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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 5218223" data-attributes="member: 60965">Alpha CentauriNote: Designed with 4e in mind, replace skill challenge with its logical equivalent to port it to another fantasy system Brief Synopsis The party helps the Chief Hunter of a centaur Herd to win a Challenge for the right to keep his Herd. Backstory The Herds of the Eastern Wyld have roamed the forest for centuries, their nomadic society held together by the Circle of Matrons, a group of female elders that officiate disputes within and between the Herds.  While it keeps large-scale violence to a minimum, the judgments of the Circle can occasionally be exploited by particularly ambitious centaurs to increase their wealth and power at the expense of the others.  The Chief Hunter of each herd is the “alpha male” of the herd, the Herd's tattoo of wedlock placed  upon his arm upon his ascension to Chief Hunter.  The Chief Hunters are responsible for leading every hunt and ensuring that every member of the Herd is fed and clothed. The Circle forbids the sons of the Chief Hunter to become Chief Hunter themselves, so new Chief Hunters are selected via the Trial of Challenge.  While this usually happens upon the sudden or impending death of a previous Chief Hunter, on occasion a particularly ambitious Chief will attempt to Challenge a rival in an attempt to take the other's Herd. Equus, Chief Hunter of the Herd of Briars faces one such challenge from the cunning, rapacious Eurytion, Chief Hunter of the Herds of Mournhill, Narrows, and Capwallow. Equus, Chief Hunter of the Herd of Briars  Equus is massive and strong, among the largest of Centaurs in all of the Eastern Wyld, but he is also gentle, just, and kind.  He has only been the Chief Hunter of his Herd for a year, but already the members herd love him despite his relative lack of skill at the hunt itself.  His hunts provide enough to keep everyone mostly fed and he eats no more or less than anyone else. The Herd of Briars is among the poorest of the Herds, their wealth much diminished since Equus 'grandfather' Chiron – a renowned warrior whose wealth and phenomenal good luck was legendary – took his fortune to the grave with him rather than let Equus 'father,' Pholus have it.  Pholus was a cowardly, vile-tongued centaur who secured his succession after Chiron via manipulation of the Circle of Matrons and the Herd suffered much under his reign. Their misfortune continues, for though Equus is everything that Pholus was not – strong, courageous, kind – there are no mares yet pregnant in all the Herd.  While no one speaks of it openly, rumors of his infertility are whispered throughout the Eastern Wyld.  Some rumors say it was a dying curse of the petty and vengeful Pholus, others say it is merely bad luck.  For Eurytion it was the spark of a plan.  Eurytion, Chief Hunter of the Herds of Mournhill, Narrows, and Capwallow Dark stories follow Eurytion throughout the Eastern Wyld.  They say his cunning is matched only by his cruelty.  His ambition needs no rumor, for any who see him can see his hunger for power in bearing, word, and action.  Not long after the Trial of Challenge made him Chief Hunter of the Mournhill Herd, he challenged also for the smaller Herd of Narrows after the previous Chief Hunter suddenly became gravely ill. Years later, he similarly swallowed up the small Herd of Capwallow.  Now his eyes are set on the Herd of Briars.  He has requested a Trial of Challenge from the Circle of Matrons, his strident claims of Equus infertility and the “poverty” of the Herd of Briars convincing the Circle to hold a Trial.  The Circle of Matrons When the Chief Hunter of a Herd is replaced, the Matriarch of the Herd is also replaced, the old Matriarch sent to the Circle of Matrons at the Barrow of Songs.  The Matrons there record the history of the Herds and inter the Chief Hunters, Matriarchs, and Champions of the Herds in the natural tunnels and carved Sepulchres beneath he Barrow.  The eldest five of the Matrons are responsible for adjudicating the Trials.  While they are supposedly impartial – open support of one Herd or another by a Matron being punishable by death – the Matrons all were born and raised in one Herd or another before they came to the Barrow of Songs.  Old habits and preferences die hard.  Deianeira, Matron of Foals, was the Matriarch of the Herd of Briars in the time of Equus' 'grandfather' Chiron and has watched the decline of her herd since with much sorrow.  She sees only ill in the future of the Herd of Briars if Eurytion becomes Chief Hunter and is willing to risk her life to stop it. Hooks 1) The party is hunting in the woods and meets up with centaurs of  the Briar Herd, are invited to see the Trial, and are noticed by Deianeira. 2) Deianeira has called up old favors from friends in the lands around the Eastern Wyld.  A trusted friend, employer, or the like requests, hires, or orders the party to head to the Barrow of Song. 3) The party is traveling through the Eastern Wyld and is sent an anonymous summons (via animal messenger or similar means) to come to the Barrow of Song.  Bullet Point Adventure Summary  0) Hooks  1) The Barrow of Songs  2) Into the Sepulchre of Chiron  3) Hunting the Sacred Aurochs  4) The Trial of Might   1. The Barrow of Songs  The party arrives at the Barrow of Songs in the heart of the Eastern Wyld to find hundreds of centaurs encamped all around it.     Their tents are made of leather-tied animal furs painted with tribal designs and patterns.  The centaurs themselves have a wild, almost feral look to them, the males wearing strange silver necklaces and iron bracelets, their skin and fur painted with wild patterns.  The females wear fur tops that barely cover their more-humanoid features, their hair worn in long braids with flowering vines or silver or copper necklaces woven into them.  Each of the females has a distinctive tattoo on the upper arm.  Some a thorny vine, others a jagged black hill.  They are clearly divided into two camps, the tension high as the males glare at each other and strut.  You can almost taste the tension.    A young female centaur meets the party at the edge of camp.   “I was told to look for someone like you. Come quickly, we must talk in private.”    She leads the party through deep, tangled woods to a sheltered grove, a small clearing in the midst of a close press of willow trees. “Thank you for coming.  I apologize for the secrecy, but the one who summoned you here risks much just having me talk with you.  I am Hylonome of the Briar Herd and we need your help.  Our Chief Hunter Equus is undergoing a Trial of Challenge and the one for whom I speak is afraid that he will not survive the Challenge without your help.”  She promises them an appropriate amount of money, the friendship of the Briar Herd, and the blessings of her benefactor.  When the party agrees to help: “Equus is a decent hunter and a good leader, but our Herd has had difficult times lately and another Chief Hunter named Eurytion is trying to take his place.  The Trial of Challenge requires a majority of the five Matrons to vote one way or the other and if Eurytion wins, Equus will be deposed.  The Trial of Wisdom is already complete and, though we don't know for sure whom the Matron of Wisdom will select, Eurytion has the tongue of a serpent and talked circles around Equus during the Trial. “The Trial of Wedlock just finishing, this way.”    She leads them through the camp.     “Equus probably has this one; all the mares of the Herd love him and everyone's heard the rumors of Eurytion's depravities, even if he sounds like a saint when he talks.”   She leads them to a large mossy, tree-topped hill with a cave wide and deep enough that the hill almost seems to make a crescent.  The cave has dozens of stalactites and stalagmites, but by they are carved with jagged edges and etched with twisting patterns.   “This is the Barrow of Songs.  They say that since the First Circle, every newly-arriving matron has carved a single small piece from the back of the small cave that was once here.  Now see how deep it is and you see the depth history of our people.  Sometime less grave you should come so you can hear our history in song as well.”   In the cave are five ancient female centaurs, long braids of white hair reaching their backs and inter-woven with black flowers and strings of black pearls.  Robes of white cloth run from their shoulders and across their broad backs, ending in jagged pearl-tipped pinions that nearly reach the ground.  Dozens of charms, pendants, and amulets dangle from the robes by thin silver chains and vines with clustered blooms of tiny black flowers web between the chains.  Hundreds of centaurs crowd around the Barrow, murmuring and occasionally shouting at whatever is being said in the cave.  A centaur, easily 8 feet tall, stands on one side with massive arms crossed, a massive bow on his back, a quiver of long gray-feathered arrows at his side, a troubled expression creases his brow and his long tail twitches against his brown flanks.  “Equus,” Hylonome says, nodding towards him.  Another centaur, slight and black haired, paces the mouth of the cave, eyes and teeth gleaming, wearing fine silken clothing traced with strands of cloth-of-silver that was probably tailored for him at a human city.  “Eurytion,” Hylonome growls.  “They say that those in his herds who cross him are exiled, then hunted down in the night after they depart.  There is nothing he won't do to get what he wants.” Though you can't hear what's going on from here, several females come forward, presumably to testify for Eurytion.  You can see the fear in their eyes, the way they flinch when he moves towards them, the tremble in their legs and voices.  Hylonome speaks as the Trial wraps up and a group younger female centaurs in robes like the matron's but far plainer trot out and begin singing the story of an ancient Hunt, a tale spanning hundreds of miles, dozens of years, of ferocious battles with mighty beasts and steel-eyed hunters running down prey and foe alike. “Next is the Trial of the Hunt.  Equus tries, but with his size, the animals hear him coming from a hundred feet away.  Eurytion is a master hunter.  Let's hope Equus finds a bear – since he can kill them single-handed – otherwise, Eurytion will have this one.  There will be some discussion, then the two of them will set out to hunt.  Win or lose, the Hunt gives us some time.  Come, we will talk with the one who sent for you.”   2. Into the Sepulcher of Chiron The party is led away from the site of the trial back to the sheltered grove.  A few minutes after they arrive, Hylonome motions towards the thick veil of willow branches that surrounds the glade.  There is movement beyond the branches, but aside from the rough shape of a centaur, few details can be made out about the figure on the other side. “Good, you've come.  There isn't much time, so I'll tell you quickly why you are here.  The Brair Herd will suffer greatly under Eurytion and he won't stop at just the Briar herd.  More will fall into his grasp.  He needs to be stopped, or at least checked, here.  He has the Trial of Wisdom and most likely the Hunt.  Equus has Wedlock.  Two remain.  The Trial of Wealth and the Trial of Foals. “Eurytion has the wealth of three herds and a hundred illicit dealings and he flaunts it.  Briar once had wealth; some fought for, some earned, most simply found through seemingly random luck by Chiron, Equus' 'grandfather.'  There are dozens of stories about Chiron's remarkable luck and the incredible treasures he found, but those are stories for another time, just know that Briar needs it for Equus to win the Trial of Wealth. “Unfortunately, Chiron took the wealth to his tomb, as was his right.  His exact last words to his newly-selected and much-hated successor Pholus were “only he who wears this torc owns the wealth of Chiron and it cannot be removed while the wearer lives.  Come claim it from me in the afterlife if you dare.”  Pholus was a coward and never dared. “There are no entrances to the Halls of the Ancestors that a centaur could enter except the main entrance at the back of the Cave of Trials.  There is, however, a smaller tunnel at the back of the Barrow of Songs.  It will be tight, but if you squeeze tight, you can use it to make your way inside.  Find the Sepulcher of Chiron and do whatever it takes to get Chiron's spirit to give you the torc.  If Equus arrives tomorrow at the Trial of Wealth, he will permanently and irrevocably hold claim to the wealth of Chiron, for the torc cannot be removed once placed.  “Once you have completed this, give the torc to Hylonome in secret, I will meet you again afterward.”    With that, the figure beyond the willow veil departs.  Hylonome leads the party to the back of the Barrow of Songs to a tiny hidden tunnel, barely big enough for someone to squeeze through on their belly.  She wishes them luck.  Once through the tiny crawl-way, the party finds themselves in a catacomb of tunnels.    Like the cave, the tunnels are covered with hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites, carved into bizarre shapes and traced with the jagged lines of complex patterns.   The party faces a skill challenge to find their way to Chiron's sepulcher without getting lost, rousing and angering the spirits of the dead centaurs buried there, or causing a collapse of the part-natural, part-carved, poorly made, and heavily decorated tunnels.  On a failure, they end up fighting hostile spirits, split up by a cave in, lost, or any combination of the three.  When they eventually succeed, they find the sepulcher.   The sepulcher seems at first to be a small natural cave, a narrow stretch of rock reaching out into a pool of deep green water.  In the middle of the pool, the stretch of stone widens into an island, heaped with treasures of copper and silver and jade, gilded goblets and gilded strings of gems,exotic weapons and statues of polished bronze and marble.  In the center sit four pillars of ivory, a web of silver wire holding the skeleton of a centaur between them.  Around the skeleton's neck is a band of pure gold that seems too small to have been taken off in life, as though it were forged around the wearer's neck.  As you approach, the pool ripples and an ephemeral green form swirls into existence around the bones.  In the Sepulcher, they face the Spirit of Chiron.  The party then has another (very difficult) skill challenge to convince Chiron to give up the torc.  Not only is he suspicious of the fact that they aren't centaurs and are seeking his treasure, but as a spirit he is bound to the treasure and his vengeful dying oath has left a vengeful undying ghost.  On a success, he gives up the torc and his spirit is laid to rest.  On a failure, the party must defeat him to gain it, a task made more difficult by Chiron being able to use the torc's magical powers (mechanically to reroll a failed roll each round).   When they leave the Halls of the Ancestors, Hylonome is there waiting for them.  “Great, you have it!  That is welcome news.  The Trial of the Hunt is over and Eurytion brought back a giant elk.  Equus had only a small deer.  I'll let Matron D... I mean, head to the glade, you will be hear the rest there.”  3) Hunting the Sacred Aurochs  Deianeira appears behind the veil of willows as before.   “I could not have dreamed you would do so well so quickly.  We now have a chance, but there still is another issue, that of Equus... issue.  The gods seem to have cursed him with infertility and I can think of only one cure that might be potent enough to help us in the time we have.  “After the Trial of Wealth, there is the Trial of Foals.  This will require a ritual cast upon every mare of the Herd of Briars to determine if she is pregnant and who the sire is.  The ritual is lengthy and it will take almost a week to examine them all.  Hopefully that will be enough time. “There is a creature considered sacred by the centaurs, the Golden Aurochs that live near the Heartmont a day's travel from here in the center of the Eastern Wyld.  To other centaurs this would be heresy, but I know that the Golden Aurochs were only made sacrosanct to prevent them from being hunted to extinction.  Even now, when it is death for a centaur to be found hunting them, some still dare.  Our laws do not persecute the ignorance of outsiders to the same degree, though if you were caught hunting one it would mean exile from the Eastern Wyld on pain of death. “You must find one, kill it, and return with the baculum, the bone found inside the member of a Golden Bull.  Return quickly, for I can perform rituals with it – sewing sleeping blankets and re-inking the Wedlock-bonds of Equus and Briar Herd's mare's tattoos – to induce potent fertility.  With luck – and perhaps the torc will help with that as well, some say its magic is what allowed Chiron to accumulate much of his wealth – Equus can become a father before the rituals of examination are complete.  Go now and return quickly.  Meet with Hylonome again when you return.”  The party now faces a skill challenge to find and hunt a Golden Bull; first they must reach the rocky Heartmont, avoiding centaur hunters and Herds that would exile them for hunting sacred grounds, then track the Golden Aurochs and find a bull.  At some point they are also attacked by centaurs sent by Eurytion to hunt them down on just the suspicion that they were involved in procuring the torc. The Golden Bull dwarfs the cows around it, its fur gleaming like real gold as it stands atop the hill. It is obvious even from a distance that a normal man wouldn't even come up to the beast's shoulder.  Its long, bowed horns shine in the sunlight, ending in razor-sharp tips.  When the beast notices you, it instantly charges, the ground shaking beneath its hooves as it thunders towards you.    They must then kill a mighty Golden Bull, successfully harvest what they need from it, and return to the Barrow of Song without getting caught.    When they return, Hylonome meets them and takes the bone, telling them that now they have only to wait for the end of the Trial of Foals to determine the result of the Challenge.  Later that day, Equus, now wearing his torc(assuming the party suceeded in getting it) and having learned what they did for him via Hylonome, thanks them profusely and invites them to join him in their camp as his companions.  He treats them as members of the Herd and asks them accompany him on the daily hunts to procure food for the Herd. You join in the hunt, struggling to keep up with the fast-moving, remarkably quiet centaurs.  Painted with gray mud and paint, your adrenaline pounds with the rush of the hunt, the thrum of bow-strings, the thud of spears finding their mark, the centaurs moving through the darkening woods around like massive gray wolves...    He thanks them again the next evening, a new blanket under his arm, his tattoo freshly darkened as he heads off to “sleep” the next night.   4) The Trial of Might  There are two possible outcomes at this point that will lead to the same final confrontation:    Each of the Matrons stands, announces their name and position(Ex: "I am Deianeira the Matron of Foals"), and their verdict on who won the Trial they govern.  Equus wins the Trial of Herds.  Eurytion wins the Trials of Wisdom and Hunts.  Equus must win both trials the party is involved in to succeed.   If the party did not succeed at getting either the torc or the Bull baculum, for whatever reason, then Equus loses the Challenge.    If the party succeeded at both, then Equus succeeds, his wealth sufficient and the effect of the Golden Bull strong enough and the luck of the torc potent enough that in the last day of the Trial of Foals the rituals reveal several mares pregnant with his offspring.  If Eurytion loses, he will demand a Trial of Might – a fight to the death to resolve a Challenge.  It is a risk he avoided initially due to Equus size and strength, but now has no choice if he wants to claim the Herd of Brairs, avoid humiliation, and get revenge on Equus for somehow foiling his plans.  If Equus loses, he has no desire to fight as he has a gentle nature and a deep respect for the Matron's decisions.  Hylonome is sent by Deianeira to ask the party to convince Equus to demand a Trial of Might.  He will reluctantly do so with significant description of what life will be like for the Herd of Briars under Eurytion.  The Trial of Might itself involves combat between two Hunts, each with the Chief Hunter and a group of Companions (the number of Companions being conveniently equal to the number of players in the party).  They face each other before the Barrow of Songs.  Eurytion has Equus poisoned shorty before the Trial – and poisons the food of the party as well, though they may make appropriate checks to detect it.  Anyone poisoned is weakened during the fight, though for Equus this is partially offset by the magic of the torc of Fortune if he has it.  Eurytion and his companions fight dirty, using poisoned weapons, nets, magic, and anything else they can think of to defeat the party.    If Equus is killed before Eurytion, the fight is over and Eurytion has won.  Hylonome will suggest that the party leave immediately or risk being hunted down by Eurytion.  That night Hylonome is exiled from the Herd.  If they flee, they find Hylonome's body riddled with poisoned arrows as they depart and are ambushed by Eurytion's centaurs repeatedly.  After that, Eurytion will likely become a recurring villain, seeking revenge from time to time, words of his expanding power in the Herds reaching the party's ears.    If Eurytion is killed before Equus, Equus retains the Briar Herd and he and Deianeira the Matron will be a lifelong friends and allies of the party.  The Herds of Mournhill, Barrows, and Capwallow are then open for new Trials of Challenge, but that's for another adventure... Ingredients: Centaur Hunter – Equus, the Chief Hunter of the Briar Herd.  Eurytion, the Chief Hunter of three Herds. Eurytion also hunts other centaurs – exiles from his Herds and, metaphorically, the Chief Hunters of other Herds to claim their Herds.Ancestral Grotto – The Barrow of Song, meeting place of the Circle of Matrons and buried ancestorsSecretive Matron – The Matron of Foals, Deianeira, 'grandmother' of Equus, who brings the party in to help Equus.  She must remain secretive, for she could be killed if caught helping Equus via the party.Torc of Fortune – The torc of Chiron, Equu's ancestor, that allows Equus to claim Chiron's fortune.  Also, its magic is largely how Chiron gained his fortune and helps with Equus fertility.Polygamy – All members of each Herd are wed to the Chief Hunter, their wedding bond marked by tattoos.Bone Needle – A needle made from the baculum of the Golden Bull, used to sew fertility-enhancing blankets and to ink fertility-enhancing magics into Equus and the Herd mare's tattoos, thus to help them... uh... 'bone' more productively.</blockquote>

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