Hofot, Champion Hrool

Magic Might: 10 (Animal)

Characteristics: Int -2, Per 0, Pre -2, Com -3, Str +2, Sta +2, Dex

+2, Qik +2

Size: -2

Confidence: 2 (5)

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Protective +2, Generous -2

Combat:

Long sword: Init +4, Attack +11, Defense +10, Damage +18 Stone (thrown): Init -1, Attack +2, Defense +2, Damage +8

Bite: Init +4, Attack +5, Defense +9, Damage +2

Soak: -1

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-3), -3 (4-6), -5 (7-9), Incapacitated (10-12)

Abilities: Athletics 3 (climbing), Brawl 3 (grapple), Hunt 3 (rats),

Leadership 4 (combat), Single Weapon 4 (long sword), Speak Hrool 2 (orders), Swim 3 (diving), Thrown Weapons 1 (rocks) Equipment: David's long sword (wielded two-handed), ill-fitting leather gloves, and a hastily-constructed hauberk.

Encumbrance: 0 (2)

Vis: 2 Animal, 10 Corpus in satyr horns

Appearance: Hofot is an extremely large, bulky Hrool wearing a leather jerkin that appears to have been chewed to fit and carrying David's magical long sword with both paws. Flames burn brightly along the edge of it. He wears a tattered leather coat and a necklace made from five satyr horns, and his arms are completely white.

Note: Hofot can lead up to five Hrools as a trained group, and usually leads five warriors. Each group receives a +15 bonus to either attack or defense.

The sword has the symbol of Calebais sculpted into the hilt, and is an invested device with three powers. It can cast Blade of the Virulent Flame (CrIg Base 5, +1 Conc; +5 maintain concentration = Level 15), activated by holding the sword aloft as if to catch the light, and this effect is reflected in both Hofot's and David's stats. The sword also resists physical damage and rust, maintaining its edge throughout the years (CrTe Base 5, +2 Sun; +1 two uses per day, +3 activated by sunrise and sunset = Level 19). Finally, the sword cuts through magical defenses, taking down wards and even

Parmae. Whenever the sword comes in contact with a non-ritual spell of more than Momentary duration, roll a stress die (no botch). That spell is canceled if its level is (20 + the roll) or less; Parmae are cut down if (20 + the roll) is more than (5 x Parma Magica). (PeVi Base 4, +1 Touch; unlimited +10, penetration 30 +15 = Level 30). If the ward would resist the effect, as Parma would, the sword's power must penetrate the magic resistance.

instead hanging back and watching his opponents for weaknesses, relying on his shield and armor (and his lack of substance) to protect him.

David and Larine were lovers, and if her name is mentioned, he will ask after her and will do nearly anything to ensure she is alive and safe. (Larine is the nun who gave the characters the letter, though they probably do not know this when they first meet him.)

David hates the wizard Crenvalus. He doesn't remember being murdered by him, but he does think him a lunatic, responsible for initiating the Sundering, and goes into an irrational fury whenever he hears his name. If he ever happens to meet up with him, he will use his all of his powers of persuasion to get his companions to attack, and then flank the wizard while his attention is diverted. David cannot rest until he has punished Crenvalus for what he has done.

If any of the characters wear a diadem, David will react badly, demanding to know who gave them the authority to wear it. He can be bluffed, but it had better be a good story, backed up with some facts about the covenant.

BANQUET HALL

The ceiling near the fireplace is only nine feet high, but it slopes upwards. Where the walls are parallel, the ceiling is 25 feet high. Against the far wall is a set of stairs leading up to a musicians' loft, fifteen feet above the floor. The stone bowls and containers that litter the room are broken shards, mostly empty, and the remains of many rusted and worthless swords and axes are also strewn about. The fireplace vents out into the well. Nothing remains of the furniture that once filled this area. In the middle of the room sits a gilded dragon's head, carved of stone and about ten feet long, clutching a broken crown in its mouth. It is covered with moss, lies on its side, and has a small statue of a Hrool placed on its snout.

Eighteen Hrools live here, including two ermines that live in the loft. There are all kinds of shamanic equipment stored there: dolls dangling from sticks, necklaces, geometric statues, and stones carved in the shapes of Hrool body parts. Dozens of foot-long statues of wizard-like figures and Hrools are stacked along the walls.

This is probably the first time the characters have encountered the Hrools. Besides their leaders, there are four adults, who are likely to be sleeping, six warriors, who will be startled and wait for instructions, and five pups, who are noncombatant and helpless. Their champion, Hofot, carries David's sword and ignites it at first sign of trouble. The ermines, Nungasing and Yuzod, watch from the loft and support the others with their magic if the fight goes badly. Nungasing wears a diadem (see page 78).

BACKGROUND: THE BANQUET HALL

The dragon's head fell from above, where the ceiling dips down, from a huge stone relief of a dragon that once looked down upon the room. The body is gilded too, and even though it is partly covered with moss, its striking image is undiminished. If the players don't seem to be noticing the symbolism of a broken dragon in a broken covenant biting a broken crown, you may want to casually mention it to them.

This once busy kitchen is now in ruins, though some heavy stone tables are still standing. The remains of bones, kitchen tools, platters and other refuse are found throughout. A large basin magically transports water from a source far below. The fireplaces vent out into the well, and the balcony was once used to gather baskets lowered from the outside. Because of its positioning, characters falling from first setting foot on the bridge are more likely to land here than any of the other balconies.

The craft shops of the covenant were located here, as well as more private rooms of some of the custodes. In particular, an unusual rock (Gemaric) and a fire drake (Igack) inhabit this level. A few rats can be seen and heard scrambling about, and if it is day outside, bats will be sleeping inside many rock cracks and crevices.

Erechtheus of Mercere gave Gemaric a magic stone during the Sundering that transformed him into a rock, to protect the young boy. Unfortunately, the generous wizard died soon after, and Gemaric cannot cancel the effect. So, for all the intervening years Gemaric has remained a rock, unable to move, dreaming away his time. Yet his essential nature is that of a man, and it has recently begun to reassert itself. Perhaps because of the magic in the area or some talent of his own, Gemaric has grown legs and gained the ability to move about. He still has his sense of touch and his sense of hearing, but after exploring this level of the

covenant he found little to interest him and lapsed into his dream world. He spends most of his time immobile. Even when alert, his idea of the outside world is vague. If the magi can magically speak with him, or if he somehow learns to communicate (perhaps by drawing pictures in the dust), they will learn all this. If they are able to make him human again, or cancel the magical stone's effect, they will produce a man in his fifties with the mind of a child and an incredible imagination. If Josephine sees him, she will recognize him no matter what his form and plead with the characters to make contact with him.

This item is about two feet wide and a few inches thick, and looks very much like Gemaric in his transformed state. It is a lesser magic device enchanted with one constant effect that changes it and whatever person is carrying it into a rock (MuCoTe Base 25, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 for special effect; +4 constant = Level 49). If its effect is dispelled, it will slip from Gemaric's hands, but whoever picks it up might be affected by it the next time it triggers. Since part of the stone's effect is that it

changes itself along with its wielder, the stone will remain part of Gemaric if he is magically given another form, and will change him back into a rock as soon as the new spell wears off. Investigation in the lab will reveal that there is a way to cancel the effect, which requires that the person make a particular sign with the fingers on either hand, and wiggle like a snake. These gestures cannot be seen by others, but the device knows when they have been performed.

WOOD SHOP

Piles of rubble cover the floors about three or four feet high, especially near the walls. Old rusted carpentry tools can be found throughout, as well as numerous pieces of wood and shavings.

Hiding here is Gemaric, a child in the form of a small rock about two feet wide. When the characters enter this room, the rock will shift a bit, but characters will decide that it merely settled. If they look closely, Perception + Awareness rolls of 9+ reveal that it is not dusty, unlike everything else in the covenant. If they come within three feet of it, it jumps up a foot or so, quickly uncurls four little spindly legs, and attempts to run out the door. The rock has Quickness +5, so it will be difficult for the characters to catch. It darts out the door, sprints down the hall, and dives into another room to hide itself among the rubble. If characters begin searching among the rocks of subsequent rooms, Gemaric remains as still as he can, but Perception + Awareness rolls of 15+ notice him quivering. Gemaric will run again only if touched. Then, he will run until he cannot run anymore, and if sorely pressed he may accidentally slip into the well or lead the characters to Igack (see below). For a time, however, he will try to lose his pursuers in a merry chase through private rooms and the wood shop.

SMALL STORAGE ROOM

This room belongs to Igack, a small fire drake who was once Pitsdim's familiar. When his master died he was devastated, but he did not waste away because Pitsdim continued to visit him regularly. The mystic cords that connected them were severed, though, leaving Igack aimless and more simple-minded than he once was. Now, he hunts down rats and several Hrools each month to stay alive (he enjoys terrorizing the ones in the garden, below), but otherwise he rarely leaves this level of the covenant.

IGACK

Igack is frightened, lonely, and prone to treating intruders to the same fiery greeting that his master employs. He may even consider his breath affectionate, since it has never affected Pitsdim, who encouraged him to breathe at anyone who approached. In general, Igack is a trusting, friendly, and simple-minded creature. He can speak Latin if encouraged, but his pronunciation is abysmal and he only understands basic concepts.

Magic Might: 18 (Ignem)

Characteristics: Int -4, Per -1, Pre 0, Com -2, Str +1, Sta +3,

Dex +1, Qik +2

Size: -1

Personality Traits: Hasty +3, Friendly +2, Generous -2

Combat:

Bite and claw: Init +2, Attack +7, Defense +8, Damage +6

Soak: +10

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-4), -3 (5-8), -5 (9-12), Incapacitated (13-

Abilities: Athletics 2 (jumping), Awareness 5 (alertness), Brawl 5 (play-wrestling), Hunt 7 (Hrools), Latin 2 (simple words), Local Area Lore 6 (Calebais), Survival 3 (Calebais)

Powers:

Fiery Breath, 2 points, +4, Ignem: Breathes fire that does +10 Damage to a single target within five paces.

Dominate Animal, 3 points, +0, Animal: Gives an animal a silent order that it carries out to the best of its ability, delayed up to a month later. This doesn't work on the Hrools.

Equipment: Diadem

Vis: 3 Ignem

Appearance: Igack is a dragon-like serpent with shiny red scales and sharp teeth. He has no wings, but he does breathe fire and can move quickly on four legs. He is proud of the gold diadem he wears, a C-shaped crown with a green gemstone shaped like an eye that sits in the center of his forehead.

SMITHY

The forges where the weapons and much of the wizards' lab equipment was forged and blown can be found here. Some unfinished examples of the smiths' work are strewn about on the floor: sword handles, glass bowls, iron forceps, and wire cages.

Two large stone bins along the wall hold sand and ingots of bronze and iron. Small chests that have obviously been forced open sit beside them. A tall pile of rotted wood planks lies in the middle of the room and broken shelves line all the walls. A series of locked chests (Dexterity + Legerdemain roll of 12+ to open) hold sundry components for spells and magical research such as stork feathers, boar hair, lye, mercury, and salt. They are in very poor condition.

FOUR PRIVATE CHAMBERS

At one time, something obviously occupied these rooms, but now they are full of rubble, rubbish, and a few rats that have escaped Igack for the time being.

This room looks like someone took pleasure in reducing every smooth surface found in it into a mass of rubbish. The room is completely full of rubble, and even the ceiling has been broken up; therefore, there is no light here. Perhaps some of the old crafters' equipment could be found after much digging, but it is difficult even to walk through this chamber, let alone dig it up. Perceptive characters (Perception + Awareness roll of 9+) notice many old leather pelts mixed in with the rubble and a few rotted rolls of cloth.

On the fifth level lies the garden of the covenant and more rooms used by the custodes, including a common room where they gathered together. Many Hrools may be found on this level, as well as the ghost of the autocrat, Ferdina.

COMMON ROOM

At one time, this room was very comfortably furnished, but now most of its luxuries have deteriorated. Some rickety chairs and tables still stand, and a large keg that smells of vinegar (it was once wine) rests on a stand in the east corner. The two rooms connected to it are relatively clear of rubbish, but are empty except for some piles of rotting wood and rubble strewn about.

Ferdina, the autocrat, spends most of her days sulking here. She frequently imagines that she is again offering advice to Larine, the librarian, or sharing jokes with Parcimides the scribe, or keeping an eye on Dargaud, or deep in conversation about the parameters of magical theory with Erechtheus. To her, these old friends are quite real, and a person outside the chamber might hear voices other than hers as she talks.

FERDINA

Ferdina was the autocrat of Calebais, a term that older covenants use to describe the person responsible for the covenant's mundane activities: keeping track of money, entertaining guests, supervising the staff, and so on. She was a marvel of organization and at any time could recite innumerable details about the financial status of the covenant. During the Sundering, she tried desperately to stop the fighting, but she found to her horror that the authority the wizards had given her was taken away as soon as they felt they had no more need for her. Pitsdim casually slew her because he found it annoying when she ordered him to stop burning the books in the library. She does not remember this and is still trying to regain control over the covenant so she can stop the fighting.

Ferdina grew up at the largest and most politically active covenant in this Tribunal, and was offered to Calebais in an attempt to stabilize it and bring peace. She failed utterly, and now she mainly thinks about how the folk of Calebais never listened to her, rather than considering her own lack of ability. She is humiliated by her failure and angered by the fact that she was "never given a chance." If she is blamed too vehemently for the Sundering (by David, for instance), she will in turn blame David, arguing that it was his poor leadership that fractured the loyalties of the grogs, and that she had warned him of this repeatedly. It is extremely important for her to avoid blame for the Sundering; she will not admit that she had something to do with it. In all fairness, once they hear the whole story, the characters might realize how difficult Calebais would have been to manage. She will pass on if one of the wizards listens to her tale, and after hearing her side acknowledges that, indeed, she tried, and that she did her job until the end. This in turn will allow her to

Magic Might: 25 (Mentem)

Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre +2, Com +2, Str -2, Sta -2,

Dex 0, Qik 0

Age: 41

Personality Traits: Gentle +3, Loyal +1, Brave -3

Combat:

Dodge: Init +0, Attack +0, Defense +0, Damage -2

Soak: -2

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 6 (Mathematics), Athletics 3 (stairs), Awareness 3 (alertness), Bargain 4 (arcane items), Carouse 2 (abstaining), Civil and Canon Law 2 (trade), Charm 2 (guests), Concentration 3 (reading), Etiquette 3 (hosting), Latin 5 (magical terms), Local Area Lore 4 (nobility), Local Language 6 (trade), Other Language 4 (trade), Magic Theory 2 (Hermetic limits), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (wizards), Philosophiae 3 (metaphysical)

Powers:

Ring the Chime, 15 points, +0, Mentem: When Ferdina strikes the memory of the chime she carries, the bell in the council chamber on the eighth floor will ring with a strange, ominous sound, and the ghosts of all the magi in the covenant will be compelled to attend a council meeting. Such a meeting is likely to end in (ghostly) bloodshed fairly quickly, but Ferdina may be able keep order for one or two items of business before the remaining magi remember their grudges and renew their battles.

Equipment: Council chime

Vis: 5 Mentem in ghostly chime, if she earns the wizards' respect

for her actions

Appearance: Ferdina is a thick, white, glowing apparition of a woman who has been badly burned (no hair, burn scars, blackened clothes). She might have a fearful, hunted look in her eyes, which contrasts with her otherwise erudite and noble bearing. She carries a ghostly magical chime, which is the last vestige of the respect and status she once held at Calebais.

Roleplaying Tips: Speak crisply and precisely, keep your back straight, and never forget your manners. Let this thin veneer crack under pressure, though, especially if other ghosts taunt you and tell the characters the truth about your failure here. Ferdina will accept pity. If she is treated with respect, she will be astounded and will likely aid such "dignified folk" as much as she can, even going so far as to betray the covenant if she believes she is truly appreciated.

What She Knows: Ferdina was a member of the council, and knows all of the magi at least by reputation. She can describe their accomplishments (she doesn't know as much as she thinks about Magic Theory, but she gets some of the details right), including the newest effects of Mormulus's Veil and how to activate Malevola Vida's talisman. She used to have a diadem before the Sundering, and can tell some of what it did, but the magi took it away from her. She has never seen the Bell but she does know where it is (in the chambers on the other side of the magic door).

recognize that she also bears some of the blame, which is what allows her to recognize and accept that she has died.

Ferdina carries the ghost of magical chime that was the formal means by which a council meeting was called. The chime caused the bell in the council chamber to reverberate in a low tone, which the magi knew meant to convene for a council meeting. Its physical counterpart has long since been broken, though she can will it to ring as it once did. If Ferdina passes on, she will leave the ghostly image of the chime behind, containing 5 pawns of Mentem vis.

If the characters encounter Ferdina outside of the common room, it will most likely be in the lower levels of the covenant rather

than in the higher, because her authority in the grogs' territory was always fairly tenuous. In particular, she tries to avoid David if she can.

THE GARDEN

The covenant's garden has fared well. It has fared so well, in fact, that it is now overrun with plants. The bright light emanating from the ceiling continues to work, and clear water still trickles in off the walls. Vines and branches tumble out of the large window and hang down the side of the well. A few chirping birds can even be found here.

This black iron rod with a dark onyx at its tip has the power to shatter rock or metal anywhere within the sound of the wielder's voice. It blasts a hole three feet deep and three feet wide in the shape of a half-sphere, leaving rough or jagged edges (PeTe5, +2 Voice, +1 Part; +10 unlimited = Level 30). The Hrools mistakenly wielding it as a weapon don't know how to use it. You must say "Posse visum durare in aeternum" (POHS-say WEE-soom doo-RAH-ray een eye-TAYR-noom, "May the vision last forever") and then swing the rod over your shoulder, back in front of

you, point the gem at the rock to be broken, and thrust the wand forward.) Magi may learn this through magical investigation in the lab, or by talking with Ferdina, for whom Malevola demonstrated it. This wand was going to serve as Malevola's talisman, though she had not yet attuned it when she died. It was opened as an invested device, but this effect is the only one she completed. Or, if you wish, perhaps she instilled other effects that require magical investigation to reveal.

Eight Hrools live here in the vegetative morass of confusion, and they find it easy to hide from, or ambush, any who enter (+6 to difficulties for spotting them with Perception + Awareness checks). There are two warriors, four adults, and two pups; their numbers have been thinned dramatically by Igack (page 52) and they are frightened and desperate. One of the warriors wears a diadem (see page 78) and fights with a club, and the other wields a wrought-iron rod with a large gem on the end of it like a mace (combat stats: +3, +8, +10, +7), which was actually the wizard Malevola Vida's talisman.

A small magical spring bubbles out of a boulder and into a small pool. It has strange powers of fortification; if used to help cleanse wounds, it gives +1 to recovery rolls (CrCo(An) 10). It can also be collected as Creo vis; each pitcher of water is worth one pawn, but there is only enough water for four pitchers' worth, and it takes a year to refill completely.

Also within the garden are various marble garden benches and a marble table with a chessboard etched into its surface. Overgrown plants cover all of these, and hundreds of flowers grow all about: tulips, pansies, lilacs, hyacinths, buttercups, shamrocks, and amaranths. The scent is almost overpowering, although it is not magical.

A concealed door hides a staircase down to Drininkeana's lab. To find it, characters must search thoroughly and make a Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 9, or search halfheartedly and make a roll against an Ease Factor of 15. Even when found, the door is hard to open because there are no handholds on this side. It is made of stone, so a spontaneous Rego Terram spell will open it, or characters may clear away the vines and branches and pry it open.

This room was thoroughly burned, and nothing is left but ashes that have long since compacted into spongy dirt.

The sixth level is where three of the magi had laboratories and private chambers. These magi had the least authority in the covenant, as they had little to do with ruling Calebais and instead oversaw their own private domains. They took little interest in the events that followed the Sundering, and were taken by surprise when others came for them.

The floors on this level are cracked and jagged in places, perhaps showing through to the destruction on the level below, and the northern stairwell is filled with dirt. The seventh level was buried under tons of rubble as the rock that made up its ceilings collapsed during the events of the Sundering, and while this level still seems relatively unharmed, some sign of the underlying devastation may still show through, and it would be relatively easy for characters to widen cracks in the ground or even fall through if they are not careful. The magic that keeps the floors from collapsing is not strong enough to withstand concentrated effort.

GUARD ROOM

The alcove in the hallway between the two main stairways is empty except for a stone bench that runs the length of the chamber, built into the wall, and a large bell one foot high fastened to the ceiling. A chain hangs down from the bell's tongue,

and pulling the chain rings it. In the days of old, this alcove served as a guard post — the bell has a distinctive gong-like ring to it that can be heard up and down the well, and it may cause some of the ghosts to investigate, as it was common practice to ring the bell in case of an emergency, such as when someone fell into the well. Most of the ghosts will assume it means another attack, and those who do not like conflict will hide in their rooms, while others (like David or Pitsdim) might come running.

DRININKEANA'S LABORATORY

Drininkeana was quite skilled with plants and other forms of life and was the most knowledgeable wizard at Calebais in matters concerning growing things. She spent much of her time in the forests surrounding the covenant and it is because of her influence that it is such a haven of diverse herbs and plant life. She also took charge of the gardens on the floor above, and even had a private staircase leading up to it from her lab. The entrance to the gardens is concealed by a stone door that can be barred from the inside and is nearly flush with the outside wall.

A large bronze door stands at the entrance to her quarters, marked with the sanctum symbol recognized throughout the Order. It has been broken in and now hangs at an angle by one hinge. The inside of the lab can be clearly seen. The floor is made of rocks and dirt, and all of her laboratory equipment and personal possessions have been ruined and at least partially buried. This rubble is at least fifteen feet deep and part of level seven, below, where the rock that separated the two floors was destroyed and has been built up with dirt. Sticking up at an angle through the earth floor is a bronze pillar about three feet high with a sundial set into a small dish on the top. Moss grows in great profusion here.

Three massive guardians live in the ground beneath Drininkeana's lab. If anyone steps inside, from either the entrance or the stair, one of them quickly bursts forth from the ground and crushes the intruder, and attracts the attention of the other two. Only if all three of these guardians are engaged in combat or destroyed can characters enter safely. The Hrools avoid the lab for fear of the guardians, so the moss goes unharvested. If any of the ghosts are friendly to the characters, they will warn them about these creatures, which they call Undertakers.

An Undertaker is a kind of earth elemental that moves beneath the ground like an octopus swimming in water, but can hear when someone steps upon the earth above. These creatures are

Magic Might: 20 (Terram)

Characteristics: Int -5, Per -2, Str +5, Sta +8, Dex +2,

Qik +3

Size: +2 Combat:

Tentacles: Init +3, Attack +7, Defense +10, Damage +8 Soak: +26 (they take double damage from edged

weapons)

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (15-21),

Incapacitated (22-28)

Vis: 4 Terram

Appearance: Undertakers are hard to see, because they spend most of their time underground. They are made entirely of tightly packed earth, and have four tentacles that sprout from the surface to grasp a victim. When they envelop or swallow intruders, they might appear to have mouths as they fold in on themselves, but they have no need of eyes, ears, or even a humanoid shape, as they are simply dirt that has been animated to take an efficient, mutable, and malevolent form.

charged with protecting the area from intruders. Each attacks with four tentacles that launch up from the ground beneath a target, grappling and pulling it into the loose dirt on subsequent rounds, leaving the corpse buried. Add their initiative roll to their first attack when they surprise a character in this way. When facing a concentrated attack, the Undertakers will try to knock their victims out in a scuffle, but they will not stay exposed for long before they retreat to ground, dragging whatever they have managed to grab with them.

The guardians periodically stir up the floor in this room, so if characters leave and return, they may notice that things are not where they were before. If the characters defeat the guardians and sift through the dirt, rocks, and garbage, they may find one or more of the following:

• I. a number of intricately carved walking staves, each using a different plant as a motif
• II. the remnants of what was once ornate and gilded furniture made of rare woods, Palestinian cedar, and faerie oak
• III. two impossibly well preserved silk robes
• IV. an irregular, three foot wide slab of many-hued glass (once the bulk of Drininkana's lab equipment)

V. a total of about six small, colored glass balls, half an inch thick, each containing one pawn of Vim vis.

VI. satyr bones and horns (8 pawns of Corpus vis)

VII. eight crystal vials, stoppered and containing water charged with magical effects that are cast on whoever drinks them: three green ones are Gift of the Frogs' Legs (ReCo15), two light blue ones are Converse with Plants and Trees (InHe25), and four deep black ones are The Leap of Homecoming (ReCo35), which include arcane connections to this lab.

The small room adjoining her laboratory was Drininkeana's personal quarters, and it is not as ruined as her laboratory, since it does not have an earthen floor, though there are cracks in the stone and the floor has settled in places. The room is drier than the others and most of the walls are still covered with extremely dusty tapestries depicting life in a tranquil forest setting. Portions of the tapestries will break away to the touch, so they cannot be removed. An unstained cedar table lies overturned in the middle of the room with two high-backed chairs. The top of the table has a large ink stain on it. A chest near the table contains decaying parchment, a variety of broken quill pens, and two books written by Drininkeana: a Level 5 Herbam summa, and a tractatus on Creo, both Quality 9.

Against the northeast wall sits a large, beautiful bed frame made of unstained cedar, its mattress rotted away on top of the bed boards. Beside it, near the door, is a long trunk about four feet long full of desiccated clothing, and on the other side of the bed is a large, free-standing cedar closet. Inside is Drininkeana's skeletal corpse. She wears the remains of a long white gown and has a jeweled dagger stuck through her heart. It looks like she was thrown here on top of a pile of what was once elegant clothing. A small, unlocked chest lies beneath the bed and is partly filled with four jeweled rings, four finely-crafted vineshaped wooden bracelets, five pairs of insect-shaped gold earrings, and three topaz necklaces.

On the northwest side of this room is a pair of huge bronze doors, almost taking up the entire wall. They are inscribed with various symbols (an Intelligence + Magic Lore roll of 12+ reveals that they probably mean "danger"). The doors have two huge handles, but have been welded shut, though a spontaneous Perdo Terram spell could loosen the seal. Behind the doors are row after row of two foot deep shelves, each with hundreds of gleaming, fragile, translucent crystal plants and flowers in small vases. The beautiful "sculptures" are all perfect replicas of their respective species. If one of the plants is held for a few seconds in a living person's hand, it suddenly turns into a real plant. (If it was being held anywhere but by the stem, for instance by a leaf, it might break and fall to the ground.) The flowers and plants are exquisite specimens, and their colors still gleam brightly, as if they were picked less than a minute ago. If undamaged, they return to crystal form once released.

Drininkeana chose to deal with the Sundering by locking herself in her sanctum, relying on her undertakers to protect her and the moss to provide for her needs. She had a strong Parma Magica, and yet someone snuck into her room and slew her. The assassin was probably motivated by the stash of vis she kept under her bed — more than forty pawns' worth, now gone. No one knows who was responsible for her death.

Her crystal plants were a gift from a powerful magus for whom she did a great favor. Drininkeana had a study requirement Flaw, and this exquisitely crafted set of lesser devices allowed her to increase her understanding of Herbam to master levels without needing to leave the covenant. She valued these so highly that she gave more thought to protecting them than herself; when the fighting began, she sealed the doors and cast a Watching Ward to alert her if they were tampered with. Alas, these preparations did her little good, since no one else cared about her great treasure, and they have been left undisturbed since her death.

MORMULUS'S LABORATORY

A heavy curtain hangs in tatters before the entrance to Mormulus's laboratory, embroidered with a version of the symbol for a wizard's sanctum. Beyond is a web of confusing images, part of an elaborate trap Mormulus had set during the Sundering to keep himself safe from the fighting. His entire laboratory is an invested device designed to create an illusory landscape, which changes according to his whim. This enchantment backfired when a grog wandered into his realm while Mormulus was sleeping and became disoriented, violently swinging his weapon about, and killing Mormulus with a lucky hit.

Somewhere among these illusions, as an integral part of them, you should introduce the ghost of Mormulus. He may be sitting under an oak tree singing a ballad to himself, or leaping from cloud to cloud trying to escape a flying demon. When the characters first meet him, he will not look anything like himself; rather he will be some other character who fits well into the current illusion. In fact, the only other person the characters will ever interact with here is Mormulus. Since the room is so small, the characters will never lose track of each other and will usually be able to see and interact with one another. Only after exploring all the dramatic potential of this scene should the characters finally encounter Mormulus as he truly is.