Denezins of the 1000 Towers. Wiley Bunn.

There are few true vampires in the Land of 1000 Towers but this is one.  Not as powerful as the vampire of Lugosi, but enough to test an unwary party of adventurers, this creature can be encountered wandering the more inhabited jungles to the west of denethix, sometimes mumbling to someone called Riley, more often passing like a ghost.

No one knows how old this degenerate curmudgeon is.  It certainly does not know itself, and remebers little of the countless lifetimes it has endured.  It does know that once great cities housed millions of bloodbags and if one got too hot you could move to another.

What it also knows is how to survive.

Nosferatu by joelharlow.deviantart.com

Wiley Bunn, Level Five Nosferatu Archetype Vampire.
Created using the rules here.

STR 11
DEX14 +1
CON 10
INT 14
WIS 14 +1
CHA 6 -1
BLOOD 25

Hit Points: 22
Armour Class: 8
To hit bonus +5 (+strength)
Save as Fighter5

VAMPIRE GIFTS
Beast Senses  (The Beast 1)
Pass Without Trace (Stealth 1)
Doppelganger (Monster 1)
Strength (Monster 2)
Invisibility (Stealth 3)

GEAR
Mallet (treat as warhammer)
Rusty old revolver which 25% will backfire.
A ball of string made from different strings tied together.  Claims he's holding it for a friend.



For Jared, happy birthday buddy.

HARLEQUIN ASSASSIN DANCERS. Dangerous opponents indeed. (Lab lord / osr)

Whether they come from this world or another place entirely is uncertain, for they are difficult to engage with any lucidity if at all. Few live who have seen their faces to vouch for their humanity.

Little is known of these sequined spiral dancers for their motivations are inscrutable.  What is certain is that they possess an otherworldly air and detachment, and that they are some of the most dangerous opponents engaged in the great game that surrounds the Shining Trapezohedron.

No. Enc.: 1d12 (2d10)

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 150 (50)

Armor Class: 4

Hit Dice: 4 + 1

Attacks: 1 ranged or melee, by weapon or special. They usually use blades but these may be any kind from daggers to greatswords. There is a base 25% chance that each melee weapon is equivalent to a +1 weapon and a 5% chance it is +2.

Damage: By weapon or see below

Save: F7

Morale: 10 if the objective seems obtainable, if it becomes clear that no effort can succeed they will leave.

Hoard Class: custom

XP: As Ogre Mage

• Uncanny Dodge and dodge missiles as a monk as Monk/Mystic
•  Immune to Charm, ESP, Mind Control (do they even have minds as we do?)
• May not be held if they are ‘dancing’ (melee combat),
• Supreme leaping and tumbling:  May move through occupied space provided there is physical room to realistically do so.
• One spell of first or second level. E.g. Hypnotism, Mirror image, Change Self, Phantasmal Force, Invisibility
• Harlequin Assassins surprise on 1-4 on d6. (yes scarier than a ranger)
• Harlequin Assassin Dance (in your face Backstab):  Although a Harlequin Assassin is perfectly capable of backstabbing if the target is unaware, even when in plain sight their strange movements give them a chance to surprise an opponent the first time that Harlequin attacks that person in melee combat.  The mechanic is that the target rolls for surprise (1-4 on d6) and if ‘surprised’ then the harlequin may backstab.
• FOR UBER SCARY CAMPAIGNS ONLY : The harlequin assassin has a % chance of killing when successfully attacking with a backstab as a fourth level assassin.

Harlequin Outfit.  Gives the wearer the effect of blur. Killing a Harlequin might damage the suit.

Harlequin Razor Pistol.  The antique looking firearms have an ammunition capacity of 2 or 3, do damage 2d6 and look very John Blanche.

DENEZINS OF DENETHIX: TWO FINGER TEDDY AND HIS TWO TONE BOYZ.

Two Finger Teddy and his Two Tone Boyz work the markets on the outskirts of the Bazzar Incomparable.  They do a good job of 'protecting' their area, are quite popular with the less well off locals, and are on the lookout for many residents that would normally be off the radar of the administratum of Denethix.

Two Finger Teddy (T5) aka "That Two Faced Mother Fu....r!"

They are relatively well known around their home neighborhood for their charasmatic demeanors, don't-fuck-with-us spunk, sense of honour and their 'word', and also in no small part for the well known street parties they hold where they employ musicians from the swamps of the deep south, who are known for a hypnotic rhythm-driven music called 'Skar'; parties which are known to attract a significant number of activists from the student quarter in addition to locals.

THE TWO TONE BOYZ

Left to right: Back Row: Baby Face A1, Sweet Eddy T3, Pelvis Easley T1, Buck Norrick F2, Mac Boy T3, Kicks Stewart T2

Front Row: Dopey T1, Pretty Boy T2 and Joe Ninety% T1

Baby face is known to be twisted and is kept on a short leash by his older brother Sweet Eddy, who is the treasurer.  The day to day protection is run by Pelvis, Buck Norrick, and Mac Boy.  It is said that Buck Norrick is so tough he doesn't need to carry weapons, and that Kicks Stewart once killed a man with a jumping turning hook kick to the head* Those looking for a quick buzz usually visit Dopey, who has a line on some legal but dodgy hafnium and pipe-weed.  Pretty Boy usually accompanies Teddy for both his diplomatic tact and willingness to smash someone's face in, and lastly, seemingly the odd one out, Joe 90% is a student at the Academy and also has a friend in the Scientists.

They run low level protection rackets, hook up deals, sell semi-licit materials, and sometimes come by stuff which has fallen off the back of a cart. They are all locals, and are focused on their 'hood and not expansionistic.

Normally they wear leather backed coats and stylish sturdy expensive shoes, and carry daggers, switchblades, or billy clubs (which they lovingly refer to as 'enforcers'). They have also been spotted with crowbars, crossbows and Teddy carries a revolver.

Teddy is reputed to have been burned while setting fire to an adversary as punishment, although the more perceptive will wonder how that explains the strange eye he now has.  It is a lessor known rumour that he is responsible for the death of at least one agent of the Council of Proper Apportionment.

*The dude in the photo totally reminds me of an old d&d friend and martial arts buddy, B. Stewart, who to this day has very sneaky hard-to-see-coming devastating head kicks.

PLUG N PLAY CAMPAIGN FACTION: The SisterHive.

THE SISTERHIVE 

STEPHEN BAXTER INSPIRED DROP-IN-YOUR-CAMPAIGN FACTION FOR YOU FANTASY, SCIFANTASY OR SCIFI OLD SCHOOL CAMPAIGN.

This supplement concerns an evolutionary branch of humanity that has evolved since ancient times when it began as an all female religious order which retreated underground to survive a time of strife.

As thousands of years passed, a sisterhood cult and isolation led to rapid evolution of a society of all females of different castes.  There are the drones, the breeders and the organisers.

All sisters in a hive are bound by the strict code of sisterhood, which has had such strong effects on the population over the aeons as to promote rapid physical and social evolution. 

ASE:  Three 'Sisters', age 20.  Like this...

...Not like this, you perv!  These girls are real by the way, pin-up triplets all in the IAF from what I could tell in the brief time it took me to copy this image.  

Back to D&D now.

The drones are somewhat androgynous, with slight builds and large pretty eyes.  The do most of the work and live by the rules of sisterhood, and the mantra, “Sisters are better than daughters”[1].

The breeders are selected at late puberty and have obviously accentuated child bearing features.  They will give birth to one daughter approximately every four months.  The child will be born in a sack of gel, from which it draws sustenance additional to that which it receives from its mother.

All of them exhibit hive like behaviour.  This is influenced by cues such as body language, culture, smell and habit.  Although there is no greater hive mind as suc, the culture and behaviour has developed to the point where the emergent properties mimics such a state of affairs.

The organisers are of two subtypes.  The Matrons, who run the hive, and the Flowers. The Flowers spend time in the outside world to gather information and necessities, and importantly to find mates for the sisterhood.  Once the mate is ‘committed’ it’s time for a trip underneath to ‘meet’ the family. 

These mates must save vs pheromones or become emotionally attached to the survival of the hive as well as willing impregnators of the breeders.  A failure does not necessarily mean the mate has a bad experience; if he’s not obviously smitten, then the belief is that he will be next time.  These mates do not however live underneath amongst the sisters and their access to the hive is strictly controlled by the matrons and the flowers.

All of the sisters have a faint off-milk smell, somewhat more so for the breeders

For The Land of One Thousand Towers campaign these underhives can be located underneath any of the ruins that appear on the map, or heck, just put it right underneath Denethix if you want, who knows what Feretha built on top of.

For a Scifi setting, the sisters left earth thousands of years ago and have set up hives all over.  They are not really a 'threat', nor are they organised between hives.  Sometimes these hives are in planetoids or asteroids, riddled with the hive warren.  Unscrupulous merchants and ship owners often go into business with slavers to assault these and capture a large and ready slave resource.  The sisters will of course defend the hive.

For running the game:  Random Table additions, cut and paste these to the appropriate random tables for your campaign.

ENCOUNTERS

• 2-4 Drones.  If they know characters are in vicinity of their hive this will be 2d20.  0hd.  1-4 hp.  They have been sent above to do/retrieve/communicate and will be keen to avoid unnecessary contact beyond what they need to do. They believe 'Sisters are better than daughters' and have a morale of 7 in isolation, and 10 against threats to the SisterHive, and 11 in the hive.  Reason for being outside the hive: D6  1-2 Retrieve a sister who as run away. 3-4 Purchase writing materials,  5-6 pass a message.
• Flower1d2-1   (0=1) Flowers.  These women are attractive and good with conversations.  They are likely professionals of some variety.  They have subtle but effective pheromones which provide a one-step positive reaction adjustment.
• Add Drone Sisters or a Flower to the type of slaves that a Slaver could have for sale.

RUMORS

• “There are these people see, and they’re all like girls and they all look just about the same.  They’re seen every now or again, maybe they visit a merchant of something.  No no-one knows where they’re from but they don’t seem to do anyone no harm”.
• “What?!  You want to go to the ruins of Crystal Palace?  Underneath those ruins there is a city, a hive of insect woman, you know.  Probably best left alone!”.
• “Yess, a most ancient manuscript this.  A book of history from some lost and ancient civilisation.  It makes reference to a religious sisterhood who created an underground habitat and community underneath their home city during a period of great strife”. 
• Mercs and Slavers have discovered a hive and are going to raid it for slaves. They are looking for additional muscle.

---

[1] I have totally converted the Sisterhood from Stephen Baxter’s Coalescent to use in my d&d game.  If you like the idea above I very much recommend that you buy it or get it from the library and read it  Coalescent Wiki.

Denizens of Lugosi: One Tooth Mary

Where we get to meet the character's early patron, One Tooth Mary, and understand her role in Lugosi.

PISTOLE VERNON:  "Sure Mrs, I can 'elp you out.  That woman in the booth over there, go and say hello.  Her name is Mary, but some call her One Tooth Mary, just don't ask her how she got one tooth".

Later in game, in a night of passion with Cybella, Vernon revealed a little of Mary's background. She was once a widely feared assassin in Denethix, one of the deadliest blades for hire in the land.

He told how there are rumors that she once went by the alias of Black Jenny* and was cursed by a Vampire.  Hints were made that the curse resulted in her growing fangs, and aging (loosing two levels at least!), yet in her older age she would now age slower.

One Tooth Mary.  An imaculately executed self portrait of unknown age.  I got this image from a favourite blog of mine, Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque

Further insight into her background and name are gleaned from hints and rumors which involve a pair of pliers and an intoxicant fueled rage of self loathing.

To date Mary has appeared helpful to the PCs, paying good gold for treasure, and being a good source of leads.

One source of intrigue however is that when asked whether she new any wizards, she said she didn't,but was obviously uncomfortable and the players came to the conclusion that she was not only lying, but that she seemed momentarily afraid of whatever thought the question had prompted.  I rolled the 'doesn't know appears afraid' reaction on a table in the Vornheim supplement and so came up with a reason to explain.

What the players don't know is:  Highlight to read unless you're one of my players, in which case just don't, it's more fun if you don't know.

Highlight from here:

Mary does know a wizard.  A wizard who was once a fellow adventurer who fell in with the Cult of Starry  Wisdom.  Mary is scared of this guy, and it is this mad wizard to whom she has reluctantly passed the Armillary retrieved by the PCs from the Prison of the Hated Pretender*. What this also means is that the Cult of Starry Wisdom now have an astronomical divination device, mwah ha ha ha....
.

End Highlight.

We get to see some of the action side of Mary at the upcoming Festival of Fangs game sessions (when the PCs return to Lugosi from the Obelisk to pick up supplies, and use the festival to recruit henchmen - coming soonish!).  Mary, plus two fellow assassin types return late to Bellas, there are panting and Mary is bleeding.  Write ups for that are a few sessions away.

Shady assistant number one.  A youthful femme fatale, she exudes menace and sex.  Her Jacket is made of tough high quality leather and the beaded front piece adds to the protection (leather). She carries a rapier at her side and has a number of throwing knives among her adornments.

Shady assistant number two.  This tall silent type is wearing a cloak which partially conceals the long slim bladed two handed sword slung over his back, but doesn't conceal the dead look in his eyes.  A pistol crossbow hangs at his side.

Curiously, and reinforcing the Twin Peaks Black Lodge vibe at Bellas, Mary's constant assistants (introduced at the first meeting and encountered a few times since) are a trio of near-identicalb small bald men in suits of slightly different cuts in matching brown corduroy.

*Black Jenny appears in Prison of the Hated Pretender, an excellent introductory adventure by Gus at Dungeon of Signs.