Editing The Dark Woods

== Introduction ==
The Dark Woods is a Role-Playing Game where players take on the role of monsters and battle each other. The Dark Woods does not have a "game master." The players are divided into two teams of sorcerers - intelligent monsters who become more powerful by defeating enemies. The teams take turns moving on the map and playing the enemies that the other team encounters.

The Dark Woods is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license (which can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ .)  This means that you can copy, modify and share this game according to the rules of that license. This license applies to all of the art, rules, text, and other content of this game.

We started developing the The Dark Woods in 1994.  (Working on The Dark Woods inspired other Game Arts Guild projects, like the [http://gameartsguild.com/squawk/ Squawk Role-Playing Game] .)

== Setting ==
The Dark Woods is a foreboding place full of monsters and violence.  The Dark Woods is a nexus that connects many worlds together.  It appears to be an endless forest in a permanent state of twilight, and has many mysterious ruins. 

The Dark Woods is rife with mystical power called '''essence'''.  Creatures higher up on the food chain accumulate more essence.  Intelligent creatures who use essence to become more powerful are called '''sorcerers''', or more specifically cannibal sorcerers.  Essence changes sorcerers, sometimes warping them into monstrous froms.

[[Image:SorcerersBigTheDarkWoods.png|550px]]

The Dark Woods is usually ruled by a powerful sorcerer. Most sorcerers either support the ruler of The Dark Woods, or are involved in plots to overthrow that ruler.  The Dark Woods is currently ruled by the six-legged dragon sorcerer Kaizen.  

'''Colos''' are beaked humanoids from a world like Earth's Triassic period.  There they thrived as their homeworld's foremost predator, having a strong pack hunting instinct. They reproduce faster than humans, but have a shorter life span.  Colo cultures tend to be focused on heroic accomplishments, like collecting impressive hunting trophies.

[[Image:TheDarkWoodsColoDuck.png|250px]]

Colos indoctrinated and trained by the monster hating Order of Thanatos were introduced to The Dark Woods to end the practice of sorcery. Colo society in The Dark Woods is focused on a crusade to hunt and destroy every sorcerer they can find. These colos live in forts occupied by many large families.  The social structure is miltaristic, with each fort led by a "captain" and his many officers. 

: "The Order of Thanatos has long recognized The Dark Woods to be a center of great evil amonst the many worlds that this place creeps into.  The Order of Thanatos brought us colos here generations ago, because of our explosive population growth and pack hunting instincts. The part of The Dark Woods conquered by the decedents of those colos is now called Colo Country by those of us who dwell here. Know two things for certain.  First venturing beyond the borders of Colo Country is a journey into the land of nightmares, and should only be done with careful military planning.  Second, if you meet sorcerers, destroying those blights-on-reality is your duty, cause, and reason for existence; we are the angels sent to destroy these demons in their own hell!" ''- Ruben the Crusader Monk'' (from an academy lecture a few weeks before his disappearance.)''

'''Boggarts''' are malevolent faerie folk with a taste for theft and trickery.  They appear as small fanged humanoids, covered in fur.

[[Image:TheDarkWoodsBoggart.png|200px]]


'''Dragons''' of the The Dark Woods come in many shapes and sizes. Some are sorcerers who have twisted their bodies into powerful draconic forms.

'''Dryads''' are walking, talking plant-humanoid hybrids covered in protective bark. They are fast healers. Dryads are guardians of The Dark Woods, and they have no taboos against sorcery. Dryad sorcerers have been known to take the form of hulking trolls or tentacled trees.

'''Ghouls''' are undead who develop grotesque mutations. They can absorb the abilities and features of creatures they eat, including creatures that have no magical essence. Ghouls are from the outbreak that destroyed the home world of the Order of Thanatos, and the order believes the ghouls are related to the essence of The Dark Woods.  Creatures killed by ghouls often rise as ghouls themselves if their corpses are intact.

'''Gryphons''' have the wings, head and talons of an gigantic eagle and the body and legs of a lion. Gryphons of The Dark Woods are often colo sorcerers who have acquired attributes of big cats and predatory birds on their way to becoming dragons. These gryphons may have unusual features like tiger stripes, leathery bat wings or feathered tails.

'''Striders''' are bipedal canine lagomorphs. They have a low center of gravity, long floppy ears and short snouts with ape-like lips. Because striders crave competition and glory, and have a strong natural instinct for loyalty, they are often employed as mercenaries by sorcerers.

'''Morlocks''' are subterranean humanoids with large dark eyes and pale, yellowish or gray skin. They are mostly or entirely bald with tiny ears and flat noses. Morlocks evolved from humans before discovering the Dark Woods while exploring time and space. 

Morlocks are excellent climbers. Sorcerers that were once morlocks often have telekinetic powers that allow them to levitate things, climb on ceilings or leap unnaturally high.

Morlock settlements are always found underground, and often organized into industrial communes. Settlements ruled by sorcerers are referred to as "morlock cults."

'''Nagas''' are serpentine creatures with a humanoid upper body and the lower body of a very large snake. Nagas are legless relatives of varana (see below) and specialize in paralyzing their opponents with venom.

'''Satyrs''' are humanoids fram a parallel Earth where primates have horns, hooves and the combined agility of goats and monkeys.

'''Seekers''' are giant insects that walk on two legs. They have wickedly sharp, flexible tails, elongated heads, three eyes and four arms. Seekers come from a swampy world with huge bugs and an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Seeker technology avoids fire - which is difficult to control in their native atmosphere - and specializes in medicine, biochemistry, and preserving knowledge. Seekers do not have permanent settlements in The Dark Woods, but they study The Dark Woods and use it to access numerous other worlds.

Seekers hatch from clutches of hundreds of eggs and do not have names until they accomplish something to distinguish themselves as individuals.  Seeker are constantly exploring to bring new knowledge home to their hive, recording observations and collecting specimens.

Sorcerers who develop unique anatomy are of particular interest to seeker abductors. Seekers may capture sorcerers to observe their behavior for a short time, they may attack sorcerers without warning to murder and preserve them as anatomical specimens, or they might join causes with a group of sorcerers simply for the opportunity to study a group from the inside.  

'''Varana''' descended from human treasure hunters who settled permanently in The Dark Woods. Over generations the essence of The Dark Woods has transformed them into a race of lizard men. Varana scavenge The Dark Woods seeking treasure to horde, and get violently territorial about ruins they think hold particularly valuable secrets. They have been known to use their venomous bite as a weapon of last resort.

'''Wargs''' are wolf-like humanoids adapted to the hostile environment of The Dark Woods. They are hard to kill and have keen natural senses, sharp fangs and claws, and increased strength.

'''Wraiths''' are otherwordly supernatural creatures whose appearance ranges from apparently normal mortals to ghoulish skeletal monstrosities.  Each wraith has a recollection of having had a mortal life in it's past. Normally wraiths are ghost-like, unable to manipulate the physical world, but the essence of The Dark Woods causes them to condense, solidify, and become physically powerful.

Wraiths are supposedly created by the angel of death. Pious wraiths worship the angel of death, following religious texts and traditions attributed to this being. The tenets of this religion suggest that wraiths should be the only immortals, and other creatures with unnatural longevity should fall before them. Pious wraiths prefer weapons with symbolic relevance to this philosophy, especially sacrificial knives, sickles, and scythes.

== Form Teams ==
Divide the players into two teams. Each team will play a gang of sorcerers. These two groups of player characters (PCs) are in a race to see who can defeat Kaizen first, and become the new rulers of The Dark Woods. Each team belongs to an association within The Dark Woods society. Each team of players must choose one (and only one) association for all of their PCs, and the two teams must have different associations.

=== Colonists ===
Your PCs can pass as not-warped-beyond-usual by the essence of The Dark Woods, and the Order of Thanatos does not suspect you of sorcery.  The colos are impressed by your apparent piety and mastery of scripture and dogma, and authorize you to explore and colonize The Dark Woods.

[[Image:TheDarkWoodsColoBros.png|400px]]

Whenever your PCs encounter Colo Crusaders, you can choose to not fight them (and also then not get to feed on their essence.)  You can also fight them as normal.

=== Necromancers ===
At least one of your PCs is completely obsessed with mastering the darkest arts, willing to take on any rival power to demonstrate his/her/it's supremacy.  The other PCs either share his interests or accommodate him out of fear of what he might do if angered.

Whenever your PCs encounter ghouls or wraiths, you can choose to fight them as normal, or instead have the ghouls or wraiths immediately attack the other team.

=== Raiders ===
Your PCs are a well organized group of experienced plunderers.  You are here to take The Dark Woods for all it's worth.

Whenever you successfully defeat boggarts or morlocks, you each get one additional ability point because you are able to shake them down for their local stash of magic items and treasure, before you feed on their essence.

=== Rangers ===
Your PCs have studied philosophy and martial arts with the dryads.  You have entered a pact with them to rule The Dark Woods with the utmost care for environmentalism and biodiversity.  

Whenever your PCs encounter Dryad Druids, instead of fighting them your encounter is automatically successful, as your PCs take this opportunity to practice zen "rooting" meditation, knock-down "branch-sparring," "tangle vine" Tai Chi and other ancient training techniques that help your PCs focus their essence more efficiently.

=== Scholars ===
At least one of your PCs has a background in helping Seekers collect specimens.  

Whenever your party encounters Seeker Abductors, your party can choose to be transported to any space other than Kaizen's Lair, where you will begin your next turn.  However, you may not fight the Seeker Abductors or feed on their essence.

== Make PCs ==
Every player has one personally designed character called a "PC" (or "player character.") This PC feeds on the essence of his fallen foes to become more powerful, technically making it a sorcerer.  The antagonist in "The Fall of the Blackmanes" (who is known as The Old Crow in this game,) is one example of a very experienced sorcerer in The Dark Woods.  However, these kind of sorcerers can take almost any form.  A sorcerer could be a mighty warrior, a dragon, some other dangerous monster, or even something more subtle.  

[[Image:TheDarkWoodsCatfishman.png|300px]]

Players should use their imagination, and use the [[Scratch | Scratch Role-Playing System]] (see Basic Rules) to make a sorcerer with a maximum beginning ability level of 8 and a maximum beginning total ability level of 16.

 Name:_______________________________  Description:_______________________
 _________________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________________
 
                              Abilities
 
 Level  Ability         Description
 _____  <u>toughness     </u>  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
 _____  ______________  __________________________________________________
  
 Stamina:_____  Hitpoints:________________________________________________
 
                               Defenses                               
 
       Agility:_________ Intelligence:__________ Strength:___________
 

An electronic character generator for The Dark Woods can be found at 
[http://gameartsguild.com/dwpc/ http://gameartsguild.com/dwpc/]

Here are some questions to answer when making a good character description of a sorcerer: How does your PC feed on the essence of a fallen foe? (Does your PC use fangs to "suck their blood," make a soup out of them in a large black cauldron, use a talisman to absorb their aura, or some other sinister technique?) What is it about your PC that makes it have the abilities it does?  What is the origin of your PC?  What shape does your PC have now?  How does your PC defend itself? What is your PC's personality like? What equipment does your PC use on a regular basis?

[[Image:Treeman2.png|300px]]

=== Rules Summary ===
The Dark Woods uses the [[Scratch | Scratch Role-Playing System]] for its combat and character creation rules. See the Scratch Role-Playing System chapter for the complete rules.

{{:Scratch:Summary}}

=== Example PCs ===


Smolder (13 agility, 12 intelligence, 15 strength, 4 stamina) is a colo sorcerer turned winged fire breathing dragon, looking to take the throne for himself. He absorbs essence by swallowing his opponents whole when possible, and in pieces when not.

2 blasting: fire-breathing

1 knock-out: huge, natural weapons

3 flying: winged

2 detection: high-flying perspective

8 toughness: bigger than a horse and growing fast



Henry (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 10 strength, 1 stamina) is a human hunter from another world, looking for challenging game.  He is armed with a powerful hunting rifle.  Eager to try exotic foods, he absorbs essence by roasting meat over open flames, with a new wolf-like disregard for the etiquette he had once mastered on his homeworld.

3 stealth: experienced hunter, new wolf-like instincts

6 shooting: long range rifle with scope, 

4 knockout: from-hip shots at specific organs, new wolf-like reflexes

3 toughness: normal human size



Katzenjammer (12 agility, 12 intelligence, 14 strength, 3 stamina) is the six-limbed dragon son of Kaizen, who is plotting to take Kaizen's throne.  Inhales the smoke of his burning foes to absorb their essence.

2 stealth: trickster

2 detection: wisdom of the ancients

3 wrestling: deceptive self defense

3 shooting: fire ball

6 toughness: as big as a horse



Necro (11 agility, 16 intelligence, 10 strength, 1 stamina) is a morlock sorcerer turned evil mage, bent on mastering the power of The Dark Woods.  He absorbs the essence of his fallen enemies by looking into their eyes as they die.

1 acrobatics: former 3 dimensional lifestyle

6 blasting: chain lighting attack

6 command: 2 zombies

3 toughness: human sized


Necro's Zombie (10 agility, 10 intelligence, 9 strength, 0 stamina)

2 toughness: unmotivated, slow, and easy to topple

1 wrestling: dog-pile overwhelm




Talonis (14 agility, 10 intelligence, 13 strength, 3 stamina) is a colo sorcerer turned gryphon, looking to be involved in whatever new dynasty takes over The Dark Woods next.  He tears out and devours the hearts of his fallen foes in order to absorb their essence.

4 flying: winged

6 fighting: talons, beak, claws, experienced brawler

6 toughness: as big as a horse



Wanderlust (12 agility, 12 intelligence, 14 strength, 3 stamina) is a dryad sorcerer looking to take control of The Dark Woods for the dryads.  He buries remains of his foes and ponders the meaning of their life in order to absorb their essence.

2 healing: tentacle injects a blood/sap parasite stimulant

2 stealth: one with nature

3 wrestling: dryad Tai Chi

2 knockout: mallet fist

7 toughness: larger than human, protective bark

== Map ==

If one team has more players than the other, the smaller team should go first. If both teams have the same number of players, then a player should roll a 20 sided die. If this roll is greater than 10, then his team goes first. Otherwise, the other team goes first.

At the beginning of the first team's turn, one player on that team should roll a 20 sided die. If this roll is greater than 10, then his team's first encounter is on the Silent Groves space and the other team's first encounter is at the Grim Glades. If the player rolls 10 or less, then his team's first encounter is at the Grim Glades and the other team's first encounter is at the Silent Groves.

Before a team has an encounter on their turn, they can move one space. If neither team has visited the new space, one of the players should read the description of that space (the text in ''italics''.) The new space will tell the players which encounter they have at this space, or it will have a table for choosing encounters with a die roll. Do not repeat the encounter or roll for another encounter on that space unless the team moves off that space and then back onto it. Teams can only enter Kaizen's Lair in the middle of the map from the Savage Gorge space.  

Each space indicates which movement abilities can be used to evade and catch evading enemies in that space. (This only affects the evade and catch actions. It does not affect normal agility.) If one of the movement abilities listed is swimming, then swimming ability bonuses from being in water also apply in that space.


[[Image:TheDarkWoodsMap.png|675px]]

=== Encounters ===
When a team takes on enemies, there is always an equal number of enemies to team members.  The opposing team's players controls the enemies to see what kind of damage they can do to this team.

If a team defeats all of their enemies in an encounter, then that encounter is successful, and each character on that team gets one ability level to add to any ability they choose.  This is because they are able to feed on the essence from their fallen foes, dramatically enhancing their power.  

If the team is not successful, but at least one of the team members successfully flee, then their encounter is not successful, but they continue the game as normal on their next turn.

If the team is not successful, and none of the team members escape, then the team moves back to the space they started on their first turn, which is where they begin on their next turn.

=== Random Encounters ===
If "random encounter" is called for, roll a 20 sided dice to see which of the following encounters happens (never do the same encounter twice in a row for each team - if the team did the roll encounter the as their last combat-encounter, then roll again):

1: Boggarts

2-4: Colos

5-7: Dryads

8-9: Ghouls

10: Hunters

11-12: Morlocks

13: The Old Crow

14: Satyrs 

15: Striders

16-18: Seekers

19: Wargs

20: Wraiths

=== Team vs. Team ===
If the two teams ever go on the same space, and either team wishes to fight, then the teams will directly engage each other in combat.  All of normal rules apply to this combat as with other encounters, except that the winning team does not gain an ability level from the encounter (because they are not able to drain the essence of the other PCs.)

If one team is smaller than the other, than the larger team must choose which of it's PCs will fight the smaller team, and they should choose the same number of PCs that the smaller team has.

=== Extending the Game ===
If the game ends too quickly and the players wish to play on after one team has defeated Kaizen, replace Kaizen and his minions with the team that dispatched him. Have the players of those characters make up a new characters. Divide the team that did not win into two new teams, and have the new characters join one of the new teams.

== List of Encounters ==

=== Boggarts ===
Hairy boggarts drop on you from the trees. They scratch and bite you while tugging at your possessions.

Boggart Robbers (15 agility, 10 intelligence, 14 strength, 1 stamina)

5 stealth: silent, almost invisible

5 wrestling: clever fighting style that ties up opponents

3 toughness: small stature


=== Colos ===
A patrol of heavily armored colos recognize you as sorcerers and attack with righteous fury.

Colo Crusaders (12 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

2 stealth: hunting experience 

5 fighting: close range weapons, martial arts

2 shooting: hunting weapons

5 toughness: well armored and conditioned soldiers


=== Crocodragon ===
Hungry crocodragons, longer than a crocodile, with serpentine bodies and six powerful clawed arms, are stalking you.

[[Image:Crocodragon.png|250px]]


Hungry Crocodragon (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 13 strength, 2 stamina)

2 swimming: amphibious lifestyle

4 wrestling: python fighting style

3 stealth: clever hunters 

4 toughness: larger than humans

=== Brimstone ===
The giant fire-breathing dragon Brimstone guards the wilderness near Kaizen's lair. According to legend, she was once a colo sorceress apprenticed to Kaizen.  Over time, Brimstone used the essence of The Dark Woods to transform herself and her disciples into huge dragons and gryphons.

If each member of your party makes a flying, acrobatics or swimming roll of 12, you can sneak past Brimstone's patrols and instead have a random encounter. If any of you fail your roll, Brimstone's guardian gryphons spot you and you must fight her.

After you defeat Brimstone and feed on her essence, Kaizen uses his dark magic to resurrect Brimstone and restore her power. So any time a party enters this area they must roll to avoid Brimstone no matter how many times she has been defeated.

[[Image:TheDarkWoodsBrimstone.jpg|450px]]

Brimstone (13 agility, 13 intelligence, 19 strength, 6 stamina)

3 detection: eagle eyed

4 blasting: fire breathing

3 knockout: giant talons 

3 flying: winged 

12 toughness: larger than elephant, extensive natural armor 

[[Image:WildGryphonTheDarkWoods.png|300px]]

Guardian Gryphon (13 agility, 13 intelligence, 13 strength, 3 stamina)

3 detection: eagle eyed

3 flying: winged

8 fighting: talons, beak, claws, natural brawler, experienced fighter

6 toughness: as big as a horse

=== Dryads ===
Dryad druids overhear your plans for taking over the Dark Woods when you depose Kaizen. They decide their own plans serve the forest's health better, and prepare an ambush.

Dryad Druids (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 13 strength, 3 stamina)

3 stealth: one with nature 

3 wrestling: dryad Tai Chi

2 knockout: mallet fist

6 toughness: larger than human, protective bark

=== Ghouls ===
Hungry Ghouls from a fallen world have wandered here search of flesh, and attack you in ravenous desperation.

Hungry Ghouls (10 agility, 10 intelligence, 14 strength, 2 stamina)

3 knockout: contagious bite

5 wrestling: mutant appendages

5 toughness: hard to kill

=== Hunters ===
Human hunters have entered The Dark Woods stalking supernatural prey, and have targeted you.

{|
|[[Image:TheDarkWoodsHumanHunter.png|250px]] 
|[[Image:TheDarkWoodsHumanSwordsman.png|120px]] 
|[[Image:TheDarkWoodsHumanHunterStake.png|150px]] 
|}

Hunter (13 agility, 11 intelligence, 11 strength, 2 stamina)

1 detection: sense evil

3 stealth: ambush, wolf-like reflexes

3 shooting: silver bullets

2 fighting: oak stakes, martial arts, swords

4 toughness: leather armor

=== Kaizen ===
You have heard that Kaizen was born a strider, but many years of practicing sorcery have transformed him into a six-legged dragon.

When your team first encounters Kaizen, he makes you an offer. For joining his side and making a pact to never return unless he summons you, Kaizen will bestow magical power on your team. If you accept the offer, each PC on your team receives 1 CP, and your team goes to their original starting position on their next turn.

If you refuse to join him, or if you return to Kaizen's Lair after agreeing to his bargain, Kaizen and his summons flying monstrosities and attacks your team.

[[Image:KaizenTheDarkWoods.png|450px]]

Kaizen (16 agility, 16 intelligence, 19 strength, 6 stamina) is large, armored, fast, extremely clever, and has a fiery breath weapon.  He feeds on essence by inhaling the smoke from his victims burning corpses.

6 detection: master trickster

6 acrobatics: gravity-defying dexterity 

6 blasting: exploding fire-ball breath-weapon

6 knockout: giant tail slap

12 toughness: elephant sized, impenatrable dragon hide

[[Image:Flying tentacles.png|350px]]

Hell Bat (17 agility, 12 intelligence, 17 strength, 2 stamina)

2 detection: bat-radar

7 flying: like a bat out of hell

8 wrestling: unstoppable tentacles

4 toughness: larger than most humans

=== Morlocks ===
Concerned that you might be speculating on the value of their property, Morlock Underminers attack using acrobatic rope techniques and pick-axes.

Morlock Underminers (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

3 acrobatics: climbing on ceilings and through vertical mine shafts

4 blasting: mining explosive experts

2 wrestling: skilled with climbing ropes

4 toughness: human sized, hardened lifestyle

=== Nagas ===
You are ambushed by half-human, half-snake creatures interested in any artifacts your party may have found in their travels.

Naga Bandits (12 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 1 stamina)

2 swimming: serpentine tails

2 knockout: venomous bite

2 stealth: reptilian patience

4 fighting: poisoned hand weapons

3 toughness: human sized

=== The Old Crow ===
The Old Crow was one of the original Blackmanes, a tribe of zealots converted to the Order of Thanatos on the colo home world. Studying and hunting sorcerers eventually transformed The Old Crow into a monster herself. Centuries later, she is one of the most feared sorcerers in The Dark Woods.

The Old Crow attacks suddenly as you are assaulted from every direction by mobs of angry crows.

[[Image:The old crow 002 2 small.png|400px]]

The Old Crow (15 agility, 15 intelligence, 15 strength, 3 stamina) 

5 wrestling: expert illusionist, terrifying and intimidating her enemies in close quarters

5 knockout: concealed executioner's axe and deadly underhanded techniques

5 detection: She wears a large dark cloak and robes, and emits a mysterious dark fog around her person, allowing her to observe enemies from a safe, high location before they notice her.

5 acrobatics: She has evolved crow-like features, with large black feathers giving her forearms a wing-like appearance.      

7 toughness: is supernaturally fast and strong 


Attack Crow Swarms (14 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

4 blasting: fall on opponents like rain 

4 flying: winged birds

5 toughness: many individual crows


If the Old Crow is defeated, she explodes into black smoke and disappears.  The Old Crow absorbs the essence of her fallen prey by draining the victim's blood into rose bushes, then eating the roses. Her rose bushes emerge from the ground as she is preparing to feed, wherever she is. If the PCs can defeat her, they drain essence from her roses.

=== Satyrs ===
Satyr bounty hunters confront you because an old enemy has placed a price on your head.

Satyr Bounty Hunters (14 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

4 fighting: horns, hoofs, blades and temper 

4 quickness: natural sprinters

5 toughness: good conditioning, lite armor

=== Seekers ===
Well armed seekers attempt to collect you as samples, to study your unique sorcerer anatomy.

Seeker Abductors (12 agility, 12 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

4 fighting: nasty natural weapons, kidnapping technique

2 stealth: hunting experience

2 detection: three eyed animal psychology experts

5 toughness: exoskeleton

=== Striders ===
Strider mercenaries, hired by relatives of your past victims, have finally tracked you down to avenge their clients.

Strider Mercenaries (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

3 quickness: natural runners, well conditioned

4 fighting: midevil weapons, mercenary combat experience

1 shooting: light weight crossbows

5 toughness: well conditioned and well armored

=== Varana ===
You are ambushed by varana who suspect you of trying to find ruins they are protecting.

Varana Guardians (13 agility, 10 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina)

3 knockout: poison bite

3 stealth: reptillian patience

2 fighting: hand to hand weapons

5 toughness: human sized, armored

=== Wargs ===
Warg Hunters are out looking for food, and you are the most appetizing prey they have seen all day.

Warg Hunters (12 agility, 12 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina) 

2 detection: wolf-like senses

2 quickness: sprinting

4 fighting: nasty teath and claws, group attacks

5 toughness: hard to kill

=== Wraiths ===
You are set upon by Harvesters, gruesome skeletal and religously devout wraiths, with no tolerance for your sorcery.

Harvesters (12 agility, 12 intelligence, 12 strength, 2 stamina) 

2 healing: hold the power of life and death

2 flying: winged

4 fighting: razor-sharp ceremonial knives, swooping attacks

5 toughness: bony skeletal exterior and thick ceremonial cloaks

==Scratch Role-Playing System==
{{:Scratch:Basic Rules}}
==Optional Rule: Grid==
{{:Scratch:Grid}}
==Optional Rule: Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives==
{{:Scratch:Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives}}
==Optional Rule: Random Damage==
{{:Scratch:Random Damage}}

==Fall of the Blackmanes==
An ancient, decrepit colo stood high in the air balanced on the top of a tall, ruined stone wall. Her black hooded witch's robe and her jet black hair flagged in the chilling, howling wind. Her eyes emitted a flickering shadow around her, the same way a torch would emit light in the darkness. She plucked thorns from her bleeding hands. The spiteful scowl on her face revealed her dismay.


Two heavily robed colos trudged down a dark misty wooded path. Monks of the Order of Thanatos traveled in groups of at least two. They were were prepared to investigate and if necessary exorcise a haunting on near the frontier of their territory.  The older, in-charge veteran monk, Ruben, was a head shorter than his young, robust and inexperienced companion, Willard. Ruben had aged posture, but still had power in his stride. Willard appeared comfortably over weight, in spite of his height. They now rehearsed the details of their assignment.

“All you do is pound a stake into the heart of the corpse, which effectually paralyzes it, and then drag that corpse outside and burn it, which supposedly purifies it, right?” recalled Willard.

“Right, and stand back when you set it ablaze! These things can explode without warning. Last time I did this my companion was badly burned” shuddered Ruben.

“Why have they sent only two of us to take on such a dangerous foe?”

Ruben sized up Willard with a glance. He had chosen Willard because of his superior strength and size, but now he wondered if he should have selected someone with more appetite for swordplay. “I have dealt with several of these types before. This foe’s not dangerous, so long as you go when they sleep in the daytime, and of course, so long as you follow the procedure. What concerns me is the condition of the castle. It’s been decades since anyone has produced any details of the condition of the castle’s interior.”

“Oh, I see, you’re worried one of us might slip and fall, and the nearest village is a dozen miles off. Well, how did the Executioner come to haunt this place anyhow?” questioned Willard.

Ruben muttered, “Well, all that is really available amounts to little more than old wives tales.”

“Tell me what you’ve heard!” Willard not only wanted to know but felt a sincere need to know.

“Alright,” sighed Ruben, “before colo country was settled, the royal Blackmane family lived here."

"We're headed for the ancestral home of the Blackmanes?! They were one of the original tribes that immigrated from our homeworld! But wasn't Blackmane Manor destroyed in the later wars of purification?"

"Not destroyed, but abandoned, before those wars. The trouble started with a witch. An old hag stopped by one nasty evening, asking for a place to weather the storm. Well, they let her in. In fact, they invited her to eat with them. However, when the time to eat came she was nowhere to be found. Instead on her chamber floor lay foreign lettering, written out in fresh blood” stated Ruben as near by song birds of awoke and started to chirp.

“Fresh blood indeed! Drawn from where?” interrupted Willard.

“I’ll get to that part” continued Ruben, “when the guest disappeared, this became a topic of conversation at dinner. Soon everyone knew of the findings in her room. Arguing ensued as a strange rage took hold of all their hearts. The possibility of a curse was mentioned at the supper table and someone else said the notion was foolish. Then someone raised their voice at the notion that the notion of a curse was foolish, and then someone slapped them for yelling," explained Ruben.

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"A punch was returned for a slap, a stab with a fork for a punch, and a drawn sword for a fork stab. Someone drew a sword to assist, and they were stabbed in the back by another. Two young brothers were wrestling in a death grip, just in front of the castle door, when they slipped and fell, still clinging to each other’s throats, and rolled down the castle stairs into the courtyard. Once off the castle steps they released each other almost immediately. They tried to help, but all inside were too infuriated to listen to their beckoning. Too busy killing each other you see. Fearing the violence, these two did not dare go back inside the castle until it was too late." Ruben stopped to wipe some water off his beak that fell from the leaf of an overhanging tree branch.

“Until it was too late? They went back in?” Thick fog was forming a slippery mud film on the trail.

“They found a sight of unspeakable carnage. The dead and their blood had been strewn all about the castle. But they found the executioner in the cellar kitchen. He wore his ceremonial hood and uniform, and was draining the blood from dead bodies into wine barrels. Apparently he was muttering a strange language to himself.”

“Old wives tales and their strange languages!” jested Willard.

“Well, they ran for it, escaping the executioner. That’s how the story goes, strange languages and all.”

“Ah, but what where did the hag get the newly drawn blood from to draw her archaic symbols with?”

“The brothers fled to near by authorities. After a few days of searching out and questioning possible suspects, an eccentric old beggar was found with bandages on her hands. The servants identified her as the witch. She claimed to not know how the wounds appeared on her hands and, as all wicked witches do, denied any involvement in witchcraft. For her lies, she was bound and burned alive." Ruben's voice had a dignified tone.

"At least the story has a happy ending” chuckled Willard in relief.

“Not quite, you see that was centuries ago. Ever since there have been sightings of this same Executioner, always at night, and always with his ceremonial burlap hood. No one dares approach the castle. Every year or two someone winds up missing in this region. There are hundreds reported missing now.”

The fog was clearing.  The silhouette of the fortress roof startled Willard from his thoughts. “Look over there” exclaimed Willard nervously, “we had better get ready.”

At the side of the trail, they took off their robes, revealing backpacks, soft leather armor, brass breastplates and waist sheathed short swords underneath. Emptying their packs, they fastened iron helmets with face guards, mounted a large heavy mallet to each of their belts along with a few unlit torches, and strapped belts of barbed oak stakes on their shoulders. Willard hoisted a coil of rope onto his left shoulder, and Ruben stuffed the robes into the backpacks and hid the packs in the bushes. They continued quietly down the path.

The outer wall of the fortress, three or four stories high, was formed from small boulders and large rocks fitted together with crude mortar. If there had been a mote outside of the wall at one time, it had since eroded into obscurity, as vines and trees now grew up against the outside wall, preventing it's collapse in some places. The log supports used to build the wall were never removed from the inside, and had been used to maneuver atop the wall.

They quickly snuck through the large front gate to the courtyard, which lay broken and open. Creeping through the morning's wet, well-grazed grass to the courtyard, they quietly skirted towards the front entrance to the fortress. Willard gestured at a large, burnt wooden pole sticking up vertically in the middle of the courtyard.

Ruben replied with a shrug and pointed towards the castle’s front door. The castle it's self, a story or two higher than the outer wall in most places, was constructed in the same way as was the outer wall, but it was in poorer repair without the trees and vines to hold it together. From the ground it was impossible to tell if it had a flat roof or no roof at all, as there was some sort of old wooden frame work on top of the castle, but it's function was concealed by it's eroded condition, and by the fact it was covered by noisy, jet black, perched crows.

They carefully found their way to the creaking front steps, then through the main massive wooden double door, which already lay open for them enough to squeeze through without having to try to force the door open further.

The inside of the castle was unusually dark and dry. They stopped for a moment to light a single torch. Suddenly a floor plank gave out underneath Ruben with an audible “crack.” His arms lashed out to keep himself from falling all the way through, but he only broke more rotten wooden planks on his way to the darkness below.

"Are you OK?” screamed Willard, as he lay at the edge of the hole left by Ruben’s fall. Willard knelt down, lowering his torch to offer light into the large chamber below, which was full of old sturdy tables. Willard could see Ruben, who was picking himself up out of a pile of dust.

“I think I’ve found the coffin, hurry!” Ruben pointed to an object not clearly visible to Willard.

Willard squeezed his hands and felt liquid on them. He examined the edge of the new hole in the floor and noticed blood around its edge. However, it was not in random patches as he thought it should be. The blood seemed to form some sort of lettering. What does that word say.. is that a letter… not a letter, a number? No, some kind of symbol I think..." thought Willard, as he jumped back, dropping the rope into the hole, involuntarily screaming, “Ahh!”

“What is wrong Willard?” cried Ruben’s voice from the hole.

Willard shook his head in disbelief. The flickering lighting from the torch was poor; he must have been seeing things. “Nothing, I just slipped. I’ll be right down!”

“Hurry, get down here now! I'm in the kitchen, I'm sure!”

Willard carefully walked through the front hall into a dark cluttered room and then through another. Even with a torch it was difficult to tell much about what the castle's interior had been like before it had been abandoned. Besides the poor lighting, time had taken its toll on the Castle interior. He noticed there were definitely signs of a struggle, with turned over tables and discarded weapons lying about. The struggle had obviously ended long ago, as most everything was covered in dust and cobwebs. He noted that the presence of weapons meant that there had been few visitors since the struggle had taken place.

He found the staircase down and felt his way down using an old rickety handrail. Suddenly he heard an old lady’s voice, which with frozen breath whispered into his ear, “I’m going to rip out your lungs and soak my rose garden with your blood!”

“Ahh!” screamed Willard again, pulling his sword and swinging fiercely at the old witch behind him. However, all he hit was the rock wall of the staircase. A mangy old crow on the step behind him, where he thought the witch should have been, squawked loudly and flapped off into the shadows. He resumed creeping towards the cellar, shaking his head in unbelief and self-doubt.

Even before entering the kitchen, Willard noticed the large wooden coffin lying in the center of the floor. He crept through the cellar basement towards the kitchen, and then into it, cautiously creeping towards the coffin. "Don’t forget the procedure!" remembered Willard as pulled out a barbed oak stake with his left hand and readied his large wooden mallet. Willard paused as he noticed a large, bloody executioners axe lying against the coffin. Where is Ruben? he thought, oh no, the yelling! He must have awakened it! This thing has killed Ruben!

Willard grimaced as his fear turned to anger. He kicked the finely crafted wooden lid off of the coffin, revealing a hooded, bare-chested colo ghoul inside. He straddled the coffin, plunging the stake downward, following it with a massive swoop of his mallet. He struck the stake again a second time, but his third blow was stopped by the ghoul’s hand driving into his chest, throwing him off of the coffin and onto the cold floor, rear first.

As Willard rose to his feet, so did the creature, struggling to remove the stake from its body. “Oh no! I’ve missed the heart!” thought Willard when he saw that the stake protruded more from the throat of the ghoul than its chest. It waved at him with one hand threateningly as it pulled futilely at the barbed stake, causing a light spray of blood to darken its chest. Willard readied another stake and charged, thundering angrily “this one’s for Ruben!”

The creature side stepped out of the coffin off the line of Willard’s charge, grabbing Willard’s available mallet arm and swinging him into a cold stone wall head first, causing an audible “clang” from Willard’s helmet. The impact stunned Willard, and he dropped his stake and mallet as he stumbled to the floor.

Willard shook his head in pain, climbing to his feet. He could not believe the power of the creature he faced. He attempted to draw his sword, but was denied by a forceful boot to his mid section, which threw him back out of the kitchen into the darkness of the cellar. The ghoul chased after, half screeching, half gurgling.

Willard watched as the ghoul held the stake with one hand and lashed out in the dark with the other. He tried to quietly draw his sword. The ghoul turned and charged right at him, but this time Willard was faster; with a massive thrust he impaled the left side of the its lower body with his sword. For a moment it was stunned as Willard twisted the blade, causing vital fluids to spill out onto the floor. As the ghoul’s weight retreated, it slipped on some of its own drippings and stumbled. Willard let go of his sword and kicked at the creature’s legs will all of his might, sweeping it to the floor. He drew a stake and plunged downward with both hands.

Willard secured the stake with a series of stomps, but the ghoul kept writhing. He secured another stake, and then another. First binding the colo like feet with rope, he dragged the corpse by the rope towards the staircase. His sword scraped loudly as it was still impaled the creature, its point dragging on the cobble stone floor.

As Willard dragged the ghoul up the staircase, it finally quit writhing, its head sounding “thud, thud” with each step upwards. The sword made the dragging difficult as it snagged, making a clinging sound step after step. The body seemed to get lighter and lighter as he dragged. Someone stirred far off in the fortress, causing creeks and faint weeping sounds. Is that just crows, or is Ruben still alive? I’ll have to go find him after I finish this.

Willard dragged the ghoul through the dark cluttered rooms into the main front hall where Ruben had fallen through the floor. He stopped to catch his breath. He took off his helmet and breastplate to ease his burden. He debated whether to take the ghoul outside to burn it, or to risk burning it inside the dry interior of the fortress where it lay. Then he noticed the amount of damage done to the body, and how its loss of blood and other internal tissues had been the cause of it becoming lighter, forming a bloody, lumpy trail back into a cluttered room.

“Willard, thank goodness you’re safe” came Ruben’s voice from out of the shadows behind Willard. Ruben’s hunched, armored figure approached the downed ghoul. The creature spastically jolted to its hands and knees, desperately trying to get up. A massive sweep of Ruben’s boot sounded in the specter’s rib cage with an audible “crunch”, smashing the creature against a narrow pillar into a vulnerable prone position. Ivory tusks now protruded from the dripping, bloody, torn skin of the ghoul’s rib cage.

Willard walked to the front doors to put down his armor and to let more light into the structure. As he was pulling a door open he noticed that there was a large cluster of rose bushes very near the burnt pole in the courtyard. He scratched some dried blood off of his face, wondering why he hadn’t notice the roses before.

Then he noticed the burnt pole was no longer there. Willard panicked, pulling the door open with a series of forceful yanks, trying to protect himself with twilight from the confusing darkness of the fortress. Each yank produced an unsettling creaking, cracking sound as the door resisted Willard's force. When he finally got the door open wide enough, he glanced back inside. They had created more of a mess than he thought, with blood splattered about from the corpse. “Take off its hood, let's get a good look at it” insisted Willard desperately.

The hunched figure hefted the corpse by the throat into the air with one hand, yanked the hood off with the other, and chucked the body across the room into Willard, knocking him to the floor. Ruben’s face gazed up at Willard from the mutilated body. “Nooooooo !” cried out Willard as he realized his mistake. Willard knew he had tortured and killed his own mentor. "Back in the cellar someone must have dressed Ruben up to look like the ghoul!" he realized suddenly.

The ghoulish figure removed Ruben’s helmet it had been disguising itself with. Willard could make little distinction between the darkness of the shadows and the shadowy evil of the head of the creature, because of a dark fog around it's head.  He was bare able to make out the beak of a colo.

The creature glared over at Willard, stake in hand. “Now we will see how you like it…” screeched a familiar, yet twisted voice of an old lady. Leaping to his feet, Willard pulled a stake and charged. The burlap hooded ghoul intercepted Willard’s lunge, impaling Willard’s chest with a barbed oak stake. Sudden darkness ended all of Willard’s pain and confusion.


An ancient, decrepit colo stood high in the air balanced on the top of a tall, ruined stone wall. Her black hooded witch's robe and jet black hair flagged in the chilling, howling wind. Her eyes emitted a flickering shadow around her, the same way a torch would emit light in the darkness. She plucked thorns from her bleeding hands. The spiteful grin on her face revealed her wicked glee.

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