Drepner quest

The DrepnirQuest of the White Princess

This version originally presented in The Wild Hunt 4. Some expanded information taken from a modified version which appears as part of Steve Marsh's HeroQuest rules system.

THE MYTH

During the Great Dance, as she was upon the plains of Prax, the White Princess saw the great white horse that had been both Yelm's and then Yelmalio's. Long she danced and strove until at her fane at the top of the glacier the horse became hers. Gaining the vision of the white horse is done by the questor attending a Yelmalio worship service at the Sun Dome Temple in Prax.

This is usually done by joining one of the troll hunting mercenary companies of Sartar or Prax. They are often led by Light Captains of Yelmalio, and are required to tithe and participate in religious activities when passing by that temple. The Yelmalions will not be overly pleased if they recognize the questor as one of the followers of the White Princess, and one could be "invited" to join one of their rituals (as Biturion Varosh was, see Sun County). They will be actively hostile if they suspect the purpose of the visit (which is to steal a vision from their god).

Having obtained the vision of the Horse (which will come to a properly taught questor upon being exposed to Yelmalio's power), the questor begins to travel across Prax. On their journey, they will be met by eight minor snow spirits that the White Princess gathered to her on her chase. This occurs the morning of the first day. The questor should prepare for these encounters by having eight retainers/followers waiting about 15 minutes apart on the way to the Glacier Fane. Each person who waits will undergo Spirit Combat when they meet the spirit. If a follower wins the combat, the spirit will become allied to them for the duration of the quest if they do not already have an allied spirit. If they do have an allied spirit, they will be given the opportunity to gain a single use of the spirit's spell (see below). Each of the spirits has INT 1d6+6, POW 1d6+6, 1d3 points of their special Spirit Magic spell, and a 1% chance to have 1 point of the White Princess' Divine Magic spell Frost (see The Book of Drastic Resolutions, Volume Prax, coming this summer to a convention in British Columbia). These spirits are special Spell Spirit aspects of the White Princess' demigod followers:

Eric Icy-eye (Iceglare)

Eric's power is to cause blindness. He has a spirit magic spell with that effect for 5 minutes per point of spell stacked.

'Jorache Hoarbeard (Hoarfrost)

'Jorache's power is to bring water as frost. He has a spirit magic spell that brings water (this seems strange as a Spirit Magic spell). Small amounts in Prax, larger where there is more ambient water.

Teraele Smallfoot (Slipice)

Teraele's power is to cause people to slip and fall. Her spell is similar to Hotfoot (see Gods of Glorantha or Questlines 1), except that it is an active spell, is variable (requiring one roll each round for as many rounds as points of spell), and hopping is not possible.

Tama Longhair (Flurry)

Tama's power is to cause confusion and misdirection. Her spell ... (original description doesn't work well as Spirit Magic, nor as variable).

Cinyia Lightsoul (Softwind)

Cinyia's power is to quiet and calm. Her spell ... (what would work for a Spirit Magic spell?) (a spell that counters Fear, Berserk, Distraction and Confusion).

Jerric Hardfist (Icedagger)

Jerric's power is the Icedagger. His spell creates a dagger made of ice, which will not melt for the duration of 5 minutes per point. It does normal weapon damage. It can impale, but this causes it to break and lose its form.

Serris Manyhued (Rainbow)

Serris' power is to induce fear in darkness related creatures (such as trolls). Her Rainbow spell acts as Demoralize to such creatures (only), but lasts 5 minutes per point used.

Ellessa Glistenskin (Frostfire)

Ellessa has the power to burn with frost; her spirit magic spell is nearly identical to Disrupt.

Meeting these spirits puts the questor on a Magic Road which allows him or her to reach the Glacier Fane in three days, regardless of the method of travel. This road dips in and out of the Inner World, but does not protect from the usual perils of the plains of Prax -- rather, it adds the perils of the quest's stations to them.

The second station comes the first night of the journey. 3d6 broos led by a shaman (or some other chaos gangt) is drawn to meet them. This is a recreation of the White Princess' encounter with chaos.

After the White Princess defeated the chaos intrusion she had to deal with those who mocked the Man Rune (to which all of her worshipers are tied). This is represented in the third station by an encounter with 3d6 Bone Morocanth. This encounter occurs during the day. The Bone Morocanth are led by a runic type. They are similar to skeletons, with 2 hit points per location and 6 Armor Points.

The same day, at sunset, the questor will be attacked by 2d3 Sun Griffins, who represent the griffins which attacked the White Princess after the death of the Sun (symbolizing the eternal conflict between Snow and Sun, even within Time, a fight Snow always loses, eventually).

Although they appear to be normal size, they are made of light, and so have only half SIZ for figuring HPs. However, they can only be struck by magic (though even 1 point of Bladesharp will allow the weapon to do full normal damage).

On the final day, the questor will be attacked by 3d6 Sables (deers) tainted with chaos. This conflict represents the conflict between pure horse people and the other beast riders. Since the rise of the Red Moon, the Lunar powers have been involved as well. Essentially, this station is the result of the quest being contaminated within Time.

That night, the questor will reach the Glacier Fane. Chaos will again attack, this time in the form of 3d6 Scorpion Men (no chaotic features) led by a Bagog shaman (with at least one chaotic feature). They represent the final assault of chaos before the Dawn, where they tried to infect the White Princess' high mountains. They were driven out of the mountains, but they were not defeated, and so won a place within Time.

As soon as the Scoprion Men are slain the White Horse will appear and lead the questor and his companions on a chase up the Glacier. One by one the attendants will fall aside at the fane of the subcult deity they met earlier in Prax. If they played their role poorly the spirit will desert them there, taking any knowledge of its spell with it. If the attendant played his or role well, they will retain knowledge of the special Spirit Magic spell.

The questor will find him- or herself at the top of the Glacier, there to contest with the White Horse for mastery. Although the horse has a semi-physical form, this contest takes the form of Spirit Combat. If the horse is reduced to 0 magic points it assumes a fully physical form. The questor must then attempt to ally the Horse, by rolling under his APP x5% or less on 1d100. If he fails, the Horse disappears, though the questor takes no losses. If the questor succeeds, the horse remains loyal to him until one or the other dies or is slain, whence it returns to the Hero Plane. If the questor is reduced to 0 magic points, he or she will find themselves physically on the Glacier. Any spells which have ever been learned from the White Princess are lost, and they must find their own way back to Prax. As they are probably not dressed for the occasion, freezing to death is a possibility.

The White Horse takes the form of a warhorse, with the following changes: it has eight legs, is blinding white (which causes all attacks against it to suffer -20%; it also gains this defense against the questor's attacks in Spirit Combat), can move as a spirit (Move = POW), has INT 2d6+3 and POW 3d6+6. Once embodied, it has physical stats as a horse in RQ, with +1d6 each added to STR, CON, and SIZ. It is in permanent Mindlink with the questor. It can no longer move as a spirit, but moves at twice the speed of a normal horse.