journey will have to coincide with a full moon, so all timing will have to be planned for that to be the case. SEQUENCE – DASHING ACROSS THE IRON BRIDGE Duration Long DC 14 (min 12) HP per action 6, 2 if Sofronia hasn’t raised the alarm (min 2) Success. The group escapes without the guards raising the alarm. Failure. The group gains the attention of the guards and their escape is jeopardized. Complications. • Ctesia falls into the water and has to be rescued • One of the boats suddenly moves and one of the characters risks causing some of the others to fall • The gate is struck and the noise alerts some of the guards • A scoundrel sleeping in one of the boats wakes up and sees a profitable opportunity in the characters
106 - ACT 2 - THE CHOSEN ONE IS AMONG US MEZZA LUNA In the light of the new day, the characters will realize that the river will soon become impossible to navigate with their current boats, and the group will have to decide how to proceed. Ctesia, meanwhile, will have had another vision: what he seeks awaits him to the west, at the peak of a mountain reachable only after several days of travel. The group will have to face the dangers and consequences of traveling with one of the most well-known and celebrated individuals of the entire region. TRENTACANALI COUNTRYSIDE The latest sluice in the river will make clear that traveling by boat is no longer the best and fastest option. The group will be forced to leave the boats and the expert crew provided by Solino, and continue through the fields. The rural countryside strongly features farmland, covering almost as far as the eye can see, and crossed by a network of canals, branching off from the famous ‘Thirty’ that gives the name to the area where our characters currently find themselves. This is a wide valley at the foot of some hills, pleasant and quiet, where many laborers are hard at work long before the sun rises, and all of them are curious about the newcomers spotted from afar. Every six miles or so is a huddle of small houses, almost a miniature village, each with its own name: Upper Piovera, Lower Piovera, Testadura, Cavaleone, Battilegio and Fossombrato, the largest. Each village is run by a small community of interconnected families and is linked to the others through the Thirty Ways: wide carriage roads which follow the banks of the main canals. The place is buzzing with toiling harvest carriers and water sanitation workers, busy keeping the canals clean but still curious about the group. As the group travels through this area, it may also fall prey to Brando Barbadori’s forces, ready at anything to return Ctesia home. THE PRICE OF CTESIA’S FAME Moving in this area will be not too dissimilar to walking across a minefield. The main challenge will be keeping Ctesia away from his adoring fans, as he is to all intents and purposes an idol to these people. After years of exploitation at the hands of the Barbadori, people celebrate him and call for his blessing or at least a few words. The GM can use this first moment to show the rest of the group that Ctesia may indeed be holding some form of magical or divine power. If the kid is not forced out of his trance state, the refugees will run to the shore to shout their gratefulness and throw tokens of appreciation at him. The PCs need to make a Strength (Athletics) or Charisma (Intimidation) (DC 20) to stop the singing. If the refugees were indeed to notice the party, the GM must make a note: the characters will have disadvantage when trying to stealth through ACT II. The news of Quattrocorni leaving Three Mill House, and bringing hope to the heart of the Rossariva refugee camp, will travel much faster than them. Ctesia, once brought out of his trance, will tell the story of the Rossariva massacre and of how he had foreseen the arrival of refugees. Unfortunately, he says, these episodes of mystical ecstasy are becoming more frequent and unpredictable. FIREFLY BLANKET During the first stop, Ctesia will insist on taking a quick swim for a few minutes. Once in the water, the kid’s body will seem to be caressed by refractions of the moonlight and a small swarm of fireflies will rise from the fields to swirl around him once he reaches the shore as if the sky had sent small stars to bless him. Ctesia will have never been happier and will look the healthiest anyone has seen in some time, as if the distance from Three Mill House has reinvigorated him somehow. There is an opportunity here to play out scenes in which the characters assess whether their feelings for Ctesia are particularly intense – the GM should assign Inspiration to good roleplaying, as usual. It is also possible to instil the feeling to any of the PCs that Ctesia is not a common individual, but rather a divine messenger with a mission. And everyone knows that saints rarely meet a happy ending. RESTLESS ESCAPE If the characters have been able to escape via a bridge or the dock without the guards raising any alarm, their journey will be easy enough to allow for a long rest. Otherwise, they will only be allowed a short rest.
107 The Piligrimage of Ctesia
108 THE MIRACLE OF PIOVERA’S WATER Upper Piovera and Lower Piovera are two small neighboring settlements, surrounded by wide rainwater reservoirs, which are currently almost depleted. Some are also used during the rainy season for freshwater fish and some crayfish farming. Upper Piovera is so named due to its location; it sits upon a low grassy hill, which overlooks most of the valley. After a day of walking, this is one of the options to stop for water and food. During this part of the journey, Ctesia will seem to be stronger physically, but his mind will repeatedly waver. He will be fully aware one second only to be seen conversing with invisible voices, which only he can hear, the next. The party, after stopping to gather food and water, will notice that Ctesia has disappeared. It won’t be easy to find him: Ctesia has left no trace and seems to have just vanished. To make the situation worse, Virgil will panic and constantly interfere with the search by claiming that ‘Somebody took him!’. Solino will also be of no use, with his claims of Ctesia ‘Vanishing into thin air!’. Ctesia, in fact, is on the shore of the largest reservoir of Lower Piovera, and the group will find him as he holds his hand in the water. A second later, the reservoir will overflow, flooding everything around it, characters included. After this bizarre sequence of events, Ctesia will speak: ‘It was calling to me. The lake was about to die.’ And then immediately faints. This is a delicate part of the journey. The group will have to perform several checks to avoid being detected along otherwise open roads in full daylight. There is the possibility to use an alternative route, such as the paths in the fields instead of the main roads, but even that would not solve the issue entirely. Furthermore, if the travels should take longer than expected, food rations may become an issue. The GM is encouraged to challenge players, making them feel hunted and in need of help. The more the news of Ctesia’s presence in the region spreads, the more likely and swift it is that the PCs might come across someone with ill intentions. To make it through the area without too many interruptions and to find the necessary resources (food, shelter, etc), the PCs will have to make a group check: every player must choose to either make a Dexterity (Stealth) or Charisma (Persuasion) check with DC 16. If more than half succeed, the party will be able to travel relatively swiftly and with the help of Ctesia’s fans; on a failure, the latter will be angry with the people trying to remove their idol from them and will demand 50 coins each for food and shelter – or face ACT II with one level of exhaustion. Some of the complications that might cause further chaos and confusion at this stage of the journey are offered below, some even leading to secondary quests. The supernatural actions present in each of them are provided to heighten the sense of magic surrounding Ctesia. SEQUENCE – A LAKE REBORN Duration: long DC 14 (min 12) HP per action 5 (min 2) Success. Ctesia is recovered without too much collateral damage: the citizens of Piovera will mark the event with a small celebration, allowing the PCs to recover 4d6 HP. Failure. The flash flood damages the buildings around the docks and causes damage to some people: the group needs to disappear, and quickly. Complications: • (investigation) The locals hear about Ctesia’s presence and everyone starts getting nervous. • (turning point) Ctesia is found and the lake overflows. • (flooding) People from the village are caught in the flash flood and call for help. • (flooding) One of the small huts near the reservoir collapses under the water and the people inside call for help. Note.The sequence begins with the search for Ctesia and ends with dealing with the flash flood and the saving of Ctesia and the other people involved.
109 The Piligrimage of Ctesia The PCs need to make a Strength (Athletics) check DC 16 to prevent the tree from fully collapsing, a Wisdom (Survival) check DC 15 to contain the spread of the fire and a Wisdom (Perception) check DC 14 to make sure no one has noticed them and, as a collateral effect, notice Solino’s reaction. Each PC can make a single check and keep in mind that Solino and Virgil can use an action each to help, each giving advantage to their chosen character’s check. Just as it appeared, the storm will leave, as if absorbed by the horizon. Ctesia will then notice that where he was sleeping is now covered in burns as if his sweat were eating through it. ‘I felt… I felt like someone was right behind us! They were tall, as tall as a tower and they were watching us sleep. They were… evil. In the way that only something truly ancient can be!’ Someone might notice Solino’s worried expression, different from that of the equally worried Virgil. The Shrew will take in the scene, the tree itself, and will then start interrogating the still reeling Ctesia. Solino seems to suspect (or know) something about these supernatural phenomena, but is not willing to share: his task is to gather information about every wonder accompanying Ctesia and, after this latest demonstration, is considering contacting his Teacher by using an enchanted object of her making, to let her know he can no longer carry out his mission without a sage from the Order accompanying him. THE CROOKS OF CAVALEONE A threat lurks in the surroundings of the next small town along the main road. If the characters have not been able to avoid Ctesia being recognised, they will have to face it. The Barbadori will undoubtedly have sent messengers across their lands and a group of skilled con-artists will be riding towards Cavaleone to intercept the group. The location is almost entirely dedicated to collecting the harvest and is also famous for an abandoned quarry not far from the town. The local Crooks of Cavaleone, whose number is equal to the PCs plus three, will be hiding behind its sedimentary stone walls and piles of discarded crops, and are prepared to Ctesia back to his father. Their attack will come as a complete surprise and will take place when the characters least expect it. Before the end of the fight, one of the Crooks will find a way to reach Ctesia without being noticed, regardless of dice rolls. The kid will touch them on the forehead and the Crook will scream as if faced with the devil itself, twisting in spasms of pain. Ctesia will have no idea of what happened and will back away in fear, finding refuge in the arms of his companions. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE OF BATTILEGIO Ctesia’s sleep will be haunted by nightmares and visions. Virgil will attempt to give him potions and remedies to calm his sleep, failing most times in administering the concoctions. The kid will seem anxious and his bedding will often have a sinister burning smell. On the eve of the party’s arrival in Battilegio, they will stop at a small abandoned refuge at the center of a small hazel and chestnut grove: not much more than a couple of stone walls and a corner of roof between two beams. The party will have no trouble falling asleep but, in the middle of the night, they will be woken up by a sudden change in the weather: a storm is crashing down on the valley and the grove is being hit with icy winds and heavy rain. It will be suddenly clear that Ctesia is having a really bad dream, which will shortly end in a horrifying manner. The kid’s eyes will slam open, completely rolled back into his skull, offering only their whites. The sky and rain will quieten for a moment. Then a lightning bolt will strike only a few meters away from the group, splitting apart the large chestnut tree looming over the ruins. The resulting fire will quickly spread to the surrounding area, and the PCs will have to get to safety and try to contain it. Can the lightning have given away their position? Has someone seen them through the darkness and is now in pursuit?
110 At the end of dinner, in case all of this does take place, five individuals will charge into the banquet hall: Libanio Teodoro Fortefronte and four fully armed Bravi, never seen before in Three Mill House, wearing armor and livery somewhere between Church guard equipment and mercenary gear. The fight will be a small preview of the one taking place during the epilogue. Libanio will face off against the group, ordering to hand Ctesia over and follow them back with no further resistance. Ctesia, panicking, will refuse to go home. Libanio and the Bravi are formidable opponents and the party should find themselves at a severe disadvantage. At the end of the third round of combat, Ctesia will find his courage again and will order everyone to stand down: ‘Your intentions are noble, but I will not return until my destiny is fulfilled. The call sees no reasons – no mortal can stop me!’ At the minimum display of aggression, Ctesia will summon a powerful ice storm upon the guards, allowing the group to flee. Ctesia will then fall unconscious, overwhelmed by the mystical experience. SOLINO’S CONCERN Solino is a spy operating on Aurinda’s orders, tasked with keeping an eye on Ctesia as he reaches his goals and let the Order intervene should places or objects of arcane interest arise. He believes that Aurinda knows what is vexing Ctesia, and has only told part of the truth to her apprentice. Solino is also a good liar, but the kid’s new powers are starting to worry him. For this reason, right after the escape, Solino will find some time alone to report to the Order. One of the characters might be able to discover him and catch a few words as the Shrew speaks into a small wooden box covered in markings. The object is used as a communication device linked directly to his Teacher. What will become clear is that Solino can only be trusted to a certain point. If Solino’s actions are brought to the attention of the group, the shrew will give a partial version of the truth: ‘A powerful organization has contacted me, in order to ensure Ctesia’s success. They believe he may be a Saint or a Magus, and so I must report to them on our movements so as to buy us more time with those conspiring against us.’ Alluding to his Teacher is a good hook for the events of the following adventure, a sequel to the one currently at hand: THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA. THE MERRY TOWN OF FOSSOMBRATO AND CTESIA’S FURY The last settlement in the Thirty Ways countryside is essentially a small city. There is even a tavern of sorts, used by travelers overseeing the transport of goods to and from Three Mill House, providing the local population with items that they cannot produce on their own. Also present are a small church, a store, and a few storage sites. The small city is split in two by a canal, whose clear waters flow placidly, with irises growing on its banks and three wooden bridges connecting either side. The minor land-holders who received concessions from the Barbadori live here, overseeing the land on their behalf. When the party reaches Fossombrato, they will not be met with the same shock and unlike the other locations, they will find streets busy with merchants, servants and laborers. The tavern is almost entirely in the open air, sheltered by wide wooden roofs, and featuring long tables and several grills used for the customers’ meals of potatoes, legumes and varieties of fish, eels and crawfish. It won’t be long before the PCs are approached by an important woman and her entourage: Lady Hyppolita. ‘Rumors from the fields precede you, travelers. My humble advice is to accept the hospitality of this Devout and Pious lady of the land. My heart goes out to the one who walks among you, and I would hate to see you held here by spies who will report your presence. Please, follow me to my villa, not far from here, and from whence you may depart again in the morrow.’ Lady Hyppolita excels at barefaced lies, just like any lady of the capital. She is the extremely wealthy heiress of one of the most important farming estates in the area and owns Wisteria Manor, located slightly farther away from the small city, just beyond a turn in the canal. If the party chooses to follow her, noticing that her presence is starting to draw attention to all of them, they will fall into the trap she has set up. Lady Hyppolita has already sent her avian messengers to Three Mill House and will want to entertain her guests with food and drink aplenty, with the goal of making it hard for them to leave until the arrival of Brando Barbadori’s troops. If the characters fall for the trap, they will shortly reach a magnificent countryside villa. If a player states that their character is suspicious of the Lady, they can make a Wisdom (Insight) check with DC 17. On a success, the character will know that the Lady is hiding something. If they still choose to go ahead and discover who is behind the trap, the party will be ready to react and their opponents will start combat surprised.
111 The Piligrimage of Ctesia - ACT 3 - THE MOUNTAIN OF THE FORGOTTEN GIBBOUS MOON The mountain that Ctesia is trying to reach has many names, depending on whoever is answering the question at the time. It belongs to the Lovers’ Peaks, a massif whose name comes from a local legend about two young lovers, a lady and a shepherd who – because of their relationship – were persecuted and chased as they eloped, all the way to a ruinous and tragic ending. The mountain in question is the furthest back, easily spotted thanks to its sharp pyramidal shape. Some call it the Stone King, others the Colonel’s Peak. THE AMBUSH AT THE PASS The PCs will follow mountain trails that keep appearing and disappearing, removed at several points by landslides and bush. The fastest route will not always be easy to find, but they will gradually make it to the pass that will supposedly show them the way to start their ascent. The bandits will keep tailing the party carefully, ready to ambush them at the pass itself, after days of uphill travel that will have weakened the group of main characters. This entire phase of the journey is intended to divert the attention from their opponents, increasing the element of surprise of the imminent attack, aided by the fact that the party has seen no other living soul in days. The focus of the group should be on the pilgrimage itself, survival, and the possibility of finding some extra food – a crucial issue as they are about to leave the forested areas behind for open, rocky landscapes with very few opportunities to forage. When the attack happens, it has to do so with desperation, not something that can be solved by simply raising their swords. BELTCUTTER’S BANDITS Ponzio Tagliacinte is a simple man. Born in the mountains and ready to die on one of their trails, he has gathered a small following, a handful of unwanteds, and a few ‘disillusioned’ by farming life. He despises having to deal with the villages, even more so with cities. The life of a bandit is the epitome of high living to him, despite the fact that the caves in which he lives with his fellow scoundrels are not particularly welcoming. The party will be a perfect opportunity for a raid. He can’t imagine that among them is someone worth planning an actual kidnapping, and has no idea of Ctesia’s fame. His followers are even less in the know than he is: they’re all thieves of the lowest sort, forced into exile and into living with their peers. ON THE RUN The party will be constantly forced to keep away from the main roads, traveling with barely enough rations for everyone. They will have to flee through the crops, then groves, swamplands, and larger, older forested areas. Reaching the mountain described by Ctesia every night will require several more days of travel, and mostly along almost non-existent trails. The landscape will change along with the flora, and rocks will start emerging from the ground, covered in moss and fungus, arranged in ways that will make their progress harder. The closer Ctesia is to his destination, the stronger he will get and the less present his mind will be. He will shortly start leading the group’s progress, tired from the march but determined to reach the peak; his words will be more and more oracular, rather than heroic, no longer holding back the sybilline turmoil of thoughts that resides in his mind. ONE LAST EFFORT BEFORE THE PASS The party will now be traveling with doubts and physical effort, forcing them to reflect on what is happening to them all. It’ll be clear by now that Ctesia’s powers are not under control. The lake miracle, the kidnapper’s curse, the lightning strike on the chestnut tree, and the ice storm, despite not having any obvious connecting thread between them, are clearly manifestations of Ctesia’s own fears and desires. In all of this, Virgil will constantly be by his protegé’s side and Solino will join the rest of the group in asking questions about the nature of these powers and how they’re affecting Ctesia. It might be interesting to alternate physical checks with social interaction moments at this stage. The PCs need to make a Strength (Athletics) or Wisdom (Survival) with DC 18 to avoid losing 4d6 hit points from the effort of traveling. WATCHFUL BANDITS Ponzio Tagliacinte, a vigorous Boar currently leading mountain bandits, has spotted the party as approached the mountains. It is not often that such an interesting group of targets wanders into his terriotory. His bandits, skilled at following tracks without being noticed, will keep their distance from the characters, trying to gather as much information as they can before striking and taking all their belongings. The GM needs to keep track of what the group says out loud and their actions, especially the more noticeable ones, during the ascent. The bandits will be aware of everything from the wooded hills to the mountain pass. All the information gathered will be useful to characterize the bandits in their actions later.
112 and parallel stalagmite and chalky formations – ending in a well leading to a lower section of the cave. At the end of a sizable descent is an underground freshwater lake, surrounded by a thin beach of pulverized crystals. In the light of a torch, this place is awe-inspiring, and the bandits leave it untouched other than using the lake as a water reservoir. Ctesia’s group will be able to spend the night in the cave, and gather their strength after a long rest; after that, and if they are allowed to, the bandits will offer to accompany them towards the peak of the Stone King, traveling along the Rio Secco. THE HIDDEN CALDERA The final ascent up the rocky face of the mountain will be the hardest of them all. The PCs will be begging to be able to rest under the shade of a tree, but the altitude means they will have seen none in quite some time. The blazing sun and the landscape, with its scattered patches of mountain grass and sharp rocks, will make this stage of the party’s travels much harder. There is no choice between a more or less open road; there is only a single path, rarely taken, that snakes its way to the peak. The party will then have to continue along the Rio Secco bed, a stream that hasn’t seen water in several decades, at the end of which they will find some rocks, piled upon each other; beyond these rocks is the hidden entrance to a natural paradise, unknown to most, and the stage for our story’s epilogue. CLIMBING THE STREAM This is the final stretch of the journey, and as such it has to be hard and difficult to complete. The path will coil around the actual peak of the mountain to head up through the riverbed, the only way to reach the topmost peak. The climb will proceed along bends and canyons, tight passages and narrow juts of rock above a terrifying fall. The PCs must make a group check for Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). In case of failure, they will be tired out and have disadvantage on any initiative roll until they complete a short or long rest. THE LOVERS’ ALCOVE Just before they reach the peak, the characters will be able to come across the entrance to a small cave containing the remains of a small camp, as if someone decades ago had set up a shelter away from the eyes of the world. Peeking inside, they will be able to find a small living space with a few essential items and straw bedding, upon which are two skeletons in their final and forever embrace: one belonging to a large feline, the other to an ibex, both seemingly dead of natural causes. Is this the final resting place of the two lovers from the local tale? Ponzio and eight followers will surround Ctesia and his companions at sunset. The bandits will appear from behind rocks and trees as if they had always been just a few steps away. Ponzio will quickly order the party to pile together all their belongings, including food and water. The longer the situation develops, the more he will try intimidating everyone, but he will not order to attack unless in response to the group. There is a possible variant to this scene: if the party, as they were being spied upon, has been talking about Ctesia and his importance to the people in the valley, Ponzio will act a little more astutely. He will ask questions, a lot of questions, threatening Ctesia with the tip of his sword to prevent the truth from being held back from him. Should he receive confirmation of his suspicions, he will attempt to take the Barbadori firstborn hostage, dragging him back to his hideout to decide how to proceed. The PCs might engage him in combat immediately, despite being outnumbered, or pretend to let him take the kid only to save him at a later stage. THE CAVALUNA DEN If the bandits are able to somehow take Ctesia away from the others (including through the GM’s strategic machinations), there is an opportunity for a nice twist. Paradoxically, leaving Ctesia in the company of his captors will have a surprisingly positive effect for the group. Ponzio, whose intention was to figure out the amount and logistics for a ransom, will spend quite some time with the kid, curious about the rumors accompanying him. Ctesia will tell him of his visions and his mission with such emphasis and passion as to move the most hardened, cold heart. Ponzio, as a result, will not only decide to let him go but to actually help him in his journey. He will nickname him ‘The Innocent Pilgrim’ and will send for his companions so that they may find shelter in the cave he uses as a den. The location is practically inaccessible and is incredibly stunning. The cave itself is so well hidden that it can only be reached with precise directions, or you might be walking over or next to it without even noticing the opening, in which a thick black cloth prevents any light or smoke coming from the inside. Beyond the small entrance is a short rope descent, and a few feet lower, a large underground cave. The bandits’ den is made up of two large areas. The living area is lit up by openings not dissimilar to mole burrows, letting sunlight filter in even at this depth; in the center, under one of the larger openings, is an empty fireplace framed by lying logs. The ‘bedrooms’, slightly further into the mountain, are in a more closed area with several pallets. One corner opens into a short, partially hidden hallway – thanks to a rock formation
113 The Piligrimage of Ctesia CTESIA’S FINAL REVELATION When Ctesia will reach the stone circle, he will cross it in a trance-like state, forgetting about everything else. His gaze will be fixed on the dark rock standing at its center. His voice will be shaking with emotion as he mutters something about his dreams and reaches out towards it. ‘This is only the tip of the mountain within the mountain. The black pyramid… the one from my dreams! This is where I am meant to be tonight, as the full moon rises, this is where it happens!’ Ctesia will touch the stone and his body will be enveloped by radiant energy which will make him jump in surprise. His voice will resound, strong and powerful, before he can pull back. ‘The tip of the black pyramid must be destroyed. After moonrise, before the moon disappears from the sky. I must do so, I alone, and no miracle, nor magic, can be of help.’ As Ctesia pulls his hoof back, he will fall to the ground and start crying, shaken by the fact that he has no idea what or how he needs to destroy the stone before the moon sets. ACCESSING THE CALDERA AND CTESIA’S LAMENT Crossing an arch made out of fallen rocks will lead to a natural amphitheater crossed by a small stream, whose waters probably spring from some inaccessible point within the mountain, creating a surprisingly location: a garden, embraced by rocky formations and sheltered from the icy winds. Taking a closer look at the walls will reveal a striking similarity to the caldera of a volcano, probably all that’s left of the mouth from which the Stone King would erupt lava in times gone by. A quick survey will show several possibly interesting discoveries, listed here in order of importance: • In the exact center of the caldera is a monolithic structure, small in size, comprising thirteen stones arranged elliptically; at their center is a black rock, emerging from the grass and completely different from any other stone or rock around it. The colors are very peculiar, speckled and varied, with hues of dark greens, blues and black, similar to the coloring of some snakes. • The stone walls surrounding the garden feature small alcoves that seem to be intentionally carved, probably the work of some ancient culture. Each alcove shows a number of primitive images, mostly depicting hunting or fighting scenes, but also some mountainous landscapes. There are also various remains of fur, food and dried leaves; these belong to the False Prophets, who are about to come into play. • Anyone investigating the caldera will feel watched, while finding themselves in a place of unnatural silence, as if several eyes were following their every action. After a few moments, they will spot a few small animals (e.g. marmosets or insects, at the GM’s discretion and table’s gaming philosophy – see Core Manual Overview) fleeing into holes in the rocks. A quick inspection will reveal several dens and burrows of various sizes, probably used by these creatures to keep them safe from the cold and predators.
114 NIGHT FALLS AND THE FALSE PROPHETS ARRIVE This scene will upend the entire perspective on the situation at hand. The GM will have, up to this point, talked about realistic events revolving around the ideas of idolatry, miracle and magic, and the players will have taken all of these to mean that they, and their prodigious nature, reside exclusively with Ctesia. It is his powers that make a supernatural tale seem plausible. This chapter, however, will introduce a number of other creatures under the influence of the relic that calls to Ctesia. These are individuals belonging to the most disparate familie, wandering as feral beasts in the moonlight. Their cries are warped into sounds and words belonging to an incomprehensible language. Their movements are erratic and unsettling, forcing all characters to think about the very fine line separating them and lesser evolved species. These creatures were once people, but now appear to be afflicted by some unnatural condition. Their eyes reflect the light in the way that predators’ eyes do when hit by torchlight. They will appear aggressive despite including a number of herbivores and other usually innocuous animals. As soon as Ctesia finds a way of breaking the rock, they will appear from further up, on the peaks surrounding the caldera, ready to pounce upon him. The fight, then, will move to multiple fronts: the one at the caldera’s entrance and the one seeding chaos within it. If there had been a small chance to survive until now, this is the time to truly despair. THE RITUAL BEGINS When the raucous voice of Furio the Biancocapo breaks the silence, ordering everyone to exit the caldera and hand over the Barbadori firstborn, the moon will appear from behind the peak. Its silver light will wash over the scene, awakening the stone with bizarre shadows and shapes. Ctesia’s heart will start beating fast and his eyes will tear up: his companions are sacrificing themselves for him, and he cannot let them down. The first strike will catch everyone by surprise, a dull thud that will draw everyone’s attention. Blood will spatter onto Ctesia’s muzzle after his first headbutt, pain will coarse through his entire body, blinding him… and then he’ll strike again. And again. Screaming. On the third strike, the rock will emit a sinister and deep sound, similar to an underground cave-in or a structural collapse of a large building. Libanio Teodoro Fortefronte will order to attack and the first bravi will try forcing their way into the caldera. Ctesia will strike the rock two more times, once per combat turn, and his face and head will be covered in blood, determination and folly. His goat eyes will shine as if possessed by an entirely supernatural force, ablaze with a zeal that no one ever thought possible of the shy kid everyone knew. Before a sixth strike can crack the rock open, THE MOON RISES RIGHT AS COMPANY ARRIVES The sun will have set for some time and Ctesia will still be trying to work out a solution to his enigma. Meanwhile, Solino will have returned from a recon mission with bad news: ‘Captain Fortefronte of Three Mill House is leading a group of around a dozen bravi, maybe more. Furio the Biancocapo, the Church’s Hound, is with them too! Clearly, the Holy Kingdom’s champion is ready to aid the Lord of the Mills in bringing back his firstborn.’ Solino will cast a worried glance to the entrance to the caldera as he speaks, huffing impatiently: ‘They’re climbing the Rio Secco as we speak. It won’t be long before they are upon us and there is no other way out. Which means… even if Ctesia can do this… We’re still done for.’ This is when the party will have to prepare to face a very dangerous opponent, a group made up of Furio, Libanio, and twelve bravi. The PCs can take some time to study their surroundings to figure out some vantage points. Forcing the enemy to approach only a few at a time, losing their imposing numerical advantage, is an example of a good plan – desperate, but it might work. The GM is free to structure the scene in an even more complex way, providing the players with further strategic riddles that might influence the coming battle. BUYING CTESIA TIME The main objective for the PCs is to buy Ctesia as much time as possible, so that he may bring to fruition something impossible. Help may come here from the Beltcutters, including Ponzio himself, if they have had the chance to side with Ctesia. In any case, the situation will become more and more tense as the enemy approaches. Ctesia does not seem to be able to find a solution. He will pound on the rock until his paws bleed, then he’ll start using smaller rocks to continue, still aware of having to destroy it with his strength alone. The GM in this scene must focus exclusively on keeping the tension high, and increasing it if needed, drawing from all the feelings that the players have had for Ctesia since the start, asking them to externalize what they feel in these desperate final moments. The players should be encouraged to interact one last time with Ctesia.
115 The Piligrimage of Ctesia JOINING FORCES IN BATTLE The False Prophets must appear overwhelming, making the battle desperate – they must not be impossible to defeat, but they must initially appear as such. When the allied forces seem to have finally gained the upper hand the GM must introduce their leader to the battle: a gigantic gray bear, Moon Fury. This enemy’s arrival will necessarily mean the death of one of the main characters. Its threat will have to be remarked upon by how bloody the GM decides its introduction will be; a terrifying moment which will make everyone consider fleeing the scene. The bear could choose to strike at some of the bravi with its claws, raising the tension even more as everyone sees the resulting gashes and damage, realizing they may very well be its next target. Even though the situation appears desperate, it will take Ctesia two rounds to finally strike the rock with a final blow, screaming even louder than the bear as he does so; the animal will lunge at whoever is defending the kid at that moment. THE RITUAL ENDS,DDARKNESS SWALLOWS EV- ERYTHING With the seventh blow, Ctesia will shatter the stone. He will be on the verge of death, gashes everywhere and probably even worse internal damage, judging by the copious bleeding from his mouth and eyes. One second later, a gust of wind will sweep across the scene, as if an invisible force has been freed from the black stone. The moonlight will fall upon something inside its remains, casting a blue glow, growing ever larger as the moon slides behind the rocky peaks. The bear will roar one more time before falling to shakes and fits. All the other False Prophets will do the same, collapsing to the ground. The bear will strike one more time, its most powerful, horrifying attack, before also falling to the ground. Ctesia, wounded, will crawl towards the source of his legendary journey. The relic which had shaped his dreams looks like a black fossil of a spiky trilobite, curled upon itself. Among its petrified scales is a large blue amber gem, the size of an apple. The incredible, vivid cobalt blue gem glimmers with gold and red reflections, as if the last rays of sunset had been caught inside the gem itself, protected for millennia by a now fossilized creature. When Ctesia will be united with the relic, raising it for all to see, time will stop. Literally. a number of feral, furious cries will rise from the vegetation and the dark corners of the caldera. This combat sequence will alternate fighting with GM descriptions to convey the gravity of Ctesia’s sacrifice. The feeling everyone should get is that the kid has finally snapped and is currently doing something that can only lead to death. The GM must balance the number of enemies with that of the PCs and NPCs, including their health conditions, in order to make the situation desperate but not immediately deadly. Additionally, even though the party is already experiencing an incredibly tense situation, the real fight will start once the False Prophets join the fray: the party needs to understand that trying to face all opponents at the same time will lead to inevitable defeat. THE FALSE PROPHETS This is the nickname given by the Ordo Artis Occulta to the creatures when they will discover their bodies, in the story’s epilogue. The name will be used here to refer to the creatures corrupted by a supernatural influence. The relic that Ctesia is unearthing had, in fact, already affected the dreams and visions of these individuals for weeks, starting to radically transform them, starting with their minds and behaviors – they are now almost entirely feral. Their sudden fury towards the PCs will be offset by the fact that the source of their new life is about to be unearthed. They will attack anyone, by any means, as they are practically unreasonable, unresponsive to any input or demand. Merciless, they have only one thing in mind: to prevent Ctesia from accessing the relic. The real battle begins now. All forces – including those of Libanio and Furio – will have to face off against the new threat, a horde of False Prophets. It will take the Barbadori forces a couple of turns to realize what is happening, but they will eventually join the protagonists in fending off the supernatural creatures. After the battle, as their bodies are identified, it will be revealed that all of them are preachers, healers, seers, linked in some way or another to local beliefs and cults. Their story is the same as Ctesia’s, but with a much different ending.
116 EPILOGUE BATTLE OUTCOMES All characters present will come to their senses only several hours later, as the sun shyly rises in the distance. The battlefield will look like a slaughterhouse. The bodies of bravi, bandits, and False Prophets are on the ground, lifeless. There is no trace of Ctesia. Virgil is sitting in a corner, in silence. He will seem to have been awake for some time already. ‘He spoke to me. After he stopped the wind, all of you, the entire world. As if he covered the heaven’s sundial, or shattered the hourglass that measures the time of the world. Everything ceased, waiting for his gesture to begin again. That… that is when he spoke to me. As his wounds became but cuts and then nothing at all… he told me he was sorry. That he could not stay, that he must leave. Everything had happened as it had been told. He said that the Ossarium was only the beginning. I do not pretend to understand his meaning but the light of the gem shining in his eyes, that much was clear. He could not stay. He could never return to his old life.’ Virgil will sigh, and continue: ‘We are now part of something much bigger, my friends. And you know what terrifies me the most? He looked worried. As if all of… this should have taken place a long time ago, and we were all dangerously late for something.’ The GM can give the opportunity to the players to have a long conversation with Virgil, despite his reluctance to say much after what just happened. He will still make an effort, and he might even suggest joining him in the Green Pit, where he will contact an acquaintance in Buchebuie to lay low for a while. He cannot, obviously, ever return to Three Mill House. He is a traitor, and Brando Barbadori will make him pay in the cruelest way he can think of for what he has done. Libanio and Furio, on the other hand, will be furious. They are set on making everyone involved pay for their actions and for having enabled Ctesia for so long, and to this result. With the remaining forces, however, threats will be all they can muster. They will order everyone to never set foot back in the Holy Kingdom, and will set off in pursuit of Ctesia, now alone in his escape. Libanio and Furio will bury their dead in a shallow grave, which they will cover with rocks in a rudimentary mound. Along with the surviving bravi, they will be the first to leave the mountain. Virgil, meanwhile, will be getting ready to leave for Buchebuie. No one will dare to touch the False Prophets, fallen to the ground, mouths still foaming and clearly devoid of any life. Some might whisper rumors of an illness, or a curse. Solino will bid his farewell to the characters as they leave. His adventure with Ctesia has only just begun, and he is set on finding him on his own terms, but not before the Order arrives. They will make sure the False Prophets’ bodies are taken to study the forces taking control over them. They may hold answers to the very nature of the magic at the heart of the relic. After all, as Virgil said: ‘The Ossarium was only the beginning.’ Solino would like to join his companions, with whom he has formed a bond by now, but he must first report everything to his Teacher, Aurinda. The open ending to this adventure is picked up again in its sequel: THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA. The next chapter will allow for the same characters to be reused and continue the tale revolving around Ctesia and the marvels of the blue amber.
117 The Piligrimage of Ctesia STAT SOLINO, AGENT OF THE ORDO ARTIS OCCULTAE Eulipo Shrew STR 11 (+0) DEX 18 (+4) CON 13 (+1) INT 11 (+1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 13 (+1) Armor Class 15 (gambeson) Hit points 99 (18d8+8) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Intelligence +3 Skills Acrobatics +7, Athletics +3, Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Survival +3 Senses Passive perception 13, earth echolocation Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Sneak attack. Once per turn, if Solino has advantage on an attack roll or if an ally is engaged in melée combat with his target and he does not have disadvantage, Solino deals an additional 10 (3d6) damage. Once per day, this can be increased to 21 (6d6). ACTIONS Rodelian dagger. Melée weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage. Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +7 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) piercing damage. FURIO THE BIANCOCAPO, HOUND OF THE CHURCH OF BONES Canid Hound STR 18 (+4) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 15 (+2) Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) Hit points 112 (15d8+45) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Strength +7, Constitution +6, Wisdom +4 Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +5, Survival +4 Senses Passive perception 11, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Heart of Faith. Furio has advantage on saving throws to resist effects that would cause the conditions afraid or charmed. Strategist. During his turn, when Furio makes his first attack against an opponent he distracts the target: the next attack made by anyone against the same target had advantage on the attack roll. ACTIONS Multiattack. Furio makes three melée attacks. Battle Axe. Melée weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage or 9 (1d10+4) slashing damage if wielded with two hands. Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +5 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage. REACTIONS Raise the shield. If Furio is the target of a critical hit, he can raise his shield to make the critical hit into a regular hit; the shield is destroyed. CROOK Rodent Mouse STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) Armor Class 14 (gambeson) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Intelligence +2 Skills Acrobatics +5, Stealth +2 Senses Passive perception 10, darkvision 60ft. Crooks gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks based upon their sense of smell or hearing. ACTIONS Sword. Melée weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage.
118 HORDE OF FALSE PROPHETS various familie STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) Armor Class 10 Hit Points 50 (special) Speed 30ft Senses Passive perception 10, darkivision 120ft Immunities exhaustion levels Vulnerabilities ranged area effects Horde. The False Prophets will keep growing in number until Ctesia frees the gem from the rock, and they cannot be beaten, only held back. If at the start of its turn the Horde isn’t on 0 hit points, their damage increases by 1d4. At the end of their turn, their hit points are 50. The Horde covers the entire battlefield. Strength in numbers. Any time the hord reaches 0 hit points, its Horde assault damage is reduced by 1d4. ACTIONS Horde Assault. Melée weapon attack: automatic hit, all targets in the Horde’s area. Hit: 10ft (4d4) slashing damage. MOON FURY Large monstruosity STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) Armor Class 15 Hit Points 115 (11d10+55) Speed 40ft Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Intelligence +2 Skills Perception +5 Senses Passive perception 15, darkvision 60ft Challenge 10 (5900 XP) Colossal beast. Moon Fury’s attacks deal 3 exhaustion levels to target creatures with 0 hit points. ACTIONS Multiattack. Moon Fury makes one bite attack and two claw attacks. Bite. Melée weapon attack: +10 to hit, one target. Hit: 28 (4d10+6) piercing damage. Claws. Melée weapon attack: +10 to hit, one target. Hit: 37 (7d8+6) slashing damage. LIBANIO TEODORO FORTEFRONTE, PROTECTOR OF THE THREE MILLS Ruminso Bovine STR 20 (+5) DEX 15 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1) Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) Hit points 117 (18d8+36) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Strength +8, Constitution +5 Skills Athletics +8, Intimidation +7, Perception +4 Senses Passive perception 14, darkvision 60ft Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Indomitable Resolve (2/day). Libanio can reroll a failed saving throw. Strength Recovery (1/day). As bonus action, Libanio regains 18 hit points. Charge. If Libanio moves at least 20 ft before an attack he can use his horns to add 1d4+5 to his damage roll. ACTIONS MMultiattack. Libanio makes two attacks. Zweihander. Melée attack weapon: +8 to hit, one target. Hit: 11 (1d12+5) slashing damage or 15 (3d6+5) if the attack was made with advantage. Throwing knife. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 9 (1d6+5) piercing damage.
119 The Piligrimage of Ctesia
The Secret of Altabreccia Andrea Felicioni
122 An adventure for Historia for four to six characters of Tier 2. Written by Andrea Felicioni INTRODUCTION The adventure you are about to embark upon will lead your characters into the darkest depths of the city-mine of Altabreccia – or what is left of it, anyway. They will discover that their mission, for which they have been hired by a mysterious envoy of the Ordo Artis Occulta, is more than they bargained for. An arcane relic of ancient and mysterious power will become the focal point for a political and military conflict that will undoubtedly rewrite the history of all the factions involved. Which side will our adventurers join once the secrets of the mine are revealed? The fate of Altabreccia is in their paws. CTESIA’S INHERITANCE THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA is a sequel to THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA, another adventure offered in this volume. The two stories are tightly linked as they both revolve around two common elements: the amber relics and the False Prophets. The former are fragments of an unknown material with mysterious magical properties; the latter are unknown, terrifying creatures who seem to only act upon their most feral instincts. The best way to enjoy this adventure is to have first played THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA; however, THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA has also been designed for characters who are not privy to the events preceding this story and can easily be the starting point for a new party’s beginning. BACKGROUND Before we can meet our main characters, sitting at a table of The Crossroads Inn where our story begins, we must look back a couple of days into the craggy recesses of Ragnosa Valley. On the peak of Mount Buiaccio, in the heart of the Green Pit, is a small fort: a single, tall tower surrounded by walls. The bastion is built upon a sheer drop looking over an intricate maze of canyons and gorges. The Sottorupe river runs between them all, helped along by the wind currents that rule over these impervious locations. Climbing down the rocky face of the cliff beneath the fort is the entrance to the lower citadel. The enormous chasm is connected to the top via a stone staircase that climbs up the cliff. No outsider setting foot for the first time in Altabreccia can imagine how many tunnels, houses, warehouses, and people are behind that portal, at the very heart of the mountain. Remo is one of the city’s many laborers and, much like his fellows, works day and night in the mine to provide for his family. Miners here are not in the same dismal conditions as their ‘colleagues’ in Buchebuie, but they are not that much better off: the shifts are exhausting, the pay is meager, and their claustrophobic homes tend to house more than one family. Remo also lives in the hive quarter, and that is where – along with his friends Cassia, Guido, Peregrin, and Ric – he first notices a strange, glowing gem seemingly abandoned in one of the tunnels. The moment he touches the mysterious blue amber, chaos erupts into the city’s tunnels. Every passage, every branch, every chamber and even the main shaft are invaded by whole packs of creatures the likes of which have never been seen. Some see them as wild animals who have learned to walk upright, and others believe they may be people who have regressed and lost all rational sense. They are aggressive, violent, and their sudden arrival spreads panic throughout the city. Despite the chaotic situation, Remo realizes that this may be the chance that all the miners of Altabreccia were waiting for. And so, taking advantage of the chaos, he leads a copious amount of people towards the main shaft, heading upwards, towards The Secret of Altabreccia Andrea Felicioni
123 The Secret of Altabreccia the fort on the surface, where Superintendent Celestino from Morrone resides. Once in the storage cellars of the fort, the rebels clash with Celestino’s troops in a bloody yet swift battle. The Superintendent’s troops are defeated and exiled from the city, and Remo is hailed as a hero by its citizens. The battle, however, accidentally ignites a number of barrels containing black powder, causing a huge explosion. The operating tower is damaged, as is the opening mechanism for the main shaft; Remo and his team barely have the time to leap across the portal before everything collapses behind them. The ruins of the tower, as it plummets into the gorge beneath it, damage the staircase connecting the lower citadel, cruelly completing the destruction of the only access points to the city-mine. Once they manage to make their way back inside, Remo and his rebels realize that most of the city has been lost. It has swiftly become the dark lair of feral Moles, Bats, and Shrews, who act on nothing but their instincts. Remo and his companions nonetheless decide to find all survivors and wounded, and barricade themselves in the draining chambers at the bottom of the main shaft. Here, at the deepest, furthest point of Altabreccia, the rebels are waiting and studying the blue amber gem, in the hope of reclaiming their city. THE ORDO ARTIS OCCULTA’S PLAN At the end of THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA, adventurers have faced off against a ‘pack’ of False Prophets. The corpses of these creatures, the same as the ones who invaded the Altabreccia tunnels, were recovered by the Ordo and research began immediately. Thanks to their studies, they have gained further insight into the supernatural events that took place that night on the Stone King’s peak. Additionally, they were able to refine some of the fragments from the scene into an incredibly valuable instrument: the Amber Staff, an extremely fragile wand which can divine the presence of other blue amber relics. The search that followed its creation has been hard enough to convince the Order to cease its pursuit, especially with their already incredible successes leading up to it.
124 • An armed contingent from Buchebuie will attack the rebels’ fort, aiming to conquer the entire city and its mining resources. • The EPILOGUE will force the PCs to make some hard choices regarding the initial mission they had signed up for. Will they recover the relic and hand it over to Solino? Or will they help Remo and the rebels reclaim control of the city? There is even the possibility, perhaps, to find a solution that will satisfy all of the main parties of this story. FACTIONS There are three distinct factions operating in this story: • Ordo Artis Occulta. The Order has been present since the very beginning of THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA and is involved in multiple ways. Through the character of Aurinda the Cingicielo, Magus and Teacher to Solino, it has transformed Altabreccia into the testing ground for the powers of the blue amber relic, ensuring the fall of the city. Solino, despite still spying for the Order, is plotting to thwart these plans, steal the relic and hand it over to Ctesia, wherever he may be. • Rulers of Buchebuie. This faction, strong in its agreement with Aurinda, has sent an armed contingent to gain control of Altabreccia, annexing it under their control. It even seems that Celestino from Morrone, after being chased out of the city-mine, has sought help from the Lords of Buchebuie themselves; despite their promises and agreements, Celestino will never regain control of Altabreccia. The main character for this faction will be Isidoro of the Spikes, also known as the Unbeaten. He will be the champion that Buchebuie will charge with conquering the city and – according to his reputation – he has never lost a challenge. • Rebels of Altabreccia. This faction will join the Vesterian stage thanks to the events contained within this adventure. Their fate is tightly linked to the PCs’ decisions and choices, as they will be able to influence their success as much as their failure. Cassia, Guido, Peregrin, and Ric are the main characters of this faction. The players’ choices will be the real protagonists of the story, and they will force the group to take a definite side regarding the various factions’ objectives. If they are able to survive the city-mine they will be able to proudly claim to have left a permanent mark on local, and perhaps world history. This is when the one weaving the threads of the entire endeavor has shown herself: Aurinda the Cingicielo. Aurinda is a Moon Bear who has taken Solino of the Sheaves as her apprentice. She was the one in charge of Ctesia (the main character in THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA) and she was the one constantly in touch with her apprentice. Within the Order, she is considered a boring politician – in fact, she is a ruthless and merciless Magus. Aurinda’s interests lie with the events and forces that accompanied Ctesia’s adventure, and once she had her paws upon an amber relic, she immediately officiated a ritual to explore its potential, turning Altabreccia into a live experiment of its powers. A pair of Order agents, unbeknownst to Solino, introduced the relic into the mine; the fall of Altabreccia did not take long. As expected, the appearance of new False Prophets plunged the city into chaos and indirectly sparked an otherwise improbable internal revolt. Aurinda had planned these events as a gift to the leaders of Buchebuie, ensuring a glorious future for herself among the ranks of the Green Pit and securing a location for her experiments at a good distance from the Holy Kingdom. The Ctesia affair, however, has left its mark on Solino who, upon discovering these machinations, cannot stand back and has decided to rebel against his Teacher. STORY STRUCTURE The adventure is made up of three Acts and an Epilogue. The plot is summarized as follows: • Solino has a plan to reach the mine, and he will lead the PCs to Colle Diritto, where an eccentric team of explorers awaits. Using some peculiar gliding equipment, the party will set off into the gorges of Ragnosa Valley and will reach the entrance to the lower citadel, seemingly the only remaining access point to Altabreccia. • In ACT II the PCs will enter the mine’s outer tunnels and will realize the extent of the dismal conditions in which the city lies. When exploration and encounters with False Prophets will no longer seem feasible, the PCs will meet a group of scouts belonging to Remo’s rebels. The meeting will lead them to the latter’s hideout at the heart of the mountain. • ACT II will finally see the PCs and the rebels meet, though perhaps not with the best first impression. Nevertheless, the miners will welcome the group with a spark of hope. The PCs will have the opportunity to help Remo’s group, earning their trust. After completing a number of dangerous missions, they will be able to finally meet the rebel leader and discover the existence of the relic.
125 The Secret of Altabreccia Cassia, Guido, Peregrin, and Ric, the main faces of the faction, are the truest of friends. Their relationship, often channeled through Remo, should convey a strong sense of unity and pride. Each of them is tasked with a personal, delicate mission which, along with allowing for an exploration of some of the more remote areas of the mine, will also reveal more of their personalities. Should the GM be able to establish a connection between the PCs and this group of comrades, their final choice will be even more impactful and emotional. FALSE PROPHETS OR INFECTED? This adventure, specifically during the parts that take place inside Altabreccia, the False Prophets will be called Infected. The choice may appear confusing but is borne of a narrative requirement for coherence. The ‘False Prophet’ epithet is something coined by the Ordo Artis Occulta and very few others are aware of its use. The term ‘Infected’ on the other hand, is the name that Altabreccia miners have come up with to swiftly identify these terrifying creatures. The double naming should suggest how particular the phenomenon is, and point out its novelty for the wider Vesterian stage. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES During the adventure, there will be suggestions for further exploration or hooks for the GM to deploy at their discretion. In some cases, these are just ideas that might expand the scope of the story or even become secondary quests, which we recommend developing to allow for a more immersive and intense experience for players of THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA. NOTES FOR THE GM What follows are suggestions for the GM to make the other players’ experience more intense and enjoyable. GMs are free to pick and choose at will, or to reinterpret them, along with the entire contents of this adventure. THE PAST RESURFACES A group of players who completed THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA might think that events related to the amber relic and the False Prophets have come to an end with the battle of the Stone King. After all, quite some time has passed since and the unsettling feelings that the young prophet had elicited in the adventurers have faded by now. With this new adventure, however, it might be interesting to bring back to the surface all of their past traumas. The GM can once again elicit old fears, anxieties and the sense of impotence they all felt in the previous adventure. A group that has traveled with young Ctesia will see Solino’s request not as a mere job offer but rather a cry for help. A plunge into the past reminding them that the nightmare is far from over. A revelation of this caliber might scare the PCs, but it could also elicit a sense of shared responsibility. After all, who better than them to face a return of the False Prophets? A TALE OF FRIENDSHIP One of the aspects on which the GM should focus is the relationship between the PCs and the Altabreccia rebels. The perspective we are suggesting is one which favors a friendship between them, strong enough that will cause them – in the best scenario – to join the ‘family’.
126 gates at the main shaft and the stairs for the lower citadel are out of service and the only way to approach the city is to navigate the gorge’s air currents, flying towards the portal. A specialized group of explorers will accompany them for this stage of the plan. A simple investigation will not suffice, however: Solino has confirmed information regarding a precious relic, similar to a glowing amber gem, hiding in the Altabreccia tunnels. The real objective is the recovery of that mysterious blue gem. The spy has many more details, of course, but unless the initial offer worries or intimidates the PCs, he will happily move to formalities and draft up a contract. A long, wordy scroll from the Ordo Artis Occulta will confirm that Solino’s offer is no joke, but rather a serious commitment. Upon signing the deal, the PCs will receive an advance payment of one coin each and will be left to imagine how to enjoy the reward once the job is complete: an entire 3 coin. Should the PCs be suspicious and less than enthusiastic about the offer, Solino will become increasingly nervous. Taking advantage of one of Solino’s traits, the PCs will be able to see that the Shrew has not revealed all the information he currently possesses and that the mission is worth a lot more than the reward he has offered. Solino will reveal the following information in case the characters are able to see through his superficial façade: • The spy is worried he is not the only one with knowledge of the relic, and he is hiring the adventurers to complete the mission with some urgency. He suspects someone else may already be making their way to Altabreccia. • The relic is powerful and may have contributed to the ‘fall’ of the city. Despite having his own ideas as to how the events really took place, he will never fully disclose this information. • The small fort on the surface of the city is currently empty. Solino has heard that Celestino from Morrone, Altabreccia’s superintendent, had fled. No-one knows his current location. Should the PCs focus on the contract offered by Solino and be able to identify all of his traits, they will realize that the document is forged, if exquisitely so. The forger is Solino himself, who will profusely apologize for the deceit, and admit he was merely trying to impress the adventurers with a bit of a flourish. - ACT 1 - AN UNEXPECTED OFFER The first part of this adventure will start in the most tried and tested of ways, but things at the inn will soon take a strange turn. The PCs will be met by a mysterious character offering them a job on behalf of the Ordo Artis Occulta. Accepting the job, the PCs will leave the inn behind, along with the suspicious looks cast in their direction. The plan involves them reaching Colle Diritto, where a group of avian explorers awaits to help the party reach Altabreccia. THE CROSSROADS INN Everything will begin in the heart of the Green Pit, and more specifically, in the Ila Calcaterra region, close to the infamous city-mine of Buchebuie. Not far from the latter, surrounded by barren and dusty hills, is a small valley dotted with sparsevegetation. The Crossroads Inn is precisely positioned in the center of this valley, in the spot where three ancient trading routes cross. Our adventurers will be comfortably seated at one of the inn’s many tables, enjoying some good food and a lively atmosphere. Musicians and magicians are entertaining the clientele, which is mostly made up of passing merchants and laborers from the close-by mines. MEETING WITH SOLINO Just as the main course arrives on the PCs’ table, an agile Shrew will leave his stool at the bar and head towards the party. He’s wearing travel clothes, but it’s obvious that he’s not an ordinary traveler but someone with resources and education. As he reaches the group’s table, he will introduce himself with impeccable manners: ‘Hail and well met, adventurers! My name is Solino of the Sheaves. Please forgive my forward manner, but I have not been able to avoid noticing your table ever since I set foot in here. It is clear you are professionals and unless I am terribly mistaken, you are also in search of a job. If so, I have an offer for you which I believe you will find intriguing in the least.’ Despite his educated and warm ways, Solino also knows how to be straightforward and professional – still, he will play his cards with caution, only revealing what is needed. The mission is seemingly simple: the adventurers must enter the nearby city of Altabreccia and investigate the recent mysterious events that lead to it being sealed off. Both the
127 The Secret of Altabreccia SOLINO’S REAL PLAN This section is intended for a group of adventurers who has not experienced THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA. If one considers Solino’s choice of handing this mission to a group of strangers, one might think it a reckless decision… which is exactly what it is. Solino is betraying his Teacher and is aware that he will be found out soon. He also knows that he has to act as swiftly as possible in order to recover the relic before anyone else. In the light of all this, his plan can barely be called such, and is a rather desperate attempt. As the adventurers enter Altabreccia’s dark tunnels, Solino will keep following a path that has kept him busy for some time: rumors of Ctesia’s return and the discovery of his new hideout, which have become obsessions haunting him at every moment. GLARES IN THE DARK The Crossroads Inn is not only the gathering point of merchants and hard workers. The darker corners of the place, and clouds of pipe smoke, can often hide less than savory characters studying the other customers, in search of a target to rob or scam. Among them is a small group known for their association with the infamous ‘Three-Finger’ gang. The four figures, despite their claims of being simple laborers, organize an illegal fighting ring, which takes place in an isolated farm on their property. When Solino mentions the existence of a group of avian explorers in the area, the PCs will notice the attention of the four criminals. As their gazes meet, the Three-Finger gang members will leave their table and the inn. The atmosphere will suddenly feel tenser and even Solino will no longer feel safe within the walls of The Crossroads. A short investigation among the other customers of the inn will reveal the following information about the four sinister figures: • The gang is particularly famous in the area and no-one has the courage to or any interest in stopping them. They are particularly popular with some of the poorer laborers who rely on the fighting ring to make some extra money. • There are five members in total. Their boss, a porcupine the size of a boar, goes by the name of Ulderico Zannalama, was not present at the inn. • The gang’s lair is an isolated farm about half an hour’s walk from the inn. Its location appears to be no secret. The spy’s main goal, after all, is to hire the PCs at any cost. If the latter remain skeptical and suspicious, the Shrew will make a final offer: the reward will be 4 coin, and once the job is done, the PCs will receive a permit from the Order. The latter is a particularly precious item, as it will aid the adventurers in a number of situations where they might require a recommendation or political backing. Once the contract is signed, the adventurers will barely have the time to finish the rest of their food and beer before Solino invites them to join him outside, headed for Colle Diritto, as the mission begins. THE GHOST OF A NIGHTMARE PAST Should the characters have lived through the events told in THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA, the prologue will take an entirely different direction. Meeting Solino’s gaze in the inn will be a difficult moment for the PCs. As he moves towards their table, their minds will be running through the moments spent together, the marvels of the young kid from Three Mill House, and the battle with the False Prophets on the Stone King. Solino will seem to have emerged from a past everyone would have wanted to have left behind, but which is now knocking at their doors, a shadow over their present. Nevertheless, the Shrew will join the group and make his offer, though his demeanor will be completely different. He will talk as one might with old friends and comrades, and he will have no problem in vocalizing all of his concerns about the relic, the Ordo Artis Occulta’s plans, and the return of the False Prophets. The PCs may accept the job purely out of the promise of the substantial reward, but it is very likely that some will feel morally and emotionally invested in this adventure.
128 COLLE DIRITTO Reaching the foot of Colle Diritto is an easy task, but making it to the top is quite the reverse. After about four hours’ walk from The Crossroads along gently winding hill paths, the road will sharply incline. The higher the party ascends, the less vegetation they’ll see, as it will give way to rocky walls, dusty trails, and small clearings of sunburned grass. Finally, at the top, they will be able to take in the view from one of the highest elevations of the entire region. Beneath them, as far as the eye can see, is a web of gorges and canyons that look like a giant hand-etched directly into the ground. The passages provided by these formations are so deep and narrow that it seems as though the light never reaches the ground below. There is only a distant murmur of running water which suggests the existence of some underground rivers. Looking westwards, they’ll be able to see the lights of Buchebuie; to the north is the solitary Mount Buiaccio and the faint outline of Altabreccia’s fort. Something is off about the latter: is the fort not famous for the height of its tower? Why is it so hard to spot, even at this distance? As the party enjoys the view, Solino will lean over an old tree trunk, one probably branching over the cliff, and speak: ‘We are here, this is the old larch. Alabrava’s hideout is just below us.’ As the characters lean over next to Solino they will notice a small opening in the rocky cliff, a few feet below. By carefully climbing down, they will finally reach the hideout of famous explorer Eleonora Alabrava. The first piece of information will be easy to obtain, while the others will require loosening tongues with a dozen coins or with a Charisma (Persuasion) check with DC 14. Despite Solino’s reserved character, the PCs will be able to find out all the sordid details and reveal the real objective of the Three-Finger gang: they have an outstanding debt to collect from a famous explorer of the Ragnosa Valley, Eleonora Alabrava. The payment is currently unsolved, as the gang has never been able to discover the location of the explorer’s hideout, until now. Solino’s mention of a specialized group of explorers has caught the gang’s attention, and they are now intent on informing their boss and tail the PCs to the avian explorers’ location in Colle Diritto. To find out about this plan, the PCs will have to capture and interrogate members of the gang during a narrative sequence. Facing the Three-Finger gang directly in their lair may very well lead to a challenging encounter, but equally may be a fruitful decision: a buried wooden crate hidden in the lair contains several weapons and a few pouches filled with coins. SEQUENCE – THE THREE-FINGER GANG Length standard DC 18 (min 12) HP per action 4, 7 if further into the lair (min 2) Success. The party captures one or more gang members and intimidates them into talking. If the party proceeds further into the lair, they will also gain 1 coin in various resources. Failure. The party will be unable to follow the gang’s tracks, and the gang will tail them until the next scene. Complications • the PCs are noticed during their stealth action and the entire gang is alerted • the PCs catch the attention of several locals, who start getting nervous • reinforcements arrive during the interrogation • the PCs make a wrong move or show a lack of confidence during the interrogation • the gang members are able to free themselves from the interrogation and flee
129 The Secret of Altabreccia A MOUNTAIN OF DEBT This section can be ignored if the PCs have already encountered and shaken off the Three-Finger gang. If that is not the case, the party will have to face the five criminals, who have tailed them to Eleonora’s hideout. ‘Oh no, the Three-Finger gang!’ she shouts. ‘I… yes, I may have teeny tiny debt with them too, but maybe our good friend Solino can help solve not one but two debts today! Keep them at bay, you lot, as my team and I finish preparations!’ There will not be an opportunity to solve the encounter diplomatically at this stage. The gang have finally found a long-outstanding debtor whom they had thought lost, and they will not leave empty-handed. At the first sign of resistance, the five will lunge at the PCs in an attempt to neutralize them and raid Eleonora’s lab. FLYING THROUGH THE CREVICES As soon as the Three-Finger gang is dealt with, Eleonora and her team will be ready to set off. No-one is likely to have noticed that during combat, the explorers have been busy donning a strange-looking leather harness supporting a graceful wooden structure on their back. Eleonora will explain that these are ‘windplanes’ of her own design, and that the model they’re about to use has recently been perfected. A final farewell to Solino later, and the PCs are ready to leap from the lab’s entrance. Each of them is secured to an explorer’s windplane and made to plunge, one after the other, into the sheer drop below. The GM can let the players describe the feeling of flight: for some, it might be the most exciting and thrilling event of their lives, for others a terrifying nightmare arranged by some unhinged avians. What is certain is that anyone witnessing the speed and agility with which those small sails fend and govern the winds would be in complete awe. After about twenty minutes of flight, the windplanes will reach Mount Buiaccio and the Altabreccia fort will be easy to spot. There will not be enough time to fly over the area, as the explorers know perfectly well that to reach the portal to the lower citadel, they will have to plunge again, taking advantage of the descending currents at precisely the right moment. The sails will fold and shift, pushed by the howling winds and the group will plummet betweeen the rocky walls of the gorge. The moment that the enormous portal will suddenly appears beneath the group, Eleonora will shout her parting words: ‘Ready to jump? Good luck, adventurers!’ ALABRAVA’S TEAM Very few among present company can claim to have seen a natural cave so well furnished. Several lanterns and an uncountable amount of candlelight up what appears to be the research lab of an eccentric inventor. The ground and ceiling have been covered in thick wood and finely furnished. Along the walls, also covered in wood, are several shelves of ropes, hooks, gears, leather straps, and exotic contraptions. The entire area is obsessively organized and nothing seems to be left to chance. As soon as the adventurers step into the lab, a wooden door on the opposite end of the room will slam open, and a Goose wearing work clothes will stomp out, shouting: ‘By the mother of all landslides, Solino of the Sheaves, how many times do I need to tell you to send the signal before coming in here, huh?! And don’t give me that shrewish long face, I know why you’re here. Well, I will have you know that I haven’t completed the project you commissioned me. I will finish it once… wait a minute, who did you bring with you this time?’ The party will meet Eleonora Alabrava and her avian explorers. After a few cold minutes of formalities, Solino will explain the reason for their presence: ‘My dear Eleonora, I am not here to bring up your debts, but rather give you a chance to clear them in their entirety. If you and your team lead these heroic adventurers to the Altabreccia main portal, you will no longer owe me a single thing. Alas, the stone staircase has been destroyed and I fear the fort may have met a similar fate. You are the only person I know capable of flying through these gorges, and triumphing over the wind currents sweeping through them. Surely it is but child’s play for you and your team?’ As soon as Eleonora savors the idea of her debts with Solino being canceled, her behavior will change entirely. Her distrusting visage will fall, revealing a joyful, brilliant and… very precise Goose. The light in her eyes is shared by the rest of her team, all visibly proud of working with someone such as her, perfectly reflecting the research and engineering work behind the young explorer’s creations. After a very brief wing-shake, Eleonora will accept Solino’s terms and will order her team to get ready. There will barely be the time to wear the leather harness and her famous eyepatch before the entire Three-Finger gang will burst into the lab.
130 The main building itself, on the other hand, will yield plenty of information to allow the reconstruction of the events that caused the fall of the main tower: • All the walls and rooms on the lower floors are covered by a thick layer of ash, a clear sign of a large fire blazing through the location. • The epicenter of the fire is the large storage area located above the former entrance to the mine shaft. The damage appears to be that of an explosion, as a significant part of the ceiling no longer exists. What remains of the stored resources are scattered everywhere, and the mechanical shaft opening is covered by a pile of rubble and detritus. Exactly above the pile of ruins is an enormous chunk missing from the ceiling, probably the point where the operating tower for the mine elevator was affixed. • This area of the fort sees an increase in dead bodies. The PCs will notice that along with palace guards and miners, there are also strange, unknown creatures. Their appearance is mostly normal, for the majority Moles, Bats and Shrews, but their expressions are feral and unsettling. Their naked bodies are coiled in unnatural positions and their mouths are encrusted with dried up drool. Considering the massacre, the atmosphere will suddenly shift, gaining a more and more horrific tone as they proceed. If the group reaches the storage area, they can gather a few objects that have survived the fire. Some crates covered by the rubble hold a dozen explosives, several mining tools such as pickaxes, hammers, and spades, and a few coins. There is nothing else to find here other than the impossibility of accessing the main shaft: clearing it would require days and labor that the PCs do not have. A metallic sound of unclasping hooks will ring out through the canyon and the PCs will literally be dropped onto the wide rocky terrace before the large stone portal. Eleonora and her team will quickly regain their altitude and head back, carried by the unceasing winds of the gorge. The adventurers are now alone, in a way they have never been before during this story. THE TOWER RUINS AND THE BUCHEBUIE CONTINGENT Just before the windplanes begin their sudden descent in the gorge beneath Mount Buiaccio, the PCs will notice a worrying detail: along the mountain trail, in the distance, is what looks to be a garrison of armed troops marching towards Altabreccia. Their number is in the hundreds, and they do not seem to have good intentions. Despite the plan expecting them to enter the mine through the main portal in the lower citadel, the players may very well choose instead to inspect the mountain fort before the arrival of the troops. Eleonora is not a fan of running changes, but she will concede this minor detour. Reaching the small walled perimeter will confirm that the place has been entirely abandoned. Exploring the walls, the buildings and the main square will not reveal anything major: there are signs of an armed clash, especially due to the corpses abandoned to the sides of the streets, and it seems as though most of the people who lived here have fled, taking with them only the bare essentials. If the group were to choose to inspect the main bastion, the GM must point out that this is a risky move: time is ticking and the troops could arrive at any moment. SEQUENCE – ESCAPING THE BUCHEBUIE SOLDIERS Duration long DC 17 (min 12) HP per action 6 (min 3) Success. The party is able to escape the Buchebuie contingent and proceeds to ACT II. Failure. The party falls captive to the soldiers. Complications • The route that the PCs wanted to use to escape is covered in rubble. • A group of Buchebuie scouts moves closer to one of the PCs. • One of the remaining explosives in the structure explodes, alerting everyone present and surprising the PCs. • The structure’s floor collapses, one of the PCs hangs from the ledge and needs to be saved. • One of the PCs is spotted by a Buchebuie soldier.
131 The Secret of Altabreccia - ACT 2 - ALTABRECCIA’S DARKNESS The overwhelming horror of Altabreccia’s dark tunnels is a demonstration of how tragic the False Prophet blight can be. The name has no meaning in this place, and the miners call them, out of sickening fear, the ‘Infected’. The outer tunnels and the hive quarter are swarming with these creatures, which seem to have no goal other than feeding on warm, pulsating flesh. The second ACT will lead the PCs into a violent, raw, hopeless reality. Fortunately, just as the situation is about to become impossible and the end seems nigh, our protagonists will discover that the mine is still inhabited by a small group of miners. THE PORTAL AND THE OUTER TUNNELS. Being faced with the enormous stone portal to the lower citadel would fill anyone with awe and disorientation. The gigantic doors are almost 30 feet tall, and sport two immense carved images: on the left side, a hedgehog in working clothes raises his pickaxe in front of him; on the right, an avian in fine clothing responds with their wing. The two figures seem to be knighting or bestowing some sort of honor upon each other, with their tool and wing respectively. To the left of the portal is the stone staircase ascending along the rock wall. Without any particular effort, the PCs will be able to spot the point where the tower collapsed, rendering the staircase useless... The winds blow angrily through this part of the gorge, carrying humidity from the stream below. Once all the environmental quirks are considered, one must recognize that Solino’s plan is quite ingenious: no-one would be capable of reaching this particular spot this fast without the windplanes. Crossing the giant portal, whose doors are ajar, the atmosphere suddenly changes. The air filtering from the main shaft is warm, dusty and rarefied. Everything inside looks abandoned and left behind. The smell of iron and ash is so strong that it reaches the bones, settling upon the PCs’ tongues and hazing their vision. After a few hours, the smell of blood – splattered everywhere in the area – will join the other two, becoming nigh unbearable. The outer tunnels are the network of passages and culverts that spread out from the main road connecting the portal to the main shaft. The majority of them have tracks used for the minecarts s destined for manual transport along the external staircase. The tunnels in this area are dark and disorienting, but the spaces are still quite wide. The armed troops will soon surround the entire fort. They are unaware of the PCs’ presence but should they be spotted it will be impossible to escape. The GM must set up a significantly hard and risky narrative sequence that will lead the story to one of two paths: the PCs are able to flee the fort, or they are captured by the Buchebuie forces, immediately recognisable by their livery and armor decoration. If the PCs are able to successfully complete this phase, their adventure will proceed to the next ACT. If, on the other hand, they are caught, they will be unpleasantly acquainted with Isidoro of the Spikes and his cruel methods. The elegant rooster in dark armor will order his forces to imprison the PCs and interrogate them to reveal the reason for their presence in Altabreccia. The interrogation process will not be easy: torture, in these cases, is a crucial method to extract information from unwilling subjects. Isidoro is well aware of this and has no restraint in his use of a number of horrifying techniques. The party can stoically resist torture without revealing any information, at the cost of 25 HP (gaining a level of exhaustion should they reach 0 HP, as per Historia rules). When the sun sets, however, the torturers will lower their guard and Eleonora and her team will infiltrate the enemy camp to free our protagonists. ‘Well, I suppose Solino now owes me a debt – make sure you tell him! Now quickly, let’s find your things and get out of here. I knew that changing the plan would be a terrible idea.’ The GM can continue the adventure with the next ACT.
132 The smoke and dust raised by the explosion will make the air impossible to breathe. Any action in these conditions is practically impossible, causing severe problems to the PCs but not to a couple of Infected Vespertili isolated from the retreating swarm, who will notice the PCs. Combat is inevitable and the fumes will make everyone present gain the poisoned condition unless their familia traits allow them to hold their breath. THE INFECTED These creatures have been mentioned a few times now and some players may have already encountered them – as False Prophets – during THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA. It is still crucial to take some time to talk about these creatures for the benefit of those encountering them for the first time. The Infected are an entirely new addition to the world of Historia, and no-one has seen or heard of anything like them before. They consist of animals belonging to different species, all walking on two legs, sometimes slowly swinging, sometimes erratic and sudden in their movements. Their cries are distorted by trying to form words in a language that does not exist. If your interpretation of the world of Historia includes non-anthropomorphic animals, these creatures’ unsettling clumsiness will remind all characters of the fine line between them and lesser evolved species. The Infected populate these remote areas. However, they mostly move alone or in small packs, with very few exceptions. THE PORTAL FALLS The party will have barely crossed the stone portal’s threshold when they will realize the gravity of the situation. The first corpse they will find, leaning against a derailed cart, belongs to a miner: a large Badger clasping a small, crumpled piece of paper. The paper has a crude drawing and the word ‘dad’ scribbled on it. The poor miner’s lower limbs have been ripped off and his body lies in a pool of coagulated blood. Not long after the PCs come across the gruesome scene, they will be startled by a noise slowly growing in volume – and proximity. In front of them, on the main road, is a pack of Infected Vespertili, taking over the tunnel. The GM needs to initiate a hard check to allow the PCs to avoid the flying swarm and seek refuge in the side passages. Avoiding the swarm’s charge will mean conserving several HP, but it will not prevent a catastrophic result: hidden and pushed by the entire swarm, a cart filled with black powder barrels will speed past them towards the portal. The PCs will barely have the time to notice a small spark running along a dangerously short fuse, then the explosion will take place. TIME AND RATIONS: DISORIENTATION Time is impossible to keep track of within the city-mine, especially for adventurers who are not used to this type of situation. There are no external or environmental reference points, and the constant fatigue tugging at the party will be wearing the guise of night’s sleep. As a consequence, everything will proceed slowly: the biological rhythms will falter and the need for pauses and breaks will increase, as will ails, rifts and despair. The revelation of having spent several hours walking through a network of tunnels, only to cover a small area will bring an anguishing and alienating sensation. How many times have the PCs gotten lost in this cursed city without noticing? How many hours will it have been when the GM next talks to the players? To simulate this failing perception of time, the GM should tell the players that their characters, at the end of every scene or particularly long movement, have lost a certain amount of HP due to fatigue and disorientation. The HP value is equal to 2d4 the first time, then increases to 2d6, 2d8, 2d10, up to 2d12, to mark increasing tension and impact of the surroundings on the characters. After the roll, let the players roleplay out the sense of alienation of their characters asking them how they feel and how they’re reacting to it – give inspiration for any interesting moments or hooks. This mechanic resets to 2d4 once the PCs are able to safely take a long rest, and they will become immune to the effect should they be able to take a long rest after reaching a 2d12.
133 The Secret of Altabreccia straightforward, however: there are many bends and turns, and crossroads testing the orientation skills of the PCs. The GM should require a group Wisdom (Survival) check with DC 14 to aid the group in finding the right direction. The result of the check will not change the PCs’ perception of their surroundings, but the GM should note that a failure will lead the party into the labyrinth of the hive quarter, and fall victim to Disorientation. THE PIT The party will be proceeding slowly and with incredible effort, when the floor beneath their feet will collapse like soil. The PCs can roll a Dexterity saving throw (DC 16) to avoid 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall, but some of them will inevitably fall into a narrow and steep tunnel, ending their fall in a painful stumble. They will find themselves on the ground, in pain and darkness, for barely a moment before they are lifted up by force and thrown into mining carts. How they choose to respond is crucial to the scene’s development: they can attack the creatures that threw them into carts (three Infected Moles) or play dead and wait for an opportunity. It will seem as though the creatures have mistaken them for corpses, but it is very likely that the first sign of life will immediately turn the Infected against them. If the characters choose to attack the three Infected, combat will be inevitable; if they instead choose to wait, the situation will take a different turn. The carts will be slowly pushed to the end of their track, where the Infected will tip If that is not the case, even just the sight of people being reduced to this bestial condition is enough for anyone living in Vesteria. The creatures seem to mimic the sounds of those around them, unnaturally copying their movements. Their eyes reflect light in the way of predators when faced with torchlight. Their aggressiveness is obvious, and the time has come for the PCs to experience the threat they pose first hand. THE MAIN ROAD IS BLOCKED After the fall of the main portal, there will be no point in trying to figure out how to make it back out; the only option is to focus on the mission and hope that somewhere on the other side is another exit. The party can take the main road, but after what seems like an hour of walking (roll the first Disorientation dice) among ruins and corpses, they will have to stop before yet another unforeseen circumstance: the road is blocked by a landslide. To clear even the smallest of paths, it would take the group several hours of toil. The party can obviously choose to do so anyway but it will require a Strength (Athletics) check with DC 19 to avoid taking any more damage from Disorientation. The obstacle can be bypassed, however, by heading into the claustrophobic smaller tunnels that run parallel to the main road. The party can use these service tunnels to easily make their way to the city-mine. The path is not SEQUENCE – CHASED BY THE INFECTED Duration Long DC 19 (min 12) HP per action 9 (min 2) Starting situation. A swarm of Infected Vespertili is swooping upon the PCs, who need to gain distance and shake them off their trail. Success. The party is able to contain the damage caused by the explosion. Failure. The explosion causes one level of exhaustion to each PC. Complicazioni • The swarm is gaining on them and is blocking their exits. • A cart filled with explosives and a lit fuse are in their way: the explosion could separate them from the swarm – and possibly kill them. • The cart explodes. Special. This sequence has a set duration and the complications must be played in the order presented above; if the third one is reached, the sequence is considered a failure. The high DC and HP cost per action should suggest to players to lower DC and cost before attempting to gain a success. Added to the fact that they will require three rounds to collect the appropriate number of successes, this will make it hard to not fail: be clear with your players, do not tell them exactly what awaits them but do warn them that time is of the essence and the stakes are incredibly high.
134 As a result, the entire exploration will have been scored by explosions, booms, landslides and cave-ins, and the PCs will discover the horrifying source of it all as they reach a small outer storage area. A pack of Infected Shrews are milling around a full stock of black powder barrels, carrying lit torches, unraveling long fuses and scattering the powder everywhere, as if it was sand. The PCs can intervene before another explosion causes irreparable damage to the entire mine, or leave the area swiftly before it’s too late. On the one hand, facing the creatures will seem like the most direct way of avoiding another disaster, but the risk of being caught in a massive explosion is very high. On the other, finding shelter and waiting for the aftermath of the explosion may lead to unsavory surprises, such as being buried under debris or separated by a cave-in. The decision of how difficult this situation is to resolve and how many HP to be spent is down to the GM. THE HIVE QUARTER The wave of death that has washed over the city-mine has made every location more sordid and horrifying than could be imagined. The hive quarter – the living quarter for all miners and their families – is perhaps the one that has least been afflicted: its insane architecture and unlivable spaces already made it the worst location in Altabreccia, a nightmare for all living here. No matter how one might look at it, the structure of this ‘residential’ area is very much that of a prison, with hundreds of microscopic homes lining perpendicular tunnels, each identical to the other. There are obviously no windows, nor private or quiet spaces, and each family was forced to live in three rooms separated by unbelievably thin walls. As the PCs try imagining an entire community sharing this claustrophobic living space, they will be overtaken by a suffocating sense of dread. Now that the Infected have invaded the tunnels, the situation has only gotten worse. Getting lost in the hive quarter not only means certain death but also teetering on the threshold of madness. them over into an enormous dumping ground, called the ‘Pit’ by the Altabreccia miners, which was previously used for mining refuse. The walls of the vast cavern are dotted with openings similar to the one through which the characters fell before being retrieved by the Infected. Their fall this time will not be painful, as most passages into the Pit are only a few feet high. The landfill will see a ritual being repeated at irregular intervals, horrifying the PCs: small showers of debris, rocks, corpses and severed limbs will fall into the Pit out of the various passages. Each shower will be preceded by the unsettling sound of a cart reaching the Pit and then being tipped empty. What lies behind this morbid labor is as easy to tell as it is horrifying. Exploring the Pit and making their way among the corpses, debris and rocks, the PCs can discover a few things: • The bodies in the landfill are mostly from Altabreccia. Children and elders were not spared from the fury of the clashes. In the middle of this grim scene, two objects will catch the group’s attention: a small rag doll and an old broken lute. • Also among the rubble is the corpse of an Altabreccia city guard: an old Puma, unrecognizable due to copious wounds. The PCs will be able to gain a suit of brigandine and a battleaxe, both well made, and a piece of paper containing military orders: ‘Stop the revolt before it reaches the fort. Send those vermin back into the hole whence they crawled.’ • PCs with a passive perception score of 15 or higher notice that two suspicious-looking figures are looking into the Pit from one of the openings. They don’t appear to be miners or Infected. They will disappear back into the dark tunnel behind them as soon as they have been noticed. The players cannot know or imagine this, but they are two scouts sent by Remo Fierascaglia to explore the mine. After the Pit has been searched, the PCs can continue on their way. They may be completely lost at this point. EXPLOSIONS IN THE DISTANCE The events described in this section can happen at any time during the exploration. Among the actions of the Infected, mimicking those of the miners such as pushing carts along the tracks or incorrectly using pickaxes on the walls, is mishandling the dangerous black powder.
135 The Secret of Altabreccia BERNA IS IN DANGER A cry will suddenly pierce the silence. From the bottom of a service tunnel, an Ewe in working clothes is running towards the party with fear in her eyes. Behind her is a group of four Infected Vespertili, chasing her, using all fours to run along the walls and on the ceiling. The party will have to face the creatures and help the woman who, without asking any questions, will leap behind them in search of protection. At the end of the combat, panting and on her knees from the effort, the Ruminsi will speak: ‘Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You saved me. My name is Berna and I was… I have no idea what I was trying to do, I just wanted to retrieve the last remaining memory of my husband. I have been hiding in my brother-in-law’s home until today, but as soon as I peeked out of the place, those horrible creatures started chasing me. I know this may be too much to ask, but if you can help me find one of his sculptures I can lead you out of here! I can show you the way to the main shaft, where all the roads meet. You can head on your way from there!’ The offer is nothing if not advantageous. As they reach Berna’s home and retrieve one of her husband’s wooden sculptures, the woman will be ready to help the PCs. Her face will show the full emotion of having found that precious object and having met actual people after so long. As a tear runs down her muzzle, she takes a deep breath in and moves to the front of the party to lead them. THE MAIN SHAFT All mines in Vesteria, from the smallest to the most developed, revolve around a central vertical opening running through the entire deposit. The central shaft is a vertiginous chasm that leads from the peak of Mount Buiaccio to its deepest foundations. Around it are infinite tunnels, on separate levels, leading to the city’s various production areas; each level is reachable via an intricate system of stairs and wooden scaffolding built along the walls of the shaft – not the safest, but functional nonetheless. At its center is an impressive elevator allowing to reach any level of the shaft, with its platform being used mostly for the transportation of the heavier minerals towards the storage facilities on the surface. THE DARKEST HOUR The tunnels will continue, one after the other, identical, the crossroads and intersections will seem endless and the living spaces all look exactly the same. Eventually, the suffocating atmosphere of the hive quarter will test the mental stability of the characters. Roll for Disorientation. The GM can, at this stage, describe some feelings and sensations caused by the place. Some will be real, others will be the result of their overstretched psyche, about to snap. The following suggestions are given to lead the PCs towards a state of confusion that no longer allows them to distinguish what is real from what is not. At the end of each event, the PCs may suffer from Disorientation, automatically or by failing a Wisdom saving throw (DC 17), at the GM’s discretion. • The PCs spot, inside one of the homes, an Otter attempting to clean up the chaos around her. She is wearing a long dusty gown, and her back is facing them. When the characters move closer or try interacting with her, the young Otter turns around, her eyes shining in the light of the torches. She is no longer wearing the gown, but torn rags. The objects that were around her just a moment before are revealed now to be a pile of guts and blood. The creature attacks the group. • A figure is moving swiftly just ahead of the party. Despite attempts to catch up, they will always be just out of reach, impossible to identify. The only hint is the shadow of a young goat with four horns projected onto the walls by the light of the torches each time the creature turns a corner. After two, three, four turns, all the torches will go out and a voice in the darkness will murmur ‘Do not look for me.’ • Walking a mine with lit torches is a task whose effort is always underestimated. The heat produced by the fire has no place to disperse and it will cause the PCs to sweat profusely with strain and heat. Copious droplets will run into their eyes, lips and muzzles, collected into their clothes and equipment. The feeling will become hypnotic and lead the PCs to believe they can hear running water nearby. They cannot initially tell if it is real or if their mind is playing another trick on them. • They will eventually find the source of the noise: a tunnel whose ceiling is showering dark, dense blood, spraying out of the wall, as if the entire mine were bleeding copiously. The vision has to be terrifying but brief, as the reality is much different: an infiltration of sorts, making the tunnel’s walls wet, is creating a small pool of water which the party can use to quench their thirst and recover from the horrifying experience.
136 ‘What kind of an idea was this, following them here! We’re in deep shit now!’ one will whisper. ‘Shut the fuck up! They’ll spot us!’ will be the prophetic reply, one second before being noticed by the party. To make the party start following the pair, all the latter need to do is say one word too many that might catch their attention. Perhaps something about a ‘hideout’ or the rebels, it will not take much to make the group and even Berna interested in the two newcomers. The miners, a Cat and a Coyote, will head directly for the bottom of the shaft, certain to shake the party off their tails via tunnels, shortcuts, and walkways that only they can find. For this reason, the GM may nudge players into choosing dangerous and less orthodox ways of keeping up with the scouts. If that is not enough, the Infected Vespertilimay notice their presence, spurring the chase into a full-blown run. As the party catches up to the two miners, they will finally get the answers they had been seeking for some time: ‘Please don’t hurt us, we’re Altabreccia miners! We’re part of the group of survivors who rose against the Superintendent and freed the city of his tyranny! We were just… checking the situation in the tunnels when we bumped into you. If you spare us we will lead you to the draining chambers. Trust us, it’s safe there! That’s our hideout, it’s where our boss is planning how to get rid of these monsters once and for all.’ Unfortunately, there will be no mention of a blue amber gem, but the news of a safe place will be a game-changer to a party exhausted and ready to lose all hope. Few have ever seen the end of the chasm, but there is a final tunnel leading to the water draining chambers at its very bottom. These areas are set up inside natural caves to deviate the course of the underground river and avoid flooding the rest of the mine. HOPE RETURNS A sudden fresh breeze will reinvigorate the tired steps of the PCs, and its intoxicating scent will make them lose what little control they have left. As they run out of the tunnel, the party will spill out onto a wooden railing overlooking a bottomless chasm, and someone might risk falling over if not careful. The sprint to reach the shaft, now extending both above and below them, will have distracted them from noticing an extremely concerning sound – looking around now, they will realize they have stepped into a crowded location. The feeling will be that of finding themselves inside a cavernous aviary, crawling with Infected Vespertili swarming frantically from one side of the shaft to the other. The noise of their wings will make it sound like several dozen, or maybe hundreds of creatures, but the eyes lighting up in the dark will reveal the number is, in fact, far higher. As the PCs fully realize the dangerous situation they are in, they will not notice the pair of scouts reappearing beneath them. The two figures, however, will be busy having a muffled argument, alerting the PCs to their presence. SEQUENCE – CHASING THE MINERS Duration standard DC 16 (min 12) HP per action 5 (min 2) Success. The party catch up to the miners, avoiding the Infected threat. Failure. The party is cornered by the Infected and one of the PCs is wounded, taking one exhaustion level, but the miners offer them an escape. Complications • Disorientation makes one of the PCs certain that the right path is another, and they become uncharacteristically irritable. • The PCs reach a dead end. • Berna falls behind and catches the attention of the Infected. • The miners realize they are being followed and believe it to be the Infected.
137 The Secret of Altabreccia
138 Recently, however, several tents have been set up around these structures and along the cave walls, hosting around two hundred survivors. The camp, deep in the cave’s darkness, is lit by the warm light of several lanterns. The sound of loud conversation is ever-present, especially that of elders and excited cubs and pups running around. The atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive and welcoming, as if the Altabreccia survivors were finding a new beginning despite everything. Everyone is firmly convinced that following their new leader will bring them back to a free and just city. A STRANGE WELCOME As soon as the characters set foot in the draining chambers, the atmosphere will become palpably tense. The miners who came to greet the scouts at the entrance were not expecting a group of adventurers, and suspicion will start spreading throughout the camp. The situation will stall for a few minutes, among curt questions and cold glances, but the arrival of a young Skunk will change everything. Her name is Cassia and she will speak with natural authority, though never looking down upon the characters. Her eyes are darkest black and her athletic body suggests a certain proficiency in combat and fighting with the blade at her side. She will speak to the survivors: ‘Folks, calm down, these are adventurers, nothing to worry about. They even escorted two of our own back here. I do not believe this is the welcome they deserve. Let them through, and allow them to explain their presence here. No-one ever ends up in this hole by accident.’ The party will be escorted over a small bridge and led inside one of the storage areas carved out of the rock. This room is where they will meet, for the first time, Cassia, Guido, Peregrin, and Ric. Except for Ric, these are Remo Fierascaglia’s trusted advisers, and they cover important command roles despite no formal hierarchy. Along with Remo, they are the heroes who chased Celestino from Morrone out of the fort, earning everyone’s respect. Ric is little more than a cub, and despite not being treated as such he still stands out among the miners. The young Mouse is an inextinguishable beacon of positivity and hope, and there is no rebel who does not harbor some fondness towards him. - ACT 3 - FIERASCAGLIA’S REBELS The final chapter of this adventure will be devoted entirely to the Altabreccia rebels. Our protagonists will meet the main characters of this rising faction, and reconstruct the events that led to the city’s ruin. They will be initially met with suspicion, but as they help the rebels, they will rise through the ranks and get closer to their singular leader Remo Fierascaglia, the bearer of the amber relic. When the blue gem finally makes itself known, the Buchebuie forces will break into the draining chambers, starting a fierce battle for control over the city. The fate of Altabreccia and the mysterious relic will be at stake. This final ACT will cover a substantial amount of the adventure and we suggest the GM make it as personal as possible to the PCs and their players. The relationships between the various characters must be deep and sincere, but also tailored to the players’ expectations. If developing these personal bonds will seem a viable solution for the GM, we highly recommend thisapproach. On the other hand, if the GM deems the players to be less into the social aspect of the game, they can easily move towards the grand finale. The following paragraphs will nevertheless attempt to strike a balance between social interactions and will suggest hooks to build upon further. THE REBELS’ HOME The draining chambers are a small network of natural caves through which flows one of the many branches of the Sottorupe river. The area is protected by a tunnel sealed with a pair of metal hatches, isolating it from the rest of the mine. The only possible exit other than these hatches is the river itself, but it is completely unusable: the water current is too strong, and no-one has been able to venture in far enough to map it in its entirety. Even the most optimistic plan cannot avoid realizing that the river will not reach the outside without unsurmountable obstacles along the way. Many structures have been carved out of the rock along its banks, inside the cave. Most of them are storage areas stocked with equipment and supplies, others host enormous contraptions made of levers, gears and rusty chains. This loud mechanism controls the system of locks that regulate the flow and direction of the underground waters.
139 The Secret of Altabreccia WE’RE NOT HERE BY ACCIDENT Revealing the truth about Solino’s mission to the four rebels is risky, but still plausible. After all, no-one has ever heard anything about the blue amber gem being among the rebels, and the players may simply believe the miners to have some useful information. This revelation may slightly strain the relaxed atmosphere that had been created. It will not create actual tensions or resentment, but mentioning the relic will have the obvious effect of bringing up some bad memories, especially for Cassia. Should this situation arise, Guido will take over the conversation and let everyone swiftly understand that the topic is extremely delicate, and perhaps more appropriate for discussion another time. ‘Why get bogged down in this now? All you need is a good rest and some warm, filling soup from our good Elsa! There will be so much time to discuss magical devilry. We just met, have we not? Let us report back to the boss and get our ears chewed off first!’ THE MISSION COMES FIRST The players might approach this third ACT with the sole objective of acquiring the amber relic as soon as possible. They might even sneak into the rebels’ hideout and avoid any contact with its main characters. There is no issue preventing the players from being united and motivated by this style of play, the GM will just have to ignore several of the following stages to set up something more tailored to the players reaching their goal. Avoiding Remo’s guards will not be easy and should it fail, any chance at dialogue between the players and the rebels may be at stake. The situation would also quickly escalate into a fight that will involve Remo and his advisers. Combat will be overwhelming, and even deadly, with very few chances for a player victory. On the other hand, should the characters succeed in infiltrating Remo’s rooms, the chance of retrieving the amber gem and escaping the rebel base will become more tangible. THE BOSS WILL SEE NO-ONE Remo Fierascaglia will be a presence that the players will have a hard time pinning down. Everyone praises him but very few are allowed in his company, and for some unexplained reason, he will never appear at any meeting. The only characters who are able to meet with him, exclusively in his room in one of the storage areas, are his friends and his personal guard, the Bravi twins – large, imposing Dogos. The first noticeable quality of these rebels will be their ability to make the adventurers feel at ease. There will be no interrogation but rather a mutual exchange of information that can help all parties involved. They have met Cassia the Skunk, who is direct and a good listener; Guido is a friendly and reliable Fox; Peregrin is an imposing Anteater, whose contributions are limited to nodding in agreement or shaking his head in disagreement. Ric is incredibly sweet and excitable, though he will spend most of this interaction watching the PCs in awe. The conversation will clearly show that the four friends are well inclined towards the PCs. The affinity is hard to explain, but the atmosphere will significantly relax. This is even more the case if the party hands over all the items they have collected during their time in the mine (the doodled paper, the rag doll, the broken lute). The rebels’ approach, after all, is not that hard to explain: they know they are in a critical situation, and their dream of liberating the city will lead them to consider the PCs as potential allies rather than a threat. The players are welcome to reject all this, lying about their backgrounds and not disclosing important information. The meeting will still be a success and after the chat the PCs are given the option to stay and rest in the camp. Cassia will be convinced she has found new important allies and will speak to the group as she escorts them to their tents. ‘At a moment as dark as this one, we really could do with someone as experienced as you. I’m sure that, thanks to you, we will be able to reclaim our home – and our lives. Trust me, if you can help us fulfil this dream, everyone here will love you forever.’ ‘Here, this is you. It’s a spare tent, you can rest here. If the young ones bother you tell old Bertone, he’ll move them away, though likely not for long,’ the Skunk smiles. She walks away as the PCs can finally take a long rest.
140 In the tunnels, filled with offers and lit candles, they will encounter a pack of Infected, busy defiling the burials. The sacrilegious act will infuriate Peregrin and it will be impossible to stop his warpick. The fight amongst the carved burials will have to be fierce, ruthless and swift. After the fight, the PCs will understand the reason behind Peregrin’s reaction: one of the many tombs hosts the remains of his late partner Vimo, a Sloth who passed away a few years prior in a horrible mining accident in one of the outer tunnels. PEREGRIN As soon as Peregrin will have found his composure again, he will kneel before Vimo’s tomb, and the characters will finally hear him speak. ‘After his death, I swore an oath. I swore to never speak to anyone else because his adorable little ears would not be there to hear me. I am sorry. I did not mean to drag you into this… personal matter. But since I have met you I have understood that we miners can also triumph over our demons and fears. You, like Remo, have given me the courage to return to this place and rid it of those repugnant defilers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please, I would like to spend some time alone with him now.’ As they move away, the PCs will hear Peregrin murmur a few words amidst sobs too hard to hold back. After a few minutes, the Anteater will stand again and is ready to continue. His expression back to its usual serenity, he will speak to the PCs again, his oath of silence now part of the past. ‘Let’s go, there is still plenty to do.’ RIC’S MISSION The young Mouse will be obsessed with an idea he cannot let go of: he believes that the underground river can be followed outside of the mountain. No-one will seem to pay too much attention to what is clearly a child’s obsession, with no proof or evidence behind it. And yet, when Ric will confess his belief to the PCs, they might be spurred to believe him. Remember: the Buchebuie soldiers could arrive at any moment, and the idea of there being no escape from those caves does not create a great sense of security. Noticing the PCs’ interest, Ric’s excitement will be impossible to contain: he will gather dozens of feet of rope, steel pins, hooded lanterns, and will get ready to set off as soon as he speaks to the PCs. Despite this enigmatic behavior, Remo is effectively a living legend. There are several stories about him, mostly about the clash in the fort’s storage cellar with the Superintendent’s forces: an epic fight like nothing before, bringing the miners to triumph over their despised rulers. The fight saw Superintendent Celestino from Morrone chased out of the fort and forever changed the name of Remo himself, known until that point as Durascaglia. SOMEONE IS COMING No-one, except for the PCs, is aware of the arrival of a significantly armed contingent from Buchebuie. Revealing this information will lead to a radical change in the rebels’ approach: a threat on the horizon will alarm the commanders, and worry will start spreading from them. How long until the soldiers reach their location? Will they clear the shaft entry point, face the Infected, and reach the draining chambers? Why on earth has Remo not yet come up with an action plan? THE MISSIONS This section will offer four missions revolving around a task posed by each of the rebel commanders, aiming at testing the PCs’ skills and how much they can be trusted. Each phase will also serve as a spotlight on one of the members of the rebellion, exploring their personality and background. We are not providing too many details but rather hooks for the GM to develop the adventure’s narrative arc. PEREGRIN’S MISSION Peregrin never speaks to anyone, especially not the PCs, and his muzzle always shows a serene, welcoming expression. He rarely feels the need to communicate directly to someone, and when he does, he will choose to use simple, understandable non-verbal gestures. An example: he will approach the party, hand them a torch each, and gesture them to follow him. The enormous Anteater is perhaps the most skilled fighter in all of Altabreccia, and there are rumors about him surpassing even Remo himself. He has been tasked with a particularly dangerous mission: regular foraging missions in the mine, to recover food and equipment scattered around its abandoned storage areas. This time, however, Peregrin will set aside his duty and lead the PCs to a place dear to him: the Altabreccia catacombs.
141 The Secret of Altabreccia Guido, for the past few days, has been worried about a distant, mechanical thumping noise that has suddenly started up again. A sound that he, Cassia, and Peregrin, could never forget or mistake for anything more than what it is, as it belongs to the place where they used to work every day: the furnace block. This area is just above the draining chambers and consists of a network of underground forges used to work the extracted metals. After the miners’ rebellion, the block had been abandoned and the heavy machines had ceased production, plunging the area into complete silence. Why have they started up again? Guido cannot seem to find an answer to this question, and the fear that their misuse may destroy the furnaces and cause irreparable, city-wide damage is fully embedded in his mind. The GM should lead the party towards the furnace block so that they may solve the mystery. Unfortunately, and as feared by many, the complex furnace system is crawling with Infected, who are fueling them with anything they can get their paws on, including corpses. To clear the block, the PCs will have to face several threats: avoid blazing carts, fight among fused metal cisterns, and stop machines about to break down. Winning these battles and sealing the entrance points to the block will be crucial for everyone’s safety. GUIDO “Since Remo found that cursed stone, everything has changed. Before then we were just miners and we’d come here, to the furnace block, to work. Altabreccia’s metals have been used to forge the weapons of half of all decisive battles in Vesteria, and yet noone knows about us. No-one cares about us. I only now realize it was a blessing. Hiding inside this mountain, we had everything and worried about nothing, just each other. We had friends, partners, children, and a sense of belonging that I do not believe is common in any other city. But I am starting to fear. Fear for my fellow miners who think they can become… fighters. I heard someone say we are making history, but our history does not involve war, conquest, or injustice. Our history is one of friendship and unity. I curse the day that stone came into our lives. It has corrupted Remo and it will lead us to ruin. I hope someone will be able to convince him to let it go, once and for all.’” ‘I promise we will be back in a few hours! No-one will notice we’re gone! Come on!’ The scene that follows will see the party explore the dangerous bed of the underground river. It will not be easy to make their way through the tunnel, and the PCs will need to find a way to resist the strong currents, whirls, and underwater turns. A few hours of slow, tiring efforts later, the party will reach an underground waterfall that joins a lower basin, whose bottom is lit up by natural light coming from an opening they cannot see. It will be clear, however, that young Ric was right: this waterway might be a way out of the city-mine. RIC ‘I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! That’s the exit! I can’t wait to see what those mudbeards will say when we tell them! Especially old Bertone, he’ll have to stop treating me like a pup. I can finally become a true rebel of Altabreccia! Yes! I’ve been imagining so many bad things these past few days, and I was shaking at the idea of someone reaching our camp. We’d be done for without an escape route, right? I don’t want to lose any more friends, I don’t want to see another miner die! Thank you adventurers. I finally have hope, we can escape this way if things go wrong! And I don’t know how to explain this, but since your arrival, I have been feeling a lot calmer. You’re part of our family now, and we can beat anything that comes our way, I just know it!’ On their return to the camp, the party will be welcomed with surprise and enthusiasm. The news of a way out will ease the heart of many and Ric will be hailed as a hero. After the celebrations, Ric will return to the PCs to show off his new shield and dagger, both from Remo himself. GUIDO’S MISSION If anyone can create an immediate sense of camaraderie and fondness, that is Guido, an ever-present figure during celebrations or joke-telling time in the light of the lanterns. Along with being an excellent knife-thrower, he is also Remo’s best friend; he may not have Cassia’s leadership skills, but he is still considered Remo’s closest adviser, able to influence his actions like nobody else.
142 • The two, a Corbi and a Licai, are agents of the Ordo Artis Occulta, and they have been in Altabreccia since before the arrival of the Infected and the uprising. • Their mission was to bring the amber relic into the city and wait for someone to accidentally activate its powers. • Once the Infected had arrived, and the city had fallen to chaos, their mission changed: they are currently monitoring the situation and preparing to report everything to the Order.Like Solino, the two agents also have a small wooden box carved with magic symbols, which allows them to send long-distance messages. The spies will never reveal the identity of the Magus who tasked them with placing the relic in the city and they will only refer to the Order. They will also avoid being made prisoners at any cost, even if it means putting themselves in danger. These new revelations will send Cassia’s convictions spiraling. CASSIA ‘It’s weird that you are the first to know this, but I used to be in love with Remo once. I never came forward, it’s not my nature. I was so stupid. I missed all my chances and now it’s too late. Look at him on this wall, he’s alone, always alone, no-one by his side. The relic is destroying him. The only thing I can do is fuel his dream, supporting him. Give my life for him, and for my siblings, it’s… it’s the only way I know not to shatter.’ After her confession, Cassia’s face will be streaked with tears, which she can no longer hold back. ‘Take that stupid stone away from him, please! I don’t think I’ll ever be strong enough to do it myself…’ CASSIA’S MISSION Whereas Guido fears the blue amber gem and will try convincing Remo against using it, Cassia will act in complete antithesis. She intends to help her friend and leader and to enable his confused theories. Remo, much like young Ctesia, is also tormented by constant visions – unlike the kid, though, his visions will never come true. Cassia will not lose hope, and at each failed revelation, she will keep placing her entire trust in Remo. This is what will happen when the Skunk reaches out to the party, asking them to follow her on a secret mission; a mission which Guido and Peregrin would rather she did not pursue, as it would be yet another based on Remo’s visions. In light of this, Cassia will attempt to proceed in such a way that will not alert her comrades. The mission is to climb the shaft, to reach the tunnel where Remo first found the blue amber gem. Cassia’s hope is to find some, any clues to help Remo understand and control its powers. Once they reach the right location, the party will discover entire tunnels covered in cave paintings, probably at the hands of the Infected, showing an entire pack of animals prostrated before a central figure: is that Remo, holding a sphere in his hands? Are those paintings an explanation for the link between the relic and the horrifying creatures? At that very moment, the PCs will realize they are being watched: two figures are spying on their every move, and once spotted, they will flee into the darkness. The chase will be difficult but not impossible, and if successful, they will capture the two spies. Under interrogation, the two will reveal their identity and some shocking information about the relic and the fall of Altabreccia:
143 The Secret of Altabreccia The Buchebuie troops – just below a hundred units – will be fully equipped and experts at this type of encounter. Twothirds of the garrison will charge the miners with axes, maces and swords, while the remaining third will take position on higher ground to prepare their muskets. The Altabreccia miners have the numerical advantage and burning motivation. Their equipment may not measure up to their opponents, but their ranks includeformidable fighters the likes of Peregrin, Cassia, Guido, Remo, and the PCs themselves. The clash will be brutal. The encounter itself is hard to predict. The GM can use some of the following ideas to ensure the event is as epic and impactful as possible: • As the battle rages at the center of the cave, the muskets change their targets and start shooting the fleeing miners. Their vile move infuriates Guido, who launches himself against the raised forces, risking being shot dead. • Ric is helping people by defending them inside one of the storage areas. When a group of soldiers breaks down the defensive barricade, his desperate cries of help echo loudly through the caves. • Cassia and Peregrin are heroically holding off on one of the many small bridges at the center of the cave. Suddenly, the scaffolding they are on collapses and both are taken by the strong currents of the Sottorupe river. Who will save them in time? • Remo is challenging the Buchebuie champion at the center of the battlefield. After taking care of the Bravi twins, the rooster mortally wounds him with a strike to the back. Remo falls to the ground, losing his morningstar. The cry of rage from his companions will make the cave walls shake. The ending of this story depends entirely on the players’ choices. At this crucial moment, their actions can influence how events will develop. They can choose to convince the rebels to flee along the riverbed, contribute to defeating the invading forces, or even steal the relic and abandon everyone to the massacre. The GM should not rule out any possibility, but rather ensure that any suggested option has at least a chance of succeeding. REMO FIERASCAGLIA AND THE RELIC The meeting with Remo, leader of the rebels, will be a crucial, if fleeting moment. The Armadillo will be sitting on the ground, inside a small room guarded by his quadruplets, surrounded by wooden chests and trinkets of all sorts. His slender muzzle, and the room, will be lit by a blue light emanating from the amber gem, placed on the ground in front of him. Remo, his sleep-deprived eyes fixed on the stone, looks about to fall asleep at any moment, if he had a chance. The stone is a round, blue gem the size of an apple, peeking out of a black conch that looks like a fossilized ammonite. As soon as the PCs will step into the room, Remo will shake from his torpor and speak to the newcomers. ‘And so these are the new arrivals. I thank you for your assistance these past days. I have heard the words of Cassia and Guido in your favor, and they were enough to understand that perhaps it is time for us to join our fates and fight side-by-side. If our small family has lit a miner’s fire within you, please allow me to make you an offer: will you join our cause? Will you join the rebels of Altabreccia?’ Remo will be unaware of the party’s real mission, even if the PCs have revealed it to his subordinates. No-one has wanted to share the information with their leader, all certain – with good reason – that if Remo were to find out, he would never have made such an offer. The moment will be solemn but suddenly cut short by an explosion, coming from the entrance tunnel: the arrival of Isidoro of the Spikes and his troops. THE BATTLE FOR ALTABRECCIA The Buchebuie’s troops’ actions will be swift and decisive: the garrison will enter the cave by blowing up the hatches and immediately initiating combat. All of its units are aware that this fight will be decisive for the control of the city. Chaos will spread throughout the camp and all miners who are unfit for battle will spill onto the opposite shore of the cave. The armed rebels, led by Cassia, will instead be gearing up for the impending battle against the advancing invaders.
144 HEROES OF ALTABRECCIA The battle with Isidoro’s troops felt like a predestined defeat, but the heroic intervention of the PCs turned the tides, bringing the Altabreccia rebels to triumph once again. After Remo, Cassia, Peregrin, and Guido, now the PCs are also among the heroes who defended the city and will soon liberate it. Unfortunately, success will bring with it a sacrifice that noone thought would be required: during the fight; Remo Fierascaglia will lose his life alongside two of his closest friends. The latter are at the GM’s discretion, depending on what took place during combat and what emotions they want to bring to the game. Mourning at Remo’s side, the party might accept the offer made by the late leader just before the battle broke out: this epilogue might be hard to effect alongside returning the relic to Solino, so it may mean a rift with the Ordo Artis Occulta. The battle for Altabreccia will become a memory, and the new mission will be to take back the city once and for all – with or without the powers of the blue amber gem. LOYAL COMPANIONS The miners will fight with valor but the battle will seem impossible to win. The Buchebuie troops will cut down the rebel forces with skill and discipline, as the muskets will fire on those fleeing. The clash will seem all but lost but Remo, Cassia, Peregrin and Guido will be too far in the thick of it to notice the imminent defeat. Given how events are unfolding, the PCs will have to convince Remo to realize a retreat is the best strategy. If they are successful, the Altabreccia forces will regroup and prepare one final, desperate defence to cover the escape along the Sottorupe river. When the survivors will reach the outside of Mount Buiaccio, they will be awash with despair, disappointment and anger. The failure of the rebellion and the fall of the city will mark the end of a dream that was about to become reality. Despite this, however, the Altabreccia survivors now have a chance to start a new life away from the oppressive conditions of the city-mine. Remo will not fear this new challenge and will be ready, once more, to lead his companions, aware of the fact that he cannot allow the powers of the ancient relic to condition his choices. The blue amber gem, then, will be handed over to the PCs or thrown off the side of a cliff. - EPILOGUE - The final battle will bring THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA and its events to a close. What follows is a list of probable outcomes, which cannot obviously cover all the possibilities of the adventure’s conclusion. SOLINO AND THE REWARD This section covers information that can apply to every other epilogue, as far as completing Solino’s mission is concerned. No matter what the players choose and what outcome they reach, the Shrew will eventually discover the PCs final location and join them, suddenly and with no warning. Should the relic be handed over to Solino, then, the mission would be considered fulfilled and he will pay the agreed amount. Choosing not to hand over the relic for whatever reason will make an enemy of the Ordo Artis Occulta. Additionally, Solino will feel betrayed and insulted and will swear revenge on the party, biding his time and choosing the right moment to enact it. THIEVES ON THE RUN Before, during, or after the battle, the adventurers may choose to steal the relic from Remo during one of his troubled nights of sleep or even from his corpse, should that opportunity arise. Whatever methods are undertaken, the gesture would create a rift between the PCs and the rebels, bringing the latter to loathe the former, more so depending on how close Cassia, Peregrin, Ric, and Guido have become to the PCs during the adventure. The betrayal would bring an early end to the rebel faction in Altabreccia and would turn Remo’s loyal friends into avengers ready to hunt down the PCs. The party might escape via the underground river or the main shaft, now clear of Infected by the Buchebuie troops. What route they will take or how far they will run from Altabreccia matters little: the shame of betrayal will never leave them. They will have to find a way to live with it themselves.
145 The Secret of Altabreccia THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING Some time after the events of Altabreccia, Solino will reappear. Regardless of the fate of the PCs and their choices, they will meet the character again one evening, as he steps out of the shadows, lantern in hand. His face lit up in the dark of night, he will address the party: ‘My friends. It is such a pleasure to see you all again. I was so afraid. For so long hope had fled my heart…’ The Shrew not only looks more gaunt and tired, but a sinister shadow marks his pointy muzzle. ‘I… I believe I have found him. Ctesia, the Quattrocorni, the one who started all this. I know where he is hiding, but the shadows have grown longer and the blue light of those stones now haunts my dreams. Will you follow me one last time?’ THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA can now become the second chapter of a much longer campaign, which started with THE PILGRIMAGE OF CTESIA, which will bring the characters to meet (again) the Quattrocorni, uncovering the secrets of the true nature of the blue amber relics. STAT ULDERICO Z A N NA L A M A, THREE-FINGER Sauti Boar STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 16 (+3) Armor Class 16 (ring mail and shield) Hit Points 97 (13d8+39) Speed 30ft Saving Throws Strength +6, Constitution +6 Skills Intimidation +3, Persuasion +3 Senses Passive Perception 9, darkvision 60ft. Ulderico gains advantage to any Wisdom (Perception) skill checks that relate to his sense of smell. Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Charge. If Ulderico moves at least 20ft before an attack that hits, the target creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC 14) or fall prone. ACTIONS Multiattack. Ulderico makes two attacks with his spear or javelin. Spear. Melée weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage. Javelin. Ranged weapon attack: +5 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage. Attack! Up to three creatures who are allies of Ulderico can use their reaction to make a melée attack.
146 THREE-FINGER BANDIT Rodente Mouse STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) Armor Class 14 (gambeson) Speed 30ft Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Intelligence +2 Skills. Acrobatics +5, Stealth +2 Senses. Passive Perception 10, heightened smell, darkvision 60ft. Three-Finger Bandit gains advantage to any Wisdom (Perception) skill checks that relate to their sense of hearing. Sneak attack. If the Bandit has advantage on the attack roll, or no disadvantage and an ally is engaged in melée combat with the target creature, the Bandit deals an additional 7 (2d6) damage. ACTIONS Sword. Melée weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage. INFECTED VERSPERTILE Vespertile Bat STR 16 (+3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 11 (+0) INT 3 (-4) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 7 (-2) Armor Class 13 Speed 15ft, flight 30ft Senses Passive Perception 6,blindsight 60ft. Infected Vespertile gains advantage to any Wisdom (Perception) skill checks that relate to their sense of hearing. Light sensitivity. The Infected Verspertile has disadvantage on all attack rolls in the presence of strong light. ACTIONS AClaws. Melée weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage. INFECTED MOLE Eulipi Mole STR 16 (+3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 11 (+0) INT 3 (-4) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 7 (-2) Armor Class 11 Speed 30ft Senses Passive Perception 11, darkvision 60ft ACTIONS Claws. Melée weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. BUCHEBUIE SOLDIER Mustacei Marten STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 13 (+1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) Armor Class 15 (ring mail, shield) Speed 30ft Saving Throws Strength +6, Constitution +6 Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +3, Survival +3 Resistance poison Senses Passive Perception 10, darkvision 60ft. Buchebuie Soldier gains advantage to any Wisdom (Perception) skill checks that relate to their sense of smell. ACTIONS Mace. Melée weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage. Musket. Ranged weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 21 (3d12+2) piercing damage. Requires one action to reload. ISIDORO OF THE SPIKES Ruspeo Rooster STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 11 (+0) CArmor Class 19 (Rodelian plate, barbed wing armor) Hit points 120 (16d8+48) Speed 30ft Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +7 Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +4 Senses Passive Perception 10 Unavoidable. If Isidoro hits the same target in the same turn with the halberd, his attacks will deal an additional 5 (1d10) damage to the same target for the next minute. Indomitable (2/day). If Isidoro fails a saving throw, he can reroll it. He must accept the new result. ACTIONS Multiattack. Isidoro makes three attacks with his halberd. Halberd. Melée weapon attack: +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) slashing damage. Gun. Ranged weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 20 (4d8+2) piercing damage. Requires an action to reload.
147 The Secret of Altabreccia
The Battle of the Scarlet Bight Davide Milano
150 An adventure for Historia for four to six characters of Tier 3. Written by Klara Herbol “And therefore is love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguil’d.” -William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream OVERVIEW The cities of Nova Marina and Liveccia are historic rivals and only recently have they seemingly come to a truce. The reality is that, hiding beneath a layer of diplomacy and forced alliances, the tension between the two parties always runs high and is fought out in each city’s respective seats of power and through their network of alliances built among the Confederation. The stage for the BATTLE OF THE SCARLET BIGHT is set in the counties led by Biancolido and Cirocca. Both coastal settlements, respectively allied with Nova Marina and Liveccia, and main characters in a long-running feud between their ruling families, the Biancolidos and the Lamellinos. This tense scenario has been exasperated by the arrival of the Confederation, which brought added pressure to members of both noble families to bring the fighting to an end but ultimately making the situation worse, turning the counties into ticking time bombs. Recently, the spark to ignite the fuse has made its appearance: the firstborn of Count Biancolido, Gugliemo the Young, has disappeared around a bight of the Albeo river. Witnesses swear to have seen Cirocca-clad forces flee from the area shortly after. STORY STRUCTURE • Act I: the PCs will choose which city to work with and start looking for clues regarding the disappearance of count Biancolido’s son, Guglielmo the Young. • Act II: the PCs will have to face the population’s anger at the reveal of Guglielmo’s murder, and will receive command of their faction’s troops due to the eloping of the two captains of the guard, taking direct charge of the soldiers. • Act III: the PCs will face the rival city in battle, which will lead to several deaths, including civilians. • Epilogue: the PCs will have to come to terms with their losses and face a revelation that may change the immediate outcome of their choices. MAIN CHARACTERS GOFFREDO FROM BIANCOLIDO Puma The current Count of Biancolido is an arrogant, snobby aristocrat with a visceral hatred towards the Lamellino family, due to the death of his adoptive father Guglielmo years earlier at the hands of old Oreste Lamellino. The story goes that count Guglielmo, a lynx like most nobles of the area, had offered a safe haven in the city to an exiled group of pumas. To stop his folly, by bringing savages into the nobility of Biancolido, Oreste Lamellino plotted against Guglielmo, a plan supported by the fact that the old man had the gall to adopt one of the newcomers, naming him Goffredo and raising him as his own. Lamellino’s plot did not have the desired outcome: though Guglielmo was killed, his death sent young Goffredo into a savage frenzy, who ensured Lamellino met an exemplary death along with a handful of city guards. Personality: ‘Ambition is accompanied by the necessary cruelty to achieve it.’ Ideal: ‘I will bring Biancolido to its uttermost glory.’ Bond*: ‘I always have a rival to challenge and destroy.’ Flaw: ‘I will end those damned Lamellinos and avenge my beloved father.’ The Battle of the Scarlet Bight Davide Milano