101 Conan Adventures for The Hyborean Age

[Willowhugger]

1. The Fire Worm of Khoraja

My first adventure was a fairly simple one. The PCs are mercenaries that have found themselves in Khoraja and discover the great city is more or less under siege by Tokai, The Priest of "the evil god Asura" whom has united a dozen Desert Nomad Tribes together. Tokai is the Old King's advisor whom was exiled for human sacrifice and abominable rituals he introduced the Prince to as a young man.

They also hear legends that Tokai employs a giant "Fire Worm." That is the source of his power.

The PCs find that the defenses of Khoraja are in a sorry state indeed and the people are ill-confident of being able to survive the attack. There's even recruiters for Tokai's army inside the city walls. Princess Yasmeela, desperate to avert the end of her country, offers a private reward of ten bags of gold (100 Gold Pieces each bag) to the people who can bring back Tokai's head.

I inserted a subplot with a brutal Kossak warrior named Tsadolksky whom murders a temple of Mitra's priest, robs it, and sells the Temple Virgins into prostitution if the PCs decide to do the Conan thing and hire them. The Pcs have the option of doing the Conan thing and killing him to get free access (and the friendship of the now soiled young women) if they kill Tsadolksky and his collection of 5-7 Kozzak thugs whom have ties to Tokai.

At one point, the PCs are approached by a wandering Priest of Set named Chulak whom attempts to bless the PCs, against their will or not. Chulak hates all non-Priests of Set and has forseen the PCs will oppose Tokai (if they do). If they accept, they recieve a salve that gives them a +2 bonus against Tokai's hypnotic powers.

The PCs, intelligent blokes they were, didn't need prodding to realize they could sneak into Tokai's camp and kill him before slipping out if they joined his army. Doing so, they crossed the desert and found Tokai addressing the Desert Nomads and bringing rain to show his awesome power. If they bring Chulak or are well travelled, they may realize that rain was coming anyway and Tokai is just a good forecaster.

At the camp, they discover that the Fire Worm is nothing more than torch calvary and a smoking battering ram they intend to use to terrify the people when they attack the walls. Also, that the gates will be seized by partisans working for them within the city walls. It will be a massacre ifthe PCs fail. However, the nomads are drunk and confident in their sorcerer leader. They also discover Yasmeela has been captured during an attempt to leave the Palace to get aid from foreign lands.

Presuming the PCs sneak into Tokai's fortress, they find him guarded by a couple of large black unique guards that have been trained from birth to battle. If they defeat them, they discover Tokai is reasonably helpless and can slaughter them at their peril but will attempt to play a strange flute before he dies.

This flute will summon a Shoggoth that the PCs will best flee or at least seek higher ground from. It will rampage across the camp and the best the PCs can do will be to light Tokai's Oil Supply to cause it to burn and scream before returning to the pits it was summoned from. If they're smart, they'll also rescue Princess Yasmeela so they can get their reward.

If they succeed at all their dealings, then they will be given the full reward and treated to a week of Bachinelian delights at the palace by her and her ladies before the King tires of their presence.

DM's Note: This was actually my first adventure in the Hyborean Age.

 

[Aholibamah]

Someone has paid homage to 13th Warrior--which I highly applaud, very good film inspiration for the era.

I like the adventure very much btw. I'll bear this one in mind if I need some kind of hook.

 

[Willowhugger]

Someone has paid homage to 13th Warrior--which I highly applaud, very good film inspiration for the era.

I like the adventure very much btw. I'll bear this one in mind if I need some kind of hook.

I do love that film, I'm still waiting to adapt Grendel. But this was my first adventure in Conan.

My second posted adventure will be my second.

I hope others will contribute as well.

 

[Willowhugger]

2. The Tower of the Monkey

Conan, or your PCs after running The Tower of the Elephant module, have successfully dealt with Yara the Sorcerer and given rest to the pitiful remnants of Yog. However, the Tower of the Elephant still stands in Zamora and remains a potent place of magic due to it's centuries of inhabitation by the alien thing and the Heart. Not very long after the death of Yara, a mysterious magician took up residence in the tower as if the former owner never left. A new legend emerged about three Great Golden Monkey Statues.

The Tower's new occupant is Thurlak-Baal, a Ape-Man who was altered by his previous master (the real Thurlak-Baal) into having the intelligence and vocal capacity to be able to perform magic. Something of a pathetic creature, he must constantly struggle against his own baser nature to maintain his superior intellect and is privately looking for the arts necessary to transform himself into something superior to a human. In the meantime, women and men are occasionally brought to him as sexual toys that he usually ends up eating when he loses control of himself. Appropriately enough, Thurlak-Baal draws his power from the Ape-God, Haruman.

Thurlak-Baal is a talented magician but he's managed to rather drastically overstep himself this time. In a desire to find the necessary magics to transfer his consciousness into a suitable form for himself, he's stolen some property that was moving through Zamora destined for the Archwizard Thoth-Amon. The stolen objects are some scrolls from Ancient Atlantis that are more valuable to the Lord of the Black Ring as antiques rather than magical sources, he has accurate reproductions back in Stygia, but he remembers all insults. Thoth-Amon could most likely obliterate Thurlak-Baal from Stygia but has decided to delegate the issue down.

The PCs thus find themselves in a city that's in the middle of what amounts to a wizardly gang-war. The Scarlet Cloaks are those scum and gang members pressed into fearful service by Thurlak-Baal whom uses them to collect extortion money or pieces of all the Lower Wards of Shadizar's ill gain. While the The Black Asp is essentially those enemies that Sobek-Kull (a wizard of moderate skill more interested in impersonating Thoth-Amon's glories than achieving his own). The Black Asps have been slowly taking over the court and the armies thereof to impede his works.

The PCs may become involved in any number of ways. If they're Thieves, they may become tempted by the Great Golden Monkeys and the legend of them (unfortunately, in typical Conan fashion, they're Brass Monkeys and the actual treasure of the Citadel is much less). The Black Asp may attempt to hire to recover the scrolls and kill Thurlak-Baal, probably through a set of beautiful seductress intermediaries whom are willing to pay in whatever coin the PCs desire (in typical Hyborean fashion(. They may also simply come to despise the human sacrifice and bullying the Ape-Man's minions are performing in broad daylight.

The Tower of the Monkey is protected by the Scarlet Cloaks who are a degenerate and scurvy bunch of monsters if there ever was (prone to orgiastic and cannibalistic rites while kept high on certain types of Lotus by their master). Thurlak-Baal has also tamed his 'brother' in the form of a Mighty Joe Young sized monkey that lives in his treasure room by working foul potions on the man.

Finally, should they decide to kill the Ape-Man himself, he's able to animate the three Great Brass statues as weapons against them (create stats as appropriate but probably half the power of the Devils in iron). In the end, the death of the wizard or the destruction of his staff is a suitably Conan-esque way to defeat them as much as anything. The Tower is filled with tribute taken from the people below as the Ape-Man has no real need for money but enjoys the splendor of it.

If they choose to destroy both groups of wizards, they will earn the (fleeting) gratitude of Shadizar's people before the next group of vipers take over and will have earned the mild enimity of Thoth-Amon (whom has better things to do than avenge careless subordinates).

 

[Saeros]

Hi,

This is a great idea, and as soon as I finish running my group through an adventure, I will be sure to post it here, too.

The summaries are great and reveal a lot about the advenuture, but it would be totally awesome if we could get a link to a fuller write-up with stats, maps, etc, (ie. the complete adventure).

Thanks again for posting, and keep those ideas coming, they are great!

Saeros

 

[Aholibamah]

The Wild West, Conan Style

A number of Western plots would work well for this game. For example:

A Fistful of Silvers: The pcs find themselves in a town in which two rival landholding clans are struggling for rule. Will they take sides--or play one side off against the other?

In this adventure the pcs are constantly tempted by both sides--with honours, wealth, lands, even by attractive members of the opposite sex. On the other hand they are also warned of deadly reprisals if betrayal should happen.

The Worthy, the Wicked and the Vile: Rival groups discover that an army's treasurey train ended up hidden in a mysterious tomb--around a mountain that is full of tombs. The other problem is that the tomb-mountain is in a territory in dispute between rival armies...

Willowhugger: I like the 2nd adventure too, actually I like it a little more. In particular I like the way you flesh out the plot elements with the story of the cult, and it does indeed make sense that the place would come to be occupied by some other occult group.

I also like the brass monkey statues...after all you can never have too many animated statues. Though as my players say: "all statues are evil. statues are never good."

 

[Willowhugger]

This is a great idea, and as soon as I finish running my group through an adventure, I will be sure to post it here, too.

The summaries are great and reveal a lot about the adventure, but it would be totally awesome if we could get a link to a fuller write-up with stats, maps, etc, (ie. the complete adventure).

I may yet post the stats, though I'm not much of a map man, and I'm a terrible web-page maker. ;-)

I look forward to reading about your adventures.

A Fistful of Silvers: The pcs find themselves in a town in which two rival landholding clans are struggling for rule. Will they take sides--or play one side off against the other?

The edge of Pict territory in Aquilonia is ripe for Wild West style adventures. But good idea.

The Worthy, the Wicked and the Vile: Rival groups discover that an army's treasurey train ended up hidden in a mysterious tomb--around a mountain that is full of tombs. The other problem is that the tomb-mountain is in a territory in dispute between rival armies...

Ah, the joys of treasure hunting! It's especially Conan if the Treasure Train stopped in a set of ancient ruins and well....awoke something hungry.

I like the 2nd adventure too, actually I like it a little more. In particular I like the way you flesh out the plot elements with the story of the cult, and it does indeed make sense that the place would come to be occupied by some other occult group.

I also like the brass monkey statues...after all you can never have too many animated statues. Though as my players say: "all statues are evil. statues are never good."

Thanks, it worked out very well for our heroes, though one of the PCs died in the adventure.

 

[Willowhugger]

5. Are you not entertained!?

The PCs are visiting the capital city of Nemedia, which is currently under the governorship of Amalric of Tor. Depending on the positioning of the PCs in the timeline, this is actually Baron Amalric's father or son as opposed to the insanely wealthy villain of Hour of the Dragon himself. Having been appointed Magistrate of the City and Master of Coin, he's begun squeezing every last bit of wealth from the city in order to help pay for his master's debts while also enriching himself.

The PCs are then privately approached by a corrupt priest of Mitra who informs the player characters that the Baron has stolen something obcenely precious from the Church. The object in question is said to be one of the holy bandages that was used to heal Mitra's wounds when he briefly occupied the world to defeat Set's incarnation. The Priest of Mitra asks the player characters to go forth to steal it back and implies Amalric's riches are tremendous.

Assuming the PCs take the plot hook, they find themselves almost immediately captured by Amarlic's use of a Tiger trap under the rug. The priest of Mitra works for him and the legend of the bandages was just a way to lure them in. Amalric has decided to open up gladiator contests in Nemedia in order to raise himself excess coin. For that, he's tricked the player characters so he can get some ready made fighters to gain the proceeds as a promoter (he's a very greedy man).

The PCs will have the chance to escape eventually but being a gladiator isn't automatically a Hellish existence either. Almost immediately after their first victories, they find themselves getting treated to exceptional luxury such as courtesans, the finest wine, and being fawned over. Ultimately, the allure of freedom and revenge for their slavery should overwhelm such concerns though.

In truth, a Cimmerian woman named Karla and possibly a couple of other female savage gladiators of an Amazon variety (Amalric thinks they go well over with the crowd) intend to make a break for it during Amalric's birthday celebration. This provides an opportunity for the stereotypical Conan like love interest, though the Cimmerians are decidedly wild and of a different type of sexuality than most.

Amalric has a spy amongst the gladiator's though and knowing of their escape, has purchased a "God" from Luxor to serve at the height of the gladiator contests. Sobek, a giant Crocodile inhabited by a demonic spirit, will be released upon the PCs and their allies in the final game. Amalric's foolishness in unleashing a Stygian monster with alien intelligence into his city may yet provide the PCs with a chance at revenge though for it will prove quite uncontrollable by one who only thinks he is master of the world.

 

[Strom]

Good stuff so far.

It would be remiss - in the 101 Conan Adventures in the Hyborian Age thread - not to add a link to Iron Chefs GM'S GUIDE TO CREATING HYBORIAN AGE ADVENTURES:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1331&highlight=iron+chef

 

[Style]

6. Cult of the Eldricht Stone

I had started prepping a Conan adventure that involved a cult.

Said cult was actually a group of monks devoted to Mitra who held a monastery deep in the mountains, isolated, left much to its own devices.

The monks, at some point, had stumbled upon a lost city where they discovered a huge stone. The stone was a meteor which fell to Earth in pre-cataclysmic history and was found by the dwellers of the lost city.

However, as with all good Conan stories, their veneration of the meteor and it's eldritch powers mutated them of the course of generations and caused the city to fall asunder.

Now, millennia on, the monks have discovered the stone as well as the strange descendants of the race of men that originally dwelt there. The monks, on the same path as the doomed city-folk, are of course attempting to exploit the secrets of the stone.

The stone itself is not merely a meteor but a kind of 'vehicle" by which a creature from the Outer Dark has traveled to Hyboria. Certain spells and incantations release the creature. Those not undone by these magics or the creatures escape could easily come to venerate as a God.

Your player could have been there during the fallout of the ritual or some such. I envisioned the Outer Dark creature as Lovecraftian and the servitors, who were once men, to be enthralled by the stone and capable of spitting a viscous poison at enemies which caused them to experience intense hallucinations.

This natural defense could also be extarcted into a drug by which members of the cult recruit others to their nefarious purposes under darkest night.

 

[Style]

7. Riddles in the Dark

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34486

 

[Aholibamah]

I'd love to use your gladiator scenario, willowhugger--and I love Nemedia as a setting. Unfortunately I don't know if I'd ever be able to run it...

 

[Aholibamah]

Riddles in the Dark and Moon God's Isle have really good ideas in them. In particular Moon God's Isle has some well fleshed out NPCs (can't have too many of those) I recommend them to gms wanting to flesh out their campaigns.

 

[Style]

8. The Moon God's Isle

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3533

 

[tarkhan bey]

Hey Aholibamah, I didn't get a chance to reply to you before the forum crashed. Glad you like Moon God's isle and thanks for the kind words about the NPC's.
I didn't send any other Kushites with the expedition. By my rationale, Turanian regulations would probably restrict household guards to between a dozen and a score of men. I deemed that only Ekhramun would accompany his master,Babel, Livia and the PC's AS the rest of the guards from the house of Ankhartep would be needed to protect their master's family and possessions.
Instead I had them join a caravan bound for Iranistan.Ankhartep's intention was to hire a ship and expendable bearers in Anshan.
I had originally intended for the events of "Night of the Jackal" to occur on the way to Anshan but after some thought I decided that there was enough in it for a separate adventure when the characters returned to Zamboula.
As it turned out though, the adventure found Ankhartep dying in a trap before the throne of Xantalos. Ekhramun then killed Babel and attempted to kidnap Livia for his own only to be thwarted by the pc's, Scarto the Brythunian, Jagatai the Hyrkanian and Connovar of Cimmerian. The character's then decided not to return to Zamboula but to strike out for Vendhya.
If I changed anything about it now, it would be to add a couple of Temptress levels to Livia. Let us know how it goes if you do decide to play it.

 

[Aholibamah]

I'm thinking of adding a couple of temptress levels to her as well. One other thing--the disciple of Ibis idea seems to me to tie in well with him leaving most of his guards at home, since he would be paranoid about the other stygians in Zamboula.

One encounter I want to use is with the lizard creatures as depicted in the King Kong movie--not the dinosaurs necessarily but big lizards should be nasty enough opponents and a little more true to the setting.

 

[Style]

9. Against the Jotuns

[insert Northern land of appropriatenss] faces a threat that they have no comprehension of how to fight, for it is so utterly unlike anything that has happened before that they have very little defense against it. An army of Cimmerians supplemented by their rivals in the Asgard and yet again, THEIR mortal enemies in the Vanir have joined together to start pilling and destroying along the coast.

The player characters are assigned something fairly simple like collecting bounties on the heads of these scum and already that sort of thinking is hardly winning many favors with the tribes unaligned to this peculiar alliance (whom would be easilly enough swayed to attacking the clans were incentive offered).

In truth, the three tribes are nothing more than the unholy work of a set of Stygian exiles, minor wizards all, that have been put into the service of the Vanir Chieftain Sutrus. A corrupt and evil man, his clan was dying and sought some way to carve an empire. The Stygians have been using a special poisoned flower to make all three of the tribes more complacent as they have been persuaded to put aside their enimity....and gods.

This unholy alliance cannot last for eventually one of the tribesmen will throw off his drunken Lotus-induced stupor or scouts will discover the Midgard Serpent worship and black magic being performed, well before Sutrus the Drunk carves his Empire. In truth, the Stygians intend only to gather a sufficient horde to make them wealthy beyond belief before leaving the Vanir chief to hold the bag.

The transformation of Jotuns to humans makes the adventure much more suitable for low levels and the realization they're effectively brain washed might cause some small measure of guilt for the slaughter.

 

[J-Star]

I have never GM'ed before, but I have always wanted to see the 1999 remake of The Mummy (starring Brendan Frasier) adapted to the Hybrorian Age. What follows is just my bare-bones outline of the concept, so if anyone wants to expand on it, I'd love to see what you can come up with.

The PC's are mercenaries and treasure hunters who find themselves in one of the meadow cities of Shem. They are approached by a beautiful, young, female scholar (most likely Peltishim or Stygian) who entices them to help her recover a legendary spellbook from an Old Stygian ruin lost in the desert for millenia, in return for as much of the treasure believed stored there as they can carry. One possibility is that the PC's are the survivors of a mercenary company recently defeated near the location of the Old Stygian ruin, and thus the only ones who can lead the scholar there.

Along the way, they are repeatedly harassed by a band of Shemite nomads. This could be for one of a number of reasons. Maybe the nomads are just territorial. Perhaps they fear the local legends about the old ruins, but are jealous enough to attack anyone else who approaches it. Or (as in the movie) they be well aware of the ancient evil that sleeps in the ruins and determined to prevent anyone from awakening it.

Of course, once the PC and scholar do reach the ruins itself, they find the spellbook and piles of treasure... rigged with traps and guarded by Stygian mummies, led by a powerful undead sorcerer. Whether or not the scholar survives or suffers for her lust for power, and whether or not the PC's and nomads join forces, is up to the GM.

This scenario is of course very straight forward and shares a lot with both REH's Hall of the Dead and even a typical D&D dungeon hack, though I'm sure a skilled GM could flesh it out much more than that.

It's just that The Mummy (1999 version) was such an instant pulp classic that I'd just love to see it done Hyborian style. Heck, Conan himself could easily replace Brendan Frasier's character in a pastiche/fan fiction... although a Hyborian version should have slightly darker undertones.

For a follow-up, I have even less ideas about how to do The Mummy Returns Hyborian style, except for a boat-ride up the River Styx to a lost temple in the jungles of Punt or The Black Kingdoms.

 

[Style]

11. A Princess for a Prize

Just brainstorming and looking for some critique. Likely more to follow in scene ideas as I keep going. Name ideas for some of the NPCs would be helpful as well. :wink:

---

Setting (Potentials): Messantia, Khemi, Barachan Isles, Kordava, Tortage

Factions:

Argossean Great Houses/Throne ( Throne seeks to acquire Sancha to force a marraige and thus influence over Zingara. House X seeks to prevent this by any means, because they want to weaken the royal house and gain the Throne. )

Barachan Pirates/Red Brotherhood ( 'Lord' Orthos recently captured Sancha and hasn't decided what to do with her. The nominal ruler of Tortage, it is becoming known that he has her among the pirates. Some say he may be going soft... because he seems to be taking an extreme fancy to her. The Red Brotherhood however seems to worship him.)

Zingaran Freebooters ( Harassing the Barachans, they want to steal the princess and ransom her back to the throne of Zingara, for zingaran honor to remain intact and put the red brotherhood 'in their place'. )

Stygia, Nobles/Black Ring ( Through divination they know that the Princess carries with her a mystic jewel, part of the crown treasures of Zingara for centuries though of ancient Acheronian origin, which she was to deliver to Kordava. A Prince, seeking to prove himself over his brothers, seeks to attempt it's acquisition before the situation settles once again. He cares nothing for the princess. But then, he has never seen her...)

Major Characters:

Sancha ( Crown Princess of Zingara: G-Noble/Temptress lvl 3/3) Captured enroute to the capital, Kordava, bearing a sorcerous crown treasure that the royals do not trust a non-royal to handle, Sancha is both terrified for her life and enjoying herself immensely. 'Lord' Orthos is at once a ruthless reaver and slayer and a gentleman whom she has manipulated into being smitten with her to survive... yet found attractive afterward despite herself. Likely to fall in with any rescuers that come along, but not likely to help them kill or even resist 'Lord' Orthos should it come to that. Most of all she would simply like to be home. Ravishingly beautiful and more enticing than both that and the fortune that goes with her, truely a virtous and innocent young woman. She does not know how to use the jewel, having no sorcerous skill herself. She has however, largely due to Orthos' chivarly, managed to keep it's existence a secret from the Red Brotherhood.

'Lord' Orthos ( Pirate Extraordinaire, Former Argossean Noble: Pirate/Noble lvl 10/10 ) The undisputed ( usually ) 'Grand Admiral' of the Red Brotherhood, if it could be said to have one. Rules Tortage with an iron fist, providing repairs/refitting/supplies/manpower to the rest of the Red Brotherhood in exchange for regular tithes of their loot. He has always dealt honestly with other pirates, and kills those who don't do likewise with him. None dispute his nominal leadership of the brotherhood, despite it's bloodthirsty ways for several reasons. One, he is renown as a master fencer and kills all challengers. Two, his leadership has brought an era of cooperation amongst the brotherhood that has seen untold profit and plunder, so almost all see him as a legendary benefactor even if they don't serve him directly. He has rallied several fleets of pirates to smash Zingaran/Argossean armadas sent to destroy Tortage. They have clearly not been large or coordinated enough to engage a true navy on the open sea, but within the treacherous waters of the Barachan Isles Orthos and thus the Red Brotherhood reign supreme. Secretly of the royal house of Argos. Estranged, but somewhat loyal... he solely targets Zingara with his raids, though he does nothing to stop others of the brotherhood from targetting who they like. Currently however he is dreaming of using Sancha, through marraige, to bring himself back into the world of nobility. He is tired of the squalor of Tortage. Personally captured Sancha's vessel, a rarity as he seldom leaves Tortage (his seat of power). He had intelligence that a cargo of vast importance to the Zingaran throne was moving, but not what. He now, mistakenly, thinks it was the princess herself.

Bartolomeo ( Captain, Zingaran Freebooters, Pirate lvl 10 ) Blackhearted reaver who hates Orthos and Argos. Skirting the isles seeking to harass the Red brotherhood in general. Not likely to actually raid Tortage, as he doubts he would ever make it back out of the isles, but... coming and going from the isles he will be a hazard.

X ( Duke of X, Argos, of X House: Noble/Pirate lvl X) Gathering an illegal armada of mercenaries and pirates in addition to their house vessels. A no holds barred attempt for the throne. Likely a battle between his forces and prince is going to occur. If he can acquire the princess he will force a marriage to give himself royal status and display his power in defying the throne.

X ( Prince of Argos, of X, Royal House: Noble/Pirate lvl X) The rumors that Sancha is being held in Tortage has reached the sometimes friendly ear of the throne of Argos. He sets sail with a small group of ten vessels, moving fast towards the isles with a kingly, or princess', ransom to buy the princess and at least a temporary alliance with the red brotherhood for himself. Likely the brotherhood will permit him to stand off outside the harbor of Tortage and send word to Orthos in exchange for their own cut of the ransom. The wild card here is that the royals are unaware that Orthos is actually an exiled crown prince, or even that the exiled prince is still alive. The chamberlain is assembling a much larger crown fleet to come after him and ensure his safety, but will it reach him in time?

X ( Prince of Zingara, of X, Royal House: Noble/Pirate lvl X) Amassing an armada. He will set sail within a week with no less than fifty vessels. In the meantime Zingaran intelligence everywhere is seeking Sancha's whereabouts with extreme prejudice. Likely to ravage any and all in their way, and heading for Tortage as the default destination.

X ( Prince of Stygia, of X, Royal House: Noble/Scholar lvl X ) He hunts the gem, and nothing else. A powerful diviner, summoner, and nature mage among other things, his ability to sorcerously augment his captain's nautical skills should be astounding and lethal to unprepared. He will strike at the worst possible moment by benefit of his visions and foreknowledge. Without malice, all business, the gem is all that matters... unless he gets time alone with Sancha, then he will want her for a prize, to take back to Khemi and make a concubine. He has no wish to engage with a sizable force. Instead he will trail behind wherever the princess is, using weather and other sorcery to hamper her escape and weaken her current captors <liberators?>, until he is confident of a succesful strike.

Character Creaton Stipulations: - Characters must be created as a group, to form the body of a privateer/pirate crew, operating in Argos/Zingara, with affiliations to Argos and the Red Brotherhood. No other restrictions. Stats generated with 'heroic' method.

PCs are nominally privateers of Argos and 'sit the fence' between 'legitimate' privateers and their dealings with the Red Brotherhood, being not persecuted but not quite accepted among either. Part of the opening plotline will be their ability to decide to either continue fence sitting or choose a side.

PCs are in Tortage when Orthos returns from his foray and the capture of Sancha. It is clear he has taken a mighty prize, and soon the rumors are flying about concerning the princess and speculation and rumormongering reaches a high point of many years. Money, Power, and Blood are in the air.

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?sid=1c3aec4601288b938f648b1097a4fe55&p=531413#531413