 HeroQuest
 Copyright © 2006 |
Theyalan
Adventures
|
| Note! This is a fan contribution. The information may be contradicted by official material. |
Premise
"The missionaries' procedures were generally benevolent and successful. The Hagolings are a good example of such a meeting."The PC Heroes are the Theyalan missionaries. Their goal is to bring the light of the dawn to the benighted peoples of Talastar.
Benchmark: 1W2 (on the basis of the White Woman being a disciple)
Involving the Heroes: The Heroes really need to be missionaries from the Theyalan culture - typically in Lightbringer cults, probably priests or godis. There should be 7 individuals, ideally from the cults listed in the Lightbringer Ring (BA p14)
Opening Scene: Contact!
Keypoints:"In Talastar, shortly after the Dawn, the Theyalan missionaries found a small clan who called themselves the Hagolings."
The narrator should describe the Hagolings.
"The Hagolings are a miserable people, skinny and unhealthy. They are typically poor, without any substantial material goods, even lacking sewn clothing. For weapons they bear sharpened sticks, large gnarled clubs, and anything which they can throw. They eat a variety of roots and tubers, springtime shoots, and rough leaves but, typically of the pretheyalans, are unable to know that a variety of other foodstuffs are all around them. The Hagolings flee when they first see the Theyalans."
The Theylans have a normal procedure, a ritual, for establishing communication with the pretheyalans.
"But, as was usual, the Theyalans made a fire which they left burning, prepared a simple feast, played some music, and departed to the distance to watch."
Contest: Ritual of Contact.
Appropriate Abilities: Reassure Stranger feat, Calm Fear affinity (-3), Communication affinity (-10)The ritual (HQ p102) requires three things, and has three ritual roles in addition to the leader: The objective is to gain the trust of the Hagolings. I assume that a Chalana Arroy cultist (a White Woman) leads the ritual. The leader of the ritual is the only person that approaches the Hagolings at the end of it.
1) Fire -fire related magic (I'd allow a Vingan to use her Protection affinity, improvising the Make Fire feat. Mahome with a Bless Hearth affinity would be suitable.). This provides Warmth.
2) Feast - another ritual element, and could be provided in many ways; hunting (eg. Odayla), farming (eg. Elmalhara, Heler), the Theyalans could have bought it (Issaries), or even stolen it (Eurmal). This provides Food.
3) Music - could be from any mundane or magical musical ability. It provides Hope.
Resistance: Fear, 15W (overcoming a hostile crowd HQ p275)
Complete Victory: All of the Hagolings are persuaded of the good intentions of the Theyalans by the ritual. They allow the White Woman to approach.
Major Victory: All the Hagolings are prepared to give the Theyalans a chance, but require further proof of their intent. They allow the White Woman to approach, singing her peace songs.
Minor Victory: Most of the Hagolings are prepared to give the Theyalans a chance, but require further proof of their intent. Some of the Hagolings stay hidden, run away, or do not trust the Theyalans.
Marginal Victory: Some of the Hagolings are prepared to give the Theyalans a chance, but require further proof of their intent. Most of the Hagolings stay hidden, run away, or do not trust the Theyalans.
Tie: "Sometimes this led to nothing but flight." They all run away, unless someone thinks of something quickly! (for example, perhaps allow a Fade from View feat so that they can "depart to a distance to watch" more effectively)
Marginal Defeat: "Sometimes this led to nothing but flight." They all run away.
Major Defeat: The Hagolings are hostile and afraid, they will fight if followed.
Complete Defeat: The Hagolings attack the missionaries.
Keypoint:
As long as they can get at least some of the Hagolings to not run away, the Heroes can proceed to the next scene. If the Hagolings run away or attack the Theyalans the Heroes will probably chase after them or fight back - the possibilities are not covered in this scenario.
Rising Action: Proof of Intent.
The leader of the ritual is now on her own with the Hagolings, (although the other Theyalans can be watching, and are nearby), and will normally approach, singing."She sings her peace songs. These always make anyone feel better, because they take away all the small pains and aches and worries for the time it is sung, and for as long afterwards as it was sung. Naturally she gained their simple confidence."
The Hagolings are now giving the leader of the ritual a chance to prove themselves. The best approach is an ability like healing, but other things are possible.
Contest: Proving the Theyalans intent
Appropriate abilities: Healing magic, Low or High entertainment (-20), almost anything to show that the Theyalan can and will help the Hagolings now, not some time in the future.Resistance: This depends on the method chosen. For Healing, we can assume someone is injured, or dying, and can be healed using (HQ p81), for some sort of social interaction such as Low entertainment the resistance would depend on the result of the prevuious contest - eg for complete victory 17, Major victory 5W, Minor victory 15W, Marginal Victory 5W2. For other deeds, for example defeating a dangerous monster for them I'd suggest similar resistances as for social interation, and a simple contest. Of course, the narrator and players may wish to engage in some sort of extra adventure here, overcoming some additional threat. It would also be approriate to suggest that different choices can be made that may affect the Hagolings later on - do they choose to heal the strongest Hagoling warrior, or perhaps a pregnant woman, or a wise but frail elder. Remember that only the leader of the ritual of meeting has approached, the others are watching from a distance. If they approach, the Hagolings are likely to think they have been tricked and will run away, or worse, grab a hostage.
"Then she healed the worst among them. He'd been mauled, and his leg was festered, with bits of bone still sticking out. She made him still, and the clan gawked as she opened the wound, spat on a cloth and wiped away the pus, then put the bones back into place and closed it. She never stopped singing until she was done."
Any victory means that the Theyalans can continue to the next scene. Failure leads to more complications that the narrator will need to elaborate.
Climax: Ritual of the Ring
This is another ritual known to the Theyalans. The ritual requires the Seven Lightbringers, initially represented by some object of power - one of their possesions, preferably sacred, magical, powerful and appropriate to their role. They get +1 for each item if they is all 4 of these things.Contest: Ritual of the Ring.
The next ritual introduces the other Theyalans to the fearful Hagolings, initially by representing the Theyalan with an object of power. I would stage this as an extended contest, where each player should be aware that whoever makes the winning action against the Haolings fear and suspicion will recieve some sort of additional recognition and respect from the Hagolings (eg: They could hardly take their eyes off him, and they were nearly pop eyed with wonder)."After they calmed, she sat them in a circle, leaving seven seats empty. She took out her bundle, and from it a tool for each empty seat. These bundles were, of course, different from tribe to tribe, clan to clan, and cult to cult. These particular human missionaries were from the Vestantes tribe, and so they carried their regalia in a sheep skin."
Appropriate Abilities: Heortling Myths, Mythology of Lightbringers, Ezkankekko's Song.
Resistance: 15W. Hagoling fear and ignorance. It is difficult and dangerous, and the participants need to take 'great care' when they take their seats. I suggest that Trickster's presence means we require a rolled augment to represent the danger here, with an appropriate ability, and with appropriate consequences.
Ritual roles: (see Lightbringer Ring BA p14)
Orlanth - items might be a rams horn, gold armbands, a sword, a chieftains torc, a bag of winds, a kite.
Lhankor Mhy - items might be quills, papers, a rune carbed rock, bark with marks, a magic stone, a law staff.
Chalana Arroy - healing herbs, medicines, bandages, a drinking bowl.
Issaries - a gold coin, a chest of treasure, fine (sewn) clothes, clay pots.
Flesh Man -
Eurmal - a piece of shit, a rotten apple, tar and feathers, a rat, a trick or illusion, something stolen from the Hagolings.
Eighth - varies.
Outer Ring - the Hagolings take this role. If they are all present and trusting the bonus is +2, if not all of them are convinced, +1. There is no item known in the ritual to represent the Outer Ring, however perhaps the sheep skin is their item here, (probably the result of a Hero Point burnp - ).
"When the White Woman unrolled it the Hagolings broke into excited speech. They explained later they'd never seen any sheep skin except their own goddess'. When they saw that one, they all felt they were surely in the presence of lost kin."
Complete Victory: The Hagolings believe that they are in the presence of lost kin and that the future is brighter. [Cue: "Let the Sunshine In", by Fifth Dimension]
Major Victory: The Hagolings believe that they may be in the presence of lost kin and that there is hope. The other missionaries can come out of hiding, and with great care take their seats where their particular regalia waits.
Minor Victory: The Hagolings hope that they are in the presence of lost kin, and think they could help. After a time the other missionaries can come out of hiding, and with great care take their seats where their particular regalia waits.
Marginal Victory: The Hagolings will listen to the Theyalans. After a time the other missionaries can come out of hiding, and with great care they can take their seats where their particular regalia waits.
Tie: They require further evidence. The other missionaries can come out of hiding.
Marginal Defeat: They all run away when the others come out of hiding.
Major Defeat: The Hagolings become hostile and afraid, they leave and will fight if followed.
Complete Defeat: The Hagolings try to kill the Theyalans and take their stuff.
Denouement: Spread the Word
KeypointsThe heroes get a chance to do what they came for - spread the Word of the Dawn, to teach the worship of Orlanth and Ernalda.
"They began to speak, freely, and in the process the missionaries began to learn their dialect. It was hard, with the Hagolings, and at first
only the Speaker thought that they were talking the Orlanthi tongue at all."
Contest: Spread the Word of the Dawn.
Appropriate Abilities: Be Understood, Interpret Spoken Language, Acclaim chieftain, Calm Fear, Sense Chaos, Find Shelter, - allow almost anything. Any ability is either being used or taught to the Hagolings in order to overcome their shortcomings and problems.
Resistance: the Hagoling problems are best represented by seperate AP pools, and abilities. Tailor these totals to the number of players:
"Secretive" - 10W, defeating this means that the Hagolings reveal Henthana's Hide, and how they survived the Darkness. Best overcome with communications abilities and magic.
"Misery" - 5W, best overcome with warms, songs, protection from danger, shelter, companionship, tasty food.
"Skinny" - 4W, best overcome by eating.
"Unhealthy" - 3W, best overcome by warmth, safety, rest. Augments "Misery" and "Skinny" until defeated.
"Fearful" - 7W - best overcome with bravery, self confidence, defeat of foes.
"Without substantial material goods" - 10W - best overcome with substantial material goods, trade, craftsmanship.
"Without sewn clothes" - 3W - best overcome with looms, wool, needles, sewing.
"Unable to know about foodstuffs" - 1W - best ovecome with farming, herding, hunting.
Each problem also has an "Impatient" rating 5W, and "Reluctant to change 5W", that can be used to represent the dissatisfaction that the Hagolings may feel if progress is slower than they had hoped. Treat the problems as actors, lending each other AP, augmenting each other, etc.
Contest results: These are too many and varied to describe in full. Any victory will result in the Hagolings sacrificing to Orlanth and Ernalda. Note that this contest is expected to take place over a long period - seasons and years rather than days or weeks. If Theyalans are defeated they may give up on the Hagolings and leave, lower themselves to the Hagolings level, or submit to some moral failing such as ruling them as oppressors, or exploiting their labour,
As an example of what might result:
"They were eager learners, of course. Every day they spent learning songs and lessons that brought new revelations, whether it was needles or recognizing that a fruit was edible.
After a few years, when the Hagolings learned the Elmal Verses so they could find ripe fruit in summer and autumn, the Hagoling elders brought forth Hethana's Hide, and told their story about how they had survived the Great Darkness.
The Hagolings flourished once their eyes had been opened with the Theyalan intelligence. It took about three years of teaching them until they all agreed to sacrifice to Orlanth and Ernalda.
Their offerings were received the people rejoiced to join the worship of these great gods and their pantheon. Shortly afterwards the Hagolings found Lanisti claim stones amidst their lands, which they destroyed. Consulting with their teachers, the Hagolings made a formal Orlanthi claim to their lands."
A good point to hand out Hero Points, amend the Hagoling cultural keyword with whatever they have learned, and go onto the next adventure - the Lanisti Stones!.
Lanisti Stones!
Premise:
"The Hagolings found Lanisti claim stones amidst their lands, which they destroyed. Consulting with their teachers, the Hagolings made a formal Orlanthi claim to their lands."Keypoints:
The missionary teachers are now involved with the Hagolings, and their local disputes...
Other Theyalan Missionary Adventures
Although I have based this episode very closely on Greg's story I think the whole Theyalan missionaries set up is ideal for Heroquest adventures. Meeting various survivors from the Darkness, fighting some, helping others, discovering secrets. Assume that each ragged band only clings on to worship of on god or aspect of a god and Storm Tribe suggest an episode every other page: Grey Sages; Elmali who think Orlanth did abandon them and (knowing the Hearthguard Secret) can finally die when the Dawn arrives; rude Valindings; a lone Rigsdal hero who remains awake and alive when all his kin are dead; a grasping Asrelia crone scrummaging around to keep her people alive; Ranoo Longlegs running around; sleeping Odalyans; the gallant Humakti hero Yan Starcere and of course Ana Gor's disciples. All sorts of other horrors and elder races, thankfully lost in the Thiurd Age, could also be encountered.
