Portrait of a Villain: Brother Ptolemy & the Hidden Kingdom (part 1)

Written by Paul M. King
Edited by Cassey Toi
Illustrated by Paul M. King & Rob Torno

A gaunt form drifts through the crowd; dressed in robes of dark crimson, the colour of dried blood. A hood, pulled low, all but hides the tarnished glimmer of a smooth, featureless mask that covers his face. Cracks like shadowy veins spider across the facade, golden paint flaking away to provide a tiny glimpse to the ancient cedar beneath. Small bottomless wells of darkness fall into the mask, openings for the mouth and eyes, and continue to hide what lies beneath even in the harsh light of the noonday sun. Two figures, move in step with the first, flanking him on either side. They are all robed and adorned in the same manner and none who stand in the heavy aroma of incense and exotic spices left in the wake of their passing can spy a difference between them.

Duke Gerhardt von Brandt was a very rich and – his detractors would only begrudgingly admit – handsome man, two facts of which he was keenly aware. One evening, while preparing to entertain, he spied a greyhair in his ebony mane. An enraged von Brandt soon found himself consumed with searching for a means of preserving his youthful visage and vigor. He began to travel extensively, visiting repositories and practitioners of arcane knowledge, his desperation and determination growing with every dead end he encountered with every turn. Eventually, in the dusky light of a Far-Eastern back alley, von Brandt found himself handing over a tremendous sum of money to a ragged thief for an ancient dusty scroll. The scroll, the thief assured Gerhardt, held the secret to immortality.

Years passed, and von Brandt continued to travel, seeking experiences both wondrous and exotic. Being young, handsome and rich he never lacked for companionship. One night, while in a tavern he attracted the attention of a local beauty. Unfortunately, the beauty had a jealous, and rather inebriated, lover. A fight ensued, and a dagger found its way through Gerhardt’s ribs and into his heart. He staggered back; withdrew the blade and with a laugh he lept forward and buried the dagger in his opponent’s belly. As the man lay dying on the floor, Gerhardt von Brandt turned and walked out into the bitter cold night.

While Gerhardt travelled home he became increasingly aware of a smell that seemed to surround him. He attributed this to the stench of the road; but was dismayed to find that it continued to offend his senses even after he had returned home and bathed. His irritability grew further as each meal seemed blander than the last. He decided to stop eating; as he no longer grew hungry. One morning, while performing his daily grooming ritual, a clump of his luxurious dark hair came loose in his hand. Staring in horror, he noticed the texture of his skin was changing, it was more drawn than usual and beginning to take on discomforting pallor. He spent the following two days wandering aimlessly through the halls of his manor, clutching the clump of hair to his sinking, perforated bosom. On the morning of the third day, the duke gathered his staff, dismissed them and ordered them to vacate the premises immediately. Locking up behind him, Duke Gerhardt von Brandt departed on his final journey.

The drought is severe this season and the local farmers are hard pressed to keep up with the demands of the city, much less keep food on their own tables. The red monks had imported a large shipment of food and set up a soup kitchen in the center of the city; the line wrapped around nearly the entire square. A trio of monks enters the square and heads for the kitchen. One of them breaks off from the other two to stand on the raised dais where a statue to the city’s founder gazes out serenely over what he had wrought generations before. Gloved hands are lifted and the attention of nearly every person in the sullen, shambling line is turned towards him. “Brothers and sisters! We are happy to share all that we have with you! But know that this meal can only give but a temporary respite to the unending neediness of this world. There will always be hunger, pain and fear. This does not have to be! There is another way – a better way! You need not be hungry! You need not suffer! You need not fear, even death! Friends, these things no longer have any hold over us. We are free, and we invite you to share in our freedom.“

Dust coats every surface of the forsaken von Brandt manor. Vines snake across the walls and windows, strangling the sunlight. The gardens, once meticulously kept and manicured are now overgrown and resemble little more than self-contained patches of wilderness. A pair of rats meander lazily across the great foyer that once greeted nobility from nearly every corner of the kingdom. An unfamiliar scent causes one of them pause and sniff the air. Suddenly, a metallic scratch at the door causes them to spin about; a rasping click of the aged lock sends them scurrying for their nest. The front doors swing inward, sending forth a gust of incense and exotic spice that cause the cobwebs to billow. A gaunt, red robed figure walks silently into the manor and looks around. He turns and nods to a second figure, dressed in much the same manner as he, who begins to carry in the few possessions they’ve been travelling with – scrolls and books, mainly. The second figure hums quietly to himself, it is a tune he has not heard since his days as a thief living on the streets of a distant Eastern city.

Background

One must always be careful what they wish for; wishes have a way of being granted in ways we don’t anticipate or intend. In his single-minded quest to cheat death and live forever, the man formerly known as Gerhardt von Brandt conducted a ritual upon himself that sealed his spirit inside his body. While the ritual did indeed stop him from ageing and kept him from dying, it did nothing to prevent his body from expiring and decaying once it was fatally wounded. As his body deteriorated, so did his grasp on sanity.

After disappearing from his home, he sought out various masters of necromancy in the hopes of finding a way to reverse his condition. Failing that, he turned to master embalmers to preserve what little remained of his fleshly visage. Watching as his organs and bodily fluids were removed and replaced with wax, preservatives and exotic spices to mask the smell of death, von Brandt’s mind finally snapped. He was a prisoner in his own body, with no hope of release.

Over a period of time, von Brandt managed to achieve some small measure of lucidity as he studied necromantic teachings on death alongside far eastern philosophy. Death would no longer be a prison for him, but a release. He was no longer a slave to the needs and weaknesses of a living body, nor was he subject to pain or death by any natural means. And, it occurred to him, he need not be alone in this new existence of his.

Taking on a new identity for his new life – that of a monk named Ptolemy – he decided to spread the good news of his liberated existence. His first disciple was the thief who sold him the ritual, upon whom it was forcibly performed. Ptolemy then killed the thief’s body and immediately had him embalmed to prevent decay from setting in. The pair then returned to the long-abandoned von Brandt manor and set about laying the foundation for what would become known as the Hidden Kingdom.

To be continued later in part 2….

Brother Ptolemy 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.

Portrait of a Villain: Brother Ptolemy & the Hidden Kingdom (part 2)

… continued from part 1.

Goals

On the surface, the main goal of the Hidden Kingdom is to free all people, rich and poor alike, from the pain and suffering of a living existence, ushering them into the freedom of sentient undeath, though it is not common knowledge that the group is comprised solely of the undead – a secret they go to great lengths to keep.

What is not known until someone has the ritual performed upon them, is that whoever performs the ritual has an unnatural influence over the subject. Since Gerhardt von Brandt performed the ritual on himself, he retained his own will. An acolyte, upon performing the ritual upon a new initiate, has substantial influence over them – but since the acolyte is already in thrall to Ptolemy, he essentially controls the new initiates as well. Though he would never openly admit it, Ptolemy secretly entertains the idea of ruling a kingdom – perhaps even a continent, or a world – of sentient undead.

These goals are accomplished by following a very well-defined procedure: First, a small detachment of followers will move to a city and begin conducting acts of charity (funded by the group’s considerable resources) to gain the favour of the populace. At first, the group will pay particular attention to inviting the homeless and poverty-stricken to join – which they are often eager to do at the promise of little more than a hot meal. Soon after, they begin focusing on ‘rehabilitating’ criminals. During this time, the groups numbers will grow steadily, but the general populace often only notices that crime and poverty are being eliminated thanks to the mysterious group. An ‘outreach’ program will begin, involving public speakers and visits to friends and family of existing members. Eventually, the group will reach critical mass and can then exert enough political influence run the city or simply use the weight of numbers to forcibly induct the remaining population. A smaller detachment is then formed and sent out to repeat the process in another city.

Organization

Ostensibly, every member of the Hidden Kingdom is equal. Everyone dresses the same – wrapped head to toe in bandages, and dressed in red robes with a wooden mask painted gold – and all personal assets are handed over to the group when an individual joins. According to the monks themselves, this way of dressing and giving up personal wealth is a means of freeing oneself from vanity and greed – two things that commonly lead one to being a ‘prisoner of life.’ This gives them considerable resources for conducting charity work and, where necessary, bribing government officials to either look favourably upon them, or turn a blind eye to their activities. It also makes it nearly impossible to tell who is running the organisation. Numerous attempts to discover the origins and driving force behind the group have failed, and more than one assassin hired to put and end to a local cell has quit in frustration (those that weren’t converted, that is).

When faced with a threat, the group will avoid direct confrontation and attempt to use political and social influence to press the local community or governing officials to protect them. They will often try to spin a situation to put themselves in a position of being persecuted and victimised, despite wanting to help the community. Often enough, they are able to use their good standing within the community to force any would-be accusers into a very uncomfortable, unpopular position within the community. Attempts to discredit the red monks or cast doubt on their intentions with anything less than irrefutable proof are almost always going to fail.

Under the cover of darkness, however, the red monks might just as easily swoop down upon a desirable-yet-resistant potential convert or a vulnerable perceived threat in the middle of the night and forcibly convert them into followers. The services of a professional – particularly one from outside the local community – are also likely to be procured. The contracted help is just as likely to be silenced (or converted) as the intended victim, however, depending on how discreet and capable the monks’ perceive the hired help to be.

If, while still in the minority or lacking a hold over the local government, and faced with public exposure that threatens to unmask them (literally or figuratively), the red monks will withdraw from the community entirely that very night, before any hostility against them can be organised or perpetrated.

Gameplay

Note: This section was based primarily around D&D 4e, but can be adapted as needed for other systems

Brother Ptolemy and the Red Monks of the Hidden Kingdom are what Open Grave (a D&D 4e supplement) refers to as souled undead – living consciousness and intellect inhabiting a reanimated shell. In this instance, however, their bodies were never really “reanimated” in a literal sense, but rather never stopped being animated upon their death. The ritual used for the conversion will not raise the dead, it must be performed on a living being; it does stop the ageing process, however, but it will not heal wounds or prevent decay when a body can no longer maintain its vital functions. Thus, converts upon whom the ritual is performed are immediately ‘killed’ and embalmed as a part of the conversion process – not necessarily because they have to be, but because Brother Ptolemy wants it that way.

There are several important changes one experiences upon becoming a Red Monk:

• All converts to the Hidden Kingdom retain most, if not all, of the knowledge, skills and abilities they held in life – a fact which the Hidden Kingdom uses to further it’s agenda and influence within and around a community. However, any of those same powers, skills or abilities that relied on holy/divine/spiritual or primal/nature-based power sources are lost. Individuals worshipping evil deities who undergo conversion will keep or lose their power source at the discretion of their deity.
• Since their bodies no longer live, they have no need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep. They feel no pain, cannot be knocked unconscious nor can they be poisoned – in fact any bite attacks against a Red Monk by a living creature risks the attacker being poisoned by ingesting the chemicals used to embalm and preserve the monks’ bodies. For each bite attack, roll a d10; any rolls less than 10 mean the attacker has accidentally ingested some of the embalming agents and provokes the following attack:Attack: +[monk's level] vs. Fortitude, ongoing [attacker's level] damage and slowed (save ends).
• All Red Monks gain the following ability upon a successful conversion:Rise Again – If a Red Monk is reduced to 0 HP by any attack that does not deal fire or holy/radiant damage, the monk is not destroyed, but falls prone and appears to be dead. At the beginning of its next turn, the monk may stand up with a number of hit points equal to its level plus five (hp = monk’s level + 5). The monk, while prone, may choose to delay doing this until later in the turn and/or encounter.
• Due to the nature of the embalming and slow decay of their bodies, all Dexterity-based skills and abilities take a -2 penalty. Endurance/Constitution checks are passed automatically.
• With the exception of Brother Ptolemy, all converted monks are under supernatural influence from those who performed the conversion ritual on them. On the very rare occasions where insubordination occurs, any attempts by a monk to resist following orders made by their converting monk take a -6 penalty on a Willpower check versus the other’s Diplomacy. For every conversion tier above that, give an additional -2 penalty. (Example: a monk wants to resist an order given by his converter’s converter’s converter, thus the penalty will be -6-2-2 = -10; it may help to think of it in terms of father/grandfather/great-grandfather or as a pyramid scheme)
• In order to better spread their influence, all Red Monks are trained by their order in Diplomacy. If a Red Monk is ever unmasked, that monk takes an immediate and permanent -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skills against anyone who happened to see their face. Any and all other monks take a -2 penalty versus those same individuals by association.

Brother Ptolemy 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.

[D&D, Dungeons & Dragons, Open Grave, and souled undead are property of Wizards of the Coast]

Encounter: Church & State

Written by Tony Hoffart
Edited by Kirk Duplessis
Illustrated by Kenya Ferrand
Cartography by Paul King

The guttersnipe squirms as you haul him about but doesn’t attempt to run.

“Please sir, I wasn’t trying to rob you I needed to talk to you honest. They’ve got me bruddah, and now they’re going to go after de Mayah!“

A few tears start to stream down the waif’s filthy cheeks. “I got no one else sir. Please listen to me. No one else will…“

Background

The PC’s have found themselves in a large town where Brother Ptolemy and the Monks of the Hidden Kingdom have set up shop. The order is now several hundred strong and the monks can be seen everywhere. The people love them, and many of the nobles and ranking officials of the town have expressed admiration for their good works, but the mayor remains skeptical. All this is common knowledge and is openly discussed in the streets and taverns around the way.

As the PC’s go about their business in town, a young street waif of indeterminate gender with quick fingers and quicker feet approaches them. The obviously skittish child approaches cautiously, but once within arms length, decides against the original plan, and turns to bolt. The waif tries to scurry off but suspicious of what’s going on, one of the PC’s grabs the urchin by the grungy collar and tugs them both somewhere quiet to “have a chat”.

The waif tells you that three days ago the Monks took it’s Brother unexpectedly, they tried to grab both siblings but it’s little legs were were too quick and got away. The waif wanted to know about what happened to it’s brother so that night the child scaled the wall of Gerhardt Von Brandt’s manor to find out.

There the child describes a ritual observed through a small basement window. The lead monk did the ritual on a girl who used to work in the Mayor’s estate, and then subsequently stabbed her with an ornate dagger! The waif winces fearing the PC’s won’t believe as it relays how the girl then got up and donned the red robes of the order. Then the new member begins to tell them about the in’s-and-outs of the mayor’s estate…

The waif is crying now, frightened that it’s brother had that dagger ritual happen to him. The more important question though is what does Brother Ptolemy have planned that involves the Mayor’s home?

Mission

Brother Ptolemy’s intent is to perform the ritual on the Mayor by having several monks sneak through the servants entrance under cover of night sneak into his chambers and fulfill it there. Then through the guidance of the other Monks the mayor will publicly announce his conversion before obvious decay of his body begins. That is, unless the PC’s can stop it from happening…

Since the waif did not hear the Brotherhood’s specific intent, the PC’s have no specifics to warn anyone and the Monks intend to act on the Mayor that very night so further investigation is necessary.

• The guttersnipe can repeat most of what the converted former servant said, which includes the various entrances to the manor, the rotation schedule of the guards, where the servants and residents sleep, and what activities can be expected to happen. GM’s can add details as they so desire.
• By questioning anyone in the mayors office a good result from an investigation roll will yield that quiet overtures from the Monks of the Hidden Kingdom have been made to offer the Mayor membership in the past, which have been coldly received, though the mayor hasn’t outright insulted them, he’s made it quite clear he has no intention of joining their ranks.
• Watching the Cult’s activities will reveal that they are establishing a candle light vigil for the sick and dying at a hospital only a few blocks from the mayor’s estate. It’s a fairly large affair including over 50 Monks, a perfect staging area to move on the Mayor.

Alerting the Mayor or any of his aids that something may happen will – at best – have the mayor add a few extra guards for a few nights, which will not deter the Monks, or -at worst – make the mayor suspicious of the PC’s intentions.

Climax

To stop Brother Ptolemy from bringing the Mayor under the cult’s influence the PC’s will have to head off the ritualists as they attempt to enter the Mayor’s estate. Brother Ptolemy will be among them to ensure the Mayor will be subjugated to him specifically. He will attempt to get away during any confrontation leaving his devout followers to cover his retreat before they attempt to escape themselves.

All 10 of the ritualists are talented magic users of roughly equal power level to the PC’s, they will attempt to fight the PC’s initially as their leader attempts to escape, and then escape themselves to avoid being implicated in any wrongdoing. The PC’s may be accused of invading the Mayor’s home if they cannot capture or incapacitate any of the Monks, but managing to do so will reveal the Brotherhood for what it truly is.

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

 

Church & State 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: Spoiled Waters

Written by Kirk Duplessis
Edited by Cassey Toi
Illustrated by Kenya Ferrand

Difficulty: medium
Magic: medium
Keywords: dim lighting
Terrain: temperate forest, water
Treasure: medium

The moon reflects brightly from the still waters of the reservoir, making it easy to see the windblown trees on the small island offshore.

Background

Brother Ptolemy has decided that fortune favours the bold; instead of passively converting the sick and downtrodden, he has reasoned that by cursing the city’s water supply to make people ill, he can hasten the supply of willing converts. To that end, he has dispatched a nine person team to the city’s water supply with a powerful ritual to do just that. The city’s water is drawn from a large reservoir 5 miles away; the water is pumped (magically or otherwise) into an aqueduct connected to the city.

Ptolemy’s team consists of a three person casting team to handle the ritual (1 each arcane, divine and natural) along with six guards (three melee, one ranged, one sneaky, one healer). The acquisition of the ritual components – a leper, some blood from a descendant of one of the city founders and various miscellaneous rare and expensive ingredients – has attracted the attention of the PC’s or of someone willing to hire them.

The ritual itself requires fifteen caster rounds to complete, meaning that it can be completed in fifteen rounds by one caster, or in five rounds by three casters working together. The casting of the ritual will continue as long as at least one caster continues to work on it. For instance, assuming that someone else has continued to cast the ritual during the second round, the wizard can cast as part of the ritual during the first round, cast fireball in the second round and then rejoin the ritual in round three. Any round during casting is disrupted does not count toward the total count needed.

If the ritual is interrupted completely (all three ritual casters stop casting), a glowing, twisting knot of magical energy appears above the island. After ten rounds, this light descends into the reservoir and detonates, fracturing the 60ft high dam holding back the reservoir.

During the course of their investigations the PC’s have the opportuinty to discover a counter-ritual; this ritual also requires rare and unusual components. If the party fail to stop Ptolemy’s plot, they may use the ritual to cleanse the reservoir. The ritual may be used to contain the magical nexus of the failed ritual. The counter-ritual operates on the same principles as the first: requiring fifteen rounds to complete, allowing for casters to work together and disrupted rounds not included in the total round count. However, if the party fails to complete the ritual, the magical energy of their ritual simply dissipates.

Objectives

The party is travelling to the reservoir to halt the poisoning of the city’s water source, by whatever means necessary.

Ptolemy’s team is intent on completing the ritual; the ritual casters will single-mindedly pursue the completion of the ritual, stopping only to defend themselves or if they are killed.

Tactics

Ptolemy’s team starts combat in a defensive formation, to protect their ritual casters. If the party starts the counter-ritual, they will shift to offensive action, with the casters occasionally interrupting their casting to support a push against the counter-ritual.

Environmental Effects

Ptolemy’s team will make use of an island in the middle of the reservoir. The flat-topped, almost barren island is roughly circular in shape, 40ft across, has steep sides and is 80ft from shore. The ritual will be attempted at night under the full moon creating dim lighting.

Development

Though the fight is mostly a knock-down drag-out fight, tactics are likely shift as each side tries to interrupt the other’s casting.

If the dam is damaged, it can be partially repaired through magical or mundane means. While this will not completely fix the dam, it will buy the party time to arrange the evacuation of the city.

Awards & Findings

There are several distinct possible outcomes to this encounter:

Victory

The party successfully halts the team or casts the counter-ritual and gathers the evidence necessary to discredit the monks completely.

Partial victory

The party interrupts the casting of the ritual, but does not complete the counter-ritual in time, resulting in damage to the dam.

• This leads to a race against time, to evacuate the city before the dam falls.
• To add to the already tense situation, there are two 6-person maintenance sleds at the top of the aqueduct; the chase mechanic is up to the GM.

Failure

The party fails to either counter or disrupt the ritual, resulting in the poisoning of the entire reservoir and all water passing through it.

• This treatment causes dysentery in any person who consumes water or any food that has been treated with water from the reservoir or aqueduct.

Spoiled Waters 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.

Items of the Hidden Kingdom

Written by Matt Cicci
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner & James Keegan

Magical relics have long been key in the pursuit of, or defense against, undeath. From simple holy symbols fortified with divine blessings to cowls that allow the undead to walk amongst the living, a great number of magic items deal exclusively with those horrid beings that refuse to go gently into the ever-after. Below are a few such items inspired by the Red Monks of Von Brandt.

The Beggar’s Coin

Beggar’s coins are rarely spent. It is not that these small gold circles are without value. In truth they’d catch a fair price, but their value goes beyond the mere concept of commerce. When one of these coins are pressed tight into the palm of a hungry man, the hunger slips away; when these gold slips are dropped into the cup of a cold man, warmth slips over him. The simple dweomer infused into these coins creates a sense of comfort that few would part with. They’ve gained particular popularity in the hands of the downtrodden who’ve been blessed by the Red Monks.

Breath of Unlife

Despite the horror associated with the undead, one cannot argue that the concept of undeath possesses a certain appeal. How else might one explain the studied nature of necromancy, the existence of vampires, and the not-uncommon occurrences of those tempted to stretch their own lives into immortality through undeathly transformations. It is irrefutable then that undeath presents temptations to many. Chief amongst these is likely an immunity to the common ills that the living suffer. Once having stepped through the veil, no longer does one age. Nor does disease or poison offer any threat. And sleep itself becomes extraneous.

Seeing a market for these benefits, an obscure alchemist from Korothos City is rumored to have brewed a necromantic elixir that is sold as a rejuvenating remedy. On many levels he achieved marked success; the potion allowed people to work through the night, it reduced the grey hair in many a noble’s brow, and in general bestowed a measure of vitality on its imbiber.

Unfortunately for the alchemist, it did not take long for its necromantic qualities reveal themselves. A number of side effects emerged, ranging from a foul odor that permeated the user or the awkward rigidity it induced in the muscles. Some experienced much harsher consequences such as widespread reports of violent mood swings and elixir-inspired cannibalism. What happened to the alchemist in the wake of these disconcerting reports is unknown, nor are the whereabouts of his surplus stock of the potion.The recipe for the elixir itself has yet to be found.

Gold Oak Masks

One thing Brother Ptolemy learned of quickly as his Hidden Kingdom began its work, was the distrust that was inherent in the human soul. Distrust from those he was attempting to help, and and an even sharper level of suspicion from city officials and other religions who regarded his work with a raised eyebrow. The work it took to gain a city’s trust or something resembling trust was as great as all the other, more pressing, endeavors the Hidden Kingdom engaged in.

Ptolemy turned to magic to ease this burden; the red monk’s patented golden masks were born. Though often chipped and worn, these oak masks possess a soothing magical aura about them that puts others at ease. Words spoken from behind the wood facade carry a more persuasive weight. In addition, the masks muddle spells or inquiries into the wearers true nature.

Ptolemy, despite refusing the luxury of satisfaction, is content with his creation’s efficiency. The face the Hidden Kingdom presents to the world is golden, serene, and full of compelling wisdom.

Soul Strength Armor

The problem with undead, any veteran of battle against them would say, is they do not attack your body as much as they attack your soul. Insubstantial and bone-chilling, these evil creatures often seek to drain the very essence your life. Strong men grow weak, wise men go mad, and courageous buckle in fear at the necromantic onslaught these abominations unleash.

The intricate golden chains of Soul Strength Armor are designed to fight against these affects. The links, which are still as strong as any other suit, have been blessed with the divine and fortify the wearer’s courage and wards the soul from harm. When the brave paladin enters the crypt in this luminous armor, it will be the undead themselves whose psyche is shattered as they find themselves impotent against its divine protection.

Von Brandt’s Dagger

This simple, nicked dagger is the very blade that killed Gerhardt Von Brandt without his knowing it. A jealous man plunged the blade into the noble’s ribs, and thus began the subtle undeath that transformed Von Brandt into Brother Ptolemy.

In one swift blow this blade tasted mortal and immortal blood, and it awoke. Von Brandt’s body was imbued with powerful magics he’d been using to stave off age, and in that moment of transition some otherworldly force ebbed into the dagger. After the incident, the blade fell to the floor and was forgotten, only to be later picked up by an unknowing member of the town watch who later investigated the “murder”. The guard was found with his throat slashed only four days later.

And just as Von Brandt’s life has grown as he and his Hidden Kingdom have traveled, so too has the dagger’s strength. Wherever the blade lands, murders without assailants become commonplace. Honest men’s hearts are turned black merely by touching the pommel of this blade, and yet another killing spree begins anew. The dagger rarely stays with any owner for more than a few weeks, until eventually the dagger’s insatiable appetite for blood takes the life of its owner, one way or the other. This simple blade always finds another owner before long, and each time it gets a little closer to Von Brandt, whose unique blood it still savors after.

Items of the Hidden Kingdom 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.

City-State of Corwyn

Written by Paul King
Illustrated by Matt Meyer
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs

Description

The city state of Corwyn lies in one of the farthest reaches of civilized lands along a high plain, neatly bordered by forested mountains to the south and east and by a modest river, The Culwich, to the west. Being situated outside of the region’s major trade routes has always hampered trade and communication between Corwyn and nearby cities. The river has thus served as its main connection to the outside world.

Nearly a decade ago, a mysterious blight swept through the high plains, all but destroying the harvest of the local farmers on which the area so heavily relied for its food supply. It was during this unexpected famine that the Red Monks of the Hidden Kingdom arrived. Learning of the blight, they quickly began to import food from outside the area and, almost single handily, fed the region for nearly two years. During that time, many of the farmers who were ruined by the blight were supported by the Red Monks, and as a result, more than a few were quite happy to join their ranks when the invitation was extended. As the ranks of the Hidden Kingdom within Corwyn swelled though, the demands on the limited supply of food mysteriously lessened to the point that the city state could once again support itself without the need to import food from abroad. Agriculture slowly returned to the region, though with noticeably fewer farmers working the land than before the blight took hold.

In the years following, criminal activity in Corwyn virtually disappeared, as did nearly all traces of begging and panhandling. Groups of Red Monks strolling along silently, nodding politely to passersby, became an increasingly common sight in virtually every corner of the city. The once steady demand for food dwindled until only a few of the larger farms surrounding the city remained active and profitable. Smaller farmers struggling to get by – the rest left the area to make a living elsewhere or joined the ranks of the Hidden Kingdom.Over time the Red Monks became accepted despite this seeming collapse of the local economy. They were even popularized by the people, with the majority of citizens who espoused the values of the ’status quo.’

Eventually, the local government came to recognize the social and political influence the Hidden Kingdom possessed. Still, there remained a minority of disenfranchised farmers and nonconformist citizens who questioned the true intentions of the Hidden Kingdom, but were marginalized and largely ignored, the basis for their complaints being little more than an obscure sense of unease and an inherent distrust of people and ideas from outside their small realm.

Recently, the local government, at the prompting of the Red Monks, have begun a campaign of urban renewal and revitalization with the intent of making Corwyn a destination for tourists and vacationers. Old, crumbling sections of the city started undergoing renovations, while small parks and gardens were planted wherever space could be found. Lacking any sort of a performing art scene, recruiters and fliers were sent to the larger surrounding cities in the hopes of attracting talent and with them, visitors to the city eager to boost the local economy. As outside interest in Corwyn has grown, so too has interest in the peculiar Red Monks who walk its streets, enjoying such favor among the people, eager to spread their message of hope with those who seek or want for anything.

Society

Corwyn is a quiet, peaceful region populated by people with a fairly homogenized view of what it means to be a part of their community – something the Red Monks happen to fit into comfortably.

Government

The region is governed by the Corwyn city council and chaired by the Mayor, all of whom are voted into office. There are no established political parties – as everyone pretty much holds the same views anyway – and no limits on terms served. Generally, the candidate(s) with the most support from the (relatively) affluent aristocracy is guaranteed a win in an election, as they are the ones best able to reach the largest number of people. Each member of the local government is expected to receive a citizen of Corwyn should they so desire to meet with them, though the more affluent and charismatic tend to preference over the less fortunate.

Defense

The borders of the region are open, as are the roads that pass through it. The city itself is surrounded by a wall and casually patrolled by the city guard, though incidences requiring their presence are few and far between and usually only involve inebriated travelers from outside the region. The gates of the city are closed late at night, with a member of the city guard is stationed at each gate to ensure that late travelers are still able to enter and leave the city.

Trade

Corwyn is largely self-sufficient, drawing what little food it needs from the surrounding farms and lumber from the Southern forests – one of the few raw resources imported on a regular basis being iron ore. Additionally, in the decline of agricultural industry, wild game have become plentiful in the abandoned and unkempt fields of the region, though much of it steers well clear of the city itself. The city has recently undertaken a shift to towards a service-based economy, hoping to draw tourists and vacationers looking for a quiet, out-of-the-way place to visit that strives to combine rustic charm with urban convenience.

Culture

The citizens of Corwyn pride themselves on the quiet, laid-back lifestyle they have. Even those living within the walls of the city maintain what many in the larger cities would look upon as a rustic, small-town lifestyle – most everyone is known and gets along well with everyone else, while rabble-rousers and malcontents tend to be shunned and avoided. Since most of the populace is concerned with the practical, day-to-day activities of life, there is a notable lack of appreciation for the arts – something the local leaders are trying to remedy by importing artists, bards, and craftsmen of various types in order to broaden the narrow horizons of the Corwynites and boost tourism in the region. The local aristocracy, in particular, has embraced this trend and frequent dinner parties are thrown, showcasing the latest talent to visit the city – much as they believe their counterparts might do in larger, richer cities.

There does exist a quiet, unspoken tension between the upper-class and the much larger, poorer working class of the region. While a some members of Corwyn’s high society have maintained their fortunes – and an even smaller number have somehow managed to increase them – in the recent blow to the agricultural industry, there has been a general eroding of the demand for the goods and services from which they profit that continues to take its ever-growing toll on their purses. The blame – as is whispered only in the company of trusted, like-minded individuals – is often placed on the followers of the Hidden Kingdom and the increasingly popular promises they make of ‘freeing’ people from the cares and pain of this world. Despite the mistrust, no one argues the fact that the Red Monks are somehow responsible for helping Corwyn become the ’safe, quiet place to live for decent, hardworking folk’ they enjoy today.

Hooks

• The PC’s happen upon a farmer who has turned to drinking as a means of coping with the hard times that have fallen upon him. In his inebriated state, he recounts the time that he and some of his fellow farmers hired a magic user to combat the blight that was bringing them to ruin. The mage was unable to end the blight, but did manage to discover that it was unnatural origin. He disappeared before he could discern more information about the mysterious blight – though rumors persist that he joined the ranks of the Hidden Kingdom.
• A noblewoman is looking to hire investigators to discover the whereabouts of her irresponsible, free-spirited daughter and bring her home. She was vacationing with friends in the region of Corwyn when they encountered a charismatic cult. Only half the group returned, claiming that the daughter and some others decided to join the movement. Her mother is beside herself and wants her brought home immediately.
• A furtive stranger approaches the PC’s – obviously outsiders to Corwyn – and pitches an offer: He is looking for discrete individuals to investigate the Hidden Kingdom and collect any evidence of foul play on their part. Without an air-tight case against them, the group he represents, a small collection of local politicians holding out against the movement’s influence, have no chance of breaking their hold over the citizens of Corwyn and exposing them for threat they truly are. Unfortunately, everyone who has undertaken this assignment has either gone missing or joined them. Should they fail in this, any knowledge of the PC’s activities – their very existence – will be denied and they will be at the mercy of the Hidden Kingdom.
• A monk dressed in red and wearing a somber, gold-painted mask approaches the PC’s and asks them if they might have been approached by any citizens of Corwyn seeking individuals to infiltrate or discredit their organization. He explains that there exists a group of troublemakers within the city’s government that seeks to undo the peace and prosperity they’ve brought to the region. These individuals must be identified so that the Hidden Kingdom might persuade them to work together for the good of the community.

City-State of Corwyn 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.

False Charity

Written by Jerall Toi
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner

To many, the arrival of the Red Monks is considered a good thing, as their work leads to a reduction in obvious poverty, petty crime and the presence of undesirables. There are, however, a few individuals that know that there is no such thing as real charity. A charitable act not only benefits the receiver, but also the giver. The Red Monks do not appear to benefit from their charitable work and it is for this very reason that some view the group with suspicion.

The Merchant Prince

Nalan, first-born son of a powerful merchant family, after managing several successful business ventures, seemed set to take over from his father. These days, however, one no longer finds Nalan in his port-side office, or abroad conducting business. Instead, he dedicates his time to improving the lives of the poor of his home town.

After the death of his wife, the young merchant seemed to withdraw from the rest of his family and the family business. Nalan’s younger brother did not seem to mind the situation, as it allowed him to step in and take control of the business.

Now, Nalan spends his days, and the moderate allowance allowed to him by his brother, amongst the dirty slums and shanty houses of the city’s poor. He dedicates his time to providing meaningful help to the poor, by buying out small plots of land and converting them to vegetable gardens. He then teaches, those that would learn and work, how to tend to the land, which in turn will provide them with both food and a source of income.

The arrival of the Red Monks has Nalan worried. He is concerned that those who accept the Monks’ food parcels will soon learn to depend on them, rather than seek out their own escape from poverty. Unsure that the Monks have the best intentions for the poor, some of whom he now calls friends, Nalan has now turned his attention and family fortune towards finding somebody that could help investigate the Monks and hopefully allay his suspicions.

The Rat King

Zal knows that the power and position held by the nobles and the rich over the poor is nothing more than an illusion. Without the poor, the nobles could not exist. The nobles rely on the poor. The poor hold the real power, but they just don’t see it, and it’s Zal’s job to make sure that they never do.

Zal has been tasked with uncovering ‘problem individuals’ within the poor neighborhoods. The well-oiled manufacturing machines of his employers can never halt production. It is with this in mind that he offers minor trinkets and food parcels to countless underprivileged children – his eyes and ears – for information relating to any ‘problem workers’ that jeopardise the livelihoods of ‘their parents’.

Zal equates the arrival of the first of the Red Monks to nothing less than the appearance of the harbingers of the apocalypse. Their ‘do-gooder’ deeds are threatening both his and his employer’s financial security, as more and more laborers begin defecting. In response, now authorized to offer monetary reward, Zal has ordered the children, those still loyal to him, to find somebody that would help him uncover the sinister plots the masked monks have in store for their parents. It doesn’t hurt that some of the children know how to act or have the ability to force out a tear or two. In fact, those skills might just help in finding the perfect sap for the job.

The Black Market Wizard

Moss, a purveyor of fine magical goods, currently finds himself facing, what he calls, a supply chain collapse. Moss owns and runs a small store in the city’s merchant district, catering for wizards and others that would appreciate a magically enchanted sword or shield. However, despite the look and layout of the store, his dress and mannerisms, Moss is, in fact, not a wizard.

Moss is nothing more than a reseller of wizardly goods, acting as a middle man for real arcane practitioners that would otherwise be too busy to seek out their own funding and supplies. He rarely needs to trade coin for goods from his wizard suppliers, as they more readily accept arcane components and other goods required by their experiments.

Recently, Moss has developed a successful business relationship with a small cabal that seems to prefer components of a more macabre nature. Moss does not question the orders he receives, but does his best to fulfill them. What does it matter if the blood of a human virgin he supplies just happens to be the blood of a human street child? Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Red Monks though, Moss now finds his supply of eyeballs, kidneys and tongues dwindling.

Moss now seeks out somebody that would help investigate the Red Monks and their true motives. He is quite willing to allow access to his store’s supply rooms in payment for services rendered.

False Charity 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.

Red Harvest

Written by Sean Holland
Illustrated by Rob Torno
Edited by Jonathan Jacobs

The fields should be golden with tall rows of ripe grain, but the stalks droop and the tips are a dull red. They are the rust color of dried blood.

The farm houses are abandoned. Everything that could be moved has been taken.

The next field is the same; and the one after it.

What has happened here?

In nearby cities are rumors of curses or punishments from the gods, but none know the source of this blight or what it portends. Diviners, priests and wizards all seek answers but thus far none have revealed any. Fear and worry is spreading.

At least the Red Monks bring comfort, if not answers, to the people.

The Stage is Set

The Red Monks of the Hidden Kingdom entered the lands from the east. The rust blight entered the lands from the west. The weather was good and pests were minimal, but what should have been a record harvest of grain fell to the blight. Prayer would not turn it away, nor would magical charms. The red blight spread quickly and made the fields look like seas of dried blood.

The Red Monks came and offered aid, buying blighted grain for fair prices only to destroy it, and trade what untainted grain they brought with them to feed the hungry. The local nobility searched for a remedy, magical or otherwise, but worried about the growing influence of the cult as well as their people. Agents of the King were dispatched to find the origin of the blight, and now the peasants gather to seek answers, seek hope.

Conflict does not seem far off…

Behind the Curtain

There are several options as to what is really going on here, depending on the needs of the campaign, and various ways for adventurers to get involved. The following is a list of potential adventure hooks that might be used to include the Red Harvest as a means to introduce Brother Ptolemy and his Red Monks into your existing campaign.

• The nobility believe the cult is spreading the blight to increase dependency upon them, they would be happy to hire investigators to prove this. This may be true, after all the monks do not need to eat.
• The cult is secretly harvesting the blighted grain because, when dried and baked, it has mystical properties, spurring visions and flashes of prophecies before a slow death. The recruitment possibilities the blight causes among the farmers and townsfolk is simply an unexpected benefit. The characters may stumble across elements of the cult harvesting the grain before burning the stalks or sacks of blighted grain being transported.
• Brother Ptolemy believes the blight has been spread by those wishing to discredit and has hired the characters to investigate the source. This may be so, perhaps a minor death god has released the blight to strike against the cult which is stealing his due. Perhaps it is a gift to those who oppose the cult, as ingesting the blighted grain makes one immune to the effect of Ptolemy’s ritual.
• An unscrupulous group of merchants wants the Red Monks out of the way so that they can make a huge profit off the misfortune of the common people. So the merchants want Ptolemy’s operation out of the way, be it by defaming the cult or by destroying or stealing the supplies the cult is bringing in or both. The characters could be hired to guard the supply caravans or to raid them.

Note that several of these ideas are not mutually exclusive. For example, the characters could be hired to guard a Red Monk supply caravan, only to find that the monks are shipping out blighted grain.

Additional Notes

The blight is resistant, but not immune, to magical curing so counteracting the blight is not as simple as casting a spell. Something will resist the magic for somehow the blight is magical in nature. Detecting magic on the blighted grain will detect a very faint magic that is difficult to identify. The exact nature of this magic will depend on what options the Games Master chooses.

Sequels

Whatever caused the blight may cause another blight, if the characters stopped it once they will almost certainly be expected to do so again. Or they may find themselves dealing with a totally different problem.

Red Harvest 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.

Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom

Written by Stephen Dewey
Illustrated by Matt Meyer
Cartography by Stephen Dewey

Introduction

The Duke von Brandt manor is a shell of its former glory. Once, a welcoming hall of respect and nobility, the estate has now fallen victim to decades of disrepair, and the overwhelming presence of dark magic. Acting as the primary headquarters for a strange group known as the Hidden Kingdom, this ancient structure is now home to the group’s many followers, and of course, the mysterious Brother Ptolemy himself. The walls of von Brandt manor echo with the ghosts of the past, while the shadows of the ancient walls hide dark secrets and forgotten memories which may hold the very keys needed to unlock the true nature of the Hidden Kingdom and its shrouded ruler.

Overview

1. Approach

Out of the mists of the moor rise an ancient structure whose tall stone walls and pillars split the night air. The manor’s outer wall, choked with vines of ivy, stretches around the entire property – encircled by a dark and murky moat. Before you, a broad and ancient wooden drawbridge slowly lowers across the water – as if anticipating your approach. Aside from a small, barred window to the west, the two strongly reinforced wooden doors to the gatehouse stand as the only entrance to manor proper.

Designed for defense, entering the von Brandt manor uninvited is no easy task. The moat is fifteen feet wide, while the outer walls reach fifty feet in height. The wall is in such a state of disrepair and covered with ivy vines in such a way that climbing it is possible, though getting down the other side might be difficult.

2. Gate House

This small stone hallway leads from the double doors to a closed portcullis. The passageway is flanked by stone walls laced with arrow slits. Above you, a heavy grate in the ceiling blocks passage to the gate house’s second level.

A basic knowledge of architecture might reveal that the ceiling grate might have once been used for defense – allowing guards to pour any number of undesirable concoctions down on invaders trapped by the portcullis. Today however, the gate house and its many defenses have been abandoned.

3. Inner Courtyard

Emerging from the Gate House, you step into a wide, fog-choked courtyard. To the west, the slanted wooden roof and open windows of a stable stand against the stone wall. Between you and the stable, a small outcropping from the wall forms a dome-like structure where a plain wooden doorframe held a screen which served as the structure’s entrance. To the east, the angelic stained glass windows of a chapel can be seen – the glass having kept its vibrant colors even as the rest of the structure sagged from age. North of the chapel stretches a small lake surrounded by a few trees and several patches of upturned soil where a garden may have once thrived. And of course, before you stands the great manor house itself, stretching two stories in height and nearly surpassing the very wall which protects it.

This courtyard is almost constantly filled with a low, rolling fog – another byproduct of the strange and unruly magic which calls this manor “home”. It has been ages since the gardens have born fruit or flower, as the manor’s current occupants have no need for food, and no desire to see the beauty of a flower – beauty that they will never know again. The courtyard is often filled with the comings and goings of Brother Ptolemy’s followers and is occasionally used as a tenting area for fresh initiates.

Optional: A curious traveler brave enough to take a dip in the lake (nothing more then the stagnant and polluted moat water brought in through a small grate) may be lucky enough to find a discarded Beggar’s Coin tossed away by a recently recruited acolyte who no longer has a need for it.

4. Dovecote

The small chamber beyond the screen door seems to be one of the few courtyard buildings still in use. The gentle cooing of a dozen or so fist sized birds fills the room, each kept within a small brick cage – series of which provide the only real furnishing to the small chamber. Beyond the cages, a thick glass window looks out at drawbridge and the manor’s approach.

Originally, much larger birds were kept here – bred for their eggs, meat, and warm feathers. Since Brother Ptolemy’s transformation however, he has done away with the lazy birds and replaced them with smaller ones trained in the delivery of messages. A single acolyte regularly attends to the birds here.

5. Stable

This stable, which may have once held and maintained as many as five horses, has now fallen into disrepair. Cobwebs cake the upper corners of this dilapidated shack of a building, as bug infested stacks of hay sit to the south. The sagging roof of this building looks ready to collapse at any moment.

Despite its appearance, this building is actually more or less structurally sound. Combat or explosive magic however may bring the stable crumbling down. Aside from the occasional large rats which make their home within the stable’s hay piles, little can be found here.

6. Chapel

The ancient wooden doors of the chapel almost fall off their rusted hinges as you pass the threshold into the forgotten chapel. High arched ceilings rise above you, as chipped and broken flagstones line the floor beneath your feet. The gloomy sunlight pools pathetically on the whitewashed floors – doing little to illuminate the finely crafted stained glass windows to the west and north. Six wooden benches, prepped for worshippers, dominate the chapel’s wide hall – half of them broken or overturned. The raised wooden pulpit itself lies in shambles with scraps of broken wood, glass, and metal littering the area. High above, in the church’s rafters, the gentle shuffling of bat wings marks the only noise in this abandoned place of worship.

What god this chapel’s patrons once worshiped has long since been lost to time, as the holy symbols and images which once decorated this great chamber have either been whitewashed away or faded under the weight of decades. When Duke von Brandt first returned to his manor following the realization of what he’d become, this chapel became the first victim of his rage. Rampaging through the building he once revered as holy ground, von Brandt took a shovel to the chapel’s finely crafted furnishings, making quick work of the pulpit, several of the benches, and an unfortunate priest who was caught in the Duke’s path. The Duke was unable; however, to break the stained glass windows he’d adored so much in life, and fled the chapel midway through his rampage – incapable of finishing the chapel’s destruction. Today, Brother Ptolemy has named the chapel grounds forbidden among his followers, and dares not tread there himself.

Optional: In his days of worship to a higher power, Duke von Brandt collected many divine relics. While Brother Ptolemy’s followers would never willingly allow a creature – dead or alive – to enter the forbidden chapel, those who do manage to gain entrance – either by stealth or force – may find one such relic. Buried beneath the shattered remains of the pulpit lies a still-functional suit of Soul Strength Armor – easily claimed if those seeking it are strong enough to dispatch the vengeful ghost of the chapel’s former priest who still haunts the wreckage…

7. Manor House

As the double doors to the Manor House swing inward, the heat from rows of braziers greets you. The orange glow cast by the coals illuminates an unexpectedly large hall lined by pillars, and filled with the monotonous chanting of a dozen men and women who kneel in prayer along the hall’s perimeter. The house has clearly undergone massive renovations, as the ceiling of the first floor has been removed entirely, allowing you to see all the way to the marble rooftop forty feet above. Several closed doors lead off of this main hall, though you have little time to ponder where they might lead to as the twelve worshipers – robed, with faces covered by golden masks – cease their chanting and stand slowly to face you.

What lies within this labyrinthine manor house is up to you, but one thing’s for sure – the accursed followers of the Hidden Kingdom revel in their new (un)life, and will not go down without a fight.

Using Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom

If utilizing Brother Ptolemy and his schemes fully into your campaign, this location can be present and incorporated in your game through a variety of ways, but is perhaps saved best for a final climactic encounter with Ptolemy and his followers. There are many ways to tackle this fortress-like encounter, though it should be clear to your players that a straightforward siege of the well-fortified manor might be a poor idea. Stealth, diplomacy, or even feigned interest in joining the order itself should yield more successful (and interesting) alternatives.

There are two main ways to approach the von Brandt manor as a location in your game. The first, and perhaps best option (to prevent your players from getting ahead of themselves), is to introduce the influence of the Hidden Kingdom to them far away from the actual manor, with the corruption and true nature of the order becoming clearer as they follow the path right up to Brother Ptolemy’s doorstep. The second option is to have the manor take the “haunted house on the hill” role as your players try to unlock the secrets of the Hidden Kingdom right under the watchful eye of it’s looming presence.

The Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom has the potential to be used in any campaign, and could be placed in the middle of a city, the distant countryside, or the middle of nowhere. The manor’s walls may rise from the mist just as passing travelers begin seeking a place to camp for the night, luring unknowing victims in with the promise of a soft bed and a warm meal in the company of some kind – yet quirky – monks. A seemingly harmless night of respite may quickly turn into a dangerous adventure that even the bravest of heroes is not prepared to face.

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

 

 

 

 

Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom 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.

Soul’s End

Written by Steven Schutt
Edited by Cassey Toi
Illustrated by Matt Meyer

Let us show the Kingdom its own inner darkness.

Background

Faith is a powerful force, that fills the days of many a man. Life, however, has a way of shaking even our most powerful beliefs to their core. Few know this better than a man called Scar. A follower of no particular god, but of all benevolent gods, he took pleasure seeing the good in the world grow and evil diminish. When a group called the Hidden Kingdom came to his city garbed in their crimson robes, he was understandably curious. As they began taking in those who knew only pain or sadness or sickness, Scar whispered thanks to the gods for the group’s actions. That they vouched undeath as a release from the hardships of life bothered him, but the Kingdom did not seem to have evil as their end goal. More than this, it did not seem that all joining members were required to submit to a state of undeath, with those who did not remaining just as valued as those who did.

It was not long before Scar’s wife, a woman stricken with horrid bouts of depression, heard of the Kingdom. She confided in her husband that she thought of joining the group, if only to be among those who cared for so many others like her. Scar knew his wife’s wishes were pure, and during a nightly prayer to the gods, he asked if the Kingdom was the right path for the woman he loved so dearly. The gods told him that the fate they chose for his wife was best for both him and all he cared for, they did not lie. When the time came for Scar’s wife to see the Kingdom’s agents the first time, he did little to stop her.

He regretted the decision with all his heart as he watched the red robed men slit her throat before his eyes.

Scar, watching from a window at the back of the church, stormed into the room, tears streaming down his face. His wife looked at him with a cold stare, blood dripping from her throat where she stood. Aghast at this horrid display of black magic, Scar fell to his knees, helpless as his wife took the bloodied knife and stabbed him in the heart. As he lay dying, he looked up at his wife, who grinned, turned and walked away, donning a golden mask to cover her paling face.

Scar’s soul did not rest in the heavens the next day. Instead, he knew only darkness. In his last moments, he renounced the gods for what he saw as a betrayal, and for this, it seemed, they banished him to the void between worlds. Unable to forgive the Hidden Kingdom, Scar, through sheer will, returned to his body and managed to crawl back to his home. Now undead like his wife and her allies in the Kingdom, he vowed to end their evil in the most terrible way he could imagine. Scar planned to banish all in the Kingdom, body and imprisoned soul, to the only place he knew fit for their crimes: his old prison, the void between worlds. The gods’ plan to end the Kingdom’s reign began with that decision.

Mission

Soul’s End has a simple mission: destroy the Hidden Kingdom. As things currently stand, the group seeks a way to call on the void that imprisoned Scar those many years ago so they can trap Kingdom agents there. Once they acquire this ability, Soul’s End wants to slowly whittle away at the power structure of the Hidden Kingdom until only Ptolemy stands before them. With the leader banished, Scar hopes, he can fulfill his long held wish: a restful afterlife devoid of anything , but peace. What becomes of his organization after this occurs is up to those that remain.

Structure

There is no set structure to Soul’s End, save that Scar directs its movements in a general sense. The agents of the group live in their various communities and try to collect as much information on the plans of the Hidden Kingdom as possible. All members of Soul’s End meet every winter solstice to discuss what they’ve learned, to forge the next years goals and to listen to Scar’s plans for the coming year. How the agents carry their individual missions out is up to them.

Perhaps the only real rank besides Scar’s belongs to the loose coalition of mages in his employ that seek to create a planar rift to the void Scar once resided in. While they tend to keep to themselves, they do ask the other members of Soul’s End to look for specific items that seem to straddle the border between worlds. The mages have a short list of qualities that describe this behavior, and wish to hear of anything Soul’s End agents find that even loosely fits those descriptors.

Benefits/Drawbacks

All those who join Soul’s End eventually gain the collected knowledge of hundreds of spies, adventurers and common citizens from around the world. While this information generally focuses on the Hidden Kingdom, because of that groups growing influence, Soul’s End tends to know obscure bits of information on almost any topic. Those who have some skill in the arcane and/or divine arts also gain special access to strange planar spells and special training in otherworldly combat and reconnaissance.

Unfortunately, due to their ever-increasing size and continued hindrance to the Kingdom, Brother Ptolemy put an enormous bounty on any of Scar’s agents. Thus, almost anyone in need of money stands to gain from Soul’s End failing its mission. When captured, as some of Scar’s agents have been, the poor souls find themselves subjected to horrid tortures and mind-bending experimentation. Ptolemy and his cult probe their prisoners’ minds for anything Scar does not already know and use every advantage gained to move against him and his.

Adventure Hooks

• The party comes across a piece of adamantine inlaid with strange runes. Soon, agents from both Soul’s End and the Hidden Kingdom attempt to acquire this shard. The party must decide which side to take, if they take a side at all.
• A party member dies, but his soul is captured by the Hidden Kingdom. The characters must retrieve the lost soul and either return it or set it free.
• Ptolemy, learning of an assassination plot brewing within his organisation, hires the party to protect a body double. When the double dies, the Hidden Kingdom puts a bounty on the party’s heads, and their only possible salvation lies in the just as secretive Soul’s End.

Soul’s End 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.

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