Brave New World
Ancestor Spirits
Shamans seek many answers about life before the Amperian Empire fell and about ancient spirits. They frequently consult a grandfather for the former and an ancient ancestor hero for the latter.
Here are two examples. The grandfather was an Amperian clockmaker. The ancient hero was a spiritbroker, a shaman who negotiated between spirits and his people to gain fetishes for his people to use.
Grandfather Clockmaker (Intensity 1, ancestor spirit mother’s side)—Culture (Amperian) 60%, Mechanisms 60%, Persistence 40%, Streetwise 60%. Shaman must make an opposed Influence test versus Persistence to gain answers sought.
Ancient Hero Spiritbroker (Intensity 2, ancestor spirit father’s side)—Commerce 85%, Courtesy 85%, Persistence 65%, Spirit Walking 85%. Shaman must make an opposed Influence test versus Persistence to gain answers sought.
Elemental Spirits
Two elementals Desert Wind shamans often bind are salamanders and sylphs. Each gives a different ability to a shaman.
Firebrand (Intensity 1, salamander spirit 1 cubic meter)—INT 1, POW 8, CHA --, CA 2, SR +5, HP 10, Spirit Damage +1d6, Persistence 32%, Spectral Engulf 40%. Shaman does an extra point of fire damage with weapons or an unarmed attack. Shaman can use a candle flame to heal himself of 1 hit point on one location thrust in the flame.
Zephyr (Intensity 2, sylph spirit 2 cubic meters)—INT 2, POW 14, CHA --, CA 2, SR +7, HP 20, Spirit Damage +1d8, Persistence 52%, Spectral Drop 70%. A shaman firing a missile causes it to inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage. A shaman may push away an item or creature of up to 2 SIZ or 2 ENC in a straight line 8 meters long (Resilience roll to resist).
Guardian Spirits
The Iron Hills near the village of Tsuro are home to the Iron Heart Cult. Powerful warding magic was cast there to protect Man has he retreated from his fallen empire into the north. The guardian spirits found there are Amperian house spirits torn from their homes and desperate to find a new shaman to work with as well as Iron sorcery spirits created by the lingering effects of the protection sorcery cast in the hills.
Ironward (Intensity 1 Persistence 40%, iron sorcery spirit)—INT 9, POW 10, CHA 5, CA 2, SR +5, HP 10, Spirit Damage +1d6, Persistence 40%, Spectral Sword 50%. Protects shaman from hostile magic (must penetrate Persistence 40%).
Threshold (Intensity 2 Persistence 65%, Amperian house spirit)—INT 5, POW 16, CHA 9, CA 2, SR +4, HP 18, Spirit Damage +1d8, Persistence 65%, Spectral Bite 75%. Protects shaman from hostile magic (must penetrate Persistence 65%).
Devoted Spirit, a Divine Cult
Here’s another cult designed specifically for Kruvil: the Devoted Spirit cult. Unlike clerical temples in D&D, this divine cult doesn’t worship a god or gods. Instead, its members fully embrace the struggle between Chaos and Law and explore that conflict as they grow in the cult.
Devoted Spirit (Divine)
The Devoted Spirit cult believes that Avenger represents the use of order, toughness, and discipline to overcome Chaos. Cult followers violently oppose Chaos in all forms and are at the forefront of holy wars between Law and Chaos.
Avenger has another side, the possibility of failure and corruption. While the Devoted Spirit cult does not embrace failure as an option, they recognize the evil that Avenger could be used for in the wrong hands and force their followers to confront this terrible event to better be prepared to resist it ever happening.
Followers who embrace the side of Chaos while HeroQuesting may become Rune Lords but never Runepriests. They take the fight to those forces they understand so well.
Followers who embrace the side of order while HeroQuesting may bcome Runepriests but never Rune Lords. They protect the Dojos from both the corruption without and the possible corruption within, including the possibility of Rune Lords going rogue and turning to Chaos. Runepriests are tasked with killing Rune Lords who fail the cult by embracing Chaos completely.
Lorissta was a crusader who fought the Black Eagle, a terrible servant of chaos. Defeated, she was given the choice of joining Chaos or dying a terrible death. She choose death.
The Black Eagle itself carried Avenger on decades of raids on villages. He was finally defeated by Henrikel and Karryn who jointly used Avenger for years to free slaves.
Henrikel and Karryn fell in battle and Avenger eventually passed to Norbrand. He used Avenger to slay all who would expose his slave-trading operation with forces of Chaos. Avenger disappeared for decades after the death of Norbrand.
It resurfaced right before the fall of the Amperian Empire and Mans’ dark slide into darkness. Some legends claim that the forces of Chaos lead by Acererak, a terrible necromancer, used Avenger to help hasten the fall. The Devoted Spirit cult says that Avenger was wielded by Jurrik, who used its power to drive back Chaos, protect Man, and get remnants of the empire into exile and survival in the bitter north.
Runes
Harmony, Law
Magic
Common: Clear Path, Demoralise, Disruption, Endurance, Fanaticism, Fate, Heal
Divine Magic
Channel Strength, Disarm, Heal Wound, True Weapon
Myths
Awakening : You must take on the role either of Lorissta or the Black Eagle.
Resonance: 35%.
Behaviours: Never stop opposing your enemies. Resist your enemies even unto death. Look into the abyss, let the abyss stare back, and do not let it ruin you.
HeroQuest: Your HeroQuest will either involve fighting a hopeless battle and facing torture or conversion to Chaos or embracing madness and tasting victory while risking being lost utterly to Chaos.
Heroic Reward: You gain the Battle Fury Heroic Ability.
Nurturing: : You must become either the Black Eagle or Henrikel and Karryn.
Resonance: 60%.
Behaviours: Use your skills to the best of your ability. Pick a path and walk it until you get to your destination. Do not let fear stop your from doing your duty.
HeroQuest: Your HeroQuest will either involve pillaging and burning villages only to be hunted down and be forced to fight like a cornered animal. Or you will travel from burning village to burning village, desperate to get ahead of the Black Eagle and stop his violent killings.
Heroic Reward: You gain the Tireless Heroic Ability.
Commanding: : Bring about the fall of man as Acererak or lead as Jurrik.
Resonance: 80%.
Behaviours: Know your path and seize your destiny. Lead others into their destiny. Never stop fighting to win. When your services are needed, provide them.
HeroQuest: Either hasten the fall of man and experiment with necromancy as Acererak or fight a heroic but doomed last stand and lead Man into exile in the north.
Heroic Reward: You become Rune-Touched (harmony rune).
Membership, Officers, and Ranks
Lay Members: Must pledge to resist Chaos and worship at a Defender Dojo.
Initiates: Initiates must have four cult skills and Devoted Spirit weapon style at a minimum of 30%. They must dedicate at least 1 POW to their Pact with Defender.
Acolytes: Acolytes spread the martial faith of Defender and the opposition against Chaos even unto death. They pave the way for Runepriests and Rune Lords to found new Defender Dojos. Acolytes must have three cult skills, Pact, and Devoted Spirit weapon style at a minimum of 50%. They must dedicate at least 2 POW to their Pact with Defender. They must complete the Myth of Nurturing and emerge with the Tireless Heroic Ability.
Runepriest (Faithful Templar): A Runepriest must have help found at least one new Defender Dojo. They must also dedicate at least 6 POW to their Pact with Defender and their Pact skill must be at least 75%. They must have four cult skills and Devoted Spirit weapon style at a minimum of 75%. They must defend and prevent the loss of Defender Dojos.
Rune Lord (Faithful Crusader): A Rune Lord must have defeated at least one Chaos champion in combat. They must also dedicate at least 5 POW to their Pact with Defender. They must have four cult skills and Devoted Spirit weapon style at a minimum of 80%. They must challenge all Chaos enemies wherever they are found.
Cult Skills
Acrobatics, Evade, Desert Wind weapon style, Influence, Persistence, Resilience, Spirit Binding, Spirit Walking.
Maps: Quyhn River Valley and the Village of Tsuro
The Quyhn River Valley surrounding Tsuro is drawn heavily from the hex map provided in Outdoor Survival by Avalon Hill. However, a free map from Wizards can be used instead. Turn the map so all the water is on the left. Use the map to represent the land east of the large lake on the Kreadoes map. Here’s a link
I’m also using a free map for Tsuro itself. Here’s another link.
Next Month
With next month’s column, I’m drawing to a close this description of RuneQuest II Kruvil. I wrap up my world building with the Iron Heart cult. I also explain how I ended up never getting to actually run an adventure with RuneQuest II.
My next topic for this column is the new world I am currently building and actually running: Thirteen Colonies. Thirteen Colonies is colonial Cthulhu run with D&D 4E rules. It is a collaborative effort with all new players (seven total so far!) and so much better than anything I’ve been involved with for gaming before. I can’t wait to finally start talking about Thirteen Colonies.
Cthulhu fhtagn!
Charlie
