I have an idea for an Anarchy phase Adventure. In short, some peasants who live in a 'remote' area have 'awakened' some monster from legend / made a pact with the Devil for a demonic servant to save them from the Saxons.

At first, when Saxons attack, the Beast despatches them. But with time the sacrifices to appease the beast become costlier and costlier and is getting out of hand.

Some ideas as to how the PK's can be involved.

A) PK's are travelling and come across the beast.
B) PK's are on border patrol and 'rescue' Saxons attacked by the beast. Perhaps some bonding occurs as both sides have kinsmen to avenge and put aside their differences to fight the common enemy?
C)Some villagers come seeking the PK's for aid.

This is just a rough idea I've just had and thought I'd put it here for feedback before I forget.

In terms of monsters, I was thinking of a Bear, Black Wolf / Dog, maybe the infamous Maggot or maybe a Wyrm. Not sure, I'd like something folkie if possible.

Just chime in.

Cheers

Damon

Old Shuck, the devil dog?

That may do. Are there any stats in the GPC?

What can you tell me about it?

Ok,

So the first requirement here is for something that will help the villages against Saxons - and of demonic origin as envisaged. However, all one does need is something that in a physical way says to the Saxons "rape and pillage elsewhere where there are easier pickings"
The Second is that it can get out of hand
The third is that it can ultimatley be defeated by the players, perhaps in conjunction with Saxons.

My first thoughts were some of Golem - say a turf golem - that is a Saxon killing machine - but which has to be paid for.... (Use Giant stats with some sort of invulnerability)

A Dip could be another - as a way of differentiating it from a black dog, but I don't how good it would be at killing Saxons...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dip_(Catalan_myth)

Trolls / Trows ?
http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/trows/trow5.htm

The Saxons might posses access to either the knowledge of how to defeat the things, or access to the 'wise woman' who can impart such knowledge or special enchanted items - say Swords or Lances dipped in 'magic ointment' that wears off.

Chris

That may do. Are there any stats in the GPC?

What can you tell me about it?


Stats and background in the old "Blood and Lust" book. Basically, it demonic dog with a bad temper, 8d6 damage which breaths lighting balls and terrorizes horse.

Thank you both for the responses so far. I hadn't considered the magical aspect of the defeat, but that sounds interesting.

Old Shuck sounds very dangerous. Doing a little research, it lives in Norfolk. Not sure at this stage where it will live, but didn't envision so far.

Cheers

Damon

Black Annis?

Black Annis?


Shes was an early candidate but I changed my mind. I have plans for her somewhere else.

Thanks for the suggestion.

What about an barghest?

With the rules taken from the 1st edition, so that it has to be killed with one strike or the damage hits the attacker...

I'll have to check the barghest out too.

Has it got a story to go with it?

Think also a little bit about a "down the line" adventure. That is an adventure 10 years down the line. Where the old adventure gives echoes into the new one.

Maybe a troll living under a bridge. After a savage fight where the PK knights where somewhat fearful of defeat. They rejoice and a feast is held in their honor. After nightfall a dreadful roar is heard from where the fight stood. At a distance a much much larger troll can be seen roaring out its grief and carrying the dead troll of into the woods. (The wounded PKs should note feel that they stand no chance if they try to fight it).
...
10 years later the troll has mourned enough and returns. First it claims all children in the village as trade. Maybe even given one changeling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling) to one of the PKs in exchange for his son.

How about a giant? A traditional foe of Saxons.

A giant doesn't meet my expectations. A Grendel might but its been done before.

I'd like something, magical, immunity to normal weapons, multiple attacks but with a weakness known only by a few. A quest to find the knowledge and banish the creature. Something nasty from faerrie or demonic is what I am ideally looking for.

Ok, so it's a little off topic from the desired faerie and/or demonic...

One of the first things I do when looking for something else is to consider other mythologies....

One that caught my eye was the Zmey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zmey

OK, it's not ideal - being essentially a three headed dragon. Lustful though, so has the supply of young maidens started to become exhausted ? It may be something from the Saxon homeland, and the Saxon wise woman can tell the knights how to get rid out it - feed it the sulfur stuffed sheep that are mentioned....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawel_Dragon

OK, so I'm still suffering from reading about Lancelot and Dinadan in women's dresses, so I envisage the game of the maiden (or two) who are really knights dressed in women's clothing, going up to the dragon with lunch (the sheep), with a some valour rolls and an orate roll or two to 'impersonate' women....

Chris

Reading about Sulfur - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphur - then how about a trip aboard a Saxon longship to Iceland to some hot springs to collect the required quantity of sulfur ?

Chris, I like the idea of the Saxon longboat trip. I believe that Iceland was inhabited by Irish Hermits prior to colonisation by Erik the Red. The knowledge could be known at an abbey and a rather odd Task force assembled for the event. This being anarchy and with the Saxon kings trying to bring Salisbury into an alliance, things could get interesting.

Thanks for the input everyone. All the suggestions do help focus the mind.

Cheers

Damon

By the way. The trip to iceland immediately reminded me of the sample of play in RQIII where Cormac and Signy travel to Thule and are attacked by Wind Children.

I'm getting sold on this already.

It might be interesting to have the beast be not too obvious. PCs arrive in a domain, are made welcome, etc,etc. They may know that this area has been attacked several times by Saxons but they have always been repulsed. Then introduce NPCs who know something about what's going on but won't talk, a few mysterious murders, or cattle raids (with the cattle found horribly mutilated), some steaming hoof-prints are found, etc. The lord and his retinue know about the beast but they aren't talking. The locals have rumours but nothing much concrete to go on. Every so often the beast has to be released to feed as part of its deal. If you can intersperse these with other adventures over a period of time you could build up the idea that something is going on in the background.

"Brotherhood of the Wolf" would be a good film to watch (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/). It builds up really nicely, but I thought the end was a let-down.

If you can get it "The Hour of the Pig" (AKA The Advocate in US) would be good too. (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0107146/). The US version was horribly cut, but I've never seen a DVD release for in in the UK, I saw it at the cinema ages ago.

I like d(sqrt(-1))'s idea in the post above - although you're looking for an interesting combat, I think like all good horror movies / stories, what is most scary is what is not seen. These ideas sound like a good gradually ramping up of the tension. I must confess that I rarely use monsters in my Pendragon sessions, but when I do, I like to try and ask myself how can I make them characters in the developing story, rather than just a set of stats to be dispatched of. Maybe such creatures might be seen as simply evil or fair game in Mort D'Arthur etc. but I also like to play to the strengths of the Pendragon traits too (such as in the scenario I shared with the Eschille the other day) and put the players in a character dilemma when facing them - what are the consequences for killing the beast? What are the consequences if they don't?

Ben

Thinking about this sparked a mad idea in my fickle mind.

An Authurian conversion of the old RQIII scenario Gaumata's Vision from Shadows in the Borderlands.

Succubus ok.

Ogres...not so sure. Still some sort of monster children will be good.

A manor, out of the way, but still part of Salisbury, maybe in one of the woods.

Hmmmm I'll need to re-read that again and see what I can take and still make it creepy, dangerous and atmospheric.

Given the dragon's association with both Satan and Uther Pendragon and his family, perhaps a wyrm or something would be fitting, if a bit vanilla, not to mention putting a spin on the old story of draconic extortion? If you can figure out a way to incorporate it into the village's personality, it seems like it could be good. An old man, asked why this village seemed to be so unscarred by the anarchy, might wink knowingly and say that perhaps old Pendragon isn't as dead as thought, ohohoho; a less cheerful resident might remark that this one was as bad as the last one--both kept you safe only so they could bleed you dry himself. And in any case, slaying a dragon is so iconic that I can't help but feel that you should encounter at least one during the adventure.

P.S. This link-- http://beachcombing.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/calleva-the-last-romano-british-city/ -- suggests that some Britano-Roman cities may have hired Irish mercenaries for protection. Given the infamous unreliability of hired soldiers, this might be a less supernatural alternative (or maybe not so mundane--after all, at this point Ireland is still mostly pagan, and every good Christian knows that all pagans serve the devil, either willfully or in ignorance).