Weird and strange plants from far, far away... (part two)

COFFEE (#9/31, #190/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a smaller tree with glossy dark-green oval-shaped leaves, small white flowers and green seed-like fruit that turns red then purple when ripe.

Distribution: Hills and mountains in warmer regions across southern Allansia and Khul.

 

Effects: The seeds of the Coffee plant are dried, roasted and ground into powder to make a refreshing beverage with boiling water, served either hot or cold, and with a variety of additives, including milk, sugar, Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Fralderbark, Wyrmwood, and even Caracalk-seed spirit, among others. It is a premium beverage served in coffee-shops across southern Allansia and Khul, though its popularity is spreading. Coffee has mild restorative properties - anyone who drinks a cup of it can restore 1 STAMINA point.

Cost: City 2gp, Town 3gp, Village 4gp (per cup)

 

Availability: Common

FRALDERBARK (#10/31, #191/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a thick fleshy vine with glossy bright green succulent leaves, large yellow flowers, and long thin green pod-like fruit.

Distribution: Tropical islands across Titan.

 

Effects: The pod of the Fralderbark, when dried, becomes a fragrant dark brown stick. This is used as flavouring in various beverages including tea, coffee and various spirits. As such it is traded as a valuable spice across Titan. 

Cost: City 4gp, Town 6gp, Village 8gp (per bag of pods)

 

Availability: Rare

WYRMWOOD (#11/31, #192/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a woody shrub, with a pale silver-grey stems, narrow oval-shaped green gray leaves, and yellow tubular flowers.

Distribution: Hills, plains and wilderness across Titan.

 

Effects:  When dried, Wyrmwood is a bitter but fragrant herb used as an additive to various beverages, including coffee, tea, or beer. It is also used to make Absinthe. When burnt, the smoke from Wyrmwood torch drives off Dragons, Drakes, Wyrms and Wyverns of all kinds, or at least stops them from attacking whilst the torch is burning. If the torch-bearer attacks such a creature however, they will defend themselves but with a -1 penalty to their Attack Strength.

Cost: City 5gp, Town 7gp, Village 9gp (per torch)

 

Availability: Uncommon

In no-way-smooth CRIMINAL

CRIMINAL (#8/31, #189/365) [POT]

SKILL: 6

STAMINA : 5

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Towns (sewers), Dungeons, Ruins, Sea

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: See below

INTELLIGENCE: Average

Unless in a jail, prison, or an area of cell blocks, any CRIMINALS encountered will be escapees, currently free, desperate, and on the lam, running away from whoever imprisoned them in the first place. This means their reactions can be quite varied as the Criminal may be seeking aid to help them escape or silencing those they encounter to prevent a hue and cry being raised. Consequently, roll on the chart below for their initial reaction:

Roll Criminal Reaction

1 Friendly

2 Neutral

3 Unfriendly

4-6 Hostile

While the scores above can be used for all Criminals, at some point they did have a previous life, which will decide their background and skills. This can be determined by rolling on the appropriate terrain encounter table for their current location. However, their current circumstances will be quite different and the Criminal will usually be clad in tattered rags at best, with a weapon rolled for on the table below:

Roll Weapon Type

1 Club

2 Dagger

3 Blackjack

4 Chain

5 Needleknife

6 Ball and Chain (as per Morning Star)

In addition, a Criminal will have one item of gear, stashed or carried on their person. To determine what this is, roll three dice and consult the table below:

Roll Gear

3 a Throwing Knife

4 Lockpicks

5 Rope and grappling hook

6 half a bottle of Special Brew

7 a pouch of Smoking Weed and a Pipe

8 a Book, heavily annotated

9 Loaded Dice

10 a missing body-part (Roll: 1-2 Eye, 3-4 Hand, 5-6 Leg)

11 a Disease

12 a Skeleton Key

13 half a mouldy loaf of bread and an iron file

14 a Crowbar

15 a Pick Axe (as per War-Pick)

16 a Tunic of Holding (not worn)

17 a Treasure Map

18 a Shovel and a Sack

The general goal of any escaped Criminal is to flee the immediate area, and establish themselves somewhere else, far, far away. One of the more infamous criminals of recent times was 'Clubber' Tump, last seen working for the notorious crime lord Jay 'Fingers' Finch, head of the Surly Boys gang of Ludria (see Adventure Creation System, p. 258).

Perhaps the weirdest encountered Criminals upon the world of Titan are those found at sea, specifically in the vicinity of the Black Ocean and its associated atolls and cays; the Isles of the Dawn, Yotakami Island, the Shark Islands, the Arrowhead Archipelago, and so on. Here, particularly troublesome convicted Criminals are imprisoned within the inflated air-bladder of the noxious Shael-Beast (see Beyond the Pit, pp. 122-123, and Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 70), and then sent floating off across the waves, condemned for the rest of their short life to an existence within a foul-smelling spherical gaol. Such Criminals have been driven completely insane by their ordeal, and, even if freed, will react with outright hostility and attack whoever was foolish enough to release them from the air-bladder. Needless to say, unlike other encountered Criminals, they have no weapon or possessions at all, other than the stinking rotting clothes upon their backs, burnt and blistered from the sun, saltwater and stinking confines of their globular imprisonment.

Who wants to live forever?

Potion of Longevity (#6/31, #187/365) [EA:V2] (Artefact)

 Since the tides of the time god Chronada washed over the world of Titan people have dreamed of immortality, of the ability to live forever, and the Potion of Longevity goes some way to achieving that goal. Also known as the Potion of Eternal Youth, the Potion of Youth, or the Youth Potion, it is a small elaborately carved vial containing a silvery liquid. When drunk, the imbiber of a Potion of Longevity can immediately reduce their age by 8-48 years, though care must be taken lest they revert completely back to being a mewling baby! The drinker of the potion will still have their normal chronological age, but their physical age will be reduced - for the effects of this and ageing in general see Gods of Titan, p. 110.

These potions are obviously very valuable; when the Allansian wizard Tulkinghorse discovered one in his old age, he used his second chance at life to found the magical style of Combat Magic (see Combat Companion, p.29), whilst Yaztromo of Darkwood Forest was rumoured to be working on brewing such a potion as well. There is one member of the Alasiyan Den of Thieves who claims to be 379 years old as they drink several doses of a Potion of Longevity daily, and the Sorcerer-Governor Gumpas has imprisoned them and attempted to extract the secret of the potion's manufacture. In the Old World, Karl-Heinz Matthaus, Alchemist-in-Residence at Castle Heydrich allegedly discovered the recipe below, with which he concocted Potions of Longevity to administer to Katarine Heydrich, who was supposedly 76 years old but looked far, far younger.

Unavailable to buy

Recipe: Potion of Longevity (#7/31, #188/365) [EA:V2] (Enchanting: Artefact)

Enchantment required: 6

Cost of recipe: N/A

Cost of ingredients: N/A 

Ingredients: Powdered Xentos Fruit, Basilisk Liver, Giant Squid Ink, Tatsu Pearl, Exo-Beast Brain

Time to craft: 1 Year

Description: Also known as the Potion of Eternal Youth, the Potion of Youth, or the Youth Potion, it is a small elaborately carved vial containing a silvery liquid. When drunk, the imbiber of a Potion of Longevity can immediately reduce their age by 8-48 years, though care must be taken lest they revert completely back to being a mewling baby! The drinker of the potion will still have their normal chronological age, but their physical age will be reduced - for the effects of this and ageing in general see Gods of Titan, p. 110.

Terror of the Techno Monkeys!

TECHN0-HOMUNCULUS (#3/31, #184/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 9

STAMINA: 6

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Small Claw

ARMOUR: Light

DAMAGE MODIFIER: -1 to Damage Roll

HABITAT: Anywhere their master is, Ruins, Dungeons, Towns

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Magical Creature

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

Related to the Homunculus (see Beyond the Pit, p. 69), the TECHNO-HOMUNCULUS is a hideous-looking small creature whose arrival is usually heralded by the strange clanking of gears and the hissing of pistons, due to its half-animal, half-machine nature. The Techno-Homunculus is a disconcerting amalgam of metal and clay-like flesh, resembling a tiny horned and winged devil, similar to a normal Homunculus, however, half of its body has been replaced with mechanical parts and animated with Technomancy (see below). For example, half of the beast's head is exposed metal, one wing is a folding construction of leather and brass, and one arm and one leg are entirely metallic in nature. 

The Techno-Homunculus can fly, and will use its claws or other weapons (such as a dagger, or a magical bronze wand that causes 3 STAMINA points of damage per hit) to defend itself or its master. They make for intelligent familiars, and are able to understand complex instructions and converse with their master or their master's guests on a wide range of esoteric subjects. The rogue weather mage Balthazar Sturm was served by such a Techno-Homunculus who guarded his cabin aboard his flying flagship, The Eye of the Storm. If slain, the part-mechanical, part-magical creature disintegrates in a dramatic explosion of sparks, which will cause a small fire, igniting anything flammable nearby.

Ritual of the Animate Technoid (#4/31, #185/365) [EA:V2] (Conjuring)

Magic-Conjuration: 6

Type: Creation

Components: Mandrake root, 1 pint of the Conjurer's blood, 3 Gadgets, Filigree Wings

Time Taken: 1 Month

Rarity: Uncommon

Description: This ritual, enacted over the root of a Mandrake plant (see The Titan Herbal, p. 47) that has been harvested after 1 month and properly treated and modified with the above components, will animate the humanoid-shaped root into a Techno-Homunculus, a small half-magical half-machine creature. These are more stable than regular Homunculi, and will last for 2-7 years, though they require regular source of fuel or a recharging station to enable daily functioning.

Ritual of the Animate Technoid (#5/31, #186/365) [EA:V2] (Technomancy)

Device Technique: Techno-Homunculus

Device Type: Familiar

Device Size: Small

Device Complexity: 8

Magic-Technomancy Required: 3

Cost of Technique: 100gp

Power Source: 1 Small

Components: Mandrake root, 1 pint of the Conjurer's blood, 3 Gadgets (1 Doobry and 2 Wotsits), Filigree Wings,

Cost of Components: 200gp

Description: This ritual, enacted over the root of a Mandrake plant (see The Titan Herbal, p. 47) that has been harvested after 1 month and properly treated and modified with the above components, will animate the humanoid-shaped root into a Techno-Homunculus, a small half-magical half-machine creature. These are more stable than regular Homunculi, and will last for 2-7 years, though they require regular source of fuel or a recharging station to enable daily functioning.

More obscure plants from the Inland Sea region of Khul

CHOB BEANS (#29/30, #180/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a long hairy vine covered in green spade-shaped leaves with white flowers, and thick green seedpods, that gathers in tangled bush-like aggregates.

Distribution: Woods, plains and hills across Khul.

 

Effects: Chob Beans are reddish-brown kidney-shaped seeds that are edible, and used in cooking across Khul. A noted dish is a paste made from Chob Beans and Lox, a salmon-like fish, colourfully arranged over a bed of custard made from Dilk cream and served in a palm-leaf bowl. A bag of Chob Beans is equivalent to one Provision.   

Cost: City 2gp, Town 1gp, Village 5sp (per bag of beans)

 

Availability: Common

 

Further Notes: Chob Beans are related to Balleye Beans (see p. XX). 

 

FLAME-WOOD (#30/30, #181/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a large tree with a dark brown trunk, small pale green leaves and bright yellow flowers.

Distribution: Woods and forests across Khul.

 

Effects:  Flame-Wood is an attractive and fragrant wood often used for decorative carvings. An item made from Flame-Wood is receptive to magical enchantment and, when used in the construction of any relevant magical item that requires wood, allows the mage to add +1 to roll when determining if their enchantment is a success. Legend tells how Morkain, usurper of Lagash, trapped the breath of his brother Ashkar the Magnificent in a carven idol of Flame-Wood, and used it in a sorcerous ritual to slay Ashkar from afar.

Cost: City 10gp, Town 12gp, Village 15gp (per stick)

 

Availability: Uncommon

 

Further Notes: Flame-Wood is believed to be related to Fire Wood from Allansia (see The Titan Herbal, p. 33).

 

GRAYWOOD (#1/31, #182/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a tall cypress-like tree, with somber gray wood, and long spiny dark green needle-like leaves.

Distribution: Hills and mountains across Khul.

 

Effects:  Graywood timber is light yet strong and makes an excellent construction material for ships and boats. Such a vessel crafted exclusively from Graywood timber may add +2 to their SHIP STAMINA score. The notorious pirate vessel known as the Banshee, captained by the dread sea lord Starg, was made of such wood, and also featured a finely carved figurehead of the eponymous undead creature frozen in wailing anger across the waves.

Cost: City 100gp, Town NA, Village NA (per log)

 

Availability: Rare.

 

Further Notes: Graywood is thought to be related to Black Pine (see p. XX).

  

MARMALANT TEA (#2/31, #183/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a shrub-like plant with green, oval-shaped leaves and orange-yellow flowers.

Distribution: Hills and forests across southern Khul.

 

Effects:  Marmalant Tea is a potent kind of tea leaf much favoured in parts of southern Khul, such as the Inland Sea and Hachiman. It has mild restorative properties - anyone who drinks a cup of it can restore 1 STAMINA point.

Cost: City 1gp, Town 2gp, Village 3gp (per cup)

 

Availability: Uncommon.

 

Further Notes: Marmalant Tea is related to regular Tea (see The Titan Herbal, p. 67).

[The Southern Death] CULTIST!

CULTIST (#28/30, #179/365) [POT]

SKILL: 6

STAMINA : 7

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Towns (sewers), Dungeons, Ruins

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 2-7

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: High

The CULTIST is a furtive and secretive fervent disciple of a deity their fellow peoples may abhor, typically one of the Dark Lords of Evil and Chaos, or an Demon Prince of some standing, or even one of the more abhorrent Beast Lords of the Animal Court. They may have a regular occupation or place in decent society, but come nightfall the Cultist swathes themselves in a robe or cloak and steals out into the darkness, towards the hidden temple where foul and unholy rites are conducted in honour of their depraved god, whoever that may be. To determine the chosen deity of such a cult and all Cultists present, roll once on the following table:

Roll Cult God Weapon Apparel

1 Cult of the Night Dragon, Night Dragon, Dagger, Grey robes, dragonskull tattoo

2 Cult of the Cobra, Sithera (Sith), Scimitar, Red robes, golden cobra symbol

3 Cult of the Spider God, Arhallogen, Poisoned dagger (4 STAMINA damage), Black cloak

4 Cult of the Leopard God, Sku-Rachi, Tiger-claws, Leopardskin jacket (as per Leather Jack)

5 Cult of the Dark Lord, (Roll:  1 Death, 2 Disease, 3 Decay, 4 Sith, 5 Ishtra, 6 Myurr), Club, Black robes 

6 Chaos Cult, (Roll 1-2 Behemoth, 3-4 Belthegor, 5-6 Dolod), Dagger, Black robes and a Chaos tattoo

In addition to their cult accoutrements as determined above, a Cultist will also carry an unholy symbol of their faith. If seven Cultists are encountered, they will form a coven and one will be of a special type - roll below to determine what:

Roll Special Cultist, SKILL STAMINA Gear

1-2 Cultist Priest 6 9 Mace, Magic-Priestly 2, MAGIC 6

3-4 Elite Cultist 10 8 Sword

5-6 Cultist Leader 7 11 Morning Star

Especially active cults known from Titan include the Cult of the Night Dragon, believed to be based in the town of Carnex in northern Allansia, and the Cult of the Cobra, which is active in Arantis and the southern lands, as are the Cults of the Spider and Leopard Gods as well. Meanwhile, even fair Salamonis has its own nefarious Chaos Cult, called the Sisters of the Brotherhood, dedicated to the hideous demigod known as the Behemoth and led by the irredeemably evil Cardinal Zyn. Ludria, a city in northern Khul, is another settlement known to be infested with numerous weird Cults dedicated to dark gods, some of whom are devoted to to the evil works of the nefarous Inquisitor, Anna Gorval (e.g. see Adventure Creation System, pp. 120-121, pp. 335-336, pp. 338-340).

Squeal like a weed!

SQUEALWEED (#25/30, #176/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a carnivorous water weed with long spiny tendrils growing out from a central stalk, at the top of which is a curious rugose spherical bladder that can be inflated and deflated to create a hideous racket.

Distribution: Rivers, sea-shores and swamps across southern Khul.

 

Effects: The air bladder of the Squealweed can be harvested and used by blowing air to inflate it. When air is released quickly, the bladder makes a horrible squealing noise, that causes everyone without Ear Plugs or Goblin Ear Wax in their ears to reduce their SKILL score by -1 for one Attack Round. It takes one Attack Round to reinflate the bladder. The Squealweed Air Bladder can also be used to make various aerial weapons including potash-balloons or spike mines, which Pangarian Goblins have been known to deploy when defending their flying sky-chariots.

Cost: City 2-12gp, Town 3-18gp, Village 4-24gp (per bladder)

 

Availability: Uncommon

 

Notes: The Squealweed is also the name of a cutter ship that operates out of the city-state of Lagash, on the north-eastern shores of the Inland Sea.

 

SQUEALWEED (#26/30, #177/365) [OOTP IV]

 

SKILL: 6

STAMINA: 6 per patch

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Tendrils (as Small Claw)

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Rivers, Lakes, Marshes, Sea-shore

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-6 patches

TYPE: Plant

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: Low

SQUEALWEED is a carnivorous aquatic plant related to River Bloodweed (see The Titan Herbal, p. 57). First recorded from the stagnant waters near the infamous Dead City that lies beyond the Great Wall of Kish, the plant is thought to be some sort of weird chaos mutant that has since spread downstream to infest the Kishian Delta. Given its tolerance of stagnant or brackish water, Squealweed is now found throughout coastal areas of the Inland Sea, particularly large river systems such as the Parine, where it is considered a major menace to shipping.

Squealweed attacks by actively clawing at its victims (whether in the water or aboard small boats or on the shore) with spiny tendrils, while inflating and deflating a spherical air bladder at the top of the plant's central stalk. When air is released quickly every second Attack Round, the bladder makes a horrible squealing noise, that causes everyone without Ear Plugs or Goblin Ear Wax in their ears to reduce their SKILL score by -1 for the next Attack Round. It then takes one Attack Round to reinflate the bladder. 

Squealweed Air Bladder (#27/30, #178/365) [EA:V2] (Treasure: Monster Part)

The Air Bladder of the Squealweed is a large fibrous spherical growth with a small stomata-opening, through which air can be blown or sucked to inflate or deflate the bladder. When air is released quickly, the bladder makes a horrible squealing noise, that causes everyone without Ear Plugs or Goblin Ear Wax in their ears to reduce their SKILL score by -1 for one Attack Round. It takes one Attack Round to reinflate the bladder. The Squealweed Air Bladder can also be used to make various aerial weapons including potash-balloons or spike mines, which Pangarian Goblins have been known to deploy when defending their flying sky-chariots.

2-12GP