Domain of the Skorn

Skorn Guard Post (#14/31; #134/365)

"This small circular cave contains a rock table and several boulders, sitting on which are three short humanoids, similar to Dwarfs in size, but completely hairless, with pale, Orc-like tusked faces and muscular bodies. They wear sandals and loincloths of leather, and are armed with war-picks and shields. A lantern burns brightly in the middle of the table. The creatures rise at your approach, yelling at you in a language that sounds like Dwarfish."

Contents: The creatures are Skorn; subterranean humanoids kept as captives by the N'yadach before freeing themselves centuries ago with Dwarven help. This particular colony have been sent up from the great below to mine a particularly promising deposit of emerald gemstones. The Skorn Guards speak Dwarfish, and will swap any gems the Heroes have in exchange for safe-passage or information on these tunnels and helpful mushrooms and fungi that can be harvested.

If the Heroes are aggressive, one of the Skorn will sound a war-gong, summoning 2-7 Skorn from lair described below.

Stats:

3 SKORN guards, SKILL 5, STAMINA 5, War Pick, Small Shield

Each guard has 1-6 GP (in the form of emerald chips; 1 emerald chip = 1 GP), and a sharpened bone stiletto tucked into their belt, and one has a war-gong as an alarm.

Skorn follow Kyrile, the Goddess of Gems and Jewels. Each Skorn wears a type of magical crystal around their neck, as a Holy Symbol of their faith for Kyrile. Roll a die on the following table to determine the type:

1. Glowstone

2. Sun Jewel

3-4. Regeneration Crystal

5. Jewel of Light

6. Energy Crystal 

The lantern on the table is a normal item of its type and of good manufacture.

Skorn Lair (#15/31; #135/365)

"This large cavern is a living quarters of some sort, and has a strange, sweet rich earthy odour that is not entirely unpleasant. Half of the room is given over to numerous spongy pallets made from weird white moss, the other half has a rectangular table on which sits a burning lantern, and a couple of benches, all made from boulders."

Roll a die. On a 1-2:

"Sleeping on the moss beds are a bunch of pale-skinned Skorn, snoring their heads off and dead to the world. Their weapons and armour are dumped on the floor next to each pallet."

On a 3-6:

"Seated at the table are a bunch of pale-skinned Skorn, drinking from clay mugs and playing a game of bone dice, with green crystal chips. They look up sharp-eyed at your approach."

Contents: These Skorn are all miners or guards, using their down time to either sleep off a grog-inspired hangover, or gamble on a game of Orc-Eye (see the Tenth Anniversary Yearbook, pp. 111-112). (The Heroes should hopefully be pretty good at this game by now!)

If the Heroes are being escorted to see the Skorn King (see below), they will be jeered on the way there, and invited to play a game of Orc-Eye on the way back. The stake is 1GP (emerald chip or equivalent gemstones) per game.

If the Heroes are obviously hostile intruders, the Skorn will attack, but more polite Heroes, may be able to bargain for passage with a hefty bribe or a game of Orc-Eye or two.

If the Skorn are sleeping, the Heroes may attempt to sneak through the chamber, but attempting to murder the Skorn in their sleep will wake at least one of them up, who will raise the alarm.

Stats:

2-12 SKORN: SKILL 5, STAMINA 5, War Pick, Small Shield

Each Skorn has 1-6 GP (in the form of emerald chips; 1 emerald chip = 1 GP), and a sharpened bone stiletto tucked into their belt.

Skorn follow Kyrile, the Goddess of Gems and Jewels. Each Skorn wears a type of magical crystal around their neck, as a Holy Symbol of their faith for Kyrile. Roll a die on the following table to determine the type:

1. Glowstone

2. Sun Jewel

3-4. Regeneration Crystal

5. Jewel of Light

6. Energy Crystal

On the table are a lantern, a pile of 19GP in the form of emerald chips, a pair of bone dice, and a clay gourd of Shroomshrine Grog, with 11 clay mugs. Shroomshine Grog is a sickly-sweet syrupy green liquor made from fermented underground fungi. It is potent to surface-dwellers; anyone drinking a shot must reduce their SKILL by 1 but can add 1 to their STAMINA. Skorn traded the recipe from Troglodytes and are largely immune to the stuff; to them it is naught but a pleasant apperitif.

The moss-bed pallets are empty apart from small keepsakes (the tooth of a Mud Dragon, a strange-shaped mushroom, etc.).

Skorn Throneroom (#16/31; #136/365)

"This large cavern is lit by guttering torches, illuminating a rocky dais upon which stands a throne carved from a single giant mushroom. Lounging on the throne is an armoured Skorn warrior with a gleaming golden crown upon his head. Alongside the the throne are several Skorn warriors, and other weird humanoid warriors with pale blue skin and blank eyes, armed with spears. The Skorn king, whose feet rest on a wooden locker, points his battle-axe at you and motions for you to abase yourself at his feet; the warriors around him edge forwards pointing spears and war-picks in your direction. 'Bow to the might of King K'Qar' he intones, in heavily accented Allansian."

Contents: This is throneroom of K'Qar Thungus, 'king' of this delegation of Skorn sent upwards to mine an emerald deposit. Unfortunately, in the same area was a fungus farm tended to and guarded by CLONES, who were in turn controlled by a Fire Demon wearing a golden Nether Crown as punishment.

K'Qar single-handedly slew the Fire Demon in combat, but made the mistake of placing the crown upon his head and become lord of these fungus farms and the new controller of all the Clones. Despite this, he quite enjoys the added responsibility, and has now styled himself king of these caverns. The Skorn are on edge however, as they expect a Demon incursion soon to collect the latest fungal harvest.

K'Qar expects respect from the Heroes and will order his minions to attack if they are rude or aggressive. He is amenable to trading any gems and jewels the Heroes have in exchange for information or useful fungi. If the Heroes look particularly mighty K'Qar will pay them emeralds to destroy the rival band of N'yadach nearby, or help defend against a Demon invasion when it happens.

The treasure-locker is for the whole Skorn operation. It is locked and trapped; K'Qar's key opens the chest but does not disarm the trap, which is a Fear Fungi trap (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 36). Inside the chest is:

• a sack of 36 cut and polished Emeralds (each worth 2-12GP)
• Emerald chips worth another 77GP
• 2 Regeneration Crystals
• a golden torc of Djaratian manufacture (worth 20GP) featuring a lion's head
• a bronze Lucky Charm
• a Magical Sack in the form of a worn burlap bag
  

Stats:

K'Qar Thungus, SKORN KING: SKILL 10, STAMINA 14, Battleaxe, Dwarven Chainmail Hauberk.

As well as the golden Nether Crown (see Demons of Doom, p. 54) around his head, K'Qar has 4-24GP in emerald chips, a key for the Skorn treasure-locker, nose-plugs, and an Earth Demon Potion (SKILL roll to control it when summoned). Around his neck is a Regeneration Crystal.

2 SKORN bodyguards: SKILL 7, STAMINA 7, War Pick, Small Shield

Each Skorn has 2-12 GP (in the form of emerald chips; 1 emerald chip = 1 GP), and a sharpened bone stiletto tucked into their belt.

Skorn follow Kyrile, the Goddess of Gems and Jewels. Each Skorn wears a type of magical crystal around their neck, as a Holy Symbol of their faith for Kyrile. Roll a die on the following table to determine the type:

1. Glowstone

2. Sun Jewel

3-4. Regeneration Crystal

5. Jewel of Light

6. Energy Crystal 

4 CLONE WARRIORS: SKILL 6, STAMIMA 5, Spear, Light Armour (leather scraps)

Fungus Farm (#17/31; #137/365)

"This damp cavern has a wet, slippery floor and is full of several crops of fungi, being tended to by a small army of pale blue-skinned humanoids with blank eyes. Watching over them are similar creatures, though armed with spears and wearing leather armour, who advance towards you purposefully."

Contents: This is the original fungus farm, as ruled by a now extinct Fire Demon and taken over by the Skorn to produce food and medicine. There are several main crops, being:

• Yellow Coral-Plumes: 2-12 of these bracket-like fungi - each one restores 1-2 STAMINA points when eaten.
  
• Green-Topped Fungi: 3-18 of these giant mushrooms - each one is worth 1 Provision, restoring 4 STAMINA points when eaten.
  
• Green Mushrooms: 2-12 of these. Eating one restores 1-6 STAMINA points in healing.
  

Stats:

8 CLONE WARRIORS: SKILL 6, STAMINA 5, Spear, Light Armour (leather scraps)

16 CLONE WORKERS: SKILL 0, STAMINA 2, will not attack

Skorn Shrine (#18/31; #138/365)

"This low cavern is a shrine of some sort. Natural rock pillars flank a walkway towards an altar upon which sits a stone idol of a goddess with an enormous blue crystal embedded in its forehead. A lone Skorn is here, sitting in the lotus position while meditating on a white fuzzy moss mat in front of the idol."

Contents: This is a shrine to Kyrile the Gem Goddess, a daughter-aspect of Throff the Earth Goddess, and heavily worshipped by the jewel-seeking Skorn (a variation of her is also worshipped by the surface-dwelling Cult of Light Worshippers).

The priestess is G'Sadua, who is widely reverred by the Skorn in this colony. She is peaceful and prefers negotiating to combat. She will offer blessings in exchange for any strange or unusual gems or jewels that the Heroes may have acquired on their travels through the Found Tombs of Arvakaten.

The blue crystal is actually an Ice Jewel (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 100). If anyone actually jemmies it out of the idol, they will be cursed and any gems they possess will instantly turn into lumps of coal.

Stats:

G'Sadua, SKORN Priestess of Kyrile: SKILL 8, STAMINA 13, Devotion 9, Bone Stiletto.

In her possession is a Potion of Healing, a Scroll of Earth Elemental-Summoning, and a Holy Symbol of Kyrile in the form of a Sun Jewel. She also has 2-12GP in emerald chips.

The Mines (#19/31; #139/365)

"This is a warren of tunnels extending out in all directions, lit by flickering lanterns and alive to the sound of picks striking stone in search of gems and jewels to wrest from the bones of the earth. You see Skorn miners everywhere, digging, sorting and emptying buckets of earth and stone."

Contents: These are the mines of the Skorn, where they tunnel through the rock in search of emeralds. Most will be hard at work digging, but one miner may have found a discovery. On a 1-5 it is a deposit of emeralds worth 1-60GP in its natural stare, but on a 6 it is a glowing green Regeneration Crystal.

The Skorn will fight to the death to defend these mines from hostile intruders.

Stats:

4-24 SKORN miners: SKILL 5, STAMINA 5, War Pick

Each Skorn has 1-6 GP (in the form of emerald chips; 1 emerald chip = 1 GP), and a bone stiletto tucked into their leather belt.

Skorn follow Kyrile, the Goddess of Gems and Jewels. Each Skorn wears a type of magical crystal around their neck, as a Holy Symbol of their faith for Kyrile. Roll a die on the following table to determine the type:

1. Glowstone

2. Sun Jewel

3-4. Regeneration Crystal

5. Jewel of Light

6. Energy Crystal

The River (#20/31; #140/365)

"And so you come to the river. The river is simply here: a turgid body of black water that slow slides through the cavern, across a bed of gravel and rocks, while on both sides fungus grows in abundance. A natural rock bridge crosses the river in the centre of the cavern, lit by a lone lantern mounted on a wooden pole."

Contents: The river forms a border of disputed territory between the Skorn and N'yadach encampments in this area of the caverns. Roll on the table below to determine who is in this area at any given time. To determine what kinds of fungus are present, use the below tables:

First roll for appearance:

1. Giant Mushroom

2. Giant Puffball

3. Giant Coral Fungus

4. Giant Shelf Fungus

5. Giant Toadstool

6. Special. Roll on the Random Fungi Table below. 

Then roll for colour:

1. Blue

2. Orange

3. Green

4. Purple

5. Red

6. Yellow

Then roll for effect:

1-2. Edible: restore 1-3 STAMINA points

3-4. Poisonous: deduct 1-3 STAMINA points

5-6. No effect!

Random Fungi Table. For special types, roll on this table. All page numbers are taken from The Titan Herbal.

2. Elfbane (p. 31)

3. Giant Puffball (p. 54)

4. Green-Topped Fungus (p. 38)

5. Purple-Topped Fungus (p. 55)

6. Mix-Up Mushroom (p. 49)

7. Yellow Mould (p. 73)

8. Purple Globe Fungus (p. 54)

9. Red-Topped Fungus (p. 56)

10. Green Mushroom (p. 37)

11. Growth Mushroom (p. 38)

12. Green Cap (p. 37)

The river-water is drinkable, though tastes strongly of weird minerals. The lantern is a normal item of its type and of good manufacture.

Stats:

Who Came to the River? (roll 1d6)

1-2: 2-7 SKORN guards, SKILL 5, STAMINA 5, War Pick, Small Shield

Each guard has 1-6 GP (in the form of emerald chips; 1 emerald chip = 1 GP), and a sharpened bone stiletto tucked into their belt.

Skorn follow Kyrile, the Goddess of Gems and Jewels. Each Skorn wears a type of magical crystal around their neck, as a Holy Symbol of their faith for Kyrile. Roll a die on the following table to determine the type:

1. Glowstone

2. Sun Jewel

3-4. Regeneration Crystal

5. Jewel of Light

6. Energy Crystal

3-4: 1-6 N'YADACH scavengers: SKILL 6, STAMINA 8, Club, Medium Armour (iron bands and scraps)

Each scavenger has 1-6GP and a roasted lizard on a stick. The roasted lizards will restore 2 STAMINA points if eaten.

5: 2-7 CLONE WARRIORS on patrol: SKILL 6, STAMIMA 5, Spear, Light Armour (leather scraps)

6: A TENTACLED THING: SKILL 8, STAMINA 10, 3 Attacks, Tentacles (as per Large Claw plus Grapple attack), Medium Armour. Lurks in the river and attacks anyone who attempts to cross the bridge.