wight power

Alex Mayo

LamentationS of the Flame PrincesS Adventures Text © 2021 Alex Mayo Issued Under Exclusive License First Edition, First Printing 2021 Published by Lamentations of the Flame Princess www.lotfp.com Printed in Finland by Otava Book Printing Ltd., Keuruu First Printing: 2000 Copies ISBN 978-952-7238-63-9 (Print) / 978-952-7238-64-6 (PDF) Words and Cartography Alex Mayo Illustrations A Nonny Mouse Editing Paul Alphonse

Table of Contents Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 What’s Really Going On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Timeline of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NPC’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Father Joseph DuVernay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Order of St Cyprian of Antioch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Alfonso Gutierrez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Rolf Bargeld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Landsknecht. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Running the Adventure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Isle of Wight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Map: The Isle of Wight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Arriving at Quarr Abbey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Complications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Aftermath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Quarr Abbey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Map: Quarr Abbey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Map: The Catacombs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The Catacombs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Pagan Caverns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Map: The Pagan Caverns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Effects of the Womb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Embryonic Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Wight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Clavis Inferni: The Grimoire of St. Cyprian of Antioch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 NPC Names and Traits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Inpsiratori Musica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Afterword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

4 Legend has it that after Jesus Christ’s circumcision, the foreskin (later known as “the Holy Prepuce”) was preserved in an “alabaster box of spikenard-ointment” for posterity. It was supposedly this ointment that Mary Magdalen used to anoint Jesus’s feet. The first reported sighting of the Holy Prepuce was 800 A.D. when Charlemagne presented it to Pope Leo III in gratitude for crowning him Holy Roman Emperor. When asked where he acquired the relic, Charlemagne claimed it had been given to him by an angel when he visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Seven hundred-odd years later, in 1527, the Holy Prepuce disappeared when troops in Italy under the command of King Charles V mutinied, looting and sacking Rome. It is at this point where the plot for this adventure picks up. The foreskin looted by Charles’s mercenaries was a fake, planted years earlier by Jesuits. The holy order wanted to keep the legitimate relic out of the hands of the Vatican bureaucracy, fearing it might be lost or used for crass religious propaganda. The relic was soon forgotten among piles of other such ephemera that the Jesuits kept hidden. In 1582 a Jesuit priest named Robert Anderton discovered the foreskin while studying at Reims. Knowing that “holy foreskins” were regularly trotted out to the naïve and gullible throughout Europe, Anderton assumed it was a fake but kept it among his possessions as a curiosity. Four years later, Anderton and his childhood friend William Marsden—who had entered the English College alongside Anderton—left Rome to return to England. On the journey back, their ship was thrown off course by a terrible storm. The pair were overheard uttering Catholic prayers at the height of the storm, and once the vessel arrived in Cowes on the northern coast of the Isle of Wight, they were quickly arrested. After several months of harsh torture and imprisonment, Anderton and Marsden were executed in Cowes. Their belongings, still in the trunk they carried from Rome, then became the property of the local constabulary. Background Background

5 Forty-three years later, another Catholic, Father Joseph DuVernay, discovered the trunk gathering dust after it had changed hands several times over the years, with no one knowing what lay inside. At first, the priest didn’t know what to make of the preserved foreskin within, believing, like Anderton, it was a fake. Finally, after some diligent research, DuVernay was shocked when he deduced the relic’s provenance. Unsure of what to do with his incredible find, he consulted an old friend, a Spanish adventurer named Alfonso Gutierrez. The Spaniard was a devout Catholic, famous throughout Europe for using the profits from his trading excursions to improve the lives of the poor. Gutierrez was also known as a daring explorer who recovered many holy relics and mysterious artifacts during his extensive journeys in both the Old World and the New. At first, DuVernay considered returning the relic to Rome to be added once again to the Vatican’s collection. But Gutierrez had a different idea. On one of his expeditions, the Spaniard had recently come upon an item he proposed might suggest an alternate course of action. He had in his possession, he explained, a magic tome called the Clavis Inferni, or “Key to Hell,” written centuries ago by Saint Cyprian of Antioch, the so-called “Saint of Necromancers.” Gutierrez was confident the book contained knowledge that would enable them to recreate Jesus Christ from his corporeal remains—in this case, the Holy Prepuce. Familiar with the tome’s evil reputation, DuVernay was reluctant at first to follow Gutierrez’s suggestion. But the Spaniard impressed the Jesuit with his religious zeal and fervent belief in the possibility of returning Christ to the world, eventually convincing him that whatever risks using the book might hold, the possibility of re-establishing the Kingdom of God was more than worth the risk. Thus the pair set about making preparations. Using the knowledge inscribed within the Clavis Inferni, DuVernay and Gutierrez began construction of an artificial womb beneath the ruins of Quarr Abbey, an old monastery in a remote, uninhabited area several miles east of Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The site and its surroundings were abandoned after the dismantling of the Abbey a century earlier, making it a perfect location for the bizarre enterprise. Also, the Isle itself was an intersection point for several ley lines from which the Womb would draw its power. From the vast fortune he acquired from his ventures and explorations, Gutierrez financed the excavation and construction of a chamber in the catacombs beneath the ruined Abbey, as well as the materials, labor, and expertise needed to construct the arcane machinery of the Womb. DuVernay’s contacts within the local Catholic community enabled him to find and gather the personnel necessary to operate and maintain the Womb. November 1631: the Womb is completed. Gutierrez brings in a small company of mercenaries—German Landsknecht—to provide security during the gestation process, expected to take twelve months. To keep the Womb secret from the outside world, Gutierrez orders the Landsknect to escort the laborers who built it “back to Fishbourne and pay them.” Instead, on the Spaniard’s secret orders, the mercenaries march the laborers a quarter-mile north to the island’s wooded coast and massacre them, weighing their bodies down and throwing them into the waters of a

6 secluded cove on the Solent, the shallow strait between the Isle of Wight and England. DuVernay and his acolytes arrive shortly thereafter, the Womb is activated, and the Holy Prepuce placed within. Things go smoothly for the first month or so. But then strange phenomena start to occur among those who work in and around the chamber and the catacombs: inexplicable memory gaps, nightmares, and visions of apparitions and shadowy figures stalking the tunnels beneath the Abbey. One of the Landsknecht is found strangled to death in the old crypt. Tensions begin to grow between the mercenaries and DuVernay’s acolytes, and Gutierrez suspects one of the latter was responsible. Within three months after the Womb’s activation, the site sees an escalating struggle of wills between Gutierrez and his soldiers and DuVernay and the Order of St. Cyprian (as DuVernay’s followers now call themselves). This tense state of affairs is exacerbated when a member of DuVernay’s Order disappears shortly after the murder. Combined with the increasing occurrences of memory loss and nightmares, the Abbey is a dangerous powder-keg, where the slightest spark will likely set it off. This is the situation when the adventure begins. Despite the mutual suspicion and antipathy, the two factions still depend upon each other: Gutierrez needs DuVernay’s faithful to keep the Womb running, and DuVernay relies on the Spaniard and his mercenaries for financing and security. And now the nightmares and growing sense of unease continue as both men begin to wonder if they can all hold out long enough to usher the new Messiah re-born into the world—or if they will be driven mad (or worse) in the attempt.

7 What's Really Going On The nightmares and disorientation experienced by those at the site are side effects of the regeneration process occurring within the Womb. The occult machinery gestating the Embryonic Christ (page 52) is slowly draining everyone in the area of their knowledge and memories, feeding it to the creature within the Womb as well as creating a powerful field of psychic energy. For now, the effect is mild and localized to the Abbey and its general environs. Should the creature within be released (see page 45), the field and its effect will expand significantly in range and intensity. Worse yet, it is causing those maintaining the regeneration process of the Womb to unknowingly make huge mistakes in their work, ensuring the entity within has little chance of becoming or even resembling the actual Jesus Christ. Instead of a new Messiah re-born, a hideous and terrible monstrosity is spawning within. If allowed to emerge, it will immediately seek to kill everything in sight, psychically feeding on the life energy released by its victims’ deaths, growing in fearsome power the longer it remains unchecked. As if this weren’t bad enough, unbeknownst to DuVernay and Gutierrez, below the Abbey’s ruins is a cavern housing the dead of the island’s pagan culture. Those interred here were mercilessly slaughtered in 686 A.D. by Caedwalla of Wessex after he conquered the island and “brought it into the dominion of Christ” by massacring all of its native pagan inhabitants. The psychic emanations have brought forth a spectral horror of pure hate—the Wight—that now endeavors to seek out and kill those responsible for disturbing its deathly slumber. To achieve its aims, the Wight has managed to possess a living host, a member of the Order named Mathieu Crevier. Crevier killed the mercenary, albeit not of his own volition when the soldier discovered Crevier secretly digging a tunnel into the burial caves. The Wight is using Crevier to unearth it and its army of the dead so that it can wreak its vengeance.

8 Timeline of Events Timeline of Events 5 B.C. Birth of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is circumcised in a cave according to Jewish tradition, and his foreskin preserved. 449 A.D. Anglo-Saxon Jutes take control of Wihtland (modern-day Isle of Wight) and establish the kingdom of Wihtwara. 661 Wulfhere, the first King of Mercia, invades and conquers Wihtwara, forcing the pagan Jutes to convert to Christianity. Wulfhere gifts the island to his pagan godson Æthelwealh, king of the South Saxons, but leaves the Jutish dynasty intact to serve as sub-kings under Æthelwealh. After Wulfhere’s departure, the island gradually reverts to paganism. 674 Wulfhere is defeated in battle by Ecgfrith of Northumbria, and his power over southern England greatly diminished. Æthelwealh converts to Christianity. Arwald, of the Jutish Wihtwara dynasty, becomes king of the island and re-asserts its pagan traditions. 686 Caedwalla of Wessex defeats and kills Æthelwealh in battle and becomes king of the South Saxons. He then invades Wihtwara, defeats and kills Arwald, and begins a campaign of extermination against the native pagans to clear the island for West Saxon settlers. 1545 July 21st: The French invade the Isle of Wight and are fought to a standstill by the island’s militia at the Battle of Bonchurch. 1587 Poor weather forces Catholic missionaries Robert Anderton and William Marsden to port in Cowes instead of Dover, their intended destination. Anderton and Marsden, trained in France under the Jesuits, are apprehended upon arrival and subsequently charged with treason under the Second Act of Supremacy. The pair are executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering. A trunk holding their possessions, including the Holy Prepuce, is sealed away by a local government functionary, utterly unaware of what is inside. 1630 Father Joseph DuVernay discovers the Holy Prepuce and seeks out Spanish explorer Alfonso Gutierrez for guidance. Gutierrez shows him the Clavis Inferni, and the pair conceive a plan to re-grow a new Christ.

9 1631 Construction of the Womb and catacombs takes most of this year. Shortly before the Womb is complete, Gutierrez brings in a contingent of Landsknecht mercenaries to provide security. On Gutierrez’s orders, the laborers who constructed the Womb are escorted off-site and massacred by the Landsknecht, their bodies weighted and thrown into the Solent. DuVernay and his acolytes arrive, and the Womb is activated in late November. February 1632 Everyone on the site begins to experience nightmares, memory problems, and a breakdown of cognitive functions. The occult energies generated by the womb awaken the Wight. February 8th, 1632 A member of the Order, Mathieu Crevier, is possessed by the Wight and strangles one of the Landsknecht, Kuno Schnell, in the old crypt. February 9th, 1632 Schnell’s body is discovered. He is buried in a shallow grave on the Abbey Grounds. A brief investigation fails to turn up the perpetrator, although Gutierrez and Rolf Bargeld, captain of the Landsknecht, suspect it might be one of the Order. February 20th, 1632 Crevier, still possessed by the Wight, begins excavating a tunnel into the caves below the Womb catacombs. He is discovered in the act by another member of the Order, Ashton Harding, and is forced to kill him. Crevier disposes of the body by tossing it over the nearby cliffs onto a deserted beach below. March 1632 DuVernay discusses the problem with Gutierrez and suggests hiring muscle independent of the Landsknecht or Order to look into the murder of Schnell, the disappearance of Harding, and provide additional protection. Gutierrez grudgingly agrees. Two weeks later (mid-March), the party arrives.

10 NPC's Father Joseph DuVernay AGE: 37 APPEARANCE: Balding, striking blue eyes, deeply resonant voice. DEMEANOR: Gruff and serious-minded. A true believer in his cause. WHAT HE WANTS: DuVernay is desperately trying to ensure the success of his endeavor. He suspects that Harding’s disappearance was a revenge killing by one of the Landsknecht and has begun to see the presence of Bargeld and his men as a double-edged sword. DuVernay isn’t happy about the power Gutierrez wields through the Landsknecht and hopes the hiring of the party will resolve the mysteries of the murder and the disappearance. However, he remains concerned about concealing the true nature of the Order’s activities from the party. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Joseph DuVernay is an Englishman by birth but of French descent, and he returned to his family’s native country as a young man to seek training as a Jesuit priest. He returned to England to subversively promote the Catholic cause and settled on the Isle of Wight in 1618, quietly taking up residence in Cowes. DuVernay met Gutierrez a decade ago when they shared passage aboard a ship from the Continent to England. The two crossed paths several times over the intervening years. When it came time to find a partner to handle the finances and security for the construction and defense of the Womb, Gutierrez was the perfect choice. FATHER JOSEPH DuVERNAY Armor 12 (clothes), Move 120’, 1st Level Cleric, 1 Hit Die, 5hp, sword 1d8, Morale 11. Special: spellcasting, see below. Sword, an exquisite gold crucifix (2500sp), and two silver rings (500sp each). Spells: Bless, Detect Evil, Sanctuary, Enthrall

11 The Order of St. Cyprian of Antioch (12, in addition to DuVernay, Harding, and the nine Chanters) The Order of St. Cyprian of Antioch, or more simply “the Order,” is a group of fanatic Catholics who have flocked to Father DuVernay’s cause. Whatever their background, every member is united in their belief that DuVernay will be ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity for Christians everywhere on Earth. They view their work as righteous, just, and necessary. They are wholly committed to their work and will kill—and die, if necessary—to ensure its success. In their view, the soul of every man, woman, and child on Earth depends on it. The order has taken St. Cyprian of Antioch as their patron. Known as the “Patron Saint of Necromancers,” St. Cyprian was a pagan occultist before converting to Christianity. During the Roman emperor Diocletian’s “Great Persecution” of Christians, Cyprian refused to recant his faith, and Diocletian had him executed. This last act of pious defiance earned him beatification, but before he died, Cyprian dictated an eyebrow-raising confession in which he divulged many heinous acts he committed as a pagan sorcerer (seriously, Google it sometime!). In addition, he left behind a grimoire full of necromantic lore, the Clavis Inferni, which Gutierrez acquired during his exploits. This is the same text the Spaniard introduced to DuVernay that guides their efforts with the Womb and the resurrection of Christ from the Holy Prepuce. More information on Cyprian and the Clavis Inferni can be found on page 56; see page 60 for details on randomizing names and traits for members of the Order. MEMBERS OF THE ORDER Armor 12 (clothes), Move 120’, 1 Hit Die, 4hp, club 1d8 or knife 1d4, Morale 11. Special: spellcasting, see below. Simple club, knife, prayer beads, 1d2 vials of holy water, wooden crucifix. Spells: though not formally Clerics, each member of the Order will know one randomly determined 1st Level Cleric spell.

12 Alfonso Gutierrez AGE: 49 APPEARANCE: Tall, slender build, comically large handlebar mustache. DEMEANOR: Self-righteous and charming, but also quick to anger if he is crossed or disobeyed. WHAT HE WANTS: Gutierrez and DuVernay have the same goal, but the explorer wonders if the priest will prove to be a liability at some point—bringing in outsiders to look into the death of Schnell has raised the explorer’s hackles. Gutierrez believes, at some point, he’ll need to re-assert control over the situation—by force, if necessary. But, for now, the Spaniard keeps his eye on the priest, his Order, and the party he reluctantly hired, biding his time for the right moment to act. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Gutierrez is convinced he is a tool of Destiny. He believes his life has inexorably led him to this moment: to usher in a new era of glory for mankind under the stewardship of the One True God. Born in Seville, Gutierrez has spent most of his adult life gallivanting around the globe, searching for treasure and religious artifacts. By the time he was thirty, he was already a famous and wealthy man. Despite his achievements and wealth, Gutierrez risked his life in various armed conflicts, usually involving the struggle against the heretic Protestants. When not at war, he devoted his time and money to feed the poor and build Catholic houses of worship. It was these efforts that persuaded DuVernay to invest his trust in Gutierrez. The priest needed a man whose faith was as deep as his pockets, and the explorer fit the bill.

13 Unfortunately, DuVernay underestimated Gutierrez’s fervent zeal and utter ruthlessness. When DuVernay asked what became of those he hired to construct the Womb and surrounding catacombs, Gutierrez claimed he paid the men handsomely for their silence. In truth, to preserve the secret of their efforts, he had them all murdered and their corpses dumped into the shallow waters of the Solent, the strait between the isle and England. The priest suspects that the workers met with a horrible fate, but he dares not confront the Spaniard about it. ALFONSO GUTIERREZ Armor 15 (leather), Move 120’, 3rd Level Specialist, 14hp, sabre 1d8, dagger 1d6, Morale 10. Special: spellcasting (see Owl Charm). Skills: Bushcraft 2, Languages 4, Search 2, Stealth 3, Tinker 2. Sabre, a pair of finely crafted daggers (1000sp each if in good condition), 260sp, a blue sapphire (1100sp), a chest key (see Gutierrez’s Tent, page 30). Owl Charm: Gutierrez wears a silver owl pendant imbued with a spellcasting matrix, granting him a limited ability to cast any embedded spells. Each embedded spell can be cast only once, and none are rechargeable, nor can any new ones be added (at least by anyone who is not a Magic-User). These spells act as innate abilities and are cast by activating them with a thought, enabling him to both attack and cast a spell in the same round. The embedded spells are: Detect Magic, Hold Portal, Change Self, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Hold Person. Using the pendant is risky: whenever a spell is cast, there is a 10% chance the user will transform into an owl, their belongings dropping to the ground when the transformation takes place. The effect lasts for 24 hours, and the transformed individual will still possess their full Intelligence and Wisdom but otherwise uses the following traits: Owl: Armor 13, Move: 150’ (flight), 2 Hit Dice, 6hp, talons 1d4, Morale 10. If Gutierrez is transformed as a result of using the necklace, he will try to seize the charm from the pile of his clothes and gear and fly to a safe location until he returns to human form (this has happened to him before).

14 Rolf Bargeld AGE: 43 APPEARANCE: Short and stocky, sandy close-cropped hair, missing left ear. DEMEANOR: Gruff and taciturn, fiercely protective of his men. WHAT HE WANTS: Bargeld is incensed that one of his men was killed, presumably by a member of the Order. His men want retribution, but he has held them in check so far, partly because Gutierrez has ordered him to do so, but also because he wants to be certain of the facts before he unleashes his men. Now one of the Order has disappeared. Unlike Gutierrez, Bargeld suspects something else might be going on. Between that and the constant nightmares, Bargeld and his men are on edge and getting pretty agitated. He is also highly suspicious of the party and is very reluctant to aid or support them in whatever they might ask of him. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Bargeld is the captain in charge of Gutierrez’s Landsknecht mercenaries. Bargeld made a name for himself fighting for the Hapsburg Monarchy during what would eventually be known as the Thirty Years’ War. This conflict also brought him into contact with his future employer, Alfonso Gutierrez, a fellow soldier and defender of the Catholic faith. The two men subsequently maintained a friendship, and when it came time to recruit a dedicated cadre of armed men to guard the Abbey, Rolf and his Landsknecht were a natural choice. Though a religious man, Rolf couldn’t care less about what DuVernay or Gutierrez are working on. He and his men are only in this job for the money, and he now sees the current situation as spiraling beyond what he contracted for. As far as he’s concerned, the current plan is to balance Gutierrez’s demands with his men’s safety until the situation is resolved—and he will do whatever it takes to resolve it. ROLF BARGELD Armor 17 (half-plate), Move 120’, 3rd Level Fighter, 21hp, Zweihander 1d10 or arquebus 1d8, Morale 10. Powder horn, shot bag (70 rounds), silver crucifix (150sp), leather satchel containing 17gp, 130sp, and an agate gem (800sp).

15 The Landsknecht (12) Bargeld’s mercenaries are a rough bunch. Having served in numerous armed conflicts across Europe for a number of causes, they now have two main loyalties: money and Bargeld, in that order. Bargeld treats his soldiers fairly and is a competent leader, and thus commands their respect. However, they are expecting him to sort out the current circumstances and pressuring him to find out who killed Schnell; see page 60 for details on randomizing names and traits for Landsknecht soldiers. The Landsknecht are quite noticeable in appearance, favoring partial plate armor over a colorful patchwork suit of clothes sewn out of material scavenged from defeated foes. Additionally, their main weapon is a six-foot-long zweihänder sword. LANDSKNECHT MERCENARY Armor 17 (half-plate), Move 120’, 1st Level Fighter, 7hp, Zweihander 1d10 or arquebus 1d8, Morale 9. Powder horn, shot bag (70 rounds), random assortment of gems and coinage valued at 4d100sp.

16 Running the Adventure Running the Adventure The first order of business is to figure out how to get the party to Quarr Abbey. The default assumption of this adventure is that DuVernay has hired the group to find the party responsible for killing Kuno Schnell and provide additional protection; a few other possibilities of getting them involved are also provided. Feel free, of course, to completely ignore all of these if you can think of a means to get them mixed up in the events at Quarr Abbey that better suits your campaign. Hired Muscle At DuVernay’s insistence, Gutierrez has hired the party to discover who killed Schnell and what happened to the missing Harding. DuVernay also asked Gutierrez to have the party assist the Landsknecht in protecting the site against further violence. Neither Gutierrez nor Bargeld is happy about potential interference from outsiders, but they both recognize the wisdom of having uninvolved agents investigate the murder and disappearance. For his part, DuVernay hopes to find some way to use the characters as leverage against Gutierrez. But he will still jealously guard the secret of the Womb and what is within. If asked about what is going on beneath the Abbey, the priest will give the party a cover story involving archaeological activity or somesuch involving the old catacombs. The section of the catacombs housing the Hall of Chanters and the Womb (Areas 7 through 11) are strictly off-limits to the characters, but they are otherwise given free rein to investigate the rest of the area and carry out their duties as they see fit. As payment, the party will receive a weekly sum of 1,000sp per person for a maximum of four weeks for their services (although their service is unlikely to last that long; see page 28 for details on the awakening of the Embryonic Christ). Missing Persons Gutierrez ordered the massacre of all the experts and stonemasons hired to construct the Womb to prevent any of them from revealing the nature of what was being done there to the outside world. It has proven hard, however, to tie up all the loose ends. This hook presumes that one of the workers had a family member or friend back home (wherever that might be) worried about their absence and hires the party to investigate. The last word they had from the missing was that they had been offered a lucrative contract on the Isle of Wight and that they booked passage to Cowes a week later… and never heard from again. Monetary compensation might be offered to find out what happened, or one of the characters might be an acquaintance or family friend asked to look into the matter as a favor.

17 Stranger Danger You can run this either as a one-shot or as an introductory scenario, with the party being a group of locals concerned about activity around Quarr Abbey. Alternatively, villagers have approached the party to look into strange goings-on in the area. The Landsknecht might have roughed up or even killed anyone who let their curiosity get the better of them, or perhaps the nearby residents are curious as to why a handful of German mercenaries are camped out in the ruins of the Abbey.

18 The Isle of Wight All of the action in Wight Power centers around the ruins of Quarr Abbey and the catacombs beneath. There are two centers of population nearby, west of the Abbey: the sizable towns of East and West Cowes (or, collectively, Cowes), which straddle the Medina River to the west, and Fishbourne, a village on the eastern bank of Wootton Creek. These two locales are sources of rumors, hiring muscle, purchasing supplies, or as a point of disembarkation for anyone arriving from England or the Continent. Other than that, they have no real bearing on the adventure proper. Below is a table of possible rumors the party could scare up if they go around asking questions: 1d20 Rumor 1 A few months back, a group of German mercenaries showed up with several wagons full of goods. They purchased some perishable goods, caroused a bit, then departed. (TRUE) 2 A strange green, luminous cloud was seen hanging over Wooten Creek. All the grass and foliage in the area withered, and nothing has grown there since. (FALSE) 3 Dead fish have been washing ashore for months now. More than usual, anyway. (FALSE) (or could be TRUE, but in any case, it’s unrelated to the goings-on at Quarr Abbey). 4 A young couple walking the beaches east of Fishbourne said they spied a couple of armed men watching them from the cliffs overlooking the shore. They felt uncomfortable and left. (TRUE) 5 A dashing Spaniard passed through town about six months ago. Foreigners are not unusual, but this one raised the ire of a few locals after winning a large amount of money over several hands of cards without ever losing. They’ve sworn to beat their losses out of his cheating hide if he ever shows his face again. (It’s worth noting that Gutierrez, ruthless as he is, would never stoop to cheating at cards—he’s just an excellent cards player.) (TRUE) 6 A merchant traveling the road from Hyde claims he was followed by someone—or something—as he passed the ruins of old Quarr Abbey. He arrived unharmed, but the experience unnerved him, and he cannot explain what happened. (TRUE) 7 A local man/woman was recently possessed by evil spirits. They were confined to their home for a week before a clergyman could be brought in to evict the demonic presence. The minister was deeply shaken by the incident and hasn’t spoken a word of what happened since. (FALSE) 8 Someone has been committing a rash of bold crimes in the area: stealing precious items from wealthy households and leaving the goods in a nearby street for anyone to take. They call themselves “The Filcher,” according to notes left at the scenes of the crimes. (TRUE) 9 Someone recently found a discarded human head in the alley behind a local alehouse. The identity of the head has not yet been discerned, nor has the body it was once attached to been found. (TRUE)

19 10 It is an open secret that a local merchant has been selling stolen goods. Nobody has yet been able to prove it or determine where he gets his stock. You may wish this to be a merchant the players have recently done business with if you want to act on it. (TRUE) 11 Someone has been scrawling coded messages in alleys for the last year. No one can decipher their meaning, but theories range from subversive communications to a treasure hunt. At least one local has been methodically cataloging the messages but won’t allow anyone to see their documentation. (TRUE) 12 The old woman who lives at the end of York Street practices black magic. It is said she has kidnapped and eaten children. Someone should sort that out. (FALSE) 13 A local fisherman claimed to have caught a fish with a man’s face. Terrified, he threw it back. The fisherman was found dead a fortnight later, but no cause of death could be discerned. (FALSE) 14 The Swedish trading ship “Kallax” docked here two weeks ago. The vessel was infested with rats, and after its departure, anyone who boarded it during its stay has fallen ill. (TRUE) 15 A local blacksmith claims his anvil was stolen, although such a heavy item would have been nigh impossible to carry off without great trouble. (FALSE) 16 It is whispered that the barkeep at the Eagle Ale House murdered his wife so he could marry her sister. (TRUE) 17 A group of scholars has spent the last year or so poking around the ruins of old Quarr Abbey. Nobody knows what they’re up to, but armed men with German accents have been spotted in the area. At least one of the Germans scared off a curious local poking around nearby, firing a shot over his head. (TRUE) 18 A large animal, possibly a dog or wolf, has been stalking and killing livestock in the area. It’s only a matter of time until it starts thirsting for human blood. (FALSE) 19 “My cousin went to dig out the old crypt under Quarr Abbey. That was a year ago, and I’ve not seen him since. I asked about it, and one of them Germans told me he died in a tunnel collapse and said they buried him in the woods north of the Abbey, but nobody could tell me where.” (TRUE, sort of: the Germans killed him with the other laborers and tossed him in the waters of the Solent, north of the Abbey.) 20 A strange flaming object fell from the sky near Quarr Abbey. A local farmer tried to look for it but was chased off by armored men. (FALSE about the flaming object, TRUE about the armored men).

Quarr Abbey Quarr Abbey Fishbourne Fishbourne Cowes THE SOLENT =1/4 mile 20 Isle of Wight

Arriving at Quarr Abbey (map and details, page 30) Nightmares It is important to note that when the party arrives at Quarr Abbey, they become immediately subject to the mind- and life-draining effects of the Womb. This draining effect extends out to a one-mile radius from the Quarry—as soon as they cross the threshold, they will immediately feel a sense of deep unease and disorientation. This will linger for 1d3 hours as they adjust to the Womb’s mind-sapping power. The full effects of the Womb are detailed on page 50; it has been operating for 157 days as of the characters' arrival, meaning the effect is currently at Stage 1 and soon to enter Stage 2. When encountering NPCs in the area, all reaction rolls are made at -2 (Rules and Magic, page 56); the Referee should emphasize the dour, grumpy composure exhibited by everyone they meet. There is a palpable sense of tension in the air from the moment they arrive. Even if the party is sneaking around the camp and not interacting with anyone, they’ll still notice verbal disagreements and minor slights that typify nearly every interaction they see. Arrival The party’s reception at Quarr Abbey depends mainly on whether or not they have any business being there. Unless Gutierrez has enlisted them, they’ll have to contend with the Landsknecht guarding the site, members of the Order, and possibly DuVernay and Gutierrez themselves. Within a mile of the ruins, there is a 1 in 10 chance of running into a Landsknecht sentry per turn; roll for surprise and assume the Landsknecht acts from a position of ambush (Rules and Magic, page 56). If caught, the Landsknecht will refrain from violence unless provoked and will mostly try to steer the party away from the ruins, explaining in broken English that the site is currently being excavated— unless the characters have some business there, they should clear off. Under no circumstances will they be escorted to the site to take the issue up with someone of higher authority. If caught lurking around the site, they’ll be treated more harshly. Unless they’ve slipped through into the catacombs, they’ll be escorted roughly off the property and warned not to come back. However, if the party is there on Gutierrez’s invitation, they’ll be taken to the camp and introduced to their employer. Meeting Gutierrez Gutierrez is a personable man and simply can’t help but lay on the charm whenever he meets someone for the first time. His good nature will also stand in sharp relief to the general sense of malaise pervading the camp. After insisting on giving the player characters a guided tour of the site (except for the areas in the catacombs designated as off-limits), the Spaniard will bring the party into his tent to give them a quick rundown of events and their expected duties. Primarily, the characters are expected to find out whatever they can about the murder of Kuno Schnell and the disappearance of Ashton Harding. Then, as needed, they might be called on to assist the Landsknecht in protecting the site against further violence or interlopers.

22 Gutierrez will broadly detail the circumstances surrounding the supposed crimes and explain that he and DuVernay thought it best to bring in a party who had no loyalty to either side because of the suspicion raised by these occurrences. The explorer cautions the party against being too brash or stepping on too many toes, as the Landsknecht are feeling pretty jumpy, and he’s not sure how they’ll react to having been provided with helpers. He will also tell the party to be careful if they venture into the catacombs beneath the Abbey, as DuVernay is fastidious about armed men wandering about his dig, particularly near the off-limits areas. If questioned directly about the dig itself, Gutierrez will simply say that he’s a “philanthropist at heart” and only wishes to see some good come of his money. Of course, all this goodwill is a façade: he brought in the party with great reluctance and only at DuVernay’s insistence. Unlike the priest, he’s ruthless in whatever he believes should be done to protect the secret of their enterprise. If the party shows any sign of inconvenient curiosity, he’ll order Bargeld to round them up in the dead of night, frogmarch them to the cove, and dispatch them without mercy. The facts, as explained to the characters by Gutierrez: h Quarr Abbey is being excavated by a team of scholars dispatched by Oxford University. No further explanation is given, but if pressed, Gutierrez will mumble his way through something regarding “significant religious artifacts.” If asked why an academic excursion requires a detachment of Landsknecht mercenaries for protection, Gutierrez explains that any artifacts recovered might be of some monetary value; it was thought necessary to have some muscle on hand in case bandits or other miscreants happened upon them. h Gutierrez says Schnell was strangled to death sometime in the early morning hours of February 8th. His body was discovered in the Old Crypt (The Catacombs, Area 1, page 39) the next morning. The killer left no traces, and despite an interrogation of everyone present by Rolf Bargeld, no suspect was determined. Schnell’s body was subsequently buried just outside the ruins. If permission to exhume the body is requested, Gutierrez will tell them to take it up with Bargeld. h Ashton Harding went missing in mid-February, just over three weeks ago. The Landsknecht conducted a thorough search of the immediate area and found nothing, and questioning produced no results. h The party should report to Bargeld and ask how they may best be of use to him. He tells the party to expect Bargeld to be resistant to their aid, but Gutierrez

23 explains he’s already spoken to him and that they have “come to an understanding” (Gutierrez holding the purse strings, after all). h Payment is 1,000sp per week per party member for four weeks. If they prove useful during this period, the contract may be extended if both parties are in agreement. Gutierrez will then field any other questions the party may have and send them to Bargeld for orders. Meeting Rolf Bargeld As Gutierrez warned, Bargeld will prove to be somewhat reticent and disagreeable but grudgingly helpful. In perfect but accented English, Bargeld tells the party that the Landsknecht have spare tents and bedding in the Supply Wagons (Area 8, page 36) and that they should talk to Jakob Heitler, the company’s quartermaster, to requisition whatever they need. Likewise, they may partake of the mercenaries' food supplies and whatever meals have been prepared by Flori Ritschel, the company cook (page 36). Bargeld really doesn’t want a “bunch of amateurs” wandering around the site tripping up his men and will ask them to do their best to stay out of their way. They may accompany the Landsknecht on patrols if they wish or patrol the camp at their discretion—but he will be clear about which areas of the Catacombs are off-limits (basically Areas 7 thru 11). If they ask why these particular areas are locked down, Bargeld will tell them “because I said so” and make it clear the topic is not up for discussion. If the party asks Bargeld about whoever killed Schnell, Bargeld explains that he personally spoke to everyone on the site and nothing came of it. However, he will confide that he thinks one of the Order committed the murder. He explains that the two groups have been at each other's throats of late and that it was inevitable that a confrontation should occur. Bargeld is frustrated that he hasn’t discovered who did it and hopes the party can find the person responsible so that he can ensure they get what’s coming to them. Bargeld is likewise at a loss to explain Harding’s disappearance. None of his men came forward, although he’s sure there are those in the Order (and perhaps DuVernay himself) who suspect one of the Landsknecht is responsible. If the party asks to exhume Schnell’s body, Bargeld will steadfastly refuse—and will be livid if his wishes are ignored.

24 Meeting DuVernay Father DuVernay is in a state of high anxiety, disturbed by the murder of Schnell, the disappearance of Harding, and the “Womb effect” that is troubling everyone. The growing tension between him and his once-close friend Gutierrez is also making the situation worse. While it was his idea, DuVernay is concerned that bringing in the outsiders might things even worse, as if that were possible. Security is hard enough to maintain as it is, and DuVernay finds the thought of bringing in more potential loose ends slightly maddening. If the party approaches DuVernay as part of their investigation, the Jesuit will be tight-lipped and maintain that Bargeld’s questioning turned up no leads and that his own efforts to uncover the killer went nowhere. DuVernay dismisses the Landsknecht as a bunch of “unwashed thugs” and openly suggests that Schnell was probably killed by one of his own. As for Harding, DuVernay says they should be spending their time looking for the mercenary who killed Harding.

25 What Now? Wight Power is not a murder mystery. I suppose you could run it that way, and the setup does kind of create that expectation. Broadly speaking, though, Schnell’s death and Harding’s disappearance are basically MacGuffins to get the party involved and give the factions a reason to distrust each other. The party should probably be indulging their own curiosity about the site—namely, why can’t they venture deeper into the catacombs? You should stonewall them at every turn, making them really want to know what’s going on down there. Make sure to pay special attention to reaction rolls every time the party interacts with someone, no matter how minor. Remember that all rolls are currently made at a -2 because of the Womb’s parasitic drain on everyone’s mind (including the player characters). Tensions Rising While the party is at camp, the tensions between the two groups—DuVernay and the Order on one side and Gutierrez and the Landsknecht on the other—will continue to escalate. Each day the party spends at the Quarry, there is a 50% chance of an altercation breaking out. If the party is being particularly lax in their investigation, you may wish to forego the roll and just have a fight occur to get the party involved. Roll on the table below to find who is fighting: Roll / Parties 1-2 Landsknecht versus Order 3 Landsknecht versus Landsknecht 4 Order versus Order 5 Landsknecht versus Player Character (Landsknecht instigates) 6 Order versus Player Character (Order instigates) The actual nature of the disagreement is up to you, but it should be something petty and otherwise insignificant. The party might intervene in any of these if they wish (and in the case of 5–6, they’ll have no choice) but remember that the job they were hired to do was to provide security and prevent these kinds of incidents falls well within their contracted duties. If they fail to do so, Gutierrez and / or Bargeld will not be particularly happy at their dereliction.

26 Questioning the Factions The party might decide to ask the Landsknecht and members of the Order what they know about the murder and disappearance. While the player characters were ostensibly hired to assist the Landsknecht in securing the site, the mercenaries aren’t particularly happy about having them around. And the Order acolytes aren’t thrilled about having to deal with either group. That said, the Landsknecht are under orders to assist the party and will comply with their investigation as long as the player characters don’t cause trouble. None of the Landsknecht have any information to offer with regard to either crime. However, if the party makes a particularly good reaction roll with one of the mercenaries—or achieves some other means of pressuring or charming one of them—they will learn enough information to piece together the grisly fate of laborers who excavated the site. That should raise some serious suspicion among the party about the nature of the dig itself (and Gutierrez’s moral compass and ruthlessness). Unfortunately, learning this sheds no light on Schnell’s death or Harding’s disappearance. As for the Order, a similar success will yield one important clue: Mathieu Crevier was seen exiting the sealed-off area of the catacombs (Area 3) late in the evening, several days before the party arrived. The Order member who divulges this clue has no idea why and didn’t think much of it at the time. Other than these two significant bits of information, all the party gathers is that the Landsknecht and the Order truly despise one another. Ashton's Body If the party spends any time wandering the beaches to the north of the Abbey, successfully searching the area will turn up the body of Ashton Harding. Though it has lain here quite a while and has since been picked over by predatory animals, a cursory examination of Harding’s corpse will reveal numerous broken bones leading one to the conclusion that Harding either fell or was thrown over the cliff. A closer inspection will make it clear that the upper extremities are in slightly better shape save for a massive indentation in the skull, which opens the possibility that Ashton was killed by a blow to the head by a blunt object then tossed over the cliff. Mathieu Crevier Aside from all the other stuff going on, Mathieu Crevier, the one causing all this distrust to begin with, is still at large and planning to set loose an army of undead on the camp. Currently, he’s excavating a tunnel entrance to the caves below the Abbey (Area 3, The Catacombs, page 40). Crevier’s mind is pretty warped at this point—the Wight has been pulling his strings for several weeks now, and he’s already committed two murders. The area where he has been digging was marked as unsafe early in the catacombs’ construction and largely avoided by the Order, affording Mathieu the solitude he needs. If the party is diligent about keeping tabs on who enters and leaves the crypt, they might spy Mathieu sneaking out of the Order camp and making his way into the catacombs in the dead of night. If confronted, Mathieu will seem very disoriented, though this is not entirely an unusual thing considering the general

28 state of mind of everyone in the vicinity. Should Clevier be killed or otherwise sidelined, the Wight will abandon him and attempt to wrest control of another nearby character (this could theoretically be a PC, at your discretion). Once free of the Wight’s control, Mathieu will agonize over the deaths he caused and explain that he has no idea why he had such a compulsion to dig beneath the catacombs. As for what the party will find at the dig spot, see Area 3 of The Catacombs, page 40. Complications Two major threats loom in the background while the party goes about its business: the Wight and the Embryonic Christ. The Wight Stuff If Crevier’s activities go undetected, he’ll successfully break through into the burial cavern of the undead Jutes 48 hours after the party arrives. When this occurs, the Wight and its army of animated corpses will clamber out of their tomb and begin to kill every living soul within reach; see The Pagan Caverns, page 46. This will undoubtedly cause all kinds of problems within the camp, as everyone will have to suddenly deal with a malevolent spirit and its army of zombies. Then again, this might be just the distraction the party needs to break into the off-limits areas of the Catacombs. The Wight’s attack will certainly be something of an “all hands on deck” situation, leaving all but the Hall of Chanters unoccupied as both sides attempt to deal with the menace. Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus! As mentioned earlier, the Order has kinda fucked up this whole resurrection thing pretty badly. The being in the Womb did not, in fact, become a new infant Jesus Christ awaiting rebirth. It is instead a horrific product of occult alien science, the use of which they never truly understood. When the party arrives in camp, the clock starts ticking: in 72 hours, the Womb will break down, and the Embryonic Christ will emerge, killing its way to the surface, taking the most direct route to Area 1 in the Catacombs and up the stairwell to the surface. Once there, it will make a break for the countryside, howling and killing anything that gets in its path. It’s probably a good idea to try and kill the thing before it gets away, as once it has broken loose, the effect generated by the Womb will grow exponentially, now emanating from the Embryonic “Christ.” See “Aftermath” below for details on what happens if it gets away. The only thing preventing this potential apocalypse is for the party to uncover the goings-on in the Catacombs and destroy the Womb before the creature emerges. It won’t be easy, as everyone at the camp will be keeping a watchful eye on the party. With all the bad vibes, though, it might be possible for the party to set the two groups at one another’s throats to achieve their ends (or to sneak in while the Wight and its zombie horde attacks; see above).

29 Aftermath The long-term effects of this adventure depend largely on whether or not the party manages to destroy the Womb (page 45) before the Embryonic Christ is born. If they do manage to prevent its birth, they’ll have made some pretty powerful enemies in the Order and Gutierrez (presuming they’re still alive). Both will have a serious grudge against the party, and Gutierrez, in particular, has pockets deep enough and contacts aplenty to hound the player characters to death. The party can bet that they’ll have assassins dogging their heels for some time to come. If the Embryonic Christ is actually born, that’s a much different story. The immediate effect is lots of carnage and destruction in and around the Catacombs and the Isle of Wight itself. In the long term, the draining effect caused by the Womb now emanates from the creature, which will continue to spread its influence. The longer the creature roams free, the wider its area of effect. It will begin at a one-mile radius but will double every day until the abomination is destroyed. It won’t be long before the effect becomes widespread enough to cause serious problems. At first, people will start to lose the ability to speak foreign tongues, making things like trade more difficult. You may reflect this generally in an increased cost of imported goods or a decrease in the value of goods being sold in foreign countries. Diplomacy will also suffer, potentially increasing tensions between irascible neighboring countries, such as England and France. Practitioners of the occult will find their studies generally more difficult to pursue as their ability to cast even the simplest of spells becomes less reliable; any spells they successfully cast may also have completely unexpected (and horrific) results. Things will really start to go tits-up once people lose the ability to read and write their native language. While the average peasant is probably illiterate and doesn’t rely on such things, those among the educated or ruling classes will suddenly find themselves cut off from sorely needed knowledge and information, as well as the ability to communicate through the written word. Centers of learning will be heavily impacted, as will any government or commercial concern that depends on the drafting or reading of documents. We’ll leave the exact details of this stuff for you to work out, as it’s the kind of thing that is specific to your own campaign. Killing the creature will negate all accumulated effects. All penalties to ability scores, saving throws, skills, and experience points will cease. Spells will function as normal. Experience point gains will return to normal, although any lost experience points will be gone forever. The good news is that the creature has no way off the island and is more a beast of blind rage than one of cunning. Tracking it down will be a matter of following the obvious trail of destruction it leaves behind. DuVernay and Gutierrez, if they have survived, might each try to capture it for some nefarious end of their own (and not necessarily together—at this point, it’s likely DuVernay and Gutierrez have plenty of reasons to hate one another). Attempting to capture the creature will probably not end well for them.

30 Locations Locations Quarr Abbey The history of the original Quarr Abbey (pronounced “kwor”) begins with its founding in 1132 by Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon, and ends with its dismantling in 1536 by a local merchant named George Mills, who sold the stone to the nearby port of Cowes to be used in the building of a fortification. The monks of Quarr Abbey tended to nearby fields and churches and used their medical training to relieve the locals of their ailments. From 1147 onward, they joined the Cistercian congregation of the Benedictine order. The abbey survived several invasions by the French (and at one point was reinforced against such incursions), but in the end, it was a political act, the Dissolution of the Monasteries (enacted in 1536 by Henry VIII to fill his war coffers), that spelled its doom. Since then, the site has lain in ruins. Only the foundation and several ruined walls that once outlined the Abbey’s infirmary and adjoining chambers still stand. In recent months, the area has seen renewed activity thanks to DuVernay and the Order, who have occupied the ruins along with Gutierrez and his Landsknecht mercenaries. Six of the Landsknecht range the surrounding treelines and hills, keeping a watchful eye for curious visitors or those who have taken an unusual interest in the site. The mercenaries are under orders to refrain from violence unless absolutely necessary. However, they will defend themselves if attacked and will seek to draw violent interlopers away from the Abbey if possible. There is a 50% chance that any given Landsknecht encountered patrolling the area will be accompanied by 1d2 dogs (see The Kennel, Area 5, page 35). If the player characters are here on hire from Gutierrez, they may take part in these patrols. 1. THE RUINS – The remains of the Abbey are in a pretty poor state. The walls are crumbling and moss-covered and reveal only vague details of what the Abbey must have looked like when it was new. The main open area enclosed by the low walls once defined the infirmary. Beneath the grass and a thin layer of soil, much of the original stone floor can be discerned. A single staircase descends into the ground below, which leads to the old crypt containing the remains of Baldwin de Revers, the Abbey’s founder, as well as Cecily of York (the daughter of King Edward IV), and a number of other less-famous individuals (see The Old Crypt, page 39). 2. GUTIERREZ’S TENT – Despite his wealth, Alfonso Gutierrez’s quarters are modestly furnished, revealing a man who has spent most of his life enduring hardship by choice rather than by fate. A comfortable but mostly functional cot, a rack of modest clothing, a metal washbasin and stand, and a worn footlocker containing Gutierrez’s possessions can be found here. The footlocker is securely locked

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Quarr Abbey = 5 feet

32 (-2 on all Tinkering attempts to spring it); the inside of the chest is rigged with a small flintlock pistol mechanism aimed at anyone standing directly in front of the chest when the lid is opened. The trigger mechanism is held in place via a small wire looped around a peg on the back of the trunk. Releasing this wire from the peg will prevent the pistol from firing when the trunk is opened. If tripped, the sound of the gunshot will bring 1d4 Landsknecht (and Gutierrez, if he’s nearby) to investigate. Once open, the contents include a set of fine traveling clothes (500sp), a small assortment of treasure (50gp, 2390cp, a set of crystal dice with agate pips (600sp), fine thieves’ tools [+1 to Tinkering rolls]). Hidden beneath a false bottom in the chest is the Clavis Inferni (see page 56 for details on Saint Cyprian’s notorious grimoire). There is only one key to the lock, and Gutierrez keeps it on him at all times. On those occasions in which DuVernay needs to consult the tome, Gutierrez retrieves the tome and delivers it to him. Only Gutierrez and DuVernay know of the book’s existence and where it is kept. 3. DUVERNAY’S TENT – In contrast to Gutierrez’s tent, DuVernay’s tent is a bit more welcoming, with some creature comforts not found in the Spaniard’s decidedly spartan quarters. DuVernay’s bed offers a truly restful experience, draped with finely woven sheets and blankets. DuVernay’s possessions are kept in a large, locked wardrobe made of fine oak. Several sets of gentleman’s clothes are hanging within, along with a leather coin purse containing 35gp, 540sp, 120cp, and a high-quality yellow corundum gemstone set into a plain silver band (1500sp). There is also a writing desk, with its surface clear save for a pair of sharpened quills in a jar. The desk’s locked drawer contains a small bottle of ink, several sheets of writing parchment, and DuVernay’s journal. Penned in both English and French, DuVernay’s writings divulge his discovery of the Holy Prepuce as well as his thoughts about enlisting Gutierrez and details about the construction of the Womb and their goals. The last entry expresses a sense of dread at Harding’s disappearance, as well as grief about the loss of the Landsknecht soldier, found dead several weeks before. It will be clear from reading the journal that DuVernay is completely at a loss to understand who is perpetrating these crimes. DuVernay also reports a series of nightmares and puzzling lapses in memory that occurred for weeks leading up to the party’s arrival. These cognitive difficulties are reflected in the quality of DuVernay’s writing, which becomes more disjointed and paranoid with every successive entry, beginning roughly one month after the activation of the Womb and the beginning of the gestation process.

34 4. THE LANDSKNECHT CAMP – There are twelve Landsknecht (not counting the one who was recently killed), billeted in a cluster of sturdy tents arranged around a large firepit that keeps the soldiers warm and also serves as a focus of social activity during evening hours. The tents are modestly sized (roughly 10’ x 10’) and the group sleeps two to a tent (except for the cook, Flori Ritschel, who has a tent all to himself; see Area 7). Scattered about the camp are the usual items one would find in a mobile military encampment: racks for hanging clothes, a small area set aside for performing field repairs of equipment, benches for sitting, a makeshift area for treating the wounded and ill, wild game awaiting field dressing, etc. Depending on the circumstances of the party’s arrival, they might be unwelcome within the Landsknecht camp. At best, they’ll be treated as unwanted help, and if they’re lurking about the camp without permission… well, I trust you can figure that out. If the party enters any of the tents to poke around, they’ll find simple cots, each with an accompanying footlocker, washbasins, bits of trash, and not much else. Should they decide to loot any of the tents, there is a 1 in 3 chance any given footlocker is locked and a 2 in 3 chance it contains nothing of significant value or interest. Roll on the table below to determine the nature of worthwhile loot (all entries but #1 and #2 may only be rolled once). 1d20 Loot 1 Money (100+3d20sp and 3d6x10cp) 2 1-3 gems valued at 1d6x100 sp each 3 A rare bottle of wine. Tastes fabulous but worth 300sp unopened. 4 A small vial of poison. When administered orally, victim dies unless a successful saving throw versus Poison is made. Even then, they are temporarily reduced to 1 hit point and suffer permanent neurological damage reducing their INT and WIS by 1d6 each. Vial contains 1 dose. 5 A small leather-bound tome filled with erotic poetry. 6 A worn scroll bearing one random Magic-User spell (roll 1d4 to determine level). 7 1d6 wax-sealed glass vessels of oil with cotton wicks. Just light and throw. 8 A finely made violin. Worth 1,000sp if traded, but when played by a trained musician produces an effect equivalent to Sleep as per the Magic-User spell. Should the violinist render anyone unconscious, they will also fall asleep but will continue to play until the spell effect wears off. If the musician is killed while thus sleeping and playing, the violin will sound one final, powerfully discordant note that renders everyone in a one-mile radius unconscious (no saving throws allowed!). This final note also causes 2d10 random deaths in the radius (people who fall asleep while climbing ladders, skinny dipping, etc.) 9 An exquisite dress worth 300sp. There is a small note pinned to the hem of the skirt which reads, “We’ll always have Nuremberg!”

35 10 A glass jar. The jar is coated with a dirty film on the inside, making it hard to see what is inside. If opened, it contains thousands of dead spiders. 11 The Voynich Manuscript. Yes, that one. Feel free to elaborate on this for your campaign or just assume the party has stumbled upon a strange curiosity. Of course, bear in mind that it wouldn’t be known as the Voynich Manuscript until much later and would be merely thought of as a weird undecipherable book at this point in history. 12 A neatly folded note that bears a murder confession. The writer seems to presume the note will be found in their possessions upon death and outlines a gruesome strangling they claim to have committed in Prague two years ago. The cause appears simply to have been a matter of bloodlust. 13 A lock of golden hair bound with a blue ribbon. 14 A helmet, in fine condition save for the hole in its front made by an arquebus shot. 15 A set of leatherworking tools. 16 A preserved stag beetle wrapped in a silk handkerchief. 17 An ebony wood box containing a preserved human fetus. 18 An unstrung Moorish bow and a sheaf of 24 arrows. 19 A German book of prayers. A small wooden rosary is tucked inside. 20 An simple flute (note that flutes of this era did not have keys and have more in common with modern-day recorders than what we now know as a proper flute). 5. KENNEL – This outdoor pen houses the Landsknecht’s dogs. They have eight sturdy German Great Danes, all trained to hunt and kill on sight. The dogs are the responsibility of Mareike Gehrig, who is lovingly devoted to her charges. Gehrig loves them the way she would her own children. Should she learn that anyone has killed any of her dogs, she will be consumed with rage and will seek out the guilty party (actual or perceived) to make them pay. Gehrig is quartered with the rest of the Landsknecht in Area 4. Dog (Great Dane) Armor 14, Move 150’, 1/2 Hit Die, 3hp, bite 1d8, Morale 11. On a successful bite, it can attempt a grapple at +4, inflicting another 1d3 to foe for every round it remains grappled. MAREIKE GEHRIG Armor 17 (half-plate), Move 120’, 1st Level Fighter, 7hp, Zweihander 1d10 or arquebus 1d8, Morale 10. Powder Horn, shot bag (70 rounds), random assortment of gems and coinage valued at 4d100sp. 6. FIELD KITCHEN – The Landsknecht travel with a decently equipped field kitchen. A large tent and two tables have been set up near a fire pit, and the company cook Flori Ritschel keeps the soldiers well fed. The kitchen tent contains many pots, pans, and cooking implements, ensuring that Ritschel has everything he needs. When they can be spared, Ritschel often borrows one or two soldiers from patrol duty to assist with food preparation and cleanup. Two large barrels of water stand

36 by for these purposes. The company’s food supplies are kept in the Supply Wagons (Area 8) and are supplemented by hunting and the odd trip to nearby Fishbourne to gather perishable goods like dairy or vegetables, which they can’t forage. 7. COOK’S TENT – As mentioned above, Flori Ritschel lives out of this tent. Flori isn’t a complicated man and derives great pleasure from keeping his comrades fed. That said, he’s a full Landsknecht fighter and, though a bit past his prime, he will take up arms alongside them when necessary. Ritschel’s tent is filled with samples of local mushrooms, a subject with which he has busied himself since their arrival on the Isle. Wooden boxes stuffed with oyster and chicken-of-the-forest mushrooms stand near the tent opening, and a thick journal detailing his explorations of the local fungal flora is on the nightstand next to his bed. Ritschel has little in the way of valuables, although if the party decides to separate him from his goods, feel free to roll for them as you would the other Landsknecht tents (Entry 4, page 34). Flori Ritschel Armor 12, Move 120’, 2nd Level Fighter, 11hp, meat cleaver 1d8, Morale 10. Random assortment of items and coinage valued at 1d100sp. 8. SUPPLY WAGONS — Under the supervision of the company’s quartermaster Jakob Heitler, these three wagons contain most of the Landsknecht’s goods: spare weapons and armor, powder and shot for their arquebuses, materials, and tools to maintain their equipment, rations and drink, cooking utensils, and so on. I will refrain from providing an exhaustive list of goods to be found in the wagon (though my love of Twilight: 2000 tempts me). Rather, if the party requests something (or goes rooting around the contents), you may assume that any reasonable item may be found in the wagons or the crates stacked outside. For anything less common, there’s a 25%-50% chance (use your judgment) it will be available.

37 9. HORSES – The Landsknecht have a half-dozen horses on hand to draw the wagons and serve as mounts to head into town (or in combat, if need be). These horses are stabled in an ad-hoc enclosure near the Supply Wagons. Once per day, they are led to the pastures just south of the ruins to graze for several hours then returned to the enclosure. 10. MAIN STAIRWELL – This is an old pre-existing stairwell leading to the Old Crypt (page 39). The stairwell is covered by a wooden door that can be locked from either side (all Landsknecht carry a matching key). The door is clearly new. 11. THE ORDER CAMP – The Order’s camp is similar to the Landsknecht, but with a less militaristic ambiance—fewer weapon racks and armorer’s tools lying around, and a bit tidier. There are usually a half-dozen Order members at camp, resting from shifts spent monitoring the Womb or cleaning up after one another. The Order acolytes live a pretty monastic lifestyle and have little in the way of personal possessions. If the party goes looting their camp, you may use the same table for the Landsknecht camp or simply assume a 1 in 4 chance of turning up a few coins: 1d2gp, 1d100sp, and a 10% chance of a gem or jewelry worth 1d100x4sp. 12. KUNO SCHNELL’S GRAVE - Schnell, the mercenary found dead in the Old Crypt (page 39), is interred in a shallow grave beneath a sizable oak tree near the ruins. His grave is unmarked and, at this point, mostly identifiable by a slight discoloration of the soil. If the party decides to dig up his corpse, they should be wary of being seen: neither the Landsknecht nor the Order will approve of the desecration of his grave, no matter what the Order might think about the Landsknecht. If the party digs Schnell up, they’ll find what one would expect: a badly decomposed body. At this point, it would take someone with adept medical training to deduce anything useful from his body. If the party has access to Speak With Dead or similar magic, Schnell can reveal (in the vaguest of terms) that he encountered Mathieu Crevier in the Old Crypt while patrolling the area and that Crevier suddenly went mad and strangled him to death. While the party will now know who committed the crime, they’ll likely have a hard time explaining how they came about such knowledge—and DuVernay will probably see the baseless accusation as an insult without convincing evidence. Also, note that if Schnell is exhumed and the party does not go to great lengths to conceal it, it might be obvious who is responsible unless they can come up with a pretty decent cover-up.

3 1 2 5 4 6 7 8 9 11 10 The Catacombs = 5 feet

39 The Catacombs In general, the Catacombs are fairly well lit, with oil lamps placed along the walls to illuminate the corridors. If the party has been hired to provide security for the site, they will be given freedom to roam Areas 1-6 — all other areas are off-limits. If asked why, the Landsknecht will say nothing except “take it up with Bargeld,” who will tell them to stop making a nuisance of themselves. If pressed, both DuVernay and Gutierrez will reiterate that the site is the site of a sensitive archaeological find and that portions of the structure are unsafe and unexplored, and the party could end up disturbing things that have not yet been cataloged or examined. The catacombs are roughly divided between the old, original crypt tunnels (Areas 1-6) and the new construction (Areas 7-11). The old tunnels are indeed a bit treacherous, and it will be clear to anyone who sees them that some care has been taken to shore up the walls with timber and supports at various points. 1: The Old Crypt — The staircase leading from the Abbey grounds opens into a wide, dank chamber. A half-dozen wood caskets lie haphazardly among fallen stones and dust. Whoever is buried here, it’s clear that their graves were plundered long ago as most of the lids lie open, broken, or both. Many of the desiccated corpses have been disturbed, with most displaying signs of careless looting—missing digits, removed teeth, fragmented bones, etc. No amount of searching in this room will turn up anything of value. Of the four doors, the northern one is cracked in half thanks to a sagging archway and has been haphazardly (and ineffectively) barred with several wooden planks. One of these is loose and will easily permit a curious soul to enter the room beyond (room 3). The western door is clearly much newer than the surrounding construction and leads to the Womb. This door is usually securely locked from the inside. Knocking on the door will summon one of the guards from Areas 7a and 7b who will open a small sliding viewport and permit authorized persons to enter. Anyone else will be turned away, and word of their attempt to enter will be sent to Bargeld. The eastern and southern doors are both open and unsecured. The southern doors appear to have once been concealed by a false wall that has since been removed. 2: The Royal Crypt — The Royal Crypt holds two coffins. One of these is the 1st Earl of Devon, Baldwin de Redvers. In addition to founding Quarr Abbey, de Redvers was also the fourth Lord of the Isle of Wight. The other coffin belongs to Cecily of York, second daughter of King Edward IV of England. Unlike the coffins in the main crypt, these have remained intact thanks to the wall that concealed their tomb. When the crypt was discovered during the excavation prior to the construction of the Womb, DuVernay ordered that anyone caught looting them would be subject to severe punishment. Redvers’s coffin contains his corpse, along with a number of valuables: a gold torc with inset gemstones (5,000 sp), four silver rings (1200sp each), a finely crafted sword (1d8 damage and non-magical, but blessed to damage creatures as if magic), and an ermine purse (itself worth 1500sp) containing twelve gemstones (500sp each). Cecily’s coffin contains (again, in addition to her corpse): 28gp, 432sp, two empty porcelain amphora (1200sp each), and an emerald pendant on a gold chain (1250sp).

40 3: Collapsed Tunnel – As mentioned above, the entrance to this hallway is barred by several boards that have been nailed into place across the shattered door. One of the boards is loose, however, and can be easily removed, permitting someone to squeeze through (provided they’re not heavily burdened with equipment). Unlike the shoring reinforcements added to the other tunnel walls, this area seems to have been left untouched. Tiny rocks and dust which occasionally fall from the ceiling give one the distinct impression that it’s not particularly stable (it is stable enough, but the players don’t need to know that). The tunnel bends to the left after 40’, and 30’ beyond that, it is filled with dirt and rubble from the collapsed ceiling and walls. While this is effectively a dead-end, successfully searching the collapsed area will reveal a depression concealed under a layer of debris. If the debris is cleared, the party will find a tarp stretched over a hole in the floor being held in place by several stones. The hole descends eight feet into the ground and is roughly large enough to fit a grown adult. This is the passage being dug by Mathieu Crevier. He has been at it for several weeks and is a mere foot from breaking through into a warren of natural caves below the catacombs. These caves are filled with the dead who have been awakened by the Wight, stirred into a hateful rage for the living, seeking to slay all those responsible for disturbing their eternal slumber—pretty much anything that is alive and moves; see The Caverns, page 46, for details on what lies below. 4: The Main Vault – The main vault, which originally served as a place of contemplation, provides access to two more burial vaults to the north and south. Large columns run from floor to ceiling, and a 2’ deep sunken pool is still refreshed with water from an underground stream that runs nearby. 5: Burial Vault 1 - The north burial vault contains 12 burial niches, four of which hold coffins. The occupants of the coffins are not indicated, and each is undisturbed, largely thanks to a standing order from DuVernay against looting. There is no treasure to be found here. 6: Burial Vault 2 - Virtually identical to Burial Vault 1 but with six coffins instead of four. 7: Security Room - This area is designed to provide a security area between the old crypt and the new excavation. One will immediately realize that the construction here (and in all subsequent rooms) is obviously much newer than that of the previous chambers, being both free of debris and reflecting modern construction methods. The door is securely locked from the inside using a heavy bolt mechanism drawn aside by one of the guards stationed here. A sliding view slit allows one to see who is standing on the opposite side of the door, and a robust bolt latch prevents unauthorized entry. Two side rooms each serve as guard posts where Landsknecht sentries (one per room) keep a watchful eye on anyone requesting entry from Area 1. The area outlined on the map is a trap that can be activated from either guard room via a lever in the wall. If either lever is pulled, a metal grate falls from the ceiling on either side, trapping anyone standing in the marked area and holding them until they can be apprehended. A wheel crank in each room also allows the gates to be reset after tripping.

41 8: Chapel of Saint Cyprian of Antioch – This elaborate underground chapel honors the Saint of Necromancy himself, Cyprian of Antioch. Rows of pews run the length of the chamber, terminating at the southern end in a large altar dedicated to Cyprian. The overall tone is “creepy as fuck”—a large statue of Cyprian looms from the center of an elaborately carved display, his gaunt figure shrouded in dark robes. A pair of skeletons stand at his flanks, their bony hands clasped together in prayer. The display itself features choirs of angels bearing decayed bodies into the afterlife and standing coffins containing mummified corpses being exhumed from the earth. The stone altar itself is draped with a blood-red cloth upon which rests a pair of candles set in decorative silver holders (each worth 500sp). There are usually 1d4 Order members here at any given moment. 9: The Clean Room – A small antechamber between Areas 8 and 9 serves as an airlock. The walls in the antechamber are completely smooth to the touch, and a series of metal bars runs the length of the ceiling. The door to Area 9 cannot be opened until the one from Area 8 is closed. When this happens, both doors will seal, and the bars along the ceiling will become superheated for a brief moment bathing the entire room in bright light. The bodies of anyone standing in the room will be covered in a thin layer of ash, which is then blown clear by a blast of air from tiny holes in the floor. Moments later, the door to Area 9 will open, revealing a 30’ x 30’ chamber. This room is much like the antechamber in that the walls and floors are completely smooth, almost glassy to the touch. Strange suits of clothing hang from hooks on the northern wall, with a small niche underneath for one to place their clothes. There are twenty hooks in all, half of which hold the rubbery suits. They are dark red in color, covered in straps and harnesses, with segmented hoses and tubes. These suits protect the wearer from the hum produced by the Chanters in Area 10 and are necessary to safely enter. If one is not familiar with how to put on the protective gear, it will take fifteen minutes to figure out the complicated arrangement of harnesses and buckles. (Note that despite their bulkiness, these suits are nearly skin tight on the inside, making wearing any clothes or armor under the garment quite impossible—though the suits provide armor protection equivalent to leather. I shall leave it up to your judgment as to whether or not a specific piece of jewelry or other similar adornment will be permissible.) Once worn, the wearer’s field of vision is narrowed due to the small visor of the suit’s hood, resulting in a -1 to all attack rolls while worn. In addition, no sound can penetrate the suit—remember this when the player characters try to speak to one another while wearing them! Like the doors between 8 and 9, the door to 10 cannot be opened unless the opposite door is closed. Note that the airlock works in reverse as well.

42 10: The Hall of Chanters – This long chamber is filled with all manner of strange machinery, much of it a strange amalgam of alien technology and black magic. The walls crawl and pulse with ducts that resemble internal organs glowing with a strange purple light. 1d6+4 Order members can be found here, moving between various control panels, adjusting dials and switches, fine-tuning electrical fields spun between twitching antennae, and performing various other tasks which appear to be as religious as they are scientific. The entire room is filled with a strange omnipresent hum, more felt than heard. Everyone in this room is clad in dark red rubber-like suits, like the ones stored in Area 9. Anyone entering this room without a protective suit will immediately become overwhelmed by the hum. Unless they successfully make a saving throw versus Magic, they will be permanently reduced to a state of quivering, weeping madness. Violet light spills out of twelve translucent glass windows set into the floor. Beneath each of these windows is a cylindrical chamber, each housing one of the Order’s Chanters. The Chanters are fanatics who have volunteered to be sealed in these chambers for an entire year while they incessantly intone the litanies that feed the Womb with the arcane energy necessary to gestate the Messiah. They need neither sleep nor sustenance as the magic they channel into the Womb also keeps them alive. They will not emerge from the chambers alive, however: once the ritual is complete, their bodies will wither into dried husks, consumed by the occult power they have channeled. Neither they nor the other Order members know this—except DuVernay and Gutierrez, of course. The Womb chamber lies to the north, through a large semi-circular doorway inscribed with numerous arcane runes and sigils that throb slowly with strange energy. The Order acolytes do not enter the Womb chamber unless absolutely necessary. The machinery in this room is primarily a means of monitoring the progress of the ritual, and destroying or damaging any of it will have little effect on the gestation process.

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45 enclosure is struck, there is a 2% chance of awakening the Embryonic Christ. This chance increases by 2% every time it is struck. If the party is observed damaging the Womb, every available Order member and Landsknecht mercenary will be summoned to stop them—and if the Womb comes within 20 points of being destroyed, an Order member in Area 10 will trip a failsafe that forces the Embryonic Christ’s premature birth, in the hope that someone nearby will be able to secure the child. 11: The Womb – The ceilings in this vast room stretch upwards for twenty feet. The center of the room is dominated by a gigantic translucent hemisphere set into a depression into the floor. This is not a material construct but rather another product of arcane magic found within the Clavis Inferni. The hemisphere feels glassy to the touch and appears to filter light like a soap bubble, the surface reflecting a rainbow-hued sheen that swirls like liquid across its entire surface. The interior of the sphere appears to be an opalescent smoke or impossibly lightweight liquid. Anyone gazing at the sphere is gripped by a sensation of mortal terror as if the vast energy of Creation itself is being twisted in unnatural ways (which it is). The hum heard in Area 10 is more pronounced here, with a similar effect should anyone be exposed without protective suits. Within the hemisphere is the Embryonic Christ. Thanks to the disorienting effect caused by the Womb, the Order has not created a duplicate of Jesus Christ, but instead, a horrific, nightmarish creature culled from his DNA by occult science and weird technology. They’ve also lost control of the gestation process, but they don’t know that yet. This will soon become apparent when the creature emerges from the Womb construct and begins to kill everything it can reach. See page 52 for details on the Embryonic Christ and page 29 for what happens when the Embryonic Christ is born and the long-term ramifications of the monstrous entity roaming the countryside. If the party decides to destroy the Womb, it will take 150 hit points of damage to do so (no need to make to-hit rolls, it’s impossible to miss). Every time the Womb

46 The Pagan Caverns These natural caves were once occupied by Jutish pagans, the culture that existed on the Isle of Wight before the arrival of Christianity. In 685, Caedwalla of Wessex led a purge of the local inhabitants, attempting to drive their king Arwald and all remnants of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wihtwara from the island. Though not entirely successful, Arwald was killed in battle defending his lands and his sons executed. The caves beneath Quarr Abbey once housed Jutes attempting to escape persecution—unsuccessfully, as it turned out. Caedwalla’s footsoldiers located the tunnels and massacred everyone within, and afterward sealed the cavern entrance to prevent it from being used again. The dead were thus sealed in this cavernous tomb for centuries until the Order of Saint Cyprian arrived and erected the Womb. Once operational, the arcane energy emitted by the Womb stirred the anger and hatred lingering in the bones, which has coalesced into a sort of spiritual hive-mind: the Wight. This malevolent ghost has roused the bones of the dead in the cavern, and they now all seek to wreak their vengeance by devouring the bodies and souls of the living. The Wight projected a portion of its spirit into an Order acolyte, Mathieu Crevier, using his mortal shell to dig a tunnel into the caves so that its army of the undead can be unleashed. 1. Main Cavern – This was the main living area used by the Jutes. Remnants of furniture, pottery, torn clothes, and other signs of domestic life are strewn about. Nothing is intact, evidence of the violence that occurred here. Most of the undead are gathered in this room, 27 in all. If anyone enters the chamber from the narrow passage excavated by Crevier, they will find themselves quickly cornered by two dozen skeletal revenants that will tear them limb from limb. In addition to the undead, the room is pervaded by the disembodied consciousness of the Wight, which is animating the corpses. While controlling the undead, the Wight is incorporeal and can only be detected by Detect Evil or similar magic. If thus revealed, it will appear as an angry red cloud hanging in the air, wispy tendrils manipulating the corpses as if they were marionettes on strings. See The Wight (page 54) for details and its army of undead. Once the opening to the Old Crypt is breached, the zombies will begin to clamber up the wall, climbing out of the hole in search of victims. 2. Sealed Tunnel - This once ran all the way to the shore north of Quarr Abbey but has been sealed after the massacre centuries earlier. Subsequent rockfalls have made it all but impossible to use as a means of egress. 3. Sleeping Chamber - The Jutes made this their sleeping area, as evidenced by the crude bedding littering the floor. Though primitive even by the standards of the 7th century, the Jutes did what they could under pretty dire circumstances. If thoroughly searched, nothing of value will be turned up except for a tiny wooden carving image of Woden on a decayed leather thong, a testament to the ancient pagan faith of those who once lived here. 4. Bone Piles – This secondary area is filled with yet more undead, 12 to be exact. They will join their brethren in Area 1 if

anyone enters the caverns or the chamber is breached. 5. Storage – The Jutes kept their meager possessions in this room. Sacks of grain and other edible goods, long since rotted and crumbled to dust, remain along with a handful of ceramic jars and other household items. 1 2 3 4 5 The Pagan Caverns HOLE AREA = 5 feet

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