<CENTER> <TABLE> <TR> <TD> <A HREF="main.html">[Main Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="srpage.html">[Shadowrun Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="edpage.html">[Earthdawn Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="links.html">[My Links]</A> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <BR> </CENTER>

Gateway



Plot Synopsis

Almost two millennia ago, a powerful human Nethermancer known as Kaiyan Miril created a gateway through the astral plane, the gateway had some astonishing abilities. First, it could transport you, anywhere in the world in seconds. Second, it could allow you to see and hear what is going on anywhere in the world. Third, it could pull any object, or person from anywhere, and place them anywhere in the world that the user desired.

It did however, have some drawbacks also, it required a Human mind to control it (A safety precaution placed there by Kaiyan), and it required a vast amount of power, drawn mostly from astral space, but a portion of it must be life force ( Kaiyan used animals, not sentient beings even though they power the gateway better).

Kaiyan died at the age of three hundred and twenty-eight, but before she did, she closed the entrance to the gateway chamber and placed a few protections within it.

Two months ago the Horror named Mirkraag found the entrance to Kaer Jeddin that, as fate would have it, sat on top of Kaiyan's Gateway, the horror sensed the power emanating from it, and decided to investigate. Mirkraag discovered the gateway, and instantly saw the benefits it could bestow upon her. The defences of the gateway were not able to withstand the power of the great horror, ten cadaver men and an undead brithian were no match for her.

She has now finished analysing the gateway, and is fully aware of how to use it. She has devised a plan, she has created a small horde of Jezrai Constructs to find people to power the Astral Gateway, and to find the perfect person to control it. She has procured the inn above the entrance to the Gateway (The Rose and Thorn), and is posing as the handsome and charming, male elven innkeeper, Amandil Charon, until she finds the right person to control the gateway.

The scenario begins when a dwarf merchant named Korlin Weathervale hires the party to escort his friend Ulux Taru, a second circle human nethermancer.


Part I - Beautiful Nether for It.



Overview

The characters are hired to escort a human nethermancer named Ulux Taru, it is assumed that they are all together in their local bar. They should set off within one day of being hired.


Setting the Stage

Read the following, or paraphrase:

You're sitting at a table, having a drink with your companions, when a well-dressed, fat, balding dwarf, enters the inn. He looks around the room, then walks directly over to you.


Read the following in an aristocratic English voice:

"Excuse me, ahh.... I...um.... was wondering if you might possibly be Adepts, eh-what?", he says with a nervous smile.

"I ahh... would like to ahh... hire um... you for a small task ahh... for money of course, what?"
"The task, ahh... the task, ahh... well ahh..., I have an associate waiting in ahh... Kaer Jeddin, 5 days ride to the southeast. I would like you to escort ahh... him back here. His name is ahh... Ulux Taru, I have a-ahh... likeness of him what?, ahh... yes. will you ahh... do it? what?"
"Aah...yes...ahh... I was thinking maybe six hundred silver pieces between you, what what?


The Likeness

The painting is of exquisite quality, coloured with watercolours on a canvass backing. The painting itself is of an attractive male human with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, he has an unmarred, pallid complexion not unlike that of an elf's.

If the characters turn down Korlins offer, he will raise the payment to no more than one thousand silver pieces total. He is not stupid, and knows that someone else will be prepared to work for the amount he offered.

Once the characters accept his offer he will thank them for accepting, and pay them one third up front.


Part II – Consumed by Fire




Overview

As the party travels to Kaer Jeddin, they see encounter a burning farmhouse, and two Jezrai Constructs standing over the farmer. The farmers wife and daughter are inside the farmhouse. This encounter is not meant to kill the party, merely to warn them of the dangers ahead, if they party are having a bad time of it, have the constructs fly off, don’t tell the party why, just do it.

Setting the Stage


Read the following, or paraphrase:

You’ve been travelling for about four days now, and have yet to encounter a single person. You’ve been spending most of today day-dreaming of high-adventure, rescuing helpless villagers from the clutches of an evil overlord, when one of your party spots a plume of smoke rising from a farmhouse in the distance, two dark silhouettes dance around the house.

Once the characters approach, read the following:

The two creatures stand about five and a half feet tall, they have two huge wings, each is easily the same size as the creature itself. Multitudes of razor sharp crystalline tentacles protrude from their chest, whipping and snapping at you with great ferocity. Their heads are elongated and distorted, and their hands end in long, sharp claws.

If the characters make perception (10) tests, they can hear screaming from inside the house.

If things go well, the characters will defeat the Jezrai Constructs (Not necessarily by killing them, they will retreat if they feel at a disadvantage), and rescue the people from the burning building. The GM should feel free to improvise the rescue from the building.

The farmer will thank the characters profusely, and offer them bed and board, anytime they pass by here.


Part III – Every Rose Has A Thorn…




Overview

In this section, the characters realise that the simple trip to Kaer Jeddin is not going to be as relaxing as they thought. They discover that people are going missing, or in some cases, never arriving. They begin to suspect that it has something to do with The Rose and Thorn inn, and possibly the innkeeper.


Setting the Stage

Read the following, or paraphrase:

The crowd mills around you as you pass through the dimly lit entrance to Kaer Jeddin, an array of characters weaves in and out of the sea of people, young girls, some no older than twelve years of age, proposition wealthy looking visitors, offering their services for a few coppers. Ominous robed figures with hoods carefully concealing their faces. Beggars harassing people for meagre offerings, and shifty looking merchants selling ‘Powerful Artefacts’ for ridiculously low prices.

The smell of spice fills your nostrils as you pass by an old woman selling something of dubious origins, you graciously turn down a free sample and press on. You’ve got more important things to do than be in bed, recovering from food poisoning.

You travel on, allowing the flow of the crowd to draw you along for a while, until you happen upon the very inn you are looking for, the sign outside is a little worn, but the thorned rose can clearly be seen over the doorway.

As you enter the noise of the crowd outside fades away, replaced by the dulcet tones of an elven troubadour sitting in the centre of the barroom cheerfully plucking away on his lute.

The innkeep, a handsome young elf, smiles as you enter. "Welcome strangers, what may I do for you on a fine day like today?"

Behind the Scenes

As explained earlier, the barkeep is actually the horror Mirkraag, the real barkeep, Amandil Charon, has been taken by Mirkraags Jezrai Constructs to become part of the fuel for the gateway.

The party may ask several questions, some of which are covered below:

If the party asks Amandil about Ulux Taru, unless the party have already spoken to the troubadour, he will deny any knowledge of Ulux, or anyone fitting his description. If they have spoken to Arius, then Amandil will simply say that in his business, it is hard to remember every new face that comes in here.

If the party asks Amandil about the Jezrai Attacks, he will look concerned, and tells them that they started a few months ago, and have been becoming more frequent.

If the party asks Amandil if there has been any horror activity near here, he will laugh, and say "If there were, do you think I would still be here?"

The troubadour is of the fourth circle, and goes by the name of Arius Theral, he has been in the city for eight weeks now to find out all the gossip.

If the party asks Arius about Ulux Taru, he will say that he did meet him here a few days ago, but that he saw him leave. He will then ask what relation he is to the characters.

The person whom Arius saw leaving was actually Mirkraag.

If the party asks Arius about the Jezrai Constructs, he can tell them that the attacks have apparently been going on for months, he will also tell them abourt several attacks occuring recently, mainly on small caravans. Another interesting fact he will volunteer them is that it is only humans and elves that are being attacked. He will then ask if the characters have seen these foul beasts, if they tell him of their encounter at the farm, he will try to get as much detail out of them as possible.

If the party asks Arius if there has been any horror activity nearby, he says that there has not, and will ask why they want to know.


Jezrai Construct

Attributes
DEX: 7 STR: 8 TOU: 10
PER: 7 WIL: 12 CHA: 3

Initiative: 7 Physical Defence: 11
Number Of Attacks: 2 Spell Defence: 9
Attack: 11 Social Defence: 13
Claw Damage: 12 Armour: 9
Bite Damage: 14 Mystic Armour: 8
Tentacle Attack: 15 Knockdown: 8
Number Of Spells: 3 Recovery Tests: 5
Spellcasting: 10
         Effect: 12 Combat Movement: 85
Full Movement: 42
Death Rating: 54 Combat Flight Movement: 100
Wound Threshold: 15 Full Flight Movement: 50
Unconsciousness Rating: 47
Karma Points: 0 Karma Steps: 0


Powers: Stun Touch- If the Jezrai Construct successfully attacks with its tentacles, then it may also try to stun the opponent by making a spellcasting test against the targets spell defence, if successful then roll effect (mystic armour protects).

Legend Points: 395
Equipment: None
Loot: Teeth (1D10 silver worth)

  Commentary: Enchanted creatures of elemental earth and stone, created by the horror Mirkraag, Jezrai Constructs stand about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh an impressive 900 pounds. They have two huge wings, each is easily the same size as the construct itself. Multitudes of razor sharp crystalline tentacles protrude from their chest, whipping and snapping at their opponents with great ferocity. Their heads are elongated and distorted. Their hands end in long claws that they use to rake opponents, often in fly-by attacks, attacking in groups of 6-10. Unusually, Jezrai Constructs do not prey upon the weak, rather they prey on fit, healthy people, mainly humans. No Obsidiman or Troll has ever been taken (They are too heavy to carry away).



Mirkräag

Attributes
DEX: 14 STR: 22 TOU: 25
PER: 16 WIL: 23 CHA: 50

Initiative: 14 Physical Defence: 19
Number Of Attacks: 3   Spell Defence: 18
Attack: 20 Social Defence: 38 (9)*
Damage: 26 Armour: 14
Number Of Spells: 3 Mystic Armour: 12
Spellcasting: 20 Knockdown: 22
         Effect: See Below Recovery Tests: 13
Death Rating: 110 Combat Movement: 85
Wound Threshold: 22 Full Movement: 170
Unconsciousness Rating: 90
Karma Points: 25 Karma Steps: 14


Powers: Animate Dead 15, Cursed Luck 12, Horror Mark 21, Karma Tap 23, Terror 14, Unnatural Life 26, Spells: Circle 8 Nethermancer.

Legend Points: 32755

Equipment: Expensive Clothing.
Loot: 4,000 Silver.

Commentary: Beauteous beyond belief, this horror is both charming and deadly, it can change itself between male and female forms, of human, windling, or elven appearance, and of any age. Its’ motives are for self-gratification, through carnal pleasures (mainly sadomasochistic), but also through the torture of living souls. It has no pity whatsoever, if someone tries to appeal to it for pity, it will toy with them, gaining as much pleasure as possible from the situation.

*It has one true weakness, vanity. If someone appeals to its’ vanity, complementing it on its’ beauty, etc., then it uses the lower social defence value to resist. If it fails to resist, it will become coy, hoping for more flattery, it will not care what gender the flatterer is. Its social defence becomes the lower versus the flatterer until it is insulted, or senses that the flatterer is lying (using the lower social defence).


<CENTER> <TABLE> <TR> <TD> <A HREF="main.html">[Main Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="srpage.html">[Shadowrun Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="edpage.html">[Earthdawn Page]</A> </TD> <TD> <A HREF="links.html">[My Links]</A> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <BR> </CENTER>