Old Files Now on Google Drive

The Tellian Sector, complete with map, planetary profiles, and a listing of active espionage organisations in the Tellian system itself.

Backgrounds for Moragne, my Runequest 6 / Legend / Mongoose Runequest 2 setting loosely modeled after Angevin England. Suitable for any JAFE (Just Another Fantasy Europe) setting.

My overland travel reference sheet for the Moragne campaign.

The primer for my Moragne campaign.

My potion tables for use with my alchemy rules. These are built off of procedural metapharmacology.

Iron Heartbreakers v. 1.52, my Microlite20 swords and sorcery game inspired by Iron Heroes. It's ideal if you want low or no-magic PCs.

The Necrocarcerus v. 1.1 rules document as well as a map of Necrocarcerus showing rail connections. Also, a copy of the wandering monster table for SAFE AREA DUVANOVIC, a mini-campaign setting within Necrocarcerus that I'm writing.

Warrens of the Leper Queens Will Be a S&W Module

Moragne has been a troubled setting since last year, when I ran a game in it and the PCs didn't like it. Since then, I've been trying to keep my interest up in it and rework it. Some of the issues were player-specific and had to do with the style of campaign (one of the guys I was playing with didn't like the sandbox element), but they've made me much less interested in the setting. I haven't been playing any MRQ2 since, and my Runequest games going forward are much more likely to be Openquest than MRQ2.

With that in mind, one of the reasons the updates on Warrens of the Leper Queens have been so slow is I simply don't know when I'll be playing MRQ2 next. It's hard to get excited about something you may never play, and I think it's a bit dishonest to release a module you've never playtested.

So, with that in mind, I've decided to reboot Warrens of the Leper Queens. I'm going to expand the dungeon itself, convert the mechanics over to Swords and Wizardry, and remove or alter the Moragne-specific material to make it more of a generic module. I think the core concept and theme of it are good, but there are specific structural elements I want to change (the size and layout of the dungeon, etc.) and the reboot will give me a chance to do them properly.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Area 12

There is no lighting in this area except the lantern held by the guards.

The ceiling is 3.5m high and drops 1m to 2.5m high as it extends into each of the three lobes.

This area is almost always guarded by two cultists holding warswords. They have one lantern, and will challenge anyone who approaches. They are stationed in the easternmost lobe that connects to areas 16 and 13, but will erratically check the other lobes, including area 11, especially if they hear noise.

The westernmost lobe of the cave has access to the underground aquifer, as well as access to the surface in the form of a small ventilation shaft. The aquifer flows rapidly underneath this section, and generates a loud gurgling noise that echoes through his area. All attempts to listen for others are at an additional -10% penalty. The aquifer is exposed, and PCs may fall 10m down if they do not spot the pit in time. The pit is not concealed in any way. The ventilation shaft is the fifth surface entrance.

Plugging up the ventilation shaft will not deprive the warrens of all air, but after an hour everyone still in the warrens must make a resilience test or accumulate a level of fatigue. Flames will also start to die from lack of oxygen. If the guards spot their lantern dying, they will go and investigate the ventilation shaft.

The southernmost lobe is unfurnished. It is used as a meeting place for private conversations between Brides or Sons of Acephax as they conspire against one another. There is a 10% chance that it is being used. 75% chance if it is that either conspirator is a Son of Acephax, otherwise they are a Bride. Roll for each conspirator separately.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Area 11

Area 11: Blasphemous Sacristy

This area is not normally lit unless someone is in it. The ceilings are 3m high. The entrance to this area from area 7 is blocked by a drape covered in the Spume of Acephax.

There is a 5% chance of one of Sons of Acephax being present. He will be washing the sacred vessels they use in their black masses.

There is a separate 5% chance that one of the Brides of Acephax will be here, preparing the holy vessels.

Neither will be armed, though they may take up one of the weapons nearby to defend themselves. If they are present, they will have a single lantern with them.

This chamber contains two long, heavy wooden tables opposite from one another. They can be moved with Brawn checks. The tables are covered in thick black velvet coverings that are stained with dried blood, the Spume of Acephax and other foul fluids.

On one table are a six clay cruets. Three contain the Spume of Acephax, and three contain oils and other foul astringents used in preparing the profane host. The bottles of the Spume of Acephax are illegal to sell to private collectors, but interested parties (alchemists, poisoners, the church) would pay 150 silver pieces per cruet for the spume, and 50 sp for the oils and chemicals.

The other table has a paten, a pyx, a chalice, and an aspergilium.

The paten is made of a wondrous black metal with engraved designs picked out in silver. The designs show Acephax rising from the earth, surrounded by a fan of severed fingers that point outwards. Written underneath him in Moragnian is the name "Acephax".

The pyx is silver, and plain, but contains the profane host of the Servants of Acephax. These are small, dried sections of human skin from a leper that have been treated with the Spume of Acephax and the chemicals on the other table. There are four dozen such "wafers" in the pyx.

The chalice is empty, but has a foul smell. It is made of the same black metal as the paten, and is undecorated except for an engraved sentence "ACEPHAX OUR LORD GIVES SUCCOR TO THE FORGOTTEN".

The aspergilium is silver, and has faint bloodstains around the holes where someone has had difficulty cleaning it properly.

Each of these items radiates an aura of evil magic and suffering. Worse yet, they are all cursed. Anyone who steals them from the cult (defined as leaving the caves with them) is cursed and will be attacked by a Magnitude 4 leprosy spirit upon leaving the cave when they next fall asleep. The goal of the spirit will be to infect the person with leprosy, to possess them, and to return the items to the cult, or if the cult has been destroyed, to refound it.

The items are worth about 250 silver pieces each, but no devout Moragnian would purchase them (and many would report the attempt to the nearest priest).

There are also a rack for holding weapons, a washbasin and a large but light chest. These are easily moved by one person.

The washbasin is fine carved wood, and the water has a dark, pinkish quality to it. The rack of weapons holds four clubs with sharp hooks on the end, a falchion, and four knives. The weapons are meant for ritual use, and are decorated with icons of Acephax, severed fingers, and other gruesome decorations. They are used during the religious ceremonies in Area 7 to restrain and dismember victims.

The small chest is tucked under one of the tables. It is locked and can be opened with a Mechanisms +10 check. It contains the sacred vestments of office used by the Brides and by the Sons of Acephax who are serving during cult rituals. These are bloodstained white robes edged with black and red fringe around the collar, cuffs and hem. Wearing them gives a PC a +20 to Disguise rolls for ordinary cultists. Success means they have mistaken the PC for a high member of the cult (devotee rank or higher) and act appropriately.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Area 10

Area 10: Latrine & Expansion

This area has a ceiling that varies in height from about 3.5m to just under 2m at its far western edge, and is a natural cavern made of stone. The pit in is a latrine, with a wooden platform above it holding bench seating for 8, without walls dividing the individual holes (see the note on the structure and design of the Warrens). Anyone using the facilities has a 1% chance of contracting leprosy. There is a 10% chance that 1d4 cultists are using the toilets. If the toilets are not being used, there is a 5% chance that they are being cleaned by 1d6 cultists using shovels and tarpaulins. The latrine is lit by a single lantern suspended from the ceiling over the centre of the latrine.

The southern wall is an area of expansion. There is a 25% chance of 1d10 cultists wielding picks, shovels, hammers and chisels, and working to expand the area. There is a 10% chance that a Son of Acephax is there overseeing their work. Because of the noise, all Perception checks involving sound are at -10%. When the cultists are not working, they leave their tools in the area. There is a barrel of beer near the cultists when they are working so that they can refresh themselves, and a barrel of oil to refill their lanterns. Their work area is lit by four lanterns.

The cultists have partially uncovered a mummified body. A single, shriveled left arm is stretched out flush with the wall, but several smaller bones (wingbones, in fact) have been gathered into a bucket, along with dried out, indigo-coloured feathers. Anyone who with Culture: Moragne or Lore (Theology: Hidden God) can make a check to determine that these are the remnants of an angel. If the PCs have heard the cultists say the name "Acephax", those with Lore (Theology: Hidden God) or Lore (Demonology) can make a check to that establish this must be the body of Kuryx, the archangel who bound Acephax. The cultists suspect the body is Kuryx, but only the Brides know the truth.

Anyone bearing a bone of Kuryx counts as having the spell Countermagic Shield cast at magnitude 3 on themselves against spells cast by the Servants of Acephax, Acephax himself, and leprosy spirits. A single feather when touched to a limb affected by the Spume of Acephax will instantly cure the affected body part. Each feather is good for a single use.

The three greatest treasures have not yet been recovered by the cultists.

The first is the skull of Kuryx. Like all angels, Kuryx lacks a face, and his skull is covered in blue-black parchment-like skin with a smooth wall of bone where nostrils, mouth and eyes would be. Kuryx's skull can cure any one person of leprosy once per day when it is touched to them. It will also remove all effects of the Spume of Acephax from any person that it touches The skull is not visible in the wall, and is in fact embedded about a foot further into the solid stone. It can be chiseled free without risk given time and the right tools, as it cannot be harmed by non-magical weapons. The skull of Kuryx is an angelic relic, and should Fr. Morris know about it, he will ask the PCs to give it to the Dombatian Order in exchange for a promissory note worth 10,000 silver pieces from the Sesquinard bankers near Harken.

The second is the heart of Kuryx. It is an irregular orb of smoked glass, and is the only organ contained in the interior of his body, under four inches of stone. A worshipper of the Hidden God who holds it will feel it is comfortably warm to the touch, almost as if it was still alive. It has a definite magical aura that can be detected by anyone using Detect Magic, Second Sight or Mystic Vision. Any one bearing it has the effects of Countermagic Shield at magnitude 6 against Servants of Acephax, Acephax and leprosy spirits. The bearer also counts as under the effect of a Shield spell of magnitude 6 that provides 6 points of magical protection on all locations from magical attacks or spells cast by the Servants of Acephax, Acephax and leprosy spirits. The bearer counts as being Runetouched with the Infinity Rune for so long as they bear the heart.

The heart is also a much faster way to free Acephax from his prison than the current method (endless blood sacrifice of consecrated victims), and if it is revealed, the Servants of Acephax will do everything in their power to retrieve it. The bearer will be their primary target. The heart must be shattered, crushed into a powder, and mixed with the Spume of Acephax to produce a lacquer. Any part of the statue of Acephax painted with this lacquer will be restored to power. Without interference from the PCs, it will be at least three days from the time the PCs first enter the warrens before the cult can retrieve the heart.

The heart is priceless. King Harold would gladly give the bearer a county in payment for it, and consider himself to have gotten it cheaply. The Church of the Hidden God will excommunicate the PCs unless they hand it over to them. Assassin-priests from the Heronage may be sent to recover it if they do not. Fr. Morris will gladly take it from the PCs if they simply want to get rid of it.

The final treasure is close to the surface of the stone wall, clutched in the angel's right hand. It is under an inch or less of stone, and is not firmly embedded in the surrounding rock. It is the sword of Kuryx. The sword is a war sword that counts as permanently being under the effect of Bladesharp 6. When the Servants of Acephax, Acephax himself, or leprosy spirits are visible, the bearer must resist the blade's righteous anger. He counts as having the Fanaticism spell cast on himself (though the bearer may try to resist).

This is another holy relic worth about 25,000 silver pieces to the right bidder.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Area 9

Area 9: Prisoner Storage

The ceiling is 3.5m high. The only light source is Hwallung's lamp. There is no furniture or other furnishings in this area.

Prisoners captured by the Servants of Acephax are stored here, pushed up against one another in piles between the various pillars. There will be 1d6+4 prisoners here. If any named NPCs are kidnapped, they will be held here unless they are in the presence of the Brides.

A typical prisoner has their legs bound together, their hands bound together behind their back, and a gag stuffed in their mouth. There is a 50% chance that at least one of the bindings is coated with the Spume of Acephax, in which case the prisoner will be suffering its effects in the relevant body parts. The prisoners' bonds are rope, except for the gags, which are made from cloth rags.

The jailer sleeps in the area. He is a big, heavily muscled man covered in runic tatoos named Hwallung who takes care of the prisoners until they are disposed of. He has a 50% chance of being in area 9 at any given time of day or night. He has the only lamp in the area, and he extinguishes it when he sleeps. He will remain to guard the prisoners even if the alarm has been raised.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Area 8

Area 8: Barracks

This is the main area in which the cultists live and train during their tours in the warren. The ceiling is about 3.5m high, and the area is lit haphazardly with a varying number of cookfires and lanterns.

There is a 50% chance of there being 1d10+10 cultists here if the alarm has not been raised. There is a 33% chance they are asleep, and a 33% chance that they are engaged in training, studying, gaming or are otherwise engaged.

The cultists sleep in groups of 1d6 on loose hay and piles of blankets for warmth, as do most other Moragnians. These groups are piled against walls. Combined with the stone-coloured blankets, anyone trying to spot a group of sleeping cultists gets a -10% to their Perception roll.

There will be 1d4 small cookfires going, regardless of whether anyone is awake or not. These will be preparing pottage and stews in iron pots. The pots can be flung onto a single person as a weapon, doing 1d4 points of fire damage to anyone hit by it. Anyone eating it has a 1% chance of contracting leprosy.

The training area is the section nearest to area 9. It is separately lit, and has 1d4 racks of weapons containing spears, knives, short swords and clubs. The floor is covered in several layers of reed mats that make it easier to conceal one's footsteps. Stealth checks are at +10%. Against one wall is a 2m x 2m slate with writing on it. The writing includes a simple copy of the alphabet, and a cryptic sentence: "How far can a dog go into a forest?"

Warrens of the Leper Queens: Area 7

Area 7: The Outer Church

This area is the church where cultists come to pledge allegiance to Acephax and to hear the Brides preach and prophesy.

The ceiling is 3.5m high and the area is lit by two torches planted in the ground on either side of an altar set in the back of the room. The wall connecting it to area 6 is only a foot and a half thick, and is made of tight packed dirt, but PCs with shovels, hammers or picks could break through easily enough.

The only furniture is the altar, which is a 2.5m x 1.5m stone plinth engraved with the holy symbols of Acephax and dedicated to him. It is covered in blood, and there are four manacles to hold victims in place while they are dismembered by the Brides. The altar has a permanent magical aura of fear, which affects anyone who is not a member of the cult. Non-cultists must make a Persistence test when they approach within 10m of the altar or flee in terror for 5 minutes. For the purposes of countermagic, this counts as a magnitude 5 spell, and the aura may be suppressed temporarily through countermagic. The altar itself exudes the poisonous Spume of Acephax, and anyone touching the altar without protection will be affected. As well, anyone touching the altar must make a Resilience roll at -10% or contract leprosy.

There is a 10% chance of there being a victim strapped to the altar. They have a 50% of being alive and a 50% chance of having been dismembered and killed but left in place until they have rotted enough to be thrown into the sludge pits in front of the statue of Acephax.

There is a 20% chance of a religious service being in progress if the PCs have not raised the alarm. These are called at irregular intervals by the Brides. If a religious service is going on, there will be a victim on the altar. This will mean 1d10+10 cultists are in attendance and 1d10+5 Sons of Acephax, as well as 1d4 of the Brides. The Brides conduct the ceremony from behind the altar while the Sons ritually dismember the victim. The Sons will be the only ones armed with anything heavier than knives and daggers. Because of the state of religious hysteria accompanying these rituals, PCs' stealth rolls to avoid being noticed are at +10%.

Religious services last between 2 and 3 hours. Everyone consumes hallucinogenic and euphoric drugs (with a generous portion of alcohol, even by medieval standards, for the cultists) other than the Sons doing the dismembering. The victim is put in place and accused of committing various crimes against the cult and its followers (victims are often selected in the first place for having wronged a cultist in their aboveground life). They are then butchered slowly while the Brides proclaim the glory of Acephax and his servants, their eventual conquest of the world above, and the righteousness of their cause. Once the victim is dead, the crowd is sprinkled with blood while the Brides lead the cultists and Sons in a blood-soaked, incestuous orgy. Demons (leprosy spirits) are often conjured to participate by the Brides. Just about every taboo an ordinary Moragnian might have is violated during this bacchanal. Eventually, the Brides retreat, and the ordinary cultists go staggering back to their regular duties.

If there is not a religious service going on, there is a 25% chance of 1d3 cultists doing quiet devotional activities or cleaning the space.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Areas 5-6

Area 5: Guard Post

This area is a natural stone cavern the cultists have expanded over the years. The ceiling is about 4m high. The area is lit by three lanterns. One is stationed near the connection to area 4 on the ground, another is next to the warning bell so it can be easily found, and the third is typically held by one of the guards.

The cavern is relatively empty except for some chairs for the guards and the warning bell. The bell is a head-sized large bronze bell with a rope connected to its knocker. Anyone may ring it using a single CA. This will alert anyone in areas 6, 7 and 8 that intruders have penetrated the warren.

This area contains 1d4 armed and armoured cultists who stand on guard against intruders. They are supervised by a single Son of Acephax. The exits to area 6 and 7 are draped and covered.

Area 6: The Den of the Red-Striped Beast

The most twisted Son of Acephax is a monstrosity, far more demon than man. The most obvious sign of his parentage is his skin, which is mottled with irregular red lines that appear to be welts. He is a vicious, cunning monster that poses a threat even to the cult itself. But because of his parentage, he is still a holy creature and may not be killed. This room is where he is kept, and has been for years.

The ceiling is 3m high, and the room is lit with 2 lanterns. The chamber is furnished with a set of blankets, a table, a chair and a chest containing the beast's few personal items. These items are within reach of the beast's shackles.

The beast's leg is shackled in the centre of the room with an iron chain that is 5m long and bolted to the floor. The chain has AP 8 HP 30.

The beast wears long concealing robes that hide everything but his face and hands, which are similar to human ones. He will dismiss the red stripes as signs of an illness which he has come down with. The beast's intentions, should PCs stumble into the room, are to convince them to free him so that he may escape. He will claim to be a gentleman scholar named Wegmanr imprisoned by the cult.

PCs with Lore (Therns) or a similar knowledge skill may make a check to realise that the name is an archaic Thernish name unlikely to be given to a living person. The beast, due to his long imprisonment and small knowledge of the outside world, chose the name not realising this.

If the PCs wish to fight him, they may do so.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Areas 3-4

Area 3: Drainage Tunnel

The floor is slick, wet and uneven here. Both the entrance and exit to this tunnel are covered with drapes. The ceiling is 2.5m high.

The pit is uncovered, and is a solid, unnatural square shaft filled with water and going down 75m to an aquifer. Characters who can hold their breath for long enough (several minutes at least) or who breathe water may swim the aquifer and emerge at either area 4 or area 12. The water appears clean and pure. This tunnel is totally unlit except for whatever light source the PCs carry with them.

The aquifer contains a rank 4 leprosy spirit in the form of a many-headed, rotting snake carcass. It will attack anyone who attempts to swim the aquifer.

Area 4: Well and Shrine

This area holds the well used by the Servants of Acephax. It connects openly to area 5. It is lit by 3 lamps in alcoves. One is always near the well, but the other two are moved around as needed. The ceiling is 3m high.

There are 1d10 55-gallon barrels of water here stacked in rows against the walls near to the well. The well connects to the aquifer that stretches to areas 3 and 12.

The well itself is an open pool of water with 1d10 5-gallon buckets nearby. It is surrounded by a stone wall of approximately 1m height to prevent accidentally wandering into it in the dark.

This area is often used by Servants looking for a bit of privacy, especially the southern end of the chamber. There is a 10% chance that 1d2 cultists are here. They will be having sex, drinking, gaming, or privately scheming. Generally, they leave this southern area unlit.

The secret passage is concealed behind a shrine to Acephax. The shrine is 2m tall, 1.5m wide and 05.m thick, and covers the drape that conceals the hidden passage. It is made of wood painted grey to look like stone, with a carved wooden miniature of the statue Acephax is imprisoned in. There is a deep bowl in front of the statue filled with the Spume of Acephax (which appears as a brown-tinged, viscous ichor). Inside the bowl are 50 + 1d20 silver pennies. The shrine can be toppled with a Brawn check.

Warren of the Leper Queens: Areas 1-2

Area 1: Entrance & Storage Room

This part of the caverns is used as storage space, as well as the entryway to the rest of the warren. The room is 3m high, and the ground is flat enough to be safe to run on.

At any time, there are 1d10+10 1m x 1m crates stacked around the room containing food, clothes, and other basic supplies. The crates are stacked in piles of 8, with one layer of 4 on top of another layer of 4. A full stack blocks line of sight.

There are also 1d10+10 55-gallon barrels containing fresh water, wine and oil (50% chance of water, 25% of the other two) lined up in rows of 8 against the walls. The barrels may be tipped or broken with Brawn +10% checks.

Finally, there are 1d4 piles of rags, food waste and other garbage ready to be brought above ground and discarded. These are usually near the centre of the room, away from the crates and barrels. These piles require a Perception check to spot in the darkness. Characters who do not notice the piles must make an Evade +10% check or trip and fall prone in the slippery mess. Characters who run through the piles, whether they notice them or not, must also make an Evade +10% check or fall prone.

The area is lit by 6 lanterns resting in alcoves in the wall. There are more alcoves than lanterns, letting the Servants move the light around to best suit their work.

There is a 33% chance that there are 1d4 cultists and 1d2 Sons of Acephax in this room. If the Servants are on alert, the number increases to 1d8+2 cultists and 1d4 Sons of Acephax.

Area 2: Distribution Corridor / Carpentry Supplies / Sawyer

Crates are opened, broken down, and the wood stacked and assembled for various purposes here. There is a 1m x 4m table with a mounted rack holding a full set of carpentry tools and cooper tools here, including saws, hammers, drills, chisels, files, planes, etc. There is a lantern on the table lighting the room.

There are 1d3 stacks of planks waiting to be put to work at any given time. The stacks are about 1m by 1m and are set up against the walls when full.

There is a barrel of water next to the table that is bloody - the tools are also used to torture and dismember victims of the cult and are washed clean in the barrel. The accumulated blood of individuals being killed in the Servants' rituals is mildly magical, and is used to feed the various disease spirits present in the warren. Characters with magical senses can detect the bloody water's very mild magical aura.

Anyone touching the water has a 5% chance of contracting leprosy. Anyone drinking a mouthful of it has a 15% chance. Characters drinking a mouthful regain 1d2 magic points.

The ceiling is 2.5m tall.

There is a 10% chance of 1d2 cultists here. There is a 10% chance of 1 rank 1 leprosy spirit here.

The Holy Universal Church of the Revelation in Moragne

I decided to do fantasy Catholicism right when I created Moragne. Rather than a pantheon of Greco-Norse pastiches with pseudo-Catholic trappings, I decided to create an all-encompassing, monotheistic church that resembles Catholicism (theologically, it's actually quite similar to medieval Islam as well) without being quite identical to it. This was part of my overall goal to create a high fantasy medieval Europe setting, something I thought MRQII really lacked (Deus Vult was really low fantasy, and just a bit too historical for my tastes).

Most of the population of Moragne are modestly pious members of the Revelation Church (RC). This is the national branch of the religion, the leaders of which answer to the Pope in Bithistia far to the south-east. The church is about 1215 years old, and worships the Hidden God, who it claims is the creator of the world and the ultimate source of magic, but who does not manifest or interfere directly in the world. The church claims a messiah named Barnabas discovered the existence of the Hidden God, spoke with It to discover Its true wishes for Its creation, and then was killed by an ancient empire (the Raenil Empire) after teaching a few disciples what he had learnt. The Hidden God has not spoken directly to anyone since, though occasional miracles, omens, and angelic visits occur.

The church collects its teachings in a holy book called the Aleuthia, a collection of prophecies, stories, gospels about Barnabas’ life, and correspondence from the early church fathers who took over from him. Most copies in Moragne are written in Church Thernish or Raenil, which only a few people read.

This organisation represents the main body of the church, and is compatible with membership in its various
sects.

Runes: 

Infinity, Magic, Mastery

Common Magic: 

Bearing Witness, Countermagic, Demoralise, Detect Infidels and Apostates, Detect Magic, Fate, Heal, Light, Protection, Second Sight, Skybolt, Thunder’s Voice

Divine Magic: 

Bless Crops, Blessing, Consecrate, Cure Disease / Poison, Dismiss Magic, Excommunicate, Exorcism, Fear, Heal Wound, Lightning Strike, Regenerate Limb, Shield

Myths:
Commandments of the Aleuthia (50%): Don’t Lie, Don’t Steal, Don’t Murder; Show Mercy and Kindness to Everyone; Don’t Worship Idols or Images of God; Only Worship God

Teachings of the Church Fathers (60%): Lying to and Killing Heretics and Infidels is Fine; Confess Your Sins Regularly, Tithe to the Church, Don’t Rebel Against Your Superiors; Spread the Faith, Defer to the Church on Religious Issues

Cult Skills: 

Influence, Insight, Language (Any), Lore (Theology: Hidden God), Meditation, Oratory, Pact (Hidden God), Persistence, Sing, Teaching

Followers:

Lay Members – Legally, everyone in Moragne is a member of the Revelation Church. Lay members have been baptised, are required to attend confession at least once a year, to obey the spiritual commands of the church and are expected to donate generously to the upkeep of their local church. Lay followers may learn cult common magic spells up to magnitude 3 and the cult skills by paying full price.

Canons / Curates / Vicars / Sextons / Oblates (Initiate) – These low-ranking ecclesiastical offices can be obtained either by paying 1200 silver pence to the local bishop or by demonstration of merit to the priest responsible for a parish, who may award them at his discretion. The candidate must have five or more of the cult skills at 30% or more, two of which must be Lore (Theology: Hidden God) and Pact (Hidden God) and must swear to obey his superiors within the church. Anyone of this rank or higher in the church has the right to be tried in ecclesiastical court instead of civil court for any crimes they may commit. They may learn cult common magic spells up to any magnitude, cult divine magic spells up to the Initiate level and all cult skills from the church.

Priest (Acolyte) – Most members of the clergy are priests. Most are assigned to specific parishes, manors or bishoprics and their responsibilities vary widely based on the assignment. To become a priest, one must have read the Aleuthia and must either pay 7200 silver pence or demonstrate one’s merit to a local bishop. The demonstration requires the candidate to have five or more of the cult’s skills at 50%, two of which must be Lore (Theology: Hidden God) and Pact (Hidden God). Priests are entitled to officiate at any sacrament, to be safe from violence unless they attack first, to be tried in ecclesiastical court for any crimes they commit, to be ransomed if captured in war, and to be given shelter and aid by any fellow priest when reasonable. They must remain celibate, eschew violence against their fellow believers, work for the good of the church, and obey the orders of their superiors in the church. Priests may learn cult common magic spells up to any magnitude at half the normal price, cult divine magic spells up to the Acolyte level at full price and all cult skills at half the normal price. Priests and churchmen of higher rank cannot be legally compelled to pay any taxes or tolls (the church as a whole pays a yearly lump sum to the king instead). 

Bishops / Arch-Bishops / Cardinals (Rune Priest) – These are ascending ecclesiastical ranks, but the level of miraculous power is equal between all three. To become a bishop requires a payment of 240,000 pence, to become an arch-bishop requires a payment of 480,000 pence, and to become a cardinal requires 2,400,000 pence paid to the College of Cardinals in Bithistia. Otherwise, a candidate must possess the Influence, Oratory, Persistence, Lore (Theology: Hidden God), and Pact (Hidden God) skills at 85% or higher and must convince a high official of the church (either a cardinal or the Pope himself) to award them the office for great service. Officers of the church are considered gentlemen regardless of the circumstances of their birth. 

They will be given a territory as their special jurisdiction with the right to income from it both for personal enrichment and the betterment of the church’s prospects. Officers of the church may learn all cult skills and any cult common magic spells to any magnitude for free, and all cult divine magic spells up to Rune Priest level at half price.

Confessor / Servant of God – Any individual who has the Lore (Theology: Hidden God) and Pact (Hidden God) skills at 100% and is in communion with the Revelation Church is may be personally recognised by the Pope as a “Confessor” or “Servant of God” and is treated as a living saint. The individual is above all temporal authority, and may learn any cult skill, cult common magic spell or cult divine magic spell for free. All members of the church are to assist them in any non-sinful way they require.

Knightly Orders of Moragne: The Militant Order of St. Aemer of Naral

The Knights of Naral are a militant religious order based out of their mighty fortress, Naral Manor. They are a popular and powerful crusading order involved heavily in the fighting in the Northern and Western Marches. Their ranks have been swelling with land-poor knights from across Moragne, all eager to serve the Hidden God in the fight against the heathen Dakon. Though many are irreligious at best when they join, the esprit de corps of the organisation emphasises piety and asceticism, and the rich rewards of fighting in the marches have turned many a heart to thoughts of the Hidden God. They are one of the few militant orders with a specific focus on Moragne; many of the others have Lacallians and knights from even more distant nations (Sassens, Geornlings, Cassermen, Narboniks, Bithistians, and Cugtlanders), as members. This has led King Harold to encourage the Knights of Naral by treating service to them as payment of scutage to him. They in turn have declared him one of their Grandmasters, and allow him to use Naral Manor as a gathering point for crusaders.

Runes:
Luck, Mobility

Common Magic:
Befuddle, Clear Path, Coordination, Demoralise, Detect Enemies, Lucky, Mobility, Strength, Vigour

Divine Magic:
Amplify, Blessing (Any Combat Style), Blessing (Ride), Channel Strength, Disarm, Fear, Madness

Myths:
St. Aemer's Sacrifice (50%) - Behaviours: Charity to women, children, and priests; Chastity and temperance while on crusade; Fortitude while suffering;
The Glorious History of the Knights of Naral (85%) - Behaviours: Never betray a fellow Knight of Naral; Rashness in the cause of righteousness; Strive for a glorious death

Cult Skills:
Athletics, Axe & Shield, Brawn, Courtesy, Lance & Shield, Lore (Knights of Naral), Pact (St. Aemer, Patron Saint of Naral), Persistence, Shortsword and Shield, Resilience, Ride

Followers:

Applicants - Squires of a current Knight of Naral and the young sons of nobles may ask to join the order. They are tested in arms and must make a donation of 300 silver pieces to fund the good works of the order.

Miles - The lowest level of the order is composed of young men and land-poor knights who have not yet won themselves a piece of land through battle. They must show knightly potential by possessing at least five of the cult skills at 30% or greater. The miles must sanctify themselves publicly in St. Aemer's name, dedicating at least 1 point of POW to his cult. They also swear loyalty to the Militant Order of St. Aemer of Naral and to the Grandmasters of the order personally. After a successful battle, the Grandmasters portion out small fiefs to suitable miles as rewards for loyal service.

Crusading Martyrs - The next level of knights are the rank and file, who gather once a year for worship in the great cathedral of St. Aemer (which will finally be completed in only a few years time if all goes according to plan). The Crusading Martyrs must be landowners, of at least a hide of land. They must dedicate at least 3 points of POW to St. Aemer's cult. They must demonstrate knightly prowess by possessing at least five of the cult skills at 50% or greater, and at least one of these must be the Pact skill.

Grandmaster - The highest level, a grandmaster is expected to own a castle or fortress and to host any Knight of Naral who requests hospitality. They must have led other knights in a successful battle. They must possess at least five cult skills at 80% or greater and at least one of these must be the Pact skill. They must have dedicated at least 5 points of POW to the cult of St. Aemer, and must be of unreproachable character. Finally, the grandmaster candidate must be runetouched by either the Mobility or Luck runes.

Religious Groups of Moragne: The Coiners

The Coiners are a relatively recent variant on the oldest and most enduring heresy in the church, Iconism. About fifty years ago, an engraver in Aemeth named Prudt claimed to have a divine vision in which he saw the Hidden God. He described him as an elderly giant with wings and rising from a throne over a mile in height, wielding a hammer and pick with which he hewed and smote raw earth to become the land of Moragne. It turned out that Prudt had been shaving coins for years, and using the excess silver and brass to mint special "holy coins" bearing a hammer and pick and baptised in a sacred oil which his disciples distributed freely amongst the poor of Moragne. This bought Prudt a lot of popularity, even though he was burnt within two years by civil authorities for heresy and debasing the coinage. Efforts to round up the heretical currency were seen as church-sanctioned theft, and led to riots in every major city north of the Vellingwood.

The pickpennies (as they are known) continue to circulate this day, though their use is frowned upon by royal and church assessors and they cannot be used to pay taxes. Prudt's disciples are still active across Moragne, though they are mainly found in the large cities and the unsettled fisc. They operate similarly to a criminal gang, stealing money, and either shaving it or melting it down to produce more pickpennies. Many peasants find it easier to conceive of the tangible, powerful god of Prudt's vision rather than the somewhat ethereal version the church proposes.

Runes:
Disorder, Earth

Common Magic:
Abacus, Armoursmith's Boon, Bludgeon, Fanaticism, Glamour, Pierce, Thunder's Voice

Divine Magic:
Bless Crops, Blessing (All Cult Skills), Cure Disease / Poison, Excommunicate, Gleam, Heal Wound, Illusion, Rain, Regenerate Limb, Sunspear

Myths:
Prudt's Vision (90%) - Behaviours: Work hard; Share everything you have, especially with the poor and unlucky; Be kind, just and decent to the faithful and potential converts, everyone else is a heretic and deserves what they get
Prudt's Life (65%) - Behaviours: Steal coins to make pickpennies, especially from nobles, churchmen and burghers; Spread the word of Prudt's holy vision; Work to undermine the false priests of the Hidden God

Cult Skills:
Combat Style (Pick and Shield), Craft (Any), Disguise, Influence, Lore (Coiners), Oratory, Pact (Coiners), Sleight, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival

Followers:

Lay Members - Anyone who receives a pickpenny and holds onto it is considered to be, at least by civil authorities, a sympathiser of the Coiners.

Proselytes - This is the lowest level at which one is truly considered, by other Coiners, to be a member of the church. A proselyte is expected to follow the laws Prudt set out in his letters to his faithful followers, mainly to work hard, to think of God in accordance with his vision, and to support and shelter those Coiners actively working to overthrow the false church. In practice, they typically blend in as hard-working members of their local community, usually in skilled trades where they will deal with cash. Their tithes are a tenth of all the coins they make in a year. They must also devote at least 1 point of POW to the Coiner's cult and swear an oath of loyalty.

Picks and Hammers - Picks are devout urban criminals, operating in almost every city and town north of Ethrikston. Hammers are rural bandits who rob travelers and provide protection to Coiner communities. Both must dedicate at least 3 points of POW to the cult, and must be skilled enough to possess at least five of the cult skills at 50% or greater, at least one of which must be the Pact skill. Picks and Hammers provide the backbone of the revolutionary and criminal network that the Coiners operate, and act as enforcers and templars for the Coiners. To become a Pick or Hammer, one must turn over at least 300 silver pieces to the Coiners in a single year.

Priests - Coiner priests are often former priests of the Church of the Hidden God, but even they must show their loyalty to the cult by serving time as either a Hammer or Pick. To reach this level, a priest must have five of the cult skills at 75% or greater, at least one of which must be the Pact skill. They must have dedicated at least 5 points of POW to the cult. Finally, they must have donated at least 750 sp to the cult in a single year for conversion into pickpennies.

Life in the Warrens of the Leper Queens

Inhabitants:

The warrens are inhabited by between 50 and 150 Servants of Acephax at any given time. The lower number is typical, but the population swells during the high holy days of the cult, which occur four times a year (the two solstices and the two equinoxes). The total population of the cult from Cultist to Bride is ~165.

Of that number, there are 6 Brides of Acephax, the inner circle. Only 1-2 are aboveground at any time, usually coordinating the devotee's spread of leprosy in Saffork and Sherwater Market or performing some quest for their demonic master. The rest are found in the inner chambers of the Warrens (Map 2).

There are approximately 40 devotees at any time. About 20 are the sons of Acephax of varying age, with the other half being women who aspire to be Brides. Almost all the sons of Acephax are underground at any give time due to their demonic appearance. A few are let loose to escort the Brides or for other nefarious purposes, but the Brides keep tight control over their sons. The women-leper devotees are just the opposite. Most are aboveground, with a circle of 5 in each major settlement of the Leprosarium controlling the intelligence network of the Servants. The few who are not part of these circles either assist the Brides underground or are cooking up some scheme to elevate themselves to the rank of Bride.

The remainder of the cult are mere cultists. Typically, there are about 30 underground, with the remainder dispersed through the settlements and farms of the Leprosarium in groups of 10-20. They are extremely discreet about their status as Servants, and they have infiltrated every level of society in the Leprosarium other than the abbey. Cultists who are underground split their time between relaxing and doing light work for the cult. This includes manufacturing weapons (mainly arrows, spears, and other weapons whose pieces can be forged aboveground and assembled in the warren), sharing information, and teaching one another valuable skills individual members know.

PCs attempting to infiltrate the warrens will typically face a force of about 4 Brides, 22 Devotees (mainly their sons), and 30 Cultists unless they have raised an alarm or alerted the cult, in which case the number of cultists will double to 60.

Schedules:

About half the population of the warrens will be asleep or drowsing at any given time unless the alarm has been raised. The Brides rarely sleep due to Acephax's influence.

At any given time, the Servants of Acephax have 5-10 prisoners they will sacrifice to Acephax by drowning in the demon's spume. A sacrifice happens at least once a fortnight, usually on the first night of a new moon and the first night of a full moon.

The Servants of Acephax bring in supplies once a month, during the nights of the new moon when it is easier to conceal this activity. The supplies are four cartloads brought in from Saffork, spread over two nights so that two carts go each night. 6 cultists from the local Saffork cell load the carts and drive them to a lay member's farm about 1km north of Saffork. They then abandon the carts and return home. The carts are retrieved by 6 cultists from the warrens, who return the carts to the farm once they are offloaded. The Saffork cell retrieves all four carts on the day after. The cargo is brought in through the first aboveground entrance.

Cultists typically spend a fortnight underground before rotating back to the surface. They are paid by the cult for their time underground and claim to have been working as day labourers or carters to those who ask.

The latrines are cleaned and loose garbage removed once a day. It is taken above ground at night and buried, usually around midnight. Cultists use the first aboveground entrance to carry it out.

Locations in Axrew

Click for a bigger version where the numbers are clearer

17:15 Sile's Pass - A fortified town (pop. 3500) under the command of Roger, Count of Sile (the surrounding area), it guards the two main northern passes into Axrew. Roger's sons are both crusaders in the Knights of Naral, and both are current prisoners of the Dakons. He has begun charging steep tolls to travelers through the passes to raise their ransoms. Many claim he has also turned to banditry, though nothing has been proven.

17:18 Naral Manor - One of the greatest castles in Axrew, Naral Manor is owned by the Militant Order of St. Aemer, and is the preferred staging ground for expeditions into the Northern Marches. At any given time, up to 250 knights and their retinues (an additional 2500 men) may be here, along with the grandmasters of the order and other religious pilgrims to St. Aemer. Naral County, held in trust by the grandmasters of the order, is known for its fine apples and cider.

21:22 The Leprosarium - The dry climate of Axrew is thought to be particularly amenable to leprosy and other wasting diseases, and many who find themselves afflicted by these diseases head for the Leprosarium, a segregated complex of villages in the middle of the desert meant to house them (pop ~5000). It is a place outside the normal restrictions of Moragnian society, with sexual morality relaxed, sumptuary laws ineffective, and social class abolished. Though leprosy is curable through magic, it is a low priority for the church of the Hidden God compared to the more infectious and mortal diseases rampaging through the major cities. A small chapterhouse of the Dombatian monastic order is slowly trying to cure all the lepers, but only a few priests capable of divine healing are present. The Dombatians administer the Leprosarium, and own the land on which it is built, and they make quite a lot of money from encouraging the lepers' trades.

23:19 The Moot - The castle of the Duke of Axrew, currently occupied by Robert Lameleg. Often besieged by angry vassals, it is one of the most imposing structures in Axrew, its motte raising it nearly eighty feet off the plain surrounding it. It is built on the site of a battle between Thern and Morags during the conquest. The area around the castle is dotted with caves and warrens where Thernish peasants and soldiers attempted to hide after Weallan, Earl of Axrew was defeated. The victorious Morags butchered everyone they could lay their hands on and dumped the bodies further in the caves while searching for the earl's lost wealth. The mass death led to the caves being infested with uneasy spirits and undead abominations, which periodically emerge to ravage the countryside.

26:17 Rockwood Shire - The shire is the site of a bloody conflict between freeholders and local barons. The freeholders hold much of Rockwood Shire in allod, and make a fine living harvesting and processing timber. As allodial freeholders, they pay taxes directly to the crown through Gordon of Earlingshire, the sheriff. The local barons and knights charge the freeholders with extortion because of the high prices they charge for the timber, which the barons use in the construction of castles. They also accuse Gordon of denying them the right to buy land in Rockwood to exploit for their own use (he does do this, with the support of the local franchisers). In recent years, the barons (particularly Robert of Amark and Robert of Gonton, who hold lands in 25:17) have taken up arms on several occasions to force the issue, and only a lack of coordination has prevented them from overunning the shire. As it stands, Rockwood is a shire besieged, with Gordon forced to hire mercenaries to protect visiting merchants from southern Axrew.

29:17 Redfriar Abbey - The largest Sesquinard abbey in Moragne, the Redfriar abbey gets its name from the deep red-brown robes its members wear. Of Lacallian origin in the city of Sesquin, the Sesquinards in Moragne are the King's bankers of choice. They also run a highly esteemed scriptorium that produces illustrated psalters on commission. Finally, they also serve as neutral ground for the other sects of the church to meet on, and Redfriar Abbey is traditionally where conclaves, councils of Moragnian bishops and abbots, and theological debates take place. The abbey itself is a sprawling enclosed compound built atop a massive motte that stretches for nearly a mile, and is surrounded by smaller fortifications staffed by client knights of the Sesquinards. Years of donatives mean the monks own everything a man can see from the abbey's tallest tower, and the abbot, Morse Remla (from Narbonika) is known more for his nous and business sense than his theological skill.

30:23 Remeldag - A thriving city long before the Revelation of the Hidden God, Remeldag has been a ruin for nearly a millennium, after the immortal sorcerer queen of the Vellings slew its half-demon sorcerer-king, Remel I. The city was barraged with powerful curses that transformed its inhabitants into half-bestial half-demonic abominations, and which enchanted the city so that it is impossible to find by ordinary means, though its lights can be seen at night during the rare times when the desert and surrounding wasteland will support a fog. Nearly a thousand of the original inhabitants remain under the rulership of Remel II, the son of the original sorcerer and a powerful wizard in his own right. He calls himself the Count of Remel, and pays a yearly tribute of 1,000 lbs. of silver to King Harold to be left in peace. Where he gets the silver from is unknown.

32:19 Harken - Harken (pop. 10,000) is the seat of the Moragnian king and his court, as it was of the Thernish kings before him. The current king is Harold II, grandson of Harold I "the Builder". About a third of the population of Harken is employed by the state or the court in one capacity or another, and the city receives many immigrants from across Moragne who have come to make their fortune in politics. Harken is more of a cosmopolitan city than Carlaw or the rest of Axrew, with Vellings, Morags, Therns, and Einermen mixing freely and creating a uniquely "Moragnian" culture.

33:20 Carlaw - The great commercial crossroads of Moragne, Carlaw (pop. 20,000) houses the Royal Mint, the Eastern Tower (the royal armoury), the largest brick and iron works in Moragne, and the University of Carlaw and its associated colleges. The city was built on land belonging to the archbishop of Carlaw, and he remains its feudatory lord, though city government is a run by a council of burghers and gentlemen. Armies are equipped in Carlaw, cannons cast, and sutlers, sumpters and merchants abound. Almost every religious order in Moragne keeps at least a chapterhouse here, due to the city's reputation for piety. Famously, it produces the Twelve Men of Carlaw every year rather than ordinary scutage or levies (though it does possess a well-equipped and trained militia for civil defense).

34:17 Wyrmbone - The site of the famous battle where Jack Dragonkiller (aka Sir John Weaver of Carlaw) slew the dragon in the time of Harold the Builder. A small village (pop. 200) has grown up that makes a living off of pilgrims, who come to touch the bones and dried blood of the great wyrm which stretch for nearly half a kilometre. It is claimed that any sword plunged hilt deep into one of the scabbed pools of blood becomes capable of cutting anything, but no one outside Jack Dragonkiller's line has ever succeeded in doing so. His grand-daughter, Countess Margaret Weaver of Wyrmbone (aka the Woman), has a nearby manor and title to the lands, but she appears to mainly use it as a cottage for suitor-pilgrims and is rarely found there.

34:26 The Heronage - One of the true prizes of Moragne in the eyes of the Church. The Heronage is a sacred location where it is possible to cross the Veil and enter the divine presence of the Hidden God and his various emanations, the runes. It is used for heroquesting. It is guarded by the Fraternity of St. Gerrard, a monastic order who prevent the unworthy from abusing the location, and protect the hermits who live in the surrounding valley. The Heronage is named after the local wildlife, which includes a colony of blue-black herons unique to the area whose plumage exactly mimics the colouration of angelic wings. Brother Ruget, widely considered to be a living saint and perhaps the most holy man in Moragne, is the leader of the brotherhood and it is he who administers the tests that determine whether a visitor is worthy to enter the church itself. Its monks wear blue-black robes in the same shade as the herons' feathers.

35:24 Aemeth County - Aemeth County is an extremely large county controlled by Ogoth the Dog. It is naturally well-fortified, has rich soil, good timber, and several mines that supply it with silver and iron in great abundance. It produces extremely fine wines and fruit, and is significantly wetter than much of the rest of Axrew. However, Ogoth is greedy, and he has taken the opportunity of his excommunication and used it as an excuse to prosecute war and plunder against his neighbours. This has led to the mountains being flooded with free companies on both sides of the conflict. Because he has been excommunicated, the local clergy has risen up against him, and is encouraging the peasants to revolt and flee to more pious masters. The Coiners are proselytising, as are several other heresies, and religious hysterics claim to see the Great Beast lurking behind every tree and stone. Only Ogoth's soldiers and his success in battle are keeping things from exploding into civil war.

37:15 Athelshall - Athelshall (called Affeldag by its former inhabitants) is another pre-Thernish city. It is known in legend as the Great Sinful City, and was destroyed by Estan the Pure, the king who oversaw the conversion of the Kingdom of Therne, at the behest of St. Jerse of Narbonika. The city was looted, its walls dismantled, its inhabitants put to the sword, and the fields salted. No one has ever resettled the land. However, the city has over time become home to several different heretic sects, including Coiners, Whites, and the followers of Barry Nearn, as well as more mundane bandits. Though each thinks they are the true faith and the others vile schismatics, they have set aside their differences to concentrate on banditry, raiding the merchant trade from Harken to Lanarth and Moragland.

37:13 Woodwell - The southernmost settlement in the Einerwood, Woodwell is a walled village built on one side of a ravine with a well-made wooden manor from which William, Baron of Woodwell rules. The town is rich in lumber, and serves the carrying trade with carts, hitches, barrels, chests and lumber. He is currently imprisoned by the Dakons, and his wife, Gertrude of Woodwell, has increased taxes and excises to pay his ransom. This is highly unpopular with the local freeholders and cottars, and the entire barony is on the brink of revolt.

Warren of the Leper Queens: The Servants of Acephax

The demon Acephax is known as the Finger-Biter, for he is the servant of the Beast whose purview is leprosy, palsies and gangrene. He was imprisoned long ago in a statue that was buried deep underground. Unknowingly, perhaps even due to his malign influence, the great Leprosarium was built atop the very earth in which he resides. In time, he began summoning the susceptible amongst the many lepers to dig into the earth and uncover him. The Leprosarium has many secret tunnels running underneath it that form the highways of his servants. Now, they seek to summon evil spirits of sickness to infect others to increase Acephax's power. Their secret activity is one of the reasons there are so many lepers despite a (magical) cure existing. The cult evaluates new arrivals to the Leprosarium for suitability, and recruits those it thinks most likely to serve the order. The upper ranks of the cult are entirely female, the Brides of Acephax, and when he emerges to rule the earth they will be the beautiful and feared mothers of daemonic princelings. The Dombatian brotherhood has heard dark rumours of the cult existing, but has not yet managed to find proof of their existence.

Runes:
Chaos, Death

Common Magic:
Bandit's Cloak, Demoralise, Detect Disease, Disruption, Fanaticism, Hand of Death, Protection, Slow

Spirits:

Bane, Curse, Sickness spirits

Myths:
Rise of Acephax (80%) - Behaviours: Spread leprosy and illness; Obey the commands of Acephax; Capture and sacrifice lepers to Acephax

Cult Skills:
Craft (Fetishes), Disguise, First Aid, Lore (Acephax), Resilience, Sing, Spirit Binding, Spirit Walking

Followers:

Lay members - Lay members must be lepers. Most have never heard of Acephax, merely knowing that there are powerful leper queens who run a shadowy underground organisation that they are told serves to find a permanent cure for leprosy.

Cultists - Cultists of Acephax must have five of the cult skills at 30% or greater. They must also be lepers. Followers are aware of the existence of Acephax and gain some idea of his goals. They may be members of either sex.

Devotees - Only women and the sons of Brides may rise to this rank in the cult. Devotees of Finger-Biter must dismember a living leper (usually a non-cult member) and feed the pieces into the great pool of miasma at the heart of the hidden temple of Acephax as proof of their loyalty. They must possess five or more of the cult skills at 50%, two of which must be Spirit Binding and Spirit Walking. They must summon and command a leper spirit as a proof of their competence or they will serve as a sacrifice upon the elevation of another devotee.

Brides of Acephax - The highest level of the cult is composed only of women. They must possess five or more of the cult skills at 85% or higher, two of which must be Spirit Binding and Spirit Walking. They must enter the spirit plane and fornicate with the spirit-form of Acephax, becoming pregnant and giving birth to one of his devil princelings. Brides of Acephax are cured of their leprosy and have any stat loss caused by it restored. They are immune to it in future (save if Acephax withdraws his protection), but still retain the appearance of lepers to non-members of the cult. To members, other lepers, and those with magical vision, they are transformed into inhumanly beautiful versions of the women they once were, often with faint demonic features like a slightly green tint to their skin, or orange irises.

Maps from Moragne

The Kingdom of Moragne

This map was the first thing I ever created for Moragne. I did it in Hexographer, and working on it was really what taught me the tool. 1 hex = 20 kilometres from edge to opposite edge, since this was before I started using 10km hexes (5km apothegms) consistently. As part of the medieval feel I wanted Moragne to have, I made a conscious effort to avoid obvious declared borders, either internal or external. This map was the first page of the Moragne primer I sent out to my PCs.

I made a numbered version of this map, but I mainly use it for pull-outs of individual provinces, as the numbers are illegible unless you zoom in, as you can see below:

Duchy of Axrew

Axrew is the central Duchy of Moragne. It's fairly flat and dry, with grasslands, deserts, rocky outcroppings and a few forests. As you can see, this map is numbered. The Leprosarium, where Warrens of the Leper Queens takes place is 21:22, that unlabeled village just south of the Moot. I have versions of these for all the regions of Moragne, but only ever keyed the entries for three (Axrew, Lanarth, Moragland).

Now, the actual Moragne campaign didn't take place in the Kingdom of Moragne, which I think was a misstep on my part. Instead, it began about a few hundred kilometres north, where the Northern Marches turn into...

The Moragnian Frontier, aka the Wastelands of St. Arminius

By the time this map came around, I was using 10km hexes, so it's a bit difficult to reconcile the two maps, but basically this is an area about half the size of Moragne, accessible only through Dakonland or through a narrow pass in the mountains. It was being flooded with peasants fleeing the crusades against the Dakons.

My only problem with Hexographer is that in order to load black and white tiles, you have to buy the license, otherwise you can only use colour. Using only colour makes printing maps extremely hard on your pocket, so I decided to try out Autorealm to produce the black and white player handout.

The PCs' Map of the Frontier

As a close comparison will show, this is the south-east quadrant of the colour map above, reproduced in black and white, zoomed in, and with a few minor changes to represent PC & local NPC knowledge. This document in-game was called "the map of Arminius". I had a version with a hex overlay, which I used to track where exactly the PCs were.

The Warrens of the Leper Queens: Structure and Design

The warren itself is dug under the sand into the clay soil of Axrew. Because of the material they're dug out of (clay-rich dirt), the walls of the warren are sound-absorbing, and give a -10% to any Perception tests that involve listening. Characters making Stealth checks to avoid being overhead may make these checks at +10%.

The ceiling and walls are reinforced with timber struts that form archways, and the ceiling height varies from 2.5m to 5m with an average of 3.5m. The struts have an average AP of 6 and 40 HP. Destroying one will not cause a collapse, but if three adjacent archways are destroyed, there is a 20% chance of immediate collapse in the areas of the destroyed archways. Archways are located at each entrance to an area, and anywhere else that the space is less than 4m across.

About half the archways (50%) have a thick canvas drape covering them. The drape is painted to look like the surrounding earth, giving the appearance of a dead-end. Perception checks (modified for any lack of light) are required to notice that it is not a dead end. Any investigation involving poking, touching or physically interacting with the drape will reveal this as well. Some of the drapes (25%), especially nearer to the statue of Acephax itself, are painted with the Spume of Acephax and characters whose skin touches them will suffer its effects. The drapes have an AP of 3 and 10 HP, and are fastened at the top by rope. They can be pulled aside by hand.

The ground is level but not smooth. It has only been graded in areas 8-10; 16-17; and 19-20. Elsewhere, individuals who are running, overencumbered, carrying someone or otherwise hindered must make Athletics checks at +10% each round they move or fall prone.

Because of the depth, the warrens occasionally accumulate groundwater, especially after one of the infrequent rainfalls. The pits in areas 3, 4, and 12 are drainage pits. They connect to a massive underground aquifer in the bedrock 75m below. PCs with appropriate magical assistance can swim from one to the other without being observed, though this is a painstaking, tortuous process in the dark. The pit in area 4 is used as a well, and has a cover that has a 33% chance of being shut and latched.

The pits in areas 10 and 17 are latrines and dumps. They have wooden platforms that hold benches above the pits. The platforms have an AP of 4 and 25 HP. The smell when they have not been recently cleaned (the cultists try to do so every day) is unbearable. Characters must make a Resilience test or suffer the effects of nausea as if they had been poisoned. The cultists carry the nightsoil aboveground at night and bury it in pits covered with sand.

The secret passages are all similarly constructed and protects. Their entrances and exits are covered with heavy canvas drapes similar to the ones covering archways, but _always_ painted with the Spume of Acephax. Characters must make a Perception test at -30% (plus any modifiers for poor lighting, etc.) to spot the entrances. The drapes are reinforced by planks, so merely prodding them with the tip of a sword or spear will not automatically reveal them to be drapes. They conceal passages that are about 2.5m tall and 1.5m wide. Characters suffer a -30% on all skills requiring them to be able to move freely (GM's call) as well as to their combat skills. Only Servants of Acephax of devotee rank or higher are aware of the secret passages.

Build Your Own Mongoose Runequest 2 / Legend Backgrounds

Background matters

Mongoose Runequest 2, now called the "Legend" system after Mongoose lost the Runequest license late last year, is one of the better fantasy gaming systems released last decade (2009). It's a medium-crunch, skill-based and level-less system that relies on active defenses, and "combat maneuvers" instead of expanding HP to pace its combats.

In the core book, after rolling stats, you pick a "background" for your character, and there are four options offered: Barbarian, Civilised, Nomad, Primitive, each one having certain skills and not others. The various supplements for the game add a bit to this, but they have a tendency to simply list a culture as "Barbarian" and expect you to use the same. For my settings, I decided to come up with my own backgrounds. Here's the Moragnian backgrounds, in case you're looking for some to supplement the basic four.

The ones I've created are "balanced" with the core four backgrounds, in that it turns out there's a very simple structure and points budget that they all follow, which you can use to build your own backgrounds. 

1) Fixed skills

Everyone gets the common skills Culture (Own) and Lore (Regional) at +30%, and the advanced skill Language (Native) +50%

2) The points budget

The rest of the background is built from a "budget" of 90 points. Each +1% in some skill costs 1 point. I recommend dishing it out in chunks and multiples of 10, even though the corebook itself violates this principle.

3) Common skills 

The four core backgrounds all spend between 40 and 60 points here. Resilience, Athletics, Brawn and Perception are the most common. I typically use put Persistence and Influence here as well.

4) Combat styles

A single "Pick a combat style and add +10%" only costs 10 points, there is no cost for the combat style. Typically, between 1 and 3 combat styles per background are available (between 10 and 30 points). I have more to say on combat styles below, and will explain why I don't normally provide a list of approved combat styles to choose from, and recommend you don't either.

5) Advanced skills

Here's where it's a little more complicated. Advanced skills do not typically receive bonuses at this phase of character creation. Instead, you are granted "access" to them. Access to one advanced skill "costs" 10 points. Beyond Language (Native), the four core backgrounds all have at least one mandatory advanced skill - either Courtesy or Survival. I violated this rule in designing my backgrounds for Moragne, since it was a medieval setting, not an ancient world one. Typically, about twice as many skills are available for access as can be chosen, and the PC picks some subset. Only the cost of the subset counts.

6) Money

This is totally arbitrary, and doesn't actually balance with the rest of the system. In general, if you can't think of any reason it should be abnormal, it will be 4d6 x 20 silver pieces. If the person with this background is meant to be rich, it should be 4d6 x 75 silver pieces, and if they are supposed to be poor, it should be 4d6 x 10. In Moragne, because of the cost of body armour, I increased it to 4d6 x 30, and I would be content to leave it there and redo the starting core backgrounds.

7) Magic

Starting available magic has no sense to it either, and you should probably simply let PCs pick off the unrestricted list of common magic spells unless you have some very good reason not to. If you're a nice DM you should pick the spells for them and give them Protection 3, Lucky, and Ignite, three extremely useful spells for starting characters. PC choice here doesn't really matter, since none of the common magic spells are strong enough to "break" anything, even if used well. If you're playing a low magic game, you can skip this step, obviously.

On Combat Styles in Mongoose Runequest 2 / Legend

When I ran my Moragne game, I decided the list of available combat styles to PCs basically by aping the method of the corebook but with an unrestricted list. So any PC of any background could pick Axe, 1-handed Sword,  etc. Never again. It was a nightmare of book-keeping and scanning equipment lists from the Arms and Equipment (now called Arms of Legend) errata to pick "the best weapon". People kept on forgetting to write "and Shield" for one-handed combat styles even though they meant to, or getting confused about whether "1H Sword" should cover all 1H swords from rapier to broadswords or not. In the end, each entry on the Arms and Equipment errata table was a skill. This kept the PCs extremely conservative on weapon choice, and also left some weird gaps in their knowledge.

Since then, I've thought about this situation quite a bit, and here are two options I'm thinking over:

1) Each background has an associated style with the same name ("Combat Style: Kaddish"). The associated combat style has 4 or 5 (a consistent number across all styles) weapons it grants proficiency in. Other weapons you would like to be proficient in must be bought singly using your free points, or maybe from a profession.

2) I would love to integrate it with my "Build Your Own Weapons and Armour" system for Openquest. The build system, if it were to be adapted to MRQ2, would need to include a way of determining the appropriate weapon maneuvers (not hard). My main concern about doing this is that it would lead to nonobvious clusters of proficiency, where someone might somehow know about throwing axes and bows simply because they answer "Yes" to similar questions during generation.

Professions

Professions are actually even easier than backgrounds to create. Here's the routine:

1) All professions are built from 50 points, where 1 point is worth +1%.

2) All professions spend a minimum of 20 points on common skills. Once again, I recommend these be in chunks of 10% for ease of book-keeping and character generation, even though the core book violates this.

3) Access to advanced skills costs 10 points. Typically, there are 2-3 times as many options as can be taken. Options don't cost anything themselves, only actual access does (so if you pick one of three options, that's worth 10 points).

4) If you're going to start with a magical skill, this is usually when you get it.

Anyhow, hopefully this will help you to design your own backgrounds and professions for your own Mongoose Runequest 2 / Legend games.