alex

@alexcj.bsky.social

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Aspiring amateur: lots of words (fiction, criticism, and “other”), dabbler in art and game design, web site haver https://thehinterlands.neocities.org/

The Gourd Father A RITE FOR MÖRK BORG What use is faith when the church preaches a certain and imminent end that cannot, MUST NOT be averted? In these end times some turn to an older faith, one that teaches when dark times come the land must be appeased. So don your pumpkins one and all, join in the harvest dance, and know that when the music fades, the tribute must be marched to their altar: The Gourd Father. A house sized pumpkin grown with feed of milk and blood, the tribute will be chained within, and the fires will be lit. As vegetable and animal flesh burn and burn alike, the earth and air shall be sated. Thus shall the world be saved.
The Star That Gazes Back A DANGER FOR MÖRK BORG If you look to the stars one night and find a favored constellation one light richer than you remembered: LOOK AWAY. A horrible parasite lingers in the night sky, seeking to draw the eye of stargazers and enter down the optic nerve, latching upon the flesh of the cerebellum. The thing fascinates the gazer, becoming first an object of curiosity, next a site of adoration, and finally a new god to worship. At night you can see its mark upon the victims if you look closely: a golden strand of thread, impossibly thin, emerging from the eye and stretching up into the clouds. Those thus infested make their bodies ready to be crucibles for the birthing of starspawn, eggs already growing somewhere behind the eyes.
The Void Wurm A DRAGON FOR MÖRK BORG An absence in the form of a winged horror. A thing from outside time clad in scales of entropy. It devours reality and spits it back out as a hundred horrors. The basilisks dare not name it, ancient thing, cold and terrible. Spoken or no, it’s name is DRAGON, and its coming heralds the end of all things. D6 Wurm Signs 1. Objects begin to rest on an invisible surface six inches above the ground 2. Grift sinks into the sea. 3. All printed text becomes scrolls of power. 4. The dead march from Graven-Tosk in a procession to the sea. 5. Verhu and Gorgh come to Galgenbeck, death preceding and following them. 6. The sun sets and does not rise.
The Walbear A CREATURE FOR MÖRK BORG A misshapen fiend birthed from UNCLEAN SORCERY, this bloated beast can transport its terrifying bulk as fast as horse and rider, while its massive tusks pierce armour and skewer flesh. Its territorial nature sees all men as interlopers, and it kills for pleasure as often as for food. It speaks and can converse at length on any number of topics it its appetite and ego are sated. Walbear HP: 25, Morale: 8, Blubber: –d4 Tusk Skewer: d8 Special: Crushing Bulk— The Walbear leaps and attempts to land on a foe. Target tests Agility DR12 or takes 2d12 damage and is pinned until the walbear moves. Bounty Alive: 100s Dead: 50s Blubber: 25s per cask
The Coming of The Giants AN EVENT FOR MÖRK BORG Refugees pour into Galgenbeck from the desolate ice fields of Kergus. All they will say is that the GIANTS have come. Men as tall as buildings kick horses to death and crush warriors underfoot. New banners hang from Alliáns, with a crest none recognize. Are they the doom Verhu hath foretold? If it is not, who will stand against them, to give the world its proper and HOLY end? Frost Giant HP: 70, Morale: 8, Hide Armour: –d2 Goliath Hammer: 2d12 Special: Sheer Force— Anyone who takes damage equal to half or more their max hp in a single blow tests Toughness DR12 or dies from shock. Bounty Alive: 500s Dead: 250s Head: 100s
Anti-Light Torch AN ITEM FOR MÖRK BORG Anti-Light Torch A torch with flame that burns up light and emits darkness. Creates a 30 foot radius sphere of darkness when lit. Can be sold for 300s. A piece of nothing leaked into this world, spitting black sparks and frothing like sea foam, threatening to dissipate. A clever tinker scooped it up in a metal bracket and attached that to a stick. Nobody knows what happened to him, but his torch still turns up, from time to time.
Doomed Seer of the Thicket AN ENCOUNTER FOR MÖRK BORG He sought the serenity and reflection of nature to connect more deeply to the DIVINE TRUTH. To his misfortune, he succeeded. Now he is a crazed and broken wanderer, living hand to mouth in the wilds, driven to terrible delirium by the insidious knowledge that he carries. For a bite of bread and a taste of water, he will pass one of his terrible secrets on to you. D6 Holy Visions 1. Ancient contracts between long dead kings and dark forces haunt the land. Seek the judge, find the unseen bonds that hold us all. 2. GRAVEN-TOSK is growing. 3. In Bergenchrypt, from whence the basilisks crawled, there is a hole in the world, from which dark things crawl and poison the land with unreality. 4. The sky...the sea...these are not free from the curse of doom upon this land. They are home to worse dooms that await their time. 5. Beneath Galgenbeck, this world’s doom is even now being crafted. Dig! Dig or die. 6. Verhu’s prophecies are not visions of the future but wishes to be granted by the dark hand that yet guides our fate down the dark road. Silence the tongue, still the hand, if you can.
Guardian Beast A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG Through dark ritual, a decapitated animal can be made into a Guardian Beast Upon completion of the ancient rite, a human-like face grows from the STUMP of the creature’s neck. If fed a living human sacrifice, it will guard a treasure, passage, or building for one hundred years exactly. It speaks with a dozen voices in a hundred languages and drives thieves to frothing mania, turning on each other Guardian Beast HP: 14, Morale: 10, Tough Hide: –d2 Blow of Paw, Hoof, Talon, or Flipper: d6 Special: Speak in Tongues— Creatures attempting to attack the beast must test Presence DR14 or be driven wild by the strange gibberish the creature spews, attacking a random ally instead. Bounty Alive: 150s Dead: 75s Instructions for Performing the Ritual: 250s
The Barrow Rose A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG There are walking corpses that do not feast on flesh, nor kill out of mindless rage, nor from hate of the living. They are moved by tenebrous purpose: the planting of The Barrow Rose upon their graves. Unquiet sleep the dead beneath this alien weed, transplanted from realms unholy and invisible into fresh-turned tomb soil. The Rose controls and commands the corpses beneath its roots, and they dutifully spread its cuttings amongst their brethren in the local graveyard, crypt, or tomb. The supply of readily available dead is quickly exhausted, and the flower can never be sated, so more must be found, one way or another... If a specimen of this botanical terror were to find its way into GRAVEN-TOSK the world itself might be consumed. Perhaps this has already been foretold... Barrow Rose HP: 5, Morale: -, No Armour No Physical Attack Special: Command—Targets d4 nearby creatures. They test Presence DR 14 or fall under the Rose’s psychic domination. Retest Presence DR 14 each round to break free. Rose Vessel HP: 8, Morale: -, No Armout Improvised Club: d4 Special: Death Grip—After succeeding on an attack can grab a creature and attempt to immobilize it. Targeted creature tests Strength DR12 or is held an unable to act. The vessel does not let go if they are killed. Victim can test Strength DR12 each round to free themselves or another player can spend a turn dismembering a dead vessel to release its grip.
Digit Filcher A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG If you awaken and find yourself short a finger, thumb, or toe, seek the Digit Filcher. Is it a man, a demon, a ghoul, or some other breed of foul thing? If anyone knows, they aren’t telling. It visits a town, village, or neighbourhood three nights in a row, taking one digit each night. Rare sightings report it has the appearance of a dirty gaunt man in ragged cloak, with ten fingers and two thumbs on each hand. Purloined digits spill from its pockets and hang from necklaces around its neck. Fingers and toes make bracelets on its arms and dangle from rings in its ears and nose. Tough and wiry, if at risk of life and limb it will offer to part with a portion of its precious stash in exchange for its life.
Hunters in the Mist A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG In the distance these towering marsh birds are indistinguishable from their more mundane cousins, but once they are upon you the differences become clear: they stand a foot taller than most grown men, and their beaks are filled with human teeth. The herons hunt in the endless fog of the Wästland swamps, their preferred prey being cultists of The Frog. The flesh of those with Anuran blessings is infused with the finest flavours of both amphibian and man. In a pinch, the birds will eat creatures appearing anywhere on the human-frog spectrum. They are capable of human speech, but conversations with their prey are largely limited to strange murmurs that float across the mist from no particular direction, and of course their horrific croaking cackle that chills blood and bone alike. The birds usually hunt in pairs Flesh Eating Heron HP: 12, Morale: 7, Thick Feathers: –d2 Toothy Beak: d6 Special: Haunting Cry—Prey that hear the Heron hunting them through the mist must Test Presence DR12 or freeze with terror when the creature finally strikes and be unable to act in the first round of combat.
Village of Dust and Cinder A SITE FOR MÖRK BORG Once this was a prosperous and bustling village. Now by daylight the houses are heaps of ash, and charcoal remains of bodies litter the ground, scattering into fragments at the lightest touch. Come the setting of the sun, these remains of wood and flesh begin to glow, then spark to flame. Fire spreads across them in reverse, flesh and wood growing beneath the crackling light until vocal cords are re-assembled, and the screaming begins. The screaming stops around midnight, and the town is whole once more. Villagers go about their lives, drinking and eating, fighting and loving, conducting business. Come the first rays of the sun they spark into flame once more and burn alive. There they sit, as cinders, till the evening comes and the whole cycle begins anew.
Melvin the Mangling Magus A MERCHANT FOR MÖRK BORG D6 Services Offered All services cost 50s and take d6+2 weeks to heal. Services that gran t powers function as scrolls, with players rolling uses each morning and testing presence to cast. However, these powers can be cast regardless of worn armour. 1. Arm—Lose d4 Strength, arm can cast Palms Open the Southern Gate. 2. Arm—Lose d4 Strength, arm can cast Demon of Capillaries. 3. Leg—Lose d4 Agility, leg can cast Levitation 4. Leg—Lose d4 Agility, leg can cast Foul Psychopomp. 5. Rib—Lose d6 max hp, rib always tugs in the direction of treasure. 6. Skull—Lose d20 max hp & 1 in d10 chance of permanent blindness. Gain the ability to predict the future with 70% accuracy and read the surface thoughts of others.
Desertification Monument A DOOM FOR MÖRK BORG A cursed statue that causes its surroundings to gradually crumble into sand. Plants wither. Water evaporates, and no rain falls. Life’s essence flees the malign presence. The radius of desertification increases slowly but continually, with no known limit. Scholars theorize that an unchecked monument could eventually devour the world. Are they ancient weapons of war? Tools of the cult of some ancient destroyer god? Their purpose is forgotten to history, but the methods of their construction are not. With significant expense (1000s), a master sculptor, and a specialist in occult runes, a desertification monument can be constructed. Alternatively, monuments may be found deep in the centers of existing deserts. The church takes careful measurements of the boundaries of known deserts, monitoring for illicit growth. The penalty under church law for construction of such a heretical object is death by live burial in hot sand.
Prison-Break AN OCCURANCE FOR MÖRK BORG The Dungeon of Sorcerous Sins stands open and unguarded. The warden, long a worrier, at last gave in to his terror over the end of the world as foretold by the true prophecies of Verhu. He left the doors unlocked behind him. The prisoners, those poor wretches, victims of unclean sorcery that the church locks away for its own secret and horrible reasons, are escaping. A parade of malformed and mutated creatures pours from the secret cavern entrance, and the farmers and villagers of the surrounding area pray, for surely the end of the world has come. Some of the prisoners let loose their anger and set fires and loot what they will, but most simply try to get away, to reach freedom before the inquisition comes to drag them back, screaming. We can only hope they succeed. D6 Scenes Amongst the Chaos 1. A church inquisitor is attempting to capture some escapees who have stopped to help put out the fires. 2. A talking pig with a bell hanging from its ear tells players if they can help him fly he’ll turn back into a man. 3. A religious celebration is occurring under a makeshift tent. A new religion that grew up in the prison around a woman with glowing eyes now claims salvation, crediting their god with the escape. 4. An old farmer drinks by the edge of the road, convinced that this heralds the end of days. 5. A fox nun requests the players help to locate Morticious the Mad, who she wants to undo the spell he put on her. 6. Lying on the ground, folded neatly, are the warden’s clothes, complete with the magic keys for the dungeon. There is no trace of the warden.
The Thrice-Cursed Monolith A DOOM FOR MÖRK BORG A sacred object carved and filled with a god in a far off land. In the days before the prophecies were yet whispered, it was seized as wartime loot and gifted to a powerful city-state that would one day becoming the crumbling ruin Galgenbeck was built upon. The monolith’s first curse laid low the looters and their kings, who wasted away and died. Yet the monolith was neither returned, nor given blood sacrifice, nor sanctified by ritual: and so the second curse laid low the city-state and drove out its people. A thousand years passed. The endless churning construction of Galgenbeck has unearthed an ancient ruin. Within lies the monument, and it is dragged broken into the light of an unrecognizable millennium. And yet, still it is not returned. Still no blood sacrifice is given. Still the ritual sanctification is not performed. And lo, the third and final curse is upon thee. Curse Mechanics There are 6 stages of the curse. The monument being dragged into the light of day begins the first stage. Every stage lasts d4 weeks before advancing to the next. The effects of new stages stack on the effects of previous stages. The curse can be lifted in the following ways: Repairing the monolith and returning it to its homeland Washing the monument in ritual blood on the full moon. This must be repeated EVERY full moon or the curse begins again from stage 1. Entering the Nightmare Palace of the Cursed God within the monolith and killing/banishing/releasing it. (Good luck with that) Stages of the Curse 1. Distant moaning and wailing can be heard throughout Galgenbeck. 2. Galgenbeck is beset by a plague of locust-frog hybrids 3. Powers become even more unclean in Galgenbeck. Roll on the Arcane Catastrophe table on any failed attempt to use a scroll. 4. A constant rain of blood falls on Galgenbeck. 5. The teeth and jaws of an enormous mouth rise slowly rise from the earth around the circumference of Galgenbeck. 6. The jaws close.
Nall’s Nails A FREE COMPANY FOR MÖRK BORG This band of monsters and miscreants are feared on the battlefield, doubly feared in the tavern, and triply feared at a crossroads at midnight. Strange characters from lands unnamed and unnumbered, Nall’s Nails fight for silver or for Nall (father of the hundred horrors, master of the company) or not at all. Hiring a Nail costs 50s a day plus a share of any loot. D6 Nails for Hire: Pruscious Runz HP: 8, Morale 7, Thick Skin –d2 Femur: d4 Trait: Warty, slow, mean, and hungry. Specialty: Can supply black poison from skin 1/day Values: Extra rations Gibbeth the Fowl HP: 6, Morale 10, No Armour Cleaver: d4 Trait: Head of a chicken, gallant and noble. Specialty: Excellent cooking (d4 extra HP when resting) Values: Chivalry and honor Canteret Abernath HP: 8, Morale 7, Leather –d2 Spear: d6+2 Trait: Frogs legs, beautiful and cruel. Specialty: Combat specialist (Spear d6+2) Values: Violent delights Dogboy HP: 8, Morale 8, No Armour Bite and Claw: d4 Trait: Smelly and hairy, moody and proud Specialty: Senses Danger Values: Physical Affection Ontz of Up and Over HP: 12, Morale 6, Scale –d4 Sledge: d12 Trait: Very, very, very large fellow, kind but cowardly Specialty: Automatically wins tests of strength for the party up to DR16 Values: Conflict-Averse Sanka the Whip HP: 10, Morale 8, Leather -d2 Whip hand: d6 Trait: Ex-pirate who traded in her hook hand for a whip hand, vainglorious and exuberant Specialty: Senses treasure Values: Bawdy sing-alongs
The Anchor Fortress A SITE FOR MÖRK BORG On a dusty desolate dune, far from caravan routes where only the lost or foolhardy wander, there stands a lonely fortress long empty. Its most notable feature is the enormous iron chain that stretches from somewhere within up into the sky beyond the limits of sight. What celestial object does this structure tether to the world? Or perhaps more alarmingly, what does this chain keep our world from escaping? D6 Discoveries Within the Fortress: 1. A treasure chest. Empty, but the inside of the lid is covered in sharp teeth, and the wood is lined with yellowing bones. 2. Reams upon reams of paper marked with unintelligible symbols. 3. A room with windows that look out onto a view impossibly high, from up in the clouds. 4. A room filled with what appear to be fresh chicken eggs. Can they hatch into body snatching alien parasites? GM Discretion. 5. A femur that changes sizes when not being observed. Damage ranges from d2 to d8. 6. The chain room in the fortress basement. The chain runs through a central column down the center of the fortress and ends in this room, where it fuses with an enormous iron mass in the floor. If players excavated they discover an increasingly elaborate structure extending deep into the bowels of the earth, a continent sized anchor.
The Three Sisters A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG Deep in forgotten caverns beneath Galgenbeck, the Three Sisters, mothers of spiderkind, old as the basilisks (if not older), weave an alternative to Verhu’s Prophecies. In place of the imminent world’s end they spin a world of eternal darkness, where humankind are born and die as wriggling grubs to feed their spawn. Venture into the depths of the earth and slay this future in its cradle, lest it come to pass... Mother of Spiders, One of Three HP: 20, Morale: 10, Chitin: –d4 Mandible Bite: d6 Stinger: d6 + special Special: Stinger Venom—those stuck test Toughness DR14 or be paralyzed for one hour. Entangling Thread—the sisters can shoot thread to entrap enemies. Test agility DR12 or be caught in silk, immobile unless someone else spends their combat turn cutting you loose.
The Lost Prison of the King’s Demon A SECRET FOR MÖRK BORG In times long forgotten, a King of Grift was tricked into trading away the will of all his descendants in exchange for his true love’s heart. The fell spirit who made the bargain, a demon named Grungle, took great pleasure in using the King’s sons and grandsons to lead the city-state to war and ruin, delighting in every cruelty. Eventually he was caught. Magicians buried him in a pit of salt, drew a seal of binding around the pit, and then locked the whole thing away in a pocket dimension. But Grungle is persistent. Gradual settling has let the iron mask that is his face emerge from the salt. He uses what influence he has beyond the circle to call for help, to promise riches and wishes in exchange for his freedom. He will direct visitors to smudge the five stars on the magic circle, breaking its protection. Then they must dig him up and out of his tomb of salt. When this is done he will grant them whatever wishes he has agreed to (though maybe not how they expected) and once more seize control of the Kings of Grift. D6 Access Methods for Grungle’s Pocket Dimension Prison: 1. It is possible to dream one’s way into the prison, either intentionally or by accident. 2. There is a forgotten passage in the dungeons of Castle Grift that leads to the pocket dimension. 3. A Demonologist in Galgenbeck knows of Grungle’s prison and will construct a bridge to it for players if they agree to make the demon grant his heart’s desire. 4. In GRAVEN-TOSK there is a burrow dug by a giant badger that leads to the prison. 5. Thanks to Grungle’s influence, everyone that learns his name has a 1/100 chance of any door they open opening onto his prison. 6. Magical mishaps can result in unclean scroll users becoming trapped in the pocket dimension themselves...
Ssserazas of the Wood A MERCHANT AND WARES FOR MÖRK BORG Wander in the woods of Sarkash long enough and he will find you. A snake that walks on legs and hisses out words in the tongue of man. He has rare, impossible goods to sell you, if you have the silver...or maybe instead, cut him down where he stands and take his wares for the much more affordable price of snake blood on your hands. You wouldn’t be the first to try... Ssserazas, Snake Merchant HP: 8, Morale: 7, Thick Scales: –d4 Snakebite Staff: d4 + test Toughness DR 14 or d6 + go blind for 1 hour D6 Wares of Ssserazas: 1. Snake Jug—100s A large round jug made to look like a coiled snake. Impregnates any liquid placed within with the effects of Black Poison. 2. Snake Oil— 200s A slippery black substance. Drinking it cures any wound/illness and heals all hitpoints for one hour, after which point any damage/wound/illness returns. 3. Snake Skin— 300s A repulsive chunky potion. Turns the drinker’s skin into snake scales, –d4 damage when hit, Presence decreased by 2. 4. Snake Eye— 400s A round green stone. Placing it in an empty eye socket turns all 1s rolled into the highest number on whatever die was rolled. 5. Snake Whistle— 500s A small green whistle carved to resemble a snake. Blowing into it summons a giant flying snake mount . The creature causes instant revulsion in most npc’s who will attempt to kill it on sight. 6. Snake Compass— 600s A device of metal and glass, with a snake’s tongue arrow rotating around a central point. The tongue always points in the direction of the nearest Basilisk.
Tomb of the Beetle God A SITE FOR MÖRK BORG What do you know of five thousand years? A time beyond human reckoning. The Holy Men will tell you even 5000 years ago, the Basilisks Were, first and last, born at the beginning, predictors of the end. But they were not there to see. A forgotten monolith deep in one of the many lost side passages of the Valley of the Unfortunate Undead tells a different story. There, paintings on burial chamber walls depict a history the holy would claim heretical. But at the very bottom of that forgotten tomb, a god lies dead but dreaming—and any that dare disturb him may find his dream restored. This is a site to be placed in a pointcrawl or hexcrawl through MÖRK BORG’s Valley of the Unfortunate Undead, but it will work in any out of the way corner of the world. Alternatively it would make a good addition to a random table of sites to discover when lost. Travelers pass through a winding valley of moaning winds and deep shadows. At the end they find themselves facing a dead end containing a cracked and weatherbeaten pyramid marked with strange symbols. Of these, the only pictographs that seem comprehensible are of a beetle next to what appears to be a throne. The pyramid door is shut, but any locks have long since rusted to nothing, and the doors fall at a touch. Aso & Zaso: Mummified Baboon Priests of the Beetle God HP (each): 10, Morale: -, No Armour Touch: d4 + drain 1 toughness permanently Special: Each has d4 random Sacred Scrolls inscribed on the inside of their wrappings. Can spend their turn casting a sacred scroll by unwrapping themselves slightly, lowering their max hp by 2. Clever players can loot the wrappings for useable scrolls.
Scourge of the Faithful A WEAPON FOR MÖRK BORG This scourge is the prized weapon of those most pious of the true faith, worshippers of the two headed basilisks. They know that all that remains for the world is suffering, and so suffering itself is holy. The whip is embedded with thorns from the holy roses of the inner cathedral gardens, or so they say...many of them look more like the teeth of dogs, or rusty nails. The whip flails wildly in all directions, and a hit on an enemy guarantees harm to oneself, but this is the whip’s true beauty! The scouring of oneself will eventually be rewarded with holy blessings...if you can survive enough self-mutilation to earn them. Thorn Whip, 2d4 + 1d4 to self, on a 20 roll for a Holy Scar D6 Holy Scars 1. Brutal cuts along your back show your fortitude—gain 2 toughness 2. A slab of skin peels away, leaving only meat behind, red and raw. On the back of the slab of skin are holy words. Roll d10 for a random Sacred Scroll from the MÖRK BORG core book 3. A cut on the forehead heals into a holy sigil—gain an omen 4. Scars on the lower back are a mark of shame for some—for you they reflect a strange providence. Whenever you don’t have a donkey, you soon find one waiting for you. 5. A cut on the inside of your ear is slow to heal. Each day you find one silver coin within. 6. A cut along your tongue whispers the prophecies of Verhu.
Morticious the Mad A WIZARD FOR MÖRK BORG Beware! That crazed ascetic of Bergenchrypt has roused from his long studies to wander the world once more! He seeks subjects on which to test his Unclean Sorcery! Be on guard among hermits, vagabonds, refugees, and all strange men, for any one of them could be the Archmage of Anarchy himself! His face is lost to history, but he is known to wear his beard long and his hat pointed, his robes blue and his wand oaken. You shall know him, in the end, by the coming of your doom. Morticious, Sorcerous Researcher HP: 20, Morale: 10, Magic Barrier: –d6 Stab with Wand: d4 Special: Has a bag full of Unclean Scrolls (see table below). Each round he will pull out a random scroll and use it. He will try to use it to his advantage in combat, but if there is not obvious application, he will use the scroll anyway because his primary desire is always to test his spells—he’s written the Unclean Scrolls himself. Could be convinced to barter a scroll in exchange for a player being a voluntary test subject. D6 Unclean Scrolls of Morticious the Mad 1. Serpents Unleashed: One creature tests Presence DR14 or bursts, becoming a mass of snakes. 2. Pocket Void: A tiny black hole is generated at a point the caster designates within sight. Creatures in the vicinity test Strength DR14 or get pulled in (instant death). The black hole will disappear after it has consumed 1000kg of material. Until then it pulls in everything in the surroundings (including buildings, soil, etc). 3. Time Snap: One creature tests Toughness DR14 or is transported back in time one day. Any creature in the past that realizes they are a time traveler becomes berserk and tries to kill them—if the creature survives until the point when the spell was cast, the effects pass. 4. I See You: Players swap character sheets at random. No effect on NPC’s. 5. Exit Light: One creature tests Presence DR14 or has their worst fear become embodied as a monster. etc
The Floating Shard A HEXCRAWL FOR MÖRK BORG Far across the Endless Sea, there is a floating continent that is slowly splintering away into nothingness. One small shard of it has broken loose and floated over an unimaginable distance to end up in the sky north-west of Galgenbeck. All manner of hooks and ladders were tried, but the floating island remained out of reach. Finally Josilfa herself unleashed a dark power from a long lost scroll and created The Basilisk Gate linking Galgenbeck to the island, and called upon the armies of the inquisition to purify this unprophesied, and therefore heretical, land. A piece of a different world The sky shard is a piece of a world called Fol-Thar, a less grimdark fantasy world than MÖRK BORG, and therefore the random encounter tables below use monsters drawn from other sources (I don’t have the space to provide stats). Feel free to replace the monsters with your own or generate stats to your own tastes—since this is a more ambitious contribution to Morktober I couldn’t be as comprehensive as I’d have liked. Roll for a random encounter when travelling between hexes, or follow your preferred Hex Crawl procedure. D4 Encounters: Ring River 1. A Haunting: a lone ghost pines for his long lost love. Will flee if attacked. 2. Glum Mermaids: d4 mermaids are lamenting their fate. They met some inquisitors and are glum about the prospect of the splinter crashing into a land of rude people who smell terrible. 3. River Thing: a strange green man made of a colony of algae. Roll reaction—not necessarily violent, but bodies make good fertilizer 4. Spy vs Spy: d6 scouts from Bichipsmi spying on the inquisitors. Roll reaction but modify it based on the PC’s reputation with Bichipsmi and/or The Inquisitors. D4 Encounters: Creeping Fen 1. Have you for dinner: a giant sentient venus person-trap plant—it can reach far with its “mouths” but is otherwise immobile—roll reaction 2. Anuran: A lone frog man playing the lyre. ETC
Chrysalis of the Dream-Worm SOME STUFF FOR MÖRK BORG Dream-Worms are a rare species of caterpillar found exclusively in the heart of temperate rainforests. The cocoons they weave for their metamorphosis into their moth form are highly sought after for use in what is colloquially known as Chrysalis Tea, an expensive black market stimulant. The tea causes euphoria, hallucinations, and is reported to occasionally produce Prophetic Visions. Potential vision seekers should beware however, as Dream-Worm Groves are patrolled by swarms of Dream-Moths, which hunt interlopers. Victims of their mesmeric powers become living incubators for the next generation of Dream-Worms. For these reasons, Dream-Worm Cocoons go for a high price, and wholesalers are always eager for new potential suppliers to send into the forest in seek of fortune. 1 cocoon produces 1 serving of tea. 1 cocoon sells for 10s 1 serving of tea can be purchased from sellers of obscure stimulants for 20s D6 Chrysalis Tea Dreams (rolled by GM in secret) 1. False Prophetic Vision: A great snake is devouring the world. Days are numbered. You see what must be done. You awake from your dream certain that a specific public figure (GM discretion) must be killed to prevent the end of the world. 2. Childhood Memories: You relive an intense childhood memory in vivid detail. Upon waking it takes some time to remember where, when, and who you are. 3. Betrayal!: You have an elaborate dream in which every member of the party and every single NPC you know has betrayed you. You tell yourself if was only a dream, but the feeling is hard to shake... 4. The Basilisk: Astral project into the presence of a Basilisk. You observe its secret dealings for a few minutes before it looks directly at you and you awake. 5. The Prisoner: Astral project into a pocket dimension where a demon is imprisoned. It offers knowledge and boons if you agree to perform the ritual to release it, which it can teach you. 6. True Prophetic Vision - etc
Wall-Crawling Shade A MONSTER FOR MÖRK BORG The Unclean Sorcery of Morticious the Mad had many victims. The lucky ones died. Those less fortunate found themselves reborn as a Wall-Crawling Shade, a two-dimensional scuttling composite of soot and grime, a living stain. Shades emerge from the cracks of catacombs or the creeping damp and mold of grottos. They cling to the walls, ceilings, and floors of crypts and other halls dank and dark, hiding in shadows that they may strike unseen. They are perpetually cold, and the warmth and vitality of life fills them with jealousy and hunger. They can communicate through sign, but are not easily coerced into congress with those they would rather devour. HP: 10, Morale 8, No Armour Touch: d4 + special Special: Ethereal and Insubstantial, DR14 to hit. Characters hit by its touch attack must test Toughness DR12 or become infected. As normal infection (replace rest benefits with d6 damage), but if the character dies while infected, they become a Shade. D6 Cures for Infection: 1. Sacrifice 50s of valuables in a ritual dedicated to Morticious the Mad. 2. Drink the blood of a priest. 3. Sleep overnight in a buried coffin. 4. Treat the wound with saliva of a basilisk. 5. Make a vow renouncing a favorite earthly pleasure. Break the vow and the infection returns. 6. Convince the shade to apologize. Captured - 100s Dead (intact) - 50s Unclean Soot (per quart) - 5s
Raised by Wolves A CLASS FOR MÖRK BORG Abandoned in the wilderness by impoverished or dead parents you were nursed by a she-wolf and raised as her own. Brought up red in tooth and claw you saw no difference between yourself and your fanged and furred siblings. Now, entering a world of supposed law and civilization you note the smell of blood on the breath of priests and lords is no less thick than on the breath of wolves. Hunt or be hunted. Begins With 1d6x10s and d4 Omens. HP: Toughness + d10 Introduced to the Human World (d6) 1. Captured by poachers 2. Abandoned by the pack, adopted by a carnival 3. Possessed by a ghost—the knowledge of language stayed after the spirit moved on 4. Found and taken in by the twin your parents didn’t abandon 5. Urban sprawl consumed the woods—your pack was left begging for scraps but you learned how to hunt in this new territory. 6. After killing and eating a hunter you gained their memories and knowledge. Abilities Your bestial experience and custom has limitations, roll 3d6-2 for Presence. You grew up hunting naked in the woods running on all fours, roll 3d6+1 for Toughness and Agility. Roll d6 on the weapon table and d2 on the armor table. You begin with one of the following traits earned as a member of the pack: 1. Bestial Presence Humanoid enemies are discomforted by your animalistic bearing and must check morale each round. 2. Hunter’s Instinct You know prey—you know how they move, how they think. DR of tests relating to tracking, interrogating, or stalking your prey is reduced by 4. 3. Pack Tactics You’ve fought as one of many all your life. When you and an ally are both in melee range of an enemy, DR of your combat tests related to that enemy are reduced by 2 4. Iron Jaw You know how to bite and not let go. When you succeed on a melee attack against an enemy you may make a follow-up bite attack against that enemy. DR10, d6 damage. 1-2 on a d6 the enemy gets a free attack 5. Packmate ETC - sorry ran out of chrctrs
Suomuhauki A carved fish head sits alone in the wilderness, its gaping maw a shadowy doorway inviting the brave or foolish to venture within. A carved inscription at the fish’s head reads: “Here be Suomuhauki, fish who devoured the world. From within his great gullet no soul may escape, and henceforth we are cursed to forever inhabit this world of torment and suffering. Enter and see.” A player entering Suomuhauki’s maw is transported to a random location in the world. The GM may choose an appropriate location, or if unpredictability is desired, drop a die onto the world map and choose the hex, landmark, or other distinct location closest to the die’s final position.
The God Frog In the Western Kingdom now known as Wästland, the once mighty river has stagnated and spread over the woods and valleys creating a great swamp. Within, a community of the bog has taken to worshipping an enormous amphibian that has grown fat on a tribute of live human sacrifice. Though it was born a mere beast, the act of worship has inculcated in its flesh an occult power. PC’s seeking to fight the beast find its stats like a Wyvern, but it jumps rather than flies and it has a venom spiked tongue instead of tail. If however, the PC’s offer the God Frog a living human meal (or any larger animal), they will receive a boon. D8 Boons of the God Frog 1. Warning Coloration—You sweat indigo and scarlet toxin. Creatures that touch you go blind. 2. Amphibious—Your fingers and toes lengthen and become webbed. 3. The Look—Your eyes bulge from your head—your field of vision grows. 4. Hunter—You gain a frog’s stretching tongue, complete with envenomed barb—you can make a tongue attack as The God Frog (as wyvern tail) 5. Ravenous Hunger—You heal d6 hp after consuming human flesh. After one full day of not consuming human flesh, you experience symptoms of starvation. 6. Pied Piper—You grow a pouch around your throat which can be inflated to produce a song with mesmeric powers. 7. Live Birth—Your blood squirms inside your veins. Your circulatory system is filled with frogspawn. If allowed to hatch, the PC dies. 8. The Metamorphosis—Something stirs within you. The bog calls your name. The metamorphosis has begun. Members of the God Frog’s cult have a 1 in 4 chance of having a random boon. Priests each have 2d4 random boons.