Portrait of a Villain: Immeril Lithos

Written by Quinn Murphy
Illustrated by James Keegan
Edited by Cassey Toi

Oh, I know, wasn’t that a wonderful experience? I shall have to try it again.

Please sit down. I want this to be as painless as possible and you getting riled up is going to spread the poison faster. Please friend, sit.

But we are friends! I think I may have been a bad friend, though, a dreadful companion…I should have told you that the spry young Immeril before you comes at a terrible cost. I have made a deal with…well, that’s not important. What you need to know is that I am under the employ of strange powers, and those powers require me, to sometimes, make them an offering. I’m afraid I have little choice on who they pick…I certainly wouldn’t have picked you. But when they call, I must answer. Underneath this vibrant facade I am a terrible weakling, you see. Unable to walk on my own power, almost.

It’s easy to take what is happening to you personally, but please, listen with your heart when I say I hold your friendship in the highest of regards. And….don’t tense! This will hurt so much more if you do.

Background

The eldest son of Rykos, Lord of House ithos, Immeril was to inherit the rule of the house and all the responsibilities extending from it. Birth robbed him of the very destiny it had offered him. Immeril almost died as he emerged from the womb, and lived constantly at the border between life and death for the first two centuries of his life. Barely kept alive by his house’s considerable magics and herbalist treatments, his father deemed him too weak to command. Immeril found solace in the great Library of Lithos, reading voraciously under the tutelage of Caquel Lithose, his uncle and mentor.

Immeril learned a great deal about the outside world from books. He became a formidable scholar yet remained unsatisfied. The knowledge absorbed through years of reading left him with a hunger to see that which he read about, to experience life, to taste the world. He had grown sick of words, but what else remained to him? His father Rykos refused to allow the anemic scholar to venture further than the library, for fear of embarrassment to the house. Without sanction from Rykos and the entourage of physicks and healers that kept him alive, Immeril wouldn’t last more than a day satisfying his curiosity.

It was this very confinement that lead to the solution of his problems. Spending all of his days reading, Immeril had cleared the Blueleaf and Greystag Wings of the library. Ready to explore the wing devoted to magix, the Brightstar Wing, Imerril found something that could be of use -The Book of Unbidden Rituals. An ancient text, Imerril recognised this as an artifact from the Furum, a time even before the gods, dragons, and elves. Though he could not read the text, he devoted himself to translating and decoding the book.

Throughout the decade following his discovery of the book Immerill discovered rituals and magic that he could wield because, unlike normal magic, none of his vitality was required to wield this magic. The rituals and magic had various functions, but one in particular, Whisper of the Fel Rose, gave him the tools to live. The right incantation and a mere pin prick to the neck of the assistant, meant that the ailing scholar could share that person’s vitality. The fawning chain of medics and healers could be replaced with Immeril’s best friend and mentor Casquel.

Casquel, fatally, set aside his skepticism and reluctance to the discovery; offered his neck and died wordlessly, in so much pain that no sound came forth. The specially prepared pin drained the elf of blood and soul in seconds. Blooming from Casquel’s corpse was a flesh coloured rose. Its petals were adorned with images of Casquel’s face forever affixed in that look of dread surprise. As the ritual instructed, Immeril broke the fleshly stem, lifted the rose to his face, and inhaled its fumes. Life surged through his body for the first time ever.

The once frail son concocted a story explaining Casquel’s absence. The elder had grown tired of his weak pupil and the boredom of his life. He left, Immeril explained, to find new adventures. If anyone disbelieved the now-healthy son of Rykos, none dared to challenge him. Brimming with strength, in a few months Immeril erased centuries worth of weakness. He demanded his rightful place. His energy combined with staggering intelligence and charm quickly established his place in the house, to the delight of his father. He could advance in strength towards his destiny as a prince, then as a lord.

However, the strength attained from others does not last. Immeril would have to slay again, and slay he did. But the kingdoms of elves are not so large that it could go unquestioned for long. He also realised that by becoming king he would see even less of the world. Nobles and attendants would fawn over him and isolate the scholar from the world he long desired to see.

Immeril appealed to his father’s arrogance. It had been too many years since the glory of Lithos was clearly seen by the lesser races. Would it not be prudent to send forth an emissary to those lands, to bless them with grace of the elven people? Rykos’ arrogance could not resist the temptation. He would send forth the source of Lithos’ great pride (once its damning shame) forth to these unfortunates to give them something to aspire to in their short, brutish lives.

Immeril went forth into the world with the blessing of Rykos, the power of House Lithos, and the seductions and voices of the Furum entities.

Motivations

Immeril wants to see the world. His role as an emissary is largely self-defined. He goes on “diplomatic” missions to any place he wishes see. He enjoys meeting new people, tasting new cuisines and experiencing places that he came to know about through his centuries of exile in the Library of Lithos. He seeks to display Lithos’ greatness through charitable works, aiding those his father sees as “lesser” as much as his resources allow.

To travel, Immeril must take victims and inhale the fumes of Fel Roses. As he left the borders of his homelands, the Furum entities made themselves known to him as voices in his head. They choose for him those who are to feel the soul-wrenching fury of Immeril’s pain. Increasingly, they have chosen those with whom Immeril befriends. Immeril does not know what the Furum entities ultimately want, but it is clear that they seek him to be isolated and alone. Immeril is fighting that fate as best he can, but it’s hard to make friends when you keep on killing them.

Organization, The House Lithos

Ever since he found his strength and voice, Immeril has had the complete backing of his father. The once-prodigal son is, nearly, incapable of any wrongdoing in Rykos’ eyes. Immeril travels with the a cadre of elite warriors, the Visha, who are as capable with magic as they are with a sword. He also travels with numerous attendants of various sorts. Those who travel with Immeril feel that there is something odd about him, but none dare question too closely, fearing Rykos’ wrath.

Immeril has performed many great works for the villages and towns he has visited. He has used the magic and might of the Visha to fix bridges, heal the sick, defeat monsters plaguing the people and more. His joviality and good cheer has lead to him being dubbed the ‘Smiling One’. No one seems to notice that a few people go missing when he is in town. Every once in a while, a Furum entity demands that it be let loose in the world to feed. Immeril will either summon it as he is leaving a place, or he will free it and slay it after it has satiated itself, in order to overt any suspicion.

Plot Hooks

The Emissary has No Clothes

The Smiling One has visited a poor village. He has given comfort and aid to it’s people. The Visha even summoned rain to alleviate the drought. A few ruffians in the town have gone missing, but they’ll not be missed. One person does however, notice.

A Friend of Immeril’s….

The party gets to know Immeril in his role as a diplomat and become friends with him. They work with him to solve one of his murders. As he knows how to generate red-herrings, he neatly avoids any suspicion being cast in his direction and they allow him to see more of the world with ‘friends’ in tow. Pleasant, jovial and helpful, Immeril makes a great recurring NPC who can aid the players.

One day however, the Furum entities will call for the PC’s souls, and Immeril’s pact and true nature will be revealed.

Combat Tactics

Immeril rarely fights. He has no practical magic that he can risk revealing to his attendants or bodyguards, so always defers to the Visha whenever fighting occurs.

The Visha work together as a team. They will take turns on the offense in melee, weaving defense in the back-lines and co-ordinate deadly traps for their foes.

If faced alone, Immeril carries with him a few fel roses at all times. He can use the roses to summon Furum entities for a brief period of time. Furum entities are abominations of ever-burning flesh that attack anyone, but Immeril with mindless savagery.

Immeril Lithos by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.

Encounter: The Closing Chapter

Written by Matthew Cicci
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner
Cartography by Danny Rupp
Edited by Tony Hoffart

Difficulty: Hard
Magic: High
Keywords: ritual magic, summoned creatures, wild magic
Terrain: Inside, wood floors, some debris, two levels
Treasure: Minor

Chaotic tendrils of uncontrolled magic thrash wildly throwing the inside of the once immaculate library into disarray. Nothing is as it was; the shelves previously quiet and serene are now a maelstrom of flying books and Immeril, once calm and strong, now clutches a book madly. Tears stream down his face as he chants the guttural arcane words with a voice hoarse from fatigue.

 

Within the bedlam dance of wild magic, rose-colored wraiths, their skin wreathed in flame erupt from the tears between the dimensions swooping down upon the lone arcanist. Their ephemeral bodies causing his to twitch and convulse as they attack him while others tease and taunt his mind, their ghostly hands batting at the book and trying to wrench it away.

With every ounce of conviction he possesses Immeril manages to shrug off the wraiths’ torments and his wide, wet eyes fall upon you. “I am sorry, so sorry.” Deep sobs rack his body. “Please help me.”

Background

This encounter should serve as a capstone for your PCs interaction with Immeril Lithose. They have likely strung together a number of clues and other oddities to realize that Immeril is in truth a villain who preys on the literal life-force of others. It may even be likely that by the time you are prepared to run this encounter, your PCs may be familiar with Immeril’s Faustian pact, and the nature of both the fel roses and the Furum.

However, a twist of remorse over his latest killing (perhaps his father, or other beloved friend/NPC . . . or PC?) has caused Immeril to rethink his ways; he is attempting to rid himself of the Furum once and for all. To do this he has sequestered himself in the locale where it all began, the Brightstar Wing of the Royal Library, and is attempting a dangerous ritual in hopes of abjuring the entities that have slowly eroded his free will. This leaves the PCs faced with the difficult decision of how best to put an end to this sympathetic villain’s menace.

Objective

The overriding goal of the PCs at this point is likely to be putting an end to the murders caused by Immeril. However, depending both on their relationship with the noble and/or their awareness of the Furum, the means by which to achieve that goal may not be as straightforward as beating him into submission. The PCs may find it possible to eliminate the threat by helping the elf escape the grip of his pact.

A number of issues stand in the way of the PCs achieving this goal:

• Furum Entities – These wraith-like, fiery beings have begun to populate the library due to the magic being unraveled here. Their main desire is to stop Immeril from completing the ritual; this includes destroying any who’d aid him. [Notes as "F" on the encounter Map]
• Wild Magic – The ritual Immeril is attempting to cast is well beyond his spellcasting skill. Gouts of wild, untamed magic have caused books and furniture to be flung about the room at random. When the PCs enter it is likely they will have to avoid or contend with these projectiles as a potentially damaging environmental hazard.
• Immeril Lithose – The young elf himself is growing weary of body and mind the further the ritual progresses. His psyche is under constant pressure from the pleading Furum, and the longer the ritual goes on, the more they will sap his will to fight them. Without proper assistance, reassurance, or aid, it is unlikely Immeril possesses either the physical or mental fortitude needed to complete the intensely difficult arcane process. [Notes as "I" on the encounter Map]

Tactics

Both Immeril and the Furum have different tactics and strategies throughout this encounter.

• Immeril Lithose – Initially, Immeril attempts to rid himself of the Furum. He attempts to grit through his agony and the constant harassment from the entities in order to complete the ritual of abjuration. However, as mentioned above, he lacks the ability to finish this process on his own. For more information regarding, Immeril’s actions throughout the encounter please read the development section below.
• Furum Entities – These beings attack the PCs with an almost mindless savagery. The furum are split up into two groups. two furum entities occupy ground level and attempts to rush the PCs and keep them away from Immeril, The other group, numbering three, has taken to the balcony of the second floor; these furum attempt to devastate the party from above with ranged attacks. Their fiery assault could easily unleash more chaos, as much of the library is vulnerable to combustion.

Environmental Effects

The uncontained magic of the ritual has left much of this wing of the library in shambles. Toppled bookshelves and broken desks should make for some terrain that is difficult to navigate. While none of this should necessarily block a player’s way, it is likely capable of reducing speed or movement rates. However, wise players may use these shambles to their benefit.Tables for example can be flipped to provide cover or perhaps even as a means to get to the upstairs.

In addition, the magic has caused for books to fly through the air, tables to hop up and down, and chairs to skid wildly across the floor. These occurrences are sure to hinder the characters as they get nearer to Immeril, subjecting them to further movement penalties and, perhaps, even physical harm.

Development

The key to this encounter is dependent both on time and how the PCs interact with Immeril. Below are some key elements to keep in mind:

• Immeril cannot finish the abjuration without help. If he is not killed or aided within a suitable time frame (5-6 rounds or some other similar period), he succumbs to the Furum’s will. At this point he brings the full power of his own villainy to bear on the PCs and possibly attempts to drain the vitality of one of their characters.
• Immeril can be aided in a variety of ways, such as encouragement to fight off the Furum’s commands or by assisting him in completing the ritual itself. If he can finish the ritual, he physically weakens and collapses, but not before ridding himself of the Furum and significantly weakening any remaining entities. This a suitable option for victory as it disposes of the true source of evil.
• If Immeril is killed, the remaining furum are not weakened and continue fighting. However, it may paint the PCs as murderers of a popular noble if they lack the proof necessary to show otherwise. This course of action does however eliminate the immediate threat of the fel roses and the Furum.

Awards & Treasure

The PCs should receive an experience reward (if your games suits such a reward) for completing this encounter. In addition, the secret of the fel rose and a perhaps a few of the items can be found on Immeril’s person. If he is dead, they are for the taking; if he lives, he is more than willing to part with them. The furum roil away in burst of smoke and flame when killed, they leave no baubles behind.

Click on the image below to download the map for this encounter.

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The Closing Chapter by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.

Alae Di Noctis

Written by Dennis “Wyatt Salazar” Santana
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs
Illustrated by Rob Torno

The unknown powers are worthy of only certain causes, certain ideals.

Background

The Alae Di Noctis began as an unassuming parish in the hill country. The high priest of Alae Di Noctis was a man named Tolus, who had studied scripture since he was an orphan boy, and now devoted himself to prayer and service to his community. He was known as a man who traveled the region, taking care of lost souls, healing the sick, and performing the occasional casting out of demons. For a time, Tolus considered himself unmatched in his abilities since he had yet to come upon a demon that he could not match. This all changed, however, when Tolus stumbled into an exorcism that was beyond his ability to control or banish.

This unknown power was unlike anything encountered before, and it showed Tolus the true scope of the universe. During the casting out, which eventually failed, Tolus touched upon the mind of this entity for a brief moment and his mind, in that instant, was utterly destroyed. The entity’s vast millennial history, its travels across the entirety of the universe, and the totality of the souls it had corrupted through time disintegrated the importance of Tolus’s gods and his world suddenly became a speck of dust.

Tolus succumbed to the power of this entity, which entered into his own soul, seemingly completing the exorcism. Knowing the time would soon come when he could never allow another unworthy eye to see him, Tolus led his order away. He set out to fulfill the mission given to him by his new gods, a most holy mission of salvation. He burnt down his old church and hid with his followers, traveling far until they reached a mountainside, an abandoned mine, which they declared the holy mount of their new, sacred order.

Mission

Tolus forged a new organization, the Alae Di Noctis. The entities which contacted Tolus showed him visions of their rivals, beings immaterial of incredible strength. The entities wished for Tolus to hunt down the servants of these beasts, who were using their own sacred power without aim and without respect. In reality, the entities wish only for Tolus and his order to create chaos and disorder. They know for a fact that a war between them and other entities of their power would end in nothing. But if, by chance, some of their rivals are indeed slowed or weakened, they would be most pleased indeed.

Structure

At the head of the organization is Tolus, a man warped by the horrible power now within him. Tolus receives no contact from the outside world, and few if any of his own monks have seen his new form. Those that have seen him are known as Alaes, wings, and they serve as his lieutenants. The Alaes main function is to delegate his orders to the Noctis, men of the dark who use shards of power to find and kill others that have foolishly opposed the Alea Di Noctis.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Members of the Alae Di Noctis are each given a shard of chaotic power, the whole of which is held within Tolus. These shards allow the members of Alae Di Noctis to sense others who share similar foul powers. The shard is not enough to grant them much more than this, but should they die, the shard can either use their flesh to summon a beast from another realm, or create a small explosion to cover up the death of the Noctis member. The Noctis are trained to endure great tortures, fight with great physical prowess, and to disguise themselves as ordinary monks or pilgrims.

Adventure Hooks

• The Alae Di Noctis have targeted a prominent local for assassination. What has this man been hiding, and perhaps, should he be given up to the Noctis?
• A crazed man begs the players for help in exorcising a strange presence from him, but the Noctis have their eyes on him already.
• One of the players has contact with an entity, and is then followed by the Noctis. Has he or she really been tainted far enough to attract them?

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Alae Di Noctis by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.

Lithos: City of Shared Reverie

 

Written by Matthew Cicci
Edited by Kirk Duplessis
Illustrated by Rob Torno

Introduction

The elven settlement of Lithos has always valued peace and solitude, but few can stem time’s flow. Led by House Lithos, the settlement has engaged actively with neighbors while attempting to maintain elven traditions. Successes in trade, cooperative ventures and mutual defense actions have built the trust of the populace in House Lithos, so few objected to the plan for all residents to submit to a shared dreaming state known as Reverie.

Background

At times it seems like Lithos (and its ruling house) has stood forever, with elegant structures supported by trees older than some human civilizations. Over time Lithos has grown from an Elven hamlet into the sprawling woodland village it is today. The community’s founder, Turels Lithos, was an elven hunter who sought to escape the intrigues of urban life. Turels, aided by a handful of druids, turned a cedar grove and a small stream into a haven for like-minded elves.

Lithos grew quickly, attracting those seeking to reconnect with nature. When Turels died, his daughter Miselle took over, cementing the Lithos bloodline as the area’s ruling family. House Lithos has provided centuries of wise, popular rulers that have taken Turels’ lessons to heart; they have sought to remain largely aloof of the world’s concerns. The succeeded, for a while, but it came to pass…

Two-hundred and eleven years ago, the elven city of Helre found itself besieged by a militant order of a human church. Helre resisted, but the city’s leaders recognized the siege could not be lifted without outside help.

Messengers were snuck out of the city to organize a counterattack with the help of the surrounding Elven communities, including Lithos. Though they expected little from the reclusive community, they were disappointed when they were sent from Lithos empty-handed.

The ruler at the time, a very young Rykos Lithos, had been convinced by his Council that the best course of action was non-interference, with the hope this policy would keep Lithos free from political entanglements and the ravages of war. That night, they begged forgiveness of their gods for abandoning their kin to the humans, but remained adamant that it was the right thing to do.

When the Council members woke from reverie the following morning, they saw that some of the younger citizens disagreed. Dozens of young elves stood in the town’s center park, urging others to join and condemning the cowardice of House Lithos. The rabble-rousers were removed but the damage was done. People began to question their secluded lifestyle and withdrawal from the world at large.

Hoping to stem the tide, Rykos reached out to friendly neighboring settlements and opened the community to visitors, but it was too late; a previously unknown hunger for contact with the outside world began to eat at the community. In the wake of Helre’s fall, this spawned talk of how far behind Lithos had fallen, and that it might be time for the elves to actively adapt to the modern world.

In searching for solutions that might hold his community together, Rykos eventually hit upon the idea of a town-wide shared reverie. The reverie, an art long practiced by the community’s religious leaders, known as the Court of Seasons, allowed participants to share dreams, visions and the bonds of friendship. Rykos had little trouble convincing the traditionalist clerics to include all members of the settlement in their ritual; the Court was predisposed to agree that the crumbling of traditional community values could be reversed through the shared experience of the reverie.

The shared reverie was a spectacular success by any measure, due entirely to the Court’s centralized control of the process. Under the Court’s guidance, every elf in the settlement was inundated with an overwhelming sense of the importance of elven culture on a daily basis. Within a few years, the community had once again turned inward, rejecting the outside world.

In has been two hundred years since the beginning of the Reverie and Lithos has become a paragon of elven culture; natural and elf-made wonders abound within it’s borders. Credited with this unmitigated success, Rykos has begun to wonder if he might bring other elven communities under the sway of the Reverie.

Appearance

Lithos is not large enough to possess wards or districts within its boundaries. Instead of possessing different sections of its town, Lithos instead can be identified by its remarkable unity. Buildings made from living wood, elegant wooden and glass structures dominate the boughs of giant trees, the winds carry the soft strings of elven music being played in home and open room alike, and a general sense of natural wonderment fills the town.

House Lithos: This large glass structure rests upon the strong, auburn arms of three cedar trees. It is built almost like a cathedral, with a large stained glass windows offering both a measure of privacy and aesthetic. The most remarkable feature of the House is the Library of Lithos that dominates the eastern bough. This building is expansive and sharply decorated, and within its four wings rests a very thorough and exhaustive amount of literature running the gamut of elven thought from magic to animal husbandry.

Court of Seasons: This wooden structure is topped with a clear-glass dome and rests at the top of the highest tree in Lithos. It serves many functions in the community: a place of religious counsel, an infirmary, a school for general education, and of course as a home to the priests. Its most important function is, of course, acting as the center of the shared reverie.

Visha Arcanery: The Visha Arcanery is a school for the most gifted young minds in Lithos. This school of magic and combat, established shortly after the shared reverie, is dedicated to training elite squadrons of warriors, known as Visha, in the art of arcane swordplay. The Visha serve as bodyguards to House Lithos as well as emissaries and diplomats to places abroad. The training to become a Visha is intense, and occupies the life of a young elf for upwards of twenty-five years.

Using Lithos

Lithos should prove very portable to any number of fantasy RPG campaigns. The community operates very well as a secluded, or lost, village that the players stumble upon. In this guise the town his notably odd (everyone agrees with each other, very little talking, people excited for night so they can enter reverie, etc.), and is likely to prick the imagination and suspicion of many players. Lithos used in this vein also offers a bit of a horror aspect, as the players may feel like they’ve stumbled into a setting where the community actively knows things they are not sharing.

Lithos also makes a great setting piece for sessions of an RPG that are more roleplay intensive. The elves of Lithos are not actively violent, and instead of fighting their way to an answer, players may have to piece together clues and conversations to get to the bottom of Lithos’s odd aura.

Adventure Hooks

Some possible adventure hooks set in Lithos could include:

• A Court of Seasons priest has come to the realization that Immeril, Rykos’s son, is and has been outside the affects of the shared reverie for some time. This priest however lacks the courage to confront the king, and may approach the players to ‘journal’ how Immeril acts.
• The Furum entities that meddle with Immeril’s life are actively aware of Lithos’s secret. They demand he kill the king so they can assume control of Lithos and the shared reverie. The players could come into play as agents of a Immeril who demands they kill the king for his brainwashing techniques, or they could come to the king’s defense as agents of the Court of Seasons who assume Furum interference with Immeril.
• The relatives of an elven player may have last been seen in Lithos. However, upon being found they seem to want nothing to do with their child aside from wishing that the elven player would stay with them. The player may find himself under assault from the coercive reverie, and from the Visha if he openly resists it.

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Lithos: City of Shared Reverie by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.

The Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor

Written by Tony Hoffart
Editing by Jonathan Jacobs
Art by Kenya Ferrand

Background

Geuseppe Fosteur is a prospering spice merchant who amassed a sizable fortune and a small fleet by running exceptionally rare and sought after spices from the southern islands to more temperate climes. His company, The South Ocean Endeavor Shipping and Transport Company, is known throughout the high seas. For a time, Geuseppe’s fortune was not just in business, for he also enjoyed for a time a rich personal life with a devoted wife and five loyal children who he adored above none other.

His fortunes of the heart and of the purse did not, however, last forever.

During what would become his last voyage to meet with the kings of the north, he was informed that his wife and three youngest children had taken mysteriously ill. Geuseppe, who placed his family’s safety first, immediately changed course for his homeland, but in the end did not arrive in time to witness their final, fatal moments. His loss was devestating, but this was not the end his loss.

Only a few short days after the burials, before the soil on their caskets had settled, his eldest son fell ill as well. Such dispair fell onto Geuseppe’s heart that the light within it went out, and in the darkness that remained, a mad otherworldly fury crept into its place. Geuseppe stepped off the brink of sanity that night, and forged a pact with this demon to save his son’s life.

Years have since passed since that fateful night, and only a rare few have seen Guiseppe in the flesh. His business continues to grow, but he does his dealing through agents and by proxy. Today, The South Ocean Endeavor works to ship not spices and luxuries, but weapons for war, illicit drugs, and slaves. His company, through Guisseppe’s leadership, works to further the demon’s agenda: the dissolution of peace and the end of prosperity. The demon agreed that, only through spreading the tools of war, Guiseppe’s son will recover and become strong again. Thus, each time the SOE fuels wars with shipments of weapons, the demon breaths life back into Guiseppe’s son.

Mission

The Endeavor now prospers more than ever, and the demon is careful not to waste it’s power by doing things that would reveal it to the world. The shipping empire is currently supporting kingdoms and businesses who further the demon’s agenda through food shipments, weapons and slave trade, and by serving as an important information network. In addition, Fosteur’s company subtly sabotages those who undermine the demon in a variety of ways, including sending poisoned shipments of spices, smuggling spies into foreign lands, or delivering tainted goods or weapons.

Geuseppe Fosteur is not the most enthusiastic about following the demon, but will continue to faithfully serve in order to keep his son from getting sick. However if the opportunity to guarantee his son’s health forever became available, he would stop at nothing to ensure it.

Structure

The Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor has over two-dozen seaworthy vessels and a half dozen company outposts spread across the world. They have shipping agreements with nearly all nations and any illicit business that might go on usually can be “legitimized” by a few quiet bribes without any undue attention at all.

Since his son’s illness, Geuseppe has taken a less active role in his company’s management. Instead, he has taken to delegating the responsibility to Brackan ValMoren; a suspected cultist of infernal power. Brackan runs the company ruthlessly and competently but lacks true merchant vision. He thus refers to Geuseppe on large decisions and then executes the merchant’s suggestions with cruel efficiency.

The result of this is that the employees of the South Ocean Endeavor show discipline and little insubordination, but are cruel and vicious at any port they end up in. The brothel owners and innkeepers have learned to fear a Fosteur SOE vessel pulling into port. Though the money is good, it comes with more than it’s share of broken furniture and scars.

Hooks

• The player characters manage to catch someone suspecting of spying on a local lord. After interrogating the agent, they discover that the company who smuggled the spy into the country was the Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor, and that they have ships coming in again the following day. The spy was to be expected to deliver his report to one of the ship’s captains.
• After a battle with a small group of demon cultists, the PCs find many of the trademarks of the Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor on various foodstuffs and gear belonging to the cultists. So much so that it’s obvious the Endeavor has been supplying the cult directly. Who else might they be making deliveries to?
• The PC’s through their heroic deeds come across a ritual cure for Geuseppe Fosteur’s son, although they don’t know of it’s significance to the boy. The ritual is previously unknown and the PC’s may not be able to understand it’s true nature without aid, or they may wish to profit by sharing this forgotten magical knowledge with others. Nonetheless, Geuseppe Fosteur finds out about the cure and reaches out to the PC’s in an attempt to procure it either by force or through diplomacy. If the former approach is taken, he pitts his vast resources against the PC’s until he gets the cure. The later way would feature Fosteur repentant for his deeds, while ensuring the demon’s wrath on both himself and the PCs.

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Sinistral Manus (The Left Hand)

 

Written by John Payne
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner

When you act in charity, do not let the right hand know the left.

Background

The Sinistral Manus is fiercely devoted to the members of House Lithos, especially the royal family. This group is led by a man that has been devoted to Rykos and his children for hundreds of years. He witnessed the events of Rykos’ grandfather and saw what the Furum had done. The Furum almost wiped out house Lithos and half the kingdom along with it. He also was party to the cowardly deal the preists made with the god of House Lithos.

Knowing that the deity has brought back the Book of Unbidden Rituals, the founder has vowed that the threat will be eliminated without making deals. The Furum will be destroyed. The Book will be destroyed. There will be vengeance against the God of House Lithos. He will be exposed as a fraud, a coward, and a petty trickster.

Kemuel has vowed that he will not allow House Lithos to be dishonored again. After protecting Immeril for a few years, he has learned that expedient means will create collateral damage. Sometimes, he believes, the innocent cannot be saved. They can be sacrificed to uphold the honor of House Lithos.

Kemuel has made contact with the newer cult of Magherbryn spreading throughout the Elven kingdom. Seeing the possibilities of the ancient priest supporting his cause, Magherbyn has sent a messenger to help Kemuel in whatever way she can. Going by the name of The Emissary, she describes herself as a person that is able to get things. With the help of Magherbyn, a minor god, she has access to the underworld and the dwelling place of the gods.

The Emissary has promised the help of creatures that are equal to the Furum creatures appearing now and the more powerful Furum yet to appear. Kemuel has not taken advantage of this offer yet. Using the forces of the Emissary would reveal his new allegiance to Magherbryn and prevent him from effective protecting Immeril. Kemuel, however, realizes that time is running out for Immeril and that the Furum and the Book must soon be destroyed.

The Emissary has also alluded to the possibility of a cure for Immeril. Kemuel doesn’t trust this insinuation and as such, still resorts to other means to find a cure. These ‘other means’ include the use of disposable thugs and reprobates to harvest a number of items that require a certain moral ambivalence to get. Kemuel has searched for traditional cures for over two centuries now – he knows that he has to think more like a human to have a chance of saving Immeril.

Mission

As events unfold, the objectives of the Sinistral Manus change. The continued presence of the Furum and The Book of Unbidden Rituals will require Kemuel to make painful decisions he has otherwise attempted to avoid. He understands that it is only a matter of time before more powerful Furum emerge and the magic of the book will consume Immeril.

One of the primary purposes is to prevent anyone from discovering Immeril’s secret. In the short term, Kemuel is still able to offer bribes and avoid violence to protect the prince. The other objective include destroying the Furum and the Book of Unbidden Rituals. To that end, he has enlisted the help of a minor god and his messenger. Kemuel hopes to destroy the book without involving Immeril’s personal guard, the Visha.

In the end, the overarching mission is to save House Lithos. When the Furum get out of control, or Immeril’s secret is threatened, Kemuel will resort to the unthinkable to protect House Lithos. He has already sworn vengeance on the deity he has served for almost a millennium. He will, if necessary, sacrifice Immeril outright.

Structure

The Sinistral Manus is a name invented by Kemuel for associates that are not connected with the Dextral Manus. Kemuel never hires the same person(s) to work for both organizations.

At any given time, there may only be two members, Kemuel and The Emissary. At other times, there may be upwards of one hundred. Members are recruited in an ad hoc manner, usually with the goal of acquiring certain items believed to have powerful curative properties. Only Kemuel and the Emissary direct the groups’ activities, each directs any number of individuals at a given time. The only exceptions to this practice are three or four groups of professional, yet amoral adventurers scattered throughout the kingdom that have done more than a few jobs for Kemuel.

However, neither the Emissary nor Kemuel have any qualms in recruiting members, even other elves, to be test subjects. Kemuel has tested certain ‘cures’ on unsuspecting victims. The Emissary has hired a group of adventurers just to watch it be slaughtered.

Benefits/Drawbacks

If someone has been contacted by Kemuel or the Emissary to perform a job, that someone is considered expendable. There is no loyalty or protection offered to those hired into Sinistral Manus. The best case scenario is to do the job well enough to be hired again for another job.

Adventure Hooks

• The Emissary approaches one of the elven PCs. He attempts to convert the elf to the cult. If the elf converts or plays along, the Emissary asks the new elf to prove their devotion to Magherbryn by performing an act of service.
• An agent of Kemuel approaches the party and asks if they want to search for some hard-to-get items for an ancient wizard.
• The Emissary befriends various members of the party, pledging a rendezvous later that night. When the party arrives, they encounter horrific creatures that are bent on destroying them.

If the GM decides to use a side quest for a future adventure, the items Kemuel seeks include but are not limited to: the blood of a unicorn, the heart of a good dragon, the search for an artifact located in the underworld, or the sap from the Tree of Life (or similar curative artifact).

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Dextral Manus (The Right Hand)

 

Written by John Payne
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs

The sins of a father are visited upon all his generations.

Background

Kemuel has served in House Lithos for hundreds of years, and he thought he’d never see a Fel Rose again. Two of the three known texts used to summon the foul vine were destroyed long ago. The last was translated into a tongue known only to Kemuel and the god he serves. At the time, the two entered into a friendly pact to protect House Lithos.

The gods, however, are not keen to keep secrets or promises. Like any other creature that loves to talk, a god can only be trusted for so long.

Kemuel was, like many others, overjoyed at Immeril’s resurgent health. He believed that his potions and treatments were what had kept Immeril alive for as long as they did. However, it wasn’t until he traveled with Immeril that he discovered the prince’s secret. One night while traveling in town, he found the body of the town’s mayor in a back alley. Kemuel recoiled at the discovery, but the signs were unmistakable: the rigid, pale look of man drained of all his life’s vigor. The body had all the signs of the Rose. Kemuel knew that the last person seen with the mayor was Immeril, who also had looked sickly earlier in the day. His late day resurgence of vitality suggested no there was no other answer.

Kemuel had seen the allure of the Fel Rose before in Rykos’ grandfather. The Furum overcame the frail king while Rykos and Caquel were still in their first century of life. It took the priests decades to find all the Furum spirits and contain them once again. It had been hoped that after the last spirit was sealed, that they would never be seen again. The existence of the Fel Rose soon became a closely guarded secret and faded into legend.

Once Kemuel put all the pieces together, he sought an audience with Rykos. The course of action was clear – Immeril would have to be exorcised. The exorcism might kill him and it would certainly bring the return of the wasting disease if Immeril survived. Although highly revered, Rykos would not listen to Kemuel. Instead of rewarding the loyal priest for a timely warning, Rykos’ placed a virtual death order on his head, ordering that should Kemuel accuse Immeril of a capital crime, he would be stripped of his title and banished into the Outer Fringe.

Mission

Kemuel has assembled the priesthood again to deal with the Fel Rose. He hopes to save Immeril and prevent him from suffering his great-grandfather’s fate. Armed with ancient magicks to fight the Furum and mystic objects to divine the future, Kemuel seeks to keep Immeril alive long enough to destroy the Furum and undo the curse of the Fel Rose. Time is short, even in humans terms. It will not be long before the spirits overcome the prince, making exorcism impossible. At that point, the only solution is death.

He travels with Immeril as one of his attendants in order to keep a close watch on him. When the prince needs to find another victim, Kemuel uses his magicks to find suitable victims that will not be missed. If someone begins to suspect that Immeril is behind a victim’s death, Kemuel and his network of associates use any and all means short of violence to cover the evidence and assuage the victim’s families.

Kemuel also uses various artifacts to peer into the future. Through investigating what is yet to happen, he hopes to find the best possible course of action that causes the least harm. After many audiences with Immeril and providing choice advice so often, Immeril dubbed the priest, Dextral Manus, his good right hand.

Structure

Kemuel, the high priest directs the loose association of priests, courtesans, and a handful of Visha. Only Kemuel knows that Immeril is using the Ritual of the Fel Rose. At a base level, all members know that a malignant force exists that must be destroyed. However, very few know about the needs for live victims and only Kemuel himself knows that Immeril is involved.

Generally, Kemuel directs various members to perform certain tasks: track a person’s movements, research an old magick, engage in small commerce, etc. Other leaders are set up on an as needed basis. As the curse of the Fel Rose grows more powerful, the organization will increase in size and specific direction. Recently, Kemuel has even provided arcane knowledge to select Visha to fight and contain the dreaded Furum spirits.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Kemuel is noted for a dour proverb he repeats a bit too often: “Fathers and old men exist to mitigate the folly of children.” The drawback to being Kemuel is knowing the truth and being very limited to act upon it. Others in the group may deal with a guilty conscience for setting up the murder of innocent victims.

Another drawback is the suspicion of the Visha. The Visha generally act as one. Having Visha get too close to others, even a respected adviser like Kemuel, is seen as an act of disloyalty to the Visha commanders.

The only benefit to Kemuel is the belief that the Fel Rose will not work on him. Kemuel survived the ritual when it was performed on him, though he does not know why.

Adventure Hooks

• One of Immeril’s attendants secretly approaches the PCs and asks if they can perform a certain duty for the proud House of Lithos. If they agree, the PCs will be directed to follow a local townsperson that Immeril has recently befriended.
• One of the Visha question the PCs about suspicious activities. They will be accused of spying on the Visha and plotting against Immeril himself. Once brought before Immeril, he will befriend the heroes and apologize for the misunderstanding – only then to request the party carry out a specific mission, lest he change his mind.
• A Furum spirit is loose and while fighting it, a priest will come to the PCs aid and effectively seal the spirit in a book. Talking with the priest afterwards, the PCs will learn of another Furum spirit that is being tracked and cornered into combat. Invitied along, the priest will provide details of the groups, including information about Kemuel.

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Dextral Manus by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.

The Diviner’s Tools

Written by John Payne
Illustrated by Rob Torno

Those with a guilty conscience often seek the aid of gods and spirits of the underworld. Many priests can seek a direct audience with their agents of their deity. A few priests, like Kemuel, have come to mistrust the deities they serve pushing them to seek answers from other spirits. Those who are not priests and yet seek otherworldly guidance, look to strange devices to make contact.

Peribrachion Of Time

These bracers are intricately designed with various mystic symbols on one bracer, and a picture on the other. The picture is believed to be a work of art depicting the futility of attempting to control people and events. Aside from the artistry of the design, there is nothing that makes these bracers appear extraordinary.

Worn by a wizard or priest familiar with their operation, however, these bracers allow the wearer to look into the recent past or near future. Specifically, the wearer is able to project himself in time and space up to seven days. The destination must be a place that the wearer has visited, not necessarily within the past seven days. After using the bracers a few times, the wearer is able to travel in space without traveling in time. While visiting a different time and space, the wearer’s body stays in his own time. He is only an observer with no ability to alter the events he sees. He is also unseen by anyone else. Only the most powerful mediums or wizards could detect his presence.

To use the bracers, the wearer must be seated and looking into a bowl of clean water. He must concentrate on when and where he would like to visit for thirty minutes. If interrupted, the wearer must start over. Any trip taken by using the bracers must last at least an hour but can as long as the wearer can physically withstand. Any attempt to travel for less than an hour will be unsuccessful. Lengthy journeys risk the wearer connection between the wearer’s soul and body.

The user controls when and where he will project, however, he does not control when and where he will return. If the wearer spends two hours in a different time, he will arrive back in his body two hours after he began the journey.

The result of using this device causes physical and mental harm to the wearer. The longer the trip, the more harm the wearer will feel. Extended trips risk killing the wearer’s body thereby causing the soul to wander forever.

The Duchala Plates

The Duchala Plates are a set of talking boards created by spiritualist to contact the spirits of the underworld or agents of the gods. Each plate has a slightly different design, but share some common features. Duchala plates are made of one solid piece of one-inch thick hardwood. The average size is two feet by three feet, but others come in various sizes.Each plate is covered in letters, numbers, symbols, and a few simple words. In the center of the board is a small metal bowl. It is believed that there is a Duchala plate for every known language, including a few in the languages of the gods, themselves.

A duchala plate will help users foretell events in the future. To use the duchala plate, a user writes a question on a piece of parchment. The parchment is then burned in a small bowl in the middle of the board. As the question burns, the user lightly touches a basket with an attached quill. The basket will travel around the plate, spelling out the answer with the quill, one letter at a time. It will move only as long as the question burns, the longest known answer comprised of one hundred twenty letters.

Duchala plates covered in various symbols or written in languages that do not have an alphabet operate the same. However, the answer usually interpreted in a fashion similar to a tarot card reading.

The Tazladah Kura

This very large talking sphere is a variation of the duchala plates. Mystic symbols cover the surface of the sphere. There is a recession on the top designed for a small silver bowl. Each symbol is inscribed on a raised button. The average tazladah kura is covered with seventy-eight runes, but the number ranges from fifty-two to one hundred eight. When a button containing a symbol is pushed a click signifies that it has been locked on. It takes some effort to push a button, it cannot be depressed casually or by accident. Once a button is depressed, it will stay that way until a lever at the base resets all the buttons.

Use of the tazladah kura is similar to the duchala plates. The user writes a question on a piece of parchment. This parchment is placed in the bowl atop the sphere and set on fire. While it burns, the user enters a trance-like state. Unconsciously, the users’ hands cross the surface of the sphere pushing buttons. The trance lasts as long as the question burns in the bowl. When the parchment has been consumed, the user will awake from the trance with no ill effects.

Each symbol has a unique meaning, something akin to tarot cards. The user is then left to interpret the resulting symbols. Meaning is assigned to the individual sign, and where in the sequence of signs it appeared. If a symbol is considered a bad omen, it will change color to a blood red color after it has been pressed.

Construction of the item appears to mechanical. It is not clear from examining the outside whether or not it is driven by clockwork, steam power, or some other mechanical power source. Spiritualists insist that the spheres are hollow and that there is no power source save the spirits that provide cryptic answers.

Alchemical Rose

It is customary in some parts of the world to exchange roses for good luck after a large business deal has concluded. It is there where the first alchemical rose appeared. It was apparently given by the benefactor of a largely one-way deal. The victim would gain great power from the deal, but at a great cost. The benefactor was more than happy to oblige, but he also bears no risk at all.

As a part of the bargain for power, our tragic figure is left with a rose. When the rose becomes gilded, says the power broker, once the bargain is complete. You will keep my gift with no further obligation to me.

In fact, the rose essentially functions as a reflection of our villain’s thoughts. If they are happy and joyful, the rose will shine a variety of reds, pinks, and yellows. If his thoughts are dark and brooding, the rose may be purple, black, or even begin to wither. The rose is just another reminder that he made a deal with the devil and there is no hope of escape.

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Encounter: Rumble in the Jungle

Written by Kirk Duplessis
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs
Illustrated by Rob Torno
Cartography by Paul King

Difficulty: medium
Magic: medium
Keywords: ambush, elves, traps
Terrain: temperate forest
Treasure: minor

The road is smooth and well maintained, though narrow. You can see sunlight up ahead; it looks like there is a break in the tree cover where the road veers around a small rocky hill.

Background

Immeril has been proceeding further south over the last few months, leaving good works and unsolved missing person cases behind him. He is bright enough to realize the Furum require the sacrifice of those he befriends; therefore, he has made a point to only befriend the unimportant, and to antagonize his bodyguards.

The players have been hired by a Marquise; she is the sponsor of numerous orphanages in the province. She has been receiving reports of missing street children over the past few months and has hired the party to look into it.

The party has determined a pattern to the disappearances; they seem to line up with the schedule of a visiting dignitary, Prince Immerel Lithose. The Prince himself seems beyond reproach; he is charitable, friendly and well-loved. The party suspects that someone in the Prince’s entourage is responsible.

The Prince is crafty; he knows he’s being followed by the party. He has dispatched a team of Visha to waylay the party on the road, disguised as bandits. They are to capture the party if possible so that Immeril can determine the extent of their knowledge of his situation; however, he has authorized the team to use deadly force if necessary. The Visha must also avoid capture at all costs.

Objectives

The party is following Immeril’s entourage with the intent to learn more about the string of recent disappearances.

The Visha squad has been instructed to capture at least one member of the party. Lethal force is allowed, but discouraged; if the battle goes badly for them, they will try to melt back into the woods and evade capture themselves. Immeril will use information from the failed Visha attack to learn about the party’s strengths and weaknesses.

Tactics

The Visha squad is part of an elite cadre of the King’s Deep Wood Rangers known as the Forest Terrors. These warriors combine military combat training with supreme woodcraft skills. They specialize in the tracking and ambushing of prey, animal or otherwise.

The six man squad leaves a two-man team to shadow the party once they enter the forest. The remaining members prepare an ambush site further along the road; this team includes a nature focused spellcaster such as a druid or shaman.

Environmental Effects

The road is wide enough to accommodate a cart. Low brush and turf border the road for 5 feet on each side; beyond this, the terrain should be considered difficult.

The ambush site is just over a day’s march along the road; if the party decides to push on through the night, the Visha will not have finished all of the traps they planned. Remove the pit trap, but remember to impose darkness penalties on the party. The elves should have no problem seeing in the dim starlight.

Development

As the party approaches the site, the two-man shadow team signals their compatriots further up the path with a birdcall not native to the area. Player characters attuned to working in the wilderness may be able to detect this signal, thus tipping them off to the impending ambush.

The ambush site has been thoroughly prepared to receive the party; due to the nature of their mission, three of the enemy sharpshooters have a number of arrows that are coated in a sleep poison.

There are five traps on the path; their locations are indicated on the map.

P – This pit trap is 10 feet deep; it is designed only to trigger under someone in heavy armor

D – These dart throwers are coated in sleep poison, and are designed to fire when someone steps on the pit trap cover

N – This net trap covers a 5×5 ft space; it is triggered at the discretion of one of the Visha ambushers and suspends the captive 20 ft up in the air.

T – This is a tree that has been either treated or enchanted to burst into flames when it hits the ground, throwing up a 5 foot high wall of fire across the path

The Visha are hoping for the following scenario:

A stealthy scout-type will be the vanguard of the party. When s/he steps on the pit trap cover, it will no be enough to trigger the pit, but sufficient to trigger the dart throwers. Once the scout succumbs to the sleep poison, heavier combat types will rush to the fore, triggering the pit. With any luck, the confusion will also allow the Visha to net a PC with the net trap. Finally, the burning log is dropped across the path to separate melee combatants from their support.

Once the tree comes down, the Visha shadow team will start sniping at the party rearguard.

Meanwhile, the Visha, hidden in blinds in the trees or on the ground will open fire to disable or incapacitate party members. They begin their attacks right after the pit trap is triggered, to maximize confusion. Both the tree and net traps are manned by Visha and require only a moment’s notice to trigger.

Awards, Findings, & Treasure

• Victory – Capturing or killing the Visha reveals that below their thin bandit disguises, they are very well equipped and associated with Immeril’s entourage.
• Partial victory – Driving off the Visha, the players are free to search the area; if successful, the find a campsite used by the Visha and reveal the information as above.
• Failure – One or more captured NPCs leads logically to a chase and breakout, ultimately revealing the connection to Immeril’s entourage.

Click on the image below to download the map for this encounter.

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A Day with Mr. Ambrose

Written by Stephen Dewey
Illustrated by Kenya Ferrand

The overstuffed leather office chair protested loudly on its wheels beneath Laok’s weight. In their natural form, imps were rather light creatures – most being under three feet tall and composed primarily of hot gas and loosely concentrated nightmares – but it was no secret that Laok was immoderately obsessed with his “bargaining form,” Mr. Ambrose.

“Besides,” Laok had argued on several occasions, “to sit in a chair properly, one must shed unnecessary shoulder baggage. Wings make the entire experience of relaxing substantially more difficult.”

Therefore, Mr. Ambrose was the form Laok favoured more often then not, insofar as comfort was concerned, and the same form whose weight the chair now protested against.

It wasn’t a bad form, all things considered, despite the distinct lack of a tail which made general balancing – not to mention hanging from rafters – a new experience entirely. Just under six feet tall, Mr. Ambrose appeared all in all as a very well-put-together sort of chap. A tailored suit, charcoal coloured of course, with black dress shoes that reflected the light of fire quite exquisitely. A crimson undershirt, and a tie – cross knotted – that seemed the colour of orphan tears. He had a thin sort of build, looking not unlike both a nimble human and a rather large viper all at once. His face was sharply angled, adorned only by a soul patch beneath his lower lip – both for the classic appeal and the sheer irony of it. His hair was black and slicked back, making the two dark red horns emerging from his forehead even more pronounced.

Mr. Ambrose rubbed his temples as his eyes darted back and forth, looking carefully over the sheaves of parchment that covered the broad rosewood desk.

A gentle rapping noise on his door shook the imp from his concentration.

“Enter,” the devil called, making use of the rich human accent the altered form provided him.

Brymstor was quite gangly for an imp, which by imp standards is saying something. The little devil was a good deal shorter then the height of the doorknob – no doubt having had to fly up to it in order to gain entry into the office. Scrambling his way into the room with a small stack of papers gripped in one claw, the imp landed on the desk with little more then a snap of its wings, laying the pile before Mr. Ambrose.

“Another signed contract,” the imp shook its tiny devil head, as if in disbelief. “A priest of light. Seven years of service postmortem, and three favours prior. Just plain impressive sir.”

Mr. Ambrose smiled at the imp.

“Damn fine devilling, if I may be so bold to pat myself on the back Brymstor,” Ambrose joked.

“Pat away sir, pat away. How do you do it?” The small imp enquired.

“You know, it’s not as hard as one might think,” Mr. Ambrose mused, accompanied by a conniving grin. “Let the powers that be boast all they want about keeping evil alive on the mortal plane. Master a few simple steps and any slick minded imp with half a brain can keep the fires stoked.”

Mr. Ambrose laughed, a wicked sort of noise that sounded not unlike both a cheerful chuckle and the screams of tortured innocents all at once. Brymstor however, intrigued by the man’s musings, cocked his head to one side and sat eagerly on the desk – ready to learn. Ambrose studied the inquisitive little imp for a moment, before sighing and nodding.

“Very well Brym, very well. We need more imps who know what they’re doing so I don’t mind letting you in on some of the finer techniques. Where to begin…” Mr. Ambrose stroked the small tuft of hair beneath his lower lip which, for all Brymstor knew, was one of the many souls the elder imp had bargained for. “Soul bargaining is a many layered, rather complex task…” he began.

“Like balancing?” Brymstor interrupted, toying with his tail.

“You get used to that too,” Ambrose jested. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“Now then, something that most devils fail to realise is that it’s not our job to simply wait around for someone to offer a deal. Waiting for those magical ‘I would give anything’ words is not the way to go about things. The simple truth of the matter becomes, hundreds of people would sell their soul daily, if given the chance, on really the most pointless of things. A good harvest, a healthy baby, a night with the bar wench… It gets tiresome really, mortals are all want, want, want. When it comes right down to it though, a quick glance around the torture pits will show you the real problem. No one’s worth torturing! The vast majority of mankind lives in shades of gray and hardly anyone these days makes a name for themselves. What’s the good of eternal damnation if they’re not even going to put up a fight? People who think they deserve it are no fun. No, you’ve got to aim for quality, not quantity.”

“Find some suitable subjects. Make a list of two hundred or so of the most valiant, stout-hearted and decent folk you can locate – the kind who look down on those shades of gray as blasphemy. Adventurers, politicians, and religious figureheads are my personal favourites. Adventurers are nice because any treasure-seeker worth his salt packs more punch then your average mortal but always wants to pack more. Politicians usually seem to need only the slightest of pushes to put them right onto the throne, and into the palm of your hand. And religious folk, well, it’s just so cute when they fall from grace.”

“Then you watch, and you wait. Everyone has a moment of weakness eventually. Everyone. But even then, when you see their willpower wane, patience is the key. If it’s meant to be, you’ll know. Finding the perfect moment is just as important – if not more so – then finding the perfect candidate. You have to time it precisely, because if you’re bargaining with the right people, there’s a good chance they will be defensive, suspicious, paranoid, and in possession of both powerful weaponry and a general animosity towards anything with horns that appears in a puff of smoke.”

“I’ve always hated that puff of smoke clause. Seems… counterproductive,” interjected Brymstor.

Mr. Ambrose nodded, “True, but good business practises must be maintained. Besides, if the timing is right, the smoke and horns should be the least of their worries. Desperation… That’s the time to strike. When a mortal reaches the end of their rope, whether figuratively or literally,” the man grinned, lost in a memory for a moment. “Yes, when they’re flat out of options, preferably alone, and terrifically distressed – that’s when you strike. They’re so distracted that nine times out of ten they think they’re composed enough to outwit you. They’re dead wrong of course… and the bargaining begins.”

“The soul bargaining?” Brymstor questioned excitedly, now that things were getting interesting.

“Well, sure. That is an umbrella term of course, but not so rigid as you might think. Most adventurers have read just enough storybooks to assume that souls are all we bargain in. Souls can be a tricky business though, especially with the religious folk.” Mr. Ambrose here switched into a mocking tone, “My soul belongs to Flufflekins! God of flowers and bunnies! It is not mine to give!” The man rolled his eyes. “Bloody ridiculous. The key Brym, is to ask for something that seems relatively innocuous – something that would bring no immediate consequence to the poor chap giving it away. The beauty of souls is that the ownership of them does not even become a point of interest until the time of death.”

“The price you ask should be relative to the weight of whatever is being requested of course. A permanent boon to a mortal should come with a permanent penalty, while a gift that only aids them for a few moments or days should have a similarly temporary price. Where creativity enters the picture is in convincing the mortal in question to agree to a deal where you are actually getting the better end of the bargain, regardless of what they think. For example, an adventurer may think that promising something as simple as say, a ‘favour’, is well worth it when their own life is on the line. But when the favour is called in, and you demand three innocents killed, it’s a net gain on our part. Favours are better than gold and silver – a fact that, thankfully, mortals still don’t grasp. The lives of firstborn children are always a good standby too, though it works best if you know the child is going to grow up to be a great champion of good or some such rubbish. Besides that, bargaining for things like names, talents, faith… Hells, even the use of some words. I’ve seen it all. I’ve done most of it,” the man chuckled.

“Is it true,” Brymstor perked up, “that you made a deal so a holy man couldn’t say the name of his God anymore?” Mr. Ambrose smiled at this, leaning back in his chair, puffing out his thin chest as best he could.

“Poor sap had to use nicknames from that day forward. The best part of that bargain? He was on a quest for some ancient relic of that very same God when we hatched the deal – chap had run afoul of some quicksand.” Ambrose could barely tell the story through his laughter as he continued. “So he reaches the temple and finds this dreadfully old artifact – an orb of some sort or another. Three guesses what the final word of the incantation was to activate it!” The two devils filled the office with laughter, Brymstor nearly falling off the desk.

“He must have been furious!”

“He was,” smiled Ambrose.

“How in the hells did he last?”

“He didn’t.” Ambrose stated simply, as Brymstor’s laughter subsided and the imp raised an inquisitive eyebrow – or at least the ridge where an eyebrow might have been on a more hairy creature. “Village was invaded by Gnolls a few months later,” the man continued. “He decided his silence wasn’t worth the death of his family, so he broke the bond to activate the relic.” Ambrose shook his head sadly. “If I wasn’t the devil whose brilliance spawned that contract I might have even felt bad for the man. He was a decent fellow, all things considered. A paladin, a knight of purity, chosen by divinity with a shiny chair and a set of wings waiting for him in the afterlife… Death for him and his would have done the whole family a bit of good really – being relocated to a cottage on the clouds and all. Peace, happiness, and such.”

“He died a fortnight later, unrelated causes, leaving behind two children and a wife who relocated swiftly to the bed of his squire.” The man shrugged.

“What happened to him? His, well his soul I mean?” Brymstor asked tentatively.

A sickening grin crossed Mr. Ambrose’s face as he leaned forward and locked eyes with the small imp, forcing Brymstor to utilise every ounce of his willpower to keep from running in terror at the man’s overwhelmingly malevolent presence. Suddenly, a snap resounded through the tiny devil’s mind as memories rampaged forth through his unprepared mindscape. A scream escaped Brymstor’s lips as his thoughts were wracked with terrible understanding. Falling from the desk, the imp writhed on the floor as Ambrose stood – letting forth a contented sigh.

“And that, Sir Brymstor, is the bit of soul bargaining that warms my heart. The true art of it shines forth most impressively in a broken contract, and in carrying out the punishment very clearly laid out in the fine print.” Mr. Ambrose walked around the rosewood desk to better watch the waves of burning realisation as they washed over the tortured man. “Don’t you worry, Sir Brymstor. The memories will subside soon and you can go back to filling out my rather impressive pile of paperwork, and of course seeing me as I am – a brilliant, brilliant man.” Even now the fits of anguish in the small creature began to be replaced by obedient complacency. “And you can continue, Sir Brymstor, your afterlife of blissful ignorance. At least, until tomorrow.” With a final satisfied sigh, Mr. Ambrose returned to his chair and began glancing over the newest contract that the former paladin had brought him.

A devil’s work, thought Ambrose with a smile, is never done.

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