The Age of Wurms – an Iron Kingdom setting

[Karl Green]

The Age of Wurms – an Iron Kingdom setting

The Age of Wurms – a future Iron Kingdom story hour setting

I once long ago tried to post a face-to-face game that I was running, but the game died so my posts failed also. I was not really inspired to write up any of the other games I have been doing as I am mostly the player… but I am about to start an Iron Kingdoms game, and I decided to use the Age of Worms Adventure Path from Dungeon. Of course I am going to change who the ‘villains’ are and what they want to achieve for my game… a lot actually!

The intro for the players was…

"Since the beginning of time, humanity has measured its history in ‘Ages’ and ‘Eras’– the Era of a Thousand Cities, the Age of the Warlords, the Era of the Orgoth Occupation, the Age of Reason, the Age of Dreaming and even the Age of Sorrow – to give a sense of order to the events of the past centuries. But one has yet to occur – an age of darkness, of decay and writhing doom. Mad prophets and wrathful preachers know it as the ‘Age of Wurms’, weaving it into the peripheries of their passion plays as a mythical era of destruction that could begin at any time. Astrologers, diviners, and seers know more. The canniest among them fear that the Age of Wurms has already begun.

Although often referred to as a legendary monster rather than a god, the Devourer Wurm is the ancient foe of Menoth, bane of humanity's creator. Also known as the Beast of Many Shapes, Lord of Predators, and the Unsleeping One, the Devourer is an ancient force of natural chaos which hates everything civilized. When Menoth was the dominant religion, the Devourer was considered the great foe, although its role as enemy of mankind has been reduced since the rise of the twins.

This is about to change – the time of the Wurm is at hand, and woe to the world that is ignorant of its coming. For now, mad cultists and insane weavers of the arcane are seeking to awaken the ancient foe again. What’s worst is they seek to awaken it with dark twisted bloody daemon-gods of the Orgoth, through blood rites and ruinous rituals.

Into this epic conflict of death and betrayal do the characters stumble… Fate has guided them to this place at this time. Will they have the merit and the mantel to withstand and overcome all that horrors to come?"

The game will start in Diamond Lake, one of the only locations rich in mineral deposits in all of Ord, it is located in the mountains north of Midfast. The town is somewhat protected from Khadoric raiders as there are few passes north along the border, and the mountains provide good protection.

Who are the heroes fate has chosen to reveal itself to? Well what a strange collection indeed… they are…

1. Pogwikimogralok (pronounced - Pog-wiki-mog-rall-ick) or POG, for short, is a goblin of the gobber variety that makes his way in the world as a bodger. Standing nearly 3' tall 55lbs, and stinky-greenish in color, Pog is a happy go lucky fellow who would like nothing better then to work at the local sheltering plant. But the local boss does not let anyone near his streamjack workforce… especially a not a gobber!
2. Argmanka ‘Arman” (ARM-an) Helgevich, a Human (Khard) Paladin. A follower of Marrow, Arman has wandered a bit, seeking his place in the world as he struggles with his desire to do good and the fact that his Motherland is at war. He has only been in Diamond Lake for a few months, looking for distant family (one of them being the Blackclad druid).
3. Jack Autumn (also called "Jack of Songs" and "Jack of Bones" as he is often found in the Emporium or Feral Dog working as a minstrel or working with the Cult of the Ascended Genda {a near heretical sect of Marrow ascended who is said to be the ‘keeper of the dead’} tending to the graves in the Boneyard ), Elven Wizard of Ios. An exile of Ios, he is seeking knowledge on the location of the ‘Lost’ gods, and does not believe that it is humans experiment into wizardry or technology that causes it. He has been in Diamond Lake a few years researching the various burial mounts and cairns in the area, pretending to be human (he always where full robes and gloves, or uses his Alter self spell etc). He has recently discovered the location of a cairn that he believes to be unplundered and unspoiled by raiders of the years – the Whispering Cairn – and he is gathering a few trusted individuals that he knows to help him check it out.
4. Jatkal Orm, Human (Khard) Druid/Blackclad. Pretending to be a local woodsman, this druid grew up in Diamond Lake before taking on his “black-robes”. He has returned to spy on the mining operations and some of the locals but still feels a kinship and friendship to a number of people here.
5. Nalu Kogark, a female Ogrun Rogue (wtf? yes a rogue ). A worker from the mining, she has always been a bit of an odd ball, especially among her own people. She is of average height ( only 7’4”) for a female Ogrun and is surprising quite on her feet. She has lived in Diamond Lake for a few years now, after the bandit group that she was with was hunted down by Khador bounty hunters and wiped out, but she dreams of ‘seeing the world’.


The game will start on 8-31-05, and so far all we did was make up characters (and not everyone has gotten me their names yet, so I will have to edit in a bit).

Spoiler Blocks for “what’s going on; what did Karl change, and how in the heck is it going to fit in the Iron Kingdom…

[sblock]A bit of the background and what I am ‘changing’ – the cairns are mostly Orgoth in origin or at least that is what most people believe, but in truth a number of the older cairns are from an even earlier time. Infernal and human hosts battled here long ago and many of these old cairns are from that time, and the Whispering Cairn will be an Air Infernal creature of some kind.

Now instead of the Ebon Tirade of the three gods, the Tirade is made up these groups – a dark cult of Cyriss, revenge seeking Skorme, and barbarian madmen dedicated to the Devour Wurm. Each for their own reason, wishes to awaken the Devour Wurm and destroy civilizations as it is now. The Cult of Cyriss believes that when the world is washed anew they will emerge from the destruction to rule the ‘new world’. The Skorme simple want revenge against the human lands and believe they can contain the Wurm in the western lands. Those faithful to the Devour Wurm are a bloody, cannibal cult that feel that civilization is to powerful and that it must be destroyed for the natural world to live (with them at the top and the most powerful group around of course).

Instead of raise Kayss (sp?) the overgod, they wish to awake the Devour Wurm. In the second installment where the ‘aspect’ of this god is created, instead the characters will run into a miniature version of the Wurm – or a miniature of the BIG monster thing in the Monsternomicon. I will be using monsters from IK also instead of the most traditional monsters listed in the Adventure Path. I am replacing all the Elves and Half-Elves with different Humans, and Halflings and Gnomes with either a Goblin or Humans. Half-Orcs with either Humans or Trollkin or Ogrun although most of the Dwarves will remain Dwarves. Mostly I want the city to be Human (although there are good number of Goblins, Trollkin and Ogrun working in the mines), with a few others here and there.

NOW I might not even use all of the Adventure Path series. I already am working on plans on where I want the game to go – taking them all over the western part of the IK, into the Bloodstone Marches, etc. More to come as I figure it out [/sblock]

Well the first game post will not be for almost two weeks but I will update here with some of my ideas and plans

 

[Zoverai]

Having just picked up the "Iron Kingdoms: Character Guide" today, I was very happy to see a nascent story hour here in these forums.

*Zoverai pulls up a deck chair, grabs the liquorice and gets ready to enjoy reading adventuring tales from the Iron Kingdoms*

 

[Karl Green]

At the perfumed arcade known as the Emporium, Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff rubs shoulders with common laborers awaiting an appointment in the Veiled Corridor. In an adjoining antechamber, snakes and exotic dancers gyre to a sonorous weave of cymbals and seductive pipes. A floor below, a gaggle of grasping miners presses against the windowed door of a darkened cell, impatient for a glimpse of a two-headed calf.

Out in the street, a gang of rough miners screams obscenities at a crumpled gobber, kicking it as if scrambling for a ball. Their drunken laughter echoes off shuttered windows and bolted doors.

In a tower-flanked fortress across the shadowy square, filthy men with nothing to lose shout hymns to Menoth, clutching to their idealism and principles like cornered animals. Their wild-eyed chief minister smiles as he draws a cat-o-nine-tails across his bare back, awash in their adulation and the spirit of his god.

But it’s just another night in Diamond Lake.

The so called Age of Worms opens in the small mining town of Diamond Lake, where desperate folk toil in lightless depths for a pittance while corrupt mine managers live in relative largesse, ruthlessly scheming to undermine one another and protect their piece of the action. Most residents of Diamond Lake can be categorized into two groups: those with nowhere else to turn and those who have come to exploit them.

A garrison of sixty militia soldiers stands ready to defend the mines from bandits from the local forests or Khador raiders from the north, but they never enter the town proper; at least not in an official capacity while soldiers do come here on their time off. For the Governor-Mayor and local constable, Sheriff Cubbin, rule here. Rival cults share the same flock of potential converts only because the timing is not yet for outright warfare. They muster their forces for the coming battle. Things are not safe in Diamond Lake, and a right-thinking person would have every reason to want to get out of town as soon as possible.

Enter our heroes… just trying to make their way in the world and for the most part be left alone. They stumble into a plot of death, pain, destruction and betrayal the likes of which they could never imagine.

It is Jack Autumn (his real name, Glyssor Vrir, know to no one in town… except Allustan) that first found some old tales of something called the Whispering Cairn, while researching ancient legends in the library of one Allustan in the mining town of Diamond Lake. Seeking information about ages past, when it has been told the Gods of Elvenkind past this way, this Cairn could provide clues to his life-quest. Contacting Pog, a local gobber bodger Jack had worked with in the past, and a Khadorine holy warrior by the name of Argmanka ‘Arman” Helgevich, he made plans to seek out this place to look into its secrets. Pog suggested that he knew just the person who could help them with any – security systems – that they might encounter; a Ogrun female by the name of Nalu Kogark who worked in one of the local mines of late, but who Pog know was a ‘bit more then she seemed’ (he had catch her stealing into a house near where he lived a few months ago and they had worked together ever sense). And Arman had a cousin in town, Jatkal Orm, that he know was good with natural medicines and the healing arts who he thought might help.

The wizard Allustan had made mention to Jack Autumn that there was an old abandoned mining station not far from the location of the Cairn, suggesting that it might be a good place to hold up while their looked into the place.

And so it was that Fate lead them onto this path…


//Prolog 1 – Somewhere deep underground in the vicinity of Diamond Lake//

Enumerator Kott’nik (known as the Faceless One) adjusted the emulator flux while muttering to himself “Yes… perfect… ‘when Calder is full, and the Eye of the Wurm does rise from the north east quadrant of Ceal… and Artis, little sister to all, is close… the Maw will open… the Devourer awaken… and the world weep… before it maybe reborn in perfection …perfect logic and thought… thy time is at hand. Blessed be the wisdom and perfect thought of the Maiden of Gears, whom has revealed too her true believers the future… a time… an age of destruction… but one of a glorious age of rebirth too follow… logic and the machine will control all… in perfect efficiency… beautiful…”

Making quick calculations as muttering prayers of equations to the great machine, the Faceless One did not hear the Optifex acolyte enter this sanctuary until she cleared her throat.

“Excuse the interruption most Enlightened One but there is important news from 2nd Sword Theldrick’khan” she said, bowing deeply.

Turning towards the young acolyte, Enumerator Kott’nik blank face mask regard her, even so the scorn that he felts almost rolled off of him in waves. “Yes… what is it!” he barked impatiently.

Nervously the Optifex replied “He states that one of his warriors sent to Site #1032 returned bloodied and near death, the only survivor of the Hand sent to there. The warrior reports they were attacked by Thralls under the control… of someone. 2nd Sword Theldrick’khan believes that another ‘player’ has entered Diamond Lake and he… requests… that we do something about it.”

Shaking his head “Brain-weakened fools, where his warrior’s bodies recovered? We can not afford to have them discovered… make sure of this personally Optifex. And send for that fool of a Dregg, Lizard-Eye. We need to move quickly… for the time of the ‘awakening’ is at hand. I will tolerate no outside interference!”

Without another word, the Optifex bowed and rushed from the room, eager to carry out the task of the Faceless One… the chosen of the Maiden of Gears and leader the Cult of the Secret Dawning… the ‘dawning’ of a new Age…

//end Prolog 1//


NOTE first game tonight... will post something tomorrow

 

[linnorm]

*Subscribe*

 

[Karl Green]

[OCC] And so had our first game last night. One of the players was going to be late due to work SOOO I did a lot of background for them about what they were doing in the area WHY they were getting involved in exploring some unknown tomb that could very well be filled with the dark spirits of tortured souls left over from the time of the Orgoth Empire.

Character Creation Rules:
1. Only classes from PHB3.5 and Iron Kingdom; Only Races listed in the Iron Kingdom (NOT using the Optional Ability Modifiers for Human subcultures)
2. 2nd level (that way if someone wanted to be an Ogrun or Trollkin they could).
3. 32 point buy system
4. Everyone receives ONE feat every level (instead of one at 1st, one at 3rd, etc) and ALL classes have +2 base Skill Points every level (so at first level and additional 8 skill points). With all the new skills and feats from the IKCG I figured I wanted them to get a boost… but NPC’s get it is also!
5. Max Hit Points at first level, rolling at least ½ each level after that
6. Max starting gold for a 1st level character AND one Masterwork Item or a Firearm or any one non-magical item worth no more then 1500 gold pieces

The characters again, with some notes:

1. Pogwikimogralok (pronounced - Pog-wiki-mog-rall-ick) or POG, for short. A gobber bodger. The only one in the group who uses a Firearm (a military pistol that he wields like a rifle) most people think he is a bit insane. He has three mules with him at all times, will piles of trash and junk tied onto them. As he is never sure where he next meal is going to come from he has named his mules – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
2. Argmanka ‘Arman” (ARM-an) Helgevich, a Human (Khard) Paladin of Katrena. Wearing Full Plate Armor (his item of choice) and riding a draft horse (cause he could not afford a heavy warhorse), Arman speaks with a thick accent and does not trust Gobbers at all.
3. Jack Autumn (also called "Jack of Songs" and "Jack of Bones"), Elven Wizard of Ios. The defacto leader, he is very soft spoken and a bit arrogant to the others, but they don’t seem too concerned about it.
4. Jatkal Orm, Human (Khard) Druid/Blackclad. Traveling with a really big white cat (that he calls a Lynx) he is very watchful of all and the only reason he has agreed to this ‘adventure’ is the possibility that the Cairn might be an Orgoth burial mound and he will not allow any evil buried there to escape.
5. Nalu Kogark, a female Ogrun Rogue. Gets along really well with Pog (whom he calls his ‘big woman’), she is mostly interested in getting enough money that she can leave this stinking town and see the rest of the world. She is always staring off into the distance it seems. She carries a large-sized re-curved composite shortbow and two large-size shortswords.

And so this is the group. It was agreed that they would all meet up at the abandoned mining station one morning, and Jack headed out there a day early (to get the best room as it were). [/OCC]

Jack looked over the old abandoned mining station and shook his head in mild contempt – it sure didn’t look like much. A stone and wooden structure, two stories high, with a small wooden hitching post out front. Around back the remains of a pushed over outhouse and burned downed stable shared the small valley with a dry shag-brush and a few stunted trees. All of the glass windows had been smashed and broken long ago and the wooden shutters were very old and dry… they would not stand up to much more then a hard rap or two before giving way. The front door was hanging on one hinge and peering inside, Jack could see nothing but trash and debris littering the floor of a large dark room.

Opening the shutters to let in some light and air, Jack spooked a few pack-rats and a number of spiders (the normal kind) that had claimed the room over the last fifty or so years that it had been used by the miners of Diamond Lake. As the wizard Allustan had said, no one had used this station for a long, long time.

Exploring a bit more, Jack found a dinner hall with smash tables and benches and a kitchen where everything but the fireplace had been removed or destroyed and rusted over the years. There was also a rickety stairwell leading to the second floor and a small office under the stairs. In the kitchen there was a trap-door leading down to a small root-cellar and another door leading outside. That door had a lot of debris piled up around it, and blocking it from opening easily.

Upstairs he found a door leading to a roof-balcony that was surround by a low wooden palisade… but it to was heavily weather worn and he did not trust it to even support his light frame. Back inside, there were three doors that lead into two large sleeping quarters and one small private one. Again, all the furniture was destroyed and only trash and a few beds of rodents were found.

Claiming the small private room as his own, Jack set about cleaning and mending the broken glass in the window, a chair and simple bed. He then settled down for the night to sleep and await his new companions who were to arrive in the morning. A great adventure awaited them, and he could not wait to pry the secrets from this Whispering Cairn…

The next morning Pog and Nalu showed up first, Pog riding on the female Ogrun’s shoulders and leading the three, junk-laden mules. Pog decided to do some ‘exploring’ to see if there might not be any bolt- or cubby-holes in the place, while Nalu and Jack discussed whether or not there might be anyone else round. Arman and Jatkal showed up about an hour or so later, and group gathered in the main room for a meet and greet.

It became obvious very quickly that the gobber and the holy warrior of the north where not going to get along (occ the characters, not the players as they are two of the best guys I know, and good role-players also /occ), and Jack made the ‘suggestion’ that he and Jatkal go out and search for the Cairn, while the others shore up the station in case they might need to retreat to it. The area around here was riddled with old abandoned mines, and many had been overgrown, so the search was expected to take some time.

But then about an hour later, Jack and Jatkal, after checking a number of shafts, found one that was very overgrown with thickets and briar bushes, but with a small opening where the druid detected a number of large canine tracks. Spending another hour and a half the two cleared a larger opening and peering inside found a large twenty foot wide and fifteen foot tall tunnel. The wind, blowing from deep within the cavern, seemed to give off an eerily whisper so they were pretty confident this was the place.

Returning to the mining station they found their other companions in an argument over whether or not the animals (mules and horse) would be allowed indoors or whether they should stay out. Arman was adamant that they should remain outside, while Pog thought they might get their chill outside and should sleep with everyone else. Finally it was settled that they would remain outside and that for the rest of the day they would reinforce the station. With Jatkal’s woodcrafting skills and Jack’s arcane ‘mending’, they fixed the two doors and got most of the first floor shutters to be in good working order that might just hold up in more then a strong wind.

That night, Nalu thought to sleep outside under the stars and Jatkal and his lynx would sleep up on the 2nd floor balcony. Arman took one of the large sleeping quarters for himself, while Pog decided that him and Jack should be roomies and he would sleep in his room. Bedding down there was some early talk about ‘watches’ and what-not, but in the end no one wanted to… it was safe enough out in the woods.

And of course around one A.M., Jatkal was awakened by his lynx, hissing and growling low in its’ throat about something out in the dark. Peering over the wooden palisade, the druid could see nothing, but he noticed that the mules and the big horse were getting a bit skittish and moving around a bit scared. He then noticed two sets of red-glowing eyes, out in the darkness moving this way, and growling like a big dog or something.

Banging on the palisade to see if he could awaken anyone, Jatkal then ran back for the doorway back into the station to get down to the first floor. His banging did awaken Nalu, who was curled up next to the door outside. Sitting up confused and looking around she saw a dark black dog-like shape coming towards the animals out of the darkness. She rolled out of her bedroll and drew one of her shortswords and started advancing slowly into the dark.

Once inside, Jatkal yelled and banged on both of the doors to his companion’s room, saying something about animals after the mules, he then ran downstairs as fast as he could. The others where awakened… Pog jumping up and peering out the bedroom window, while Jack and Arman grabbed up their weapons and rushed to the stairs.

Outside, Nalu heard a strangely hypnotic-double bark coming from the creature and for a moment she felt her muscles freezing up. But shaking her head she overcame whatever it was and stepped forward to try and stab the creature – but the little light from the stars and moons was not enough and she missed her target. Suddenly the ‘dog’ snarled and leaped inside Nalu guard and bite her deeply on her right thigh – and it was then that she noticed that the dog had two heads!

Looking about Pog spotted another one of the dogs making a straight line for his mule, Breakfast, and when he noticed the two-heads he remembered a tale he had heard back at the Feral Dog Inn one night a few years ago; the creature was called an Argust and that its double-bark could freeze the blood of any sane man and root them in their place “Pulg yer ears! Dem’ doggies got some spooky a-barkin’ and iffin’ ye hears it, he be a helpless ya will!!” he shouted out the window as the Argust howl-barked at the mule Breakfast who had just broken it tether line and was about to bolt; but instead it froze in place, shaking with fear but unable to move!

Nalu drew her other shortsword to stab at the creature, catching it only a glancing stab with one of her shortsword, as Jatkal rushed outside and ran to her assistance, but not before one of the heads of the dog took another big bite out of Nalu’s leg. She almost screamed in pain and staggered but somehow remained on her feet.

Jack and Arman, still making their way through the building, heard Pog’s warning and Nalu’s scream and rushed outside, noticing the Argust ripping into a mule as it simply stood there and did nothing to get away or defend itself!

Pog ran for the balcony, making sure that his pistol was loaded with a special incendiary round, when Nalu stab the Argust biting into her leg and pierced its heart. It howled painfully and fell to the ground dead. Jatkal turned and rushed the Argust biting the mule but it was to dark and his aim with his hunting spear was off and he missed the animal completely while it continued to bite and tear into the helpless mule. Jack tried to put the creature to sleep with his strange arcane ways but it resisted his spell while Arman rushed to get his horse and the other mules out of danger.

It was then that a pistol cracked through the night as Pog lined up a devastating shot into the Argust’s side. It howled as its’ fur burned and then the double headed animal tried to tear the druid in half, but neither head connected – much to Jatkal’s relief. He then stepped back and this time stabbed the dog-thing in the body with his spear, driving it to the ground where he killed it! Silence returned to the small valley as the group look to each other to make sure they were all alive.

Assessing the mule and Nalu’s wounds later, Jatkal tending to them as best he could and said he could do more in the morning and that they should try and get as much rest as possible. Jatkal also thought that the tracks from the Argust where most probably those that he observed at the Cairn entrance…

In the morning, with Nalu feeling much better, it was decided to move the animals into the mining station (much to the joy of Pog) before they rest of them went to the Whispering Cairn – just in case there might be more of those hungry animals about.

[OCC] And that is where we ended for the night. Only about two hours of actual game time as the one person was very late and the organization and getting everyone together took a bit of time. I very much like all the players and their characters… it is going to be a very fun gig, but I can already tell I am going to move the Adventure Path off of where it is going to go in the Dungeon game… still in the planning stages though
Next adventure in two weeks on 9-14-05. Can’t wait [/OCC]

 

[linnorm]

Very cool, I'm looking forward to more. I love the IK setting, I wish my world-creation was that tight and complete.

One spelling nitpick; debris not derby.

 

[Karl Green]

One spelling nitpick; debris not derby.

AH I will edit now... I am terrible with spelling and grammer... so please excuse

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Subscribed!

I look forward to following the story. Hey Karl, do you mind if we post conversion ideas here? I wouldn't want to muck up your prosie posts with silly comments.

 

[Karl Green]

I don't think any of my players read here... but if they do I will except the honor system to not read BUT sure I have a bunch of converted stuff already. I will post tonight or tomorrow (right now on friends computer cause mine is a paper weight )

But if you have Age of Worms from Dungeon a few minor ones that I remember off hand... the first thing I did is that instead of wolves in the entrance I changed it to two Argus (two-headed dogs). I only tried the 'double-bark' freeze up on the Orgun Rogue (who had the LOWEST will save at -2) and she still rolled a 17 and ignored it

There is a ghoul in one of the locations that I am making into a Sorcerer Thrall... the Faceless One (who shows up in AoW 2) is going to be a Priest/Wizard.

 

[Karl Green]

OK spoilers for the Age of Worm from Dungeon to come, so if you don't want to know you should not read (ye have been warned )



[sblock]
Argus replaced the wolves. I also figured that they would come out at night so they attacked the parties Mules and are now dead

a Trall Skarlock has replaced the Ghoul in #20

a Thrullg is hidden in the iron balls room #23 instead of a Grick

and an Advanced Gorax and pup instead of an Owlbear at the Land Farmstead. Knowning my players I am sure they are going to try and raise the pup themselves

most of the rest of the 'monsters' and encounter in the first issue are the same. NOW the reasons why they are these groups is totally different.

More to come later[/sblock]