Subject: Prince of Ruins, Part One

From: simon.lee@digitec.co.za (Simon Lee)

System: Elric!

Again I'm note sure if this was completed, but there is so much here then it is no problem to use this.

PRINCE OF RUINS

An introductory Elric! adventure

One of the "unwritten" rules of Elric! roleplaying is never to
directly involve the character of Elric in game scenarios.  Prince of
Ruins breaks this rule from the outset. Elric is one of the more
memorable characters of fantasy (and now role-playing) literature. To
create a first-time Elric! module that does not include Elric seems a
contradiction in terms, particularly as those who enjoyed reading
about Elric are undoubtedly looking forward to gaming with him too. Of
course, introducing the most powerful mortal in the Young Kingdoms to
a group of neophyte characters needs to be handled carefully. The game
master will have to ensure that Elric neither overwhelms the game
session nor becomes the "quick fix" solution to problems the
characters may encounter.

To overcome some of these difficulties, Prince of Ruins is structured
in such a way that Elric remains central to the adventure without
becoming the centre of it. The plot of the scenario revolves around
Elric, but the characters will have to do all the role-playing and
problem-solving themselves. For those players who are intimately
familiar with the Elric saga, and hence have knowledge regarding Elric
and Stormbringer that no character could be assumed to have, an added
complication is introduced: Elric begins the scenario disguised as an
"ordinary" Melnibonian noble. His hair is dyed black, his skin is
coloured by artificial pigments and he is without Stormbringer and the
Ring of Kings. Elric is unlikely to reveal his identity without good
reason, as he is hunted by both Chaos and the various priests of Law.
Once the characters see the runesword, however, they are likely to
suspect something. Even then, the game master should encourage
confusion. An excellent way to do this is to have the players mistake
Elric for Yrkoon (his insane, power-hungry cousin) and Stormbringer
for Mournblade (Yrkoon's sword). No Elric aficionado is going to
release mad prince Yrkoon, much less place his runesword back in his
hand!

The Elric novels are classic "high fantasy" replete with skilled
swordsmen, evil wizards and repulsive nether-creatures. Moorcock,
however, colours his fantasy with moral ambiguities. The last Emperor
of Melniboni is undoubtedly chaotic, but is he any more "evil" than,
say, the unforgiving priests of Law? Melnibonians are certainly
decadent, but are they any crueler than the tightfisted merchants of
the Purple Towns? Moorcock leaves such questions unanswered. He also
suggests that while the gods of both Law and Chaos offer great
advantage to those who follow them, ultimately they betray humanity to
satisfy their own supernatural purposes. Mortals are likely to find
peace only in dedication to the Balance, the middle way between Law
and Chaos. Tragically, Balance is also the most difficult state to
achieve or maintain. Only the lucky few ever reach Tanelorn (the
physical, city-like manifestation of Balance).

In keeping with Moorcock's novels, Prince of Ruins intermingles
elements of both swords & sorcery and intellectual observation. The
game master's task is to integrate these concerns to produce an
adventure that satisfies both minds and conflict skills. As the
scenario progresses, Elric himself becomes a pawn in a desperate
"tug-o-war" between Chaos and Law. Agents of the Chaos god Pyaray seek
to obtain Stormbringer for their own uses, while followers of the
unforgiving Law god Donblas have recognised Elric and want to execute
him before he has a chance to devise a plan of escape. As Elric is
inactive for most of the adventure, the player characters have a large
say in what his eventual fate will be. They can deliver him to Law for
judgement, hand his sword over to the minions of Chaos, or try to
strike a "balance" where both Chaos and Law are thwarted (or
satisfied) and Elric is freed to continue his wanderings. While the
latter is perhaps most desirable, the game master should expect the
players to arrive at various innovative solutions to this problem.

PART 1: GAME MASTER'S INTRODUCTION

The scenario begins in Menii, commercial centre of the Isle of the
Purple Towns. The characters are approached by representatives of the
Church of Goldar to undertake the delicate mission of transporting a
Melnibonian prisoner to the Fortress of Evening. The Church
representatives provide whatever incentives are necessary to get the
characters to accept the mission, including monetary payment, favoured
treatment by Menii bureaucracy, or whatever else the characters
suggest. Only a small percentage of the reward is provided up front,
however. The remainder is to be collected at the Fortress upon
completion of the mission. Such generosity on the part of the Church
of Goldar is likely to make some characters suspicious. The
representatives are at pains to reassure characters that the mission
is of a routine nature, as the prisoner's chaos powers are nullified
by the bonds of Law that he now wears. They are also keen to point out
that the mission is actually the responsibility of a group of the
Church's military men, led by sergeant Firian Kais of the Menii
militia. The characters are on the mission in case of mishap, nothing
more. The high rewards involved merely reflect Goldar's gratitude for
the accomplishment of a urgent and somewhat delicate matter.

The Church representatives are unaware that the Melnibonian they have
captured is Elric, last Emperor of the Dragon Isle. For his own
enigmatic reasons Elric chose to disguise himself while travelling on
the Isle, and now appears as a raven-haired Melnibonean noble with
deep amber eyes. The exact reasons for Elric's presence in Menii, and
the conditions of his capture, are for the game master to decide.
Although he succeeded in concealing his own identity Elric could not
hide the inherent chaos of his runesword, Stormbringer. The Church of
Goldar priests are uncertain what to make of this artifact and have
encased it in a wooden box for transport to the Fortress of Evening.
They fervently hope that the priestesses of Vallyn will know what to
do with it. They also "neglect" to mention the sword's presence to the
characters, as they fear that the presence of a chaos artifact may
dissuade them from accepting the mission. Once details of payment and
other preliminaries have been sorted out, the characters are
introduced to Firian Kais and the 4 additional warriors who are under
his command. Firian suggests that the characters retire to bed early,
as the journey to the Fortress begins before daybreak the following
morning.

PART 2 : PLAYERS' INTRODUCTION

(the following can be read to players or paraphrased)

"The Seaport of Menii is the hub of commerce on the Isle of the Purple
Towns. From its harbour, trading vessels travel as far as Ilmioria in
the East and Tarkesh in the West to enrich the merchants and sealords
of this small isle. Despite their mercantile power, the denizens of
the Purple Towns still hate and fear sleeping Melnibone, their master
of old. Whether such hate is justified is questionable, as travellers
from the Dragon Isle have not been seen in Menii for decades. It seems
almost unreal, therefore, that the Church of Goldar should contact you
to oversee the transport of a Melnibonian noble to a place of
righteous imprisonment. You have accepted this task, both out of
deference to the Church and pure curiosity concerning your exotic
charge. Could he truly be Melnibonian? If he is, what does he seek in
Menii?

The Church of Goldar must fear this man greatly. Why else would they
hire priests and mercenaries to supplement what is already a
formidable complement of guards? The Melnibonian in question is
somewhat of disappointment. His long raven hair is dirty, his once
fine robes torn and begrimed. His head hangs limply and his feet
shuffle as he walks. He is hardly strong enough to raise his lips to
the water flask. Only his eyes seem alive - red-rimmed orbs that
follow every movement with a feline attentiveness. The man is bound
and hand and foot with bonds provided by the church of Goldar, bonds
that are said to resist Chaos and demon magic. So far they have proved
effective; or perhaps he has not bothered to test their strength. His
possessions have been slung across the saddle of your pack mule. You
notice nothing unusual among them, save for a long wooden case with
metal bindings. The warriors of Goldar seem little inclined to discuss
either the man or the extent of his belongings.

The journey has been slow and uneventful. From Menii you have
travelled to Kariss to re-stock supplies. You are now skirting the
northern coast of the Isle and hope to reach the Fortress of Evening
by sunset, where you will be glad to collect your reward and forget
you have ever seen a man of Melnibone."

PART 3: IN THE PALM OF CHAOS

The party is presently moving at a brisk pace along the roadway that
hugs the northern coastline of the Isle of the Purple Towns. It is
late afternoon and the weather is overcast.  Waves can be heard
crashing against rocks some 30 metres below the level of the road.
Firian Kais turns to the party and announces that it will take some 4
hours of travel to reach the gates of the Fortress of Evening. He
urges everyone to step up the pace, as he does not wish to travel in
bad weather. Perceptive characters will notice a brief flash of light
along the coastline, some 3 kilometres distant. If asked about the
light, Firian will indicate that it is probably the beacon of the old
lighthouse that serves the northern shipping routes around the Island.

Allow the group to travel for a few more minutes, but indicate that
the weather is becoming progressively more overcast: the wind picks
up, light rain begins to fall and white spray can be seen on the rocky
beaches below the road. Suddenly a powerful lightning flash will
strike the largest object near the party (probably a tree), splitting
it asunder. The resultant thunder is deafening, and all characters
fall to the ground involuntarily and cover their ears. The pack horse
panics and flees back down the road, dropping the large wooden case as
it goes. The characters will not be able to react in time to prevent
this, and the horse cannot be recovered. As soon as the party collects
itself, another lightning bolt arcs downward, striking one of the
warriors of Goldar directly. The poor unfortunate screams once and
then dies, charred to a black pile of steaming bone. Characters should
realise that normal lightning, however powerful, does not cause this
kind of effect. Before anyone can prevent him, Elric kneels be the
body and examines it briefly. He then rises and says one word:
"sorcery". Firian calls to the party to begin moving and the entire
group breaks into a wild dash down the road. If none of the characters
think to retrieve the wooden case, one of the remaining warriors of
Goldar does so.

The party runs doggedly for a few hundred metres as lightning bolts
crash into the ground around them. If they weave from side to side, or
take other appropriate precautions, nobody else is hurt. If not, one
of the characters (select randomly) is caught on the edge of a
lightning strike and suffers 1d8 points of damage. The game master
should continue to assault the group with lightning as long as is
necessary for them to realise that they cannot remain outdoors if they
wish to remain alive. As they are beginning to get really desperate,
have them see the tall stone lighthouse on a narrow promontory of rock
some 300 metres distant. Firian points wildly at the lighthouse and
leads his men towards it. The characters would be wise to follow. Make
these last few metres as suspenseful as possible by adding strange
noises (growls, howling) and smells of sulphur and burning foliage to
the continued barrage of lightning. As the characters cross the
promontory towards the lighthouse they can see huge waves crashing
against the cliffs below them, illuminated by strange phosphorescence
and the occasional lightning flash. The door to the lighthouse is open
and Firian bursts into the building without slowing down appreciably.
The characters are swept along and find themselves in the ground floor
entrance hall. The supernatural storm continues unabated outside, with
occasional bursts of light and thunder indicating that lightning is
still striking the area regularly.

As it is obviously unsafe to venture outside again, characters will
probably opt to explore the various levels of the lighthouse. Allow
them to investigate each level thoroughly. Stress that the lighthouse
was recently inhabited (this much is obvious from the items strewn
around), but there is no sign of anyone has been here at recently,
except for the dead body in the upper level. This unfortunate was left
here while his companions went for supplies and was subsequently
killed by falling wood and masonry dislodged by a direct lightning
strike to the tower roof. (see the statistics section for a more
detailed description of the lighthouse)

Allow the characters approximately 10 minutes of real time to conclude
explorations, move objects and discuss theories regarding the
lighthouse before moving to the next section.  Remember to stress that
the chaos storm still rages outside - nobody should be allowed to
escape at this time. If questioned, Elric will repeat that the storm
is of sorcerous origin and that the party has been targeted for attack
by a powerful chaos force. He will also ask characters to release him
so that he can oppose the chaos force more effectively. He will not
answer any questions regarding himself or his thoughts on the reason
for this chaos attack. It is unlikely that anyone will oblige Elric
and free him at this point, but his request does serve to sow
uncertainty in the character's minds.

After the 10 minutes have elapsed, characters will hear a voice
calling from outside the lighthouse. Those on the balconies of the
upper story will see several figures standing on the promontory, some
50 metres from the entrance to the lighthouse. These are the followers
of Pyaray, led by the priest Ha'kesar. Setting his weapons aside and
striding to within 20 metres of the lighthouse, Ha'kesar addresses any
characters he can see on the balconies. He requests them to hand over
the relic of Chaos that they have in their possession. If asked to be
more specific, he will say that the relic takes the form of a
rune-carved greatsword. If questioned about his motives, he will
laughingly tell characters that they have been misled by the church of
Goldar regarding the nature of the man and the artifact they are
guarding. He will argue (quite persuasively, if characters give him
some leeway) that Goldar has far more interest in the sword than the
Melnibonian. The priests, according to Ha'kesar, wished to transport
the sword to a place of safekeeping without attracting undue attention
to their prize. They therefore recruited mercenaries who would be none
the wiser regarding the true value of what they were transporting. If
any of them were to fall under the power of the sword, well ...  they
were expendable.

Ha'kesar takes great pains to stress that the characters are in danger
from uncontrolled magical forces and that he merely seeks to save them
from lingering death by removing an artifact that rightfully belongs
to Chaos. He may even suggest that the bearer of the artifact stole it
and has already fallen under its destructive influence. If Ha'kesar is
questioned about the chaos storm he will indicate that summoning it
was a "regrettable necessity". He will also stress that the effects of
the storm are nothing compared to the destructive capability of an
uncontrolled Chaos artifact. The game master may add anything else
that is likely to make Ha'kesar's story believable - the aim is to
confuse what seemed to be a straightforward situation and to have
characters question the motives and allegiances of everyone, other
characters included.

If Firian is present and hears this monologue he orders his men to
launch a missile attack against Ha'kesar. Arrows are unlikely to harm
Ha'kesar through his demon armour and he retires slowly to his
previous position 50 metres from the lighthouse. He then calls out
that he will give the party 5 minutes to hand over the artifact before
he, regretfully, has to take it by force. Firian flatly refuses to
relinquish the artifact and readies his warriors to resist an attack
on the lighthouse. If questioned about Ha' kesar's accusations Firian
will repeat that he has been entrusted with safe delivery of both the
Melnibonian and the artifact to the Fortress of Evening. He will argue
that the characters were not told about the runesword in order to
reduce the chances of the escort party being intercepted by Chaos
forces eager to acquire such a powerful weapon. Regardless of
counter-argument, he will not allow Stormbringer to leave the
lighthouse, nor will he apologise for what he believes to be
justifiable action by the Church of Goldar, given the circumstances of
the mission. The characters may then use whatever remains of the 5
minutes to make preparations they feel are appropriate - conflict
seems inevitable at this point.

If the characters are unwise enough to hand the sword over to
Ha'kesar, a few interesting events could unfold. Firian will obviously
do anything in his power to prevent the sword from leaving the
lighthouse. He will even lead an attack on the characters, if the
situation gets that desperate. While Ha'kesar will use all means
available to secure the sword, it is important to the conclusion of
this scenario that he never actually succeeds. Even if the characters
relinquish the sword or it is taken from them, the game master should
make use of Stormbringer's innate powers to prevent Ha'kesar from
completing his mission. A quick strike by Stormbringer itself, say to
shear off the hand that is carrying it outside or to slay a poor
follower of Pyaray who might be picking it up, will both prevent
Ha'kesar acquiring the blade and instill a satisfying fear of
Stormbringer among all individuals present.

INTERLUDE: FREEING ELRIC

Immediately before the conflict, or perhaps even during the action,
characters are likely to question Elric regarding his identity and the
nature and powers of the runesword. Elric will again suggest that the
characters free him, this time adding that sword could easily win the
battle for them if he wields it against the attacking Chaos force. He
will vehemently oppose any other character using the sword, arguing
that it is attuned only to one person and would be useless, and
perhaps even dangerous, to another. He will remain tight-lipped about
his own identity, saying only that he has extensive power over
Melnibonian artifacts such as the runesword. It is likely that a
disagreement will break out at this point as to whether the prisoner
should be freed or not. Firian will immediately voice his support for
those who want to keep Elric captive. He will remind characters that
Melnibonians care nothing for Young Kingdoms mortals and that the
prisoner would most likely use the sword to save his own life, while
dooming the rest of the group to an unpleasant demise.

The game master should always play for maximum uncertainly regarding
Elric's actual allegiance. If the characters recognise his benevolence
too early, the desired emotional conflict between duty and
circumstance will be lost. Remember also that while players may know
Elric by sight and name, none of their characters do. The characters
will, however, have heard rumours and superstitious tales regarding
the kinslayer and his hellsword and are unlikely to release such an
individual without a good deal of prior deliberation. Of course they
may have no alternative, especially if they are being hard pressed by
Ha'kesar and the followers of Pyaray.

The priestess of Donblas's demand for Elric to be delivered up for
execution (see below) raises an additional set of uncertainties,
particularly if Elric has been instrumental in saving the characters
from Ha'kesar. Some characters may favour leniency, while others will
want such a potentially dangerous individual (and his sword) to remain
within their ambit of control. Elric can never actually be handed over
to the priest of Donblas: if this ever looks immanent, Ha'kesar
summons the avatar of Pyaray and triggers the final events of the
scenario.

While Elric wears the bonds of Goldar he is unable to cast spells or
summon elementals. He is still capable of physical action, albeit with
greatly reduced strength and vitality. If Elric is released from the
bonds, he defends himself as best he can. The game master should not
allow Elric to be slain during the conflict. It is essential that he
be present at the conclusion of the scenario. If Elric does not have
Stormbringer, he will avoid combat as far as possible. If Stormbringer
is returned to him, he uses the sword's abilities to slay followers of
Pyaray as they attack him. He does not lead the characters, nor does
he pursue the Chaos agents if they retreat. If the game master is
feeling particularly malicious, or if the characters accept Elric too
readily, Stormbringer could "accidentally" strike one of the
characters of its own accord.  If this happens Elric will deny his
involvement, saying that the sword often acts with a will of its own
to slay those important to him. Will the characters believe this?
Probably not, which complicates matters even further.

PART 4:  WHITE WOLF, BLACK SWORD

After the 5 minutes have elapsed, Ha'kesar again asks those in the
lighthouse to hand over the Chaos artifact. If he does not receive it,
or if characters try to stall him with further negotiation, he
initiates his attack. Ha'kesar is an experienced tactician and the
game master should ensure that the initial assault on the lighthouse
is well-executed.  Ha'kesar is likely to begin his assault by casting
Breath of Death spells at individuals still exposed on the upper
balcony. If he is attacked in return, or if someone seems to be
resisting his spells, he will throw his trident at a likely target and
then command his followers to enter the lighthouse.  Three of the
followers will attempt to break down the main door (if the characters
neglected to barricade the door, Firian will do so just before the
attack begins), while the others move around the lighthouse and start
scaling the walls at different points.  Ha'kesar remains within 80
metres of the walls and uses his trident to attack anyone who appears
on the balcony.

The followers of Pyaray assaulting the door will first spend a round
to cast Hell's Armour on themselves (for a full 4 points). Once they
begin the attack it will take 3 of them roughly 4 rounds to break open
the main lighthouse door. Add 2 rounds for every follower that is
killed or driven off during this period. If they succeed in breaching
the door they will immediately cast Fury on themselves and engage
anyone they see in hand-to-hand combat.  Their objective is to occupy
defenders for as long as possible so that Ha'kesar and the other
followers can locate the runesword and escape. These followers are
fanatical in their support for (and fear of) Ha'kesar and will not
retreat from battle until he commands them to do so.

The followers scaling the walls take 2 rounds to reach the balcony
level. During this time they can be attacked from above without being
able to parry or dodge to defend themselves. The game master should
decide exactly where on the balcony each follower arrives. As soon as
a follower reaches the balcony (and assuming he is not immediately
engaged in combat), he casts Hell's Armour on himself. Half of the
followers also cast Fury. The "furied" followers then enter the
lighthouse through the balcony doors and attempt to engage defenders
in direct combat, while the remainder try to slip past melee and
search the building for the runesword.  Note that these rank-and-file
followers are not aware of the nature of Stormbringer. They have been
instructed merely to recover the sword and return it to Ha'kesar.  The
priest will involve himself in direct combat only if he decides that
the runesword is best obtained in this manner. If the combat is going
against his followers he will release the demon Sharaseerch (see
below) and command it to attack the defenders of the lighthouse.

In order to prevent the action from becoming slow or static, the game
master should move the followers of Pyaray as quickly as possible, and
encourage players to be similarly adroit in determining their
characters' actions. This is, after all, a battle: something that
hardly ever happens in slow, carefully considered turn sequences. It
is also important that the game master keeps a balance between action
and roleplaying at this point in the scenario. The actual lighthouse
attack is entertaining and should satisfy those who yearn for swords
and sorcery, but it should not overshadow the intrigue surrounding
Elric, Stormbringer and the agents of Law and Chaos.

The lighthouse conflict should be allowed to continue until the
followers of Pyaray have been beaten back or the runesword has been
stolen (and subsequently lost again, along with a possible hand or
two). A brief pause will probably interrupt the skirmish as both sides
consider their options. Suddenly the deep, sonorous note of a ramshorn
is heard above the noise of battle. The attention of both sides is
drawn to the rock promontory, where three figures clad in grey robes
stand as if to attention, their swords drawn and facing towards the
lighthouse. These are servants of the Church of Donblas the
Justice-maker. They have learnt of the Melnibonian captive and,
through complex divination, deduced his true identity. They have
travelled for days to intercept the prisoner and deliver the only
justice they believe is befitting a sorcerer and servant of Chaos:
death by beheading. The priestess Eren Altane will call out that she
represents Donblas's justice and that the Chaos prince Elric of
Melniboni must be delivered to her to receive righteous judgement.
This is likely to throw the entire situation into further disarray.
The characters, presuming they believe Eren, will have to re-evaluate
their attitude to Elric now that his identity is known. If they have
already freed him they may begin to regret their "hasty" decision!  If
asked, Elric will neither deny his identity, nor confirm it. He will
simply state that the Priestess of Law is mistaken in her evaluation
of Chaos and that justice by execution can hardly be said to be fair
justice at all.

Ha'kesar's plans are seriously disrupted by the unexpected arrival of
Law. He will immediately call on the characters to join him against
this new threat. He will claim that the Priests of Law are well-known
for their overzealousness and that the characters will
as-likely-as-not receive rebuke as their only reward for co-operating
with Law. He will also promise to cease all further hostile action
against the characters if they assist him. (If the characters believe
this, they deserve everything they get!) Ha'kesar will then call half
his minions back from the lighthouse assault and send them to attack
the followers of Donblas. If the demon is still around it will also be
re-directed to attack the Priestess personally.  Ha'kesar may take the
opportunity afforded by this confusion to enter the lighthouse and
search for the runesword.  If he is seriously threatened, or if it
looks likely that the forces of Law will capture the runesword, he
will use his last available option and summon the Avatar of Pyaray
(see below).  Firian and the warriors of Goldar see the Priestess of
Donblas as the saviour of their mission.  They will immediately ally
themselves with Eren Altane and will accept her orders without much
question. Firian is also likely to report any character
"indiscretions" to Eren Altane (e.g.  freeing Elric).

After declaring her intentions, Eren Altane immediately leads her
small group in search of Elric. She is not interested in any of the
other individuals present, although she will certainly smite Chaos
(Ha'kesar in particular) if it crosses her path. As soon as she is
close to Elric she will attempt to touch him and cast Field of Law,
thereby preventing him from using any spells or magical abilities to
defend himself (this will also negate any STR and CON bonuses that
Elric may have received from Stormbringer). Stormbringer itself is not
susceptible to a Field of Law. Eren Altane's acolytes do their utmost
to protect her while she seeks Elric: they attack anyone blocking her
path, parry blows aimed at her and will not hesitate to step in the
way of a killing attack to keep her alive.

Elric has no intention of being captured by the forces of Law. He
"calls" to Stormbringer mentally, which results in the sword flying to
his position within 1 round regardless of where it may have been
beforehand (Elric has been known to summon Stormbringer from different
planes of existence, so a few hundred metres won't even raise a
sweat). Elric will avoid the Priestess as best he is able, shouting
warnings about his inability to control the runesword under
circumstances such as these. Characters who have witnessed what
Stormbringer can do could also try to dissuade Eren Altane, but their
chances of success are minimal. She will only stop to consider another
course of action when she is convinced that conventional attacks will
not harm someone bearing Stormbringer.

Ha'kesar is now in a desperate position. He is faced by a Priestess of
Law and a Melnibonian prince who does not take kindly to having his
runesword stolen. That they seem to be fighting each other is small
comfort: neither is going to leave him alive once they have resolved
their differences. Unless the characters come to Ha'kesar's aid he
will be forced to summon the Avatar of Pyaray. As soon as Ha'kesar
begins the invocation, the supernatural storm intensifies. Great banks
of cloud gather around the lighthouse and huge waves smash into the
cliffs below. Characters also become aware that the "thin" section of
the stone promontory is shaking violently. Suddenly the rock splits
away from the mainland and begins to fall into the sea. The game
master should count to 10 softly. Most players should realise what is
happening and have their characters run for the lighthouse. Any
character still on the promontory after this time is caught by
cascading stone debris and dropped into the sea below.  Within a few
more seconds the entire stone pathway is torn down, leaving the
lighthouse on an island of rock some 20 metres high and 200 metres
from the shore. The sea around the island begins to churn violently
and huge tentacles rise towards the lighthouse: Pyaray has arrived.

PART 5: PALE EMPEROR'S DOOM

The situation in the lighthouse will be fairly chaotic by now (no pun
intended). Characters may be at a loss as to what they should do,
faced with two hostile groups of mortals and an Avatar. Fortunately
Elric has some experience in these matters. He also has no real liking
for the more brutal Chaos gods and the appearance of Pyaray prompts
him to action. He realises that unless the Avatar is dispelled it will
kill everyone in and around the lighthouse. Being a sorcerer of no
mean power himself, Elric is aware that only magic is likely to harm
Pyaray's manifestation. He will communicate this information to the
characters and urge them to join him in magically attacking the
slime-covered tentacles that are already groping up the sides of the
newly-formed island.

Unfortunately, things are never quite that simple. Both Ha'kesar and
Eren Altane have no desire to see Elric ally with the characters or
escape their clutches. Ha'kesar will try to prevent attacks on the
Avatar, most likely by forcing characters towards the edge of the
island where they become targets for Pyaray's tentacles. He will also
shout to the characters that only he can dispel the Avatar and that he
will look favourably on pleas for mercy if the characters bring him
the runesword. Eren will exhort the characters to abandon chaos and
join her in an attempt to destroy the Avatar with Lawful magic. The
action is likely to get frenetic and this point and the game master
should play up the utter confusion reigning on the island, punctuating
events now and again by having Pyaray grab and devour another follower
(of Pyaray, Goldar or Donblas - the Avatar doesn't discriminate).

As soon as the characters seem to have made a decision on allying with
one party, the final complication will occur. The Avatar thrashes
several of its tentacles against the island, causing the lighthouse
and surrounding ground to shake as if an earthquake had struck it.
Elric, who was preparing to attack the Avatar's tentacles, is thrown
over the edge of the island. As he falls, he manages to grasp a rock
outcropping with one hand, but is left hanging precariously over a 50
metre drop to the sea and the mouth of Pyaray below. The first person
to reach him should be one of the characters. It is obvious that Elric
is unable to pull himself back onto the island and that one of the
Avatar's tentacles will drag him down to his death within a matter of
minutes. Elric's fate is entirely in the hands (literally and
figuratively) of this character. Assuming the character reaches out to
him, both Ha'kesar and Eren Altane will try to influence his/her
actions. Ha'kesar will scream at the character to make Elric hand over
the runesword as payment for his rescue. He add that if the characters
do not bring him the sword, they will all perish. Eren calls on the
characters to drop both Elric and his runesword into the sea. She
argues that Chaos has never served anything but its own ends, and that
Elric will surely betray the characters if they save him. She pledges
to protect the characters from the Chaos Avatar if they agree to do
what she asks.

This is the crux of the scenario and the game master should make both
Ha'kesar and Eren's arguments seem as convincing as possible. The
unfortunate who has to make the choice is also likely to be bombarded
by additional advice from fellow characters. During this period Elric
himself remains quiet. If the character looks to him now he will say
only this: "I am indeed kinslayer and black reaver. The blood of
countless is on my hands.  I deserve to die, yet I wish to live. Help
me." There is no "correct" solution to this problem, although some are
certainly better (from the characters' point of view) than others.  

If Elric is rescued, he plunges Stormbringer into the closest tentacle
and holds on grimly as the slimy mass thrashes wildly around. Several
more tentacles crawl onto the island, forcing characters (and others)
to flee into the lighthouse. The followers of Pyaray are driven insane
by the sight and hurl themselves over the nearest cliff face. One
tentacle grasps Ha'kesar before he can escape, crushes his chest and
flings the body into the sea (such is the love of Chaos). As
Stormbringer's radiance grows, the tentacles' struggles slowly become
weaker. After a few minutes they seem to fade away completely, and the
supernatural storm departs with them.  The Avatar has been dispelled.
Elric will salute the characters with Stormbringer, before muttering a
few words in High Melnibonian. The air around him begins to shimmer as
a summoned sylph carries him aloft and back to the mainland.
Characters are left to pacify an irate Priestess of Law, and make
their way back to the coast as best they are able.

If the characters allow Elric to fall - so be it. He vanishes from
sight with a single, bird-like cry, the runesword still clutched in
his left hand. The game master should assume that Elric escapes the
Avatar by sorcerous means and returns to the mainland. His destiny
does not allow Chaos to claim him at this juncture. The characters, of
coarse, are left with several unresolved problems. Eren Altane will
honour her word and protect the characters to the best of her
abilities. With repeated casting of Field of Law (2 times minimum) she
will be able to dispel the Avatar. Ha'kesar will do his utmost to
prevent her and the characters will probably be caught up in a bitter
fight to the death with the followers of Pyaray.  Eventually they
should triumph, but they may well lose a few of their number in the
process. After the battle Eren will thank them in a perfunctory way
and offer them a free meal at the Church of Donblas (such is the
reward of Law). They will still have to swim back to the mainland
themselves.

If the characters accede to Ha'kesar's demands they are in for a rough
time. Elric will hand over Stormbringer to save his life, as he aware
that he can summon the sword should he need it. He does not appreciate
the characters' obedience to Ha'kesar, however. If Ha'kesar receives
the sword he will immediately attack (and probably kill) the
Priestess. He will also order his followers to kill the characters and
push Elric into the sea.  Elric will gather sufficient strength in 3
rounds to call Stormbringer to him, but by then quite a few
individuals could be dead (remember the Avatar is still present). In
returning to Elric, Stormbringer will casually inflict some grievous
injury on Ha'kesar.  Maddened by pain and fear of failure, Ha'kesar
will hurl himself at Elric. If the characters do not dispatch him at
this point (probably the most merciful of options), Stormbringer will
impale itself in his chest and drain his soul. Once Elric retrieves
his sword he will attack and dispel the Avatar as described above. The
characters receive no thanks from him this time, merely a pained
glance before he summons the sylph to carry him to the coast.

PART 6: AFTERMATH

The conclusion of the adventure depends very much on how the
characters chose to resolve the conflict between Law, Chaos and human
frailty. The characters cannot expect continued aid from any of the
three parties, although Elric may answer a few questions in an offhand
way before he conjures the sylph to remove himself to the mainland.
Characters who are squeamish about swimming in water recently infested
by a Chaos monstrosity should be reassured that the sea is calm and
clear following the removal of the storm.  For those who still feel
uncertain, enough wood could probably be salvaged from the lighthouse
to construct a small raft.

Once the characters reach the mainland, they will have to decide on a
final course of action.  Reason suggests that they complete their
journey to the Fortress of Evening and report everything they have
seen. What response they receive, or indeed whether they reach their
destination without mishap, is another chapter in the saga of the
Young Kingdoms. For now the characters will be happy to have avoided
the direct influence of Law or Chaos. They will, perhaps, also have
greater pity for the people of Melniboni and their last, doomed
Emperor.

STATISTICS AND FURTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Note: for full statistics on Elric and Stormbringer see pages 116 and
122 of the Elric! Rulebook, respectively.

1. Warriors of the Church of Goldar:

The warriors of Goldar are competent swordsmen and good tacticians. It
is likely, however, that they will be completely outclassed by the
kind of opposition the characters are going to encounter.
Nevertheless, Firian Kais will attempt to carry out his orders and
deliver the Melnibonian to the Fortress of Evening for fair trial.

1.1 Firian Kais, Sergeant:

STR 16, CON 15, SIZ 15, POW 10, INT 11, Hits: 15 
Armour: Leather & rings (1d8)

SKILLS:
Broadsword 80%, Dagger 75%

Climb 42%, Dodge 45%, Fast Talk 65%, Hide 35%, Jump 40%, Listen 50%,
Physik 60%, Search 67%, Swim 48%, Throw 50%, Other skills at 35%

EQUIPMENT:
Leather and ring armour
Broadsword
2 daggers
Medium shield (50% parry)

1.2  Mercenary warriors (3)

STR 12, CON 11, SIZ 12, POW 9, INT 10, Hits: 12
Armour: Sea leather (1d6)

SKILLS:
Shortbow 45%, Shortsword 50%

Climb 40%, Dodge 35%, Hide 35%, Jump 45%, Search 50%, Swim 45%, Other
skills at 30%

EQUIPMENT:
Sea leather Armour
Shortsword
Small shield (55% parry)

2. Ha'kesar, priest of Pyaray

This ruthless madman is also physically imposing, standing fully 7
feet tall in baroque demon plate armour. Ha'kesar has been instructed
by his god to recover the runeblade from the captured Melnibonian and
will use any means to do so. Ha'kesar is only dimly aware of the
dangers inherent in using Stormbringer and is likely to employ the
sword if it should fall into his possession. What he does know is that
failure in this mission will bring him lingering death at Pyaray's
hands and he therefore fears nothing that any mortal can do to him. He
will happily bribe, steal, torture or murder to get the runesword;
his soul depends on it.

CHARACTERISTICS:
STR 16, CON 14, SIZ 16, DEX 14, INT 17, POW 18, APP 15, Hitpoints: 15
Armour: Demon Half-Plate [Blocks 3d8 damage. Appears as a layer of
shimmering metal scales that continually move and scrape against one
another]

SKILLS: 
Dagger 90%, Demon Trident 92% (2d8+1, 18 armour) [Can be thrown up to
80 metres and returns to the wielder in the following round]

Bargain 70%, Climb 65%, Dodge 65%, Fast Talk 60%, Hide 88%, Jump 70%,
Listen 45%, Move Quietly 80%, Pick Lock 55%, Search 73%, Swim 99%, All
other skills 35%

SPELLS:
Curse of Chaos (4), Horns of Hionhurn (1-3), Pox (1), Demon's Eye (1),
Midnight (1), Undo Magic (1-4), Breath of Life (1), Muddle (1), Breath
of Death (6) - from The Bronze Grimoire.

EQUIPMENT:
Demon Half Plate
Demon Trident
Long blue-green robes
3 daggers
Black coral bracelet (contains the bound sea demon Sharaseerch. The
demon may be called from the bracelet and then commanded to perform
one service per day).

If things go badly against Ha'kesar, he can summon an avatar of Pyaray
to manifest in the sea beneath the lighthouse. Ha'kesar is very loath
to do this, as he has to put out one of his eyes in order to get
Pyaray's undivided attention (yes, he is crazy enough to do this).
Simply put, the priest gouges out an eyeball with his dagger and,
still screaming, flings the bloody sacrifice into the ocean. Very
nasty.

3. Followers of Pyaray (6)

These individuals are fanatic cultists, willing to sacrifice their
lives for dread Pyaray. They obey Ha'kesar completely. If not given
any specific instructions they are likely to attack characters in a
frenzied, but uncoordinated fashion. The followers of Pyaray wear
dirty blue robes over leather armour. Their hair is bound into
dreadlocks.

CHARACTERISTICS:
STR 12, CON 12, SIZ 11, DEX 13, INT 10, POW 10, Hitpoints: 12
Armour: Leather (1d6-1)

SKILLS:
Dagger 55% (1d4+1), Spear 50% (1d8+1), Thrown Dagger 60%

Climb 55%, Dodge 40%, Hide 40%, Jump 35%, Move Quietly 45%, Search
40%, Swim 90%, Other skills at 30%

EQUIPMENT (each):
Leather armour
1-handed spear, 3 daggers

SPELLS (each):
Hell's Armour (1-4), Fury (1)

4. Sharaseerch, demon of the deep

This creature resembles a giant, sickly gray jellyfish that
continually dribbles rancid sea ooze.

CHARACTERISTICS:
STR 20, CON 18, SIZ 19, DEX 14, INT 10, POW 16, Hits: 19
Armour: None

SKILLS:
Fly at 14 metres per turn

Exsanguinate 85%. Armour only protects for the first turn of blood
drain.  The touch of the thing feels like clammy cloth.

Stinger 80%: the demon is equipped with a flexible, metre-long
stinger. A successful hit with the stinger causes 10 points of poison
damage if the target fails a CON vs CON roll. Armour does not protect
against this damage. The demon can attack with its stinger while
enveloping another target.

Resistance: the demon can only be damaged by magical weapons or
spells.  Weapons under magical enchantment (e.g. Hell's Sharp Flame)
cause damage equal only to the magical bonus of the spell.

Dodge 40%, Hide 85%, Move Quietly 80%, Search 80%, Swim 100%

Sharaseerch is bound into the black coral bracelet that Ha'kesar
wears. The demon may be summoned from the bracelet at any time,
manifesting itself the following turn with a blast of greasy smoke and
the stench of rotting seaweed.

5. Eren Altane, Priestess of Donblas

At the behest of her church, Eren has pursued the Melnibonian captive
with the intent of delivering swift and permanent justice. Eren
exemplifies all the characteristics of her sect: she is proud, zealous
and completely dedicated to the unyielding path of Donblas's
righteousness.  She will co-operate with characters only insofar as
this will further her own aims. Obviously, she will do everything
possible to prevent the either Elric or the followers of Pyaray from
obtaining Stormbringer. Under no circumstances will she use the
runesword, or allow anyone else to use it (unless the situation is
VERY grim).

CHARACTERISTICS:
STR 17, CON 15, SIZ 12, DEX 18, INT 16, POW 16, APP 14, Hitpoints: 14
Amour: Full plate (1d10+2)

SKILLS:
Cutlass 120%, Medium Shield 100%

Climb 85%, Dodge 80%, Hide 50%, Insight 75%, Jump 75%, Listen 85%,
Move Quietly 78%, Oratory 90%, Physik 85%, Search 90%, Swim 55%, Other
skills at 45%

SPELLS:
Field of Law (4)

Eren Altane is allied to the Powers of Law. She may employ her total
Law points (85) as extra skill points three times per game session.
(See pages 35-36 of the Elric! rulebook for more information on
alliegance)

6. Acolytes of the Church of Donblas (2)

The acolytes are well-trained, well-motivated and unwavering in their
hatred of chaos. They operate efficiently as a team with Eren Altane,
using the most appropriate tactics for combat or negotiation. The
acolytes wear rough grey robes over their armour and keep their dark
hair cropped closely to their skulls.

CHARACTERISTICS:
STR 15, CON 14, SIZ 14, DEX 13, INT 12, POW 13, APP 11, Hitpoints: 14
Armour: Leather & Ring (1d8)

SKILLS:
Bow 70%, Broadsword 90%, Small Shield 75%

Climb 50%, Dodge 45%, Hide 40%, Jump 45%, Search 55%, Swim 40%, All
other skills at 35%

EQUIPMENT:
Broadsword
Medium Shield
Hunting Bow and arrows

7. Avatar of Pyaray

In this scenario Pyaray manifests as a huge, bloated octopus with
flailing tentacles. The avatar rests on the surface of the water
directly below the lighthouse, waiting for any unfortunates to fall
into its slimy embrace. For added effect, the avatar can "squirm"
tentacles up the side of the cliff and snatch mortals from the
lighthouse balconies (only use this tactic against NPC "expendables",
unless noted otherwise in the text). Any mortal grabbed by the avatar
is torn apart and eaten in 1 round (don't bother to roll - Pyaray is a
god). The avatar can only be dispelled by a major magical attack: 25
points of cumulative magical damage, two field of law spells or a
direct hit from Stormbringer.

SKILLS:
Grab 90% (kills in 1 round)
This attack cannot be parried, although it can be dodged.

8. A User's guide to Stormbringer

Insofar as a multi-planar vampiric entity can be bound to a mortal
dynasty, Stormbringer is an heirloom of the Melnibonian royal family.
As such, it does not take kindly to being wielded by those who are not
of Melnibonian royal blood. Anybody who does not meet this requirement
can still use the sword, but with potentially devastating
consequences. Every round that such a person uses Stormbringer, roll
1d6. On a roll of 1 the sword behaves as it would for Elric. On a roll
of 2-3 the sword strikes out at the nearest creature, irrespective of
kind. On a roll of 4-5 the sword refuses to attack, or to parry any
attacks made against its wielder. On a roll of 6 Stormbringer strikes
at its unfortunate wielder and continues to do so until it is dropped
or its wielder is dead.

9. The Lighthouse

Serving the northern shipping routes of the Purple Towns, this hardy
stone building has seen almost continuous use for the past 50 years.
The lighthouse is located at the end of a stone promontory that
extends The lighthouse is 70 metres high and roughly 20 metres in
diametre at its base. There are three interior levels in the
lighthouse:

Ground Level

The first (ground) level consists of large, wooden doors, an entrance
hall and two identical rooms to either side of the hall. The rooms
contain various provisions (foodstuffs, oil, rope, lanterns,
waterproof skins, etc.) A staircase spirals upwards from the hall to
the second level.

Second Level

The staircase from the ground level rises some 30 metres to a wooden
landing with small, porthole-like doors on either side. The staircase
continues upward to the third level. The doors lead to cramped living
quarters, each with bunks, blankets, small chests, old clothing,
candle stubs, and so on. There is nothing of any monetary value in
either of the rooms. Both rooms shows signs of recent occupation
(within the past few days).

Third Level

The highest level in the lighthouse is only some 5 metres feet in
diametre, most of which is taken up by the enormous, oil-fuelled lamp
that is the lighthouse's beacon. A small door to the side of this
single chamber leads to a narrow, iron-railed balcony a full 70 metres
above the ground. The balcony extends completely around the
lighthouse. Parts of both the lamp room and the balcony have
collapsed, apparently due to a direct lightning strike on the
building.  Although the lightning damage may make the balcony seem a
little precarious, it is still quite solid. As noted previously, the
body of a lighthouse keeper lies crushed beneath fallen rubble near
the centre of the room. Diligent characters could spend 10 minutes to
remove the rubble around the body, in which case they will discover
that the lighthouse keeper was a native Purple Towner in his late
twenties, dressed in seafarer's clothing and carrying a shortsword.
___________________________

Simon Lee                                                                

simon.lee@digitec.co.za                                                  
Johannesburg, South Africa