MEJETUS:

ANCIENT
SHADES
Dark Rethem Adventure 4

Alun Rees
 NOTICE
This is a self published HârnFanon work, created by Alun Rees. It is a
derivative work of material published by Columbia Games Inc. and is
released for free distribution and personal use by Alun Rees without
the permission or endorsement of N. Robin Crossby, his estate, or
Columbia Games Inc.

This document is available for download free from www.lythia.com.

If you have been asked to pay for this document, either as a download
or as a hard copy, you have been robbed.
 MEJETUS:
ANCIENT
SHADES

Credits
WRITER
Alun Rees
CONTRIBUTORS
Anders Bersten and his players,
Andy Gibson and Neil Thompson,
the players at IviniaCon and
the HarnWriters Team

MAPS
Alun Rees
(unless noted in the text)

THANKS
to N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games for HÂRN,
to Anders Bersten for sponsorship of the art
by Richard Luschek
 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 1
INTRODUCTION SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Mejetus: Ancient Shades is the fourth adventure of the
Dark Rethem campaign and only really makes sense if the ACT I: A DEBT TO BE PAID
player characters (PCs) that have already completed Peran: Scene 1: A message
Heart of Darkness, Afarezirs: Root of All Evil, and Golotha:
Scene 2: Pressure
Deeper Dark. If they haven’t then the GM will need to
make some very significant changes to make it playable. Scene 3: No alternative
This adventure has been written for the author’s Fate Scene 4: Interview with an amorvrus
Core hack, Fate of Harn (available from Lythia.com). Fate Scene 5: Scarlet Ribbon
Core (Evil Hat Games), is available for Pay What You Want,
from Drivethru RPG. A brief guide to converting the ad-
venture to HM can be found at the end.
ACT II: THE KUBOAN MOOT
Mejetus: Ancient Shades includes a much more detailed
set of Designer’s Notes, and GM Briefing, than any of its Scene 1: Enquiries
predecessors. This is to help explain some of the backstory Scene 2: Gomas Straight Arrow
so that the GM can help the PCs interpret what they learn.
It is important that by the time they approach the final Scene 3: The gladiators enter
scenes of the adventure the players understand what is at Scene 4: Wenowina the Crone
stake. However, reciting chunks of the backstory to the
Scene 5: The Hunt Feast
players is not recommended; the GM should use it to in-
form the way they answer player questions etc. so that they Scene 6: A Legend Dies
make the necessary connections between what they have
learned in the previous adventures and this one.
I hope the GM can live with is my views on the Harnic ACT III: RETURNING SOUTH
gods, Yashain, and its relationship with Kethira. Hopefully
they will be able to relate these to their own vision of Harn.
Scene 1: Emesa’s Beast Fair
Scene 2: The Gurim’s Gift
Adventure Outline Scene 3: Peonian Holy Ground
The PCs ended Deeper Dark owing the Gurim a service
and Ancient Shades sees them summoned to pay their debt. Scene 4: The Temple at Imrium
The PCs have to recover clues that will: lead them to the Scene 5: Techen Market
ancient ruins of Mejetus; ensure they understand what
Coln of Kutz has become; what he intends; and why they Scene 6: The Madman and the Quarry
must thwart those plans.

Essential Resources ACT IV: INTO PERAN

 Peran: Heart of Darkness; Afarezirs: Root of All Evil; Golo-
Scene 1: The Gargun of Yzug
tha: the Deeper Dark; Zarainsen Warehouse; Scarlet Rib-
bon; Mejetus; and Bitter Fallen (available from Scene 2: The Mahnlin Kubora
Lythia.com). Scene 3: The Urdu
 Kustan, Kubora (from Harnmaster Barbarians) and its Scene 4: The Haunt of Night
extension, Tribes of the Kubora, (available from Colum-
bia Games). The author’s Fate Core hack Fate of Harn Scene 5: The Emperor’s Tomb
(available from Lythia.com) &/or a version of the Harn- Scene 6: The Hand of Crador
master Rules (available from Columbia Games or Keles-
tia Productions)
Scene 7: The Heart of Darkness
Scene 8: The Aftermath
Helpful Resources
 The Rethem and Thardic Republic modules as well as Im-
rium and Bedenes (all are available from Columbia EPILOGUE
Games).
 Emesa (from Lythia.com).

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

HârnWorld
 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 2
TIMING ACT I: A DEBT TO BE PAID
Deciding when this adventure takes place is, as with its
predecessors, up to the GM. However, the timeline below Overview
describes the ‘ideal’ if a group is playing through all four Irrespective of how long has passed since the PCs com-
adventures iof the Dark Rethem campaign. pleted Golotha: the Deeper Dark, or how far they have trav-
Events in any group’s own campaign (and the long in- elled, or how much they have tried to hide their identity or
tervals separating the publication of the four instalments!) location, they receive a message. It comes from Jarop of
mean slippage is inevitable. However, the GM should try Zarainsen, and invites them to return to Golotha. What-
to keep to the seasons, even if the year slips. During those ever their feelings it becomes increasingly difficult to refuse
intervals the GM can take their players anywhere as long the invitation!
as they leave time for them to return for the next adven-
ture; Rethem is a very interesting place and I encourage
Scene Aspect(s)
Any Aspects that will be in play throuighout the Act will
tourists to explore it.
be ntoed at the start of each Act. In Act I An obligation
 Peran: Heart of Darkness takes place in the height of the cannot be ignored is in play through each of Scenes 1 to 5.
very hot summer of the first year of the campaign (nom-
inally TR720); SCENE 1: A MESSAGE
 Afarezirs: Root of all Evil takes place during the early
Spring of the following year (721TR), when the weather Overview
conditions allow for the sea voyage into the North; Wherever the PCs are they receive a visit from local
 Golotha: Deeper Dark takes place during the early-mid members of the Lia-Kavair or one of its affiliates. They
summer of the same year as Root of all Evil (721TR). have come to deliver a message …
 Mejetus: Ancient Shades begins in the spring nearly two Scene Aspect(s)
years after the conclusion of Deeper Dark (723TR). The
Additional aspects can be improvised by the GM on the
exact start time for Act I depends on where the PCs
basis of where the PCs are approached.
went after Deeper Dark, as the GM must allow time for
them to get back to Golotha shortly before the 18th of GM Aims
Nolus. If they arrive later they will need to travel very  To hook the PCs into the adventure through a message
swiftly to catch up with the caravan that will take the from Jarop of Zarainsen, the Lai-Kavair Grandmaster
Scarlet Ribbon into Peran. They can leave later and in Golotha. If the PCs are antagonistic to Jarop then
trqavel faster if they travel alone but the GM should the request might come through Jamys of Abrant, with
make them understand the risks of travelling into Peran whom the PCs are likely to have a less ambiguous, and
in a small group. more positive, relationship.
 The non-negotiable part of the timeline is that the PCs  To ensure that they realise that this message is con-
MUST get to Kustan for the Kuboran Moot that begins nected to the debt they owe the Morgathian Gurim
on the night of the full moon of Larane. There is no
other time in the year when the necessary NPC encout- PC Outcomes
ners can take place there. It is common knowledge that Despite any misgivings the PCs realise that Jarop (and
it is better to arrive in the first days of the Moot as the Jamys) let alone the Gurim, are not figures they can ignore.
Kubora get more fractious as time passes. This also al-
lows the PCs time to take advantage of all the Moot has Description of Events
to offer the traveller (and this adventure). Some ‘friends of a friend’ (Lia-Kavair or their affiliates)
seek out the PCs with a message from an old acquaintance,
Jarop of Zarainsen:
'Come to Golotha now. You have a debt to settle and it has
been sold to me. The people who deliver this message will cover
any costs of the journey. You need not fear returning, you will
be under my protection. Jarop'.
The GM must hope that the offer of an all-expenses
paid trip back to Golotha will be enticing enough but if the
PCs are strangely reluctant the leader will use Intimidate
vs. the Will of the PC who appears to be the leader - usu-
ally the toughest looking fighter.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 3
He is prepared to cause mental stress to the PC with the
intention of forcing a consessnion (or even taking him out) SCENE 2: PRESSURE
in order to get him to accept the offer and return to Golo-
tha. Overview
The PCs discover that refusal is going to be costly.
The heavies won’t initiate any physical conflict as they
have been instructed not to cause the PCs any physical Scene Aspect(s)
harm. They will, though, defend themselves if the PCs ini- You used to have friends is in play during this Scene
tiate combat. They will always concede once a PC is down with additional aspects improvised by the GM on the basis
to their last physical stress box having judged that they of the PCs’ situation.
made thei point.
If the heavies do concede then they will gain the same GM Aims
Fate Points as a PC would, and these will be available in  To make it clear to the PCs that life will be intolerable
the next scene to add to the GM's pool of Fate Points. if they continue to refuse the invitation.

Local Boss PC Outcomes

They accept the invitation when it is offered a second
The most feared in town;
time, if only to get the locals off their back.
Dangerous connections
+3 Fight
Description of Events
The local Lia-Kavair (or their local affiliate) will make
+2 Strength (Damage+1)
life difficult for the PCs:
+1 Contacts
 Any local employment opportunities dry up and any
Knife:0; 1-H Improvised:1 current employer has to, sadly, let's them go.
Cloth:0  Buying goods or services becomes increasingly difficult
 for the PCs as they suffer a +1 increase in difficulty
when using Privy Purse.
 Any credit they may have accumulated melts away
Thug (1-2 per PC) along with any good name they have established, so
that local Rank is reduced by -1
Handy in a fight;
Well-known in certain circles  These changes in wealth and status can be increased af-
ter over the next few weeks if continue to refuse to
+2 Fight retrun to Golotha.
+1 Strength (Damage+1) Finally they are subjected to a social attack using the
Lia-Kavair's +5 Contacts vs. the Will of the PC with the
Knife:0; 1-H Improvised:1 highest Contacts. The PCs may be able to create some
Cloth:0 advantages to defend themselves once the attack begins.
 Equally the Lia-Kavair will make liberal use of Fate Points
to boost the effect of their attacks.
Link to the next scene The intention is to do Mental Stress to the PC most im-
Scene 2 is initiated if the thugs are forced to concede. portant for the contacts they have established, and force
Scene 4 is initiated if the PCs accept the invitation. him to concede and convince the others that they will have
to comply.
This time the Lia-Kavair are prepared to inflict a Minor
Mental Consequence on the PC, such as Name is dirt in
around here, before conceding.

Link to the next scene

As before the PCs can trigger Scene 4 simply by agree-
ing to return to Golotha and meet Jarop. Alternatively
their refusal can trigger Scene 3. However, the GM may
wish to consider whether the PCs actually want to play the
conclusion of the campaign: more fun is to be had with vol-
unteers than with ‘pressed men’.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 4
SCENE 3: NO ALTERNATIVE SCENE 4: INTERVIEW WITH
Overview AN AMORVRUS
The PCs ARE going to Golotha!
Overview
Scene Aspect(s) The PCs meet Jarop and his ‘sponsor’. The GM should
Relaxed in a place of safety can be invoked to lower use Zarainsen Warehouse to provide the necessary detail of
PC guards for a kidnap attempt or Powerful enemies to the location
make it difficult to avoid arrest
Scene Aspect(s)
GM Aims The Guild’s home ground is in play throughout the
 The GM ensures they return to Golotha! Scene and Dark and dank vault is in play once the PCs
are taken to the dock below the Zarainsen Warehouse.
PC Outcomes
They deal with the consequences of continued refusal.

Description of Events
If they continue to refuse the offer &/or run rather than
accepting the paid passage back to Golotha, then the GM
may have to work harder. If the PCs play hardball then the
GM can do likewise. While not favouring GM fiat they may
face … other forces …the local Morgathian network (or
their allies) will use a series of cut-outs to focus significant
local interest on the PCs. This could involve:
 Kidnap! Each PC will wake up securely confined in a
hidden compartment in the bed of a wagon (or ship if
they have fled overseas), under several hundred
pounds of turnips, wool, brassware etc. Their destina-
tion is unknown but turns out to be … Golotha.

Kidnapper (2 per PC)

Trained by Naveh
Loyal once paid
+4 Larceny or Stealth
+3 Athletics or Deceive
+2 any other skill the GM needs
+1 any other skill the GM needs
Club:1
Cloth:0

 Arrest when a guildmaster’s goods are discovered in
the PC’s possession. The local Lord finds them inno-
cent but has become aware of a summons from Re-
them for their return to Golotha. They are stripped of
their possessions for causing the court inconvenience The Zarainsen Warehouse, Golotha Pool
and chained to the next cart going west. All of their
possessions are in the cart, but they don’t know that!
GM Aims
 To reveal that Jarop’s invitation was cover for an op-
Everything will later be returned by Jarop.
portunity to repay their debt to the Gurim and that
Link to the next scene they have much more to lose if they react badly.
Go straight to Scene 4.  To provide a thorough briefing for the mission the
Gurim requires in payment of their debt while making

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 5
every effort to convince them that the Morgathians are ‘You brought this Unlamented Dead from the wilderness and
playing a straight game. There should be no hint of allowed it to run free. The thing that Coln of Kutz has become is
subterfuge. dangerous for it has the power to end all days. This weighed
very heavily against you and left you in debt.’
PC Outcomes
They accept the mission as the (far) lesser of two evils, Potent Morgathian Priest Amorvrus
finding some way to justify their cooperation with the Mor-
Wielder of the Shadow of Incarnate Evil
gathians.
Feared by all
Description of Events The mask of Morgath
Jarop’s invitation brings the PCs back to the Zarainsen
Warehouse in Golotha. Whatever Jarop thinks of the PCs
+4 Ritual (Morgath) (Divine Intervention: +2
and however relations with them were left after Deeper to any skill or action so long as a Fate Point is
Dark one of the Gurim’s senior priests is still a Zarainsen spent to invoke an aspect of Morgath) AND
and the clan has prospered as a result. Therefore Jarop (Shadow of Bukrai: see Fate of Harn)
will put aside any personal feelings (for now at least) to ful- +3 Scholar (Speaks Ivinian and High Azeryani
fil the Gurim’s bidding. as well as Harnic; and Reads Lakise)
It may be necessary to remind the PCs how things were +3 Will
left with Jarop before proceeding and they may, or may +2 Contacts
not, therefore be surprised by Jarops almost avuncular +2 Intimidate (Invoke Morgath: +2 to create
manner towards them advantages with Intimidate because of the reputa-
Empathy vs. 0 is all it takes to see that Jarop is at pains tion of the Church)
not to appear in any way threatening. The impression +2 Fight (Touched by Bukrai: if any Physical
gained is that he actually needs something from the PCs
Stress is inflicted on the target, add a point of Men-
and is genuinely trying to make them feel at ease. Success
tal Stress)
with Style will tell them that they have some power in this
game. It is important to Jarop that they agree when he +1 Empathy (Scent of Fear: +2 to discover a rel-
asks them to come with him for a meeting 'with a friend'. evant aspect that could be compelled to force the
Jarop escorts them down to the dank vaulted dock be-
target to cooperate)
neath the warehouse where a hooded figure emerges from +1 Deceive
the shadows accompanied by his bodyguards. +1 Stealth
Under the hood and mask of a senior Morgathian priest +1 Ride
this may or may not be the Gurim himself; it doesn’t mat-
ter. There are other figures in the shadows that infest the Dagger:1; Unarmed:0
basement dock; close enough to act but sufficiently hidden Leather beneath cloth:1
to be difficult to identify.
The masked Morgathian dismisses Jarop with a cursory

'thank you' and tells the PCs that the time has come to Mild :
make good their debt. He wants them to find out what has
happened to the one-armed man who disappeared on Serious:
Temple Hill, and report back what they discover. Grievous :
They will, of course, remember what the Gurim said to
them that night but the Morgathian reminds them of events ‘You were offered you two ways to pay that debt and you
and consequences: preferred to owe a service rather than join the ranks of the War-
‘You trespassed on holy ground and, while you were unable riors of Klyss, the gulmorvrin',
to stop the Unlamented Dead escaping, your actions did allow He gestures and numerous shapes emerge from the
us to see what form it had taken. This placed your fate in the dank shadows; gulmorvrin!
balance. ‘This offer is now repeated: the gulmorvrin or a service? De-
‘Coln of Kutz knows the Source, and the Gate, and shared cide'.
his being with the Unlamented Dead beyond the gate. In doing
so he became both Gate and Keeper and he may become the
Key’

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 6
the Gurim’s will only through the Shek P’var'. 'Only the Un-
Loyal Bodyguard (1 per PC) lamented Dead that we sense beyond the portal can open
Veteran man-at-arms the door and they are caged beyond it. As they cannot
I fear my master journey to this side then they cannot be the Key for the Gate
Keeper.' 'We will consecrate a shrine at Mejetus so that the
+3 Melee Emperor and all his legions will guard The Lock. With no
+2 Strength (Damage +1) Lock, no Gatekeeper and no Key, the Lord of V’Hir will be
+1 Endurance contained.'
Should they wish to change their mind and take up his
Spear:2; Falchion:2; Dagger:1 previous offer of service among the Gulmorvrin … then
Ring mail:2 that can be arranged … he ostentatiously indicates the
blank-eyed Gulmorvrin, again. Alternatively they can un-
 dertake the mission described and, if they do well, then
there might be an opportunity to continue in the service of
Gulmorvrin (2 per PC) Morgath.
Obedient but Slow If they ask precisely what service is being sought …
Susceptible to Fire he will straightforwardly describe events that have come to
the church’s notice since the events on Temple Hill:
HORRIFIC(+2)
 The ‘unlamented dead’ they know as Coln of Kutz es-
+3 Fight (Touched by Bukrai: if any Physical caped pursuit that night and seemed to disappear, per-
haps drowned in the Thard. Reports of a bald man
Stress is inflicted on the target, add a point of Men-
abound; those of a red-beard have been common; and
tal Stress); those of a one-armed man less so, but nothing that
+2 Strength; could definitively identify Coln of Kutz.
+1 Endurance
 Then, in the spring of last year a strange report
reached the church. The man that oversees the ferry
Bludgeoning Fists:1 (+1 Damage) crossing at Zerien was reported to have gone mad. He
Leathery skin:1 claimed to have been woken during the night by a man
offering a king’s ransom if he would take him across
 the Thard into Rethem. The sum was so great that, af-
ter taking the man’s money, the ferryman returned to
This is a good time to remind the PCs of what they know,
his bed to plan his retirement. When roused the fol-
that:
lowing morning he was maniacally happy. Only the
 Den Hapra, the mad old scribe who accompanied Kutz discovery that the bag of gold he’d been given was
up river, said that the Denal Kubora had asked if Kutz gone altered his mood. Worse, the small sum he had
was ‘the Key to the Lock that bound them’, and if he was accumulated as savings was also missing. A hue and
‘the Gatekeeper who would battle the outsiders and bring cry went out for the tall noble in a hooded cloak of rich
the god his rest’? red fabric, but he had disappeared. To this day the
 Den Hapra’s notebook said: ‘The Denal are the Guardi- ferry is being operated by a cousin as the crossing
ans and the Cursed of the Hand but one day a Gate Keeper keeper continues to grieve for his loss.
shall appear and He shall be Like but Unlike, Denal but not  A man who was night-fishing saw a man cross to the
Denal, and he shall be the Key. He will seek out the Outsid- north bank that night. He enquired of the road to
ers and defeat them and then Crador will rest.’ Phira and bade the fisherman a friendly good night be-
 Some of what they learned from the diary given to fore walking into the darkness. The witness was very
them by Wenowina the Crone contains similar refer- clear that it was a red tunic not a hooded cloak that
ences in what the Morgathians who went to the Hand caught his eye, but like the ferryman his description of
were overheard saying: 'We have caste wards around the man was otherwise vague.
this place so that the Lord of Fires is denied this portal as  The hue and cry found a final witness some distance
the Gurim has ordained. We have warded it with the ele- beyond Phira; a local huntsman. He reported having
ments that are anathema to the Fiery One and his servants met a tall man with a red hat at dawn after the ferry
and intend that over time the portal that was opened here keeper was woken. He offered a few pleasantries on
will be dispersed by the flow of his greatest enemy, water. the weather and the like but the man said very little in
We have taken care not to risk the Concordat by working return. When a better description was sought he ad-
mitted that the hat was all he seemed to notice … it

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 7
was very red. He was absolutely certain that the man than to say that this man spent a lot of time with a half-
didn’t have a red cloak or tunic, though. Given the breed trapper called Halako before disappearing.
fisherman’s estimate of the time of his encounter and  Halako is reported to live among the savages so it has
the huntsman’s location, this was judged to be a differ- not been possible to question him about what hap-
ent person; only if the man had run all the way could it pened to the one-armed man the church believes to
have been him. have been Kutz.
 Some days later a farmer and his household were Empathy against a potent Amorvrus is difficult (vs. +3)
burned to death in their barn west of Senun. Only the but success reveals that he seems to be telling the truth
youngest child survived and she said a lady with red about these events. Additional shifts of success reveal ad-
hair had paid for a meal and a bed for the night. The ditional insights:
next thing the chuild remembers is the smoke and heat
 1 shift - given the time that has passed something has
of the barn burning around her and squeezing under
sufficiently alarmed the Morgathians for them to have
the wall through a scrape made by the farm cats. The
called in the debt now;
bodies were burned beyond recognition and the re-
mains of the barn door showed signs of having been  2 shifts - as above, plus a Morgathian might be less
wedged shut from outside. Further investigation by successful in this investigation (Scholar or Contacts
the local bailiff discovered all the family's portable after the meeting vs +2 reveals that though the fol-
wealth to be missing. Before he could investigate fur- lowers of Morgath are loyal unto (un)death they do not
ther a vagabond found sleeping under a hedge was have a reputation for initiative and the ability to think
lynched by villagers. The Constable of Senun sent a on their feet);
man to investigate and he took down the bailiff's report  3 shifts (Success with Style) - as above, plus there
and attached a scrap of parchment on which the bailiff may even be something that a Morgathian simply can-
had traced a shape he found scratched into the horse not achieve, that the PCs can (unless all the PCs are
trough beside the barn, it was newly made and copied openly Morgathian PC, then replace this with: "the PCs
in case it was of import: have shown sufficient initiative in the past to be trusted
with a mission beyond many servants of the church").
k Link to the next scene
He could not read but the Morgthian a can tell the PCs
it was the first letter in the name … Kutz: The timing of the Gurim's summons is now clearer.
The last person reported to have spent time in the com-
kutz pany of Kutz was the half-breed trapper, Halako. The PCs
are to travel to the Moot, find Halako and find out where
 Reinvestigating the events at the Thard crossing an Kutz has gone. The PCs have time to get to Kustan for this
agent of the church found the same letter scratched year’s Kuboran Moot if they leave within the next few days.
into the soft wood of a post where the fisherman had When they report back their debt will then be reviewed.
met the man in the red tunic.
 After that the trail went cold. Nothing was heard of a
one-armed man, no initials were found, and nothing
untoward was reported that involved a man or woman
in anyway dressed in red.
 Then similar reports reached Golotha in the late sum-
mer from a number manors in the North: all concerned
someone making enquiries about the region’s ancient
history. It proved impossible to see any pattern in the
sightings, other than that the visits avoided Tormau
and the manors near to it. What attracted the church’s
interest was that whenever enquiries were made ‘red’
featured in the description of the questioner.
 These reports ceased in Larane of last year. However,
a one-armed, red-bearded man was seen leaving
Dasen with the annual caravan heading to the Kuboran
Moot at Kustan. When questioned witnesses could
add little detail about what happened at Kustan other

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 8
SCENE 5: SCARLET RIBBON The route and timings are summarised below (though
the GM could simply give the PCs access to the map of the
trail found in the Scarlet Ribbon article):
Overview
The PCs travel to the Kuboran Moot. The GM can use Larane Milestones
Scarlet Ribbon for details of the route.
5th Wagons leave Dasen and, after paying a toll of
Scene Aspect(s) '2d per leg' to the Warriors of Mameka, reach
Together against the wilderness and A caravan at- the southern edge of the Uldan Hills.
tracts all sorts are in play as long as the PCs are with the
6th Wagons cross the hills and descend into the
caravan. If they are separated from it then Dangerous for-
valley of the Perath to camp beside the river.
est wilderness comes into play instead.
7th After a long day marching the wagons reach the
GM Aims place where Garao Kubora can be paid as
 The GM should ensure that, if the PCs are going to get guides for the rest of the rip north.
to Kustan with the annual caravan of traders, that they
reach Dasen by the 5th day of Larane. A day later and 8th The wagons reach the headwaters of the Perath
they will still be able to catch it on horseback, but after and cross, turning NW as they do so. Depend-
that they will be travelling through Kuboran territory ing on how bad the winter and spring thaws
without the collective strength of the caravan and its have been it can take an extra day to complete
hired guards for several days before they catch up with this section of the route.
the stragglers.
9th Having crossed the headwaters the wagons
PC Outcomes cross continue NW into the Aranaki Hills
They join the caravan. It is possible for them to travel
alone but this will add complication and danger to a jour- 10th Depending on how much rain has fallen on the
ney that is otherwise usually very safe and which traders Rayeshas and the Western Highlands of Peran,
consider almost routine at this time of year. this section of the route, which will take them
through the Aranaki Lakelands, can take two
Description of Events days, not one. Having Garao guides reduces
The nucleus of the caravan will have left Golotha on the risk of losing time.
about the 18th of Nolus, picking up wagons and mules as it
makes its way first to Shostim, then Quiso and Winen, and 11th The wagons cross at the shallow ford where the
finally crossing the River Denia to Dasen via Tormau. Warriors were ambushed in 717 and enter the
range of the Rathiri Kubora.
Although that will take the wagons making up the core
of the caravan 12 or 13 days, the journey from Golotha to 12th Depending on whether they have lost time they
Dasen takes 4 -5 days on a horse; 6-7 days on foot and 5-7 will either move on or camp above the valley of
days by ship, depending on wind and weather. The Siolen Kustan for up to 2 days, before complet-
church, through Jarop, can arrange for horses or passage ing the final stage through the valley and on to
on board the Serenela's Fancy, a ship the PCs will be famil- Kustan
iar with from Afarezirs: Root of all Evil.
The GM can insert encounters into the journey from 13th Rest day or catch-up day
Golotha to Dasen so long as they do not distract the PCs 14th Rest day or catch-up day
and stop them reaching the start of the Scarlet Ribbon in
time to join the caravan. 15th Wagons reach Kustan late in the day and camp
If they leave on foot, by ship, or on horseback on the is pitched. Trading starts the following morning
25th, 26th or 27th of Nolus, respectively, they should arrive
in Dasen between the 1st and 3rd of Larane. The caravan Link to the next scene
will depart at dawn on the 5th. None is necessary. Simply staying with the caravan will
If they have any specific requirements for the journey bring the PCs to Act II.
then they should either obtain what they need in Golotha
or arrive in Dasen just in time (and pay significantly more
for almost anything).

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 9

The approach to Kustan Siolen

or a beast destined for the arenas of the south, could put

ACT II: THE KUBORAN MOOT the PCs, or those nearby, at risk:

Overview Curious Cougar (1)

The PCs spend time at the Kuboran Moot in search of Protective of young
trapper called Halako and information about Kutz.
Grace & Power; Small Sized(+2)
Scene Aspect(s) +4 Notice
Fierce Kuboran pride is in play as long as the PCs are
+3 Athletics (Cat’s Grace: Use Athletics instead
at the Moot.
of Stealth when avoiding detection)
The simple carved wooden tokens given to the PCs by
+2 Fight
the Asawne during Peran: Heart of Darkness will be recog-
nised by any Kuboran as being a traditional image of Cra-
+1 Survival
dor the Blind significant to any Kuboran. A PC gains the Bite:1
aspect Trusted by Kubora (but without a free invoke) as
Hide:1
long as the token is openly displayed at the Moot.
Any use of Rapport while invoking Trusted by Kubora 
that Succeeds with Style will lead to an enquiry of where
the PC obtained the tokens and offer them a chance to tell
the story. If the PCs are honest and tell the tale of their
Rampaging Ox (1)
time with the Asawne, then they will gain the additional as- Mad with rage
pect Honoured by the Asawne. Great Size(+4)

The Moot +4 Endurance (Hard to kill: Use Endurance to

Visiting Kubora will have arrived at their traditional defend against physical attacks though the beast
campgrounds around Kustan over the preceding few days. takes +1 extra damage on a tie)
Large numbers of Zurnir Kubora arrive up to 5 days before +3 Strength
as they provide guards for the Rathiri hosts and for the sa- +2 Athletics (Trample: Use athletics to attack a
cred sites. target and, if Succeed with Style then to +3 addi-
The GM should look for opportunities to compel PC as- tional points of damage)
pects to make their time at the moot ‘interesting’, and keep the +1 Fight
Fate Point economy ticking over. Plot seeds could include:
Gore:2
The Dangerous … Hide:1
Anything from an ox driven mad by the provocation of
a curious Kuboran child to a cougar in search of her cubs 

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 10
Confused Hirenu (1) Drunken Hunter (1 per PC)
Territorial hunter and scavenger You southern cur!
Stupid and fragile boned; Great Size! (+4) Come, be my woman tonight
+4 Notice +2 Fight
+3 Athletics (Leap onto a target: Succeed with +1 Strength (Damage +1)
style to leap 20’ into the air before swooping
hooves first onto the target to do +2 additional Unarmed:0; Handaxe:1
damage) AND (Fly: Move 2 zones ignoring obsta- Leather:1
cles on the ground)
+2 Fight

+1 Intimidate Day 1 of the Moot (15th Larane)
Talons:3 & Beak:2 Southron traders arrive but are confined to their
campground until dawn of the following day.
Hide:2
On the evening of the first day - the full moon of Larane
 - there is a formal welcome and the summoning of all at-
tending Hanuhn and Druhn to the village of Kus. By tradi-
Escaped Griffon (1) tion the eldest among the Hanuhn sings the Song of the
Fallen God which tells of the origins of Peran as a rugged
Master of the high peaks wilderness in which the Tawedog, the Old Ones of the For-
Wily hunter; Great Size(+4) est, had lived for an eternity. It goes on to describe a great
battle in the skies during which a god was cast down. His
+4 Athletics
iron club fell to earth at the head of the River Denia where
+3 Notice (Glide onto a target: Can use Athlet- it created a huge marsh and raised up the Rayesha Moun-
ics instead of tack to move up to 3 zones per 20’ of tains. Kemlar saw the turmoil in the heavens and chose
starting height and attack target) AND Agile Peran as the sacred place to which he led 'The People'; the
climber: +2 to climb) Kubora.
+2 Intimidate After the formalities are over the Druhn withdraw and
+1 Fight the Rathiri hosts are given gifts of food that constitute the
meal that the Hanuhn share. Over that meal the Hanuhn
Talons:2 & Beak:1 discuss events of the last year which must be resolved.
Hide:2 Lists of perceived transgressions, heroic and honourable
 acts, or information gained about potential threats to the
tribes are voiced. The tribal shaman, who accompany their
… and the Drunken … Hanuhn, listen carefully so that the details are added to the
A group of caravan guards (or Kuboran hunters) are har-
nation's collective oral history. Unsurprisingly interpreta-
assing a Kuboran (or southron) maiden. Though they are ex-
tions of any decision can sometimes vary, but the majority
perienced the guards are the worse for drink:
recollection is usually ruled accurate.
Generations ago the Druhn would have retired to their
Drunken Guard (1 per PC) tribal camps but since the time of Arlun it has become tra-
ditional for the Druhn to remain in Kus and share their
Don’t mess with me, sunshine!
own, less formal, meal. Though their duties are to lead the
Come on, darlin’ warband and advise the Hanuhn on matters of hunting, ter-
ritory and war Arlun taught them how important their role
+2 Fight
was in the fate of their tribes and of the Kuboran nation as
+1 Strength (Damage +1)
a whole. When he first drew them together Arlun voiced
Unarmed:0; Dagger:1 his plan to invade the southron lands, and over recent
years it has been over this meal that the loyalties of the
Cloth:0 Druhn to Ryler the Southron and those that would contest
 with him for influence, have been explored. The final busi-
ness of the meal is for the Druhn to agree the arrangements

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 11
for the Feast Hunt that takes place on the 8th day of the Day 6 of the Moot (20th Larane)
Moot. Visiting and trading continues and the final elimination
While the men meat in Kus the Crone of each tribe matches take place f and from which the best two teams
takes food to honour the oldest Crone of Heneryne attend- emerge to compete in the final of the Gargun-Head com-
ing, at whichever campground she occupies. Some women petition.
discretely claim that while the Hanuhn talk, and the Druhn
boast, the important decisions are made by the Crones who Day 7 of the Moot (21st Larane)
return to their tribal camps to ensure the men are influ- Most traders leave during the morning. There are al-
enced by their women folk to do the 'right' thing. No ways tales circulating through the caravan that if you stay
woman would claim such a disgraceful thing in front of her longer you might become the subject of the Feast Hunt
menfolk, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. and the victim of the riotous behaviour with which the
Moot often ends!
Day 2 of the Moot (16th Larane) Visiting and trading among the Kubora continues and
At dawn the elders of the Rathiri Kubora with a body- every tribe, and some of the larger clans, compete in the
guard of Zurnir warriors, visit the southron campground Rope Pulling until only one team remains standing.
and formally invite the assembled traders to display their
wares. At the same time they are warned that they must Day 8 of the Moot (22nd Larane)
respect the Kubora, their possessions and their women and The warriors embark on the Feast Hunt while the
remember that though they travelled through Siolen Kustan women and children gather the fruits of the forest. At the
and meet among the barrows of Kuboran heroes, they must end of the hunt claims for the most heroic act are made
not trespass on either. and adjudicated and the name of the most successful
By tradition the most senior trader makes a speech in hunter promulgated among the tribes. The wisent are
response pledging those attending to follow the guidance butchered and their slow roasting begins.
offered. They also warn that no visitor can expect any pro-
tection if they break this vow made on their behalf. Finally Day 9 of the Moot (23rd Larane)
the Rathiri receive gifts as proof of southron good will. Each tribal shaman takes any youth preparing for their
There is much visiting between the Kuboran clans and manhood ceremony into the forest to ensure they under-
tribes in search of wives, trade, friendship, or recompense stand what is expected of them. Then they are sent off to
for some perceived slight that has occurred over the last hunt for the food that their clan will eat that night.
year. By noon they are also visiting the southron camp in During the day the Stone Carry takes place among the
search of trade, and sometimes entertainment. A particular stones of Siolen Kustan, but outsiders are not invited.
attraction is a wagon of red haired whores from Golotha; Storytelling competition will have informally begun
red hair is rare, and much valued, among the Kubora. around the campfires on the 2nd day but word soon spreads
of who the serious contenders are and they will find them-
Day 3 of the Moot (17th Larane) selves invited to the camps of other clans and tribes as the
Visiting and trading continues. The annual Gargun- Moot proceeds. By the 9th Day it is clear which handful of
Head competition begins and in the morning the Short storytellers will be invited to entertain the gathered Kubora
Foot Race takes place around Kus, while the afternoon at the Hunt Feats at the end of the 10th day.
sees the Wrestling competition take place.
Day 10 of the Moot (24th Larane)
Day 4 of the Moot (18th Larane) At dawn the youths seeking manhood gather and bathe
Visiting and trading continues, as does the next round in the stream running down to Kus before having their
of the Gargun-Head competition. The Long Foot Race, heads shaved. They are then given a potent blend of fer-
from Kus to Siolen Kustan and back, takes place and at the mented berries and herbs by the presiding shaman, blind-
end of it the Weight Lifting competition is decided - usu- folded, and led into the forest towards Siolen Kustan.
ally this acts as an elimination event for the 'Stone Carry'
The roasting of the wisent continues into the afternoon
later in the Moot.
when each tribe carries chunks of meat and other food
Day 5 of the Moot (19th Larane) from their campground to Kus for the Hunt Feast, the final
Visiting and trading continues and the Single Combat event of the Moot.
and Javelin competitions are judged by a group of Druhn. The victors in the various competitions are recognised
There are also competitions among the boys and youths by all the Kubora present and songs sung of their achieve-
that see them race and wrestle and compete with the bow. ments. The final contenders in the Storytelling

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 12

Wisent in the valley of the Shawls

competition is given the opportunity to tell their tales to all The truce that provides safe passage to Kubora travel-
the Kubora who have attended with the victor being ac- ling through the ranges of other tribes holds for about 5
claimed by the cheering of the tribes. more days, but the further from Kustan they get the more
Speeches are made by the Rathiri and decisions on any likely it is that there will be trouble.
remaining contentious matters are announced. Usually A similar truce is, in theory, granted to southrons travel-
these have been agreed by the Hanuhn and Druhn in ad- ling home, but as described above it is far from a guarantee
vance, but there are sometimes surprises! There is much of safety.
anticipation that, this year, Ryler will make a rousing call
for unity and war. If he does then the safety of any remain- SCENE 1: ENQUIRIES
ing southron visitors may be called into question, even if
they are already on the trail! Overview
The Moot ends with everyone eating and drinking too This should take place on Day 1 of the Moot with the
much, gambling more than they have and fighting more PCs trying to find Halako and what he knows.
than is good for them! It is no wonder that on the follow-
ing day some hotheads will pursue and harass the southron Scene Aspect(s)
caravan and any traders who chose to overstay their wel- So many people! is in play until they find Halako. This
come. Usually it's only necessary to give them gifts to get can be invoked to provide lots of people to ask or com-
them to leave the caravan alone but sometimes the en- pelled to increase the challenge.
counters can turn dangerous and bloody, particularly if
they come upon a small group of traders separated from GM Aims
the caravan and its guards.  To share the layout of Kustan with the PCs;
Formerly the Moot ends at the following dawn and the  To help the PCs understand that the tokens given to
tribal camps break up and the Kubora begin their journeys them by the Asawne during Heart of Darkness can be
back to their home ranges. useful;

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 13
 To make it relatively easy for the PCs to find Halako
and discover what he knows. Halako the Half-breed Trapper
Sensitive about his parentage
PC Outcomes Open hearted veteran of the forest
They find their way around Kustan and learn and dis-
cover more about why Kutz visited Kustan, and his power +3 Survival
to cloud people’s memories. +2 Missile
+1 Fight
Finding Halako
It should take the PCs no more than 2 days to find the Bow:1/1; Dagger:1
half-Kuboran Halako. He is at the Chetulli campground in
Leather:1
the company of his relatives.
He is sensitive about his parentage but will discuss the 
man he met last year; tall with one arm. He intervened
when Halako found himself at a disadvantage when faced history! Halako took him up to the ruins of Caer Kustan
by a couple of drunken Ivinian caravan guards. He didn’t and told him about a woman in Bedenes who he might be
think to ask the man’s name, in fact he struggles to come interested in meeting. Halako had come across her the last
up with a convincing description; he called him 'Red'. time he attended the Beast Fair at Emesa. Her name is
His abiding memory is of the man's curiosity; he didn’t Morn/Lorn/Dorn, something like that, and she paid him
say much but when he did speak it was a question about well to tell her what he knew about Kustan and stories he
picked up from his Kuboran family.

The Ruins of Caer Kustan

Before the end of the Moot, and before most of the car- theme is clear. Success with Style helps understand the
avan headed south, Red disappeared. Halako asked apparent power of Kutz to disguise himself: several people
around but no one remembered much about the man he'd he had no particular contact with describe him as the tall,
spent time with or noticed when he left. one-armed red bearded man the PCs would recognise, but
whenever they find someone who spent time with him, his
Further Enquiries appearance is blurred, with only the theme of red being
Investigation: Overcome +2 to reveal that a number consistent. His power seems limited in scope to individu-
of people visiting the Moot last year were asked about the als he interacts relatively closely with.
ruins in general and its temple, in particular. Descriptions
of the person making the enquiries are varied, but the red

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 14
The Bitter Fallen within Kutz habitually castes a frag-
ment of its consciousness into the mind of anyone it inter- SCENE 2: GOMAS STRAIGHT
acts with, sometimes to deceive them, and often to discern
what else they might know of value. In doing so their per-
ARROW
ception of the encounter blurs; it is only the fragment of
Kutz’s will that ensures something red is remembered.

Link to the next scene

The GM should introduce Scene 2 immediately, before
the PCs have time to set off to the ruins themselves.

Scene Aspect(s)
Influential friend while in the company of Gomas.

GM Aims
 To remind the PCs what a helpful friend Gomas can
be, but to ensure they are not allowed to use him in
place of their own hard work!

PC Outcomes
 They will have an opportunity to visit the ruins with a
well-informed guide.
 If thePCs ask for Gomas’s help he will be happy to ac-
company them to Caer Kustan at dawn on Day 2.
 The ruins of Kustan are an eerie reminder of imperial
strength and final weakness. Once a potent fortress it
is now a collection of ruined walls and towers with the
remnants of garrison buildings within (see Kustan).

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 15
Gomas ‘Straight Arrow’ Sytari ‘the Man’
Aged 57, height 5’7”, light frame, weight 144 lbs, plain appearance, dark complex- Aged 24, height 5’6”, light frame , weight 115 lbs, very attractive appearance, me-
ion, grey hair, brown eyes dium complexion, red hair, piercing green eyes
Widely respected Hanuhn of the Asawne Kubora Meinrhyfel of the Asawne
Listens to the trees, the river, the air, and the Dedicated to Gomas
night; Loyal guardians Bride to the man that bests her
+4 Will (Calm dignity: Use Will instead of Rap- +4 Melee (Mistress of the Handaxe: +2 to cre-
port to create advantages during negotiations) ate advantages using this weapon)
+3 Notice +3 Fight (Dirty-fighter: Spend a Fate Point to in-
+3 Melee crease the harm done by a successful Fight attack
+2 Endurance so that any Stress is converted to a Mild Conse-
+2 Scholar (Kuboran folklore: +2 to Scholar on quence, Mild becomes serious or serious becomes
this subject) AND (Weatherlore: +2 to Overcome Grievous related to a very painful blow to kidneys
when predicting future weather) AND Speaks or gonads, or an eye gouge etc.)
Harnic as well as Old Jarinese +3 Missiles (Mistress of the Javelin: +2 to cre-
+2 Empathy ate advantages using the 1-h spear as a javelin)
+1 Athletics +2 Notice
+1 Ritual (Kuboran Pantheon) +2 Athletics
+1 Survival +2 Endurance
+1 Stealth +1 Survival
Handaxe:1/1; Dagger:1 +1 Crafts (Curach: +2 to Overcome challenges
using the Kuboran skin boats)
Leather:1
+1 Intimidate
 1-h Spear/Javelin:2/1; Handaxe:1/1; Dagger:1
Mild : Leather and Round Shield:1+2
Serious: 
Grievous : Mild :
Serious:
The Order of Khamar’s Temple
Grievous :

The central pit that once contained the sacred fire of

Agrik is a cold and clogged with debris and fragments of
the roof. Beyond it three arched windows illuminat more
debris and the edge of a mosaic.
Clearning the debris reveals a very fine mosaic border
with the words 'The betrayal of Emperor Mejenes on his quest
to the gateway to Balgashang', in Lakise; the Khamari only
used the Agrikan temple tongue, Surikal, ceremonially.
Unfortunately, within that ornate border sits only bare
earth. The rest of the flagstones on which the mosaic was
laid are not here; they have been removed. The growth of
grasses and moss where the flagstones once sat suggests
that they have been gone a long time - they cannot have
been here when Kutz visited Kustan a year ago
Gomas can tell the PCs that some masonry from the
fort was taken to Siolen Kustan after it fell. This act symbol-
ised the complete triumph of the Kubora; the invader's im-
pregnable fortress was subsumed into the Shawls.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 16
Not even Gomas can get the PCs legitimate access to
Siolen Kustan, the Shawls of Kustan, and will actively op-
pose any plan to go there without permission. To do so
would compromise his relationship with them and he
would have no choice but to have them killed

Acurdin ‘the Guide’ or Garach

Aged 36, height 5’9”, medium frame , weight 121 lbs, average appearance, dark
complexion, prematurely grey hair, green eyes
Veteran hunter
Dedicated to Gomas
Proud Kuboran
+4 Notice (Eyes in the back of his head: +2 to
avoid surprise at the start of an encounter)
+3 Athletics
+3 Melee
+2 Intimidate
+2 Stealth (One with the forest: +2 to create an
advantage with Stealth in the Peran forest)
+2 Missiles
+1 Survival (The forest feeds us: +2 to Over-
come tasks related to finding food in the Peran for-
est)
+1 Endurance
+1 Crafts (Curach: +2 to Overcome challenges
using the Kuboran skin boats)
+1 Strength (+1 Damage)
1-h Spear/Javelin:2/1; Handaxe:1/1; Dagger:1
Leather and Round Shield:1+2

Mild :
Serious:
Grievous :

Link to the next scene

If the PCs are rash enough to ignore Gomas and try to
get access to the Shawls then have them warned off by Zurnir Guardians (2 per PC)
Zurnir guards &/or get them lost among the mounds and
Veteran hunter
ditches of Siolen Kustan. There are several square miles of
monuments for them to search! Gomas has a suggestion,
Dedicated to a holy task
though. There might be a way to obtain the information +3 Melee
they desire. The Rathiri are the keepers of the Shawls and
know more about them than any other tribe. If, during the
+2 Endurance
Moot, the PCs could find a way to impress their hosts then +1 Strength (+1 Damage)
they might beg a favour and be able to ask questions of a
Rathiri shaman about the mosaics. Rathiri oral history
1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1
might contain a reference to them and what they showed Leather & Round Shield:1+2
before they were taken up and carried to the Shawls.
If they are going to ask such questions they will need to 

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 17

The Khamari Temple at Kustan

have sufficient prestige not to be ignored. Having him as
their supporter will not be enough; the Rathiri are some-
times suspicious of Kubora who befriend southrons.
Gomas thinks there might be a way for them to increase SCENE 3: THE GLADIATORS
their standing during the Moot: The Kubora love competi-
tions and many are staged during the moot. Clans compete ENTER
in all sorts of ways.
Gomas can tell the PCs about the competitions and when
Overview
Gomas makes his suggestion first thing on Day 2 of the
they occur (see overview to Act II). Little specific
Moot and competition start on Day 3. The PCs therefore
knowledge of the rules are necessary, they are at best,
have relatively little time to start impressing the Kubora if
'loose'; almost anything goes short of outright murder!
they are to attract any competitors for the early events.
While the PCs can't take part in any of the events, it is
Gomas will strongly advise the PCs to avoid the Single
no unknown for a Kuboran champion, or a warrior who
Combat competitors. To get their attention a PC would
hopes to be one, to takes on outsiders in 'private' competi-
have to display skill with a melee weapon and southrons
tions. Ostensibly these are just warm-ups which provide
doping that are more likely to attract summary execution
some entertainment but they also provide guides to a war-
than status. He is also arrogantly confident in any
rior's form and sometimes attract bets.
Kuboran's ability to best them in a 'fair' fight. Therefore, as
Southrons seen to be worthy practice competition are an act of friendship, Gomas will ensure they do not get any
honoured by the tribes for their performance, so long as challenge in Single Combat,
they do not perform too well! However far below Kuboran
He has a last piece of advice before leaving the PCs to
standards they fall, visitors can gain a name for themselves
try their luck while he returns to the business of the Moot:
if they are lucky and careful.
After any contest both winners and losers make speeches to
It isn't acceptable for them to challenge a Kuboran -that
anyone watching. Remember that you are visitors here. Be
will be insulting and might get a PC killed. However, if they
graceful in defeat, as such grace is almost as important with my
can create the impression that they are worthy competition
people as victory.
by displaying their skill, strength or endurance, then a
would-be champion may come to them. Gomas warns the Scene Aspect(s)
PCs that each of them should accept no more than one
Anything goes! Is in play from the point a contest is
challenge; the Kubora dislike southron arrogance.
agreed. Treat each Contest as a separate Scene in terms of
If the PCs agree go straight to the Scene 3. the GMs fate Point store.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 18
GM Aims Having a PC with strong social skills spend the days prais-
ing their ability publicly, and creating relevant advantages,
 To involve the PCs in the life of the Moot and give
would also help.
them a real flavour for the Kubora at play; their gam-
bling, their pride, and their complete belief in their ra- The Contest itself: The GM should allow the PC to
cial superiority; use any reasonable opportunity to create some advantages
that can improve their chances or ruin those of their oppo-
 To encourage as many of the PCs as possible to in-
nent once the competition starts. The Kuboran opponent
volve themselves with the strategy rather than relying
will almost always use Intimidate to create and exploit the
on the ‘big and strong’ PCs to do the work. More so-
advantage Kubora Always Win! before the contest starts.
cially able PCs could set up bets and seek advantages
The warrior may also use Intimidate or Rapport during
with the crowd through oratory or subterfuge (though
the contest to distract the PC with threats or banter, or
the latter should be used carefully. While the rules are
Empathy to seek out his weaknesses.
loose the Kubora dislike outright cheating, particularly
by a southron!) There are other, event specific, advantages the Kubora
will seek to create detailed below:
 To discourage any PC from showing an interest in the
Single Combat event. If they insist then the GM may Short Foot Race (Day 3)
not be able to save them! The PC can get a competitors attention by being seen
running 'just for fun', but displaying pace using Athletics
PC Outcomes to create an advantage such as Fleet of foot.
At least some of the PCs try to impress and gain suffi-
cient attention to raise their status and reputation. The The competition is an Athletics Contest (see Fate
Asawne tokens mean they start with more credit than the Core) but the Kuboran will use Strength (to barge the PC
anonymous southrons making up most of the visitors, so during the sprint) to create advantages.
they should feel able to use Fate points to take advantage
of their existing reputation.
Wrestling (Day 3)
The PC can get a competitors attention by goading the
Description of Events various wild beasts collected for trade and, even, wrestling
The GM can role-play these encounters in as much de- a bear, to create Will Fight Anything Alive.
tail as they please but shouldn’t forget that Fate Core is The competition is a Fight Contest (see Fate Core) but
well-provided with mechanics to manage competitions. the Kuboran will use Strength (to overbear them during
First each PC should choose the event they feel they the bout) to create advantages.
are most likely to do well in (the GM should use the me-
chanics below will help them decide). The process is in
Long Foot Race (Day 4)
two parts, attracting the attention of a Kuboran competitor; The PC can get a competitors attention by running eve-
and competing with them. rywhere, but this time displaying endurance rather than
pace create an advantage such as Can Run All Day.
Kuboran Contender The competition is an Endurance Contest (see Fate
Core) but the Kuboran will use Survival (to reflect his
Experienced competitor
knowledge of the course to the Shawls and back to pick the
Convinced of Kuboran superiority best route and avoid any pit-falls)
+4 the Contest skill Weightlifting (Day 4)
+3 the principal Supporting skill The PC can get a competitors attention by goading the
+2 the secondary Supporting skill if present various wild beasts collected for trade and, even, wrestling
+1 Rapport (for the acceptance speech) a bear, to create Will Fight Anything Alive.
Contest Weapon (if required); Knife/Club:0 The competition is a Strength Contest but the warrior
will use Endurance (to set an extreme distance to carry
Cloth:0 the weight ‘to make it more interesting’; the weightlifting is
only really important as an eliminator for the later Stone
 or  for storyteller Carry).

Getting a contender's attention: Overcome +2 with Javelin (Day 5)

Contacts modified by any advantages (suggested below) The relationship that the PCs have with the Asawne and
that the PC can create to draw attention to themselves. Nolgind Kubora should present them with opportunities to be

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 19
seen competing with them ‘for fun’ and gaining the advantage After any Contest
Wondrous Eye for a Target.
Gomas will have told them that in Kuboran society win-
The competition is a Missile Contest but the warrior ning and losing as sometimes less important than the grace
will use Strength (to set an extreme distance for the target with which it is accepted.
‘to make it more interesting’. At the end of each competition there is therefore the PC
Storytelling (Evenings of Day 5 - 9) uses their Rapport to overcome their opponent’s Rapport to
determine the good grace with which they each accept victory
Again, time around the Asawne &/or Nolgind fires will
or defeat.
offer a chance to use Rapport to create an advantage such
as Powerful Storyteller. The shifts of PC success or failure are added to (or sub-
tracted from) the margin of victory noted above, to determine
The competition is a Rapport Contest but a Kuboran
if they leave the contest with an enhanced reputation in the
contender will use Athletics (Dance), Craft (Music) and
form of Honourable Loser, which can be invoked for free later
Scholar (Skill in Old Jarinese) to create advantages
around the story itself.
Link to the next scene
The Contests Scene 3 can take place on any day after the 3rd, interrupt-
ing any Contests, which can continue after it.
All the would-be champions will have a skill pyramid
peaking with the key skill of the relevant contest. Each contest
will be managed as described in Fate Core and proceed in a se-
ries of exchanges:
1. At the start of every exchange each competitor can, if
they wish, try to create an advantage before making
their contest roll (below). If they succeed then they can
use the aspect and its free invoke to support their con-
test roll. However, if they fail to create the advantage,
then they forfeit the contest roll and the opponent au-
tomatically wins that exchange and gains a victory
point (below). If they tie when creating the advantage
then they fail to create it but don’t forfeit the contest
roll.
2. Each competitor makes one skill roll (unless it is forfeit,
above) to determine how well they do in that stage of
the contest. The winner is the competitor with the
highest final score and gains 1 victory point (2 if they
exceed the opposition by 3+), and describe how they
take the lead.
3. In the case of a tie an unexpected twist occurs: the ter-
rain or environment shifts somehow, the parameters of
the contest change, or an unanticipated variable shows
up and affects all the participants. Whatever the detail,
the GM describes the new situation aspect that applies
it to the contest until it's finished or removed by the ac-
tions of a competitor.
4. The first competitor to achieve three victory points
wins the contest. The GM should keep a note of the
margin of victories (3-0, 3-1 or 3-2).
5. Importantly, if a PC concedes the contest at any point
they keep any margin of success they have already
achieved. Hence if they got to 2-0 but conceded before
the final exchange they are the loser but keep a +2
margin which could be important later. Conceding also
gains them a Fate Point as with any concession.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 20
SCENE 4: WENOWINA THE  To present the PCs with a difficult decision that invites
them to look at the world from a Kuboran point of
CRONE view.

Overview PC Outcomes
They have an opportunity to gains significant recogni-
Perhaps it is their performance in a contest against a
tion among the tribes.
Kuboran, or their enquiries about Halako or Kutz, that
bring them to the attention of the small party of Nolgind Coric Far-seer
that have travelled from the Afarezirs to Kustan. By tradi-
Appearance: Aged 20, height 6’1”, medium frame, weight 175 lbs, handsome
tion the small number of Nolgind travelling to the Moot appearance, medium complexion, brown hair, green eyes
share the campgrounds of the Vikoeri. Hanuhn in waiting
The PCs are approached by Coric Far-seer who they Unbidden visions
met during Root of all Evil. He explains that Wenowina the
Crone asks them to share food with her. If Gomas finds out +4 Survival
then he asks if he can accompany them - a sign of great +3 Notice
honour to a woman, given Gomas' high standing. +3 Rapport
+2 Melee
+2 Missile
+2 Empathy
+1 Ritual (Kemlar)
+1 Scholar (Kuboran folklore: +2 to Overcome
using Scholar in this field) AND Speaks Trade
Ivinian as well as Old Jarinese
+1 Contacts (Nolgind: +2 to create and ad-
vantage when using Contacts among the Nolgind)
+1 Athletics (Grace of the Cat: +2 to Athletics
when climbing, or falling
1-h Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/2; Dagger1; Unarmed:0
Leather:1


Mild :
Serious:
Grievous :

Description of Events
When they reach the Nolgind tents, set apart from those
of Vikoeri, there are a number of women of various tribes
paying court to the great old lady of the Afarezirs. Once
Coric tells her that he has brought the PCs then she dis-
misses these supplicants and announces that she will see
no one else today. She exchanges pleasantries with Gomas
before asking him, the PCs, and Coric to share a sparse
meal of dried fish with her. As befits her status as a woman
GM Aims she prepares everything for them but eats separately. Af-
 To re-introduce Wenowina to the PCs and use the op-
terwards she asks them all to take a walk with her.
portunity to remind them of what they discovered
among the Afarezirs; The PCs are now Known by Wenowina the Crone for
the rest of the Moot. The GM should remember the sub-
 To encourage them to trust her, as they trusted her in sidiary status of women in Kuboran society and might in-
the past; voke this against the PCs if they encounter a group of

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 21
headstrong young warriors to whom she is ‘just another old She tells them that, when they took on the burden of the
woman’. Heart of the Beast, she decided she could finally go to her
It has been nearly a generation since Wenowina jour- rest, and spend eternity among the trees of the Great For-
neyed to the Moot and the old woman looks even frailer est as a handmaiden of Heneryne, wife of Kemlar the
than they last time the PCs saw her. The journey to Kustan Guide. Unfortunately her body has refused to give up its
would be a challenge for a much younger woman. She has, hold on life!
though, come for a very specific reason …
Wenowina the Ancient Crone
Wenowina seeks a gift Appearance: Very aged, height 5’2”, light frame, weight 117 lbs, plain appear-
ance, medium complexion, grey wispy hair, cloudy blue eyes
Protect the people
Insightful and cunning
Cursed with old age
+4 Scholar (Kuboran Folklore: +2 to Scholar on
these subjects) AND Speaks Harnic and Trade
Ivinian as well as Old Jarinese and (though few
know it, she Reads Lakise)
+3 Will (Fears no spirit: +2 to create advantages
in any kind of spirit combat)
+3 Rapport (Legendary storyteller: +2 when
yelling stories around the camp fire)
+2 Intimidate
+2 Notice
+2 Empathy
+1 Ritual (Heneryne) (Herblore: Can use Ritual
instead of Scholar to create an advantage using
useful plants)
+1 Crafts (Nolgind cookery: +2 when preparing
traditional dishes)
+1 Survival (Bounty of the islands: +2 to Over-
come when seeking out food along the shore)
+1 Athletics (Tribal Dancing: +2 to Athletics
when dancing)
Unarmed:0
Cloth:0


Mild :
Serious:
Grievous :
When they are a little way off among the trees she She cannot, as a devout follower of Heneryne, in all her
pauses and sits on a tree stump. She has a favour to ask of aspects, take her own life and, since every Crone is sacred
the PCs; a final task to undertake a final gift to bestow on to all Kubora, no tribesman can deliberately take it for her.
her. After a pause she says … 'Kill me'. She came to Kustan to find a southron to do this thing, but
She says it very simply but the PCs are likely to be at hearing that the PCs were at the Moot she is convinced
least confused, if not shocked! Then they may have ques- that Kemlar has sent them to her again for this final pur-
tions. pose. Will one of them grant her this gift?

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 22
Gomas and Coric can advise them that if undertaken by
the right person (chosen by Wenowina) in the right condi- SCENE 5: THE HUNT FEAST
tions (publicly so there is no risk of accusations of murder),
then this could be an honourable thing to do. Overview
This Scene assumes that one of the PCs has agreed to
Combined with how they deal with any Contests this
end Wenowina’s life. They are offered the opportunity to
might strengthen their case when the time comes to seek a
seek a favour from the Rathiri, and Wenowina displays her
favour from their Rathiri hosts. I might provide final proof
wisdom (and cunning).
of their understanding of, and respect for, Kuboran tradi-
tions. GM Aims
If they discuss what they want from the Rathiri with  To ensure the PCs don’t ruin the chance to get the fa-
Wenowina then she nods sagely and agrees that killing her vour they need and that Gomas and Wenowina are try-
could help. It would need to be done at the right time and ing to deliver for them.
in the right place, but, yes, it could help them.
She will give some thought to place but believes the PC Outcomes
right time will be at the very end of the Moot so that as They have an even better opportunity than they could
many Kubora as possible see the PCs do what she has have hoped for.
asked, increasing the influence it will have with the Rathiri.
Description of Events
It is common knowledge that most of the traders will
The PCs' appearance in the middle of the throng of
have left on the 7th or 8th day to ensure they are far from
Kubora gathering at the centre of Kus on the last day of the
Kustan before the Moot ends. Even the most audacious
moot will cause an initial stir; they are the only southrons
merchants will depart early on the 9th day. By staying to
left at Kustan. However, their reputation as Honoured by
the very end the PCs risk making their journey south more
the Asawne and Known to Wenowina the Crone will
hazardous. However, being Honoured by the Asawne and
make them subjects of curiosity rather than a threat to be
Known by Wenowina the Crone will be helpful protection.
met with force.
If they also obtained a favour from the Rathiri then they
might be even safer. If they stay then they could even Gomas makes sure they, and Coric Far-seer, stay close
travel some of the way south with Gomas and his people. to him and his bodyguards and they take their places
around the central firepit along with the other tribal lead-
Link to the next scene ers. Wenowina sits discretely behind Coric just as the
The PCs should be encouraged to continue their effort other Crones sit behind their tribal representatives.
to gain status and reputation among the tribes be remain- When the various tribal groupings are settled around
ing at the moot until the final day. To reduce the risk that the fire pits dug in preparation the Rathiri Hanuhn is an-
they find themselves in difficulties Gomas ensures they are nounced by the sounding of Wisent horns. He leads a pro-
able to remain at the Asawne campground until after dark cession of the warriors who gained particular honour dur-
and then sends a warrior or two to guide them back to the ing the Hunt. They carry some of the artifacts accumu-
southron camp. lated by the Rathiri including a threadbare robe said to
Scene 5 begins late in the afternoon of the 10th day of have belonged to Heneryne, the helmet of the last Corani
the Moot, when they are probably the last southrons left at copmmander of Caer Kustan, and the distinctive blades
Kustan. captured from the Warriors of Mameka; their cherry red
amber hilt stones seem to emit as much as reflect the lights
of the fires.
After the cheering of these trophies, and of the bravest
participant in the Feast Hunt has, died down the featsbe-
gins. Once the Kubora have sated their hunger the story-
tellers take centre stage. As dusk deepens the competition
come to a climax and the winner makes the speech he
hopes will ensure he is remembered for generations to
come.
It is after this, before the clans and tribes become too
inebriated, that Gomas steps into the light of the central fire
pit and shouts for quiet before addressing the Rathiri
Hanuhn: 'an unworthy woman seeks permission to speak
among hunters’.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 23

The tribes gather for the hunt feast

This is unusual but the Rathiri Hanuhn, after a brief con- to lay down her burden and begin her walk into the Great
sultation nods his permission and Wenowina hobbles for- Forest of the Kuboran afterlife where she will beg to serve
ward. Gomas returns to his palce from where he can pro- their Guide, Kemlar.
vide a translation for those that don’t speak Old Jarinese. Her dignity and the pathos of her delivery draws quiet
Wenowina embarks on a brief summary of her life of weeping from some of the otherwise silent audience. In
service to the Sholen and their Nolgind brothers and sisters the dark the PCs will be right to sense that nearly every
before telling the tales of Falar the Tall and the Beast of Kubora who has attended the Moot is crowding closer to
Blood (see Afarezirs: Root of all Evil). She links them to the hear her, and that her story is being whispered to those
Heart of the Beast and the bravery and tragedy of the who are not close enough to hear it first-hand.
Hafen. Allowing a moment for the impact of her decision to
Finally she tells a story no one has heard before: ‘The sink in she then goes on to crave a favour from the wise
Tale of the Strangers'. Rathiri, keepers of Kemlar’s Barrow and the Shawls of
Her delivery is spellbinding and the winner of the story- kustan, and of the assembled Hanuhn and Druhn of the
telling competition bitterly realises that it is her story, not People.
his, that will be remembered from this night. ‘I beg you to grant me the favour of deciding when and
She tells the story of the PCs' time among the Afarezirs where my life should end, and the manner of its ending.'
from her point of view, ending with the handing over of the Her request is received with shouts of approval from
Heart of the Beast and a simple statement that her trust in the crowd. The Rathiri Hanuhn and Druhn consult briefly
the heroes that have visited the underworld to save her with the assembled leaders but it is clear that to refuse her
people is complete. would risk turning the crowd against them. The Rathiri
Speakers of Old Jarinese, or those listening to Gomas' Hanuhn stands and approaches Wenowina, who waits with
whispered translation, will realise that the way she is telling her head bowed.
the story she is allowing the crowd to think the heroes are 'Your service to Heneryne is well known and it is proper that
Kubora of another tribe. There are calls from the crowd de- you should lay down your burden. But you may not take your
manding to know 'who are these heroes of the People' . own life as it would offend Heneryne, and none here will despoil
She ends saying that, with the departure of the their blade with the murder of a Crone. How will you choose the
strangers and the Heart of the Beast, her work is over and time or place or manner of your death? Has your decision been
it is time the Sholen found another Crone. It is time for her guided by Heneryne?'

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 24
'Yes,' she replies, 'I believe Heneryne has chosen every step 1. At the start of every exchange the PC can, if they wish,
I have taken to this decision. Will you allow me to choose the use an existing advantage, or try to create a new one,
time, place and manner of my death?' before making their contest roll (below). They can
'Yes', comes the reply, 'we are agreed that you may spend Fate Points to invoke Honoured by the Asawne
choose, but' sarcastically, 'do not expect those assembled to and Known to Wenowina the Crone, and any Good
wait until Kemlar sends a bear to do the deed.' Loser aspects waiting to be invoked from their con-
tests.
There is some laughter but Wenowina silences it with a
strong voice that belies her frailty. 2. However, if they fail to create a new advantage, then
they forfeit their overcome roll and the crowd automat-
'Then I choose the coming dawn as the time of my death and
ically wins the exchange and gains a victory point (be-
I choose Kustan Siolen as the place of, my death. It is where the
low). If they tie when creating the advantage then they
tears of Heneryne brought forth the first of the Shawls and it is a
fail to create it but don’t forfeit the contest roll.
fitting place for me to follow Kemlar's final guidance. Is it
agreed that I may choose the manner of my death?' her strong 3. The PC then makes a Rapport roll to Overcome +4
voice demanding a clear answer. (unless it is forfeit, above).
It comes, dismissively, 'Yes, it is agreed'. The Rathiri 4. If the PC succeeds in the Overcome they gain 1 victory
Hanuhn perhaps thinks that, like other old people who are point (or 2 if they Succeed with Style) and describe
a burden to their clan, she will just wander off among the how they take the lead. If they lose the crowd gains a
stones until a wild beast or starvation kills her. He begins to victory point (or 2 if the PC failed by more than 3).
turn away but she isn’t finished … 5. In the case of a tie no victory points are awarded but
‘Then I will tell those assembled what Kemlar has chosen for the crowd gains an advantage such as Shouted Down,
me', which is enough to get everyone’s attention back. which the GM can invoke for free during a subsequent
exchange.
'Kemlar brought the Strangers to the Sholen and they took
on my burden. He has brought them here to Kustan to end my 6. The first to achieve three victories wins the contest.
journey through life and begin my walk inot the Forest'. If the PC wins then permission is granted. If they lose
There is confusion. 'How can such peerless heroes risk the then they are still given permission but it is grudging (see
anger of Heneryne but taking your life?' comes a shout. the next Scene for consequences of gaining grudging per-
mission)
'Such is the bravery of those that that entered the underworld
and shouldered the burden of the Heart of the Beast that they Link to the next scene
will face Heneryne's ire to send me on my way'. Wenowina announces that she will set out for the
'Are they present here', demands the Rathiri Hanuhn, Shawls immediately and the PCs will be expected to ac-
clearly surprised that such feats have not been the subject company her. Gomas, his bodyguards, and Coric and the
of a story told that day, or common knowledge among the Nolgind will go too. The Rathiri insist on a Zurnir guard
tribe from which the heroes come. but soon word has spread and dozens, perhaps hundreds of
'Yes. And I call them into the light now …' She gestures Kubora follow to be joined by even more during the night.
the PCs forward to general gasps of amazement and not a The walk to the Shawls is slow and painful for
few cries of anger at this bad joke! Wenowina and the PCs have to support her. However a
It is Gomas who steps forward and calms the crowd great bear of a man emerges from the dark and seeks the
shouting over them that he knows these southrons and honour of carrying her. It is Ustar the half Ogre, winner of
gave them tokens to show the honour the Asawne hold for the Stone Carry, and he carries her with surprising gentle-
them. He is not surprised that Wenowina also found them ness the rest of the way.
worthy of praise and trusted them with the burden of the Gomas leads them back along the trail that brought
Heart of the Beast, for it was 'they that sought to bring rest to them to Kustan and to the centre of the valley where he,
the unsleeping god beneath the Hand of Crador. Was that not a Coric, the Nolgind and some Asawne set up a simple camp.
story told around these fires a year ago?' All around other impromptu camp fires are lit by crowds of
He then asks one of the PCs to speak, whispering 'Tell Kubora determined not to miss this remarkable event.
them why they should trust you to enter the sacred stones'.
One of the PCs must take on the role of orator; it need
not be the one who has agreed to kill Wenowina. Gomas
will translate if necessary.
The PC must use Rapport to overcome the +4 passive
resistance of the crowd, and like a Contest, the PC must
achieve 3 victory points before the audience does!

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 25
SCENE 6: A LEGEND DIES him, politely, that she was granted the favour of deciding
where her life would end.
Overview She seems to look about her and contemplate this be-
th fore turning and pointing up the southern slop to a com-
Before dawn on the 25 of Larane the valley of the
plex of banks. 'The centre of the Maze is where I will enter the
Shawls is alive with Kubora breaking their fast with what-
afterlife', she declares.
ever they carried from Kustan overnight.
She is helped by Gomas, the Nolgind and the PCs to
Scene Aspect(s) make her way up into the Maze and to the mound at its
A place of wonder is in play once the PCs reach the centre. From there she can be seen by the mass of Kubora
Shawls with Wenowina. below and she sits on the fallen stone facing north. The
PCs who have accompanied her will immediately see that
GM Aims the space between the stones is a patchwork of flagstones,
 To build the tension as the PC carry out an act they some of which are richly decorated by mosaics in the Co-
hope will not cost them dear; rani style … a style reminiscent of the remnants they have
 To demonstrate Wenowina’s wisdom and cunning in seen in the Khamari Temple!
bringing them to a pl;ace they need to see even as she While Wenowina's life is brought to an end by one of
contemplates her death; their number the others can discretely examine the mosa-
 To make them pay for mistakes they may have made ics and try to make sense of them.
early while remembering to ‘fail forwards’ if things The PC who is going to kill Wenowina … should make
seem to be going wrong. Ryler’s intervention can at an Overcome +2 roll using either Fight or Melee to dis-
least buy them half a day before any pursuit begins. patch her cleanly and with the style the Kubora expect.
Failure: succeed but replace Known to Wenowina the
PC Outcomes Crone with Southron Murderer of the Crone (with a free
They have a chance to enter Kuboran folklore and to invoke to the GM)
further their mission by gaining sight of the remains of the
Tie: as above but without the free invoke
mosaic panels looted from the ruined temple of Khamar.
Success: Wenowina passes quietly and with dignity into
Description of Events the afterlife
From among the crowd of tribal leaders the Rathiri Success with Style: succeed and replace Known to
Hanuhn emerges and approaches Wenowina, impatient to Wenowina the Crone with Honoured Killer of the Crone
get this unfortunate event over with. He seems to think (with a free invoke).
that Wenowina can be killed on the spot, but she reminds

The stone circle at the cente of the Maze

The PC who is going to kill Wenowina … should make Failure: succeed but replace Known to Wenowina the
an Overcome +2 roll using either Fight or Melee to kill her Crone with Southron Murderer of the Crone (with a free
cleanly and with the style the Kubora expect. invoke to the GM)
Tie: as above but without the free invoke

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 26
Success: Wenowina passes quietly and with dignity into Link to the next scene
the after-life When either half the attackers are out of the fight, or
The PCs able to examine the mosaic ... will be able to half the PCs have been forced to concede, a tall Kuboran
put together a narrative based on the pieces of the mosaic and a bodyguard will intervene to enforce an end to the
despite the fact that it is far from complete and portions of fight. Ryler the Southron may have planned to announce
it are out of place relative to the rest: an attack on Rethem last night, but events have overshad-
 The central motif shows Agrik and Larani in combat owed whatever he might have said. He wants to stop any
above a forest, where a cairn of stones stands in the possibility of blood feuds further fragmenting the Kuboran
centre of four viciously clawed fingers. tribes so that, perhaps next year, he can call them to arms.
Scholar, +2 Overcome to date the mosaic as from the high Gomas, or Ryler if Gomas has been incapacitated, will
Corani period of Sylud the Scholar pull Wenowina’s killer to one side and tell them in no un-
There are 4 panels that may once have surrounded the certain terms to get away now before things take any more
central motif: unexpected turns. He will try to buy them a half-day, per-
haps a day, before any pursuit starts, if that is what these
1. A mighty warrior wearing a crown leads an army to- hotheads demand.
wards the cairn. He is identified only by an initial on his
shield: Whether or not there is a chase is up to the GM. Some
PC groups will relish the opportunity to come to grips with
m (M) a small group of Kuboran hunters seeking to make a name
for themselves (use the descriptions above for the warri-
Scholar: +2 Overcome: this is probably the Emperor ors). Others may just need the threat of pursuit to speed
Mejenes the Great. them on their way, and others still will prefer simply to skip
2. The warrior crosses a great river on a raft and barbarians quickly to the next Act in pursuit of their mission. The GM
kneel to him, he is sheathed in flame. will now their group best and how to link to that Act.
Scholar: +2 Overcome: the river is probably the Chetul Traders travelling from Kustan to the Beast Fair usually
and the kneeling figure the Urdu, while the flame is not un- take 13-15 days to reach Emesa. The return journey is in-
expected given the mosaic’s Agrikan origins. variably slower without Kuboran guides. Additionally,
3. The warrior leads the army through a forest to enter a carts are more heavily laden with wild beasts and bulky
fortress on a rocky outcrop overlooking the first of two pelts in place of the often light and portable trade goods
branches of another river. that they carried north. It is also not unknown for traders
leaving early to lay misleading trails to confuse those de-
Scholar: +2 Overcome: the river is probably the Pemetta parting later and so gain an advantage in the market place
or one of its major tributaries, such as the Suthen or Uthel, at the Fair.
and the fortress is probably Mejetus.
4. The warrior crosses a bridge across the river and is am-
bushed by a band of savages who wound his left arm.
Scholar: +2 Overcome: the barbarians are not Urdu, who
are depicted differently, but probably Equani who live be-
yond the Pemetta.
Given what the PCs know of the size of the mosaic from
the temple they can infer that there are probably another 4 Angry Kuboran Warrior (1-2 per PC)
panels that are either missing or destroyed beyond inter- Expert hunter
pretation. They have part of the picture that Kutz sought Driven by spiritual fervour
but not all of it.
+3 Melee
Notice: +3 Overcome: scratched in the moss covered
surface of a worn flagstone, is a 'K'. +2 Endurance
If the PCs only gained grudging agreement (or if +1 Strength (+1 Damage)
the GM thinks they need a work out) then … at the point 1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1
Wenowina dies a group of Kubora charge out of the scrub
and trees beside the Maze and attack the PCs and their Leather & Round Shield:1+2
companions. The PCs are Higher and Gomas, Coric and
the other Nolgind will take their side. 

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 27
ACT III: RETURNING SOUTH Days 5-6 of the Fair (12–13 Agrazhar):
The Beast Auction.
Overview The Akarata of the Warriors of Mameka claims the right
The PCs make as swift a journey south as possible so of first refusal on every beast offered for sale at the Fair.
they can report what they have found to the Gurim in Golo- He, or more often his steward, Granek, selects a handful of
tha. However, events will interrupt them and a gift from creature that he expects to fetch the best prices and pays a
their patron will send them further in their pursuit of Kutz. “fair price” for them. At noon on the 13th, the Akarata’s
The Scarlet Ribbon article provides information for the beasts are auctioned to the highest bidder, often selling for
return journey. five or six times what Granek paid for them. Those who
failed in the beast auction can spend their silver on slaves;
Scene Aspect(s) by tradition the slave auction follows that of the beasts.
There is no single Scene Aspect that applies tyhrougout
this Act. Day 7 of the Fair (14 Agrazhar): Judg-
ment Day
SCENE 1: EMESA’S BEAST While trading continues on Emesa Common, the
Akarata’s Court is held in the hall of the Mamekan Chapter
FAIR House. Meketa Bron Zarnist has deputised for the Akarata
for a number of years and gives judgement on capital
Overview crimes and those deemed too important for consideration
The Beast Fair provides an opportunity to fall in with by other officers of the Order at local Moots. Any of the
traders heading south to Golotha and travel in greater accused is entitled to seek Agrik’s judgement through a
safety, if a little slower. It also offers an opportunity to trial by combat. However, no one can remember the last
meet the woman Halako the trapper mentioned: time anyone won their freedom against one of the champi-
Lorn/Morn/Dorn. ons nominated by the Akarata from among his Guard.
Those accused who simply throw themselves on the mercy
Scene Aspect(s) of the court rarely find it. Those sentenced to death are
People everywhere is in play once the PCs arrive at the taken in chains to Bedenes, where they grace the fire-iron
Beast Fair. at the Akarata’s pleasure.
GM Aims Meanwhile traders prepare for the journey south to
 To communicate the bustle and hustle of the Beast Dasen, Tormau, Shostim, and finally Golotha.
Fair;
Day 8 of the fair (15 Agrazhar): Bless-
 To introduce Lorn of Aele and portray her as an ear-
nest young woman with knowledge she will offer in re- ing and Procession
turn for a gift of something she doesn’t know. At dawn the Aperterahn pronounces a blessing over the
assembled travellers. The Akarata sends his annual tribute
PC Outcomes to the Senesharil in Golotha in the custody of his Master of
They have a chance to entre Kub0ran folklore and to Silence, accompanied by the newly ordained priests and a
further their mission by gaining sight of the remains of the company of seasoned men-at-arms. Additional security is
mosaic panels looted from the ruined temple of Khamar in guaranteed by the traders who usually retain any guards
Kustan. who escorted them north.

Days 1-4 of the Fair (10–13 Agrazhar): Discretionary Encounters

There are plenty of opportunities for the GM to add en-
The Craft Bazaar. counters while the Pcs are at the Beast Fair:
Craftsmen who failed to find a new master at Bedenes
during the Festival of the Pillars, or who lost their place to  a wild beast escapes and must be captured safely;
some new arrival, come to the Fair in hope of finding new  a brawl breaks out and the PCs are drawn into it;
employment. Beast hunters of sufficient skill to capture an-  an encounter with the Warriors of Mameka can always
imals with minimal injury can command good wages. be … tricky to navigate (see Bedenes)
Common labourers are always in demand for a trip to
 The key encounter, though, is with the scribe Lorn
Golotha that is often one-way.
of Aele, visiting Emesa from Bedenes during the Beast
Fair.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 28
Lorn of Aele The PCs will not know that they have a unique piece of
If the PCs make enquiries about the woman Halako de- information. No southron has ever convincingly claimed to
scribed to them then they will be directed to Emesa's mar- have seen the remnants of the Kustan mosaic in its current
ket place where an itinerant scribe is making most of her location among the monuments of Kustan Siolen.
annual income by copying trade documents for largely illit- If, during the competition the PCs mention this …
erate traders, and the entirely illiterate half-Kuboran wild Lorn will automatically concede allowing the PCs to de-
men who sometimes emerge from the forest to sell their scribe the form of her concession. Presumably they will
bear, beaver and sable pelts. In the latter case she seems ensure that the terms of the concession cost her everything
as eager to ask them questions as to complete their paper- she said to Kutz and he said to her.
work. If Lorn wins the Contest … she will only tell them
As the light fails each evening the demand for her ser- that the scholar was full of questions about the ruins at
vices slackens she can be found among the traders seeking Kustan and the mosaic within. She will add that he had
out stories about the Kubora and the Peran wilderness. some fascinating ideas on the fate of spirits that pass from
If the PCs approach her with questions she will freely Kethira and fall out of favour with the gods they wor-
admit that she met someone who was full of questions shipped during life. She will add that Corani-era legends
about Kustan and Peran: a fat scholar with a red brooch. mention “the fingers that fell” and this, combined with
She will only tell them anything else if they have new infor- what she has learned of the Warriors of Mameka, suggests
mation to trade for her answers. that the Agrikans believe there is something important in
the forests of Peran that relates to Agrik’s claws.
The GM should resolve this as a Scholar Contest in
which the PCs try to convince Lorn that they know some- If Lorn loses (or they fully describe the mosaic
thing she doesn’t and in return for which she will answer they have seen) … she will share everything she told him.
their questions. The Corani records Lorn has researched say there was
The best scholar among the PCs is the obvious candi- a mosaic at Caer Kustan's temple showing something of
date for this Contest and gains +1 for any other PC with importance to the Order of Khamar. The various accounts
Scholar who pitches in to support them in convincing Lorn are tantalising but do not describe the mosaic in any detail.
that she can learn from them. The visitors to the Moot she has interviewed have de-
They could also pay a Fate Points to invoke their Hon- scribed the temple ruins and mentioned fragments of mo-
oured Killer (or Murderer) of Wenowina to display their saic without giving her any of the detail she craves. She
knowledge of Kuboran ritual death ceremonies and Hon- doesn’t know that the descriptions she has been given are
oured by the Asawne if they refer to the tokens they carry. of the decorative surround to the mosaic, rather than the
panels themselves. No one has thought to mention that the
PC social skills can also generate advantages before or Kubora took the panels to Siolen Kustan after Caer Kustan
during the competition to support their case. The first to fell.
three victories wins.
To her knowledge the PCs are the only southrons ever
Lorn of Aele, the Scribe to have seen it in its current location. She will, therefore,
listen avidly to the PCs description of what they have seen.
Agent of Rowanti Adel of Mertin She will provide them with the additional scholarly inter-
Insatiable curiosity about Peran pretations of the panels described in in the previous scene
Betrayed by her accent if they have not already worked them out.
+3 Scholar (Peran folklore: +2 when using This is information she could not share with Kutz as he
did not share whether or not he had seen the mosaic
scholar in this field of study) AND (Languages:
among the Shawls.
Speaks Old Jarinese as well as Harnic, and
Finally, she will add that she told the scholar that a ‘fel-
Reads Lakise)
low scribe' in the Thardic Republic is seeking permission to
+2 Crafts (Lexigraphy: +2 when using Crafts in visit the Agrikan temple at Imrium, which is being argued
this field) over by the Order of Herpan and the Order of Eight De-
+1 Deceive mons. It is claimed that the temple was founded by the Or-
der of the Khamar; the only example other than the one
Unarmed:0 sacked at Kustan. It is said to have a mosaic floor and
Cloth:0 there is a possibility that it duplicates the mosaic at Caer
Kustan.


© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 29
If questioned what knowledge the fat scholar shared
with her in return for what she told him she will look mo- SCENE 2: THE GURIM’S GIFT
mentarily confused. Now that she thinks about it she can
remember nothing of particular import he said other than Overview
his observations on the fate of souls in the afterlife. The PCs encounter Vigdis Grimkall. Depending on how
Root of all Evil played out she could be anything from an
Link to the next scene ‘Ivinian they sailed with’, to a ‘dangerous Amorvrin agent
They now have additional information to share with the of the Gurim’, via a ‘trusted companion’ they saw killed or
Gurim so should depart for Golotha. They can travel with thought to be dead. Whatever their last memory of her,
the heavily armed caravan and it Mamekan escorts or seek she meets them on behalf of the Gurim from whom she
to make swifter progress alone. If the latter then the GM brings a gift.
should feel free to offer them an encounter with some brig-
ands keen to harvest what looks like easy pickings com- Scene Aspect(s)
pared to the caravan. Strange horror is in place once the PCs meet Vigdis
Grimkall.
If they are inclined to simply head to Imrium then the
safest and quickest route is probably via Golotha and a GM Aims
barge heading east along the River Thard to Techen, and  To re-introduce Vigdis Grimkall and to manage that
from there to Geshtei in the Thardic Republic. It is a rela- encounter in a way that fits with their last meeting;
tively short distance from there to Imrium.
 To ensure that they quickly realise (or are quickly ap-
Either way, before they leave the route to Golotha go to
praised of the fact) that she is also on a mission for the
Scene 2.
Gurim


Vigdis Grimkall, Amorvrus

Aged 27, height 5’7”, medium frame, weight 149 lbs, the epitome of northern
beauty: fair complexion, blonde hair, blue eyes
Vessel of the Shadow
Beautiful agent of the Gurim
+3 Athletics
+2 Fight (Touched by Bukrai: if any Physical
Stress is inflicted on the target, add a point of Men-
tal Stress)
+2 Contacts
+1 Crafts (Seamanship: +2 when using Crafts in
this context)
+1 Scholar (Speaks Harnic and Jarinese as well
as Ivinian/Trade Ivinian)
+1 Ritual (Morgath)
Short Sword:1; Dagger:1; Unarmed:0
Chain & Round Shield:3+1

Mild :
Serious:
Grievous :

PC Outcomes
They understand the Gurim has not finished with them
but has sent them a grisly gift to aid them.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 30
Vigdis Grimkal The head is in excellent condition; the Gurim must have
Whether the PCs are travelling with the caravan or had it preserved, though it does not smell of preservative
alone, the Scene is most atmospheric if Vigdis simple ap- any more than of decay. A thick band of linen is wound
pears at their camp fire. The GM will, though, want to around the head to stop the lower jaw lolling open.
make sure that the handover, and demonstration, of the gift Vigdis holds out the head for the PCs to inspect: Recog-
takes place away from prying eyes (and ears). nise her? My master thought this an apt punishment.
Depending on how the GM used her in Afarezirs: Root of As soon as one of them does so, or if they examines it
all Evil the PCs may be surprised, shocked or amazed to closely while she holds it, the eyelids spring open and the
see her again. If she was killed but the body lost then they eyes begin to swivel manically from side to side as if look-
may still not know she is Amorvrin and be amazed at her ing for something, while the nostrils flare as if seeking some
apparent resurrection. scent.
If relations between her and the PCs were poor by the Each PC should take a +3 Horror test (see Fate of
end of that adventure, then she will warn them that she is Harn).
now under the Gurim's protection and has a gift from him. Vigdis laughs out loud at any discomposure the PCs ex-
In retrain for the gift they are to tell her everything they perience and, still laughing, pulls the linen band free. The
have learned so far, so she can report back on their behalf. mouth does not loll open; instead the jaw muscles can
If the PCs are inclined to disbelieve that she is sent by the clearly be seen working and the teeth may even be heard
Gurim his gift should convince them. grinding.
The PCs can tell her the truth about their investigation Vidgis slowly rotates on the spot taking in the West,
or use Deceive to overcome her +2 Empathy to convince then the South, then the East, at which point the severed
her that they have told her the truth. head screams! The GM may feel the need to apply a sec-
Whatever they tell her she will truthfully recount his or- ond Horror Test!
ders to them: Vigdis silences it by turning to the West again, and
My Master says that unless you have the creature that was binding up the jaw.
Kutz in custody, or its body, you are to continue your search. She explains what she has been told: The head can
Find it and kill it, and your debt will be paid. Know that my ‘smell’ the creature you’re seeking and screams when it catches
Master will know if you lie and the creature lives. his ‘scent’. It will lead you to the creature so you can kill it.
Vigdis knows nothing more. The Gurim has issued in- Her mission complete Vidgis bids them farewell and
structions and she is following them. His word is law and warns them to keep the head secret, and keep it safe. If you are
the PCs would be well advised to treat it as such if they do caught with it then expect only impalement, the Morgathian
not want to be pursued themselves. Church is ‘misunderstood’ in many places.
She will then take them somewhere where they will not She then departs to report back to the Gurim.
be overheard or observed (a copse of trees on the settle-
ment where the caravan has camped, or a private tavern The Head of Eilith Zarainsen
room in Golotha) and hand over the gift the Gurim has sent The PCs are very unlikely to be able to work out how
them. the Gurim has created his grisly gift, but the GM should
know the following to help them interpret enquiries. It is
The Gurim's Gift important that they actively restrict what the PCs can find
Vigdis unwraps a simple but well-made wooden box a out at this stage if a future Scene is not to lose impact.
couple of hand spans across in each of height, width and  The Gurim has imbued the head of the apprentice
depth. It is bound with brass and its top has stout steel scholar with enough of the Shadow of Bukrai to pre-
hinges and is secured by an expensive lock. Before hand- serve it as a gulmorvrin is preserved. This it will not
ing over the heavy, ornate key she has been instructed to rot.
demonstrate the use of the gift.
 The Shadow compels the head to continue with the
She unlocks the box and opens it. The inside is padded
task it has been given by the Gurim: find the creature
to protect the obviously valuable contents of a velvet bag
hiding within Coln of Kutz.
Vidgis lifts out. From the look of the bag it contains a
roughly oval object weighing several pounds.  Though its flaring nostrils and swivelling eyes give the
impression that Eilith's head is looking for physical
Reaching into the bag Vidgis takes a firm grip on the
traces of Kutz, these are merely physical manifesta-
contents and lets the bag drop to reveal … the severed
tions of the desperate need the Gurim has implanted to
head of the apprentice scholar, Eilith of Zarainsen. She
pick up the spiritual trail the creature has left. The
playfully dangles the grisly gift by its long brunette locks
Gurim recognised the connection between the Bitter
and it spins grotesquely.

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 31
Fallen within Coln of Kutz and the young woman who
had conducted the ritual that set it free. SCENE 3: PEONIAN HOLY
 When the creature withdrew its influence from Eilith,
and the other apprentices, so deep had the connection
GROUND
become that it inadvertently took a fragment of her Overview
soul with it. It is that lost fragment that the head senses
The PCs discover there is more to the head of Eilith of
apparently irrespective of distance.
Zarainsen that they initially believed and come to under-
Link to the next scene stand the true tragedy of what has befallen Eilith.
The GM should be careful not to treat the head like a Aspect(s)
precise direction finder or tracking device. It gives a gen-
A place of peace is in play while the PCs are near the
eral direction but it cannot be used to draw a straight line
ruined shrine.
from their current location to Kutz. It can’ though, narrow
down a direction of travel. It is clear from the head’s reac- GM Aims
tion that Kutz if currently somewhere to their East.  To establish a routine for the use of the head, and how
That should be enough to reinforce any decision to go secretive they keep it;
to Imrium and the temple mosaic that might be able to fill
 To lead the PCs to see the head as a mindless thing;
in some gaps in their understanding, and the knowledge
the girl’s intelligence and personality having been lost
the Fallen is seeking.
to the Shadow.
As long as the GM does not allow the PCs to be side-
 To use that information to trigger this Scene when the
tracked or seriously hurt the head and its screaming can
PCs are alone and in the wilderness or at a secluded
provide several possible encounters on the road or river:
campsite.
 A hunter charges onto the trail in search of the woman
he heard screaming in distress: what have you done PC Outcomes
with her, sirs? Having begun to take the head for granted, using it
 A dockside tavern becomes the centre for a drunken every few days to ensure that they are headed in approxi-
search for unquiet spirits when the head’s wailing is mately the right direction, they discover that they may
overheard. have something to gain by treating the Head differently.
 The box presents and attractive target for thieves. Can
the PCs retrieve it before the thieves pick the complex Description of Events
lock? Roadside Peonian shrines are so common in the
Whether the PCs travel overland or along the Thard, Thardic Republic that the Pcs shouldn’t be told about the
Scene 3 is best triggered when they have crossed into the one they stop or camp beside. It is the nearby source of
Thardic Republic, perhaps on the road between Gesthei clean water that attracts them.
and Imrium. If the Scene has to be triggered while they are still in
Rethem then the shrine is overgrown and crumbling almost
beyond recognition; just a few rough stones or a cairn. All
that distinguishes this shrine from the hundreds that were
destroyed is that it was not also desecrated. It remains Pe-
onian holy ground.
Either way it is just the sort of place Vigdis would have
avoided by instinct when the head was in her possession so
she, and presumably the Gurim will not know about the ef-
fect the PCs now notice.
When they take out the head to check their general di-
rection of travel it does not scream. The eyes do not swivel
they only stare. The manic flaring of the nostrils has also
stopped. The head appears to have ‘stopped working’
By experimentation the PCs can discover that if they
take a few paces in any direction then the head shows signs
of agitation: the brow furrows, the jaws work, but its ‘nor-
mal’ manic behaviour still doesn’t occur and it does not
scream when facing East (or any other compass point).

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 32
Investigate, +2 Overcome: the head looks calmest Eilith's Story
when close to the stones of the shrine, which is Peonian. She knows she is (was?) Eilith of Zarainsen, cousin to
Notice, +2 Overcome: there is a crude “K” scratched Jarop of Zarainsen and apprentice to Mistress Amalya of
into one of the stones of the shrine; Kutz passed this way. the Guild of Arcane Lore in Golotha.
When a PC asks a rhetorical question such as ‘why isn’t That is why, when Kutz was delivered to Jarop, she got
it working’ the PC holding the head should make a +2 Hor- to see him. Cousin Jarop had paid for her apprenticeship
ror Test or drop it as the head wearily announcing: I don’t’ as an investment for the future of the clan and asked her to
know why it’s not f****ing working! examine the one armed man.
This is the first time that the head has shown any sign He wanted to know if he should approach the Guild of
of intelligence; when it does the PCs should be shocked Arcane Law for advice having already sounded out the
and horrified. By now they will have begun to treat the priests of Save K’nor and decided their price for a consulta-
head as a thing, nothing more than a tool. The girl’s voice tion was so high that alternatives should be considered
should shock them into remembering that she was once as first. Eilith was free, and so was the first opinion he sought.
vibrant and alive as they are. No matter what they think She first saw the one-armed man at a Zarainsen safe
she may have done, or her connection to the Butcher mur- house in Sewertown and remembers thinking he was no
ders, this sudden announcement of her humanity should more than a mindless idiot who could do nothing for him-
give them pause. self but drool.
If she was dropped in the mud she will demand that She a asked the old woman set to watch the man to get
they pick her out of the mud and … clean this shit from my some food and drink so she could see if he could feed him-
eyes you miserable son of bitch; my cousin will have you skinned self. While she waited she examined him trying to see if his
alive! eyes reacted to light and dark. Within those vacant eyes
If the PCs leave the head in the mud and run for it she thought she saw a flicker of intelligence. It was as if
… they will lose a potentially helpful guide. From then on they reflected a candle flame. That’s when she remem-
they will have to use their own tracking skills and the peri- bered hearing the voice for the first time; her voice, speak-
odic scratched ‘K’ to stay on Kutz’ trail. They should also ing inside her head.
be reminded that the Gurim may not be happy if he finds At first it was faint, but as she gazed into his eyes it be-
out that they have thrown away his gift. Worst still some- came clearer. It was her voice but more confident that she
one else may find it and come looking for ‘the evil scum’ usually felt. She begun to feel she’d never succeed as a
who dropped it! scholar but suddenly a great plan leapt into her mind as if
If they do as she asks and treat her with even a unbidden.
modicum of respect … they will get polite thanks; and She’d tell Cousin Jarop that the Guild might be able to
the chance to question her. The GM can draw her answers help but it would take a few days of research to be certain
from the following account of her past. and to find out how much her Mistress would charge.
However, instead she would
Return to the safe house, steal away the man and study
him herself. She was certain he was an interesting case
and her study would impress her mistress and lead to early
mastery within the Guild of Arcane Lore. It was all so ob-
Eilith’s Head vious and simple!
Find the Bitter fallen She carried out the plan with ease. Her cousin agreed
Angry at her loss; MONSTROUS(+3)! to give her a few day and that night she went back to the
safe house and broke in. She heard the plan in her head
+3 Will (Scent of her betrayer: +2 to find signs and it worked like a charm. It was as if she knew the lay-
out of the building and how to get in with least fuss. She
of the Bitter Fallen’s spiritual finger print)
also managed it without disturbing the old woman and she
+2 Scholar wondered if she had the family's talent for housebreaking.
+1 Intimidate She roused the one-armed man and silently led him
past the sleeping old woman and out of the front door.
No attack From there she took him to the dormitory she shared with
Skin:0 the other apprentices. They offered surprisingly little re-
sistance to her plan once they'd had a look into the man's
 eyes themselves. They agreed that they should hide him

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 33
and tell no one about him. The apprentices were responsi- If they chanted the ritual close to the Morgathians then
ble for cleaning and cooking for themselves and so no one that would probably be the same as doing it in a temple.
else ever came near the dormitory. Other local youths To get finished in time for the Morgathian mass on the
were afraid of them and their knowledge so they were un- hill they had to speed up the harvesting of heads and they
disturbed. got a little careless. The pretty girl and her lover were too
From then on it was as if the boys would do anything convenient to ignore. The man in the fog was a real last
she wanted. It was almost as if they knew what her plans resort to ensure a 13th head (and a kidney) was collected
were before she told them. before midnight.
They kept him for nearly a week before she thought of It was all going perfectly until the PCs arrived and dis-
the next step in the plan. She had been copying a manu- rupted the ritual!
script for her mistress; a tedious history describing ancient Then, at the point she was supposed to drawn blood
rituals used when Morgathians were important at the Co- from the one-armed man so that the Shade could enter him
rani Imperial Court. everything went wrong. Instead of the shade entering him
Suddenly the passages made complete sense. There she suddenly felt confused. The confidence with which she
were enough descriptive sections to allow the ritual to be had planned and acted since meeting Kutz seemed to evap-
carried out. If she could do that she's summon a ‘Shade’ orate.
some sort of weak Morgathian incarnation of the Shadow It was as if everything that she had done over the previ-
of Bukrai according to the text, and offer it the one-armed ous month flashed before her eyes for the first time: The
man's body. With the Shade active in the body Jarop boy begging for his life; the fat merchant she’d made eyes
would be able to ask it questions and get the answers he at to get him into the shadows where they could cut his
wanted. throat; the sightless eyes of the heads she gathered up and
The listening PCs should see some logical inconsisten- piled into a cairn in the middle of the dormitory; the sym-
cies in Jarop being able to talk to a Shade, or the Shade bols she didn’t understand that she copied from the manu-
knowing what Kutz was thinking, but Eilith says it made script in blood.
perfect sense at the time. The last thing she remembers before being dragged be-
Once she'd succeeded at the task her uncle would en- fore the Morgathians was the one-armed man turning to
sure the Guild had to reward her as well as gaining status in her in the lantern light. Amid the sudden horror of what
the Guild. The masters might even recommend her for she’d done and the terror of the consequences she remem-
study with one of the Shek P’var she was certain Master bers him smiling and whispering “thank you”, before disap-
Adelrin know. pearing into the shadows.
Making the ritual work would be the perfect master- All she remembers of the days since is a fearful compul-
work even if she wasn’t even a Journeyman yet. They'd sion to find him, or the part of him she can still ‘feels’ he
have to take notice and her future would be assuredly suc- stole form her, and the terror of discovering that her body
cessful. was gone. The only voice in her head has been her own
It didn't seem to matter to her, or the boys when she ex- screams bottled up by that damned linen band.
plained it to them, that the ritual required a number of Today, for the first time in a year she has experienced
body parts and most importantly a number of human some kind of peace. Presumably the Peonian shrine has
heads. That was a small price to pay for the future she de- granted her some degree of peace. She no longer feels the
scribed to them. consuming panic; for the first time since Temple Hill, since
There followed a month during which she and the other before temple Hill she is able to think!
apprentices killed 13 people, carefully removed their heads She still longs to find Kutz; to be reunited with what he
and a variety of organs. Recounting this will give Eilith stole form her, but it is no longer consuming her. Rather
quite some pause. It is as if she is remembering it for the there is a rationale reason to find him. Until she can get all
first time, or realising that it was her carrying out the bar- her soul back she cannot hope for any peace.
baric acts rather than watching someone else do it. The re- There is something else she wants to do, or see done.
alisation hits her hard and tears will being to fall from her She wants to see him suffer for what he made her do, and
eyes as she continues her story. for what has happened to her since. After that she will be
She knew from the manuscript that the ritual would as happy as she can conceive of ever being again. She will
have to be carried out on ground consecrated to Morgath. help the PCs find him if they will kill him for her.
That was when she had the idea of ensuring they carried Though some of the terror and madness that she has
out the ritual at the time of the monthly mass on Temple experienced returns when they leave the shrine, every day
Hill. brings her a small degree of greater control over her urge
to cream.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 34
The GM should treat this as a Critical Consequence
such as On the Verge of Madness and could have a PC SCENE 4: THE TEMPLE AT
treat it using Empathy.
IMRIUM
Even without treatment she will master the urge to
scream (except when it is advantageous to the adventure Overview
for her to do so!) and feel more in control of her fate. The PCs have to negotiate access to the temple but find
With the increased control will come a realisation that a more complete mosaic that may help them find Kutz.
she can do more than simply point the PCs in Kutz’s direc-
tion. She begins to sense traces of him when they cross his Aspect(s)
trail and can even begin to sense how old the trail is. Shadows and cobwebs is in play while the PCs are in-
side the temple.
Link to the next scene
The PCs continue to Imrium with Eilith as a much more GM Aims
useful guide than she was. She will scent Kutz several  To show how invaluable Eilith can be in actually track-
times on the way to Imrium, as long as they are ashore. ing Kutz;
 To use the dispute over access to the temple between
the Order of Herpa the Mace and the schismatic Order
of the Eight Demons, as necessary to make access a
challenge.

PC Outcomes
They gain a complete view of what the Khamari mosa-
ics show and leave the temple with a clearer picture of
what the priests recorded about Mejetus and events there
several hundred years ago.
They also gain a clue as to how to get there … a clue
Kutz may already have acted on.

Description of Events
When they arrive at Imrium, Eilith is able to detect rela-
tively fresh the relatively fresh scent of Kutz at the gate to
the upper town.
Finding the temple should be easy but gaining access
should be a challenge. It is guarded day and night to stop
either the Herpans or the Eight Demons gaining access, or
fighting over it. As an additional safeguard the legion com-
mander has had a couple of planks nailed across the en-
trance.

Dutiful Legionary (1 per PC)

Well trained
Bored by this duty

+3 Melee
+2 Athletics
+1 Missile

1-Spear:2/1; Short Sword:1/1

Ring & Kite Shield:2+1



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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 35
Intimidate vs +2 Will though the GM could use a Fate
Point to invoke More frightened of my officer, to stiffen
the guards’ resolve.
Investigation vs. +2 to spend a successful 24 hours
before spotting a pattern in the guards’ routines. During
the night half the guards conduct a 15 minute ‘perimeter
check’ that takes about 15 minutes. During this time only
half the guards are at the temple.
Contacts vs +2 to find a member of the local criminal
fraternity who might be prepared to break into the temple.
However finding one with the Craft skill to render what he
finds within in charcoal on parchment, at night, might be a
challenge and require extra expense (Privy Purse vs +2 at
least, +3 for a real artist).
Larceny could set up an advantage based on coming
up with a good plan and bear in mind that a dark cloudy
night or full moon could be significant aspects on the
scene. The break-in itself could comprise a multi-step
Challenge (see Fate Core) which can be made more diffi-
cult by adding a time constraint:
 Stealth to reach the temple unobserved;
 Athletics to reach the hole in the roof caused by a fire
during the schism of the Eight Demons, and through it
to the floor of the temple;
 Notice to find the mosaic in the minimal light they
dare use for fear of alerting the guards outside;
 Scholar to interpret what they see &/or Craft to
swiftly record it for later interpretation.
The GM can also play out any use of Investigate or
Contacts to determine if anyone like Kutz has been near
the temple. They will discover that a junior legion officer
was approached only a few weeks ago by a noble lady.
She paid enough for him to sponsor an evening at the
brothel in the outer town for some of his men. That en-
sured they were late on duty at the temple. He met her
there and she paid him a bonus, though strangely the de-
tails of exactly how much now escape him, to prise away
the boards at the door and allow her to enter. She had a
Legionary of the Imrium garrison very distinctive red silk shawl and spent nearly half an hour
The three companies of the Cohort that garrison the inside the temple
town should discourage a direct assault as shouts from the When the PCs gain access they are immediately aware
guards or the sounds of a fracas will bring many more le- that the mosaic is very similar to the fragments they exam-
gionaries running: the temple is less than 100 paces from ined at Siolen Kustan. It is equally obvious that this mosaic
the nearest tower and not twice that from the main gate. is complete and shows not just scenes similar to those
Any reasonable plan to gain access should be played looted from Caer Kustan and left at the Shawls, but addi-
out by the GM using the following only as a guide: tional panels that have not survived at Kustan.
Rapport, to set up any possible advantages followed
by the use of Privy Purse (+1 per guard Overcome) to
bribe their way into the temple. This can be complicated
by an officer making an unannounced inspection.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 36
The Imrium Temple and Mosaic Scholar: +2 Overcome: the river is probably the Chetul
and the kneeling figure the Urdu, while the flame is not un-
expected given the mosaic’s Agrikan origins.
3. The warrior leads the army through a forest to enter a
fortress on a rocky outcrop overlooking the first of two
branches of another river.
Scholar: +2 Overcome: the river is probably the Pemetta
or one of its major tributaries, such as the Suthen or Uthel,
and the fortress is probably Mejetus.
4. The warrior crosses a bridge across the river and is
ambushed by a band of savages who wound his left
arm.
Scholar: +2 Overcome: the barbarians are not Urdu, who
are depicted differently, but probably Equani who live be-
yond the Pemetta.
The Imrium mosaic, though, is complete it shows 4 fur-
ther panels making up one complete half of the whole.
These were presumably lost or destroyed at Kustan; per-
haps they sit somewhere else among the Shawls. Who
knows? Happily the PCs don’t really have to care they can
instead examine the complete mosaic for the first time:
5. The wounded warriors arm is infected, weeping white
pus, so it is amputated by physicians gathered around
him. In the background a smith crafts a false arm from
precious metals.
By Oddgeir Drevdal
Scholar, +2 Overcome: the physicians would probably
Integrating what they learned at Kustan with what have been killed for their failure.
they find at Imrium … the PCs gain the following infor-
mation: 6. A group of cowled and masked figures are shown in
threatening poses around the bedridden warrior. They
 The central motif shows Agrik and Larani in combat are extinguishing the flames in which he has been
above a forest, where a cairn of stones stands in the wreathed in the previous panels.
centre of four viciously clawed fingers.
Scholar, +2 Overcome: Agrikans often portray Morgathi-
 Additionally the Imrium central panel extends that ans in this way and the extinguishing of the flame suggests
central motif to show the cairn over-turned and the ar- they are separating the Emperor from Agrik in some way.
mies of Agrik issuing forth from a portal do battle with
7. The warrior is shown on his funeral pyre being wel-
Larani and the resulting desolation of the forest
comed into the afterlife by Agrik.
Scholar, +2 Overcome: the Imrium mosaic dates from
Scholar, +2 Overcome: The clear implication is that the
slightly later than the Kustan original. It could be that the
Morgathian intervention killed him but that in the end he
overturned cairn shows the future and the predicted final;
returned to the one true path to Agrik.
battle between Agrik and Larani. It is impossible to say
whether the overturning of the cairn causes the battle or 8. The emperor's bones are collected from the ashes of
the arrival of Agrik’s hordes overturns the cairn. the pyre and carried back to Kustan, the legion fighting
off the barbarians that block their way. The cloaked
There are 4 similar panels to those they saw at Kustan
and masked figures are cut off from the legion among a
only here they are still in place and take up half the space
horde of natives.
around the central motif. They show:
Scholar, +2 Overcome: This would be what Agrikans
1. A mighty warrior wearing a crown leading an army to-
would have considered a just end for the Morgathians. It
wards the cairn. He is identified only by the initial "M"
also shows a more positive outcome for the legion than his-
on his shield
tory records; something less than a company straggled into
Scholar: +2 Overcome: this is probably the Emperor Kustan after their ordeal. They did, though have the casket
Mejenes the Great. of the Emperor’s bones.
2. The warrior crosses a great river on a raft and barbari-
ans kneel to him, he is sheathed in flame.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 37
A unique feature of the Imrium Mosaic SCENE 5: TECHEN MARKET
The mosaic has a much less abstract border then the
one at Kustan. It depicts carts and legionaries on a road Overview
that begin outside the 4th panel number and runs clockwise The PCs have to negotiate the bustle of a busy market
around the other panels to end in the 3rd panel. day in Techen, taking in the entertainments offered as they
It shows supplies starting from a large city and follow- either make their way to the Senun Road or seek a boat
ing a well maintained highway on the east bank of a very north. While there they have the chance to do a good deed
wide river. Soon the river branches but the supplies con- for someone they may already know.
tinue north along the east bank of one of the rivers. The
highway becomes a trail running to a quarry from where Scene Aspect(s)
stone is used to improve the roadway. Hustle and bustle and Stallholders shouting to get at-
From there it continues north along the east bank until tention are both in play until mid-afternoon when most of
it passes a small outpost on the western bank. From there the market disperses.
it rises among hills to a mountain pass before descending
into the broad forested valley beyond. The mountains are
GM Aims
shown infested with creatures that could be Gargun.  To confront the PCs with some cruelty and test their
reaction to it while offering them a chance to do a
The route shown on the border then follows this river good deed;
through forests until it terminates at the 3rd panel where
Mejenes is shown making a triumphant entry into Mejetus,  To introduce them to a helpful tinker and re-introduce
but from a different direction. them to someone they may already have met.

Scholar, +2 Overcome: The Corani Empire planned to PC Outcomes

build a road along the eastern bank of the River Gomisen link- They gain a new friend and find an old one.
ing Coranan to Mejetus but it was abandoned when Mejenes
died. This could show the route it took, or was intended to Description of Events
take. I clearly does not show the route the Emperor took Techen is a powerful economic hub benefitting from
across Peran from Kustan to Mejetus. trade with the Republic and Golotha. The market is in full
The GM can show the PCs any poetic maps of Rethem, swing when the PCs arrive and every guildsman in the
Tharda and Peran and allow them to work it out OR ... town, as well as framers, craftsmen and tradesmen from far
and wide hawking their goods and produce or selling their
Scholar or Investigate or Contacts, +2 Overcome could
services.
provide additional clues:
The PCs have no alternative but to make their way
 Large cities were rare in the Empire. The starting
through the hustle and bustle. They are either on their way
point could be Coranan or Golotha;
to the Senun Road or seeking a talbar captain who could
 Broad rivers running north into Peran from what was take them to Senun.
Imperial territory are not common. The river could be
There are almost as many entertainers as traders. Jug-
the Thard and then the Gomisen;
glers, musicians, a troupe of players, and a bear for the
 There were few settlements on the west bank of the baiting, are competing for the crowds’ coppers. There is
Gomisen in Imperial times. That could be Senun or also something more unusual.
Menekai. However, if it was Senun it would probably
Near the centre of the market a rough brute of a man is
be nearer the point where the Gomisen branches from
calling to the crowd: Who wants to fight Ezar’s War? Who
the Thard and would show the bridge that still spans
wants to take the part of a mighty King Kabe? Who will step
the Gomisen. The settlement is probably Menekai.
forward and take the place of the heroes who won Rethem’s
 There is still a quarry on the east bank of the Gomisen freedom from the evil hordes of the Blood Red Bitch? ‘The Red
north of Senun, from where it gets its supplies and to Bitch’ is common Rethemi slang for the goddess Larani.
where it ships most of its stone. He may have got his history wrong but the size of the
crowd suggests the locals don’t care. In the centre of the
Link to the next scene circle of gawping onlookers is a man in a parody of a red
The quickest way to the quarry is to retrace their route
and white surcoat. His shield is of thin wicker and his
to Geshtei and from there take a boat to Techen. Boats
‘Great Sword’ is a length of willow topped with inflated
from the Republic and those from Senun and Menekai
pig's bladders.
meet there to exchange cargo.
Around his neck is a leather leash held by a second man
who also has a spear. Before the bizarrely equipped
‘Laranian’ is a local youth wearing a crude pewter circlet

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 38
representing a crown of ‘King Kabe’. He has a wooden Sir Hovan has continued to wander through Rethem
club and a buckler. Though he is no expert he is battering collecting information that might be helpful to his order.
the leashed man bloody. He had intended to travel back to Kanday by a circular
The surcoat provides no protection against the crude route up the Thard to Senun and from there down to
but heavy blows the apprentice is raining down on him and Menekod. He was to rendezvous with a Laranian escort
whenever he moves to defend himself he is yanked back off south of Themeson. Unfortunately he took a little too
balance by the leash. At one point he turns and roars an- much wine when his talbar stopped at Thiri and he woke to
grily at the big man behind him only to find himself facing a find himself stripped and bound to a cart. His accent had
lowered spear point. The man holding the leash smiles an become a little more noticeable after a drink or two and the
ugly smile as the youth fetches the man a stout blow to the two brigands turned showmen saw an opportunity to take
back of his head and sends him reeling to the ground. a Kandayan into slavery for profit.
The crowd roars its approval and the caller steps be-
tween the youth and the fallen man. That’s your lot mate,
Sir Hovan Mindar
Aged 35, height 5’11”, medium frame, weight 164 lbs, plain appearance, medium
you’ve had your money’s worth. Now, who’s next? complexion, brown hair, grey eyes
Money is exchanged and another man enters the ring Secret agent of the Red Lady
and takes up the club and buckler. The warrior in red and Good in a tight corner
white is yanked to his feet and the tawdry scene is re- Hides a Kandayan accent
played.
If a PC decides to take the part of King Kabe …they +4 Melee (Hidden weapon: Whenever Disarmed,
should be ashamed! spend a Fate Point to declare the presence of a hidden
dagger. The Disarmed aspect is ignored but the oppo-
If the PCs look carefully through the blood and
nent gets a boost instead, representing the momentary
bruises … they may recognise Sir Hovan Mindar (see Root
distraction of drawing the dagger)
of all Evil).
+3 Notice
+3 Deceive
+2 Athletics
+2 Investigate
+2 Fight (Bar-fighter: +2 to create advantages in-
volving improvised weapons, bottles, chairs etc.)
+1 Contacts (The faithful are everywhere:
Overcome 6 minus local market size (plus 4 where
Larani/Peoni are proscribed) to find a Laranian/Peo-
nian sympathiser who owes the character a favour. Suc-
cess with style and they’ll take risks to help him.)
+1 Investigate (Attention to detail: Use Investigate
instead of Empathy to defend against Deceive in con-
tests; what others discover through gut reactions and in-
tuition can be learned through careful observation of the
attacker)
+1 Scholar (Speaks Harnic and Reads Lakise)
+1 Ritual (Larani)
Unarmed:0; Dagger:1
Cloth:0

Mild : Disarmed and beaten bloody
Serious:
If relations with Sir Hovan were very poor by the end of
that adventure, or he was killed, then replace him with a Grievous :
similar Laranian with a similar cover story and a similar se-
cret mission.
If a PC decides to intervene to protect Sir Mindar …
a small blocky man lays a hand on their sword arm and

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 39
quietly points out that, ‘Anyone brave enough to step between
this crowd and their sport will be lynched. Now is not the time Master Mosak the Tinker
but if I might have a word in private we might help the poor Aged 35, height 5’5”, heavy frame, weight 164 lbs, plain appearance, pale com-
plexion, black hair, brown eyes
man.’
Covert Maermalite missionary ‘Bullman’
If the PCs accept the man’s invitation for a word in The Bringer of the Life Renewed
private … he will introduce himself as Mosak, a local
Cart with a false bottom
tinker, who trades in brassware from Techen up the Gomi-
sen valley to Senun and Menekai. He finds the display they
have just seen as offensive as the PCs clearly do: There has +4 Will
to be a way to get that poor man away from those brutes. +3 Notice
+3 Deceive
+2 Empathy
+2 Ritual (Peoni) (Divine Intervention: +2 to
any skill and any action so long as a Fate Point is
spent to invoke and aspect of Peoni) AND (Son of
Tirrala: +2 to the treatment roll of a minor or serious
Consequence (OR spend a Fate Point to instantly re-
duce the level of the Consequence by one step) so long
as the roll is within a scene of it being inflicted)
+2 Rapport
+1 Contacts (The faithful are everywhere:
Overcome 6 minus local market size (plus 4 where
Larani/Peoni are proscribed) to find a Laranian/Peo-
nian sympathiser who owes the character a favour. Suc-
cess with style and they’ll take risks to help him)
+1 Investigate
+1 Scholar (Speaks Harnic and Reads Lakise)
+1 Ride (Carts and wagons: +2 to Overcome an
obstacle while driving a cart or wagon)

Unarmed:0; 1-h Improvised:1

Cloth:0

Mild :
If the PCs decide to intervene anyway … the GM
should be prepared for a running fight through the market Serious:
and out of the town. There will be plenty of chances for Grievous :
stand up fist fights and narrow escapes with the showmen
and members of the crowd. Perhaps the group is split up
If a local is seriously hurt during any affray … the
and only comes back together by luck in a copse of trees
PCs can expect their steps to be dogged by a party of
beyond the eastern edge of the town.
mounted men-at-arms in the Earl’s livery. That can lead to
Whatever happens the GM should try not to incapaci- another kind of confrontation outside the town on the way
tate a PC unless he has a clear idea of how they can escape to Senun. They will not pursue more than half a day away
from the Earl’s dungeon to conclude their quest! If the from Techen before reporting back that the miscreants
worst comes to the worst the wiry little man may be able to were accosted, killed and their bodies thrown into the
help them out with some healing. Thard … the Earl would not want them to report failure
Equally, whatever happens they will find that Sir Hovan and they will not want to pursue their quarry too far from
will turn up shortly after they get back together or success- their warm beds in Caer Techen.
fully evade escape; having used the confusion to make his If the PCs come up with a credible plan ... the GM can
own escape. adjudicate is as normal.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 40
If they are struggling to come up with a plan that ahead. The prodigious feats of speed he has exhibited
can both free Sir Hovan and maintain their anonym- seem to have disappeared. In fact the creature within Kutz
ity … then Mosak suggests waiting for a few hours until has learned the hard way that it can only push Kutz' body
the crowd grows tired of the entertainment or until the two so far before it breaks. For now it is ensuring Kutz gets
brutes consider it prudent to protect their investment from some regular rest and food; after all it doesn’t know it’s be-
further damage. He knows their type. They have stumbled ing followed.
onto a gold mine and their victim is no use to them perma-
nently injured. They will probably spend much of what
they’ve made on ale and strong drink if they have the
chance. All the PCs have to do is keep an eye on where
they go and then, when they’ve drunk themselves to obliv-
ion, the PCs can sneak in and free the fellow.
Mosak has an ox cart he uses for his trade and they can
secrete Sir Mindar among his goods and leave town en-
tirely innocently.
Mosak normally looks around for some likely fellows
with whom he can travel north along the Gomisen. No one
will be surprised to find him in their company when they
leave.
If the PCs agree … the GM can run this escape plan.
The two showmen are indeed keen to spend their
money; and not just on drink. They have a rickety hand
cart that they bought with their first profits at Thiri. That is
stacked up with their possessions and hauled from market
to market by the captured Sir Hovan. Today has been their
most successful day and they intend to enjoy it. They will
stake out the knight with the leash at his throat tied to the
cart and his right leg tied to the horse trough outside the
cottage of the bawd they intend to take turns enjoying. At
any one time there will be only one of them on guard and
his attention will decline as inebriation turns to sleep. The
PCs will have an easier time the longer they wait but they
may also feel the pressure of time as dawn approaches.
If the PCs don’t decide to free Sir Mindar … they will
encounter Mosak on the road, having freed the man him-
self.
If the PCs aid Sir Hovan … they will find Mosak excel-
lent company on the road and Hovan very grateful.
In the unlikely event that the PCs show Mosak, or Sir
Hovan, Eilith’s head then they both make a +4 Horror Test
to avoid making some Peonian/Laranian signs against evil.
Notice, +2 Overcome: the PC notices the flinch.
If the PCs point out the flinch Mosak admits that in
matters so horrible his first reaction is to remember what
his granny taught him and make a sign against evil. His
Deceit will drive home this tale if necessary. In Sir
Hovan’s case no deceit is required: he freely admits to be-
ing Kandian so a Laranian sign is second nature to him!

Link to the next scene

Their paths lie in the same direction, as Eilith confirms
Kutz also passed along the Senun road. She cannot esti-
mate how far ahead he is, only that he is not getting further

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 41
SCENE 6: THE MADMAN AND The miners need no threats to get them to talk – they
are still shaken by what happened and happy to share their
THE QUARRY experience: they were the victims of a madman.
The day before yesterday a one armed man came
Overview ashore and marched up from the dock towards the trail
Leaving Mosak and Sir Hovan the PCs hear a rumour into the forest and hills beyond.
that hastens them across the Gomisen from Senun to a As was his habit, the guildmaster insisted on labour in
quarry on the eastern bank of the river. There they dis- return for use of the dock and ordered the man bound to
cover that Kutz is only a matter of a day or two ahead of the treadmill for a full day of work.
them! While they were binding him in place he tore part of the
wooden framework away and set about the miners with it.
Scene Aspect(s) He ended up with a broken leg -thank the gods it was a
Confused and surprised miners is in play at the quarry. clean break, but the guildmaster took a clout to the side of
the head and has been out cold ever since.
GM Aims
 To begin to increase the pace with hints that the PCs The red haired fellow seemed to have the strength of 10
are as close now to Kutz as they have been since tem- men and shrugged off the miners who tried to contain him.
ple Hill Once he'd driven them off he calmly walked into the
 To get them across the river quickly and give them a forest, heading north … and good riddance.
last push into the wilderness of Peran. Enquiries reveal that some men thought he had a red
beard, not red hair and others though he had a red hooded
PC Outcomes cloak.
They should feel exhilarated to be so close behind Kutz It is the red item they remember; other descriptions are
and eager to finish what they have started. vague.
Description of Events Link to the next scene
Once the PCs reach Senun Mosak will take his leave Investigation or Survival, Overcome +2: there is an area
and continue on his normal route to Menekai. While Sir of old, moss covered, cobbles near the north end of the
Mindar may feel he owes the PCs a debt for their aid, he camp, on which the Guildmaster’s shack is built. There are
tells them that Mosak needs his protection more than they also scattered cobbles among the bushes at the northern
do, and so will also bid them farewell. The last they see of edge of the clearing just beyond the shack. Most of them
him is a figure walking beside the tinker’s cart as he heads have been dug up and sold across the river over the gener-
north. ations.
If the PCs can find a way for Eilith to get his scent she If they explore further into the bushes they will find a
will confirm that Kutz was at Senun’s small dock very re- block of stone near the mines latrine. It’s considered good
cently. The sickly scent of her soul is all over the place. luck to touch it as the miners say it’s been here as long as
An enquiry to the dock master will confirm that a cou- htere3’s been a quarry. The hands of generations of quar-
ple of days ago an Agrikan knight with a red plume in his rymen have worn it almost smooth but …
helmet paid for the crossing to a quarry upstream on the Notice, Overcome +2: there’s a worn horizontal groove
far bank. Interestingly the skipper of the talbar concerned that could be an arrow pointing north. Beneath it are the
reports that the man may have been a knight but he cer- faint reminders of 7 letters. The GM should award the PC
tainly had no red plume. Rather he had a red cloak. one letter per shift of success in whatever order they
Talbars regularly make the trip from Senun to Menekai choose: M E J E T U S.
and when they arrive the captain warns them that they The further they head north form the quarry the more
need to know the guildmaster miner has a habit of de- cobbles they find; the quarrymen have preferred not to
manding labour from those using his dock. wander too far into the trees in search of easy pickings.
However, when they disembark there is no sign of the There are enough left to indicate that this was once a sig-
guildmaster miner, or anyone else, demanding anything nificant trackway, maybe even a road.
from them. This is the start of the supply road that would have con-
They are free to wander up from the dock to the camp nected Mejetus to the heart of the Empire, if it had ever
in the middle of the quarry. Most of the miners are working been completed. Now it is barely a sketchy trail into the
but some are working to repair the treadmill that drags wilderness with cobbles that run perhaps 5 leagues north
trucks up from the dock. They are being supervised by a before they peter out where the road building ended with
man with a splinted leg. the abandonment of Mejetus.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 42
Eilith can confirm that Kutz came this way very re- be enough to get them moving north in pursuit of Kutz, and
cently, and if they are lucky they may even find a ‘K’ worn into Act IV.
into the moss of a final imperial way marker. This should

The quarry trail

ACT IV: INTO PERAN

Overview Distance
Travel
The PCs chase Kutz north across the foothills of the Stage Terrain time
(leagues)
Western Rayeshas into the valley of the River Suthen. (watches)
They risk encounters with Gargun and Kubora before see- The quarry
ing evidence of the bitter struggle taking place between the Flat mixed
to the 10 3-4
Urdu and the Equani. forest
foothills
With or without the Urdu they pursue Kutz to a place
that haunts Urdu dreams and there they discover a secret The foothills
unknown to any but a single young man. They learn of to the Rough/Hilly
15 7-8
Kutz’s plan and how it will put Peran, Harn and perhaps all mountain mixed forest
Kethira at risk, unless they can face a terror they have al- pass
ready run from.
Across the
The PCs can travel for 2 watches a day and spend a 3 rd Mountainous
mountain
watch hunting and gathering with no ill effects. The jour- needle leaf 5 5
pass into
ney will take them 10 - 11 days with no interruptions or forest
Peran
distractions. Endurance, +3, or +4, Overcome in flat
mixed forest and the rough, hilly or mountainous stages, From the
respectively, to travel for 3 watches per day. This can re- pass to the Flat mixed
duce the journey time to 7 – 8 days but the GM should ap- ruins of 15 5
forest
ply cumulative Weary, Exhausted and Dead on their feet Mejetus
Boosts to those PCs who tie/fail successive overcomes.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 43

The lost Corani road

 To ensure that however the encounter plays out the
SCENE 1: THE GARGUN OF PCs are not seriously hurt before reaching Kutz;
YZUG  To decide whether or not to invoke the disease that
first struck the Gargu-Kyani of Yzug in 719 (see Nasty,
Overview Brutish and Short, for details), and if they do whether to
If the GM wants to throw additional obstacles in the use it …
way of the PCs then this this optional encounter with a o as an excuse to have the Gargun parlay or
hunting party of Gargu-Kyani can provide some exercise beat a hasty retreat so that much reduced tribe
for martially inclined PCs, or an unexpected confirmation loses no more fighters; OR
that they are on the right path. o to explain why these white orcs have the
strength and frame of their larger Khanu cous-
Scene Aspect(s) ins as only the tribe’s strongest survived the
Trackless forest wilderness is in play as long as the disease to breed.
PCs are travelling through the Peran forests.
 To decide whether to merge this and the other op-
GM Aims tional scene (Scene 2, below) to further complicate
matters.
 To establish some routines for the PC’s trek north such
as order of march, rising and setting camp times, PC Outcomes
watch routines, and how often they hunt and gather (if
Though delayed they survive to continue their pursuit
they did not come prepared with supplies for such a
of Kutz.
long journey as this), so that this and Scene 2 can be
timed for maximum enjoyment. Description of Events
 To portray the Gargu-Kyani as the least prone to vio- Once the PCs leave the last imperial way marker behind
lence of the Gargun breeds so that conflict is not inevi- and enter the virgin forest they have little alternative but to
table;

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 44
follow the Gomisen north. This requires them to some-
times turn inland to find a ford on its tributaries but Eilith SCENE 2: THE MAHNLIN
can confirm that Kutz is doing the same. Soon they learn
that by using Eilith to track Kutz they are often led straight
KUBORA
to a ford he may have taken longer to find. Overview
In theory, therefore, they should be gaining on him but The GM can complicate the encounter by having a
Eilith confirms that, if anything, he is getting further ahead. party of Mahnlin Kubora appear. Their range is close by
He must be travelling almost inhumanly quickly. He is dis- and they hunt the Kyani for heads with which to play Gar-
playing the characteristics inferred from his initial escape gun-head (see Peran and Act II).
from Temple Hill which, more recently he has chosen not
to use. Scene Aspect(s)
The Bitter Fallen driving Kutz is sensing that it is near- Suffer not a Foulspawn to live! is in play if the GM
ing its goal and has chosen not to, or perhaps forgotten to, merges this Scene with the previous one.
manage the resources of the Kutz body in its haste to reach
its objective. GM Aims
The way in which this encounter plays out depends on
Gargu-Kyani (1-2 per PC) whether the GM merges it with the previous Scene and
how that is played.
Thoughtful Nocturnal Predator
If they merge the two scenes:
Loyal to Tribe; Honours Courage
 To have the Kubora react aggressively to the PCs if
+4 Melee they are seen parlaying with the Gargun. The PCs may
even find themselves fighting alongside the Gargun
+3 Athletics
against the Mahnlin who may not be choosing their
+2 Notice (Danger Sense: a free Notice roll to targets!
create an advantage due to the fact that they’re not  To have the Kubora attack in support of PCs that are
surprised by enemy at the start of any ambush) fighting the Gargun;
+1 Stealth If this scene is kept distinct:
Mankar:1 1-h Spear:2/1  To decide if the Mahnlin saw the PCs at the Moot; if
they encounter is calm and peaceful then they may
Leather & Round Shield:1+1
spot the Asawne token which can be invoked as at the
Moot;

 To decide if the Mahnlin know about the killing of
Wenowina and how they feel about it;
Link to the next scene
If they parlay then the PCs will discover that the Gargun  To decide whether the reputation a PC gained at the
have seen a wild man jogging through the forest a little fur- moot encourages one of the Kubora to challenge them
ther north. They followed for a while and they never saw to a race, stone carry, javelin competition etc.
him stop for food or rest, only to scoop up water as he
splashed across a stream. The fact that all people look
PC Outcomes
alike to the Gargun makes a description difficult but the PC Though delayed they survive to continue their pursuit
should assume this is Kutz. of Kutz.

Description of Events
The GM can place the Scene in the hands of the players
by asking 'what aspect do you think he has?', or inviting
them to 'Declare a detail' to shape the direction the story
goes at this point.
So long as they survive and can continue it doesn't mat-
ter, so the GM should make sure the challenges are rela-
tively non-lethal unless he's looking to insert a couple of
consequences over the scenes leading up to the climax of
the adventure.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 45
Mahnlin Kubora Warrior (1-2 per PC) Link to the next scene
If they parlay then they too will report a madman run-
Expert hunter ning through the forest. This time the description is clearly
Fierce; Cunning that of Kutz.

+3 Melee
+2 Endurance
+1 Strength (Damage +1)

1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1
Leather & Round Shield:1+2



Peran Forest

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 46
There they come upon the aftermath of an Equani at-
SCENE 3: THE URDU tack on an Urdu camp carried out while the hunting party
was away. Unless the PCs paly their initial introductions
Overview very badly the Urdu will not think to associate them with
So long as they survived the encounters with the Gar- the attack; they are all too used to the way of Equani war.
gun &/or Kubora the PCs will find themselves picking their
way down from the pass overlooking the headwaters of the Vengeful Urdu Hunter (2 per PC)
Gomisen into Peran with Mount Echephon towering above Expert hunter
and behind them.
Fierce; Cunning
Here they come upon a scene of barbarism beyond
their experience and have the opportunity to gain allies as +3 Melee
they pursue Kutz further into the wilderness.
+2 Endurance
GM Aims +1 Strength (Damage +1)
 To portray the Urdu as noble savages, with a view of
outsiders less coloured by a history of southron aggres- 1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1
sion than their more fickle Kuboran neighbours;
Leather & Round Shield:1+2
 To encourage them to take up arms with the Urdu in
pursuit of the Equani butchers; 
 To use the time with the Urdu to give them infor-
mation about the Haunt of Night, Kyrk am Nos. It is impossible not to be horrified by the frenzy and
savagery of the attack or the cruelty inflicted after it (Hor-
PC Outcomes ror test at +3). The bodies of the older men, women, chil-
They continue with our without the Urdu towards the dren, and even babies have been dismembered with limbs,
Haunt of Night; and Kutz. heads and torsos displayed around the camp on tent poles
and hoisted into the trees. Some have been skinned; per-
Description of Events haps while still alive.
Eilith can tell the PCs that, as they descend into Peran,
Kutz’s trail is getting fresher; he is travelling more slowly. The Urdu have no honourable alternative but to pursue
There do appear to be some limits to his inhuman capabili- the Equani warparty declaring Gwaedumdiath, Blood Re-
ties. venge: no prisoners; no fear of death; all honour for the
slain.
In the direction Eilith is leading them, the PCs can see a
column of smoke rising from the forest a league or so Rapport (limited by language skill in Old Jarinese) can be
away. used to express regret and sympathy with any advantages
stored up for use later in this or the next Scene.
The valley of the Suthen has been fought over by the
Urdu and Equani for a number of years; both claiming the Will the PCs join the Urdu in righting this wrong? Will
western and eastern banks as their range. The Urdu claim they swear Blood Revenge?
ancient rights to the river’s headwaters while the Equani If the PCs accept the challenge … they will be wel-
seek to extend the foothold they have held on the western comed as fellow warriors and expected to keep up as the
bank for many generations. Urdu race north east after the Equani, whose tracks they
As the PCs get close to the smoke of what was a burn- seem able to follow even if the PCs can’t. If they are able
ing Urdu camp a young warrior, barely more than a boy, to allow Eilith to scent the trail she will confirm that the
emerges into their path and levels his spear; clearly pre- path they are following is also the path Kutz followed.
pared to die in pursuit of his duty. During the short halts for water or food the Urdu will
Empathy, vs +0 Will to discover the aspect forced into confide that the hated Equani are heading for Kyrk am Nos,
manhood too quickly by what he has seen. This can be The Haunt of Night. This is a place on a rocky outcrop
invoked to support Rapport, knowing how to approach above a ford on the River Suthen that the Equani tribes re-
him without triggering an attack, or compelled to have him vere.
break down in the face of Intimidation, for instance. The Urdu abhor the place in equal measure. Their
Either way the PCs should prefer to talk their way into grandmothers tell of a great warrior who crossed the Urdu
the camp rather than draw his male relatives to his de- hunting range with an army more numerous than the trees
fence. They will gain more trust if they let him/encourage of the forest. He appeared noble and honourable, trading
him to escort them into the clearing. fairly with their forbears who offered to guide him in return.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 47
Then he crossed the Suthen into Equani territory, was am-
bushed by the wild savages and wounded. He became in- SCENE 4: THE HAUNT OF
fected with the evil of the Equani and changed, killing the
Urdu in his camp. For this he suffered a dishonourable
NIGHT
death, infecting his grand palace with his evil so that it Overview
would forever be known as the Haunt of Night.
The PCs find Mejetus and explore the last home of an
If the PCs politely refuse … the Urdu will bid them fare- Emperor.
well and race north east after the Equani. Eilith will be able
to tell the PCs that Kutz went the same way, so the PCs GM Aims
will find themselves following the Urdu who make no effort  To play up the eeriness of the Haunt of Night with the
to conceal their route. shadows cast by the Equani fires; the grim Urdu mov-
ing among them killing any they encounter; the shouts
Link to the next scene and screams going on around them as the PCs con-
Having crossed a series of low rises the PCs will see tinue to seek Kutz among the mayhem;
dusk begin to fall across the valley of the River Suthen. As
 To increase the tension as the PCs descend into dark-
it does so the Equani campfires will become obvious
ness to be confronted by a monster.
among the trees of a rocky outcrop overlooking the river.
The number of fires suggest there are dozens of Equani. PC Outcomes
They are greatly outnumbered but the Urdu seem comfort-
They find the secret beneath Kyrk am Nos. And discover
able in their fate. Their women and children are gone and
just how dangerous Kutz and the creature that rides him
their honour requires the death of their killers, or their own
could be if they fulfil their ambition.
death trying. Such is the fate of any hunter swearing Gwae-
dumdiath. Description of Events
Notice, +2 Overcome: Anyone who has read Meredath’s If the PCs decline to accompany the Urdu … they will
diary (Afarezirs: Root of all Evil) will recognise some of the come upon the ‘Haunt of Night’ but without the Urdu to ex-
landmarks from his description of Mejetus: it sits on a hill plain anything of what they see. The Urdu attack de-
top above the Suthen; the river below the fort is broad and scribed below will still take place but the GM should time it
shallow; ideal for building a bridge; the peaks of the Raye- to aid the PCs in their efforts to follow Kutz into what
shas to the south-east resemble a face looking up at the seems to be the heart of the Equani encampment.
stars. If they have accompanied, the Urdu … they will be
told that ahead lies ‘Kyrk am Nos’, the Haunt of Night; a
place revered by the Equani war cult, the Shevrach.
Scholar, +4 Overcome (+2 with Old Jarinese): Shevrach
could be a corruption of the Old Jarinese phrase sedory
rach which translates as 'deadly shades'. Peran myth says
the Sedory Rach are ghostly creatures of the night that fall
upon isolated hunters and rip out their spirits leaving the
corpse to wander the forests for eternity.
The GM should allow the PCs to draw comparisons
with the way in which Morgathians create gulmorvrin and
with the title of this adventure: Ancient Shades.
If they can find a way for her to scent Kutz, Eilith will
tell them that his trail follows the path they can just make
out in the trees into the heart of the Equani camp.
The Equani are getting drunk on victory and fermented
fruit mash and the longer the PCs leave their attempt to en-
ter the camp the better. However, the sun is setting and
they will soon need artificial light to even move through the
forest and ruins of Mejetus, let alone make rapid progress
in pursuit of Kutz. If they leave it even longer, the clear
night and the moon make it relatively easy to pick their
way through the camp, but the Urdu are eager for blood
and will delay only until the sun is very low in the west

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 48

Shevrachi celebrations
Just before they attack the Urdu will confide that one in many fallen logs that were once the palisade of Caer Meje-
three of the Equani will probably be drunk and that then tus.
odds have shifted in their favour, to only 3 or 4 to 1. This
is unlikely to reassure the PCs! Cribog (1 group per PC)
The PCs, whether with the Urdu or not, would be well Swarm of nocturnal predators
advised to wait for the attack to provide a distraction that Silent; Small(+2)
will allow them to look for Kutz.
If the PCs decide to skirt the camp in search of Kutz +3 Stealth (Silent Killer: Overcome target’s No-
… they will waste some time and discover that the trail tice to create the Boost Surprised which must be
does not emerge from the camp. He’s still in there! They immediately invoked in an attack.)
may have him cornered, at last +2 Athletics (Fly: Can move 2 zones per turn
As the PCs make their way into the camp the GM through unobstructed air) AND (Elusive: +2 to de-
should use The Haunt of Night to provide the detail of then fend against all but area attacks)
ruins. For instance, they will quickly become aware of the +1 Fight
heavy smell of death and decay hanging over the surround-
ing forest. If it is dark enough they may be lucky enough Bite:1
not to find the source of the foul smell! Skin:0
They will almost certainly step on a snake or disturb
some of the large bats that have colonised the ruins as they

use Athletics to clamber as quickly as possible over the

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 49
have been blurred by an Equani lean-to across the front of
Harnic Adder (1d3 per PC) the structure and the repairs the tribesmen have made over
Dangerous when surprised! the generations. All manner of trophies hang from it and
Silent in the undergrowth; Small (+2) poles around it: heads, weapons, skins, feathers etc.
Resting on well laid stone foundations are wooden col-
+2 Notice umns supporting the pitched roof, now patched with skins.
+1 Fight (Poison: Any successful attack requires Between the columns the well-made wooden walls are also
the victim to overcome +2 with Endurance or suf- patched with animal skins.
fer 1 physical stress per exchange until treated) Scholar or Investigate, +2 Overcome: It is old, perhaps
centuries old, and fallen into disrepair from which crude
Bite:1 Equani repairs are only just saving it. Though they have
Skin:0 propped-up and replaced much of the richly carved wood
 of the original building there is enough remaining to iden-
tify it as in the Imperial Corani style. It can only be the Im-
The GM is encouraged to use these atmospheric details perial Pavilion which once housed the Emperor and his im-
as the PCs (and the Urdu) move up to the edge of the mediate entourage.
Equani firelight. Then the Urdu shout their defiance and Within the lean-to the PCs find a crude bedroll, a cook-
charge the capering Shevrachi. ing fire, and a range of tribal utensils, food and fermented
fruit mash.
Shevrachi Warrior (1-2 per PC)
The far wall of is dominated by the carved doorway into
Never fear death the pavilion. The original doors were badly damaged when
Berserk Violence; Strength of their god the Equani originally forced entry so the entry is now hung
with skins. The skins are crudely coloured with vegetable
+4 Melee dyes and marked with abstract scratches, mud, and human
+3 Endurance excrement.
+2 Notice Scholar or Investigate, +2 Overcome: The carvings
around the doorway have been better protected from the
+1 Strength (Damage +1) elements and regularly cleaned by the Equani so their de-
tail remains clearer. They appear to depict scenes from
1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1 Morgathian theology: Klyss welcoming the dead etc. Addi-
Leather & Round Shield:1+2 tional shifts of success reveal:
 that the carvings were added over the top of the origi-
 nal more secular, carvings of imperial might, and,
 some of the carvings originally depicted generals and
In the chaos of the surprise attack the PCs should be legionaries rather than priests and gulmorvrin.
able to use Eilith to pick up Kutz’s trail; it is the freshest she
 the modifications were completed in a hurry, though
has ever sensed. He is close, very close. As they follow
by skilled craftsmen.
Kutz’s trail through the chaos of the fighting the PCs find
themselves moving away from the campfires to the only Though the PCs can't conclude this yet, the original
significant structure that has survived the centuries. It sits secular carvings were modified in a hurry after the Em-
at the highest point of the ruins, in the middle of a naturally peror accepted the Morgathian offer to save his 'life'.
occurring outcrop of stone. Behind it the outcrop becomes The faint light of a flickering candle can be seen through
a cliff with stone tumbled down into the valley below. a crack in the skins covering the doorway.
As they follow Kutz’s trail through the chaos of the
fighting the PCs find themselves moving away from the The Inner Sanctum
campfires to the only significant structure that has survived This large room has been turned into a ritual space with
the centuries. It sits at the highest point of the ruins, in the a large boulder serving as an altar placed in the middle
middle of a naturally occurring outcrop of stone. Behind it room before an ornate chair. The stone is crusted by the
the outcrop becomes a cliff with stone tumbled down into blood of captives sacrificed in failed attempts to create the
the valley below. gulmorvrin that the Equani have been told about. Now an
old Equani, Durnik, the Shevrach’s principal shaman, lies
The Imperial Pavilion across it with his neck snapped; his dead eyes peer up at
Notice or Investigation, +2 Overcome (+4 if fully dark): the PCs from a disturbing angle. There is no sign of Kutz
This was once a well-crafted building but its regular lines

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 50
but the flickering candles of human fat illuminate much of of the journey shows them trekking west, but then a
interest. large section of the skin has been cut away
Scholar or Investigate, +2 Overcome: the shaman has Scholar or Investigate: +2 Overcome: the section was
been dead for only an hour or two. cut away VERY recently. The wooden wall behind the lost
For the first time since the Peonian ruin Eilith's sense of section of skin is hinged and gives access to an unused
Kutz becomes blurred. He passed into the shrine but the room full of the debris of ages. The skin on the opposite
generations of foul Equani worship provide a fog or tor- wall (No. 5) also conceals a hinged wall giving access to
ment that clouds her sense of him. She does scent him similar rooms. These were the living quarters of the Em-
strongly over the body of the shaman, though. peror's bodyguards and servants.
The walls of the chamber, where Mejenes met with his  Drawings 7 & 8: These shows events among the
generals, were once of richly painted wooden panels dis- rocky pillars depicted earlier. The depiction of the
playing the might of the Empire. Now those painted Hand of Crador should be clear to anyone who has vis-
scenes are almost completely hidden by tightly stretched ited it. The details show the uncowled scholars under-
skins, some of which are human. In the light of the candles taking some activity at the peak of the highest pillar in-
the PCs will see the skins are covered with charcoal draw- volving 'Air'; in tunnels under the pillars involving
ings in a simple work-man like style. 'Earth'; and in an obviously excavated chamber 'with-
in' a pillar, involving 'Water'. This last chamber is
Investigate or Scholar, +2 Overcome: These drawings
above a more natural chamber beneath the ground
are much more refined than the crude daubs outside. They
where the masked and cowled figures are seen sur-
are in charcoal and shows signs of being refreshed a num-
rounding a cairn of stones and summoning a black orb
ber of times. If the drawings are considered one left, one
while they hold objects that resemble the parts of a
right, from those closest to the doorway through which the
key. One of the cowled and masked figures embraces
PCs entered, then they appear to tell a story of sorts.
the black orb and undergoing some sort of transfor-
The PCs may recognise parts of the story from the mo- mation into a more perfect man who returns with the
saic, but these drawings have more detail and seem to other scholars to Mejetus carrying the miraculously
show a different perspective. whole key.
 Drawings 1 & 2: tell of the preparation for the inva- Scholar, +2 Overcome: This should prompt recollection
sion of Peran. They show the exploration of the north of the description of activity at the Hand in Meredath’s di-
coast of Peran by a Corani fleet and the subduing of ary.
the tribes encountered on various islands. Then the
 Drawings 9 & 10: These drawings return to events at
drawings show the building of rafts that carry engi-
Mejetus and show Mejenes planning the crossing of
neers up river to begin the building of Caer Mejetus. A
the Suthen into Equani territory. It takes place across
group of cowled figures are shown among the builders
a wooden bridge built to improve the shallow ford be-
Scholar, +2 Overcome: This should prompt recollections low the fort but the advance guard, led by Mejenes, is
of the history of the Nolgind Kubora in Afarezirs: Root of all caught in the open before it can form a perimeter. It is
Evil. little more than a skirmish but the Equani reach the
 Drawings 3 & 4: The Emperor Mejenes is shown Emperor and wound him, bringing the tentative ad-
travelling from Coranan, to Merethos (Golotha) and vance to a swift conclusion as he is escorted back to
north to Kustan. From there he and his legion set out, the safety of Mejetus.
along a roadway cleared through the Peran wilderness, Scholar, +2 Overcome: This should prompt recollection
to the Pemetta and, via a raft bridge into Urdu terri- of the events depicted in the temple mosaics.
tory. They also show his negotiations with the Urdu
 Drawings 11 (on the left side of the wall facing
who are them shown serving as scouts and auxiliaries
the entry): It shows physicians swiftly amputating the
for the march from the Pemetta to the Suthen. Finally
Emperor's left arm at the elbow against the Emperor's
he reaches Mejetus where a well-constructed wooden
instructions. Then, in gruesome detail it shows their
fort awaits him.
reward: torture and impalement before the army for
Scholar, +2 Overcome: This should prompt recollections their incompetence.
of what the Urdu told the PCs about the initial relationship
Scholar, +2 Overcome: This is a subtly different interpre-
between the Urdu and the invading army.
tation of events that the one shown in the temple mosaics.
 Drawings 5 & 6: The focus of the drawings shifts
 Drawings 12, (on the left side of the wall facing
from the Emperor to a group of scholars, some cowled
the entry): The uncowled scholars are seen departing
and masked, some not, leaving Mejetus for an unusual
down rive by barge while the cowed scholars are de-
group of rocky pillars to the south west. The initial part
picted as being horrified at the incompetence of the

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 51
physicians. They take on the Emperor's care while around the room. Success with Style: some of the draw-
they read many scrolls in search of a cure for the infec- ings are on skins cracked and discoloured with extreme
tion that grips him. Finally, and with obvious reluc- age but all are of Equani men and boys (the various
tance, they are shown inviting the Emperor to embrace shaman and their apprentices who have served here over
a black orb reminiscent of the one depicted earlier. the centuries and those warriors granted access to the sa-
Meanwhile one of them oversees the shaping of the cred place).
key they brought back form the Hand of Crador into an The PCs cannot know, at this point, that this is the bed
artificial arm for Mejenes. The final drawings show chamber of Nídmarw, the ‘man’ revered by the Equani war
Mejenes embracing the orb and joyfully transcending cult, the Shevrach, as a god (See Mejetus). They also can-
his mortal form, while wearing the reshaped key in not yet know that this ‘god’ is actually a Morgathian priest,
place of his lost forearm. Alai. He is an amorvrin who has been marooned here
Scholar, +2 Overcome: They allowed the Emperor to em- since the fort fell (see Mejetus and below).
brace the Shadow of Bukrai! The room to the right, behind the previously barred
Immediately behind the altar stone and the throne, be- door contains only an open trapdoor with a set of stone
tween these last two drawings, a single, unadorned, patch- steps winding down into the darkness.
work quilt of human skin, hangs like a curtain, waiting to be Investigate, +2 Overcome: the layer of dust over the floor
drawn. Drawing it aside reveals suggests the room has been undisturbed for a long time,
 Drawing 13: unlike the rest of the drawings, which are until today. There are clear signs that someone or some-
on skins nailed to the wooden walls behind them, this thing has passed from the door to the stairway. Success
drawing is applied direct to the wooden wall. with Style: Two people passed this way, one taller than
It shows a life-sized man dressed in grand armour and the other.
wearing a crown. He holds a sword in his right hand Scholar or Investigate or Craft, +2 Overcome: the spiral
while the artificial left hand protectively cradles a rep- stairs are constructed so that the joins between stones are
resentation of the Hand of Crador. The centre of the almost invisible; well beyond the skill of even the best Co-
man’s torso is dominated by a drawing of a dense rani masons. Success with Style: perhaps they are Khu-
black orb zan.
 This section of wall is, like those behind drawings 5 The PCs will probably conclude, as they contemplate
and 6, hinged ... the spiral stone stair into darkness that they will face an un-
 Scholar, this shouldn’t need interpretation! dead Emperor and Kutz below. The GM should do every-
thing to encourage them in this view, including waiting pa-
Beyond the PCs may be expecting to find the undead tiently while they prepare for every possible eventuality as
emperor, but they find only an empty room. It is about half they descend, in single file.
the size of the room they have been examining.
Finally the GM should apply time pressure as the tide of
Scholar, +2 Overcome: it could be the Emperor's private the battle outside begins to turn against the outnumbered
audience chamber. Urdu. Soon they may discover something has happened to
their shaman and investigate …
Link to the next scene
The space beyond the curtain has two doors. Both are
ajar though the one to the right has a stout iron bar dating
from the Corani occupation.
Investigation or Craft, +2 Overcome: the door was un-
barred very recently, perhaps today. Before that the door
had been securely barred for a very long time.
The room to the left boasts a simple bed of crude con-
struction, a brazier containing dying embers, and supplies.
Investigate, +2 Overcome: the chamber has been recently
occupied. The brazier suggests it was last fed less than half
a day ago. Beside the bed is a wooden board with a skin
stretched across it. It has been used for a charcoal sketch
of a tribesman (the shaman lying dead outside). The style
matches that of the drawings outside in the hall, though
probably more accomplished (the artist has had a century
of practice since he completed the drawings outside). This
drawing is one of dozens, perhaps hundreds, scattered

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 52
SCENE 5: THE EMPEROR’S Despite two attempts, and unable to call on anyone out-
side their small group, the Morgathians failed to retrieve
TOMB the arm. As the betrayed and angry Urdu threatened the
fort’s perimeter the priests determined that they would not
Overview be able to take the Key from him. Instead the creature that
had been Mejenes along with his golden arm would have to
The PCs discover the secret Mejetus has hidden since it
remain at Mejetus.
fell.
While the Key would no longer be guarded by the le-
GM Aims gions, it would be guarded by a fearsome undead monster
 To continue to stress the fearfulness the drawings from capable of only violence to anyone approaching it. Per-
the previous scenes should have developed; haps this was what Morgath intended. Someone, though,
would have to watch over Mejenes until the church could
 To play the Emperor as more than a gulmorvrin, but
decide his fate and rescue the Key. The task fell to Alai,
less than an amorvrin;
the most junior priest, who had only been made amorvrin a
 To play the Morgathian’s death with sufficient pathos month or so before, beneath the Hand of Crador. He
to make the PCs feel sorry for the poor creature con- would maintain the watch with the three surviving aco-
demned to live a life among these savages. lytes.
PC Outcomes When the legion fought its way out and disappeared
They discover why Kutz came here and conclude where into the forest the Urdu followed, harrying the Corani as far
he has gone. as the Pemetta, where the Kubora took up the task. When
they returned to Mejetus they found it occupied by the
GM Briefing - The Fate of an Emperor Equani. They had watched events unfold from across the
As the PCs have probably worked out by now the des- river and entered and pillaged the deserted fort. Though
perate Emperor Mejenes accepted the Morgathian offer to they had burned most of the barracks the palisade was
make him Amorvrus as the only way to stay ‘alive’. In his largely intact and it, combined with the weariness of the re-
hubris he perhaps thought he could command a god as he turning Urdu, meant the Equani could not be dislodged.
commanded his legions, and all would proceed as he had They have held it ever since.
planned. Only one building survived the initial sack; the Imperial
However, the rite failed and it was immediately clear to Pavilion. The Equani entered it and killed three milksop
the priests that their plan had gone horribly wrong. Rather boys who remonstrated with them. A fourth youth they
than an ever living Emperor bound to the Morgathian took outside and burned to ashes in one of the barrack
church they had created a creature with the free-will of an huts.
amorvrin but little more intellect than a gulmorvrin. Returning to the Pavilion they stripped it of anything of
Though confused the creature mortally wounded the value before finding the trapdoor leading down into the hill.
burly acolyte sent to try to kill it. The young man's body Three descended in search of treasure; only one escaped
was, though, a convenient asset. Having admitted to his with tales of a monster that tore his brothers to pieces. Af-
generals that their 'cure' had failed 'due to the previous in- ter nearly a month of contemplating the trap door six war-
competence of the Emperor’s physicians’ (who were riors decided they were more than a match for any Corani
promptly impaled), the priests needed a body for the Em- monster and disappeared into the darkness.
peror’s pyre. The bones carried back to Coranan and in- Among them was a respected war chief and when he
terred with great pomp were those of a low born Morga- returned to the surface to die in the arms of his friends,
thian called Goas! they believed his last words: leave it be! They were plan-
The legion commanders had already turned their atten- ning to use the pavilion as a great pyre of their war chief,
tion to an orderly retreat with the Emperor’s bones. The when a naked and exhausted young man entered the camp
priests had no alternative but to retrieve the ‘Key’ they had and tried to enter the pavilion.
created beneath the Hand of Crador and crafted into a He was cut down before a warrior recognised him as
golden arm for the Emperor, seal the vault as best they the youth burned to death after the sack. As they watched
could, and pretend they had never sought to offer Mejenes his body crumbled to dust and blew away on a sudden
to Klyss. breeze. The breeze carried the dust in the direction of the
Meanwhile the undead creature confined in the cham- pavilion; a strong enough omen for the Equani to decide
bers below had recovered from its initial confusion. It dis- their war chief deserved a better pyre than this cursed
played only rage and an implacable attachment to the or- place.
nate metal arm crafted to replace the one it had lost. After that the youth returned again, so they killed him
again, and again. Over and over again, but every time he

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 53
returned. Finally they allowed him to make his way to the The GM should describe the tight turns of a stair that
pavilion. force the PCs to descend in single file and the Tight turns
Alai has forgotten how many times he has died since. restricting space and line of sight to influence weapon
First it was starvation as the Equani, who periodically set- use and open the opportunity for surprise at the bottom.
tled at Mejetus were too afraid of him to allow him to learn The maps of the chambers beneath the Imperial Pavil-
their language, let alone feed him. There were also at least ion are based on the Khuzdul Outpost (by Kerry Mould, with
two very harsh winters during which he froze to death. maps by Thomas Shook), the original of which can be
After that final freezing he returned to the camp to find found at Lythia.com.
it occupied by a group of Equani hunters and their wily old This adventure changes the original article in that the
shaman. The old man provided Alai with food and fuel in upper level is entered from the Imperial Pavilion via the
return for agreeing to become a god who favoured the spiral stair described above. The original location 14
shaman. The cult quickly spread and Alai even taught simply does not exist in this interpretation.
them the rudiments of Morgathianism. Gradually his life This adventure also assumes that Kerry’s description,
settled into a more ordered pattern. and Thomas’ maps, show the outpost as it was a millen-
Over the centuries the Shevrach cult, centred on Meje- nium before the Corani engineers found it. Over the inter-
tus, has grown to be part of Equani society and Alai is wor- vening centuries the cliff overlooking the river Suthen had
shipped as their ‘god’, Nídmarw. Apprentices kill the suffered several significant rock falls, carrying locations 1,
shaman when he gets too old and then fight to the death to 2, 3, 4, 5, 15 & 16 (from the original article) away with
decide which of them Nídmarw favours, becoming the new them.
shaman. They ensure the Shevrach maintain the pavilion
and provide food and fuel to keep themselves and their god The Upper Level
dry, warm and fed. The Equani have not ventured down here since the fort
In the early decades Alai would listen at the door at the was sacked, but Alai once used the corridor beside the spi-
bottom of the stairs and hear the sounds of the undead Em- ral stair to store the more valuable items brought to him as
peror's rage as he stumbled from room to room destroying ‘sacrifices’. Once he imagined handing them over to his
everything and anything he came across. Morgathian rescuers when they came to save him; but that
dream has slowly died, until today.
During brief periods when the emperor became quiet
Alai would try to recover the Key. Each time he failed.
Over the last century he has heard fewer and fewer noises.
Once it was so quiet for so long that he became concerned
that the Emperor might have escaped and taken the Key
with him. He unbarred the door and tentatively explored
the room beyond. His last death was when the quiescent
monster erupted from among some debris and crushed
Alai’s skull against the stone wall.
His dying thought was that this was his thirteenth and
final death, but when he woke beneath the Hand he con-
cluded that he must have misremembered. He recounted
his deaths all the way back to the Pavilion and concluded
that his next death would be the one from which Klyss
would claim him forever. Determined not to waste that
last death he has not visited his charge since, after all, res-
cue may yet arrive …

The Tomb
All is darkness in the vaults below the pavilion. There
are plenty of candles of human fat in the hall above but
each Casts a dim little light. The PCs can also improvise
torches from Alai’s bedding but without pitch they will burn
Bright but unreliable.
The GM can spend their Fate Points to invoke these as-
pects to create shadows or plunge the PCs into sudden
darkness unless they, in turn, are prepared to use their own Once the PCs reach the bottom they will find the corri-
Fate Points to buy off the compels. dor stacked with all manner of slightly valuable items.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 54
Investigate, +2 Overcome: the items have not been dis- It is here that the Emperor lies for months at a time, quies-
turbed in a very long time, though there is some evidence cent and unmoving, perhaps seeking succour in disjointed
that some of the better pieces were lifted out before being dreams of distant greatness.
dropped again. Success with Style: it is almost as if they [9] This stairwell was how the Corani accessed this level
were selected, offered, but then discarded as worthless. when they found the complex in the 460s and decided to
(Alai offered the better pieces to Kutz but he had no inter- adapt it as living quarters for the Emperor. The stout door
est in anything but the Key). at the bottom of the stairs was originally intended to be
barred from within but before they left the Morgathians in-
The Lower Level stalled a wooden bar to keep the creature from emerging.
Alai has avoided the lower level since his last ‘death’, The PCs will find the bar has been removed and the door is
until today. As the PCs begin their descent they will hear slightly ajar.
the splintering of wood and other sounds of destruction
echoing up the stairwell. Fortunately, in his rage, the Emperor has not yet noticed
that the door is open (unless the GM wants to give it the
[6] This was Mejenes’ private dining room and where he advantage presented by the narrow stairway …).
discussed strategy with his officers. Most of the furniture
was dashed to pieces in his rage during the early months of [10] This well would still work if the mechanism, rope and
his confinement, but today even those pieces of debris bucket the Corani installed had not rotted away. Today it
have been dashed to splinters. is wedged shut by the debris the Emperor created 250
years ago when he woke to discover he was less than the
[7] The Emperor’s body slaves lived here where they could superman the Morgathians had promised.
serve his every need. His most trusted bodyguards stood
watch at the surface. Today the door is beaten off its [11] This was the Khuzan kitchen, a purpose the Corani
hinges and the beds rendered almost to matchwood. recognised and reused. They never managed to fully un-
block the flue which emerged to the north of the fort so
Mejenes preferred to have food prepared in the legionary
mess rather than have to put up with the smoke that accu-
mulated here. The same was true of the other fireplaces,
so Mejenes’ quarters were warmed with braziers.
[12] The Corani wedged the sliding door to this room
closed as the servants complained of a biting draught issu-
ing from a crack in the fallen rocks that comprised the wall.
Since the fort fell the rocks have settled and the crack has
widened significantly. Today it provides a tight but acces-
sible route to the cliff face outside.

From the outside this crevice looks just like the many oth-
ers that riddle the cliff-face. Only if someone took a light
into the narrow passage would anyone outside get a clue
that it existed.
[13] This Khuzan privy served as the Emperor’s larder
where the many delicacies that made the mess cooking
bearable to his sophisticated tastes were stored.

Description of Events
Only when they emerge from the stairwell into [6] will
an imposing figure with only one arm loom out of the shad-
ows to kill them (unless the GM wants to give it the ad-
vantage presented by the narrow stairway, see [9] …).
[8] This was Mejenes’ bedchamber and is the only room They may believe this is Kutz but should soon realise
that still resembles its original state. It is as if, buried in the
the figure is clad in heavy ornate armour. They are in the
rage and frustration of his undying, the Emperor has con-
presence of what was once Mejenes the Great!
tinued to keep it as a memory of his former life. The finer
items are broken and crushed by the creature’s clumsy ef- Only when they have subdued, destroyed or confined
forts to use them, but the stool and camp table along with Mejenes, will they be able to explore the other chambers in
the bed remain much as they were. The bedding though is search of Kutz. He is not here.
shredded and crumbling.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 55
Instead they find a deathly pale man in his late middle items he had accumulated on the upper level of the vaults
years (amorvrin age slowly and Alai has aged by only 1 but he showed no interest in them.
year for every 10 that have passed). He is huddled behind They entered [6] and when Kutz asked where he would
the door to [11] and weakly trying to hold it closed for fear find the Emperor and the Key Alai indicated [8]. He then
the Emperor finds him. insisted on Alai showing him the rest of the rooms before
returning to [6].
The Undead Mejenes To Alai’s horror Kutz started to shout and the creature
Mad with rage and loss burst from its resting place. Alai was stunned by this turn
Aggressive of events and unable to resist when Kutz flung him into the
Slow creature’s arms. By reflex the Emperor brought his arms
together behind the winded priest and Kutz swiftly stepped
+4 Fight (Touched by Bukrai: If any Physical up and tore the golden arm free.
Stress is inflicted on a target they also take +1
Mental Stress) Alai the Morgathian Priest
+3 Strength (+2 Damage) Apparently aged 40, height 5’6”, light frame, weight 124 lbs, plain appearance,
pale complexion, brown hair, blue eyes
+2 Endurance Amorvrin guardian of the Key
+1 Intimidate Klyss will punish me
Shevrachi god
Bludgeoning Fists:1
Leather Ceremonial Armour:1 +2 Ritual (Morgath) (Shadow of Bukrai: spend
a Fate Point to instantly summon the Shadow of
 Bukrai with the same characteristics as a Spirit Ele-
mental conjured using the Savoryan skill but able
The Abandoned Guardian to possess a target. Possessed by the Shadow is
The PCs should have no difficulty forcing the door open the first consequence applied if the cleric or a fel-
and discover that Alai is desperate to avoid his final death. low believer spends a second Fate Point.
Not only will Klyss claim him but he will have to answer for Possessed by the Shadow means the target is
his failure to keep the Key safe.
treated as a gulmorvrin (‘mental’ skills become 0;
Misguidedly believing he may still survive he will do an- ‘physical’ skills reduced by 1) and they are under
ything to stop the PCs killing him, including telling them his the complete control of the Morgathian cleric until
story (above) and what happened a few hours ago. A cur-
the end of the scene if the consequence is Mild, the
sory examination will show that he is beyond help. The
damage the Emperor and Kutz have done to his ribcage session if Serious, or the entire scenario if Griev-
makes death inevitable; he just doesn’t know it yet. ous. Alternatively the cleric can release the target
He was sketching in his room when he heard a commo-
at will.
tion in the hall outside. Peeking through the spyhole he When the Shadow departs the target’s skills re-
uses to know when to make a ceremonial entry he saw turn to normal but the relevant consequence be-
Kutz break the shaman’s neck on the ‘altar’. That was comes Memory of the Shadow until cured as a
nothing compared to something he had not sensed since normal mental consequence.
the other priests left; the Shadow of Bukrai accompanied +1 Craft (Drawing: +2 to create an advantage
the visitor.
with Craft using his skill in drawing)
The PCs will probably conclude that the ceremony on
Temple Hill may have left Kutz tinged with the Shadow, Unarmed:0; 1-h Improvised:1
but to Alai this was what he had dreamed of for 2 centuries: Cloth:0
rescue. The church had sent someone to find him at last.
He ran to the bearded one-armed man and embraced 
him but then his memory becomes blurred. He had the im-
pression of telling the man about his drawings and about The creature went mad, dropping Alai and blundering
the Key and the Emperor. Then he remembers the man about the vaults looking for its lost arm. Alai painfully
cutting away the portion of his drawing showing the route crawled to the nearest door and sought refuge where the
to the Hand of Crador and telling him to lead the way to PCs found him.
the Key. Alai tried to offer his rescuer some of the prized

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 56
Link to the next scene distractions. Endurance, +3, or +4, Overcome in flat
Investigate, +2 Overcome: the sliding door between [11] mixed forest and the rough, hilly or mountainous stages,
and [12] has been forced open very recently. respectively, to travel for 3 watches per day. This can re-
duce the journey time to 7 – 8 days but the GM should ap-
If the PCs ask Eilith she will report that there is a clear ply cumulative Weary, Exhausted and Dead on their feet
scent of Kutz in these rooms and that he left through the Boosts to those PCs who tie/fail successive overcomes.
fissure in the wall of [12]. While difficult it would not be
impossible to clamber down the crags and disappear into Travel
Distance
the forest with both the Key and a map to the location of Stage Terrain time
(leagues)
the Lock! (watches)
There may be time for a few short questions before The ruins of
Alai's eyes go vacant and his body crumbles to dust. The Mejetus to Flat mixed
25 8-9
breeze from the sliding door - if they haven’t already no- the Broken forest
ticed it - blows the fine powder into the corners of the Lands
room. His life is over … his duty failed.
Through the
Assuming the PCs pursue Kutz through the gap in the
Broken Lands Rough mixed
wall then Eilith can pick up Kutz' trail. 10 5
to the Place forest
Athletics might be necessary to make the descent, at of the Hand
night, safely! Alternately they may return to the surface
and take their chances against the Equani celebrating their
victory. They begin several hours behind Kutz but Eilith can tell
them over the following few days that they are closing that
While he has a map, the PCs have Eilith so they should
gap, very gradually. If they begin to become despondent
have no trouble following. Whether they can keep up with
that they will not get there in time, then the GM can re-
him is another question. They can only try!
mind them that as there are no signs of the start of the Fi-
The pursuit through the forests towards the Broken nal Battle between Agrik and Larani, they may yet succeed.
Lands and the Hand of Crador can be played by the GM
No matter how much they exert themselves they should
using the relevant sections and encounters from Peran and
not be able to catch him before he reaches the Hand of
Peran: Heart of Darkness. The GM should be careful not to
Crador, instead he should arrive at an hour or so before
distract them too much but ensure they don't make up too
they do. If they are delayed for some reason, it shouldn’t
much of the head start Kutz has.
matter. What is waiting at the Hand means that a longer
The PCs can travel for 2 watches a day and spend a 3 rd lead can be explained away by his captivity.
watch hunting and gathering with no ill effects. The jour-
ney will take them 10 - 11 days with no interruptions or

The Broken Lands

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 57
The two orders have avoided coming to blows only be-
SCENE 6: THE HAND OF cause they are deep in hostile territory and subject to occa-
sional harassment by the Yelgri that occupy the heights of
CRADOR the Hand.

Overview
The PCs return to the Place of the Hand (see Heart of
Darkness) to find they are not the first to arrive. They find
Kutz is a prisoner but that a theological dispute offers them
the distraction they need to follow him into the Hand.

GM Aims
 To play this scene as a shock: the Hand is already held
… by Agrikans!
 To provide the necessary distraction to enable the PCs
to pursue Kutz into the Hand.

PC Outcomes
Initially faced by what appear to be insurmountable
odds the PCs take an opportunity to get past the Agrikans
into the Hand.

The Place of the Hand

When the PCs arrive (see Denal Kubora for a full scale
map of the Place of the Hand), from the East this time, they
will have a fine view of the Hand from the cliffs that over-
look it. The rough terrain at the top of the cliffs make it
easy for them to remain hidden while they survey the
scene below.
[1] The banner of the Red Shadows of Herpa has been set
up on the south side of the Hand. Half a company of
Laumak, several officers, and a Herpan priest have set
up camp near about 40 paces from what appears to
them to be the most obvious entry into the Hand (see
Heart of Darkness: Hand of Crador Ground Level Map B Though there is no sign of Kutz, Eilith can follow his
[V]). A cursory investigation discovered some very old trail to the north side of the Place of the Hand where he ap-
Gargun droppings just within the passage so they have pears to have descended to the jumbled limestone below;
posted 3 men at the opening in case something well out of sight of the Agrikans
emerges from the Hand. Athletics, +2 Overcome: to follow Kutz’s route down into
A full company set out from Menekai as a result of a the floor of the natural amphitheatre surrounding the Hand.
very compelling divination that showed the Hand, the From the base of the cliff Eilith can track him to the
route to it, and the passages beneath it. Agrik may be an- north side of the hand from where he appears to have
ticipating what the Bitter Fallen is planning and wants to picked his way around the eastern side of the Hand edging
ensure he holds both sides of the portal. The rest of the closer to the camp.
men and all the horses were lost to a Kuboran ambush a
The Bitter Fallen doesn’t know the layout of the Hand
few days south of here.
and assumes the Agrikans have found the most promising
[2] Agrik appears to have been profligate with his portents way in. In its thirst to reach the Heart it is not thinking par-
as a similar group of Mamekans arrived from the west ticularly logically, or it might have explored a different way
a few hours after the Red Shadows. Their banner flies in.
40 paces to the west of the Herpans who would not al-
low them to approach any closer.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 58
away from the Heart and give Kutz the chance to get to the
Agrikan Laumak (approx.. 20) Chamber of the Heart.
Veteran of many skirmishes If the PCs decide to follow his trail … they will make
For Agrik and the Order! their way around the eastern edge of the Hand into sight of
the Herpan camp, about 100 paces away. The orders have
+3 Melee agreed that single combat between champions will deter-
+2 Endurance mine which of them has Agrik’s permission to enter the
+1 Strength (+1 Damage) Hand.
All the Agrikans, including the guards set to watch the
1h-Spear:2/1; Sword or Mace:2 passage have formed a circle around a large flat rock mid-
Padded & Shield:1+2 way between the two banners where the ritual combat will
take place. The nearest Agrikan is now almost 50 paces
 from the passage into the Hand.
Together the two priests call on Agrik to get his atten-
Agrikan Knight (approx.. 4) tion: ‘Lord of the Fires of Balgashang we will let you decide
which of our noble orders will lead the way into the tunnels your
The flower of Agrikan chivalry visions have shown us. Choose the most righteous champion!’
For Agrik and the Order!
In the respectful pause after they complete their oration
+3 Melee Kutz erupts from among the rocks about 20 paces from the
+2 Endurance passage and lumbers across the crumbling limestone
blocks and into the Hand. He is wearing the arm he took
+1 Strength (+1 Damage) from the Emperor.
Sword or Mace:2 Notice, +2 Overcome: Kutz is gaunt and heavy footed. It
Ring & Shield:2+2 might be that the exertion that has brought him to the
Hand has sapped some of his inhuman strength and endur-
 ance.

Link to the next scene

Agrikan Priest (2) Chaos and recrimination erupts among the Agrikans;
Fervent each order believing the other to have betrayed the agree-
Ordained into the Fires ment, and that the figure racing to the Hand belongs to
their rivals! The ring quickly disintegrates and the orders
+3 Ritual face off with weapons drawn.
+2 Scholar The GM should encourage the PCs to make use of the
+1 Intimidate distraction to follow Kutz into the Hand. They should cer-
tainly feel there is an imperative to act.
Sword or Mace:2 Athletics, +2 Overcome: will get them to the passage be-
Leather & Shield:1+2 fore the Agrikans realise there are third parties interested in
the Hand as well as themselves. The GM should encour-
 age PCs to ‘fail forward’ and accept the cost of a Mild con-
If the PCs decide to use one of the gaps between the sequence in the form of a sprained ankle etc. to ensure
pillars on the north side of the Hand … the GM should they get into the Hand before the Agrikans can stop them.
use Heart of Darkness to let them navigate a way to the If they prevaricate … then the immediate opportunity
Heart and discover Kutz is not there. The desire to ‘em- will be lost as they plan a more elaborate solution to their
brace the Heart’ (see below) should mean they quickly de- problem. This is not a disaster as the GM can decide that
part from the Chamber of the Heart but they may decide to while the Bitter Fallen can scent the portal and should be
establish a base in the passage leading to the Chamber and able to take Kutz straight to it, a lack of the precise detail of
stop him ever getting close to it. Depending on their previ- the passages causes as long a delay as is desired as Kutz
ous experience beneath the Hand the GM may warn them wanders beneath the Hand on search of the Heart.
that staying put tends to attract the denizens that infest the That, and the attempts of the creatures beneath the
passages beneath the Hand. The GM should then attack Hand to delay them should account for the fact that what-
them with all the forces the Hand can muster to drive them ever the PCs do Kutz always gets to the Heart 10-15
minutes ahead of them.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 59
Delay will see the Agrikans restart negotiations. These
won’t last forever and the fact that some non-Agrikan has SCENE 7: THE HEART OF
entered the Hand will tend to increase their cooperation
and lead to signs that they are preparing to enter the Hand
DARKNESS
together. This should be enough to prompt the PCs to look Overview
for a swift plan to get into the Hand, possibly by using a
The chance to save Kethira from the apocalypse!
passage out of sight of the Agrikans. These negotiations
should also buy the time for the PC to try to stop Kutz be- GM Aims
fore they have to face a coordinated assault from troops of
 To ensure the PCs understand what is at stake: the end
the two most effective fighting forces in western Harn!
of the world;
 To accelerate the pace to ensure that even if the PCs
took a lot of time to get into the Hand they realise they
have little time to stop Kutz before he opens the portal
that could signal the end of days;
 To use tremors and slight cracks in the walls of the
limestone spires of the Hand to imply that something
significant is happening
 To remind the PCs that they are not alone beneath the
Hand, but use the denizens to subtly drive them to-
wards the Heart rather than as obstructions;
 To describe events on the other side of the portal as
dramatically and ominously as possible.

PC Outcomes
They save the world and survive to brag about it!

Description of Events
Once the PCs enter the Hand the GM will need Heart of
Darkness to describe their route and any encounters. Any
surviving Gargun left the Hand to perish in the wilderness
and anything the PCs killed last time is likely to have re-
generated or bred so numbers will be as before.
The creatures beneath the Hand have all been tasked or
warped to deny access to the Heart but they recognise the
Gatekeeper and will not attack the Key-bearer. They can,
though, be used by the GM to make the PCs work hard,
and take time, to reach their goal. The denizens of the
Hand can also weaken the PCs in advance of the climactic
scene of the adventure.

Corrupted Harnic Adder (1)

Aggressive defender of the Hand!
Silent in the dark; Small (+2)
+2 Notice
+1 Fight (Poison: Any successful attack requires
the victim to overcome +2 with Endurance or suf-
fer 1 physical stress per exchange until treated)
Bite:1
Skin:0

The passages beneath the Hand

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 60
Swarm of Corrupted Lizards (1/PC) Spirit of the Earth (1)
Aggressive defender of the Hand! Aggressive defender of the Hand!
They’re in the walls! Small (+2) Never leave the passages; Never enter the Cham-
ber of the Heart
+2 Athletics (Elusive: +2 to defend against all
The first time the Spirit is encountered it manifests
but area attacks)
as a Small (+2) Earth Elemental capable of only
+1 Fight (Poison: Any successful attack requires
Attack actions. If it is driven off (‘taken out’), then
the victim to overcome +2 with Endurance or suf-
1d6 minutes later it reappears having summoned
fer 1 physical stress per exchange until treated)
more of its strength against the PCs. Driving it off
Bite:0 again leads to successive intervals of 1d6 minutes
Skin:0 and a growth in its strength until it is a Superb (+5)
Earth Elemental. Driving this incarnation off
 means it will not reform until the next Session.
– see Fate of Harn: Shek P’var Extra).
Multi-headed Roper Snake (1) Elemental +2 to +5: this single skill increases in
Aggressive defender of the Hand! time with the change in the scale of the elemental
Never leave the pool; Great Size(+4); TERRI- the Spirit creates:
BLE(+1)! Overcome: used to stop a PC getting past the
elemental by brute stength or agility.
+4 Fight: (Multiple attacks: Can attack ≤3
Create an Advantage: used to physically
targets per exchange, or spend a Fate Point to
obstruct the activity of the PCs.
double that number) AND (Serpentine Crush:
Spend a Fate Point to add Incapacitated (with a Attack: used to cause physical stress to the target
free invoke) to any any attacks that caused by battering them with chunks of limestone. The
damage) laerger the elemental them the more damage it
+3 Notice deasl as described in Fate of Harn: Fight.
+2 Strealth Defend: The Spirit has no interest in defending its
+1 Athletics: (Swimmer: Move two zones temporary elemental form, so PCs attacks are
through water so long as there are no obstructing against +0.
aspects)
‘Strength’ +2 +3 +4 +5
Tail: 1 & Squeeze: 3 (if target is Incapacitated) Dam Dam Dam Dam
Batter:1
Scales:2 +1 +2 +2 +3
Stone:4
  
   
Opening the portal   
Kutz is the ‘Gatekeeper’ referred to in previous adven-
tures, but he is sharing his body with the Bitter Fallen, one 
of the ‘Unlamented Dead’ capable of opening the portal Mild
from the Kethiran side, but supposedly trapped on the Mild 
Yashain.
 Serious
Kutz now has the ‘Key’; the golden arm crafted from the Mild Mild Serious 
precious metals the Morgathians blessed beneath the Conseq.
   Serious
Hand. With this he can open the ‘Lock’ that the Shek P’var
Serious 
created to seal the portal; the ‘Heart’.
 Serious
The Bitter Fallen does not have any precise idea how to 
use the Key to unlock the Heart. Though it is not subject
to the strange attraction that a mortal would feel when ex- Therefore it will begin to experiment as soon as it finds the
posed to the Heart, it fears interference from the Agrikans. Heart so that it can gain control of the portal quickly. Then
it can negotiate fealty from those of the Bitter Fallen who

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 61
seek passage into Kethira, and use them against the warri- run from the chamber and not re-enter. They take no fur-
ors outside that might threaten it. ther part in the Scene and give up any chance to influence
It quickly discovers that the Key cuts through the lime- events: either they fight to the death to stop Kutz, or accept
stone encasing the cairn like a hot knife through butter. that they cannot stop the end of the world.
The limestone, while apparently corporeal is only there be-
cause of the water being drawn through the chamber above Coln of Kutz ridden by a Bitter Fallen
by the magically bound water spirit. It is, therefore, linked Looks much older than his 40+ years: a stooped 6’with a gaunt frame, haggard ap-
pearance, dark complexion, bald, straggly beard where grey has largely replaced the
to the enchantment and susceptible to the Key. red, pale blue eyes with an evil glint. He wears the Golden Arm of Mejenes the
Great in place of his lost left arm
Having discovered this power of the Key the Bitter
Gatekeeper and Key
Fallen will use Kutz to slice through the stalagmite rising
from the cairn towards the roof of the chamber and topple Indomitable will
it away from the cairn using Kutz's considerable strength. Physically exhausted
It doesn’t know if it needs to clear the entire cairn, but
+6 Will (Influence: The Bitter Fasllendoes not
the Agrikan mosaics implied that the entire cairn should be
toppled. It will therefore work at 'wiping away' the lime- need to use its Influence to ‘ride’ Kutz; the cere-
stone, and the calcified human remains entombed within it, mony on Temple Hill gave it full rights within this
from the entire cairn. Then it will seek to topple the body), AND (Confuse: Spend a Fate Point to leave
stones. misleading memories within a mortal who suffers a
By the time the PCs arrive in the Chamber of the Heart point of mental stress as a result of a mental attack
Kutz should have cleared most of the limestone away from using Will)
the cairn. +5 Empathy (Identify weakness: +2 to discover
The GM should remind the PCs of the mosaic showing and use a mortal’s aspect or knowledge)
the entire cairn being toppled in order to allow Agrik’s
+4 Rapport (Master of bargains: +2 when using
hordes to pass through. This should encourage them to be-
Rapport to strike a bargain or negotiate a desired
lieve that if they can only kill or restrain Kutz then they can
stop the apocalypse. outcome spending a Fate Point to ignore a lan-
guage barrier)
However, the Bitter Fallen in Yashain exert the same at-
traction though the Heart as the PCs previously experi- +3 Strength* (Ignore the pain: Use Strength to
enced. At the start of each exchange each PCs overcome defend against Melee/Fight attacks though the
the urge to embrace the Heart. They can only take an ac- Kutz body takes +1 damage on a tie)
tion against Kutz if they succeed. +3 Fight*
Will, +4 Overcome: Tie and the GM gains the Boost Ee-
+2 Endurance* (Ignore the strain: Once per
rily attractive (with a free invoke) to apply to the next
overcome attempt. Fail and the PC embraces the cairn,
session spend a Fate Point to reduce the severity of
loses their action and taking 1 point of Mental Stress. They a serious physical consequence to mild, or remove
then need to make the +4 Overcome to break free at the a mild consequence altogether)
start of the next exchange and be able to take an action, or +2 Survival*
take another point of Mental Stress. This continues until +2 Notice*
either they begin to take Consequences such as Fascinated +1 Scholar (Speaks Old Jarinese)*
(Mild), Dangerously Attractive (Serious), and Fatally At- +1 Athletics*
tractive (Grievous). The Critical Consequence is Con- +1Intimidate
sumed by the Heart, which triggers the taking of Physical *Skills inherent in the Kutz’s body
Stress until the PC is dead. The GM can increase the chal-
lenge by spending a Fate Point to invoke Heart of Dark- The Golden Arm (or chunk of limestone):1(Dam+2)
ness and increase the Overcome by +2. However they Cloth:0
should be careful not to incapacitate all the PCs too
quickly; they must have a chance to grapple with Kutz and 
Phyiscal:
save the world! Mental: 
Conceding
Mild : Weary
This unique situation requires the GM to be very clear
with the PCs about how Fate’s Concession rule applies. If Serious: Exhausted
a PC concedes during their struggle to free themselves
from the Heart, or while fighting with Kutz, then they must Grievous :

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 62
Embracing the Heart very deliberate aim at one of the Bitter Fallen feeding
As well as the impact described above any PC that on the PC and fires, piercing it and causing it to shy
touches the Heart will be able to see through the portal to away. This creates the advantage Protected by Cra-
the other side. The GM should remind them of their previ- dor on the scene. It can be invoked once for free by a
ous experience of this (see Heart of Darkness) so that some PC embracing the Heart. After that invoking it costs a
brave soul may be curious enough to take the risk even if Fate Point. Crador’s quiver never seems to empty and
not forced to embrace the Heart! The GM should consider his blind aim is uncanny.
compelling scholarly aspects to ‘encourage’ this. Meanwhile, Kutz' efforts to clear the limestone around
Heart of Darkness includes a description of what they the cairn are encouraging more V'hir to appear among the
saw last time. It is obvious to any PC embracing the Heart trees until a veritable firestorm is heading towards the
this time that things have changed. clearing. If the PCs can drive Kutz away from his task then
the advance of the V'hir slows.
Anyone looking through the Heart will see that, though
the Bitter Fallen still swirl about the Yashain side of the If the PCs try to cut the Key from the stump of
portal gnawing at their soul, there is now primeval forest Kutz’s left arm … it makes little different. The Key has
surrounding the barren clearing. The PCs may not realise been turned in the Lock and the golden arm will remain
it but their intervention during Heart of Darkness and Root of held in contact with the Heart and be impossible to re-
all Evil has shifted the balance of power on this small por- move, even if Kutz if removed from contact with the arm.
tion of Yashain.
Confrontation
What was a wilderness between the realms of Agrik and However things proceed in the Chamber, at one point,
Larani has responded to the tales told of the PCs among perhaps through a last effort by the Bitter Fallen as Kutz is
the Kuboran tribes. They appeared to fulfil myths about cut down by the PCs; perhaps by a PC pushing away from
bringing sleep to Crador the Blind, and took on the heavy the Heart, the topmost stone of the cairn is dislodged. Any
load born by the Crones of the Nolgind. Most recently PC can now see through the walls of the Chamber to the
they have earned a place in the history of the tribes at the clearing on Yashain; the gate is opening.
Moot. Whether individual Kubora believe they are heroes
Bitter Fallen squeeze through the opening door out of
or villains they have offered the tribes the opportunity to
Yashain and into the Chamber; it is important that some of
see their legends and myths as something connected to the
them escape as future adventure hooks! They now ignore
present. This has strengthened belief in Kemlar the Guide,
the PCs as they are much more interested in using the
his wife Heneryne, and their son Crador.
gateway than attacking any mortal. The PCs no free to act
What was previously the boundary between fiery Bal- as they please in the presence of the Heart for the first
gashang and the tributary realms of Larani is, for now, time.
greatly influenced by the Kuboran pantheon. As a result
 The V'hir are edging closer to the portal, one side of
the Great Forest of the Kuboran after-life has expanded to
the clearing is now a firestorm. Opposite them the
surround the portal’s exit on Yashain.
Lion Mendiz has been joined by groups of knights and
The GM should feed the following visions to the PCs men-at-arms, in the same red and white livery, ready
embracing the Heart as the Scene proceeds. to confront their ancient enemies over the fate of the
 All is not well in the Great Forest. On one side of the world. The PCs can only suppose that similar battle
clearing trees are beginning to smoulder and flames lines are forming across Yashain around other portals
can be seen flickering in the forest canopy. Could it be between the two realms.
that the Agrikan violence around the Hand, the actions At that point the PCs must either prepare for the end of
of the Bitter Fallen, and the nearness of the Key are en- the world or replace the stone in an effort to close the gate
couraging an advance by the forces of Agrik? Certainly again. It is to be hoped they achieve the latter.
some of the flames flickering among the trees look ani-
If Kutz has already been cut down … then the Bitter
mate, and might be bearing polearms.
Fallen that rode him will manifest above the cairn accept-
 On the opposite side of the clearing a lion bearing a ing the fealty of the others passing out of the gate and into
red and white standard emerges to watch events. The Kethira. They streak away from the Heart into the walls of
Lion Mendiz, Larani’s banner bearer has come to op- the Chamber, cracking the limestone where they pass
pose the forces of Agrik; the battle lines for the final through.
conflict between the two gods are forming!
If he is still able to act then Kutz will … try to obstruct
 An old man led by a blind youth, and supported by a any PC trying to replace the capstone. If the worst comes
beautiful mature woman, enter the clearing between to the worst then the Amorvrin Alai will break all records
the assembling forces of Agrik and Larani. As the PC for resurrection and crawl out from a shadowed corner of
watches the woman hands the boy a bow. He takes the Chamber where it was first created and distract Kutz

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 63
long enough for the PCs to finish him off. The effort
comes too early in his regeneration and will cost Alai this SCENE 8: AFTERMATH
last life. Perhaps Klyss will be kind given the manner of his
departure. Overview
The PCs probably emerge expecting to confront the
If the PCs can wrestle the stone back onto the top of the
Agrikans but find an altogether different battle in progress.
cairn they can seal the portal before the Final Battle starts.
Strength, +5 Overcome to succeed. The stone has be- GM Aims
come preternaturally heavy; as the portal swings open it  To fight the battle with as much detail as the PCs need
becomes more and more difficult to close. Several PCs to feel satisfied before finishing the adventure.
may be needed to lift it into place.
As they struggle to replace it the mature woman with PC Outcomes
Kemlar and Crador walks gracefully towards the Heart. As They should realise they have saved the world, or at
she approaches her gait becomes more laboured and her least helped Wenowina do so, paid a debt to the Gurim,
posture becomes hunched. She ages visibly until she is and bested the Agrikans too.
hobbling forward batting the Bitter Fallen that remain on
the other side of the portal aside with a stick that has ap- Description of Events
peared in her hand. Outside the Hand a battle is in progress; the Agrikan
camp beside the Hand is under attack from two sides.
Wenowina the Crone leans heavily on that stick and
gently pulls the golden arm through the portal into Yash- A group of Kuborans have entered the Place of the
ain. If Kutz is still attached to it he is effortlessly dragged Hand from the west and are attacking the joint Agrikan pe-
through too, leaving the Bitter Fallen behind. She tucks the rimeter.
Key under her arm and leans down to help Kutz to his feet:
he has reached the afterlife he would have chosen, at last. Asawne Warriors (2 per Agrikan)
Then she turns her now miraculously pert bottom to the Veteran hunter
PCs and the wanton young woman she has become walks Fear the Hand of Crador
back to join her the Kuboran gods. Together they take the
Key into the forest, but not before ‘Wenowina’ castes a last +3 Melee
look back over her shapely shoulder and gives the PCs a +2 Endurance
suggestive wink.
+1 Strength (+1 Damage)
Kutz is joined by a group of 11 Kuboran hunters who
form a defensive circle around the Yashain side of the
1h-Spear:2/1; Handaxe:1/1
Heart. The PCs may be reminded of 11 stones on the cliffs
along the coast from the Sholen Nolgind camp … Leather & Round Shield:1+2
As the portal closes the firestorm is gone; Agrik’s V’hir
have returned to Balgashang and new shoots are already

bursting from the ground to replace the blackened stumps
of the trees it had consumed. The Agrikans are also being attacked, from the south,
The Laranian forces are also gone. The Lion Mendiz by a motley handful of men-at-arms led by Sir Hovan Min-
dips Larani’s standard a fraction in the direction of the dar, with the cry of 'For Larani!’
Heart (and the PCs) before the vision of Yashain is gone.
The Heart still pulses with light, but now it is a green and
Laranian Men-at-Arms (5)
healthy shade. Veteran of many skirmishes
For Larani!
Link to the next scene
With the Key in the Lock the enchantments that have +3 Melee
protected the Heart for so long lose their integrity. Com-
bined with the impacts of the Bitter Fallen who escaped
+2 Endurance
through its walls the PCs are thrust back into Kethiran real- +1 Strength (+1 Damage)
ity as chunks of limestone begin to fall out of the ceiling.
The PCs will race out of the Heart pursued by clouds of 1h-Spear:2; Falchion:2
limestone dust as the ways into the Hand are changed for- Padded & Shield:1+2
ever. The portal may still be there, but it will be behind
tons of limestone. 

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 64
Notice, +2 Overcome: Gomas Straight Arrow is directing
the attack. He foresaw danger awaiting the PCs at the EPILOGUE
Hand and raised support among both the Aswane and De-
nal Kubora to break with tradition and travel to the Hand! The PCs
They must report their success to the Gurim. If they
Notice, +2 Overcome: Mosak the Bull Man has been com-
don’t he will assume they have betrayed him and ensure
piling rumours about the Hand for decades and received a
they regret it.
vision from Peoni to help him get here with Sir Mindar and
his escort. Gomas will offer the PCs the chance to return with him
to the Asawne camp, from where they should have little
In the face of the attack the Herpans and Mamekans
trouble returning to Tormau. From there Jamys of Abrant
have put aside their quarrel and are beginning to organise a
can be able to arrange passage to Golotha.
stout defence. Their training and the quality of their arms
will sway the battle in their favour given time. While the PCs cannot provide a body they will be able
to provide a convincing account iof events; what they
However, were the Agrikans to be attacked from
learned from Alai can be corroborated from the fragments
the unexpected direction of the Hand by a small
remaining in the temple archives.
group of motivated individuals …
Jamys of Abrant will be happy to welcome the PCs
The Battle of Crador’s Hand back to the White Stoat and can offer ‘decent work for de-
The GM should mediate the battle in as much detail as cent grub'. If they turn him down then so be it, but they
necessary. ‘Lust for Battle’ can be foubnd in Fate of Harn, may still find there's a reason to travel that way again in
and provides a way to resolve a large skirmish, such as this, the not too distant future …
using Fate mechanics.
The Agrikans
If things are going badly for the PCs then the GM can
It is unlikely that the Kubora or the Laranians will take
introduce a couple of Denal Anghenfil (‘Marsh Ogres’) to
any prisoners. However, the GM could ensure a Mamekan
support the Kuboran effort!
&/or a Herpan lived to tell their tale to their respective
Akarata. Confirmation of the location of the ‘Claws of
Denal ‘Marsh Ogre’ (2-3) Agrik’ may only fuel the fervour of the Mamekan faction
Veteran hunter that favours further attempts to dominate Peran. It is also
Fear the Hand of Crador likely to strengthen Herpan desire to do the same and
demonstrate they are the natural leaders of the Agrikan
+5 Strength Church on Harn.
+4 Endurance Either order might mount a further expedition in
strength to discover what exactly lies beneath the ‘Claws’,
+3 Stealth
or seek out the PCs for any number of interesting fates …
+2 Fight (+3 Damage)
+1 Athletics (Swimmer: can move through water The Laranians and Master Mosak
as iof on land as long as there is no obstruction) They aren’t exactly sure what they've achieved, but Mo-
sak assures them they are safer than they were an hour or
so before. He will also helpfully intervene to distract them
Huge Flint Maul:3; Unarmed:1
if the Laranians begin to suspect that the PCs are acting for
Naked:0 the Gurim.
He has taken note of the PCs and recognised that
 though they were set to work by an evil hand, the outcome
was not evil. This is a talent that the more enlightened
members of the Peonian Church value.
He and the Laranians might be convinced that they
would be safer accompanying the PCs to Tormau than
making their own way back through the forest. The Earl is
known to be more honourable than any other Rethemi so
they can probably rely on him to grant them mercy and put
In Conclusion … them on a boat to Selvos.
It is to be hoped that the PCs have been successful in
sealing the Heart of Darkness, and that the Final Battle
does not start, so the end of the world is forestalled.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 65
The Kubora and Gomas It might be that it was the Khala-Morvrin or Khala-Buk-
Gomas will listen eagerly to anything the PCs are pre- rin who met with the PCs below the Zarainsen warehouse,
pared to tell him of the about events beneath the Hand. and not the Gurim himself. It is possible they are pawns in
They may not realise it but they have written another chap- a Morgathian plot to credit, or discredit, a Khala or the
ter into the ‘Tale of the Strangers’ which will win Gomas Gurim himself.
the story-telling contest at the next Moot. That, in turn, While the Gurim, or any Khala, is unlikely to trust out-
will strengthen the grip of the Great Forest on a particular siders with any further investigation the PCs were previ-
region of Yashain. ously offered the opportunity of further service and even
The PCs may also have strengthened the will of the undeath as an amorvrin. This could take a campaign in a
Kubora to be great again. Ryler the Southron may never very different direction if the GM and players wanted to ex-
have a better chance of rallying the tribes to his cause than plore the dark side …
immediately after Gomas finishes telling his story next
year. Reverence for, and belief in, the Kuboran pantheon
The Bitter Fallen
It is up the GM whether the Bitter Fallen that drove
will run hot and strong as the tribes learn that their gods in-
Kutz escaped with its 'subjects'. It might provide a recur-
tervened and thwarted both Agrik and Larani. Could it be
ring nemesis for the PCs as ‘Lord of the Fallen’, or the sub-
that the PCs are the unknowing puppets of a Kuboran pan-
ject of further adventures once it begins to cause mischief.
theon on the rise?
Whether or not it escaped a significant number of the more
Eilith potent Bitter Fallen are now free in the world where they
She is satisfied that the creature that did her so much can provide a range of interesting encounters in the future.
harm is gone. Whatever fragment of her personality re-
mained within Kutz has gone with the death of his body.
The Laranians will want to destroy her, but Mosak will in-
tervene with the promise that he will ensure she finds a
peaceful rest if she will go with him. She will still die but
Mosak will ensure what remains of her soul finds some
kind of peace in the afterlife.
The PCs may, though, keep her secret or even return
her to the Morgathians. It is difficult to see what value she
has now that she has fulfilled her purpose. The decision is
theirs.

The Gurim
The Gurim became aware of the risks the emergence of
a ‘Gatekeeper’ might present when the Khala-Bukrin (Mas-
ter of Archives) of the Golothan temple found an obscure
reference to some scholars that accompanied a Corani na-
val expedition. Unfortunately many of the temple records,
and priests, were destroyed following the revision of Mor-
gathian theology and practice in the make 590’s.
The oldest of the Golothan Khala, the Khala-Morvrin,
claims to know nothing of those times, but the Gurim sus-
pects that he is old enough to know more of that distant
mission into the wilderness than he has ever told. Perhaps
the Khala-Morvrin recollects his own resurrection, or that
of another, in the vaults beneath the Golothan temple when
the city was called Merethos. Perhaps the last memory of
that waking amorvrin before their rebirth was of a scream-
ing tribesman charging into a clearing in a dense forest.
It is possible that it was the Khala-Morvrin who pointed
the Master of archives at the relevant text, though he might
claim it was simply a practical joke that happened to turn
up something useful!

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 66
DESIGNERS NOTES & GM home there, as they had for eternity. Then there was a great bat-
tle in the skies and a god was cast down. His weapon fell to
BRIEFING earth at the head of the Great River and the land drew itself up
to the East as it feared the club. The River rose to drown the god
This section includes some of the material that didn’t for it knew him as not Good - but he did not die.
make it into Peran, Afarezirs, Tribes of the Kubora, &/or the
Agrikan Order articles. Either there wasn’t room for it He slept the sleep of ages and dreamed many dreams. Only
&/or it was judged a little too far ‘out there’ for canon. I his hand tells of his resting place as he reaches for the Light.
include it to illustrate some of the thinking behind the Dark From it dark dreams stalk the Land and bad luck flows into the
Rethem campaign and to provide additional plot hooks a Waters.
GM might exploit. To make his slumber long and make better dreams and luck
sacrifice must be made. This is what the People learned when
The Hand of Crador they came to The Land of Trees and Plenty and this is the lore
Many sages believe there is a congruence between they have followed.
Kethira and that of the ‘divine’ world of Yashain. They Whether this is something the tribes learned from the
speculate that events on Yashain are reflected on Kethira, Khuzdul of Kiraz; or describes real events from the time of
and perhaps those on Kethira are reflected on Yashain, in their arrival in Peran; or is simply a means to explain the
the way that an action can cast a shadow on a screen. strange limestone formations of the Broken Lands is not
The Agrikan Hierarchy of Eternal Flame is particularly known. The story does not say which god fell but when the
interested in identifying the Kethiran equivalent of the Plain Agrikan wanderers saw the place that it described they be-
of Khamar, where the fateful battle between Larani and lieved they had found Agrik’s claws
Agrik was be fought. They believe that in finding the point Their leader claimed to have been granted a vision of a
of congruence of Khamar on Kethira they will be a step gateway to Balgashang beneath the ‘Claws’ and set his
closer to finding tangible evidence of Agrik’s lost claws. At companions to excavating a chamber in which to build
least one pontiff claimed that Khamar was the Lysara dry- their cairn. When the work was completed the wanderers
lands but most agree it is simply not hot enough to be a prepared to separate and go their different ways. However,
parallel for somewhere close to fiery Balgashang. They their leader announced he would journey no further but
have also failed to find anything that could convincingly be settle with the tribes. One of his companions challenged
described as evidence of Agrik’s claws. his leadership but was defeated. Believing that their leader
Some Azeryani historian even suggest that it was the had betrayed their faith the remaining wanderers left him
search for Khamar and the Claws that drove the Empire to to his fate. It was the words of one of those surviving com-
some of the most desolate, and otherwise valueless, deserts panions which were set down later and now lie, forgotten,
around the Venarian Sea. In the 3rd century, for instance, in the great library of Lysara, lost among the multitude of
much was made of legends of a particular iron ore found in tales told of the 888 cairns.
the rocky outcrops of Hepekeria and called ‘khamar’ in
some texts. Within a century an imperial army had landed Agrikan belief & Azeryani destiny
on the shores of the sub-continent. The cairns were initially viewed allegorically by the
The Hierarchy’s interest dates back to the very roots of church, but with the growing domination of the Azeryani
Agrikan belief. The volcano that consumed Ilypen has al- peninsula by the Empire the cairns became a convenient
ways been thought of as a gateway to the core of Bal- focus for an imperial religion. A Pontiff once announced:
gashang and so, when the Prophet’s followers dispersed to ‘The 888 cairns are real and it is our divine and imperial
carry this word across Lythia, and build the 888 cairns, purpose to find them. Ilpylen decreed their placement so that
they travelled in the certain knowledge that parts of Yash- we that have come after him have a reason to spread the word
ain intruded into Kethira. of Agrik and the demesne of his most mighty terahni – the Em-
Deep in the Pontifical archives is a much re-written tale peror.’
of one such party of wandering cairn-builders who may Throughout the expansion of the Azeryani Empire dur-
have been the first Agrikans to set foot on Harn. They ar- ing the 1st – 3rd centuries the ‘Cairn Doctrine’ provided
rived in advance of the organised waves of Pharic invaders endless arguments in favour of a ‘just and holy war’.
and travelled north and west away from the coast. On their However, despite the expansion of the Empire over all
journey they encountered a large band of Jarin that had south-central Lythia no cairn had been found which exhib-
just completed its journey out of Nuthela into the western ited any divine characteristics. By 300TR politically sensi-
wilderness. From those tribes they heard of the ‘Falling tive pontiffs began to worry that, as a result, the teachings
God’: of the church might begin to appear hollow. For another
Long ago, when the People knew nothing of The Land of hundred years, though, the church encouraged Emperors
Trees and Plenty and the Old Ones of the Forest made their to look beyond the seas for the cairns. Then, when the

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 67
century war with the Dalkeshi ended with stalemate, the The archives of the K’norran temple in Golotha says
High Corcuno published a decree that formalised what se- that: ‘At the start of the 5th century, the Corani legions absorbed
lect Agrikan scholars had had been quietly preparing for a the tribes of the Jenath and took the river valleys of the Perath
generation. In 399TR the cairns were declared to be ‘alle- and Denia. Citizens followed them and settled from Emesa
gorical devices rather than physical objects’. They should no northwards and Tormau eastwards. The settlers explored many
longer be sought in the material plane but believers should of the limestone caves they discovered in the forest and estab-
look within themselves and others for evidence of the lished mines in the river valleys in pursuit of the tales of gold
cairns that underpinned their faith. and silver that circulated at that time’.
Lists of those priests that had spoken powerfully in fa- The Order of Khamar was firmly established at Kustan
vour of the ‘Cairn Doctrine’ were drawn up and they were by 425TR and accompanied all the expeditions deeper into
mercilessly purged. Soon what had begun as a change of Peran. They maintained smaller enclaves at the other le-
doctrine had become a decade long witch-hunt which saw gionary outposts in Peran, such as Emesa and across Peran
hundreds of Agrikan priests fed to the Holy Flame on the to the Pemetta. ‘The Mamekan’ continued to be mentioned
flimsiest evidence of heresy. In the face of the pogrom in the stories of legionaries returning from the frontier as a
many dies but some priests gave up position and name and ‘strangely attired priest’, but the fate of Marasalir is not rec-
disappeared, taking to the road to seek the cairns in secret. orded. Certainly by the mid-400s he would have been an
old man, but then so too the Mamekan.
Marasalir the Ulankh
One such heretic Marasalir claimed to be a travelling Morgathian concerns
Ulankh. He had already explored parts of Hepekeria in the Throughout the period of the Corani occupation of
footsteps of the legions. With him he carried an obscure Peran the influence of the Morgathian Church within the
manuscript describing an early Agrikan hero called Empire was subtle but insidious. During the reign of Em-
Mamaka. In those ‘Trials of Mamaka’ he found reference peror Laketta the Morgathian’s provided a theological un-
to a cairn the Holy Smith had encountered during his jour- derpinning for his hedonistic pursuits in return for which he
ney in search of an ore called ‘al Khamar’. Despite great allowed Morgathian priests to travel widely through the
hardships Marasalir found no cairn but discovered that the Empire. Such an early expedition of Morgathian scholars
Taugari cultists told similar stories of their ancient heroes. to Peran first noted interest to what the Khamari were
He succeeded in converting one such cultist to Agrikanism seeking. Ever watchful for religious competitors the Mor-
by drawing parallels with the Hepekerian god Azay. The gathians sent more scholars into the wilderness and in par-
man was a talented smith schooled in all the lore of the ticular encouraged Emperor Mejenes to push across Peran
Taugari. The Hepekerian is not named in any manuscript and into Equeth in pursuit of an ever greater empire.
but Marasalir named him ‘the Mamekan’ in honour of the There is no evidence that the Order of Khamar ever
hero that had brought them together. precisely identified the location of the cairn beneath what
Together the two returned to Lysara where the convert the Kubora had long called the Hand of Crador; the order’s
sought to codify all he knew of the ways of Taugari records were lost in the sack of Caer Kustan in 477. What
metalcraft while Marasalir buried himself in the bowels of is certain is that the Morgathians did find both the Hand
the great library. There the fruits of his search were great and the cairn. They recognised it as a gate to Yashain that
for he found in a lost archive the tale of the Harnic cairn had been sanctified to Agrik. The Concordat forbade their
builders. Here was a distinctive geographical feature direct interference with it but they could not ignore a prize
within which the cairn would be found. If he could find it the Khamari were so diligently seeking. So it was that the
then the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame would have to alterna- Morgathian leadership hatched a plan which would both
tive but to admit its error and continue the search for other keep the Khamari away from the cairn and perhaps, over
cairns. Marasalir and the Mamekan departed for Harn and time, destroy it in a way that did not break the Concordat.
arrived at the court of the Corani Emperor Kobar. They engaged a Grey Mage to summon and bind ele-
Prior to Marasalir’s arrival the Agrikan orders of the Oc- mental forces to the Hand of Crador: Air and Earth to
tagonal Pit and of Demon Pameshlu were the only Agrikan guard the cairn from any that sought to find it; and Water
orders found in the Corani Empire. They were encouraged to erode the cairn over centuries. Having seen the wards
to service the mob’s thirst for grand and bloody entertain- set the Morgathians left the Hand and returned to Caer
ment. Marasalir, claiming the official sanction of the Pon- Mejetus. What happened to them after that is not clear,
tiff, introduced the Emperor’s generals to the more martial but most believe they were lost with Mejenes and his le-
aspects of Agrik and was granted permission to accompany gion. Similarly nothing else is known of the Grey Mage.
the Corani legions as they pressed westwards. Among The rising of the tribes of 477 cost both churches whatever
them he founded the Order of Khamar, the first Agrikan they had learned of the Hand and the cairn.
war-cult recognised by the Corani throne.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 68
Khamari decline; Mamekan ascension der has its roots in heresy but also understands how pow-
erful he could be if the tale of the cairn proved to be true
The remnants of the Order of Khamar sought sanctuary and he were to gain it. As the holder of one of the 888
at Imrium where they diligently reconstructed the ‘Trials of Cairns he could face the High Corcuno from a position of
Mamaka’ from memory. A small temple was built and the strength.
priests clung to the fundamentals of their theology:
 there is a cairn in Peran and it is important that it is found; Herpan envy; Morgathian suspicion
 the Khamari were the chosen instruments in finding it; and The other Agrikan order to whom Peran is of interest is
the Order of Herpa the Mace and their sponsored terahni
 they were being tested as Mamaka was tested. the Red Shadow. The most mystical of the Harnic orders
So things remained until the ascension of Saurach in has long collected tales and visions related to Peran which
485. An Agrikan zealot, Saurach opened official relations it seeks to bring to Agrik through the power of sword and
with Lysara and received the pontiff’s first plenipotentiary flame. Somewhere in that library of vision and prophesy is
in 489. He discovered that the Order was a hotbed of the mention of ‘the claws and the cairn within the forest and
‘Cairn Heresy’. A year later an imperial edict declared the the waters’.
Order of Khamar heretical and individual priests were Lacking the Trials of Mamaka and copies of the scrip-
hunted down and executed. The edict proved the Em- tures that Marasalir brought to Harn the order has none of
peror’s good faith to the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame the details available to the Mamekans. Instead they have
(though it did not save him from assassination a year later). portents and instinct. They have watched the actions of
The Trials of Mamaka were thought lost but somehow, the Warriors of Mamaka and Senesharil Andraz knows
over the next 150 years, ‘Mamekans’ kept alive the embers there’s something of value in the Peran forests – he simply
of their theology. During that time the Balshan Jihad bred can’t be certain what. So he waits and watches for the clue
subtlety, secrecy, and discipline into the survivors and the that will unlock the puzzle.
Trials were annotated and expanded through the time of To the Gurim-Khidar-Ugik-Hârn in his dark temple in
the Morgathian Theocracy. When the Trials of Mamaka Golotha the Hand of Crador is less of an enigma. He
did surface again they were in the hands of Agrikans calling knows the church sent priests into the forest to ward some
themselves the Order of Mamaka, Master of Steel. They source of potential Agrikan power. He knows that the tem-
and their terahni, the Warriors of Mamaka, pledged alle- ple archives describe ‘a Gate, a Keeper, and a Key’ to some
giance to Arlun the Barbarian in 635. Mamekan influence artefact deep in the wilderness and he fears that this gate-
grew until it took over the Harnic church near the end of way is how Agrik will enter Kethira when the Final Battle
Ezar’s War. with Larani ignites across the Kethiran family of worlds.
The Order of Mamaka has spent more than a genera- While the Final Battle might precipitate the chaos Morgath
tion at the head of the Agrikan Church in Harn and, under a desires the Gurim does not believe the Church and its army
succession of politically astute primates, has focused on of gulmorvrin is yet strong enough to ensure the defeat the
bringing the Order into the Agrikan mainstream ahead of tattered remnants of Agrik’s hordes and Larani’s legions,
the other Harnic orders. This has been at the cost of its an- and engulf all of Kelestia in the Shadow of Bukrai.
cient Khamari mission to locate the Peran cairn. However, He also suspects that his Khala Morvrin knows more of
as the priesthood has concerned itself less with the quest that distant mission into the wilderness than he has ever
bequeathed by its Khamari forbears, the terahni of the or- told; he has been amorvrin long enough to have been a
der, the Warriors of Mameka, have become increasingly contemporary of those long dead explorers.
obsessed with Kustan. They know much less of the cairn
story than their priests but are deeply saturated with the Secular interference?
Mamekan belief that they should be supreme. For them The Earl of Tormau is the only Rethemi noble with any
Kustan is the key to that supremacy even if they lack the interest in Peran and its tribes. All the nobles of Rethem
knowledge to define why. fear the potential havoc a second Kuboran invasion could
Akarata Horab of Gerund led the Warriors north in 718 cause but even those with Kuboran blood have spent a
without the permission of his Senesharil, and Apalankh, century distancing themselves from their barbarian cous-
Klyrdes Bisidril. Bolstered with crusaders recruited in se- ins. Only clan Lynnaeus has cultivated its long associa-
cret from the Azeri mainland Horab believed he was des- tions with the tribes. Through those associations Earl
tined to be the Mamekan who brought Kustan back within Denyl and his forebears have learned much of the ancient
the Agrikan fold. He failed and the cost in Azeryani blood traditions of the Kubora. Though not a particularly spir-
has drawn the Pontiff’s ambassador to Golotha in search of itual man, Denyl Lynnaeus knows better than to ignore the
the reason for the expedition and its disaster. Klyrdes is warnings spoken by the wise among the Asawne about the
now in a position he has always feared. He knows his or- Denia Marshes and the Denal Kubora who live there. Fol-
lowing the advice of his chamberlain, Nykkal of Claswith,

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Earl Denyl is now seeking to recruit entire tribes to his ban- she also loved the forest but he would never let her far
ner in advance of the war he knows is coming. This is why from his lodge without escort and for this he trusted only
he regularly sends trusted envoys into the forest. One such Lensha. A friendship, and more, grew between the vibrant
party, led by a mercenary captain called Coln of Kutz, young woman and her husband’s favourite and there were
failed to return having travelled far up the Denia. Rumour whispers of disloyalty. Kemlar heard none of this and
had it that Kutz may have gone native and be stirring up when Heneryne fell pregnant the old man celebrated the
the tribes in ways the Earl does not appreciate. birth of his only son whom he called Crador.
The Kuboran Tribes have as many legends relating to Then it was that Lensha left Kemlar and the Kubora, un-
the Hand of Crador as they have of Crador the Blind him- able to look upon the babe without weeping. At his leaving
self, but Gomas Straight Arrow, Hanuhn of the Asawne he left a carved stone which promised Kemlar that if the
Kubora is fond of reminding the children of his tribe: tribes ever needed him he would return. Kemlar prized the
‘Up river from here is a boundary, a boundary that we cross stone beyond all things and told the tribes that, in times of
only at need. When illness strikes a clan or the hunting is poor greatest need, Lensha would return. Still the Kubora speak
then someone takes on the necklace of bone and is sent to the of this pledge and when the tribes faced first Gargun
headwaters of the Denia as a ‘gift of sacrifice’. hordes and then Corani legions warriors told of a tall dark
man fighting beside them. His face seemed always in
In return the ‘Trickster’ will bring better dreams and make
shadow but his skill at arms was beyond compare and
them real. The Denal Kubora have served him since Kemlar
when he was present no Kuboran warband was ever de-
gifted us these lands and they guard Crador’s Hand jealously.
feated. When chieftains looked to reward him he had al-
When the southrons tried to take the forest from us long be- ready melted into the forest.
fore the time of my grandfather’s grandfather’s sire, they sought
Kemlar doted on Heneryne’s child but sadly Crador
the ‘Hand’ saying that it belonged to their god. That and other
showed no interest in learning but revelled in practical
sacrileges brought the tribes together and we smote them like the
jokes and mischief. With age his games became more ma-
falling tree strikes the ground when the storms blow their worst.’
licious and sinister. He stole and drank and whored his
Crador the Blind - origins way from tribe to tribe but still Kemlar did not discipline
In the days of the Kuboran trek from Nuthela a man him.
called Lensha came to them , described as ‘swarthy featured Finally young Crador went too far and ravished a chief-
and travelling from the south; a young traveller in the company tain’s daughter. A council of all the tribes demanded Kem-
of 7 companions – each a champion of power and each bearing lar take the boy in hand and so their Guide called Crador
a sacred stone’. Despite his youth Lensha was a scholar and before him.
Kemlar welcomed his discourse and company, and granted The young man came and paid Kemlar due respect but
him and his companions permission to walk the forest when his accusers voiced their claims he laughed in their
looking for a special place they claimed would be im- faces. Kemlar tried to keep order but the warriors would
portant to the future. not hear him and seized the youth. Some cried for his
Lensha wandered far and wide but he and his compan- death but others feared to take the life of their Guide‘s son.
ions were much taken with the marshes at the head of the Instead, they said, ‘Let him no longer see temptation. Let
River Denia and it was thought they sought solitude there. his eyes be taken in payment for the wrongs he has done’.
Even then the marshes were a dank and mysterious place So it was that Crador became ‘Crador the Blind’, set
avoided by the Kubora who settled and hunted better free into the forest so it could finish what the chieftains had
ranges. When Lensha returned from the marsh only 6 lacked the courage to do themselves.
companions accompanied him and a rift had opened be- Kemlar, when told, cried out in grief and pain and set
tween them. When they departed Lensha remained and the tribes the four great tests that have shaped their cul-
settled among the Kubora and, over years proved himself a ture. He also spoke a gift and a curse with his dying that
warrior without compare. He loved Kemlar like a father sent the Kubora away chastened: he granted Crador rights
and that regard was returned such that the old man named eternal to the forest wilderness and so saved his life; but
him his adopted son. Long were the conversations they also cursed him to wander outside human company.
shared on matters beyond the Kubora who said he was
both mighty Druhn and wise Hanuhn. Some talked of him As punishment to the tribes he warned them that
as the Guide’s anointed one, the one who would lead the though Crador was denied their company for eternity he
People after Kemlar left them, but all was not well in the would come to them in their sleep and if they failed to live
household of the Guide. lives as Kemlar decreed Crador would make their night-
mares real.
Kemlar had taken a wife, Heneryne. She was young
and beautiful and came to Kus where her hearth was never
cold and her bed always warm. Though she loved Kemlar

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Crador the Blind - myths Hence within every clan and tribe a wide range of religious
So it was that Crador became the shadow lurking on the belief and observance can be found.
edge of every village: thanked for all things good in the The Asawne, under the careful guidance of several gen-
hope of keeping him at bay; blamed for the bad and vener- erations of practical Hanuhn, view Crador as largely benev-
ated to gain future favour. Rendered mad by the pain of olent. Gomas ‘Straight Arrow’ is known to advise his peo-
his torments Crador was everything that the tribes thought ple to regularly make simple offerings of food and game to
best and worst of him: he hid enemies from sight so they Crador and, if things go well, to celebrate his name. ‘If
might slaughter a camp without warning; but lost children things go badly’, says Gomas, ‘it is simply Crador testing you
were often led to safety by a blind wanderer. He would and you should redouble your efforts to solve your own prob-
trick the boastful and haughty so their pride was their lems’. The Asawne are well known for helping a clan
downfall; but fools and idiots often found favour when he brother if he cannot solve a problems alone. This means
left them gifts. that, despite their proximity to the Denia Marsh, no
One clan, though, refused to bow to Crador or court his Asawne has been ‘sent to the Hand’ since before the time
whim. They tired of the veneration and determined to de- of Arlun. The same is true of the other tribes that have had
stroy ‘The Trickster’ once and for all. The hunt they began most contact, for good or ill, with southrons. However
lasted generations but their pursuit harried Crador away some tribes are whispering that the Suyari, Utcin and
from the ranges of the tribes and confined him in land no Delerni are now reaping the reward of not propitiating Cra-
Kuboran coveted: the Denia Marshes. The other tribes, cir- dor regularly. Certainly these tribes are under the greatest
cumspect in their fear of the Dream Maker, left the Denal pressure from the Rethemi and there is talk around their
to their quest but appreciated the absence of poor luck, ill- camp fires of sending a ‘gift’ to Crador in the hope he will
ness and disaster during this time. help turn the tide against the southrons. The Uld have al-
ready made that decision and every Summer since 715 an
However, though clan Denal could seek to confine Cra- Uld boy or girl has been sent to the Denal Marshes with the
dor they could not contain the dreams over which Kemlar Denal attending the Tribal Moot at Kustan.
had given Crador power. For decades Crador spared every
tribe his attention but concentrated on those that had The Rathiri think Crador insane and unpredictable.
sought to confine him. Slowly the spirit of the Denal was While they are careful not to tempt his displeasure they be-
broken until they wished nothing more but to live in their lieve him too mad to be influenced by mortal effort. Their
forsaken marsh meeting other Kubora only rarely. neighbours have been heard to say that this is an approach
the Rathiri can afford to take. As the custodians of Kustan
His pursuers dealt with, Crador returned to tormenting they can, after all, rely on the aid and support of any
all Kubora until the sacrifices began again, but now food or Kuboran if they are in need as well as the intervention of
animal sacrifices were not always enough. Kemlar had de- Kemlar himself. More traditional Kubora imply that the
nied the Kubora the right to take a human life in worship so Rathiri spend too much time with southrons and that they
they took to choosing someone, usually a youth or maiden, will soon forget all the Kuboran gods. They also joke that
to be sent to the Hand as a ‘gift of sacrifice’. In this way ‘just because the Rathiri are all southron bastards doesn’t mean
the Kubora make no blood sacrifice; the ‘gift’ is merely sent they should claim the same of one of our gods’. In return the
to the Denal to be conveyed to the Broken Lands where Rathiri discretely make fun of some of the old fashioned
they are ‘left for Crador to take them, or not …’. This prac- views of their neighbours.
tice has continued to today though a tribe or clan must be
under great duress to take the step of choosing a ‘gift for The Obodu share their view of Crador with almost all
the Hand’. the remaining tribes. This is, perhaps, the only thing on
which Ryler of the Iorzu and Arbrega of the Obodu agree!
Over the centuries the truth of Crador’s origins drifted They both see Crador as malicious and bitter; taking every
into myth until every tribe had a different tale to tell of why opportunity to puncture the pride of the boastful and exact
they feared and venerated him. He became a myth and a revenge on the tribes that caused him to be exiled. The
myth he remained until the Corani came to the forests. Obodu view may be linked to the traditional tale that it was
Then a Rathiri Hanuhn reported a blind man offering a Co- an assault on an Obodu princess that led to Crador being
rani General advice. So it was that Crador was blamed for blinded. Every year or two most of these tribes have sent a
new wrongs in bringing the southrons to the forest and a ‘gift’ to the Hand of Crador. Rumour has it that Ryler is
further wave of ignominy was laid upon the Trickster god. considering asking all the tribes so far taking his side in the
struggle for power among to contribute a ‘gift’ to the enter-
Crador the Blind – tribal views prise. Such a mass sending has not been heard of outside
As with all Kuboran religious observance every individ-
of legend. His enemies say this is exactly why Ryler is con-
ual takes his or her particular view of the gods. There is no
sidering making such a gesture; to mark himself as fitted to
priesthood to enforce a uniform theology or to interpret the
sit beside those other Kuboran legends Nebran and Arlun.
Kuboran pantheon or its members in a particular way.
The Iorzu Druhn is not a fool, but such a demand of faith

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 71
from his supporters is a great deal to ask and may risk frac- However, over the last Kethiran millennium the blasted
turing the complex network of alliances he had so far built. plain where the portal opens on Yashain has been subject
Meanwhile the Denal Kubora have a prophesy that one to great change. The arrival of the Kubora in Peran and
day a saviour will come among them who will free them their intense devotion to Kemlar’s final commands has
from the burdens they carry: ‘The Denal are the Guardians turned some of that oven-hot wilderness into the ‘Great
and the Cursed of the Hand but one day a Gate Keeper shall ap- Forest’ of the Kuboran after-life. Only the area immedi-
pear and He shall be Like but Unlike, Denal but not Denal, and ately surrounding the portal provides a reminder of the pre-
he shall be the Key.’ vious suzerainty of Balgashang; a stream of the foul ichor
from the soul pits beneath Agrik’s fortress infecting the por-
Some among the tribes say that the Gate Keeper has re-
tal. The Kubora do not know that it is the influence of this
cently come to the Denal and that soon ‘Crador will Rest’
ichor that has shaped the perverse and corrupted creatures
and bring no more nightmares to the People. Other, per-
beneath the hand, and the Denal themselves.
haps wiser, folk say that Crador is also the bringer of good
luck and how will they fare without that. What all Kubora Equally, they do not know, and probably could not un-
believe is that were Crador ever to rest then a time of un- derstand, what drives them to revere the Hand and send
certainty will come to the People and the Land of Plenty. sacrifices to it. They know in their bones that the Hand is
In advance of that time every Kuboran will seek to make the closest any Kuboran can come to touching the godhead
his and her peace with his brothers and sisters within and of Kemlar so their mythology has invoked Crador to guard
beyond the clan and tribe. Debts must be settled and hon- this portal to their underworld.
our satisfied. Were Crador to Rest before the challenges Larani has commanded her generals to do no more
Kemlar laid on the Kubora were complete then chaos will than keep watch on the portal while sending ambassadors
come and darkness rule. Ryler the Southron hears that to Kemlar. So far he has refused to meet with them.
prophesy and says now is the time to take back the lands of
the south as Kemlar told him in a vision. Of Gods and Spirits
Never has the fate of Peran and the realms around it Excerpts from a treatise on theories of godhead by
been so much in the balance. But it is a balance that no one Rowanti Adel of Mertin
person fully understands. Were some brave soul able to As I write I know that my most able student is putting her-
put together the pieces of the jigsaw left scattered across self in great danger to further my work. It is to her that I dedi-
the west then they would have power and influence indeed. cate this work. I know too that what I write verges upon heresy
even among my own brothers and sisters of the Hyn-Aelori.
The Heart of Darkness These ideas are far from conservative but they are important,
No mortal can be certain if Agrik’s Flaming Mace fell and so I write them down despite the risks.
from the heavens and excavated the depression containing What maketh a ‘god’
the Denia Marches while shattering the Broken Lands of While the ten great gods of our time appear similar
Peran (see Peran). across all the cultures of Western Lythia they are not iden-
No mortal can know if the claws clutching the mace tical. The ‘pontiffs’ and ‘councils’ of the western world
also fell to earth, or if the cataclysm caused the Hand of claim supremacy over all branches of ‘their’ church despite
Crador to be thrust up out of the bowels of Kethira. local variations of doctrine, practice, and even name, but
they know that many of the aspects of their one god are
No mortal can know if the Hand was ever the home of
very different from those they would have us believe are
Crador the Blind.
universal. They know, as I know, that Nala-Uroh was
What Kuboran myth suggests, though, is that a cairn wrong.
was built beneath the Hand by travellers ‘from the East’.
My study of the ‘lesser’ gods worshipped on the fringes
What Agrikan theology says is that 888 cairns were of civilisation show some of them to have some of the as-
built by disciples of the prophet Ilypen and that they pects of the ten gods most of us worship. However they
marked out, on Kethira, places of congruence with Bal- also have stark differences. The most interesting ones are
gashang, on Yashain. those which appear to be unique to a local region or tribal
What some Agrikan scholars propose is that the cairns grouping.
mark portals through which, when the final battle between Among these I have invested half a lifetime of study in
Agrik and Larani begins, their master’s hordes will emerge the Kubora of Peran. It is that study that has earned me
to dominate Kethira. exile from Rethem and the enmity of the Mamekans. It is
Only one certainty exists: there is a portal beneath the this work that makes me fear that those they call ‘The Si-
Hand connecting Peran to a region of Yashain on the bor- lent Ones’ are hunting me.
ders of Balgashang. All the more reason to write these thoughts down, so
that they might live beyond my death.

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I have supposed that ‘the gods’ are not as we are shapes the nature of those regions of Yashain that fall un-
taught. They are not solid and corporeal and driven by the der the sway of that god. Might not the many prayers to
same emotions as are we. Agrik is not the source of all the Agrik spoken in Lysara impart the heat of that place to Bal-
vile aggression and mindless violence in the world. Save gashang? Might not the library-temples of my own order
K’nor is not the font and guardian of all knowledge (may he shape the home of Save K’nor?
forgive that blasphemy), any more than Morgath is the The Agrikan search for Khamar
origin of all the wielder of chaos. My researches have revealed that it was well known to
Suppose instead that it is we, the mortal inhabitants of the Corani Emperor Kobar and his circle of advisors that
this place we have christened Kethira, who are the source the exile priest Marasalir was searching for a gateway to
of all those characteristics, emotions, drives and actions? Khamar. They hope, in the words of one member of the
What if, through our actions, we make the gods in our im- Emperor’s inner circle that:
age and that image in turn shapes our world? ‘The man and his outlandish servant may be mad enough to
Kuboran myth believe that they can find a path to that most revered plain be-
There is good evidence from the tales told even by the yond the walls of Balgashang that they describe, but for my lord
more civilised Kubora who followed Arlun into Rethem and Kobar it is the divine reason to send the Legions into the West
settled there that Kemlar was once a mortal man. and North that matters … In this my Lord follows the example
He has no detailed miracles ascribed to him during his of his Imperial cousin across the seas while strengthening us for
life. Yes, he is said to have ‘called forth game and fish …’ a time when that same cousin might caste covetous glances
when the clans asked but it is not suggested he created that upon this Misty Isle which, as all agree, will be united under the
game and fish in a barren wilderness. In their tales there is Imperial Corani’
much more time spent describing the very mortal skills he There can be no doubt that ‘the man’ is Marasalir as he
used to bind the Kubora together and lead them into Peran. was known for his strange travelling companion. It is also
So too his wife, Heneryne. While the tales told of her dur- known that it was after Marasalir’s arrival that the Corani
ing her life paint a picture of the perfect wife and mother Empire began its most ambitious phase of expansion.
there are no miracles at all ascribed to her in life. The reputation of Western Harn
Even though there is evidence in both Agrikan archives Why is it that Rethem is known as ‘The Dark Kingdom’,
and Kuboran folk tales to confirm the arrival of Agrikan not only across the Isle of Harn, but far beyond? Some
missionaries in Peran during the lifetime of Kemlar they all would claim that it was the fall of the Corani Empire into
agree that Kemlar did not adopt Agrikan practices or wor- the worship of Morgath and Agrik that caused this. Those
ship. There is nothing in the life of Kubora today other that claim this are naïve and not worth the argument. Such
than a love of battle that connects them to Agrik. Such explanations forget that it was not that part of the island
love of battle is, sadly, equally common among the Larani- which is now Rethem which is most stained by evil. That
ans and those who follow Sarajin! The tales imply that unholy honour falls to the swathe of central Harn subdued
such was Kemlar’s virtue and strength of character that one to his will by the Foulspawner, encompassing much of
of the missionaries remained with him when the others left. what is now the kingdom of Kaldor!
That missionary, called Lenshalt, is said to have adopted Why is it that the evil roots Lothrim put down across
the Kuboran way of life rather than imposing any Agrikan that realm have not grown into a base of power for the
teachings. churches of Agrik or Morgath?
Only over the centuries after Crador is exiled, Kemlar My thesis is that during the time of Lothrim it may have
dies and, finally, Heneryne passes beyond the veil to the af- been that the regions of Yashain to which Kaldor is con-
terlife, do the Kubora begin to describe interventions by nected did indeed fall under the sway of Agrik and Mor-
their gods. My insistent belief is that it was the very hon- gath. However, the rebounding of the better human quali-
our and praise that the Kubora heaped upon their dead ties across that swathe of civilisation after the fall of the
guide that turned Kemlar into a god. So to with Heneryne. Foulspawner drove back their influence. Into that new
Finally the terror the tribes of the Kubora hold for Crador made ‘better’ place the essence of Peonian and Laranian
was what shaped him into a god. The reasons the tribes godhead flowed.
worship Kemlar and Heneryne, and propitiate Crador, are
Take instead the lesson of the far West. Suppose in-
the causes of the now divine character of those gods.
stead that those adherents of Lothrim that survived his fall
This is the heart of my supposition. It is the kinds of scattered into the wilderness of the West. Suppose instead
people who worship and the reasons they worship that that there they either carried on the abominations of their
‘creates’ the god from whatever power lies in that place we dark master and that in doing so began to push back the
describe as Yashain. Taken to a further stage of thinking it boundaries of the tribal peoples who had lived there. Sup-
could be that the very place that a ‘god’ is worshipped pose instead that those that followed them in their dark
practices were the counsellors who whispered into the ear

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of Corthir, the first to establish hegemony over all the tribes There, on a blasted plain between the realms of Larani
of the Corani. Suppose it was they who tempted him with and Agrik these scavenger spirits fight like dogs over the
the promise of more land and power if he would but allow thin gruel of sustenance leaking from Kethira. Few have
them to worship as they wished. Suppose it was they who even the vaguest memory of their previous existence.
prepared fertile ground for the arrival of Marasalir through Some, though, remember what they have lost and dream of
their practice of abominations that in this day would be a return to power and prestige.
called ‘Morgathian’ or ‘Agrikan’. When the PCs rescued Coln of Kutz at the end of Heart
Might it be that it was their actions which allowed those of Darkness one of the Bitter Fallen surviving on the Yash-
realms of Yashain we now call Durakhar and Balgashang to ain side of the portal took the opportunity and leapt across
expand to mirror the lands of the Corani Empire. Might it the bridge Kutz had formed. Some of the other, mindless,
be that the bloody rampages of the Corani legions raised Fallen also escaped Yashain but most lacked the intelli-
up the power of Agrik in the west even before any of them gence or initiative to do anything but loiter around the
knew to worship him? Could it be that when the followers Hand waiting for their next meal. While they continue to
of Demon Pameshlu arrived in Coranan and offered the infest the locality they are more or less harmless sipping at
Emperor entertainments of bloody majesty that the ‘pres- the Kuboran fear and reverence as it flows past them to the
ence’ of Agrik in the west was strengthened? Perhaps the Heart.
dark researches of the scholars the Emperors encouraged
were enough for the principles of Morgath to sink their Coln of Kutz
claws into the Empire. The Bitter Fallen was unable to exert any control over
If, over centuries, the dominating ‘spirit’ of the west was Kutz’s body. During the journey from the Hand of Crador
bloody conquest and suppression, then how can we be sur- back to Tormau in the company of the PCs it was in a state
prised that the oceans of blood and pain that soaked into of shock at its change of circumstances; overwhelmed by
those lands encouraged the spiritual roots of what we the sensations bombarding it after centuries, perhaps mil-
choose to call ‘Morgath’ and ‘Agrik’, and perhaps ‘Naveh’, lennia, in the isolating and cruel world beyond the Heart.
to grow and blossom. For months afterwards it was occupied only in the struggle
to understand the world around it and the body it occu-
In Conclusion … pied.
Gods do not exist as our churches claim. Rather the
formless spirits that surround Kelestia have been formed by During this period it did discover some of the shattered
our emotions and actions. Where those emotions and ac- fragments of Kutz's memories from before his descent into
tions become ritual we call them ‘worship’. It is we and the passages beneath the Hand of Crador. Most were in-
our ‘worship’ that shape the gods after aspects of our- comprehensible but some related to what Kutz learned
selves, be they good or ill. among the Denal Kubora, and which led to him to the
Heart. Much of the detail was missing, but there was
Every vain act by an ugly matron strengthens Halea as enough to understand that the body it inhabited might be
does the greed of a usurer. Every enlightened thought capable of reopening the gateway through which it had es-
about the world around us adds to the shape of my own caped. Perhaps, it mused, it might be able to free others of
god, blessed Save K’nor. Whenever a maiden is ravaged or its kind, making itself their ruler. It could not know that
an innocent killed then that ‘thing’ we call ‘Agrik’ becomes opening the portal would have far greater consequences for
a little more powerful. Equally when one man is paid to kill Kethira and her sister worlds.
another in secret or be stealth then ‘Naveh’ takes firmer
form in the mind and action of his worshippers. Wherever Nothing, though, was possible until it could find some
this circle of god-creation takes root and worship becomes means to act! That came when it discovered that it could,
regular then the formless void around us takes on the char- with great effort, send a portion of its consciousness and
acteristics of that place we have decided to call ‘Yashain’. will into another body that looked into Kutz’s eyes. The
All else is legend and myth. first was a brave mouse that clambered up his arm to the
bowl of gruel he was mechanically spooning into his
The Bitter Fallen mouth. Perched on the edge of the bowl, helping itself, it
The combined reverence and loathing the Kubora feel looked into Kutz’s eyes and the Bitter Fallen suddenly per-
for the Hand of Crador soaks through the Peran wilderness ceived the world form the mouse’s point of view. Soon it
to drain into the Heart of Darkness. Combined with the began to influence the animals behaviour by hinting at the
rare but rich feasts provided by sacrifices sent to the Hand, possibility of food behind this door or that. In this way it
a community of the Bitter Fallen has coalesced around the explored the tower in which Kutz was housed. It also dis-
Yashain side of the portal within the Heart of Darkness (see covered that it could leap-frog into multiple bodies when
the Bitter Fallen bestiary article). the mouse shared a gaze with first its mate and then an-
other mouse encountered behind some wainscoting.

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Its next experiment was with the serving maid that influence. Only when Eilith was copying a scroll describing
brought Kutz his food and set him to spooning it into his an ancient Morgathian rite did the germ of a plan begins to
mouth. The kindly look she caste at the poor man was form. The ceremony was used to capture spirits for Klyss
enough for the Fallen to enter her, but the challenge of a and embody the Shadow of Bukrai into bodies to create
human mind was much greater that it expected. When it gulmorvrin servants.
suggest she take Kutz out of the tower the maid experi- As that idea blossomed it triggered the events of Deeper
enced an incomprehensible babbling voice in her head that Dark which led the apprentices to horrid murder and the
caused nothing but panic. She ran screaming from the subsequent events on Temple Hill. Instead of harvesting
room and the Fallen quickly withdrew its consciousness. souls for Klyss and replacing them with the Bukrai embod-
The maid’s story was the direct cause of Kutz being sent to ied in gulmorvrin and amorvrin, the body of Kutz was pre-
Golotha for examination. pared to properly accept the creature’s consciousness as its
The apparent failure with a human mind was, though, a lawful possessor. Its plan worked perfectly, despite the in-
helpful lesson for the creature. The maid refused to return tervention of the PCs and the Gurim. At the end of the cer-
but the stable boy sent in her stead provided a subject tor emony the creature was left in full, if initially imperfect,
more subtle investigation. It learned much more sitting in control of Kutz’s body, and made its escape]
the boy’s head, looking and listening: the rudiments of the
local language were swiftly absorbed. With that language it After Temple Hill
was able slightly nudge the boy’s natural kindness and curi-
osity to encourage him to lead Kutz out into the castle
courtyard after dark ‘just for some exercise’. Working with
the natural grain of the boy’s mind left him feeling he’d
come up with the idea all on his own. It also found it was
able to both interrogate and influence the boy’s memories.
It found images of the hayloft where he slept and influ-
enced the boy to take Kutz there with the idea of using it as
a place to hide until escape was possible. The loft proved
difficult to access for the shambling Kutz but it left the boy
with only a blurred recollection of this escapade, just in
case.
A few days later any further planning was interrupted
by Kutz’s voyage south to Golotha. During the voyage it
was frustrated to confirm that despite its every effort the
core of its consciousness remained locked within Kutz; it
was to Kutz that its fragments of consciousness returned
when it ceased concentrating on maintaining its dispersed
influence. It also discovered that while a dozen rats were
no challenge to its influence it could maintain itself in more
than three or four simple minded sailors only with the
greatest effort.
Uncertain what the change in its location meant and at
the mercy of events it resolved to take any opportunity to
engineer Kutz's escape. An opportunity presented itself
when it encountered the amoral and ambitious Eilith of
Zarainsen. As she examined Kutz the creature swiftly as-
sessed her frustration with the hard work required to
As well as control of Kutz's body and access to his
achieve mastery and ‘helped her understand’ that Kutz was
physical skills it found it was able to supress or over-ride
the obvious means of achieving early recognition in a vari-
much of the body’s sensation of pain and fatigue. This al-
ety of fields of study. It was a simple matter to plant the
lows the ‘man’ to perform many physical feats beyond a
idea of spiriting Kutz away to the dormitory she shared
normal human. Kutz appears able to travel far and fast
with the other apprentices for further study. There the
without significant rest and to overpower anyone he has
younger and weaker minds of the boys, who already
wishes.
looked up the Eilith, were easy to dominate.
In the immediate aftermath of the escape the Fallen was
Once established it had time to consider its next move
driven by an instinct to escape Golotha. It out-distanced
as the apprentices went about their duties oblivious to its

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any pursuit by running east across Orman island and swim- As the PCs are embarking on Act II the Bitter Fallen’s
ming to the south bank of the Thard, near Kibly. It fol- frustrations boil over and it kills the hermit. The old body
lowed the south bank of the Thard for league after league was stringy eating but provided much needed sustenance
and spent the autumn and winter following Deeper Dark for the challenges ahead. Striking south until it found the
begging, borrowing and stealing what he needed to stay road again the Fallen picked up its quest where it had left it
alive across Anerath and Hesby hundreds before making its over a year before. It has no idea that the PCs are now
way into Kanday. This period can be extended for as long pursuing similar clues and on its trail.
as the GM desires, for their own campaign continuity. The
Bitter Fallen can have spent months or years gradually The indomitable will of Coln of Kutz
coming into a full understanding of Kutz’s body and refin- The Bitter Fallen remains unaware of a side-effect of the
ing the plan that will take him to Mejetus. ritual on Temple Hill. As well as giving it the control of
The following spring his wanderings in the no-mans- Kutz’s body it desired it re-ignited a tiny spark of Kutz’s re-
land between Rethem and Kanday came to an end. He en- maining consciousness. That spark was buried deep by his
countered an entertainer telling stories in a market square. experience beneath the Hand and would never have
One story of his stories he’d picked up from a trader who emerged without the ritual. It is far to meagre to make a
hailed from Tormau; a bastardised version of the Song of bid for control of the body. It is, though, the remains of the
the Falling God (see Heart of Darkness). This gave form to potent will that kept Kutz battering at the Heart when his
Kutz’s plan and he began a more systematic search for conscious mind had been consumed by it.
clues to his goal.
His enquiries gradually led him to cross back into Re-
them at Zerien and then across the Hohnam Blight to
Dasen where he joined the caravan to Kustan for last year’s
Moot. . It is from this period that the reports of a one-
armed man, or ‘someone in red’, recounted in Act I, date.
From the Moot he returned south to Emesa and the dis-
cussion with Lorn of Aele recounted at the start of Act II.
The hint that Imrium held a complete picture of the route it
needed to follow triggered an inhuman urge to travel east.
From Emesa it drove Kutz to Quiso and then back across
the Hohnam Blight towards Senun. The Fallen had not
driven the body so hard since the escape from Temple Hill
but now it drove it further and faster. Somewhere on the
fringe of the wilderness, Kutz simply collapsed, and would
have died if not for an ancient, almost blind, hermit who
lived in the forest range of the Delerni Kubora.
The old man had once been a Peonian missionary but
was captured and tortured to the edge of madness before
being forced to publicly recant his faith. Released as a les-
son to those that might follow, he wandered into the forest
expecting to die. It turned out that Peoni had other plans
and provided fruit and berries on which he subsisted. A
chance encounter with an injured Kuboran hunter has cre-
ated a reputation for the old man as an incarnation of Cra- All Kutz has been able to do is to trigger a repetitive,
dor the Blind who, none-the-less, has useful knowledge of unconscious, physical tick. This is the re-tracing of the let-
herbal cures. ter “K” onto any material under the creatures hands when
it is otherwise occupied. These are part of the information
The old man dragged Kutz’s unconscious body deep recounted in Act I and they crop up at intervals through the
into the forest and cared for him for nearly a year in the adventure. The GM is free to place others as necessary to
cave that served as his hermitage. It took months for the refresh the trail and help guide the PCs if necessary.
one-armed man to be able to stand, let alone walk; the
soles of his feet had been run to bloody shreds by the Bitter The other thing that the Fallen is unaware of is that much
Fallen. Frustrated by the delay the creature tipped the old of Kutz’s sense of self was bound up in his luxuriant red
man further into dementia by roughly rummaging through beard. Whenever the creature influences a human the red
his memories for entertainment. of his beard is somehow integrated into whatever influence
it weaves or memory it leaves.

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The Fate of an Emperor put the Concordat at risk. Whatever the cause the ritual
By the time the PCs near the climax of this adventure was only partially successful: the Emperor did not die,
they should have pieced together much of what happened but neither did he live on as an amorvrus.
to the Emperor Mejenes ‘The Great’ during his attempt to  He became a dark parody of himself, more gulmorvrin
invade Equeth. This summary is intended to help the GM than man but with sufficient intelligence to recognise
ensure that the PCs grasp what happened so they can what he had lost and to resent his undeath. He went
stress the significance of some of the clues discovered ei- mad with grief and range.
ther in previously adventures, or during this one:  None of this could be admitted so the priests emerged
 The events described in the diary discovered at the end to declare that the Emperor had died through the mis-
of Afarezirs: Root of all Evil took place before the Em- management of his doctors; who were promptly im-
peror Mejenes arrived at Mejetus. They describe the paled.
ways in which a Grey Mage, ‘employed’ by the Morga-  Meanwhile increasing Urdu anger turned to pressure on
thian Church, places enchantments on the Hand of Cra- the legion perimeter and forced the Corani to contem-
dor to seal the portal. plate retreat. The carefully wrapped body of a Morga-
 It also describes the consecration, by the Morgathians, thian acolyte was consumed by the flames of an impe-
of materials for a ‘Key’ capable of unlocking those pro- rial funeral pyre and the bones entrusted to the Emper-
tective enchantments and opening the portal again. or's bodyguards. The undead Mejenes, though, re-
 Though the Shek P'var (including the diarist) departed mained beneath the camp. The only palliative for its vi-
to be shipwrecked among the Afarezirs, the Morgathi- olent rage was its new golden arm.
ans waited at Mejetus with the materials they intended  The priests selected the most junior among them, who
for the 'Key'. had been made amorvrin during the same rite beneath
 When the Emperor Mejenes was wounded by the the Hand, to stay and watch over Mejenes. He would
Equani his left arm became infected and he became have the surviving acolytes to serve him.
gravely ill.  The camp was abandoned and the Urdu pursuit cost the
 Legionary hotheads took revenge on any 'savage' they legion dear. It was a tattered remnant of the force that
encountered, including the Urdu with whom Mejenes had headed east that reached the River Chetul where
had established good relations and who had been the the Kubora took on the task of decimating what was
legion's eyes and ears in the valley of the river Suthen. left.

 Mejenes did not improve and reluctantly agreed to the  History records that only a few brave souls made it to
amputation of his left arm. It made no difference and Kustan, guarding the box containing the bones of their
his physicians’ advice was to prepare for his death jour- Emperor. The fate of the Morgathian priests is not re-
ney to a glorious afterlife. ported; they were not among the survivors.
The damaged mosaic at Kustan, and the complete copy at
 The Morgathian priests saw an opportunity and, with-
Imrium, tell most of this story from the legionary (and Agri-
out consulting any higher authority, made the Emperor
kan) point of view.
an offer it was difficult for the desperate man to refuse.
They could save him if he accepted the gift of Klyss and A Long Vigil
became Amorvrin! At the same time they could make
What no one but the Morgathian priest who remained
good the loss of his arm - replacing it with a richly deco-
at Mejetus knows is what happened next …
rated metal one.
 As the Urdu departed in pursuit of the legion the fort
 The legion's finest smiths were set to work under Mor-
was left for an Equani warband to enter and sack. They
gathian direction to create an arm from the consecrated
killed the dark robed youths who tried to keep them out
precious metals they provided. How better to protect
of the Imperial Pavilion but were themselves driven out
the 'Key' than by making it part of an almost immortal
of the vaults below by an un-killable monster; the un-
amorvrin Emperor protected by all the might of an Em-
dead Emperor.
pire? Also, what prestige to the priests that could de-
liver the Empire to the Church!  When, less than a month later, the one of those young
men, naked and shivering, entered the fort the Equani
 The increasingly delirious Emperor grasped at the straw
killed him again, and saw his body crumble to dust. He
they threw him and agreed. The necessary ritual was
returned a month later; they killed him again and again,
undertaken in the Khuzdul vault beneath Caer Mejetus.
but every time he returned. Each time the Morgathian
 Whether the spirits of long dead Khuzdul interfered with woke beside the Heart of Darkness beneath the Hand of
the dark rite or one of the priests made an error is im- Crador and made his way back to fulfil his sworn duty
possible to know. Perhaps Klyss felt that their strategy to watch over the Emperor.

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 Finally, Equani anger turned to fear and the last time he
returned they allowed him to walk through the camp
and into the Imperial Pavilion.
 Over the years their fear turned to awe and then rever-
ence. Over the generations the Morgathian has become
the centre of the savage Equani war cult, the Shevrach.
It is a twisted and merciless melding of fierce Equani
dedication to Kemlar with a Morgathian world view.
 The Shevrach use the ruined fort as a base for their at-
tacks into Urdu territory, bring sacrifices to the pavilion,
and commune with their god through their shaman.
 In the early years the Morgathian tried many ways to
get the undead Emperor to give up the golden arm so
that he could carry it back to the temple in Merethos
(now Golotha). However the monster prized the arm
above any trinkets provided by the Equani.
 Today the priest has accepted that Morgath does not
want him to take the arm and return it to safe keeping.
Instead he will remain here, watching over what re-
mains of the Emperor Mejenes for the rest of the
undeath Morgath grants him. He is, undoubtedly, more
than half mad. His only solace comes from the dark
acts of the Shevrach that are reported to him through
their shaman and his efforts to teach them to create gul-
morvrin.
 He knows that the metals enchanted below the Hand
were intended to create the 'Key' without which the
portal to Yashain would remain sealed for eternity.
 Meanwhile, the undead Mejenes lies, mostly quiescent,
on its rotting death bed beneath Mejetus.
This story has been drawn, by the Morgathian, in charcoal
on the walls of the Imperial Pavilion.

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USING HARNMASTER Fate of Harn
Harnmaster Skills
Skills
Character and Creature statistics
Acrobatics, Climbing, Dancing,
Many of the personalities from the previous adventures
Athletics Jumping, Skiing, Swimming, de-
make an appearance in Ancient Shades, so GMs preferring
pending on the context
Harnmaster should refer to the other adventures for their
statistics. Harnmaster statistics for most of the more ge- Contacts Intrigue
neric characters can also be found in the earlier adven-
tures, and where a direct match doesn’t exist it shouldn’t The relevant craft skill, depending
be difficult for a GM to modify those that are there to fit the on the context. E.g. Agriculture,
Crafts
Animalcraft, Milling, Metalcraft,
Ancient Shades context.
Musician, Singing etc.
In the case of beasts and creatures then either they ap-
pear in the earlier adventures or in published Harn Acting or Rhetoric (Diplomacy) de-
Deceive
canon/fanon. pending on the context.

The Heart of Darkness Empathy Rhetoric (Diplomacy)

The GM should refer to the relevant section of Peran: Endurance Condition or END
Heart of Darkness when adjudicating the journey through
the passages beneath the Hand and how the Heart itself at- Fight Unarmed combat
tracts PCs; though what they see on the ‘other side’ is dif- Rhetoric (Intimidation) or Com-
ferent. Intimidate
mand, depending on context

Weapons and Armour Awareness, or sometimes a rele-

The weapons described should be easily identifiable in Investigate vant Lore skill where the investiga-
Harnmaster and will have all their usual characteristics, un- tion is specific to that area of study
less the text makes it clear there is something special about Legerdemain or Lockcraft depend-
them. Larceny
ing on context
Skill Rolls Melee The relevant Melee Weapon skill
Fate is ‘skill-lite’, compared to Harnmaster so a Fate
Throwing or the relevant Missile
skill can encompass more than one Harnmaster skill. In Missiles
Weapon skill
such cases the context will usually make it obvious which
Harnmaster one the GM should look to. Usually Awareness, but possibly In-
Notice
The table opposite suggests which Harnmaster (3 Edi-rd itiative, depending on context
tion) skills the GM should use as alternatives to the Fate of Lovecraft, Oratory, Rhetoric (Diplo-
Harn skills described in the text of this adventure. Rapport
macy) depending on context.
Ride Riding
Ritual Ritual
The relevant Lore skill depending
Scholar on context. E.g. Astrology, Engi-
neering, Folklore, Heraldry, etc.
Stealth Stealth
Strength STR
Fishing, Foraging, Survival, Track-
Survival ing, or Weatherlore, depending on
context.
Will Mental Conflict or WIL

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

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 MEJETUS: ANCIENT SHADES 79
GM NOTES

© 2015, N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games, Inc., & Alun Rees.

HârnWorld