Contents

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Introduction.............................................................................................. 1
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Uncertain Reflections by Joe Banner . Illustrated by Niels Burger

A citadel of glass, shimmering above the dunes ............................................... 2
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Brightrock Barrow by Jeremy Strandberg . Illustrated by Jan Burger

Burial place of a great elven hero ................................................................... 8
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Those Who Make Vows by Johnstone Metzger . Illustrated by Carl Antonowicz

The earthly fane of unearthly parasites ......................................................... 18
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The Pit of Vanzwink by Jason Lutes . Illustrated by Jan Burger

The folly of a prideful sorcerer, awaiting plunder ............................................ 24
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Eesha’s Gulf by Adam Koebel . Illustrated by Laurel Lynn Leake

A house of many doors, opening into worlds beyond ........................................ 42
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Raising Hell Under the Holy Mountain by Claytonian

A subterranean pyramid, riddled with unspeakable horrors .............................. 48
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Edited by Jason Lutes. Proofreading assistance by Alex Schroeder.
This supplement relies upon rules and concepts published in Dungeon World, by
Adam Koebel and Sage LaTorra, and The Perilous Wilds, by Jason Lutes; it is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
All writing this supplement is ©2015 by the respective writers. All art is ©2015 by
the respective artists.

a Lampblack & Brimstone publication

December 2015
Introduction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do dungeons work in Dungeon
World? Ask that question of this book,
and you’ll get six different answers.
More than the mechanics in most
RPGs, Dungeon World mechanics lend
themselves to personalization by players
and GM. In that spirit, the diggers of
these dark places were asked to con-
tribute personal interpretations of the
dungeon creation guidelines laid out in
The Perilous Wilds.
Each “Deep” herein has been conceived
and written according to the unique
sensibility of its author. Think of them
as six different suggestions for ways
in which you yourself might write up
a dungeon. If you plan to run one of
these at your own table, make sure to
read it over at least once, in order to get
a handle on the author’s approach. That
being said, a few commonalities exist:
Any word that appear in smallcaps is
either a reference to an entry elsewhere
in the adventure, or an entry heading.
Impressions are suggestions for sensory
details that can be used to describe the
area in question.
Connections are ways to reach other
areas or locales from the area being
described.
Common areas are parts of the adven-
ture site that are likely to recur as the
place is explored.
Unique areas are places that only occur
once in the adventure.
Discoveries are anything the party finds
that is interesting, but not immediately
threatening.
Dangers are anything which pose a
real threat to the characters, including
things like traps and monsters.
Mapping a Deep
.............................................................................................................
None of the sites described herein
include maps in the traditional sense.
Mostly they are lists of rooms and their
potential contents, for you to arrange
and connect on a map drawn for the
first time at the table, as the places are
explored. This means you’re free to
tailor the physical form of each dungeon
to the fiction, your play group, and
your personal approach to running an
adventure.
By spelling out some of the contents
ahead of time, we step away from the
wholly improvised nature of orthodox
Dungeon World, trading some of that
edge for a level of detail and atmosphere
usually only achievable via some degree
of prep. There’s still plenty of room to
wing it—these places are more play-
grounds than railroads—but by putting
the cartography in your hands we hope
to do two things: maintain that sense
of “playing to find out what happens”
that’s so central to Dungeon World, and
encourage you to personalize each Deep
by deciding for yourself how its various
parts fit together.
Our interpretation of the GM Principle
“Draw maps, leave blanks” in this con-
text is loose: each of these Deeps lays
out a “map” of descriptive components,
while the “blanks” are the undefined
spaces between those components,
waiting to be filled in, during your prep
and/or at the table.
In other words: here are the building
blocks; make each Deep your own.
—Jason
1
 Uncertain Reflections by Joe Banner . Illustrated by Niels Burger

Introduction Questions
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

This is a story about what happens when U Who are your rivals?
those with mortal desires and failures are U How do your rivals communicate
given the power of a god. with each other?
U Do you want to serve the Magus?
The Magus did not go insane. It was
Destroy it? Or something else?
insane from the start, as so many of
U What dangers and discoveries did
us are. What happened was the Magus
you find in the desert?
found a way to cope with the madness it
perceived around it.
It wanted to return to the pristine purity
it had been raised on. It wanted a retreat
from a world of sand and grit and blood
and sickness.
It went into the Iron Marches. Oh, how
the yellow salt afflicted its senses! But
it went into the desert. And in the desert
it made a shining castle. It burned the
sand into glass. It made the glass into
peaks and walls and vaulted ceilings and
a crystal throne. And there it sat, and
there for a time it found peace.
But acolytes came, filled with dirt and
sin. They promised to serve, they wished
for redemption. They would not leave.
It hated them. So it promised them
what they wanted. Then took from them
everything. (They served it better as
drones than devoted.)
And there the wives’ tales end... Except
you found the citadel, after days or years
of search, or none at all. You stand at
the mirrored gates and all is still in the
desert sun. Your rivals pursue you, black
dots on the horizon.
What will you do next, I wonder?

2
The Iron Marches
Torrid, Arid Desert, Barren, Perilous, Chaotic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connections When you travel around the field
............................................................................................................. instead, you risk wasting time and
U West of Umberto, called “the drawing unwanted attention.
Fortunate City” by some .............................................................................................................

U South of Mahima D’utari, the A desert ironwood, maybe a thousand

borderlands of Mirkasa years old or more. What answers might
U North of the Malachite Mines, a druid learn from it? What marks
source of the caliph’s vast wealth of distant conflict scar it’s ancient
---------------------------------------------------------------- bark? What is said to happen when the
Impressions ironwood blooms? Is it blooming now?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................

U By day: relentless sun, endless dunes, An outpost of foreigners, perhaps a

wavering dots on the horizon (friend Chalcedoni legion or grove of Green-
or foe?) scar Godsworn. What might the
U By night: a full, alabaster moon; foreigners want in exchange for shelter
flickering witchlights; the whispers or safe passage?
of djinni and hashshashin By default, the outpost is Poor, Shrink-
U Savage sandstorms ing, Guard, Need (supplies), Oath (its
U Clear blue skies parent nation). Also, choose or roll one:
U Circling carrion birds
U The occasional mesa, and the shelter 1d12 Detail
.............................................................................................................
it may offer 1-3 o The foreigners are despised by
U Eroded ruins, of ancient sandstone the locals, and harried at every
---------------------------------------------------------------- opportunity: +Blight (nomads)
Discoveries 4-5 o Built on the site of an ancient
curse: +Blight (cursed earth),
.............................................................................................................

A lush oasis, safe but coveted by all

+Need (exorcists), -Population
travellers. How long do you dare stay
6-7 o Formerly a town, captured and
here? What claim from another party is
fortified by the foreigners, its
already embedded in the soft earth?
.............................................................................................................
former residents enslaved:
A soft place, where the sand is deadly +Population, +Safe, +Defences,
and the dunes seemingly endless. What +Blight (would-be rescuers)
lies beneath the sand layer for those that 8-10 o The outpost was a prison for
fall through it? What time-spanned exiled criminals: +Lawless
souls have been wandering the soft 11-12 o The outpost is home to more
places helplessly for centuries? esoteric foreigners: (choose one)
............................................................................................................. +Elves, +Dwarves, +Antfolk (etc.)
A mile-wide crop of cactus, each plant
several feet tall.
When you attempt to work your way
safely through the field, roll +DEX: on a
10+, your clothing is torn, but nothing
of value is lost; on a 7-9, something
important is hooked—leave it behind or
spend the necessary time to free it.
3
 Citadel of Glass
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorcerer’s Seclusium Themes
Size Small .............................................................................................................

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1d12 Theme

GM Notes 1-4 Madness mmm
............................................................................................................. 5-8 Forbidden Knowledge mm
Use the “See What They Find” move 9-12 Elements (Sand and Fire) mm
from The Perilous Wilds as the party ----------------------------------------------------------------
explores the Citadel. Common Areas
.............................................................................................................
When you need a theme, common area,
The Citadel has five floors: basement
or unique area, choose or roll from the
(-1), ground (0), first (+1), second (+2),
lists on this page.
and third (+3). When they come across a
When you need a Discovery, invent one new common area, have them roll +floor:
or roll one up.
2d6+floor Common Area
When you need a Danger, choose one 1-3 Natural cavern
from the entries on page 7, invent one, 4-7 Intact room
or roll one up. 8-10 Shattered room
11-13 Study
14+ Balcony
----------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Areas
.............................................................................................................

o A kiln, where glass and men

are fired
o A greenhouse, abundant with life
o A pool, from which to scry
the present
o A crystal throne, where the
magus sits

4
 Common Areas
Add exits, stairs, ramps as you see fit.
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Natural cavern Study
Rocky walls, floors of fine sand, piles of A laboratory and/or library of the
particularly fine sand piled up in places. Magus. It might not have been touched
It may be possible to dig through to the in decades, yet there is not a speck of
surface through some areas. dust anywhere to be found.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Citadel’s foundations, where the
first sand was collected and forged.
Balcony
An exterior area, complete with
Fragments of the Magus’ past lie
airlock-like seal to stop dirt entering.
embedded in the living rock, open to
Made by the Magus in its weaker
interpretation.
----------------------------------------------------------------
moments, wistfully thinking of home.
Intact room All balconies face towards Umberto,
A chamber of yellow glass. the city of silks and fortune. On a clear
.............................................................................................................
night, you can just about see it—a
GM move single twinkling light on the horizon.
U The walls, floor, and/or ceiling
begins to crack, turning this place
into a Shattered Room
----------------------------------------------------------------
Shattered room
Time, entropy, or the rage of Magus
has taken its toll on this chamber of
cracked, fissured, and broken glass.
.............................................................................................................

GM moves
U The ceiling gives way, showering
them with shards of glass
U The floor collapses, forcing them to
Defy Danger to grab a hold of
something or survive the fall

5
 Unique Areas
Add exits, stairs, ramps as you see fit.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o A kiln, where glass and

men are fired
A room near the foundations where
sand and devotee alike were reshaped.
The kiln still glows with magical heat;
the air is scorching hot. The walls are
lined with the skulls of former devotees,
each sealed in a glass sphere.
............................................................................................................. ----------------------------------------------------------------
PC moves o A pool, from which to
When you break a glass sphere, the skull scry the present
explodes for 2d4 damage, and the soul Crystal clear, encircled by a low wall of
contained within flees. yellow glass.
When you are quick enough to ask a
.............................................................................................................

PC move
fleeing soul a question, it may answer
When you make a Discovery or
if it resents its death, but many of the
Spout Lore, you may find a means to
fools believed their sacrifice to be right.
communicate—with allies, enemies of
When you quench the magical heat of their enemies, or forces beyond their
the kiln, the Citadel will become cold control. On a miss with Spout Lore,
and brittle after sundown (every room one of the above (probably not the
becomes a Shattered Room). first one though!) may find a way to
---------------------------------------------------------------- communicate with you.
o A greenhouse, abundant ----------------------------------------------------------------
with life o A crystal throne, where
This area is precious to the Magus; the the Magus sits
presence of its minions is discouraged. If it’s time for the PCs to have a final
.............................................................................................................
encounter, the Magus is sat here,
PC moves cradling some creepy keepsake of its
When you make a Discovery or Spout mortality like his mother’s shawl or a
Lore, you find an acolyte or disciple who miniature model of Umberto city.
turned against their master, and fled
here to hide from the others. If no fight is in the offing—perhaps
you want to save the Magus to haunt
When you search for useful plants, the PCs another day—the Magus is
say what the plant needs to do (heal a elsewhere, or absent from the Citadel
wound, cure poison, serve as a reagent altogether.
for a ritual, etc.) and roll+WIS: on a 10+,
you find just what you need; on a 7-9, In any case, two Etched Epistolaries
you find something interesting, but it’s stand dutifully on either side of the
probably not useful right now; on a 6-, throne at all times.
mark XP, and you find something you
.............................................................................................................

PC move
wish you hadn’t.
When you touch the crystal throne, and
the Magus is not present, it knows you
are here.

6
 Dangers
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Etched Epistolary The Magus
Solitary, Organized, Construct, Solitary, Organized, Intelligent, Magical
Intelligent, Magical
Damage 1d10+2 (close, reach, messy,
Damage 1d8 (close) 3 piercing)
HP 10 Armor 1 HP 16 Armor 0
Special Qualities Made of glass Special Qualities Spellcaster
The more intelligent acolytes rise up the Describe the Magus however you see
ranks, etching sigils of power on their fit, given the image of it that forms in
own increasingly-refined bodies. The your head as the characters explore the
highest deacons are crystalline entities Citadel.
of perfect form and function, save their
Instinct To hoard magical treasures and
slavish devotion to their Magus.
suffer no trespassers
Instinct To follow master’s teachings U Know when something’s
U Babble on about arcane theory been stolen
U Hurl a glass projectile U Fuse things together with a
U Lead Devotees by example gesture
U Summon a necrotic reflection of U Cast a spell of sand or fire
something (HP 3, Armor 0, U Entrap them in a prison of glass
damage 1d4, close) U Summon a demonic reflection
U Turn a limb or item to glass (HP 5, damage 1d6, close, messy)
U Absorb or dissipate a blow U Hesitate when reminded of home
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Glass Devotee Sand Golem

Group, Organized, Construct Group, Organized, Construct
Damage 1d8 (close) Damage 1d8 (close)
HP 8 Armor 1 HP 8 Armor 1
Special Qualities Made of glass Special Qualities Made of sand
Found anywhere except the basement Found only on the basement level. A
level. A bleached skull, encased in a bleached skull, encased in a glass globe
glass globe filled with fused glass. filled with sand.
What little self-awareness it retains
Instinct To earn approval of the Magus
remembers the last words the Magus
U Serve mutely
told it: “Through servitude to me, you
U Bring an item of perceived
will ascend to true awareness!”
importance
Instinct To earn approval of the Magus U Bear witness to terrible acts
U Serve mutely
U Bring an item of perceived
importance
U Bear witness to terrible acts
U Shatter, sending sharp shards
everywhere

7
 Brightrock Barrow
by Jeremy Strandberg . Illustrated by Jan Burger

Background Hob-Sharath was eventually brought

............................................................................................................. low by brute force, dragged screaming
In ancient times, these woods were back to the Brightrock Barrow, and
home to a mighty nation of elves. buried beneath tons of loose stone. For
But there are no elves here now. Few her complicity in the demon’s crimes,
signs of their civilization remain. The Ilinka was condemned to death and her
Brightrock Barrow is one, and a well- body entombed, the White Crown still
hidden one at that. upon her brow.
Near the end of the elven nation, a The elves, broken and bloodied, set
minor noblewoman named Cahirin wards upon the Barrow to contain
rose to prominence as a warrior and a the spirits within and repel those who
general. A scheming sorcerer named would set them free. And then they
Mihoval seduced her and fed her pride all left, save for a small band charged
and ambition. Under his influence, with eternal watchfulness, and a single
Cähirin called for the subjugation of the weeping elf-maid—one of Mihoval’s
“crude” races and the extermination of long-suffering mistresses—singing
those who resisted. The elven nobility heartbreaking dirges in memory of her
opposed her. A terrible civil war began. undeserving lover.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Princess Ilinka, bearer of the
White Crown, had once been Cähirin’s
Rumors
.............................................................................................................

lover. Heartbroken and burning with U Old Luci says she stumbled on an
hatred of Mihoval, she used the Crown ancient barrow mound in the woods.
to summon the demon Anok-Hob- ‘Course, old Luci ain’t never been
Sharath from the Pits. She set it after right in the head...
Mihoval. Cähirin saved Mihoval and
drove the demon off, but was mortally U I was camping out in the woods,
wounded in the process. near where Luci said she saw that
barrow. And I swear, that night
Cähirin’s forces were soon routed, I heard the most heartbreakingly
killed, or captured and executed. beautiful singing.
War-mages tracked down Mihoval and
reduced him to ash. U The White Crown was last known
to be in these lands. Perhaps it’s in
Knowing the burning will that drove that barrow?
Cähirin and the undying oaths of her
followers, the elves built a barrow U The elves left these woods long ago,
of brightrock. There they interred but there’s at least one still
Cähirin, her followers, and the ashes of wandering about. Bohzidar, they
the treacherous Mihoval, binding their call him. Maybe he knows more?
spirits to the place forever. U The elves left after a great war.
Princess Ilinka fell into despair. The There was tell of a mighty warrior
demon was left unchecked and inflicted whose name is now forgotten.
untold suffering on the survivors. Anok- Perhaps the tomb is theirs?

8
---------------------------------------------------------------- .............................................................................................................

Getting there Bozhidar

.............................................................................................................
Elvish Antiquarian
The Brightrock Barrow is protected History-wise, Athletic, Cunning,
by powerful enchantments and Devious, Guide (these woods),
glamours. No one can finds it without Self-Sufficient, Stealthy
an elven guide or some other means of
overcoming the old elven magic. Quality +2 Loyalty +1
Cost Knowledge
The characters might find Brightrock Traits Sharp-eyed, patient, has seen it all
Barrow by... HP 9 Armor 2 Damage 1d8 Load 2
o ... accident, while hallucinating on Special Qualities None
certain mushrooms. A scholar, explorer, and collector of
o ... hiring Luci to guide them there, ancient artifacts. He’s been assembling
and doing whatever nonsense clues as the location of the Brightrock
she says. Barrow and is extremely interested in
any adventurers who seek it out (or who
o ... following the song of Rosalija, can be convinced to do so).
heard under a high moon.
Instinct To restore Cahirin to glory
o ... working some sort of divination U Speak intimately of the past
or counterspell of their own. U Dismiss concerns
o ... following a path passed down to U Evade a confrontation
them from their ancestors/mentor. U Plan a trap or ambush

o ... meeting Bozhidar the GM note: If elves are ageless in your

antiquarian, and agreeing to help game, then Bohzidar is one of the last
him find the Barrow. surviving followers of Cahirin. If elves
grow old and die, he is the reincarnation
of one of Cahirin’s devoted followers
who vowed deathless loyalty. He hunted
down and murdered the elves charged
with protecting the Brightrock Barrow
(possibly in a past life). The other elves
who survived the civil war left these
woods long ago and have tried to forget
those horrid times.
Bozhidar wants nothing more than to
release Cahirin and see her restored
Illo of to glory (either reincarnated or in her
Bozhidar undead form). He cannot cross the
threshold—warded as it is specifically
against disciples of Cahirin—but is able
to guide the characters to and encourage
them to destroy the warding runes.
If he gets inside the Barrow, his first
priority is to find Cahirin’s Tomb and
release her. He’ll gladly mislead or even
betray the characters in order to achieve
this goal.

9
 The Barrow
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elven Tomb PC Moves
Size Medium When you study the runes on the
---------------------------------------------------------------- menhirs, roll +WIS: on a 10+, your vision
Barrow Entrance blurs for a moment, but you can then
............................................................................................................. read the runes just fine; on a 7-9, you
Impressions forget what you’re doing and wander off
U The echo of a haunting song for a few minutes; on a 6-, mark XP,
U A wide clearing, deep in the old- and either take the confused debility or
growth forest attack one of your allies (your choice).
U Pale stones stacked into a low hill,
the size of a longhouse When you study the runes on the
U A ring of menhirs at clearing’s edge threshold, your vision blurs and your
U Faded elf-runes on the menhirs head pounds. If you force yourself
U Tufts of sickly weeds sprouting from to focus on them, take 1d6 damage
between the barrow-mound’s stones (ignoring armor) and see them with
U Eerie stillness; even the wind avoids perfect clarity.
the clearing When you approach the threshold with
U A dug-out entrance to the barrow, the intent to cross it, you are filled with
hard to look upon otherworldly dread. If you persist, roll
U A stone passage curving inward +CON: on a 10+, describe a deep fear
U Runes etched into threshold stones from your past and how you conquered
that fear, then cross the threshold; on a
.............................................................................................................

Lore
7-9, describe the unconquered fear that
U The white stones have many names:
still lurks in your soul, then cross the
brightrock, ghost marble, deadstone
threshold; on a 6-, mark XP, describe
U Brightrock is impervious to spirits
an unconquered fear, and if you cross
and magical senses alike
the threshold take either the shaken or
U Brightrock may be marked by
confused debility (your choice).
magic, but not shaped by it .............................................................................................................

U The menhir runes are spells of GM moves

confusion and non-detection When they cross the threshold, the party
U They also are enchanted to compel finds itself in a curving passage. This
trespassers to defend the Barrow particular passageway leads to the
U The runes on the threshold ward Nexus. From there, use the Connections
against trespassers—but they’re entry for each location to see what
also keeping something in comes next.
.............................................................................................................

Discoveries The entire Barrow is suffused with

U Signs of another expedition from spells of misdirection. When they mar a
long, long ago surface or leave some other sign of their
U Bozhidar reveals himself to the passing, it is subject to illusory erasure
party and attempts to join them as soon as no one is looking at it.
U Bozhidar (if he’s already with the
.............................................................................................................

GM note
party) does something that hints at
Common areas, unique areas, Discover-
his true intentions
ies, and Dangers are listed in alphabeti-
U Rosalija’s Ghost emerges from the
cal order on the following pages.
Barrow to sing dirges to the moon

10
 Common Areas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burial vault Curving passage
........................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................

Impressions Impressions
U A chamber, walls of brightock U A narrow, curving hall, stretching
U 1d12 grave-niches out of sight
U Well-preserved corpses of elven U Walls, floor, and ceiling of crudely
warriors, coated with white dust chiseled brightstone blocks
U Glint of gold, elf-gem, or mithril U A low, arched ceiling
.............................................................................................................
U A gentle slope
Connections U A sense of stillness, loneliness, being
U The way they came cut off from the beating, breathing
U 1d4-1 doorways, leading into world outside
darkness (roll 1d6): .............................................................................................................

Connections
1d6 Room
U The way they came
1-2 curving passage
U The other way (roll 1d12):
3-4 curving passage (+1 Danger)
5 curving passage (+1 Discovery) 1d12 Room
6 curving passage 1-2 curving passage
(+1 Danger, +1 Discovery) 3-4 curving passage (+1 Danger)
.............................................................................................................
5 curving passage (+1 Discovery)
Lore 6 curving passage
U The warrior’s livery is unknown (+1 Danger, +1 Discovery)
among modern elves—these must 7 burial vault
have been the last of their army 8 burial vault (+1 Danger)
U Some corpses bear signs of precise, 9 burial vault (+1 Discovery)
surgical wounds, while others bear 10 Unique area (choose one)
signs of brutal, horrific violence 11 Unique area (choose one;
U These bodies were clearly placed +1 Danger)
here with respect, but elves would 12 Unique area (choose one;
inter even traitors in such a fashion +1 Discovery)
U By being buried in brightrock, these .............................................................................................................

elves have been denied the afterlife Discovery

and any chance of reincarnation; U Rosalija’s Remains
their spirits are likely still here,
bound to these corpses
.............................................................................................................

PC moves
When you disturb the corpse of an elven
warrior, it will rise as an elf-wight.
When you attempt to remove a grave-
good from the corpse of an elven warrior
without disturbing the corpse, roll +DEX:
on a 10+, you get it, and the dead do not
stir; on a 7-9, you get it or you avoid
disturbing the corpse, your choice.

11
 Unique Areas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------
U Faint runes of protection rim
o Cahirin’s Tomb the edge of the sarcophagus lid—
.............................................................................................................

Impressions symbols of pain and weakness.

.............................................................................................................
U A large, square, high-ceilinged room PC moves
U A tattered, blood-stained standard When you damage or otherwise mar the
hanging on the far wall sarcophagus, take 2d6 damage (ignores
U A massive sarcophagus of armor) and the weakened debility. If
elaborately carved brightrock you are already weakened, take another
U The lid of the sarcophagus, cut in debility of your choice.
the image of a female elf warrior,
resplendent in her arms and armor When you attempt to lift the lid of the
U An inscription in ancient Elvish: sarcophagus, take 1d6 damage (ignoring
Herein lies one whom the world armor) as you are wracked with pain.
must forget and whose deeds must If you persist, roll +STR: on a 10+, gain
never be forgotten 1 progress, and if you have 3 or more
.............................................................................................................
progress, lift the the lid clear of the
Connections sarcophagus; on a 7-9, as above, but 1d6
U The way they came damage (ignoring armor).
.............................................................................................................

Lore When you lift the lid clear of the

U Detailed embroidery along the edge sarcophagus, Cahirin awakens.
of the standard records dozens of .............................................................................................................

battles won by Cahirin, but the Discoveries

device at its center is unknown today U Svijecio, the Shining Blade
U The sword carved into on the lid of U Cahirin’s mithril plate armor
the sarcophagus resembles one of U Cahirin’s standard
.............................................................................................................
the fabled Shining Blades, the work Dangers
of the smith Jadranko, sought after U Cahirin
by warrior and collector alike
12
---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
o Ilinka’s Tomb o Mihoval’s Columbarium
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Impressions In a curving passage or burial vault,

U A short but wide chamber one wall is illusory, concealing a closet-
U A sarcophagus against the far wall, like niche. On the far wall is a slab of
lid flipped open brightrock, polished to a mirror sheen.
U Tapestries depicting an elf princess
The brightrock mirror conceals an even
wearing the White Crown
smaller niche, which in turn holds an
U The corpses of two dead adventurers,
urn of white clay, sealed with wax.
smashed as if by a giant hammer
............................................................................................................. Within are the ashes—and spirit—of
Connections the sorcerer Mihoval.
U The way they came The urn is enchanted to contain
.............................................................................................................

Lore psychic energy, but does not inhibit it

U The White Crown was a terrible completely; Mihoval’s Spirit may bring
weapon, said to focus emotions into its attention and powers to bear upon
raw force anyone who touches the vessel.
.............................................................................................................
U It was last borne by the elf princess PC Moves
Ilinka; perhaps this is her tomb When you see your reflection in the
----------------------------------------------------------------
brightrock mirror, however dim,
o Intersection roll +WIS: on a 10+, you feel a little
.............................................................................................................

Two passageways cross, with an utter disoriented but quickly shake it off; on a
lack of footprints (even from the way 7-9, something slips from your mind—
they just came). choose 1 from the list below; on a 6-,
............................................................................................................. mark XP, and all 3 from the list apply.
Connections
o You lose a vital memory (ask the GM
U The way they came
to choose one; the GM may reveal
U Three other ways (roll 1d10 for each):
their choice now, later, or never)
1d10 Room o You become disoriented and confused
1-2 curving passage until you next breathe fresh air
3-4 curving passage (+1 Danger) outside the Barrow
5 curving passage (+1 Discovery) o You stumble back out of the
6 curving passage chamber, forget it exists, and
(+1 Danger, +1 Discovery) become unable to perceive it, no
7 burial vault matter how hard anyone tries to
8 burial vault (+1 Danger) convince you of its existence
9 burial vault (+1 Discovery)
When you break the
10 Unique area (choose one)
............................................................................................................. urn or its waxen
GM Moves seal, Mihoval’s
When they stop at the intersection and Spirit escapes
consider which way to go, ask them to into the Barrow
roll 1d4: on a 1, they go the way they (but remains
intended; otherwise, they go a random unable to cross
direction. the threshold
at the Barrow
Entrance if
the warding
runes are intact).

13
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
o Pit of the Demon
.............................................................................................................

Impressions
U Low, domed ceiling held up by
ancient timbers
U A “floor” of brightrock stones,
piled as if filling a pit
U Foggy breath, bitter cold, hoarfrost
U Faint cries of a child, calling for help
.............................................................................................................

----------------------------------------------------------------
Connections
U The way they came
o Nexus U 1d4 exits, each a curving passage
.............................................................................................................

Impressions
.............................................................................................................

Lore
U Wide, domed room, ten paces across
U Bone-chilling cold is a sign of a
U Curved wall lined with large,
supernatural presence—like a demon
perfectly-cut, identical slabs of
U The wards on the threshold of the
polished brightrock
Barrow Entrance are
U A sensation of vertigo, like when
powerless against demons
you spin ’round and ’round and
U Some demons must possess a body
suddenly stop
to enter this world, gaining great
U Which way did you come from again?
............................................................................................................. resilience but consuming souls to heal
Connections
.............................................................................................................

Dangers
U The curving passage back to the
U Anok-Hob-Sharath
Barrow Entrance
----------------------------------------------------------------
U Five other dark doorways, each
opening into a different
o Spiral Stair
.............................................................................................................

curving passage A narrow stairway built of bright-

.............................................................................................................
stone, twisting downwards into inky
PC move
blackness.
When you look closely at the polished .............................................................................................................

slabs of brightrock, roll +INT: on a 10+, Connections

you experience a vision, an important U The way they came
memory of another who once looked U 1d4 openings onto lower levels (roll
on this same piece of wall; on a 7-9, 1d10 for each as it is explored):
as above, and you’re also subject to
strange, disorienting flashbacks until 1d10 Room
you make camp outside; on a 6-, mark 1-2 curving passage
XP, and plunge into a full-sensory 3-4 curving passage (+1 Danger)
hallucination of an ancient elven war. 5 curving passage (+1 Discovery)
............................................................................................................. 6 curving passage
GM move (+1 Danger, +1 Discovery)
When they attempt to leave the Nexus 7 burial vault
without a guide or protection from mind- 8 burial vault (+1 Danger)
altering magic, ask them to roll 1d12: 9 burial vault (+1 Discovery)
on a 1-5, they take a random curving 10 Unique area (choose one)
passage further into the Barrow; on a 6 .............................................................................................................

- 12, they take the curving passage that PC Moves

leads back to the Barrow Entrance. When you descend the Spiral Stair, the
air becomes noticeably colder.

14
 Discoveries
Each Discovery listed here can be found in a specific common or unique area, as
noted in that area’s entry. When in need of additional Discoveries, invent them or
roll them up using the tables in The Perilous Wilds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cahirin’s Mithril Plate Armor The White Crown
worn, 3 armor, 2 weight worn, 1 weight
When you attempt to don Cahirin’s Of a pale white metal, unknown even
armor and are not an elf, it doesn’t fit. to dwarves. A thing from Elsewhere,
.............................................................................................................
foisted upon the natural world. The
Cahirin’s standard elves entrusted it to a wielder of great
2 weight wisdom and patience, thinking to use its
Worth 2000 coins to the right buyer. powers for good. They thought wrong.
.............................................................................................................

Rosalija’s remains When you don the White Crown,

Rosalija’s remains lie in a curving describe the most intense experience of
passage, where she collapsed from thirst your life, answer any questions the GM
long ago. Once-fine elven robes shroud has about it, and hold 1 power.
her skeleton; a few pieces of ancient When you channel your emotions into
elven jewelry lie amongst the bones. raw kinetic force, roll +power: on a 10+,
When you cast Speak With Dead on choose 2 from the list below, or spend
Rosalija’s remains, her ghost will return 1 power to choose 3; on a 7-9, Choose 1
to the site of her death and suffer the from the list, or spend 1 power to choose
communications of the living. 2; on a 6-, mark XP, lose 1 power, and
the GM makes a move.
When you bury or cremate Rosalija’s
remains outside of the Barrow, her ghost U The effect is potent (+forceful, +messy)
will likewise be called to the place, and U The effect is far-reaching (+far)
grudgingly pass on to the afterlife. U You can affect multiple targets or a
............................................................................................................. small area
Svijecio, the Shining Blade U You can sustain the effect with little
close, messy, +1 damage, 3 piercing, effort
1 weight U You wield the force with great precision
By default, you can affect a single target
within near range. If used to inflict
direct harm, the force of the Crown
deals 1d10 damage (ignoring armor).
When you experience an overwhelming
sensation or emotion and indulge it
wholly—consequences be damned, gain
1 power (max 3) and the GM makes
a hard move. If you already have 3
power, you may instead reach through
time and space for something to satiate
the raw need of your emotions. If you
do, ask the GM what it is that you pull
into your reality.

15
 Dangers
Each Danger listed here can be found in a specific common or unique area, as noted
in that area’s entry. When in need of additional Dangers, invent them or roll them
up using the tables in The Perilous Wilds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anok-Hob-Sharath Mihoval’s Spirit
Solitary, Small, Intelligent, Devious, Solitary, Intelligent, Devious, Stealthy,
Stealthy, Divine, Magical, Planar Divine, Magical, Cautious, Hoarder
Damage Spindly fingers and sharpened Damage Word of pain 1d8 (near,
teeth b[2d12]+2 (hand, forceful, ignores armor)
messy, 3 piercing) HP 16 Armor 5
HP 20 Armor 4 Special Qualities Undead, insubstantial
Special Qualities Climbs like a spider,
In life, Mihoval was a sorcerer skilled
unnatural resilience
in using honeyed words to get his
A powerful and ancient demon of way; when words did not suffice, he
endless hate and fury, summoned and would twist minds to his desired end
bound into the tattered body of some by infernal means. Mihoval wooed
poor elf boy. Hungry and hating, Cahirin away from Ilinka out of
waiting to be set free. petty vindictiveness, then stoked her
ego and fed her ambitions, plunging the
Instinct To kill, destroy, devour
elves into war. In death, he remains a
U Pretend to be helpless
spiteful, egocentric ass.
U Act with surprising patience
and subtlety Instinct To escape the Barrow, thence to
U Leap into the fray with escape his fate
impossible speed and fury U Sense their passions, fears, and
U Gleefully devour a soul insecurities
.............................................................................................................
U Tell someone exactly what they
Cahirin want to hear
Solitary, Organized, Intelligent, Cau- U Inflame or subdue emotions
tious, Terrifying U Wrack them with crippling pain
Damage Svijecio the Shining Blade
b[2d12]+1 (close, messy, 4 piercing)
HP 20 Armor 5
Special Qualities Undead, aura of
cold dread
Centuries of lying bound in a tomb
would have broken a lesser mind, but
Cähirin’s fearsome will has only honed
her sense of purpose. There is no doubt
left in her; the lesser races must be
conquered, for their own good.
Instinct To prove her superiority
U Fight with perfect grace
U Counter all but the most
inspired attacks
U Call elf-wights to service

16
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Rosalija’s Ghost Elf-wight

Solitary, Intelligent Group, Organized, Intelligent
Damage Soul-numbing touch w[2d8] Damage Sword or spear b[2d8] (close
(hand, ignores armor) or reach, 1 piercing)
HP 16 Armor 0 HP 14 Armor 3
Special Qualities Undead, insubstantial Special Qualities Undead
Mihoval’s mistress, desperately in love Soldiers in Cahirin’s army, sworn
with him despite his selfishness and to undying loyalty and ready to rise
cruelty. She refused to leave the Barrow without hesitation to her aid.
and wasted away, singing beautiful
Instinct To see enemies everywhere
dirges to her lost love unto her final
U Attack with speed and precision
breath. Her ghost sometimes wanders
U Ignore a piercing blow
out of the Barrow to sing lamentations
U Call fellow soldiers to the fray
to the moon. .............................................................................................................

Rosalija once found Mihoval’s Ilinka

Columbarium, but her knowledge of Solitary, Intelligent, Stealthy, Magical,
its existence was wiped clear as soon as Terrifying
she looked into the brightrock mirror. Damage Telekinesis 1d10+2 (near,
Instinct To be reunited with Mihoval forceful, messy, 1 piercing)
U Sing a dirge of haunting beauty HP 16 Armor 5
U Speak highly of Mihoval Special Qualities Undead, flight, aura of
U Blithely ignore a flaw or fault raw emotions and roiling telekinetic force

When you first listen to the dirge of Released from her sarcophagus by fool
Rosalija, say what loss has left an adventurers, she now haunts the halls
emptiness in your soul or what you now in a whorl of emotion flitting constantly
most fear to lose, and roll +WIS: on between grief, rage, self-loathing, and
a 10+, you shake yourself free of your despair. The White Crown upon her
melancholy after a few moments; on a brow converts this turmoil into pure
7-9, you’re overwhelmed with sadness force, but the brightrock reflects it
until you suffer injury or your allies back, transforming her into a silent
shake you free; on a 6-, mark XP, and storm of pain and power.
you’re overwhelmed with sadness as Instinct To act erratically
above, but take -1 ongoing until you U Float silently though the dark
do something desperately reckless, U Overwhelm them with emotion
hedonistic, or charitable. U Fling things about
17
 Those Who Make Vows by Johnstone Metzger . Illustrated by Carl Antonowicz

“Kestral sat down on the bench, no problem. It was just a bench, plain wood. Thiago,
like a reckless maniac, kicked the grandfather clock over onto the floor of the cave. It
was just a normal clock, but we were all pissed he made so much noise.
“Not that it mattered much. Right after that, Peiter opened up the desk drawer and
found some gold coins inside. When he reached in and touched them, the desk ate his
hand and he wouldn’t stop screaming ’til Kestral shanked him good.
“Take it from me, kid: Never. Touch. Anything.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background On this world, they are parasitic crea-

............................................................................................................. tures, living inside the bodies of other
From a distant star, they travelled animals, or building a shell around
across the Elemental Plane of Hunger themselves that can mimic inanimate
to reach our world. Brilliant sorcerers objects. Though they grow all through-
on their home planet, these fungoid out their long lives, most are about the
insects found their power greatly dimin- size of a cat or a small dog, so they like
ished here, their connection to the God- to use hulled human bodies as hosts,
dess of Promises debased and tainted. devouring the brain and occupying the
skull, from whence they control the still-
At home, they would vow devotion to
living body. Inside smaller creatures,
her and receive her blessings in the form
they remove other internal organs. Or
of a magical body, superimposed over
all of them, if required.
their own. But here, in this world, they
find that body toxic. It is the source of Because of the goddess’ blessings,
a slow death. They must purge their Promisers can also disguise themselves
second self of the vows that connect it to as inanimate objects, such as furniture
the goddess by consuming the flesh of or treasure, but they cannot hold such
thinking creatures. But without these forms for more than an hour, and even
vows, the magic also fades, and not that is an effort. They use these forms
slowly enough. On a regular basis, the exclusively to ambush living creatures.
Promisers must renew their vows, re-
gain their magic, and devour yet more.

18
 Overview
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Promiser Outpost Common Areas
Size Small .............................................................................................................

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1d12 Common Area

Themes 1-2 Dumping ground
............................................................................................................. 3-5 House room
Alien religion mmm 6-8 Kitchen
Parasitic invaders mmmm 9-10 Prison cell
---------------------------------------------------------------- 11-12 Store room
Foundation & entrance ----------------------------------------------------------------
.............................................................................................................
Unique Areas
Choose or roll: .............................................................................................................

o Churchyard
1d4 Foundation Entrance
o Conservatory
1 cave complex coastal cave at
o Dining Hall
base of cliff
o The Idol
2 city sewers spiral staircase o Museum
behind rusted
iron gate
3 petrified forest clearing where
living forest ends
4 ruined castle crumbling gate
house over a
dried-up moat

19

The Rooms that Devour
----------------------------------------------------------------
“He said he was a dungeon robber, like
us, just here looking to make some fast
money. He’d already checked out the
caves ahead, showed us some gilded sup-
perware he found, offered to split the loot
if we teamed up. Said he knew the fence
Argomil, so we believed him.
“Of course he stabbed Thiago in the back
before we got even a hundred yards. He
tried to stab Kestral too, but she threw
him to the ground and cracked his skull
open. There weren’t no brains inside,
just this hideous bug that scurried out.
I threw a torch down between us and
whatever that thing was, pulled Kestral
behind me, and we ran for it.
“Take it from me, kid: Never. Trust.
Anyone.”
----------------------------------------------------------------
These areas are ordered alphabetically,
with suggested themes in parentheses.
20
----------------------------------------------------------------
Churchyard
Unique Area (alien religion)
.............................................................................................................
Storage for religious paraphernalia,
items necessary for worshipping the
Goddess of Promises.
This area holds 1d4+1 magical items.
Each possesses different properties,
rolled on the following tables, in order:
1d8 This item...
.............................................................................................................
1 ...allows for communication with
or understanding of...
2-3 ...attracts or detects...
4 ...creates or summons...
5-6 ...protects against...
7 ...repels to whence it came...
8 ...turns the bearer into...
1d6
.............................................................................................................
1 ...chromatic arcenergy, ...
2 ...disease vectors, ...
3 ...extraplanar spirits, ...
4 ...freezing cold, ...
5 ...magical items, ...
6 ...predatory animals, ...
1d10 ...and the bearer...
.............................................................................................................
1-2 ...has complete control over the
effect, ...
3-5 ...has limited control over the
effect, ...
6-7 ...has no control over the effect, ...
8-10 ...can only turn on and off the
effect, ...
1d12 ...which...
.............................................................................................................
1 ...requires a random roll to use.
2-3 ...requires a skill roll to use.
4 ...can be used 1d12 times ever.
5-8 ...can be used once per day.
9-10 ...can be used twice per day.
10 ...can be used thrice per day.
11-12 ...can be used indefinitely.
If there is a Danger here, it is a powerful
Promiser.
If there is a Discovery here, it reveals
how these items work.
---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
Conservatory House room
Unique Area (parasitic invaders) Common Area (parasitic invaders)
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Numerous musical instruments. Small room with normal household

furniture.
This is where the Promisers hollow out
living beings in order to occupy their The Promisers leave furniture in these
bodies. Unearthly music is played dur- rooms so they can ambush people in
ing the operation. Maybe it drowns out them.
the screams. Or not.
If there is a Danger here, it is a Promiser
If there is a Danger here, it is a hulling in disguise, waiting in ambush.
in process.
If there is a Discovery here, it is some-
If there is a Discovery here, it is sheet thing valuable amongst the furniture.
music with magical properties. ----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------- The Idol
Dumping ground Unique Area (parasitic invaders)
Common Area .............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................. The idol is a window to the Goddess of

Full of dead people, bones, and garbage. Promises herself. This area is meticu-
lously clean and contains only the idol.
The Promisers and their human cult-
ists dump trash here. Once a dumping When you make a vow before the Idol,
ground is full, it gets covered in lime- she births a magical body in your image
stone rubble and dirt. and superimposes it upon your physical
form. This body is toxic to life on this
If there is a Danger here, it can be an am-
plane. On the Promisers’ blasted, dead
bush, illness, or a monstrous scavenger.
planet, it would not be, but that world
If there is a Discovery here, it belongs to no longer supports life, so it doesn’t
a dead person. matter. Each week you have a magical
---------------------------------------------------------------- body superimposed over your physical
Dining Hall body, your Maximum HP is reduced
Unique Area (parasitic invaders) by 1d8. You cannot regain your original
.............................................................................................................
Maximum HP until you are purged.
The largest area, a huge hall full of
tables and benches. When you possess a magical body, the
following things are true:
The Promisers and their human cultists
eat here, as a group. Members of this U You may disguise yourself as an
community may eat whenever they like, inanimate object for no more than
but they are not allowed to eat alone. an hour
U You must abide by whatever vows
Cultists engage in cannibalism because made to the Goddess of Promises
the Promisers see nothing wrong with it. U You receive sustenance from any liv-
If there is a Danger here, the hall is full. ing creature you devour
U Your senses have a chance to detect
If there is a Discovery here, it is a con- arcane energies (illusions, spells,
spiracy of cultists who are still part of spirits, etc.)
human society. U The GM may grant other powers as
necessary (possibly using the magic
item procedure described in the
Churchyard entry)

21
When you possess a magical body and
eat the flesh of a thinking creature, roll
2d6...
...+1 if the creature is human-sized
or larger,
...+1 if the creature is of human
intelligence or smarter,
...and +1 if you devour multiple crea-
tures in one sitting:
on a 10+, you are purged of the body
and your powers last for another month;
on a 7-9, you are purged and your pow-
ers last for another week; on a 6-, you
are purged but the magic body ----------------------------------------------------------------
is destroyed. Prison cell
---------------------------------------------------------------- Common Area
Kitchen .............................................................................................................

Common area Prisoners or evidence of prisoners.

The Promisers have many reasons to
.............................................................................................................

A tiny room with food and a fire.

take prisoners—to hull them, ransom
The Promisers have always cooked in them for money, or torture them for
numerous small areas, even though they information. There are 1d6-3 prisoners
eat in groups. They refuse to change here (but not less than none).
this habit. There is probably human
If there is a Danger here, Promisers or
flesh here.
their cultists are using this room.
If there is a Danger here, the kitchen is
If there is a Discovery here, a prisoner
in use.
(alive or dead) has valuable connections,
If there is a Discovery here, it belongs to information, or items.
the cook. ----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------- Store room
Museum Common Area
Unique Area .............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................. The Promisers are unsure what is useful

The Promisers create art that reminds on this world and what is not, so they
them of their home. hoard everything.
If there is a Danger here, the Promisers If there is a Danger here, the items are
are hard at work. trapped or being rearranged.
If there is a Discovery here, it comes in If there is a Discovery here, the stores
the form of alien art. are not just useless trinkets.

22
 .............................................................................................................

Rank 2: Possessed
The Cult of Promises The most common leadership positions
----------------------------------------------------------------
in the cult are held by people who have
“We were almost out when we ran into
been possessed by the spirit of the God-
a whole mob of those guys in the black
dess of Promises. They have made their
robes. Nearly jumped out of my skin, I
vows and had the emptiness in their
did. Then Kestral pushed me into them
souls filled up with divine love.
and we went down in a heap of tangled
limbs, kicking and shouting. I got a few What the Initiates do not know is that
good licks in—you see the black eyes and each of the Possessed has actually been
split lips on those guys?—but she didn’t hulled and occupied by a Promiser.
give me no help at all. She just ran for Because the Promiser devoured the
it, threw me away to get out alive. human’s brain, it has enough knowledge
of the person to act like them. The Initi-
“That’s why I’m here with you, kid.
ates are too blinded by faith and hope to
They caught me, trussed me up like a pig,
see through this charade.
they did. I’ve never been so humiliated .............................................................................................................

in all my life. Don’t bother trying to slip Rank 3: Overlords

your hands out of the manacles, you’ll
just cut up your wrists like I did. See? The top dogs in the cult are Promisers
Now they’re all infected. who have revealed their true forms to
the human cultists. They command the
“You hear that? They’re coming back. loyalty of the other Promisers as well,
Probably going to take me away like they and orchestrate the doings of the cult
did the last guy, and you’ll be all alone from on high, communicating their
here. I won’t come back, none of the oth- intentions to the Initiates through the
ers did. If you ever do make it out of this mouths of the Possessed.
alive, kid, take it from me: Never. Go.
Anywhere.” They prefer to occupy the bodies of the
............................................................................................................. cult’s enemies, captured specifically for
Rank 1: Initiates this purpose. They never act like the
people whose bodies they possess, al-
The lowest ranks of the cult of the God-
ways behaving like themselves, so as not
dess of Promises are staffed by humans.
to give away the truth of the Possessed.
Alienated from society, they come
seeking divine revelation, and the cult The other Promisers, who have not
promises to fill them up with the spirit obtained human bodies and have not
of the Goddess. They live in hope that become Overlords, must make do with
one day they will advance to the ranks the bodies of animals or no bodies at
of the Possessed, who live with the God- all. Their main purpose is to serve
dess inside them. as traps, luring unwary humans into
letting their guards down, so they can
The Initiates do all the manual labour
be killed or captured. Disguised as a
the cult needs, and the Possessed lead
wounded dog, perhaps, or a chest full
them into battle against those who
of gold and jewels—whatever it takes
blaspheme the Goddess. Being fanatics,
to lure the humans in, so they can be
they are not afraid to kill their enemies,
devoured, and new vows can be made to
but prefer to bring them to the Over-
the Goddess of Promises.
lords alive, so their bodies can be put to
good use by the cult.

23
 The Pit of Vanzwink by Jason Lutes . Illustrated by Jan Burger

Introduction The Pit

.............................................................................................................

The giant sorcerer Vanzwink came to ----------------------------------------------------------------

the Wounded Wood 150 years ago in The mouth of the deep mine from which
search of magnite, a rare ore with both enslaved lurkers extracted magnite is
magical and magnetic properties. By about 200 feet across, and descends into
dire means, he enslaved a diminutive an apparently bottomless blackness.
race of forest-dwellers called lurkers, This gaping maw is surrounded by
putting hundreds of them to work a high berm of rock and earth—the
excavating the chosen site. stuff removed during the excavation
of the Pit—which has been completely
A lurker “singer” called Divinca overgrown and would seem a natural
Vaya taught her people to sing praises part of the surrounding woods if it did
disguised as work songs to their god, not describe a near-perfect circle.
Rekkala. After many years, the Crane .............................................................................................................

God heard their prayers and swept out Stone Head

of the south to attack the Overseers, On the east side of the Pit, set back
constructs created by Vanzwink to keep from its lip, is a great stone head carved
the lurkers in line. in the image of Vanzwink, now toppled
and broken. Distinguished by a beard,
Sensing the end, Vanzwink secreted his
bald pate, and the Sigil of Strange Stars
spirit in the Box of Bofurus and holed
cut into its forehead, this bust is one
up in his Sanctum, but the lurkers
among several remaining signs of the
tunneled their way in. Overwhelmed
giant’s vanity. The large fragments of
by the vengeful horde, the giant laid
the face are stained with guano from a
his Raging Blight upon them, and
species of gray dove which nests in large
seized Divinca Vaya in one enormous
cracks in the rock.
fist. His final act was to crush her and
curse her spirit to wander the earth
until her remains could be buried in the
lurker home city of Nagaram, which lies
elsewhere in the Wounded Wood.
The surviving lurkers were stricken by
the Raging Blight, and brought down
one by one, even as they attempted to
make their escape. The few who had
remained outside and not joined in the
attack on their oppressor fled the area,
but upon returning to Nagaram found
it overtaken by the Wolfkin, a barbaric .............................................................................................................
human tribe. Homeless and diminished,
Main Entrance
they turned south, in search of the
Opposite the stone head, set within the
fabled land of the Crane, never to be
Pit Mouth and 40’ below its lip, is a
seen in this part of the world again.
stone platform accessible from the forest
24
 .............................................................................................................
floor by two wide sets of stairs, one at
Pit Mouth
each end. In the middle of this platform,
The Pit itself descends into a darkness
set into the wall of the Pit, is a set of
that seems bottomless, as attested by
double doors about 20’ tall, made of
the lack of sound made by anything
petrified timber and bound in iron. An
dropped within. In truth, it descends
iron boss in the center (10’ up) bears the
1200 increasingly humid feet to a floor
mark of Vanzwink (“V”). The doors
of jumbled, moss-covered rock.
are magically locked, but open auto-
matically for the bearer of Vanzwink’s A network of ledges, stairs, and lad-
Signet; other attempts to breach them ders is cut into walls of the shaft along
will prove nigh impossible. These doors a downward spiral. These precarious
grant access to the Entry Hall in paths are lurker-scale—about half size
Vanzwink’s Redoubt. to a human—and reach from the top of
.............................................................................................................
the Pit to the bottom, connecting the
Ruined Hoists various Mineheads in between.
The remains of two drum hoists, used
to raise and lower ore baskets, may be Impressions
found at the north and south edges of U Steam issuing from the depths
the Pit. They are totally overgrown, U Doves nesting in nooks and crannies
and the timber arms which once extend- U Broken ledges
ed over the shaft have long since broken U Small handholds, cut into the rock
.............................................................................................................
off, but one still holds a coil of corroded
Minehead
chain, the end of which descends out
Each of the numerous mine entrances
of sight into the darkness. The iron-
pocking the walls of the Pit is a rect-
weave basket attached to that end is still
angular timber-framed opening about
intact, but the chain and basket together
4’ wide and 6’ tall, leading into a mine
are so heavy that it would take a feat of
tunnel of similar dimension. These of-
magic or engineering to hoist it up.
fer direct access to the Magnite Mines.

25
 . Vanzwink the Sorcerer .

Outcast from an ancient race of Cyclopean humanoids, the great and power-
ful sorcerer Vanzwink sought solitude in order to pursue his theories about
magic magnification and keep company with the only being he considered of
any worth: himself. His gargantuan skeleton has sat slumped in his Sanctum
for over a century, surrounded by the scattered bones of those lurkers he
managed to destroy during his last stand.

. Magnite . . The Raging Blight .

A blue-black ore imbued with
arcane energy from the dawn of
creation. Raw, its magical charge
and magnetic properties are weak,
but these can be intensified when
the ore is alloyed with other met-
Among Vanzwink’s repertoire
als or elements:
was a powerful curse which
Everhold (magnite + cobalt) pos- spelled the end of the lurkers (and
sesses a strong magical charge perhaps the giant’s own people,
that regenerates after being spent. centuries ago).
Floatite (magnite + quicksilver) When you suffer the effects of the
generates a strong anti-gravity field. Raging Blight, roll +CON: on a
10+, you manage to keep it under
Wizard’s woe (magnite + lead) is
control for now, but a new rash of
five times heavier than lead itself,
green boils manifests suddenly; on
and drains magical energy from
a 7-9, you are consumed by rage
its surroundings.
against all life, and seek to wreak
havoc against it before the boils
overhwhelm you; on a 6-, mark
XP, and the GM makes a move.

26
 . Rekkala .
The lurkers (and perhaps others)
worship The Great Crane, also known
as The Protector or Queen of the
Winged. Rekkala manifests as a
white crane with black wingtips and a
red beak. It is said that to be crossed
by her shadow is a great blessing for
the faithful, but a sign of sure doom
for her enemies.
The domains of her power include
the sky, the winds, patience, and
physical grace.
Prayers in her
name take the form of chants or dances; offerings found
at her shrines—sometimes carved high in the branches
of old-growth trees—include dead rodents, giant insects,
fish, and berries.
All winged things that travel by daylight are subject to
her command, acting as messengers or embodiments of
Mark of Rekkala. her will, to be brought to bear against her enemies.

. The Lurkers . . Divinca Vaya .

Among those lurkers forced to
mine magnite was a devout and
charismatic singer, or gayakudu,
who called the god Rekkala to
save her people in their time of
greatest need. Cursed by Vanz-
wink to roam the Pit restlessly
until her body is laid to rest in her
home city of Nagaram, Divinca
Branded “lurkers” by fearful Vaya (“Blessed Voice”) may prove
humans spinning false tales of a useful ally (see page 39).
child abduction and theft, these
former residents of the Wounded
Wood called themselves divinca,
or “the Blessed People.”
Half human size, hairless, and
resembling graceful goblins, their
remains litter the Pit; the few sur-
vivors of Vanzwink’s tyranny and
the Raging Blight fled to safer
climes long ago.

27
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Areas
Magnite Mines .............................................................................................................

Listed from most to least accessible.

----------------------------------------------------------------
When you See What They Find while Choose one or roll 1d6 and count down
they explore the Magnite Mines, describe the list, skipping marked entries; then,
connections leading elsewhere from a mark off the entry rolled. If your count
given area as you see fit. takes you past the last entry, continue
---------------------------------------------------------------- your count at the beginning of the list.
.............................................................................................................
Themes
o Gallery
Ruin mmmmm
An expansive area, supported by evenly
Infestation mmmmm
spaced square columns of natural rock.
---------------------------------------------------------------- .............................................................................................................

Impressions o Chasm
Some seismic event shifted the rock
.............................................................................................................

U Pitch dark
here, creating a 5’-wide crack in the
U Damp, humid, warm
entire tunnel, from which a curtain
U Steam venting from cracks
of steam rises. Easy enough to jump
U Metallic odor
across, but hazardous if stumbled into.
U Puddles of oily water .............................................................................................................

U Pockets of cold o Supply Cache

U The mark of Rekkala, carved into A repository of mining tools and sup-
a support beam plies. Shelves cut into the walls and
---------------------------------------------------------------- disintegrating wooden crates contain
Common Areas between them 2d6 mining tools (as op-
.............................................................................................................
posed to 1d4 as indicated).
1d12 Common Area .............................................................................................................

1 mine tunnel, straight o The Warding Wall

2 mine tunnel, right turn A rough wall of stacked stones and clay
3 mine tunnel, left turn mortar, blocking a tunnel from floor
4 mine tunnel, T-intersection to ceiling. Painted on the near side in
5-7 mine tunnel, 4-way intersection flaking dried blood is a Sigil of Sealing.
8-9 dead end The wall cannot be broken by mundane
10 shaft, leading up means until the sigil is completely re-
11 shaft, leading down moved. What danger has been trapped
12 shaft, leading up and down on the other side for all these years?
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Dead End o The Void

The result of a ceiling collapse, or The floor gives way into empty black-
merely the extent of a tunnel’s reach. ness, a vast subterranean space judging
Rough, unbraced earth and rock. by the acoustics. What might lie below?
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Mine tunnel o Site of Insurrection

4’ x 6’, dug straight where possible, A four-way intersection, at the center of
corners are mostly right angles. which are 1d6 lurker remains and the
.............................................................................................................
headless body of an Overseer, float-
Shaft ing a few feet off the ground. Scattered
A means of passing from one level to about are mining tools. The Overseer
another. Each shaft is roughly 4’ in is scarred by blows from diamond-
diameter and cut with handholds for tipped picks, its iron body hollow save
climbing up and down. for a floatite suspensor in its belly.

28
.............................................................................................................
When you enter a lurker tunnel, roll 1d12
o Lift Shaft
to see where you emerge:
A 20’ wide square shaft that rises to the
Lift Terminus at the very top of the 1d12 Exit
complex (page 33), with a stop at many 1-4 Common area in the Magnite
levels of the Magnite Mines. Mines (page 28)
5 Unique area in the Magnite
Mounted on the wall at each stop is an
Mines (page 28)
in iron boss impressed with the Sigil of
6 Common area in Vanzwink’s
Strange Stars. Placing a hand on this
Redoubt (page 32)
boss will call the floatite-powered lift
7 Entry Hall (page 33)
to that stop.
8-10 Slave Quarters (page 33)
The lift itself is a square platform of 11 Overseer Workshop (page 34)
hardwood timber, with an iron con- 12 Magnite Forge (page 34)
trol pylon at its center and 6 floatite .............................................................................................................

suspensors (page 39) attached to its un- Magnite vein

derside. The control pylon is 6’ tall and An area of exposed magnite ore, which
capped by a bowl-shaped cavity which can only be removed with diamond-
supports a 1’ diameter glass sphere half- tipped implements (see mining tools).
.............................................................................................................
full of quicksilver. The control pylon
Mining tools
operates by means of enchantment, with
Roll 1d4 to see how many items are
the movement of the sphere increasing
found, and then 1d12 for each. All tools
and decreasing the repulsive force of the
are sized to suit lurkers.
suspensors (not unlike a trackball).
---------------------------------------------------------------- 1d12 Item
Discoveries 1-2 broken ceramic jar (contained
............................................................................................................. tallow, eaten by Oil Slime)
Listed alphabetically. Choose 1, roll 1d12, 3-4 iron candle-holder
or make up your own. 5-7 ore basket (worn on head)
8-9 iron spade
1d12 Discovery
10-11 diamond-tipped pick (100 coins)
1 oil leak
12 loose diamond tip (100 coins)
2-3 oily trail .............................................................................................................

4-5 lurker remains Oil leak

6-7 mining tools A crack in the wall allows a trickle
8-9 lurker tunnel or sheet of thick crude oil to seep into
10 sign of treasure hunters the tunnel, pooling up or draining by
11 loose magnite another route. Flammable, but not vio-
12 magnite vein lently so. Where there’s an oil leak, an
.............................................................................................................
Oil Slime or three cannot be far.
Loose magnite .............................................................................................................

A chunk of magnite, between pebble Oily trail

and fist size, floating just off the ground. A shiny trail that leads off along a
.............................................................................................................
floor, wall, or ceiling. Following it will
Lurker remains
likely lead the party closer to one of the
The diminutive, dust-covered skeleton of
Oil Slimes that infests the mines.
a lurker, perhaps battered and broken. .............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
Sign of treasure hunters
Lurker tunnel
Obvious footprints, the remains of a
A 4’ diameter hole in the wall connects
campsite, or signs of a Discovery re-
to a network of lurker-sized tunnels that
cently disturbed by the Fearless Four.
run throughout the complex.
29
---------------------------------------------------------------- .............................................................................................................

Dangers Oil Slime

.............................................................................................................
Group, Amorphous, Stealthy
Listed alphabetically. Choose 1, roll 1d12,
Damage Pseudopod 1d8 (close)
or make up your own.
HP 6 Armor 0
1d12 Danger Special Qualities Immune to physical
1 -2 Overseer damage, combustible
3-4 The Fearless Four
A sentient slick which now infests the
5-6 Oil Slime
tunnels, sating itself on oil leaks
7-9 alarm
opened up during the mining operation,
10-12 steam jet
............................................................................................................. but hungry also for all forms of grease
Alarm and fat. Easy to set alight, but beware
An iron boss, marked by an alarm the spreading of fire (and choking black
sigil, is set into the ceiling, anchoring smoke) via its ubiquitous trails of flam-
a copper wire that encircles the tun- mable slime.
nel. When anything other than an Instinct Feed upon fat
Overseer crosses the copper wire, a U Mimic a harmless pool of oil
high-pitched whine will issue forth and U Get slippery on them
echo throughout the caves, alerting 1d4 U Ooze into the narrowest of spaces
nearby Overseers to the violation.
............................................................................................................. Treasure Combustible remains.
The Fearless Four .............................................................................................................

A crew of four treasure hunters, hired Overseer

by an interested party in the nearest Solitary, Construct, Organized, Magical
steading to retrieve the Box of Bofu- Damage Whip 1d8 (reach, entangle) or
rus. See the facing page for a complete whirling blade 1d10+2 (reach)
description. HP 16 Armor 3
Special Qualities Metal, mindless, floating
Created by Vanzwink to keep the lurker
slaves in line and now heavily corroded
with the passage of many years, these
mushroom-shaped, iron-shelled au-
tomatons still float through the tunnels,
seeking laggards in need of discipline.
Instinct To keep everyone in line
U Behave erratically
U Repel with magnitic force
U Absorb or reflect magic
Treasure Floatite suspensor.
.............................................................................................................

Steam jet
A blast of steam issues from the wall,
floor, or ceiling, searing the unwary for
1d6 damage, and/or creating an obstacle
that must be bypassed.

30
 . The Fearless Four .

These fortune seekers plumb the Magnite Mines in search of a way into
Vanzwink’s Redoubt. Someone called Valthala the Sage scryed the location
of the Box of Bofurus, hired the Four to retrieve it, and promises a hand-
some reward for its delivery. The Four will not take kindly to interlopers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elvina Athelan Pennycatch
Leader, Lawful Evil, Intelligent, Devious
Damage Greatsword 1d8+2 (reach) Damage Knife 1d6 (hand) or
HP 12 Armor 2 sling 1d6 (near)
Special Qualities Fighter, fear of chaos HP 8 Armor 1
Traits Missing ear, compassionate Special Qualities Thief
Traits Badly scarred, cowardly, vengeful
Instinct To live by a code of honor
U Issue a challenge Instinct To get the most out of everything
U Deflect a powerful blow U Bolt at the first opportunity
U Sever a limb U Beg for mercy
U Plot revenge
Gear Greatsword, chainmail, poultices &
herbs, 1d6 rations, adventuring gear (1d4 Gear Knife, sling, ammo pouch, leather
uses), 4d8 coins. armor, lockpicks, 1d6 rations, silver
.................................................................................................... bracelet (2d8 coins), 3d8 coins.
Brimlid the Black ....................................................................................................

Evil, Intelligent, Devious Brother Nefur

Lawful, Intelligent, Divine
Damage Shortsword 1d8 (close) or
longbow 1d8 (near, far) Damage Hammer 1d8 (close, forceful)
HP 12 Armor 3 HP 12 Armor 2
Special Qualities Fighter Special Qualities Cleric
Traits Wiry, cleft chin, black hair, disloyal Traits Dark skin, goatee, fanatical
Instinct To be pragmatic at all times Instinct To serve Colm, God of Creation
U Disappear in the confusion U Solicit divine aid from the depths
U Loose an arrow from afar U Imbue hammer with holy power
U Strike from behind U Smash a thing to bits
Gear Shortsword, longbow, quiver, Gear Glowing bronze hammer (weapon,
chainmail, shield, 1d6 rations, lantern, light source, and holy symbol), chain-
2d8 coins. mail, 1d6 rations, 3d8 coins.

31
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Common Areas
Vanzwink’s Redoubt .............................................................................................................

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1d12 Common Area

When you See What They Find while 1 passage, straight
they explore Vanzwink’s Redoubt, add 2 passage, right turn
connections from one area to another as 3 passage, left turn
you see fit, and/or use any of the con- 4 passage, T-intersection
nections listed for a given area. 5 passage, 4-way intersection
---------------------------------------------------------------- 6-8 hall
Themes 9 blinkstone archway
Arcane research mmm 10 spiral stair, up
An ancient curse mmm 11 spiral stair, down
Corruption/blight mmm 12 spiral stair, up and down
.............................................................................................................
Chaos and destruction mmm
Blinkstone archway
----------------------------------------------------------------
A 15’ high archway framing a wall of
Impressions solid, rough-hewn rock. Seemingly
.............................................................................................................

U Pitch dark mundane, in actuality a magical portal.

U Architecture scaled to accommodate Each blinkstone archway connects to
a giant another, but only the Stonesilk
U Walls, ceiling, floor of polished Mantlet allows passage between.
blue-gray granite blocks, intricately Connections
arranged U Another blinkstone archway.
U Doors of iron latticework (many .............................................................................................................

holes to peek through) Hall

U Empty wall sconces and freestand- Of varying dimensions but always 25’
ing braziers of woven iron, once lit tall, arched ceiling. Halls over 40’ wide
by magical flame in any dimension will contain cylindircal
U Sharp echoes, softening into space support columns of polished blue-gray
U Over a century of accumulated dust granite.
Connections
U 1d4 iron-lattice doors open in
different directions.
.............................................................................................................

Passage
15’ wide by 20’ tall, arched ceiling.
.............................................................................................................

Spiral stair
Giant-sized, carved from the living rock.

32
----------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Areas
.............................................................................................................

Listed from most to least accessible.

Choose one or roll 1d6 and count down
the list, skipping marked entries; then,
mark off the entry rolled. If your count
takes you past the last entry, continue
counting from the beginning of the list.
Note that if they enter via the Main
Entrance, they find the Entry Hall.
.............................................................................................................

o Entry Hall
The great double doors that connect this
area to the Main Entrance are exactly
the same on this inside as they are on
the outside: an iron boss in the center
(10’ up) bears the mark of Vanzwink
(“V”), and the doors open automatically
for the bearer of Vanzwink’s Signet.
The hall itself is of polished blue-gray .............................................................................................................

granite blocks, 40’ wide, 80’ deep, with a o Lift Terminus

25’ vaulted ceiling. This 40’ x 40’ chamber surrounds a 20’
x 20’ square opening in the floor, the
Connections top opening of the Lift Shaft that
U Double doors to Main Entrance descends through the Magnite Mines.
U 1d4 passages leading away in
different directions A 6’ high iron pylon near the opening is
U 1d4 lurker tunnel openings in crowned by an iron sphere, impressed
walls, ceiling, floor with the Sigil of Strange Stars. Plac-
............................................................................................................. ing a hand on this sphere will call the
o Slave Quarters floatite-powered lift up the shaft until
An extensive series of interconnected it is level with the Terminus floor.
galleries of different sizes, dug out of
The lift itself is a square platform of
the existing rock, which once housed
hardwood timber, with an iron con-
several hundred lurker miners. The
trol pylon at its center and 6 floatite
ceilings are a scant 6’ high and sup-
suspensors attached to its underside.
ported here and there by columns of
The control pylon is 6’ tall and capped
rough-hewn stone.
by a bowl-shaped cavity which supports
Climbing rungs and sleeping berths (in a 1’ diameter glass sphere half-full of
stacked sets of 4) alike are cut into the quicksilver. The control pylon operates
walls, while the central area of each gal- by means of enchantment, with the
lery is occupied by small chairs, tables, movement of the sphere increasing and
rugs, and the general detritus of daily decreasing the repulsive force of the
lurker life, most of it disintegrating. suspendors. Much like a trackball that
directs the lift to move up or down.
Connections
U 1d4 passages leading away in Connections
different directions U Lift shaft
U Numerous lurker tunnel openings U 1d4 passages leading away in
in walls, ceiling, floor different directions
33
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

o Overseer Workshop o Magnite Forge

A long chamber lined by supply closets, A vast and long vaulted hall, subdivided
with an iron-topped work table running into three sections, each devoted to a
down its middle. Scattered across the different stage of magnite processing.
work surfaces and floor are tools, debris The battle between slaves and overseers
and metal scraps used to construct and left this entire area damaged and lit-
repair Overseers. Vanzwink built the tered with lurker remains.
First Overseer (see below), which in
Sorting station: here the lurkers would
turn built the others and supervised the
break down large pieces of rock by
Workshop and Magnite Forge.
hand to separate out the magnite ore.
During the lurker uprising, a dozen Iron work tables are covered with bits of
lurkers battled the First Overseer here, rock. Hammers, chisels, and ore baskets
and managed to trap it in one of the are scattered about.
supply closests, where it has remained
Smelting station: here the lurkers
ever since. The closet it occupies is the
would subject the magnite to incredible
only one that’s locked.
heat, reducing it to molten form and
When you open an unlocked supply alloying it with cobalt, quicksilver,
closet, roll 1d12 to see what you find or lead. Each side wall is dominated
among the mostly useless junk within: by an enormous smelting furnace,
resembling a fat-bellied round oven and
1d12 Supply closet contents
chimney made of basalt bricks, open
1-2 the corpse of a lurker, sealed
in the front. Grooves cut in the stone
inside for over a century, and
floor once allowed molten magnite to
infected with the Raging Blight
flow from the bottom of each smelter to
3-4 a Blight-Crawler, waiting in
the forging station. Stacks of ancient
ambush
charcoal remain piled on either side of
5-6 a lump of Wizard’s Woe
each smelter. A few smashed barrels
7-8 useless junk
have spilled their contents: chunks of
9 a key to the locked supply closet
lead (soft, dull gray) and cobalt (hard,
10 a malfunctioning floatite
lustrous silvery-gray). A single jug of
suspensor
quicksilver sits on a low stone shelf.
11 a sheet of beaten iron, usable as
a makeshift shield Forging station: here the molten mag-
12 a darklight torch nite alloys were cooled and shaped to
various uses. Grooves cut in the stone
When you open the locked supply closet,
floor lead from the smelting station
the First Overseer bursts forth and
to the crucible, a bowl-shaped depres-
sets about purging the Redoubt of all
sion in the floor. Lining the side walls
intruders. It acts as an Overseer in all
are the forges themselves: rectangular,
respects, except for that fact that it is
open firepits equipped with massive bel-
clearly much older, and lacks the whirl-
lows, and filled with ancient dead coals
ing blades of later models.
from which various iron implements
Connections protrude. The walls are lined with iron
U 1d4 iron-lattice doors opening into rods, ladles, and molds used to shape
common areas molten alloy.
U Short passage to Magnite Forge
When you search the forging station for
U The mouth of a lurker tunnel,
anything of interest, you find 1d6 miscel-
hidden by debris
laneous items.

34
.............................................................................................................

o Hall of Cogitation
A 30’ wide by 240’ long hall, with a 25’
high ceiling and a single line of polished
granite columns running down the
middle. At a height of 10’, the polished
granite of each column is replaced by a
5’ tall section of cloudy quartz crystal.
When you walk a circuit of the Hall
of Cogitation, roll +INT: on a 10+, you
experience clarity of mind—all of the Library Item
quartz crystal in the hall momentarily o An untitled ledger composed of
becomes as clear as glass, and you have paper-thin sheets of ivory, covered
some insight into a thing that has con- in runes from a dead language.
founded you (propose something to the o A tome, bound in seal-hide, called
GM); on a 7-9, you experience clarity of Concerning the Theatrical Practices
mind, and take +1 forward. of the Merfolk
o Best-Loved Yet Little-Known Songs
The Hall’s mind-clearing capacity may of the Spheres, a thick folio of loose-
only be utilized once per day. leaf melodies, heavily annotated in
faded brown ink
.............................................................................................................

o Library & Scriptorium o A book with blue metal covers and a

A cylindrical chamber, 30’ in diameter silver spine, entitled Magnite: Resi-
and 90’ deep, entered via an iron-lattice due of the World’s Conception
door near its top. The door is held fast o A complete eleven-volume set of The
by a 10”x10”x8” iron cage, inhabited by Memoirs of Khof Aranped, the an-
a mute Lock Goblin. cient and renowned wizard-lord
When you kill the Lock Goblin, getting o Recent Advances in the Evocation of
through the door becomes more than Phlogiston, a sulfur-smelling heap of
you bargained for. poorly-bound red paper, liable to
combust at any moment
When you proffer Vanzwink’s Signet to
o A little black book full of microscop-
the Lock Goblin, it reaches out to touch
ic text, the title Armac Ampoor’s
it lovingly with one spindly hand before
Alamanac of Annihilation written in
the door swings open to admit you.
tiny gold letters on the title page
An iron spiral stair, accessible via a o The Vindication of Vanzwink the
catwalk, descends through the center Great, an enormous orginal manu-
of the library to the floor, 90’ below, script detailing the giant sorcerer’s
where may be found a writing desk self-exile from the land of Xor, and
sized to fit Vanzwink. Cut into the walls subsequent collapse of said civiliza-
from floor to ceiling are numerous tion (recounted with some gusto)
shelves, holding all manner of dusty
When you take the time to read an item
tomes and scrolls, 10’ away and out of
found in the Library, say what you hope
reach from anyone on the stair.
to get out of it based on its title, and roll
When you search the shelves for an item +INT: on a 10+, you get what you want,
of interest, roll 1d6 and count down the but the GM has the option to tack on a
list below to see what you find, skipping single caveat; on a 7-9, you get what you
any marked entries; then, mark off the want, but there are unforeseen reper-
entry you rolled. cussions to this new knowledge (for the
GM to reveal, now or later).

35
.............................................................................................................
whom he did business. There are no
o Audience Chamber
chairs beyond the giant’s—guests must
A large chamber, cut from the living
have been expected to stand.
rock and floored with hexagonal purple
tile. The domed ceiling is painted to When you pass beneath the watchful eye
resemble a blue sky covered with a pat- with ill intent for Vanzwink or his prop-
tern of stars, with a single large eye cut erty, an ancient warding enchantment
from stone (and painted gold) peering triggers, trapping you in a column of
down from the apex. Unfinished wall golden light from above. You are para-
frescoes depict scenes from Vanwink’s lyzed in all but thought and speech and
life: eschewing giant society; scrying must answer all questions truthfully,
the location of magnite; constucting his until the proper release phrase (now lost)
Overseers; enslaving lurkers to excavate is uttered or the eye (HP 10, Armor 4) is
the Pit. Wide steps at one end rise to a destroyed, whichever comes first.
platform that holds a simple hardwood
When you destroy the watchful eye, its
chair suited for a giant.
paralyzing beam ceases, but 1d8 Over-
Here Vanzwink met with rare visitors, seers register the security breach and
mostly wizards and merchants with will arrive shortly.

36
.............................................................................................................
The Mageiasphere
o Sanctum
A spherical chamber, 30’ in diameter,
The innermost chambers of Vanzwink’s
entered only via the circular iron airlock
Redoubt, consisting of four intercon-
in the floor of the Study. The chamber
nected areas:
itself is one of Vanzwink’s great accom-
Quarters: Finely but not ostenta- plishments: lined with a 2’-thick layer of
tiously appointed, Vanzwink’s sleeping floatite, it concentrates and intensifies
chamber is dominated by his huge bed all magic forces within; this makes it an
of petrified wood, its covers now ragged ideal but volatile environment for the
and insect-eaten. Items of interest in- enchanter’s craft.
clude a large Seeing Glass, mounted on
When you enter the Mageiasphere, you
one wall, an Opalight mounted on the
will be forcibly ejected unless you bear
ceiling, and a hardwood wardrobe full
some connection to the arcane world
of brittle cloaks and robes, among them
(ability, item, etc.), in which case you
the Stonesilk Mantlet.
drop immediately to the center of the
Garderobe: A small room (by giant chamber, where you become suspended
standards), carved from the living rock. in midair.
A stone bench protrudes from one wall,
When you wield magic in the
and in it a 3’-wide circular hole
Mageiasphere, roll +INT: on
opens into a black void.
a 10+, the effect of the
How deep does it go?
magic is magnified
Study: A vaulted fivefold, but the GM
chamber, par- chooses 1 from the
tially collapsed list below; on a
and half-full 7-9, the effect
of rubble from is magnified
the tunneling threefold, but
efforts of the the GM chooses
lurkers who 2 from the list
confronted their below; on a 6-,
oppressor here. mark XP and
Vanzwink’s gar- suffer the con-
gantuan skeleton, sequence of your
surrounded by the tampering, magnified
crushed and dismem- threefold and turned
bered remains of many lurk- inward upon the very center
ers (including those of Davinca Vaya), of your being.
lies slumped amidst the debris.
U You suffer a permanent disfigure-
When you examine Vanzwink’s remains, ment related to the magic wielded
you find Vanzwink’s Signet among 1d6 (ask the GM what)
giant rings on his finger-bones. U You suffer 2 debilities of the GM’s
choice, which may only be removed
When you clear away some of the
by magical means
rubble, you reveal a circular iron hatch
U You are marked by otherworldy
(5’ in diameter) set into the floor,
forces as an unqualified threat
engraved with protective runes set in
U Vanzwink’s consciousness, if extant,
silver. The hatch may be opened by
registers your violation of this most
turning an iron wheel set into its face,
precious of his creations
and grants access to the Mageiasphere.

37
----------------------------------------------------------------
world, but you immediately suffer 2 de-
Discoveries bilities of the GM’s choice; on a 7-9, you
.............................................................................................................

Discoveries in this section are listed in suffer 3 debilities of the GM’s choice and
alphabetical order. Most are only to be retain your spirit, but it’s damaged in
found in specific areas, but when you some permanent way (describe, now or
need a random Discovery, choose 1 from later, how you will never be the same);
the list below, roll 1d12, or make one up. on a 6-, your spirit is imprisoned until
the Box claims another—your physical
1d12 Discovery self survives, but bereft of feeling and
1-5 miscellaneous item purpose beyond mere survival. In all
6-8 lurker tunnel cases, the lid snaps shut immediately
9-10 secret passage afterward, and the silver discs spin to
11-12 Davinca Vaya scramble the combination.
.............................................................................................................

Any spirit freed from the Box will

immediately seek out and reanimate
its corporeal remains. If said physical
vessel is not within a day’s journey, the
spirit may choose to either take pos-
session of a weaker entity or seek final
relief through the Black Gates of Death.
Vanzwink purposely committed his
spirit to the Box when he realized he
would fall to the lurkers; at the point
which the party finds it, his life force
will likely still be trapped within.
.............................................................................................................

Blue Hand
magical, 1 charge, 600 coins, 0 weight
Box of Bofurus A charm of translucent blue everhold,
invaluable, magical, 1 weight cast from a mold in the shape of a small
A lidded 1’x1’x1’ cube of opalescent human hand.
bluestone, encased in a lacelike mesh When you brandish a Blue Hand and
of magnite. Mounted in the center of Cast a Spell, spend its charge and treat
each of its four sides is a rotateable silver your result as one step better (i.e., a 7-9
disc marked with arcane runes along its counts as a 10+, or a 6- counts as a 7-9).
edge; together these form a four-part Then, the Hand loses its charge until
combination lock. How this combination right after the next time its holder rolls a
might be learned is up to the GM. 10+ (or equivalent) to Cast a Spell.
.............................................................................................................
When you arrange all four discs in the
Darklight torch
proper combination, the lid of the Box
magical, 1d6 uses, 25 coins/use, 0 weight
opens in four parts to release the spirit
captured within. At the same time, the A stick of petrified hardwood, one tip of
Box lays claim to your spirit, seeking to which is coated in a silvery resin.
replace that which has just escaped. When you hold a darklight torch in your
When you resist the claim the Box bare hand, the tip ignites with black fire
makes upon your spirit, roll +WIS: on a that illuminates the surroundings for
10+, you manage to keep yourself in this you alone.

38
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Davinca Vaya Lock Goblin

The ghost of the gayakudu and spiritual Solitary, Tiny, Magical
leader of the lurkers haunts this place in
Damage Needle-like teeth 1d4 (hand)
accordance with the arcane curse laid
HP 2 Armor 0
upon her. She may be encountered as an
Special Qualities Does not need to eat,
apparition or a purely psychic presence,
drink, or sleep
offering assitance or seeking aid in the
laying to rest of her physical remains More homonculus
(amongst those of the other long-dead than goblin in
lurkers in Vanzwink’s Sanctum). the traditional
sense, this small
When you lay Davinca Vaya’s physical
gray humanoid
remains to rest in the ruins of her home
is bound to a
city of Nagaram, she thanks you deeply
specific portal by
before departing, and you earn the
arcane means. As
blessing of Rekkala (in whatever form
long as it lives,
the GM deems appropriate).
............................................................................................................. the door may be
Floatite suspensor opened, but only
magical, -2 weight if the proper “key” is employed.
.............................................................................................................

An iron sphere, 9” in diameter, encas- Lump of Wizard’s Woe

ing a floatite core and marked by a 100 coins, 0 weight
number of attachment points, by which
A misshapen blob of flat gray metal.
it was intended to be screwed or fitted
into the chassis of an Overseer. Such When you observe the effects of Wizard’s
suspensors are what allow Overseers to Woe, it’s probably too late, because it’s
hover above the ground and move easily been slowly (and permanently) draining
across rough terrain. How a ball that the magical energy from everything in
generates an antigravity field might be its immediate surroundings.
otherwise applied is anyone’s idea. .............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................. Lurker tunnel

Giant ring A 4’ diameter hole in the wall connects
2d6 x 10 coins, 0 weight to a network of lurker-sized tunnels that
run throughout the complex.
Made of gold or silver; perhaps set with
blue chalcedony, hessonite, or yellow When you enter a lurker tunnel, roll 1d12
sapphire; etched with geometric designs. to see where you emerge:
.............................................................................................................

Jug of quicksilver 1d12 Exit

1d10 uses, 10 coins/use, 1 weight 1-2 Common area in the Magnite
Mines (page 28)
A stoppered ceramic jug containing 3 Unique area in the Magnite
what looks like liquid silver. Mines (page 28)
When you take a swig of quicksilver, 4-6 Common area in Vanzwink’s
roll +CON: on a 10+, you choke it down, Redoubt (page 32)
and take +1 ongoing to use or resist 7 Entry Hall (page 33)
magic until you vomit, which you will 8-9 Slave Quarters (page 33)
do at an inopportune moment of the 10 Overseer Workshop (page 34)
GM’s choosing; on a 7-9, you vomit it 11 Magnite Forge (page 34)
back right now, and become sick. 12 Vanzwink’s Sanctum (page 37)

39
.............................................................................................................
a section of floor covered by a single
Miscellaneous item
large flagstone; an iron ring inexplica-
1d12 Item bly mounted on an otherwise featureless
1-2 lump of Wizard’s Woe ceiling. Further investigation may grant
3-4 mining tools (p29) access to a Vanzwink-sized corridor,
5-6 jug of quicksilver twisting through the rock.
7-8 darklight torch
When you explore a secret passage, roll
10-11 floatite suspensor
1d12 to see where you find the next
12 Blue Hand
............................................................................................................. peephole or point of egress:
Opalight 1d12 Area
magical, 200 coins, 1 weight 1-2 Common area in Vanzwink’s
A 1’-diameter sphere of polished opales- Redoubt (page 32)
cent stone, imbued with magical light. 3 Entry Hall (page 33)
4 Slave Quarters (page 33)
When you move into the the vicinity of 5 Overseer Workshop (page 34)
an opalight, it emits a soothing glow as 6 Magnite Forge (page 34)
bright as an oil lamp; if you face no im- 7-8 Hall of Cogitation (page 35)
mediate threat you are calmed, worries 9 Audience Chamber (page 36)
and regrets banished from your mind. 10-12 Vanzwink’s Sanctum (page 37)
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................

Seeing Glass Stonesilk Mantlet

invaluable, magical, 5 weight worn, invaluable, magical, 1 armor,
An oval piece of silvered glass, 4’ x 7’, 2 weight
framed by a border of 32 crystal hemi- A pale gray, giant-sized short cape—
spheres (each 4” in diameter). more like a cloak when worn by a
When you touch a crystal on the Seeing human—magically woven from strands
Glass, the image visible is blown clear as of stone. Surprisingly heavy, given its
if made of sand, revealing the specific silk-like texture and appearance.
physical location keyed to the crystal When you wear the Stonesilk Mantlet,
that was touched. 30 of the crystals are you may pass unimpeded through a
each keyed to a different area of the Blinkstone Portal.
Magnite Mines or Redoubt; the bot- .............................................................................................................

tommost returns the view to that of a Vanzwink’s Signet

normal mirror, while the topmost shows invaluable, magical, 5 charges, 0 weight
the overgrown ruins of the capital city
A ring, 2” in diameter, forged of
of Xor, the Cyclopean realm from which
everhold and set with a chunk of raw
Vanzwink was exiled.
magnite, into which has been chiseled a
When you make use of arcane knowl- “V” (Vanzwink’s name-rune).
edge to re-key the Seeing Glass, you may
When you carry Vanzwink’s Signet and
set the point of view activated by each
Cast a Spell, spend 1 charge and treat
crystal as you see fit, as long as you’ve
your result as one step better (i.e., a 7-9
personally visited the place in question.
............................................................................................................. counts as a 10+, or a
Secret Passage 6- counts as a 7-9).
Adventurers passing through an area The ring recharges
where Vanzwink installed a secret door fully when ex-
may notice something curious: a foot- posed to the light
print in stone dust facing a blank wall; of a full moon.

40
---------------------------------------------------------------- .............................................................................................................

Dangers Vanzwink Arisen

............................................................................................................. Solitary, Large, Intelligent, Organized,
Dangers here are listed in alphabetical Devious, Magical
order. Vanzwink Arisen will only be
found in his Sanctum, but when you Damage Great fist 1d10+1 (reach, forceful)
need a random Danger, choose 1 from or searing blast 1d10+1 (reach, near,
the list below, roll 1d12, or make one up. ignores armor)
HP 20 Armor 4
1d12 Danger Special Qualities Sorcerer, blind, undead
1 -3 Alarm
4-6 Overseer (page 30) The eyeless skeleton of the Great Vanz-
7-10 Blight-Crawler wink, reanimated by his vengeful spirit,
11-12 Oil Slime (page 30) egomaniacal even after 150 years of
............................................................................................................. imprisonment in the Box of Bofurus.
Alarm Instinct To pick up where he left off
An iron boss, marked by an alarm sigil, U Lay the Raging Blight upon them
is set into the ceiling, anchoring a cop- U Open a gateway to Strange Stars
per wire that encircles the area. When U Consign them to the Void
anything other than an Overseer between the stars
crosses the copper wire, a high-pitched
whine issues forth and echo throughout Treasure 1d6 giant rings, Vanzwink’s
the Redoubt, alerting 1d4 nearby Over- Signet.
seers to the violation.
.............................................................................................................

Blight-crawler
Group, Stealthy
Damage Whiplike tendrils 1d8 (close,
reach, entangle)
HP 6 Armor 1
Special Qualities Blind, Blight carrier
The bizarre result of exposing local
insect life to the Raging Blight, this hal-
fling-sized horror resembles a grubby
carpet propelled along by twoscore legs,
probing its surroundings with a mass of
sensory tendrils.
Instinct To feast on the dead
U Transmit the Raging Blight
U Stick to them like glue
U Excrete paralyzing ichor
Treasure None.
 Eesha’s Gulf
by Adam Koebel . Illustrated by Laurel Lynn Leake

Background Getting there

............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Eesha Gallows-Lurker had a singular The entrance to the “dungeon” known

talent, of that there was no doubt. She as Eesha’s Gulf is obvious and known
was, bar none (save those long-dead to everyone. Her home, opulent and
magi who dwelled in empires ancient) beautiful, still stands in perfect condi-
the greatest fisher of souls this age has tion. It might be found in a cosmopoli-
known. Her skill at the fine craft of tan capital, a crumbling metropolis, or
the magic circle, her deep connection anywhere the rich might dwell. It might
to the spirits of the recently deceased, be guarded—blocked off by the local
and her empathy for every soul—living authorities to protect would-be trespass-
or dead—made her a seeress, a sum- ers. It might also be a “sacred” site if
moner and a friend to those bereaved. you want Eesha to have a posthumous
For three highly profitable years, Eesha fan club slash cult.
called ghosts up from Death’s dark
The dungeon itself is a loose connection
foyer before that entity took them
of nodes, a strung-together collection of
forever. We lost Eesha to a terrible mis-
rooms, halls, caverns and other imagery
take. Hubris led her down the path that
with neither rhyme nor reason. One
took her from us and created the bleak
trip into the Gulf might take you to the
not-quite-place known as Eesha’s Gulf.
Hall of Shards but you may never find
Using profits given over by weep- that place again, no matter how many
ing widows and money-hungry sib- times you return. Adventurers entering
lings desperate to glean the details of the Gulf always begin in that fune-
their parents’ hidden fortunes, Eesha real ritual chamber known as Eesha’s
conducted research into her powerful Circle, where the fatal ring was first
obsession. If one could conjure up a incribed upon the floor.
circle into which the land of the dead ----------------------------------------------------------------
might be projected, could one not, then, Questions
invert the abjuration? Could one not .............................................................................................................

conjure a circle by which the world’s U How do your people honour

rules might be contained—a platform their dead?
from which one could gaze out upon U What do you imagine awaits you
the bleak landscape where souls go to when you die?
await their judgement? Affix the circle U What do the gods think of those
to a device—staff, dagger, the bones of who go where they are not welcome?
a child perhaps—and carry it with you, U What personal superstitions do you
moving as though protected by a diving have about the dead?
bell? What could one see from such a U Who do you know has died? What
place? What could one discover? do you wish you could have said to
Eesha drew the circle, wrote the sac- them before they left this world?
rilegious lines and vanished forever, U What do you owe Death?
leaving only her pretty home and the U What treasure is Eesha’s manse
Gulf behind. alleged to hold?

42
----------------------------------------------------------------
When you exit the Gulf back into Ee-
Entrance & exits sha’s Circle, find a door to open and
.............................................................................................................
roll +WIS: on a 10+, you emerge from
One way in the Circle, all together and intact; on a
U A fine manor house in the city, 7-9, you leave something important be-
abandoned and forsaken, but which hind or bring something awful with you
cannot be torn down (ask the GM which); on a 6-, the door
When you step across the threshold of opens into another node—you’ll have to
Eesha’s manor house and into the Gulf, keep looking for a way out.
the GM will ask you something you When you exit the Gulf into any other
bring with you. Answer honestly. place, find a door to open and roll
.............................................................................................................
+WIS: on a 10+, choose two from the list
Infinite ways out below; on a 7-9, choose one.
Among them:
U You come out where you expected
U The Gates of Death’s Kingdom U You don’t leave anything important
U Just about any bleak place, if you’re behind
willing to walk the shadow long U You don’t bring anything awful
enough to get there through with you
On a 6-, the GM will tell you where you
emerge, and with what in tow.
43
 ----------------------------------------------------------------

Unique Areas (Nodes)

.............................................................................................................

When you need a unique area, choose

1 unmarked entry from this list. Then,
mark it off.
.............................................................................................................

o Eesha’s Circle
Every journey into the Gulf starts here,
and all the safe ones end here, too. This
is the first step in; a room of infinite
egress—all open windows, archways
The Gulf and doors, all potential in every shady
direction. On the floor, the chalky
----------------------------------------------------------------
circle and, on the shadow-side, one long
Impressions footstep dragged through its otherwise
perfect lines. You might, if you spent
.............................................................................................................

U The far-off sound of weeping some time searching, find clues as to

U A cold mist, crawling who Eesha was (or may still be if she’s
U Mirrors that reflect strange things, in these halls someplace); you might
or things from out-of-time find something to help you navigate this
U Funereal trappings of the varied place or its dangers. If a nasty spirit
peoples of the world were waiting to set an ambush, this is
U Images, statuary, paintings or the where they’d do it, too.
like of Eesha herself .............................................................................................................

U The sense that something is stalking o The Waiting Place

the nodes, always just one room Not all ghosts get to skip the queue like
behind you heroes recently deprived of their last
U Sudden unexpected bursts of ounce of strength. Not all dead get to
verdant space jump right up to Death’s doorstep and
U Spirits of the dead, wandering too, say, “You there, black-cloaked arbiter,
either oblivious or desperate give me a quest and pop me back into
U Hints at the edges of heaven, hell the world.” Mostly, after you die, there’s
or whatever place lies adjacent to the a lot of waiting: lines of souls crawl-
waiting-lands of the dead ing beyond the horizon; rooms full of
U Everywhere the presence of that shuffling ghosts. The great eternal wait
which the players brought with them before the next thing.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, wandering through Eesha’s
Common Areas Gulf will bring you to one of these wait-
.............................................................................................................
ing places, where ghosts (many, few, or
Between the unique nodes, Eesha’s Gulf
a single lonely soul) await their judg-
is full of places of connection—stair-
ment at the Black Gates.
cases, hallways, twisting passages, mis-
cellaneous tombs. Feel free to describe When you ask the dead for directions,
these as you like to connect the nodes. roll +nothing: on a 10+, they tell you,
They do not require any kind of con- best as they can, what’s back along this
sistency. A hallway might begin as the path they’ve followed; on a 7-9, they tell
dusty stone of a desert tomb and slowly you what’s back there, but they omit a
become a sodden barrow-cave dripping cost, a danger, or a tricky turn; on a 6-,
with mud and worms. Dust liberally they mislead you intentionally, and the
with ghosts. Get weird with it. GM will tell you what awaits.

44
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

o A Mourning Frenzy o Catacomb of Aetherlings

Powerful emotions carry over into the As with every ecosystem, the nodes of
lands of the dead. When we mourn, our Eesha’s Gulf have fauna. The aether-
feelings seep through the divide and feed lings have always been here and none of
the ghosts that dwell on the other side. the dead know where they came from,
In places where this is particularly con- even those closest to the Gate.
centrated, spirits of all kinds gather to
They take the shape of all sorts of lost
feast. Some intelligent, picking through
things: trinkets of sentimental value,
the feelings for the ones they like best;
words on the tip of your tongue, a feel-
others, too weak or too frenzied to care,
ing of déjà vu, a long-forgotten lover
gorging themselves on whatever leaks
from when you were still young and
through. Not a nice place for the living,
the world seemed kind. They’ll eat you
either way.
............................................................................................................. up in pieces as you travel, but if you’re
o The Sorrow Fens strong and hold them at bay, you might
A sticky floor, at first. Soggy carpet. find something in their twisting tunnels
Dewy dark grass ’round the ankles. that you didn’t expect. A souvenir, of
Then, slowly, more muck and mire. sorts.
.............................................................................................................
Add faerie candles in the distance and
o The Beautiful Lie
a cold breeze. Rain, seemingly from
Death’s neighbours are a billion little
nowhere. These places are where sorrow
semi-real places where He sorts the dead
and the bleakest feelings gather and
into lists and piles. Where the spirits of
coalesce. Where hope is dead and every
those who’ve accepted their fate—and
step weighs as much as a sword in your
those who’ve had no say in it—are fun-
heart. Crossing the Fens is a hellish
nelled into selected afterworlds.
ordeal, to be faced with forewarning
only by the bravest; but you get into it In places, a break occurs and an Adja-
so gradually that an escape from the cency can leak through, but in others,
muckiest middle is usually your only it’s not so much a crack as it is a slow
choice. No turning back, really. rubbing-away of the walls, a frictional
dissolution. So here, if you stare into the
When you Make Camp in the Sorrow
light (or smoke, or shadow, or blurring
Fens, you may spend 1 XP for a strange
cloud of sound) that emerges from the
dream: ask the GM any one question
other place, you might be able to make
about your situation and they’ll answer
a connection. To touch something truly
it honestly. They’ll also tell you some-
gone from this world. And if you reach
thing you’d rather not have learned.
out, you might be able to get ahold of it.
Such is the way of the Fens.
When you try to take something from the
other side, tell the GM what you want
and roll +CHA: on a 10+, you get it, and
it won’t last forever, but at least you
have it, here and now; on a 7-9, you get
something flawed or damaged—wheth-
er it was like that originally or ended up
that way thanks to all your pulling is
up to the GM; on a 6-, gods only know
what you’ve got on your hands.

45
---------------------------------------------------------------- .............................................................................................................

Discoveries A Cluster of Desperate Spirits

............................................................................................................. Horde, Stealthy, Organized
U “Tomb Treasures”
Damage Barrage of dour emotions 1d6
U “An Artifact of a Dead Empire”
(close, ignores armor)
U “A Message Left by Eesha”
HP 3 Armor 0
U “Something Crafted by The Dead”
Special Qualities Immaterial
U “A Feast Laid Out Just For You”
U “A Secret Taken to the Grave”
Where there’s one, there’s another.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Where there’s two, there’s ten. A
Dangers hundred then, before you can blink and
a sea of these displaced souls all gnash
.............................................................................................................

Death’s Stalking Hounds their teeth and moan and weep for all
Group, Small, Construct they’ve lost. They can smell the life
Damage Slavering jaws b[2d8] (close) on you. Lick the vapours of the living
HP 10 Armor 1 lands from your skin while they debase
Special Qualities Shadowmade themselves, desperate for a way back to
the sweet delicious warmth you carry
Where one might see a true hound, in your blood. Maybe if they ask again,
flanks dark and teeth sharp, another louder yet, maybe promises will encour-
might spy a hunting-hawk, circling age you to take them home with you. If
overhead. Whatever their shape, it not, a sharp knife of ghost-stuff slipped
comes from the beholder, not the behold- between your ribs might let all that
en beast itself. warmth out.
These are Death’s harrowing-crew, the Instinct To escape this horrible place
spirits bound by Death to stalk the af- U Clamour for aid or succor from
ter-lands looking for ghosts who might the living
have escaped the great queue that leads U Promise something that cannot
to their final rest. Such fugitive souls be delivered
find themselves stalked by the Hounds, U Draw attention to the flickering
to be carried back or torn apart, as heat of life
depends the ferocity of the creatures.
Instinct To hunt and capture
U Scent out an escaped soul
U Craft a direct way through
the maze
U Report back to Death’s
lieutenants

46
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

An Imperious Corpse An Adjacency

Solitary, Intelligent, Cautious, Hoarder, Group, Large, Devious, Intelligent,
Terrifying Planar, Construct, Terrifying
Damage Weapon of legendary Damage Chants, moans, admonish-
reputation 1d12+2 (1 piercing, close, ments b[2d6] (close, reach, near,
reach, forceful) ignores armor)
HP 16 Armor 4 HP 14 Armor 4
Special Qualities Countenance of darkness Special Qualities An incompatible
ontology, off-its-leash, it should
Some rare heroes (or villains) can, when
not be (not here, by the gods)
they die, achieve a sort of celebrity
in the badlands where the dead await What we believe will kill us. What we
their final reward. These folk carry believe will eat us alive and spit our
their body, or a form something like bones into the metaphorical dust, and in
it, into the darkness when they go, the land of the newly dead who knows
all the weight of legend and myth on what that might mean? Are these the
their backs. As you might imagine, beasts that took Eesha away from us?
this makes them cranky and expectant Do they come from Heaven? From Hell?
of a sort of respect when they’re ap- From some place stranger still, crafted
proached. Particularly, they desire the by the dream-prayers of entities that we
approval and memories of the living. cannot yet comprehend? What beauti-
ful crystalline structures make them
If you can recall (and recount in enter-
up, what brilliantly impossible angles.
taining fashion) the personal mythol-
ogy of an Imperious Corpse, you might Instinct to colonize the land of the dead
just be able to befriend one. Otherwise, with cosmic ideologies
expect to become another entry in their U Exude energies of another place
infamous list of victories. U Change a thought, just one,
for now
Instinct To demand respect and attention
U Know that which must not
U Block passage
be known
U Recount an ancient tale .............................................................................................................

U Demand respect An Old Foe, Dispatched Once and

Waiting for Vengeance
Who knows who we’ll run into down
here, among the dead.
.............................................................................................................

Death Himself
Some say Old Shadowguts walks the
halls of the Gulf, sometimes. Always
searching, gentle and enduring, but for
what? A rumour among the newly-dead
hints that He might have fallen for that
interloper, Eesha.
How fickle the heart. Even that which
does not beat.

47
 Raising Hell
Under the Holy Mountain by Claytonian . Illustrated by Claytonian

Author’s Note
-----------------------------------------------------
The chassis for this adventure
was developed while paying
heed to two primary sources:
the random dungeon generators
of The Perilous Wilds, which
gave me ideas and constraints to
work with; and Servants of the
Cinder Queen, an adventure by
Jason Lutes which showed me
how to structure those elements.
I’ve run the latter a few times,
and it opened my eyes to a great
approach to Dungeon World
adventure design.
Starting with this chassis, I ex-
panded, fleshed out, and changed
details to bring together quite the
interesting little module, if I do
say so myself. Remember, when-
ever you think of something even
more awesome than whatever
your random generation tool of
choice produces, go for it!
I left a few blanks for you to fill
in. You can alter things on the
fly. Be flexible. Ask your players
for ideas. Interpreting the dice
is an oracular feat. Two of the
greatest joys of being a game
judge are creating your own
worlds and discovering things at
the same time as the players. It’s
as true now as it was in 1974.
—Claytonian
Background
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the beginning, the Great Beings
formed the Cosmos, and at once a
struggle for control broke out among
them. On one side were the gods and
their angelic servants, the Helioids;
opposing them was an alliance of
giants, titans, and ashuras. Countless
gigantomachies would rage across
existence, but for most of the world’s
history, the conflict lay dormant.
During this Age of Peace, the Helioids
determined to make a home as splendid
as themselves, and so carved out the
interior of a mighty mountain, therein
to construct a great pyramid. This
pyramid served as their abode and as
edification to the might of the gods.
Over the ensuing years, countless
pilgrims flocked to the site from the
four corners of the world.
But the Golden Age was brought to
an end by the Uncreated, who led a
force of demons and monsters to besiege
the Holy Mountain. The Helioids
withstood and beat them back, but just
barely. The most loathsome among
this unclean host could not be destroyed
outright, and so were captured and
imprisoned within certain repurposed
areas of the pyramid.
Repairs upon the damaged structure
were undertaken, but its splendor and
reputation would never be recaptured.
Many among the resident clergy went
mad, became possessed, or both. It
was said that the home of the angels

48

was forever cursed by its defilement.
All resources were exhausted. Slowly,
steadily, pilgrimages to the pyramid
declined, until even the few remaining
Helioids and saints forsook the place.
The last of the devout cleared out some
years ago, leaving the manifold wonders
of the mountain to fade into obscure
legend. Creatures from outside found
their way in past once-impenetrable
barriers, and now two factions—the
Hobs and the Snail-Men—vie for
territory. Other beings and monsters
have taken up residence in the pyramid
as well. Those who venture within will
soon realize that they are not alone.
The Holy Mountain
in your campaign
----------------------------------------------------------------
An entrance to the mountain’s interior
could be stumbled upon during regular
overland explorations. Or an entrance
can be an already known location.
The Holy Mountain can be just about
anywhere, but it will probably work
best in a rustic or forgotten part of
the world, where one or two villages
are all that remains from a time when
mercantile and pilgrimage routes
converged on the area.
There should be plenty of half-buried
ruins, skeletal remains of once-great
structures testifying to the majesty and
prosperity of the distant past. Perhaps
strange local customs originated in
those times; villagers might even
maintain shrines to the forgotten gods,
to the Helioids, or to the famed saints
of the old faith.
The characters might take note of these
and other signs of an ancient mystery.
In any case, if and when they start
to ask around, those who live in the
vicinity will be happy to tell them about
the Pyramidal Gate.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Questions
.............................................................................................................
If the PCs are locals (or if this is an
introductory adventure or one-shot),
they may already know something
about the Holy Mountain. Ask
some or all of the questions below to
generate interesting details. Give them
opportunities to prove their answers
true or false, especially if they allow
you to put a twist on things.
.............................................................................................................
For a Fighter, Bard, or historian:
U What happened during the final
battle between those who dwelt in
the Holy Mountain and those who
laid siege to it? What songs are sung
of this event?
.............................................................................................................
For a Cleric or devout character:
U What blessed relic or site do you
believe to lie within the bowels of the
Holy Mountain?
.............................................................................................................
For a Barbarian or refugee:
U Who were the people who once
hunted and subjugated your own
ancestors, under a banner of faith?
What did that banner look like?
.............................................................................................................
For a Thief or treasure hunter:
U What treasure did a drunken
companion tell you was left behind
when this place was forsaken?
.............................................................................................................
For a Ranger or Druid:
U What is worshiped at a humble
shrine at the Mountain’s summit?
.............................................................................................................
For a cultist or agent:
U What in the area around the Holy
Mountain is of vital interest to your
organization?
.............................................................................................................
For a Wizard, dwarf, or architect:
U It is said that a great pyramid was
built long ago within the Mountain.
What does this shape signify?
49
 The Pyramid
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Various natural caves on the slopes of the Holy Mountain may connect to the Great
Cavern, but the most obvious way in is by way of the Pyramidal Gate, a well-
known landmark.

Pyramidal Gate Great Cavern

................................................................................... ...................................................................................

Details Details
A small, pyramid-shaped structure The Holy Mountain was hollowed out
in the wilderness. A doorway in this by inconceivabe means in order to house
weathered stone structure opens into a the massive Pyramid of the Helioids,
tunnel, which leads under the earth for the terraced surface of which—
some distance to join the Great Cavern illuminated by a dim silver light that is
that holds the Pyramid. the last trace of a faded enchantment—
.............................................................................................................
is an awesome sight to behold. One can
Connections only imagine the splendor and spectacle
U Wilderness, all around of the Golden Age, when the interior
U Tunnel to the Great Cavern must have bustled with throngs of
reverential visitors.
.............................................................................................................

Impressions
U Numerous stone watering troughs
U Clumps of petrified dung
U Knee-high obelisks, marked with
sigils of warding
.............................................................................................................

Connections
U Tunnel to the Pyramidal Gate
U Portal in the Pyramid face, leading
to the Fonts of Purification
50
 Fonts of Purification
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details GM Moves
This area was for pilgrims to wash off U A tapping code through the ancient
the dust of the road and their sins alike. pipes, deciphered as “Help me”
.............................................................................................................
U 2 Snail-Men slither around a corner
Impressions U A Tublicker sidles up to someone
U Smell of sulphur U A Slither of Slimes drips from the
U Sound of dripping ceiling
U Pale lichen, covering everything .............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
PC Moves
Discoveries When you immerse your weapon in
U A fountain, spigot, or font that still a blessing basin, pray to the powers
gurgles out a small stream of water that be and roll +CHA: on a 10+, your
U Slimy tracks, leading into a small weapon is blessed for this adventure—
tunnel dug into the wall or ground when you wield it within the Holy
U A font of a size and ornamentation Mountain, you take +1 ongoing to Hack
suggesting it was for blessing babies and Slash against enemies of the gods,
U A font broken in twain and covered and your damage die is increased by 1
by claw marks size; on a 7-9, the GM chooses one or
U A dry basin with the inscription the other.
Bless Here Thy Tools (see PC Moves)
.............................................................................................................

Connections
U Bare, high-ceilinged halls leading to
The Chambers of Sacrifice
(page 52)
U Stairs of Contemplation (page 53),
leading hither and thither
U Hidden drain pipe (only large enough
for a halfling to climb down) leading
to The Underworld (page 60)

51
 Chambers of Sacrifice
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details PC Moves
Worshipers once brought their best When you slaughter a good animal here
calves, kid goats, and geldings to these and offer it to the gods for the first time,
rooms, in order to slaughter and burn roll +CHA: on a 10+, the Helioids smile
them in offering to the forgotten gods. on you and give you +2 to your primary
.............................................................................................................
ability score for this adventure; on a 7-9,
Impressions the Helioids charge you with stopping
U Sense of abandonment the Snail-Men from weakening the
U Domed ceilings, soot-stained and Underworld seals, and deign to answer
broken by square chimney-holes 3 questions about the Holy Mountain
U Smell of copper (ask them now); on a 6-, Mark XP, and
.............................................................................................................

Discoveries feel the distinct impression that you’re a

U An area of large, blackened stone trespasser in a sacred space before the
pots, where incense was burned GM makes a move.
.............................................................................................................
U Rusty instruments of slaughter GM Moves
U A pile of broken prayer-plaques, U Pious party members feel a sense of
engraved with wishes for the sick loss or resentment
and the dead U Sense of being watched
U Battle-scarred stone floor and walls U Sound of phlegmatic breathing
U An area sealed off by rubble from a U Spectral chattel herded past by a
massive ceiling collapse ghostly figure
U Hob spoor (tracks, fetishes, etc.) U A wailing specter appears
.............................................................................................................

Connections U Party member is taken by sudden

U Ornate archways framing Stairs of urge to place their head in a
Contemplation (page 53) slaughter notch, whereupon a
U Bare, high-ceilinged halls leading to phantom in holy garb drags a
the Fonts of Purification (page 51) ceremonial knife across their neck.
............................................................................................................. Psyche! It was just a disturbing
Lore to be Spouted vision, but they become shaky
U The finest newborn animals of each U 1d6 Hobs appear
year were brought here as offerings U An Angelic Corpse, radiating
U Burning slaughtered offerings and righteous fury, corporates and
incense was said to bring good luck attacks
U This place was destroyed during the U A Relief-Snake hanging out on
siege of the Pyramid, but most of it a wall makes a sneak attack
was later rebuilt U Ceiling collapses for 2d6 damage

52
Stairs of
Contemplation
-----------------------------------------------
Details
Stairways of varying widths and
lengths, connecting different parts of
the Pyramid.
.............................................................................................................

Impressions
U Quietude
U Steps worn low by millions of feet ..............................
U Broken ceiling tiles underfoot PC Moves
U Faded murals of pilgrims and saints When you break
U Sense of non-Euclidean architecture a sweat ascending
U Tunnel vision a Stair of Contemplation,
.............................................................................................................

Discoveries the imagery of the passing

U A koan, carved in a dead language murals conspires with your
U The remains of a Relief-Snake physical exertion to create a sense of
U Graffiti (Kilroy wuz here) euphoria, followed by a deep empathy
U Blood stains, signs of battle (from for the struggles of the saints. Perhaps
recent inter-faction conflict) transcendence awaits at the top.
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................

Connections GM Moves
U Down to Fonts of Purification U A pilgrim brusquely brushes past
(page 51) and Chambers of Sacrifice (it’s actually a ghost)
(page 52) U They enter a non-Euclidean zone
U Up to Refectory & Kitchens which may take days to traverse
(page 54) U Stairs turn into a slide
U From Refectory & Kitchens U Weakest party member becomes
(page 54) to Chambers of Adulation exhausted, weak and/or shaky
(page 55), Dormitories (page 56) U Hobs push a gigantic stone head
U The Mystical Maze, at the top of down the stairs from above
the longest Stair (page 58)

53
 Refectory & Kitchens
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details Connections
These rooms were equipped to deal with U Stairs of Contemplation (page 53),
hundreds of diners. Perishable foods leading up and down
are long since gone, but some preserved U The Freight Elevator (page 57)
stores remain, to be fought over by the U Chimneys, large enough for a child
resident factions. or halfling to climb, venting
.............................................................................................................
eventually into the Great Cavern
Impressions (page 50)
U Sooty firepits, iron spits .............................................................................................................

U Petrified wooden trestle tables GM Moves

U Broad countertops, scarred with use, U A dumbwaiter activates, bringing up
warped by age and moisture an illusory severed head that forces
U Shattered barrels, scraps of sackcloth a test of sanity
.............................................................................................................
U A high shelf topples onto them
Discoveries U A barrel rolls out of nowhere to
U Tracks of Hobs and Snail-Men knock them down like ninepins
U Signs of a fracas over foodstuffs U A poltergeist hurls sharp objects
U Vestments under a dining table U 1d6 Hobs initiate combat by pelting
U Prayers carved into benches, tables the party with jars of spoiled pickles
U A granary, long emptied U The God of the Hearth takes
U Carcass of a Snail-Man, carved up umbrage at the intrusion and sets all
like a holiday goose firepits alight, turning the entire
U Locked larder holding shelves of area into an unbearably hot sauna
sealed glass and ceramic jars
U Ancient can of stinky fish (contents
under pressure)

54
 Chambers of Adulation
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details PC Moves
These rooms were once occupied by a When you play a stone organ, roll +INT:
chorus singers and organists, whose on a 10+, you manage a few soothing
holy music vibrated in perfect resonance notes—everyone heals all debilities,
throughout the entire Pyramid. The and insane characters gain sobriety
music’s secret potential function as a and levity for 1 hour; on a 7-9,
self-destruct device was never revealed. everyone heals 1 hit point; on 6-, a
.............................................................................................................
strange vibration is felt everywhere in
Impressions concordance with a sour note, and a
U Stone organs of ancient construction curtain of dust falls from above.
U Melted stubs of a thousand candles
U Whistling of a distant wind, as if In this last case, the PCs have found the
through a canyon Pyramid’s resonating frequency (don’t
U Ambient lilting music, barely audible tell them this). If they try to play the
.............................................................................................................
same notes again, the vibration recurs,
Discoveries and the structure begins to destabilize,
U Crank for automatic organ operation with visible cracks appearing in the
U Strange receptacle in the face of an walls, ceiling, and floor. If they persist
organ (for holding a wax cassette) in their playing, conditions will worsen
U Wax organ cassette of demon- until the Pyramid collapses. Rocks fall,
warding music, effective only if the everyone dies. And then they wake up
organ is cranked at top speed in Limbo, faced by angry Helioids with
U Hymnal of lamentations in a dead, a job in need of doing...
ecclesiastical language .............................................................................................................

U General Ardur’s Book of Corporeal GM Moves

Chants and War Ditties U Rubble falls on an organ, triggering
U A small, sylph-themed altar a sudden, deafening note
U A folio of the Song of Perdition U A vision of supernatural beings
............................................................................................................. flashes through the area
Connections U A deafening cacophony threatens to
U Ornate archways framing Stairs of collapse the room
Contemplation (page 53) U A slew of Tube-Crawlers bursts
U Organ-pipes of varying widths, from multiple organ-pipes at once
extending throughout the Pyramid

55
 Dormitories
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details Connections
Once the quarters for resident and U Stairs of Contemplation (page 53),
itinerant monks, clergy, pilgrims, leading up and down
dignitaries, and saints, the cells of this U The Freight Elevator (page 57)
labyrinthine area were (and in some U Halls to Refectory & Kitchens
cases remain) sealed by means mundane (page 54)
and magical, in order to contain demons .............................................................................................................

and other damnable entitites captured GM Moves

during the Siege of the Uncreated. U A fight between Hobs and Snail-
Later, the Hobs claimed the Dormitories Men breaks out within earshot
as their territory. U Sanctified silver nails in boards used
............................................................................................................. to seal a door begin to withdraw and
Impressions plink to the floor
U Faint sound of weeping U Someone feels compelled to release
U Rattling of doors and chains an inmate
U Preternatural cold U A ghostly priestess appears behind
.............................................................................................................
them, uttering “All is lost” before
Discoveries fading from sight
U Many doors locked, cells sealed U Someone becomes possessed and
U A skeleton in meditative posture, attacks their comrades
draped in the robes of a monk U A demon, horror, or possessed one is
U Bedding, tracks, odor of Hobs released (go with Legion first)
U A cell door, busted outward U A squad of Lawoids appears to
U Holy words and aphorisms, painted arrest the party for its recklessness,
with obvious haste citing a number of stuffy charges
U A Hob hiding-place, from which U A group of Masochoids arrives to
they shout unintellible warnings release the forgotten evils held here
U Roster of inmates, in the Bishop’s
quarters
U Spatter of glowing ichor (angel or
demon blood?)
U A loose brick, concealing treasure
U The Book of Effulgent Deeds

56
 Freight Elevator
----------------------------------------------------------------
Details
A common connector between many
areas within the Holy Mountain, this
conveyance is a stone room large enough
to hold a horse-drawn wagon, and able
to whisk its contents noisily hither and
thither throughout the Pyramid via a
network of shafts. The Elevator will
be present at a given stop on a roll of 1
on 1d6; when it’s not present, the party
will find themselves peering through
a rectangular portal into yawning
blackness.
A Psionic Key, specimens of which
may be found secreted or carelessly
dropped in various places, is necessary
to summon and operate the Elevator.
...................................................................................

Impressions
U Utter stillness when at rest
U Starts and stops with a sickening lurch
U Scraping and grinding noise when in
motion sets teeth on edge
...................................................................................

Discoveries
U Centuries of accreted tally-marks
and inventory notes scribbled on
the walls
U The silver glitter of a Psionic Key,
lying in the dust nearby
...................................................................................

Connections
U Refectories & Kitchens (page 54)
U Dormitories (page 56)
U Mystical Maze (page 58)

57
 Mystical Maze
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details PC Moves
Trial, transcendence, and treasury all in When you try to find your way through
one. Not subject the laws of reality. the Maze, Roll +WIS, +1 if you carry
.............................................................................................................
a Psionic Key engraved with a maze-
Impressions like pattern: on a 10+, you find the
U Cool, dry, confusing Holy of Holies (see next page) or a
U Cyclopean stonework small treasure cache (GM decides); on
.............................................................................................................

Discoveries a 7-9, you become lost, but discover a

U Rare minerals woven in precise, clue (mural, sculpture, etc.) about the
mystical configurations history of the Pyramid.
.............................................................................................................
U Dimensional fold connecting to the GM Moves
Holy of Holies U A strange piping is heard
.............................................................................................................

Connections U They find their own long-dead

U The longest Stair of Contemplation remains! All their own stuff is
(page 53), leading down there—save food and water—but all
U The Freight Elevator (page 57) enchantments have faded
U Dimensional fold at Maze’s heart U Impossibly, they emerge at the
leads to the Holy of Holies (page 59) Fonts of Purification (page 51) or
............................................................................................................. the Underworld (page 60)
Lore to be Spouted U Vise-like walls converge to crush
U Scripture claims that the most U They discover they’re wandering
sacred place of the Helioids was through one of their own minds,
contained in a labyrinth such as this peopled by fears that must be fought
U The Mino-Mist rolls in

58
 Holy of Holies
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details Connections
If the party materializes in this U Dimensional fold connecting to the
small room, all corrupted (possessed, Mystical Maze (page 58)
demonic, Chaotic) party members will .............................................................................................................

be left behind. This room is where the PC Moves

high priests of the Pyramid conversed When you kneel at the Dragon Shrine
with ineffable beings, gods, and angels, and ask a question of any Lawful god to
kneeling before the Dragon Shrine. whom you were once or are now faithful,
............................................................................................................. you will receive an answer, but any
Impressions question beyond the first goes unheard.
U Pristine, white, sense of gravitas .............................................................................................................

U Relaxing, ambient light GM Moves

U Alabaster reliefs of prophets, saints U Someone is struck by a feeling of
............................................................................................................. unworthiness, and becomes shaky
Discoveries U The Dragon Shrine sheds a wrathful
U An oblong glass dome on a pedestal, light that pierces souls and humbles
draped in white silk and containing all onlookers
the Head of Heliotro U The Dragon animates and grows to
U The Dragon Shrine, waist-high and gigantic size as the room transforms
carved in the shape of its namesake into a heavenly skyscape where the
U The top of the Dragon Shrine is a PCs can fly; of course the dragon is
lid, which when removed reveals spoiling for an epic battle
valuable scrolls of holy scripture
U The interior of the Dragon Shrine
has a false bottom which conceals
the Tablets of Reality

59
 The Underworld
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details Connections
The Underworld, stretching into the U The Freight Elevator (page 57)
depths beneath the Pyramid, has had a U Sealed door to The Vault (page 61)
number of different functions: salt mine, ...................................................................................

sewer outlet, prison, oubliette. Many GM Moves

horrors wander its twisting tunnels, but U They realize they’re lost
all cower in fear before the Holy Beast U They realize they’re being followed
That Lurks Below. The wrath of the U The roar of the Beast reverberates
gods incarnate, the Beast was created U A parade of forsaken souls
to keep prisoners in and interlopers out. (Unrestful Spirits) drifts by
Thanks to their psionic contrivances, U Someone slips in snail slime and
the Snail-Men are invisible to it. takes a tumble down a slide
............................................................................................................. U The Holy Beast That Lurks
Impressions Below appears and attacks
U Terrible cold, sound of dripping U An ashura, titan, or giant appears,
U Rumbles, near and distant, evoking looking to pull off a jailbreak
a fury, barely restrained U Someone becomes entranced
U Suffused in a sense of hopelessness by whispers in the dark and heads
.............................................................................................................
towards the Vault
Discoveries
U Shiny trails of dried slime
U Tunnel walls scraped by the passage
of something that filled it to capacity
U Smell like dirt mixed with dead flesh
U A prison cell, hastily excavated and
sealed for all time; demonic curses,
cries, exhortations from within
U The Sword of Aelphron, frozen
in ice

60
 The Vault
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details PC Moves
The Uncreated sought out this place When you attempt to undo the Supernal
during the Siege, because It knew Seal, Defy Danger using the ability
certain powerful relics might be stored most relevant to your method: on a 10+,
here. The Helioids managed to trap the painted words covering the door
and entomb It within, marking the dissolve, and the door falls to dust; on
turning point in the battle. After the a 7-9, the Seal issues a burst of light
Pyramid was abandoned and the Snail- that completely blinds you or your allies
Men moved in, the Uncreated used (your choice), and the Vault door cracks
Its infernal influence to force their rapid down the middle; you might gain entry
evolution. It hopes that their increased with further effort.
intelligence can be bent to the task of .............................................................................................................

finally releasing It from Its prison. GM Moves

............................................................................................................. U The Uncreated senses opportunity
Impressions and reaches out to control you, the
U Walls densely covered in the holy GM, forcing you to mislead your
words that comprise a Supernal players by asking, “So, how do you
Seal, hastily painted want to go about breaking in to get
U Sealing-papers, curled like dried to the treasure?” You’ll only be able
bark and littering the floor to admit the truth after the game
U Feeling of being watched session is over
.............................................................................................................
U The Uncreated ensorcels one of
Discoveries them into doing Its bidding,
U Chalice of the Ebon Bishop imparting the knowledge necessary
U Shroud of Harmian to safely break the Supernal Seal
U Bones of the Laughing Saint U The Uncreated telepathically
.............................................................................................................

Connections communicates to them in a robotic

U The Underworld (page 60) voice: “Hello. Is. Someone. There.
I. Have. Been. Here. So. Long.
Batteries. Drained. Cannot. Move.”
and so on. The Uncreated has
detected that this might work to
confuse the entities linked to the
interlopers’ souls (i.e., the players)
61
 Conclusion
-----------------------------------------------------
If the party breaks the Supernal
Seal, inadvertently or by choice,
the Uncreated will take out
Its pent-up rage on anyone that
tries to prevent It from escaping,
swatting away obstacles like flies,
but paying no heed to anyone
who cowers in fear. If the Holy
Beast That Lurks Below is still
alive, it might show up in time to
distract the Uncreated and give
the party enough time to make
a run for the Freight Elevator
before the Underworld collapses
from the stresses of battle.
If the party finds the Vault, but
does not release its prisoner, you
may opt to make a new Front:
the Uncreated will exploit
the thread of connection to the
outside world represented by the
party to spread its influence like
a virus, awakening external evils
and bending them toward the
breaking of the Supernal Seal.
If the party returns to civilization
with treasures from the Pyramid
in tow, it may be difficult to find
a buyer anywhere outside of a
thriving trade center, but each
treasure can be bartered away
for 1d4x100 gold worth of goods
or carousing capital.

62
 Monsters
These denizens of the Pyramid are listed in alphabetical order. Some of the tags
employed are new; decide what they mean for yourself.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angelic Corpse Hob
Solitary, Planar, Stealthy, Undead, Group, Devious, Organized, Intelligent,
Smoldering, Sadistic Slippery
Damage Flame sword, claws 1d10 (close) Damage Shiv 1d6 (1 piercing, hand)
HP 12 Armor 1 HP 5 Armor 1
Special Qualities Immune to mundane Special Qualities None
damage
Hobs descend from a servile species that
Righteous fury keeps the remains of attended to the clergy and maintained
this once-heavenly being animated and the facilities of the Pyramid. Without
angry, stalking the Pyramid between overseers, they’ve turned feral, and now
worlds, shifting into existence to strike vie with the Snail-Men for territory
as if at random. and resources. 1 out of every 6 Hobs
will be a Hob Elder.
Instinct To feed its rage
U Heart Grip: squeeze a heart with Instinct To stab and run
telekinesis U Slip through a crack
U Rage Chain: impart the urge to U Feint to make them maneuver
assault an ally, who in turn will imprecisely
feel the urge U Lead them into each other
U Wrathfire: set them burning with U Jump on their weapon and hold
otherworldly flame on for dear life
.............................................................................................................
U Leap on face, then tumble away
Helioid .............................................................................................................

Solitary, Divine, Organized, Intelligent Hob, Elder

Leader, Devious, Intelligent, Organized,
Damage Flaming sword 1d10+2 (close)
Slippery, Artful
HP 14 Armor 3
Special Qualities Flying Damage Illusory manifestation 1d8
(ignores armor, close, reach, near)
Helioids all but abandoned the mundane
HP 7 Armor 2
plane after the Siege of the Uncreated,
Special Qualities Illusionist
but the Pyramid still resonates in their
hearts, and anything that distrubs it Elder hobs have a bit of that old fey
overmuch may draw their attention. magic in their veins. They like to trick
foes who consider themselves smart.
Instinct To illuminate and punish
U Blind them with righteousness Instinct To befuddle and englamer
U Wrack their souls with guilt U Slip through a crack
U Soul Trial: confront them in a U Trick them into fighting
moment between moments and each other
force them to justify their exis- U Summon an illusory monster
tence or be erased from reality U Create an illusory pit trap
U Nova Blade: melt a face with an U Was a bundle of sticks all along!
anime blast from flaming sword

64
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Lawoid Lurking Demons and Devils

Group, Organized, Intelligent, Planar Group, Organized, Intelligent, Infernal,
Poetic
Damage Khopesh 1d8 (close)
HP 6 Armor 2 Damage Claws or hell hooks 1d8
Special Qualities Immune to holy power (1 piercing, close)
HP 6 Armor 2 (5 vs. fire/cold)
Typically—and always in squads of
Special Qualities Psionic, vulnerable to
four—Lawoids roam the upper planes
holy power
of existence, looking for entropy in need
of correction. But sometimes they slum Foul creatures—comprising the rank
around in the lower realities, spoiling and file of the Uncreated’s army of
for a fight. darkness—which might be encountered
imprisoned in the Dormitories,
Instinct To create and maintain order
stalking the Underworld, or testing
U Law Field: paralyze culprits in a
the defenses of the Pyramid in these
zone of pure law
latter days. Despite appearances, they
U Energy Shackle: detain them in
are unfailingly polite, and speak in
snaking bonds of white light
rhyming quatrains (if that’s within the
U Goodoid, Badoid: Extract a
GM’s skillset).
confession from the unwilling
.............................................................................................................
Instinct To evoke sweet lamentations
Legion, the Cursed U Flay exposed skin
Solitary, Genius, Possessed, Insane U Afflict with tumorous growth
Damage Biting limb 1d10 (close, reach) U Twist limbs with telekinesis
HP 12 Armor 2 U Eat the fallen
Special Qualities Vulnerable to U Call forth chains of hellfire
area effects
Legion predates the Siege of the
Uncreated by hundreds of years.
However, its whispered blasphemies
played a key role in weakening the
Pyramid’s defenses. An amalgam of
several dozen demons possessing one
body, its humanity was given up for lost
by clerical experts long ago. Indeed,
Legion is the barest semblance of a
humanoid, let alone a human; it appears
as a seething mass of dozens of faces,
held together by cilia-like tendrils.
Instinct To corrupt, invade, consume
U Seethe and swallow an attacking
or off-balance foe
U Corrupt their flesh with a touch
U Gift them a demonic face
somewhere on their body
U Try their sanity by revealing a
child’s face that pleads for mercy

65
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Masochoids Mino-Mist
Group (3, 5, or 7), Terrifying, Chaotic, Solitary, Large, Slow, Amorphous,
Sadistic, Masochistic, Blasphemous Incorporeal
Damage Glob of cancerous, thorny flesh Damage Caustic touch 1 (hand,
1d8 (close, reach, near, disgusting) ignores armor)
HP 5 Armor 0 HP 20 Armor 0
Special Qualities Regenerating Special Qualities Vulnerable to
explosions and electricity
Birthed from horrid sins and bubbled
up into the mundane world from the A living miasma of white mist that
Seven Hells, these vile aberrations band smells of bull-sweat. It eats away at
together to disorganize. Oblong in form flesh and mind alike, but spares those
with several limbs, faces dominating who sing or hum holy songs found
their midsections. They constantly drip elsewhere in the Pyramid.
smelly caustic globs of flesh, and their
Instinct To envelop, confuse, consume
indeterminate internal organs makes
U Reduce visibility like thick fog
them extremely resistant to damage.
U Separate them
Instinct To corrupt, destroy, savor pain U Reveal a bull-like shadow
U Cause insanity with ceaseless, U Afflict all who have suffered
chaotic gibbering from its caustic touch by reduc-
U Adhere to them or their things ing each of their Constitution
like hot glue and Intelligence scores by 1
U Utter a blasphemy that fills them U Teleport them to a private maze
with fear or rage .............................................................................................................

U Thank them for damage, then Head of Heliotro

squeeze own wound to blind Solitary, Intelligent, Divine,
them with a jet of foul ichor Authoritative

When you strike a Masochoid with a Damage Mincing glance 2 (reach,

mundane weapon, roll 1d6 along with ignores armor)
your damage die: if you roll doubles, HP 10 Armor 4
the Masochoid melts into a puddle of Special Qualities Hovering
vomit. If you don’t roll doubles and your Heliotro was once a luminous being,
damage roll is higher than the thing’s charged with creating music to
HP, you kill it outright; otherwise, it praise the works of the gods. During
regenerates immediately to its full HP. the attack on the Pyramid, he was
beheaded, but not destroyed. His head
remains haughty, but one clever enough
to placate it might learn the dulcet tones
necessary to calm the Holy Beast That
Lurks Below.
Instinct To order around lesser beings
U Teleport from here to there
U Upbraid or remonstrate them
U Compel them to stand still and
sing adulations to the gods
U Make them doubt themselves
U Force one to attack another

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............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Holy Beast That Lurks Below A Slither of Slimes

Solitary, Large, Magical, Inexorable Horde, Small, Amorphous, Stealthy
Damage Fists of stone 1d10+1 (reach, Damage Acerbic touch 1d6 (hand)
forceful, messy) HP 3 Armor 0
HP 16 Armor 4 Special Qualities Mindless, blind
Special Qualities Immune to mundane
A herd of small, disk-shaped slimes
damage
composed of a caustic substance.
De facto jailer for those imprisoned in Anatomically, they are rather like
the Underworld, the Beast will attack jellyfish, but can propel themselves on
anyone unable to soothe its ancient both land and water. They can sense
rancor (see the Head of Heliotro, organic matter in proximity, and will
above). The Snail-Men Psychers attack it mindlessly.
that share its territory avoid its wrath
Instinct To break down life
by using their psionic powers to
U Drop onto them from above
camouflage themselves and their kin.
U Spring from the floor to
Instinct To SMASH! someone’s face
U Pick them up and hurl them, into U Dissolve organic matter
each other, into stalagmites U Sting an extremity with a pain
U Scrape the ceiling, causing a like a thousand knives
localized cave-in .............................................................................................................

U Excecute a suplex Snail-Man

............................................................................................................. Group, Organized, Slimy, Spooky
Relief Snake
Damage Polearm 1d6 (reach) or
Solitary, Stealthy, Devious, Magical
ragged bow 1d6 (near, far)
Damage Constriction 1d10+1 (hand) HP 4 Armor 1
HP 12 Armor 2 Special Qualities None
Special Qualities Stone
Snail-Men emerged from the depths of
A lithomorphic life form that resembles the earth beneath the Holy Mountain
a bas-relief snake or other sinuous some time ago, and since entering the
design element. A Relief Snake is able Pyramid have started to encroach upon
to hibernate for years before sensing the the territory of the Hobs, inciting occa-
life force of passing prey, at which point sional skirmishes. Of late, strange radi-
it awakens to stalk at a distance and ations from the Uncreated have begun
watch for a chance to strike. enhancing the brains of the Snail-Men,
to the point where some are capable
Instinct To sleep and seek sustenance
of performing the rituals necessary to
U Entangle or trip them up
break the Vault’s Supernal Seal. These
U Hurl entangled foe
most evolved of the molluskoids, about 1
U Constrict until prey blacks out
in 4, have become Psychers.
U Bite unconscious victim, injecting
magical venom that converts Instinct To acquire and defend turf
protein to carbon crystals U Get sticky on them
U Consume carbon crystals to heal U Wrench something from them
1d8 HP U Spit slime into their eyes
U Retreat into shell (+2 armor,
regenerate 1d4 HP)

67
 .................................................................

Tube Crawler
Horde, Small
Damage Bore into flesh
1d4 (hand)
HP 1 Armor 0
Special Qualities Blind
How they came to be
in the Pyramid is a
mystery, while their
presence is a horror.
Moving by way of
pneumatic propulsion,
they are attracted to
warmth and bore into
soft things in search of
the pulse of life.
.............................................................................................................
Instinct To seek heat and rocket about
Snail-Man Psycher
U Bore into exposed flesh
Leader, Intelligent, Devious, Organized,
U Bore deeper, in search of pulse
Slimy, Spooky
U Bore into their heart
Damage Polearm 1d8 (reach) U Release air, causing an embolism
HP 6 Armor 1 .............................................................................................................

Special Qualities Psionic Tub-Licker

Solitary, Gross
A molluskoid distinguished from its kin
by an enlarged, visibly pulsing brain, Damage Tongue-lash 1d10 (close, reach)
the source of surprising intelligence and HP 12 Armor 0
psionic powers. Unfortunately, with Special Qualities Disease-ridden
greater cognizance comes recognition A spirit of perversion which revels in
of the futility of existence without the revolting more refined lifeforms. Unable
aid of a greater power, which some to communicate even with each other,
Psychers take as motivation to release and possessing only the basest instincts.
the Uncreated.
Instinct To gross out onlookers
Instinct To improve their lowly lot U Use long tongue to diddle with its
U Get sticky on them own wounds (the deeper the
U Wrench something from them gash, the better)
U Spit slime into their eyes U Shove tongue into someone’s ear
U Retreat into shell (+2 armor, U Give someone’s eyeball a
regenerate 1d4 HP) burning, blinding lick
U Create an invisible barrier via
aerokinesis When you say “Ew!” or “Grody!”or
U Throw enshelled Snail-Man at something similar, the Licker ejaculates
them with telekinesis an independent, squirming tongue from
U Challenge their self-control via an orifice. Each such tongue-worm has
psychokinesis 1 HP and its own set of moves:
U Stuff self down someone’s throat
U Make them sick with a touch
U Impart a leprous malady
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............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

The Uncreated Unrestful Spirits

Solitary, Genius, Devious, Planar, Horde, Incorporeal, Undead, Cold
Commanding
Damage Cold touch 1d4 (1 piercing, hand)
Damage Finger-beam of uncreation 3d6 HP 3 Armor 0
(2 piercing, close, reach, near) Special Qualities Floating
HP 20 Armor 3
A river of souls that flow through
Special Qualities Psionic, immune to
the underworld, numbering in the
mind control
hundreds, their fate only to be guessed
The Uncreated maintains that It is, was, at by theologians. They will ignore
and will always be; that It is ineffable, anyone wise enough to not draw their
inexorable; that Its current reality is a attention. They are so numerous that
fool’s dream begging for destruction. any force opposing them will eventually
It is aware of you and your players, and have no choice but to retreat or submit
will seek to manipulate even you, Its to the current.
alleged “Master,” in order to carry out
Instinct To steal warmth from the living
Its plans to annihilate the the Wheel of
U Draw them into the current
Karma that constitutes the multiverse.
U Cover metal in a patina of frost
The Helioids consider It a sort of U Drain warmth from a
demiurge, believing It brought order living thing
to the Cosmos to pave the way for the U Carry them away
higher powers. Tragically, according .............................................................................................................

to the histories of the angels, the Wailing Specter

Uncreated went mad with jealousy, Solitary, Incorporeal, Bloody, Loud
and sought to bring them down by Damage Wail 1d4 (1 piercing, close,
conquering the Pyramid. reach, near, area effect, stunning) or
Instinct To control everything scream 1d6 (2 piercing, close,
U Call them star-excrement reach, near, stunning)
(technically true, since people are HP 7 Armor 0
made of stars) Special Qualities Floating
U Acquire the Tablets of Reality
U Create a simulacrum of one of A spirit of pain, taking the form of a
them and cause it to attack maw surrounded by spindly, torsioned
U Control them by sheer force of will limbs. It seems to target sapient beings.
U Revoke someone’s existence (erase Instinct To cause suffering
them and any memory of them) U Collapse part of the environment
with a scream
U Shatter an item with a scream
U Crack open someone’s head...
with a scream

69
 Treasure, Items, and Relics
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Book of Effulgent Deeds
1 weight
Recounts the deeds of great religious
heroes fighting demons, turning temple
gamblers out on their ear, hanging out
with hungry lions, etc.
When you try to find a buyer for the
book, roll +nothing, but only the GM is
privy to the meaning of the result:
On a 10+, the buyer is part of a secret
organization, happy to pay well for the
book, which will try to recruit you into
their illustrious order and give you lots
of interesting missions.
On a 7-9, the buyer will pay you
handsomely, and has connections to a
group looking to hire some adventurers
to retrieve a certain lost relic.
On a 6-, don’t mark XP. The buyer is
an agent of chaos, who acts impressed
and makes lots of inquiries of how you
got the Book. They’ll make you feel
like a hero with lots of “What happened
next?” type encouragements. After
departing, they’ll use this info to create
or advance a campaign Front.
70
Bones of the Laughing Saint
divine, 1 weight
When you take the time to consult the
Bones using a ritual of divination, roll
+WIS: on a 10+ the GM will tell you
the potential weal or woe of a specific
course of action (“Should we touch
the button?” is a better question than
“Should we enter the dungeon?”)—take
+1 forward to act on that information,
and choose 2 from the list below; on a
7-9, the GM will whisper a vital piece
of information (only once, so listen
closely), and all 3 from the list apply.
U You do not erupt into a laughing fit
that echoes up and down the halls
U You do not get possessed by the
Laughing Saint long enough to pull
a prank on someone (the GM will
take control of your actions when
the opportunity presents itself)
U You are not filled with a strange
mirth that makes you caper and
cavort in a disturbing fashion
.............................................................................................................
Chalice of the Ebon Bishop
divine, 1 weight
Knowledge of this item’s properties has
been lost to the ages; figuring out what
it does may only be done via careful
research or experimentation.
When you pour any liquid into the
Chalice, it becomes potable to you.
However, any Evil or Chaotic person
who drinks from it will be struck deaf
and dumb, in addition to suffering the
effects of the liquid.
When you kill a creature intentionally
using the properties of the Chalice, the
Ebon Bishop is dismayed by such an evil
act, and passes word of your misdeed
along to the higher powers. You will no
doubt suffer their wrath ere long.
............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Psionic Key Sword of Aelphron

0 weight close, 2 piercing, 3 weight
A metal rectangle about two inches This overlarge sword can only be lifted
wide and five inches long, with a hole by one of Lawful alignment, and glows
punched through at one end. Sometimes with rage when worthy foes are nearby.
a chain or thong of preserved leather
When you apply the blood of a fallen
runs through the hole, indicating that
ally to the Sword and swear an oath to
it might have been worn around the
avenge them, roll +Bond with that ally:
neck. A Psionic Key (there are at least
on a 10+, you’re immune to the effects
half a dozen) is necessary to operate the
of hunger, thirst, injury, and age until
Freight Elevator.
your oath is fulfilled; on a 7-9: as with
When you come across a Psionic Key, on a 10+, but you will expire upon
roll 1d12 twice and consult the table fulfillment of your oath.
below to determine the two places
If your oath goes unfulfilled for a year
between which that particular Key is
and a day, you become subject again
able to move the Elevator. If you roll
to hunger, thirst, injury, and age. In
the same area twice, the Key is broken
addition, you suffer -1 ongoing until
and is only capable of summoning the
you submit to the rage of the Sword and
Elevator to that area.
slay a worthy foe. At that point, you
1d12 Area lose your Lawful alignment (choose
1-4 Dormitories (page 56) another), and your oath is held against
5-9 Refectory & Kitchens (page 54) you for all time.
10-11 Mystical Maze* (page 58) .............................................................................................................

12 The Underworld (page 60) Tablets of Reality

divine, 5 weight
*Any Key to the Mystical Maze is
engraved with a maze-like pattern, and The tiny glyphs chiseled into these
will glow brighter the closer it gets to small, oddly heavy stone tablets
the Holy of Holies. are from ancient holy tongue,
............................................................................................................. decipherable only by the most learned
Shroud of Harmian of ecclesiastical sages. They comprise
divine, 1 weight nothing less than the rules of reality.
When you drape the Shroud over a When you chisel something new into
fallen ally, roll +Deeds (the number of the Tablets, that thing becomes true.
things that you can list, off the top of If you are foolish enough to author
your head, that were performed by the an impossibility (2+2=5, etc.), reality
deceased in the name of your deity): on undoes itself and the GM is encouraged
a 10+, your fallen ally returns, a little to restart the campaign in an alternate
worse for wear—they lose 1 point of a universe that depends in some way
random ability score that isn’t Wisdom, (discernible or not) upon your new rule.
permanently; on a 7-9, Death demands
When you chisel a third new thing
its due, appearing before the party to
into the Tablets, a heavenly host of
ask for a volunteer to take the fallen
unimaginable beings arrives to claim
ally’s place. If no one acquiesces, it’s on
them. Sure, you could stop them with
you: volunteer, and your ally returns
the tablets, but just how fast can you
to life in perfect condition; decline, and
chisel, anyways?
Death sweeps up both Shroud and body
before departing.

71
 Contributors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those Who Write the Deeps

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Joe Banner designs things (websites and books, mostly) and writes adventures in a
range of pubs and coffee shops across Surrey, England. You can find his ramblings
online at joebanner.co.uk
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Claytonian lives in far-off Japan. He enjoys drawing weird dungeons and peopling
them with curiosities. You can find his works at http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/
pub/6976/Kill-It-With-Fire and in many “old school” RPG zines.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Adam Koebel is a full-time Twitch streamer and co-designer of the Dungeon World
roleplaying game. He exists primarily on the internet. You can watch him play
video games at http://twitch.tv/adamkoebel.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Jason Lutes is a cartoonist and a teacher at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White
River Junction, Vermont. In his spare time he plays and writes games.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Johnstone Metzger is a game designer and publisher from Vancouver, Canada who
doesn’t like anything.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Jeremy Strandberg has opinions about role playing games, especially Dungeon
World. Some are nitpicky, others grandiose, and still others downright heretical, but
he’s usually willing to share them. You can find him at the Dungeon World Tavern.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those Who Draw the Deeps

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Carl Antonowicz, Disciple of the Ink Queen, has offered up his soul on the Drafting
Altar. View his prostrations at thulsadude.tumblr.com or cantocomics.wordpress.com.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Jan Martijn Burger grew up in New England and now lives in North Carolina. He
is a puppeteer, cartoonist, activist, and game designer. He spends most of his time
rummaging through the bushes looking for insects with his one year old daughter.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Niels Burger lives in the Boston area. He draws, paints and teaches art. He is excited
to make illustrations of dungeons and monsters and enjoys designing board games.
His work can be found out NielsBurger.com.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Laurel Lynn Leake is a comics creator, writer, and educator fascinated by the unique
layered language of comics. She earned her MFA from the Center for Cartoon
Studies in 2013, and lives in Providence, RI.
72