Zweihänder Grim Perilous RPG Revised Core Rulebook (Daniel D. Fox) (Z-Library)-pages-2

602 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY using a bare-handed weapon. DARK SENSE: These creatures can see in the dark. HANGIN’ TOUGH: These creatures cannot Bleed or suffer Injuries. HARD-NOSED: These creatures are immune to Knockout! and Stunning Blow. HOLY RETRIBUTION: When struck by holy water, they suffer 2D10+2 Damage from fire. MASTERFULLY ADROIT: These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage they inflict with weapons. They also have factored in +3 to their [AB]. MENACING: When these creatures use a Litany of Hatred, they inflict 1D10+[BB] mental Peril. SNIKT! SNIKT!: These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with melee weapons. SANITY-BLASTING: When first encountered, these creatures provoke one of the three brands of Madness: if of Basic Risk Factor, they provoke Stress; if of Intermediate Risk Factor, they provoke Fear; if of Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, they provoke Terror. SHAPESHIFTER: These creatures may take any form they please, providing it is of a Small or Large Animal or Humanoid (including player Ancestries). STEELY FORTITUDE: These creatures always succeed at Resolve Tests and cannot be Intimidated. VAMPIRE’S CURSE: These creatures cannot cross running water, unless by bridge or boat. When exposed to sunlight, they suffer 2D10+2 Damage from fire for every minute they remain exposed. Instead of suffering Injuries in this case, they instead are caught On Fire. When Slain!, they turn into mist and immediately return to their resting place to sleep. For every hour they sleep, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. Once Unharmed, all Injuries are healed as well. However, while asleep, they can be permanently Slain! if an ironwood stake is driven through their heart and the head is removed. TRAPPINGS Full plate armor, Heartseeker sword, Metal shield, Wilderness cloak, Witchhunter’s coat & mantle, Witchhunter’s hat

603 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY UNDERLINGS By using Underlings, you can downgrade any creature from the bestiary to significantly reduce the threat a creature poses. For encounter building purposes, Underlings drop down to the lowest Notch within their Risk Factor. This means that a creature with an Intermediate (High) RFa would then become an Intermediate (Low) RFa. You have the freedom to change any creature you feel best appropriate into an Underling. To do so, refer to these three simple changes to their tactical behavior: Underlings do not bank APs, nor can they use Reactions Underlings cannot use Misfortune Points to change the outcome of their actions Underlings are instantly Slain! when they are made to Bleed or suffer any sort of Injury On top of this, Underlings may be more likely to fail Resolve Tests when faced with overwhelming odds and take flight in the face of danger. Underlings, in these instances, may have a leader they rely on for guidance. However, this leader should never abide by the Underling Rules. Finally, it is not recommended that you use these rules for creatures of the Advanced or Elite Risk Factor. They are specifically designed to be terrifying, and nothing destroys the verisimilitude of a grim & perilous game faster than having a Lower Demon immediately fall to the single blast of a blunderbus. BOSSES For encounter building purposes, Bosses move up to the highest Notch within their Risk Factor. This means that a creature with an Advanced (Low) Risk Factor would then become an Advanced (High) Risk Factor. If it is already of the highest Notch in its Risk Factor, no other changes are needed. Note that an Elite Risk Factor creature cannot be turned into a Boss, as it is considered to be a ‘boss’ already. Using the bestiary, we’ll convert a High Orx into an Orx Bigboss, which already is of a Basic (High) Risk Factor. PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES All foes in the bestiary were created using a unified math. However, you should feel empowered to change their Primary Attributes as you like, while taking under consideration the delicate balance that’s been instilled in their creation. If the creature is of a Basic Risk Factor, change any one Primary Attribute to ‘50%’, If of an Intermediate Risk Factor, change any two Primary Attributes to ‘50%’. If of an Advanced Risk Factor, change any three Primary Attributes to ‘50%’. While you may wish to use this to adjust their lowest Primary Attribute, it can make sense to buff up their Combat, Brawn or Willpower to further augment their fighting capabilities. Be sure to reevaluate the Primary Attribute Bonuses assigned to the creature. Should any Traits influence the Primary Attribute Bonus, you’ll need to make sure to take this into consideration while redesigning the foe. Using the Orx Bigboss example, we’ll change its Combat value to ‘50%’. This also means [CB] will move from a ‘4’ to ‘5’: ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [5] 50% [7] 40% [4] 45% [5] 35% [3] 40% [5] 40% [4] PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE BONUSES At this point, you’ll change a creature’s Primary Attribute Bonuses. If the creature is of a Basic Risk Factor, add +1 Bonus to all Primary Attributes. If of an Intermediate Risk Factor, add +2 total Bonuses to all Primary Attributes. If of an Advanced Risk Factor, add +3 total Bonuses to all Primary Attributes. However, a Primary Attribute shouldn’t possess more than 10 total Bonuses if of Basic Risk Factor, 12 total Bonuses if of Intermediate Risk Factor or 14 total Bonuses if of Advanced Risk Factor. For our example, the Orx Bigboss will adjust all its Bonuses by +1: ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [6] 50% [8] 40% [5] 45% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [5] SKILL RANKS To continue conversion, you will add Skill Ranks to the creature’s Primary Attribute profile. If the creature is of a Basic Risk Factor, add 3 Skill Ranks. If of an Intermediate Risk Factor, add 6 Skill Ranks. If of an Advanced Risk Factor, add 9 Skill Ranks. You can either assign these Skill Ranks to Skills the creature already possesses or place Skill Ranks in those it didn’t previously have. However, a creature can never ◆ CUSTOM CREATURES ◆ While the bestiary is fairly comprehensive, the following outlines three specific, yet distinct different lines of customization: first, reducing creatures’ capabilities to become minion-like Underlings, scaling creatures up into Bosses and enhancing them to become Magicians.

604 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY have more than one Skill Rank in any one Skill at Basic Risk Factor, two Skill Ranks in any one Skill at Intermediate Risk Factor or more than three Skill Ranks in any one Skill at Advanced Risk Factor. Using our example, the Orx Bigboss will gain one Skill Rank in Coordination, Leadership and Martial Melee: ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [6] 50% [8] 40% [5] 45% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [5] Athletics +10, Coordination +10, Intimidate +10, Leadership +10, Martial Melee +10, Resolve +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +10, Simple Ranged +10, Survival +10, Toughness +10, Tradecraft +10, Warfare +10 SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES & ATTACK PROFILE Depending on the changes you made before, the creature’s Secondary Attributes and Attack Profile may need to be adjusted. Using our Orx Bigboss example, here’s how it would look: ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [6] 50% [8] 40% [5] 45% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [5] Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa +9 8 11 (17/23/29) 9 (15/21/27) 60% 50% Basic (High) Athletics +10, Coordination +10, Intimidate +10, Leadership +10, Martial Melee +10, Resolve +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +10, Simple Ranged +10, Survival +10, Toughness +10, Tradecraft +10, Warfare +10 ATTACK PROFILE Rusted Chains: 60% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Damage (8) • Adaptable, Pummeling, Reach Flanged Mace: 60% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (6) • Powerful TRAITS To enhance the creature’s abilities, you can add new Traits. Choose ones that are thematically and mechanically appropriate. Traits can be drawn from any current Traits of creatures in the bestiary. If the creature is of a Basic Risk Factor, add one Trait. If of an Intermediate Risk Factor, add two Trait. If of an Advanced Risk Factor, add three Traits. For our example, our Orx Bigboss will gain the Trait of Pack Mentality. ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [6] 50% [8] 40% [5] 45% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [5] Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa +9 8 11 (17/23/29) 9 (15/21/27) 60% 50% Basic (High) Athletics +10, Coordination +10, Intimidate +10, Leadership +10, Martial Melee +10, Resolve +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +10, Simple Ranged +10, Survival +10, Toughness +10, Tradecraft +10, Warfare +10 ATTACK PROFILE Rusted Chains: 60% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Damage (8) • Adaptable, Pummeling, Reach Flanged Mace: 60% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (6) • Powerful TRAITS DARK SENSE: These creatures can see in the dark. ONE-TWO PUNCH: When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee Attack, they force a foe to Resist a Stunning Blow. PACK MENTALITY: When three or more of these creatures are alive during combat, they may flip the results to succeed at Skill Tests. SHOOTFIGHTING: These creatures ignore the Pummeling and Weak Qualities when fighting bare-handed, with a blackjack or using knuckledusters. In addition, they can refer to [BB] or [CB] when inflicting Damage with these same weapons. STEELY FORTITUDE: These creatures always succeed at Resolve Tests and cannot be Intimidated. TRAPPINGS Finally, you may wish to replace the trappings the creature carries. Most creatures that are Animals, Beasts and otherwise don’t carry equipment. However, most Abyssal nasties, along with Humanoids and Mutants carry a bevy of trappings about them. Feel free to equip them with a better suit of armor and weapon befitting their new stat block. Be sure to adjust their Secondary Attributes and Attack Profile following any replacement trappings. Once you replace a creature’s trappings, you’re now done. In our example, our Orx Bigboss will carry a zweihänder with the Castle-forged Quality and wear munitions plate armor (losing the ability to Dodge in the process):

605 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY ORX BIGBOSS SIZE: Normal C B A P I W F 50% [6] 50% [8] 40% [5] 45% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [5] Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa +9 8 11 (17/23/29) 9 (15/21/27) 60% 50% Basic (High) Athletics +10, Coordination +10, Intimidate +10, Leadership +10, Martial Melee +10, Resolve +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +10, Simple Ranged +10, Survival +10, Toughness +10, Tradecraft +10, Warfare +10 ATTACK PROFILE Rusted Chains: 60% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Damage (8) • Adaptable, Pummeling, Reach Flanged Mace: 60% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (6) • Powerful TRAITS DARK SENSE: These creatures can see in the dark. ONE-TWO PUNCH: When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee Attack, they force a foe to Resist a Stunning Blow. PACK MENTALITY: When three or more of these creatures are alive during combat, they may flip the results to succeed at Skill Tests. SHOOTFIGHTING: These creatures ignore the Pummeling and Weak Qualities when fighting bare-handed, with a blackjack or using knuckledusters. In addition, they can refer to [BB] or [CB] when inflicting Damage with these same weapons. STEELY FORTITUDE: These creatures always succeed at Resolve Tests and cannot be Intimidated. TRAPPINGS Flanged mace, Munitions plate armor, Zweihänder MAGICIAN Changing a creature from the bestiary to a Magician is a very simple process. If the creature is of Basic Risk Factor, it gains one Skill Rank in Incantation; if of Intermediate Risk Factor, it gains two Skill Ranks in Incantation; and if of Advanced Risk Factor, it gains three Skill Ranks in Incantation. In addition, swap any two of their Primary Attributes, so that Willpower is favored over all. CHAOS MANIFESTATIONS: Magician’s spells are treated as Arcane Magicks, even if they contain Divine Magicks spells: meaning, they all potentially cause Chaos Manifestations and are subject to their effects. Similarly, Magicians effectively carry the same Drawback of Black Temperament as Necromancers and Warlocks. Magicians are likely to be afflicted with Malignancies when Characters encounter them. The following represents a mere sampling of a Magician’s spell sets, but our next supplement MAIN GAUCHE will go into greater detail of Daemonic-enhanced Covenant Magick. If you find that these spell sets are unsuitable for NPCs you’re running, you can simply apply one of the many Arcana or Prayer sets from Expert Professions in Chapter 4: Professions: MAGICIAN OF THE ANCIENT ONES PETTY MAGICK: Blinding Gaze (Arcana of Luminescence), Call Lightning (Arcana of Astromancy), Law of Order (Arcana of Transmutation) LESSER MAGICK: Enchant Trapping (Arcana of Transmutation), Night’s Secrets (Arcana of Astromancy), Radiant Shield (Arcana of Luminescence) GREATER MAGICK: Astral Bridge (Arcana of Astromancy), Pillar of Brilliance (Arcana of Luminescence), Unlock Secrets (Arcana of Transmutation) MAGICIAN OF THE BLACK LODGE PETTY MAGICK: Bargain Bin (Prayers of the Nightfather), Crown of Thorns (Arcana of Elementalism), Hare’s Speed (Prayers of the Demiurge) LESSER MAGICK: Flimflam (Prayers of the Nightfather), Spring’s Bounty (Arcana of Elementalism), Suffocating Growth (Prayers of the Demiurge) GREATER MAGICK: Earthen Strength (Arcana of Elementalism), Eyes Without a Face (Prayers of the Nightfather), Rage of the Primal Lord (Prayers of the Demiurge)

606 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY MAGICIAN OF THE GILDED PHARAOH PETTY MAGICK: Beyond the Pale (Prayers of the Custodian), Sanguine Restoration (Arcana of Necromancy), Voice of the Legion (Prayers of the Steward) LESSER MAGICK: Commander’s Vision (Prayers of the Steward), Spectral Form (Arcana of Necromancy), The Invitation (Prayers of the Custodian) GREATER MAGICK: Omen of Death (Prayers of the Custodian), Mask of Terror (Prayers of the Steward), The Final Surrender (Arcana of Necromancy) MAGICIAN OF THE OUTSIDER PETTY MAGICK: All-Seeing Eye (Prayers of the Learner), Inhuman Fury (Arcana of Animism), Unassailable Bulwark (Prayers of the God-Emperor) LESSER MAGICK: Eye For An Eye (Prayers of the Learner), Lionheart (Prayers of the God-Emperor), Tongue of Beasts (Arcana of Animism) GREATER MAGICK: Flames of Order (Prayers of the God-Emperor), The Beast Within (Arcana of Animism), Tooth For A Tooth (Prayers of the Learner) MAGICIAN OF THE THIRTEEN PETTY MAGICK: Basilisk’s Spittle (Arcana of Sorcery), Primordial Tongue (Prayers of the Demiurge), Shadow Slip (Arcana of Shadowmancy) LESSER MAGICK: Mark of Chaos (Arcana of Sorcery), Thunderclap (Prayers of the Demiurge), Two Selves (Arcana of Shadowmancy) GREATER MAGICK: Fury of the Wildlands (Prayers of the Demiurge), Grotesque Miasma (Arcana of Sorcery), Umbral Knives (Arcana of Shadowmancy) MAGICIAN OF THE TUSKED ONE PETTY MAGICK: Breath of the Æther (Prayers of the Leviathan), Shimmering Crown (Arcana of Pyromancy), Wolvenheart (Prayers of the Winter King) LESSER MAGICK: Battle Rage (Prayers of the Winter King), Fireproof (Arcana of Pyromancy), Seasickness (Prayers of the Leviathan) GREATER MAGICK: Dragon’s Breath (Arcana of Pyromancy), Kraken’s Curse (Prayers of the Leviathan), Roar of Winter (Prayers of the Winter King) MAGICIAN OF THE WITCH-QUEEN PETTY MAGICK: Frostbite (Prayers of the Winter King), Harvester of Souls (Arcana of Morticism), Spider’s Fang (Prayers of the Crouching One) LESSER MAGICK: Dearly Departed (Arcana of Morticism), Hand of the Murdered God (Prayers of the Crouching One), Wolfpack (Prayers of the Winter King) GREATER MAGICK: Banish Undead (Arcana of Morticism), Ice Storm (Prayers of the Winter King), Murderous Demands (Prayers of the Crouching One) MAGICIAN OF THE ABYSSAL PRINCES PETTY MAGICK: Addle-Coved (Arcana of Shadowmancy), Bolt of Flame (Arcana of Pyromancy), Lay on Hands (Prayers of the Martyr) LESSER MAGICK: Courage Under Fire (Arcana of Pyromancy), Martyrdom (Prayers of the Martyr), Mindwipe (Arcana of Shadowmancy) GREATER MAGICK: Cataclysmic Inferno (Arcana of Pyromancy), Mass Hallucination (Arcana of Shadowmancy), Suppress Affliction (Prayers of the Martyr)

607 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY COIN PURSE CONTENTS Robbing others of their coin purse is an inevitability in role-playing games. Here, you can refer to a rough amount of pocket change a NPC has about their person, judged by either their Social Class or Risk Factor. Roll the number of D6 Chaos Dice indicated below to determine how many coins they might have: LOWBORN: 1D10+1 brass pennies (bp) BURGHER: 1D10+1 silver shillings (ss), 2D10+2 brass pennies (bp) ARISTOCRAT: 1D10+1 gold crowns (gc), 2D10+2 silver shillings (ss), 3D10+3 brass pennies (bp) SMALL TREASURES The smallest and most personal of treasures come in three particular varieties. The first are baubles, which are small tokens or bits carried for personal use. Next are objets d’art, representing artistic paintings, statues and scripts. Finally, there are heirlooms, which are more legitimate treasures that are often quite important and of value to a single owner. Treasures are always kept close and if not, under lock and key. Naturally, carrying all of these treasures around may be an impossibility, but the Characters should have an opportunity to track down hidden riches using intimidation, interrogation or worse. That being said, it would be exceedingly rare to find small treasures being openly carried by folks. Most are stuffed away in a chest, adorn the shelves of their dwelling or may be affixed into display boxes. DISTRIBUTION: When determining random small treasures, consult either the Social Class or Risk Factor of the treasure’s owner. For those of the Lowborn Social Class or of the Basic Risk Factor, they may have 3 baubles to their name. For those of the Burgher Social Class or of the Intermediate Risk Factor, they may have 6 baubles and 3 objets d’art. Finally, for those of the Aristocrat Social Class or of the Advanced Risk Factor, they may have 9 baubles, 6 objets d’art and 3 heirlooms. Baubles are worth 3D10+3 brass pennies (bp), objets d’art are valued at 2D10+2 silver shillings (ss) and heirlooms come in at 1D10+1 gold crowns (gc). ◆ LOOT & LUCRE ◆ Plunder in ZWEIHÄNDER is not made of massive draconic hoards or piles of locked away Magickal relics, but rather small curios that can be sold to Antiquarians and Cheapjacks. A small brass ring or an amateur statue may seem worthless at first glance, but strangely there always seems to be a buyer for such trinkets. That said, the prices of these goods are quite variable – it’s based on the condition of the item, who is selling it, where they are selling it, who is buying it, any history of the item and a myriad of other factors.

608 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY D100 BAUBLE 1 A moth-eaten flag scrap from a venerable noble house 2 A rusting ring of keys, most notably one that is centuries-old and engraved with a motif of hourglasses and skeletons 3 A ship manifest detailing a long-lost shipment of goods 4 A scratched silver earring with a diamond inset 5 A decaying leather pouch with rat skulls sewn into it, containing a few dead flies 6 A water-warped copy of a local almanac, revised with smeared personal notes and changes 7 A pewter charm in the shape of a warhammer, strung from a leather cord necklace 8 A sticky bath token for a nearby coaching inn 9 A gnarled bit of driftwood carved into a child’s face 10 A filthy loincloth sized for an Ogre 11 A Human skull at the end of a three foot iron chain. 12 A whetstone in a leather pouch 13 A pouch of fine tobacco 14 An odd pewter coin 15 A love letter penned on a piece of folded parchment 16 A bag of mixed animal teeth 17 A pewter belt buckle etched with the image of a river boat’s crew battling a giant octopus 18 A pocket full of dung 19 An oaken calling-whistle inscribed with a design of the sun. 20 An oaken stick topped with a Human skull with the number “3” etched in its forehead 21 A bit of bone on which is engraved a star. 22 A bar of grey, greasy soap made of frog fat. 23 A half-pound tin stamped with an odd symbol, full of stale tea leaves from a far away land 24 A set of fortune-telling runes made of stone 25 A string of spent silver bullets, drilled through the center, strung on a hempen cord bracelet 26 A meat pie 27 A scroll case holding a blood-stained chart of Human anatomy, with hand-written notes 28 A pewter cooking pot 29 A strip of brittle parchment inscribed with ancient runes 30 A blood-smeared bag containing a freshly severed toe 31 A phial of blue fluid, likely a sure-fire cure 32 A horned helmet on which is engraved a tree 33 A book entitled “Duties of Bailiffs & Reeves”, describing standard approaches to judicial matters 34 An exotic stuffed bird 35 A yellowing Human leg-bone etched with the initials U.V.E 36 A fire-blackened astrologer’s map 37 A crude cedar wood bracelet stamped with blasphemous symbols and profane imagery 38 A white handkerchief 39 A large pot of green enamel 40 A coil of sausage links 41 A peat spade 42 A shiny silver eating plate engraved with a motif of leaves, berries and acorns 43 A kettle 44 A rusted animal trap 45 A hardwood abacus with dry beans for beads 46 A 12-gallon cask of cooking oil 47 A few sheets of dry parchment that will likely turn to dust if touched 48 A braided leather headband 49 A linen smock 50 A jug of pickled oysters D100 BAUBLE 51 A dull shaving razor 52 An eye mask like that worn by a highway robber 53 A tallow prayer candle embossed with a night-bat 54 A fistful of dried seal meat 55 A waxed bag containing 2 beheaded, gutted and plucked geese 56 A gown 57 A wooden tambourine engraved with images of gryph ons 58 A massive book entitled “Vulgar Jokes for Children” 59 A tiny chess board 60 An empty bag, worn thin and floppy from years of use 61 A pigskin pouch containing a handful of damp gunpowder 62 A wire-frame crystal monocle with a cracked lens 63 An enormous hat 64 A scout’s calling-horn 65 A Human skull with the word “murderer” engraved into the forehead 66 A quartz shard on a leather cord 67 An oaken bowl caked with old food 68 A leather purse 69 A pocket full of ash 70 A huge iron key 71 A telescope marked with the image of a mermaid 72 A pouch of herbs 73 A flame-blackened piece of vellum on which is written a caravan’s cargo manifest 74 A pigskin flask of whale oil 75 A jar of dark mustard 76 A small box of smoking leaf 77 A bedroll that stinks of body odor 78 A small tin of stinking ointment 79 A pinewood comb 80 An iron crow-bar 81 A string of garlic cloves 82 A bag full of crushed egg shells 83 A decaying cat 84 A pot of beeswax 85 A copper amulet shaped like a bear’s head 86 A blood-stained blanket 87 A crude slingshot with a pocket full of stones 88 A blood-flecked skinning knife 89 A set of seer’s runes made of stone 90 A bracelet made of a string of spent bullets 91 A small, empty metal tin richly engraved with a motif of suns and stars 92 A greased rawhide bag containing fish entrails 93 A red candle 94 A fine silver ring in the shape of interlocking leaves 95 A mud-caked garden rake 96 A rawhide bag of Human teeth 97 Identifying papers 98 A pair of shears 99 A hacksaw 100 A tarnished silver bell

609 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY D100 OBJETS D’ART 1 A 5-by-60-foot bolt of raw canvas 2 A bleached Human jawbone with golden teeth 3 A blessed censer emblazoned with a spider 4 A wood carving depicting a relationship ending 5 A carving of a thief. 6 A copper sculpture depicting an ancient Nephilim 7 A a copper sculpture depicting a hyena feeding on a human. 8 A drawing of a fetid pond containing a dead body. 9 An elm sculpture of a swift and a hummingbird. 10 A etching depicting Grendel enslaving humans 11 A fresco depicting a pirate fleet. 12 A lead sculpture depicting a failure involving an inventor. 13 A red pine statue of a barbarian and a Goblin. 14 A redwood statue depicting an act of cruelty involving a warrior in demonic armor. 15 A watercolor depicting a reunion involving a Dwarf and a human 16 A wooden statue depicting an assassin in wait. 17 A bone sculpture of a short, wiry father. 18 A clay statue that looks as if it was about to come to life 19 A fresco of a trade caravan 20 A large rowan sculpture of the dead rising from the grave 21 A large silver sculpture of a dragon 22 A large sketch depicting a competition involving a stocky, incredibly attractive prince with blue eyes and a hat. The predominant colors are dark green and dark red. 23 A medium-sized black pine sculpture of an emerald. 24 A medium-sized drawing of a prestige college of Magick. 25 An engraving depicting a wandering priest. 26 A medium-sized engraving of the short, stocky brother of a famous queen. 27 A medium-sized mosaic of a hunter stalking a Chimaera. 28 A medium-sized painting of a burnt stable. 29 A medium-sized pastel painting depicting an town succumbing to illness. 30 A medium-sized pastel painting of a wedding. 31 A medium-sized teak sculpture of a duck. 32 A medium-sized wall painting of a torn standard on a hill. 33 A minuscule pinewood statue of a local deity 34 A rather small brass statue of a local lord. 35 A rather small copper sculpture depicting a secret involving the a dead god. 36 A rather small drawing depicting a period of typhoon 37 A rather small engraving depicting a ghost haunting a child 38 A rather small engraving of a vulture on a hill, feeding upon a Human skull. 39 A rather small etching depicting an act of cruelty involving Orx 40 A rather small fresco of a horse. 41 A rather small marble sculpture depicting an arena fight 42 A rather small painting depicting a fall involving a servant girl and a waterfall near a fountain. The predominant colors are bronze and vibrant yellow. The frame is made of brass. 43 A rather small painting of a viper in the grass 44 A rather small red pine sculpture of a unicorn 45 A rather small redwood statue of a komodo drake 46 A rather small sketch depicting a steamy scene of romance 47 A rather small steel sculpture depicting a Dwarven stronghold 48 A rather small watercolor depicting an escape from the Abyss 49 A richly decorated black tabard 50 A richly-engraved lead case containing several paintbrushes, pots of prepared watercolor paints, empty cups, sponges and sheets of thick rag paper D100 OBJETS D’ART 51 A small bone statue depicting a warrior’s last moments 52 A small bone statue depicting a scholar’s work 53 A small bronze sculpture depicting an act of torture. 54 A small carving depicting a meeting between two foreigners 55 A small drawing of a chalice. 56 A small drawing of a recurved bow. 57 A small engraving of a flower and a hornet 58 A small engraving of an abandoned tower 59 A small etching depicting a court scene 60 A small etching depicting an ancient map of the world 61 A small etching of a gryphon near a fountain. 62 A small etching of a turtle. 63 A small glass statue depicting a god 64 A small glazed vase painted with a religious scene 65 A small lead statue of a slave. 66 A small mahogany sculpture of a an animal 67 A small mahogany statue of a wyvern. 68 A small metal statue of a gamekeeper and his panther ally 69 A small oil painting depicting a battlefield in the midst of conflict 70 A small oil painting depicting a temple that has fallen to disrepair. 71 A small oil painting depicting a meeting between a concubine and a noble. 72 A small painting depicting a jousting competition 73 A small painting of a key with a false back 74 A small painting of a mountain, from which Goblins are descending. 75 A small painting of a family, most likely a portrait 76 A small pastel painting of a family dog 77 A small redwood sculpture of a proud sailing ship. 78 A small sketch depicting a gamble gone wrong. 79 A small teak sculpture of a wolf 80 A small watercolor painting of a landscape of rolling hills and twisting blue rivers 81 A small wooden sculpture depicting a romance involving a Halfling and an Ogre. 82 A somewhat large drawing of a military regiment, posing in front of the enemy’s battle standard 83 A somewhat large engraving of a murder scene. 84 A somewhat large ironwood statue of an long-lost god. 85 A somewhat large painting depicting a journey home of an injured adventuring party. 86 A somewhat large painting of a regal castle. 87 A somewhat large tapestry of a familial seal. 88 A tiny but well-executed watercolor painting of a grand cathedral 89 A very large wall painting of a holy symbol 90 A very large wall painting of a hawk eating a mouse. 91 A very small drawing depicting a Defiler’s kingdom. 92 A very small drawing of a tiger. 93 A very small engraving of a mountain range at dawn. 94 A very small gold statue of a corpse. 95 A very small mahogany sculpture of a Water Panther. 96 A very small painting depicting a wandering musician. 97 A very small painting of a charm. 98 A very small pastel painting of a flowered field. 99 A very small wooden statue of a goblet. It was done in an archaic style. 100 An oil painting depicting a farmer and a prized goat

610 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY D100 HEIRLOOMS 1 A few bottles of sherry from a foreign vineyard 2 Buckled leather boots with wide cuffs beautifully embroidered in a maze pattern 3 A driftwood mourner’s flute engraved with a design of an hourglass 4 A small box with the image of a cannon engraved on the lid. Inside, set in velvet, are several sticks of sealing wax and a gold signet ring 5 A fine pair of gloves decorated with the stylized image of a bear’s head 6 A barber surgeon’s leather-bound book entitled “Chirurgery”, with scabs stuck to the inside 7 An officer’s broken sabre engraved with a city seal, with a fine leather scabbard 8 A walking stick carved with a demonic phallic symbol of ivory 9 A minuscule pewter box holding the mummified finger of a witch hunter 10 A lead brooch in the shape of a rose 11 A pair of silver-rim crystal spectacles with their own leather case 12 A broken sword of foreign design with a sapphire-encrusted sheath. 13 A pigskin case containing a rusty serrated knife, tooth pliers, spiked tongs and branding irons 14 An earring made of pewter with a ruby inset 15 A jug stamped with blasphemous symbols and profane imagery 16 A war-beaten rod engraved with a sacred oath to serve an emperor 17 Empty wine bottles dressed in silver filigree 18 A fine white cape, the border of which has been decorated with a motif of hourglasses and skeletons 19 A floppy hat embroidered around the border with a motif of spirals and loops 20 A large gold-encrusted urn containing the ashes of a exorcist 21 A candelabra with a Human skull at its center 22 A leather case of butcher’s knives and sharpening files 23 A set of pewter money scales 24 A candle-seller’s ivory staff with a dozen tallows dangling off the crossbar 25 A pair of silver-rim crystal spectacles with very thick lenses 26 A horse’s saddle and saddlebags made of red, scaly leather 27 A large backpack stitched from foreign leathers 28 A pair of richly engraved plate gauntlets with a blessed ribbon wax sealed to one of them 29 A battle-ravaged leather skullcap stamped with the image of a laurel wreath 30 A leather greatcoat, the borders of which have been decorated with a motif of leaves, berries and acorns 31 An ash wood smoking pipe on which is engraved a flame 32 A deer hide case holding facial cleanser, various colored powders, sponges and a wad of cotton 33 A ferryman’s solid toll-box with an iron lock 34 A Human skull with the word “heretic” inscribed into its forehead, wrapped in parchment scrolls 35 A storm lantern fashioned into a crowned skull 36 A saltwater-corroded foil engraved with the maker’s mark 37 A mummified cat 38 A talisman of the symbol of the eight winds of magic 39 A red leather quiver embossed with an image of an eagle in flight, containing 10 crossbow bolts D100 HEIRLOOMS 40 A blunderbuss-cleaning kit containing muzzle rods, linseed oil, chamois, fuses, flints and spare parts 41 The top half of a cloven warhammer 42 A coachman’s signal-horn of ivory and brass 43 A telescope with a wooden tripod 44 A map of the local area written upon skin 45 An ancient broken mace with a pommel in the shape of an eagle’s head 46 A blood-smeared sheet of parchment on which is penned a deed of ownership for a house 47 A polished steel hand-mirror 48 A scratched and broken monocle rimmed in pure platinum 49 A sword rack with mounts for three and weapons, easily fitted to or leaned against a wall as a decorative and easily-accessed display of one’s arsenal. 50 A life-size steel skull 51 A ceremonial but rusted burial sword with a hand guard in the shape of raven’s wings and inlaid with bronze 52 A grey wool beret sewn with a badge 53 A leather bandoleer fitted with 2 small flasks of gunpowder 54 A torch-wand marked with the livery of a Pyromancer 55 A special weapons permit issued by a local town 56 A black shirt with a fashionably wide collar 57 Out-of-date identification papers 58 A blue velvet cape sized for a Halfling 59 A floppy hat embroidered around the brim with a motif of spirals and loops 60 A builder’s box with a wooden handle. Inside are carpenter’s tools including a hammer, mallet, plane, saw and iron nails 61 A pair of boots with buttoned-back cuffs 62 A richly decorated glazed pitcher marked with a seal 63 An enormous leather-bound book of recipes 64 A badly dented spear with a pommel in the shape of a dog’s head 65 A gate-keeper’s solid coin box inlaid with mother-of-pearl, with a robust iron lock. If shaken, a few coins can be heard clanging around inside 66 Red wool robes embroidered along the fringe with a motif of suns and stars 67 A fragile map of the heavens 68 A few gold crowns that, upon closer inspection, are probably counterfeit 69 An hourglass made of wood and colored glass 70 A ruined officer’s pistol, with gothic crosses engraved into the grip and a motif of skulls carved along the length of the barrel 71 A ten pound wheel of mouse-nibbled blue cheese 72 A two hundred pound crate of charcoal 73 A few unremarkable small items 74 A black leather bag containing woodworkers’ tools 75 A woolen bag containing stoneworkers’ hammers and chisels 76 A rickety hardwood hand-cart 77 A small driftwood box lined with red velvet, into which is set a smoking pipe carved from a single piece of mother-of-pearl 78 A deer-hide cap

611 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY GEMSTONES Additional plunder may be had as well in the form of gemstones and fineries. However, both are significantly rarer and personal in nature. Gemstones are kept close or sealed away in familial vaults, while fineries are worn as a symbol of affluence or favor of another. While there is certainly a proliferation of costume jewelry and false glass gems in the world, true gems from rare stones and jewelry of fine metals are hard to discern from the counterfeit. Few are surprised to find that the Aristocracy wears a lot of fake ornamentation to accommodate their false sense of superiority. GEMSTONES Gemstones are generally kept either under lock and key by intelligent creatures, stuffed deep in a crevasse or buried to hide them from would-be plunderers. DISTRIBUTION: For those of the Lowborn Social Class or of the Basic Risk Factor, they may have 1D6-3 (to a minimum of 1) gemstones of a valuation worth no more than 1D10+1 gold crowns (gc) each. For those of the Burgher Social Class or of the Intermediate Risk Factor, they may have 2D6-6 (to a minimum of 1) gemstones of a valuation worth no more than 2D10+2 gold crowns (gc) each. Finally, for those of the Aristocrat Social Class or of the Advanced Risk Factor, they may have 3D6-9 (to a minimum of 1) gemstones of a valuation worth no more than 3D10+3 gold crowns (gc) each. CUT VALUES: Gemstones are valued differently, depending on whether they are raw, uncut stones or cut stones. We’ve included only the uncut value, but multiply these values by three when determining their cut value. D100 HEIRLOOMS 79 A battle-scarred mortuary sword with prayer ribbons tied around the handle and guard 80 A bundle of black tallow prayer candles embossed with a twintailed comet, tied with a hempen cord 81 A rusted garden hoe 82 A warm, wolf-hide hooded cloak 83 An oilskin bag containing a large tent, cord, pitons and a mallet 84 A tiny beech wood box embossed with the image of a crescent moon, inside of a which is a strip of dried skin once belonging to a famous holy “saint” 85 A fine leather quiver embossed with an image of a spider, containing nine arrows 86 A few bars of soap, a toothbrush and dentifrice powder 87 An ancient bronze sword with a pommel in the shape of an eagle’s head 88 A home-made dress and skirts 89 A richly decorated oaken coffin, thankfully empty D100 HEIRLOOMS 90 A small oaken snuff box filled nearly to the lid 91 A 15-pound sack of starchy tubers, dried fruits and meats, half of which has rotted 92 A salt-eaten foil and scabbard emblazoned with a sacred oath 93 A spelunker’s pewter visor and candles 94 A shiny brown leather jacket with the embossed stylized image of a tree 95 A rugged but ruined Dwarven-crafted axe of a distinctive geometric styling 96 A diamond-quilted pair of leather leggings decorated with a family crest 97 Weathered, muddy leather boots covered with forbidden symbols 98 A battered shield painted blue and yellow 99 A lead wand etched with runes 100 A soft bedroll of down, linen and soft leather GEMSTONE UNCUT VALUE Alexandrite 3D10+3gc Amber 2D10+2gc Amethyst 2D10+2gc Aquamarine 3D10+3gc Azurite 1D10+1gc Banded agate 1D10+1gc Black pearl 3D10+3gc Bloodstone 1D10+1gc Blue diamond 3D10+3gc Blue quartz 1D10+1gc Blue sapphire 3D10+3gc Brown garnet 2D10+2gc Brown spinel 2D10+2gc Canary diamond 3D10+3gc Carnelian 1D10+1gc Chalcedony 1D10+1gc Chrysoprase 1D10+1gc Citrine 1D10+1gc Clear quartz 1D10+1gc Freshwater pearl 1D10+1gc Golden pearl 2D10+2gc Green spinel 2D10+2gc Hematite 1D10+1gc Iolite 1D10+1gc Jacinth 3D10+3gc GEMSTONE UNCUT VALUE Jasper 1D10+1gc Jade 2D10+2gc Lapis lazuli 1D10+1gc Malachite 1D10+1gc Moonstone 1D10+1gc Moss agate 1D10+1gc Obsidian 1D10+1gc Onyx 1D10+1gc Opal 3D10+3gc Peridot 1D10+1gc Red garnet 2D10+2gc Red spinel 2D10+2gc Rhodochrosite 1D10+1gc Rose quartz 1D10+1gc Emerald 3D10+3gc Sardonyx 2D10+2gc Star ruby 3D10+3gc Tiger eye 1D10+1gc Tourmaline 2D10+2gc Turquoise 1D10+1gc Violet garnet 3D10+3gc White diamond 3D10+3gc White pearl 2D10+2gc Yellow corundum 3D10+3gc Zircon 1D10+1gc

612 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY FINERIES Fineries consist of jewelry of all types, from rings and bracelets to necklaces and broaches. Made from a variety of materials, they are commonly worn as a sign of affluence by society and their size makes them attractive enough to be stolen and fenced – sometimes even fenced back to their original owners! Many a heist has been plotted around theft of an aristocrat’s exquisite ring, while the value of an armband given from a chief to their warriors is held in such esteem that they become immensely inspiring tokens of war. DISTRIBUTION: For those of the Lowborn Social Class or of the Basic Risk Factor, they may have 1D6-1 (to a minimum of 1) brass fineries. For those of the Burgher Social Class or of the Intermediate Risk Factor, they may have 2D6- 2 (to a minimum of 1) silver fineries. Finally, for those of the Aristocrat Social Class or of the Advanced Risk Factor, they may have 3D6-3 (to a minimum of 1) gold fineries. The value of fineries is primarily determined by the Social Class who originally had them made. For instance, a brass ring owned by a Lowborn farmer is worth significantly less than a silver ring owned by a Burgher, while both are trumped by a gold ring made for an Aristocrat. When players record fineries in their inventories, be sure to tell them what Social Class the finery was originally befit for. In the case above, they’d list something along the lines of a Lowborn’s brass ring, a Burgher’s silver ring or an Aristocrat’s gold ring. FINERY LOWBORN BURGHER ARISTOCRAT Armband 3bp 3ss 3gc Bracelet 1bp 1ss 1gc Brooch 9bp 9ss 9gc Earrings 3bp 3ss 3gc Locket 12bp 12ss 12gc Necklace 6bp 6ss 6gc Ring 3bp 3ss 3gc In all cases for fineries, however, you will need to randomly determine what Social Class they originally belonged to before they ended up in the creature’s hoard. Refer to the following table: D100 SOCIAL CLASS 1 to 60 Lowborn (brass finery) 61 to 90 Burgher (silver finery) 91 to 100 Aristocrat (gold finery)

613 CHAPTER 12: BESTIARY COMMODITIES You may also wish to use commodities from Chapter 7: Trappings to distribute among treasure hoards. DISTRIBUTION: For those of the Lowborn Social Class or of the Basic Risk Factor, they may have 1D6 commodities. For those of the Burgher Social Class or of the Intermediate Risk Factor, they may have 2D6 commodities. Finally, for those of the Aristocrat Social Class or of the Advanced Risk Factor, they may have 3D6 commodities. D100 COMMODITY VALUE 1 to 2 Barrel of nut oil 1gc 3 to 4 Barrel of salt 2gc 5 to 6 Barrel of seed oil 7ss 7 to 8 Barrel of shellfish 18ss 9 to 10 Barrel of whale oil 5gc 11 to 12 Bolt of canvas 1gc 13 to 14 Bolt of hemp 6ss 15 to 16 Bolt of lace 2gc 17 to 18 Bolt of linen 3ss 19 to 20 Bolt of silk 3gc 21 to 22 Bolt of velvet 2gc 23 to 24 Bolt of wool 2ss 25 to 26 Crate of ceramics 2gc 27 to 28 Crate of charcoal 3ss 29 to 30 Crate of leather 4gc 31 to 32 Crate of lumber 2gc 33 to 34 Crate of metal ingots 3gc 35 to 36 Crate of parchment 7gc 37 to 38 Crate of religious icons 1gc 39 to 40 Crate of rugs 11gc 41 to 42 Crate of sheepskin 7gc 43 to 44 Crate of tools and utensils 6ss 45 to 46 Crate of vellum 2gc 47 to 48 Hide of a large critter 2gc 49 to 50 Hide of a large insect 5ss D100 COMMODITY VALUE 51 to 52 Hide of a man-eater 12gc 53 5o 54 Hide of a small critter 7ss 55 to 56 Jar of caviar 8gc 57 to 58 Jar of cheese 8bp 59 to 60 Jar of chocolate 5ss 61 to 62 Jar of coffee 7ss 63 to 64 Jar of exotic meats 12ss 65 to 66 Jar of jam 4ss 67 to 68 Jar of oysters 2bp 69 to 70 Jar of rare spices 1gc 71 to 72 Jar of smoked meats 8bp 73 to 74 Jar of sugar 2ss 75 to 76 Jar of tea 3gc 77 to 78 Keg of common dye 8gc 79 to 80 Keg of rare dye 42gc 81 to 82 Sack of amber 7ss 83 to 84 Sack of ambergris 3gc 85 to 86 Sack of barley 2ss 87 to 88 Sack of barley flour 1ss 89 to 90 Sack of buckwheat 3ss 91 to 92 Sack of buckwheat flour 8bp 93 to 94 Sack of ivory 12gc 95 to 96 Sack of wheat flour 2ss 97 to 98 Vial of incense 3gc 99 to 100 Vial of myrrh 8gc

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 616 Bitter Harvest is a rural adventure you can run for players new to the system. It uses many of the tools you’ve learned about in Chapter 11: Game Mastery, including Chase Scenes, Combat Encounters, Social Intrigue and Wilderness Travel. It is meant to teach you how to use these tools during an adventure, while providing a structured adventure to better teach players how ZWEIHÄNDER’s mechanics work. Although most of the adventure requires the players to follow the story arc, it encourages investigation and critical thinking upon their part to put together the mystery, with a shocking resolution requiring the players to decide the best course of action to bring the adventure to a close. Note that this adventure contains mature themes. This adventure is designed for three to six Characters in the Basic Tier, although it can be changed for groups of other sizes or groups in the Intermediate Tier or Advanced Tier. It can be run independently or easily inserted into an existing campaign. This adventure isn’t intended to be the origin story of how the adventurers met. Assume that this is one of their many adventures, as the Characters begin gameplay already knowing each other. The dynamics of their relationships will be determined as they play through this adventure, and hopefully many others. The players will need to show initiative to get the most out of the adventure. The first part is somewhat linear, but with numerous role-playing opportunities during which the Characters can learn what is going on. What they discover during their investigations will then inform their decisions in the much more open second part. Completion of the adventure should roughly take three to five game sessions. A group of Characters lacking Perception-based Skills will have a very difficult time during traveling sections of the adventure. Familiarity with Mutants and a caster with the Generalist Magick called Wytchsight would help, but are by no means necessary. Careful role-players can complete the adventure with only but one instance of combat. Characters with an overwhelming hatred of Mutants (for example, an uncontrollably deranged Slayer) will find themselves losing all their Fate Points in a full scale battle. While most Characters will have something to contribute, very urban-focused Characters or those within the Aristocratic Social Class may find it hard to contribute in substantive ways during rural events, but are perfectly suited for Social Intrigue events. A ◆ A BITTER HARVEST ◆

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 617 The adventure can take place in any hilly area in a town along the river, within a day’s travel of a village on a major river where the local economy is relatively undisturbed. For purposes of this adventure, we’ve used the setting from the Goth Moran Divided campaign seed. It begins in the town of Swanzi and leads to the village of Vorberg a day away. The story begins in late autumn. PLOT SYNOPSIS Maximilian Steiger is a very big deal in the village of Vorberg, but he has a big secret. Twelve years ago, the village was threatened by a Orx WAAAR! Horde. The villagers hid their womenfolk and infants in a cave in the hills and settled in for a siege. One of their number, a young preacher named Wilhelm ‘Harefoot’ Treumann, was sent for a help to Swanzi, but returned with the rescuing army a day too late: although the Mutants had abandoned the siege, they had found the women and children and took them away as slaves. Learning of his flock’s fate, Wilhelm became a broken man. The day before his return, the villagers (thinking he hadn’t got through the Orx WAAAR! Horde) parleyed with the infamous Orx Bigboss named One Eye. In return for sparing the village, its leadership (unbeknownst to the rest) betrayed their womenfolk to the Mutants. The main instigator of this agreement was Maximilian; two of its victims were his wife Johanna and young daughter Katharina. The men involved in the parley, including Pastor Wilhelm’s brother Heinrich Treumann and the innkeeper Horst Angeberin, swore each other to secrecy and gradually got on with life, re-marrying and raising the surviving male children, such as with Maximilian and Johanna’s son, Waldmann. The village prospered under Maximilian’s leadership, developing a thriving hemp industry. Although the Mutants killed almost all of their slaves before long, Johanna survived and learnt from her new Orx Bigboss ‘husband’ One Eye how they had been captured (as well as, falsely, that her son Waldmann was dead). She had been brought up as an herbalist and also had shown a small amount of Magickal talent. Using a combination of her own cunning and a mind-influencing Magickal brew called Mother Knows Best, she brought One Eye and much of his WAAAR! Horde under her control until, with the help of her new-found allies, killed her Orx husband and took control of the Horde. Many of the Mutants have since been killed in various engagements, but she has now led the remnants back towards the village, set up base in a hidden cave below the Horned Monk hills and is plotting a slow revenge. TIMELINE 26 years ago: Maximilian Steiger and Johanna marry; their son Waldmann is born soon thereafter. 20 years ago: Klaus Dummkopf is born. 16 years ago: Katharina is born. 12 years ago: The Mutant attack occurs; Maximilian, Heinrich and Horst betray Vorberg. 10 years ago: Heinrich Treumann and Enid marry; their son Dieter is born soon thereafter. 8 years ago: Gregor ‘Mother’s Boy’ is born to Johanna and One Eye; Beatte Steiger returns to Vorberg. 7 years ago: Horst Angeberin and Liselotte marry. 4 years ago: Johanna kills her Orx husband One Eye and becomes acting Bigboss of the Mutant tribe. The Characters get involved when Maximilian tries to marry again. It’s part of a business deal with Franz Raffke, a major purchaser of the village’s hemp crop, who has a young, eighteen year old daughter, Helena. Unfortunately, the bride token, which was supposed to be following Maximilian to the town where the wedding takes place, hasn’t arrived. Franz demands that he be able to send agents back with Maximilian and his new wife to ensure that payment comes. Maximilian agrees, so long as both pay for neutral third parties – the Characters. THE BALTIC CRUSADES The idea for this adventure was inspired by a real event. The thirteenth-century Baltic Crusades were characterized by tit-for-tat raiding between German and Baltic Christians on the one hand and pagan tribes on the other. The summer of 1215 was especially bloody for the pagan Estonians. After suffering two attacks from Latvian Christians, an unexpected third army, ‘caught’ people coming out of the woods to the fields and villages for food. Burning some of them alive and slitting the throats of others, they inflicted various torments until the Estonians gave up all their money and led them to their hiding places in the woods and handed over the women and children into their power. But this did not soften the spirit of the Latvians... they spared no one, but killed everyone of the male sex, took the women and children captive “… and returned home happy with their plunder.” – The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, c.19.3 –

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 618 Having been employed by both Maximilian and Franz Raffke, the Characters travel to Vorberg, but discover that the wagons carrying the bride token had been attacked by Mutants and the village is in a state of fear. They learn that these Mutants are the same warband that previously attacked twelve years ago, costing the village its women and female babies. Sent to reconnoiter the Mutant’s camp, the Characters discover that they are now led by one of those women and may learn of the original betrayal and that this attack is motivated by revenge. The Characters must then decide what to do. The theme of this adventure is how women, in a society where men have the power, can be treated like tools to be used and discarded, how those women try to accommodate themselves to, escape from or end up being twisted by that dynamic and how the next generation then bears the legacy. It seeks to provide a memorable playing experience by presenting players with a complex moral situation which cannot be divided into a ‘good versus evil’ or ‘chaos versus order’ paradigm, but instead with one whose horror results from petty Human selfishness and cowardice while selling out Humans to Mutants might be the right (or least wrong) solution. DRAMATIS PERSONAE Below follows the major NPCs in the story, which includes all related, mechanical details you may refer to while running the adventure: ANDRE KESSLER Professions: Artisan/Sellsword Ancestry: Adult Human (34 years old) Social Class: Lowborn Motivation: Decorum Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None Andre has experienced a lot in his relatively short life. He grew up in a distant city and was indentured at a young age as an armorer’s apprentice. The man was cruel, but Andre was thrilled by the stories of the tough warriors who frequented the workshop and had visited so many places and done so many things. One day, when a mercenary company was in town, Andre stole military armaments from his employer and joined up. The company was on its way to foreign lands and over the next years Andre grew to be a man under canvas, fighting wars for various city-states. Over time, he lost his romanticism about war, but became a devout follower of the Steward, whom he venerates for civilizing his personal vocation of war and giving it some sort of meaning. Eventually, the mercenary company was dissolved and Andre took his share and returned home, determined to make his own way. Since then, he has made a good living arranging small-scale security for affluent clients and has three people working for him. Andre values his professionalism above all else, but that is being unexpectedly tested now that he has fallen in love with Waldmann Steiger, the serious, honest young son of his latest employer Maximilian Steiger. Although Andre has a history of passionate relationships amongst other male sellswords, the risks of battle always made them as short and casual as they were intense. Yet, with Waldmann, Andre has – for the first time in his life – a chance at more lasting love, and that has this very independent, very self-controlled man caught in an unwanted turmoil of hope and fear. BEATTE STEIGER Professions: Servant Ancestry: Middle Aged Human (56 years old) Social Class: Burgher Motivation: Defiance Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None Beatte was married off to a priest of the God-Emperor in Swanzi so that the latter would help her father in his pilgrimage scheme. She hoped for the life of a society lady, but the priest turned out to be dissolute and miserly. He used her as little more than a housemaid and died leaving her penniless. By that time, her brother Maximilian Steiger had returned and was able to pay off her debts. Beatte resents Maximilian’s success, her vanished dreams and her reliance on him and does everything she can to make herself feel she’s better than he is. ENID TREUMANN Professions: Peasant Ancestry: Adult Human (26 years old) Social Class: Lowborn Motivation: Peace Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None BRIDE TOKEN & DOWRY Whereas a dowry is traditionally given to the family of the groom for agreeing to marry their daughter, a bride token is given by the groom’s family or by the groom himself to his future wife’s family. This bride token reflects the ‘value of the woman’ in the eyes of the groom’s family (for better or worse).

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 619 Enid is the wife of Heinrich Treumann, an abusive husband and a cad. One of the first girls brought to Vorberg from Swanzi ten years ago, she and her husband had their son Dieter before the first anniversary of their marriage. Many of the village women, including Beatte Steiger, see her as a victim of abuse. While she remains protective of her young son, her husband Heinrich is determined to ‘make a man out of him’. She feels contempt for the choices she’s made in life and spends a lot of time with Pastor Wilhelm, her brother-in-law. GREGOR ‘MOTHER’S BOY’ Professions: None Ancestry: Young Half-Orx (8 years old but appears 16) Social Class: Lowborn Motivation: Legacy Alignment: Chaos-Aligned Bestiary Entry: Boogan Gregor doesn’t remember a time before ‘Mother’ led the tribe. For him, the tribe is home and he would do anything for his Mother. She has told him he’s better than the Mutants, but he knows there’s a difference between him and his half-sister Katharina Steiger, and he sees how much time and attention their mother gives her. He often has to get away to be by himself in the woods that he loves. But one day he’ll prove himself to Mother, and this attack on the village might be his chance – she seems to hate it so much. in his mind, if he brought a villager’s head back for her, she would be happy and love him as much as she loves Katharina. HORST ANGEBERIN Professions: Servant Ancestry: Adult Human (42 years old) Social Class: Burgher Motivation: Homage Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None Horst inherited the village’s coaching house, God-Emperor’s Rest, as it was then called. Horst always thought he should be someone who mattered in Vorberg. He was a few years older than Heinrich Treumann, but growing up he made sure to keep on the right side of the more violent boy. When his friend Maximilian Steiger returned to Vorberg, Horst was always by his side and ready to help. It was Maximilian, Heinrich and Horst (and two others of the village who have since died) who went to parley with the Orx Bigboss. Horst was shocked at first when Heinrich suggested selling out the women, but when Maximilian agreed Horst started to see the sense. After all, better them than everyone. But Horst’s conscience nags at him and to silence it, he took in the mentally-challenged Klaus Dummkopf, and tells himself so many lies about his own bravery back then that he’s almost come to believe it – including the renaming of the God-Emperor’s Rest as the Cowardly Orx. Certainly, his young wife Liselotte Angeberin does, and having his own opinion of himself echoed back and amplified has done little to tether Horst to reality. It is unclear how he would react if undeniable evidence of the truth emerged. KATHARINA STEIGER Professions: None Ancestry: Young Human (16 years old) Social Class: Lowborn Motivation: Metamorphosis Alignment: Chaos-Aligned Bestiary Entry: Occultist Katharina’s only memories of Vorberg are happy ones of playing with her brother Waldmann Steiger. Her later childhood was a nightmare of marches and hard labor, although her mother’s position as the Orx Bigboss’s concubine meant Katharina was spared the abuse that killed the other Human children. She is well-aware of this and would give her life for her mother. By the time Katharina manifested Magickal talent, her mother had gained control of the camp whenever the Bigboss was away and she used the time to train Katharina as well as to fill her with hate for the father who betrayed her. Unbeknownst to Johanna, however, Katharina has been hearing voices from the spirits of the tribe, who have been whispering to her of a destiny as the new tribal ‘Mother’ and granting her the Magickal powers to fulfil it. Katharina is afraid that she will one day have to choose between her Human origins and the Mutant totems who have, apparently, adopted her. MAXIMILIAN STEIGER Professions: Cheapjack/Courtier Ancestry: Middle Aged Human (50 years old) Social Class: Burgher Motivation: Legacy Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None\ Maximilian Steiger never knew his mother, who died giving birth to him, but he had nothing but contempt for his father. Maximilian wasn’t treated badly, but his father paid him no attention at all, instead expending all his energies on futile getrich schemes. The only bright spot in Maximilian’s childhood was his friendship with a pretty and fascinatingly precocious charcoal-burner’s daughter named Johanna, though even their part of the charm was his father’s disapproval of such a lowly friend: it was one of the few occasions where he seemed to care what his son did. The last straw for Maximilian was his father’s scheme to turn Vorberg into a pilgrimage destination by claiming that the God-Emperor once slept in a cave in the Horned Monk,

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 620 attempting to rename the hill and village ‘Emperorsberg’ (albeit unsuccessfully). It swallowed the family’s fortune and as the bailiffs arrived to collect, Maximilian slipped away and started a new life working on the riverboats that ploughed their way up and down the Basque River. These took him far away from the village and he still regales anyone who listens with stories about his one visit to capital. Maximilian soon discovered a talent for wheeling and dealing, relishing the fact that where his father had been incompetent, he was a master. By the age of 24, he was wealthy enough to return to Vorberg and buy back his father’s house and lands in triumph. His father had died of grief and shame, but Johanna was still there and eager to marry. However, the independent streak that so attracted a trapped and unhappy child such as Johanna soon rankled with the newly confident courtier. When the Mutants came, Maximilian did his best to lead the village’s defense and he hoped for Pastor Wilhelm’s return with help. But the fear grew that he would lose everything he had worked so hard for. Trusting to his abilities as a dealmaker, he called a parley with the Orx Bigboss. It was not an easy decision to betray the women – he still has nightmares about his little daughter Katharina and he’s become noticeably more religious since the attack – but ultimately he can justify it to himself as a necessary if unfortunate cost of doing business. Maximilian is desperate for respectability and with that sort of woman by his side (such was Johanna), he would never have attained it. ‘MOTHER’ JOHANNA STEIGER Professions: None Ancestry: Middle Aged Human (47 years old) Social Class: Lowborn Motivation: Vengeance Alignment: Chaos-Aligned Bestiary Entry: Witch Johanna’s father was Old Tom, an ordinary, kind-hearted charcoal-burner, but her mother was Lady Ursula, the village’s apothecary. Although her mother was not blessed, she recognized her daughter’s Magickal talent early and sought to bring her up in the ways of the hedge. Unfortunately, the girl grew up arrogant and headstrong, fighting against her mother’s attempts at discipline. Johanna set her sights on the young, ambitious Maximilian Steiger, whom she had run with as a child. Maximilian proposed to her (some say helped along by a love potion) and young Johanna started living a life of relative luxury as a kept woman. Maximilian soon started to resent her, however, perhaps because his increasing success meant that he would soon have been able to marry to better advantage and Johanna was not one to be subservient to her husband. She is sure that Maximilian’s insecurity and ambition contributed to his betrayal, and she holds him in contempt for it. By luck and by magic, Johanna and their four year-old daughter Katarina survived the initial nightmarish months of captivity while all the other women and children died or were sold on as slaves. She made herself the Orx Bigboss’s favored concubine, especially since a particular brew she put together seemed to make the tribe less fractious and more loyal to him. When she bore him a son named Gregor, her position was sealed. Little did he know, the brew actually made the Mutants personally loyal to her and, with the support of her loyal faction, she killed the Bigboss and his remaining allies and took over the tribe. She has since led it back to the village that betrayed her and wants a revenge that will reflect the uncertainty and terror she and the women experienced while hiding in the cave, before it finally ends in pain and death. WALDMANN STEIGER Professions: Trapper Ancestry: Adult Human (25 years old) Social Class: Burgher Motivation: Peace Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: None Waldmann remembers his mother Johanna well. He remembers the arguments between her and his father Maximilian Steiger and the more frequent silences and careful attempts to stay out of each other’s way. It was good that he loved the woods, because otherwise he would have had nowhere to escape to. Waldmann loved his parents, but he respected them more, and when the Mutant attack came he was proud to be able help the villagers flee. He was proud of how his mother led the women to apparent safety, and he tried to be strong as he bid farewell to his little sister. He was also proud of his father when Maximilian went out to meet the Orx Bigboss and ‘intimidated’ the creature into leaving them alone. Maybe his father lacks genuine warmth under his glib charm, but he had what it took at the right time and that is more important than any sentimental bleating. For the same reason, Waldmann accepted it when his father showed little emotion over the death of his wife Johanna and mourned that of his daughter Katharina privately. Waldmann is very conscious of his responsibilities (and bears Klaus’s hero-worship of him with patience and a self-deprecating smile) and is thus sorry to disappoint his father over his lack of interest in the family business. He understands the cold calculation of his father’s marriage to a young Swanzi girl named Helena, but himself has recently been plunged into emotional confusion by the arrival of Andre Kessler, whose understated confidence and glamorous background have stolen his heart entirely. Waldmann is

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 621 seriously considering leaving his home for the first time to be with Andre when he goes. WILHELM ‘HAREFOOT’ TREUMANN Professions: Monk Ancestry: Adult Human (33 years old) Social Class: Burgher Motivation: Veneration Alignment: Order-Aligned Bestiary Entry: NONE Where his brother Heinrich Treumann was vicious and resentful, Pastor Wilhelm was bright, confident and hopeful. A devotee of the God-Emperor, when the Mutants attacked he secretly thought his time might have come. Arriving at the vanguard of the rescuing army was the greatest moment of his life. The subsequent fall was that much farther. Pastor Wilhelm simply couldn’t understand how the Mutants could have found the cave and pestered Heinrich for answers. Eventually his brother told him: because Pastor Wilhelm had failed to return on time, the real men had to make the hard decisions needed in the real world, not the fantasy one of heroism in Pastor Wilhelm’s head – it was all Pastor Wilhelm’s fault and he should never forget that. He didn’t and the past twelve years have been ones of alcoholic self-degradation. However, Pastor Wilhelm is pulling himself together and the knowledge that there were in fact some survivors and that this attack is in some sense a just punishment, might be enough to break through Pastor Wilhelm’s shame and get him to confess. OTHER NPCs Throughout this adventure, the player characters will encounter a number of other people. Safely assume those who would not intend the Characters harm to be OrderAligned, whereas others who may intend violence upon the players are Chaos-Aligned. Most of the people that the Characters will meet will be of Lowborn stock. Exceptions to this may be made at your discretion. PART I: THE WEDDING While visiting the river port town of Swanzi, the Characters encounter the wedding celebrations of Maximilian Steiger and Helena Raffke. There are several ways Characters could get involved in the wedding. No matter what option you go for, assume the Characters already know one another from a former adventure they had embarked upon before: ACADEMIC ARCHETYPE: The areas around Vorberg were historically a place of great strife between the Mutants and Humanity. A number of Orx are said to have left behind artifacts before they were driven away roughly twelve years ago. Such artifacts could fetch a high price or even further fuel continued study into the histories of the Mutants. COMMONER ARCHETYPE: An influx of foreign workers has come to Vorberg, a village not far from Swanzi. It is said that Maximilian Steiger, an on-the-make businessman, is encouraging them by paying guilded, locally born tradesmen well for their services (among other things). KNAVE ARCHETYPE: The Characters are on the run from a notorious bounty hunter/reeve, Piper ‘The Bride’ Hardt, who’s been charged with dragging them back to the capital to face accusations of meddling and fraud. Swanzi should be able to provide a quick route out of the area to escape. RANGER ARCHETYPE: The Characters are looking for work and a prominent boat-chandler, Franz Raffke, is renowned for having a number of interests on the roads between Swanzi and nearby Vorberg that might protection. SOCIALITE ARCHETYPE: One of the Characters is a cousin to Maximilian Steiger, the man of the hour, and has been invited with their friends to celebrate. WARRIOR ARCHETYPE: Several of the Characters (particularly those of the Warrior Archetype) were a part of an old mercenary company with Andre Kessler and have heard he settled in with a rich villager-cum-aristocrat named Maximilian Steiger. He may be able to provide a few leads for work. GETTING STARTED The bride and groom approach from opposite ends of town in two processions, one of the women distributing flowers to other ladies for luck and one of the men distributing pennies to other men to please the Nightfather. They meet in the town square before the wedding party enters the temple of the God-Emperor. Once they emerge as a married couple, the festivities begin. The reception and festivities are held in a roadside coaching station where the Characters are staying and they become involved in the celebrations. There’s a very good reason for getting involved – the booze is free! Remember to keep track of the Characters’ drinking (see Chapter 9: Hazards

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 622 & Healing), as the risk of Intoxication runs high at the start of the adventure. As the celebrations will last for roughly six hours, you’ll want to have the Characters make a Toughness Test at the end of every hour to determine if they become Intoxicated or not. Depending on how quickly you want to get to the meat of the story, this might be a good time to fill in details about this region’s strange marriage customs. There are two activities here; pick one that best suits the temperaments of the Character’s personalities: DEGREES OF SUCCESS: FIND THE BRIDE! The bride’s family pretends to kidnap the bride, while the guests (including Characters) compete to find and rescue her. The winners are rewarded with a rundlet of a potent local ale. This would be a good opportunity to introduce Lutz Wassertrager (see Minor Personalities below). He might offer to tell the Characters in what general area where the bride may be, in return for a ‘small consideration’ of coins; otherwise 3 silver shillings (ss). There are three other competitors. Every Character who wishes to participate will roll a series of Awareness Tests, tallying their individual results. Whomever generates the most Degrees of Success will win. The first Awareness Test will be (Challenging -10%), the next (Standard +/-0%) and the final one (Routine +10%). If they bribed Lutz, they automatically add 3 to their total Degrees of Success. CHASE SCENE: THE FOOT RACE The men compete in a foot race around Swanzi, each carrying one of the village maidens on his back. Each woman carries with her three cabbages, for the menfolk to toss at one another as they race. The winner is then ‘married’ to the girl until dawn the next day. There’s no shame in anything that happens in that time and any children conceived are considered blessed; a strange local custom indeed. This would be a good opportunity to introduce Mollig ‘Molly’ Bumsen (see Minor Personalities below). Characters are encouraged to participate in this race. However, the menfolk of Swanzi will impress upon them that drinking is not only encouraged, but required! This is a ruse, as they want to make sure that the Characters don’t win. They’ll likely be drinking water instead, and a successful (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test will indicate as such. The Characters will be Pursuers, while the three other competitors are Escapees (whose Movement is 6 and [BB] is 4). No one has a Head Start at this time. This is a Long Chase, set to 6 Rounds. If any Characters are currently Intoxicated, they suffer a -1 to their Pursuit Value on the first Round. Players must disable or beat the Escapees in order to win. Otherwise, the Escapee with the highest Chase Threshold at the end of the sixth Round wins. Whenever a Pursuer is afforded the ability to Attack, they may throw cabbages. In fact, this sort of skulduggery (or numbskullery depending who you ask) is highly encouraged! Using real ranged weapons is highly discouraged, and will result in the worst of outcomes in this adventure (very likely in a short, bloody end). Cabbages don’t do any Damage, but does immediately reduce their current Escape or Pursuit Value by -1. Each Escapee and Pursuer is given three cabbages in a sack they can carry. RAIN OF TURNIPS (COMPLICATION): If a Character suffers a Complication, members of the watching crowd pelt them with turnips, cabbage and other sundries as they run past. They must succeed at a (Routine +10%) Coordination test or reduce their current Escape or Pursuit Value by -1. MOLLY BUMSEN (COMPLICATION): If they end up taking Molly Bumsen on their back, she harasses the Character during the entire race about inadequacies such as their club-footedness, shuffling about like a buffoon or lack of charming appearance. The Pursuer who has her on their back must succeed at a (Routine +10%) Resolve Test or become irritated with her, suffering 1D10+1 mental Peril. If all Escapees are disabled and the Player Characters are the last in the race, have them each roll a final Chase Threshold for themselves, as if they were the Escapees. Whomever generates the highest result is the winner of the race! MAXIMILIAN’S CELEBRATION Before long, Maximilian has his arm around one of the Character’s shoulders and is pressing drinks into their hands. He takes on his role as man of the hour (and, of course, center of attention) very enthusiastically. Being a sharp businessman, he is using this opportunity to get to know people in town. The fact that the Characters might be disreputable won’t bother him, since he is well aware such people can be useful. Maximilian should find the Character with the highest ranking Social Class and engage them, taking a genuine interest in who they are and what brought them to town (particularly if one of the Characters is related to him). If the Characters look for his bride – and they succeed at a (Standard +/-0%) Awareness Test – they will see a heavily pregnant and much younger woman sitting nearby, sipping occasionally from a tankard of small beer and looking very shy and unsure of herself. Next to her is another young woman, apparently her maid of honor, and a very unhappylooking older man of roughly Maximilian’s age. Succeeding at a Rumor Test with any of the Order-Aligned Lowborn attendees at the party will get the information that the bride is Helena Raffke and the man Franz Raffke: her father and a prominent boat-chandler (supplier of ropes, equipment and stores). If they Critically Succeed the Rumor Test, they learn that the marriage is part of a business deal between Franz and Maximilian, and that both want a male child

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 623 to inherit the business. Succeeding at a (Routine +10%) Folklore Test reveals that it’s not unusual for the bride to be visibly pregnant on the wedding day: it ensures that the marriage will be fertile before any binding commitments are made. The Characters cannot immediately find out why Franz looks so unhappy, however. MINOR PERSONALITIES You can deliver information either quickly through Skill Tests or you can insist on role-playing. In the latter case, here are a couple of NPCs with whom the Characters can interact: MOLLIG ‘MOLLY’ BUMSEN: She is a pretty, plump and young Order-Aligned Lowborn woman who is on the hunt for a hunky man (or, even better, a Dwarf ) to bed and potentially marry – and one of the Characters is a candidate. She’ll pretend to be a friend of Helena’s and although they did grow up together, Molly always resented Helena for being a bit more popular (and respected) among the lads. Molly will put up a very bad facade of pity for her ‘dear friend for being married off to some fat, old hick just to seal a silly business deal’. In truth, she is spitefully gleeful about it and if a Character succeeds at a Charm Test to woo her, will readily reveal how Franz is using his daughter to ensure his own future because he failed to sire a male heir. LUTZ WASSERTRAGGER: He is a Chaos-Aligned Lowborn dogsbody for Franz, running his errands, passing on messages and attending to other menial tasks and services. He also carries Franz’ important documents, including the marriage contract with the dowry’s value and the bride token invoice due. Franz pays little attention to Lutz, who takes the opportunity to pilfer small amounts of money. Lutz is sly, but not as sly as he thinks he is, so he’ll start by selling bits of information for bronze pennies, but will quickly get drunk and run his mouth off about how Franz wasn’t man enough to have a son and how he’d like to get his hands on Helena. With a successful Rumor Test (or by plying Lutz with alcohol), the Characters can learn that Maximilian has in recent years become a significant supplier of hemp in the region and Franz hopes the marriage will lock his competitors out of access to this supply. In addition, they could get on Franz’s good side by exposing Lutz as the resentful, pathetic little toad he is. THE ALTERCATION Later in the celebrations, Franz and Maximilian get into an argument, which starts as a heated discussion and escalates into raised voices. Succeeding at a (Standard +/- 0%) Awareness Test (or with a successful (Standard +/-0%) Scrutinize Test to pick out the slurred words) will tell the Characters that the conversation is about a missing bride token. Franz and Maximilian then leave to continue the discussion somewhere in private. PLAYTEST NOTES During the wedding celebration, but before The Altercation, one of the Characters stole Franz’s documents. They contain a recording of the dowry, denoting a value of several hundred gold crowns (gc)! The bride token is for over 150 bales of hemp, weighing roughly 75 lbs. per bale (thus the need for three wagons to bring the hemp to Swanzi, which you’ll learn more about later). The players used the documents to better understand how rich Franz is, and how poor Maximilian would be if the bride token wasn’t delivered.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 624 While it’s clear that the two don’t want to be followed, any who succeeds at a (Routine +10%) Stealth Test can follow behind or listen in for a bit with a successful (Standard +/-0%) Eavesdrop Test. It is clear that Franz is somewhat drunk and very angry with Maximilian. Apparently, a large delivery of hemp was supposed to have arrived by now as the bride token from Maximilian to Franz. The Character who followed or is listening in overhears Franz state in a drunkenly blunt manner, all the while pointing at Maximilian, “I could have given that girl to any respectable businessman in town, but you Maximilian – you Maximilian – promised me the best prospects... Even all my friends warned me not to deal with an uppity peasant like Maximilian Steiger.” Before the other man can respond, Franz declares Maximilian isn’t to be trusted, threatening to sue the shirt off his back, ensures his daughter will divorce him and that their child will grow up in an orphanage where no one can find it, unless that is, the bride token is delivered as promised Maximilian tries to calm Franz down, reassuring him that the bride token will be his and asking him not to spoil his daughter’s ‘happy day’ (a point about which Franz is noticeably scornful). A successful (Standard +/-0%) Scrutinize Test indicates that Maximilian doesn’t particularly care about Helena’s well-being, but wants to look like the good guy. SOCIAL INTRIGUE: INTERVENTION Intervening in the middle of this conversation immediately triggers a Social Intrigue event. Treat both men as if they were Burghers for purposes of role-play. Maximilian is of a Polite Disposition, whereas Franz is of an Impolite Disposition. However, depending on how the Characters interacted with the two men earlier (if at all), their Disposition towards the Characters may be better or worse than this. For instance, if the Characters were spotted sneaking around, the Disposition can be made worse. Alternatively, if the Characters had previously made a good impression on either man, then you may wish to improve their Disposition. Follow the normal rules for Social Intrigue as a Complex Exchange, but in this case, those who pick Interrogation or Intimidate for their Social Tactic have less effect, both being unfavorable Skills. Remember, before their Characters fully commit to the Social Intrigue, let the players discuss with one another what they want to accomplish, how they wish to accomplish it and the risks associated with what they agree to do. If the Characters have made a good impression, then an offer to help the next day will be welcomed by either man. The ideal result is that the men calm down and thank the Characters for their offer of help. If the interaction proves to be unsuccessful – whether due to poor dice rolls or particularly tactless role-playing – the men still stop arguing but part angrily, only turn to the Characters later out of a lack of other mutually tolerable options. After the incident, any Character who might reasonably be thought to know something about marriage rights – for example, anyone with Education (Focus: Law), Folklore (Focus: Local Lore) or a Bailiff, Reeve or someone in the Academic Archetype – will be approached by Maximilian and Franz simultaneously, asked whether a marriage is valid without the delivery of the promised bride token. Maximilian will leave the conversation happy if the answer is yes, while Franz will be happy if the answer is no. This is an opportunity for you to place the Characters in an awkward position, regardless of their desire to help. Prod the players to use their best judgement, but give them enough information that both supports the validity of the marriage and invalidates it at the same time. Helena will leave the reception and go to bed fairly early (much earlier than her husband), but eventually the various guests will trickle away or pass out. Maximilian will follow not long after, while Franz will stay and continue drinking. He will welcome any company, even if they did not give him the answers he was looking for as to the validity of the marriage sans bride token; he would simply prefer not to drink alone. Either way, the Characters are woken in the morning by a fresh-looking Maximilian or a not so freshlooking Franz. PART II: THE JOURNEY Franz remains in Swanzi, but both he wants the Characters to go with the newlyweds Maximilian and Helena back to Vorberg by coach (Maximillian’s village) to find out what has happened to the bride token and, if necessary, escort it back. Each is willing to pay the Characters a sum of 35 brass pennies (bp) per day for their trouble, but individual Characters can attempt a Bargain Test to get more money. The Difficulty Rating of the Bargain Test relies solely on the results of the Social Intrigue event the night before. If you feel they made a favorable impression on either one of them, allow a (Routine +10%) Bargain Test, but if they made an unfavorable impression, it becomes a (Challenging -10%) Bargain Test. A successful Bargain Test yields an

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 625 additional number of brass pennies (bp) equal to their [FB] or three times that if a Critical Success. If it looks like the Characters might turn down the deal, Maximilian or Franz mentions that there might be more work in the future if the Characters carry out this job well; any Character with the Folklore Skill or making a successful (Standard +/-0%) Folklore Test, knows that both men are solid members of the community and well connected. In other words, they are good, local contacts to have – and bad ones to anger. Assuming that the Characters accept, Maximilian introduces them to Andre Kessler, who is in charge of his security. If any of the Characters are still the worse for wear (from drinking the night before), then Andre takes them to an inn (if they’re not there already) and gives the barkeep a pouch of herbs to steep in hot water. The concoction is extremely bitter, but allows the Character to restore their Peril Condition Track positively to Unhindered (unless already Unhindered, resulting in no gain or loss). WILDERNESS TRAVEL: TO VORBERG Andre leads three Sellswords and one Coachman, who will be riding next to the newlyweds’ rented coach. Characters with horses can ride with Andre and the guards. There is room for two more on the box next to the elderly, gargoylelike in statue Coachman (to sit ‘blunderbus’; otherwise shotgun) and another two could fit inside the coach with Maximilian, Helena and Helena’s maid-of-honor, her (genuine) childhood friend Barbara ‘Bibi’ Emmerich. If there are more Characters than will fit, assume that Maximilian has arranged another small cart hitched to the back of the coach for the wedding gifts and the Characters can ride perched atop that. The sellswords are all foreigners, hired labor by Maximilian and know little and speak little – they only know a smattering of the local language. The elderly Coachman Ernst is ancient and gloomy, while the guards number three between Andre’s right-hand men Juergen (who is hung-over and sullen), Markus (who is boastful of old exploits) and Udo (a freshfaced youngster who half-wants, half-fears any action). SELECTING ROLES FOR THE JOURNEY: You should ask whether Characters will volunteer to play one of the three Roles required for Wilderness Travel: Guide, Survivalist and Scout. Not offering to fill one of these Roles will result in the Characters having to each succeed at a Resolve Test or suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril from shame, as Andre will take umbrage at such cowardice and Maximilian will believe less in their touted abilities. Assume that if a Character doesn’t volunteer for a Role, one of the three guards will take it. It will take about a day to reach Vorberg, which is only a Short Stretch (requiring one Toughness Test per Character, regardless of whether they fill a Role or not). The route is considered to be Routine Terrain. In addition, the journey to Vorberg is of absolutely No Danger from a Threat Level perspective. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test, even if a Character fails or Critically Fails their Role Check as a Scout. Instead, penalize the entire party with 1D10+1 physical Peril from road weariness. Under no circumstances will Andre allow the Characters to stop and Make Camp to Recuperate their Peril Condition Track (even after the events which transpires in Part III: The Battlefield) until they arrive back in Vorberg. In the wilderness, it is clear that Andre is running the show. However, he does allow the coach to break for a half hour twice – once for lunch, and once in the morning. Otherwise, there is no rest for the Characters on the journey, unless they sleep inside the coach or on the accompanying cart. Any Character who is a Scout will not be able to rest that evening. Depending on what Role the Characters play, they’ll be paired up with one of the following people: GUIDE HELENA STEIGER née RAFFKE & BARBARA ‘BIBI’ EMMERICH: Talking to Helena or Bibi is difficult, as both are quiet around Maximilian (Helena out of shyness and Bibi out of consideration for her friend). Female Characters will get a chance to talk to them in private during the morning when the coach stops to allow people to relieve themselves and again when it stops for lunch. Succeeding at a (Challenging -10%) Scrutinize Test with Helena or a Rumor Test with Bibi shows that Helena is putting a brave face on a situation she has no control over and that her friend is just trying to be supportive. Helena is most concerned about the baby and hopes for a boy, since that’s what Maximilian and her father want from her. In private, Bibi can be rather cutting about Franz’s temperament, but tries to be polite about Maximilian for Helena’s sake. Bibi does let slip, however, that Maximilian already has a son, just not one willing to take over the business. She doesn’t know who the son is or his name, however. SURVIVALIST MAXIMILIAN STEIGER: Maximilian is very easy to talk to. He will happily regale everyone with stories of how he made it as a businessman and how much he’s done for his village. As regards Helena, he’ll play the doting husband. He expresses concern about the missing bride token if asked, but also confidence that his trusted bailiff, one Heinrich Treumann, will have had good reason not to have brought it and that everything will be all right in the end. A successful (Standard +/-0%) Scrutinize test will tell the Characters that Maximilian is more worried than he’s letting on. If asked about why he has married so late or about his family, Maximilian will look sad and will admit that he had been

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 626 married once, but that his wife and daughter tragically died. He has one grown-up son, Waldmann, who is however not interested in the family business. Maximilian wishes his son would be a bit more grateful, but what can he do? At lunch, if any of the Characters have established a particularly good relationship with Maximilian, they will find that he leads them aside and, after thanking them profusely for taking the job and talking about how awkward the situation is and how it would be ideally solved quickly and painlessly, he will offer a bonus to the Character he’s talking to if that Character makes sure that they report back to Franz in terms favorable to Maximillian; this bonus is equal to the Character’s highest [FB]. If the Character accepts, Maximilian will be very happy. If the Character refuses out of principle, however, Maximilian will look shocked that he might be thought to have intended anything other than practicality and his wife’s peace-of-mind. He will be quite obviously displeased with the Character, however. SCOUT ANDRE KESSLER: This sellsword cuts a very professional figure. A devout follower of the Steward after a long stint fighting in foreign lands, he moves and acts efficiently and does not tolerate foolishness on the job. He’s curious about other people however, and will happily chat with Characters who seem serious people. He’s only worked for Maximilian for a short time, having been hired at the beginning of the summer. Maximilian had to bring in a lot of outside workers to help with the hemp harvest and needed someone in charge of security. Andre respects Maximilian as a fair boss, although he generally isn’t fond of wheeler-dealers. A successful Charm Test will get Andre to admit that he actively dislikes Heinrich Treumann, whom he accuses of being unprofessionally harsh with his employees. He thinks especially little of the man because Andre once caught him beating his young son, Dieter Treumann. If asked about Waldmann Steiger however, Andre will bluff an off-hand appreciation for the young man, whom he describes as nothing like his father, being instead a woodsman who spends little time in the village but is a good drinking companion when he does come into the local pub. If questioned more closely about Waldmann, Andre will look noticeably uncomfortable – detectable with a (Routine +10%) Scrutinize Test; Characters should be allowed to draw whatever conclusions they wish. Andre will simply shrug if asked about the appropriateness of the match between the younger Helena and older Maximilian: it’s sad he’ll say, but it’s just the way of the world for young women to be passed from one old man to another. PART III: THE BATTLEFIELD After lunch, the terrain turns into rolling hills and the forests become thicker. It’s late afternoon, a couple of hours before dusk and not far from the village, when Andre (and any other Characters who are filling the Scout Role) returns from scouting up ahead, visibly disturbed. If he has befriended a Character on the way, then he will first go to that Character with his news: around the next curve the road is filled with abandoned wagons and many dead guards. If he hasn’t befriended any Characters, then any of them who is not in the coach might be able to listen in with a successful (Routine +10%) Awareness or Eavesdrop Test on Andre’s conversation with the other guards. The people inside the coach feel it come to a stop and soon Maximilian will look out of the coach and demand to know from Andre and the nearest Character what’s going on. Andre will hesitate for a moment, so any Character will have a chance to answer. They need to be tactful so as not to scare either Maximilian, or especially, Helena. Some story about there seeming to be a blockage in the road would do (which is what Andre will come up with if given a chance). Andre is aware that the Characters are there to secure the bride token and so will be sure to take one of them with him back to the scene of the crime so that they can consult on what to do. THE SLAUGHTER The Characters walk into the remnants of a battle. There are three wagons; their horses were all butchered and all around them lie the corpses of about a dozen people, peppered with short, black-fletched arrows. Upon witnessing this, they must succeed at a (Routine +10%) Resolve Test or suffer from Stress. Information should be given in response to Character actions and questions: REFUGEES OR IMMIGRANTS? These casual laborers working for Maximilian are refugees from a beleaguered region overran by another army, which destroyed their holdings. Maximilian is genuinely happy that he can combine the virtues of business and charity by employing people in need to everyone’s mutual benefit. Andre however, doesn’t like or trust them – he views this particular group of immigrants as violent barbarians. The fact that these ones survived when others died in the wake of chaos makes them even more suspicious in his eyes.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 627 The arrows are crudely made, with viciously-barbed iron heads; Most of the people have been shot to death; They have been only partly stripped of weapons and armor, while money and valuables have been largely left behind. There are no other corpses other than those of the guards (Andre can confirm this); Andre can confirm and point out that the bailiff Heinrich Treumann should have been with the convoy, but his body isn’t among the dead; The wagons are still laden with the bales of hemp – there was no attempt to steal the goods; The convoy needed to set out early to make it to Swanzi in one day and was stopped not far from the Vorberg, so the attack must have taken place in broad daylight. Further information can be gleaned by certain types of Characters and from Skill Tests: Dwarfs, Characters in military careers (including some of the Ranger Archetype) and those with a Tradecraft (Focus: Weaponsmithing) will automatically recognize the arrows as of Mutant handicraft; others who voice this suspicion can have that confirmed with a successful (Challenging -10%) Scrutinize Test; A successful Folklore Test for any of the Lowborn of area or a successful (Challenging -10%) Folklore Test will tell the Characters that this region has suffered from Mutant attacks before, but there’s been nothing serious for a while; A successful (Standard +/-0%) Warfare Test reveals that the convoy was attacked from both sides of the road and the attackers avoided a melee; A successful (Routine +10%) Survival Test reveals that the attackers came through the woods roughly from the direction of the village and returned the same way; if the Characters try to pursue the attackers, Andre will remind them that they need to protect the coach; A successful (Easy +20) Handle Animal Test reveals the horses were hobbled by gin traps, lain in the road below piles of leaves. The question then becomes how to proceed. Danger is afoot, and there are signs that the Mutants may still be nearby. Time is of essence. Andre will listen to the Characters’ suggestions, although he will make it clear that neither returning to Swanzi nor bringing the hemp shipment with them to Vorberg are options; there simply isn’t enough time nor room in the rented coach to offload the shipment. If the Characters dawdle about and waste time digging through the viscera any further, despite Andre’s warnings, feel free to let one of the gin traps have gone unnoticed. For every ten minutes the players waste, have them roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘6’, they must succeed at a (Hard -20%) Coordination Test or be caught in a gin trap. Anyone caught in a gin trap suffers the Grievous Injury Maimed Foot (refer to this in Chapter 11: Game Mastery). REPORTING BACK Ultimately, Andre will have to go back to Maximilian and report. He’ll beckon Maximilian out of the coach alone, in order not to scare the ladies. Bibi in particular will demand to know what’s going on and only be stilled by an embarrassed and worried Helena. When told of what’s happened, Maximilian will go sheet-white and gather opinions from everyone as to what they should do. Andre will recommend shutting the blinds on the coach, so the ladies don’t witness the scene and make for Vorberg as quickly as possible. Maximilian will ask if Heinrich’s body was found and when told that it wasn’t, he’ll breathe a sigh of relief that at least Heinrich seems to have escaped. A successful (Standard +/-0%) Scrutinize Test will tell the Characters that Andre looks skeptical at this. Regardless, Maximilian will settle on going to Vorberg – he cannot afford to lose face in front of Franz Raffke, nor can the rented coach begin to even convey a portion of the hemp back to Vorberg; it’s far too overloaded as-is and it would be a dead giveaway that the bride token didn’t make it. MAX’S FINANCIAL SITUATION Despite the front Maximilian put up in Swanzi, he is actually on the verge of financial collapse. Every bit of coin he had was put into purchasing the three wagons and horses, hiring the teamsters who guarded it and additional investment into the production of the hemp from the people of Vorberg. If he isn’t able to keep the marriage intact, the dowry will be stricken from him, Helena and the child will be taken away and Franz Raffke will bankrupt Maximilian, leaving the hemp production in Vorberg unmanaged. Naturally, this would be an opportunity for another businessman to step up to take the reigns. Players may even have it in their head that Franz Raffke has somehow set all of this up in his favor. Although there is no truth to this whatsoever, don’t attempt to persuade the players otherwise from this red herring. It will only make the climax of A Bitter Harvest all the more compelling.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 628 Assuming things proceed as Andre recommends, Maximilian gets back into the coach and draws the blinds, claiming there is a long-dead horse on the road ahead and that he wants to spare the ladies the sight (and smell). The coach will start up at speed and Andre, along with either one Character or Juergen (who becomes markedly more alert once there’s danger) rides ahead. Have the Characters each make one (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test to keep them on edge, but nothing happens in the hour’s journey to the village where they arrive just as the sun dips behind the line of a hill. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Should they fail the aforementioned Test, they suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril and 1 Corruption due to anxiety of an ambush along the road to Vorberg. If they Critically Fail the Test, they suffer from Stress. PART IV: ARRIVAL The first sight of Vorberg is striking. Rounding the top of a wooded hill, the group looks down on a village nestled amongst fields and surrounded by a timber palisade. Behind it, the local ‘mountain’ (in fact, a particularly large hill). The latter is unusual because it juts quite suddenly from the ground and, although its sides are forested like the other hills, the tree-line ends below the summit, which is topped with a ridge and two rocky peaks. Andre heard that the resemblance between the twin peaks was once used to sell the hill as a pilgrimage site of the GodEmperor, but it never caught on. Most people know the mountain as the Horned Monk, because the tree line with the bare top looks like a monk’s tonsure. After sighting the village, the party and the coach quickly come out of the woods and start crossing the fields. A successful (Routine +10%) Survival Test tells the Characters that this is harvest season and people normally work as long as possible – now, at dusk, people should be packing up and leaving the fields, but in this case the fields are already deserted. Andre and any Characters with him arrive at the gates first, where they are challenged by a watchman. When Andre identifies himself, there’s an audible commotion, as someone exclaims, “Thank the God-Emperor! Maximilian made it through!” and the gate opens to let everyone into the village. It is shut very quickly behind them. The coach is soon surrounded by a crowd of scared villagers. Maximilian will leave Helena behind in the coach to go and find out what is going on and will be met first by Horst Angeberin, the village innkeeper. Bibi will object strongly to Helena being left behind and will demand to know what is happening. If necessary, she will try to enlist the Characters to find out for her while she resolutely stays by Helena’s side. WHAT’S HAPPENED IN VORBERG? The bride token shipment left in the morning two days earlier under the command of Heinrich Treumann, who also took his ten year-old son Dieter with him. For a day, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This morning however, people who went out to the fields to work ran back when they discovered the mutilated bodies of Heinrich and his son Dieter, tied up in the fields where the scarecrows normally stand. The villagers immediately withdrew beyond the palisade, leaving the bodies where they stand. As far the villagers are concerned, HORNS OF A CUCKOLD ‘Horned’ was once a euphemism for a cuckolded man, since men who were cheated on by their wives were said to have horns. For followers of the Martyr or the Nightfather, a successful (Standard +/-0%) Folklore or Incantation Test or alternatively a successful (Hard -20%) Education Test allows a Character to recall a venerated priest of the Martyr known only as ‘The Horned Monk’. His legend says he was a particularly brutal count from far away who insisted on the letter of the law being carried out without mercy. In vengeance, the Nightfather came to him in a dream disguised as the Martyr and seduced him, promising to be his wife and lover if he would only commit to her. The very next morning, he abdicated his county and became a monk of the Martyr. But everything he tried went sour. Wherever he went, the adherents shunned him since they sensed his motives weren’t pure. People he ‘healed’ would come to grief immediately afterwards. Criminals who were released due to his pleas for mercy went on to commit even greater crimes. Meanwhile, the Nightfather continued to plague him with fevered, erotic dreams of the Martyr, who seemed to promise him so much but then always favored others over him, no matter what he did to prove his love. Finally, pursued by inquisitors and mad with despair and paranoia, the monk found refuge in a cave under the twin peaks and became an anchorite. There, a broken man, he begged the Martyr’s forgiveness for whatever he had done wrong. Finally, she took pity on him and lifted his madness. Some say his heart was then so filled with love that it burst in his chest and his soul joined her in a pure, spiritual union. But others say he left that cave and wanders the world still, kept immortally alive and working true healing miracles by his now-genuine love for the Martyr. People pray to the Horned Monk for help in controlling their own or their partners’ jealousy, in not acting out of selfish motivations, to escape from criminal punishment and (unofficially) to cure impotence.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 629 they are now under siege, although no one has seen sight anyone or anything that might be laying siege to the village. Waldmann Steiger has been in charge of security in Vorberg while Andre was away in Swanzi. Immediately upon exiting the coach, Maximilian will introduce the Characters to his son. Waldmann will speak with Andre briefly as they shake hands and will then ask the Characters to accompany himself and Andre outside the gates. He won’t say precisely why until everyone is outside the gates when he urges them to gird themselves for what they’re about to see. He takes the Characters to where the bodies of Heinrich and his son Dieter are tied up in the scarecrow’s place in the fields. Upon witnessing the bodies, the Characters must succeed at a (Standard +/-0%) Resolve Test or be subject to Fear. Inspecting the bodies will turn up no further detail, save that they are riddled with the same cruelly-barbed black arrows from before. Andre and Waldmann will ask for their help to remove the corpses from the scarecrows’ roosts. By this time, night has fallen upon Vorberg and if asked why he has not gone out to collect the bodies of Heinrich and Dieter, Waldmann will explain that he did not have the men to protect both the village and any party sent out to cut the bodies down. With the arrival of the Characters, he does. Waldmann will expresses his grief for Heinrich, Dieter and Enid Treumann. Enid is the wife of Heinrich and mother of Dieter, who is currently praying in the village’s shrine of the GodEmperor. Waldmann will let slip that he thinks this is a Mutant attack, but agrees with his father that this should not become common knowledge. A successful (Standard +/- 0%) Awareness Test allows a Character to notice that when Waldmann talks of Mutants and the tragedy of a mother losing her son, he fondles a talisman around his neck. A successful (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test made by a Character who has either Arcane or Divine Magick as a function of their Professional will recognize the talisman as being potentially Magickal. THE LOCAL GOSSIP The Characters might decide to ask specific people more about the situation. Depending on their actions and their successes, they will get some spin and local gossip: Andre will, after speaking to Maximilian and Horst, be able to relay the above information to the Characters, but will urge them not to reveal any details about the battlefield, especially the Mutant involvement – Maximilian has decided (and Andre agrees) that it is important for the villagers’ morale to think that the enemy are Human bandits who can be bought off; Maximilian will make the same point if asked directly; If the Characters succeed at any Bargain or Leadership Tests during this time, then they meet Beatte Steiger, Maximillian’s sister. She will relay the same gossip as before and bitterly criticize him for being a cheapskate and not providing enough guards – in fact Beatte uses every opportunity to criticize her brother, including for leaving Helena in the coach if the Characters don’t take the initiative in getting her lodging; If the Characters succeed at any Bargain or Guile Tests during this time, they meet a scruffy-looking man with stale alcohol on his breath and dressed in the raiment of a Monk, who claims the attack is punishment for the villagers’ sins; this is Pastor Wilhelm ‘Harefoot’ Treumann, who has come out of the God-Emperor’s shrine to see what was going on, but returns to it quickly to continue consoling Enid. THE TALISMAN Waldmann’s talisman is of copper and silver wire, intertwined to form a crude figure and was given to him as a baby by his mother Johanna. She has given similar talismans to other members of her family (Gregor, Katharina and Waldmann). The intertwining of two metals into one figure represents how love makes two people into one, whether through kinship, family or as lovers. The maker must give the talisman to the recipient at a significant occasion – typically a birthday or marriage – and can only ever do so once to any given individual, who can only ever have one functioning talisman (later gifts supersede older ones). The talisman magically protects the recipient who wears it from one life-threatening occurrence (in game terms, the recipient gains one Fate Point), so long as the maker and recipient love one another. Succeeding at a (Standard +/-0%) Folklore Test will reveal the symbolism of the wires intertwining. A successful (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test indicates that the talisman is at least supposed to have protective power, indicating that this power works only for a specific person. An Incantation Test made with a Critical Success indicates that Waldmann’s talisman is Magickally woven through with maternal love. (This hints at Waldmann’s mother’s enduring love for him and thus the fact that she’s still alive.)

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 630 Eventually, Helena steps out of the coach, either because the Characters have intervened to get Maximilian to attend to her or because Beatte does so, all the while insulting her brother about his lack of grace, much to his embarrassment. Conversation about the attack will suddenly cease and all eyes will be on Helena. With Bibi, Maximilian and Beatte by her side, she will be guided through the crowd to Maximilian’s large house and on the way she will be greeted in a friendly, if slightly pitying manner, by the village. The crowd then slowly disperses. After this, Horst will introduce himself to the Characters and offer to show them to their lodgings at his inn, The Cowardly Orx. As they enter they will be met by his wife, Liselotte Angeberin, who at twenty-two years of age, is much his younger. She will note that they must be tired after their journey and offers to make them a good, hot meal once they’ve settled in. A mentally-challenged young man named Klaus Dummkopf, whose parents died in the last attack (and whom Horst has taken in), will help them with their luggage. Everything is paid for by Maximilian during their stay. PART V: INVESTIGATION For the rest of the evening, the Characters are more or less free to roam the village. By this point, they ought to be wondering how they are going to complete their job, and more to the point, get back to Swanzi without getting themselves killed. They will find absolutely no support for the idea of fetching the hemp and taking it to Swanzi or to Vorberg – it’s far too dangerous and the wagons that were to be used have been lost to the wilderness. Even if the Characters suggest combining this with escorting Helena back to safety, they will have no luck: Helena is too scared to leave and Maximilian has no intention of giving Franz the chance to renege on his arrangement. Suggesting that everyone leave en masse will also be rejected: people have already heard the tales from the immigrant workers of their homelands being destroyed and so want to stay to protect their homes from a potential attack. INSIDE VORBERG Vorberg is a fairly ordinary village inside the palisade, but it has four significant buildings alongside the usual cottages, workshops, gardens and a well. Relevant Tradecraft Focuses can provide details of architecture, age, upkeep and other generalities. Reveal to the players the four specific places in the village of Vorberg: THE COWARDLY ORX: The Cowardly Orx is the home of Horst, Liselotte and Klaus; it is also a good place to meet the other men of the village. SHRINE OF THE GOD-EMPEROR: The shrine to the God-Emperor is where Heinrich’s widow, Enid, and Pastor Wilhelm are currently praying and seeking solace. THE STEIGER HOUSE: The Steiger House is where Maximilian lives, but its ground floor is currently occupied by the women of the village, who have gathered there with their children. From the drawing room they are presided over, not entirely to their delight, by Maximilian’s sister Beatte. This is also where Helena and Bibi have been brought to be plied with questions and to commiserate with. LABORERS’ QUARTERS: All foreign laborers keep to the Laborers’ Quarters so as to avoid trouble with the natives, but some can also be found on guard at the palisade. ASKING AROUND The Characters have a number of investigative options. Maximilian, Waldmann and Andre are initially nowhere to be found after the bodies are brought back into the village: asking for them (from, say, Horst or one of Andre’s guards) reveals that the three men have withdrawn in private to discuss options. In the meantime, there are other potential sources of information elsewhere. What the Characters learn will depend on what they ask, which will, in turn, depend on what they’ve already found out, so cooperation and networking will help. The information is given as a series of questions and answers, the answers organized by NPC and the location where they are most likely to be found. Getting answers from the NPCs should require Bargain and Rumor Skill Tests upon the part of the Characters, modified by the quality of the players’ role-playing and the nature of the interaction: for example, the women are likely to confide more in a female Character, Horst would be flattered to have his bravery praised by a hardened warrior and Beatte will react poorly if she thinks Characters of a BIBI’S INQUIRY If the Characters decide not to investigate options themselves, thinking they can leave it up to Maximilian and/or Andre to resolve the issue for them, have them be approached in private by Bibi. She tells them that Helena is scared and that although Maximilian and Andre say reassuring things, they’ve kept both Helena and Bibi in the dark. She wants the Characters to both find out what’s happening and a safe way to get Helena and herself back to Swanzi. If the Characters don’t seem inclined to act out of concern for Helena, then Bibi can remind them how grateful her wealthy father would be if she was returned safely and rescued from marriage to a man who couldn’t even guarantee her life, quite apart from his failure in the delivery of a bride token.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 631 Lowborn Social Class are showing insufficient subservience. As the GM, you should read out or paraphrase the given answers to the Characters’ questions. DEFENSIVE PROVISIONS: The Characters may enquire about the village’s defensive provisions. They consist of little more than the local militia, comprised of both villagers and laborers, patrolling the palisade. In an emergency, they are to shout to a runner who is to ring a bell hung up outside the door of The Cowardly Orx. The men in the village will then gather with their weapons to be told what to do by Andre. Characters with suggestions for improving the system will be referred to Andre. Volunteers for sentry duty will be welcomed with a shrug, but they must use their own equipment as the village cannot spare even a fire-hardened spear while being besieged by ‘bandits’. THE COWARDLY ORX The village’s inn, run by Horst and Liselotte, is frequented by every male villager and occasionally the casual laborer with a little money to spend. Klaus is also here, insistent to make sure they know where their shared room is. It is small, but clean. There is no lock on the door, but it does contain a storage chest with a key that the Characters can borrow. Maximilian will make sure that their room is paid for and that they’re fed for their time here in Vorberg. Who Do You Think Was Responsible For The Attack On The Wagons? Horst “Bandits, probably, trying to snatch what they can and scare us into giving up more. It won’t work – we’ve survived worse… much worse.” Liselotte “It’s horrible, all horrible. My husband says it’s bandits and not Mutants like Beatte and some of those filthy workers are saying. I keep saying: it doesn’t matter anyway. Horst, Maximilian and the rest of the men will sort these people out. It’s just such a shame about Dieter. Poor lad!” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “It was bandits, wasn’t it? That’s what Maximilian says. Yeah, that’s right – bandits.” What Happened Here Before Or Why Are There So Few Older Women? Horst “Ah, now that’s a horrible story. Twelve years ago, the Mutants came and we thought we’d all had it. I was a younger man then and wanted to fight it out, but Heinrich said we had to hide the womenfolk first. I said it was too much of a risk, but Max agreed and his first wife, Johanna, led them up the Old Hill Road to the cave at the top of the Horned Monk. The road was overgrown and impossible to find, so he reckoned the Mutants would never find them there and they’d survive even if we were overrun. Pastor Wilhelm went for help. We didn’t know whether he got through, but we fought as long as we could. I killed twenty of ’em myself! Finally, Max had the idea of bluffing the Orx Bigboss about help coming, and what do you know, the old dog did it! The Mutants ran for their very lives and that’s why my inn’s the way it’s named. Pastor Wilhelm got back the next day with some troops and we all went to collect our women. But they were gone. I was lucky – my dear old mum had already passed and I wasn’t yet married. But Max lost his wife and little baby daughter... Pastor Wilhelm never forgave himself.”

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 632 Liselotte She gives a similar account to her husband’s story, but with even more exaggeration of his role. Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “Twelve years ago the Mutants came. We hid our women up in the cave on the Horned Monk and sent Pastor Wilhelm to Swanzi for help. But Maximilian is a slippery one: called the Orx Bigboss to a parley and said to him, bold as brass, that the army was coming and he should hop it before he got wiped out. That ol’ Orx was terrified and off he went! But the Mutants found the women. Every single one of them. Don’t like to think about what happened. Pastor Wilhelm got back with help one day late. He never forgave himself. Some of us have married since then as best we can, but we don’t forget.” What Do You Think Of Maximilian, Heinrich Treumann Or Pastor Wilhelm Treumann? Horst “Max is the best a man could be. It’s fantastic that he’s finally found a lovely wife, just like I did. He wouldn’t be where he is today without myself, of course, but I’m happy here with my inn and my ’Lotty, so I don’t begrudge him his success.” “Heinrich was a good man to have by your side, although too stern at times.” “Pastor Wilhelm’s a tragedy. He was the golden boy, completely devoted to the God-Emperor and everyone thought he’d become a real priest and go a long way. But not getting help in time turned him bitter. He started drinking and never left the village. He’s always kept the shrine nice, though, I’ll grant him that.” Liselotte “Maximilian is a good man and a good leader of the village, but he couldn’t do a thing without my Horst. If he’d listened a bit more to Horst and not to that tyrant Heinrich, we might not be in this mess. “Heinrich? I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing: my husband never beat a woman black and blue.” “As for Pastor Wilhelm? He’s just a drunk. I know he went through a lot, but so did Horst and he didn’t fall apart.” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “Maximilian is all right. Brings a lot of money into the village, although I could do without the foreigners coming into work the land. It’s good that he’s marrying again. At least this one’s too young to have much of a say – his first wife was a bit of a handful, may the Custodian bless her rebellious soul.” “As for Heinrich, I know it’s not right to speak ill of the dead, but he was a bastard to the core. His wife would be glad to be rid of him if the old tyrant hadn’t taken Dieter along. The boy was always a bit soft, but he didn’t deserve a father like that. Or what the ‘muties’, uh… bandits did to him.” “Pastor Wilhelm’s a sad case. He was the God-Emperor’s favorite, no doubt, but never self-important or selfrighteous about it. Martyr forgive me, but maybe if he’d been less devout he wouldn’t have taken it so hard when he failed. No wonder he’s bitter, but his boozing doesn’t help.” How Are We Going To Get Out Of This Situation? Horst “Don’t you worry. Max and I will work out a plan. Why aren’t I talking to him now? I’ve got work to do here – Max knows that! He’ll call me soon enough.” Liselotte “Horst and Maximilian will sort everything out. Don’t you worry.” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “We stay put. We defend our lands. Try running if you want – see how far you get.”

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 633 SHRINE OF THE GOD-EMPEROR The shrine is a small domed building, not particularly ornate, but neatly kept. It was built by Maximilian’s and Beatte’s father as part of his failed attempt to turn the Horned Monk into a pilgrimage destination. Gravestones surround it. The altar is covered in aging, mementos of the village’s dead women and children. Prominent is a dusty, painted portrait of a woman and a three year-old girl with an epitaph, reading: ‘To my Johanna and Katharina in grief and regret. – Maximilian’. Draped over the portrait is a talisman. Any Character who makes a (Routine +10%) Scrutinize Test will immediately recognize this talisman is the same as Waldmann wears around his neck. Any Character who has either Arcane or Divine Magick will be able to tell that this talisman has no Magickal properties. Johanna gave this to Maximilian on their wedding day, but he recently discarded it whenever he agreed to marry Helena. Who Do You Think Was Responsible For The Attack On The Wagons? Enid She weeps, “Does it matter? My little Dieter is dead and it’s all my no-account husband’s fault. I told him he was too young to go, but Heinrich wanted to make a man of him. A man?! Don’t make me laugh! Real men keep their wives safe; they don’t go around beating everyone they want to control and who’s too weak to resist. Dieter was always looking out for his mama.” Pastor Wilhelm “If Maximilian is saying it’s bandits, then it must be bandits, right?” However, if spoken to alone: “You ever heard of bandits that did something like this? No. This is the God-Emperor’s will. We failed Him and He is punishing us for our failure. This day had to come.” What Happened Here Before Or Why Are There So Few Older Women? Enid She doesn’t really know what happened then and isn’t interested in discussing it. She grew up poor and was married to the relatively well-off Heinrich by her father when Heinrich showed he liked the look of her (even though she always found him disgusting). Pastor Wilhelm “It was twelve years ago. The Mutants came and Maximilian sent the women into hiding. We needed someone fast to get to Swanzi to fetch help and I volunteered. Thought I’d be the hero! I slipped out, managed to avoid the Mutant guards and reached the town, but I still failed. I didn’t know how many Mutants there were and I wasn’t able to persuade the authorities to put together a big troop. I was just a kid, not a politician. Eventually, a commander saw I was a preacher of the God-Emperor and recognized a brother in the faith. I remember riding out in front, guiding this army and thinking I’d be the big hero. But I wasn’t. I was a fool.” What Do You Think Of Maximilian, Heinrich Treumann Or Pastor Wilhelm Treumann? Enid “Maximilian is a good man. A little too interested in money and not enough in people, otherwise he’d have noticed how rotten Heinrich was. But so long as my husband was running things well, I don’t think Maximilian wanted to see what he did to me and Dieter.” She won’t say much of Heinrich, asides reinforcing that he was a stern father figure to Dieter and not much of a husband. “Pastor Wilhelm’s always been too deep in his cups and nightmares about the past to care about the here and now, but it looks like he might have snapped out of it – he’s been a great solace today.” Pastor Wilhelm “Maximilian wants to be good, but he is weak. Like most ambitious men, he has a lot to lose and that turns you into a coward. He pays for it in his own way, I’m sure.” “Heinrich was my brother. Not a good brother – or a good husband or father for that matter – but he was my brother nonetheless. I pray that his soul has found the rest it never had in life.” How Are We Going To Get Out Of This Situation? Enid “What do you mean, get out? It’s already too late for me.” Pastor Wilhelm “We will pray and if needs be, fight. But always pray. We learnt once that mortal powers alone cannot help us.” THE STEIGER HOUSE The Steiger House is the largest and fanciest building in the village, fitted out with expensive, carved wood paneling. It even has a fashionable drawing room, newly-built specially to receive Helena, but now where Beatte is holding court. Maximilian, Waldmann and Andre meanwhile have retired upstairs to the master library (in fact it is Maximilian’s parlor, although there is

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 634 one shelf of ornately bound – but never read – books) to consult. When the Characters talk to the women in Maximilian’s house (or whenever you feel it’s appropriate) have them make a (Routine +10%) Scrutinize Test. Upon success, they notice that although the men of the village are of all different ages, almost all the women except Beatte are under the age of thirty years. Succeeding at a (Hard -20%) Folklore Test reveals that they are from this general region, but not the immediate locality: they’ve clearly married in from elsewhere (likely Swanzi). Who Do You Think Was Responsible For The Attack On The Wagons? Beatte “My idiot brother’s saying it’s bandits? Don’t be ridiculous. These are Mutants, you mark my words. I knew all that stuff about Max scaring them away last time was nonsense. If my brother did it, there was no way it was going to stick! I just hope I can help poor Helena.” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “Well, Maximilian is saying it’s bandits. And Andre is backing him up. That Beatte is just a bitter old woman. Just because her husband died and left her penniless, that doesn’t mean she has to take it out on her brother.” What Happened Here Before Or Why Are There So Few Older Women? Beatte “I wasn’t here – I’d married out to my late father’s business partner in Swanzi. But I know my brother all too well. Do you really think that useless lump could parley with the leader of the Mutants? Don’t make me laugh! Martyr forgive me, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d sold those women out in return for being left alone. I heard he’d had enough of Johanna by the end, although I can’t imagine he wanted to lose his child Katharina as well. Why are the women so young? Ha! Why do you think old men marry young girls? Because they can!” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “It was a terrible tragedy, what happened then. I hear they scared the Mutants off, but not before those creatures had taken their wives and babies. It’s just too horrific to think about. We all made the best marriages we could. Sure, we’d all like someone who’s young and can support us, but in the real world the two don’t usually go together. These are decent men, for the most part. Enid drew the short straw.” What Do You Think Of Maximilian, Heinrich Treumann Or Pastor Wilhelm Treumann? Beatte “Max thinks he’s the center of the world, but he’s a failure, just like our father was. He’ll never amount to anything. Trying to marry up is just the latest pathetic attempt to put on airs. I feel sorry for the girl, Helena – she’s got proper breeding and he’s just dragging her down.” “Heinrich had potential, but between that low-born peasant girl he married on the one hand and my brother on the other, he never got to use it. I think he had a soft spot for no-hopers. That’s probably why he stayed by his drunk of a brother as well.” “Pastor Wilhelm is a drunkard, there’s not much else to say about him!” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “Maximilian is a gentleman. We’ve always felt a bit sorry for him, what with him losing his wife and baby daughter all those years ago. There’d been a bit of tension between him and Waldmann over taking over the business, but he always respected his son, maybe for his mother’s sake, and anyway, Helena should solve any inheritance issues!” “Heinrich was a vicious thug. Enid said nothing ’til now because she feared Heinrich would take it out on Dieter, but everyone knew what was happening. Occasionally, if she heard Heinrich had been drinking, she’d send Dieter to stay with one of us and she’d get beaten twice over: once for herself and once for the missing boy. Martyr help me, but if anyone deserved what was done to him, it was Heinrich.” “We don’t see much of Pastor Wilhelm, because he’s either in the temple, in his cups or sleeping it off. But by all accounts, he is different from Heinrich as day from night.” How Are We Going To Get Out Of This Situation? Beatte “Maybe my brother will buy them off like last time.” Villager (Order-aligned Lowborn) “The men will come up with some plan. We’ll fight alongside them, if we have to. We’ll not let them get their hands on us or our children – not after what they did to Dieter and his father.”

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 635 LABORERS’ QUARTERS Flimsy structures erected as dormitories for the foreign laborers, the Laborers’ Quarters are set up against the side of the palisade, away from the center of the village. When not working (or on sentry duty), the laborers wile away their time here, drinking and gambling on small tables between the rows of cots. The surrounding palisade is a standard wooden affair, although poorly maintained. Most parts have a walkway along the inside, although breaks mean that it’s impossible to walk the entire circuit without clambering down one ladder and up the next. The Characters may enquire about the village’s defensive provisions at the palisade. They consist of little more than the local militia, comprised of both villagers and laborers, patrolling the palisade. In an emergency, they are to shout to a runner who is to ring a bell hung up outside the door of The Cowardly Orx. The men in the village will then gather with their weapons to be told what to do by Andre. Characters with suggestions for improving the system will be referred to Andre. Volunteers for sentry duty will be welcomed with a shrug, but they must use their own equipment (as the village cannot spare even a fire-hardened spear while under besiegement by ‘bandits’). Who Do You Think Was Responsible For The Attack On The Wagons? Laborers (Order-aligned Lowborn) “They’re saying it’s bandits, but that’s nonsense. No bandit does that to a little boy. My bet’s on Mutants.” What Happened Here Before Or Why Are There So Few Older Women? Laborers (Order-aligned Lowborn) “I don’t believe half the things I hear about what happened back then. If they were so heroic, how come their women got snatched? Still, if you had the chance to marry over again, wouldn’t you pick a nice young thing?” What Do You Think Of Maximilian, Heinrich Treumann Or Pastor Wilhelm Treumann? Laborers (Order-aligned Lowborn) “Maximilian is a decent boss. Pays a fair wage and sometimes even stops by to ask how we’re doing.” “Good riddance to Heinrich, though: we’re workers, not slaves, and he didn’t treat his little boy much better. It’s just such a shame about that kid.” “Pastor Wilhelm’s a harmless drunk, really, but no fun to share a pint with – he just gets bitter and depressed and starts crying. Seems to have sobered up today, though. And not a moment too soon!” How Are We Going To Get Out Of This Situation? Laborers (Order-aligned Lowborn) “We’ll fight on the palisade, if it comes to it. That’s the safest option. But there’s no way we’re sticking our necks out for a stranger, no matter how fairly he’s treated us.” PART VI: THE PLAN As the Characters start to wind up their investigations, or earlier if they’ve strongly insisted on seeing Maximilian or Andre, they will see Klaus running towards them. He insists they come with him to the Steiger House, because Maximilian wants to talk to them. He doesn’t know anything more than that. THE MEETING The Characters are led through the ground floor, crowded with Helena, Bibi, Beatte and others and then upstairs to the master library where they see Maximilian, Waldmann and Andre sitting around a table. Maximilian is smoking a pipe. After tipping Klaus a few pennies and dismissing him, he beckons the Characters to come inside and sit. There is one fewer chair than needed, so Andre gets up and stands by the window instead. Maximilian introduces his son Waldmann again, even if the Characters have already met him, and explains that no one knows the woods like Waldmann does. He gestures his son to speak and Waldmann explains what they know so far: As the Characters probably know, the story about the bandits is a lie – the convoy was attacked by Mutants (if the Characters somehow failed to work this out at the battlefield, this is the opportunity to rectify that); When the bodies of Heinrich and Dieter were found, Waldmann was able to track their killers back as far as the Old Hill Road – he is sure the Mutants are camping in the cave under the summits of the Horned Monk, where they would be in a strong defensive position since that road is the only approach a large group could take; There were no reports or even rumors of a Mutant band in the area – wherever they came from, they came directly to Vorberg, bypassing any other targets along the way. Otherwise, the road wardens of Swanzi would have reported it while they were there; The only Mutants who are familiar with Vorberg and who know about the cave are the Orx who attacked twelve years ago and killed his mother and sister. Characters should make a (Routine +10%) Awareness Test. On a success, they notice that all the time he’s talking, Waldmann is playing with the talisman around his neck.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 636 Any Character keeping an eye on Andre or who makes (Hard -20%) Scrutinize Test notices that while Waldmann is talking, Andre observes him intently, with a pained, emotional expression on his face. After Waldmann has summarized what they know, he pauses to allow the Characters to ask any questions. Then, Maximilian has a proposal. He says they don’t know why the Orx have come back and not sure why they haven’t directly attacked like before. It could be that they are playing with the village, terrorizing them, or it could be that there aren’t as many and so they are attacking as the opportunities arise. Either way, it is important to find out as much about them as possible: how many they number, who is leading them and so on. Maximilian suggests that his son lead the Characters on a reconnaissance of the camp. Waldmann knows a secret way up the Horned Monk that’s accessible by a small group and will bring them up behind the ridge, granting a view of the cave where the Orx are expected to be. Because the approach is around the side of the hill, the entire sortie should take a day. Once the Characters have come back with the information, they can collectively decide what to do. If they see a chance to undertake something, they should, of course, try it. The Characters probably have questions, although at this stage neither Maximilian, Waldmann nor Andre have many answers. Andre and the guards have to stay in the village to help protect it if there’s an attack, but Maximilian stresses how well his son knows the woods. Waldmann will modestly concede that he knows his way around. If the Characters try to ask for additional payment, Maximilian will look angry, his son disappointed and Andre regard them with utter contempt, but promises of an unspecified reward will be made. PART VII: THE SORTIE The Characters spend the night at The Cowardly Orx (paid for by Maximilian), but are woken by Klaus before first light. As they are awoken, they will not recover their Peril Condition Track completely, recovering only to Imperiled (treat this as if they were Resting in Unsafe Places, as indicated in Chapter 9: Hazards & Healing). Characters should now state what they are taking with them on the journey. Going downstairs they see Waldmann and Andre breaking their fast together. As they enter the room, Andre says a few words to Waldmann, and laying his hand on his shoulder, leaves the building. A hot, nourishing breakfast has been prepared for the Characters and Klaus is an attentive server, both to them and to Waldmann, who often has a kind word for him. WILDERNESS TRAVEL: INTO THE WOODS As soon as they’ve finished eating, Waldmann leads them out into the first light. After leaving the village and a short walk through the fields, the party enters the forest. Characters who succeed at an (Easy +20%) Survival Test notice that this part of the forest is cultivated for firewood, fruit and for pigs to roam in. Light has dawned in earnest by the time they reach a charcoal-burner’s cottage. The cottage is well-tended, but currently unoccupied: Waldmann goes to check on the owner, Old Tom and his wife Lady Ursula, but there’s no sign of struggle so Waldmann assumes (correctly) they just went to Swanzi. Characters can search the cottage for items they might have forgotten or not have, although Waldmann will insist they leave payment on the kitchen table. You can make available anything you feel is reasonable. Suggestions include: rope, arrows, traps, torches, foodstuffs, smelling salts, tincture and laudanum.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 637 Characters must elect to fill the Roles required for Wilderness Travel: Guide, Survivalist and Scout. Waldmann will act as a Guide. It will take about half a day to reach the Horned Monk, which is only a Short Stretch (requiring one Toughness Test per Character, regardless of whether they fill a Role or not). The route is considered to be Challenging Terrain. In addition, the journey to the Horned Monk is of absolutely No Danger from a Threat Level perspective. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Even if a Character fails or Critically Fails their Role Check as a Scout; instead, penalize the entire party with 1D10+1 mental Peril from anxiety of the danger ahead. THE HORNED MONK After the cottage, the forest turns wild and soon a natural rock wall rises to their right – the edge of the Horned Monk. They continue through the forest, keeping the wall on their right until, about two hours after they departed the village, Waldmann seems to disappear behind a rocky outcrop. As they follow him round, they can see a crack in the cliff face up which they can clamber to the summit, 6 yards above. Characters with Athletics (Focus: Climb) need not make a Skill Test. Others must succeed at a (Routine +10%) Athletics Test to keep from tiring from the climb. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Failing this Skill Test allows them to climb to the summit, but they suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril from hardship. Critically Failing this Test results in climbing up to the summit, only to suffer the aforementioned Peril and fall 6 yards. They must try again to climb up if so. At this point, the party needs to determine a marching order (Waldmann goes first) and the Characters should tell you what weapons they have ready, but they will need one hand free to balance themselves as they climb. It’s approaching mid-morning by this stage and the weather is getting warm. In addition, the slope is steep and uneven underfoot. Inexperienced outdoorsmen will be slipping and cursing their way up the hill. This will require no additional Skill Tests. AMBUSH! After about an hour of hard scrambling, Waldmann tells the Characters that they’re almost at the tree line. Just beyond that is the ridge, from where they’ll be able to look down on the Orx encampment. At this point, have all the Characters make a (Standard +/-0%) Eavesdrop Test. Those who succeed hear someone following them. Those who Critically Succeed notice someone following them and hear movement up ahead (but further away). If the Characters mention the noise behind Waldmann, he nods, whispers for them to stop and then slips away. If not, he tells them to stop and slips away on his own. A few minutes later they hear someone shout in surprise and see Waldmann drag the dim-witted Klaus out of the brush! Klaus has been following the party because Waldmann is his hero and he wants to help. He simply refuses to go back and any more vigorous attempt to persuade him runs the risk of provoking a loud outburst of rage. Let the Characters debate what to do with him with Waldmann, but Klaus won’t go back alone and they have no one to spare to go with him, so ultimately he will have to come along. The Characters should determine where Klaus is going to be in the marching order. Shortly after setting off again, the Characters glimpse gaps in the trees ahead: the tree line before the ridge. The Character directly behind Waldmann should then make a (Standard +/-0%) Awareness Test or an (Easy +20%) Awareness Test if they previously heard a noise up ahead. Upon a success, they see someone release an arrow towards Waldmann, providing a moment to react. If they push Waldmann out of the way with a successful (Challenging -10%) Coordination Test, the arrow still finds purchase, but Waldmann is Grievously Wounded and suffers from a Cerebral Contusion (refer to the Grievous Injury table in Chapter 11: Game Mastery). Otherwise, failure results in Waldmann being Slain! by the arrow. The shooter then makes a break for it up the hill. COMBAT: SURPRISE TURN The shooter is a Humanoid figure (a Boogan named Gregor, but do not inform players who or what Ancestry this figure is yet), somewhat under normal Human height and is 18 yards away. Allow the Characters to take one Surprise Turn in the Initiative Ladder. There is no need to generate Gregor’s placement on the Initiative Ladder at this time. Note that due to the amount of cover, scrub and uneven land (otherwise Hard Terrain), any Attack Action is at a (Hard -20%) Difficulty Rating. If they cannot manage to subdue or kill Gregor on the Surprise Turn, a Chase Scene immediately commences. OLD TOM & HIS WIFE Old Tom is not really old – that’s just a name traditionally given to whoever owns this cottage. Old Tom’s wife, Ursula, is a herbalist and is given the honorific title of ‘Lady’, hence Lady Ursula. She tends to the village’s sick and delivers their babies. In fact, Lady Ursula is the mother of Johanna.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 638 CHASE SCENE: HOT PURSUIT After the players all take a Surprise Turn, the shooter begins to flee, initiating a Chase Scene. There is only one Escapee (a Boogan), whose Movement is 9, [BB] is 3, and who has a Head Start. This is a Short Chase, set to 3 Rounds. THICK UNDERGROWTH (COMPLICATION): Due to the Hard Terrain, it will snag and pull at the Character’s boots. This is the only Complication you should introduce into the Chase Scene. Pursuers who meet this condition must succeed at a (Routine +10%) Coordination Test or trip and reduce their current Pursuit Value by -3. FAIL TO CAPTURE THE SHOOTER: If the Characters fail to catch the shooter, Gregor (who is Johanna’s half Orx child) warns his mother about them. Gregor’s tracks cannot be found beyond the ridge, no matter what Skills or Magick the Characters may possess. THE SHOOTER IS CAPTURED: Gregor’s talisman prevents him from being killed, so he will probably end up as the Characters’ captive. The shooter looks like a powerfullybuilt teenager, but his skin is sallow and his heavy brows are topped by a sloped forehead, which in turn tapers off into a head of sparse, greasy black hair. He has a pronounced underbite, so that two overly large, sharp teeth poke up over his top lip. His nose is snout-like and he has deep-set, black piggish eyes – more swine-like than Human. Allow the players to speculate on what Gregor is. The description should leave open the possibility that he’s an Orx, but something isn’t quite right. Succeeding at a (Hard -20%) Folklore Test would indicate that he’s likely half Orx and half Human and young in mind despite his adult body. Gregor will have to be restrained and stopped from screaming somehow. If Waldmann is dead, then a devastated Klaus will have to be kept from killing him. If Gregor is searched or given medical attention, then the Characters find a talisman like Waldmann’s. A successful (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test made by a Character who has either Arcane or Divine Magick will recognize the talisman as being potentially Magickal. SOCIAL INTRIGUE: INTERROGATION OF GREGOR Attempting to interrogate Gregor immediately triggers a Social Intrigue event. Treat Gregor as if he were Lowborn for purposes of role-play. In addition, he is of a Hostile Disposition. Characters should pull him away from the ridge, so that any cries cannot be heard by wandering or patrolling Mutants. Follow the normal rules for Social Intrigue as a Complex Exchange, but in this case, those who pick Guile or Intimidate for their Social Tactic will have a greater effect, these being favored Skills. Remember, before their Characters fully commit to the Social Intrigue, let the players discuss with one another what they want to accomplish, how they wish to accomplish it and the risks associated with what they agree to do. Gregor is just a kid. He’ll be fiercely protective of ‘Mother’, but not very bright. He’ll let slip various relevant comments if questioned, but give out more information for good roleplaying and successful use of relevant skills: He’ll keep threatening that Mother will ‘zap’ the Characters and that Gwar, a High Orx lieutenant, will eat them; he might also refer to his sister who will kill them with her lightning eyes; He claims there are ‘hundreds an’ hundreds’ of Orx in their group. A successful (Routine +10%) Folklore Test will tell that it’s unusual for Orx to use numbers beyond one, two, ‘loads’ and ‘loads an’ loads’; He’s very offended if called a Mutant, Goblin or Orx – Mother says he’s better than them; If asked where he got his talisman, he’ll refuse to answer at first, but then say Mother gave it to him; He doesn’t know why they came to the village: Mother brought them here and she’s always right, no matter what Gwar and the others say – after all, the stupid Orx normally fight each other all the time, but they not when Mother’s in charge; Mother has told him that the villagers deserve to die, but he doesn’t know more plans, just that they’ll ‘be sorry’; He didn’t like what happened to Dieter, because he liked him, but “...Mother knows best”; If the Characters reconnoiter the camp later and ask about the stew, Gregor doesn’t know anything about it. He says it’s something Mother and Katharina take care of and it’s only for the Orx. It might occur to the Characters to use Gregor’s and Waldmann’s talismans to show them they’re linked somehow. The Characters will have to go about this very cleverly for it to have a good outcome: even if they accept that the talismans must be from the same person, both parties will assume that the other has somehow robbed or exploited their Mother and become very angry and upset. A successful (Challenging -10%) Scrutinize Test will yield that both Gregor and Waldmann share some similarities in the way they purse their lips before they speak and share passing features which even at a cursory glance mean that they appear akin to one another.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 639 PART VIII: RECONNAISSANCE At some point, the Characters will have to do what they were sent for: reconnoiter the camp. They can get a partial view from the ridge down to the base of the peaks, where the camp is set up outside a cave, but in order to get a better look someone will have to sneak closer. THE APPROACH The camp is about 30 yards away and the slope is steep and overgrown with bushes (the Horned Monk is only ‘bald’ from a distance). The Characters sneak towards the camp in three, methodical stages and must succeed at a series of Stealth Tests to avoid getting unnerved during the approach or alert the Kobold patrols. There is one Kobold patrol that is guarding the slopes between the summit of the Horned Monk and the camp. It is equal in size to the number of Characters in the party. For the first two stages, each Character can only check for sight with Awareness Tests – it’s too far out to make out any words. For the last stage, each Character must check for listening with an Eavesdrop Test. Tally up all successful Awareness and Eavesdrop Tests, counting Tests made with Critical Successes as three successes instead of one. You’ll need these when referring to the tables below to indicate what is learned by the Characters, based on the totals. 30 YARDS OUT: Each Character must attempt an (Easy +20%) Stealth Test. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Success indicates they manage to sneak forward without alerting the patrols of their presence. If they fail, it doesn’t spoil hidden movement, but they suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril. In addition, have them make a (Hard -20%) Awareness Test. Don’t tell them what this is for yet; merely tally up the number of successful results from the Awareness Tests. 20 YARDS OUT: Each Character must attempt an (Routine +10%) Stealth Test. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Success indicates they manage to sneak forward without alerting the patrols of their presence. If they fail, it doesn’t spoil hidden movement, but they suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril. In addition, have them make a (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test. Don’t tell them what this is for yet; merely tally up the number of successful results from the Awareness Tests. 10 YARDS OUT: Each Character must attempt a final (Standard +/-0%) Stealth Test. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. Success indicates they manage to sneak forward without alerting the patrols of their presence. If they fail, it doesn’t spoil hidden movement, but they suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril. In addition, have them make a (Standard +/-0%) Eavesdrop Test. Don’t tell them what this is for yet; merely tally up the number of successful results from the Eavesdrop Tests. Tally up all successful Awareness and Eavesdrop Tests separately, counting Tests made with Critical Successes as three successes instead of one. You’ll need these when referring to the tables below to indicate what is learned by the Characters. CRITICALLY FAILED STEALTH TEST: Even if a Kobold patrol hears something, however, it may not understand what’s happening. Any attack is expected to come uphill from the foot of the Horned Monk rather than downhill from its summit and anyway, things frequently move in the undergrowth or dislodge from the slope anyway. If a Character Critically Fails a Stealth Test, the Character suffers 1D10+1 mental Peril and they may have drawn the attention of a Kobold patrol. Both the Character and Kobold patrol will make Opposed Tests. The Character should make another Stealth Test at the same Difficulty Rating as the one they failed – so if the Critically Failed Stealth Test was made at 10 Yards Out, it be another (Routine +10%) Stealth Test against the Kobold’s (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test. The Kobold’s Difficulty Rating will be the opposite of the Character’s. Be sure that the player reports their Characters Degrees of Success, so you may compare it to the Kobold’s result. If the Character wins, the Kobold patrol dismisses the sound as unimportant. If the patrol wins, it has spotted the Characters and no matter the distance between it and the Characters – either 30, 20 or 10 yards away – will immediately engage the Characters. These Kobolds are particularly stupid and headstrong; rather than dashing downhill to raise alarm back at the camp, they believe by killing the Characters and returning their corpses to the camp afterwards will please Mother and impress the High Orx Gwar. Klaus will cower and hide during this attack. MUTANT ENCAMPMENT You should adjust the number of Kobolds in the camp, according to the strength of the party. There should be far too many to tackle en masse, but few enough that they could divide their forces in a way that gives piecemeal strikes upon the part of the Characters a chance of success. Add a number of Low Orx, equal to the number of Characters and three additional Kobolds per Low Orx. Note also that Johanna is not an experienced military commander, so let her make mistakes should the Characters attempt to engage them into a fight. It is highly recommended that you use the Underling Rules from Chapter 12: Bestiary for the Kobolds both in the camp and on patrol.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 640 Refer to the table below to give out different information, depending whether the party’s Skill Tests were simply Successes or Critical Successes. Depending on how many Characters successfully made their Awareness Tests, it lends further insight: One successful Awareness Test: a rough figure for the number of Mutants in the camp. Two successful Awareness Tests: as above, plus a rough figure for the numbers of Kobolds and Orx; Three successful Awareness Tests: as above, plus they can make out some activity – some are packing equipment, some are eating and there are no fights breaking out among them; Four successful Awareness Tests: as above, plus they can see that the Kobolds are divided into groups, each ordered about by one Low Orx. They are very disciplined. There are also three figures (one noticeably bigger than the others) at the center of the camp, outside the cave and centered around a cauldron; Five successful Awareness Tests or more: as above, plus they can determine the exact numbers for the Kobolds and Low Orx and that the group at the center consists of two Humans and a High Orx. They can make out the activity in detail: each group of Kobolds is taking turns to have breakfast from the cauldron; as one group eats, another prepares to move out and another seems to be about to sleep. All appear very disciplined; Six successful Awareness Tests or more: as above, plus they can see that the two Humans consist of an older woman and a younger woman. They are serving stew from the cauldron to the Orx and the Kobolds. The Humans aren’t restrained and the older woman seems to be telling the Mutants what to do. Both women are wearing a similar talisman, strikingly similar to the one found in the Shrine of the God-Emperor back in Vorberg (the same as Waldmann’s and Gregor’s as well). Once any Character is 10 Yards Out, then they can overhear the Mutants’ conversation: One successful Eavesdrop Test: they understand that the Orx are telling the Kobolds to eat up their stew and arranging guard duties and patrols; Two successful Eavesdrop Tests: as above, plus they make out exactly where the guards will be and can hear references to ‘mum and her lovely stew’. Three successful Eavesdrop Tests: as above, plus they can make out the local common language being spoken by the older woman, although at this distance it cannot be understanding what she is saying; Four successful Eavesdrop Tests: as above, but while they cannot specifically hear what the older women is saying, they can tell from her tone that the woman is berating the High Orx, calling him an idiot and making references to ‘newcomers’ and ‘until nightfall’; Five successful Eavesdrop Tests: as above, plus they understand that the older woman (who is referred to as ‘Mother’) is berating the High Orx for having left his post early the day before; Six successful Eavesdrop Tests or more: as above, plus the two women discuss the Horde’s battle plans. This includes reports from the Horde’s scouts that people might have slipped into the village before sundown. The High Orx, who’s called Gwar by one of the women, is ordered not to leave the road until nightfall. Lastly, they hear the older woman address the younger, saying, “Katharina, to go look for Gregor – he’s wandered off again.” LAY IN WAIT If a Character waits to observe a little longer, have them specify roughly how long (a few minutes, several minutes or longer – although they can change their mind at each stage and leave): After a few minutes, half the Mutants leave the camp and move along the Old Hill Road under Gwar’s leadership; ‘MOTHER KNOWS BEST’ The stew contains an herbal concoction called Mother Knows Best. Anyone who eats it must make a (Hard -20%) Resolve Test. Upon failure, the victim regards whomever he thinks made the stew with filial loyalty. They’ll follow her instructions and defend her to the hilt. This does not make them stupid, anymore than a son’s loyalty to his mother makes him stupid. Indeed, they won’t necessarily agree with what they’re asked to do and may even object. Ultimately though, ‘family’ comes first. The effect lasts for a day and is renewed automatically if the victim eats more stew before the end of that period. If not, the effect gradually weakens, starting with a more conditional loyalty in the second day, to reluctant consent in the third and finally freedom on the fourth, after which the Character gains a +10 Base Chance to their Resolve Tests in the future to Resist the effects of the stew.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 641 Over the course of several minutes, another quarter of the Horde’s numbers follows in a series of small groups, each under the command of a Low Orx (they’re going to set up sentry posts); A few moments later, the remaining quarter of the Horde’s numbers is divided between a few guards and the rest who sleep; If the Character stays longer, Katharina starts to walk in the direction of the Character! Should the Characters leave before Katharina starts heading their way, they sneak away without alerting her and causing her to raise the alarm and may head back to Vorberg to report what they saw. If however, Katharina is on the move, their position becomes much pricklier. The Character must sneak away from the camp in three, methodical stages and must succeed at a series of Stealth Tests in order to avoid becoming unnerved as they move away and avoid Katharina. The first Stealth Test is (Standard +/-0%), the second (Routine +10%) and the final one is (Easy +20%). These are Fail Forward Skill Tests. Failure doesn’t necessarily spoil their hidden movement, but instead inflicts 1D10+1 mental Peril. A Character that Critically Fails their Stealth Test suffers 1D10+1 mental Peril and immediately alerts Katharina that something is amiss. She is actively looking for Gregor, but does not know that the party is on the Horned Monk, so will assume that the noise or movement that caught her attention was made by Gregor. So she will clamber up the slope, calling out to Gregor – or in this case, the Characters – in an exasperated manner. PART IX: GIRL, INTERRUPTER At this point, the party has a number of options. Strictly speaking, the Characters only have to return to Vorberg and report, but by now they should have worked out by now that Waldmann’s mother is the head of the Orx WAAAR! Horde and she is the one who besieging the village. Remember, too that Maximilian has told them to take action if they have an opportunity to do so. This should all require discussion, but if that drags or begins to go around in circles or if you otherwise feel it would be dramatically appropriate (for example, if the Characters still haven’t discovered that there’s something unusual about these Mutants), then they are interrupted by Katharina’s arrival. ESCAPE KATHARINA: Katharina has no reason to suspect that anyone hostile is on the upper slopes of the Horned Monk and in searching for Gregor, she is calling out his name. The party will be aware of her approach and will have one opportunity to escape before she spots the Characters. If all of the Characters succeed at an (Easy +20%) Stealth Test, they take action to hide before she can spot them (giving that Character a Surprise Turn if they initiate combat). If a Character fails their Stealth Test, then Katharina automatically spots them at about 10 yards out. She will cast Trackless Step and then sneak away to warn Mother. COMBAT: FIGHT KATHARINA If the Characters fight Katharina, they will find her a more dangerous opponent than she looks, but they should be able to dispatch her. Fortunately, the sounds of battle will not carry down to the camp unless the Characters are foolish enough to engage her near the ridge. Note that the Magick in Katharina’s talisman was used up when she was four years old: if the Characters do something that would kill her, then she’s dead! Klaus will cower and hide during this attack. SOCIAL INTRIGUE: INTERROGATION OF KATHARINA If they capture her, she turns out to be a tougher nut to crack than her half-brother, but also knows much more about her mother and the village. Treat Katharina as if she were Lowborn for purposes of role-play. In addition, she is of a Hostile Disposition. Katharina cares about Gregor, PLAYTEST NOTES Obviously, depending on what the party’s Scout did, Katharina may be on the way anyway or even ahead of them. Adapt the encounter appropriately.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 642 so threatening him will net a bonus to their parley as will pointing out the parallels between the fates of Dieter and the children twelve years ago. Follow the normal rules for Social Intrigue as a Complex Exchange, but in this case, those who pick Charm or Intimidate for their Social Tactic will have a greater effect, these being favorable Skills. Remember, before their Characters fully commit to the Social Intrigue, let the players discuss with one another what they want to accomplish, how they wish to accomplish it and the risks associated with what they agree to do. Katharina knows that: Her father betrayed the women and infants twelve years ago; Heinrich was part of the betrayal and deserved what he got; Before they die, the villagers are to feel the same terror the women did before they all died; The stew pacifies the Mutant host; Her mother will lead the Mutants to glory (in this case, Katharina isn’t so sure – she’s trying to reconcile the spirits’ promises to her with not having to take the leadership from her mother; in fact, she knows that the tribe’s numbers have been heavily depleted since her mother changed the Horde’s purpose to fulfilling her crusade of vengeance. The most effective way of getting Katharina’s help, however, is using Waldmann’s talisman to prove that he survived the original attack. (If Waldmann is alive, he will also be willing to believe she is his sister when he sees her talisman and thus also begrudgingly accept Gregor.) Katharina has fond early memories of him and if he is alive, she will be eager to tell her mother. If not then she will be horrified at what has happened. In any case, she will be willing to act as the go-between in a parley. With a successful (Easy +20%) Scrutinize Test, a Character will realize that Katharina, Gregor and Waldmann all share many physical similarities, such as the way they purse their lips before they speak, their eyes are spread apart and facial structure – even at a cursory glance, they appear akin to one another. PART X: RESOLUTIONS In the end the Characters have a wide range of options as to what to do next. You should have an idea as to the NPC’s motivations to craft an appropriate, morally complex and maybe even moving resolution. There follow some suggestions, which you should adapt and combine as needed. RETURN TO VORBERG Going back as a whole group is an option if Waldmann is alive, as it isn’t safe to leave him behind. The other problem is that the Characters probably hold Gregor and possibly Katharina captive. They can chose to take the captives back to the village with them or some of them can stay behind with the captives and Waldmann. This should be an incredibly unnerving, perhaps dangerous prospect; if they elect this option, those Characters who stay behind must succeed at a (Challenging -10%) Resolve Test or be subjected to Terror once their companions are out of sight.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 643 If some of the party stay behind and Katharina has not yet come looking for Gregor, then you might have this happen while the others are away, switching between the two halves of the group when each reaches a cliff-hanger in their part of the story. IF WALDMANN IS ALIVE: If Waldmann is alive, they can take the hidden path back to Vorberg. It will take about half a day to reach Vorberg along the same path. There isn’t any need to use Wilderness Travel again, however have each Character make a (Standard +/-0%) Toughness Test to make it back before the Mutant Horde arrives at the village. This is a Fail Forward Skill Test. If successful, they make it back to Vorberg to warn the others in time. If they fail, they still make it back in time, but are exhausted, suffering 2D10+2 physical Peril from the trip. If any Character Critically Fails this test, the Character not only suffers 2D10+2 physical Peril, but the party will stumble across Gwar and a band of Orx on their way to burn Old Tom’s cottage down. IF WALDMANN IS DEAD: If Waldmann is dead, they will have no choice but to take the Old Hill Road. Refer to the same guidelines as per IF WALDMANN IS ALIVE, but the Toughness Test is (Challenging -10%) instead. If any Character Critically Fails this test, the Character not only suffers 2D10+2 physical Peril, but the party will stumble headlong into Gwar and a band of Orx setting Old Tom’s cottage ablaze. OLD TOM’S COTTAGE Gwar and the Mutant warband are burning Old Tom’s cottage down en route to the road to Vorberg. The Character with the highest Awareness value and Gwar must make Opposed Tests. The Character should make a (Routine +10%) Stealth Test against Gwar’s (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test. Be sure that the player tells you their Character’s, so you can compare them with Gwar’s results. If the Character wins, Gwar and his warband remains unaware of the party’s presence and so continue to set fire to the cottage. If Gwar wins, he and the warband will fight the party to the last man. Not even Gregor or Katharina will be able to quell Gwar’s rage at their perceived treachery. Gwar is a High Orx and his warband consists of a number of Low Orx equal to the number of Characters. This will be a difficult fight and the Characters will probably have to sacrifice Fate Points if they survive. This is by design in order to emphasize how dangerous Gwar and the other Orx are. Alternatively, the Characters may wish to run away. In this case, Gwar and the Orx will give chase, but for too long. They want to scare the Characters and thus the villagers behind the palisade at Vorberg. Plus, the remainder of the Horde’s forces will eventually catch up with the Characters after they’ve ran back to Vorberg. Thus there is no need to use the Chase rules here, but any Character who flees Gwar and the other Orx must succeed at a (Challenging -10%) Resolve Test or be subjected to Terror as they flee through the forest in the dark. Any Character that Critically Fails this test also suffers 1D10+1 mental Peril. Note that Gwar is covered in a disease called Orx-molt and the Characters will contract it if they are made to Bleed or suffer any Injury from Gwar’s attacks. See Chapter 9: Hazards & Healing to learn more. BACK IN VORBERG The nature of the Characters’ reception when they eventually return to the village will strongly depend on what news they bring. The villagers will gather around them as they arrive and pester them with questions about Waldmann and his absence. Whatever they answer, the Characters will soon be asked to join a private meeting with Maximilian and Andre in the master library. If Waldmann is dead, then both will be emotionally shattered, although it takes a successful (Standard +/-0%) Scrutinize Test to notice this in Andre’s case. If Waldmann lives, then their first priority will be getting him back and Andre will personally lead his guards on a mission to do so. While the others are putting together a stretcher for Waldmann, Andre will ask to be taken up the Horned Monk to reconnoiter the camp for himself. ANDRE’S COUNSEL: When deciding what to do, Andre will advise that the decapitation of the tribe is the best course of action on the theory that without leadership, the Mutants will move on. He will order all the men armed and onto the Palisade, leaving either Juergen or the wounded Waldmann in charge of the village’s defense. He will take command of the other guards and join the Characters in climbing back up above the camp on the Horned Monk where he will order the Characters to perform the decapitation of the Horde’s leadership. Of course, by now – or in the course of this mission – Andre may learn more about Johanna, Katharina and their history than the Characters had previously (perhaps by capturing Katharina if she hasn’t been captured already). If Waldmann is dead, then Andre will dismiss any thoughts of parley or similar and just want to kill (although he’ll justify it by pointing to Dieter’s death as evidence that Johanna can’t be reasoned with). If Waldmann is alive, Andre might be persuaded to behave differently. EXPOSE MAXIMILIAN Even if the Characters have found out the truth of what happened twelve years ago, publically accusing Maximilian of his ‘crimes’ will not get them anywhere. They simply won’t be believed, except perhaps by Enid – Beatte will turn on any stranger who accuses her brother – and should they persist in their accusations, they may find themselves mobbed by the villagers and thrown over the palisade, just the Orx WAAAR! Horde arrives outside the gates. Even Pastor Wilhelm will keep silent out of renewed shame, but that night will go back to the bottle.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 644 Likely, this will be the inevitable end of the Characters. Be sure to explain the risks of public accusation and using what you’ve learned from this adventure to set up a Social Intrigue event to handle this option. GREGOR AS BAIT If the Characters have Gregor with them when they return to the village, and nothing Gregor says will be believed. Maximilian will order him locked in a tiny cage for examination later. KATHARINA: WILD CARD If the Characters come back with Katharina, then a different scenario is possible. Katharina is clever and will remain silent unless the Characters have a plan that requires her to speak. She will, however, take any opportunity to kill her father Maximilian without regard to her own safety – assuming she isn’t privy to some other plan. However, both Maximilian and Pastor Wilhelm will recognize her – she looks too much like her mother – and depending on how the Characters play the situation, Pastor Wilhelm may gather the courage to expose Maximilian. Even so, the village will be split down the middle, between those who believe Maximilian and those who believe Pastor Wilhelm. The internecine fighting that follows might make the village too weak to resist the Mutants. Alternatively, you might rule that the village turns against Maximilian, who is abandoned by Horst in fear and by Andre in disgust. Pastor Wilhelm will implore Maximilian to confess and repent his sin, but Maximilian will refuse and be chased into his house, where he is burnt alive by the villagers for his crime against the womenfolk twelve years ago. PARLEY This is the most obvious option if the Characters have captured either Katharina or Gregor. If they have both, they can use one as a go-between or to ensure safe passage for a Character envoy, while the used is kept as a hostage. Any Character who enters the camp will be offered stew by Johanna (see ‘MOTHER KNOWS BEST’). Again, pointing out that Waldmann is still alive, or that he was until Gregor killed him, is probably the best way of persuading Johanna not to order an assault on the village. However, there is one point over which she will not relent or negotiate –she must see Maximilian suffer and die. She will also demand guarantees from the Characters that any agreement will be adhered to, perhaps by holding one of the Characters hostage. PLAYTEST NOTES During one playtest, the Characters were able to successfully convince the villagers that Maximilian had sold out the womenfolk. However, this came a day later after returning to Vorberg, once Johanna and the WAAAR! Horde were at the village gates. In horror, the villagers took shelter inside the Cowardly Orx, and as the Orx burned the village, the old timers of Vorberg manhandled Maximilian into the kitchens where they tore him limb from limb. This left the immigrant workers and the younger villagers to flee over the walls of the palisade where they were duly met with the deadly swords of the Orx. During another playtest, the Characters headed for Swanzi where they arranged with Franz Raffke to return to Vorgberg with reinforcements. However, upon returning to Vorberg, they found it surrounded by the WAAAR! Horde with the villagers huddled inside. The Characters managed to broker a deal with Johanna to expose Maximilian and bring Horst before the Horde, in exchange for leaving the village unmolested. Agreeing, the Characters went inside Vorberg and exposed Maximilian’s and Horst’s betrayal to the villagers. An angry mob dragged Maximilian from Steiger House with Horst in tow, throwing them both outside the village. Maximilian was then taken back to the camp, while Horst was disemboweled in front of the entire village. Johanna even told the Characters that should they ever find themselves back in the area, the WAAAR! Horde could use ‘a few good men such as yourselves’. A dark turn of events, to be certain. PLAYTEST NOTES PARLAY was an option chosen in one of many playtests. One Character went with Katharina to parley with Johanna and became her advocate after eating the stew, but Johanna was devastated when she discovered that one son had killed the other. She agreed to leave the village in peace, so long as the Characters delivered Maximilian to her for ‘trial’. The Characters returned to the village, and after telling a distraught Maximilian of his son’s death, persuaded him to visit the grave. Once there, they notified Johanna and handed him over after a stand-off between the entire Orx WAAAR! Horde and Andre’s guards. Helena inherited Maximilian’s property and Franz used the threat of exposing the Characters as Mutant collaborators to get out of paying them their reward.

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 645 DECAPITATION! The Characters may try to assassinate Johanna, assuming that she’s the one who cares about the village and so without her the Mutants will go elsewhere. There is some truth to this, but only if Katharina is killed – or is already dead – as well. If they only kill the mother, then the tribe’s spirits will tell Katharina that the time has come to fulfil her destiny. Her first goal will be to avenge her mother and no parley will be possible, partly because of her rage and partly because she will have committed herself entirely to the tribe and the spirits. Simply killing Johanna, in other words, will make the villagers’ situation worse. In any case, assassinating one or both is possible, but difficult. It would have to be done during the day, because at night the Mutants are at their full strength and can see in the dark. During the day though, both Johanna and Katharina are awake and often in the cave which has only one entrance. Disguise – perhaps Magickal disguise – would likely be essential in getting into the cave, and even then the chance of getting away is slim. A safer option would be to shoot one of the two from some point on the slope above the camp (see the rules for THE APPROACH, as above). Any strike like this will initially confuse the Mutants and it will take some time for the Mutants to arrange a proper pursuit, but on the other hand the Characters will probably have only enough to take one shot at either Johanna or Katharina. TERROR AGAINST TERROR Combat-hungry Characters might want to fight a guerrilla war against the Mutants. This might look like suicide, but it has a better chance of succeeding than is immediately apparent. The Kobolds vastly outnumber the Low Orx and aren’t terribly courageous. Remember, the Kobolds use the Underling Rules from Chapter 12: Bestiary. Things have been going poorly for the warband for some time anyway and only the stew is keeping them loyal to Johanna. In addition, Gwar is not happy with the current conditions and would gladly take over himself. Should the Characters manage to sow fear and terror within the tribe by organizing selective ambushes, psychological tricks etc., then confusion would reign. Somehow interfering with the daily ration of Mother Knows Best would also very quickly divide the tribe. Some would remain loyal to Johanna, but Gwar will mount a coup against her in short order. Katharina, with her loyalties divided between her mother and the whisperings of the spirits, will act indecisively and too late to stop Gwar from killing her mother, taking command of the tribe and leading it on an assault of Vorberg. In one night, the fields will be plundered and the village burned in an orgy of destruction before moving on. EPILOGUE The possible outcome to the situation in Vorberg fall into three or four broad classes, each of which implies a different epilogue. The Characters could fail to stop the Mutants; they could get rid of them without uncovering and exposing Maximilian’s crime or they could both get rid of the Orx WAAAR! Horde and expose Maximilian. There is also the question of whether Waldmann survived. If the Characters fail to stop the Mutants, but themselves survive, then they’ve probably been forced to flee Vorberg. After a terrifying pursuit and trek through the forest, they eventually reach Swanzi; bruised, battered and perhaps fewer in numbers than when they set out. Conscience-stricken Characters might try to fetch help. Unless they’re very well connected, this will take some time. In any case, they arrive back to see carnage on the road. Driven to desperation, the villagers tried to break out of Vorberg and make their way to Swanzi, but were hacked down as they sallied forth. You may wish to let Andre somehow survive and have him haunt the Characters’ steps as he seeks vengeance for the death of his beloved. A mix of guilt, shame and frustrated professional ambition will also make Franz eager to avenge his daughter. With luck however, the Mutants are. If Maximilian is alive and was neither betrayed nor exposed, then he pays the Characters the agreed amount plus triple to escort, along with Andre and his guards, to recover the hemp and haul it back to Swanzi over several days. There, the Characters can collect Franz’s share of the reward. Andre and his guards then bid them farewell and return to Vorberg to complete their contract. Blackmailing Maximilian is unlikely to work: witnesses are either compromised ( Johanna and Katharina) or a known drunk (Pastor Wilhelm), and any other evidence requires someone to vouch for its authenticity. Only the word of extremely well-connected Characters might be believed over Maximilian’s. Given their likely failure to persuade anyone of Maximilian’s guilt, the Characters are likely to have simply just made an influential enemy for themselves (earning them the Nemesis Drawback). If Maximilian is killed or disgraced, then Andre, the guards and the Characters (along with the now unemployed immigrant laborers) escort Helena back to her father, Franz. He will duly pay the Characters his half of the reward – and no more – and even if he learns that the Characters parlayed with the Mutants, then he will refuse to pay them at all. If both Waldmann and Maximilian are dead, then Helena inherits Maximilian’s properties. If Waldmann is alive, then

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 646 he sells them to her soon after at Andre’s urging and he and Andre leave Vorberg together. You may have the Characters encounter the two of them at some later date. The Characters might also meet the Orx WAAAR! Horde again. Perhaps they might hear wild rumors about a Bigboss who is not really an Orx, but an ordinary Human woman. This Joan of Orx – whether Johanna or Katrina – is either said to be a tragic Human serving girl who was betrayed by her aristocratic lover or their daughter who has taken her mother’s name in tribute. To avenge the betrayal, ‘Joan’ has united a hundred Orx WAAAR! Hordes for the greatest incursion into settled lands in over a century. Lastly, if the Characters parleyed with the Mutants, this might somehow become known and they find themselves the target of vicious rumors and even witch hunters. REWARDS FOR COMPLETION In addition to the 100 Reward Points you give at the end of each game session, the players can earn the following rewards for their Characters. Give these Reward Points and Reputation Points at the conclusion of the adventure. PART I: THE WEDDING Good role-playing at wedding (for example, taking part in a competition): 20 RP Impressing Maximilian and/or Franz: 10 RP Successfully calming the two men down: 10 RP PART II: THE JOURNEY Good role-playing on the journey: 10 RP Befriending Andre: 20 RP PART III: THE BATTLEFIELD Each piece of information deduced without help: 10 RP PART IV: ARRIVAL Taking care of Helena without prompting: 10 RP Speaking to Waldmann/Beatte/Pastor Wilhelm: 10 RP Assessing the significance of Waldmann’s talisman: 10 RP PART V: INVESTIGATION Investigating on their own initiative: 20 RP Investigating at Bibi’s request: 10 RP Finding out what happened twelve years ago: 20 RP PART VI: THE PLAN Posing good questions: 10 RP PART VII: THE SORTIE Hearing Klaus: 10 RP Hearing Gregor the first time: 10 RP Saving Waldmann: 20 RP Catching Gregor: 10 RP Finding Gregor’s talisman and realizing its significance: 20 RP Questioning Gregor: 10 RP PART VIII: RECONNAISSANCE Sneaking up to the camp: 10 RP Gathering information on the camp through observation: 10 RP Gathering information on the camp through listening: 10 RP PART IX: GIRL, INTERRUPTOR Capturing Katharina: 10 RP Successfully questioning Katharina: 20 RP Getting Katharina to join their side: 30 RP PART X: RESOLUTIONS Participated in the resolution: 1 Reputation Point per Character

CHAPTER 13: A BITTER HARVEST 647

DAMAGE CONDITION TRACKER CHARACTER LIGHTLY WOUNDED MODERATELY WOUNDED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED GRIEVOUSLY WOUNDED SLAIN! NOTES APPENDIX A 648

APPENDIX B CHASE SCENE TRACKER ESCAPE CONDITION IN ROUNDS CHARACTER NAME BRAWN BONUS [BB] ROUNDS Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value Escape/Pursuit Value 1 2 + + + + + + + 3 + + + + + + + 4 + + + + + + + 5 + + + + + + + 6 + + + + + + + 7 + + + + + + + 8 + + + + + + + 9 + + + + + + + 649

APPENDIX C CHASE SCENE COMPLICATION: DECREPIT MANOR & UNDERCITY D100 DECREPIT MANOR COMPLICATION DIFFICULTY RATING 1 to 8 A former tenant has returned to their ancestral home. Taking measurements for rehabilitation, they ask if you’d mind waiting for them to finish their work. If you choose to help, you’ll lose your next Turn, but have the eternal gratitude of the watch (which you can turn in for a favor later). (Easy+20%) 9 to 16 A rabid pack of dogs snarl and growl at you. Snapping at your clothing, they manage to grab your pant leg. You must succeed at an Athletics Test to escape their grasps or else lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 17 to 25 As you are rushing towards the door your quarry disappeared behind, it slams shut on your hand! You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else suffer an Injury of a Jammed Finger. Once this is resolved, the door rattles, falling off its hinges. (Hard -20%) 26 to 33 Old buildings such as these are often both the litter and the warren of hundreds of rats. You’ve just stepped ankle-deep into their warren below the floorboards. You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else reduce your Escape or Pursuit Value by -1 (Trivial+30%) 34 to 41 Rushing at breakneck speed, you come to a dead stop where the floor simply gives out into the yawn of darkness below. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or else be made victim to Stress. (Routine+10%) 42 to 49 Somehow, a wayward orphan has weaseled their way into the butler’s pantry. However, the rope that controls a dumbwaiter ascent is frayed, as the orphan screams for help. You must help or else suffer 3 Corruption. (Challenging-10%) 50 to 58 The floorboards break beneath of you, threatening to trap your leg! You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else lose your next Turn. (Arduous -30%) 59 to 67 The manor has become the home of a belligerent old man. Encroaching upon his living space has set him off into a tirade of insults and threats. You must succeed at an Intimidate Test or be drawn into a fistfight. You lose your next Turn and move one step down the Damage Condition Threshold (albeit not suffering any Injury). (Hard -20%) 68 to 76 The walls of the room threaten to collapse on you, as the sound of groaning can be heard all around. You must succeed at a Survival Test or lose your next Turn. (Routine+10%) 77 to 85 Unruly peasants bear pitchfork and torches outside the decrepit manor home. Demanding their unpaid wages, they perhaps mistake you for the tenant. Unless you toss 1D10+1 brass pennies to these pitiful wretches, you will lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 86 to 92 While rushing down a set of stairs, a splinter of wood catches on your clothing. Your coin purse is instantly ripped! You must succeed at an Awareness Test or 1D10+1 random coins fall from your pockets, unable to be found again. (Challenging-10%) 93 to 100 You have somehow found yourself amidst a labyrinthine hallway. A number of adjacent halls leads towards other chambers; you know your quarry ran this way, but which hallway did they take? You must succeed at a Scrutinize Test or else suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril from confusion and anxiety. (Easy+20%) D100 UNDERCITY COMPLICATION DIFFICULTY RATING 1 to 8 A confusing set of tunnels stretches before you and you’re certain that your quarry ran down one. But which one? You must succeed at a Scrutinize Test or else suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril from confusion and anxiety. (Easy+20%) 9 to 16 A desperate, aristocrat’s bride has lost her ring and is searching for it in the sewers. She’s sobbing, insisting that you help her look around (as her manor home drains directly onto where you’re standing). If you chose to help, you’ll lose your next Turn but have the gratitude of this woman (which you can turn in for a favor at a later time). (Easy+20%) 17 to 25 A group of hungry and downtrodden sewer dwellers attempt to accost you, demanding coin. Unless you toss 1D10+1 brass pennies to the under dwellers, you will lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 26 to 33 A horrendous burbling echoes within the drainage ditch’s pipelines. A thick, sludge-like fountain of water sprays upwards, covering you in sewer slime. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or else reduce your Escape or Pursuit Value by -1. (Trivial+30%) 34 to 41 A number of gong farmers are steadily scrubbing and plunging away at a clogged sluice drain. They insist you must wait until they finish to get by, but it could be an hour until they’re done. You must succeed at an Intimidate Test or lose your next Turn. (Routine+10%) 42 to 49 A poor, unwashed baby has been flushed down the drain from above! Squalling, it is left helpless to sewer rats that threaten to eat it. You must help or else suffer 3 Corruption. (Challenging-10%) 50 to 58 A sewer inspector (or a bailiff ), insists you knocked their important papers out of their hands into the waters. Ruined, he demands that you pay a fine. Unless you toss 1D10+1 brass pennies to the vexed tax collector, you will lose your next Turn. (Hard -20%) 59 to 67 A stir of disorienting echoes throws you off the trail of your quarry. You’re not really certain which direction to go, unable to see your companions. You must succeed at a Navigation Test or be made victim to Stress. (Routine+10%) 68 to 76 Accompanied by a roar, a river of sewer water blocks your pursuit! You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else lose your next Turn. (Arduous -30%) 77 to 85 Ahead of you stands a rusted portcullis, meant to keep detritus from flowing backwards into the city’s fountains. However, it seems to be slowly closing due to downward-flowing water! You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 86 to 92 Something wet and slippery wraps around your arm from the darkness of a nearby sewer drain! You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else suffer an Injury of a Hyperextended Elbow. Once this is resolved, you pull forth an undulating tentacle, from a beast never to be seen again. (Hard -20%) 93 to 100 You slip and take a fall into waist deep water with night soil floating atop it. As you slosh around, trying to find your belongings, you realize your coin purse is floating beside you. You must succeed at an Awareness Test or 1D10+1 random coins slip into the foul water, unable to be found again. (Challenging-10%) 650

APPENDIX C D100 MOUNTAIN PASS COMPLICATION DIFFICULTY RATING 1 to 8 A band of lost souls upon pilgrimage have somehow found themselves waylaid in the pass. Desperate and hungry, they beg you for coin. Unless you toss 1D10+1 brass pennies to these wayward pilgrims, you will lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 9 to 16 A foolish yet handsomely rich merchant needs your help placing his trunks atop a rented coach. If you choose to help, you’ll lose your next Turn, but have the eternal gratitude of the merchant (which you can turn in for a favor later). (Easy+20%) 17 to 25 A loud noise echoes from the cliff side above. Rocks and a mass of small rocks tumble downward, threatening your pathway. You must succeed at an Athletics Test to escape the minor rockslide or else lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 26 to 33 A number of hearty bushes grow between the rocks. Bare of all leaves, your coin purse catches upon it, as its contents spill forth. You must succeed at an Awareness Test or 1D10+1 random coins fall from your pockets, unable to be found again. (Challenging-10%) 34 to 41 As you quickly come around a switchback, the road nearly gives out from beneath of you. You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else lose your next Turn. (Arduous -30%) 42 to 49 The voice of a shepherd boy can be heard from below the road. He is yelling for help with a pregnant goat that stuck down the precipitous slope. You must help or else suffer 3 Corruption. (Challenging-10%) 50 to 58 From the recesses of a small cavern wanders a black-furred mountain cat. Its hair stands on end and it threaten you with a loud growl. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or else be made victim to Stress. (Routine+10%) 59 to 67 Hardy mountain folk dwell in these regions and they do not brook passersby and other wayward folk near their camps. Invariably, you’ve drawn their ire. You must succeed at an Intimidate Test or be drawn into a fistfight. You lose your next Turn and move one step down the Damage Condition Threshold (albeit not suffering any Injury). (Hard -20%) 68 to 76 The pathway gives out from beneath you and you slide down a good eight feet. Bouncing off a rock, you land on your feet. However, the boulder you rolled over is now rolling after you. You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else suffer an Injury of Bruised Ribs. Once this is resolved, the boulder comes to a dead stop before continuing its descent downwards. (Hard -20%) 77 to 85 The pathway is riddled with scree and rocks. Every step you take threatens to hurt your feet. A number of pebbles have already affixed themselves into the heel. You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else reduce your Escape or Pursuit Value by -1. (Trivial+30%) 86 to 92 You are caught between a rock and a hard place. Literally. Afraid you’ll never be able to free yourself, you must succeed at a Resolve Test or else suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril from confusion and anxiety. (Easy+20%) 93 to 100 You frantically scramble up the cliff side, trying to keep your cool. If you lose your grip, you’ll lag behind the others trying to climb their way back up. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or lose your next Turn. (Routine+10%) CHASE SCENE COMPLICATION: MARKETPLACE & MOUNTAIN PASS D100 MARKETPLACE COMPLICATION DIFFICULTY RATING 1 to 8 A desperate, aristocratic woman has lost her child in the marketplace, but doubtlessly is nearby. You must help or else suffer 3 Corruption. (Challenging-10%) 9 to 16 A pedlar, dressed in brightly dyed clothing, accosts you along the way, insisting that you stole one of his goods. You must succeed at an Athletics Test to escape his grasps or else lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 17 to 25 A prisoner has escaped from a nearby watchtower! They’re coming your way, chased by a number of guards, ordering you to stop them. If you choose to help, you’ll lose your next Turn, but have the eternal gratitude of the watch (which you can turn in for a favor later). (Easy+20%) 26 to 33 A Pyromancer displays a colorful fountain of flash, pyromantic green flames which extends into the air. It captures both the minds of the passerbyers and potentially you, in wonderment. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or lose your next Turn. (Routine+10%) 34 to 41 A strangely disgusting stench emits from where you just stepped. You realized that you’ve ran right through a large pile of horse manure. You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else reduce your Escape or Pursuit Value by -1. (Trivial+30%) 42 to 49 As you rush through the city streets, you forget to hold onto your coinpurse. You must succeed at an Awareness Test or 1D10+1 random coins fall from your pockets, unable to be found again. (Challenging-10%) 50 to 58 Between them and their quarry, a throng of doom-saying fanatics are whipping themselves and others in a show of piety. You must succeed at a Resolve Test or else be made victim to Stress. (Routine+10%) 59 to 67 The road ahead is blocked by hostlers, unloading a wagon of several hogsheads of mead. As you break between the laborers, one of the barrels begins to roll after you! You must succeed at an Athletics Test or else suffer an Injury of a Twisted Ankle. Once this is resolved, the barrel breaks open, spilling forth its golden goodness in the street. (Hard -20%) 68 to 76 While running, your attentions are captured by a rather beautiful person of a gender you find attractive. However, they’re attended by a rather beefy-looking suitor, who catches you watching their significant other. You must succeed at an Intimidate Test or be drawn into a fistfight. You lose your next Turn and move one step down the Damage Condition Threshold (albeit not suffering any Injury). (Hard -20%) 77 to 85 While sprinting at breakneck pace, they hear a disturbance from around the corner. A moment later, a runaway horse comes galloping towards them! You must succeed at a Coordination Test or else lose your next Turn. (Arduous -30%) 86 to 92 You are accosted by a band of beggars. Unless you toss 1D10+1 brass pennies to these pitiful wretches, you will lose your next Turn. (Standard+/-0%) 93 to 100 You have lost sight of your quarry and are faced with a hard choice - take the left alleyway or the right? You must succeed at a Scrutinize Test or else suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril from confusion and anxiety. (Easy+20%) 651