The Faithful Few
A Harn adventure by
Konrad Talmont-Kaminski
The Faithful Few - The Plot
This is a horror/murder mystery scenario designed to introduce new players to both Hârn and HârnMaster. The background for the scenario focusses upon the religious aspects of the Hârn setting. The scenario is set in a snow-bound Albernet manor in the north-west corner of Kaldor and all takes place on the Night of the Shadows, 719 TR. The scenario ends soon after sun-rise. It was originally played in a two and a half hour session at UniCon in Melbourne, October 1997. The times mentioned in the section titles were used to keep up the tempo during the session.
The characters are some of the manor's occupants. The action begins when a group of Ilviran pilgrims arrives at the manor seeking shelter. Soon after arriving one of the priests of Ilvir is killed. Other deaths follow. The murderer is Tara, a Navehan priest who has hidden herself among the Ilvirans and who, after fulfilling her vow to kill the old priest, is trying kill as many of the others as possible. Her real identity is unknown to anyone; so much so that the younger Ilviran priest is even thinking of asking her to marry him.
Much of the outlined plot assumes that things go well for Tara. Remember that she is a resourceful and intelligent woman and play her to the hilt. She has been trained all her life to deceive and to kill and she is willing to die, herself, in the course of murdering the others. Reading the information on Naveh in Gods of Hârn (or Hârn Religion once that comes out) ought to provide the necessary background to play her.
The Night of the Shadows is central to the background for the scenario and I have enlarged upon what is said about it in Gods of Hârn. Perhaps the most important element is the commonly-held belief that the souls of all those who die during the night, be they unrelenting Navehans or peaceful Peonian, belong to Naveh. I have also introduced a variation upon the Dezenaka ritual, in this version a victim gets chosen a couple of months before hand but must be murdered during the night. It is because Mykkel, the old Ilviran priest, was chosen to be her victim that Tara has accompanied the Ilvirans on their journeys.
0:00 Introduction
[Read or hand out the General Introduction]
[Hand out character sheets and let players read them]
[Explain Morality and the other stats]
[Answer players' questions]
[Take out the map of the Manor]
0:20 Pilgrims
It is mid-winter in the twenty sixth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Miginath. Out on the kingdom's border, surrounded by ancient forests, lies a tiny hamlet.
The annual race to gather in the harvest before the first heavy autumn rains is but a distant memory. This year's crop was good and the granary is full. Although the wintry weather came late the snows have been heavy. The fields, the huts, the forest, everything is covered by a thick layer of snow. The roads are not fit for travel and all who can, stay indoors keeping their home-fires burning.
The sun-set glows weakly through the lowering clouds while a cold wind blows out of the south bringing with it more snow - it will probably be another blizzard. The windows and doors throughout the manor have been shuttered and bolted. The back gate already has a few feet of snow piled up against it.
Thus begins the Night of the Shadows. The Thief of Souls is out on his hunt, taking all those who should fall. Children beside their mother's sick-bed, parents beside the cot, good people pray that they and their loved ones live through the night.
Outside, the wind rattles the shutters and howls like the souls of the damned, wailing and desperately trying to fight they way back into the company of the still living. Everyone is in the Hall. All the fire-places are lit but the hall still feels oddly cold and uninviting. The dinner was somber. Ola and Ma Koday are clearing up. The Koday boys have just finished checking up on the horses and are now eating their meal in the Hall where it is warm. Little white flakes of snow slowly melt in their hair, making their faces wet.
Sir Eris, assiduous as ever, has just come back from a round of the manor. He and Old Zoltan are warming themselves against the fire. Lady Halene has brought down Sir Eris' lute and is suggesting that he play something so as to cheer everyone up. Brother Elemon is reading his psalm book, quietly praying for everyone's souls. Areta just sits by herself, lost in thought, a scowl on her face.
Suddenly, there is a loud banging on the front door.
If there is any uncertainty among the players if the door ought to be opened, remind them of their duty to be hospitable and helpful.
As you open the door, the cold wind rushes flurries of snow into the Hall. Outside huddles a small clump of people, crowding together for warmth. Among others, you see an elderly Ilviran priest and a couple of children. They look like pilgrims - covered in snow and clearly near exhaustion they are lucky to have reached this far in the gathering blizzard.
[Take out the Dramatis Personae Page]
Urgen will step forward to ask for shelter against the gathering blizzard. Tell Sir Eris that he knows Urgen as a guide of Ilviran pilgrimages.
Let the pilgrims settle in. Keep in mind that their pack animals have to be stabled. This will give the opportunity for some of the Kodays to go to the stable and to notice the fire.
Make the pilgrims sound a big stranger and spookier than they are - tired but also suspicious. Among others all the other things mention that Tara has a small bundle. This is where is carries her assassin's gear so, if the players ask later, she will no longer have this bundle. Also, mention that soon after getting settled Mykkel starts to watch Lady Halene closely. Before moving to the next section, have him approach the Lady and tell her that he sees clearly into the future and that she can rest easy as she will soon have a son who will be a joy to both his parents. You might make it look like he has more to say but interrupt him with the news of the fire.
0:40 The Fire
"Sire, sire, the granary is burning!"
There is a fire inside the northern end of the granary, near the pigsty.
When it gets noticed the fire is already at level three. Each action round it gets worse by one level. At level six it begins to seriously damage the granary - 10% per each level above five per minute. As Sir Eris will know - point it out to him if it seems relevant - if more than sixty percent of the granary are lost then the village will be starving through the rest of the winter.
To fight the fire the granary should be opened and either water must be fetched from the well or the flames have to be beaten back with wet cloth (horse blankets would serve well here). Water can also be poured onto the fire through the window but the EML will be at -20 to the normal stat.. Assume basically all able bodied people take part. Each PC, and only PC's, rolls Throwing if directly fighting the fire or Rhetoric if directing others. Throwing snow on the fire gives only half the chance of positive effect. Each success lowers the level of the fire by one (-2 for CS, +1 for CF). Also, for each CF roll 2d6 fire attack to random location on the body of the person fighting the fire. Fire ends once at level zero or once the whole granary burns down.
The fire began near the end window but that bit has been damaged to the point where no evidence is available. If Halene tries to use Psychometry she will feel the fire (roll an F3 shock roll) and see a dark figure sneaking in through the window. All the pilgrims will agree that, just as they reached the manor, they got split up as some went ahead for help. There will be some confusion apart from the fact that Urgen went first. During the fighting of the fire, it will be clear that all the Kodays were present but things will not be so clear about the pilgrims. Everyone will agree, however, that Bral and Moira did not take part in the fire-fighting - both stood near the door to the hall but did not help. Bral's reason for hanging back, although he will not discuss it, was that he is afraid of fire since his accident (see GM's notes on the Dramatis Personae). Moira, on the other hand, did not want to go too far from her children. Unless the PCs make sure that someone stays in the hall, Mykkel and the sleeping children will be the only ones in there, however.
As it was, it was Tara who started the fire by climbing up to the window, forcing it open and then lighting some dry cloth inside the granary. She did this to provide her with a distraction that would allow her to murder Mykkel.
1:00 A Body in the Hall
When people return to the hall from fighting the fire Mykkel's body is found.
The front door to the hall is open and banging in the wind. Flurries of snow fly in, quickly piling up inside the door. Not far from the door and already covered by a thin layer of snow, lies Mykkel. He is lying on his back, his eyes still as ice and wide open with fear, an ornate, white dagger handle rising sharply up from his chest. His throat is cut from side to side, the hollow raw and gory. Around the motionless body, the snow is tinged with red. It seems that whatever evil had howled and raged in the blizzard outside has found its way into the house.
It looks like Mykkel opened the door and whoever was outside immediately killed him. Upon closer examination, there is a fair amount of blood on the floor. Some may figure out that this means that the assailant was probably splattered with blood. Depending on the group you may want to add that Mykkel's genitals have been cut off. With a Theology roll, Father Elemon will know that this is a typical Navehan practice. If he checks the Tractatus Theologicus allow the Father either +25 EML or an additional roll when he checks the book. Once the dagger is removed it will turn out that it has the name Mykkel of Kalak engraved in runes on the blade. Ceiran will say that this was Mykkel's chosen name. The ornamentation on the handle is all abstract but, with a successful Theology roll, Elemon will recognise it as Navehan in design. Also, on a successful Physician roll the handle will be recognised as bone, probably human. If Halene grasps the dagger, she must make a F3 shock roll and will get the vision of a completely black human shape darting in from out of the blizzard and cutting Mykkel down. Finally, if Mykkel's slashed throat is examined it will be apparent that something had been forced into the wound and then taken back out again. If anyone specifically asks, Tara no longer has her bundle.
Tara had slipped away from fighting the fire and went up to the solar where she put on her outfit and slipped out one of the windows. She banged on the front door from the outside and, when Mykkel opened it, killed him. She then covered the white cloth belt with his blood and went back to the solar by the outside route again. Once there she took off her clothes and hid them in the baby cot changing back into her normal attire.
1:20 Nothing but the Skull
This scene will either take place at the pre-set time or whenever anyone says that they are heading up to the solar. Make Halene roll an F2 shock roll and tell her that she suddenly has the vision of a screaming baby body, wearing a skull mask and lying inside a burning cot - the cot she was given by Areta, the cot currently up in the solar.
In the solar there is a wet and somewhat bloody path from the window (now shut) to the baby's cot. The fur covering the cot has been disturbed and is splattered with blood. Underneath, in the cot, are piled, in order from the top, the black Navehan outfit, the broad, white and blood-covered belt and, finally, the skull mask. If Halene handles any of these she should roll an F3 shock roll and get another vision;
You are standing inside a dimly lit crypt. It is cold and the air is full of smoke and the stench of decay. Pressing around you are hooded figures, covered in black from head to toe. Their faces, though only inches from your own, are all invisible. You hear their infernal chanting, "Tshy pstre, tshy pstre, tshy pstre pshe-piu-zzy-tse" as they sway, pushing you from side to side. The light is coming from a pair of covered censers. Framed by them, stands a tall figure, its hood blood red. Suddenly, he lifts both his hands towards the heavens. Held in his hands are a skull mask and a dagger. He screams out the name of some baneful spirit and the crypt reverberates with echoes as if the darkness itself were answering. When the shrieks finally die down he hands the two dreadful items to a lithe figure that stands before him. Grasping them, it slinks off and disappears.
If anyone tries to put the clothes on (remember they are covered in blood), they will only really fit Ceiran and Tara, among the pilgrims. They will also fit both of the Koday boys, Ola and all the PCs except Brother Elemon.
1:40 My children are Missing
[Keep talking till stopped or you run out of breath]
Moira suddenly runs up to you, visibly distraught, "Oh, Peoni have mercy, my children have disappeared. I went to sleep for just a couple of minutes. You know, we are all so tired from the walking and now the fire and Mykkel's death and everything. So I went to sleep. Just shut my eyes for just a second and the little brats took off to somewhere. I'll give them a piece of my mind when I catch up to them. I'd look for them myself except I don't where to look and this is not my house and I really don't know where they could have gone to at this time but they must be near by, of course. After all, the weather and everything. Oh, Peoni have mercy. They are only very young and silly, really. They don't deserve to have anything bad happen to them. They are very sweet children really. Sometimes they are a bit naughty, like running away but they are good children."
Moira stops talking and looks at you expectantly.
The search for the children may take a fairly long time as they are actually dead and hidden in the empty wine barrels in the store room above of the stable. A useful clue to help the investigation can be one of the children's Ilviran medallions - a sundered claw on a thick leather thong - that can be happened upon somewhere in the stable.
The children had hidden on the first floor and witnessed Tara getting her poison from among her things on her mule. She spotted them, garroted them using the cords of their medallions and hid their bodies in the wine barrels.
Since then Tara has also managed to poison the mulled wine and the stew which is warming up for the morning meal. Almost interrupted by Ola she had to throw the empty ink container behind some bags in the kitchen where anyone searching the kitchen for the children might find it.
Once the children's bodies are found Moira will go into hysterics, holding them and kissing them. She will then attack Bral and accuse him of being the killer. She will exaggerate the evidence saying that she saw him kill the little darlings.
Unless the players have made sure otherwise, almost all of the still living inhabitants of the manor will probably have had the opportunity to have sneaked away and killed the children.
2:00 What happened to Ola?
Towards the morning Ola will either be found lying dead in the kitchen or her death throes will be witnessed by someone coming into the kitchen. She will be lying on the floor of the kitchen, a ladle with some mulled wine still in it lying nearby. No apparent reason for her death will be found at first, though she will look as if she asphyxiated. She had in fact tried some of the mulled wine that is now nice and warm and died from the poison that Tara put into it. The poison kills by stopping the breathing over a particularly painful period of about three minutes. Remember to play out this, and the next, scene even if Tara has been killed or captured by now as the poison might still kill all the inhabitants.
2:20 We have survived
If Tara has not been spotted by this point in the game then she has had a particularly lucky night. She will volunteer for the job of watching out for the coming sun-rise and, if given the opportunity, will tell the others that it has come before it actually does, hoping that this will allow her to poison everybody still during the night. She will then help hand out the glasses of wine or be it the bowls of stew and take the very first swig. Depending on how you are doing for time you might decide that either she poisons herself or that she is in fact immune to the poison due to long term acclimatisation - which is possible, for example, with arsenic. Either way, as the people die, she will gloat at their stupidity and describe how she killed her victims. If there is no-one left to stop her she will begin to set the whole manor on fire.
This is the worst of all possible scenarios. There are, of course, several other ways things might end. The two main considerations are whether the poison in the mulled wine and the stew gets spotted and whether Tara has been identified as the killer by now.
Non-Player Characters - GM's Notes
The Kodays - They do not play a significant role in the plot so try to make them stereotyped - the perfect servants - or else the players might waste time on them. If it looks like the players are investigating them, remind Sir Eris that he has hardly lived a day away from the Kodays and that Ma Koday was his wet-nurse.
Zoltan - "Yes, Sire" - greying hair but still healthy.
Ma - "Dearie" - overweight, energetic and very sensible.
Ola - curtsy - plain and quiet.
Noel - nod - polite and quiet.
Bartok - nod - follows Noel.
The Pilgrims - As a group they will look foreign, surly and exhausted. They will try to keep together, usually sending one of the priests to talk with the players. Mention their sundered-claw medallions and try to make the difference between them and the inhabitants of the manor as obvious as possible.
Mykkel - watch intently but kindly, say little but wisely - Old Priest. Thin old man wearing many layers of cloth over brown robe and walking with a large walking stick. Short greying beard and short greying hair. Is supposed to tell Halene that she will soon have a fine boy.
Ceiran - sharp indrawn breath before sentences and wide, staring eyes, something of a fanatic - Young Priest. Energetic young man full of stories about Araka-Kalai if anyone is interested. Clearly a bit unhinged. Carries both his own stuff as well as that belonging to Mykkel. Is having a relationship with Tara but has no idea about her secret. Will not attack Tara, nor believe she has done anything wrong but will try to stop any fighting. Stamina 11 Initiative 60 Dodge 55 Shortsword 70/65 2/4/4
Moira - "Oh, no!" and grasp head - Middle aged woman. Oscillates between being vicious and melodramatic. Wears a great big fur coat. Has a stubborn mule. Stamina 11 Initiative 45 Dodge 35
Allen & Ellen - victims in a bundle - Moira's little treasures. Scared and tired to the point of being almost catatonic. The only thing they do (off stage) is disappear and die. Feel free to confuse between the two.
Tara - wriggle & giggle while acting innocent / sway sensuously and dart once discovered - The femme fatale. As a Navehan priestess her mission is to first kill Mykkel with the ceremonial dagger (she will do this even if she must reveal herself to do it) and then to try to kill as many others as possible. Very intelligent and inventive. Play her to the hilt. Wears a fur coat and a good traveler's hat. Says she is a lexigrapher and has the equipment to prove it. One of her inks is actually a poison. The fact that it is transparent kind of gives it away. After Mykkel's death carries nothing incriminating apart from the daggers. Her stuff is on a donkey. She has seduced Ceiran and may use that to her advantage. Stamina 17 Initiative 100 Dodge 105 HandAxe 70/65 4/6/* Daggers 115/117 1/2/5
Urgen - spit and speak with a thick accent - Guide. A squat barbarian wearing furs and thick boots. Will protect the pilgrims. Stamina 14 Initiative 80 Dodge 45 Spear 80/90 4/*/7 HandAxe 70/65 */*/5 Roundshield 75/90 2/*/*
Bral - cough and stare from under lowered eyebrows - Blacksmith. Large and not particularly intelligent. Has scars on his back. Afraid of fire ever since his smithy burned down and he got caught in the fire. Will defend himself but not much more. Stamina 6 Initiative 45 Dodge 35 Morningstar 65/60 */*/5
The Faithful Few - Plot Timeline
The scenario was originally designed to be run in two and a half hours. The time-line was a general guide to help keep things rolling along. I found that introducing new elements before the players were ready for them helped make them feel like circumstances were over-taking them.
|
Real Time |
Game Time |
Event |
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0:00 |
|
Set-up and Intro |
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0:20 |
4 p.m. |
Sun-down and Pilgrims Arrive |
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0:40 |
6 p.m. |
Fire |
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1:00 |
8 p.m. |
Mykkel stabbed |
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1:20 |
12 a.m. |
Skull-Mask dream |
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1:40 |
2 a.m. |
Allen and Ellen disappear |
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2:00 |
7 a.m. |
Cooking for the morning meal begins. Ola poisoned |
|
2:20 |
10 a.m. |
Sun-up - Morning meal |
Sir Eris Vardyn - the Bailiff of Albernet
When your father dies - the Lady protect his soul - you will become the lord of Kessan manor, your family's major holding. For now, you are responsible for Albernet manor - an out-of-the-way hamlet of a hundred and three good folk. It is their safety and well-being that you are responsible for. All your life you have tried to live up to the example set by your father - thoughtful, decisive and just, he is both a loyal vassal and a kind lord. However, all too often you have felt that you have fallen short - the new acres have not been felled and it took a very long time to get the harvest in. Still, this has never disheartened you, rather spurred you on to work harder.
You have vowed that you will leave Albernet a more valuable and prosperous holding than when you arrived. One natural virtue of Albernet you have tried to use to its benefit is that it is the last civilised stop on a pilgrimage route. Come the spring an inn will be built in the village to house the pilgrims. For now they often find lodging in the peasants' huts or even in the manor.
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Others at the Manor:
Lady Halene Vardyn, neé Nevan - Your wife. Halene is ten years your junior and yet has the wisdom of someone much older. For the three years you have been married, Halene has been a constant comfort and help in your life - a gentle, insightful woman you love profoundly. You feel that her knowledge of viticulture will greatly benefit the manor - she's been putting in a vineyard on some of the demesne. On several occasions Halene has intimated to you that she possesses extraordinary mental powers. It is clearly hard for her to talk about them and you have not pressed her. The only sadness in your lives has been that Peoni has not smiled on you thus far and you still have no children. Somehow you feel that this failure is indicative of your failure to live up to your father's example.
Lady Areta Nevan - Your wife's sister. Areta seems very different from Halene, although you have only met her a few times. Energetic and head-strong, she has given herself into the service of the Order of the Lady of Paladins. Serving as a female knight - an uncommon but not extraordinary sight - she has distinguished herself in a war that is currently being waged against some far-off tribe of savages. Frankly, you have doubts about the righteousness of both the "crusade" and of Areta. But she is your wife's sister and your guest, and you have extended every courtesy to her.
Father Elemon - the Peonian priest in charge of the Kessan parish. He has spent the last few days at Albernet and you suspect that your father sent him to pray that you and Halene do, soon, have children. Halene likes to speak with him as he is a highly educated man.
The Kodays - a serf family that has been with your family for many generations. Old Zoltan and his two sons help out with any heavy work around the manor while Ma Koday and Ola help Halene in household tasks.
Other Notes:
Albernet manor - the manor-house was originally one of the king's hunting lodges. It was given to Sir Eris' father as thanks for his valuable and constant fealty. Since receiving it, the Vardyns have made some extensions to it, most significantly putting up a large granary to keep the grain over winter and, later, to turn into a winery.
Albernet village - the village of Albernet lies roughly a mile east of the manor. That site has better access to water and is also closer to the next manor. The huts are all new and the land they stand on was forest only a generation ago. You have begun to put in vines and hope to have your first vintage in the next couple of years. The villagers are mostly freemen attracted to Albernet by the promise of land. Two yeoman families - five freeman soldiers, all told - help you protect the village from any danger that might come out of the forests.
The Forests - the surrounding forests are not actually as dangerous as some think. Apart from wolves and small bands of barbarians - neither of which are likely to attack either the village or the manor - there is little to fear. Still, people tell stories of things dark that creep under the ancient trees.
Halene Vardyn nee Nevan - the Lady of the Manor
You have always known that you possess extraordinary mental powers. Unfortunately, while still a child, you used them injudiciously. An old serf-woman you cursed drowned in an icy pond. Her grasping struggles at the breaking ice will haunt you till you die. You've sworn upon Peoni's bosom never to lay a curse again and feel uncomfortable using your other powers.
Three years ago, you married Sir Eris and live with him at Albernet. He is the bailiff of this manor and you have done your best to help him in his work. Apart from helping with the manorial accounts and other everyday jobs, you have been setting up a vineyard on a part of the demesne. For all this time you have been waiting for a child and, finally, you suspect that one is on the way. You have not told anyone of this yet as you are not sure and you do not wish to disappoint Eris.
Your mind is lively and you enjoy good conversation. Perhaps because of your unusual abilities you have always been interested in legends and astrology, and are a fund of stories. You have also learned how to use some simple herbs and how to read Tarot. Over the last fortnight the cards have been telling you that the evil you had done is about to turn back upon you three-fold.
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Physical Skills |
Communication Skills |
Lore/Craft Skills |
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Combat |
Equipment (worn) |
Psionics | |
Others at the Manor:
Sir Eris Vardyn - your husband. A very good man; both a kind husband and a wise bailiff. Ten years your elder, he has turned Albernet from what was basically a wilderness into a thriving fief. His one fault has been a lack of faith in himself. When he asks you for advice you usually find out what he thinks should be done and advise him to do just that. Still, when you have a strong opinion, you will certainly tell him what it is. You have told him that you possess unusual abilities but have not really gone into what they are. Certainly, you have said nothing about the drowned woman though you suspect he has heard about that anyway.
Lady Areta Nevan - your elder sister. When quite young, Areta decided to become a female knight. As usual, she achieved what she set out to do and has now served for several years in the Order of the Lady of Paladins. Areta is spending the winter with the family, something which you think is quite unusual. Certainly, she has been unwilling to divulge much about what has been happening to her and has been remarkably pensive in general. Areta is one of the few people who know about the woman you cursed. When she arrived, Areta brought with her a baby's cot as a present for you but, apart from that, she has not pressed you on the issue.
Father Elemon - the local Peonian parish priest staying with you for a few days over mid-winter. Almost everyone assumes that he is here to pray with you for children but, actually, you asked him to spend the Night of the Shadows at your house and have explained your fears in detail. He is a very educated man and you two often spend hours in conversation. In gratitude, you gave him a copy of the Tractatus Teologicus, a theological tome you couldn't fathom.
The Kodays - the serf family who help around the manor. The three men usually work with Eris while Ma Koday and Ola help you around the house. The cards say that something evil will soon befall Ola.
Other Notes:
The Night of the Shadows - The evil portents seem to all coalesce around this hateful night. You've dreamed a grim skull amid fire time and again over the last month.
Weapons - You try not to touch weapons as, almost invariably, you feel the painful echoes of the deaths of those killed by them. Sometimes, you almost can see those deaths.
The Vineyard - Your parents have a vineyard and you know how to set one up. The young vines that were planted last year and this year are growing well. You have bought the wine-press and barrels needed for turning the grapes into wine, and are storing them in one of the spare rooms above the stable.
Lady Areta Nevan - a Knight of the Order of the Lady of Paladins
You have always known that you would become a knight. The customary woman's role of wife and mother have never held any attraction to you. Thus, from a young age you set out to become what you now are - a crusading monk fighting the infidel in whatever form he may appear. But, now, it is not all as you had hoped it would be. You had dreamed of fighting the fierce followers of the War God, Agrik. Instead, for the last two years you have been fighting in Solora - a distant, forested land filled with marshes and painted savages. You life has been month after month of trekking through wilderness, interspersed by ambushes, and bloody slaughters of pagan women and children. Those are what bothers you most - the slaughters.
Your faith is unshaken but, damn it, one has to ask, "Why fight some primitive barbarians while much more serious enemies are nearby?" Never afraid to state your opinion you have become unpopular in your order. You could become an knight errant, travelling alone and looking for a worthy fight, or you could ask to join another order. Unused to not knowing what to do you have come to your sister's home to think things over in peace.
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Others at the manor:
Lady Halene - your younger sister. You call her 'Halene the Good' as she is always taking care of others. Halene has been torn by irrational fears ever since she was a child and witnessed an old serf woman drown in an icy pond. Another eccentricity Halene holds on to is the belief that she has supernatural powers. You have never seen any evidence that she does possess them. She probably got the notion from one of the books she's read. Still, even though she is a bit strange, it is wonderful to spend time with Halene again.
Sir Eris - your sister's husband. Seems very dedicated to both his fief and your sister. Compared to her, however, he is quite parochial. Sir Eris could never make a good soldier as he lacks the passion. You've noticed that he has been particularly formal towards you. Halene loves him well enough, though - perhaps because he lets her do pretty much as she wishes.
Father Elemon - the Peonian parish priest. From what little you have seen of him, he seems to be very learned - something quite rare for a Peonian. Indeed, his manner is not much like that of a priest. Lady Halene spends a lot of time with him - the two are always talking. Sometimes you listen in but usually fall asleep from boredom.
The Kodays - a family of servants. No idea what their names are though you've been told. Sir Eris gives them a lot of latitude which you feel uncomfortable about - the noble classes should not be too friendly with the serfs - it isn't good for anyone in the long term.
Other Notes:
Your equipment - You have put all your weapons and armour into the chest in your room, in the south east corner of the manor. Every day you spend several hours keeping them clean. Also, you regularly check up on your horse, which is in the stable.
The Order of the Lady of Paladins - The military clerical order you are a member of. By becoming a member you have given up your previous status and declared that you will protect your faith with sword in hand. Most of the knights of the order guard the dangerous southern borders of Kaldor. However, there is a Kaldoran contingent, of which you are a member, fighting the Solori in the Melderyni kingdom.
The Solora Crusade - An on-going bloody struggle against the Solori savages. Still, you have witnessed savagery without honour perpetrated by both sides of the conflict. The whole affair has more to do with Melderyni territorial claims to the area than with the Laranian faith. Given that Kaldor and Melderyn almost had a war some years ago your presence there makes little sense.
Father Elemon - a Peonian Priest of some learning
You were already past thirty when you heard the call to serivce. You left your books and your scholar friends and took your vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Soon thereafter you became a parish priest. For many years, tending to the physical and spiritual well-being of your parishioners was more than enough for you. Lately, however, you have begun to wonder if you had made the right decision. You have a fine mind which, in your current position, is of no use to anyone. You had considered asking to be transfered into a post where it might be of some use to your church. You suspect, however, that you were given a rural parish so as to learn humility. Instead, you fear that you have learned to despise human foibles, especially the almost universal human frivolity. It is wrong to have such feelings and you have always tried to supress them, and yet they persist.
Your parish is at Kessan, a few miles away, but you are spending a few days in Albernet at lady Halene's request. More than glad to accede to her request, you have enjoyed yourself in the unusually intelectual and serious atmosphere of this manor.
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Other characters:
Sir Eris - the bailiff of Albernet. One of the best feudal lords you have ever met. His one fault, perhaps, is that he does not feel that he could ever equal his own father, who is the lord of Kessan. And yet, you suspect that he has done so long ago. Indeed, under his watchful eye, Albernet will likely overtake Kessan as the family's major holding.
Lady Halene - the lady of Albernet. A paragon of Peonian virtues. Wise and kind she has been generous enough to spend long hours in conversation with you. She has a great store of folk stories, while you tell her what little you know about Harn history. Not surprisingly you often find parallels between the two. Halene has asked you to come to Albernet so as to spend the Night of the Shadows with her. She fears that great evil will befall her and the whole manor on this night.
Areta Nevan - the good lady's sister. Very unlike Halene, Areta has dedicated her life to fighting for Larani on any battle-field that offers itself. As a crusader-monk, Areta gets to spend very little time with her family so that Sir Eris seems to know her as little as you do. You have had little chance to talk to her even though you feel a certain undeclared comradeship with her. You suspect that the vigour and outward intensity of her manner disguise some great uncertainty gnawing away within her.
Other Notes:
Tractatus Teologicus - Halene has given you a copy of one of the great classics in theology and you have spent as much time as politeness allows studying this fertile text. It is filled with the details of the religious practices of the various Harnic faiths.
Prayer - Many times you have witnessed that the force of prayer is great. Rarely, however, is the way Peoni decides to reveal her kindness vulgar and rarely is the prayed-for event brought about in the expected fashion.
The Faithful Few - General Information
Harn is a rough, hazy, forested island off the northwest coast of the continent of Lythia. A lack of good roads and the rough terrain combine to make travel difficult, especially in winter. Kaldor is one of the seven, tiny human states on Harn. Landlocked, it has a rigid feudal structure. The king owns all the land and only grants heritable fiefs to trusted magnates who provide for local government and defense. The great nobles, in turn, grant portions of their fiefs to lesser nobles.
The religious climate of Kaldor is dominated by the closely allied churches of Larani, the Lady of Paladins, and Peoni, the Lady of Industrious Labours and the Ripe Harvest. Not surprisingly, the worship of Peoni is popular among the common folk, while her daughter, Larani, is mostly worshipped by the nobility. Throughout the kingdom can also be found pockets of the last few remaining Ilvir worshippers. While the veneration of Ilvir, an old pagan deity, is discouraged it nonetheless has the protection of the crown. Still, it would probably have disappeared were it not that Ilvir is said to dwell on Harn, at Araka-Kalai. On the other hand, the churches of the dark gods persist even though such worship is punishable by death, often by grisly means. Agrik, Immortal Warlord of Balgashang, Morgath, Wreaker of Chaos, and Naveh, the Unseen Lifter of Lives, all have some adherents among Kaldorans.
The Night of the Shadows is the darkest, coldest, longest night of the year. The souls of all those who die during it belong to Naveh, the Assassin of Heaven. They are bound to spend eternity in his hellish domain. Amid the snows, families gather together and pray that they will all live through the night.
The village of Albernet lies in western Kaldor, on the edge of cultivated lands. A small fief cut out of the surrounding ancient forests, it lies on the annual pilgrimage route to Araka-Kalai, the reputed dwelling place of the Old God, Ilvir. Every autumn, dozens of faithful Ilvirans pass through Albernet, often buying their supplies for the journey through the wilderness. And every winter they return through the growing snows. Some do not make it back.
(Adapted in part from HarnPlayer and the Kaldor module)
The Faithful Few - Dramatis Personae
Sir Eris Vardyn, The Bailiff of the Manor
Lady Halene Vardyn, Wife to Sir Eris
Areta Nevan, Laranian Knight, Sister to Lady Halene
Mykkel, An old Ilviran Priest
Ceiran, A junior Ilviran Priest
Father Elemon, The Peonian Parish Priest
Urgen, Guide to the Pilgrims
Moira, A female Pilgrim
Alan & Ellen, Children of Moira
Zoltan Koday, Trusted Family Servant
Tara, Journeywoman Lexigrapher
Ma Koday, Wife to Zoltan
Bral, Journeyman Blacksmith
Noel Koday, Son of Zoltan
Bartok Koday, Son of Zoltan
Ola Koday, Daughter of Zoltan
Donkeys and Mules
Horses, Pigs, Chickens and Other Farm Animals