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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 6913679" data-attributes="member: 67">Round 2, Match 2Balancing ActDemonic CoinZombie MerchantTriple AgentPuzzle BoxBlood-Red StarHorseless Carriage Puzzle BoxAn Expanded Adventure or Campaign Front for Dungeon World, adaptable to any fantasy RPG. Each star in the sky is but a portal to another place, a hole in the veil that separates the worlds. Beyond, there are planes outside mortal reckoning. Some are mere inert places. Others...living things. An unmoving star, dim with gloom in day or night, points the way to the Black Gates of Death's Kingdom. Thither all mortal souls eventually must go. Until of late, that is. Some unknown attacker has found a means to wound the very plane, while capturing departing souls ere they transcend the mortal world. Through its blood-stained star, Death's Kingdom rains a foreign ichor with each new assault. The constant deluge cannot  be endured by mortal flesh; its touch turns life into undeath. Elsewhere, beyond the mortal veil, in a domain of demonkind, three mighty demons reside, bound by immortal curse to work in precarious harmony--an unholy trinity. This demonic triumvirate, known as the Wicked Three, scheme incessantly to undermine each other while projecting a unified agenda. Cast:DeathEnigmatic and Immortal, Death's role in these affairs is indirect. Yet, often the lure of a return to life compels mortals to undertake his tasks.When one of the PCs bargains with Death and is allowed to return to life, Death tasks them with pursuing the following three-fold agenda:1) He would see the attacks on his domain ended, so that its wounds can heal. 2) He would see the captured souls of the newly departed freed from their imprisonment. 3) He would see the demonic triumvirate held in check, for their schemes threaten the order of all worlds. In return, the PC's spirit is returned to its body, wherever that may be. It would be possible to ignore these imperatives without immediate reprisal, but the PC will certainly meet Death again one day, and Death does not like being cheated. Cerberus, Agent of the Wicked ThreeCerberus is a demon serving the demonic triumvirate in the mortal world. He is not their only asset, but is, perhaps, their most powerful upon the mortal plane. Thus, Cerberus is often given commands in secret by one master that run counter to the interests of the others. Cerberus is compelled to follow any such command unless it directly conflicts with another. In such cases, he does the best he can, though not without resentment. Currently:The Rotten Prince commands that Cerberus trade in corruption, undermine the mortals' social order, and spread zombies through the land. Thus, Cerberus sells zombie slaves to unscrupulous profiteers and aspiring warlords, accepting payment only in the form of favors or a peculiar demonic mint of coin. This demonic coin can be acquired only from him--and only by bringing him people to be made undead. Cerberus is gifted with some minor tricks of necromancy and can control nearby zombies. When he sells a zombie, Cerberus passes this trick on to the new owner. If the PCs approach Cerberus with the intent to enter the Bloodmire, he may offer to sell them a waterproofed carriage and a team of zombies to pull it safely through the Bloodmire--but only for demonic coin, or some future favor.  The Blood-Lord commands that Cerberus wrest control of the growing numbers of blood-birthed zombies and use them to assault the mortal world. To achieve this, Cerberus will slaughter one of the dark pilgrims camped outside the Bloodmire, seize and study his dark grimoire, and devise an incantation to extend by miles his command over undead. The Overseer commands that Cerberus collect souls of the newly departed as they ascend toward Death's Kingdom, that they may be consumed. To this end, Cerberus has acquired a legendary artifact, a puzzle box called Sagacity, in which to hold the souls. Cerberus cannot capture all souls that ascend toward Death's Kingdom, but they are plentiful, of late. How he is able to capture them is a secret known only to demonkind, but the process is so violent that it rends a new wound in the foreign plane each time a soul would pass through the blood-red star. How he is able to trap them within Sagacity is another secret, known only by Cerberus. Cerberus is commanded to keep Sagacity secure--even from himself, in case his other masters have learned of it and scheme to twist its use. When not collecting souls, Cerberus relinquishes Sagacity to the mindless zombies that mill about within the Bloodmire. Once enough souls are trapped to satiate the Overseer's needs, Cerberus forces a learned sage to work out Sagacity's secrets. Alternately, if the PCs manage to acquire Sagacity, he may attempt to force them to do likewise before seizing it again. Dangers:The BloodmireBeneath the blood-red star lies the ever-spreading Bloodmire. Exposure to the foreign ichor here makes zombies out of mortal life. Grim Portent 1) The Bloodmire crawls with zombies. Grim Portent 2) Local waterways run red with blood. Grim Portent 3) The Bloodmire seeps into neighboring lands.  Impending Doom: Zombie apocalypse spreads across the world. Moves:•Convert a living creature into a zombie. •Witness a soul fly toward the red-star. •Attract dark pilgrims. Stakes:•Can the PCs traverse the Bloodmire safely?•Can Sagacity be acquired?•Will the blood-rains stop?Agent of the Blood-Lord, Carnage IncarnateGrim Portent 1) The Blood-Lord's agent slaughters a dark pilgrim and seizes his grimoire. Grim Portent 2) The Blood-Lord's agent learns how to command zombies from miles away. Grim Portent 3) The zombies attack all living creatures. Impending Doom: The demonic balance of power is broken. Zombies destroy civilization. Carnage reigns. Moves:•Slaughter an innocent. •Encourage violence among mortals. •Strike a bargain that results in carnage. Stakes: •Will terror turn mortals upon each other?•Will anything beautiful remain?•Will the PCs help Cerberus serve the Blood-Lord?Agent of the Rotten Prince, Merchant of DecayGrim Portent 1) The zombie ranks swell with folk captured through guile or force. Grim Portent 2) Zombies are sold to unscrupulous owners. Grim Portent 3) Zombies labor throughout the land. Impending Doom: The demonic balance of power is broken. None pure-of-heart remain to contest the corrupting influence of the Rotten Prince. Moves:•Pay a finder's fee for the delivery of a mortal. •Throw a mortal into the Bloodfields. •Trade in corruption. Stakes:•Will the PCs bring a victim to Cerberus?•Will the PCs owe Cerberus a favor?•Will the PCs provoke vicious retribution?Agent of the Overseer, Master's HoundGrim Portent 1) The Overseer's agent stops trapping souls. Grim Portent 2) The Overseer's agent forces a sage to unlock Sagacity. Grim Portent 3) The Overseer devours the souls as they escape. Impending Doom: The demonic balance of power is broken. A new age of tyranny rules over demonkind and mortal alike. Moves:•Capture a mortal's departing soul. •Dominate the meek. •Command zombies to protect Sagacity. Stakes:•Can the PCs save the soul of someone dear?•Will the PCs have to go through dominated pawns?•Will the PCs bow down?Sagacity:An ancient artifact, so old the immortals do not even know its maker, this puzzle box was crafted to unlock wisdom with its solving, even as intelligence is tested. Although fashioned from humble oak, it is seemingly indestructible. Nothing, incorporeal or otherwise, can pass through it. Its cleverly interlocked panels are magically warded such that only some unknown trigger can release them. An inscription appears on the outer surfaces, but is not constant through the ages. With study, Sagacity can be manipulated to reveal a narrow slot  through which allows some things to enter, but not escape. The contents of Sagacity affect the specific trigger needed to unlock it, as well as the surface inscription, but the thematic nature of the trigger remains constant. Currently, each face bears one line of these lines:Light in darkness, stained in blood. Demons' omen, undead flood. Agent of the Wicked Three: Vengeance, Violence, Tyranny. Debt of souls withheld from thee, Must be balanced to be free. When someone attempts to open Sagacity after performing an action that brings events surrounding Sagacity back into balance, roll + INT. On a 10+, Sagacity is opened and all of its contents are released. Aside from the trapped souls, wondrous and ancient secrets may be revealed. On a 7+, Sagacity is opened only enough to free the souls. In their rush to escape, the opener may suffer injury from the spectral onslaught. On a 6 or less, mark  XP. Sagacity remains unopened, but can still be opened in the future, if a separate triggering action releases its wards. Possible balancing actions could include: achieving a balance of power among the scheming demons, balancing of the proportional shift from living creatures toward undead (likely by destroying many zombies), balancing debt incurred in dealings with the zombie merchant, or atonement for amoral deeds done in pursuit of demonic coin.</blockquote>

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