Ruins & Relics of Sartar

When I ran my ill-fated Glorantha Openquest game, I used the Ravaged Ruins tables from the Ready Ref Sheets/The Wilderlands of High Fantasy to populate some hexes of my hex map of Sartar, as is my tradition with all fantasy games.  The results are described below.  Maybe somebody out there can use them.  Maybe I'll use them one day.

0202 - A group of six tusk riders are trying to figure out how to get two tuskers to drive a chariot they found.  It is not going well.

207 -  Brontosaurus herd.

0314 - Two Sky Bulls hover near a javelin thrust into the ground.  The javelin has the air and movement runes, allowing the wielder to cast skybolt using their own MP.  The ground about the javelin is scorched.

0401 - A dragonewt who was performing a strange ritual here has turned his body into precious stones worth 1600 Lunars. About him are foul smelling chemicals, that are mildly poisonous to the touch - Resilience test or -25% to all actions for 2d6 hours.  If taken back to the tula or sold the dragonewt (now a tailed priest) will come looking for it.

0516 - The broken skeleton of an enormous bird, at least the size of a dream dragon, lies here covered in ashes.

0707 - A stone statue of a noble long forgotten from the Empire of the Wyrms Friends lies tumbled on the ground, covered in dust.  Those who linger too long near it will be attacked by three Ancestor Spirits who will attempt to possess the victim to make them sing a dirge for the noble until their death.

0711 - Ruined Duck village haunted by the undead of Lunars who died destroying it.

0805 - Ankylosaurus herd.

0808 - An inhumanly large man with humakti tattoos and gleaming armor stands between two flocks of sheep, one black and one white.  He says the white sheep feed on the truth while the black sheep feed on death. “Speak the truth and both my sheep shall eat. Speak a falsehood and only the black sheep will.”  He will refuse to let anyone pass until they have spoken, and will attack anyone who says a lie, after his white sheep die dramatically.

0904 - A group of 6 ghouls feasts on the remains of a food pedlar and his wares.  If searched the pedlar has 5 lunars on him, but all his food is spoiled.

0911 - Centaur bros having a rad/shitty party.

1003 - A dragonewt stands at a ford in a river demanding a duel to anyone who would cross in halting trade talk.  He says that it is his time to Ascend and that anyone who would help him may keep his sword (as a warsword but with the dragon breath spell set upon it and it always injures those injured by iron weapons).  He asked that his body be guarded by the winner until he can recover it.

1014 - A group of 3 dark trolls and 4 trollkin squat in a cave, praying before a fresco to one of their dark goddesses.

1115 - A group of 4 Broos are tearing apart a dead harpy with their horns and swords while braying mournfully.  Examining the remains of the harpy if the broos are driven off reveals skeletal little broos in her rib cage. The broos have 50 lunars worth of goods.

1205 - A ruined stead destroyed by the Lunars has now become the home of 40 rubble runners.  If anyone disturbs the ruined interiors the creatures will rush out and attack in full numbers.

1214 -  A dragon snail haunts a pool near a warning stone set up by some lazy Storm Bulls.  It attacks anything that comes near.

1211 - T Rex hunting grounds.

1310 - A small cairn has been erected for a dead duck warrior.  He has a shortsword marked with the Death Rune (casts Hand of Death using the wielder’s magic points), a tiny fetish of himself (used as a 4 point magic point store), and a gilded helmet worth 125 lunars.  If the items are taken it will arrive as a mummy at the characters’ stead next season to claim its revenge.

1307 - A Lunar Priest and 5 members of the Beryl Phalanx are setting up a telescope for better moon viewing in front of a number of nonplussed Satarite peasants.  The telescope is presumably extremely valuable, but unlikely to find a buyer.

1406 -  A set of burned and smashed urns lie on the ground hear.  They were destroyed by the Colymar tribe when they discovered these ancestors followed Arkat the Betrayer.  

1508 - A group of Lunars were ritually destroying a piece of road paved by Sartar, but they were attacked by 6 giant wasps.  The lunars fled after the deaths of two of the Tarshite light infantry. The wasps are laying eggs in their victims. The tarshites have 2 lunars on their dead bodies, as well as their gear.  If the wasps are cleared away and the PCs rest at the location there is a 30% chance the Lunars will return to finish their work, this time with reinforcements.

1511 - The house of a tanner, set away from a nearby tula, is apparently unoccupied.  Investigating the interior will reveal a number of deer have gored the tanner to death in front of his tanning rack, and trashed the house, leaving the floor slick with gore and rendered fat.  The deer act normal in the presence of the PCs.

1604 - A group of Dark Trolls are defacing a small stone dedicated to a king of Sartar’s coronation.  They are are currently spitting upon it, but have done worse things to it previously.

1615 - The crystalline corpse of a mostali is buried in a small mound on a rocky cliff.  Hovering nearby are 3 wasp riders wondering why the mound is there. The crystalline skeleton may fetch up to 190 Lunars from an interested sorcerer.

1710 - A giant laughs over the bodies of Wasp Riders he has smashed out of the air.  One of the wasp riders has a guilt saddle with Animal Whisperer cast upon it (only works on insects).

1716 - A small step pyramid, meant to be an observatory by the Lunars, was being constructed on this site.  However, the workers were attacked by a walktapus who now lairs in the foundation of the building. The local authorities are offering 2500 Lunars to clear out the creature.

1813 - A giant puzzles with a box carved with Heortling script and the Stability and Disorder Runes. The box says “We Are the Doom of the Clever.” Anyone who recites a poem of their own invention over the box will release the five disease spirits trapped inside.

1909 - A lunar official is overseeing a mostali carving an image of a Lunar victory into a cliff face. They are guarded by twelve tarshite light infantry. The official has a small bronze whip which allows him to cast Madness as a divine spell, as well as two potions of Heal 3.

2010 - A broken stone table lies in a crater.  In it is carved a sorcerous ritual to place chaos spirits into stone.  Set about it are three iron constructs who will kill any non-mostali who approaches.

2103 - A group of 5 Telmori hunters have been using this area to clean their kills.  Deer are hung up from the trees as a warning to intruders. 2 of the Telmori can turn into wolves at will.

2109 - A cave here serves as an ancient shrine to Ernalda, built even before her marriage to Orlanth.  It is guarded by a single guardian spirit - once immensely powerful now weakened by time. To interact safely within the cave, the spirit must be convinced of the character’s reverence to Ernalda, but will be confused by myths postdating Orlanth’s wedding.

2202 - Triceratops herd.

2205 - Four Telmori and three Wolfbrothers are picking over a wagon of a tarshite merchant and the guards they killed.  150 Lunars worth of salt and fish are in barrels in the wagon.

2206 - Hill of Orlanth Victorious

2214 - Half buried in the sand is what appears to be a toy sized golden chariot belonging to Orlanth. If someone handles it, it is actually a magical trap set by the lunars and will burst into a poisonous gas (as Walktapus poison).

2301 - A long, straight tunnel goes several hundred feet into the side of a hill.  At the far end are 4 krarshtkids waiting to scurry out and attack anyone who comes within. They have accidentally accumulated about 160 lunars in coins and goods and a gold torque worth 60 lunars.

2308 - A group of 3 Telmori are digging through the remains of a temporary arsenal set up by the Lunars during their initial invasion of Sartar.  So far they have outfitted themselves in scale hauberks and with bronze khopeshes. One of them has the ability to turn into a wolf at will. A Wolf Brother guards the entrance to the ruin.

2405 - A small shrine dedicated to Telmor Father of Wolves lies in a copse of trees.  Lunars and axe orlanthi are hung around it as a warning to trespassers. No Telmori are currently present.  On the altar is a hatchet made of iron marked with the Beast rune. Anyone using the axe may cast Berserk upon themselves, but it must be returned to the altar before it may be used again in this fashion.

2506 - A lunar guardpost has been overrun by 30 broo, lead by a broo priest of Thed.  They have a cage where they hold some impregnated captives. The guards have had their viscera torn out and thrown over the walls. From the small garrison they have gathered 400 lunars, 17 wheels, a darra happan shortsword formerly wielded by the commander made of iron and blessed by the sun rune (spells are Fanaticism, Fireblade, and Leap 2), a necklace with a one time use of fire arrow, and three potions of Heal 4.

2516 - Discarded linen scraps lie on the ground.  Touching them has a 30% chance of attracting a disease spirit.

2603 - A small shrine to Uralda lies abandoned except for a perfectly maintained stone fence - in the style of a wicker fence - and the 12 magic cows whose hides shimmer like gold as they graze.  Stealing the cows will either bring the blessing of Uralda, if they are to serve as milk cows, or her vengeance, if they are slaughtered. Having them on the tula may prompt more cattle raids from jealous neighbors.

Whoopin' With Orlanth Session 2: About a Bat

It was the 25th of Fire Season, and members of the Swan Song clan had been missing for several days.  They had left with men of the Red Cows to go to Jonstown to trade some goods they had picked up while raiding.  Of the Swan Song clan, only the impious man known as Danmag returned, declaring that the others had stayed in Jonstown of their own volition.  Elgane Fairhair, an initiate of Issaries and member of the clan ring, felt this sounded fishy and she decided to gather some of the daring young warriors to investigate.  She selected...

Amsi - Vingan daughter of the clan chief

Armind - huge warrior dedicated to the Stormbull

Henkel - a trickster in training

and Eirick the Chartreuse - hunter and initiate of Odyala

Rather than question Dangmag, the party decided to head to Jonstown directly and see what was up in the town.  En route, they encountered a group of horsemen from some distant part of the empire going through a narrow defile.  Amsi, who spoke their language, noted that they were arguing about something.  It seems one, who was either currently drunk or had a massive hangover, was angry he did not get the more interesting duty of going to see "the Bat."  The other members of the patrol cautioned him against such desires, noting that those who go to "the temple" return horror-stricken or mad.

Being no fan of the Lunars, and wanting to interrogate one of them, the party ambushed the patrol before they could make it out of the defile.  An initial volley of spells and missile weapons did little, but the sight of Armind appearing over the ridge and going berserk spooked the patrol's horses.  Only one of the men was able to keep his horse in check.  Armind slew the man nearest him and Henkel forced the one who seemed to have control of his horse to start vomiting uncontrollably.  One of the members of the patrol fell from his panicking horse uninjured, only to have his femur split by Armind's huge maul.  The remaining horseman managed to regain control of his animal and charged Armind and Eirick. Erick set his armor ablaze and Amsi struck at him with a lightning bolt but the man kept coming.  After missing Armind with his sword, Eirick was able to place himself in his way and gut the man, his intestines spilling out as he fell from his horse.

After slaying the others, the party decided to interrogate the man with the broken femur.  Amsi was able to coax out of him that a temple was being constructed to the Crimson Bat, a Lunar god and war weapon of tremendous power, less than a day's ride south of their tula.  Worried that he would report their apperances to the Lunar garrison at Jonstown, Amsil slew the man after receiving this information.

The party debated for some time whether to go to this temple or press on to Jonstown, ultimately deciding to head to Jonstown because they could reach it before nightfall.  Arriving at the external gate, they noticed members of the Culbrea tribe arguing with the Lunar guards.   Apparently they weren't being let in because the 30 head of cattle they had would flood today's market and interfere with prices.  After Amsi and Armind spent some time petting the cows, they headed in, declaring to the guards they had come to buy supplies.

Even the modest size of Jonstown seemed overwhelming to these hillfolk, and they had some difficulty getting around.  However, they spotted a sign for a branch of Geo's Inns, which they knew from seeing in other villages, and they decided that was as good a place as any to ask around.  Inside they found a few members of the Red Cow clan who live in Jonstown and run supplies to Red Cow Fort when necessary.  These men told a terrible tale: apparently Dangmag and members of the Red Cow clan decided to lead other Red Cow and Swan Song warriors who had gone against the clan to fight in Starbow's Rebellion into the town so they could be sold to the Lunars.

The Red Cow carls didn't know the fate of these men, but Amsi guessed that they would be taken to the Crimson Bat Temple to be sacrificed at its dedication.  Armind agreed that that was the sort of thing the Lunars did, and the party began debating how next to proceed.  They debated between buying horses and setting out that night to intercept the escort and prisoners before they got to the temple by road or to wait in the morning and beat them their by traveling through the hills.  After some discussion about funds for horses, they decided the latter option was best and purchased rooms in Geo's.

Whoopin' With Orlanth Session 1

I've been planning an OpenQuest game set in Glorantha for a couple of weeks because of a confluence of events getting me interested in d% gaming again, including managing to get a copy of the new RuneQuest.*  I had a couple of ideas for what I'd want to run and had the players do a vote and this is what came out as the winner.

The premise is that the PCs are the young-adult children of members of a Sartarite clan ring.  Due to their family prominence, the ring uses the PCs as troubleshooters in hopes of grooming them to take over the clan one day.  They generated their clan a week ago using the system from HeroQuest Kingdom of Sartar (given to me by Jeremy Duncan, who should blog more).  That was probably a mistake because it was much longer than I expected and they seemed to get lost in a way that a shorter one I could've worked up of the questions from Dragon Pass + some stuff about the Lunars wouldn't have caused.  Live and learn.

Their clan is the Swan Song.  They have an affinity for all water foul (including the Durulz), a deep hatred of dragons, a less deep but still pretty deep hatred of the Telmori, and they think the Lunars should go home.  They are members of the Cinsina tribe.

The PCs are...

Amsi - A Vingan and daughter of the chief of the clan

Armind - A Stormbull known for his great strength and respected despite not having relatives on the ring

Henkel - A Trickster with the god-given power to make people vomit

Eirick the Chartreuse - An Odyalan hunter who desperately wants to impress his aloof "papa"

Sometime during Harmony Week of the Fire Season, a shaman named Ordag the Earless snuck into their clan's great hall, befuddled the ring members, and absconded with a sacred stone depicting the family history of one of the prominent families in the clan.  The ring kept this a secret from the rest of the clan, though people knew something was up because the chief and his family had been sleeping in the warriors hall.

Derek the Green, father of Eirick and member of the ring, had the party pretend to be assigned to the outer patrol and then meet him in the great hall.  It was Windsday of Deathweek, and on the previous day the ring sacrificed to Humakt using help from priests of the Malani clan to both keep at bay the angry ghosts of their ancestors and to divine the whereabouts of the sinister shaman.  Harvar the Striker, the chief of the clan, now informed the party that they must head about a days journey into the Telmori wilds to find where the shaman had taken the stone and then return it without alerting the village.

The party set off and after traveling through rocky hills they came to a belt of forest that lay between them and the open country before the Creek.  Heading into the forest, for it was there Ordag supposedly dwelt, they encountered a patrol of elves.  The elves initially acted with hostility, demanding the party "return their brothers," but after noticing the tattoos of an Odyalan hunter, they hesitantly asked for aid.  Unfortunately for the elves, the trickster had a different idea.  He forced the only one who could speak Heortling to vomit uncontrollably.  Seeing no other option, the rest of the party set on the elves and quickly slew them.  Henkel explained that "we already have our own problems, and it is best to not become involved in the problems of others."  However, he did not know how intertwined their problems were.

Thanks to the skillful navigation of Eirick, the party found the clearing in which the hovel of the shaman reportedly lay.  Around the clearing was a strangely "mechanical" patrol of four elves, who moved with strange symmetry and rotated sunwise around the center point of the clearing.  That center point was a large, dying tree with a hovel set at its base.  Henkel and Amsi were able to sneak by the elf patrol, and tried to investigate the hovel.  Unfortunately the dying light made it difficult to see.  Amsi, with few other choices, decided to make her way towards it, but her stumbling in the darkness caused Ordag to become aware of her present, and he quickly cast a spell that summoned one of the ancestor spirits whose deeds were described on the stone.

Seeing the apparition and realizing the jig was up, Armind set himself into a rage and set upon the nearest elf guard, breaking him into splinters in one blow.  Eirick supported Armind with bow shots, and Amsi was forced to rely on thunder-magic to face off against the ghost.  Amsi called on Orlanth's Lightning and blasted the spirit, who seemed affected by the battle magic.  While this use of magic aided the spirit in his attempt to possess her, the power of it dissipated the specter after a few short blasts.  Henkel now joined the fight against the elves, this time forcing one to vomit and causing it enough physical damage that it broke its spine (or rather its spine became crusted with cedar apple rust such that he could no longer move).  Eirick and Armind slew the remaining elves and then rushed upon Ordag and crushed his skull with a deadly blow.

Armind, still feeling the rage, then set about the trees with his maul, smashing them and screaming.  The rest of the party investigated the hovel, finding that the spirit-talker had somehow burnt a handprint into a part of the tree where he had removed the bark.  He also had the stone surrounded by rudimentary rushlights.  Armind had been wounded by the elves, so the party decided to rest at the hovel for the night and return with the stone the next day.

The next morning, Armind gave Ordag funeral rights - burning the body and placing the remaining... remains under a cairn.  While he was doing this a group of Red Cow warriors - better equipped and clearly of high station - came into the clearing and expressed shock at what they saw.  Apparently they had been attracted to the location by the magical thunder from the night before, and had also been hired by the elves to rescue their brethren from Ordag.  Henkel "explained" that all the damage had been done by the shaman, and that they could have the paralyzed elf to return to his kin.  They didn't seem to trust the word of a trickster, but it allowed them a socially convenient "out."  They left carrying the elf.

The party then struck camp and head back home.  They returned without further incident but before reaching the tula had to decide how to sneak in such a large stone without it being recognized and causing alarm.  Henkel cast mischief on it, turning it into rubber and causing it to make silly farting noises.  This new, frankly bizarre object was totally unrecognizable to the carls and cottars they passed.  It greatly disturbed the ring, but after seeking out Henkel's mentor and... father? Randan the Reckless, they were assured the measure was temporary.  Randan then utilized the farting aspect of the rubber stone to be a weirdo.

At that point we stopped.  The players said they enjoyed it and found the setting "weird, but in an interesting way."  They liked the OQ rules and advancement system so we'll keep using that for now.

However, later one of the players confided in me that the antics of the trickster bothered them a bit because it made it too hard to getting anything done.  They compared it to the problem of having the asshole who plays the overly lawful good paladin that makes it where you can't actually play D&D.  This made a certain sense to me so I plan on talking to the trickster's player and asking him to tone it down a bit or perhaps come up with another solution.

*I decided to stick with OQ because I vastly prefer its skill list and simplicity, though there are lots of things about the new RQ I like.  I may do a review of it in the near future.