51 Skeltons in the Closet THE CIRCLE OF WHISPERS The Circle of Whispers is the infamous order of spies reporting to Apopi, the merchant queen of information. This elusive order is always on the lookout for secrets, rumors, allegations or intriguing news that may be precious leverage in the Vesteria intelligence community. Despite Apopi not being someone who likes to get her coils dirty, that may not be the case for all her subordinates. OBJECTIVES No one really knows what the goal of the Circle of Whispers is: in this scenario, it is up to the GM as to whether they want to the see the murder of Gritti carried out or prevented. ROLEPLAYING THE CIRCLE OF WHISPERS This NPC faction should be used as the GM’s trump card, to be deployed in order to increase the pacing or action of the game, or in case the players need a hand (if the situation is becoming too complex) or a formidable opponent (if everything is running too smoothly). The Circle of Whispers NPCs at the party should never be more than half the number of PCs, rounded down. SECONDARY GUESTS: GUARDS, SERVANTS, NOBLES The NPCs introduced so far are not, obviously, the only guests at the party. A plethora of servants and guards will fill the hallways and the gardens, and several landowners and members of the middle-class will have joined Gritti’s party looking for alliances and favors. All these NPCs are secondary, and should be considered as such during the adventure rather than assets or actual opponents. What can happen, of course, is that the PCs’ actions may elevate one or more of these NPCs through the story and confer a more important role to them – however, they should still all retain generic names and the stats of commoner, guard or noble. The main NPCs above and the PCs are the true protagonists of the story, and these background characters should not obfuscate their narratives. For this reason, should the secondary NPCs clash with the main NPCs, the GM should not roll dice or checks, but always assume that the latter prevail upon the former. Only the PCs can directly oppose or aid the main NPCs in their objectives. CHEF BRUNELDA This old Turtle was once one of the Confederation’s most sought-after cooks, but the inn where she worked was owned by Gritti, who used it as a location to ‘take care’ of his enemies via ‘terrible allergic reactions’. After a number of strategic deaths, the inn lost its reputation and rumors started circulating about Brunelda and her dishes, said to be cursed and deadly to those who ate them. No longer able to work and targeted by those who called her a poison master or at least a curse-bringer, Brunelda left the Confederation, seeking fame and success elsewhere. OBJECTIVES Despite her success abroad – she is now a highly regarded chef among nobility and nouveau riche – Brunelda has never forgiven the offence caused: her cooking is sublime, and yet, the more sensitive palates can tell the desire of vengeance tinting the perfection of her creations. Brunelda, therefore, feels she must carry out her bloodlust towards the Pig who ruined her career and art, and will do so with her cooking and a little extra touch – poison. Despite not being part of the catering party, she will attempt to take over the kitchen through her credentials, in order to serve a ‘special dish’ as a gift for the lord of the villa. ROLEPLAYING CHEF BRUNELDA Brunelda is an aloof turtle, not keen on small talk. She prefers talking about her cooking and should she succeed in taking control of the kitchen, no matter for how long, she will be strict and aggressive towards anyone stepping into her realm.
52 This room leads directly to the dining hall and the business room, located on either side of the villa, and the upper floor via a twin marble staircase. Crossing the crimson curtains on either side of the staircase leads to the servant quarters, and the old tower. DINING HALL This enormous hall, primarily used for important meals, sees a long table which can host several guests; tapestries run between each window all along the hall, showing off the many properties and titles of the Gritti. Smaller, informal meals are held in the guests’ private rooms or as a buffet in the main hall. BUSINESS ROOM This upscale salon is furnished with comfortable armchairs, coffee tables, and a gorgeous fireplace, which is lit during the coldest nights. A selection of precious spirits and tobacco is kept safe in locked carved cabinets, and is only served to the most important guests. Except for very rare occasions or specific tasting events, access to this room is only possible via direct invitation from Gritti. SERVANT QUARTERS Several connected rooms form the areas where Gritti’s servants work incessantly for their master. The main part is a kitchen, where cooks work round the clock to satisfy the Pig’s appetites and whims. People sleeping on the ground are not an uncommon sight, as it is the only way in which the staff can get a break without really taking a break. What space is not taken up by the kitchen is mostly devoted to the laundry area, opening onto a small garden on the back of the villa, which also sees a flourishing small vegetable patch; the latter is looked after by a rota of farmers from the village as part of their land fees. The rest of the space – not much – is cut up into smaller rooms with beds and a few pieces of furniture, where servants rest and change clothes at the start and end of their shifts. GRITTI’S QUARTERS The villa’s upper floor is half taken over by the immense and opulent room belonging to the lord of the house. The entrance is always guarded, and an invitation is needed to access the room. LOCATIONS This section provides a general description of the main locations in the villa, so that the GM may have a framework to set the relevant scenes. VILLA DEL LAGO Villa del Lago is built on a large island at the center of Lake Stilla, in the southern area of the Confederation. The villa is a two-story structure built upon the ruins of an ancient fort that used to be a surveillance outpost for the lake’s shores. This can still be seen in the ancient tower rising from the left side of the building, the only element that jars with the upscale renaissance style of the rest of the construction. The only way to access the villa is through small boats across the lake, which leave the village in the morning and return in the evening, except on very special occasions or for important guests. Various service boats are moored at the island’s small dock area, though they are rarely used. In case of alarm or danger, several bells can be rung in the docks, and can be heard all the way in the village. GARDENS On approaching the villa, it is impossible to ignore the magnificent gardens extending across most of the island, and which entirely surround the building. Fountains, hedges, and elegant shelters form the framing for the garden’s centerpiece: an enormous, circular hedge labyrinth. THE SMALL GROVE The right side of the island, its more unkempt area, houses a significant wooded area, left to its own devices and home to wild fauna and flora. During certain seasons, this area is set up as hunting grounds; otherwise, it is used as walking grounds for those who live on the island. Despite its nickname – Small Grove – wandering around this area at night, or alone, can still lead to losing one’s way or ambushes. MAIN HALL Three marble steps and a gorgeous main door with brass inlays representing the Gritti crest, a large G, lead into the villa’s main hall, filled with portraits of the lord of the house and marble busts of those who have brought the family to greatness. This area is used as the hall for main events and is lit by a splendid candelabra with elegant inlays.
53 Skeltons in the Closet
54 ADVENTURE STRUCTURE The adventure will start with an introductory scene, and will then follow a series of scenes, one for each day of the party, for a total of 6. Each day will feature three specific moments: morning, afternoon, night; there will be a single special event for each of these moments. Unlike other adventures for 5e, SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET focuses exclusively on the climactic moments for each of the six days of celebrations, and so we suggest that the GM play out only the most important elements, preparation leading up to them, or meaningful character interactions. Effectively, if any of the three daily moments does not host a special event or the PCs have no need to play it out, it will not be played and instead marked as ‘not played’, moving to the next moment instead. In order to fulfill each objective and eliminate Gritti, or gaining a bonus to do so, the NPCs will have to complete a number of tasks; these can take place during played or not played scenes, and are described below. The GM must monitor the completion of these tasks through the clock mechanic, also described below. The other moments in the day should not have to be actively played, as they do not include relevant details. Of course, depending on the party schedule, each NPC will act and prepare during these times too, but in order to avoid the PCs not being present for the crucial moment, they cannot kill Gritti during a not played scene; the PCs will always have the possibility to prevent or aid in the murder of the Pig, even when the NPCs’ preparation is impeccable. The inside boasts a variety of architectural styles and a concentration of wealth from all over the known world, but the main attraction is the enormous French window opening onto a small balcony, overlooking the garden and its labyrinth. The room includes several luxuries: cushions, fancy sofas, and a gigantic four poster bed upon which Gritti spends many a morning hour in the aftermath of long, winewashed evenings. An object that Gritti loves more than anything else in the room, and that no one can touch, is his wonderful closet with gold inlays. Inside it, along with more personal property, Gritti has marked one notch for every opponent fallen before his climb to power. GUEST ROOMS The rest of the upper floor hosts a number of rooms for high ranking guests, should they choose to spend the night. The PCs will be in one of these rooms, furnished with all the luxuries and commodities that the villa can offer. All main NPCs will also be staying in one of these rooms. TOWER A small door in the main hall leads to an impervious spiral staircase, which reaches the tower’s summit, overlooking the entire villa, and even the island and surrounding lake. DUNGEONS A trapdoor at the base of the tower, covered with a precious rug, allows access to the villa’s dungeons. Gritti uses this area, unbeknownst to most of the servants, as an archive of his more compromising deeds, and perhaps even some of his felled opponents, as he searches for the best way of getting rid of the body.
55 Skeltons in the Closet Followed by the house staff, you are guided by your enormous new employer to the majestic villa at the center of the island. After crossing the carefully tended gardens, you step into the main hall via a heavy wooden door sporting Gritti’s initials in brass and gold. Most of the servants have returned to their tasks, and you are left with Gritti and one of his butlers; you are invited to sit on soft recliners in the Business Room, sipping on fine wine. “I will be celebrating my fiftieth this week. I am not the kind of man who professes humility, so let me be clear: the party will be memorable and I will spare no expense, be it for the food, the drink, or the number of guests. As you might imagine, I have collected a fair number of enemies, and I am afraid some of them may crash the celebrations. Hell, I am not entirely sure about the loyalty of my own staff! Which brings me to you. You have been recommended by people who have the honor of my trust, and I am running quite the risk by extending the same privilege to you all. You have my authorization to review the program and even rearrange something if you believe it necessary for my personal safety. At the end of these six days, if everything goes according to plan, you will be paid as agreed. Now, with your leave, I will retire to my chambers. Welcome to Villa Gritti.” The Pig will get up, not without some difficulty and aided by his butler, and devote no more time to the PCs, who will instead find several papers containing information about the upcoming events. This next metagaming phase is crucial for the PCs to decide how and where to arrange and organize the main events during the upcoming week. This will ensure a uniqueness to the story, as it becomes directly tied to the characters and their choices. Should the group need some inspiration or prefers playing a less improvised session, the end of this chapter offers an example structure. FIRST SCENE We suggest that the GM uses what follows as the introductory scene, but should this adventure be used as part of a wider campaign, the PCs could be hired by Gritti in any Confederation city. For example, if the PCs have gained some renown for their exploits, perhaps through one of the other adventures in this collection, they might be approached by one of the Pig’s servants who will offer them the job in exchange for a handsome reward. Regardless of how they are employed, the PCs must be told that they have been employed by a powerful and important lord of the Confederation, Marshall of the Morderana Giam Pietro Gritti, and their task is to protect him during a celebration in one of his villas, for the exorbitant price of coin. ARRIVAL ON THE ISLAND Suggested music: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Idiot Prayer “A cold sun rises from behind the hills, taking its time to shine over a large body of water, still covered in a whiteish mist. The heavy night fog starts to dissipate, giving way to a small wooden boat, carrying [number of PCs] cloaked figures, huddling together for warmth, as an old wizened Hound pulls the boat along a wet, slimy rope running through iron hooks, reaching three feet out of lake, like the old skeleton of an ancient water creature. The sun rises a little higher and the fog keeps tearing aside, and the center of the lake reveals a wonderful villa with a tall tower, overlooking the lake like an ancient pirate ship. The boat has almost reached the island when the timid sunlight creeps over the hooded figures, who finally reveal themselves. [Ask each player to briefly describe their appearance as they pull off their hoods, and what can be seen in their gaze and expression as they first see the villa in the distance.] The boat finally reaches a small beach where, surrounded by a large number of servants, an enormous Pig moves towards them, arms open. ‘Finally, you’re here!’ he says, as the boat slides onto the sand. Music Fade Out
56 no limitations in this sense: Gritti’s wealth is enormous and he could easily, for example, arrange for one of the dinners to take place on floating barges on the lake. Despite his family wealth, however, it will not be possible to organize more than one special event per day, due to the level of detail and perfection required by the host. The players, of course, can suggest new or different events from those suggested, as long as they fit the game in tone and context. THE BIG BIRTHDAY BANQUET (1) A meal with no limits, no manners, and no holds barred, where only the best dishes are served to the guests, along with high quality spirits. Anyone with experience can contribute a dish, a course, or a drink as an offering, being careful not to lose face compared to Gritti’s munificent banquet. GIFT-GIVING (2) Bows, cockades, and overflowing goblets will frame this important moment where each guest will present their gift to Gritti, with everyone present. The PCs are not required to do so, but they will soon realize how everyone is using the occasion to either strengthen their ties with Gritti or find an opportunity to take him out – a real battle of the gifts, in which some will undoubtedly be lethal. CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING (3) Firearms are a new development in this era, and all the rage among the upper classes, who have realized they can be used for more than violent ends. The guests taking part in the activity will not be surprised when they find out that Gritti, thanks to his investments in the arms trade, has acquired rifles more geared towards sporting events but still incredibly accurate. And what better occasion than a competition to prove their skills to impress the host? Of course, this is also a perfect opportunity to lower a weapon a little, and aim it directly at Gritti – perhaps hitting him between his eyes. HIDE AND SEEK (4) A traditional game that has always kept the nobility entertained, in which Gritti himself will be looking for his hidden guests: those who care to keep on his good side will have to allow themselves to be found before Gritti loses his patience, or choose to use their hiding spot as a trap to ambush him. LIVE MUSIC (5) A group of Rooster musicians, internationally renowned, has been invited to play in Gritti’s villa. A moment of lighthearted fun, several hours of dancing and celebration, which may very well cover the sounds of the most sordid and violent plots. CHOOSING THE PROGRAM The players can now choose, discussing it out of character, the program for the celebrations. It can also be roleplayed during the game itself, but the GM must make clear that the decisions have to be about the ‘mechanic’ that will decide what and how certain scenes will take place. It will also be possible to randomly determine the program by rolling the dice and using the corresponding numbers next to the options and the NPCs, or using the suggestions at the end of the chapter. DAILY PHASES Along with the special events decided on by the players, each day will feature three phases: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. MORNING (1) Barring special events, mornings will be calm and the lord of the house will not be seen around – as he will be spending the time in bed, hungover – but he will put some effort into his appearance if forced to do so. The servants will be bringing breakfast to the various guests’ rooms, but everyone else will be free to spend the morning as they wish, if no special events take place. AFTERNOON (2) The afternoons will usually start with a buffet lunch in the main hall, while the master of the house will take his in his room. This is a good moment to have conversations with the other guests or staff. After lunch, everyone is free to do as they will, barring a special event taking place. As the evening closes in, the master of the house will be seen in one of his daily activities or striking new deals with one of the guests. EVENING (3) Evening events will start with dinner, always held in the Dining Hall, and all guests and the host are required to attend. There will be talk of the day’s events and gossiping, and the more proactive guests will seek out better seating in order to further their business or goals. SPECIAL EVENTS The celebrations organized by Gritti, along with being a clever trap for his enemies, are a celebration of his person, and he will have left nothing to chance, planning a whole series of events and special activities to entertain and delight his guests. Some of the areas of the villa are more suited for some of the activities, but it is still down to the PCs to decide where to set them up specifically, as security personnel. The house staff will be able to set up any of the activities to be held in any of the common spaces in the villa, and there are
57 Skeltons in the Closet CLOCK MECHANICS This adventure uses a clock system, inspired by Blades in the Dark™, in order to swiftly and easily control the moves and actions of NPCs outside of main played scenes. Each NPC is assigned a clock with three quadrants, which can be filled by taking specific actions for that NPC, called preparation actions. Each preparation action taken or not taken will also assign the bonuses and maluses that the NPCs will have during their final attack. Another type of NPC action is the assassination action, with which the NPC will attempt to strike at Gritti in their preferred way, using bonuses or suffering maluses gained during preparation actions. Each NPC can only take one preparation action and one assassination action per day. PREPARATION ACTIONS With preparation actions, an NPC will have to do something to fill in one of the quadrants in their clock, which will determine when they are ready to attempt the murder of Gritti. The NPCs can try taking these actions during a special event or any other moment in the day, but when they do, the PCs are alerted that something is happening and a scene will have to take place during that phase of the day. The GM does not have to tell the PCs what actual events are taking place and which NPC is behind them, but the PCs should be given the opportunity to investigate, following their instincts and finding any clues about the relevant NPC actions. The GM should start the scene with a detail relating to the NPCs’ actions, maybe one of the servants is angered at the behavior of one of the guests, or there are strange noises coming from a specific room. Remember: the main characters of the story are the PCs, and as such they should always have a role during major scenes. To run these scenes from a mechanical perspective, we recommend using the PCs’ and NPCs’ passive abilities as a starting point, to determine whether they notice something or to set the DC for the NPCs’ actions, rolling if they are actively trying to avoid detection or to succeed. The players, of course, can use regular skill and ability checks to look for clues that they do not initially notice, or if they are looking for something in particular. THE HUNT’ (6) The talented and nimble Greyhound Harry will lend his skills to this special race. His golden collar, easily removable without damaging the wearer, is the goal: who takes it first, wins. Who will be fast enough to reach the Greyhound before the others? This could be the perfect opportunity for a distraction from an attempt, stealthy or otherwise. POSSIBLE LOCATIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS The following is a list of island areas, as described above, where the special events can be set up. Each area can be adequately set up thanks to Gritti’s incredible wealth, including chasing Harry the Greyhound across wooden barges over water, or moving the same event inside, with the resulting chaos and entertainment. Gardens (1) Small Grove (2) Dining Hall (3) Main hall (4) Business Room (5) Lake (6) MANAGING THE NPCS Unlike the previous elements, the NPCs should not be moved randomly or through dice rolls, but rather arranged once the special event and its location have been decided. The party program is made public, and each NPC will act to strike when the timing seems best and with as much preparation as possible. Note: multiple NPCs may act at the same time, and there may also be days when no NPC makes a move or tries attacking Gritti.
58 NPC ACTIONS This section lists the relevant assassination plots for each NPC and the actions they must take during the adventure to complete one of their clock quadrants. THE FOSCHI GANG The Foschi plan is to recover their weapons and brutally murder Gritti. Quadrant 1 The Foschi will have to send a message to shore, asking for weapons. If they do not take this action, they will fight unarmed. Quadrant 2 The Foschi must retrieve their weapons from the Small Grove. If they take this action, they will have the weapons listed on their sheets. Quadrant 3 The Foschi will arm themselves as well as they can with everything they can find. If they take this action, they will gain advantage on all checks during their assassination action. MASTER GUGLIELMO Guglielmo will want to take advantage of his wings to glide through the night into Gritti’s room and slice his throat while he sleeps. Quadrant 1 Guglielmo must retrieve the keys to Gritti’s windows from the servants. Master Guglielmo will not be able to proceed with the assassination action unless he completes this preparation action. Quadrant 2 Guglielmo must procure himself a knife. Master Guglielmo will not be able to proceed with the assassination action unless he completes this preparation action. Quadrant 3 Guglielmo will have to study how to approach from the tower. Master Guglielmo will gain advantage on all checks during his assassination action. Each NPCs’ clock, the actions they have to take, and the relevant bonus/malus lists are described later in this chapter. ASSASSINATION ACTIONS With assassination actions, the NPCs will try striking at Gritti taking advantage of their personal traits and the relevant descriptions above. Again, we do not determine here exactly how the NPCs will strike, so that the story can be shaped in response to the PCs’ actions. This will be the GM’s main task, who will need to keep track of the various NPC actions and move them according to how the game develops. The assassination does not have to happen during a special event, but as explained above, players and their PCs must have the opportunity to actively take part in these moments. Depending on which preparation actions the NPCs have taken, they may have bonuses, maluses or special conditions as detailed below for each.
59 Skeltons in the Closet CHEF BRUNELDA Chef Brunelda will want to offer her final dish, one portion per person, filled with poison. Quadrant 1 Chef Brunelda must send a message to her contact. Brunelda will not be able to proceed with the assassination action unless she completes this preparation action. Quadrant 2 Chef Brunelda will receive a reply along with a dose of poison. Brunelda will not be able to proceed with the assassination action unless she completes this preparation action. Quadrant 3 Chef Brunelda must take over the kitchen using her influence and fame. Brunelda will gain advantage on all checks during her assassination action. CIRCLE OF WHISPERS This faction will not take any preparation action and will instead act as described in their relevant section above. MIRABELLA Mirabella will want to bring Gritti to the same spot where he killed Miranda, seduce or distract him in some way, and then kill him. Quadrant 1 Mirabella must find herself alone with Gritti and convince him to take her back to his private room. Mirabella will not be able to proceed with the assassination action unless she completes this preparation action. Quadrant 2 Since Gritti found Miranda reading his memoir, no servant has been allowed into his room without him also being present. Mirabella must make her way into the room to get ready for Gritti. Mirabella will gain advantage on all checks during her assassination action. Quadrant 3 Miranda must convince Gritti to lower his guard. The bedroom door will be locked and will have to be broken or picked open (DC 15). MONTOYA Montoya does not have a plan as such, but winning duels will make him increasingly lethal and confident – even arrogant. Quadrant 1 Montoya must challenge someone to a duel and win. Montoya will gain permission to carry his dueling sword. Quadrant 2 Montoya must challenge someone to a duel and win. Montoya will gain advantage on all checks during his assassination action. Quadrant 3 Montoya must challenge someone to a duel and win. Montoya’s spirit will coarse through his heart and sword. The sword gains +1.
60 Regardless of the actual events, the death of a Marshall of the Morderana is a highly dramatic happening and the GM should convey to the players the gravity of the situation, and how little time they have before the arrival of the Confederation authorities, who might deal with the situation in a less that amicable manner. THE PIG LIVES If the Pig survives, it will have meant that the PCs have prevented several attempts on his life and probably captured or neutralized most of his enemies. Even in the case of an attempt or several, Gritti will carry on the celebrations until the sixth day, making use of the situation to capture as many of his opponents as possible, as they inevitably make their own move. This will be a great success for Gritti, who will have made use of the PCs to clear out his closet of several skeletons. The PCs will therefore receive their reward at the end of the sixth day, and will be finally allowed to leave the island, though Gritti no longer has need to trust them: they have carried out their task and know too much, such as the understanding that many of the guests were victims of Gritti’s evil doings in the first place. The Pig will behave as he always has: the PCs will be ambushed when they least expect it by a group of skilled assassins, who will attempt to recover the payment too. The encounter could take place as soon as the PCs set foot on the shore (if this module is being played as a self-contained adventure) or later in the course of the campaign (if the module is being used as an event in a wider series of adventures). Either way, the GM should set up a deadly encounter, which the PCs can only win through using all of their available resources or successfully flee from it. Regardless of the consequences of the above, Gritti can become a new important NPC in the characters’ stories, now that they are constantly hunted, cornered and ambushed on the Pig’s orders. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE As mentioned above, this module is closer to a tile to fit into a larger campaign rather than a full adventure. Nevertheless, SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET is comprised of three Acts: • ACT I introduces the PCs and the other main characters, and will start with the PCs’ arrival at Villa Gritti. • ACT II is the core of the adventure and will cover all six days of celebrations. Regardless of what events take place, the GM must ensure that the PCs are always kept at the forefront, allowing them the final say in all matters, no matter how complex. • How might they react when they discover one of the potential killers? Will they respond with violence or will they join an NPC in taking out Gritti despite the substantial reward promised them? • ACT III is the epilogue to SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET, which may result in either the death or triumph of Giam Pietro Gritti. - EPILOGUE - There are two main possible endings to Gritti’s story; however, the GM is free to come up with alternate endings or change the suggested ones to better fit the party’s actions. THE PIG DIES Gritti will have left clear instructions to his subordinates, excluding the PCs, regarding the possibility of his plan’s failure and, therefore, his death. In the eventuality of Gritti dying or disappearing during the adventure, his subordinates have the order to close down the island and not let anyone leave until the authorities arrive. In this moment of crisis, the PCs need to decide what their new role will be: Will they start investigating what happened and find the murderer? Will they attempt to flee the island because they may be complicit, or will they use the information they have for political gain?
61 Skeltons in the Closet DAY 4 Morning Afternoon Special Event: Hide and Seek in the Garden The Foschi try retrieving their weapons from the Small Grove Mirabella tries making her way into Gritti’s room to get ready Evening DAY 5 Morning Special event: Clay Pigeon Shooting on the Lake Afternoon Chef Brunelda receives a dose of poison in the tower Evening Special event: Hunt in the Small Grove The Foschi try killing Gritti DAY 6 Morning Chef Brunelda takes over the kitchen Afternoon Mirabella tries convincing Gritti to lower his guard Evening Special event: The Big Birthday Banquet in the Dining Hall Chef Brunelda tries poisoning Gritti After dinner, Mirabella tries killing Gritti in his bedroom APPENDIX 1 – SAMPLE PROGRAM This is an example of how the six-day celebration may be programmed. It can either be used as presented or adapted by the GM to better fit a different approach than the one suggested in the adventure. DAY 1 Morning Chef Brunelda sends a message from the tower Afternoon Master Guglielmo tries stealing a key Evening Special event: Live music in the Main Hall Montoya challenges someone to a duel DAY 2 Morning The Foschi gang sends a message Afternoon Special event: The Gift Giving session in the Business Room Montoya challenges Gritti and tries to kill him Evening Chef Brunelda receives a response and a dose of poison in the tower Mirabella tries seducing Gritti Master Guglielmo tries stealing a knife DAY 3 Morning Afternoon Special event: Clay Pigeon Shooting on the Lake Evening Master Guglielmo tries to kill Gritti
62 GIAM PIETRO GRITTI Sauto pig STR 18 (+4) DEX 12 (+1) CON 11 (+0) INT 12 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Armor Class 14 (padded jack) Speed 30ft. Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Persuasion +5 Senses Passive perception 12, Superfine smell Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Mighty build. Giam Pietro has advantage on rolls for grapple and to resist being pushed. Peripheral vision. Giam Pietro can’t be caught off-guard by attacks from behind. ACTIONS Bastard sword. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage when used two-handed. REACTIONS Elegant parry. Giam Pietro adds 2 to his own AC against an attack that would hit him and that he can see, potentially turning a hit into a miss. FOSCO Mustaceo badger STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 13 (gambeson) Speed 30 ft. Saving throws Str +6, Con +6 Skills Athletics +6, Intimidate +3 Senses Passive perception 11 Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Resolve. (1/day) Whenever the fosco a saving throw he or she can roll again and use either result. ACTIONS Sword. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage. REACTIONS Rampage. (1/day) Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 4 slashing damage. Attack roll ignores disadvantages and is rolled with advantage. Triggered whenever the Fosco gains a level of exhaustion. MASTER GUGLIELMO Striga barn owl STR 11 (+0) DEX 12 (+1) CON 11 (+0) INT 17 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Armor class 11 Speed 15ft., fly 30ft. Skills Deception +5, Intimidate +5, Persuasion +5, Stealth +3, Survival +4 Senses Passive perception 12, darkvision 120ft. Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Light sensitivity. Master Guglielmo suffers disadvantage on wisdom (perception) checks that rely on sight while under direct sunlight or similar intense light. Silent flight. Master Guglielmo rolls dexterity (stealth) checks with advantage when he’s flying. ACTIONS Peck. Melee weapon attack: +2 to hit, one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. MIRABELLA Ruminsa deer STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 10 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0) Armor class 10 Speed 40ft. Senses Passive perception 15, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 0 (10 XP) ACTIONS Club. Melee weapon attack: +2 to hit, one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
63 Skeltons in the Closet MONTOYA Felide cat STR 12 (+1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 13 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2) Armor Class 16 Speed 30ft. Saving throws Dex +7, Cha +5 Skills Acrobatics +7, Persuasion +5, Stealth +7 Senses Passive perception 11, darkvision 60ft., superfine hearing Challenge 2 (450 XP) Graceful defense. Montoya adds his charisma modifier to his AC while not wearing any armor. ACTIONS Fury swipe. Montoya makes two melee attacks with disadvantage. Side sword. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) slashing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Claw. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, one target. Hit: 7 slashing damage. WHISPERS’ WARRIOR Eulipa hedgehog STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 8 (-1) Armor Class 15 (brigandine, quills) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +4 Skills Deception +1, Stealth +5 Senses Passive perception 11 Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) ACTIONS Side sword. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. WHISPERS’ ASSASSIN Licae coyote STR 11 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 8 (-1) Armor Class 14 (brigandine) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +4 Skills Deception +1, Perform +1, Stealth +5 Senses Passive perception 11, darkvision 60ft., superfine smell Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Sneak attack. Whispers’ assassin deals 1d6 additional damage whenever she rolls attack with advantage or whenever she rolls without disadvantage and her target has another opponent within 5ft. ACTIONS Side sword. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. REACTIONS Pack spirit. Whispers’ assassin makes the help action whenever an ally within 10ft. moves within 5ft. of an opponent. BRUNELDA Chelone turtle STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 10 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 17 Speed 30ft. Senses Passive perception 15, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 0 (10 XP) ACTIONS Knife. Melee weapon attack: +2 to hit, one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.
Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs Mirko Failoni and Michele Paroli
66 An adventure for Historia for four to six characters of Tier 1. Written by Mirko Failoni and Michele Paroli ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Arianna of the Mountains, infamous Inquisitor Puma of the Church of Bones, was a young apprentice to a Magus. During those years, she had the opportunity to leaf through some important papers belonging to her Magister, Sigfrido. Caught red-handed with documents no apprentice should have been reading, she was banished from the Ordo Artis Occulta and prohibited from ever practicing the Ars. Rejected by her Magister, her pride hurt and anger growing for the sentence that would preclude her from learning the secrets of arcane practice, Arianna disappeared from the public eye for years, reappearing among the ranks of the Church of Bones. Her popular nickname, especially among the more rural areas, where Skrìa is still prevalent in daily rites and beliefs, is ‘The Seeker’. Some monastic orders with a vow of poverty make use of ‘Seekers’ to beg for wheat for the poor, hoping to exploit their interlocutor’s compassion; similarly, Arianna ‘begs’ for sinners’ confessions, especially those who still practise the old rituals, with a polar opposite approach. The nickname has clearly not reached her ears yet, and the farmers who refer to her as such obviously do not do so around her personal guard. In any case, what really fuels Arianna is not blind faith, but something tied to what she had read in Sigfrido’s papers that day, which rage and resentment branded into her mind: it appears that a Magus, at some point in the past, had come dangerously close to breaking one of the major taboos of the Ars, and did so by using ancient Skrìa rituals. The events of the adventure take place in Brunascio, an isolated village at the foot of the mountains that form a border between the Pit and the Holy Kingdom. Judging by the peculiarities of the home decorations, the inscriptions and strange votive symbols which can be seen in different areas of the village, along with the unusual dialect uttered in its narrow streets, the roots of the village’s culture burrow deep in the mists of time, touching upon a number of beliefs which have since been assimilated into the Cult of Bones, which has become the official religion even in the more remote borderlands. Proof of this is the small, ancient church, maintained by the community after the death of their priest a few years ago. This is where the Inquisitor starts her research, seeking out more information on the contents of those documents from her youth. Her official task is to observe the community and spread the word of the Church of Bones, but in fact, the Puma is following someone’s tracks and is conducting her own investigation. During this investigation, Arianna has discovered that one of the grandmothers of Cerere, the old herbalist Hen and healer of Brunascio, had the chance to meet the Magus mentioned in the papers, and may even have been able to talk to them. The inquisitor has since asked Cerere on multiple occasions for more information about her grandmother and her knowledge of ancient rites. At the Hen’s continuous refusal, however, Arianna lost control and had Cerere dragged into the main square and burned on a pyre as a heretic. Even though most of the village no longer followed the old ways, everyone loved Cerere and what happened deeply shook the villagers, especially Enrico De Fredier. This Wolf of noble stock, the last heir of the waning family of the lords of Brunascio, is in mourning. He has locked himself in his solitary fort in the mountains, along with his few remaining loyal followers – and is one of the last practitioners of the old ways, whose knowledge Cerere maintained and guarded. Enrico would sporadically head into the village with his followers to perform his errands, and would then disappear back into the mountains, without stopping for any pleasantries. Except for Cerere, the only person he had formed something like a friendship with. On more than one occasion, Cerere would follow Enrico back to his castle, where she would celebrate the old Skrìa rites for him and the rest of his court. Enrico has organized a grandiose farewell ceremony to honor Cerere’s passing at the hands of Arianna, and several practitioners and followers of the old ways are headed here in secret. Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs Mirko Failoni and Michele Paroli
67 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs A secret which is, admittedly, hard to maintain: the traffic in recent days has been noticed, but already a significant crowd has gathered at the castle. What some are afraid of being an army ready to attack and invade the village, is actually a memorial for one of the last Skrìa priestesses. ADVENTURE HOOKS Depending on the configuration and proclivities of the party, you will find some possible hooks to introduce Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs below. The characters are adventurers for hire who have heard the plea of Iginius, Brunascio’s superintendent. Iginius is worried about the gathering unrest in the village, and might be willing to offer a reward to anyone who can find a solution to the current situation. The party has probably stopped at an inn nearby and have heard of the situation, or they may have been spotted by someone from Brunascio who pointed them towards the village. One or more of the characters belong to or adhere to the practices of the Church of Bones who charges them with offering aid to Arianna of the Mountains. The Puma has sent a message asking for reinforcements, which included details about heretics and blasphemers gathering at a tower not far from Brunascio. One or more of the characters belong to or adhere to the practices of the Ordo Artis Occulta, whose council has recently discovered that Arianna of the Mountains, Inquisitor and former apprentice Magus, now banished from the Ars, has settled in the small village of Brunascio. The council charges the party to investigate Arianna’s moves and understand her interest in the village and its surroundings. The council will not share the reasons behind Arianna’s banishment with the characters.
68 The latter is the only building sporting any signs of plaster on the walls other than the church, which has nonetheless seen better days and is in dire need of a touch-up. All the windows are shut, and no light – moon or sun – can make it through to the audience hall where the superintendent will finally meet with the characters. The fireplace and various candles will be the only sources of light. Iginius is quite practical and will introduce himself, pointing out that his name is pronounced “with a hard G, as is customary in these parts”. Under the fluttering light of the candles, the characters will be able to ask Iginius any question they may have, and the superintendent will answer and reveal a number of important details: • Arianna has taken control of the village on Nochenburg’s orders. No one dares question her, and should anything happen to her, the entire village would be in severe trouble. • A number of woodcutters have seen several ‘heretics’ gather, from all directions, at Enrico’s tower. The fear, currently unfounded, is that it may be an army ready to punish the village and Arianna for her actions. • Enrico and his family have never had anything against the village, nor have they ever caused any trouble themselves. • Should the characters ask about the pyre in the square, Iginius will explain that it was meant for Cerere, an old, weird Hen, well loved by the village, and very fond of the old ways and the beliefs of their ancestors, now mostly forgotten and assimilated into the Cult of Bones. Her execution was at the hands of Arianna. After the conversation, Iginius will ask the characters to find a solution to their situation in whichever way they see fit; the Porcupine cares about results, not the means to achieve them. It does not matter whether the characters talk Enrico out of attacking the village or kill him, if they are able to prevent any blood from being spilled in Brunascio, Iginius is willing to give them everything the villagers have been able to put aside that year for an emergency or special occasion. “We’re used to not having much, here in Brunascio, but what we are not used to is fighting or being killed”. The reward is actually pretty significant, and will equal one Coin for each character. - ACT 1 - The characters will arrive in Brunascio and their noses will immediately pick up the overwhelming smell of smoke. Not far from their location, in an area which makes up the small village’s main square, a sobering scene is currently taking place. The remains of a pyre, completely extinguished by now, and a pole emerging from its center, upon which Cerere was burned a few days earlier. On top of the pole is a burned Hen skull, observing the group with its empty sockets. People in the village are not trying to hide the way in which they avoid the main square, and specifically the pyre, only casting sideways glances at the latter. The locals seem aloof and scared. They will often shut doors or make themselves look busy and the characters move closer, and should they cross paths, they will quickly change direction. This will be even more noticeable if any character bears any object or piece of clothing linking them to the Church of Bones. The only person willing to approach them will be Iginius, the superintendent. Iginius is a middle-aged Porcupine, whose fur around his head and muzzle is showing clear signs of aging. His clothes are simple but of good quality, and the only thing that marks him out as the superintendent is an engraved metal necklace, almost brown with age. Iginius will also be accompanied by a number of followers, a haphazardly gathered and armed group of villagers which make up his personal guard. As soon as they reach the characters, he will speak: “Strangers, I do not know whether it is fate who brought you to Brunascio, but we are in dire need of your help. Please, follow me.” Iginius will be openly afraid of something, and his guards also seem to be gripping their makeshift weapons a little tighter than necessary. The superintendent will avoid answering any question the characters might have, insisting on reaching a safe location first. The group will be escorted by the laughable escort through the empty streets of Brunascio to the superintendent’s home.
69 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs ARIANNA THE SEEKER The characters might choose to seek an audience with the Inquisitor before heading to Enrico’s tower. Should they choose not to, Arianna’s guards will show up during or after their evening meal at the inn, to escort them to their commander. Arianna’s militia is captained by a Greyhound, Yrmengard of Nochenburg, with sharp features and a severe look in her eyes under the open helm visor. Her manners are dry and firm, but never violent – her entire behavior is that of someone trying to avoid any conflict, unless the characters behave in a disrespectful or aggressive manner towards her. This escort is undoubtedly much more of a threat than Iginius’. The Canid fighters are fully armed, their weapons and armor clearly made by skilled artisans and craftspeople. They all bear the Cross of Bones, some embroidered on their clothing, some etched in their armor, and some of their helms also bear the symbol. If the characters choose to resist in any way, the GM will ask for a DC 15 check from the group to represent the fight. Each player must describe what their character plans to do, both in order to determine what type of check, and to give the opportunity to gain inspiration. Regardless of the result, the characters will lose 2 hit points and will be escorted to Arianna, but should they succeed, they will have proven themselves and will have advantage on all persuasion and intimidation rolls against Arianna or Yrmengard. As previously noted, Arianna has set her command up in the small Brunascio church, with the rest of her guards keeping watch. The church walls are thick, limey from the weather and the humidity. The inside is very simple, almost bare: some simple pews, an empty altar, and a small, single bone placed inside the glass display case upon it. The only sign of life is a dim orange glow, coming from a door left ajar to one side of the building. The characters will be escorted to the vestry, which the Inquisitor has taken over. Arianna, despite her intimidating and authoritative presence, will treat the characters with bare courtesy, asking them a series of questions regarding the reasons for their presence in the borderlands and making it clear she is aware of their conversation with the superintendent. If the characters start talking to Arianna, it will soon become clear that the Seeker never replies to questions about her past and herself, and they will start suspecting she is actually taking the time to study their real intentions. - ACT 2 - THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OF BRUNASCIO Despite Iginius’ insistence regarding the time sensitivity of his request, the characters will still need to gather information across the village, exploring the latter and talking to its inhabitants. Generally speaking, no matter whether they sit at the local inn or wander the streets of Brunascio, the population will be decidedly unwilling to assist the strangers, especially as the villagers themselves are split in their thoughts about the current situation. ARIANNA’S SUPPORTERS A small part of Brunascio’s villagers is incredibly loyal to the Church of Bones. According to them, everyone has always played a role in the village, including Cerere. She may have been a skilled herbalist, but the blasphemies and heresies she followed, a result of dark times, were not tolerable and those who practice them should be aware that they will eventually receive their punishment. ENRICO’S SUPPORTERS A portion of villagers are shocked by what just happened. Since the Church of Bones invited Arianna to Brunascio, life has changed. There is terror in the air throughout the entire village, and many are terrified of leaving their homes in fear of being questioned by The Seeker. Arianna went too far when she opted to kill Cerere, whose only fault had been to refuse to reveal the secrets of a tradition to someone who, through the Church, had quashed its followers and persecuted them into extinction. WORRIED ABOUT ENRICO The majority of Brunascio’s population does not take either side, but they are worried about possible retaliation from Enrico, as they are of Arianna and Nochenburg’s inevitable response. Various guards and laborers have noticed the ‘heretics’ gathering around the De Fredier tower, where an army is said to be gathering to raze the village to the ground! No one is safe!
70 - ACT 3 - The characters will reach Enrico’s mountain fort at sunset, after about half a day of walking. The fort is deep in the woods; a black, simple shape and structure, whose external walls have partially gone to ruin, with obvious cracks taken over by thick, overgrown ivy. Though the only light comes from the torches along the walkways and the ones close to the guards at the main doors, the building’s age is clear, as is the lack of care and repairs. It has a square base, and it is made of simple, short walls which form a terrace of sorts in the middle of the woods, over which looms a much more imposing and bigger structure: the main tower. Given the number of guests currently present in the fort, moving closer to the walls will allow the characters to hear echoes of their voices from inside the structure. There are two ways to enter: stealthing into the building or asking for entry at the main doors. If the characters choose the former, infiltrating the castle will be hard but still possible. The GM should follow up with any possible method related to this choice: distracting the guards, opening the gates, or scouting the area to find a secondary entrance or a particularly vulnerable crack in the walls, allowing characters to climb them; the GM should make use of sequence mechanics. Arianna’s thoughts on the situation at hand are as follows: • The Brunascio region has been infested by heretics for centuries, and they must be eradicated. Only thanks to the Temple’s work, which saw its culmination in the recent events, can Brunascio now claim to be cleansed and civilized. • Cerere’s past contributions to Brunascio are irrelevant, no heresy can be tolerated. • Enrico represents the ancient evil which must be felled. His dynasty has fallen into disrepair precisely because it has been unable to accept the Cult of Bones, and, therefore, the truth. It is finally time to tie up this loose end. • Iginius is a man of faith who does not question the Temple’s authority, as it should be. During the conversation, of course, Arianna will attempt to convince the group to solve the situation with Enrico, hinting at the resulting gratitude of the Church and herself should they be able to do so. If the characters start asking too many questions, Arianna’s mood will suddenly change and the group will be briskly invited to carry out their mission without wasting any more of her time. If the characters try bringing the topic back up, the Puma’s eyes will flash threateningly and end the conversation abruptly, pointing out that she is the one asking questions, not them. Arianna, however, will never let show throughout the conversation that she may be driven by personal reasons. SEQUENCE – INFILTRATE THE DE FREDIER FORT Length: Standard DC 14 [min 12] HP per action 3 [min 1] Success. The group is able to make it into the fort without drawing the attention of the guards. Failure. The group is cornered by the guards: if the characters surrender, they will be escorted to an audience with Enrico. If they attempt to strongarm their way out of it, they will be beaten up: one of the characters will take 1d6 hit points at the start of the fight, and will then be interrupted by Enrico shouting “Stop this folly, you buffoons!” Enrico will no longer trust the characters. Complications: • A patrol comes round the corner and moves closer: they have not seen the characters yet. • A service entrance is locked. • A service entrance is obstructed and must be opened without making any noise. • A wall needs climbing. • A pipe-smoking servant is in the characters’ way.
71 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs
72 The Wolf ’s arrival: The characters will be let into the building through a set of heavy doors sporting the insignia of a Wolf ’s head holding a flame in its mouth; the doors are covered in a tight network of metal studs which become less compact as they move upwards along the door. The throne room is directly accessed through the doors. The lighting here is warm and soft, emitted by scattered braziers and a large fireplace, placed directly behind Enrico’s simple throne: a carved oak tree stump decorated with two Wolf skulls. The whole room is unsettling but magnetic, decorated with wolfskins, conferring it a savage, ancient look; the older, now almost threadbare skins have been covered in symbols, forming some kind of map, and they hang above bone structures, bound to the walls by straps covered in wooden bells, sounding out at every breeze. These structures also form strange symbols, some of which look like haunting, creaking bone statues, stretching into the darkness of the ceiling above them. Characters who pass a History check about these specific objects (which they can make with advantage if they have made the same check in the courtyard) will know that the carved skeletons are the Wolf ’s family tree, placed on the wall to prove just how far back his lineage goes. The inscriptions on the furs, on the other hand, are star maps: reading them would reveal centuries of De Fredier family members. Enrico’s behavior and manners are cut and dry, sometimes authoritative but never aggressive, and it is easy to notice a tinge of resigned sadness in his voice. Enrico obviously suspects the characters of being involved with Arianna and the village in some way, and will want to take advantage of the situation and possibly solve it by ridding Brunascio and its surroundings of Arianna without getting directly involved – and without drawing Nochenburg’s ire in retaliation.* He will start their conversation with a crooked smile, revealing impressive fangs yellowed by age, before speaking to the characters. “My mother and father,” he says, pointing at the two skulls on the back of the throne, “whispered to me in their sleep that someone would be knocking at our doors. Be it fist or battering ram, I was expecting you. And so, who may you be?” The Wolf will attempt to discover what the characters’ motives are and why they are in this area, in order to decide their fate in this whole situation. If the group is able to stealth into the fort, the camp description can be found at the start of ACT IV. The characters will be able to ask their questions during that sequence. Should the characters instead decide to walk up to the main doors and ask to be let in, they will be met by two guards more akin to lumberjacks than military personnel. To convince them to be let inside, the group will have to pass a DC 18 social skill check, such as Intimidation or Persuasion. If the characters approach the guards in an aggressive manner, the check will be made at disadvantage, and in case of failure, the guards will turn violent. If, instead, the situation is played out by relying on diplomacy, a failure will simply lead to the group being asked to leave and those present will no longer be welcomed warmly in the fort, once they are able to make it inside. - ACT 4 - The Courtyard: The characters will immediately notice several tents propped up inside the fort’s courtyard, and fires burning by most of them; each fire is surrounded by crossed spears, held together by strange pendants, amulets and strips of fabric which seem to bear writing, probably prayers of some kind.The center of the courtyard features a clear area, free from tents, occupied only by a large pile of twigs and wood. The characters will be allowed one question each, which will have to build on one of their skills, tools, weapons, armor, or anything they have proficiency with. Among the details they might notice are the following: • the spears are rusty, or at least very old and unusable in combat, and they are probably used for ritual purposes • he people in the camp are not an army, and do not appear to look like one, or have military training • the people in the camp are mostly elders, very few young folk • many of the people in the camp are looking at the group with suspicion, especially those characters wearing symbols of the Church of Bones
73 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs Depending on how the group will be composed and the inclinations of the characters, Enrico could also propose to free Arianna from the “burden of the head” as soon as she leaves the village. This could create an additional narrative cue for an alternative epilogue with Arianna. The Ceremony: Everyone will be gathered in the fort’s courtyard, and this will be the best moment to act stealthily inside the building, or leave equally stealthily. Whichever path the characters will choose, they will have advantage to their checks, as no one will be paying too much attention to them. Everyone in the camp will have arranged themselves into a circle around the clearing, at the center of which a wicker effigy vaguely resembling Cerere has been placed, decorated with makeshift clothing and strips of fabric covered in thick writing. A choir will rise, in tune as if by magical means and in growing intensity, the harmonies vibrating through to the character’s bones. Then, silence will suddenly fall, and Enrico will step into the circle, wearing his armor and an elegant crown of woven branches. The Wolf will inhale deeply and start singing with an unnatural voice, as if his regular tone were being accompanied by a low growl. Slowly, everyone else will join him in the strange song, with its incomprehensible words, creating a weird harmony which causes everyone’s fur to stand on end. Depending on the approach towards and the impression which the group will make upon Enrico, the latter will suggest one or more options. The GM is free to expand on the following list, depending on the style and tone of the game and the group: • Enrico might ask the characters to kill Arianna and her Guardians, framing it as an accident; • Enrico might ask the characters to lie to Arianna and report on his death at their hands, convincing her therefore to leave while also leading the population to make a show of performing their newfound, Templebased faith openly and clearly; • Enrico might ask the characters to convince Arianna that he and his court have no intention to harm anyone and they deserve being left alone. Once the conversation is over and settled, Enrico will invite the characters to join his table and the funeral wake for Cerere. If they accept, Enrico will still leave them to eat by themselves, and will retire to prepare for the midnight ceremony, telling the group: “Should you wish to join us, we will partake of the same food tomorrow night, once the ceremony is over.” After dinner, the characters will be free to interact with their surroundings, but will feel everyone’s eyes on them and no one will behave particularly warmly towards them. Everyone will be aloof and quiet, and many will already, in fact, be praying. Music will start rising from various areas of the camp, instruments being tuned, tambourines accompanying half-tone songs. When the characters move close to any of the groups in the camp, the singing will die down, only picking up again once they leave again. This will be a clear sign that the group’s presence here is barely being tolerated. In Enrico’s throne room, the characters will be allowed to study the skeletons, the star maps, and the tree stump throne, but they will not be allowed to enter the De Fredier private rooms, whose doors are guarded. The only moment in which they might be able to hide to prepare to murder Enrico is during the ceremony itself.
74 - ACT 5 - After witnessing the ceremony, or having killed Enrico, the characters will have to head back to the village. If they do not choose to approach Brunascio stealthily, they will be met by Arianna’s guards, led by Yrmengard, weapons at the ready. The Greyhound will tell them that Arianna is waiting for them, and she will once again be giving the impression of not wanting to have to resort to violence. Back at the church, the characters will meet Arianna kneeling in prayer at the center of the nave, bathed in moonlight coming through the round window behind the altar, while the guards will stop at the entrance, respecting the Inquisitor’s moment. A few seconds will pass, then Arianna will stand up and address the group: • If the characters have killed Enrico, or are able to convince her of having done so, they will be hailed as the village’s saviors and rewarded with the promised amount by Iginius. Each character will also gain 2 renown with the Church of Bones. • If the characters have not killed Enrico as they did not think him a threat, or if Arianna suspects they are lying about his death, the Seeker will order for them to be chained up; this action, obviously, will find them completely outnumbered, leading to the characters’ defeat. If they choose not to resist, or if they are defeated, they will be chained and locked up, awaiting punishment. If they choose not to escape during the night by using the church’s crypts (see box below), the following morning will see them being led to the pyre in the main square. The moment that the fires are lit, and if Enrico is on good terms with the characters, the Wolf and his pack will arrive to save them. Their first action will be to engage most of Arianna guards, while Enrico will use his sword to cut the ropes holding the characters to the pyres. The entire ceremony involves sung homilies. Some extremely long and only vocalized, some with unintelligible lyrics of a tongue long forgotten. The final ritual in the ceremony will see all of the participants slowly move towards the pile of wood and twigs, pick up a piece each, and place it under the Cerere effigy creating – ironically – a bonfire very similar to a pyre, much like the one which killed the old Hen. When the procession ends, Enrico also taking part among the others, a young Doe dressed in white will move closer to the pyre with a lit torch, and set fire to it. All present will close their eyes and start praying in silence. The moment will be quite stunning, even moving, and no sound other than the crackling of the pyre can be heard – meaning that this could be the perfect moment, if not the only truly safe one, for the characters to head towards Enrico’s rooms, should they have decided to kill him after the ceremony. The end of the ceremony will be marked by Enrico’s horrifying howl, followed shortly after by everyone else crying to the stars, which are about to receive Cerere’s soul. As the ceremony comes to a conclusion, people will start fetching food and drink from their tents, and singing and celebrations will begin in honor of the old priestess. Enrico will not take part in the celebrations, and will take his leave from the characters if they have remained in his presence throughout the rituals, inviting them to set up camp among the others before setting back towards the village in the morning. Killers in the night: The only moments in which Enrico can be found alone, or at least outnumbered, will be when he is in his rooms, filled with old relics, echoes of bygone times which will never return, left to gather dust. In this place, the only well kept item is an oil painting hung behind Enrico’s bed, featuring the Wolf and presumably his wife. The characters will not notice any other presence in the room, and should they attack the Wolf at this stage, only a few guards will be able to reach him in time. If they are able to defeat Enrico and kill him, they will hear the guards arrive from the main hall. If they choose to run, they will notice a tree placed beneath the window, which they can make use of to escape by succeeding on a medium difficulty Acrobatics or Athletics check; from there, they can reach a semi-ruined section of the walls, and eventually the dark woods down the mountain.
75 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs
76 Arianna will be hurriedly escorted away to the church by Yrmengard and a handful of guards. The characters will be able to face Arianna the Seeker here, with Enrico’s help. The fact that the latter has intervened in person will inevitably lead to him ensuring that no one returns alive to Nochenburg. Yrmengard and her soldiers will fight to the death to protect Arianna and buy her the time to escape, but will be eventually killed on Enrico’s orders. If Arianna is defeated, Iginius will intervene, terrified at Enrico’s pack’s presence, begging the Wolf to forgive him for not having prevented Cerere’s death. Enrico and the characters will be able to reassure him about the safety of the village, and will receive their reward, while also losing 2 renown with the Church of Bones. Enrico will reveal at this point that their attempts to save the village and his pack caused one of the villagers to run to find him after seeing them being escorted to Arianna on their return. From this point onwards, the De Frediers and Brunascio are allies of the characters. ARIANNA Felide puma STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1) INT 16 (+3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 16 (magic armor) Hit points 27 (5d6+5) Speed 30ft Skills Acrobatics +5, Arcana +5, History+5, Intimidation +2, Investigation +5, Religion +5, Stealth +5 Senses Passive Perception 15, darkvision 60ft Challenge 1 (200 XP) All For One. As long as Arianna has allies who are fighting for her, she has resistance to all damage. ACTIONS Ray of Frost. Ranged spell attack: +5 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) cold damage. Advanced Claws. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) slashing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Spiritual Weapon. Ranged spell attack: +5 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) radiant damage. REACTIONS Fight For Me. If Arianna is hit by an attack, she can redirect the attack to an ally within 5 feet of her. We’ll Meet Again. If Arianna is hit by an attack that would reduce her to 0 hit points, she can redirect the attack to an ally and cover her escape, using her old Magus skills to disappear. FIGHT OR FLIGHT The We’ll meet again trait in Arianna’s stat block has been created to give the Seeker the opportunity to escape, in order for her to be used again in other ventures. She may also fight to her death, but that choice is left to the GM’s discretion, depending on the style of the game and the players’ sensibilities. STATS
77 Of Pyres, Claws, and Fangs ENRICO Licai Wolf STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 12 (+1) Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) Hit Points 32 (5d8+10) Spees 30ft. Skills History +3, Intimidation +3, Investigation +3, Religion +3, Survival +1 Senses Passive perception 15, darkvision 60ft Challenge 1 (200 XP) One For All. As long as Enrico has allies fighting for him he has resistance to all damage, and he can choose to lose hit points in place of an ally hit by an attack, applying his own resistance to the damage. ACTIONS Multiattack. Enrico makes two melee attacks. Longsword. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if used twohanded. Heavy crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +3 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage. REACTIONS Pack Spirit. Enrico can spend his reaction to give disadvantage to an attack roll against an ally within 5 feet. YRMENGARD Canide Greyhound STR 14 (+2) DEX 11 (+0) CON 14 (+2) INT 8 (-1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 13 (+1) Armor class 16 (scale mail, shield) Hit points 22 (3d10+6) Speed 15ft. Senses Passive perception 15, Darkvision 30ft Challenge ½ (100 XP) Brave. Yrmengard has advantage on all saving throws against effects that would cause her to be frightened. ACTIONS Halberd. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d10+1) slashing damage. Bite. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage. Heavy crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +2 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage. GUARD CanidI dogo STR 14 (+2) DEX 11 (+0) CON 14 (+2) INT 8 (-1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 13 (+1) Armor Class 11 (brigandine) Speed 30ft. Senses Passive perception 15, darkvision 30ft Challenge ½ (10 XP) Brave. The guard has advantage on all saving throws against effects that would cause them to be frightened. ACTIONS Halberd. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d10-1) slashing damage. Bite. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4-1) piercing damage. Heavy crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +2 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 5 (1d10-2) piercing damage. Note: -- due to the state and quality of their equipment, all of Enrico’s guards’ damage has been reduced by 2. If a damage roll should result in a number of 0 or less, the attack deals 1 damage.
Captain Stench Riccardo Sirignano and Simone Formicola
80 An adventure for Historia for four to six characters of Tier 2. Written by Two Little Mice (Riccardo Sirignano & Simone Formicola) ADVENTURE SUMMARY The adventure begins in a small inn near the Salso Nero port. The PCs will notice a guy wearing a large furry hat, sitting in a corner and loudly demanding more drink until he is vigorously shoved into their table. He will drunkenly claim to be Captain Hector Stench, ordering the innkeeper to show the respect a man of his rank and status deserves. The Captain will then ask the PCs for help: he cannot pay off his debts, he has already mortgaged his family home; he is about to lose his title and lands after losing his entire crew and ship, a formidable galleon. He promises honorand riches to anyone who might help. Following Stench’s instructions, the PCs will have to find a way to reach the Avian archipelago in search of Captain Cipriano Nefraschi, a Rapax corsair who works for the Avian navy. Here they will realize that Hector Stench is also a corsair, wanted across the Avian islands, who was attacked by Captain Nefraschi as he was carrying out a mission on behalf of the Mayor of Salso Nero. Stench’s missions usually required carrying out specific raids of ships and cities along the Avian Islands’ coast but also, according to the Mayor, to stoke the population’s resentment against the Rapax caste. His final mission, however, was more specific: he was supposed to retrieve some plaster sculptures currently in the possession of Captain Nefraschi. Unfortunately for Stench, he was double-crossed by the Mayor, ended up with no statues, and is currently trying to regain Salso Nero’s ruler’s favor. Captain Nefraschi, on the other hand, is officially employed by his country’s navy, but acts like an outright pirate: raiding passing ships unbeknownst to his superiors, and accumulating wealth on a small, private, deserted island. As the PCs find Captain Nefraschi’s lair, they will discover a shattering secret: the Avian pirate is secretly also working for Paddath, whose Machiavellian plan involved the original delivery, Stench’s attempted heist, and a final, brutal attack from Nefraschi; all of it aimed at reinforcing his political alliances with both Femur III and his rival, the Cardinal of San Mastino. The statues have already been sent to the latter, and the PCs will have to choose whether to side with Stench, retrieve his ship, and allowing him to start a new life as a pirate with no master, or with Nefraschi, handing Hector Stench over to the Avian authorities like a common criminal, and gain the public approval of the Islands and the private one of Mayor Paddath. Alternatively, they may attempt to ‘mediate’ by claiming the ship for themselves and abandoning both Stench and Nefraschi to their fate. - ACT 1 - THE SMALL CELLAR The PCs will have gathered for a drink in one of the quieter places near the docks of Salso Nero: The Small Cellar. The imposing Bull owner is calmly pouring dark beer, while the rest of the place hosts hushed conversations among members of different familiae, no one bothering anyone else. The small inn is the perfect place for those seeking some peace and quiet without running into a stupid brawl. The clientele is entirely made up of docks-related folk, their clothing worn out but still respectable, a sign of a life of labor. Jarring with the surroundings is a Skunk, dressed in clothes as elegant as they are in bad shape, wearing a giant furry hat, insistently demanding more drink. His voice is loud and obnoxious, clear signs of inebriation. Tommaso – the innkeeper – carries his heavy footsteps towards the Skunk and with a kind but firm grip on the latter’s shoulder, starts to usher him out of the place. The innkeeper’s hand seems to briefly sober up the drunken figure, who thunderously claims to be the infamous Captain Stench, and that he deserves much better treatment than this. As if to provide proof to back up his claims, the Skunk deftly frees himself from the innkeeper’s grip and punches Captain Stench Riccardo Sirignano and Simone Formicola
81 Captain Stench him squarely in the muzzle, just before he is lifted and thrown onto the PCs’ table. Splayed upon their table, Stench will ask the PCs for a little help to get out of that unfortunate situation, in exchange for all the glory and riches he can list before the imposing Tommaso is back upon him. It is up to the characters to decide whether to help the Captain and how. Convincing Tommaso to desist will require good speaking skills and nerves of steel, combined with a full payment of the Skunk’s tab, totaling XXX (a sum which Stench promises he will repay post-haste). A violent response will mean facing the innkeeper’s giant fists, and his surprising thick skin. Starting a full-out brawl will make the entire situation devolve into chaos, bringing other customers out to help Tommaso, making the encounter even more difficult. TAVERN BRAWL Duration: standard DC: 12 PF/action: 1 Success. Stench and the PC can get away with no any other complications. Failure. Guards in the city are aware of the characters and they will suffer disadvantage with them for a week. Complications • One more table joins the fight • A group focuses on a character • Someone unsheathes the weapons
82 Hector will introduce himself as a noble Captain who has used his entire family wealth to purchase a magnificent galleon and train a sea-faring crew, with the aim of carrying cargo of all sorts across the more dangerous waters, plagued with piracy. His job has brought him to face some of the worst folk to sail the seas, and above all, a dangerous criminal from the Avian Islands: Cipriano Nefraschi, a ruthless Vulture. The Skunk has faced off against the pirate and his small crew of crooks more than once, triumphing every time… until their last encounter. One moonless night, as he was placidly sailing his ship loaded with precious objects from Salso Nero, Hector was ambushed. No one was expecting the attack and the entire crew was caught unaware. His ship was captured, his crew killed or imprisoned, his cargo stolen. Not even Stench can explain through what desperate measures and strength he was able to escape his captor that night, and reach Salso Nero, where he started planning his revenge. Unfortunately, once back with no ship, cargo or crew, his resources were depleted, though he knew he had not seen the last of Captain Cipriano Nefraschi. As proof of his story and as advance appreciation of their services, Hector will offer the PCs his precious gun, which sports exquisite carvings and decorations adorning what truly is a work of art and engineering. THE PORT As they follow Stench’s indications, the first issue that the PCs will encounter is finding a way to reach the Avian Islands, where the Captain hopes to gather precious information about Nefraschi’s lair. Fortunately, the party is in one of the most active ports in the continent, and the archipelago is close enough that they will have no issues finding passage on a ship – as long as they pay a fair price. The first available ship is a large trading ship, the Rosa del Mare, carrying a load of valuable spices. Passage aboard the ship will cost 80 gold pieces per character, plus an additional 80 for Stench, who is completely broke. Alternatively, the party might decide that spending money on this mission is not worth it, or that it is best to avoid being seen, as their mission may lead down dangerous avenues. In this case, they can attempt to sneak onto the ship. The PCs may also choose to split, with one part traveling legally, and another in secret, preparing for a number of situations. If the brawl starts taking up too much time, and someone has the terrible idea of drawing any sort of weapon – suddenly escalating the situation – the noise will draw the attention of a small guard patrol from outside. In this case, as the Mayor’s forces arrive, Stench will draw a small gun out of his threadbare clothes in order to create enough confusion to allow himself and the PCs to flee the place. Leaving the Skunk to his fate will mean watching as he is pummeled without any assistance and thrown unceremoniously out of the inn. As the characters leave the inn themselves, he will still be out there, muttering to himself and wondering how he was able to fall so low, all while he studies a fairly impressive gun pulled out from under his threadbare clothing. Should the PCs look more closely at the weapon, they will realize it is of exquisite make and crafting, which might suggest that the Skunk is indeed who he says he is. CAPTAIN STENCH Anyone who has been around the docks and port of Salso Nero has heard a story or two about Captain Hector ‘Stench’ Tarres, the fearless Skunk who is rumored to freely sail between Salso Nero and the Avian Islands, defending cargo ships from pirate raids. Some say that Stench is a rich and bored nobleman trying to make a name for himself as a pirate slayer. Others claim he is an ex-con who gained his freedom, ship, and crew in exchange for a life dedicated to making the waters off Salso Nero safer. What the characters have heard does not matter, as the Captain will tell his version of his own story before asking them for help in recovering his ship; if directly asked about his nickname, he will take the time to explain its origin. He will tell them that it was given to him during his first years as a sailor, when – still young and inexperienced – he would look for employment as a scullery boy or help on trading ships. Due to the fact that Skunks were not common in the area, and especially not working on ships, Hector had become an easy target for jokes and insults regarding his body odor. Very direct, Hector will admit that ‘Stench’ was actually quite appropriate at the time, given how his work left him little time to look after his personal hygiene; after gaining some experience and a good relationship with the same sailors who mocked him, he decided to keep the name, though pairing it with impeccable self-hygiene.
83 Captain Stench HIGH SEAS ENCOUNTER Shortly after the half-way point in the journey from Salso Nero to the small port in the Avian Islands, the ship’s final destination, things will suddenly become a lot more dangerous: a ship flying the Avian navy colors is heading straight for the Rosa del Mare. The crew is a little worried at the prospect of an inspection, as the best case scenario will lead them to lose a lot of time and the worst will mean having to pay a fine for some obscure irregularity. The only member of the crew currently worried about something else entirely is Captain Hector Stench. He will attempt to convince Captain Remigio of the danger in any way possible and will tell the PCs to get ready as he knows that some crooks’ methods are to approach trading ships by pretending to be the navy, only to then attack the crew once on board. When the ship will be close enough to identify its crew, Hector will be unable to hold back from swearing before hiding below deck. If the characters question him about it, he will simply reply that he has had a couple of unsavory encounters with the approaching ship’s captain and crew, and will suggest they all prepare for whatever might happen, also asking for some help in disguising himself from the newcomers. After receiving permission to come alongside the Rosa del Mare, the Rapax in charge will come on board with a handful of his crew for a simple inspection. As his crew inspect the ship and its cargo, cross-checking with the registers provided by Remigio, the two captains will meet in private in the Ibis’ personal rooms. A character with good hearing can attempt to eavesdrop in on the conversation and, if successful, find out that the navy officer is blatantly blackmailing the captain of the Rosa del Mare: in exchange for a significant sum, he will let the ship and its cargo proceed without further issue; should he refuse, he threatens to find ‘irregularities’ that will make the rest of the trip particularly unpleasant. The atmosphere on the ship will become very tense and it will take very little to set off a combat encounter. If Hector Stench is discovered by one of the Avian navy crew, he will try anything to avoid capture. He will try discreetly neutralizing the sailors who found him, asking for help from the PCs, but will also be ready for a fight. Should the PCs fail their Stealth checks as they try sneaking onto the ship, they will still be able to hide but will be discovered once the ship reaches open water and treated as any other stowaway. In this case, using carefully deployed diplomacy, they might be able to convince the ship’s captain to allow them to work in exchange for safe passage. If this were not possible, they will be locked up in a room below deck, and handed over to the authorities as the ship docks at the end of its travels. THE “ROSA DEL MARE” Travel will proceed with no major obstacles, and the winds will seem favorable for smooth sailing above quiet waters. The Rosa del Mare is a ‘carrack’, a ship with a high, rounded stern, a sizable forecastle, and a reinforced bow. The three masts are of different sizes: the mainmast is the tallest and is rigged with strong square sails, as is the smaller foremast. The mizzenmast is rigged with triangular sails, for a total of six across the three masts. The Rosa del Mare’s hull is reinforced with belt armor and wooden ribbing. The ship’s captain is an Ibis named Remigio, whose crew is composed of members of different familie, each tasked with their own role. If some of the PCs have been found sneaking onto the ship, be they imprisoned or busy cleaning the wide upper deck, their weapons will have been removed and stored in a locked and guarded room below deck, which also hosts weapons and armor belonging to the crew and to be used in case of pirate raids. It will not be easy to find a way in, and it will require agility and coordination to avoid the guards, and good sleight of hand to unlock the door. Inside, along with their weapons, the PCs will find several arquebuses (with powder and ammo) and heavy short swords. The ship does not carry any cannons in order to make more space for cargo, but the captain trusts in the protection of the Avian Island navy and will say so should he be asked about it. It will be possible to free the imprisoned PCs by proceeding discreetly and stealing the keys from one of the guards, or by offering them several drinks and waiting for the alcohol to take effect. Some of the characters may feel a little alienated by life at sea, while Hector will be perfectly at ease on board, finding his footing and making friends with several of the crew during downtime.
84 ARRIVAL IN THE AVIAN ISLANDS Depending on how the PCs have approached the previous encounter and its outcome, the last portion of the journey will be very different. If armed combat has been avoided entirely, the second half of the trip will be straightforward but feel very uncomfortable. Captain Remigio has been humiliated due to how he has been treated by the Avian navy, and the entire crew will be on edge. He will tell the PCs that he has never had to deal with a situation like this in all his years of sailing this route. The Ibis is aware that if the most important and decorated armed force has started behaving like common thieves, the situation in the archipelago cannot be evolving well. Hector, on the other hand, will reveal to the PCs that he has met several similar crooked officers, abusing their uniform to throw their weight around and steal from honest workers. Once they reach the port, Remigio will ask everyone to disembark and will stay docked as little as possible, unloading the cargo as quickly as he can and using any believable excuse to return the Rosa del Mare back to Salso Nero. If there has been a fight, and the combined efforts of the PCs and Stench have allowed Captain Remigio to live, the atmosphere will be much more relaxed and the Ibis’ gratitude will be sincere. He will recant any orders regarding the stowaways and will put everyone up in the best furnished room on the ship, rewarding the party with the sum the enemy Rapax had tried extorting: after all, it’s entirely thanks to them that he did not lose it, and Remigio does not like being in debt with anyone. If the crew or captain of the Rosa del Mare are provoked by the newcomers, it will not be long until weapons are drawn; similarly, combat will be inevitable if one of the PCs responds badly to or refuses to follow the orders of one of the sailors. The only way to avoid combat is to maintain calm and avoid any kind of friction. HIGH SEAS COMBAT Should the situation devolve into a fight, everyone present will draw weapons, leading to several smaller brawls across the ship. Fighting will be difficult in this situation: the ship is not a stable surface and it will make it harder to find good footing. Nevertheless, Hector will prove himself in combat and lead the fight, confirming how this is indeed his natural environment. The opponents, in particular the Rapax captain and his first mate, will focus on Remigio, trying to eliminate him first so as to demoralise the crew and end the fighting as quickly as possible. Defending Remigio will not be easy, given how close the two officers are and the clear difference in fighting skills. Should Remigio die or be seriously wounded, Hector will use the opportunity to prove his skills and take command of the remaining crew and rejuvenate them. To end the fighting, the PCs will have to defeat the enemy ship’s captain, and threaten or intimidate his second in command, so as to end the combat and force the military ship to depart. TENSION ON THE ROSA DEL MARE Standard duration DC 18 [min 12] PF/action 6 [min 2] Success. Hector remains hidden and noone reacts to any provocation. Faulure. Hector is found or someone is provoked badly, sailors get their weapon: roll initiative. Complications • The wind changes and someone or something falls down, locking Hector’s path to safety • An avian sailor taunts a group of the Rosa’s sailor • An avian sailor taunts a player character • Someone stares at Hector’s hideout for too long, alerting the enemy
85 Captain Stench If they choose to head to the Old Rat’s Nest, they will find a much livelier and welcoming place that the name might suggest. A dozen Mice are running around, busy with cleaning, serving tables, clearing and cleaning rooms upstairs, cooking, or just looking busy. A female Mouse near the entrance keeps an eye on foot traffic, and the PCs will need to talk to her to negotiate a room for the night for everyone, adding a little extra should they want to remain anonymous. The PCs’ attention will then be drawn to a piece of paper casually left on the innkeeper’s desk. The paper shows a sketched portrait of a Skunk, followed by a brief description and a bounty for anyone that brings Captain Hector Stench to the authorities. If the PCs choose to ignore the advice, they can ask around or wander around the docks area. They will eventually end up at the Golden Pot, a respectable tavern run by a Turtle who appears to be well known across the city for his cooking. They will have to spend some extra coins compared to the Old Rat’s Nest for two rooms for the night, but both service and clientele will be of much better quality. This place also has a notice table with some papers, including a sketched portrait of a Skunk, followed by a brief description and a bounty for anyone bringing Captain Hector Stench to the authorities. As they reach their destination, the Ibis will oversee the unloading of the cargo before bidding his farewell to the PCs, wishing them good luck, and advising them to be careful and not draw too much attention, as news of the fight may have preceded them. If the fight led to Remigio’s death, the situation will become a little surreal. The crew’s anger will be palpable, but no one will seem to question the Skunk’s leadership; Hector will prove himself to be an excellent captain, with clear and practical orders for the repairs to enable swift sailing to their destination. Once they reach the port, he will oversee the unloading of the cargo and will give the crew the name of one of his contacts as a replacement to take them back to Salso Nero, where they will be able to report Remigio’s death, return the ship, and find another job. - ACT 2 - THE AVIAN PORT Regardless of the journey’s outcome, Hector will warn the PCs that the easy part of their mission is over and that the threat level will only increase from here. Given the time of day, he will ask them to find a place for the night, suggesting to try The Old Rat’s Nest, a local inn run by a large Mouse family, cheap and fairly anonymous. In the meantime, he will head over to see an old contact to find out more information about Captain Nefraschi and the location of the ship that the Vulture stole from him. At this point, PCs are free to act as they wish. They can follow Hector’s instructions and head to the Old Rat’s Nest or insist on accompanying Stench to his meeting with the mysterious contact. They could even make a show of the former to then stealthily follow him, or even find an entirely different place to rest.
86 The target was Nefraschi himself, a captain of the Avian navy with whom he had fought several times in the past. Hector was supposed to retrieve two plaster statues from the Vulture’s ship, both effigies of San Aceraterio, which Paddath believed to be of some strategic importance. Not having received any orders on how to conduct the heist, the Skunk had opted for a stealthy approach, infiltrating the docked ship overnight with a few loyal crew members and stealing the statues from under Nefraschi’s beak. The whole thing went over smoothly. Too smoothly. A few days later, as he was sailing back to Salso Nero, the Rapax had found and caught up to him. Nefraschi’s battleship and the support from two other navy vessels had been too much for Hector and his crew who, despite fighting valiantly, had been forced to surrender. Stench still cannot explain how the Rapax had been able to find him so swiftly, considering that he had chosen, as always, an unexpected and uncommon sailing route. Before he could be captured, Stench was able to escape by throwing himself into the water, and shook them off his tracks. Stench will do anything to get back in Paddath’s good graces, no matter the cost, and is aware of the treatment reserved by the Mayor to those who fail to complete their mission, especially those of ‘high strategic and political importance’. Regarding Nefraschi, Stench will reveal that despite officially an officer of his country’s navy, he does not hesitate to behave like a true pirate, devoid of any sense of honor. He raids passing ships without any orders on the matter. Even the Rapax patrol that attacked the Rosa del Mare probably works for him or at least belongs within his circle of power. The Skunk is certain that the old Vulture has amassed a significant amount of loot through the years, and keeps it hidden on a small deserted island that his friend Laerte has finally been able to identify. If there is any chance of recovering the statues, and his honor with them, that is not far from their current location, on Nefraschi’s treasure island. If the PCs choose to follow Captain Stench, they will discover he is headed for an old friend, a Marten called Laerte who lives in a slightly higher area of the small coastal city. It will be quite difficult to follow the Skunk without being noticed, as Hector keeps checking for anyone following him and will do anything to shake anyone off his tail. Once he’s reached Laerte’s place though, Hector’s attention will be entirely devoted to the Marten, allowing the characters to listen in on the conversation taking place. Laerte will not be too surprised at Stench still being alive, but he will be surprised at him being in the area, as he appears to be the most wanted creature on this side of the sea and Captain Nefraschi is turning over every stone to find him and bring him to justice. Fortunately, it also seems that Laerte knows where Nefraschi hides his loot and will be happy to share this knowledge out of pure hatred towards the Rapax and with hopes of someone bringing an end to his criminal behavior. Regardless of whether the PCs are inside or outside the Marten’s place for this conversation, this is where they will realize two important truths about the situation they have gotten themselves into. First of all, Hector Stench is a wanted criminal according to Avian authorities, and secondly (and perhaps more importantly) Captain Nefraschi is no common pirate, as the Skunk described his rival, but rather a uniformed captain of the Avian navy. If Hector is questioned on the matter, he will confess that he did omit a few details of his story to convince them to help him in his quest for revenge. CAPTAIN STENCH’S TRUTH If the characters question him about the wanted sketch or the conversation with Laerte, Hector will reveal the truth to the PCs. He is, in fact, a corsair and has been for a long time, but he unofficially works for Mayor Paddath of Salso Nero himself. He is currently wanted throughout the Avian Islands due to an incident during his latest mission for Paddath, a mission that the latter had dubbed of ‘the highest importance’. Stench and his crew were regularly tasked with conducting small raids against specific small coastal cities or ships, in order to destabilize the entire archipelago and stoke the fires of resentment towards the Rapax caste, but the latest mission was a lot more specific.
87 Captain Stench
88 Finding a suitable fishing boat will be relatively easy, no matter what time they attempt to do so. Following Stench’s precise commands to sail it towards the open sea will be similarly simple, even for less experienced PCs – as long as they don’t attempt to do so after having raised the alarm with the guards. If this were to be the case, everything will have to be done much faster and probably while under fire from the city guards. Once at sea and with the course set, navigation will be initially smooth; it will not be long, however, before Hector will start swearing as he looks at the sky, which will look clear to less experienced eyes. His sailor senses, a result of his years of experience, will prove him right once more. A terrifying storm will appear between the small boat and its destination, still hidden beyond the horizon, as the heavens open upon the party and their inadequate vessel. Rain will fall incessantly, the wind will start blowing furiously, threatening to throw the characters overboard, and the sea itself will seem to be fighting against them, rising and crashing in powerful waves against the wood. The scene will be intense and the characters will have to help each other in order not to be thrown overboard, but even if they act with coordination and determination, they will not be able to completely avoid damage to their boat. The oars will break and all gear and equipment not fastened to the deck will be lost to the sea. Any large object, such as weapons or armor, that the PCs may have on them will make each of their actions more difficult, forcing them to choose whether to risk their lives or lose their belongings. TOWARDS THE DESERTED ISLAND The day after their arrival, the streets will appear to be buzzing with armed guards, probably busy with regular patrols and other routines, but Stench’s increasing paranoia will make him think they are all out to find him specifically. This will not be a good moment to draw any attention, and the PCs must deal with the fact that their party includes a wanted ‘dangerous’ criminal of high interest to the navy. The island the PCs are trying to reach, despite being quite close to the city, is outside of any known sailing route – probably why Nefraschi has chosen it as his personal vault. The only way of reaching it swiftly and leaving as quickly as possible is to commandeer a small ship needing no crew other than the PCs and the captain. Ideally, a small fishing boat. There are a few options this time too, and the PCs are always free to think out of the box to develop a strategy not suggested in this adventure. The party may take advantage of the morning bustle when the fishing boats are back and the market is abuzz with trade, or perhaps wait for a quieter moment to sneak onto one of the smaller boats. In any case, they will have to be extremely alert when walking around in Stench’s company, considering that all city guards will have seen his poster and have received specific orders to capture him on sight. This means that though they will not try killing the Skunk while attempting to capture him, they may not reserve the same kindness to anyone getting in their way (and their reward). The city guards move in pairs, and should they find themselves outnumbered, they will all use the same strategy: as one of them tries keeping the PCs at bay, the other will call for reinforcements, yelling and ringing a heavy bell. BOWS UNDER Long duration DC 15 [min 12] PF/action 3 [min 2] Success. The party rides the storm and they are galvanized: PCs arrive to their destination and they can spend 2HD to recover HP Failure. The party gets to the island very tired. Complications • The wind changes suddenly and the ship starts rolling • A sail gets loose and the boom can hit someone • The hull leaks: hurry up, we need repair! • The water is rising in the hold, it must be emptied! • The helmsman can’t keep up, he needs help to keep the ship on route • Man overboard! Man overboard!
89 Captain Stench The defeated pirates will reveal themselves to be particularly cooperative and will point out, or accompany, the PCs to a natural cavern of medium size, filled with chests overflowing with fabrics, spices, candle holders, paintings, religious icons, and many other precious items, clearly stolen from various ships from several different countries. However, there is no sign of the plaster statues. What is of comfort to the pirates is the fact that, though they have shown the treasure to the intruders, Nefraschi’s arrival means they would not have been able to carry out their goal in time. - ACT 3 - IN THE CAVE Inside the natural cave holding the treasure - the result of years of piracy - the PCs will find all kinds of items, though very few coins as they are the first to be used by Nefraschi and his crew, while the rest is stored in the cave. Stench will give no sign of being impressed at the treasure, spending instead his time looking for the statues that would gain him an opportunity to get back into the good graces of the Mayor of Salso Nero. After inspecting every inch of the room and asking the characters to do the same, Stench will shift his attention to the surviving members of Nefraschi’s crew (if there are any), questioning them with passion and fury. Through threats and violence, he will attempt to find out where the statues have been placed, but the answer he will finally receive will make his blood chill. The statues were never taken to the lair. In what seemed strange to the other pirates too, Nefraschi took a skeleton crew to escort the statues to a mysterious contact shortly after the attack on Stench’s ship and has not mentioned them since. The PCs are now free to explore the caves, finding chambers with sleeping areas for the guards, a series of maps with trade routes marked in red, and even a morbid collection of blade weapons soiled by smoke, rust, or blood: trophies kept by the captain to remember particularly exciting or difficult opponents. One particular chamber will host a gigantic, and overly generous portrait of Nefraschi himself, striking a heroic pose, such as for a national hero of noble stock. Only someone with immeasurable ego could choose to be When the storm will finally be over, the PCs will be exhausted, but those long minutes spent to make it out of the bad weather will have brought them closer to their destination, finally visible on the horizon. THE ISLAND The party will be able to move ashore in a small sandy cove thanks to the diminutive size of their boat (or what is left of it after the storm, at least). Once on land, they will be able to take in the unspoiled beauty of the place and its strategically perfect location: a galleon could never make it close due to the shallows surrounding it, meaning that the cove and the beach cannot be seen beyond the tall rocks, making the island look more like a large rock emerging from the surface. On the shore, they will notice the entrance to a cave, not too far away from their boat: a tunnel boring directly into the rock, leading downwards, well below sea level – a perfect location for a hidden treasure. Once inside the natural cave, the PCs will notice torches placed at regular intervals lighting up the tunnel; this is the first tangible proof that the cave is regularly used by someone, confirmed shortly after by muffled sounds of voices. Proceeding further into the cave, they will be able to notice half a dozen pirates, mostly Avian, talking loudly, gambling, and drinking. The six individuals will be busy as the PCs approach, and will not expect a surprise attack, something which the party can take advantage of to overcome them without too much difficulty. Should they choose instead to listen in on the conversations, they will discover - among several filthy jokes - that Captain Nefraschi is on his way back and they are expecting him to carry more loot to the cave, along with a change of the guard. If the PCs choose to ignore them, they will be able to proceed stealthily without being noticed, but after the large cavern with the pirates, the place will become a labyrinth of tunnels spreading in every direction, filled with dead-ends, and extremely difficult to navigate. Finding the treasure chamber will be impossible without a map, and lacking the latter, the only other way is to ask the individuals currently busy drinking and gambling. If the PCs are able to overcome the small group of pirates, the latter will quickly reveal the location of the treasure and how to reach it: loyalty is not their best trait, and as much as they love serving Nefraschi they are not particularly keen on meeting a violent end.
90 If the newcomers notice signs of a struggle, or if they were not to find their compatriots, they will quickly become alarmed. Nefraschi will make a beeline for the entrance and his boat, and eventually his larger ship from there, along with his personal guards who will put their lives on the line for their captain to return unharmed to his ship. The rest of the crew will search every cave for any intruders, starting with the treasure room. It will not be easy to avoid the search party, especially as Hector – usually calm and collected – will try to reach Nefraschi to quench his thirst for vengeance. If the PCs are able to avoid Nefraschi’s subordinates and swiftly leave the cave, they will find an empty boat on the shore, while another containing Nefraschi will be heading for an impressive galleon anchored nearby. It seems as though the Vulture has found a new use for the ship that used to belong to Stench. If, on the other hand, the PCs start a combat sequence, they will have to face the six newcomers, intent on giving their captain as much of a headstart as possible, plus any of the previous sailors who are still able to fight. The two Mice freed by the NPCs will not be of any help during combat and will spend its entirety by cheering on their saviors from a safe hiding spot. THE SOLITARIA The Solitaria is a majestic warship built for long distance patrols, the pinnacle of a shipwrights craft. Anyone seeing the ship will perfectly understand why Nefraschi will have kept the ship rather than handing it to the navy or taking it apart. Compared to the Rosa del Mare, Stench’s galleon is much larger, the forecastle is lower, the stern is squared off and the hull is longer, conferring the ship more speed and space to maneuver, and makes it less prone to being derailed by waves. The stern is soberly decorated with colored geometric motifs, alternating with carvings reminiscent of a Skunk’s face. If Stench is asked what it symbolizes, he will tell the PCs that the ship was built in memory of his dear mother. The gundeck hosts a line of ten minor artillery cannons, and eight more can be placed on the higher decks. The ship is approximately 130 feet long and 30 feet wide and has four masts. Every one of the galleons’ features is designed for both ranged combat and boarding other ships. The artillery consists of a series of ten-foot-long culverins, and smaller culverins which can also be operated by a single person. portrayed in such a grandiose manner. Muffled sounds are audible from behind the extravagant portrait. Moving it aside reveals a cell carved out of the rock and closed with strong metal grates and a small iron door. The makeshift cell contains two small rodents, both white Mice, who will introduce themselves as Ippolito and Modestino, famous Rodelian painters kidnapped by the pirate during a journey that would have taken them to the Khan’s Empire, along with a gigantic portrait of the foreign Feline leader. The prisoners will tell the PCs how once captured and brought to this lair, they had been forced by Nefraschi to paint him even more grandiosely than the Khan, forcing them to do so over the commissioned painting they had been traveling with. The two Mice are particularly renowned and will promise anything to the characters to be able to flee this cursed place and the Vulture’s horrible taste. Protecting Ippolito and Modestino will mean having two witnesses to Nefraschi’s crimes to bring to the authorities, but also the means to restore an apparently invaluable painting of the Khan, which may fetch the PCs a handsome reward. After finding the small cell, or after leaving the place believing there to be nothing else worth looking for, unsettling sounds will reach the PCs from the cave’s main entrance: Captain Nefraschi has returned, and he is not alone. CAPTAIN NEFRASCHI Captain Nefraschi is also known as ‘Talon’, a nickname he gained after a wound from decades earlier caused him to lose all but one of the talons on one of his feet. No one is entirely sure whether it was an attempt to mock the young navy officer or a way to intimidate his already numerous enemies, but in either case, he fully adopted it. He is a very tall, older Vulture with a martial stride; he is covered in so many scars that anyone watching might legitimately wonder how he has not yet fallen to pieces. Even his ceremonial uniform, elegant and of high quality, is tattered and worn haphazardly, lending him even more of a criminal aura. Additionally, his sharp beak and his piercing, pale eyes confirm any suspicion that the older Rapax is not someone to underestimate. The Avian will step into the cave accompanied by two of his most loyal guards plus six other sailors, presumably the replacements for the six that the party met earlier, who are carrying crates filled with more precious items. All of them are untidily wearing Avian navy uniforms.
91 Captain Stench CAPTAIN NEFRASCHI’S TRUTH Captain Nefraschi, high officer of the Rapax navy and even more infamous for his ruthless piracy, secretly works for Paddath, the Mayor of Salso Nero and the source of almost the entirety of all of the raids conducted by Hector Stench. Without hesitation, Nefraschi will reveal that the Mayor has set in motion an extremely complex plan, secretly exploiting Stench to gain the trust of two separate factions within the Holy Kingdom. After secretly setting up the original cargo ship, the one with which Nefraschi was meant to deliver the San Aceraterio plaster statues to Femur III himself, he tasked Stench with stealing them – this allowed him to both blame pirates for the loss of the artifacts and keep his excellent relationship with the Holy Kingdom’s ruler. At the same time, however, he was making a deal with the Keeper of Bones’ rival, the Cardinal of San Mastino, by tasking Nefraschi to secretly return the statues to Salso Nero. To ensure he could not be implicated in any of these dealings, Paddath needed a scapegoat that would take the fall for the first theft and subsequently be eliminated without too much noise. The only loose end in the Mayor’s plan had been Hector’s survival, which he has been trying to rectify by stripping the Skunk of all credibility, leaving him to appear as nothing more than a washed up, drunken sailor. Nefraschi’s words will strike Hector like a hammer and will leave him speechless and hopeless, unable to react as long as he is processing that he’s been used and left for dead by someone to whom he has devoted almost his entire life to. The crew of the Solitaria carries around two hundred sailors, half of which had served under Stench but having to choose between a sudden death or serve under a new captain, chose the latter. If the PCs start chasing Nefraschi with the second boat, they will be able to reach him with some considerable effort before the crew can arm the artillery and start shooting in their direction. If the PCs have, instead, been caught up in armed combat inside the cave, or have wasted time for any other reason, the second half of their charge to the Solitaria will take place under enemy fire. They can continue rowing, hoping for poor accuracy from the cannons or decide to abandon the boat and swim the rest of the way. Once they reach the Solitaria, they will be able to climb the sides and make use of the cannon ports to enter the galleon. The numbers will be very much not in their favor, but with Stench’s presence, his eyes ablaze with dreams of vengeance, and his oratory skills, they will be able to convince the Skunk’s old crew to join him once more, rebelling against the new captain, and plunging the entire ship into a chaotic hell of whizzing bullets, smoke, sword duels, and brawls. Nefraschi and his two loyal lieutenants will reveal themselves to be formidable opponents, forcing even Hector to push his already proven skills beyond what the PC’s have so far witnessed.. Once alone and cornered, the Rapax leadership will reveal some further information that even Stench was not privy to. TO THE SOLITARIA Standard duration DC 16 PF/action 2, 7 if they are under fire Success. The party gets safe on the ship, gaining inspiration Failure. The party gets barely alive on the ship and Hector doesn’t have the strength to persuade the sailors: every character loses 3hp every round because of the sailors until someone uses his action to frighten or persuade them with a proper DC 19 skill check. Complications • Ther isn’t any cover on your path • Someone is too noisy and alerts the enemy • A shot of artillery shakes the water, it’s hard to keep the route straight • Man overboard! Man overboard!
92 The Skunk is very aware of having to be wary of Paddath’s vengeful wrath, who will not be merciful with him or the PCs for meddling with his plans. However, having both captains before them and the entire ship in chaos, the PCs may instead choose a more radical resolution that requires no need to involve the Avian Islands authorities: taking command of the Solitaria themselves, after eliminating both Nefraschi and Stench, or abandoning the latter two to their fate on the deserted island – both are suitable solutions for the end of this adventure. By doing so, they will be able to keep the Vulture’s loot in its entirety, and the Skunk’s galleon, heading off in search of new adventures. Additionally, the PCs will have embarked upon a new career, but the always well informed Mayor Paddath of Salso Nero will remember and appreciate those who took care of the only two people who were privy to his machiavellian plans, and could be interested in seeing it through with further tasks – well paid and very discreetly, of course. Finally, releasing Ippolito and Modestino, and allowing them to reach the Khan’s Empire, will bring the PCs a certain level of renown in those parts of the world too. SETTLING OF SCORES Nefraschi will take the opportunity of Stench’s sudden breakdown to offer a deal to the PCs, while the battle around them does not seem to settle. If the PCs side with him, the Vulture claims, they will be able to bring peace back to the ship and hand the Skunk to the Avian authorities, where he is wanted for numerous acts of piracy. Doing so would mean not only receiving the reward for having handed over a dangerous criminal, but also some renown amongst the Rapax caste and Mayor Paddath himself, though the latter would of course not be public. If the characters had previously freed the two artist Mice, the new deal would mean sentencing both Ippolito and Modestino back to captivity. If the party chooses instead to remain faithful to their traveling companion, even in this dramatic moment, all they can do is see through the original plan: neutralize the Rapax, assume command of the galleon, and return it to its rightful owner. What is certain is that, if they choose to spare the Vulture and send him to trial for his crimes, they will also have to make sure to find and provide proof from his treasure room, as well as the witness statements from the two artist Mice he held captive for so long. They will also have to hand Nefrashi to the same Avian officers he claims to serve under. If they are able to do all this, he will be sentenced for his actions and the PCs will be recognized as valuable allies by the Avian Islands, along with being allowed to keep some of the loot from Nefraschi’s lair as a reward. Stench, once he has found his footing again, will regain control of his ship, the Solitaria, and will start a new life of piracy with no masters to report to, promising help and shelter to the PCs should they ever need it.
93 Captain Stench STAT HECTOR STENCH Mustaceo skunk STR 15 (+2) DEX 20 (+5) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2) Armor Class 16 (gambeson) Hit points 104 (16d8+32) Speed 30ft. Saving Throws Dex +9, Int +4 Skill Acrobatics +9, Intimidate+6, Persuasion +6, Survival +4 Tools Vehicles (ship) Senses Passive perception 10, superfine smell Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Natural leader. Whenever Hector is in a commanding position and rolls initiative, his allies gain 5 temporary hit points. Resolve. Once, when Hector fails a saving throw he can roll again and keep either result. può ritirare un tiro salvezza fallito.He gains this ability back whenever he rolls for initiative. Relentless tenacity. (1/day) If Hector drops to 0 hit points he can drop to 1 hit point instead. ACTIONS Multiattack. Hector makes two melee attack. Rapier. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 7) slashing damage. Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +9 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) piercing damage. Nauseating spray. Hector emits a fetid spray on a 10ft. line. Every creature in the area of effect must make a DC 14 dexterity saving throw or being poisoned for 1 minute. Whoever is poisoned in this way he’s afflicted by a persistent disgusting smell, perceivable from a long distance by whoever has the superfine smell trait. Hector is an agile and brave skunk, a skilled swordsman used to live on a ship. He’s proficient with firearms. CIPRIANO NEFRASCHI Rapax volture STR 20 (+5) DEX 14 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 12 (+1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 17 (avian rodelian lamellar armor) Hit points 120 (16d8+48) Speed 20ft., fly 30ft. Saving Throws Str +9, Con +7 Skills Athletics +9, Intimidate +8, Survival +5 Tools Vehicles (ship) Senses Passive perception 16, superfine sight Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Martial discipline. While he’s more than half of his hit points (60), Nefraschi deals 7 (2d6) additional damage with every weapon attack. Killing. Nefraschi has advantage on saving throws for effects that inflict the frightened condition. ACTIONS Multiattack. Nefraschi makes three melee attack. While flying he can switch a melee attack for a pistol attack. Iron pecker. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) slashing damage. Iron claws. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage. Usable only while flying. Avian pistol. Ranged weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target, short range. Hit: 11 (2d8+2) piercing damage. Nefraschi usually has 2 loaded pistols he can’t reload in combat. BONUS ACTIONS Recuperate. Nefraschi recovers 20 hit points. Nefraschi is an old mighty vulture, with years of fighting on lands, sea and sky, he’s tough and dangerous.
94 AVIAN OFFICER Rapax hawk STR 18 (+4) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor class 14 (avian brigandine) Hit Points 120 (16d8+48) Speed 20ft., fly 30ft. Skills Athletics +9, Intimidate +3 Senses Passive perception 11 Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Who’s scarier? If the avian officer must make a saving throw to resist the frightening condition, he can use the result of his captain’s charisma (intimidate) check instead. ACTIONS Multiattack. The avian officer makes two melee attack. Iron pecker. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage. AVIAN SAILOR Grarcone heron STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 14 (avian brigandine) Speed 20ft., fly 30ft. Skills Athletics +6, Intimidate +3 Senses Passive perception 11 Challenge 3 (700 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack. The avian sailor makes two melee weapon attack. Iron pecker. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.+ THERI SAILOR Mustacea marten STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor Class 13 (gambeson) Speed 30ft. Skills Athletics +6, Intimidate +3 Senses Passive perception 11 Challenge 3 (700 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack. The theri sailor makes two melee weapon attacks. Sword. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.
95 Captain Stench
The Piligrimage of Ctesia Marco B. Bucci
98 An adventure for Historia for four to six characters of Tier 2. Written by Marco B. Bucci INTRODUCTION You’re about to set out on an adventure that will lead your characters beyond the safety of the walls of the Three Mill House towards a forgotten place in the heart of the Green Pit mountains. Here you will meet Ctesia, a young goat, firstborn of the Barbadori family, Lords of the Mills, who is held in great esteem by the local population due to his alleged prophetic gifts. Set on following a strong spiritual call, Ctesia will ask the PCs to help him flee his home and accompany him on a pilgrimage: a path that follows the rural life along the border between the Pit and the Holy Kingdom, heading into the mountains. The young goat is fully set in his decision, though he is also fully aware of going against his father’s wishes and risking having the Church on his trail. With his supernatural powers, is Ctesia a holy man or a heretic in the eyes of the faithful? Are his actions hallowed miracles, or inauspicious sorcery? These are the questions awaiting an answer at the feet of the Stone King, the silent mountain that sets the stage of the adventure’s epilogue. BACKGROUND The story begins on the border with the Holy Kingdom, on the river road leading west, in the lands under the rule of Brando Barbadori, a well-known Ruminso feudal lord whose fleece appears golden under the last rays of the evening sun. He lives here with his numerous and extensive family, heirs to a powerful dynasty, in the Three Mill House. Though he could choose to use the Baronet title, conferred upon the founder of the dynasty Primo Onorio, Brando has avoided passing on and making use of such a modest status. He is known by all as the ‘Lord of the Mills’, and he administers large portions of farmland and a sizable number of smaller farms. He also receives duties from the wheat trade to the east, especially the one processed in his own imposing mills. His firstborn is Ctesia the Young, named after his grandfather. Due to an unknown illness, he still looks like a frail child, despite having come of age some time ago. The same illness often forces him to bed and brings on terrible fevers and fits. No-one knows what ails the young Ctesia. The only time the servants see him leave his rooms is when he decides to get some fresh air in the hanging gardens. On those occasions, the rumors around his peculiar physical attributes run wild and fast around the property. Ctesia, you see, sports an additional set of horns than his father, which earned him the more or less whispered nickname of ‘Duepalchi’ or ‘Quattrocorni’ - literally, ‘Two Prongs’ and ‘Four Horns’. Nevertheless, Ctesia the Young is well-known among the people of the River due to his alleged and bizarre prophetic gift. Rumors say that, using this gift, he advises his father with regards to the weather and the harvests, and is at the root of the Barbadori wealth. Many in Three Mill House, cousins and relatives of this forever child, believe him to be connected to a number of small miracles and surprising revelations. His fame, however, has recently increased with the arrival of the Rossariva refugees. It appears that Ctesia had predicted their coming, arranging for a warm and compassionate welcome. He had organized tents and shelter, food, and medical aid to help them recover. All of this took place without knowing where said refugees would be coming from and long before the battle actually took place. Since then, Ctesia has become a hero in the eyes of the local population. All of the farmers dedicate a prayer or blessing to him. Ctesia the Savior, they call him! Ctesia the Good, when children speak. His effigies are passed around, hidden under the clothes of those who travel. Small shrines appear along the river, sporting flowers and candles, close to Three Mill House, and poor people love Ctesia in the way that many destitute people love anyone of a saintly nature in the hopes of favor and protection from evil. The Church of Bones, of course, is not deaf to the rumors about him. Its emissaries constantly pay a visit to the Barbadori family, becoming more and more invasive and intent on clarifying the situation to the point of bringing in from the capital Furio the Biancocapo, infamous emissary of the Church. The Piligrimage of Ctesia Marco B. Bucci
99 The Piligrimage of Ctesia The Church is not the only party with an interest in the situation. The Ordo Artis Occulta has also sent, well in advance, their own undercover envoy to keep a close eye on Ctesia: the unsuspecting Solino is the source of all information leaking back to the order of mages and sages. Will Quattrocorni become a magus or a saint? This is the question that will accompany the protagonists from their very first steps. STORY STRUCTURE The adventure is made up of three Acts and a conclusive Epilogue. The plot is summarized as follows: • ACT I will enact the escape of Ctesia from Three Mill House along with the PCs. The story will bring them closer together as a party as they plan their escape from the Barbadori estate. The party will end up fleeing via the river, crossing the western region towards the border with the Green Pit. • In ACT II the PCs will arrive in the Trentacanali region, where they will bear witness to Ctesia’s fame and renown, and his rapport with the local population. The kid will prove his abilities through marvelous, even miraculous actions. As the journey continues, with Ctesia’s visions as guidance, his powers will grow to a point where they might start posing a threat. • In ACT III Ctesia and his companions will reach the mountains and finally spot the recurring peak in Ctesia’s dreams: the Stone King. On its summit, under a full moon, Ctesia will fulfil his destiny. Something is calling to him. The party, at this point, will meet a group of mountain bandits which may become a difficult challenge to overcome, or a powerful and loyal ally. • As the scene will inevitably move to the summit of the Stone King, they will discover a stone circle surrounding a shard of black ophiolite. As Ctesia lays hands upon it, he will have one final vision: he must destroy the stone without using any of his magic powers. The group will be attacked on two fronts at this point: the troops sent by Ctesia’s father (joined by Furio the Biancocapo, the Church’s emissary) and a strange group of people who appear to have regressed to a savage state through supernatural means (the False Prophets). These are those who also received the visions of the blue amber but were not strong enough to withstand its power. The encounter
100 with someone more pious, nudging his fame as a holy guide towards the main belief system. If this were not to happen, Ctesia would be declared a heretic. The PCs could be Furio’ subordinates, or the Biancocapo might have approached the PCs to purchase their loyalty, and making them betray the kid at the most opportune moment. NOTES FOR THE GM What follows are several 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 re-interpret them, along with the entire contents of this adventure. THE PCS There are two narrative pillars to support the choice of the right protagonists for the adventure: they must be tied to Ctesia and they must be tied to Three Mill House. The emotional bond with Ctesia can range from simple respect or affection to outright love, admiration to religious idolatry. The ideal scenario would see asking every player to imagine their emotion and the moment when they started developing that bond. During the course of the adventure and especially in some of the more emotional scenes, the PCs can be made to externalize their feelings to heighten the moment’s importance and impact. As for their position in Three Mill House, the most important aspect to note is that there is no role, job or task too menial or trivial. The PCs will harbor skills and abilities that will have been kept hidden for too long, but which will turn out to be crucial for Ctesia’s planned escape. will end once Ctesia is able to break the stone, freeing a natural relic from its insides: a fossilized trilobite clinging to a blue amber gem. Ctesia will hold it and finally fulfil his destiny. The False Prophets will fall to the ground, defeated, and start fading, and time will come to a halt. • The conclusive EPILOGUE will see Ctesia’s allies and foes waking up several hours later, only to discover that Ctesia has left after forcing them all into a heavy sleep. These mysterious events have generated even more speculation as to what is Miracle and what is Magic. What will happen to that which has been brought to light? Will the characters choose to leave it all behind, or will they continue to follow Ctesia’s trail? FACTIONS There are several factions involved in this adventure, whose roots dig deep in Historia’s setting: • Barbadori. Ctesia’s family belongs to the Holy Kingdom and is headed by Brando Barbadori, its patriarch. Libanio Teodoro Fortefonte, captain of the guard, is a particularly active character in this story as he is ordered by Brando to retrieve Ctesia. Another important character is Ctesia’s tutor Virgil, an avian of the Aquei who has served the Barbadori family for several decades but is ready to betray his masters for the sake of his pupil. The PCs could also be part of the Barbadori family and join Ctesia in his escape, betraying their bonds much like Virgil. • Ordo Artis Occulta. An order whose leader is Primus Consul Alistaire. One of the main characters in this story is Solino of the Sheaves, a Shrew posing as Virgil’s assistant. Virgil does not know that Solino is actually working for the Order and is tasked with keeping an eye on Ctesia to report on any supernatural occurrences involving the kid. The PCs could be agents of the Order sent to assist Solino, though this will remove his presence from a number of scenes. Solino serves his Teacher in the Order: Aurinda the Cingicielo, a politician who is not entirely well regarded by the rest of the secret order of sages. A recommendation for the GM: do not remove the character of Solino as he is one of the connections between this adventure and one that follows, THE SECRET OF ALTABRECCIA. • Church of Bones. The Church has been watching Ctesia for a long time, especially since the spread of his cult through the borderlands, where he is idolized by the less wealthy. Furio the Biancocapo has been ordered to infiltrate his subordinates among the Barbadori ranks to keep an eye on Ctesia. Their goal is to replace, not too long in the future, his mentor Virgil