A brief word on AI generated images

     It seems earth-shaking disruptive technologies occur with some regularity, these days. Artists and writers are rightfully afraid of their job security, as greedy corporations scheme to replace them with AI generated content. The social and ethical implications are not to be taken lightly.

    That said, I really enjoy using AI tools. They're fun, interesting, and even inspiring. So what is a man to do in times like these? I have come to the following unavoidable conclusion:

    I, personally, feel it is unethical to use AI generated content in products intended for sale. It's taking jobs from working artists and mangling their work through an algorithm to produce a saleable product without any credit, consent, or royalties.

    Thus, I solemnly swear that I will never include AI generated art or text in anything I offer for sale.

    I'm making this blog for fun, and it's all free. I may use AI generated art in my posts, but if I ever offer a product for sale, I'll either draw the art myself or hire an artist.

             I have realized that writing, formatting and posting play reports from my campaign is not nearly as fun or interesting as running them. I’m still writing them up for the benefit of my players, so I’ll probably post them all eventually. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to think of ways to write more regularly.

            Spark tables are neat. I’ve been collecting a few off the internet, here and there. Somehow, all of this came from the prompt “germinating gorge.”

The Gorge of Akatum

            Between the Mountains of Melanaster and the Plangent Plains lies a great fissure in the earth. The nomads of the plains call it “Akatum,” the name of an ancient monster spawned by Maug, Lord of the Abyss.

            The gorge is several miles in length and runs north-northwest along the foothills of the mountains. It gradually slopes downward from its southernmost point to an eventual depth of roughly 3000 feet, and it varies in width from 500 to 2000 feet, with the widest section being in the center and narrowing at either end.

            The gorge is home to a unique, hybrid ecosystem of underworld flora and fauna. The terrain is often wet and marshy from the rainwater that flows into the gorge, and the ground is covered in pale blue moss. In some sections the moss sends up long stalks with spore pods on the end, visually similar to tall grass. There are also stands of primordial spore trees with segmented trunks and fan-like leaves in varying shades of purple and green.

Impressions

1. A thicket of purple and green spore trees, their spores falling like a gentle rain.
2. A makeshift altar of scorched human and animal bones, the remnants of an impromptu void-worshippers’ ritual.
3. An acrid stench and slithering sound emanates from a nearby talus, indicating the presence of CRABSNAKES.
4. The air is thick with long, cylindrical insects with a dozen pairs of wings.
5. The moss here is about to sporulate, the pale blue sporophytes taller than a man and as thick as tall grass.
6. A pack of SAWTUSKS feasts on the corpses of mutant outlaws.
7. A shallow creek trickling down the rocks, the mossy ground saturated with water all around.
8. A herd of mutant deer with white fur, spindly limbs, extra limbs and extra eyes.
9. Giant shards of bone-white chitin, the remains of a long-dead monstrous arthropod.
10. Dismembered corpses of a failed expedition, arranged into a trophy display by an ARMORED CORRUPTER

Questions

1. What do you hope to find within the gorge?
2. What eventually became of the monster Akatum?
3. What legends have you heard of the people who first encountered the gorge?
4. What do you think lives in this gorge that scares you the most?
5. Have you had any disturbing dreams concerning this place? What did you see?

Akatum’s Curse

The remains of an ancient monster spawned from the Abyss lines the depths of the gorge. These remains are still potent with foul, corrupting magic. It is hazardous to one’s health to remain in the gorge for a long period of time, causing you to become increasingly warped in mind and body.

Possible sources of exposure to the curse include, but are not limited to:

• When you Make Camp within the gorge.
• When you roll your Last Breath within the gorge.
• When you take damage from a gorge lion or an armored corrupter.
• When you eat the flesh of a creature of the gorge.
• When you first see the Plunge.

Any time you are exposed to the curse, roll+CON. On a 10+, nothing happens. On a 7-9, mark one corruption point. On a -6, mark two.

            When your corruption increases, and your new corruption score equals or exceeds your Wisdom score, roll+WIS. On a 10+, reduce your corruption score by 1. On a 7-9, nothing happens. On a -6, you are driven mad, and become an NPC under the GM’s control.

When your corruption increases, roll on the table below. If you roll a corruption effect you already have, roll again.

d12	Effect	d12	Effect
1	Your eyes become milk white, though you can still see.	7	Your internal organs are riddled with eyes and teeth. Reduce your Constitution score by 1d4.
2	Your hair becomes pure white.	8	Your head swells with murky fluid. Reduce your Intelligence score by 1d4.
3	Your skin becomes pure white.	9	You become unnaturally gaunt and thin. Reduce your Constitution score by 1d4, but you only need to eat and drink half as much.
4	Your fingers become abnormally long, and your nails sharp.	10	You are haunted by horrible nightmares every night. You even see horrible things when you close your eyes, or are in the dark. Reduce your Wisdom score by 1d4.
5	Your teeth grow sharp, and you gain the ability to unhinge your jaw like a snake.	11	You gain 1d4 extra arms. They are thinner and weaker than your usual arms, and cannot wield weapons, but they may be an asset for climbing, grappling, or other such tasks.
6	Your skin hardens into an exoskeleton, and your joints are segmented like an arthropod. You gain 1 natural armor.	12	You gain 2d6 extra eyes, not all of which may be on your head. You take +1 forward to Discern Realities, and can see in the dark.

Removing the Curse

            Even if the effects are purely cosmetic, players will likely want a way to remove the curse. Here are a few ideas:

Shamanic Purification Ritual – 15 coins

            Pay a shaman of the plains nomads to perform a folk-magic purification ritual. Takes one hour, and can remove 1 point of corruption per day.

Clerical Purification Ritual – 50 coins

            Travel to a cathedral with a proper font and altar, and pay an ordained priest to perform a purification ritual. Takes one hour, can remove 1d6+1 points of corruption. Can be repeated multiple times in one day.

Bath of Expurgatory Salts – 100 coins

            A skilled wizard or alchemist can concoct a particular kind of purifying salts which the afflicted may add to a hot water bath. As they scrub themselves clean, the curse will flow from them like common dirt. However, the wizard may wish to keep the bathwater to distill the curse-essence for “study.” Takes one hour, and sets a players’ corruption score to zero.

Divine Bounty

            If you harvest an intact Claw of Corruption from an Armored Corruptor, you can sacrifice it in a holy place ordained by any god inimical to Maug (which is most of them), and reduce your corruption score by 2d4 points.

    When your corruption score is reduced by any amount, by any means, select one of your corruption effects at random. If it resulted in a change to your ability scores, your ability scores return to normal after your next rest. Any cosmetic effects slowly fade over 1d6 days.

    When your corruption score is reduced to zero, all remaining corruption effects fade slowly over 1d6 days. If any resulted in a change to your ability scores, they return to normal after your next rest.

Points of Interests

Madman’s Rappel – A charted route down the side of the gorge with marked footholds and hazards, pitons driven into the rock, and fortified rest areas. A few run-down cabins at the bottom are all that is left of a long-abandoned base camp.

Poisoned Hut – This simple wooden hut was once the home of Wicked Reza, a heretical, void-worshipping witch. The hut now lies in the middle of a bog of unnatural, poisonous sludge, the residue of a failed experiment. Moans and screams echo from the hut at night, leading some to think that Reza’s ghost still haunts the area. The poison keeps would-be looters at bay, so there may yet be valuables within.

Sir Gilroy’s Grave – A renowned paladin once led an expedition into the gorge to route the Maug-worshipping cultists who lived within. They failed, and Sir Gilroy was slain along with most of his retinue. The retreating survivors barely had time to give Sir Gilroy a shallow grave, now marked with his sword and rusting armor.

Brynstan’s Hideout – Brynstan the Bandit was an infamous outlaw and highwayman who terrorized merchants and nomads on the plains for years. When the law caught up with him, he and his gang took refuge in the Gorge of Akatum, believing that their pilfered folk-magic talismans would protect them from the curse long enough for the heat to die down. This fortified camp built within a natural alcove in the wall is their hideout, now inhabited by crazed, curse-warped degenerates. Brynstan’s gang is mostly dead, but the hideout has become a haven for desperate outlaws who replenish their numbers.

The Plunge – The lowest point of the gorge is covered with a roof of stone, becoming a cave. At the very back of this cave is a smooth, straight shaft, perfectly circular and fifty feet across. The Dark Diver Cultists claim it goes all the way down past the Underworld, past Hell, and straight into the Abyss. The pit exudes a sinister magnetism, beckoning the subconscious minds of men to throw themselves in. Many of the Dark Diver Cultists do just that, as a sacrament to Maug.

Purifier’s Ruins – Ancient fort made of stone quarried straight from the gorge, very near the bottom. Once served as a home to an ancient sect of holy knights who fought the abyssal monsters that emerged from the Plunge. The stones are covered with deep gouges, as if assailed with pickaxes. Now a hideout of void-worshipping cultists.

Creatures of the Gorge

Crabsnake     3 HP    0 Armor
Horde, Small, Stealthy
Damage: Acid Spit (1d6, close, near, ignores armor)
            This loathsome creature has a thick, serpentine body longer than a man is tall, with a multi-legged crab-like structure for a head. It moves itself around with its thick tail, and clings to rocks and prey with its jointed legs. They lurk in the cracks in the walls of the gorge, and are fiercely territorial ambush predators. They spit acid both to defend themselves and to bore holes in the rocks to make their nests.
Instinct: To defend its nest
Special Qualities: Wall-climber
Moves:

• Attack without warning from a hiding spot.
• Slither into a crack in the rocks.
• Spit acid in the eyes, causing temporary blindness.

Dark Diver Cultists   6 HP    1 Armor
Group, Magical, Intelligent, Organized
Damage: Dagger (1d8, hand), Shadow Orb (1d6, close, ignores armor)
            The gorge is a sacred place to Maug, Lord of the Abyss, and Akatum is one of his most cherished offspring. These men and women have heard the siren song that tempts them to sweet annihilation, and embrace Akatum’s blessing. They seek to convert new followers to their cause, and new sacrifices to offer to the yawning maw of the Plunge. And failing that, they offer themselves, diving headlong into the Abyss in holy sacrament.
Instinct: To honor and worship Maug
Moves:

• Weave the gorge’s corruption into a spell
• Rally their fellow cultists to face a common threat
• Preach about the glory of Maug, and tempt others to annihilation

Sawtusk          6 HP    1 Armor
Group, Organized
Damage: Bite (1d8+2, close, messy)
            A pack-hunting organism originating in the strange, primordial environment of the Underworld. It looks like a strange arthropod with a long body of wide, curved segments and six spindly legs. It has multi-faceted black eyes on the end of eyestalks, and a pair of curved, tusk-like palps lined with serrated teeth. Despite their appearance, they neither spread the curse of Akatum, nor are they affected by it.
Instinct: To hunt
Special Qualities: Blindsight
Moves:

• Track prey by scent
• Summon the rest of its pack for aid with a shrill, rattling cry
• Gang up on the strongest foe

 
Gorge Lion    8 HP    0 Armor
Solitary, Small, Stealthy, Devious
Damage: Bite (1d8, close)
            These creatures are the descendants of curse-warped mountain lions, and are a common ambush predator of the gorge. They resemble a hairless mountain lion with bluish-gray skin, covered in a crazed web of bulging dark varicose veins. The contrast between the dark veins and lighter skin serves as natural camouflage, like a tiger’s stripes. These predators are particularly feared, not just because of the physical danger, but because their fangs bear the curse.
Instinct: To stalk its prey
Moves:

• Blend into its environment
• Move silently to stalk its prey
• Expose its prey to the Curse of Akatum with its bite

 
Corrupted Outlaws   3 HP    2 Armor
Horde, Intelligent, Organized, Hoarder
Damage: Spear (1d6, reach)
            Fear of the curse keeps all sensible people well away from the gorge. Desperate outlaws have long used this to their advantage, hiding where the law dares not follow. The curse has warped their minds and bodies. The new ones accept it as the cost of doing business. The older ones have long lost any sense of anything wrong, along with their humanity and desire to return to society.
Instinct: To steal
Moves:

• Demand tribute
• Perform a suicidal charge
• Flee, then return in greater numbers

 

Armored Corrupter  14 HP  4 Armor
Solitary, Divine, Hoarder
Damage: Claws (b[2d10]+2, close, messy), Tar Spit (1d6, ignores armor, near)
            The terrifying spawn of Akatum disgorged from the bowels of the abyss, the armored corrupter resembles a benthic isopod if were larger than a man and walked upright. It has a thick gray exoskeleton, tiny black eyes glittering with malice, and an ostensibly random assortment of barbed, segmented limbs, some of which are tipped with vicious, hooked claws. It doesn’t even need to eat; it kills prey for sheer pleasure and arranges their corpses in grotesque displays. It cements shiny trinkets from its prey to its exoskeleton with the thick black tar it spits, and it spreads the corruption to all it touches.
Instinct: To kill and corrupt
Moves:

• Inflict the curse through its attacks
• Rip its prey limb from limb
• Immobilize its prey with its many grasping limbs

Treasures of the Gorge

      

      Shamanic Anti-Curse
(50 coins, 1 weight)
            This crude clay pot is adorned with polished stones, feathers, and animal bones. It is consecrated with the shamanic magic of the nomads of the Plangent Plains to absorb the power of Akatum’s curse. Whenever your corruption score would increase, roll 1d6. On a 1-5, you take no corruption. On a 6, you take no corruption, but the vessel shatters, spilling black sludge.
 
Gorge Lion Fangs
            These are the fangs of the mutated mountain lions that live in the gorge. They can be attached to an arrowhead, manually inserted into a targets flesh, or ground into a powder and ingested. This exposes the victim to Akatum’s Curse.
 
God-Chitin Armor
(3 armor, worn, clumsy, 3 weight)
            This suit of armor is made from the pale chitin of some monstrous arthropod. Whenever you put it on, you are exposed to the curse. However, you are immune to the curse as long as you wear it, and no subsequent exposure can increase your corruption score.
 
Darkdream Spores
            A bag of spores collected from a certain underworld moss. When you inhale the darkdream spores and then go to sleep, roll+WIS. On a 10+, ask one question from the list below. On a 7-9, ask a question, but also increase your corruption score by 1. On a -6, increase your corruption score by 1, and you gain no useful information.

• What is the most likely thing to kill me in the near future?
• What is the worst thing that is likely to happen to me in the near future?
• What is my enemy’s darkest secret?
• Where is the nearest holy place/worshipper of Maug?

 
Blood Magic Ring
            This ring is carved from chitin, and has a tiny barb on the inside which pierces the skin. Whenever you cast a spell while wearing this ring (or spell-like ability, per the GM’s discretion), you may choose to sacrifice 1d4 hit points. You may re-roll the relevant check, or re-roll the damage dealt/healed, and take the better result. You can choose to use this before or after making the roll.
 
Claw of Corruption
(hand, +2 piercing, 1 weight)
            A chitinous, hooked claw harvested from an armored corruptor, suitably intact to use as a weapon. Alternatively, it can be sacrificed on a consecrated altar to show your deity that you have vanquished a beast of Maug. The claw is lost, but you reduce your corruption score by 2d4.

Gods in Fantasy - Less is More

    I have an issue with how deities are often depicted in TTRPGs. Playing video games, namely Lords of the Fallen and Fear and Hunger, have brought this into clear relief.

Gods in D&D

    In the Forgotten Realms, there are gods for everything. There are gods for every alignment. Gods for paladins, gods for fighters, gods for druids, gods for wizards. The elves have their gods. The dwarves have their gods. So do the gnomes, halflings, and orcs.

    The goblins have a god. The trolls have a god. The sahuagin, the bullywugs, the derro, the lizardfolk, the centaur: all these and more have their own gods. That's not even close to half.

    This is excessive. The vaults of heaven are full to bursting.

Design by Checklist

    Why give a god to every single alignment, class, race, monster and concept? I think the designers were thinking, "What if some player, somewhere, wants a god of X? We better add one." This is what I call "design by checklist." Rather than introducing a god because they have a cool idea for one, or because it adds something to the story or world, they add it out of sheer obligation.

    The result is a profusion of bland, uninspired, forgettable gods. "Forgettable" is an important point. With dozens and dozens of gods, there's no way your players will ever remember or appreciate them. You probably won't remember them, either. Imagine trying to portray a world where the gods are active in the world, with their own conflicting agendas. The more there are, the more unmanageable they are.

The Better Way - Gods in Lords of the Fallen

    In Lords of the Fallen (2023), there are four gods. Orius, the god of light and order, Adyr, the god of fire and chaos, the Pale Mother, the goddess of death and decay, the First of the Beasts, a primordial nature god.

    That's it. Really, only the first three are important to the story. The game Fear and Hunger does something similar with its four-ish "Old Gods," but there are a handful of other ones. Lords of the Fallen illustrates this concept better.

    So what are the benefits of having so much fewer gods? In my opinion:

1. Easy to remember, for both the players and the GM. If you can't remember them, they might as well not exist.
2. Potential for greater depth. With only a handful, it's easy for the GM to give them more detail and show that to the players. And if you try to give rich, deep detail on several gods, one, that's a lot of work, and two, it will mostly go to waste. You can't give the spotlight to several dozen gods.
3. Greater impact on the world. The same gods will be influential wherever the players go. When one god acts, the entire world knows it, as opposed to just the one tiny region of the world where they are known and relevant.
4. Stronger association with magic. In real life, religion and magic are closely intertwined, whereas much of modern fantasy tends to arbitrarily separate them. In Lords of the Fallen, fire magic is the specialty of Adyr, the god of chaos. In Fear and Hunger, it's strongly associated with Gro-goroth, the god of destruction. When you see an enemy cast a fireball, it says something meaningful about them and their background or allegiances.

Conclusion

    Creativity is just as much about what you exclude as what you include. When you world build, I recommend erring on the side of fewer gods, rather than more. It's easier to make, easier to remember, and keeps them from feeling disposable.

The Inquisition - Using them as a faction in TTRPGs

 The Inquisition

It had to be done. Let's just get it over with.

    Lately, I've been intrigued by the concept of an "inquisition" as a faction in a fantasy setting. It allows the possibility for nuanced roleplay and moral ambiguity.

The Inquisition in Real Life

    I should note, however, that there was no moral ambiguity to the real life Inquisition. They were agents of the tyrannical farce that is the Catholic Church, tasked with hunting down and punishing those Catholics who stepped out of line in terms of theology or practice. The very idea of a religious inquisition in real life is an atrocity.

    For a detailed coverage of the Inquisition, I recommend ESOTERICA, the YouTube channel of Dr. Justin Sledge. He has a couple of excellent videos on the subject here and here.

    Given that gods, demons, witchcraft, etc. don't exist in real life, their very mission was a crime against humanity. Any one of them was woefully misguided at best. Even so, there are a few common misconceptions about them which open the possibility for interesting narratives in fiction.

• Muslims and Jews were usually not subject to the Inquisition. The purpose was to keep other Catholics in line. Religious minorities typically had some kind of legal protection, given that they were necessary for the economy.

• Torture and execution were not the default methods for inquisitors. Many of their victims were merely interrogated, tried, and forced to perform an act of penance, such as wearing a mark distinguishing them as heretics for the rest of their lives.

• The Inquisition didn't have free reign to just torture and execute anyone they wanted. There were strict rules and regulations. Accusations of heresy were often taken to trial, similar to any other crime.

• Inquisitors didn't just rationalize what they were doing as saving souls. Some of them viewed themselves like a sort of doctor, specializing in treating ailments of the soul.

The Inquisition in Fantasy

Now we're talking!

    Fantasy introduces the unique possibility that the Inquisition has a legitimate point. In fantasy, gods, demons, witches, etc. are both real and dangerous. When a fantasy inquisitor burns a witch or tortures a heretic, they might actually be helping someone and not just rationalizing.

    At best, the Inquisition could be considered something like the police: often overzealous in their use of force, but undeniably necessary. Alternatively, they could be compelling anti-villains: a faction that started with laudable intentions but whose image has been tarnished with irredeemable methods.

Ideas for Using the Inquisition in Your Game

1. A village is locked down by the Inquisition. Someone in the village is allegedly a powerful sorcerer, dealing in forbidden magic. The Inquisition won't let anyone leave until they're found.

• What if there actually isn't a sorcerer there?
• What if the sorcerer is an important NPC the PCs need?
• What if the PCs urgently need to leave, but the Inquisitors are stopping them?
• What if the sorcerer is a heretic, but a cherished member of the community?

2. The PCs have heard rumors of an evil cult that has set up shop in a nearby dungeon. The problem is, the Inquisition has heard of it, too. The PCs have to hurry to defeat the cult themselves. If they don't, the Inquisition will, and confiscate all the sick magic loot!

3. A noble patron has an embarrassing problem. Their court wizard has been dabbling in forbidden magic and it has all gone horribly wrong. Their tower is now cursed/overrun by monsters/a portal to Hell, and the noble desperately needs someone to sort this out before the Inquisition finds out.

4. One of the PCs has been accused of heretical magic (which might actually be true), and now the Inquisition is after them. If they're caught now, they'll be unceremoniously hauled off to the jailhouse and dragged before an unsympathetic magistrate. Their only hope is to find a way to prove their innocence before the Inquisition catches them. Or, failing that, find a powerful ally who's willing to stick their neck out to advocate for them.

5. Despite having caused trouble for them in the past, the Inquisition finds themselves dealing with an existential threat to the kingdom that they can't handle on their own. They reach out to the PCs for help. The PCs and the Inquisition need to find a way to put aside their grievances for the greater good, at least for now.

6. An NPC mage possesses crucial information/magical resources that the players desperately need, but they find out that the mage is languishing in the Inquisition's dungeon awaiting trial. They need to get him out or otherwise secure his release, and do so clandestinely so as not to call the full wrath of the Inquisition down on them and/or cause a political scandal.

The Inquisition in Dungeon World

    This blog is allegedly about Dungeon World, after all.

The Inquisition as a Danger in your Campaign Front

The Inquisition

Type: Religious Organization

Impulse: To seek out and destroy heresy, no matter the cost

    The recent troubles in the kingdom bear the signs of unclean magic. In particular, there are rumors of a gang of heavily armed "adventurers" whose activities seem to correlate with recent disturbing events. The Church Elders have convened, and decided to dispatch the Inquisition to investigate. Whoever is behind the recent troubles, the Inquisition will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

Grim Portents: 

• Rumors swirl of the Inquisition taking an interest in the recent troubles, particularly the PCs' activities.
• An Inquisitor approaches the PCs to ask them a number of pointed questions.
• Upon entering a dungeon/adventure site, the PCs find clear evidence of the Inquisition already having been there.
• A friendly NPC known to the party is arrested for "questioning."
• Inquisition forces lock down a local settlement and establish security checkpoints.
• An Inquisitor approaches the PCs, accusing them of consorting with witches/demons, demanding that they submit proof of their innocence.

Impending Doom: A warrant is issued for the party's arrest, on suspicion of heretical activities. Patrols of Inquisitors will be looking for them, and in any civilized place with a church, they risk being recognized, reported, and shunned.

Inquisitor    6 HP    1 Armor

Group, Intelligent, Organized, Devious

Damage: Sword (d8, close), Crossbow (d8, +1 piercing, near, far, reload)

    Hard-eyed, pitiless enforcers of the Church. In the cities they may wear the vestments of priests, but in the countryside they can be recognized by their dark leathers, wide-brimmed hats, and badges of office. They have sworn an oath to uncover the Church's enemies, be they witches, diabolists, necromancers, or mere heterodoxy. They will stop at nothing to bring heretics back into the fold and make them atone for their sins. Or, failing that, kill them outright.

Instinct: To root out heresy

Moves:

• Find evidence of heresy
• Interrogate and/or intimidate the locals
• Petition the religious authorities for support

Holy Bulwark    14 HP    4 Armor

Solitary, Intelligent, Divine

Damage: Great Mace (d10+4, close, forceful)

    These heavily armored warriors provide much-needed martial support to Inquisitor forces working in the field. While they lack the tact and subtlety of their Inquisitor brethren, they more than make up for it in sheer might. Their weapons and armor are consecrated, and every one of them is ready to die for the cause.

Instinct: To destroy enemies of the church

Moves:

• Take the blow meant for an ally
• Smite an enemy of the faith
• Pray to their god for strength

Knight Hospitaller    8 HP    2 Armor

Group, Intelligent, Organized, Magical, Divine

Damage: Mace (d8+2, close)

    This is the side of the Church they prefer you to see. These holy knights were charged with the noble task of providing healing, aid and protection to the faithful. Sometimes that means establishing charitable hospitals in impoverished lands, and other times that means accompanying heroes into the lightless vaults of evil and getting them all out alive.

Instinct: To aid those in need

Moves:

• Provide healing to the wounded
• Remove a curse or illness
• Call on grateful followers for support

Exorcist    6 HP    0 Armor

Group, Intelligent, Magical, Divine

Damage: Mace (d8, close)

    The Inquisitors are generalists where the Exorcists are specialists. There is an invisible world around us, where lurk horrors beyond mortal comprehension. Wherever there are restless ghosts, shambling undead, or rapacious demons to threaten the common people, the Exorcists will soon follow to send them back where they belong.

Instinct: To protect others from foul spirits

Special Qualities: Can sense evil

Moves:

• Drive out undead or demons
• Perform an exorcism
• Pray to their god for protection

Theurge    12 HP    1 Armor

Solitary, Intelligent, Organized, Magical

Damage: White Lightning (d10, close, far, ignores armor), Dagger (d8, hand)

    Clerics aren't the only spell casters who work for the Church. With all the evil wizards and witches afoot, it pays to have a few on the side of the angels. And after all, what are the gods if not the wisest and most powerful magic users of all? Many a wizard has deliberately sought out service in the Church to try and get closer to this font of primordial knowledge. For some, this is just better than prison.

Instinct: To seek knowledge of the divine

Special Qualities: Educated

Moves:

• Cast just the right spell
• Counter unclean magic
• Summon an angel (or demon) for aid or guidance

Skycrawl Dungeon World - Session 11

Lost? Read this.

Click here for part 1. 

Click here for parts 9 and 10.

 

Dramatis Personae

Player Characters

• Taiyo – a forest nymph bard, who was implored by the voice of the forest to seek a replacement sun and save the world, and thus joined this mission
• Wilkins – former raven familiar to a now-dead master; an illusionist and informant to Princess Claire

• "The Druid" – A female human druid with no name
• Lieutenant Paragon Douglas – a human fighter, officer in the royal navy, and professional investigator
• Rosemary – A female human ranger

Non-Player Characters

• Lord Gonren Nostrod – Young male zorakith and Lord Berdek's nephew. A talented telepath and died-in-the-wool cynic. Haughty and amoral.

• Lahav Brahn – A venerable male All-Seer and respected prophet. He has immaculately groomed white hair and beard, and wears intricate, lacey robes. He is surprisingly handsome and vigorous despite his advanced age. He has recently published a new book of prophecy, “The Coming Dark,” which hints at the destruction of all realities by a “great, shadowy beast.”

• Queen Rahati V – a divinely ordained ruler. The blessings of her office have changed her, and she appears as a much larger All-Seer with iridescent wings and a halo. She is an intelligent and ruthlessly pragmatic ruler.

• Radaria Brahn – Middle aged female All-Seer and proprietress of the Orpheum.

• Raphes Gollanz – Middle aged male All-Seer inquisitor working for the College of Prophets.

• Samandir Matus – Male All-Seer. Servant and emissary of the Queen. Pompous. Aloof.

• Dr. Remli Levitan – Young-ish female All-Seer. Young and inexperienced Doctor of Psychology in charge of the Asylum.

Summary

    The heroes set out from Trinellonde’s Lantern with a fleet of five warships accompanying them. Their destination was Argus, home of the All-Seers. The lirovan wise woman Hagora deGurn had advised them to seek out a prophet there to learn what hardships they may face before achieving their goal.

    En-route to Argus, they sighted a strange object floating nearby. It was a large, free-floating greenhouse with a pair of blinking red beacons attached to it. Those who looked upon the magical light of the beacons were filled with a supernatural sense of unease.

    They investigated the greenhouse a found it was full of overgrown alien foliage, and a door that was sealed with arcane runes. Taiyo was able to communicate with the plants inside and learned of their murderous intent. Despite their curiosity, the heroes decided not to disturb the seal.

    They found Argus to be a city of broad boulevards and intricate metalwork buildings pelted with constant rain. And very few people walking the streets. As soon as they disembarked, they saw one of the All-Seers, a race of tall, spindly, white-skinned humanoids with four golden eyes, standing nearby holding up a placard with all of their names written on it. Accompanying him were another All-Seer servant and three lirovan mercenaries.

    The man introduced himself as Samandir Matus, a seneschal to the Queen, and told them that their arrival had been foretold. He conveyed them to the palace to see the Queen.

    Queen Rahati V told the heroes that a prophet, Lahav Brahn, had authored a book of prophecy detailing how the heroes’ actions would release the Shadow Worm into the Azure Aetern, dooming all life within. Worse, the prophecy had an effect of causing madness in those who read it, meaning the asylum was full to bursting. Brahn had gone into hiding because the Temple of Anevene, and the College of Prophets, deemed him a heretic and wanted him dead.

    The Queen tasked the heroes with finding Brahn. She said she needed to reach into Brahn’s mind and see the vision he saw firsthand, so that she could then author a counter-prophecy. It had to be the heroes, she said, because a first rate prophet like Brahn could anticipate other prophets’ attempts to find him. The heroes, however, were a wild card.

    The heroes, accompanied by the Queen’s seneschal Samandir, set out for the Temple of Anevene to search for clues. Within Brahn’s personal apartment, Taiyo noticed a potted plant. When she spoke to it, it told her there was something lodged amid its roots. Taiyo dug out a message in a bottle written by Lahav Brahn. It said, “I am hiding in the asylum. My niece, Radaria Brahn, knows nothing of this. Please do not involve her.” Taiyo then convinced Samandir to stay in the apartment and work on translating Brahn’s notes, so that they could act independently without worrying about the Queen’s loyal servant reporting them for defying her.

    At the asylum, they searched high and low for Brahn, but did not find him. Finally, they entered the basement, and the Druid turned into a cat to scout ahead. Using her superior night vision, the Druid saw three armed men lurking in the darkness. She went back to warn the others, but in the few moments they stood around discussing it, they were attacked.

    A phon mercenary with a jetpack and a pair of machine pistols came flying around the corner and pelted them with a hail of bullets. Lt. Douglas and Rosemary’s wolf both took damage, but Lt. Douglas caved in the phon’s skull with a hammer. Wilkins conjured a smokescreen using the magic pipe looted from the pirates.

    Using the cover of the smokescreen, Lt. Douglas advanced and persuaded the two remaining mercenaries to surrender. The mercs informed him that they were hired by Brahn to kill them, and that Brahn was actually hiding in the Orpheum. Lt. Douglas forced them to hand over the money they were paid and let them leave with their lives.

    At the Orpheum, there was a brief confrontation with Radaria Brahn, proprietress and niece of Lahav Brahn. Seeing that they had bashed in the door and were heavily armed, she readily surrendered and showed them to Lahav Brahn’s hiding place.

    Lahav Brahn surrendered, saying that he was only doing his job by reporting a troubling prophecy. He was hiding because he feared there was a good chance that once the Queen was done with him, she’d turn him over to the College of Prophets, who would execute him.

    Wilkins used his illusion magic to disguise Lahav Brahn (and himself, accidentally) as Radaria Brahn, and so disguised they went to see the Queen.

    The Queen read the prophecy from Lahav Brahn’s mind and channeled the presence of Anevene, the Goddess of Prophecy. The Queen revealed the following:

• Lahav Brahn’s prophecy of inescapable doom was influenced by the Shadow Worm itself.

• The heroes’ actions will release the Shadow Worm into the Azure Aetern.

• The Black Worm Pirates will try to stop them from defeating the Shadow Worm.

• They MAY fail and be devoured by the worm.

• They MAY learn crucial information by using telepathy on the worm.

• They MAY destroy the worm with a barrage of light rays.

• They MAY tame the worm by binding it in unbreakable chains.

• They MAY postpone doomsday by sending the worm into the future.

• They MAY put the worm into a deep slumber with a dire poison.

Where Lahav Brahn saw only doom, the Queen revealed several possibilities that they might triumph.

Taiyo pleaded with the Queen to spare Lahav Brahn’s life, promising to smuggle him off world. She agreed, on the condition that the heroes never return to Argus.

TL;DR

    The players traveled to Argus, the land of the All-Seers. They learned that the prophet Lahav Brahn had prophesized that their actions would release the Shadow Worm into the Azure Aetern. The prophecy had caused a plague of madness to spread among the All-Seers, and the College of Prophets wanted him dead. The Queen, however, believed that if she could read his mind to see the vision he had seen first-hand, she could author a counter-prophecy.

    The players were tasked with finding Lahav Brahn. They searched his apartment, and after a red herring where they were tricked into an ambush under the asylum, they found Brahn hiding under the Orpheum. They took him to the Queen, who recognized that his prophecies were clouded by the influence of the Shadow Worm. She then foretold many possible ways the heroes might defeat the Shadow Worm.

    The players pleaded with the Queen to spare Lahav Brahn’s life, and she agreed, provided that they smuggle him out and never return.

Concluding Thoughts

    One of my players was against coming to Argus but got voted down. I couldn’t help but agree with the desire to move things along, so I tried to make Argus into an interesting encounter and adventure that would provide ample information to the players while also being able to wrap it up in a single session. I’m glad to say that I succeeded.

    Also, the idea of a dissident prophet seeing a forbidden vision was inspired by the description of the “Catch Flame” incantation in Elden Ring, which mentioned that prophets who foresee the burning of the Erdtree are exiled for it. And I admit, I stole the name “Anevene” from a Numenera supplement. It’s just a really cool name.