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Chaosium Digest Volume 1, Number 11
Date: Monday, March 22, 1993
Number: 2 of 3

Contents:

The Siege of Castle Pennith [Part II] (Fergal Somers)  PENDRAGON

--------------------

From: fergal somers <ftsomers@cs.tcd.ie>
Subject: The Siege of Castle Pennith [Part II : The Scenerio]
System: Pendragon

En Route to Castle Pennith

It's late afternoon as the players travel through the forest towards
Castle Pennith.  The sky becomes quickly overcast and darkness begins
to settle onto the forest as a ground fog sweeps in from the coast
[Awareness - success this is not normal for this time of year]. The
players should be advancing slowly on foot with torches lit
[horsemanship rolls if not].

As you clear the trees you see the outline Castle Pennith guarding its
clifftop perch against the turbulent stormclouds which rumble and
spark at its single tower.  The clang of steel on steel and
windsnatched yells, draws your attention downwards to the beach at the
base of the cliff, where scattered torches weave and join one another
giving light to figures silhouetted against the night sky.

The characters have arrived in the midst of the expected Saxon raid.
A storm has quickly built-up and a strange thick fog, which has blown
in off the sea, hides the raiders' numbers.  However, from the players
vantage point [successful Battle/Awareness] rolls will tell them that
the battle is going against the invaders.  In particular, Lord Pennith
[Heraldry roll] has joined the fray, giving much-needed encouragement
to his forces, whose spirit has been somewhat sapped by the devilish
and portentous storm.  Encourage the characters to join in what now
looks like a rout, but as they chase adversaries, the fog becomes
quickly thicker and the players lose their way.  Saxons and knights
pass-in and out of their vision as they search to find their way out
of the fog.  Climbing for higher ground, the characters come to a
relative clearing where a number of saxons warriors, a strangely
garbed individual (see stats for Gardeth) and a beautiful woman (see
stats for Lady Rosaline) are hurrying along.  Gardeth, realising the
failure of the invasion, has managed to capture the Lady Rosaline to
ensure his safe escape.  When the players see them, the Lady Rosaline
will turn around and plea for help.  Gardeth will attempt to hold the
Lady Rosaline hostage, but after the knights kill the saxon warriors
he'll flee, to appear again later. cue battle:

Stats for:  6 saxon warriors (bandit stats)
SIZ 12 Move 3 Major Wound 12
DEX 10 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 6
STR 12 Heal - Knockdown 12
CON 12 HP 24 Armor 4/10
AP 8 Glory 3 Valorous Mod 

Notes:
They will turn and flee once half their number are incapacitated.
Armor score includes shield (+6).

Skills: Axe 11, Spear 8

No player should be significantly injured in this battle.  Each player
knight should roll 3d6 to see who is the one to rescue Lady Rosaline,
this knight also receives Amor(Rosaline) for this act.  The Lady
Rosaline is most grateful and asks the players to escort her to her
father's castle, allowing the rescuing player to surrender his horse
to her.  Lady Rosaline will lead them through the portcullis where
squires are busy making things normal again.  Waiting at the main
castle doors is the dwarf Walch (see stats).  Lady Rosaline introduces
the characters and asks is her father about.  "No m'lady he's still
abroad surveying the damage, left me in charge o' the castle he did.
Shall I escort you to your room m'lady?" Walch will say.  The lady
Rosaline declines [Awareness rolls - success, she is ignoring the
dwarf - critical, the dwarf disgusts and unsettles her].  After Lady
Rosaline leaves, Walch will arrange squires to rub down the players
horses making a show of ordering the squires about.

Feast At Castle Pennith

The battle is over and the players are honoured guests, seated at the
high table, for their brave rescue of the Lady Rosaline.  Lord Pennith
is a good host and the usual feasting, intrigue and romance
opportunities exist.  Sir Ieuan's obvious saxon sentiments may be
cause for argument with the knights of Castle Pennith who will have
lost a number of comrades.  Sword fights for love are preferable to
mortal combat in this occasion. Seated also is Sir Alluen who has a
tale to tell:

'Twas more than a pity you didn't manage to hold that black saxon dog.
Never seen weather like it, strange smelling fog and a storm that
built so fast out of a clear blue sky.  Aye, behind curses and hexes,
that's how these saxons do battle!  We were held down at one point by
an enormous saxon warrior. Three knights it took to best him and when
we opened his helm, unholy vapours, as putrid as a charnel house, did
spill forth.

If the characters inquire further Alluen will become even more vague,
except that he believes Gardeth to be guilty of the most heinous
sorceries.  What was left of the saxon warrior was burnt almost
immediately.  Later...

The shouting and merriment stops abruptly as two wet bedraggled
knights arrive in carrying a chained prisoner under the arms, feet
dragging along the floor.  The prisoner has obviously been beaten
quite severely.  They drop the prisoner roughly and stand to
attention.  Lord Pennith stands to command silence: What is meant by
this intrusion?  One of the knights replies: Sire, we found this one
escaping in a boat, four or five saxons fought to give him time to
flew, but we managed to hold him.  We believe him to be their leader!
With this, the other knight bends down to the kneeling chained figure.
Gripping his hair he pulls the prisoner's face up to the light.  Lady
Rosaline faints.

The prisoner is the sorcerer Gardeth.  Sir Ieuan will recognise
Gardeth (handout #1).  Gardeth should be sullen and aloof not
answering any charges laid against him, merely glowering hatefully at
the assembled knights.  Once all the fuss has died down, one of the
two knights will ask Lord Pennith if he should kill the saxon right
there and then.  Lord Pennith decides that the player knights have
each earned the right decide the prisoner's fate: life or death and
will ask each of them in turn.  If the majority is for death, then
execution will be scheduled for the morning so as not to interrupt the
festivities any longer.  In any case, the prisoner will be chained to
the wall and taunted all evening by the revellers.  Lord Pennith will
ask Sir Alluen to set out at once to Silchester to tell Duke Ulfius
that not only had they quashed the invasion, but they have its leader
as prisoner.  Lord Pennith will then make light of the situation by
asking Walch to jest for him.  Walch eventually does so [Awareness -
very grudgingly] and starts cartwheeling etc.  Indulgence rolls all
round and so forth.  The player knights will sleep (pass out) in the
main hall with the other knights.  The wine has been tempered with a
sleeping draught slipped in by some traitor in the castle.

The Morning After

The characters are wakened by the screams of women. Raising their
groggy heads from the table, they notice swords have been driven into
the wood beside their heads [Awareness roles will indicate that they
have an unusually bad hangover].  The blades of the swords are covered
in blood and the characters will also notice that these swords belong
to them. Sitting-up the characters notice the scene of carnage and
also that their clothes are covered in blood. Throats have been slit
and limbs hacked-off and most importantly the prisoner Gardeth is
gone.  Similar scenes of death abound in the rest of the castle. The
players will eventually encounter a force of villagers searching the
castle.  They are lead by Sir Alluen who has this day returned with an
entourage of several other knights (enough to outnumber the players).
Sir Alluen is obviously shaken by the events.  The peasants are angry
and the situation is incriminating.  Let the players sweat for a
while.  Then, a shout from the castle leads all concerned to the
private bedchamber of the Lady Rosaline.  A dead maid lies with sword
wounds to her back as if in flight.  Above, daubed in an all to
familiar substance, is a message in Latin (handout #2).  This will let
the players somewhat off the hook, however they still allowed this
travesty to occur while they were supposed to be helping to defend the
castle.  It is now a matter of honor. Sir Alluen, decides for the
players:

Something devilish has taken place here, and I must confess I do not
yet understand your relationship with this Saxon dog.  However, since
the hand of fate has irrevocably interwined your destinies with this
Saxon devil, your path now lies clear.  Let God be your judge, ride
forth and do not return until you can place the head of Gardeth on the
Castle spikes.

This should leave the players with no option but to set out for Castle
Cynric.  Their honour is at stake, they're under some suspicion for
being the only survivors and Lady Rosaline is being held captive.
Four of the knights who accompanied Sir Alluen will also set off
(along a different route) to fulfil this quest.

Setting Out

The players and, indeed, people from the area, will not know the exact
whereabouts of Castle Cynric, though it is rumoured to exist in the
Saxon held areas of Wessex.  This area is densely forested, though
there are few well-defined tracks that lead through it.  If the
characters take a less travelled route, the journey should be mostly
uneventful.  Impress upon the players that they are entering
unfriendly or at least neutral territory, and, above all, territory
they are unfamiliar with.  Throw in a saxon scout or two (use stats
for warriors above), which the characters must kill off before they
report back to their compatriots [successful Hunting/Dex/Horsemanship
rolls for pursuit] just to keep things moving along smoothly.

A Meeting in  the woods

After a few hours travel [Awareness Rolls - success you feel the
forest is too quiet], the players hear a dog howling to the left of
the path.  This is answered by another dog, howling off to the right.
More howls occur, and the players will realise that a pack of dogs is
hunting them.  These are no ordinary dogs however; they are much
larger than hunting hounds and their eyes glow an evil blood-red
colour. Twelve dogs will suddenly cross the players' path from the
left and attack [Horsemanship rolls - success you maintain control].
They will fight to the last dog, who will turn and flee to the right.
While the players are inactive, more dogs will appear, but ignore the
players, and race off to the right of the path and into the woods. A
few yelps and screams will alert the players that something big is
happening in the woods to the right. The woods are dense and the
players are not able to ride through, so they must advance on foot.
As they proceed dogs will periodically attack them.

When the players arrive, they are overwhelmed by a sound of dogs
baying.  Before them is a clearing, ringed by standing stones.  Inside
the ring, wielding a sword is a bloody figure, his arm mangled.
Circling him is a very large pack of evil-looking dogs [Awareness -
success, They will not enter the stone circle].  The figure is taking
wild swings at them, but for the most part the dogs are too fast.  The
players should make for the circle and then attack the dogs.  The dogs
will eventually realise their problem after a few casualties and
leave, perhaps leaving one sentry. The players are now free to talk to
Hobriu.

Demon Dogs
SIZ 14 Move 3 Major Wound 12
DEX 12 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 6
STR 10 Heal * Knockdown 14
CON 12 HP 26 Armour 2
AP - Glory to
kill 30 Valorous
Modifier -3

Skills:  bite @15, Avoidance 14.

The bloodied figure is Hobriu, a Jute who's running away from the
saxons in Wessex, and is now making a mad dash for Kent.  His entire
party were attacked and killed by undead monsters, but Hobriu, through
luck, worked out how to defeat them (staking them with hawthorn wood).
Since then, these black dogs have been attacking him every night. If
the players ask about the Castle Cymric, he will tell them it is but
an hours ride due west.  However he will refuse to accompany them.
Each of the players should obtain a hawthorn stake (convenient bush
nearby).

Faeries

If the players decide to sleep inside the ring of standing stones for
protection, [Faerie Lore success - this may not be such a good idea]
then at night, while they snooze, they will be bound by Gossamer cords
and unable to move.  Invisible hands pinch the characters awake.  This
continues to the accompaniment of tinkly laughter. Eventually, the
faerie folk make themselves visible, chastising these rude travellers
for barging in on their festivities without being invited.  As the
characters look around them, there is indeed a large feast taking
place with exquisite pies and delights.  If the characters are
suitably apologetic then the faeries will offer to smooth over their
upsets, if the players will join them for a bite to eat and drink.
[Faerie Lore - this would be a mistake, never eat/drink faerie food
for fear of becoming moon-struck].  The players must now make
courteous excuses. If they raise the faeries' displeasure, then some
michievous forfeit will be brought down upon them (a bout of
itchiness, compulsion to dance etc).  If they really upset the
faeries, some physical deformity (like grossly enlarging a players
nose etc.) will occur. Make of this as much as you wish.

Lake Cynric

It is again late evening as the players reach a largish lake, complete
with moss-covered roots poking ominously out of the water.  In the
centre lies a ringfort crannog. At the edge of the shore, 100 yds
down, a flat-bottomed boat waits.  Standing in the boat is a cowled
figure holding a pole.  The boat is the only way (apart from swimming)
across the lake. The boat is just about big enough to carry all the
knights, but not their belongings and certainly not their horses.
Once all the knights are in the boat then the boatsman begins poling
slowly across the lake.  The boatsman will not answer any questions
put to him; and his face is always cowled.  If the players remove his
cowl then they will see a palish-green face. [In the unlikely event
that a player has died at this stage then resurrect him as a sort of
zombie boatsman. If not then Hobriu, Lord Pennith, Sir Alluen etc can
be candidates if you like]. From the point of stepping into the boat
there is no going back. If the players attempt to swim for shore have
something pull at their legs and release only if they turn back to
clamber into the boat.  [Successful swimming roll, if failure, roll
under (CON - ARMOUR pts) on d20 or lose d6 HP].

Castle AAAAARRGG (Cynric)

The boat will pull up to the jetty (see map #2) and wait.  There is
nothing for the players to do but disembark and bang on the doors of
the fort.  After some time the heavy wooden-stake doors will be opened
by Walch, the dwarf from Castle Pennith [and also the traitor who put
a sleeping draught in the wine and freed Gardeth].  He will be
suitably snide and mocking to the knights, saying how surprised he is
that they ventured this far.  He was sick and tired of being treated
like some sort of pet, a curiosity to do tricks at the feet of that
great oaf Lord Pennith.  If the players try to do Walch any harm he
will use his avoidance of 25 to get away.  Either way the players will
either be led or make their own way into the main hall, the door of
which closes behind them.

As you eyes become accustomed to the flickering light of the torches
that hang from the tarred wooden supports, you notice the pagan runes
and designs that have been drawn out upon the earthen floor. Straight
in front of you, upon a raised dais, lies a simple wooden chair.
Around the walls of the room stand four rusted metal cages. Now you
can see clearly their purpose, for inside lie the twisted forms of
what was once human, their bodies held fast by the stained metal
spikes of the cage.

[recognise rolls will reveal that the cadavers inside are those of the
other four knights who attempted this quest]. [Valorous rolls - success 
the knight manages to contain his fear and revulsion, failure - the
knight tries to flee, but the door is bolted from the outside and they
are shut in.]

Suddenly the tapestries behind the dais move and the Lady Rosaline
emerges, her red hair capturing the orange fire of the torches.  Her
eyes are downcast to a steaming wooden bowl which she carries most
carefully.  Behind her stands the sorcerer Gardeth, he moves forward
and sits down on the chair. "Now I have you all"

Gardeth is not interested in the original deal; he wants them all.  If
the players threaten him he'll simply say something like: Piteous
fools!  Do you really think I would let you enter my domain if you
could possibly be a threat to me.  No, you shall die here, that much
mercy I promise you.

Gardeth weaves his fingers and a cold numbness enters your head.  Your
arms and legs begin to feel like lead and your swords drop to the
floor and lie at your feet. The cold in your head becomes a searing
whiteness etching away all thought, smoothing away all your cares

Gardeth has immobilised the characters, [piety rolls will break this
enchantment and hitting other players or attacking Gardeth will also
break it.  In the unlikely event that all characters fail the piety
roll then fudge it by saying that the knight with Amor(Rosaline) sees
her pain and is spurred to action, the enchantment broken by his
inspired passion].  Breaking the enchantment will annoy Gardeth.  If
the players attempt to attack Gardeth, then he will touch Rosaline's
forehead.  Rosaline rises upright, lifts the steaming bowl to her lips
and drinks full, yellow liquid spilling down her chin. She steps
forward, arms out-stretched, and shouts in a strange language.  Slowly
the cadavers in the Iron maidens become animated and pull themselves
off their spikes and attack the knights.

Six Dead knights

SIZ 14 Move 1 Major Wound 14
DEX 11 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 7
STR 11 Heal * Knockdown 14
CON 14 HP 28 Armour 10
AP -2 Glory to
kill 80 Valorous
Modifier -5

Notes:
*Heal d4 HP per round. Can regenerate from negative HP.
Can only be killed by staking them with Hawthorn and inflicting
damage. 
* Once wounded a similar wound appears on Rosaline's body, but of
course the players have to be watching Rosaline to notice this.

Skills:  Sword 15,  No shield.

A Bargain?

This should be a pretty bad battle, with some casualties. Once
defeated, the scene leaves Rosaline dead on the dais, with bloody
wounds in identical places where the players have staked their dead
opponents.  Gardeth, who's carefully worked out revenge has just
failed, will attempt to make a deal for his life:

She is not dead, for nothing truly dies here within my domain.  With
power, even loved ones can be returned from beyond the veil of death.
But with death, there is always a price.  Swear a solemn oath on your
honor to leave this place and never return, and I will breath new life
back into her.

If the players swear an oath, then Gardeth will be true to his word.
He'll lift the wooden bowl and pour yellow liquid from it into
Rosaline's mouth. Rosaline will awaken, but be unable to speak and
remain in a state not much more than catatonic. If the players then
try and break their oath, let them, but Rosaline will fight to attack
them and each participating knight should lose 1-2 points of honor for
breaking an oath.  When the players return with Rosaline in a
catatonic state and no prisoner, they will be welcomed, but their
quest has failed.  Rosaline, being heiress apparent to Castle Pennith,
allows one of the players to claim the right to marry her and thus
claim the castle.

If the players refuse to bargain (more likely) then Gardeth will
attempt to flee and the players will be free to kill or capture him.
If killed, then the fort will slowly start subsiding into the swamp,
roots pushing up through the earthen floor.  Allow the players to make
a rapid dash to the boat and escape.

A shudder runs through the hall as the last breath escapes from the
sorcerers lips.  Torches fall to the floor, beams and matting collapse
and catch fire; and strange roots rip the earth asunder, scattering
the runes drawn therein.  Water begins to seep upwards turning the
ground to a thick black mud.

On return the players are cleared of all suspicion, if they have a
prisoner (or his head) and the body of Lady Rosaline is given a decent
christian burial.

The End

NPCs

Gardeth the Necromancer
SIZ 10 Move 2 Major Wound 13
DEX 10 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6
STR 10 Heal - Knockdown 10
CON 13 HP 23 Armour 1
APP 10 Glory to
Kill 200 Valorous Mod none

Notes:

Gardeth is a rogue saxon, owing allegiance to no one, except perhaps
the dark forces he uses to gain his power.  Ostracized by the clannish
Saxon folk he claims to serve, he has banded together an army of
warriors tempted by his power to give them life after death.  He wages
what he sees as a just war against the Britons, convinced of the
superiority of his Saxon heritage.  However, for the most part Saxons
mainly fear his name and its association with devilish forces.

Skills:  necromancy, paralyse foe and anything else appropriate.
Attack (staff) 12.

Lady Rosaline, daughter of Lord Pennith
SIZ 10 Move 2 Major Wound 15
DEX 13 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6
STR 10 Heal - Knockdown 10
CON 15 HP 25 Armour 2
AP 16 Glory 250 Valorous Mod none

Notes:
Lady Rosaline, only daughter of Lord Pennith is a stunning beauty. Her
flowing red hair betrays her Celtic ancestry and quick temper.  She
has a quick wit to match her beauty.  Being the only child of a lord,
she has become outspoken and independent for a woman of her times; and
stomachs fools rarely.

Skills: First Aid 17, Dance 14, Courtesy 12.

Walch the Dwarf
SIZ 8 Move 2 Major Wound 15
DEX 14 Damage 3d6 Unconscious 6
STR 9 Heal - Knockdown 8
CON 15 HP 23 Armour 4
AP 6 Glory to
Kill 10 Valorous Mod none

Notes:
Walch is kept around more as a curiosity than as the administrator he
feels he should be.  Over the years he has harboured a strong
resentment of Lord Pennith and a growing desire for Lady Rosaline.

Skills: Avoidance 25, Industry 13, Awareness 16.

Sir Alluen or any other knights you may need.
SIZ 14 Move 3 Major Wound 14
DEX 11 Damage 5d6 Unconscious 7
STR 14 Heal 3 Knockdown 14
CON 14 HP 28 Armour 12/6
AP 11 Glory 2150 Sword Skill 18

Handout #1: Osric

You remember now Gardeth, yes for years it was a name used to frighten
young children.  A name of legend.  Gardeth the sorcerer, Gardeth of
the faeries, Gardeth the dark one.  Then, he became more than a story.
Reports of devastating raids against the Britons threatened the
authority by which Cedric governed the tribes.  Then, after the
stories of successful conquest, other rumours, initially suppressed in
the excited news, began to surface; stories of terrible weapons,
warriors from the netherworlds and unclean practices.  Fearing a power
struggle, Cedric had waged war on Gardeth and the sorcerer fled.  Now
apparently he had returned...

Handout #2: (In Latin)

You will learn to curse the day you had dared to judge me, for I will
see your loved ones slaughtered, your homes overrun and your fields
put to the torch; but before all of this, you will will scream and beg
me for death, for I have a special fate reserved for you, Judging
Knights.  The Lady Rosaline and I await you in Castle Cynric.  Such a
sweet child, such a terrible waste.  The bargain is simple, your lives
for the Lady Rosaline's.  Of course, if you are but the cowards you
appear...

Map #1 Castle Pennith and surrounds as you know it
Map #2 Castle Cynric

--------------------

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