Secret Cult of the Spider God!

 

Cult of the Spider God (#12/28; #43/365) 

This rundown hovel is actually the secret headquarters of a coven of Spider God Cultists! This region of Allansia has long been a centre of worship for Arhallogen the Spider God. His cult was strongest in ancient Djaratian times, and its successor states such as Vatos, and spread to the natives of the southern jungles as well as to more cultured lands such as Arantis and the city-states of the Glimmering Sea. Here it exists as an underground sect, no doubt owing its practice of sacrificing unbelievers by feeding them to packs of Giant Spiders! The influence of Arhallogen is strong in non-human form as well, from the dual races of Spider Men and Spider Kings to the foul demonic creatures such as Death Spiders and Ishkarim.

 

At any given time there will be 3-18 Cultists present. They are usually clad in thick cloaks often cut to resemble an eight-legged spider, and wield poisoned daggers in combat. Their skin is tattooed with spider-like designs in red and black ink, and some sharpen their teeth into fangs. The head of the cult is Zen-Darna (ugly, clever), a priest of Arhallogen (see Advanced Fighting Fantasy, p. 97). There will also be 1-3 Giant Spiders present as guardians and attack-creatures.

 

CULTIST OF THE SPIDER GOD

SKILL: 6

STAMINA: 6

WEAPON: Poisoned Dagger (does 4 stamina damage)

ARMOUR: None

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 3-18 (per cult)

REACTION: Hostile

Yet More Pellodian Entertainment Emporiums

The Siren's Lament (Tavern) (#10/28; #41/365) 

Named after a folk tale dating to the early days of Pellodian settlement, where a Carsepolitan sailor fell in love with the last of a shoal of Sirens who once dwelt among these rocky bays. This tragic story is recounted to gullible visitors to the tavern (Poor Quality), often while they are being silently relieved of their valuables by devious pickpocketing locals. For the Siren's Lament is a den of thieves and many other things besides; a sailor's tavern, a (covert) haunt for pirates and smugglers, a waystop for sea travellers and oceanic wanderers, who are all hopefully quick of wit and even quicker with their sword blades.

The tavernkeep is Candarul (one-eyed, rude), an ex-pirate with little time for fools and idiots, who professes mock-innocence at the many crimes that may occur on the premises of the Siren's Lament. With a quayside locale and a garish sign featuring a scantily-clad Siren howling at the moon, the tavern is packed most nights, and trouble is never far away. The local city watchmen usually give the tavern ten to twenty minutes to sort out any 'issues' before they make an appearance. 

The bill of fare is cheap bad ale, seaman's grog and even Guursh at times, if a crew of Man-Orc corsairs are on shore leave. Food is limited to the basics; fried squid, roasted fish, Arantian groundnuts, and skewered live shrimp. Pinfinger is the most popular game by far, as weapons are allowed on the premises. Rumour states a backroom is used for Knifey-Knifey, but gaining admittance to these sessions requires an initiation ritual that is almost as deadly as the game itself.

The Gambling Pit of Ghudra (#11/28; #42/365) 

This literal hole in the ground is the collapsed ruin of an old Carsepolitan villa, that started off as an illegal dice den, and, over time, became an acceptable gambling retreat. Stairs lead down from street level to a sunken pit, surrounded by shadowy alcoves, featuring a host of different gambling past-times, from Ten-Ten to Orc Eye. The entire operation is overseen by Quikul (dextrous, cheerful), and a team of club-wielding invigilators, rooting out troublemakers, cheats, and cash-shy voyeurs wherever they find them.

Drinks are cheap and plentiful to encourage more gambling; and generally consist of ales and spirits. Food is similarly simple, being roast squid, fried fish, burned tubers and other fire-grilled items. There is no house policy on winners and winnings; most participants being so drunk and/or spectacularly bad at judging the odds that the place turns a profit. Some of this profit is then turned over to the local Rogues' Guild as 'protection', and, as such, many of the guild-members are often in attendance, 'overseeing' the operation.

Another Pellodian Drinking Establishment

The Wailing Ghoul (Inn) (#9/28; #40/365) 

This large inn (Good Quality) is so-named due to its proximity to the Gate of Sighs and the graveyard and necropolis beyond. Despite this, it is a pleasant establishment catering to merchants and travellers and its common room is spacious and well-lit. The inn's private sleeping chambers are likewise well-appointed; this is obviously the premier hostelry in Pellod. The landlord is Lendragbad (tall, religious), who wears a holy symbol of Hydana around their neck (in the form of a turquoise trident).

Lendragbad himself is scrupulously honest, and runs an efficient team of cooks, serving wenches and potboys; nevertheless, the location and popularity of the inn means that it is a magnet for schemes and secret plans of all sorts. While large hand and missile weapons must be left at the door with the Troll bouncer Urog (green-skinned, fat, heavily-scarred), there is no doubt much that happens at the inn gets back to various Pellodian personages through their spy networks, including Poldar Proudfist, Kalpar Silverfingers, the High Priestess Phemta, and Baron Cript himself.

There is a wide variety of food and drink available, all of it of good quality at higher than normal prices. The house special is sarul, a type of large Barracuda, caught fresh daily, fried in garlic, and garnished with black sauce and hot peppers; one dish will feed four people. Many good wines are also available, including Spirits of Ra, Libra's Truthtongue, Zaragillia's Clearsight and Crimson Leonar (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 55), while one of the more popular ales is Holdgut's Special Blue (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 59). As Lendragbad is a religious man, gambling games are played discretely in a backroom for high stakes, usually involving dice or cards.

A Pellodian Drinking Establishment

The Legionnaire's Retreat (Tavern) (#8/28; #39/365) 

This fairly basic tavern (Average Quality) is halfway between the Gate of the Sand and the Souq, recognizable by the battered and corroded suit of Carsepolitan legionnaire's armour that has been nailed to the tavern's sign. A haunt for Strongarms, adventurers, explorers, and even the occasional mage, as the Spellcasters' Guild is just around the corner. The landlady is Rimam (thin, suspicious), and hails originally from Shazaar; with dyed golden hair indicating ritual allegiance to that city's Cult of Telak (interestingly, the God of Courage is not a popular deity within Pellod).

There are usually a few footloose wanderers looking to sign on with a band of Heroes in search of gold and glory, and many of the patrons will also be playing gambling games such as Pinfinger, Ten-Ten and High-Low. On Highday, Rimam conducts a noon service for Telak worshippers in the cellars beneath the tavern.

The menu is simple: fried squid, roast Aardwolf joint, and 'Strongarm's Stew' (leftovers, some tubers, herbs and bone broth in a pot), while drinks include the local ale, 'Pellod's Pride', and seaman's grog. There is wine, but it is uniformly terrible, being produced from the few stunted vineyards growing in the hills above the city, or the last dusty bottles 'on special' from a late consignment via Salamonis or Rimon.

Several important buildings within the City of Pellod

Temple of Hydana (#2/28; #33/365)

Given the reliance upon the sea by the citizens of Pellod, it is perhaps no surprise that many people in the city are followers of Hydana the Sea God. The temple is a grand affair, with a pillared colonnade painted azure blue, and an enormous statue of Hydana plastered with gold leaf. The High Priestess is Shapanna (charismatic, beautiful), who is actually a Mermaid, and, in her rare public appearances, disguises herself using Potions of Illusion brewed from various undersea corals, sponges and seaweeds. Shapanna's influence keeps the worship of Hydana popular in Pellod, much to the chagrin of the other temples. In the cellars of the temple is a Merfolk community, living in deep 'safe-pools' connected to Pellod's harbour via secret underwater tunnels. The Merfolk are sworn enemies of several of the region's more bloodthirsty pirate captains, and from this secret base have been known to strike out and attack lone buccaneer galleons in carefully coordinated marine assaults.

Temple of Solinthar (#3/28; #34/365)

Despite, or perhaps because of, the patronage of Baron Cript himself, Solinthar is a distant second in the number of followers the god has within Pellod. The God of Sailors and Sea-Travellers has a white-washed temple, roofed with an ostentatious display of valuable ships' timber, and the statue of the god has two embedded Giant Pearls for eyes. The head priest is the Baron's own personal holy-man, Foryaz the Furious, but given that Foryaz spends most of his time politicking in the Baron's Tower, day to day duties fall on Brinebeard, a Dwarf ex-marine (arrogant, stuttering) who is proving less than successful in attracting new adherents to the temple of Solinthar. On any given day, the central worship chamber will be thronged with sailors, sea-captains, pirates (in disguise), and various ocean-travellers all paying their respects to Solinthar for his best wishes upon their nautical endeavors.

Temple of Pangara (#4/28; #35/365)

Owing to Pellod's position buffeted between the harsh winds of the desert and the howling gales of the Western Ocean, Pangara, God of the Wind, has quite a few followers within the city. The High Priestess is Fayphre Rosel (plain, unhappy), who is desperately trying to attract new believers to the Wind God. The temple building is austere in architecture and made from blocks of grey and white stone. The temple has an attached tower, where a priest calls believers to prayer in the early evening, typically five minutes before the rival temple of Sukh does the same thing. Chained to the tower is a captive BIRDMAN called Vrork, who desires their freedom and wants to escape back to their tribe in the uplands of High Arantis. Currently, light-grey-robed, low-level priests of Pangara are engaged in a turf war with the acolytes of Sukh, and every week or so, there seems to be an instance where monks in cloaks of different hues of grey are engaged in theatrical street warfare along one of Pellod's major thoroughfares.

Temple of Sukh (#5/28; #36/365)

The Temple of Sukh is a towering edifice of grey basalt slabs, spattered with bird guano from a colony of albatrosses that nest among its eaves. From here, a priest sings the 'Call to the Wind' to the faithful in the evening, five minutes after the Pangaran priesthood has done the same thing. The High Priestess Phemta (keen hearing, truthful), an exile from Vymorna, is amused by these issues with Pangara's temple, including the warring street-monks, and is currently playing wait and see with regards to both the Pangara antagonists, and also on how precarious Baron Cript's hold on power of Pellod is, or is not.

Spellcasters' Guild (#6/28; #37/365)

The Pellod Spellcaster's Guild is based in an old coral-brick building of Carsepolitan design, that was probably once a temple; inquiring as to which god the temple was originally dedicated to, is considered poor form amongst the spellcasters of the guild. All spellcasters residing within or near Pellod, are expected to be members of this guild, as are wizards and sorcerers who frequently visit the city-state. Membership fees include access to the Guild's extensive library, including many codices and grimoires that predate the War of the Wizards, and also laboratories and summoning chambers. Services offered by the Guild include the identification of magical adjuncts, the selling of minor and sundry enchanted baubles, including potions and scrolls, and the lifting of curses and especially nasty diseases and poisonings. The leader of the Guild is Grim Klarag, Baron Cript's court-wizard, but the daily second-in-command is Aldrag the Potent (long-haired, youthful), who once tried to be a dungeon-warlock deep within the Found Tombs of Arvakaten, until a close-call with a bunch of bloodthirsty adventurers convinced them to return to Pellod, rejoin the Guild, and commence an honest life as a city-based spell-for-hire.

Merchants' Guild (#7/28; #38/365)

Membership of the Pellod Merchants' Guild is mandatory for all local traders, whether they be shipping produce in and out of the city aboard either sailing galleons, or camel- and mule-trains traversing the dusty trails between Shazaar and Sapphire City. The Master of the Guild is Kalpen Silverfingers (broad, rude), who is probably the richest man in Pellod, and who, allegedly, has been rumoured to use nefarious contacts in the outlaw settlement of Dust Town to hobble and harrass the caravans of rival merchants. The Guild building is a limestone edifice in a faux neo-Carsepolitan style, with lots of wood paneling and brass ornamentation, necessitating a live-in crew of cleaners to maintain the upkeep. Two extremely bored Hill Barbarians (Tunros and Kemgar), with battle-axes and jaguar-skin loincloths, guard the entrance door; the money is good but both would rather be adventuring elsewhere. Inside the building, as well as a kitchen and meeting halls, most of the major traders of Pellod have a small office for appearance's sake, even if, by and large, they generally conduct business 'on the road'.

 

Month #2: The City of Pellod!

So, I got through January for #dungeon23! Rather than head straight down into level 2 of the Found Tombs of Arvakaten, I thought instead we'd scroll backwards, go wide-screen on this whole area of south-eastern Allansia's Pirate Coast, and then focus in on the dusty port of Pellod, several days downstream from the Found Tombs, and a useful base for Heroes to return to (and where every "room" for #dungeon23 is actually a building or place of interest).

Pellod was created by Graham Bottley as an example of a Dominion and Dominion Management for the Heroes Companion (p. 43), and fits in very well with what we already know about the surrounding area from previous books and adventures, such as Titan, Dungeon of Justice, Temple of Terror, and Curse of the Mummy, among others. This is what we initially know:

The City of Pellod

Ruler: Baron Cript

Dominion Grade: 6

Type: Small City

Income: 200GP/month

Army: 50 Soldiers, 50 Watchmen, 200 Militia

Description: A small city of 5,000 inhabitants, Pellod lies on the Allansian coast north of Rimon. With the vast Desert of Skulls to the east, almost all food, supplies and trade reach Pellod by sea. Pellod is an independent city that owes no tribute, but has passed through a succession of rulers every few years or so. The portly and vicious Baron Cript is the current incumbent of the Baron's Tower, but how long he will hold on to power is anyone's guess. The vast majority of citizens make a living from ships, the sea, or hospitality to travellers.

Extrapolating from this, we could get:

"The southern walled city of Pellod is an oft-overlooked port on the trading routes between Arantis and northern Allansia; a former Carsepolitan outpost and garrison town that survived the War of the Wizards largely intact and has now grown into a city-state in its own right. It lies on the eastern edge of a rocky peninsula that juts out into the Western Ocean, not too far south from Blood Island. The original fort was built on a hill overlooking the fly-blown estuary of the river Murab; the city has grown up to encompass both and the spaces in between. The buildings of the city are constructed with slabs of white limestone or blocks of fossilized coral; the absence of nearby timber in these arid wastes means wooden buildings are scarce. Poorer dwellings are made from mud-brick or stonework scavenged from older ruins, of which there are plenty."

We could do a lot more at this point on things like weather, currency, and so on, but instead let's dive straight into the detailing the dwellings of the more interesting inhabitants of Pellod.

The Baron's Tower (#1/28; #32/365)

The Baron's Tower is the old original Carsepolitan fort, rebuilt and refortified. It is the current home of Baron Cript (portly, vicious), his wife, the Lady Antorana (weak, dull), and son, the Honorable Drekha (ugly, youthful), and protected by 50 professional soldiers. Also in residence are Foryaz the Furious, a priest of Solinthar (short, mean), Grim Klarag, the house wizard (thin, flamboyant), and lots of servants.

Once a week, the most powerful guilds and temples meet with the Baron to thrash out a treaty or deal. However the meetings rarely achieve anything other than the sight of a retinue of important Pellodian personages travelling up the hill to the Baron's Tower, using a colourful variety of transport contraptions and contrivances (sedan-chair bearers, exotic steeds, covered palanquins, etc.).

The captain of the guard, Poldar Proudfist (nondescript, paranoid), is surprisingly competent and has a number of spies in both Pellod and the lawless outland settlement of Dust Town, sniffing out various potential threats to the beloved city-state of his birth.

The Baron's Tower itself is a functional small keep of white limestone slabs, with the use of wood restricted to ornamental covered balconies and the like. The interior is cool and airy, if somewhat dusty. A small flock of DEATH HAWKS have taken up residence among the ramparts; these occasionally attack stray animals or small children. As with any structure of this size or history, there are rumours of deeper dungeons beneath the Tower, burrowing into the hill itself.

Last three chambers for Level 1 of the Found Tombs of Arvakaten

 Orc Captain's Lair (#29/365)

"Four torches burn in the corners of this long, low-ceiling room. It is an opulent chamber, hung with silk tapestries of geometric designs, and the floor is scatted with cushions. Two creatures sit at a table playing Dragon Chess, one is a very large Orc blowing purple smoke rings while sucking on a water-pipe, while the other is a Black Elf woman with silver-streaked hair, in dark robes, with a scimitar at her side. They look at you with bored disdain and then they both break into a fit of manic laughter!"

Contents: This is the lair of the captain of the Bronze Serpent Mercenary Company, Shaisak Camel-Smiter, and his advisor/factotum/drug supplier, Espereth of Rimon. They are currently both under the influence of some Pale Willowsap wine (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 p. 55) they have been drinking.

Shaisak's Bronze Serpents are originally from the uplands bordering the Skull Coast but have left their tribe and ventured south, setting up a base here in the Tombs, where there is more work in the region, whether it be as marines on pirate ships, shock troops for the Lizard Men Empire's far-flung colonies, or simply being paid by local devious merchants to bump off their rivals' caravans. When possible, they venture down to Dust Town to trade, or occasionally send emissaries back home to the north, with loot for the rest of the tribe to spend.

Espereth was formerly a spy operating from Kaynlesh-Ma to Port Blacksand, working for so many shifty shadowy employers that she has lost track of who betrayed who and when and why. While laying low in the city-state of Pellod, she heard of the rumours of the Found Tombs of Arvakaten, and, investigating, struck up a friendship with Shaisak, before getting him hopelessly addicted to a mild variety of Purple Lotus, which she acquires from visiting pirates or periodic trips to the bazaars of Dust Town.

Espereth is convinced a powerful artefact, the Hammer of Bisu, is buried in the depths of the Tombs, and intends to claim it for her own. As such she has spent a lot of time researching the Tombs, while working for the Bronze Serpent mercenaries, but is unsure when to begin actual explorations of the deeper underworld. The Heroes may find her a powerful ally or a devious antagonist depending on whether Espereth thinks they can help or hinder her achieve her goals. She will get on very well with Wubutu however.

Shaisak and Espereth are not especially perturbed with the presence of the Heroes though they will defend themselves if attacked, or if the Heroes have battled their way in here and are covered in green Orc blood. They may challenge the Heroes to a game of Dragon Chess, with a small betting stake attached. If the Heroes are in the presence of other friendly Orcs, they may be granted a boon of further information about the Found Tombs. If there is a fight, and it is going badly for the Orc(s) then Espereth will switch sides; her research is more important to her than her friendships.

The tapestries are worth 100GP but take up 8 Encumbrance slots. The Dragon Chess set has a board crafted from ebony and ivory and pieces made from red and green jade - it is worth 150GP. The water pipe is of a normal brass type, with enough Purple Lotus left in the bowl for one more smoke. Also on the table is a half-empty bottle of Pale Willowsap wine (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 p. 55) and 2 glasses.

The current treasury of the Bronze Serpent Mercenary Company is in a chest in hidden nook behind a loose brickwork panel next to Shaisak's camel-skin bed. The panel is trapped; Anyone setting off the trap frees a GONCHONG (see Out of the Pit, p. 62), kept under a wicker basket, that will leap out from the nook and attack whoever interfered with the panel. Inside the chest is:

• 126 GP in a leather bag
• A Merchant's Pass for the city of Pellod
• A pouch with 8 (Common) Goblin's teeth (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 104)
• A green, glowing Regeneration Crystal (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 100)
• A Nanka Flask (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 114)
• An Amulet of Ra, in the shape of a golden ankh (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 124)

Stats: 

Shaisak Camel-Smiter, GREAT ORC Mercenary Captain (see Out of the Pit, pp. 90-91) 

SKILL: 9

STAMINA: 14

Attacks: 1

Weapon: Battleaxe (two-handed)

Armour: Medium (Chainmail scraps)

Notes: Has 3-18GP, a Silver Dagger, and a Potion of Weapon Skill (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 p. 118). Shaisak is currently under the influence of a mild variety of Purple Lotus (see The Titan Herbal, p. 54). His reactions are as per Smoking Weed (see The Titan Herbal,p. 61), except that he will not randomly attack anyone unless attacked first.

Espereth of Rimon, BLACK ELF Spy and Scholar (see Out of the Pit, p. 46)

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 14

LUCK: 10

MAGIC: 2 (Magic Points: 4)

Talent: Dark Seeing, Swashbuckler

Skills: Elvish 4, Common Speech (Allansian) 3, Orcish 3, Magic-Minor 2, Throwing Dagger 2, Sword 2, Sneak 2, Ancient Djaratian 1, Ancient Allansian 1, Vatosian 1, Bargain 1, Con 1, Evaluate 1, City Lore 1, Locks 1, Trap Knowledge 1

Spells (Cantrips): Attraction, Glimmer, Hear, Honesty, Noise, Secrete

Weapon: Scimitar, Throwing Dagger

Armour: Dodge/Swashbuckler ability

Notes: Has 3-18 GP, a Silver Key (for room #30), one sachet of Elven Dust (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 p. 111), and 2 pouches of Sleeping Grass pollen (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 p. 118).

Espereth's Retreat (#30/365)

This room can only be opened with the Silver Key in Espereth's possession in room #29, or a magic Open spell or something similar. The lock is intricate and requires a Lock Special Skill roll at a difficulty of -2.

"This small chamber is lit by a single torch. One side has a bed and a low table, the other has a desk crammed with papers, curios, scrolls and chunks of carved rock. A box of clothes lies at the foot of the bed."

Contents: This room belongs to the Black Elf spy and scholar Espereth of Rimon. The bed and box of clothes are nothing special, but on the table is a bottle of Old Sarnaks (see The Citadel of Chaos, p. 19) and a single glass.

The desk contains the fruits of Espereth's research concerning the Found Tombs of Arvakaten and their various periods of construction, occupation and rebuilding. Most of it is only of interest to sages specializing in ancient Djaratian, Vatosian or Allansian lore, but there are some things that adventuring Heroes may find useful:

• a papyrus scroll depicting a map of the Maze of Pnar, on level 2 of the Found Tombs, and a successful route through its twisty little passages.
• a pale yellow agate statue of the Djaratian Monkey God, worth 50GP
• the golden Phoenix headdress of a priest of Vatos, worth 75GP
  
• Espereth's notebook/spellbook; anyone reading it, assuming they understand Djaratian, Vatosian or Ancient Allansian, can add +2 to Lore Special Skill Rolls involving these elder cultures
• a pouch of old gold coins from Carsepolis (worth 50GP to a collector; unusable as modern currency)
• a Bronze Key 
• box with 3 dried Purple Lotus flowers
  

However, the statue is also a guardian fetish of the Monkey God. Anyone who touches anything on the desk without first invoking the protection of the Monkey God, will cause a troop of MUNGIES to instantly appear. These screeching apes will attack any Hero present, loot them and the desk of all valuables, and then flee deeper into the Found Tombs.

Stats:

5 MUNGIES, SKILL 9, STAMINA 16, 5 Attacks, Small Bite (see Out of the Pit, p. 86)

Orc Noshroom (#31/365)

"This large chamber contains several long tables with crude benches. At the far end of the room, a Hobgoblin is stirring a pot on a low fire, next to a table covered in foodstuffs of various types and sources, alongside a large barrel. A bunch of armoured Orcs are seated at the tables and eating and drinking, and all look up at your entrance."

Contents: This is the main eating chamber of the Orcs of the Bronze Serpent Mercenary Company. At any time, in addition to Xergus the HOBGOBLIN cook, 3-8 ORCS will be eating or drinking in here. How they react depends on the Heroes' situation; if the Heroes are covered in green Orc blood from previous encounters then the Orcs will attack immediately.

However, if the Heroes speak Orcish, or are accompanied by other Orcs, things may be much more friendly. Xergus will assume they are hungry and offer them a bill of fare (see below). The Orcs may even challenge them to an Orc Ale drinking competition (not recommended!).

Ye Bille of Faire (available food and drink):

Orc Ale, 5SP per pint, see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 (pp. 57-58)

Roast Aardwolf Joint, 2GP, restores 1-3 STAMINA

Rat Gizzard Soup, 1GP, -1-3 STAMINA to any non-Orcs

Lizard Eyeball Pate, 1GP, see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 (p. 56)

Pickled Dung Beetles, 1SP per beetle, see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 (p. 58)

Stats:

Xergus the HOBGOBLIN Cook, SKILL 6, STAMINA 6, Cleaver (as per Handaxe), Light Armour (leather scraps)

Xergus has 2-12GP, and a canvas bag containing a vial of Orcsbane as an insurance policy against his employers (see The Titan Herbal, p. 51), and a battered copy of the book, The Good Rat Guide by Urgun Runaway (from which he has been stealing recipes; see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 (p. 58)).

3-8 ORC MERCENARIES, SKILL 6, STAMINA 5, Sword, Dagger, Light Armour (leather scraps) 

Each Orc has 1-6GP, but are always looking to increase their stash by betting on what each of them, or visiting Heroes, can or cannot eat or drink.

On the table are enough chunks of roast Aardwolf and various edible tubers for 1-6 Provisions worth of food. Next to the table is half a barrel of Guursh (Orc Ale; see Encyclopedia Arcana, pp. 57-58).