Hero Wars
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The Sword That Is DeathBy Bruce FerrieBased on work by Robin D. Laws in King of Dragon Pass (Copyright © 1999 A Sharp LLC). Many thanks to Jeff Kyer for playtesting, editing and general invaluable assistance.
BackgroundIn the Gods Age, Eurmal the trickster found a new thing. This was the first Sword, which was called Death. Orlanth's brother, Humakt, took it away from Eurmal before he could do more harm than he had already done.At this time, Orlanth was looking for a weapon to use in his struggle against the Evil Emperor. He came to Humakt and tried to take Death from him, but Humakt would not give up his Sword. He used this new power that is Death to sever himself from his Storm Tribe kinfolk so that they would not be accountable for the harm that Death would bring. Orlanth eventually persuaded Humakt to lend him the Sword that is Death for a time so that he could use it against the Evil Emperor. In return, he offered him a place of honor in the Storm Tribe, not as his brother but as his champion. The Sword That is Death is a heroquest that any Orlanthi can perform. As it recreates the story of how Orlanth borrowed Death to kill the Evil Emperor, it is enacted by Orlanthi who require something "extra" in order to defeat an enemy. Orlanthi often pursue this quest to temporarily gain the Death affinity for themselves, usually in order to slay a specific, and most frequently Solar, foe. Alternatively, they may perform the quest to benefit their community. In this case, the quest might strengthen their warriors, or strengthen the bonds between Humakti weaponthanes and the rest of the clan. Quest Requirements
Outline of the QuestThe Sword That is Death heroquest has seven stations:
Station 1: Orlanth's SteadCross to the Other WorldResting at his stead after the latest of his attempts to defeat the Evil Emperor, Orlanth heard tales of this new thing that was Death. He resolved that he would seek this "Sword", so that he could use it in his next contest against the Evil Emperor. However, not even the Knowing God knew where Orlanth could find it. Everyone somehow seemed to know, that it was Eurmal who had found Death. After all, the Trickster was always at the root of any new trouble. As usual, though, nobody knew where to find Eurmal - he had wandered far from Orlanth's stead. Gathering his armor and weapons, Orlanth set out to find the errant Trickster. The quester traditionally begins his quest at a shrine or holy place to Orlanth. There he must use his Mythology of Orlanth (or Mythology of Vinga, if the quester is a Vingan) against the standard resistance of 10W3 to enter the God Plane to Orlanth's Hall. As noted on Narrator's Book p37, many Orlanthi heroes use rituals like the Arming of Orlanth to prepare themselves before beginning a heroquest and to allow extraordinary support. Station 2: EurmalInterrogating the TricksterAt the edge of the Storm Tribe's lands, Orlanth found Eurmal. He was disappointed to find that the Trickster no longer had the Sword That Is Death, but he soon forced Eurmal to tell him that Humakt had taken it from him. When the quester meets Eurmal, he must force the trickster to tell him where he can find the Sword. He may accomplish this by force, by bribery, or by persuasion. Convince Eurmal to talk (15W): Bribe, Intimidate, Command Gods of Storm Pantheon (-5), Fast Talk, Persuade Others. Eurmal's resistance to any attempt to cajole him is 15W - he finds it hard to keep a secret to himself, after all. Of course, violence is always an option. The quester may choose to simply beat Eurmal up to force him to tell all (see "Benefits of the Quest", below). Many questers bring their own trickster so that they can have as much control as is possible over this station of the heroquest. Tricksters being what they are, this may be marginal at best. If Eurmal wins the contest, he will give the hero inaccurate and misleading directions - he might, for example, tell him that he "gave the Sword to Grandfather Mortal". This will force to hero to take a circuitous route to Humakt's Stead, incurring negative carryover for this station of the quest. Station 3: Humakt's SteadOrlanth came to Humakt's stead, where his brother welcomed him. Orlanth, rash and full of pride, demanded that Humakt give him the Sword that he had heard so much about. Humakt refused, telling Orlanth that he might rule the storm and many other things, but that he would never rule Death. So they fought and, though Orlanth was not slain, he was forced to retreat.The hero arrives at Humakt's stead. It seems darker and more oppressive than normal, though there is still a welcoming fire in the hearth and food at the table. Humakt is here to welcome the hero, greeting him as a brother. Humakt appears as a warrior bearing the insignia and tattoos of the Storm Tribe. Of course, Humakt will often be represented in this quest by a Humakti to has, or will have some link in times to come, to the hero. This quest may be the event that establishes this link between the hero and the Humakti. The hero must try to get the Sword from Humakt. He can do this by several methods - he can try to command him to give the Sword up, or he may try to cajole or bribe the Sword out of Humakt. Persuade Humakt to hand over the Sword (5W2): Bribe (-5), Intimidate (-3), Command Gods of Storm Pantheon, Fast Talk (-3), Persuade Others (-3), Relationship (Clan). If the hero fails to command, cajole or bribe the Sword from Humakt, he may choose to resort to violence. In this case, Humakt's Close Combat ability is 10W3. Fighting Humakt can be very dangerous, so many heroes bring supporters with them to assist them in this battle. A healer is a valuable companion, able to lend AP to the hero in the more violent stations of this quest by treating his wounds. There is little time to spend between stations but there is usually enough to rest, eat and be healed magically. The narrator should note that the carryover is heavily skewed for this station of the quest. The "correct" course for the hero is to fail at this station, but to do so without being so badly injured that he cannot continue. If he succeeds in getting the Sword from Humakt, the hero will return to the Middle World. He will have less carryover than he would gain by completing the full quest, possibly with disastrous results. Worse, this can harm the relationship between the quester (and his community) and Humakti, particularly if the hero took the Sword from Humakt with violence (see "Benefits of the Quest" below). Station 4: The Return to Humakt's SteadAfter he had rested and healed his injuries, Orlanth came to Humakt a second time. He treated his brother with more respect this time, offering him gifts and the safety and shelter of his feasting hall. Humakt, though, was steadfast in his refusal to give up the Sword. He told his brother that safety and shelter were small things, compared to the power of Death. So they fought and, though Orlanth was not slain, he was forced to retreat.The hero returns to Humakt's stead. He meets Humakt there, just as in Station 3 of the quest. If anything, Humakt's stead is even darker and colder than it was before, though there is still a welcoming fire in the hearth and food on the table. Humakt still greets the hero as brother, though the greeting will not be warm if there was violence between the two of them previously. It is more difficult now to persuade Humakt to give up the Sword - his resolve is stronger. Persuade Humakt to hand over the Sword (10W2): Bribe (-5), Intimidate (-3), Command Gods of Storm Pantheon, Fast Talk (-3), Persuade Others (-3), Relationship (Clan). As before, violence is always an option for the hero - Humakt's Close Combat ability will be 10W3. Carryover is skewed for this station of the quest since the hero is supposed to fail (see Station 3). The hero may succeed in getting the Sword at this station and the effects are the same as before. Station 5: The Final Meeting With HumaktOrlanth rested again until the injuries to his person healed, even if those to his pride still pained him. He came to Humakt a third time. This time he appealed to Humakt as a brother to give him the Sword, so that he could use it to smite the Evil Emperor. Humakt, though, showed Orlanth a new thing that he had learned to do with the Sword. He had used it to sever himself from his kin, for he had seen the harm that Death would bring, and he did not want his Storm kin to pay the price. Humakt was no longer Orlanth's brother, therefore, and he told him that there was no obligation upon him to give the Sword to a stranger. So Orlanth and Humakt fought for possession of the Sword.After another opportunity to rest and recuperate, the hero returns to Humakt's stead for the final attempt to get the Sword from Humakt. This time, there is no welcoming fire in the hearth and Humakt's hall is cold and dark. Humakt does not greet the hero as a brother this time, but instead greets him as if he were a stranger. Persuade Humakt to hand over the Sword (10W2): Bribe (-5), Intimidate (-3), Fast Talk (-3), Persuade Others (-3). If the hero tries to appeal to Humakt as a kinsman, he tells the hero that he has severed himself from his Storm Tribe kin, and he no longer considers himself Orlanth's brother. The hero will not be able to use abilities such as Command Gods of Storm Pantheon or Relationship (Clan) in this contest as Humakt is not a member of the Storm Tribe at this point. Violence is still an option for the hero - Humakt's Close Combat ability will be 10W3. Carryover is skewed for this station of the quest since the hero is supposed to fail (see Station 3). The hero may succeed in getting the Sword at this station and the effects are the same as before. Station 6: EnemiesThen some enemies came who were too strong even for mighty warriors such as Orlanth and Humakt to face alone. The two of them had to set aside their differences and fight against their foes. The fight lasted for a day and a night, but Orlanth and Humakt were victorious.The Narrator should select enemies for this station of the quest that have some connection with the hero. For example, if his clan is feuding with a neighboring clan he may face warriors from that clan whereas if chaos menaces the tula, he might face a band of broo. In the absence of any specific enemy that the narrator may wish to introduce outlaws, chaos or undead are the traditional enemies faced at this point. The Humakti may have his own enemies who make an appearance instead of the hero's foes. Otherwise, the enemies faced may be hostile/rival heroquesters attempting to disrupt the quest. This is an excellent opportunity to bring in the hero's bitterest rival(s) to oppose him or to have Lunars strike at the very heart of the clan. The Narrator should tailor the foes' abilities so that they provide a significant test to the hero's abilities, though they should not be overwhelming. If the hero loses the contest, he may be seriously injured, but will still be able to continue the quest. Assume that Humakt succeeded in driving off any remaining enemies. After all, there has to be a good reason for Orlanth to want to make Humakt his champion… Station 7: ReconciliationThen an idea came to Orlanth. He saw that he should not be fighting against Humakt and that, even though they could no longer share a hall as brothers, there is always another way. He spoke to Humakt: "You fought bravely alongside me, Humakt-who-was-once-my-brother. I would give much to have you stand beside me in battle again. I have a new place for you, that of champion. You shall sit at my right side, on the ring, no longer of my clan, but connected to it by law, and you will be the greatest of my warriors."Humakt agreed to join with Orlanth in this way, and they were both glad. And Orlanth humbly asked the newest of his weaponthanes: "Let me borrow the Sword That Is Death". And Humakt lent him the Sword. The hero has an opportunity to demonstrate that, like Orlanth, he is wise, honorable and generous. The quester must persuade Humakt to stand alongside the Storm Tribe once more, as Orlanth's Champion, and to lend him the Sword That Is Death at need. Persuade Humakt to become the Storm Tribe's champion (10W2): Close Combat, Generous, Devotee/Initiate of Orlanth, Honorable, Relationship to Clan, Worship Storm Pantheon. The ability used here should be the one that the hero has wagered for this quest. If the hero succeeds, Humakt agrees to lend him the Sword and to sit at his right side, as his Champion. Station 8: Return HomeThe hero returns to Orlanth's Stead. From there, he crosses back to the Physical World again using his Mythology of Orlanth ability, resisted by the same difficulty as when he crossed into the God Plane, modified by carryover and wounds.ResultsIf the quester was successful and was performing the heroquest for personal benefit, he will have use of the Sword until Humakt returns to reclaim it (this is a related Humakti heroquest). The Sword gives the hero use of Humakt's Death affinity (see Hero Wars p54) at the same rating as the ability that the Hero wagered on the heroquest.If he was performing the quest in order to benefit his community, one of the following advantages is gained by all those who provided Extraordinary Support, chosen by the hero at the start of the quest:
Humakti will react positively to the individual as long as a successful roll is made against this relationship and tend to give them the benefit of the doubt. The duration of these benefits is determined as per the Carryover Duration Table (see Narrator's Book p39). In addition, if the narrator feels that the hero resorted to violence too often in the quest, she may choose to give the hero a Flaw, "Violent". If the hero repeatedly used unnecessary violence against his Storm Tribe kin the quest, the narrator may choose to increase the value of this Flaw by 5 for each instance. Note that, in stations 5 and 6 of the quest, Humakt and the enemies who appear are no longer the hero's kin, and do not incur a penalty at this point. If the hero used violence to take the Sword at station 3, 4 or 5 of the quest, before offering Humakt a place with the Storm Tribe and helping him fight his enemies, the consequences are grave. Both he and those who gave Extraordinary Support will get an "Unfriend of Humakt" flaw which acts as a penalty to all attempts to deal with Humakti. The value of this Flaw is equal to 12 + half the carryover that the hero gained on the quest (e.g., if the hero's carryover is 13, the value of the Flaw is 5W). This Flaw is permanent for the hero until he buys it off with hero points. It will persist as per the Carryover Duration Table (see Narrator's Book p39) for his supporters, who may find that their Humakti weaponthanes drift away to find other, more welcoming, clans for whom to fight. Carryover for The Sword That is Death
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