You awaken groggily in the near darkness, lying uncomfortably in a cold stone pit. The odours of rusted iron and dry blood mingle with the smells of dust and soot. The whole place has a familiar feel, the smell of fires gone cold, the absence of the musty smell that has pervaded almost every other underground labyrinth you have ventured into. You are back in the Temple of Ash, its inhabitants were not all slain, and it seems that they desire vengeance upon you, though not so simple as taking your lives, for they have had much opportunity for that.
It seems that the dark and the twisted are those that remain in the temple, you free yourself from your chains and prepare to fight the horrors between you and freedom.
This adventure is Dungeon Level 4 and should be played directly after completing Braying for Blood. The characters have had no chance to visit a settlement, but wounds, luck, faith, stored power and all similar abilities have regained their starting value. All skills and magic that has a limited number of uses per adventure is recharged, unless it requires specific recharging in a town, like witch hunter amulets do.
The event deck for this adventure is a quarter of a deck of cards, use all the clubs. When an event occurs draw a card and consult the chart below.
|
Clubs |
|
|
A |
Malik + Krugach + Damyn* |
|
K |
Draugh Scalefiend* |
|
Q |
16 Chaos Warriors |
|
J |
Shug + Kreffo* |
|
10 |
Dragon Ogre + 4 Centaurs |
|
9 |
D3+1 Chaos Warriors on Juggernauts |
|
8 |
8 Bloodletters |
|
7 |
6 Chaos Warriors + 8 Beastmen |
|
6 |
5 Minotaurs + 3 Trolls |
|
5 |
Event |
|
4 |
Event |
|
3 |
Event |
|
2 |
Event |
*: This event includes a special character detailed in the notes below.
Event: Roll D6 on the Event Chart in the notes below, re-rolling if a previously met event occurs.
Starting
When the warriors begin, they have been completely disarmed. Any magic items that they have are missing, in addition are all items of armour and especially weapons. Only their clothes remain, as long as these provide no protective value. Items that cannot be removed, such as the Belt of Gagron and Armour of Meteoric Iron remain with the characters. The only items that characters do still have are those that they have hidden. Knives, knuckle-dusters and boot-blades are good examples. Daggers, swords, axes, staffs, all these have been taken. The minions of Khorne are unused to taking prisoners, but they still manage to confiscate almost everything. While fighting unarmed a warrior rolls to hit and damage as normal, but does not add any strength to the damage roll. As an additional affect, all spell-casters have no access to their spell components and have recently been drugged, so they cannot cast spells. Unexpected events will not occur in this adventure until the warriors have regained their equipment. There is no way to run away in this adventure, the warriors may not roll on the Escaping Table, the warriors must complete the adventure or die trying.
Map
This adventure does not use the standard mapping rules. Instead, take 5 corridors, the Torture Chamber, the Circle of Power and the Monster�s Lair. Shuffle these cards and deal them into 2 equal stacks of 4 cards without looking. Randomly place the Well of Doom at the bottom of one stack and the Firechasm at the bottom of the other. Place them to the side for now. The beginning of the map is set and does not change, use the basic map below as a guideline:
D P1 FP= Fighting Pit D= Dungeon Cell
| | T1= T-Junction 1 G= Guard Room
FP-G-T1-T2 T2= T-Junction 2 P1= Passageway 1
| P2= Passageway 2
P2
The warriors begin in the Fighting Pit, placed however they desire. Just outside is the Guardroom, and beyond it is a T-junction going straight ahead and off to one side. Off to the side is the Dungeon Cell; Straight-ahead is T-junction 2. T-Junction 2 leads away in two directions, place one of the two stacks of dungeon cards prepared earlier next to each door. You should be unaware which stack is on top of the Well of Doom and which is on top of the Firechasm. Explore as usual from then on. The characters will need to find their way to the Firechasm and escape.
Event Chart
1 Rain of Ash � Burning ash falls from the ceiling. Each warrior takes 2D6 wounds with no modifiers for armour or toughness. In addition roll D6 for each warrior. Any warrior who rolls a 1 has had their clothing so clogged with ash that they are at �1 movement for the rest of the adventure.
2 Warping of Chaos � Dark magic careens down the corridor, a random manifestation of chaos. Roll D6 for each warrior on the chart below:
3 Blood for the Blood God! � The warriors hear the chanting of Khorne�s minions echoing down the halls. 2D6 Chaos Warriors attack, but the warriors have +1 attack on their first turn because of their readiness.
4 Dark Idols � Several small statues dedicated to Khorne stand here, the warriors may destroy them or leave them alone. If the warriors leave them the idols strangely allow the monsters to anticipate the warriors movements. The next group of monsters will have Ambush A. If they destroy them, roll D6 for each warrior on the chart below:
|
1-2 |
The idol shoots a tongue of flame at the warrior, causing D6 wounds with no modifiers. |
|
3-4 |
The idol tinkles as it breaks, but no more effect occurs. |
|
5-6 |
The warrior feels empowered by destroying the idol. He gains 1 temporary luck point that must be used this adventure or it is lost. |
5 Fallen Knight � The warriors come across the body of a knight, surrounded by the corpses of seven beastmen, they swear to avenge him. Each warrior is so determined that he may add 1 to his dice rolls to hit for the first warriors� phase of the next combat.
6 Escaped Slave � The warriors come across a pitiful looking slave, running through the dungeon. They have moments to ask his aid in escaping before he flees into the dark. Look at the bottom card of one of the two dungeon decks to see whether it goes to the Well of Doom or the Firechasm.
Rooms
Fighting Pit
Freeing yourself from your chains through determination or desperation, one of you grabs the sole torch lighting this room and you begin your escape.
The party leader grabs a torch from this room. It will burn out in 12 turns, if the warriors do not find another light source before this happens they will perish in the darkness.
Guardroom
Kicking in the door, you burst into a room filled with horrid goat-headed abominations. Snorting and braying they throw their spears and raise cruel dark swords.
This room contains 7 Beastmen, all of whom are armed with spears which become useless when thrown and goatblades. Because goatblades are tied to the dark magic of chaos, the warriors cannot use them. A Chaos Warrior could wield one, but the corrupting influence of these beastman weapons would cost him D6 starting wounds per adventure if it was used for even one turn. Goatblades ignore the first 2 points of armour and provide the wielder with Magic Resistance 6+. These monsters have Treasure as normal.
T-Junction 1
In the dim light you easily see a pair of blood red daemons, behind them are more bestial foes.
2 Bloodletters and 4 more Beastmen lurk in this room. The swords that these Beastmen wield are normal, and the warriors may wield them once their owners have been slain. These monsters have Treasure as normal.
Dungeon Cell
The walls of this room are coated in a luminous moss that gives all within an eerie quality. In the far corner stands a rack of equipment, some items glowing in a familiar way. But between you and the far side of the room are a number more servants of chaos, one of them an enormous minotaur.
Place the weapon rack in the far corner of this room, it may not be disturbed until the warriors deal with the monsters in here, it has been chained up.
A Minotaur leads 4 Beastmen in this room. The weapons of these monsters are also normal; once taken, the warriors could use them. These monsters have Treasure as normal. The walls of this room are covered in a moss that glows faintly, treat it as a lantern permanently in this room, except that the warriors are at �1 to hit if this is there only light source (Warriors that can somehow see in the dark suffer no penalty). The light will spill into T-Junction 1 once the door into here is opened.
Once all the monsters in here have been slain the characters can investigate the weapon rack. All of the characters� equipment is here. All provisions and bandages are spoiled, but waybread and stonebread are unaffected, roll for spoilage since last adventure as normal. Any spell casters regain their necessary components and use herbs they habitually carry to counteract the effects of the drug. They can now cast spells as usual.
T-Junction 2
The way forks here, and you know not which way to go, for while the passage remains level, you know that one way leads deep into the hill and the other leads out. But you do not know which.
There is nothing unusual about this stretch of corridor.
Corridor
The way here seems safe, though the smell of char surrounds you, and unsettling noises echo from the distance.
These rooms have no special rules.
Circle of Power
Though nothing in this room seems to be the cause of it, you cannot escape the feeling that some powerful force is at work nearby.
An important part of the Temple of Ash, this room has a strange effect on ambient magical energies. Each turn during the power phase, re-roll the power score if the die come up 2, 3 or 4. Accept the second result no matter what it is.
Monster�s Lair
The stench of this room assaults your senses as you stagger into a room that clearly houses some of this fortress�s vile inhabitants.
If any event card drawn in this room is a special Event and not a group of monsters, shuffle the card back in and draw again. Accept the second card.
Torture Chamber
Implements of torture fill this room and you realize that had you not escaped your destiny may well have been here. By the look of the bloodstains all over the room, you would not have been the first to have such a fate.
Because the warriors are so enraged upon seeing this room, they Hate all monsters for as long as the warriors remain in this room.
Well of Doom
You have come the wrong way! This is no path to freedom! But despite this rooms bizarre appearance and unpleasant ambience, you feel strangely drawn to enter...
Place the 2 shut chests up the back of this room. These chests cannot be investigated until all monsters in this room have been dealt with.
This room contains 2 Trolls and 8 Chaos warriors. These monsters have no treasure. An enchantment upon this room forces the players to enter immediately on the turn after the door leading to it is opened. The warriors may leave as normal. This room is a dead end.
One chest contains 1000 gold coins. The other chest contains a Bane Sword (Objective Treasure 42). The Bane Sword hates Beastmen.
Firechasm
Burning red light and a near overwhelming odour of brimstone signal that your goal is near. But across the lava filled ravine in the center of this room is a form in wicked armour that is strongly familiar. Near you is a much more immediate foe, some vast creature of tentacles and scales, it shambles forward in a menacing way.
The Firechasm contains Bloodcall and Aescherex; they are special characters detailed in the notes below. Aescherex is on the near side of the bridge and Bloodcall is on the far side. Because of the heat and sparks, no spells, missiles or other effects may cross the chasm in the middle of the room. Neither Bloodcall nor Aescherex will attempt to cross the Firechasm. The only treasures are a Ring of Cheshnakk (Objective Treasure 32) and a key that opens a secret door allowing escape from the Temple of Ash. Bloodcall carries both these items.
Special Characters
For all these entries the rules are as listed in the Bestiary of the Warhammer Quest Roleplay book with the additions below. All magic items have been pre-selected.
Malik, Krugach and Damyn (Ace of Clubs)
These three creatures show clear signs of once having been human, but now they are mutation-riddled monsters. Perhaps their most bizarre attribute is not so much their bestial features but the way they move in eerie harmony, each seeming so similar to the others despite enormous physical differences.
Malik is a Chaos Champion with a huge barbed tail giving him Sting (3D6).
Krugach is a Chaos Champion with amazing reflexes giving him Parry 5+.
Damyn is a Chaos Champion with enormous bat-like wings giving him Fly.
All three chaos champions bear the listed magic:
Forgetting Mail: Any warrior attacking wearer suffers �1 Weapon Skill and may not use any skills in the attack. Including those that grant additional strength or attacks.
Sword of Dulling: Anyone wounded by this blade is affected by Paralysis.
Draugh Scalefiend (King of Clubs)
Snorting loudly, a huge centauroid abomination comes crashing towards you, raising its vicious axe.
Draugh is a Dragon Ogre Champion who has acquired the following magical wargear in his service of chaos:
Chaos Barding: Wearer ignores a blow on 5+ on D6 and a spell on a 4+ on D6.
Axe of Leeching: Wielder gains as many wounds as the highest number healed by a spell cast upon any warrior.
Shug and Kreffo (Jack of Clubs)
You are charged by a pair of unusually large beastmen, one, a screaming three armed nightmare, the other a careful foe nearly hidden by hundreds of vicious spikes that protrude from its body.
Shug is a Beastman Champion with three arms, taking his attacks to 3. Shug makes a terrible braying scream, causing Fear 7. Shug Bears 2 magic weapons instead of 1, he will attack twice with the first each turn and then once with the second. These weapons are:
Goatblade: Wielder ignores 2 points of armour when striking with this weapon and gains Magic Resistance 6+.
Fetid Voulge: Attacks with this weapon are at �1 Initiative, but +4 damage and cause Plague. This attack may be made at a range of 2 squares, as if the wielder had Fights in Ranks.
Kreffo is a Beastman Champion covered in spikes, any warrior attacking him takes D6+3 damage each time they do so. He is affected by a strange temporal disturbance, giving him Never Pinned and allowing him to teleport to any square adjacent to his target warrior, as long as it is within 4 squares. Kreffo fights with magic:
Goatblade: Wielder ignores 2 points of armour and gains Magic Resistance 6+.
Aescherex (Objective Room)
Never before have you seen anything that so well fits the term of monster. It flails its many arms and convulses under a partially scaled hide. Reaching a tentacle towards you it opens its broken-toothed maw.
Aescherex is a Chaos Spawn, and its form is twisted far beyond whatever creature he may once have been. It is a huge and fearsome monster with the profile below:
|
M |
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
I |
A |
W |
Armour |
Damage |
Gold |
|
3 |
3 |
- |
5 |
5(6) |
3 |
4 |
60 |
1 |
2D6 |
1500 |
Aescherex has Fear 8, Ignore Pain 2 and Ignore Blow 5+. Because it is a source of raw chaos power, Aescherex fortifies Bloodcall, so as long as the Chaos Spawn remains alive, Bloodcall cannot be reduced below 1 wound.
Bloodcall (Objective Room)
It can be no other than the evil general that you vanquished so recently, somehow returned from death to pillage and kill once more. "So my heroes I see that you will not wait your fate quietly. That is good, for my lord Khorne prefers blood shed in battle. I recently stood before him and he judged that I should once more take up my post, though I desired to go on to serve as one of his great daemons, I am glad I shall be able to send you to see his great glory. You shall see the wonder of his throne, and the immensity of the mountain of skulls upon which it sits." Bloodcall laughs with a sound that seems to echo for minutes, and then screams, "I promise you, fools, that in Talabheim I shall drink the blood of a thousand innocents from your skulls." He readies himself and you wonder how you managed to defeat him last time, and whether or not you can do so again.
Bloodcall is a Chaos Lord, after he and all monsters with him have been defeated, the adventure is complete. He has a powerful array of magical artifacts:
Armour of Regeneration: Wearer gains Regeneration 1.
Tabard of Night: Wearer is �2 to be hit by ranged attacks.
Belt of Fortitude: Wearer gains Dispel Magic 6+.
Crystal Charm: A model carrying this item gains Ethereal 1.
Spelleater Blade: Wielder gains Magic Resistance 5+.
Conclusion
There are stairs leading up from the secret door at the back of the Firechasm. At the top of these the warriors can steal a mule each from the supply trains and escape. The Temple of Ash finally defeated. When the warriors return to Talabheim, they receive the 10000 gold reward to split amongst themselves. In addition, because they are hailed as heroes, they do not need to pay living expenses for the duration of this visit.
The adventure is at long last complete.
Going Further
If the theme of this adventure appealed to you, further encounters can be drawn from it. Perhaps the warriors plan to prevent another vile supply station being established, or perhaps the warriors wish to chase down and destroy the last remnants of a Chaos Horde that was being supplied by the Temple of Ash. Attacking the commanders and elite troops. The Special Characters from these adventures may return, leading new groups of foes. If the characters never met the Despoiler of Kiaz or Draugh Scalefiend, one of them may be waiting to get revenge. Characters with a number of interesting special rules make good villains, and it would be a shame to waste some of these foes just because you never drew their event card.
© Gareth Williams 1997