The World of Weirth is a setting much like a Hyborian Age, with danger at every turn, Swords & Sorcery magic, demons and mad prophets.
Tribes Of Gnolls And Nomads roam the savanna, while peasants and hedge wizards hide behind the walls of even the meanest thorp. A powerful Ley Line crosses the land, creating transient Gateways to the Faerie Realm.
Meanwhile the influence of Demons And the Belowdark waxes, threatening to cover the world in darkness, a suffocating nightmare that wells up from horror-filled dungeons underground.
Check the World of Weirth tab above for more info, including a draft of the Player’s Guide.
27 Sacha Evening
The party disembarks from the boat by the bridge east of town. Finnean and Rook walk around to look for lodging in the Heather Ring, the rest find a tavern in Trollrock, take shelter at a stable for 3 CP each, which includes a basket of bread and cheese.
Black Tail is hidden in a spot outside of town, with the promise of red meat when they get in and find a private place.
28 Sacha Morning
Rook & Finnean go into town with the deed to the vineyard, to meet with the Clark about taking possession of the property.
The rest go to the property to scout out the situation. They find the manor and grounds in a state of disrepair (not unexpected), with a Hieract Hex Pole mounted in the front gate. It is marked with a fading Hex of Protection from Thievery.
They determine that they are able to enter without trouble, as they do not have thoughts of larceny.
In the entry of the manor, a large marble statue of Tallorba. In his left hand a paint brush, in his right hand a honeycomb, an actual honeycomb, not carved from marble. The comb is dripping blood onto the floor, making a congealed puddle about three feet across.
Roinseach dips her finger in it, it smells like blood, tastes like blood, and Roinseach’s hair turns white! Roinseach reels a bit from some sort of transformation.
The party explores the west wing of the manor, finding much destruction and decay. Under the wooden parts of the floor is a two foot tall crawlspace. They see a two-tailed cat, it runs off into the vineyard.
In the back of the manor they find a large (4’ x 5’ x 3’), strangely smooth piece of metal, pierced through with smooth holes and channels. Alda’s magical sense detects nothing, in fact, a void of some kind.
Alda has a vision of a disc-headed creature, with ribbons floating in the air, and is Charmed by its presence. She reaches out to touch it, there is a spark as their hands meet, and Alda has a kind of vision. Alda sees a large ballroom, crowded with many finely-dressed people crowded in a ring about a magical circle on the floor. A woman lies in the center of the circle, a pool of blood spreading out around her midsection.
Suddenly the woman’s body heaves in a spasm, and black-clad warriors armed with vicious axes burst from her body. These black warriors attack the crowd, and a massacre ensues! There is an earthquake, part of the ceiling falls in, and the vision fades to black.
The disc-headed creature fades from view, as though it turns to dust and blows away.
In the far corner of the west wing they find a small room with a cracked mirror laying on the floor. They cover it with a cloak and Roinseach tries to move it with her halberd. It slips and cracks the glass of the mirror. A great dark shape rises from the reflection, casting the cloak aside! The warrior is as black as pitch and it attacks. After a brief battle it is destroyed, Roinseach crushes its chest armor with her Keuthonymace, and the glass in the mirror frame shatters with it.
Roinseach was injured in the battle, the creatures black ae sapping some of her strength. Linos is badly wounded, but his Fate is not yet decided (3 Fate points to recover to 1 HP).
Discretion becomes the better part of valor, and they make their way back through the ruined manor. The find the Ballroom, which Alda recognizes from her vision. The sun is yet high in the sky, but the room is in shadow, even though light shines in from a hole in the ceiling and roof.
Even the golden sconces on the wall are ignored in their haste to get to safety.
They return to the tavern/stable to rest and recuperate.
28 Sacha Evening
Rook and Finnean return from town with the fruits of their labors, registration of the deed and a tale of the manor and its downfall.
Vilidar Gra’do was the younger, bastard half-brother of the late Baron Gra’ax (the suffix ‘do signifying this status). His father pushed his mother out of his life, and out of the town, by marrying her to a wealthy widower of Otracasbol. This man was a prestigious vintner and painter, and devoted servant of Tallorba.
Vilidar grew up spoiled and entitled. When his adoptive “father” passed on, Vilidar inherited the land and vines, the fortune he promptly squandered and the vineyard was run into the ground.
“The boy was touched by Darkness,” everyone said.
A year later his mother died and Vilidar’s fortunes seemed to turn around. The vineyard was allowed to run wild, but Vilidar now had money, from a source unknown.
He hosted elaborate fetes and festivals with many contests for strength and beauty over the course of the next year. Then the star fell on the manor house.
When the Watch investigated they found a massacre, but no sign of Vilidar, dead or alive. The Nurdiyan of the Grove placed the hex pole to ward off prying eyes and thieves, who flocked to the ruined pile in search of Vfilidar’s alleged hidden fortune of gold. The property was declared CURSED.
Even drunks and Brigands stay away!
Some curious youths ventured in, past the hex pole, looking for adventure. Or something.
Only one came out, his hair turned white and his pupils turned red. He never spoke again, and drowned himself days later. This was 21 years ago. If anyone else has gone in, no one knows about it, or just isn’t talking.
Rook tells you all that the Clark said, “The place is cursed. Don’t say you haven’t been warned! So sorry you have purchased this worthless land.”
Word gets around that a new owner is interested in taking over the manor. After a few days of resting, an older woman comes to the tavern looking for Rook. She tells a tale of her lost son, a lad very interested in the church of Tallorba. This boy, Vunaxil Cooper (son of a local barrel-maker), told some friends he was going to explore the manor pile, and find the old man’s treasure.
He never came back.
LFG Playtest Campaign 1 - The Shadow of Evil Chaos is an experiment with a new (to me) game system, Low Fantasy Gaming, and a new magic hack designed to bring the atmosphere of danger from the pulp novels of Swords & Sorcery. We are playing fully online over a Discord Voice server, using some home-brew maps, art and characters designed on the HeroForge 3D printing site.
Follow all of the posts here: LFG Playtest Campaign 1.
