From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.berkeley.edu>
Subject: A Patron of the Balance
System: Elric!

The following NPC is meant to be a patron for a group of characters in the Elric! game. He is an Agent of the the Balance, servant of the Gray Lords, and thus should only be used if the characters already show a leaning in that direction.

Jormen Clearthought

Once, Jormen was a solitary hermit, meditating upon the perfect harmony of the balance. In his mind, good and evil, and law and chaos, were all in perfect accord, and thus Jormen became an Agent of the Balance. As time passed, Jormen once more began to look upon the world of the Young Kingdoms. He saw strife and disorder. Chaos was ascendant. So, Jormen once more entered the world.

In the world, Jormen has done what he can to bring the world closer to harmony. It is a long, perhaps endless task. Unfortunately, as Jormen has set about his task, he has fallen far from the perfect balance he once knew. More and more often, he uses the worst tools of both law and chaos. In doing so, he strives to advance balance, but instead disrupts it more.

When the players first meet Jormen, he will be seeking adventurers to help him in some task for the balance. For a time, he will seem very stable, doing only those things which bring about harmony. However, as time passes, Jormen's excesses will become obvious. Eventually, the means that Jormen uses will become their own ends. Jormen will begin to set the players to tasks which increase the power of either Law or Chaos, saying that this will ultimately do good, for it will give him the power to bring greater Harmony to the Young Kingdoms. In the end, Jormen will fall to one of the extremes, and the players will need to decide what to do with their once Patron. Will they follow him down his new path or instead pursue the Balance that he spoke of?

Chaos 59, Balance 89, Law 62

STR 11        CON 13         SIZ 10         INT 16         POW 18
DEX 13        APP 10                         HP 12

Damage Bonus: none

Weapons:
Quarterstaff 103%, damage 1d8

Armor: none

Spells: Jormen should have a large number of spells, including some of
the rare spells known by those races favored by Chaos (See "A
Melnibonean Grimoire" in V3.4). As time progresses, Jormen will
become less and less reluctant to use even the greatest spells, which
might cause massive disruption to the world.

Skills: Bargain 63%, Common Tongue 91%, Evaluate 49%, Fast Talk 78%,
Insight 47%, Mabden 13%, Meditate 187%, Melnibonean 21%, Million
Spheres 03%, Natural World 61%, Oratory 93%, Unknown Kingdoms 17%,
Young Kingdoms 43%

Story Ideas for Jormen's Agents:

* An entire campaign may be based upon the search for the embodiment of the balance in the Young Kingdoms. Like Von Bek's Grail or Dorian
Hawkmoon's Runestaff, legends and myths should be told of this item, and the search for it should be a long and epic one.

* When emissaries of the Purple Towns begin to spread the holy word of Goldar to some of the less civilized Southern lands, Jormen will try to halt this indoctrination. Perhaps the players will try to turn of the Southern natives against the priests of Goldar. Alternatively, they might take a much more direct, aggressive tactic. This story idea would probably work well for servants of Chaos as well. (SEA KINGS OF THE PURPLE TOWNS provides more information on Goldar and the Purple Towns.)

* Jorman learns prophecies of a person destined to bring about great disruption in the Young Kingdoms. The players will be assigned to find this person and destroy him. Perhaps the task is an attainable one. Alternatively, the person might be one of the major characters of the Elric saga. The adventure might be particularly interesting if the person whom Jorman seeks to kill is currently an innocent. A child for example. This story idea would probably work well for servants of Law as well.

* As Jorman grows more confused, he may ask the characters to steal certain items either of law or chaos. The characters will probably realize that the balance would be better served if these items were destroyed, but Jorman will be adamant in his goals.

* Eventually, after Jorman has fallen, the players may be forced into a final battle with him. By then, he should have turned fully to his new religion, an example of how easy it is to move from the path of Harmony.

Shannon