[ALG002] The Hounds of Adranos.pdf

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The Hounds
of Adranos
A Written by Paolo Guccione
n adventure for
Stupor Mundi
Illustrated by Dario Corallo
You will need the “RuneQuest Core Rulebook” and the “RuneQuest Companion”, or the “RuneQuest Deluxe” rulebook, in order to play
this scenario. All of these books are available from Mongoose Publishing.
Ownership of the Stupor Mundi supplement, available from Alephtar Games , is recommended but not required.
“RuneQuest (TM) ” and the RuneQuest logo are Trademarks owned by Issaries, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the RuneQuest
logo Licence version 1.0. A copy of this licence can be obtained from Mongoose Publishing. The mention or reference to any company
or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
“Stupor Mundi – Rolepleying in the world of Frederick II” is a Trademark of Paolo Guccione and Alephtar Games.
The contents of this book are Open Game Content. A copy of the Open Game Licence can be obtained from Mongoose Publishing or
from Wizards of the Coast. This scenario can be reproduced and distributed free of charge for non-commercial purposes, as long as its
contents are left unaltered.
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Mythical Background
Adranos was a fiery deity of Magna Graecia. Many scholars believe that he was in fact just another
incarnation of Ephestus, as this adventure tends to confirm. In 400 BC tyrant Dyonisius I of Syracusae
ordered the construction of a city on the slopes of the great Sicilian volcano, Mount Etna. The city was
built near a great temple of Adranos that had been there for centuries, and so it was named after the deity,
Adranon. The huge statue of the god that was in the temple, wielding a monumental spear that looked
like it had a flaming tip, would guard the citizen from all dangers alike, be they eruptions or invaders.
The temple itself was guarded by a host of one thousand magnificent hounds, sacred to the god. These
beasts, who were bigger and stronger than normal dogs, could discern the actual mind of all visitors, and
more than once did they tear ill-intentioned guests into pieces. One peculiar behaviour that they usually
showed was that of accompanying guests back home if they were too drunk to find their own way.
Summary
man buys them a round of drinks, too. If there is some
Muslim in the party, who cannot accept the gift, the man
insists that he takes at least some goat milk. No matter
how loudly his friends warn him that “A Saracen is
always a bandit, not worth of your generosity”, he is too
happy (and too drunk) to fall prey to the natives' usual
distrust for Arabs.
The adventurers are visiting the town of Adernium in
Sicily, when they get involved in the mysterious
disappearance of a young man with an unknown
connection to the local ruler. By investigating the mystery,
they discover that the poor youngster has been abducted
by a daemonic hound. The adventurers must dare the
underground lair of the beast in the very depths of Mount
Etna, only to discover that the magical canine was in fact
trying to protect the man. Once out of the dungeon, the
party must confront the real threat that was attempting at
the man's life in a final showdown.
If the adventurers inquire about the youngster's name they
learn that he it is Leonidas. A simple test of an appropriate
Lore can tell them that it is a classical Greek name,
somehow unusual for a commoner in this lowly land. The
man will not tell anyone why he is so happy,
Howls and blood in the
night
Introduction
Our action takes place in Adernium, a town on the
western slopes of Mount Etna, in Sicily, on a midwinter
night between 1220 and 1250 AD. This small centre is
what remains of the town built by Dyonisius more than
1500 years before, and is now ruled by a Norman petty
noble named Wilhelm. The adventurers are on a simple
mission given them by their usual employer, and must
spend a night in this town on their way to the eastern coast
of Sicily. They have rented a room at the local tavern,
which acts also as an inn on the rare occasions when some
strangers need to sleep there.
While spending their evening eating and drinking what the
town has to offer, and possibly initiating a conversation
with the local wenches, they notice a young man who is
feasting and laughing very loudly with his friends. The
After some more drinking, Leonidas and friends leave the
tavern and head home, staggering visibly after drinking
way too much alcohol. Leonidas takes with him a huge
flask of wine, drinking from it on the way home. Within a
few minutes, some screams and an ominous, blood-
chilling howl are heard in the night. Two villagers rush
out of the tavern to see what happened. Shortly
afterwards, a middle-aged woman enters the tavern and,
looking at the adventurers, tells them: “You, kind
travellers. You look like men-at-arms. May I beg for your
help in this sorrowful night? Something went wrong, and I
fear for my poor Leonidas.” Of course the adventurers
will accept. Just in case they ask for a reward, there is a
couple of sheep worth a total of fifty silver coins for them.
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The woman, who is Leonidas's mother, is named Irene,
and is carrying a staff that ends with some sort of lit torch.
Anyone looking at the staff and rolling below his INTx5
or his Spear skill, whichever is higher, notices that it is not
a pole-mounted torch but a spade with its tip burning with
an intense fire. Magical detection or an appropriate Lore
test reveals that it is enchanted with a fiery spell,
Fireblade. In a couple of minutes' walk the group reaches
the source of all the yelling. At this point, Irene's spell
ends and the spade returns normal.
A group of villagers has already assembled on the scene.
They carry torches that light the gruesome sight that
stands before the adventurers' eyes, and some of them are
searching the surrounding countryside.
Irene
Village Witch, AGE 37
Characteristics
STR
7
CON
15
DEX
9
SIZ
9
INT
15
POW
17
CHA
13
A man named Gaius, one of Leonidas's friends, is lying
dead on the ground with a deep, blood-soaked cut in his
belly and an arrow impaled in his left leg. Leaning to a
nearby tree is the body of a man, probably a Saracen, with
his eyes and his mouth still wide open like he was still
screaming. His throat has been literally torn open, and an
unbelievable amount of blood stains his leather cuirass.
An arabian styled open helm and a scimitar lie on the
ground nearby, a clear mark of the man's pointless defence
against whomever, or whatever, slaughtered him.
Searching nearby reveals nothing. The villagers are
becoming nervous and mumbling that Saracen bandits are
in the area. If there are Muslim PCs in the party, an
Influence test could be necessary to avoid unpleasant
accidents. In any case, Sir Wilhelm and several of his
retainers, all mounted, appear within half an hour, and
stop any violence the villagers may be attempting against
the adventurers. The Baron quickly questions the peasants
about what happened, and after he discovers that Leonidas
is still missing, he turns to Irene and asks her: “Have you
seen him?”. She replies negatively, almost crying.
At this point one of the armed guys that came with
Wilhelm states sarcastically “Leonidas's Islamic brothers
have shown up again. They are his only real friends. Too
bad poor Gaius learned it the hard way.” At this point the
Baron shouts “Enough, Gottfried!” and orders everything
carried to his castle. If they inquire about this with some
villager, the PCs learn that this young man is Wilhelm's
only son.
Hit Locations
D20 Hit Location AP/HP
1–3
Right Leg
-/5
4–6
Left Leg
-/5
7–9
Abdomen
-/6
10–12
Chest
-/7
13–15
Right Arm
-/4
16–18
Left Arm
-/4
19–20
Head
-/5
Weapons
Type SkillDamage AP/HP
Spade
30% 1D6+1-1D2
2/8
Combat Actions : 2
Strike Rank : +12
Magic Points : 17
Movement : 4m
Skills : Dodge 50%, First Aid 70%, Perception
50%, Persistence 70%, Resilience 35%,
Lore(Animal) 50%, Lore(Mineral) 50%,
Lore(Plant) 50%, Healing 50%.
Armour : None
Runes : F (Fertility) 65%, N (Fire) 90%.
Spells: Endurance, Fireblade (4), Firearrow (2),
Heal 4, Ignite .
Investigations and
discoveries
and go to the castle, they will not be let in, and the only
thing they will discover, if they tip the gatekeeper
generously, is that Leonidas is Wilhelm's bastard son,
although Gottfried has spread the rumour that his mother
conceived him lying with the devil, or with some Saracen
thief, instead.
Once the Baron has left, Irene asks the adventurers to
escort her home. Her hut is far away in the countryside.
The adventurers might want to go to the castle, instead, to
talk to Wilhelm, but Irene will tell them that it is useless,
as he never admits strangers into his manor. If they insist
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If the adventurers take the time to ask, the villagers will
tell them that Irene is the village “Wise Woman”. She
heals the sick and invokes good weather on the crops. And
when the mountain bowels groan, she appeases the mighty
volcano. Some villagers will whisper the world “witch”,
especially the local priest, but no one looks scared or
shows any resentment towards her. If they ask about
Leonidas' father, they will learn that he is probably the
Baron, although a couple of young men will tell them that
Leonidas must be some devil's son.
If the adventurers escort Irene to her hut, which is ten
minutes' walk from the scene, they make an interesting
encounter. The party sees two figures carrying another in
the dark. Irene has just started running towards the three,
screaming “Leonidas!”, when the PCs hear an arrow
flying in the darkness and notice that the two figures have
dropped the third one on the ground and drawn something
that looks suspiciously like bows. Realizing what is
happening, Irene hides behind a bush and lets the
adventurers do the fighting.
Gottfried
Norman Noble, age 23
Characteristics
STR
11
CON
14
SIZ
15
INT
11
POW
9
DEX
13
CHA
9
Hit Locations
D20 Hit Location AP/HP
1–3
Right Leg
3/6
4–6
Left Leg
3/6
7–9
Abdomen
5/7
As soon as they see the adventurers draw real weapons
instead of the farming tools they are prepared to face, the
two mysterious men give up and disappear into the night.
The third figure, who is moaning audibly, is still where
they dropped it. When they come close to it, they notice it
is an Arab-looking man. His left arm has been almost torn
away, and rags of flesh are still attached to the wound,
clearly showing that it was not a blade that maimed him.
The man is bleeding to death, and passes away in a few
rounds if no one can help him. Any adventurer that can
speak some Arabic can discern what his last words are,
but if no one speaks the man's language it takes an
Influence check to persuade him to speak Latin. In any
case his last words are “The Dog, the Hellish Dog...”
10–12
Chest
5/8
13–15
Right Arm
3/6
16–18
Left Arm
3/6
19–20
Head
5/6
Weapons
Type SkillDamage AP/HP
Sword
60% 1D8+1D2
4/10
Combat Actions : 3
Strike Rank : +12
Move : 4m
Skills : Persistence 45%, Riding 60%.
Armour : Light Chain Mail and helm (5 AP on
vitals, 3 AP on limbs).
At some point, whether by examining the man's wound, or
by being told what he was whispering while dying, Irene
realizes what happened and screams: “No! It cannot be!
The Hounds took him!” When the adventurers inquire
about her thoughts, Irene refuses to explain, and just
mumbles: “They must have sensed he was drunk... but he
was drunk before and they never showed up... they must
have sensed treachery, too! The Hounds sense treachery!”
Staring desperately at her empty hut, Irene weeps and
wonders “Where did they take you, Leonidas?”. Someone
sooner or later will suggest that there must be some other
place that the Hounds consider “home”, and Irene
mumbles “Perhaps they sensed his ancestry and took him
to their home...” If someone asks for explanations, Irene
admits that she and her son are the last descendants of the
High Priests of Adranos, so her bloodline is directly
connected to the Hounds' master. Finally, when asked
where the Hounds' home might be, she replies: “The
Necropolis, they must have taken him to the Necropolis.
Below the Necropolis...”
At this point the adventurers will likely start asking
questions, to which Irene gives very obscure answers. If
asked who Leonidas's father is, she tells that it is Wilhelm,
and adds that he has resolved to adopt his bastard son, and
wants to announce it on the next day. If asked what the
Hounds are, her only answer is “The Hounds of Adranos
escort good people who drink too much on their way
home, and slay murderers and traitors”. If asked about
where they could have taken her son, she screams:
“Home! They took him home!” and rushes to her hut.
Unfortunately, the latter is vacant.
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