The Traitor's Game

In these stories, the player characters witness — and hopefully stop — the return of a great evil. Damhan-Allaidh (called The Spider) was defeated over four hundred years ago, but there have been persistent rumors that he somehow managed to overcome death itself. Now it appears that the Order of Hermes's worst nightmare is coming true and that the Spider once more spreads his insidious influence in Mythic Europe.

In the first story, a Redcap's disappearance leads the player characters to uncover the possible return of this ancient wizard. However, lacking both evidence and leads, there is little that they can do except hope that they are wrong. In the second story, the player characters have an opportunity to capture the perpetrator responsible for the atrocity uncovered in the first story. In the third story, Damhan-Allaidh manipulates the player characters into helping him further his revenge against the Order.

The origins of this story goes back to the very early days of the Order. Pralix, trained by Tytalus himself, fought a war for a whole decade against Damhan-Allaidh. The wizard was defeated but his spirit lived on and its desire for revenge burns as brightly as it did four hundred years ago.

Damhan-Allaidh's plan was to subvert his enemy from within, learning their secrets in the guise of one of their own. To achieve this he needed to complete three magical tasks. First, he had to suffer bodily death, freeing his spirit from its mortal shell. Second, he had to prepare a Gifted individual to become a vessel to receive his spirit by making it the container for his external soul. Third, he had to transfer himself into his vessel, consume its personality, and make the body his own. He allowed Pralix to complete the first of these tasks, choosing her own apprentice to be his vessel for the second ritual. However, something went wrong during the third ritual, and it failed. He couldn't complete his transfer into the child and he was left trapped as a disembodied spirit.

One of the requirements of the third rite was the severance of Damhan-Allaidh from his former identity, which involved utterly destroying his body and every possession he had. Unbeknownst to him, a Redcap called Giaro removed a trophy from Damhan-Allaidh's former body: a single claw wrested from his thumb. Rather than cheating death and wrecking his revenge on his slayer, Damhan-Allaidh was trapped as an impotent spirit unable to influence the material world. He fled, vowing to see this through to the end.

Over the centuries the spirit, calling itself Atorcoppe, has made further attempts to achieve physical form. Every attempt failed because the first Ordeal remained incomplete. He made secret allies within the Order and set them to the task of tracking down the legends of his final battle with Pralix. Finally, he learned of the legend of Giaro's Claw. The answer to his problem should be as simple as finding the claw and destroying it himself; this would clear the slate from his original botched ritual and allow him to start again.

The current owner of Giaro's Claw is Giaro's descendent, a Redcap called Rufus, and to get to Rufus, Atorcoppe plans to use another Redcap, Galera.

Galera is contracted in marriage to Rufus. The House considers Galera and Rufus a good prospect to produce a Gifted child, since Galera herself was born with The Gift. Alas, at puberty, before she was formally apprenticed, her Gift guttered and died. She lost the special status she had been granted and the admiration of her family and peers. She trained as a Redcap instead and she took to the roads in service to those whose ranks she nearly joined. Yet envy made a nest within her heart. She resents those with The Gift for what they have and what she lost. She could have been one of them but instead she is expected to serve them. She has nursed this bitter envy in secret for many years. As an outlet for these feelings of magical inadequacy, Galera has taken to stealing minor enchantments from other Redcaps whenever she can. With one exception, a Crystal Ring (see Insert), she does not dare carry these with her for fear of discovery. Furthermore, she has borne an illicit child, one whom she has kept hidden from her House since she discovered he

The creature known as Damhan-Allaidh began life some time in the mid-sixth century as a priest of Sluag, the Pictish god of the dead and of knowledge. These priests preserved wisdom for their tribe by reincarnating their souls into a new Gifted body before death. Damhan-Allaidh has lived out the history of northern Britain by incarnating himself into the bodies of successive hedge magic traditions, taking a different name each time. His original Pictish name is unknown to history, and he keeps it a closely guarded secret. Copynnau was the name he took as a Brythonic elementalist; he later took over a Scottish druid and became Damhan-Allaidh. It is was this name that Pralix learned and passed onto the Order, although by the time they met he had inhabited a Saxon rune-magician under the name of Atorcoppe for several decades. All these names mean "spider" in their respective languages. These four magical traditions formed the coalition of magicians with which he tried to dominate the Isle of Britain; the reason that he clashed with Pralix.

His appearance is always that of the human body that he takes over, but as he ages he gradually assumes a hunchbacked form, with a completely hairless body that is emaciated to the point of being skeletal, but with a bloated abdomen. Each finger is tipped with a wickedly-curved claw, ebony black in color. As a spirit he looks like this final form, although he appears over ten feet tall and with six long arms rather than two.

The statistics of Damhan-Allaidh are not provided here, but are left to the storyguide. A direct conflict with Damhan-Allaidh at full strength is outside the scope of this chapter. However, some notes regarding the sort of magic that he might possess from each of the magical traditions he has learned are provided below

Powers as ^a Spirit

Damhan-Allaidh's spirit form has a Magic Might of 40, aligned to Corpus. His principal power is that of Possession. The spirit of Damhan-Allaidh also possesses an External Soul. This Virtue normally protects a person from dying **(**Hedge Magic Revised Edition, page 56), but it also prevents the dissipation of a spirit. Atorcoppe cannot be destroyed by reducing his Magic Might score to zero. If this happens he instead acquires a Minor Magic Inferiority in return for restoring his Might score to 1. His Might then slowly regenerates back to its former level.

Possession, variable points, Init –(Might cost), Mentem: To initiate this power, Damhan-Allaidh must spend 4 Might points and successfully Penetrate any Magic Resistance of the target. If successful, the spirit of Damhan-Allaidh takes up residence within a being. When Damhan-Allaidh is in direct control then the power can be detected with appropriate magic, and his spirit might be seen by characters with Second Sight; but at other times there is nothing to detect except a spell residue (ArM5, page 158). The inhabited body is not protected by Damhan-Allaidh's Magic Resistance, but neither is it stopped by magical wards unless the spirit is in direct control. Damhan-Allaidh can control his host's actions by spending Might points. For each attempt, roll a die for Damhan-Allaidh and add the number of Might points he is spending (minimum 1). If the host resists the control, the Ease Factor is equal to applicable Personality Traits and bonuses for Virtues such as Strong-Willed, plus a bonus equal to the nature of the attempted action (use the same modifiers for Entrancement, ArM5 page 65). If the host does not resist, then the Ease Factor is 0. If Damhan-Allaidh's roll is successful, then the host performs the desired action. While possessing a host, Damhan-Allaidh can use any of his own powers and regenerate Might, but cannot access the powers or spells of the host. He can also talk directly into the mind of his host without spending Might points. He can end the possession at any time, And it also ends if he runs out of Might points. ReMe 40 (Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 constant, +1 flexibility of control). Greater Power (40 levels)

Pictish Necromancy

Sluag was the Keeper of Death's Kingdom in Pictish mythology. His priests were able to communicate with and summon the shades of the dead. In principle this worked like Canaanite Necromancy (Ancient Magic Chapter 3), but also involved other aspects of manipulating souls, including the mystery of the External Soul and the means by which an individual can extend his life by becoming first a spirit and then a human again.

Using Pictish necromancy, Damhan-Allaidh employed his most fearful weapon against Pralix: the sluagh. Named for their lord, this host of the unquiet spirits of the slaughtered Picts could literally scare people to death.

Brythonic Elementalism

The witches of Strathclyde taught a form of elementalism that summoned and controlled the natural elements, allowing them to command the weather, keep vermin out of the crops, and gather scattered livestock. Elementalism is described in Chapter Two of Hedge Magic Revised Edition.

Using elementalism, Damhan-Allaidh can summon swarms of spiders, command magical beasts such as the monstrous spiders, control the weather, cause earthquakes and avalanches, and flood rivers.

Scottish Druidism

The druids who accompanied the Scots upon their invasion from Ireland practiced a brand of magic very similar to that of the gruagachan (Hedge Magic Revised Edition Chapter Four).

Using druidic magic, Damhan-Allaidh can give people Virtues and Flaws, shapeshift himself and others (typically choosing the shape of a spider, or a swarm of spiders); scry at a distance; create illusions; and summon prophetic visions.

Saxon Rune Magic

The Saxon rune-magicians were the same as the vitkir found in Scandinavia (Hedge Magic Revised Edition, Chapter Seven), except that they had nine extra runes at their disposal. All Saxon rune magicians were exterminated by Pralix's Ordo Miscellanea following the defeat of Damhan-Allaidh.

Rune magic is perhaps the most flexible system of magic known to Damhan-Allaidh, rivaling Hermetic magic in its scope. One of its key characteristics is that it can create spells of indefinite duration which cause natural changes rather than magical ones.

had The Gift, determined that he should not become a commodity to be traded.

The dreams began after she heard of her arranged betrothal several years ago. The man she met in her dreams promised to give her back what had been taken from her. He called himself Atorcoppe but she barely flinched when he revealed he had once been Damhan-Allaidh, the Order's ancient enemy. The nocturnal visitor promised her the revenge she so dearly sought against those who had belittled her and treated her as a secondclass member of the Order. What's more, he claimed he could restore her Gift. All she had to do was to steal something from the fiancé she had yet to meet.

The first story has more impact if the player characters are already acquainted with Rufus. In most tribunals each Redcap has an itinerary consisting of a few, geographically-close covenants that are visited in one trip. Rufus could be a new Redcap following the retirement of the covenant's regular messenger, or else he could be a temporary replacement for the incumbent, who could be recovering from an illness or seconded to a different task.

The storyguide may wish to run a short story involving Rufus in order to acquaint the player characters with him and develop an attachment to his friendly manner and cheerful demeanor. If he becomes friends with the player characters they may learn of his upcoming marriage to Galera (whom he is yet to meet).

Some example stories include:

• Upon arriving at the covenant (or a village near the covenant), Rufus sees a young girl playing and grabs her and starts shaking her, shouting all the time. He had a dream (that is, a vision) the last night that the girl was trapped in a stone box with

Thrice-Told Tales

snakes and toads. He is convinced that the girl at the covenant is a faerie changeling and asks the player characters to exonerate his behavior by helping him uncover the truth.

• Rufus turns up at the covenant badly beaten. He was attacked by bandits close to the player characters' covenant and all of his belongings stolen, including his enchantments. He is most concerned about retrieving a medal bearing the likeness of his betrothed. The ale-wife of a nearby village has been informing an outlaw group about rich-looking travelers in exchange for a portion of any plunder.
• The player characters are in dire straits: outnumbered in a fight, trapped in a cave, or some other hopeless situation. Rufus arrives with just the help they need to save the day, following a vision he had about their predicament.
• Rufus enters a village contest hosted by the local lord and wins a side of bacon, a whole goose and a barrel of wine in a feat of endurance (helped by his innate resistance to pain). He offers a share of his winnings to the covenant's grogs if they will help him fetch it from the village. When they arrive, the villagers are unwilling to allow the prizes to go to a stranger. The grogs must help Rufus 'negotiate' (steal) his winnings from the villagers.

The point of these stories is to develop some sympathy for Rufus, motivating the characters to find him when he later goes missing. Introducing his Visions Flaw provides context for his later actions.

This story opens with a scheduled visit from Rufus. This only needs to be brought to the attention of the player characters if they have some messages due or anything to dispatch. Rufus leaves after the customary three days to continue his rounds. The storyguide could employ one of the story seeds mentioned above if he wants to make the visit more memorable, or if more bonding between the player characters and Rufus is needed.

Unbeknown to the player characters, Rufus has a vision (from his Flaw of the same name) on his last night at the characters' covenant. It is centered around an heirloom that once belonged to his ancestor Giaro. In his vision, Rufus foresaw that if he should leave the covenant without his claw necklace then things would go very badly for himself; however, if he

Characteristics: Int –1, Per +2, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex +3, Qik –2

Size: 0 Age: 26 Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Redcap; Improved Characteristics, Latent Magical Ability, Magic Sensitivity, Privileged Upbringing, Puissant Bows, Well Traveled*; Dark Secret, Envious; Careless with Bows**, Compulsion (theft of magic)

* House Virtue

** Grogs, page 77 (a zero is automatically a botch when using Bows Ability; roll botch dice as normal)

Personality Traits: Jealous of The Gift +5, Impulsive +2, Loyal to Atorcoppe +1

Combat:

Short sword & Buckler: Init –2, Attack +11, Defense +6, Damage +6

Short Bow: Init –4, Attack +13, Defense +6, Damage +7

Dagger: Init –3, Attack +5, Defense –1, Damage +4

Soak: +4

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Tribunal 4 (covenants), Area Lore: Neighboring Tribunal 2 (roads), Artes Liberales 2 (deciphering handwriting), Animal Handling 2 (horses), Athletics 2 (slippery conditions), Awareness 3 (emotional states), Bargain 2 (lodging), Bows 4+2 (short bow), Chirurgy 1 (binding wounds), Folk Ken 2 (magi), Guile 4 (hiding feelings), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Legerdemain 4 (palming objects), Living Language 3 (local dialect), Magic Sensitivity 3 (enchantments), Magic Theory 1 (spells), Native Language 5 (local dialect), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (covenants), Ride 1 (long distance), Single Weapon 4 (buckler), Stealth 2 (woodland), Survival 2 (roadside)

Equipment: Partial heavy leather armor, short sword, short bow, buckler, enchantments listed below, traveling pack, narrow-bladed dagger

Enchantments carried:

Mantle of Mundane Mien, MuIm 12; Pen 0, 3/day: This short cape allows the wearer to change her appearance, voice and smell. Galera usually takes the form of an unassuming and wholly unremarkable man or woman in plain clothing (Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc; +5 item maintains concentration, +2 3/day)

Shoe of Swift Flight, ReCo(An,He,Te) 25; Pen 0, 24/day: A leather shoe with a wooden sole; it has a matching but non-magical partner. Allows the wearer to move at remarkable speeds to any point within 50 paces in a single round regardless of intervening terrain, although the destination must be visible from the wearer's starting position (Base 15, +1 Touch, free requisites; +5 24/day)

Hunter's Crippling Arrow, PeCo(An) 28; Pen 20, 6/day: Created using tethered magic (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 101), arrows shot from this enchanted bow deliver crippling wounds to humans and animals. Damage is inflicted as normal but the part of the body struck (designated by the wielder) is left temporarily unusable. The target acquires a Minor Flaw such as Lame, Missing Hand, or Missing Eye. The Flaw disappears once the wound heals, or after one day if no damage was inflicted (PeCo 5, +1 Touch, +1 requisite; +10 Pen 20, +3 6/day, Tethered)

Crystal Ring, InVi 20; Pen 0, 1/day: This ring creates an effect identical to The Invisible Eye Revealed, allowing Galera to detect Intellego spells of Level 30 or less used against her, by the ring becoming icy cold. This enchantment was not given her by her House but was stolen from the effects of a deceased Redcap (Base effect, +1 Touch, +1 Conc; +5 item maintains concentration)

Encumbrance (combat): 1 (2); (non combat): 3 (4)

Vis: none

Appearance: A sharp-featured athletic woman with short blonde hair. She wears a long blue overtunic; this is a little short for a woman's gown and her white hose can be seen beneath. On the road she dons a boiled leather cuirass. She has a short brown hooded cape that conceals the short sword at her side. She drops her pack and spare weapons when in combat, reducing her Encumbrance. Galera keeps her red cap in a pouch, donning it only when she greets magi. She tends to activate her Crystal Ring at the same time.

left wearing it as usual then things would go very badly for the Order of Hermes. Faced with a difficult decision, his loyalty to the Order won over concerns of his own personal safety and he decided to hide the necklace in the guest room in which he was staying. He has no idea of the significance of the object.

A season or two after the departure of Rufus — perhaps after the conclusion of an unrelated story — the covenant is visited by another Redcap, Rufus's fiancée Galera. It is unlikely that the characters have met Galera before; her route covers a different part of the Tribunal; maybe even a different Tribunal altogether.

Galera requests an audience with the covenant's magi and ask them about Rufus's visit. She then tells them that Rufus did not return home at the conclusion of his itinerary, and he is now several months late. Galera has been traveling his route in reverse and the characters' covenant is the first that she's visited who have seen Rufus — he must have disappeared sometime after leaving here. Player characters who have been friendly to Rufus may remember (on a Perception + Folk Ken roll against an Ease Factor of 9) that he seemed more somber and thoughtful than usual on the morning he departed but when asked he attributed this to a poor night's sleep.

Galera expresses concern for Rufus's safety, but player characters succeeding a Perception + Folk Ken roll against an Ease Factor of 12 get the impression that she is acting like she should be concerned rather than actually being worried for him. This can be easily attributed to the lack of true affection between the two; after all, they have never met. Galera is careful to not display open hostility toward Hermetic magi, but neither does she bother to feign friendliness. The Gift often provokes such behavior, but in Galera's case it is spiked with envy.

While she is with the player characters, Galera attempts to gather Arcane Connections to them. She only does this if opportunities present themselves; she will not jeopardize her task to succeed here. For example, if a magus is wounded she offers her skills as a chirurgeon and then keeps a blood-soaked rag. She might steal clothes from the laundry while at the covenant, or even purchase a lesser enchantment from them with vis. She only succeeds in this if the player characters are careless.

Uncovering Galera's Plan

In truth, Galera knows exactly where Rufus is, murdered by her own hand in a secret hideout several days' journey from the covenant. She hopes that his ghost might desire to give up the item to people he trusts, such as the player characters. Her plan is to accompany them to the hideout, sticking close to them so that when they find the claw she can get her hands on it.

Suspicious characters might distrust Galera and her motives. Her stated reasons for looking for Rufus are quite valid and unless they resort to magical methods (see Insert) they are unlikely to discover her true motives. However, if they are clever, paranoid, and prepared to break the Code they may be able to catch Galera's falsity (although she is an accomplished liar, she's not very bright). Her crystal ring should warn her of any attempts to scry on her, allowing her to make a getaway (see The Traitor's Fate, later). If she can preserve her cover, she raises formal charges against the characters, then attempts a pre-tribunal 'reconciliation' in order to return to the covenant and search for the claw again. However, it is not vital to the rest of the story to keep Galera's true motives from the characters at this point, although it will change the tone of the remaining story if they are able to uncover her betrayal this early on. Magical interrogation of Galera can lead the characters directly to Rufus's body and deliver the claw safely into their hands without any danger of Galera snatching it.

Only partial statistics are given here, since all of his action occurs off-scene.

Age: 22

Virtues and Flaws: Redcap; Enduring Constitution, Strong-Willed; Visions

Personality Traits: Loyal to Order +3, Innocent +2, Cheerful +1

Equipment: A short sword, a brass medal depicting Galera, a glossy black claw on a thong, and the following enchantments:

Oilcloth of Dry Nights; ReAq 6; Pen 0, 24/day: This oilcloth is an Invested Item with two powers. It is eight feet long and five feet wide. This first effect causes it to repel all water. (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 slightly unnatural control; +1 2/day)

Oilcloth of Useful Shapes; MuHe 12; Pen 0, 6/ day: The above oilcloth can become as rigid as wood on command. Rufus can fold it into a shape such as a boat, tent, or plank for crossing streams before uttering the trigger. The cloth retains its shape until shaken vigorously. (Base 3, +1 Conc; +5 maintains concentration, +3 6/day)

Bowl of Content Stomachs; CrIg 11; Pen 0, 3/day: A bowl that warms anything placed within it and keeps it warm indefinitely (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc; +5 maintains concentration, +2 3/day)

Soup Stone; MuIm 11; Pen 0, 3/day: A stone that, when placed in the bottom of a cooking pot, improves the smell and taste of any food with which it comes into contact, making the even worst food delicious (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc; +5 maintains concentration, +2 3/day)

Plate of Safe Night's Sleep; ReAn 5; Pen 0, 1/ day: A brass fireplate that, when a fire is lit upon it, protects the lighter of the fire from attacks by mundane animals. (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Appearance: A young man in sturdy traveler's clothes; he tends to wear his red cap at all times. He has dark hair and a clean-shaven handsome face and is often mistaken for being much younger than he is.

If it helps the story, Atorcoppe could be present when the characters meet with Galera, assuming he is able to enter the Aegis of the Hearth. He can listen in on conversations and watch the characters' actions, and clue Galera in on any plans to her detriment.

Having resolved to find Rufus, the characters must come up with a means to track him down. They may search his room for some clue or Arcane Connection to Rufus they can use. It is also possible that the characters deliberately harvested an Arcane Connection from the Redcap, although they have no legitimate reason to have done so. If they do possess an Arcane Connection and have the appropriate spells to locate him using

Alas, Rufus is not fated to return to the covenant alive. At Atorcoppe's instigation he is kidnapped by Galera wearing a magical disguise. When she discovered that he did not have the claw, she subjected him to grisly torture. Rufus's willpower and high tolerance to pain meant that he did not give up the location of the claw before his body gave out and he died under Galera's knife without ever realizing that it was his betrothed who had betrayed him. His death formed the sacrifice needed for Atorcoppe to Initiate the External Soul Virtue, which he placed inside the heart of Galera's son Simon. Neither Rufus nor Galera know about this Initiation. Simon does not feature in this story; the player characters first meet him at the end of story two.

Rufus's torments did not end with his death. Atorcoppe summoned his ghost and subjected it to further torture, but still he did not break. Atorcoppe's plan is to allow the player characters to find the body of the murdered Redcap. Hopefully, Rufus's ghost will give up his secrets to them before moving on and Galera can swoop in and claim the claw for herself.

it, they can speed their search and bypass some of the distractions and false leads in this section. They could determine his direction, distance and that he is already dead. The Inexorable Search will fail, but its variant Tracing the Trail of Death's Stench brings them to the village near the abandoned fort (see Caught (Kid-)Napping, below), since maps probably aren't good enough to be more precise.

Failing magical means, the characters must resort to tried and tested mundane methods for tracking someone down. This task may be delegated to grogs and companions, or else might involve the player magi taking a direct hand.

Searching the Room

It is unlikely that anything in the room in which Rufus stayed while at the covenant still retains an active Arcane Connection to him; indeed it may have been reused since his departure. A careful search of the room and a successful Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 12, reveals signs of concealment a wobbly flagstone or a loose brick in the wall. The claw is about six inches long and deeply curved. It has the texture of polished horn and is a glossy black in color. It is attached to a leather thong to be worn as a necklace. It is over 400 years old and an expired Arcane Connection; magical investigation can reveal little more. Despite the fact he has carried it for several years, like his ancestors, the claw has not become an Arcane Connection to Rufus, which is curious but not unlikely.

Finding the claw will not help the characters find Rufus. If they surmise that Rufus hid it, they may suspect him of wrongdoing. This just gives the characters more reason to find him. If the characters find the claw at this stage and share this discovery with Galera, go straight to Galera's Gambit (later). If she manages to secure the claw Galera exits this part of the story since she now has no need to track Rufus down. She'll find some pretense to leave the search party and won't be seen again. The player characters might still want to find Rufus, out of concern or suspicion.

Encounters on the Road

Assuming that the characters are not able to trace Rufus with magic, they have to retrace Rufus's steps physically. It can be assumed that he used roads and stayed in towns and wayside inns on the route to the next covenant. Depending on the locations of the two covenants (the characters' and their neighbors'), there may be multiple routes available; Rufus took the quickest route, but this might vary according to season, something a character with an appropriate Area Lore will know. An Intelligence + Area Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 9 allows a character to pick the opti-

Rufus is a magus of the Order and magical attempts to find him are scrying, even if this is justified in the interests of his safety. Investigation immunity (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 62) does not apply here since Rufus is not under investigation for any crime. Claiming concern for a magus's life in order to scry is not a defense, else any magus could use this excuse to bypass the Code. Nevertheless, the player characters might feel they have a strong defense since genuine concern for his wellbeing has been raised by a third party. However, there is precious little they can do without an Arcane Connection.

Player characters, even players of Quaesitor characters, have no right to submit Galera to questioning with magical verification even if they somehow have suspicions about her. Even asking her to do so is a grave insult. Her distrust of the characters can be attributed to their Gifts and her refusal to submit to magical questioning is supported by the Code of Hermes. Nevertheless, if she refuses then they may refuse to help. In this case, Galera leaves. The characters will receive a visit from a more senior Redcap a season later wanting to know what happened to Rufus and why they refused to help Galera.

mal route for the right time of year that matches that traveled by Rufus. Otherwise, the characters might have to investigate multiple leads before finding word of Rufus's passing.

Once the most likely route (or routes) have been determined, the characters need to visit each way point on the route and search for witnesses to Rufus's journey. They get a definite sighting on the first settlement from the characters' covenant; a tavern here is commonly used by Redcaps slaking their thirst after a long journey, or else staying the night before making the last leg to the covenant.

The storyguide can make as much or as little of this stage of the story as desired. Some example events along the way are listed below; these should be interspersed with mundane sights associated with travel. Some of these are genuine sightings of Rufus and allow the characters to narrow down the place where he disappeared. Others are false leads and red herrings.

• A poacher shared a campsite with Rufus a few days out from the characters' covenant; it was a stormy night and the man kindly shared his oilcloth with the trapper while the latter shared some meat for the pot. He remembers that the oilcloth was wondrously good at repelling the heavy rain. When the storm cleared, they parted company.
• An innkeeper claims that a man matching Rufus's description absconded without paying the shilling for a week's stay. He can give them the names of several of his patrons who spoke to him, but not before the outstanding bill is paid. The characters could spend a fair bit of time chasing down the leads before realizing that they are not tracking down Rufus at all; the innkeeper was just trying to recoup the losses incurred by another guest.
• A leper hobbles down the road, ringing his wooden bell to warn the living of his approach. A character might notice he has a pair of turnshoes of the sort favored by Rufus (he carried several spare sets since they wear out so frequently). The

Thrice-Told Tales

leper is telling the truth when he tells them that they were donated to him by a charitable young man. However, the leper has now worn them too long for them to retain an Arcane Connection to Rufus.

Galera, assuming she is accompanying the characters, may have to prompt the characters if they go too far off track. This might be done in a ham-fisted way (since she lacks the intelligence for subtlety), raising suspicion amongst the player characters that there is more going on here. For example, she might fake a sighting of Rufus from a man in the market but the witness is mysteriously unavailable for questioning if the player characters want more information.

After following a mixture of genuine and false leads, the characters eventually get to the end of the trail: a village close to the last positive sighting of Rufus. Characters led by magic come to the same village. Several villagers remember the Redcap since he replenished his supplies of food and drink here, buying bread, cheese, ale, and bacon, as well as leeks and a sack of last year's peas. The villagers say that they warned Rufus about robbers on the road ahead, who have been known to kidnap travelers and ransom them back to their relatives.

Tracking down the robbers shouldn't be too hard. Occasionally, men whom the villagers suspect of being part of this robber band come into the village in search of ale or supplies. The villagers do not inform on the ruffians unless it appears that the player characters are capable of defeating them; they don't want to have to deal with any retribution once the characters have moved on. The villagers suspect that they are camped out at a shepherd's hut which overlooks the road to the east.

Cob's Band

The robbers, lead by a ruffian called Cob, have been hired by Galera in order to lead the characters to the hideout. She used her enchanted sleeve to take the appearance of a man in all dealings with Cob and his men. She never supplied them with a name; but she paid them handsomely for every traveler they brought to an abandoned fort deep in the woods. These captives — irrelevant except for maintaining the presence of the kidnappers — were eaten by the monstrous spiders who occupy the fort (see A Web-Shrouded Ruin, later).

When the bandits are encountered, Galera reminds the characters (if necessary) to leave at least one alive for questioning. Sufficient force or magical inducement can make the ruffians reveal the following information:

• They are paid to take captives. Their employer told them that he ransoms the captives back to their relatives and the ruffians get a cut of the profits. They haven't captured anyone recently, nor have they seen their employer since he paid them for their last victim. They can identify Rufus's description as the last victim they took.
• Their employer lives in a ruined fort in the woods, about ten miles south of the village. This is where they delivered their captives. They were told not to enter the fort; if there was no-one to meet them they should just leave the captive tied up amongst the trees. Their employer would normally turn up with their share a few weeks later.
• Their employer has an entirely unremarkable appearance. He's well spoken, probably educated, but is of average height and weight, with brown hair and gray eyes. Cob, who spoke to him most, was of the impression that this man was merely a lackey for another.

The villagers know the ruin in question and can give directions to it if the player characters don't trust taking one of the ruffians with them.

If the player characters fail to get an-

swers from the ruffians, then they might have to have the gaps filled in by the villagers. A shepherd in the village has seen them in the past heading south with a captive and a search in the area reveals the ruined fort after a few days' searching.

The Trail to the Lair

The trail to the lair enters a tangled woodland filled with thick undergrowth. The canopy is thick and little light filters down to the forest floor. There are no game trails and few birds, a fact noted as unnatural by anyone succeeding in an Intelligence + Hunt roll against an Ease Factor of 9. All the game has been eaten by the monstrous spiders that guard the lair and the characters may come across the corpse of an unfortunate animal sucked dry of its vital fluids.

The ruined fort has been the hideout for Galera and Atorcoppe. Galera brought Rufus here and tortured him, when he failed to give up the location of his claw necklace she ritually murdered him and Atorcoppe tortured his ghost. Still Rufus held out on them, but he has been broken by his ordeal and his spirit is much diminished. At no time did Galera reveal who she was; she and her fiancée had never met in person, and she used her disguise (nearly) all the time.

A Web-Shrouded Ruin

Atorcoppe and Galera made their lair in a forgotten ruin in a particularly dark part of the forest, where there is a Magic aura of 3. The entire aura has much deeper shadows than would be expected given the light sources; even during bright daylight, the trees around the fort provide heavy concealment (equivalent to a moonless night, Lords of Men page 130). Sources of light do not seem to penetrate deep into the darkness and improve visibility only slightly within one to five paces, depending on the brightness of the light.

The exterior of the ruin and the trees around it are the home of a number of monstrous spiders summoned by Atorcoppe. The spiders are extremely sensitive to approaching game, and as they detect creatures approaching they silently move into ambush positions, relying on their camouflage and the darkness to conceal them.

The storyguide should decide how many spiders are involved in the attack against the characters; more than one per character constitutes a serious challenge. Due to the darkness, the spiders — who are not affected by it — receive a +6 to Attack Totals and +9 to Defense Totals against opponents who are hampered by the darkness. The spiders initiate their attacks from ambush. All characters must make a Perception + Awareness roll; the Ease Factor could be as high as 19 (for the spider's Dexterity + Stealth +3 (for camouflage) +9 (for darkness)) if the characters are still affected by the heavy concealment. All characters who fail are successfully ambushed by the spiders as they drop into combat as an untrained

Cob's ruffians should be treated as Standard Soldiers (ArM5, page 22), except that they are wearing metal reinforced leather armor and so have a Soak of +4 (in partial armor) or +6 (in full armor) and their Encumbrance is 0 (or 1 in full armor). There are seven men in all, who divide into two Trained Groups in combat: Cob (who has a Leadership of 3) leads one group and his brother Talbot (Leadership 2) leads the other.

The ruffians may resort to dirty tricks such as trying to trip, disarm, or grapple opponents; see ArM5 page 175 or Lords of Men page 133 – 134 for more details. They have practiced using these tricks when fighting as a Trained Group and can use their Group Bonus to assist any of these special effects.

group. Their first attack is a grapple, trying to incapacitate as many opponents as possible. A spider does not continue to attack an opponent once he is swathed in webs but tries to escape with its prize or eliminate another opponent. If faced with severe opposition, a spider retreats into the trees if it has managed to bite or envenom its prey; it can then use its Still the Wriggling Fly power from a safe distance and retrieve its meal later. The spiders do not distinguish between human and animal targets, and spread their attacks amongst the characters and any horses or large familiars.

In the fight against the spiders, Galera employs her enchanted bow to precisely place arrows to help out hardpressed characters (its Penetration is sufficiently high to damage the spiders). While she knows this place and what it conceals, she desires to be seen helping the characters in order to allay suspicion. If the player characters were lead here by a captive ruffian, he is equally targeted by the spiders.

Beneath the Ruin

The keep is little more than a shell swathed in spiders' webs. None of its exterior walls are complete and all internal structures are entirely absent. There is a set of stone stairs leading down from what was the kitchen into the cellar, notable because the stairs are relatively free from the sheets of cobwebs that shroud the rest of the fort. The keep used natural caves beneath the hill to store food and keep it cool; these pas-

Magic Might: 16 (Animal)

Season: Spring

Characteristics: Cun +2, Per 0, Pre –6, Com –5, Str +4, Sta +3, Dex +3, Qik –2

Size: +2

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal, Magical Monster; Essential Virtue, Large, Lesser Immunity (spider webs), Perfect Balance, Puissant Athletics; Fear (fire), Hatred (minor)

Mundane Qualities: Ambush Predator, Camouflage, Grappler, Loathsome Appearance, Skilled Climber, Shell, Venomous

Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Gigantic x 4, Greater Powers x 2; Improved Abilities x 2, Improved Characteristics, Improved Powers, Improved Soak, Lesser Powers; Minor Flaw (Restricted Power), Reduced Might x 3, Susceptible to Deprivation

Personality Traits: Hateful +3, Sensitive to Vibrations (Perception)* +3, Hungry +2, Spider* +3, Brave –2

* Essential Trait

Combat:

Bite: Init –2, Attack +13, Defense +7, Damage +8

Grapple: Init –2, Attack +9, Defense +4, Damage n/a

Soak: +10

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (15–21), Incapacitated (22–28), Dead (29+)

Abilities: Area Lore 1 (ambush points), Athletics 4+2 (climbing), Awareness 3 (sense of touch), Brawl 5 (grapple), Hunt 3 (setting snares), Stealth 3 (ambush)

Powers:

Venomous Bite (non magical): When the spider attacks, compare its Attack Advantage to the victim's armor Protection (not his Soak). If the spider's advantage is higher, the victim is envenomed; make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9 or suffer a Medium Wound. An opponent can be envenomed even if they take no wound from the bite itself. Spider bites suffer a –3 penalty to Wound Recovery rolls.

Still the Wriggling Fly, 1 point, Init –3, Corpus or Animal: Only those bitten by the spider (those who have taken a wound from either the bite or the venom) can be affected by this power, due to the Restricted Power Flaw. The power may be used at any time subsequent to the bite when the target is within Range, until all inflicted wounds have healed. If the effect Penetrates Magic Resistance, the target is immobilized, unable to move any part of his body. Rego Corpus (Animal) 30 (Level 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 requisite) Greater Power (30 levels, –2 Might cost, +2 Init)

Arachne's Child, 0 points, Init –12, Animal: With this power, the spider can create all manner of threads, ropes and nets. Each use of this power can create a rope strong enough to support the creature's weight, or webbing that requires a Strength roll of Ease Factor 9 (or a sharp implement) to escape. CrAn 25 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 flexibility) Lesser Power (25 levels, –5 Might cost from Improved Powers) Weave the Silken Shroud, 2 points, Init –2, Animal: as The Weaver's Trap of Webs (ArM5 page 117) but Range: Touch. Creo Animal 30 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Group) Greater Power (30 levels, –1 Might cost, +3 Init)

Vis: 4 pawns of Animal, in fangs

Appearance: A spider the size of a horse, with a swollen abdomen marked with rune-like figures hidden amongst its cryptic coloration. It has several large glossy eyes that look in all directions without blinking. An oversized pair of polished black fangs quiver in anticipation of a meal.

A spider has a +3 bonus to all rolls involving climbing and a +3 bonus to Stealth rolls when it is motionless, thanks to its coloration. If it has successfully crept up on its prey, it automatically wins Initiative and has a +3 to Attack Totals for the first round of combat only; this attack is usually a grapple. It may attempt to grapple any creature of Size +3 or less and can add its grapple strength to any bite Attack Totals made against a grappled opponent. It may immobilize any grappled opponents with silk using one of its powers. Due to its Lesser Immunity Virtue, a monstrous spider is immune to ensnarement by its own or another's webs.

The monstrous spiders are also capable of generating natural webbing, which, unlike that created with their Arachne's Child power, is not hampered by Magic Resistance. This webbing takes minutes or hours to produce and so is useless in combat, but does not have the limited duration of their magical webs.

sages have subsequently been widened and connected to larger caves.

From the back of the cellar cave, several passages lead deeper into the hillside. Some of these passages are the haunt of spiders and are shrouded with sticky webs to capture intruding animals. Others are apparently clear, suggesting recent use, but these passages have near-invisible threads hanging from the ceiling and covered in blobs of sticky glue laid by smaller cousins of the spiders outside. Anyone who does not spot the threads (this requires a Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 9 even in the best light; add three to the Ease Factor if carrying open flames rather than lanterns) is immediately caught and tangled up in neighboring threads. A struggling character serves only to entangle herself further; the Ease Factor for the Strength stress roll to escape is initially 6 but increases by three

The caverns beneath the abandoned fort are part of an old mine, and there are miles of interconnecting tunnels. This part of the story could easily be expanded into an exploratory foray into the depths. There are a number of perils in the mine: maze-like tunnels in which it is easy to get lost; collapsing pit shafts; underground waterfalls; flooded caves; and possibly trapdoor spiders, mine faeries, and earth elementals.

Galera has a hidden lair within the mines where she stashes her stolen magical items and other treasures; this is featured in the third story in this chapter. If she is accompanying the characters she discourages exploration, asking them to concentrate on finding Rufus. If, by some miracle, they manage to discover Galera's hidey-hole at this point, then they discover Galera's secret early and she takes steps to eliminate them, such as causing a cave-in. Furthermore, in the third story Damhan-Allaidh will need a different pretext to get the characters to take Simon out of the covenant and to the stone circle.

for every failed roll. It takes one round per 3 points of the current Ease Factor to cut someone free with a blade. There may be more monstrous spiders lurking in the cavern beyond, waiting to attack anyone captured in this trap. Only the entrapped character and perhaps one other character can face the spider due to the restricted space in the tunnel.

Most of these passages lead ultimately to a large cavern carved out by an underground stream. The stream flows through a deep ravine over ten paces wide, although the ravine is crossed by three thick ropes of spider silk and cobweb sheeting slung between them. The ropes are thick enough to support the weight of the monstrous spiders, so are certainly strong enough to bear a human's weight. A Dexterity + Athletics – Encumbrance stress roll against an Ease Factor of 12 is required to cross the ravine, but characters can reduce the Ease Factor by three if they take twice as long and do it on their hands and knees. On a failure, the character tumbles from the thread onto the cobwebs below; on a botch the thread breaks, preventing anyone else from using it.

Even if a character does fall, the thick cobweb sheets slow his descent into the ravine and possibly even arrest his fall. Roll a simple die and add the character's Burden. If the result is six or more, then the cobwebs break and the character plummets to the ravine floor. The same roll is needed to clamber across the cobwebs to either side of the ravine, although the character only falls on a nine or more when walking on the webs rather than falling upon them. If the character does fall through the cobwebs, it is fifteen paces to the floor of the ravine; however the slowing effects of the cobwebs counts as a soft surface, halving the damage to +12. Magi may have other means at their disposal to cross the ravine safely. There are more transparent sticky threads hanging from the ceiling to entrap birds, bats and flying characters.

As mentioned before, there may be more monstrous spiders in this chamber; they tend to wait until characters are entrapped in the sticky threads or mid way crossing the spidersilk bridge before showing themselves. Note that spiders' webs are only barely flammable and cannot be easily set on fire. Flames inflicting +10 damage or more are needed to do the job. Furthermore, most of these webs are natural creations of the spiders rather than created using their Arachne's Child power.

A Redcap's Ghost

On the far side of the ravine is just one passageway, which leads into a web-lined chamber. Hanging by its ankle on a thread of spider silk is the desiccated corpse of Rufus. The body shows clear signs of being heavily beaten and cut and is covered in countless spider bites, many of them surrounded by black tissue. Close inspection also reveals he has been stabbed in the heart with a narrow blade. The desiccation is not natural, but was caused by the feeding of many spiders; this has also preserved the corpse.

Attempts to use Whispers Through the Black Gate on Rufus's body will fail, since Rufus's spirit has been summoned from his corpse as a ghost. However, the ghost manifests a visible illusion once it notices the presence of the characters, which may take the spirit several minutes in his current state. Rufus was tortured prior to his death and then magically wracked as a spirit, and only the thinnest thread of his personality remains. His memories are shattered and he is barely able to maintain this illusory form, which keeps fading whenever his concentration wavers. With the appropriate encouragement, Rufus can haltingly recount what happened to him. He does not recall Galera's role in his abduction or her presence at Atorcoppe's side; his memory is too fragmentary and she was wearing her illusory form, which he has never seen. Characters already suspicious of Galera may notice her subtle release of breath when it becomes clear there are convenient gaps in his recollection.

He can tell the characters that he was tortured by a plain-looking man with a nondescript face. He will also describe his torturer as a horrifically tall man with a hunched back, who was clothed in a dark cloak that rippled obscenely like there was something unwholesome beneath it. He constantly confuses the

two; these are his torturers before and after his death, respectively. The ghost has a good recollection of what both of his torturers wanted; it is the memory of this question that has formed an anchor for his drifting spirit. However, he only agrees to tell the characters if they get him elsewhere; he doesn't feel comfortable mentioning it in the room where he died to keep this very secret.

Magical investigation might be able to reveal things that Rufus can not. His ghost was formed from his departing spirit by Atorcoppe's Pictish necromancy with an effect of seventh magnitude, and remnants of that magic may linger. Atorcoppe's sigil lingers on the body, a sensation like a keen knife blade.

The characters have to retrieve Rufus's body if they want to move his ghost; he is currently tied to haunting his own mortal remains. This means somehow ferrying the corpse safely across the ravine, negotiating any remaining spiders. Once well away from the ruined fort, Rufus can reveal that his torturers wanted his claw and how he hid it at the covenant.

When the characters return to their covenant and retrieve the claw from its hiding place, Galera is on the verge of success; all she needs to do is get it away from the characters. Her eagerness this close to her triumph might well prove to be her undoing.

What move she makes next depends very much on the circumstances with which the player characters present her; some possible gambits are given below and she might try several of these. Whenever in the presence of the claw, her emotions may betray her and characters can make a Perception + Folk Ken roll against an Ease Factor of 12 to divine that she seems unduly eager to get her hands on it.

• Galera suggests that she should take it to a suitable specialist in the Order for identification and as quickly as possible. She may even propose leaving immediately, before perhaps they have even decided to whom to take it.
• She counsels against destroying it;

it could be disastrous, she says, to do so before finding out what it is. If the characters suggest that it could be cursed or bear a baneful enchantment, she will volunteer to take it to an expert forthwith. She believes that the claw is Atorcoppe's external soul and that destroying it will kill her mentor. This is not true but a ruse used by Atorcoppe as insurance in case Galera is compromised (see The Fate of Galera, later.)

• If the characters are adamant in keeping it, she looks for an opportunity to steal the claw and escape into the night. She'll make sure she knows where they are keeping it and attempt to filch it later on.
• Failing all this, Galera may simply try to snatch the claw right in front of the characters. She is both desperate and borderline insane, so she does not wait for a sensible time to do this. She is relies on the element of surprise to make her escape; she is neither a magus nor a warrior. If the characters have an Aegis of the Hearth and have not given Galera a token to allow her to use her enchantments, then they may have a chance to catch her before she can use her shoe to escape*.*

If the characters have no reason to distrust Galera, there is every chance she escapes with the claw.

The Traitor's Fate

The storyguide should make every reasonable effort to allow Galera to escape from the player characters, with or without the claw. She may not have magical abilities of her own, but she understands Hermetic magic and its capabilities. She is careful not to leave behind Arcane Connections, for example, and knows that she cannot be targeted if she cannot be sensed.

However, player characters should not be denied a victory over her if they have anticipated her actions or displayed ingenuity in finding her. Galera's actions clearly indicate that she has forsaken the Oath of Hermes and a Tribunal doubtless will declare a Wizard's March against her, freeing the player characters from any consequences of slaying her.

If they fight Galera, the characters may take pains to capture rather than kill her; wanting to interrogate the traitor or subject her to the justice of the Order of Hermes. With the right magic, she can be interrogated after death as well. She boasts of her actions and expound upon her motives. She believes she was serving Damhan-Allaidh (although she can also supply the name Atorcoppe), but has no actual proof that this is the case. He promised to give her The Gift, setting right the cruel twist of fate of her youth. Galera cannot give up the location of Atorcoppe, since she doesn't know where he goes when he is not with her. She also believes that the tiniest scratch on Giaro's Claw will kill Atorcoppe.

If she is handed into the custody of the Order in preparation for a trial, the storyguide might decide on an off-stage jailbreak perpetrated by Atorcoppe, perhaps assisted covertly by further agents within the Order.

Of course, Galera could just walk away with the claw and the player characters never discover her villainy. She continues to work as a Redcap, but she neglects her duties and is reprimanded by her Primus; soon after she abandons the Order altogether.

The preceding story may end in an unsatisfactory manner for the characters if Galera escapes with the claw. However, there are no immediate repercussions: Galera has nursed her jealousy for ten years and she can wait longer still if needed. Nevertheless, the five year gap between now and when the player characters next encounter Galera is not uneventful. As well as participating in further unrelated stories, the characters may decide to do some research.

The proposed gap of five years can be lengthened if necessary, but should not be shortened. The only repercussion of more than five years is that Galera will be further along in her studies, her plans will be more advanced, and her son will be older (he was around five years old at the time of the previous story).

There are some questions that the player characters may be interested in answering. First and foremost, what is this claw that was of sufficient importance to drive one Redcap to murder another? Rufus's vision concerning the claw proved true; things did indeed go very badly for him. Rufus's ghost can name his torturer as "Atorcoppe" and he may have also heard the name "Damhan-Allaidh" in the ruined fort. Galera, if she was captured, can provide similar information.

Giaro's Claw

The first order of business should be to find out more about Rufus's heirloom. His ghost, if available, knows its history. It belonged to his ancestor Giaro, who was one of the first Redcaps and a boon companion of Pralix. He was her aide-de-camp during her war with Damhan-Allaidh, and the claw was wrested from the corpse of Damhan-Allaidh after Pralix had slain him. As far as he knows, it has no special properties.

Damhan-Allaidh

All apprentices are taught the basic history of Damhan-Allaidh, as recounted in ArM5, page 10. To learn more, characters may have to consult specialists, or research among annals of the history of the Order of Hermes. A detailed history of Damhan-Allaidh, such as that that can be revealed through a dedicated search, is provided as an appendix.

The actions of Atorcoppe and Galera depend upon their level of success in the first part of the story. The options below are arranged in order of decreasing advantage to Atorcoppe's plans.

Atorcoppe is now in possession of Giaro's Claw

After receiving the Claw from Galera, Atorcoppe destroys it himself, completing the pending Initiation he began over 400 years ago. This has no immediate effect, since the girl he had intended to possess is long dead, but Atorcoppe is confident that he will now be able to recommence his stalled plans for reincarnation by using Simon instead. Since he has now finally shed his Anglo-Saxon persona, he returns to the name by which he is most famous: Damhan-Allaidh.

The player characters destroyed Giaro's Claw

When the characters destroy the Claw, Atorcoppe's age-old Initiation attempt fails. This has much the same effect as the previous outcome, except that Atorcoppe accepts a penalty for the failure: one in every eight magical effects he attempts (determined randomly) fails.

Giaro's Claw still exists

Until he can destroy it himself or ar-

range for it to be destroyed, Atorcoppe cannot proceed with his plans. He makes further attempts to discover the Claw's current location and regain it or destroy it, with or without Galera's help.

The Fate of Galera

Galera escaped from the player characters

If he is reborn, Damhan-Allaidh honors his promise to Galera and guides her through the rite of Odin's Sacrifice (Hedge Magic Revised Edition, page 124), which endows her with The Gift. He spends some time tutoring her in magic. However, she has outlived her usefulness and he soon grows bored of her. Damhan-Allaidh has one more task for her (see The Tangled Web).

Galera was killed

Galera's role in Story Two is taken by another servant of Damhan-Allaidh. This individual is a Gifted non-Hermetic wizard who has good reason to hate the Order of Hermes. He may come from a tradition that has been traditionally persecuted by the Order, or perhaps the ha-

Spiders are vermin, classed as worms of the air since they are nourished by the air that they draw down to themselves on their webs. They are considered to have the keenest sense of touch of all animals and are used to symbolize that sense.

There are a few types of spider in Mythic Europe that can inflict a painful bite. Species are not distinguished with any accuracy but for modern readers, the following are all capable of a painful bite: widow and false widow spiders (including the infamous malmignatte); yellow sac spiders; black lace-weavers; mouse spiders; woodlouse-eating spiders; and wolf spiders. A spider bite requires a Stamina roll of Ease Factor 3 to avoid a Light Wound from the venom. The Ease Factor is 0 for the less venomous woodlouse-eating spiders and wolf spiders, but 6 for the malmignatte. Being bitten is painful enough to require a Concentration roll for casting or maintaining a spell, even if it does not result in a wound.

All spider bites are notoriously slow to heal and those suffering a wound from the venom take a –3 penalty to Wound Recovery Rolls for that wound only. Supernatural spiders might carry more serious venom or other consequences; for example, certain faerie spiders can inflict tarantism, a disease causing an irresistible urge to dance (City & Guild, page 27). Spider venom is treated using the Medicine Ability; if using the optional rules for Diagnosis and Prognosis from Art & Academe (pages 57–58), the severity of the spider venom is equal to 3 + the Ease Factor of the Stamina roll to resist the venom (this includes any increases to the Ease Factor for multiple bites, see later).

tred has more recent basis. The Order is known for policing magically-capable folk in some areas, and family members could have fallen beneath its wrath. It is even possible that the player characters took a leading role in this story, which could take place any time before, or soon after, the first story. This hedge wizard is accompanied by Simon, whom he is intending to make his apprentice, although he has not yet Opened his Gift.

Galera was captured and imprisoned

Under magical interrogation, Galera reveals that Giaro's Claw is Atorcoppe's external soul and that even a scratch on it will dissipate him forever. This is truly what she believes; Atorcoppe told her this just in case this very scenario came about. Atorcoppe makes no attempt to rescue her unless the Claw was not destroyed and there is a real chance that she will be able to get it for him. If the claw is gone, then he has no need to save her, since he is already in possession of Simon. The second story should be adapted as in the case where Galera was killed.

In the second story of this chapter, Damhan-Allaidh recommences his plan for the infiltration and eventual destruction of the Order of Hermes. He is saddled with a minion of limited potential. Galera is not cunning, subtle, or powerful enough to make her valuable to Damhan-Allaidh; she was merely a means by which he could get hold of Giaro's Claw. Her son Simon is a different matter, however. He was born with The Gift, and at the age of seven he is ripe for apprenticeship. Rather than training Simon himself, Damhan-Allaidh has a different task in mind for him. He has made Simon's heart into his external soul and plans to have him apprenticed to a magus of the Order of Hermes. Once he has been Opened to the Arts, Damhan-Allaidh will take over his body. Galera is wholly ignorant of this plan.

While Damhan-Allaidh plans the downfall of the Order, he permits Galera to exercise her own revenge. Her vindictive nature finds the prospect appealing, and it is an excellent opportunity for her to practice her newly-learned powers. Damhan-Allaidh doesn't care how clumsy she is; he actually anticipates that she will be killed by Hermetic magi in a Wizard's March. The Tribunal has probably already dismissed any fears the player characters may have had about Damhan-Allaidh's return, so he's not worried that she may be captured and interrogated; it's more important to him that her Gifted son is discovered and adopted as an apprentice.

Galera's plan is to attack the characters' food supply, and then wreck any relationship they have with the nobility. She was planning more, but fell foul of her own schemes and is currently imprisoned.

Two young boys arrive at the covenant. They are tired from the run to the covenant and between them carry a bundle of mud-splattered rags. At the

Magic Might: 5 (Corpus)

Season: Spring

Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre 0, Com +1, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik +1

Size: 0

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Magical Covenfolk; Enduring Constitution, Strong-Willed

Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Powers; Major Flaw (Enfeebled), Major Flaw (Low Self Esteem), Temporary Might

Personality Traits: Devoid of Hope +3, Forgetful +3, Wracked with Pain +3 Combat:

Fist*: Init +1, Attack +1, Defense +1, Damage 0

* against immaterial targets only

Soak: +2

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Even More Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Tribunal 3 (inns), Code of Hermes 2 (Redcaps), Folk Ken 2 (magi), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 3 (House Mercere), Profession: Storyteller 3 (children's stories)

Powers:

Eidolon, 0 points, Init +1, Imaginem: Creates an illusionary form that is visible and audible to material beings. This form appears as Rufus did in life but haggard, bruised, and in intense pain. The image can move and speak as directed by Rufus's shade and lasts until he has no further need for it. CrIm 15 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 move at command, +1 intricacy) Greater Power (15 levels, +2 Init, –2 Might cost)

Vis: 1 pawn Rego, in ghostly red cap Appearance: As he did in life, but contorted with great pain and bearing the same scars as his corpse.

These statistics represent the shade of Rufus's spirit, a broken mess left from his physical, mental, and magical torture. Given appropriate rehabilitation, Rufus's shade could join the characters' covenant as an unusual grog or even a companion character. He cannot stray more than 100 paces from his red cap, a symbol of the loyalty to the Order that keeps him on earth. Giving him a church burial does not dismiss his ghost (this only prevents the formation of ghosts and Rufus's shade is already present), but it could prove inconvenient if he hasn't yet shifted his tether to his red cap.

A restored Rufus loses the three Major Magic Inferiorities representing his current condition upon recovery and may regain some of the Virtues, Flaws and Personality Traits he had in life. He is a freshly sprung ghost and has not yet developed all powers or Magic Qualities that he could. He has 15 levels from the Greater Powers Magic Quality left unspent, and could purchase two more points of Magic Qualities without needing to take any Magical Inferiorities.

Even the largest mundane spiders are Size –15. A swarm is a mass of creatures of Size –3 or smaller with a combined Size of +1 or more. Given the almost fluid makeup of a swarm, it is all but impossible to stop one in its tracks. Apply the following rules:

• Swarms ignore defenders and can always reach their intended target.
• Swarms may attack a number of targets equal to the swarm's Size each round.
• At the storyguide's discretion, swarms may have an immunity or resistance to regular weapons; a blade passing harmlessly through a swarm of insects, for instance. On the other hand, they may be vulnerable to buckets of water or a broom (which might do damage as if it were fire).
• Being made up of many smaller individuals, a swarm is hard to destroy. Unless a swarm is destroyed outright, it can disengage and return at full strength after a number of rounds equal to its single highest Wound penalty.
• A swarm of venomous creatures bites or stings numerous times each round. Make one Stamina

roll to resist the venom of all bites received in the same round, but increase the severity of the wound inflicted by one step for each two point of Size above +1. Increase the Ease Factor for the Stamina roll by 1 for each consecutive round of combat to represent the cumulative effect of many hundreds of bites.

• Swarms can combine to form larger swarms. Two swarms combine to increase Size by 1. Five swarms increase Size by 2. Ten swarms increase Size by 3. As well as increasing venom potency due to the increase in Size, add 2 points of Strength and subtract 1 point of Quickness for each point of Size and adjust wound ranges accordingly.

Spider Swarm

Characteristics: Cun –1, Per –2, Pre –5, Com –6, Str +2, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik +4

Size: +1

Virtues and Flaws: Lightning Reflexes; Infamous

Mundane Qualities: Skilled Climber,

Venomous

Personality Traits: Spider +5 Reputations: Deadly (Local) 4 Combat:

Bite: Init +8, Attack +9, Defense +3, Damage +3

Soak: +0

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1-6), –3 (7- 12), –5 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24), Dead (25+)

Abilities: Area Lore 4 (ambushes), Athletics (running) 5, Awareness 2 (prey), Brawl 4 (bite), Hunt 4 (insects), Stealth 4 (stalking prey), Survival 3 (caves)

Appearance: A silent, scuttling mass of glossy bodies and spindly legs.

Spiders are venomous: compare the Attack Advantage to the victim's Protection (not Soak). If the creature's advantage is higher, then the victim suffers the effect of the venom, regardless of whether the bite inflicts an actual wound. See earlier for the effects of the venom. Armor protects as normal against the physical damage of a bite.

covenant gates, likely just as grogs reach them, one of the boys trips and drops one of the object they are carrying. The clay amphora cracks open as it hits the ground, and thousands of spiders pour from within and swarm on every surface. As they climb up people, they bite. The pain might cause the boys to drop the second jar, releasing a second swarm. Statistics for spider swarms are found in a nearby insert; each amphora contains a swarm of Size +1, or both might combine to form a swarm of Size +2.

Once the plague of spiders has been dealt with, one of the grogs can identify the boys; they are brothers from a nearby village that supplies most of the covenant's wheat (or other suitable foodstuff). If the boys survive, or are interrogated post mortem with magic, they can tell the characters that they were sent here for information: the amphorae, along with others, had been found buried in a field. The village might assume that

Inspired by the myth of Pandora, Galera designed the containers for her spider swarms as Greek-style amphorae, which she had made especially so that they would break easily. The spiders were summoned with her new powers of philosophic elementalism, spiders being vermin of the air. Summoning and Controlling a swarm of Size +3 is a 20th level effect for an elementalist; and once summoned she commanded them into several vessels that would hold their tightly-packed bodies; each vessel contains a swarm of Size +1. Each spider has a mark like an asterisk, which is Galera's sigil. The amphorae are not magical, they are just vessels to hold the creatures once summoned. The spiders are natural creatures and are not controlled subsequent to them being sealed inside the amphorae, and do not need to Penetrate Magic Resistance. More information about elementalists can be found in Hedge Magic Revised Edition Chapter Two, but sufficient details are provided here to use this story without that source.

these are a consequence or requirement of any magic the player covenant uses to enchant the crops; otherwise it is a case of simple curiosity. In any case, the boys can relate that the villagers were about to start plowing. Clearly it is important to get to the village before the feet of the oxen and the action of the plow break open the delicate jars. Depending on the player characters' actions and the wishes of the storyguide, there are two outcomes from this scene: the characters arrive in time, or the characters arrive too late.

When the characters arrive in the village, most of the villagers are out in the fields for plowing, preparing the ground for next year's crops. Those who are not guiding the team of oxen are removing rocks, raking down the tops of the furrows, restoring plot markers, and so on; plowing is an event in which nearly the whole village gets involved.

The fragile Jars of Galera are half-buried in the soil and are clearly intended to be trampled under the feet of the plow-team or field workers. By the time the player characters arrive, plowing has already started. If the characters have acted with great haste in getting here then they may arrive before this happens. It is up to the storyguide how many Jars there are in the field, and how many will activate effectively. However, once one is broken, as afflicted characters flail about the chances that more will be broken rises considerably.

This scene could consist of carefully excavating the Jars from the field or else driving off the spiders once some have broken. Carelessness could easily cause the former to become the latter.

If the storyguide wishes, the player characters may arrive in the village too late to avert disaster. This may also happen if they decide not to visit the home village of the boys immediately despite the obvious danger to its inhabitants. They may instead be drawn to the village upon hearing about it from a visitor, or investigate when their supplies fail to arrive and hunger threatens.

Under this option, the player characters are confronted with a scene of devastation. Dead and dying peasants lie in their homes, in the streets, and in the fields, their skins cracked and rotting even on the living. Even the team of oxen lie felled amongst the furrows of the field. The sour stench of death hangs heavy in the air. Delicate cobwebs cover the buildings, trees and hedges, although most of the spiders that spun them have dispersed into the surrounding countryside. Those that remain hide in the eaves of the buildings or high in the trees, guarding their webs jealously with fangs and venom. The field still contains unbroken Jars of Galera, and the characters may risk another swarm by entering it without due care.

Many of the dead are still in the field, although some were crawling back to the village to get away from the spiders and worsened their condition through the exertion. The cause of death is probably obvious to anyone who was at the covenant when the boys arrived, but characters who make a Perception + Medicine roll against an Ease Factor of 9 can confirm that the villagers have received massive doses of spider venom. The foul smell of death is a danger to health; all characters spending an hour or more around so many dead bodies must make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9, or else contract the morbid ague (see Insert). Magi may add their Corpus Form Bonus to the disease avoidance roll; characters realizing the danger can hold a cloth in front of the face and gain a +1 bonus, or a strongscented posy for a +3 bonus.

There are some survivors, who were were near or inside buildings when the plague boiled up, and were able to barricade themselves into a stone building like the chapel or a granary. If the covenant's magi are known to the village, these survivors may blame them for the disaster, thanks to The Gift.

Galera has sent a boy to local lord (here called "Lord Abel," but substitute a suitable individual). This boy is not from the village, and the message is that the village has been slaughtered by sorcery. Lord Abel arrives in the village while the characters are there. If there is no local liege, substitute a justice, magistrate, archdeacon, or other official as appropriate. Lord Abel rides amongst armed men. If he arrives amidst dead villagers he holds a cloth across his face to guard himself from the smell. This may alert the characters to the risk of disease but they have probably already been exposed. Now might be a good time to ask for the Disease Avoidance rolls!

Whilst hardly caught in the act, finding the player characters in the midst of a village of beleaguered or dead peasants is highly suspicious, especially if one or more characters have The Gift. Even if the characters have a friendly relationship with the liege lord it will be difficult to explain the situation away; especially with his mesnie knights as witnesses. The opinions of the peasants — assuming that some speak up for the characters given the presence of The Gift — matters little; he pays little attention to his serfs. Lord Abel seems particularly poorly inclined toward those characters: if he was previously an ally then he will be reserved and cool; if he was neutral before he is positively hostile. This is a result of Galera's meddling with Lord Abel's humors through medicinal elementalism.

The circumstances dictate the accusations leveled at the player characters. Thanks to Galera's message, Lord Abel is expecting slaughter. Even if there are no deaths or injuries, this is interpreted as the lord arriving just in time to prevent disaster. Failing all else, the characters are interfering with his serfs' manorial duty. He has his men examine any Jars of Galera removed from the field — possibly leading to an accidental or deliberate breakage and ensuing swarm.

At worst, the magi may need to fight their way free or face summary judgment. At best Lord Abel "asks" them to accompany him back to his court for a formal inquiry. If the characters submit to a judicial investigation, they are escorted back to Lord Abel's seat of power. Nothing is decided immediately; the lord is keen to gather witnesses and hear evidence, especially if he knows that magi are involved. He may not be well-inclined toward the characters, but he is not going to anger the Order of Hermes by not following proper procedure. He may even know that the Order has its own judges, and be planning to contact a Quaesitor. If the characters go peacefully and are known to Lord Abel they are left at liberty. If they are strangers and no one can swear to arraign them at court, then they are unlikely to be offered parole.

A Battle in the Village

If the characters provoke a fight, the lord's men enter combat to protect their liege. His protectors consist of one or more knights (use the Companion Template from ArM5, page 22); the exact number depends on the importance of the lord. A landed knight may be attended by one or two knights banneret; a baron may have four or more. These are supplemented by men-at-arms (use the Grog Template for the Standard Soldier from ArM5, page 21). Either side may take advantage of the setting during this battle; there are plenty of places in which to hide or provide cover amongst the huts and livestock sheds.

Lord Abel's men are ordered to bring the player characters in alive if possible; assuming that the characters hear this instruction, they have an advantage over their opponents. The lord's men begin by concentrating on non-lethal combat and try to separate out the most dangerous-looking opponent and overwhelming him while another group keeps the rest of the characters occupied. Once one of their number suffers serious injury, or in the face of magical opposition, the men abandon deliberate attempts to preserve lives and do their best to defeat their opponents in the shortest time. It will be down to the lord's chirurgeon to ensure that there is someone left for questioning. Any captives will be imprisoned for at least a week before Lord Abel tries them for their crimes.

The involvement of Lord Abel means that the characters are all but certain to visit his castle.

Galera Under Lock and Key

Unfortunately for Galera, she has run afoul of her own schemes. She herself has been arrested by Lord Abel's men. She had stayed briefly in the targeted village whilst placing the Jars and was traveling back to her local base of operations when she was accused by one of Lord Abel's subjects. If there is a local troublemaker who has caused problems for the characters in the past then this is an excellent accuser of Galera, and her crime should be chosen to match the circumstances. Most likely she is guilty of some petty act of revenge against a real or imagined slight, which, exacerbated by her Gift, led to a hue and cry and her capture. Typical acts include: burning a crop; emptying a well; or inflict-

A disease caused by corruption of the sanguine humor by the stench of rotting bodies and the sour smell of spider venom. Characters contracting the disease begin to display symptoms after a few days. They suffer a continuous fever and discolored blemishes on the skin with radiating lines that vaguely resemble spiders; these itch dreadfully. Should the character perform an action that risks worsening their symptoms (ArM5 page 179; equivalent to a Wound Penalty of –3), they must also make a Stamina + Concentration roll of Ease Factor 6 to avoid fainting.

These symptoms amount to a Serious Disease Penalty (equivalent to a Medium Wound). Characters can make Disease Recovery Rolls every week: a result of 15 or better results in improvement, a 9 is required to remain stable. If using the rules for diseases from Art & Academe, the Morbid Ague has a Severity of 11.

ing rage, lust, or depression. Lord Abel has not yet had the time to hold a manor court, and since Galera is not a local, has no one to vouch for her and is a decidedly suspicious individual, she has been imprisoned awaiting the lord's justice. Her crime probably involved use of her magic against those who slighted her. Although witchcraft is not a crime in most parts of Mythic Europe, if the result of a spell is a crime it is treated as if it had been accomplished mundanely and tried accordingly. Witchcraft often is considered sinful, so the leading local clergyman takes an interest in Galera's case.

The storyguide should take pains to ensure that the player characters hear of Galera's arrest. It is best to introduce this in several ways in order to pique the interest of the player characters and get them to investigate further. Some methods include:

• When they encounter Lord Abel's men, if the characters show apparent or actual magic use one of them exclaims "Another witch! There's a plague of them!"
• The player characters could encounter Lord Abel's marshal, who is gathering evidence regarding Galera's apparent crime.
• If some of the player characters are arrested, they are placed in a cell next to Galera. While she will remain out of sight, the gaoler will make some comment about her.

Galera languishes in a cell, biding her time. She lost her magical shoe in the scuffle that preceded her capture (a gaoler saw the opportunity to get some new footwear while she was held down), else she would have escaped already. She has a selection of her enchantments with her but has yet to use them to secure an escape.

If the characters attempt to gain access to Galera once they discover where she is, see Galera's End, later.

Formal Inquiries

Lord Abel hears Galera's case first and then that of the player characters. In most parts of Mythic Europe, a lord re-

tains right of justice over any crime committed on his lands, although regional variations do exist. An ecclesiastical lord can only judge crimes against morality or people who claim privilege of clergy, and may call upon a royal official or local nobleman to act as the judge. Laws and legal procedure vary greatly by region; in England, for example, trial by combat can be requested. Key to any formal legal process is testimony, which can be delivered in person, by proxy, or by written statement. Juries may be appointed to investigate and gather testimony, and the characters or their representatives may be free to do the same. Testimony establishes the factual issues of the case and includes hearsay, rumor, and omens as "facts".

Depending upon their current status, the characters may be free to attend Galera's hearing and might even present testimony or enter a plea that she be turned over to the Order of Hermes to receive justice for past crimes. They may wish to accuse her of the crime for which they themselves have been accused, but it is physically impossible for her to have been present in the village at the time of the deaths since she was committing the act of witchcraft for which she was arrested. Informing the court of the capabilities of wizards to lay enchantments or affect places without being present may not be a wise move for the player characters; the Order likes to keep the nobility ignorant of the precise powers of its members in order to avoid a widespread panic (see Lords of Men page 40 for more information).

Galera's case is unlikely to go well. Within most of Christendom, a woman is not allowed to speak at court unless granted permission by her husband or father; Galera has neither, nor does she have witnesses who can speak in her defense. With no contrary evidence presented, she is probably sentenced to corporal punishment of some degree, which is carried out immediately.

Following Galera's case, Lord Abel turns his attention to that of the player characters. There is no actual evidence against the characters. However, they

were discovered in suspicious (or possibly heinous) circumstances. Couple this with testimony offered from dire omens and negative character witnesses provoked by The Gift, and the lack of evidence is of little concern.

Even if they fail to achieve a legal victory, a fair lord is more likely to punish the characters rather than execute them in the absence of proof of culpability. This punishment will be focused on making up the lost revenue from the village to the lord, such as supplying more serfs to repopulate the village, or pay a levy in silver or grain every year for three years. Only if they fail to defend themselves at all, or fail to successfully refute any of the evidence against them, will they actually be convicted of killing the villagers. Conviction typically means death, which might be the point for other player characters to stage a daring rescue.

Whether the characters win or lose the case, they should receive experience points in a relevant Reputation, or else gain a new Reputation, with the lord or in the local area.

Whether it happens at Lord Abel's Castle or at her local hideout, the player characters get to have a showdown with the renegade Redcap. Wherever she is faced, Galera fights vigorously to avoid capture but in the face of overwhelming odds she surrenders in order to plead for the safety of her son, Simon. In doing this she is playing directly into the hands of Damhan-Allaidh. Bear in mind she may still be wounded from whatever punishment Lord Abel meted out. She pauses only to collect her belongings, and retrieve her shoes from the gaoler who stole them.

At the Castle

The player characters probably cannot easily get access to Galera without magic. Asking Lord Abel for permission to speak with her, given that she is a suspected witch, is a good way to enhance their own suspicious reputations with Lord Abel and may damage their own case. If they are really determined, a forceful group of magi could abduct or murder Galera from Lord Abel's custody, and this can be allowed without doing damage to the following story, as long as the characters later encounter Simon. However, such actions should not be free from repercussions, not least with the Order for interfering with a local noble.

If the player characters choose this route, their biggest challenge is likely to be Lord Abel's guards rather than anything that Galera can bring to the fight. In addition to his mesnie knights, Lord Abel has access to a small number of men-atarms (use the statistics for Standard Soldiers (ArM5 page 22) and plenty of thick stone walls and heavy oaken doors.

While divested of her bow and anything that looks like a weapon, Galera still has a selection of enchantments at

It is not uncommon for a covenant's landlord to be a companion to the magi, in which case "Lord Abel" could be a player character. In this situation, the first part of the story should be altered. Make the story instead a contest of the strength of the companion's standing in the local area. Have a different lord - let's call him Lord Bertram - be witness to the events in the village, even though it lies on Abel's land. If Abel refuses to prosecute the magi for their apparent crimes, then Bertram makes sure that Abel is made to look weak, which could easily damage his reputation, sour local alliances, or even provoke an attempted usurpation. Bertram could even be Abel's liege, making it politically difficult for Abel to protect the magi. Galera would be a prisoner of Lord Bertram, and have already provided him with interesting 'evidence' that Abel is being manipulated by witches.

A simple mechanic for resolving success is for the players to suggest tactics to introduce each piece of evidence they have of their innocence and to combat each piece of evidence presented of their guilt. Each of these tactics is represented by a pair of rolls, one made for the characters and one for the lord; whoever rolls highest wins. Legal proceedings in Mythic Europe can be as much theater as they are law, and player characters may call upon all manner of Abilities in the pursuit of their case. For example, if they offer an oath of their innocence — a very important piece of testimony — they could make a Communication roll aided by Folk Ken to sound sincere, Organization Lore: Church to find a suitably pious expression, Leadership to threaten, Charm to cajole, and so on. Each roll is opposed by a roll made on behalf of Lord Abel (or his representative); this need not necessarily use the same Abilities. For example, Abel could make a Perception + Folk Ken to spot insincerity, Communication + Artes Liberales to find a

rhetorical retort, or Intelligence + Civil & Canon Law to remember a legal refutation of an argument. All of the player characters' rolls should be affected by the social penalty of The Gift, if applicable. All rolls made on behalf of Lord Abel should be modified by his Suspicious (or similar) Personality Trait; a highly skeptical or untrusting lord is less willing to accept an argument and so his roll should be positively influenced; likewise if he is gullible, then his roll should be penalized. Don't allow dice to replace good roleplaying; you could give a bonus for a particularly impassioned speech, or just allow it to be an automatic success.

The victory conditions for the court should be decided before the debate begins, although the players need not know what they are. A suitable condition might be that the characters must win more opposed rolls than their opponent, with a minimum of three. This condition may be made more severe if they have a bad reputation with the lord already.

her disposal (see nearby insert for her updated character sheet). She can use the Innocuous Blade to destroy a lock or bar on a gaol cell and the Oil for the Eager Wick and Prometheus's Gift to start a fire as a distraction. If you prefer you can have her escape, and face the characters at her hideout instead.

At the Hideout

If the player characters do not interfere with Galera while she is in Lord Abel's custody, they may trace her back to her local hideout once Lord Abel has finished with them. They may have had other characters watching her on their behalf when she departed from Lord Abel's castle, otherwise they have to track her the hard way. This should not be made too onerous a task: Galera is rushing in order to avoid capture by the characters and is not taking all due care to remain undetected. Her biggest concern — and her major vulnerability is her desire to protect her son, and in her care for him she has become reckless.

Galera's hideout is outside Lord Abel's lands, but not far. It is on the same road as the destroyed village, close to the characters' covenant and the village in which Galera was arrested; characters could trace her simply by heading down the road and asking for travelers fitting her description or that of her magical disguise. Her hideout is an abandoned tavern at the edge of a town; it is partially burnt and generally considered a deathtrap. She has been employing a group of bandits and ne'er-do-wells (perhaps the remnants of Cob's Band) who have amongst their duties the care of Simon, who waits for her at the tavern.

If she believes the characters are in hot pursuit she stages her defense here on home territory, exploiting her knowledge of the treacherous terrain to give herself an advantage.

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Elementalist; Arcane Lore, Improved Characteristics, Medicinal Controlling, Privileged Upbringing, Puissant Bows, Second Sight, Well Traveled*; Dark Secret, Envious; Careless with Bows, Reckless * (former) House Virtue

Personality Traits: Increase Loyalty to Atorcoppe to +3, add Willing to Do Anything to Save Simon +3

Abilities: all previous Abilities, plus Magic Lore 2 (spiders)

Arts: Philosophical Summoning 6, Philosophical and Medicinal Controlling 4; Elementalist Air 3, Elementalist Earth 1, Elementalist Fire 2, Elementalist Water 1

Enchantments carried: All those mentioned earlier, plus

Locket of the Proximate Presence, ReIm 18; Pen 0, 6/day: This small mirrored locket, when opened, creates an effect similar to The Wizard's Sidestep (ArM5 page 147) on the wearer (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 changing image, +1 moved image matches change; +5 item maintains concentration, +3 6/day)

Staff of Puissant Parries, ReTe(He) 15, Pen 0, unlimited uses per day: This short staff effortlessly deflects one blow from a melee weapon each time it is triggered. It can only be used once each round. (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 affect metal, free requisite; +10 unlimited per day)

Falling Leaves, ReCo 10, Pen 0, 1/day: These leather tiles (Galera has two) are cunningly crafted to resemble autumn leaves. Anyone touching them when the command word is said loses control of their legs, causing them to fall prone. Since they are made with Tethered magic (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 101) they trigger automatically when somebody steps on them within the duration of the effect. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Diam, Tethered)

Oil for the Eager Wick, CrAq 13, Pen 0, 6/ day: This vial has a sprinkler in the bung. It is filled with mundane oil, which then becomes a carrier for the effect through Tethered magic. When the liquid touches a porous surface it creates flammable oil just like Creeping Oil (ArM5, page 121), enough to soak a person's clothes or cover an area two paces in diameter. If ignited, the oil burns with nonmagical flames for three rounds, inflicting +6 damage on the first round, +3 in the second round, and +0 in the third. If used on a person's clothes, the flames inflict +12, +6, and +0 damage instead. (Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +3 6/day, Tethered)

Prometheus's Gift, CrIg 18; Pen 0, 6/day: When struck against any metal, this flint rod creates a shower of sparks that ignite anything flammable within range. (Base 5, +2 Voice; +3 6/day)

The Innocuous Blade, PeHe(Te) 27; Pen 0, 3/day: This slim ivory knife is blunt, typical of a letter opener and useless as a weapon. It can cut through metal, stone, and wood (but not animal products) by destroying whatever it touches. With a single continuous hatching motion each use can destroy up to one cubic foot in size (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Part, +2 affect metal, +1 requisite; +2 3/day)

Jars of Galera: As described earlier. Galera can have as many as feasible, but is unlikely to be carrying them.

Galera's Gift has been Opened by Damhan-Allaidh, and she has been taught an ancient British form of elementalism known to that ancient sorcerer. Philosophical Summoning allows her to summon the raw elements and natural animals associated with them. Philosophical Controlling allows her to command elements and animals. Medicinal Controlling allows her to manipulate the humors of a person to influence their Personality traits. Summoning is little use in a direct confrontation due to the time it takes, but Galera can perform simple manipulations of fire and air in a single round. If you lack Hedge Magic Revised Edition, use her Presence + Controlling + Elementalist (Form) + Aura modifiers + stress die as a Casting Total, with Ease Factors equivalent to the level of a Hermetic spell.

Her Compulsion to steal magic items has been lost now that she has magic of her own, but she has become Reckless now that she has power. The enchantments listed here represent the rest of her stolen cache of items.

• Galera activates the Locket of Proximate Presence as soon as danger threatens.
• She anoints waxed cords with drops of Oil for the Ready Wick across the main entrance. When someone brushes against the threads they transfer the oil to their clothing, which then starts to spread (assuming that the character does not have Magic Resistance). She saves one charge to treat the wooden floor of the taproom. She uses Prometheus's Gift to ignite the oil as she retreats into the kitchen, using her elementalism if necessary to control the flames.
• She scatters her two Falling Leaves by the entrance to the kitchen behind her and triggers them. If someone steps on one within the Diameter Duration, they suffer the effects. Her men, who wait in ambush, have been warned about these items; and will not attack until characters have succumbed or gone past them.
• The kitchen has no ceiling due to the general dilapidation of the building; bare joists are all that separate it from the room directly above. This room contains Galera's store of Jars of Galera. She can get up here using her Shoe of Swift Flight and may use the joists as an archer's perch for firing her magical bow into combat, or dropping Jars on her enemies. She employs the Shoe to move to vantage points where she cannot be seen if magi begin spellcasting, in order to remove herself as a target. She does not need to see the battlefield to bomb the area with Jars of Galera.
• Her magical bow is best used for crippling the vanguard, or, if she thinks it will Penetrate, hampering a magus's spellcasting by crippling an arm or eye. If characters close to melee combat, she'll discard it in favor of the Staff of Puissant Parries.
• Simon has been ordered to hide in the root cellar but to reveal himself once the fighting stops. Galera has told him to throw himself on the mercy of the Order if she is killed and to state clearly that he is kin to Mercere the Founder.

Surrender

Galera does not fight to the death; she knows that she is no match for even one magus. She is under no illusions as to her fate should she surrender, but she believes she has a bargaining chit. She has spent time with Damhan-Allaidh and claims to have important information on his plans for revenge. She'll offer this in return for safety for herself and her son. Galera is stalling; she believes that Damhan-Allaidh will stage a rescue for her and she hopes to keep herself and Simon alive long enough to give him the chance. Over time — assuming she has it — she'll realize that she has been abandoned and turn coat one more time. She may even attempt to argue that her actions were intended all along to gather information about the enemy, but this is clearly a lie given her deeds.

If her surrender is accepted, she demands to deal only with a local senior magus, naming a magus she knows to be trustworthy and fair. She wants her trial to be public, knowing that a show of contrition is her only real hope of survival amongst the more merciful members of the tribunal. The Order is unlikely to concede to her terms ; the best she can hope for is to save Simon's life. In fact, despite her claims of vital knowledge, Damhan-Allaidh was always planning to sacrifice her to the Order, so kept any key strategic information from her. Galera will be interrogated for what little information she has and then tried before the Order, found guilty and Marched. One thing she can tell them is that Damhan-Allaidh is indestructible as long as his external soul is unblemished, but a mere scratch on his soul object can obliterate him. Soul objects are typically made of stone or metal, and well-hidden; she cannot tell them what form Damhan-Allaidh's takes.

Simon's fate is less uncertain than Galera's. House Mercere is extremely unlikely to allow a second Gifted member of Mercere's lineage to be executed, particularly one so young. They argue strongly for his rehabilitation as an apprentice, preferably within their own House. Ideally for the rest of the story Simon is apprenticed at a covenant that is not too far from the player covenant, with a magus of House Mercere moving into a neighboring covenant if no suitable master exists.

As far as the player characters are concerned, the story is over. The villainous Galera is defeated, and her testimony that she was working with Damhan-Allaidh is passed off as the insane rambling of a murderous oath-breaker, even if she sincerely believes it. The Order of Hermes doesn't want to believe that Damhan-Allaidh still lives. Nevertheless, it is so; his cuckoo has been planted within the Order, and he just needs to wait for the right time for it to hatch.

A couple of years after commencing his Hermetic apprenticeship, Simon runs away from home. This is not uncommon for children of his age, and apprentices have an even harder time at puberty. Depending upon the circumstances of his training, this may be a story that involves the player characters. Naturally, if a player magus is Simon's master, then a story is necessary. If the player covenant is close to Simon's master, then they may be asked to help find him; the magus thinks that the player characters might have some insight as to where the boy may have run. Otherwise, they may simply hear about his temporary abscondment from the local Redcap, who knows that they have a history with Simon.

From the outside, this story appears to be nothing more than a troubled teenager running away from home and getting into trouble. If the characters investigate, suspecting something more sinister because of Simon's past, then they are disappointed. Possibilities for stories include the following.

• Simon flees to a nearby town. His purloined money is soon spent, and he falls in with a gang of street urchins. He impresses them with his simple magical tricks, and becomes their leader.
• Simon joins up with some traveling players. However, they are faeries in disguise, and the troupe leader is

cognizant of the role of creativity over glamour. He plans to use Simon to alter their story and acquire more vitality in the process.

• Simon heads for the wilderness, and falls into a crevasse. He is trapped, injured, and pretty sure there is something in here with him, stalking him.This should not be a particularly troubling story, and be easily resolved. Simon's master might possess an Arcane Connection to his apprentice, allowing him to be found easily. Simon has only superficial knowledge of Hermetic magic, and he has no true desire to escape from his master. This is just an escapade of a normal adolescent.

Apart from this single glitch, nothing about the rest of Simon's apprenticeship stands out. He is intelligent and eager to learn, and appears to harbor no resentment against the Order for its treatment of his mother. His master has noticed that he has become a little more withdrawn as he ages, but nothing that one wouldn't expect of a teenager.

At the end of the second part of this story, Simon is an innocent. He knows nothing about Damhan-Allaidh's plans, or indeed, that he harbors that creature's soul within his heart. He has a fear of the Order of Hermes thanks to his mother's indoctrination, but this is nothing that cannot be unlearned. He is likely to be thoroughly investigated by House Guernicus, and they find nothing more than a Gifted child grieving for his traitor mother. Even the external soul wrapped up in his heart is hidden by his Gift.

Simon will be a short-lived celebrity in the Order; the claim that he has met The Spider will give him a modicum of fame, although he never saw the spirit to which his mother talked and cannot corroborate its existence. He commences an apprenticeship, most likely under a member of House Mercere, and is forgotten by the Order as a whole. A player character may be able to present a strong enough case to claim him as an apprentice themselves, particularly if they are of House Mercere. The characters could instead extract a substantial "reward" (i.e. price) from House Mercere, which might be more useful in the long run.

Simon is about ten years old at the end of the second story, having been born about five years prior to the first story. If the first interval was longer than the suggested five years, then remember to advance Simon's age.

Unbeknownst to everybody – initially Simon included – Damhan-Allaidh used the opportunity when Simon ran away to possess the apprentice, taking up residence within the boy's body. He couldn't do so beforehand because of the protection of the Aegis of the Hearth and his master's Parma Magica. While he is not actively controlling Simon, the boy is not under any active magical effect that can be detected, and the spirit is not excluded by warding magic or an Aegis. Damhan-Allaidh cannot immediately control Simon within the covenant's Aegis, but apprentices are commonly given casting tokens to the Aegis in order to help with their master's laboratory work, and once he gains more control over his magic Simon will be invited to participate in the ritual spell.

Damhan-Allaidh remains covertly hidden within Simon. He knows everything that the apprentice knows, and over time begins to exert subtle control over the apprentice as he prepares to take control of his body and complete his transformation to corporeality. The spirit is less subtle when Simon is sent on errands away from the covenant, and Damhan-Allaidh has the opportunity to meet with allies.

Simon first noticed the gaps in his memory about two years ago. Subtle investigation on his part has revealed to him that he has had unexplained absences from the covenant that he does not remember (the grogs think he has a girlfriend in a nearby village). His suspicions regarding what was wrong with him were confirmed when the spirit with whom he shared a head decided to speak with him directly. Damhan-Allaidh gloated over the boy's predicament, telling him that he could do nothing to stop the transformation, and that he might as well accept his fate. Damhan-Allaidh's control renders Simon incapable of telling his master what is happening, so for now, he has been forced to watch, and wait.

In this final part of the story, Simon plots to free himself from Damhan-Allaidh's influence. He knows that the ancient spirit is planning to steal his body, but is incapable of stopping it by himself. He therefore gets the player characters involved, hoping that they will work out for themselves what is happening and put an end to Damhan-Allaidh's dastardly plans. Damhan-Allaidh allows this to take place, since he has always planned to deal with the player characters in retribution for imperiling his schemes, and now is as good a time as any.

Damhan-Allaidh plans to become human by acquiring the Transformed Human Virtue (Realms of Power: Magic page 47). He does this through an Initiation Script. The Mysteries Revised Edition Chapter Two has more information on Initiations, but all that is necessary to know is that Damhan-Allaidh has to be at a particular place at a certain time. The script also requires a Gifted individual whose heart is the initiate's external soul: the Initiation requires the sacrifice of both the person and the External Soul Virtue, and the Initiate acquires the body of the sacrifice.

In order to complete his scheme to take over Simon's body, Damhan-Allaidh must get the boy to a particular place at

a certain time. Since Simon is the apprentice of a Hermetic magus, Damhan-Allaidh is forced to take a circuitous route to secure this. He decides to involve the player characters, and clear up a loose end at the same time. When he gets a moment to himself away from his covenant, Damhan-Allaidh summons a magical assassin, and gives it a list of names of people to kill. This includes the names of all the player characters who thwarted him directly in previous stories, plus the names of any storyguide characters who got in his way. Included in the list is Simon's name, a deliberate ploy by Damhan-Allaidh to bring the characters to him.

There are several ways in which the player characters can get involved. In the first, the characters are attacked when they are away from the covenant on an unrelated issue, such as gathering vis or traveling to Tribunal. The second method is that the player characters hear of the death of one of their allies, and are themselves attacked when they investigate the matter. A harsher variant of this option is that one of the covenant grogs is caught alone and murdered by the assassin and the rest of the characters get involved when she does not return home.

The assassin is a spider-giant hybrid called an inspiderwiht. Although naturally twenty feet tall, an inspiderwiht can shrink itself to the size of a mouse, and subtracts its Size from all stealth rolls. Furthermore, they are capable of perfect silence, which grants another +6 bonus. It is therefore likely that the inspiderwiht is able to successfully creep up on the characters. It has orders to only kill those on the list of names it has been given, and constantly mutters that list of names over and over once battle is enjoined. Once it locates someone on its list using the Know the Name power, it attacks with great ferocity. Note that due to Magic Resistance, it is unlikely to identify magi as its targets, although if it hears another character use a name on its list it switches targets immediately. Characters should be in battle with it long enough to hear it recite the full list a few times, and note the inclusion of 'Simon son of Galera' amongst the names.

Reunion with Simon

Hopefully, the player characters realize that Simon is in danger. There could be more of these monsters out there, and they clearly want him dead for a reason. This should be sufficient impetus to contact Simon's master or travel to his covenant. They will learn, either in a return letter or from Simon himself, that Simon has been beset by bad dreams harking back to the time he was with his mother. He has questions for the player characters about the ruined fort in which they found Rufus: he can describe it perfectly despite not remembering ever being there. He was about five years old at the time of the first story, and staying alone at one of the many houses rented by his mother.

If the characters use spells to improve Simon's memory, they find them ineffective. They might assume that the memories have been deliberately removed; but in this case it is the influence of Damhan-Allaidh's mind control. He asks if the characters could take him to the ruined fort, to see if anything there manages to prompt his memory. His master is in favor of this; he can spare Simon for a season, and would rather the boy resolves any issues of his murky past.

On the road to the ruined fort, the player characters have the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with Simon. When they last saw him he was a frightened boy; now he is a young man of surprising intelligence with a confident manner. He has an inquiring mind, and engages any player magus willing to debate with him in a discussion on almost any subject other than his mother. He already knows the basics – that she tortured and murdered another redcap, and tried to ruin the player characters – but Damhan-Allaidh has been whispering sordid details about his mother's life into his head for over two years, in an attempt to demoral-

ize the boy and break his spirit.

The ruined fort is much as the player characters remember it. Gloom hangs over the stones like a funereal shroud, and light fails to penetrate its murky shadows. There is no evidence of any monstrous spiders here; the only arachnids that remain are normal sized. However, their presence might make players paranoid and characters nervous, so the storyguide should mention them at every opportunity.

Simon feels that he has been here before, and leads the characters confidently to the large cavern containing the ravine. He knows that a chamber lies beyond, and asks the player characters to help him cross. The absence of the monstrous spiders has left the ravine without a bridge. It is ten paces wide and fifteen paces deep. Prepared characters may have had their grogs carry ropes and grapnels, or else they may have to rely upon magic.

The chamber where Rufus died is just as the characters left it, although Simon can describe exactly what it looked like when the characters first came here. If the player characters did not resolve matters with Rufus's ghost (for example, if he doesn't know that Galera is dead) then he still haunts this chamber, and has become a vengeful spirit bitter with his betrayal by both his fiancée and the player characters.

Having inspected every inch of the chamber, Simon then suggests following the river at the bottom of the ravine upstream. It is unlikely that the player characters explored here when they were here last, and Simon is not sure why he wants to do so now. Climbing to the bottom of the ravine and struggling against the icy torrent of water in cramped conditions and pitch darkness may be challenge enough, but there are further perils here.

• There are no riverbanks, and the characters must slog upstream along the stream bed. The water is two to three feet deep in most places, and icy cold. The player characters must make Deprivation rolls with an interval of three hours to fight off exhaustion and hypothermia from the cold water. Since all characters are partially submerged in the water, they suffer a –3 penalty to these rolls. If characters become soaked through they suffer a –6 penalty instead. Due to the slippery conditions, rolls involving physical activity have three extra botch dice.

• Unseen beneath the foaming water are deep potholes cut out by stones caught in the swirling current. The lead character is certain to fall into the first of these; whether she is followed in depends on the reactions of those following. Characters submerged in a pothole must make a Strength + Swim roll against an Ease Factor of 6 to fight the strong current sufficiently to catch a breath, else they begin to drown. The character's Burden, rather than Encumbrance, acts as a penalty on this roll.
• The characters find themselves at the base of a subterranean waterfall. It rises fifteen paces over a horizontal distance of ten paces. Climbing over the slippery

rocks while water cascades over the top is physically demanding, requiring a Strength + Athletics roll against an Ease Factor of 12. If the characters have ropes then once one is in place subsequent characters have a +3 bonus to the climbing roll. A character can be hauled up by other characters: this requires a total Strength of +3, and the dragged character suffers +0 damage from the bumps and scrapes he receives.

• The channel through which the stream runs narrows dramatically. Make a Dexterity + Athletics roll, with an Ease Factor of 6 + (3 x Size) to get through the gap. Failure indicates the character cannot get through without help, a botch indicates the character has become wedged tight. Help can be provided from lamp oil or similar, which allows the character a +3

Characteristics: Int +4, Per 0, Pre 0, Com +2, Str –2, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik 0

Size: 0 Age: 15 (15) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 (0) Confidence Score: 2 (5)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Free Expression, Great Intelligence, Self-Confident, Strong-Willed; Plagued by Supernatural Entity; Unpredictable Magic

Personality Traits: Preoccupied +2, Independent +1, Likable +1

Reputations: Son of a Marched Redcap 1 (Hermetic)

Combat:

Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense +2 Damage n/a

Soak: +1

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Local 2 (roads), Artes Liberales 1 (deciphering handwriting), Athletics 1 (slippery conditions), Awareness 1 (spiders), Brawl 1 (dodge), Concentration 1(5) (Muto), Finesse 2 (Creo), Folk Ken 1 (adults), Latin 3 (5) (Hermetic), Magic Lore 2 (spiders), Magic Theory 2 (10) (Muto), Music 2 (peasant reels), Native Language* 5 (local dialect), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (5) (House Mercere), Stealth 1 (woodland)

* Note that this should be the same language and dialect as spoken by Galera

Arts: Cr 2, In 0, Mu 5, Pe 0, Re 3; An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 3, He 0, Ig 0, Im 2(2), Me 0, Te 2(2), Vi 0

Twilight Scars: none

Equipment: Good quality clothes, secret keepsake of his mother

Encumbrance: 0 (0) Spells Known: none yet

Appearance: For those who knew Galera, Simon bears a strong resemblance to his mother, with the same sharp features and blond hair. His intelligence is evident since he is a confident speaker, especially when talking about magic. He loves to sing, and does so frequently when he thinks he is alone.

Simon has been designed with four points of Virtues and Flaws. He should be finished with further Virtues and Flaws appropriate to his parens and eventual House, and his free House Virtue. If he has been trained by a player character, then his Abilities and Arts should be calculated in the usual way rather than using those here.

to the roll. A character pulling or pushing another can also add +3 to the stuck character's roll, but the character in the gap suffers +3 damage from abrasion and bruising. A wedged character might be able to be pulled free by a strong character, although the damage taken increases by the puller's Strength.

In addition to these natural hazards, there may be some denizens of the longabandoned mines and subterranean tunnels that do not appreciate the intrusion into their home. Examples of such creatures include an elemental that has rarefied from an untapped seam of silver or the ghosts of a trapped mine team.

Galera's Hidey-Hole

Simon eventually spots a side tunnel leading from the stream, situated about ten feet from the water's surface. This would be easy to miss: it is only because Simon somehow knew it was there that he managed to find it. After a few twists and turns the tunnel leads to a small chamber, clearly a natural cave that has been enlarged and had the floor leveled. A niche holds the remnants of a straw mattress, and an escritoire (traveler's writing desk) sits on the floor. This contains an inkstone, some scraps of parchment, and other materials used by scribes. There is a crude box containing the decade-old remains of

Magic Might: 28 (Corpus)

Season: Summer

Characteristics: Int –3, Per +1, Pre 0, Com –3, Str +12, Sta +3, Dex +3, Qik 0

Size: +5

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Human; Magical Monster; Great Quickness x2, Improved Characteristics, Perfect Balance, Tough, Warrior; Monstrous Appearance*, Oath of Fealty (to Damhan-Allaidh)

* free with Magic Human

Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Gigantic x4, Greater Powers; Corpus Resistance, Improved Might x3, Improved Powers, Improved Soak x3, Lesser Power, Personal Powers

Personality Traits: Loyal to Damhan-Allaidh +3, Gullible +2, Expressionless +1 Combat:

Rope: Init –1, Attack +15, Defense +5, Damage n/a**

Thrown Stone: Init –1, Attack +10, Defense +4, Damage +14

Claw: Init –1, Attack +7, Defense +1, Damage +15

** see below

Soak: +14

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–10), –3 (11– 20), –5 (21–30), Incapacitated (31- 40), Dead (41+)

Abilities: Athletics 5 (climbing), Awareness 3 (targets), Brawl 4 (claws), Corpus Resistance 5 (Perdo), Leadership 2 (intimidation), Living Language 4 (local dialect), Stealth 2 (stalking), Thrown Weapon 6 (rope)

Powers:

Gift of the Spider, nonmagical: The inspiderwiht each have six arms. This grants a +6 bonus to certain Dexterity tasks such as climbing, and to contests of Strength. If fighting singly, they can strike three times in melee combat (or potentially wield three sets of weapons in combat). If fighting as a group, each counts as three opponents for the purpose of wounds inflicted.

Minute Size of the Webwalker, 1 point, Init –4, Corpus: The inspiderwiht can shrink itself to Size –10; with its eight limbs it appears as a mouse-sized spider. The creature can end this power at any time, taking a round to return to full size. MuCo 35 (Base 3, +2 Sun, +2 Size, +2 reduce Size to –10, +1 affect equipment) Greater Power (35 levels, –3 Might cost)

Walk Silently, 0 points, constant effect, Imaginem: Inspiderwihten are eerily silent when they move; despite their huge size even their footfalls make no sound. This grants at least a +6 bonus to Stealth rolls. PeIm 15 (Base 3, +2 Sun, +1 changing image, +1 constant effect) Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)

Know the Name, 0 points, Init –9, Mentem: Only some inspiderwihten have this power. It reveals the name of anyone who makes eye contact with the creature. InMe 20 (Base 15, +1 Eye) Lesser Power (20 levels, –5 Might cost, +1 Init with 5 mastery points from Improved Powers)

Equipment: Three ropes of knotted crude silk covered in a sticky coating. Each is 40 feet long

Vis: 6 Corpus in six of its limbs

Appearance: This horrid hybrid of human and spider is equally at home on two, four, six, or all eight of its legs. When standing upright, its head bobs twenty feet above the ground from a foreshortened and hunchbacked body. Their faces are a terrifying amalgam of spider and human. All of its limbs end in a clawed hand. An inspiderwiht can walk on walls and even ceilings if the space is big enough. Their skin is glossy black, with solitary hairs a finger's width thick scattered sparsely over their bodies. They seldom talk, leaving the impression they are mute.

The inspiderwihten are a clan of giants who were allies of Damhan-Allaidh during his war with Pralix. They still honor an ancient bond of fealty to the sorcerer.

Inspiderwihten throw weighted sticky ropes in combat, which coil around body parts and grip tight. If a rope hits with an Attack Advantage of 6, then it manages to catch a limb in the coils of the rope, preventing the character from using one hand, denying him either his weapon or his shield, or limiting spellcasting gestures. If the Attack Advantage is 9 or more, then the rope has caught the opponent around the neck (begin making deprivation rolls) or torso (pinning arms to sides and preventing attacks, defenses, or spellcasting gestures). The ropes may be cut with edged weapons by rolling a stress die and adding the Weapon Damage modifier; this is opposed against a stress roll plus the rope's Soak of 8. Success means than the rope has been cut, failure means the rope's Soak has been reduced by 1.

food, and a few other personal effects such as children's toys. The walls of the cave are plastered with parchment. Some have been nailed in place, others pasted there.

Everything in the room is coated with black mold, which releases clouds of black spores when disturbed, which can cause choking (make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 6 or else lose a Fatigue level). The spores are also flammable, and make open flames flare. The mold has left the writing on the parchment illegible in places. It is up to the storyguide how much of the information below has been lost, and how difficult it is to interpret the rest.

Simon remembers being here as a child: the toys are his, and he recalls playing with them while his mother worked. He also remembers something traumatic happening to him here; his mother was not present and he remembers calling for her. The detail escapes him, however. This is where Galera tried to make sense of Damhan-Allaidh's plans. Bear in mind that not all (or indeed any) of this information needs to be true — Galera was prone to fantasies, and some of this is how she intended to help her master, but written as if he had already agreed to it. This is an excellent opportunity for the player characters to learn plot points that they may have missed, or to glean more details on the hidden history of Damhan-Allaidh. Other information here could include:

• Pages from a Scottish magus Bonisagus called Domhnull Beg who has made a study of ancient Pictish magician-priests and their gods;
• Reports from a Hibernian magus regarding external souls amongst heathen Cruithnigh magicians;
• Diary entries from Galera recording her joy when Atorcoppe referred to her son as "a precious boy";
• Details of a stone circle with an unusual alignment scouted out by Galera.

Galera had all the information she needed to piece together her master's true plan, but never managed to work out the threat to her son since her unstable intellect was clouded by devotion to her master. However, Damhan-Allaidh can see it laid out here on the walls, and must take steps to remove it. He takes control of Simon, and contrives an accident, such as tripping over something on the floor and dropping a lantern, spreading burning oil everywhere. Alternatively he might destroy key information while ostensibly trying to get it off the wall. After this 'accident', the player characters might be suspicious of Simon, but the boy (now back in control) can truthfully say he didn't do it, while unable to say that it was due to his unwelcome passenger.

If they haven't already planned to do so, Simon suggests to the player characters that they investigate the stone circle mentioned in Galera's notes since it is not too far from here. Once again, this is Damhan-Allaidh in control. If they need an extra push, 'Simon' might mention that perhaps they will find Damhan-Allaidh's external soul at this ancient monument.

Damhan-Allaidh requires an ancient stone monument as the setting for his ritual, which must take place at moonrise of a waning gibbous moon. The distance between the old fort and the stone circle should be appropriate to the time that the characters leave the fort; they should arrive there just before the waning gibbous moon rises, which is about three hours after sunset. This moon phase lasts four days. If the characters arrange to arrive at a different time, then 'Simon' tries to manipulate matters so that they are still around at the requisite time, such as suggesting that they explore the circle.

The monument consists of eight stones arranged in an ellipse whose long axis runs east-west. Six of the stones are about five feet high and three feet wide. Two stones that flank the western apex of the ellipse are taller than the other stones (about seven feet high), making a clear gateway into the monument. Perceptive characters (Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 9, or more if lighting conditions are poor) might notice that one of these 'gate stones' is stained and dark on one side, indicating that until recently it had been recumbent and half buried. There is a tumulus toward the eastern end of the ellipse, which has a deep depression in front of it marking the location of the entrance to the burial chamber. The whole monument has a Magic aura of 5.

Despite appearances, the stone monument is not deserted. There are inspiderwihten here, enough to pose a significant challenge to the player characters. They lurk in minute form, hidden in various places including in the hollow before the tumulus.

Inside the Tumulus

The tumulus looks like a likely place to explore. The mound is twenty paces long and stands five paces high, but the subterranean entrance adds another two paces to the interior height. The door is formed from two upright stones with a third slab as a lintel, and it is filled with earth. Beyond the blocked doorway, a narrow and cramped passage takes a crooked path to the center of the hill, which contains a single chamber. There is a central bier that is surrounded by sealed jars, moldering piles of coins and trinkets, and age-old armor and weapons. The bier bears what at first glance is a body, but is actually a recumbent statue made of a glassy red stone. Close inspection reveals that the face of the statue is marred, almost as if the original face had been clumsily removed and another carved in its place. There is also a small hole above the heart, and within is a stone arrowhead, although the shaft of the arrow has long since rotted away.

The Ritual Begins

If the characters explore the tumulus, "Simon" elects to remain outside "to keep out of the way." As the moon rises, Damhan-Allaidh begins a Pictish chant to Sluag, god of the dead. He has a curved knife in hand – provided by one of the inspiderwihten – and he is making shallow cuts on his bared chest. If any characters have remained outside, they are engaged by the inspiderwihten who emerge from hiding. As the sounds draw the remaining characters out of the tumulus, they see Simon, clearly possessed, about to plunge the knife into his chest, and yet struggling against his own actions. This struggle lasts long enough for the player characters to fight their way to him. He is exhausted by his internal struggle, and looks at the char-

acter with whom he has had the best rapport. "Stab me in the heart!" shouts Simon. "Cut off my head!" yells Damhan-Allaidh.

The characters have moments to act. The inspiderwihten impose a time pressure, and Damhan-Allaidh will eventually be able to overcome Simon's will and complete the ritual. Ideally, he wants to complete his ritual and cut out Simon's heart,

Obviously, the hook to this story is dependent on Simon's master being willing to let him go free for a season. If that master is a player character, then it should be established prior to the beginning of this story that Simon suffers from night terrors which leave him exhausted and lacking in concentration on the following day. These dreams occur frequently enough that it occasionally interferes with the help that Simon provides in lab activities. The master should therefore be keen to discover the origin of these nightmares and maybe end them for good.

and is prepared to spend a significant portion of his Might pool on his Possession power to ensure this. However, if the player characters are going to stop him, he wants them to cut off Simon's head, preserving his external soul. Simon on the other hand is prepared to sacrifice himself to kill Damhan-Allaidh for good. It is difficult to distinguish who is speaking because Damhan-Allaidh's Magic Might makes

If the saga is appropriately located (in the British Isles, for example), then the stone circle is a monument to Damhan-Allaidh, erected by his followers upon his defeat. In this case, the statue is an effigy of the ancient sorcerer. This makes the site highly appropriate to be the site of his resurrection ritual. In other Tribunals, the tumulus is the grave of an important pre-Hermetic wizard.

Either way, there are grave goods that are of interest to player characters, either as enchantments or as sources of insight into non-Hermetic magic. There could also be a stockpile of vis, and possibly ancient magical traps or curses with which to contend. The tumulus contains the player characters' rewards for this story, and should be tailored to contain objects of significant interest or value.

Penetration of any truth-telling spell a significant challenge. Arcane and Sympathetic Connections to Simon do not help Penetrate the spirit's Magic Resistance.

The player characters must make a decision, and make it quickly. Both personalities within Simon's body continue to exhort the characters to act. If they prevaricate, then Damhan-Allaidh has the opportunity to complete his ritual before they can stop him (see The Characters Fail). If they cut off Simon's head, they kill Simon and defeat — but not destroy— Damhan-Allaidh (see The Characters Kill Simon). If they go for Simon's heart, then they can damage the external soul (see The Characters Kill Damhan-Allaidh).

The player characters could decide to do

At the option of the storyguide, defeating Damhan-Allaidh through the destruction of his external soul may not be the end of the sorcerer. An opponent this old and powerful may have arranged some sort of back-up plan that preserves his essential being in some dark recess of the Magic Realm. It may be a lifetime or more before he gathers enough power to project himself back to the mundane realm and resume his plans to destroy the Order.

both: decapitating Simon and stabbing him in the heart. This will have the desired effect of killing Damhan-Allaidh, although they might later learn that Simon's death was preventable, since only the tiniest scratch to his

heart is necessary to kill Damhan-Allaidh.

The Characters Fail

The characters fail to stop Damhan-Allaidh if he manages to cut out Simon's intact heart from his own body. The player characters will be treated to a show of light and sound as the mystical forces align and Damhan-Allaidh returns to the world. There is a cry like several voices shouting at once, and a shimmering curtain of shifting light and shadow descends from the heavens and funnels into the gaping wound in Simon's chest. The heart in his hand crystallizes into a translucent heartshaped red stone containing the remnants of Damhan-Allaidh's Magic Might in the form of 8 pawns of Corpus vis. His Magic Might is now zero, and he has lost the External Soul Virtue: damaging the stone heart will no longer harm him.

Damhan-Allaidh is now fully incarnate as a mortal sorcerer Opened to the Hermetic Arts, as well as possessing the powers of a puissant magician of four other traditions of magic. His first concern is escape. His Hermetic Arts are underdeveloped, but he has other powers upon which to draw. While any remaining inspiderwihten occupy the player characters he flees. A typical escape scenario has him grant himself the shape of a swarm of spiders and scatter in all directions; he might first curse his opponents with druidic magic, enhance his speed of movement with rune spells, or create an earthquake with elementalism.

The Characters Kill Simon

Characters who kill Simon by decapitation or some other means that leaves his heart intact do not manage to kill Damhan-Allaidh. He is greatly inconvenienced by the death of his vessel, but he can recover from this. He hopes that the characters fail to recognize the significance of Simon's heart. Certainly, it will appear as if Simon committed a great act of sacrifice to prevent Damhan-Allaidh from returning to the world, and this should accord his corpse a measure of respect.

Damhan-Allaidh must still arrange for the heart to be removed intact from Simon's corpse, and then repeat his earlier Initiation to migrate his external soul into another Gifted person's heart. He probably will not choose a member of the Order of Hermes second time around, and will be a lot more cautious with his approach, having tasted failure so close to his triumph. It may be many years before he returns to the flesh and recommences his plans to destroy the Order.

If the characters damage or destroy Simon's heart then Damhan-Allaidh is destroyed. A character specifically targeting Simon's heart in combat must state he is doing so, and inflict a Heavy Wound on him with a piercing weapon. In general a spell that is not specifically designed to damage the heart, or not deployed in a manner that would do so, will not accidentally cause this sort of damage. Destroying Simon's body after death also destroys Damhan-Allaidh's spirit. It is possible to destroy Damhan-Allaidh's external soul without killing Simon: the merest scratch on his heart is enough. However, such an operation must be conducted with the utmost delicacy, and magical healing via a Creo Corpus ritual spell is pretty much essential to avoid Simon suffering long-term consequences of such medieval heart surgery, such as the Enfeebled Flaw.

The death of Damhan-Allaidh's spirit should be accompanied by suitably dramatic special effects, involving spectral winds, flashing lights, and a howl of utter despair that haunts the dreams for months to come. Those with Second Sight (or other capacity to see spirits) are treated to the full show.